Chapter 127
The rain was so heavy that it almost never stopped. People who were working outside were trapped and could not get back. Xu Ming was fine. There were not many veterinarians on the farm, so they had to work overtime frequently. Therefore, they all had their own rest rooms, but they probably had no time to rest. The heavy rain not only flooded the houses, but also the animals. Some healthy animals that were specially separated from the sick animals would be killed if they were not driven to higher places in time.
Another person working outside, Wu Zheng, was also busy. They had to grab the machines. Animals would not die if they soaked in water for a while, but the machines would be scrapped instantly once they came into contact with water. Especially since these machines were just repaired after the earthquake, they were still losing parts and could not withstand such a flood. Originally, they planned to just raise them a little, but as the flood got deeper and deeper, the machines in various factories were constantly raised and moved, but some of them were still scrapped in the water.
Those things that seem to have nowhere to go and can only be scrapped in the water, no matter they are government-supported factories or private contractors, all look pale and full of despair. Just when their lives are about to improve, they are thrown to the bottom again. It's not that they can't afford to pay the price. In today's world, there is only one life at most. What is there to be afraid of? But the psychological blow is enough to make many people unable to bear it. Few people are strong enough to face every rise and fall bravely.
Some new soldiers hadn't been trained for long, but they were already starting to rescue people in the outer city who were either under quarantine or had passed quarantine but had to live in sheds because they didn't have the conditions. The sheds were simple to begin with, and even a little rain would leak everywhere, let alone such a heavy rain. Not to mention that the sheds were just small flats, and there was no way to hide in high places. Many people had been forced to soak in the rain for most of the night.
These people must be transferred as soon as possible, but there are not enough boats. There were some rescue supplies stored in the base before, but not much. Dozens of those inflatable rescue boats are needed to save more than 100,000 people. There are a total of eight isolation areas in the entire new city. Behind each isolation area is a flat roof. There are tens of thousands of people in one area. There are eight isolation areas, and there are at least two or three hundred thousand people.
These are the people who have no houses to live in. Those who have places to live but live on the first or second floor were also flooded. They could only move in the heavy rain, but where could they move to? In this area, there is only one area with high-rise apartments. When many people realized that something was wrong, they took all the things they could and moved to the apartment buildings, even if they lived on the top floor or in the corridor, as long as they were away from the overflowing water, it would be fine.
Those who went to the apartment building at first went upstairs smoothly, but were later stopped by the residents of the apartment. Their building was already crowded with people of mixed population and the sanitary conditions were already very poor. If a bunch of refugees came up and some infectious disease broke out, they would probably have to fight for survival in an abandoned quarantine building.
The biggest headache for the higher-ups was that the underground passage that had been reopened with great difficulty was directly filled with water. Fortunately, the track was still under construction and the subway had not been lowered yet, otherwise the water would have filled the entire underground and the repaired subway would have been scrapped again.
These electronic equipment and instruments cannot withstand the watering of rain. The indoor fields were also flooded. Others could be moved to higher places, but how could the things that had already been planted in the soil be moved? In order to prevent summer drought, and fearing that this year would be another hot year with no rain, most of the planting areas planted drought-resistant crops. Now that they have been soaked in water, no one knows how many can survive.
Wu Zheng didn't need to remind Song Jia. The whole building belonged to them. If water came in from the bottom, they could just move upstairs.
Before the Internet was disconnected, Xu Ming sent a message to Yu Zibai. He sent Yu Zibai the password of the door on his floor and asked them to go to the third floor if the water below came up. If the third floor couldn't hold up, they could only go to the top floor. If the top floor couldn't hold up either, they could only wait for rescue.
Qin Huai's house was very simple. There was not much on the first floor. They used to sleep on the kang in winter. When the weather got warmer, they moved almost everything that could be moved from the first floor upstairs. When the water was about to reach the stairs to the second floor, Mu Nan hurriedly put all the things on the second floor into the space, and moved a bunch of rabbits to the third floor. He had space, so he could just put things away, very easily.
His next-door neighbors were in a miserable situation. They had to rely on manpower to move items in their homes to higher places before the water came up. In addition, the water was so high that they dared not use electricity even if there was no power outage. If the electrical equipment was soaked in water and a short circuit occurred, many people would die. So they cut off the power early. In such a hot day, carrying things upstairs and downstairs and the power outage could cost lives.
Yesterday it was Mu Nan who was feeling suffocated, and today it was his neighbors who were feeling suffocated. They were tired and hot, and with the continuous heavy rain, the air was too humid, and breathing was sticky and damp, which made things even more suffocating.
The water hasn't reached the second floor yet, so the situation on the third floor of Mu Nan's house is not so bad. After settling the rabbit down and putting a big ice cube in it, Mu Nan and Qin Huai took a simple shower. There were also big ice cubes in the bedroom. Since there was no way to use electricity, they could only rely on ice to cool down.
