The Dike Bursts
Due to the continuous heavy rain in the past few days, Qian Shi was worried about her safety. During the past two days, she relocated to the small bed partitioned by bamboo screens to sleep. Perhaps because she knew her parents were close by, she quickly fell asleep while holding the blanket.
But not long after, the main gate of the Zhou family was repeatedly knocked on. The visitor was afraid that they wouldn't be heard, so they shouted, "Uncle Jin, Big Brother Zhou, open the door quickly!"
Mr. Zhou, Zhou Er Lang, and Zhou San Lang were all bustling inside the house. Mr. Zhou responded vaguely and fumbled in the dark to open the door.
Man Bao rubbed her eyes and saw her father putting on clothes and walking out. She asked drowsily, "What's going on?"
Qian Shi gently pushed her back onto the bed and patted her to calm her, saying, "It's nothing, go back to sleep."
But her ears perked up to listen to the commotion outside.
Man Bao yawned, but she found herself unable to fall back asleep.
Mr. Zhou opened the door and asked, "What's the matter?"
The newcomer wiped the rain splashes off his face and said, "The Zhou family's house has collapsed, and people are trapped inside."
Mr. Zhou was shocked and quickly asked, "Are the people okay?"
"They are being rescued now." Young Zhou is fine, but he is trapped indoors and unable to leave. The room where his parents were sleeping collapsed completely. "We don't know their condition."
This was no longer just a matter of one family's labor. From Mr. Zhou to Zhou Si Lang, and even the elderly Mr. Zhou, they hurried out in the rain to rescue people.
The Zhou family's house was made of mud and straw. A long time ago, half of the roof was tiled, but later the tiles were damaged. Consequently, a layer of thatch was gradually added.
Especially with the recent heavy rains, the house was leaking badly. Young Zhou's family recently replaced the thatch, but the heavy rain, possibly combined with the age of the house, caused the wooden beams to decay. The mud walls had been soaked by the wind and rain in recent days, causing them to collapse with a loud bang.
The loud noise that Man Bao heard just now wasn't thunder, but the collapse of the house.
When Young Zhou woke up, he pushed aside the thatch covering him slightly and shouted a few times to alert his neighbors. He then quickly called for help.
The whole village was awake. The village head instructed everyone to relocate wood, thatch, tiles, and walls to rescue those who could be heard, and then to excavate those who were silent.
Similar dilapidated households had even taken their children out to the courtyard, fearing that their own houses might also collapse.
Young Zhou was a good friend of Zhou Si Lang. He had been hit by thatch and tiles, sustaining some scratches on his body. His wife was sleeping next to him and was not seriously injured, but his parents were in a more critical condition.
Despite calling out several times, his parents did not respond.
He knelt on the ground, looking dazed.
The rain eased off for a moment, then started again noisily. Many houses in the village had issues, one of which had cracked walls. The man, who was the head of the household and had discovered this, kicked the wall to test its sturdiness, but it collapsed with just one kick.
The woman next to him was stunned, then furious, which led to wailing and howling in the village.
When the sky was just beginning to light up, everyone from Young Zhou's family had been rescued. His father was stunned, with some bleeding from his forehead, while his mother was in shock, trembling all over. Traveling along the mountain road was challenging at that moment, so they were unable to go out and fetch a doctor.
But some elderly people who had knowledge pressed their acupoints, and gradually the elderly couple woke up.
The old couple was lucky because the collapsed beams landed on a cabinet at the head of the bed. Despite the impact of the thatch and tiles, they did not suffer any broken bones.
The village head breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that everyone was safe.
At this time, the county magistrate, who was sleeping soundly in the county government building, was also awakened by the banging on the door.
The county official couldn't care less about disturbing the magistrate's residence. He went straight to his door and anxiously said, "Your Honor, the Min River dike has burst."
The magistrate, still groggy from just waking up, stumbled and fell to the ground. He got up somewhat disheveled, opened the door with a bang, and grabbed the county official, his face turning pale. "Where did it collapse?"
"The Min River, Your Honor, the Min River!"
The magistrate's hands trembled as he asked, "Does the Min River have the Feisha Weir?" It has been inspected annually, reinforced previously, and completed just two years ago. How could it…"
The county official's cold sweat broke out as he exclaimed, "Your Honor, we don't have time to worry about how the Min River breached." The continuous heavy rain is causing the Luo River to rise rapidly. Additionally, the Kai River, Ningshui River, and Mianyuan River are part of the Luo River system.
The magistrate suddenly snapped out of his daze. His face darkened as he straightened his clothes and said, "Get everyone here. You're right, we can't control the Min River at the moment." We need to prioritize the management of the Luo River, especially focusing on the villages located along its banks. If the flood really comes down, we must move them to the nearest mountains...
After the rain gradually stopped, Man Bao followed Zhou Wulang and the others to the village head's house.
Young Zhou's family was temporarily housed at the village head's house. Text: ### Qian Shi had prepared some eggs for Zhou Wulang to take with them, and Man Bao followed along out of curiosity. ###
The village head also arrived.
He was comforting Young Zhou's father, saying, "As long as everyone is safe, the house can be repaired by the village later."
Then he turned to the others and said, "Check your own houses for any issues." If there are problems, repair them immediately. Don't be afraid to spend money. Life is more precious than money.
"Village head, how long do you think this rain will last?"
"We can only ask the heavens for that." "I'll inquire on your behalf when I return tonight."
"Village head, the crops have already ripened." If they're all flooded now…"
"I know, even my own fields have been flooded."
Man Bao squeezed to the front and curiously asked, "Village head, is it raining heavily outside as well?"
"It's probably raining everywhere." "Look at the dark clouds spreading out like this; it's definitely raining in more places than just here."
"Will other places similar to ours also experience flooding?"
The village head furrowed his brow and, deep in thought, his expression changed slightly.
Feeling restless, he stood up and said, "As long as everyone is safe, you can discuss and settle in here." It is advisable to wait for the weather to clear up before repairing your houses. I will go to the county town.
Due to the rain, the roads were challenging to navigate, particularly the mountain road leading to the county town. Therefore, the village head had never been to the county town. But today, he felt compelled to go and see.
The village head could only rely on his own old arms and legs for transportation, while the Bai family had a car and servants. He could receive information from outside faster than he could.
Furthermore, he had a shop in the county town. Shortly after daybreak, a donkey cart arrived at the Bai family's home in the rain.
Before long, Master Bai was informed of the breach of the Min River dike, and Mr. Zhuang was also aware of it.
That day, when Man Bao went to the Bai family to help with chores, Mr. Zhuang seemed absent-minded, his face turning grim.
Man Bao looked at Bai Shanbao, who gestured for her to be careful. Bai Erlang, lost in thought while biting the end of his pen, glared at the two of them and raised his hand to report, "Sir, Zhou Man and Bai Shan are up to something."
He felt that he was being scapegoated because of the two of them. Throughout, they had managed to avoid getting into trouble themselves when playing pranks, but he was always the one who ended up being caught.