Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

The pandemic swept in like a storm without warning.

Hospitals were overcrowded, streets and alleys were deserted, face masks became the most sought-after commodity, and everyone's face was filled with anxiety.

Su Xuan's family stayed at home, looking at the freezer that was full of pork that had been marinated long ago; rummaging through the cabinet, they found fever reducers, cold medicine, and masks.

Grandpa patted the several large packages that Su Xuan had sent back, let out a long sigh, and said with a face full of emotion, "Thanks to this girl, she has foresight. If it weren't for her advance arrangements, our family would probably be in a complete mess right now."

The family sat together, watching the news about the fight against the epidemic on TV, while their phones kept popping up with news of soaring prices and shortages of supplies. Compared to their own family's peaceful life, they felt even more that Su Xuan's decision was absolutely right.

Meanwhile, Su Xuan, living in a remote mountainous area, was having a much harder time. Her archaeological team had their tents pitched in the vast wilderness, far from the city.

When news of the spread of the epidemic came, the team was initially panicked, and some suggested returning to the city immediately. Su Xuan frowned and stood up to object: "We will come into contact with many people on the way back to the city, which will greatly increase the risk of infection. In addition, this project is at a critical moment. If we stop work, all our previous efforts will be wasted."

After a moment's thought, the captain decided to stay put. But in the days that followed, difficulties came one after another.

The daily necessities that were supposed to be replenished regularly have been delayed due to traffic control measures. Rice and flour are becoming increasingly scarce, and fresh vegetables are nowhere to be seen.

The team members' meal portions were shrunk again and again, with their lunchboxes containing only watery soup and a few pieces of pickled vegetables considered a luxury. At night, the cold wind blew directly into the tents, and everyone, hungry, tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Even so, Su Xuan did not give up. During the day, she squatted at the excavation site, carefully brushing the dust off the artifacts, her eyes so focused that it seemed the hardships and difficulties outside were irrelevant to her; during breaks, she would lead her team to search for wild vegetables and dig wild onions all over the mountains, at least to add some flavor to the monotonous meals.

Some people grumbled and complained, but Su Xuan always patiently advised them: "Just grit your teeth and get through this. What we're protecting is a treasure that's been around for thousands of years, we can't lose it."

In this global crisis, Su Xuan and her archaeological team were like lone warriors in the wilderness, carrying their passion for archaeology and the pressure of scarce living supplies, taking one step at a time, and continuing to move forward with difficulty but determination in the desolation.

As the pandemic worsened, surrounding villages were gradually sealed off, and the archaeological team was almost cut off from the outside world.

With intermittent communication signals, cell phones became useless, and the few satellite phones they had had to be kept for emergencies. The team members grew increasingly anxious; some sighed, while others silently packed their bags, seemingly still clinging to a sliver of hope of returning to the city.

Su Xuan saw this and was anxious. She knew that if morale continued to drop, the archaeological work would collapse sooner or later, and it might even cause conflicts among the team members.

So she gathered everyone together and, as if by magic, produced several tattered rubbings of ancient books, which she had copied and organized in her spare time.

“We’re stuck here, but the research can’t stop. Many of these rubbings are historical materials related to this excavation. We didn’t have time to study them carefully before, but now is the perfect time.”

The crowd's attention was drawn to the artifacts, and they became somewhat interested, gathering around to discuss the historical mysteries behind them.

To solve the supply problem, Su Xuan led several physically strong team members on foot to a nearby village to seek help. The village entrance was blocked by piles of earth and fences, and the villagers stood warily behind them, watching from a distance.

Su Xuan shouted for a long time to explain her purpose, and then took out the few packs of masks she had left to give away. Only then did the villagers relent, and they pooled together some supplies, such as a bunch of vegetables from one family and potatoes from another. Although it wasn't much, it solved their immediate problem.

One of the team's senior experts fell ill with a persistent high fever and cough, but their fever reducers were almost gone. Su Xuan was extremely anxious. She rummaged through the medicine box, crushed the last of their anti-inflammatory drugs, mixed them with hot water, and fed them to the senior expert spoonful by spoonful.

