Waves
!
The Wave Terrace collapsed.
When the platform collapsed, it was midday, and everyone was sound asleep on their beds. Outside, there was a loud "boom," and amidst the raging waves, countless pieces of wood and stone suddenly scattered and rolled into the river.
On the platform, there were still a few workers repairing the leaks in order to earn more money. They were wearing short shirts and their heads were steaming in the scorching sun. They were hit by falling stones and thrown into the river. They barely clung to the floating logs in the river and cried for help.
"Help! Help!"
As the dam collapsed, the floodwaters that had been held back for several days suddenly surged out, the river roaring and mercilessly whipping up waves several meters high, swallowing up several houses on the riverbank in one fell swoop.
"ah!"
The officials, without even putting on their outer robes or abandoning their servants, rushed to the high ground by the riverbank. There they saw the mountain torrents raging, the river roaring tragically, and yellow clouds swirling in the waves. Without a word, a tall young man stripped off his outer garment and leaped into the river with a "whoosh."
"Don't jump!"
Someone on the shore exclaimed in surprise.
The high ground along the riverbank was filled with villagers of all ages and appearances, including the elderly, women, and children who clung to the shoulders of those around them, watching with worried eyes the man struggling against the towering waves.
At this point, it was impossible to distinguish between ordinary people and officials. Everyone stood together on the riverbank, huddling together to encourage each other, their countless bodies forming an indestructible barrier.
An official recognized the young man who had jumped into the river to save the person:
"It's Lord Liu!"
"What are you doing there, Lord Liu?!"
"Who is Lord Liu? Never heard of him."
A villager squinted and recognized Liu Xu's face, exclaiming, "So he's Lord Liu! He even came to help my family copy books a few days ago!"
"Your home?"
Then some people recognized him and started comparing: "Copying books is nothing, he also gave me my two old hens!"
"Oh, and my house too..."
A group of people chattered about Liu Chengzhi's good deeds, while Tang Zexue, holding her glasses, stared intently at Jiang Zhong, sweating profusely with anxiety.
Another wave crashes in:
"Chengzhi! Watch out!"
He was shouting hysterically over here, regardless of whether Liu Xu could hear him or not.
On Liu Xu's side, Fang pulled a craftsman out of the water and threw him forcefully onto the shore. Suddenly, a wave hit him head-on, and water splattered all over his face.
"Chengzhi! Don't go that way!"
That was the eye of the storm.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xu was about to turn around when he heard someone calling for help from the upper left. The voice was urgent, as if someone was about to sink into the water, "Help! Help, help me!"
Amidst the surging waves, Liu Xu, supporting himself on a red-lacquered wooden plank, rose and fell with the floodwaters until finally, a furry head came into view—
It was a child of about ten years old, dressed in workers' clothes, his face still flushed from the scorching sun. The child was exhausted, clinging desperately to the driftwood beneath him, nearly fainting.
Give me your hand!
"Chengzhi, hurry up and go!"
All that could be seen were chaotic clouds rolling and waves roaring, their majestic power like thunder, and surging waves like trembling snow. The two sounds that rang out at the same time were drowned out by the raging waves.
At the critical moment, the child mustered his last strength and stretched out his hand with all his might. Liu Xu grabbed his wrist and pulled it inward—
"Good! Good! Good!"
On the shore, someone shouted "Good!" three times. Seeing that the two had left the eye of the storm, Liu Xu dared not relax. Holding the child, he quickly swam to the shore.
On the riverbank, Tang Zexue disregarded the danger of being swept away by the water and walked down the high ground, grabbing Liu Xu's wet hand.
——
Aside from one craftsman who injured his thigh when a piece of wood fell on him, no one was injured or killed in the flood.
After the flood subsided, the disaster relief funds and supplies sent by the imperial court finally arrived, albeit belatedly. Tang Zexue personally transcribed the plan and carried out the repair work on the damaged houses in an orderly manner.
Tang Zexue still feels lingering fear when she talks about the hundreds of houses on the riverbank that were destroyed by the flood.
Fortunately, he had heeded the warnings of the Liu couple and had been trying to persuade more than a hundred villagers to move away from the riverbank. However, he had only been guessing and had no concrete evidence. Even though he had talked until his throat was dry, the villagers stubbornly stayed in their homes.
—These officials from Chang'an, "Why don't they eat meat porridge?" They make a living by fishing. What will they eat if they leave the riverbank? Their houses, their savings of a hundred years, their chickens and ducks, the land where their ancestors have lived for generations... can they just throw them away like that?
This small village downstream of the Jing River has a population of over a hundred. It is closest to Langtaotai, and if the dike were to breach, it would be completely destroyed.
Tang Zexue wiped her sweat and looked at the simply dressed old woman on the left holding a swaddled baby in her arms, and a three or four-year-old child playing with mud at her feet. Further away, several elderly couples were resting at their doorways, leaning on their canes.
Despite his hoarse voice, he said loudly, "Dear brothers and sisters-in-law, uncles and aunts, I also come from the countryside, not from any noble family. I lost my father when I was young, and my mother worked hard to support my education and raise me..."
“I know that the world is in turmoil, with natural disasters and man-made calamities, and everyone is struggling to make a living. But if we lose our lives, wouldn’t all the money and houses we’ve saved be useless?”
Seeing people whispering among themselves, Tang Zexue continued, "These days, floods are frequent. A few days ago, several families were washed away. This place is low-lying. If the dikes break, this entire land will be submerged!"
