Lu Huaijiao sat next to Gu Changzheng.
On the low table beside them was a plate of grapes. These were grapes imported from the south; they were expensive and tasted very good.
Lu Huaijiao sat there as Gu Changzheng peeled grapes with his long, slender fingers, feeding them to her one by one.
His movements were very practiced.
Lu Huaijiao was also very skilled at eating.
The others around them, used to it, simply ignored it; it was something Gu Changzheng had done many times before.
They are seriously considering whether the city will face a water shortage after the reservoir collapses.
The person I'm most worried about is He Meizhu.
After all, she had lived through those three years.
During those three years of natural disasters, they not only lacked food, but also had no clean water. He Meizhu remembers that the river was almost dried up by them.
Dawan Village is in a slightly better situation because it is surrounded by a large river.
In villages deep in the mountains, like Geda Village, the situation was truly tragic. Many people had no water to drink, and some even lost their lives for a sip of water...
He Meizhu was very afraid that this situation would be like it was twenty years ago.
Gu Jianhua chimed in, "There's more than one reservoir in the city; there are two other reservoirs. Don't worry, there won't be a day when we run out of water."
Although Gu Jianhua said that, he wasn't actually that optimistic.
After all, a perfectly good reservoir has been destroyed. Who knows what might be waiting for them in the remaining two reservoirs!
Sure enough, before he could even finish the thought, he heard people outside banging drums and gongs, spreading the news that two other reservoirs in the suburbs had also breached their banks.
The people who were sitting around the stove could no longer sit still.
Gu Changzheng, who was peeling grapes, paused slightly. Lu Huaijiao swallowed the grape in her mouth, turned her head to look at Gu Changzheng, and the meaning in her eyes was understood only by the couple.
Unidentified individuals are repeatedly bombing reservoirs, seemingly intent on causing hundreds of thousands of people in the city to die of thirst.
He Meizhu, who was already a little worried, couldn't sit still any longer. She got up and went out to find the person who had just brought the news and asked him about the details.
Although the others inside did not rush out immediately like He Meizhu, their faces all showed very solemn expressions.
All the reservoirs were blown up.
This is not a good thing!
Although the Gu family has a well in their backyard and they don't lack water, if the entire city were to run out of water, their well might actually become a source of disaster.
"Dad, let's go and cover the well first."
Gu Changzheng spoke.
Gu Jianhua nodded and said he would do it right away.
Gu Tiezhu also got up to help.
Just in case, they sealed off the well in their backyard. That way, if anyone came to cause trouble, they could tell them that they had no water to drink either.
Of course, we live in a society governed by the rule of law. If things hadn't come to this point, Gu Changzheng believed that no one would have come to cause trouble.
But as I just said, what if? What if someone with ulterior motives stirs things up, and those mindless, thirsty people rush in? Who can protect their families then?
The three men went to work, and He Meizhu, who had gone to gather information, also returned.
As soon as she came in, she took the tea that Lu Huaijiao poured for her, tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp before speaking: "Jiaojiao, I heard you mention before that you have a friend whose surname is Niu?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
“I just heard from the community officials that the first village on the riverbank below the Rhinoceros Horn Reservoir is called Niujia Village.”
Niujia Village has been completely flooded due to its low-lying location.
Many people were unable to escape from inside.
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Huaijiao stood up abruptly.
Turning around and stepping outside, braving the swirling snowflakes, I went to the convenience store to call Niu Fangfang's house.
The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.
Lu Huaijiao was not giving up and hit her again.
After ringing for a while, a beeping tone came through.
During the Lunar New Year, it's common sense that someone wouldn't answer the phone. Unless, of course, no one is home at Niu Fangfang's house at the moment.
Did they all go back to the village for the Chinese New Year?
Lu Huaijiao was a little worried about Niu Fangfang. As she walked out of the convenience store, she ran into Gu Changzheng, who had come looking for her.
"Jiaojiao, don't worry, Director Niu is a very smart man, he will protect his family."
Niu Fangfang's father is the director of the local street office.
I've met Gu Changzheng a few times; he's a very nice person.
At this point, Lu Huaijiao had no choice but to believe.
They can't go there and cause trouble now; they can only wait at home for the results and pray that they are safe and sound.
However, both Lu Huaijiao and the rest of the family knew that hoping for someone else to be safe and sound was just a beautiful wish.
The reality is that the reservoir collapsed right around the Lunar New Year, and people in the villages along the river were probably having their New Year's Eve dinner at the time.
Under such circumstances, it is really too difficult to ensure that everyone is safe and sound.
They were right.
Because the water from the reservoir suddenly surged down so fast, the villagers living along the riverbank barely had time to react before the water had already entered their homes.
Some who evacuated quickly didn't care about anything; they just stood up, rushed out the door, and ran to higher ground.
Some people, reluctant to leave their valuables behind, rushed to their rooms to gather their precious belongings, only to find the floodwaters blocking the doors. They had no choice but to climb onto the roof for help.
However, the reservoir above was still flowing water continuously, and those who were squatting on the roof of their homes were soon submerged up to their ankles.
As for those who couldn't climb onto the roof and instead chose to hide in the closets at home, they were mercilessly swept away by the water.
"Grandma, don't worry about these things."
Niu Fangfang's hometown is at the foot of the mountain in Niujia Village. She watched as the flood swept in and flattened the village in an instant. Niu Fangfang dragged and pulled away the old lady Niu, who wanted to go back to her room to collect her belongings.
Don't let her pack; tell her to leave quickly.
Old Mrs. Niu, however, was unwilling.
"The money, and the money your dad, your uncle, and your aunt gave me, I have to take them with me, and your grandpa too."
The money was in a box by the bedside, next to a portrait of Grandpa Niu.
Needless to say, those who value money are all hard-working people who know how hard it is to earn even a penny, and they certainly wouldn't be willing to give up a hundred or two hundred yuan for nothing.
As for the photos? The old lady and the old man had a good relationship. She would look at the photos of her husband, who had passed away more than ten years ago, all the time. She had worn the photo frame all the way down.
These two things were very important to Old Mrs. Niu, and she was reluctant to give up either of them.
"Milk……"
"Fangfang, hurry up, I'll go get my things."
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