Looking at the cool ice cubes, Mu Nan sighed, "I thought this year would be the same as last year, and there wouldn't be much use of ice cubes. I also thought that the ice cubes stored over the whole winter might not be used many times. After all, as long as there is sunshine, there will be no power outage at home. I didn't expect to use them so soon."
Looking at the yard downstairs that had become the sea, the residential area that was all ocean, and the heavy rain that showed no signs of stopping, Mu Nan sat on the bay window in the room and was worried: "Brother, if the water can recede, will there be another outbreak of diseases? It's so hot and there's so much water, life is too difficult."
Qin Huai turned on the air conditioner. Although there were ice cubes in the room, they could only lower the overall temperature of the room. However, that was not comparable to air conditioning, unless several ice cubes were placed to surround the person. But then the cold would be too severe. So if one wanted to cool down to the point where people could feel comfortable, a fan was still needed. There were more than a dozen batteries, and one was consumed every day. If all the batteries stored in the space were used up and the water had not receded, then they really had to prepare to run away.
"Of course. In this situation, we don't know what's in the water. Many germs breed in this kind of humid and hot environment. So don't touch the water. Disinfect your home three times a day. Don't open the door on the third floor. If you feel unwell, tell me immediately."
Mu Nan nodded, and as the air conditioner turned on, he sighed comfortably: "How can I survive without space?"
Qin Huai: "Torment."
A few rumbling thunders made the already gloomy sky even gloomier, and the rain became heavier. Mu Nan leaned towards Qin Huai. Although they were already in the doomsday, the weather now seemed like the doomsday of the doomsday.
Qin Huai diverted his attention: "What are we eating today?"
Mu Nan shook his head: "Whatever, I don't have anything to eat."
Speaking of food, he thought of Jian Chu and his family next door: "Now the power is out, and they don't know if they have any water stored at home. The firewood in the garage is probably soaked. They can't even light a fire, so how can they eat?"
Qin Huai said: "If you are worried, you can send them some food. Guokui and naan are both durable. In such hot weather, naan can be stored for at least three to five days."
Mu Nan nodded. Thinking about the hardness of naan, Jian Chu might not be able to digest it now, so he added two more cold steamed buns. The flood only started yesterday, and the power outage was not long ago. It might be impossible to send him off. Food could not be kept in such hot weather. The steamed buns should be able to be kept for a while, but they would probably become sour due to the heat. Let's just eat this meal first and talk about the rest later.
Qin Huai went over from the top floor and knocked on the door. They had a door on both sides, so that if anything happened there would be exits on both sides, so they wouldn't have to get wet. However, there was a road separating them from Song Jia's side. The flooding was so serious now that the yard downstairs was probably flooded to a person's height, making it impossible to get through. It was raining heavily, with wind and rain. With the windows on both sides open, it was difficult to hear what they were shouting.
However, they had already discussed it before. If there was any problem and they couldn't contact each other, they would hang white cloth in the windows on both sides to prove that there was no problem at home and there was no need to worry. If there was any emergency, they would hang red cloth. Now there was white cloth hanging in the window on Song Jia's side, so there was no need to worry about that side for the time being.
When Qin Huai arrived at the top floor and was about to knock on the door, Yu Zibai knocked on the door first. The door connecting the top floors was not locked, but for safety reasons, built-in locks were installed on both sides. The idea was that if something happened on one side and someone ran to the other side, locking the door would at least buy some time to escape. But generally, when nothing was done, neither side would be locked, but the door would not be opened casually either. If something happened, they would definitely knock on the door first. This basic respect for privacy was still there.
As soon as Yu Zibai knocked, Qin Huai opened the door: "I was just about to look for you."
Yu Zibai asked, "Is there something wrong?"
Qin Huai smiled and said, "I want to ask how you guys solve the food problem. I prepared some naan before. Nan Nan is very sensitive to the rainy season and can feel it before it starts. So I was worried about the power outage, so I prepared some durable food in advance. I just didn't expect the rain to be so heavy."
Yu Zibai thought something had happened to them, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that. He said, "We can take care of our own food. When you said in the group chat that it might rain, we made preparations. When it rained heavily, I was afraid that the garage would get flooded, so I moved the firewood in the garage up. Fortunately, it was moved quickly. I also wanted to ask if you need firewood for the fire."
Qin Huai said: "No need, we are also prepared, it's good that you are prepared, and tell us if you need anything."
Yu Zibai said: "These are all minor problems. Now there is a more serious problem. Come over here."
Qin Huai followed Yu Zibai to their side. Yu Zibai and his side were close to the courtyard wall, and they could directly see the river on one side. However, the water had not yet overflowed the courtyard wall. It was not to such an exaggerated extent. After all, the height of the courtyard wall was about two stories high, and the water had only flooded the first floor.
