Baiyun Village, Yuncheng Prefecture.
At the foot of the mountain, in a low-lying house, an elderly man looked at the torrential rain outside and felt that something was wrong.
The dark sky was covered by thick, dark clouds, so dense that not a ray of light could be seen. The sound of rain was constant, and occasionally a clap of thunder would break the silence, illuminating a small ditch not far away.
The ditch, which had been dry for a long time, was now covered by rainwater, which gushed outwards.
In the yard in front of the house, the uneven ground was already soaked with rainwater, threatening to flood the house.
The old man sensed something was wrong and quickly went inside. He pounded on the two tightly closed doors of the inner room and shouted, "Shanzi, old woman, wake up! The flood is coming! Let's get out of here!"
His strength was immense, and coupled with the occasional thunderclaps outside, the people inside had long been awakened. Upon hearing this, they quickly dressed and came out.
A young man in his early twenties frowned as he listened to the pattering rain outside. He quickly said, "Dad, I'm going to the village chief's house. Tell him to inform the villagers that you and Mom should take Xiaoxia and the others to the back mountain first."
After saying that, the young man put on his raincoat and groped his way into the rain in the dark.
Before long, faint lights began to appear sporadically in the dark village, and the sounds of gongs and drums echoed through the rainy night, accompanied by various shouts.
Shanzi banged on his broken gong and shouted, "The flood is coming! Everyone, quickly pack your things and go to the back mountain!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, but it was barely audible due to the torrential rain and thunder.
Fortunately, the village chief's family had all regained consciousness and were now knocking on doors to call for help.
More and more houses lit up with dim yellow lights, and shouts filled the air, mixed with the chaotic sound of rain and occasional claps of thunder, creating utter chaos in the rainy night.
Seeing that several houses still had their doors tightly shut and showed no signs of waking up, Shanzi quickly went forward and pounded on those closed doors.
Soon, a voice came from inside the house, "They're here, packing their things. Shanzi, you should go check on Liu Fengzi. He goes crazy whenever it rains, and he probably doesn't know what's going on yet."
Shanzi was taken aback, responded, and quickly ran towards the dilapidated thatched hut not far away.
The rickety door slammed against the wind and rain with extra force, as if it would collapse at any moment.
Before even entering, a frenzied voice could be heard.
"Xiuyun, Xiuyun, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it's okay, it's okay, Xiaobao is with me. Look, Xiaobao is scared too."
"Sweetie, it's just raining, don't cry, Daddy's here!"
The thatched hut was pitch black, with only the eerie voice of a man and the sound of rain pattering outside.
Shanzi shivered and tentatively called into the house, "Uncle Liu, we can't stay in the village anymore, the flood is coming soon, let's go!"
The eerie voice inside the room fell silent for a moment, but there was no reply.
Shanzi continued, "Uncle Liu, hurry up the mountain with us, or the village will be flooded."
Upon hearing this, Liu the Madman immediately came out of the house, holding a dark object in his arms. He shook the object while shouting, "Nonsense! You're talking nonsense! There's no flood! If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll beat you to death! Get out of here!"
Shanzi was startled by the roar.
The rain intensified, turning the "splashing" sound into a "whoosh," as if a large crack had appeared in the sky. Someone was carrying a large basin and continuously pouring rainwater down, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.
Not far away, villagers were hurriedly fleeing up the mountain. The water under their feet was getting deeper and deeper; what was once ankle-deep water was now up to their calves.
If they don't leave now, they will surely be swept away by the flood when the mountain dikes collapse.
With gritted teeth, he stepped forward, grabbed Liu Fengzi's arm tightly, and headed towards the back of the mountain.
Liu the Madman, however, persisted, shouting, "Don't touch me! I want to be with Xiuyun and Xiaobao! You bad man, let me go! Let me go!"
Shanzi ignored the other's shouts and could only pull him forcefully, running towards the back of the mountain.
What should have been a 15-minute hike up the mountain took a full 25 minutes because of Liu the Madman's struggles.
Seeing that they were about to reach the top of the mountain, Shanzi pulled Liu Fengzi and walked up even faster.
However, at that moment, a loud noise suddenly rang out from the foot of the mountain.
With a loud "boom," a flood mixed with mud and sand instantly submerged the entire Baiyun Village.
Those dilapidated thatched huts were no match for such a fierce flood; they collapsed with a crash before the rushing water could even pass through.
Shanzi was momentarily stunned when he saw the water flowing so close to him at his feet.
The water beneath our feet was surging and rapid, and the large stone at the village entrance, inscribed with the village's name, had been swept away by the flood.
The thatched huts and fields that had been rebuilt just a year ago were now submerged by the murky water, making it impossible to see their original appearance.
The people on the hillside saw the two standing there dumbfounded and shouted anxiously, "Come up quickly! What are you standing there for? You'll be swept away by the flood!"
Shanzi suddenly came to his senses, looked at the water getting closer and closer to his feet, grabbed Liu Fengzi and struggled to walk up the mountain.
However, Liu Fengzi pushed him away and looked at his empty hands, "Xiao Bao, where is my Xiao Bao? Xiao Bao is gone! Xiu Yun, Xiu Yun, Xiu Yun is gone too!"
Xiao Bao and Xiu Yun have both disappeared.
He stared blankly at his hands, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Shanzi was pushed to the ground and hurriedly said, "Xiaobao and Xiuyun are up there. Let's hurry up and get up. We can't afford to delay."
After saying that, she quickly pulled him up the mountain.
The people on the hillside quickly reached out to help the two of them up.
However, the next second, two painful cries for help came from the raging flood.
"Help, oh my god, help, help me."
A woman and a child clung to a piece of driftwood, calling for help from the people on the mountain.
Liu Fengzi stood frozen in place, staring intently at the people bobbing up and down in the floodwaters, and shouted, "Xiaobao, Xiuyun, my Xiaobao! Xiaobao and Xiuyun haven't come up yet! I have to go save them! Save them!"
As he spoke, he was about to jump into the surging water.
Shanzi quickly grabbed him, looked at the two people clinging desperately to the driftwood in the middle of the flood, and shouted up the mountain: "There are people in the flood! Come and save them!"
Upon hearing this, the village chief and two young men rushed down. Just as they threw down the rope, Liu Fengzi suddenly shouted, "Xiaobao, Xiuyun, don't be afraid, I'm coming to save you, don't be afraid."
Having said that, he plunged into the floodwaters.
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