46

This is how she discovers that the basement was flooded, even though she had to take care of that area, it was during the night after a strong winter storm, the snow melted with the water that flooded that place.

Péngyǒu runs down the basement stairs before her father can change his mind and steps into an ankle-deep puddle of dirty gray water, just as early in the morning as she has managed to get the water pump working.

At that moment, Péngyǒu hears her working in a corner, but the machine will need to work all day, so she notices from the mark on the stone walls that the water has only dropped about five centimetres’, still, it's difficult as that environment flooded.

She goes to the opposite side of the basement, where the button box is hidden, and pushes aside the old desk, then she gets down on her knees in the corner and sticks her arms in the dirty water, unable to see her hands, and release the stone.