The typhoon came so suddenly, so unexpectedly.
The weather changed starting at 4 PM.
The sky gradually darkened, shrouded in dark, cloudless clouds.
Without saying a word, Feng Jiaqing's entire family hurried to the yard to collect the dried fish.
After another day of intense sun exposure, the dried fish were completely dried out and could be easily broken apart; they were ready to be stored and packaged.
All the packaged dried fish were neatly stacked in the main room, with wooden boards underneath and plastic film on top to prevent them from getting wet from rain.
Just as we finished collecting the goods, a strong wind suddenly arose.
The trees were swaying and leaning from side to side in the strong wind, as if they were about to be uprooted at any moment.
They had intended to help Ah-chan at his house, but seeing this situation, they had no choice but to give up.
It's best to stay home during a typhoon and avoid going outside, as it's very dangerous.
The strong wind blew for a few minutes, followed by heavy rain.
Because they were worried about a power outage, they prepared and ate dinner early.
By 11 p.m., the wind and rain brought by the typhoon had become even more intense, as if the whole world was being shaken by this force.
The wind howled and the rain poured down, pounding against the tightly closed doors and windows with rapid, rhythmic sounds.
Feng Ye and Ye Qingling, who hadn't slept very soundly to begin with, were immediately awakened.
Hearing the noise outside the window and the dripping sound of water inside the house, the two of them got up.
Feng Ye pulled the switch cord and found that the power was indeed out.
He had no choice but to light the candles he had prepared beforehand, and then use the basins and buckets he brought into the house to catch the leaking rainwater.
"The roof leaks whenever it rains heavily. It's either here or there, and it can't be fixed. It's a real headache."
He complained as he filled his cup with water, the flickering candlelight reflecting on his furrowed brow.
"Once the new house is built, it won't leak anymore when we move in..."
As Ye Qingling spoke, she couldn't help but ask with some concern, "With such a big typhoon, the waves must be huge. Will they wash into the new house?"
"It shouldn't be that bad. Judging from the wind, it shouldn't be a direct landfall, but just an impact. There shouldn't be such big waves."
"I hope so."
"Actually, I'm more worried about the dried fish I'm drying at A-Can's house. It might all be for nothing."
"Yes, we don't know how long the impact of this typhoon will last..."
"Go to sleep, don't think too much."
"Um."
Listening to the dripping sound of water, the couple drifted off to sleep again.
Nothing was said that night.
Just as dawn broke, Feng Ye was awakened by the sound of Ye Qingling getting up.
He slept very lightly all night, and was frequently awakened by the sound of wind and rain.
Since he couldn't sleep well, he simply got up.
As he stepped out of the room, he saw his parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law all up, sitting listlessly in the main room watching the wind and rain outside.
The wind was still howling and the rain was pouring outside, so there was nowhere to go but to wait.
Shortly after breakfast, the wind gradually subsided, but the rain remained heavy.
The rain finally subsided after noon.
Feng Jiaqing went out wearing a straw raincoat.
He's going to the dock to check the sea conditions, how far the waves have reached, how much impact it's having on the village, and if anyone needs help.
After each typhoon, he would rush to the dock as soon as possible.
He wasn't the only one; at least one person from every household in the village would go to the dock.
It served both to gather information and to exchange news.
No one else planned to go out; they all stayed home and waited.
Although the wind and rain have subsided, they are still quite strong.
I only have this one raincoat at home, and using an umbrella would be practically the same as not using one at all.
As a result, Feng Jiaqing's trip lasted two or three hours.
When he returned, the wind had stopped and the rain had turned into a light drizzle.
"Something's happened!"
As soon as he entered the room, he said with a heavy expression.
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.
Xiao Chunxiu quickly asked, "What happened?"
Ye Qingling asked worriedly, "Could the new house have been flooded?"
"The new house is fine, the waves aren't that high, they won't hit it."
Feng Jiaqing took a deep breath and continued, "Didn't Aye and I catch a cobra yesterday afternoon?"
"Some people got jealous and went to the beach as soon as the typhoon was over, and they actually found a big fish being carried by the waves."
"So they tried to grab it by tying it with a rope, just like Ah Ye and I did, but they didn't tie it securely and the waves swept them into the sea."
"Although people immediately tied ropes to try to rescue him, the waves were so big that they were ultimately unable to pull him back."
"The man disappeared in no time, almost certainly dead, leaving his family crying and wailing on the shore."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned solemn, and they sighed deeply.
"Whose is it?" Xiao Chunxiu quickly asked.
"Li Renyou, the son of Li Gensheng's family at the west end of the village."
Feng Jiaqing shook his head, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.
Xiao Chunxiu said, "The village loudspeaker reminded everyone so many times yesterday to prepare for the typhoon and not to risk going to the beach, but they are still so carefree."
Feng Xuan curled her lip: "He's just jealous. Didn't Dad just say that?"
“Is a fish’s life more important? Now look what’s happened, it’s lost its life.” Xiao Chunxiu sighed, “It’s such a pity that he was only in his twenties.”
"Life is unpredictable, like the large intestine enclosing the small intestine."
Feng Ye frowned and blurted it out.
Everyone was completely baffled by his words.
Ye Qingling chuckled and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about? What's with all this talk about large and small intestines?"
Feng Ye shrugged and offered no explanation.
He regretted it as soon as he said it.
It's all the fault of short videos, which cause him to occasionally come up with some incomprehensible memes.
But these jokes are hard to explain, or even impossible to explain.
...
After the rain completely stopped, the villagers all ran out of their homes and gathered in small groups.
The whole village was talking about Li Renyou's unfortunate experience.
Everyone says that earning less money is fine, and we can still make ends meet, but if you lose your life, you lose everything...
Feng Ye was also wandering around, looking at the messy village after the typhoon, and hearing all sorts of discussions around him.
Before even reaching the dock, the faint sound of weeping could be heard, adding to the somber and sorrowful atmosphere.
As they got closer, they saw Li Gensheng and his family kneeling on the beach, wailing and lamenting.
Meanwhile, many people stood on the shore, staring intently at the sea, searching for Li Renyou's figure.
Many able-bodied men also had ropes tied around their waists, ready to jump into the sea to rescue people at any time.
Although they all knew in their hearts that the chances of finding survivors in such turbulent waves were slim.
But we must see the person alive or dead.
This is the simple yet unwavering belief of people living by the sea.
Feng Ye didn't participate; he watched from the dock for a while before going to A-Can's house.
He needs to go to Ah-Can's house to check on the dried fish.
To his surprise, Ah-chan's house was locked and empty.
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