Chapter 855 Crisis Relieved Lu Qingyang temporarily handed over the task of clearing the ruins to the village secretary, grabbed a shovel, and ran with the soldiers to the foot of the back mountain.

Li Jianguo squatted in front of the grotesque new crack, his face darker than the bottom of a pot.

The crack wasn't wide, but murky yellow water seeped out with a hissing sound, and a grove of trees on the mountainside was leaning precariously.

"Judging by the rate of seepage, the inside is probably completely soaked." Li Jianguo grabbed a handful of wet mud and rubbed it between his fingers. "If another rain comes, this area is very likely to collapse, which could just bury those few houses at the end of the village that haven't collapsed yet."

Lu Qingyang looked up at the crack and used the handle of a shovel to probe its depth and texture.

"We can't wait for it to collapse on its own. We need to actively reduce its weight and divert the seepage water by making a ditch to prevent it from continuing to soften the base."

He pointed to a relatively stable slope on one side of the mountain, "Make an opening over there, slowly clear away the loose rocks, and use the cleared rocks to reinforce the roadbed that was washed away at the entrance of the village. The irrigation ditch will be dug along this low-lying area to connect with the stream below."

Li Jianguo's eyes lit up: "Using labor for relief, killing two birds with one stone? But this job requires people, and we also need people to keep an eye on safety."

“The men are readily available. Those old and young men in the village who are looking for a place to exert their strength, send a group over. You take two brothers to guide them on safety. As for the tools…”

Lu Qingyang paused for a moment, "I seem to remember that when I came here, I saw some pickaxes and winnowing baskets sticking out from the collapsed commune warehouse. They should still be usable."

The two quickly finalized the plan.

Li Jianguo immediately went to organize people, while Lu Qingyang stayed behind, pretending to study the crack, but actually "transferring" several sturdy tools from the space to reserve a "discovery" point.

At the same time, the atmosphere in the ancestral hall became tense.

Old Wang was isolated, and Shen Mo, wearing a mask and protective gear, carefully examined him.

Diarrhea, fever, and mild dehydration are indeed signs pointing to the early stages of an intestinal infectious disease.

She immediately ordered, "Treat it as a suspected intestinal infectious disease. Everyone who has been in contact with him should stay put and wash with soap. Cover his vomit and excrement with quicklime. Also, immediately boil a large pot of the same kind of anti-epidemic medicine soup as last time. Key groups, especially those who have cleaned up filth or been in contact with floodwater, must drink it."

Shen Mo's calm and decisive tone eased the villagers' panic.

She walked over to the distraught young woman and said to an older woman nearby, "Auntie, please take care of her, give her a bowl of medicine soup, and watch over her to make sure she doesn't touch any raw water."

The aunt nodded quickly and helped her daughter-in-law to the side.

Shen Mo also drank a large mouthful of medicinal soup and went to the entrance of the ancestral hall for some fresh air. She happened to see Lu Qingyang leading a group of villagers carrying newly discovered tools toward the back mountain.

The two looked at each other across the distance. Lu Qingyang nodded slightly to her, made a reassuring gesture, pointed to the back mountain, and then pointed to his head, indicating that he would be careful.

Shen Mo nodded slightly and turned to begin screening the patients.

The area at the foot of the back mountain quickly became lively.

Under the command and safety supervision of two soldiers, a dozen villagers wielded picks and shovels and began to carefully clear away the loose stones.

At first, everyone was hesitant, but when they saw the stones they dug up being used to reinforce the roadbed at the village entrance, they became more motivated.

This work is tangible and real; it involves genuinely protecting our homeland.

"Dig deeper here, yes, let the water flow this way!"

Lu Qingyang also joined in shirtless, working while giving instructions on the direction of the irrigation ditch.

Li Jianguo keeps a close eye on everything around him, ready to stop any dangerous actions at any time.

The bitter smell of the medicinal soup wafted from the ancestral hall.

Shen Mo personally fed Old Wang the medicine and arranged for people to take turns looking after him.

Other villagers lined up to receive the medicinal soup, and although it was so bitter they grimaced, no one complained.

The young woman who had been holding her child and whose clothes were wet was also half-coaxed and half-persuaded by the aunt to drink a bowl of soup.

As the sun began to set, most of the loose rocks on the back mountain were cleared away, and a shallow irrigation ditch began to take shape. Although it could not completely eliminate the hidden dangers, it greatly reduced the risks.

The roadbed at the village entrance has also been raised and compacted considerably.

The villagers dragged their tired bodies to their workday, but there was a different kind of gleam in their eyes.

They saw the road becoming solid, the danger being brought under control, and, more importantly, they saw that these outsiders were genuinely there to help, not just going through the motions.

In the evening, the villagers shared steaming hot porridge in a makeshift shed.

Lu Qingyang, Li Jianguo, and Chen Mo huddled together for a small meeting by the dim light of a flashlight.

"Old Wang's condition is temporarily stable, but he still needs to be observed. Tomorrow, we must expand the scope of administration of the anti-epidemic medicine," Shen Mo said, rubbing her temples.

"The mountain slope has only been temporarily stabilized. We need to put up a warning sign and monitor it over the long term. In addition, the access road needs to be widened, otherwise supplies cannot be transported in," Li Jianguo added.

"The food and medicine can last for a few more days, but in the long run, we need to find a way to restore the village's ability to help itself."

Lu Qingyang summarized: "Tomorrow we will split into three groups. One group will continue clearing the roads, one group will build a few sturdy shacks in the relatively safe area of ​​the village, and the other group will come with me to check the surrounding area for any fields or forests that have been flooded but can still be salvaged."

As night deepened, the weary village fell into a deep sleep.

As dawn broke, the villagers rubbed their eyes and crawled out of their shacks, only to find several large pots of steaming hot porridge made with wild vegetables and compressed rations already cooking in the air.

Lu Qingyang, holding an enamel mug, squatted on a large rock: "Fellow men and women, we can't just wait to be handed out. God has spared our lives, so we have to rebuild them! Three things to do today!"

"First, Captain Li will lead a team to continue widening and reinforcing the road into the village. Second, the older women and comrades, follow Doctor Shen. Besides taking care of the wounded and sick, we'll wash and dry the usable pots, pans, bedding, and clothes, and build a few decent shelters to protect us from the wind and rain. Third, those who are agile and familiar with the mountains and forests, come with me to explore the mountains and riverbanks around our village. Let's see what crops and fruit trees can be salvaged after the flood, or what mountain produce we can find to fill our stomachs."

To be honest, the division of labor is clear.

The villagers buzzed with discussion, and the confusion in their eyes faded considerably.

Soon, the three groups of people started to act.