These words were serious. Seeing that the official was refined and very approachable, a burly man with bare arms boldly stepped forward and asked, "Sir, you're not lying to us, are you?"
"Will this entire area be flooded?"
Tang Zexue nodded.
"Yes, for everyone's safety, I would like to ask you to move to the resettlement area first, and come back when the tide goes out and the water level drops."
Another feisty old woman spoke up: "Resettlement center? Do you want money? My husband is bedridden, who's going to help us move our things from this house?"
"Yes! And what about our chickens, ducks, and geese? Don't we want them anymore?"
"..."
"No money needed! No money needed!"
Tang Zexue was covered in sweat. "Everyone! The resettlement area isn't far from here. Get your things ready, and I'll call the brothers from the yamen to help you move them!"
"Don't worry about the original houses. If they are destroyed, just come to me and the government will take care of the repairs."
"this……"
Everyone was clearly persuaded. Seeing that some people were still suspicious, Tang Zexue invited a man and a woman to "inspect" the resettlement site that he had begged so many people to approve. After hearing the two people's affirmative words, the villagers were finally relieved.
"Let's move! We'll move!"
...
"Is that all?"
"Yes, that's right."
The child rolled over at Xie Lingxi's knees, a brand-new copy of the Thousand Character Classic lying open beside him, his eyes clear and bright: "Madam Xie, you explained it so well, will you come again tomorrow?"
Xie Lingxi patted his fluffy head, feigning seriousness: "Hmm... if you were to let me do it, what would you pay me?"
This child's surname is Zhou and given name is Chuan; he is the one who bumped into Xie Lingxi earlier.
When Xiao Chuan squatted down to pick up the shuttlecock, he was almost swept into the crowd. Fortunately, Xie Lingxi reacted quickly, scooped him up with both arms and ran, thus saving the two from being trampled.
Zhou Chuan confidently declared, "I will introduce my brother to you."
"Your brother?"
Xie Lingxi chuckled. The smile on her face made the child stare in amazement, and he couldn't help but stammer, "My brother is a great hero! The handsome man who jumped into the river to save people that day was my brother!"
"ah?"
What a coincidence! The child she casually saved on the street turned out to be Liu Xu's younger brother.
Xie Lingxi turned Zhou Chuan's chubby face towards her, scrutinizing him closely, and said casually, "Well, I'm also a great hero who saved people. Besides that, does your brother have any other outstanding qualities?"
Zhou Chuan blushed under the gaze of the beautiful woman in front of him and whispered, "He's also incredibly smart!"
Seeing that Xie Lingxi seemed unconvinced, Zhou Chuan picked up the literacy book next to him and gave her an example, "It's true, he's just as good at reading as you—I heard that this time when he went to Chang'an, he even... he even got the top scholar title!"
Given Zhou Chuan's simple mind, he didn't know what the word "top scholar" really meant, but he heard his parents often mention it, so he figured it must be something very impressive and intimidating.
Outside, mallards swam leisurely by the stream, and the sun cast shadows on the trees.
Madam Zhou brought a bowl of lotus cakes and handed it to Xie Lingxi, saying, "My lady, have some snacks."
She pretended to chase her youngest son away with a broom, and scolded Xie Lingxi, "Don't listen to this brat's nonsense. His older brother is indeed good in every way, but there is one thing that is really a pity."
Xie Lingxi asked, "What?"
She picked up a piece of pastry, took a bite, and immediately felt a delicious fragrance in her mouth. Then she heard her sister-in-law say, "I heard that he married a woman with a temper as fierce as an ox. She guards him day and night and forbids him from talking to other girls."
"Well--"
Xie Lingxi almost choked. She never expected that the matter had spread like this. Not knowing what to say, she said awkwardly, "That's really domineering."
“That’s right,” Madam Zhou looked at Xie Lingxi with affection. “To be honest, my husband and I have both read some books, but we lack talent and haven’t achieved anything remarkable.”
“These days I often see my wife teaching them textbooks, she must be working so hard.”
Strangely enough, the sun hit a rock that day, which happened to disperse the blood clots that were obscuring her vision. As soon as Xie Lingxi's eyes were cleared, she couldn't wait to see something beautiful and bright.
Children, words, and smiles are all lovely.
She waved her hand and then inquired about the local situation, saying, "I've been here for several days and haven't seen a private tutor yet."
Speaking of this, Madam Zhou looked worried: "In our poor, remote village, it's already good enough to have food and clothing. Where would we find a private school?"
"..."
Xie Lingxi lowered his eyes and fell into deep thought.
After settling in, she wrote to Liu Xu and learned that he was alright, which put her mind at ease.
This is a small border town south of Jingzhou. I heard a few days ago that bandits were on the move and intercepted the food of passersby. But even though it is a poor and remote place, the people living here are all kind and filial, and their hearts are pure and clean.
It's not good for children not to study.
Xie Lingxi touched the frayed corner of the booklet in his sleeve and wrote another letter to Liu Xu.
My husband received this letter from you:
A few days apart feels like three autumns. The clear stream and empty pool are perfect for intoxication and leisurely strolls. My longing for you is so deep, I can't sleep all night; I yearn for you, but cannot see you. Once the matter at Langtao Terrace is settled, I sincerely invite you to come, to enjoy the clear breeze and bright moon.
Furthermore, there are few people here who possess writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. I hope you will lend a helping hand and never forget this opportunity.
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