As darkness slowly approached, the autumn night was already damp with dew and chilly.
After inspecting the prefabricated houses, we found that they had only been moved and were not seriously damaged, which gave everyone some confidence.
After eating a little something, everyone took out their clothes, put on an extra layer, and lay down on the ground to rest.
Taking advantage of the darkness and when no one was watching, Yunqi secretly took out fresh cakes and hot milk from his spatial storage and coaxed the two little babies to eat some. The adults also ate a few pancakes with the hot milk.
Si Cheng took out several sleeping bags and distributed them to the elderly people in the village. He also gave each of their parents a double sleeping bag, so they could rest on the ground with Junjun and Lele, without even daring to pitch a tent. He and Yun Qi stayed close together, ready to keep watch for them. Yun's parents didn't rush to keep watch, because they knew that taking care of themselves and not distracting them was the best help they could offer.
Fortunately, there were no major aftershocks that night, and the tremors were not strong.
As dawn broke, the devastation was a stark contrast to the once peaceful village. Seeing this scene, everyone silently packed their belongings, and no one spoke.
As for rescue efforts, no one had held out much hope. Everyone knew it was caused by a tsunami, and the situation in the entire southern and coastal region was still unknown. Moreover, there was no signal at all; communication equipment was likely completely destroyed. How could there possibly be any rescue?
The aftershocks on the second day were spaced further apart and became more and more peaceful. Only then did people slowly gather ingredients and use a large pot they had dug out of the ancestral hall to make some noodles in the square. Eating the warm noodle soup slightly reduced the chill that had seeped into their bones.
Living in the open like this indefinitely is not a solution. Young people can endure it, but children and the elderly cannot.
Si Cheng then stepped forward and said, "These prefabricated houses will be managed by the village in the future. The elderly and children can live in them for now. We can demolish one wall so that if another earthquake occurs, they can escape immediately."
Upon hearing this, everyone gave a thumbs up, praising Sicheng for his magnanimity.
Each family went back to the ruins of their own house to pick out some beds or planks, and in this way they put together some simple beds to provide a shelter from the wind and rain for the elderly and children.
They also moved the houses to a certain distance so that even in the event of a major earthquake, people could better disperse and escape.
Fortunately, there were enough prefabricated houses to accommodate the village's elderly and children. The younger people found sheltered spots under the eaves and settled in simply. This way, they could easily look after the elderly and children at home, and stay by their side to protect them in case of emergencies.
"Brother Cheng, it's so good to have everyone here," Yunqi said with emotion, leaning on Sicheng's shoulder.
"We will always be together. The coming period may be tough, but as long as we work together, we will definitely make it."
"I wonder how things are in the city? With so many people, how will they be accommodated in the future?"
"There shouldn't be any major problems. The resettlement houses built later were all constructed according to the highest earthquake resistance standards. And I just heard Hou Zi and the others say that their houses are basically intact and only need simple repairs."
"Ming-ge, do you have any fever reducers at home?" Uncle Qi from Third Grandfather's family came over and asked Yun's father.
"Yes, I'll go find it for you right away. What's wrong? Is anyone running a fever?" Mr. Yun asked with concern as he rummaged through the bag.
"It's all because of that brat Yunxiang. I don't know if he was scared or caught a cold, but he has a low-grade fever now." Yun Zhiqi said with a helpless expression when talking about his son. It's really troublesome when someone gets sick at this time.
“Found it,” he said, taking a small bag of household medicine from the large bag and stuffing the whole bag into Yun Zhiqi’s arms. “Take all of these with you and see what’s suitable for his condition.”
"Take this hot milk back with you. Xiaocheng just heated it up for the two little ones. It's still warm. Let him drink some to calm him down." Yun's mother quickly took out a bottle of hot milk from the insulated box next to her. "If he's still willing to drink it, you can come back here to get it later."
"How can that be? This is Junjun and Lele's food. I'll have their mother make them some milk later."
"Why bother with all that? Let's hurry up and get there, don't delay."
"Okay, I won't stand on ceremony with you, sister-in-law." Thinking of her own son, she didn't stand on ceremony any longer. She would bring some food for the twins sometime. After saying that, she quickly picked up her things and walked back.
That night, although there were no aftershocks, several children developed high fevers. Later, when they ran out of spare medicine, Yunnan medicine doctors led several anxious parents to retrieve medicinal herbs from the ruins of the clinic.
Yunqi and the others took turns watching over the two siblings for one night. In the middle of the night, Lele also developed a low-grade fever.
After a night of careful care, the children with low-grade fevers gradually calmed down.
Seeing that there were no more aftershocks, the village organized young people from each household to form teams to check on the changes around the village.
Based on what everyone has seen, we now have a general understanding of the changes in the village.
The area where the road connects to the village entrance has sunk, forming a large pit about 20 acres in size and 10 meters high. After a day, water, from who-knows-where, is slowly filling it, forming a small lake. From now on, we'll have to find another route to get out, and we don't know what changes have occurred outside.
Several hills have sprung up beside Jinwu Mountain, while Jinwu Mountain still stands firmly there. However, the trees on the mountain are leaning to one side and to the other, and the small hills next to it are all mud. Looking at it, it is very tragic and desolate.
Fortunately, the village's fields haven't changed much; some fields have only been slightly raised, which doesn't affect cultivation. However, most of the crops in the fields have been destroyed, and it's uncertain how much can be salvaged.
Of the houses in the village, only a few still stand stubbornly without collapsing, but they have become dangerous buildings. If anyone wants to move back in, they must undergo renovation and reconstruction.
The wives in the family ran back home to see if they could find any usable supplies from the ruins.
"Everyone, put down what you're doing and clean your own poultry. Process what's still edible, and smoke the rest into cured meat. If they're smashed beyond recognition, gather them together and burn them, otherwise there might be an epidemic." After Si Cheng's reminder, the village chief realized the seriousness of the matter and quickly instructed the villagers to take immediate action.
Upon hearing this, everyone realized that they hadn't checked on their poultry; they were too preoccupied with grieving over the collapsed house.
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