Yu Zibai took Qin Huai to the third floor where they lived. Because Xu Ming told them the password to the main door, for safety reasons, they did not come up for the time being, but moved all the food and supplies up first, for fear that they would not have time to move when the water flooded. Especially with such heavy rain and Xu Ming not coming back, Yu Zibai checked all the doors and windows on the third floor, for fear that if there was any damage to the doors and windows, water would come in directly from the upper floors, which would be a disaster.
Yu Zibai took Qin Huai to a room on the third floor, opened the curtains, pointed outside and said, "What we saw when we checked the doors and windows, should we try to deal with it or let it float away with the water?"
Outside the window, there was water that almost reached half of the courtyard wall. There was a dead body floating face down in the water, but it could be identified as a man by his clothes and hair.
Yu Zibai didn't want to cause trouble for himself. In their current situation, they definitely couldn't go out. Naturally, they couldn't deal with the body. But the problem was that the body was leaning against the wall, and the water containing the body was now flooding their house. Regardless of whether they could deal with it or not, Yu Zibai felt that he had to tell Qin Huai and the others, at least to let them raise their awareness of prevention.
It was raining heavily now, but the water was very calm, not flowing rapidly, so the body soaked in the water had no water flow at all and just stayed against the wall. This was indeed a difficult thing to deal with, whether it was soaking in water or rotting quickly due to the high temperature, the body was only separated from them by a wall. Even if they tried not to touch the water downstairs, the various germs that bred would be conducted and spread by the water.
Seeing that Qin Huai hadn't come back for a while, Mu Nan was worried that there was something wrong with them, so he came over and asked, "Brother, what are you doing?"
Qin Huai turned around and said, "I'm looking at how to deal with the body outside."
Mu Nan was stunned: "Corpse?"
Qin Huai nodded and did not stop Mu Nan from coming over. A dead body was not that scary. As long as it was not a brutal murder scene, a complete corpse, or even one with most of the body and the entire face soaked in water, was nothing to be afraid of. He believed that Mu Nan still had some courage.
Mu Nan also leaned over to take a look. He had come across so many rubbles from earthquakes before that he didn't find this level scary. He even asked calmly, "How do we deal with this? Why didn't it float away?"
Yu Zibai: "The rain is heavy, but the water is not flowing very much."
Mu Nan: "It's so close to the wall, what if we use an extended pole or something to push it open?"
There is no way to salvage the body. First, they can't get out. Second, where to put it after it's salvaged? Put it in their own home? Obviously that's impossible. So they can only push it away as much as possible, hoping that the current can carry the body away.
Yu Zibai: "There is no tool that long."
Mu Nan said, "I have one at home. I made a wooden rack for tomatoes before. You can take down a few of them and tear off some cloth to tie them up."
Of course, this kind of thing had to be dealt with quickly. Qin Huai and Mu Nan went back to dismantle the rack, while Yu Zibai went to prepare the cloth strips for binding. When Qin Huai came back, he was wearing a protective suit with a raincoat on the outside. In order to push the body away, someone would have to lean out of the window. His family had more comprehensive protection, so it was naturally better for them to do it.
As a result, when they pushed the pole over, they found that the body did not float away not because the water flow was not strong enough to carry it away, but because the clothes of the body were hanging on something on the wall and could not be pushed away at all. If they wanted to deal with it, they would have to go down alone.
Qin Huai temporarily stepped back, and Mu Nan said, "Why don't we just forget about it? Maybe the rain will stop soon, and someone will come to deal with it."
When a few people were discussing whether to find a rope to tie up the person and step on the courtyard wall outside to deal with him, they saw someone rowing a boat over. The boat had a simple support to block the rain. However, even with the support, the rain was too heavy and water still accumulated in the boat. The people on the boat had to scoop the water out from time to time.
Seeing that they wanted to deal with the body leaning against the wall, the people on the boat shouted to them, "Ten pounds of rice, help you deal with it!"
Mu Nan was shocked. These people were willing to sacrifice their lives just to earn food?
Although the water outside is calm now and there are no waves, this is flooding. It may develop into a flood at any time. If a torrent comes, people will be washed away. While Mu Nan was hesitating, Qin Huai said to the outside: "Three packs of instant noodles!"
The man hesitated for a moment, then nodded quickly and rowed over. Qin Huai said to Mu Nan, "Go back and get the instant noodles."
Yu Zibai said, "My family will give me two packs. We just happen to have some instant noodles left."
Qin Huai said, "No need. Nan Nan doesn't like the mushroom flavor. The ones she gave out before have been kept. We can just give them to her."
Yu Zibai quickly said, "That won't work. How about this, my family will give one pack and your family will give more. We can't always let you do both the work and the food." After Yu Zibai finished speaking, he went downstairs to get instant noodles, while also thinking about finding a chance to make something to eat and send it to Qin Huai, Mu Nan and the others. His family didn't have much food left, and it was indeed a bit of a struggle to give two packs, but he couldn't always take advantage of others.
