——
Since Captain Wu had agreed to rescue the people, Zheng Quchi naturally had to take charge of building the raft. According to Magistrate Qian, there was a large bamboo forest nearby, so since there was bamboo, they would not use wood.
Bamboo rafts, also known as bamboo floats, are made by binding bamboo together. The process of making them is not difficult. Zheng Quchi, who had previously participated in wilderness survival projects, had learned to make them from his instructor and knew all the key points.
After sending people to cut bamboo and processing the raw bamboo, they began to build large rafts. There was a trick to this: the thicker end was softened by heating it over a fire, and then bent into an arc shape to make the raft bow. Building the bamboo raft was also a physically demanding task, requiring strong hands to firmly tie the bamboo together.
This usually requires two people: one to arrange the bamboo on top and the other to tie it tightly from below. Soon the bamboo raft will take shape. She first puts it in the water to test its buoyancy, then places large stones on top and lets it float forward. Once there are no problems, she pulls it back with a rope.
Upon seeing Lord Zheng's excellent skills, the county magistrate and his entourage all praised him repeatedly.
Captain Wu selected a dozen or so soldiers skilled in swimming to go. Before they left, Zheng Quchi instructed them: "Although this mission is to rescue the trapped disaster victims, your lives are just as important as theirs. Protect yourselves and come back safely."
"Rest assured, Lord Zheng, we will bring the person back safe and sound, including ourselves," said Captain Wu and the others, clasping their hands in greeting.
"Okay, have a safe journey."
The bamboo raft began to move smoothly forward on the water, the light of the torches reflected in the water, creating shimmering spots on the dark surface. Their tall figures were swallowed by the night and gradually disappeared.
After Captain Wu left, Zheng Quchi didn't rest either. She stayed up all night by lamplight and began her "work".
The construction of the refuge camp takes into account the current geological conditions. Although the terrain here is high, the foundation is stable and flat, which allows for large-scale construction without causing trampling or collapse. This location is inherently advantageous.
Then came the area planning, with a square-shaped camp as the standard. The north side was designated as the administrative area, where they and the county magistrate lived and handled affairs. To avoid noise and the movement of irrelevant people, it was necessary to separate it out.
It can be roughly divided into office area, accommodation area, material distribution area, medical assistance area, garbage disposal area, information board and notice area.
The rescued people can be distributed in the west and east directions. One side is connected to the forest and the other side is facing the water, so the work tasks can be assigned in different areas. The disaster victims in the west are responsible for heavy physical tasks such as logging and carrying, while those in the east are responsible for construction and food. This means that she needs to screen people before resettling them.
In addition, a special area needs to be set aside to arrange for the treatment of the wounded, and it would be more convenient to have a unified medical team in charge.
The houses can be designed with five people per square meter. Once the number of people is counted, the corresponding number of houses will be built. Naturally, the houses will not be built like ordinary houses. It is not realistic for each person to have a bed. They will have to be built as long, large communal beds. With limited conditions, more people can live together by squeezing in.
The room can accommodate forty or fifty people without the need for windows, doors, or even walls. It's early summer now, and once the weather clears up and the temperature rises, there's no need to worry about it getting cold.
However, being near water at night makes it easy to attract mosquitoes, insects, and rodents. But they have medical apprentices from the Imperial Medical Academy here, so they asked them to gather people to collect more mosquito-repelling herbs in the forest. Burning these herbs every night would not only remove the stench of sweat from people gathering together, but also allow them to get a good night's sleep.
Zheng Quchi spent the whole night thinking and drawing, and by dawn, with dark circles under her eyes, she finally completed the first draft of the shelter.
She had no time to rest; she grabbed the manuscript and ran to find Magistrate Qian, where she saw him sporting the same dark circles under his eyes.
He looked at her with his hazy old eyes, and mumbled, "Ah, it's Lord Zheng."
He yawned, and Zheng Quchi, influenced by him, couldn't help but yawn as well.
Two relative terms.
"Didn't Lord Zheng sleep all night?"
"Didn't the county magistrate also stay up all night?"
"Sorry, sorry."
"Alright, enough with the formalities. I've got what you wanted. Take a look and see if there's anything wrong or if I missed anything?"
"What? It's done?" Magistrate Qian took the manuscript and looked at it, page after page, his eyes widening: "This, so fast? But it is really detailed and specific. Not only are there words, but there are also pictures. Lord Zheng, you are truly amazing. You are truly a reincarnation of Lu Ban, a divine craftsman."
"Magistrate, stop praising me. If you keep praising me, I can't control your promotion. If you think it's okay, you should take it and implement it. I have marked the construction requirements and the quantity of auxiliary materials. You just need to gather some experienced craftsmen and strong people to do it according to the requirements. I have to take some people out to take care of some official business."
Upon hearing that she had turned back to work, Magistrate Qian felt a little guilty: "Lord Zheng, won't you take a nap first?"
"I don't have time." She patted her face, trying to look more energetic.
"Then let's have breakfast."
"I need to measure the rise in water level before the tide goes out, find out the source of the flood, and check the location of the weir... Anyway, I'm going to be late, I'll talk to you when I get back."
When Magistrate Qian saw that she, a sinecure official from the capital who had come to control the floods, was more dedicated and responsible than him, a local official, and tirelessly relieved the suffering of the people, he suddenly felt as if a force had been injected into his tired body, making him feel refreshed.
"Then I'll give it my all and finish writing the dozen or so documents mentioned above, including disaster reports, analyses of hazard prevention and emergency evacuation, and the construction of shelters!" he said excitedly.
Zheng Quchi was stunned: "..." Who are you trying to kill with this? Be careful of high blood pressure.
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