Although time was tight, Li Xian still had half an hour to cook a pot of eggs and sweet potatoes.
He finished the herbal water in his thermos, poured himself a cup of hot water, and then poured a pot of water into the pan.
There were six eggs in total, wrapped in oil paper along with sweet potatoes. Xu Nuo thought it was food he was going to carry with him, but thought it was a bit little, so she took some pastries from her schoolbag and stuffed them into his hands. Unexpectedly, he shook his head and put the bag of food on the table.
"Eggs can be kept for three days, but sweet potatoes can't be eaten after tomorrow."
He would be back before dark if nothing unexpected happened, but just in case, he still carefully instructed her to treat her and himself with completely different standards, being extremely particular about her.
Little did people know that he had eaten moldy, rotten, and smelly food without batting an eye, let alone three days' worth.
Finally, he hugged her and said, "The kitchen isn't safe. You stay inside and wait for me to come back."
Xu Nuo felt warm and safe in his embrace. Li Xian had been by her side almost every step of the way for the past three days, and now that they were suddenly going to part, she felt a little reluctant.
"You have to be careful, you can't get hurt again." She said in his arms, her voice a little muffled.
Li Xian's eyes were so soft they seemed to melt into water. He hugged the person tightly and lifted them onto the bed.
He turned around and said, "I'm leaving."
…
The situation in Gaoshan Village is very bad. The floodwaters are too severe, and the boats are floating on the water. The person with the loudest voice is in charge of shouting: "Is anyone there? Someone answered."
Those with strong muscles were responsible for pulling and carrying people, while those who were good swimmers went into the water to rescue people.
In the face of disaster, there is no distinction between rich and poor, noble and lowly, young and old. The boat searched along the way and saw many bodies floating on the water like rag dolls. The survivors were moved by what they saw.
She cried uncontrollably.
Li Xian is a good swimmer and is responsible for rescuing people from the water. His movements are swift and precise, and his search and rescue efforts are always quick and accurate.
"Give me a hand." He held onto the edge of the boat with one hand, and with the other hand was the survivor he had just pulled down from the roof.
The girl was terrified and sobbed softly. She was too scared to even climb onto the boat. Li Xian frowned, grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her up. The people on the boat quickly pulled her aboard.
"Xiaoling, Xiaoling, I'm so glad you're alright." An older woman dressed in a floral black cloth stopped crying, rushed over in surprise, and hugged the rescued Xiaoling.
"Second Aunt, my mother, my father..." Gao Xiaoling burst into tears upon seeing her relatives. All her relatives were gone; she had escaped death only because she had climbed onto the roof.
“The village secretary…” someone whispered, and Gao Xiaoling’s eyes were red: “My dad… my dad and sister-in-law tried to save Hu Zi, but they were swept into the water.”
Gao Xiaoling cried so bitterly that people who had just stopped crying couldn't help but tear up again when they thought of their own families.
The heavy rain continued, but the search and rescue operation had to continue. Suddenly, someone called out, "Xiaoling, why are you bleeding?"
Gao Xiaoling was puzzled; she wasn't injured. But when she saw the bloodstain on the back of her neck, she glanced towards the stern of the boat.
It was the man who saved her.
Having just experienced family tragedy and natural disaster, her heart was filled with fear and confusion, and she developed an inappropriate sense of dependence on the man who saved her.
Moreover, the man sat quietly at the stern, calm and composed, giving her an inexplicable sense of security. She wiped away her tears and slowly moved towards the stern.
She moved closer to the man, only to see him turn his face away. For some reason, his eyes made her feel a little cold.
Perhaps it was because the night was too dark.
Gao Xiaoling handed over the handkerchief, her voice tinged with caution: "You're bleeding."
Li Xian withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and said coldly, "No need."
The two were at the stern and couldn't hear the whispers of the people in front of them.
"Why is Gao Xiaoling talking to that bastard from Luxian Village?"
“They saved her, and they even hugged her. Her reputation can’t be ruined now.”
"In a way, this bastard got lucky and rescued a wife."
The countryside is very conservative and feudal, with people adhering to the old-fashioned notion that men and women should not touch each other. Once there is physical contact, it is considered a loss of chastity and a ruined reputation.
With just a single sentence, a whole drama of marriage can be staged.
Li Xian had no idea what they were gossiping about; he was only thinking about the spoiled brat who was home alone.
It's raining so hard, I wonder if she's scared.
Fortunately, as darkness fell, the boats returned to Lu County. The two wooden boats made several trips before finally bringing everyone out of the mountain village, which had become as stagnant as a river.
Gaoshan Village had a total of over 380 people, of whom 192 are still alive. They are all dejected, mostly having lost both their money and their families.
Gaoshan Village is uninhabitable for the time being, and these people have temporarily sought refuge in Luxian Village.
However, Luxian Village is not large, and every household is already fully occupied, so there is really no place to accommodate these people.
Fortunately, it's early autumn, so it's not too cold yet. These survivors can manage to sleep on the ground for one night.
The grain rescued from the warehouse in Gaoshan Village was soaked, but still edible, and it was used to subsidize the families who took it in.
Therefore, each household received one or two people. Chang Youxin, the brigade leader, had a good relationship with the village secretary of Gaoshan Village and took in the most people.
After distributing the people and food, everyone dispersed. Chang Youxin glanced around and muttered, "That kid from the Li family ran away first."
They didn't distribute any grain or take in anyone, but his situation was different, so Chang Youxin didn't bother with him anymore. He took a few people back to the Chang family and told Pan Yinhua and Shen Cuiping to quickly tidy up the house.
Chang Zigeng and Shen Cuiping moved into Sister Xia's room. The room, which originally had broken windows, was vacated and temporarily covered with a tarpaulin, enough to accommodate five or six grown men.
Chang Zi didn't say anything, but Shen Cuiping was unhappy. That was her room, how could she let someone else stay there?
Pan Yinhua whispered a reminder: "Zigen's wife, don't look so grumpy. They've suffered a lot, let them stay here for a few nights. Besides, they've already paid their grain tax."
Upon hearing that grain had been handed over, Shen Cuiping thought to herself, "Even if I hand it over, you still take it away. I'm sleeping in my room, and I don't even get a share of the grain."
Just as she was hiding in the kitchen, sulking, she suddenly heard a sleazy voice: "Is that Sister-in-law Zigeng?"
Shen Cuiping was already annoyed and was about to turn around and curse when she heard Gao Aimin say, "I never expected that there would be such a beauty as Sister-in-law Zigeng in this Luxian Village."
Shen Cuiping was thin and short. After giving birth, she became as withered as an old woman and could hardly be called a beauty. Gao Aimin was simply lying through his teeth.
But Shen Cuiping blushed instantly: "What... what are you saying, comrade?"
Gao Aimin was not bad-looking. Although his smile was lewd, it did not annoy Shen Cuiping. He walked in and said in surprise, "It smells so good."
Upon closer inspection, although Shen Cuiping's skin wasn't perfect, it was still moist and soft, which deepened the smile in Gao Aimin's eyes.
"What did you use, sister-in-law? It smells so good."
Shen Cuiping didn't know where to look: "It's useless."
"Could it be..." Gao Aimin paused, and Shen Cuiping was startled, thinking that he knew something. Unexpectedly, his eyes swept over her.
He asked in a low voice, "Is that your sister-in-law's scent?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com