Chapter 50 The Flood They looked up at the towering structure, as tall as a mountain...
Thunder and lightning raged, and torrential rain poured down.
The muddy river water overflowed the fertile fields, the roads and bridges, and the houses.
Some people led their families to higher ground, some waded through the water to carry furniture and clothes out of their houses, some were swept away by the current, and some struggled in the water, clinging to trees or pillars...
The sounds of thunder, rain, shouts, cries for help, and sobs were incessant.
Qiu Tang sat on a dark cloud in the sky. The heavy rain fell, splitting into streams a foot above her head and flowing in all directions, without a single drop falling on her.
She looked down at the people struggling to survive in the floodwaters, and her eyes gradually reddened.
"Don't worry." He Qinglan's voice rang clearly in Qiu Tang's ears, "We'll take them back to Anling."
Qiu Tang bit her lower lip and nodded.
The muddy water churned, and the young man swam forward desperately. He was swept back a few steps by the current, but he managed to steady himself and struggled forward to reach the little boy who was blocked by a rock.
Just as his hand was about to grab the little boy, a wave suddenly crashed in, and the crying little boy was swept away by the current!
The little boy followed the current and soon disappeared into the murky water.
The young man looked terrified.
He didn't care about anything else and ran down the river, but he accidentally fell into the water, his mouth full of muddy water mixed with sand.
The young man tried to get up and continue the chase, but the floodwaters were too strong for him to stand, and he was swept forward by the current.
Yangyang...
Yangyang!
The young man felt a choking sensation as the sewage entered his throat.
Just then, someone grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him out of the water.
The young man suddenly vomited the water and coughed violently.
"Yangyang!"
The young man struggled to save the little boy when something was suddenly shoved into his arms, and he instinctively hugged it.
It's a child!
The young man blinked several times before finally realizing that the person he was holding in his arms was his son!
Tears welled up in his eyes, and the young man hugged the child tightly and cried.
"Stop crying." A cold female voice came from above. "Where is your wife? I'll give your whole family to Qiu Tang."
Young man: "..."
He subconsciously looked up and saw a cold-faced woman holding him by the back of his collar with one hand. He didn't know where she got such strength.
The young man didn't quite understand what the woman was saying, and he looked at her blankly.
He Qinglan patiently repeated, "Where is your son's mother?"
The young man realized what was happening and quickly pointed in a direction.
He Qinglan carried the father and son and flew forward.
The young man hugged the little boy tightly, choking back tears as he said, "Thank you so much for saving us!"
He Qinglan said calmly, "You can thank them together later."
Young man: "..."
He Qinglan, carrying the father and son, quickly found about ten people squatting on a slightly higher hillside.
There were men and women, old and young, and everyone's clothes were soaked, making them look quite disheveled.
He Qinglan let go, and the young man, holding the little boy, landed on the ground. He thanked He Qinglan and hurriedly ran to his wife and daughter. The wife, who had been afraid that her husband, who had gone to rescue their son, would not return, was overjoyed to see them safe and sound. The family burst into tears.
He Qinglan looked at the dozen or so pitiful people getting soaked in the rain and made a hand gesture.
A faint blue light descended from the sky, enveloping the people in the rain, and in an instant, they all disappeared.
Everyone: "..."
They only saw a flash of blue light before their eyes, and when they opened their eyes again, they found themselves no longer on the same hillside!
In waist-deep floodwaters, a mother and daughter carefully made their way to the shore, holding onto a large wooden tub.
The wooden basin contained some food and clothing that they had salvaged from the house when they left.
The water was surging, the wooden basin was swaying, and a cloth bag fell into the water.
The middle-aged woman's face changed drastically, and she subconsciously let go of the wooden basin and reached for the cloth bag.
The girl gripped the wooden basin tightly, watching as her mother's head was submerged in the sewage in an instant.
The girl's gasp was barely audible amidst the sound of the rain.
The middle-aged woman's head emerged from the murky water. She raised her left hand high, but the current kept her from standing upright, and she floated up and down with the current.
The girl gritted her teeth, released the wooden basin, and walked towards the middle-aged woman.
As the floodwaters surged in, she stumbled and twisted her ankle.
Both mother and daughter were in trouble.
He Qinglan lifted them both out of the water.
The girl blinked frantically; dirty water got into her eyes, and it hurt every time she opened them. She rubbed them again and again, but it didn't work; she couldn't open them.
He Qinglan said calmly, "It's okay, you don't need to open your eyes right away."
The girl trembled slightly. "Thank you so much for saving my life!"
He Qinglan said, "You're welcome."
People struggling in the flood, people swept away by the water, people clinging to rooftops, people climbing to higher ground...
He Qinglan picked up many people along the way.
She made a hand seal and sent all the people she had saved to Qiu Tang's place on the cloud.
Qiu Tang sat on the dark cloud, staring at a group of strangers.
On the soft fabric, people the size of thumbs stared in terror at the towering giant above them, clinging to familiar faces and screaming.
Qiu Tang: "..."
She scratched her head. How come the goddess shrunk all the people she saved?
And it's gotten so small!
Is it easy to carry?
The victims huddled together, trembling as they looked up at the terrifying giant.
They couldn't understand: why were we suddenly here?
