"Quick, cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve!" Jiang Zhi shouted as she ran.
I wet my clothes with muddy water from the pit when I started the fire, and they're still a little damp, which is good for preventing smoke inhalation.
Xu Errui and Xiaoman were already choking on the smoke. When they heard the warning, they quickly buried their faces in the crook of their elbows. The damp cloth filtered the thick smoke, and they were able to catch their breath.
I stumbled and ran out of the woods and out of the thick smoke, and looked up to see torches burning in the terraced fields.
In the darkness, the light could only illuminate a small area, but it was enough to guide Jiang Zhi and the other two.
Xiaoman's grandparents, Nini, Qiaoyun, and other family members were anxiously looking in this direction.
Holding torches, they couldn't see the three people who had run out of the forest; they only saw the black smoke rising from the foot of the mountain and the flames flying behind it.
The sky had been stained a dark red, like the gates of hell had been opened, causing people to panic and collapse instantly.
What devastated them most was that at this moment, the fire had spread, and the firefighters had not yet returned.
"Xiaoman! Errui, Errui's mother!" The two old people groped their way forward.
"Mother, Errui!" Qiaoyun cried out, her voice trembling with sobs!
Nini woke up too. She didn't cry or fuss, but just clung tightly to her father's blankets, her clear eyes filled with tears.
"Stop right there! Don't run around! The fire's raging!" Jiang Zhi's voice rang out.
Finally, Qiaoyun saw her family running back from the darkness. Before she could even ask a question, Jiang Zhi, panting, pressed her to the ground and turned to the others, ordering, "Quick, everyone lie down on the ground and cover your faces with your clothes. Errui, Xiaoman, do as I just said. There's no time!"
The mountain wind, carrying smoke and dust, arrived in the blink of an eye, making even breathing sting your throat.
Xiaoman first pulled Xu Dazhu off the grain sack and made him lie down on the ground, then made his grandparents and Nini lie down as well: "Aunt Jiang said that when the fire comes up, we will have to press our faces to the ground like this."
Errui hugged his wife: "Qiaoyun, don't be afraid, we've burned all the grass!"
He hadn't felt anything when he started the fire, but when he saw the torchlight turn into a small orange-red dot in the almost solid black smoke, he was terrified, and his hands trembled as he held Qiaoyun.
The mournful sound of the wind and the crackling and popping sounds of flames burning the forest grew closer.
Jiang Zhi lay on the ground, burying her face in her arms; this was also a way to save her life in the fire.
Fireworks will pass overhead, so the closer you are to the ground, the safer you are.
The dry grass had already been cleared away, so the flames stopped as they approached the slope, leaving only thick smoke billowing upwards, carried by the wind.
The fire then shifted and spread along the hillsides on both sides, continuing to ravage the withered grass and trees.
In the middle of the thick smoke, in the terraced fields, the group felt the air stagnate and an unbearable heat rush to their heads.
Just then, Grandpa Xiaoman, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly got up and pounced on his two grandsons and great-granddaughter, using his body to shield them from the heat.
Almost simultaneously, his wife, whom he had been married to for half his life, knelt down beside him and hugged the children's exposed legs.
The two had only one thought: even if it meant burning themselves to death, they had to save their children.
Not far away, Jiang Zhi lay quietly with her head down, not even glancing at what was happening around her.
In a fire, it's not just the open flames that can injure people, but also the extremely hot smoke and fumes that can burn the alveoli. If you can survive those few seconds, you can live a safe life.
As the strange noises drew closer and a wave of heat washed over her, Jiang Zhi closed her eyes, resigning herself to fate. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her body as Xu Errui's arm protected her. He whispered in a tearful voice, "Mother, we should still go. Let's go with Village Chief Xiaotian and the others."
Jiang Zhi was too busy to speak; the heat made her hair fly wildly, and her nose and mouth were full of dust.
Time seemed to stand still, and a few seconds felt like an eternity.
Finally, the heat subsided, and the mountain breeze brought plenty of fresh air.
In the darkness, everyone seemed to come back to life, breathing heavily, and there were also sobbing sounds.
There are Nini's, Qiaoyun's, and Xiaoman and Errui's.
Jiang Zhi lay on the ground, feeling strangely uneasy.
To be honest, after her elders passed away one after another, she, as an adult who had lived independently for decades, did not feel lonely or isolated, and still lived a carefree and comfortable life.
The difference between going from being treated like a toilet without anyone bringing you toilet paper to having someone care for and protect you when you're facing life and death is still quite significant.
She always treated the child who had called her "Mom" for over ten days as just another young colleague at work.
Knowing that Xu Errui was a filial son, but experiencing it firsthand was different, and now she finally felt a touch of unusual emotion.
Xu Errui shielded his wife with one arm and his mother with the other, crying loudly, "Mother, Qiaoyun! We're alive! We didn't die!"
Grandma Xiaoman held Nini and cried, while Grandpa Xiaoman laughed, but tears streamed down his face.
In all his years, he has never heard of any family surviving a wildfire unscathed.
When the torches were lit again, it was then that a thick layer of black ash was seen on the bodies of several people. They were crying and laughing at the same time, and each of their faces was streaked with black and white, like painted faces in a theatrical performance.
Only Nini, who was protected at the bottom by several adults, remained fair-skinned.
Everyone looked at each other, and then started laughing again after crying.
Actually, it's not entirely true that everyone was unharmed, because several people's hair was pulled up.
Especially Xiaoman, Errui, and Jiangzhi, who had been tending the fire, had their hair disheveled by tree branches and burned into a mess of long and short strands.
Add to that the wet clothes covered in dust and mud, and he's just insane.
Jiang Zhi coughed a few times, spitting out a mouthful of black phlegm full of dust, before saying in a hoarse voice, "We've managed to avoid the fire. Everyone should stay put and wait until dawn."
This time, everyone agreed in unison. The fire was still burning not far above, with sparks flashing everywhere. It was not time to let our guard down yet.
After they recovered, the group quickly went to look at the house.
The wildfire was not to be underestimated. Even though the dry grass in the forest had been cleared, the shack and kitchen that Jiang Zhijia had built with tree bark and dry grass were still ignited by flying sparks, and the fire was roaring outwards.
Fortunately, they arrived in time. Everyone worked together, splashing water on the fire and tearing down the thatched roof that had just caught fire, saving half of the house.
In addition, the roof of Jiang Zhi's house was made of stone tiles, so there was nothing wrong with it.
The chickens that were put into the stone coop were terrified; one of them had already been trampled to death by its companions.
After dealing with things here, Jiang Zhi, Xiaoman's grandfather, Xiaoman, and Errui went to Xiaoman's house at the foot of the cliff without even having a chance to rest.
Xiaoman's family left in a hurry, only managing to pack up their food and clothing. They covered the items they couldn't take with the yellow mud they had prepared for building a kang (a heated brick bed).
I thought I would also encounter grass on fire, but to my surprise, it was quiet here, without a trace of fire.
Because this shed is directly against the stone wall, it is usually cold and damp, and the mountain wind takes a detour here.
Moreover, the surrounding dry grass had already been burned by the three people, so the fire did not reach them.
Apart from the room being covered in dust, there wasn't much damage.
Xiaomanye couldn't hide his joy. Everyone was safe and sound, and even the thatched hut was unharmed. It was truly a blessing from heaven!
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