Mu Nan also ran back quickly, then took out two bags of mushroom flavored instant noodles from the space, and found a plastic bag to wrap them up. Although they already had outer packaging, it was edible after all, so it would be safer to wrap them up again in case they accidentally fell into the water.
When Mu Nan came over, the boat over there had just reached the corpse. The man put on gloves and pulled at it, but the clothes of the corpse were not just hooked, but directly entangled. The quality of the clothes was quite good, and it was impossible to tear them apart. Finally, it took a lot of effort to pull open the iron hooks hanging on the corpse's clothes, and then pushed the corpse away with force. There was no way to deal with the corpse now, so they could only leave it like this for the time being.
The internet and power were cut off, so he couldn't even notify the higher-ups that there was a body. He just had to see if he could meet any rescuers while rowing back. If he did, he would just let them know. If they could come and deal with it, they would. If they couldn't, there was nothing he could do. There were too few rescuers, and the most important thing now was to save lives.
Qin Huai hung one end of the plastic bag on the pole they had just made, and then handed out the instant noodles.
The man on the boat half-knelt to get it, and subconsciously looked up at the man upstairs. He immediately felt that the man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember who he was. In addition, the heavy rain blocked his vision. Until a young man poked his head out from behind the man in the raincoat, the man on the boat was surprised and asked, "Qin Huai?"
Qin Huai was stunned for a moment, not quite recognizing the person who called his name.
The man waved at them quickly: "I'm Wang Xiaoli!"
Qin Huai couldn't recognize him because he was very different from the Wang Xiaoli in his memory. But after hearing the name and matching the voice, he recognized him. Wang Xiaoli was his class monitor in high school and the person who later sent him a private message saying that Mu Nan was looking for him everywhere. It can be said that if it weren't for Wang Xiaoli, he wouldn't have been so lucky to leave for home before the smog came. If it was a day or two later, his journey home might not have been so smooth.
Qin Huai didn't recognize him, and Mu Nan didn't recognize him even more. He found Wang Xiaoli to ask Qin Huai only because Wang Xiaoli was quite active in the high school group of Qin Huai's class and often organized alumni gatherings. He had secretly joined Qin Huai's high school group and had been lurking there the whole time. Seeing that Wang Xiaoli often held gatherings, he wanted to ask his classmates if any of them had contacted Qin Huai.
But from beginning to end, except for the one or two times he met Wang Xiaoli playing basketball at school to find Qin Huai, he had not seen him many times, not to mention that the Wang Xiaoli in his memory was a cheerful but fat person, while the person in front of him was skinny and looked nothing like that fat guy.
Qin Huai didn't expect to meet Wang Xiaoli in such a situation. He wanted to ask him more about his situation, but there was flooding and heavy rain, so it was not the right time to talk. Qin Huai asked Mu Nan to write down his cell phone number, and put it in a plastic bag and sent it to him, telling Wang Xiaoli that if he needed anything, he could come to him. Anyway, Wang Xiaoli now knew his address.
After struggling for most of the time, Wang Xiaoli found out that they were his old classmates. He wanted to return the instant noodles to them. In the current situation, food has become more and more precious. He wanted to take advantage of his boat and take the opportunity to earn some food so that he could rent a house in the inner city, but he would not earn enough money from his old classmates.
However, Qin Huai did not want it. It was obvious that Wang Xiaoli was not living well. Those who had the means would stay at home as long as possible. It was not worth risking their lives to make money, unless their lives were too bad and they would starve to death if they did not do so. Even if a stranger helped them deal with the corpses by the wall, they should give him some compensation. This was someone they knew, so they should not take advantage of him.
Finally, Wang Xiaoli rowed the boat away and dealt with the body hanging on the wall outside. When he left, he used a rowing board to push the body farther away to prevent it from floating over again after a while.
Although the house was full of water, it was better than having a corpse rotting in the water just across the wall from them.
Yu Zibai was left to clean up the water in the room. Qin Huai took off his raincoat and protective clothing while returning to their side. Mu Nan said, "How come all the people you meet are your classmates? I also went to a local university, but I didn't meet any of them."
Qin Huai said: "Universities are full of people from all over the world, not all of them are local. Wang Xiaoli is a local, so it's fate that we met."
Mu Nan: "Brother, do you think he will come to see you?"
Qin Huai didn't know this either. In his memory, the squad leader was a very enthusiastic person who helped others a lot but seldom asked for help. But it was hard to say what kind of person this life would wear down on him. However, he owed Wang Xiaoli a favor after all. If someone came to him for help with something, he would help to the best of his ability. If it weren't for Wang Xiaoli, he wouldn't know what the situation between him and Mu Nan was like now.
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