What kind of monster is this giant?
Someone mustered up the courage to ask, "Are you a deity?"
Did you save us?
Where are you taking us?
"Which deity are you from?"
All Qiu Tang could hear was the sound of wind and rain. She couldn't hear the little people shouting, nor could she see them opening their mouths to speak.
She looked at the little figures in the bamboo basket, took a piece of savory pancake and put it in the middle of the little figures.
She said, "You should eat something first."
The giant's voice boomed in my ears like a deafening thunderclap.
Everyone: "!!!"
They quickly covered their ears.
Just then, more than twenty people appeared out of thin air and landed in front of them.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
The newly arrived people looked astonished and asked, "Where is this?"
Those who arrived first gestured for them to look up at the giant.
The newlyweds: "..."
"W-what happened?"
"I don't know, we just happened to get here too."
"Were you also swept away by the water?"
"Yes, yes, my house was flooded too."
"We originally wanted to go to higher ground, but the rain was so heavy that it washed away the bridge."
The group couldn't help but start chatting.
While the adults complained about the flood, some children went toward the large pancake that the giant had thrown down.
The deep-fried savory pancakes have a rich flavor of oil, salt, chili, sesame, and scallions.
That pancake was enormous, many, many times bigger than them! The children pounced on it and took a bite!
The adults who were cursing nearby caught a glimpse of the children's actions and were startled.
They rushed over and pulled the child away, only to find the child holding a large piece of bread in both hands, his face covered in oil from eating it.
Chew, chew, chew.
Adults: "..."
The child swallowed the chewed-up savory pancake and laughed happily, "My own pancake is so delicious!"
The adult raised their hand and slapped the child on the back, laughing in exasperation, "You dare to eat that!"
The child tilted his head, looking at the elder with a puzzled expression.
The adult sighed.
Someone said, "If you're hungry, eat something."
The others hesitated, "But..."
"It's alright. If she wanted to harm us, she wouldn't need to use poisoned cakes."
“Yes, she’s so big and we’re so small. If she wanted to kill us, a single thumb would be enough.”
I think so too.
"Then let's... eat some..."
My stomach started growling.
The group looked at each other and then walked toward the fragrant flatbread.
A large family appeared out of nowhere. To their horror, they saw people just as wet as themselves eating around a giant pancake.
The aroma of the pastries wafted through the air.
The child instinctively took two steps forward and turned to look at his parents.
Seeing the strangers enjoying their food so much, the adults gritted their teeth and said, "We'll eat too!"
Qiu Tang watched as those tiny, thumb-sized figures walked to the edge of the savory pancake, densely packed together.
She immediately thought of ants and turned her head away.
After a while, she turned her head, put a small porcelain plate into the basket, took the water bottle, and poured water into the plate.
As she watched the little figures slowly approach the porcelain plate, Qiu Tang unconsciously curled the corners of her mouth.
She felt very happy.
She suddenly wondered if the goddess felt the same way she did now when she saved the Yunhe people.
Maozhou.
Raindrops fell on the leaves and onto the stone slabs outside the window.
Sun Yannan stood by the window with his hands behind his back, listening to his subordinates report the news they had gathered from Anling County.
He remained silent for a long time.
Zhu Yunze spoke first, "My lord, what are your plans?"
Sun Yannan narrowed his eyes and said, "Since there really is a goddess who can conjure up countless foods, then the goddess must be controlled by me."
Xiao Yong said, "Then we need to hurry."
Otherwise, if people from other states find out, they could strike first and seize the "goddess," gaining not only unlimited food but also winning over the hearts of the people.
Sun Yannan nodded.
“However,” Zhao Qiguang stepped forward, “according to the information we found, the governor of Jinzhou once sent troops to Anling, and the refugee army and bandits near Anling also attacked Anling, but they were all defeated.”
Zhu Yunze pondered for a moment, “Anling is quite far from us. If we send troops to Anling, if we send too few troops, we won’t be able to take Anling. If we send too many troops, firstly, Hu Lin (the governor of Jinzhou) might send someone to launch a sneak attack and cut off our retreat; secondly, other states might take the opportunity to send troops.”
Sun Yannan thought for a moment and uttered two words: "Surrender."
The people present looked at each other and said nothing more.
Sun Yannan's gaze fell on Xiao Yong, and he said to him, "Xingzhi, please make a trip to Anling."
Xiao cupped his hands in greeting, "Yes."
He smiled and asked, "What terms are you planning to offer?"
The crowd's gazes seemed to fall subtly on Sun Yannan's father-in-law, Yang Xian, and his brother-in-law, Yang Wenchi.
Yang Xian didn't even flinch.
Sun Yannan remained calm. "If she is willing, I will grant her the title of Imperial Concubine when I gain the throne. If she is not willing, I will grant her the title of Imperial Preceptor."
The strategists in the room discussed the "conditions" for most of the hour.
Someone braved the rain to come and see Sun Yannan, reporting, "The lower reaches of the Yellow River have breached their banks, and several counties have been flooded!"
Everyone's expression immediately changed.
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Author's Note: Every day I see articles about people in Lilliput eating giant potatoes, making giant dumplings, eating giant watermelons, and picking giant chili peppers... so I thought I'd write about Lilliput for fun too.
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