At night, she stayed by his side, not daring to close her eyes for a moment, constantly wiping the old expert's forehead with a damp towel to lower his fever, silently praying. Perhaps it was a blessing from heaven, the old expert's condition gradually stabilized, but Su Xuan was so exhausted that she collapsed by the bedside.

Cheng Ran had been on tenterhooks these past few days. He could clearly see the increasingly thin appearance of the team members and their meager meals in the background of Su Xuan's occasional video calls.

The news that the archaeological team was stranded in the field and lacking supplies made Cheng Ran extremely anxious. While pacing back and forth, a sudden inspiration struck him—find Su Xuan's mentor! He was a renowned master in the archaeological field, with extensive connections and high prestige, who could definitely help.

Cheng Ran didn't bother with formalities and hurriedly pulled out her mentor's phone number to call him, pouring out the archaeological team's dire situation. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "Teacher, can you think of a way to help them? They can't get food, and their medicine is almost gone. If this continues, they won't be able to hold on, and the archaeological work will be ruined."

The mentor on the other end of the phone was deeply concerned and repeatedly agreed. After hanging up, he used his connections accumulated over many years to contact higher authorities and repeatedly explained the urgency of the situation.

Once the higher authorities took it seriously, aid immediately began to arrive. Within a few days, several truckloads of daily necessities, including rice, flour, cooking oil, medicine, masks, canned goods, and vegetables, were delivered.

Looking at the supplies, Cheng Ran felt much more at ease, but before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, another idea popped into his head—to go along with them.

Others advised him against it, saying that conditions in the mountains were harsh and that going there would only bring suffering, not to mention the possibility of contracting a disease. Cheng Ran stubbornly insisted, "I'm not afraid. Su Xuan is there. I have to see her with my own eyes, make sure she's well-fed, clothed, and safe."

After a bumpy ride to the archaeological team's camp, Su Xuan's eyes instantly reddened when she saw Cheng Ran. She was deeply moved but also scolded him playfully, "Why did you come here and cause trouble? Don't you know how dangerous it is here?"

Cheng Ran chuckled and scratched his head: "I feel even more uneasy without you by my side. Besides, I can help move things and lend a hand."

In the days that followed, Cheng Ran became the team's "all-around helper." As soon as supplies arrived, he was the first to rush up to unload and carry them. When the team members' meals were monotonous, he learned from Su Xuan and dug up wild vegetables all over the mountains to improve everyone's meals. In his spare time, he also helped organize cultural relics data and did some copying and writing.

With ample supplies and Cheng Ran as a fresh addition, the archaeological team sprang into action like a clock wound up again, making steady progress in the excavation. The team members also had long-lost smiles on their faces, and they were full of energy as they embarked on the road to protecting historical heritage.

With Cheng Ran's company and supplies, the archaeological team's days went much more smoothly, and the excavation work gradually improved. However, the peace did not last long. The rainy season swept in without warning, and large raindrops pounded on the tents, turning the campsite into a muddy mess, as if it were mired in a swamp.

"Oh no, there's a risk of a landslide at the excavation site!" The team member's exclamation pierced the rainy night. Su Xuan's head buzzed, and she put on her raincoat and rushed into the rain. Cheng Ran saw this and followed closely behind without thinking.

The two trudged to the scene, only to find the half-excavated artifact teetering on the brink of collapse under the scouring of mud and water, in danger of being completely buried at any moment.

Su Xuan was extremely anxious, directing her team to salvage the cultural relics. Rainwater poured into her rain boots, but she was completely unaware. Cheng Ran quickly found planks and sandbags, and worked hard to build a makeshift dike to stop the mud and water from further eroding the artifacts.

After all the effort, the artifacts were at least saved, but everyone was soaked to the bone and chilled to the bone. Back at camp, one after another, team members caught colds and flu, and medical supplies were running low again. Cheng Ran frowned; he knew that waiting for outside help wouldn't be enough, so he pulled Su Xuan aside and sifted through ancient books and wilderness survival manuals, searching for folk remedies to treat the team members. They brewed ginger soup and boiled herbs; the pungent smell of medicine filled the tents, carrying everyone's prayers and soothing their anxious hearts.