Chapter 81 Spend Time Together
Wearing the old raincoats and long rain boots provided by the B&B owner, Tang Ximian and Yu Shu followed their teacher and several other boys, stepping into the pouring rain.
The rain hit my face coldly and the wind was so strong that I could hardly stand.
The stone pavement in the ancient town was filled with muddy water, and every step had to be taken with caution.
The air was filled with the smell of earth, the scent of rain, and an indescribable smell of earth and rock that came from the torn apart mountainside.
They were assigned to a relatively safe ancestral hall in the town center, which was located on higher ground and was temporarily requisitioned as a material distribution point and resettlement point for some residents.
The ancestral hall was dimly lit and packed with people: local elders still trembling, women clutching children, and tourists who were just as trapped. The air was thick with the smell of wet clothes, sweat, and tension.
Tang Ximian's mission was to work with Yu Shu to assist a local woman, surnamed Li, in distributing bottled water and the few dry rations available. She had a loud voice and a thick accent, but she was nimble and decisive, commanding the troops with confidence.
"Little classmate, please count carefully and distribute them according to households! Each household will get two bottles of water and a pack of biscuits first! Don't make a mess! Don't push! Everyone will get a share!" Aunt Li stuffed a notebook with the household head's name on it into Tang Ximian's hand, and pointed to a pile of supplies for him to see.
"Okay!" Tang Ximian took a deep breath, tried hard to recognize the name that was scribbled on the notebook, and read it out loud.
Yu Shu was responsible for delivering the corresponding supplies to the people in line.
The work wasn't complicated, but it required great patience and meticulousness. The ancestral hall was buzzing with voices: some anxiously inquired about the whereabouts of their loved ones, others complained about the lack of food, and children cried out of fear and discomfort... all these sounds mingled with the sound of the pouring rain...
Tang Ximian forced himself to focus on the list and supplies in his hands.
He imitated Aunt Li, raising his voice as much as possible and clearly calling out names. When he handed over the water and biscuits, he would meet those eyes filled with fatigue, anxiety, and even despair, and he would try to force a soothing smile and say, "Here, be careful."
Once, a white-haired old lady took the water tremblingly, looked at him with cloudy eyes, and repeated something in an almost inaudible dialect.
Tang Ximian didn't understand, but from her trembling hands and anxious eyes, he sensed a strong sense of helplessness. He squatted down, approached the old woman, and spoke slowly, "Grandma, don't be anxious. Speak slowly." Yu Shu, who was nearby, cleverly found a resident who understood the dialect to help translate.
It turned out that the old lady was worried about her son who lived alone in a low-lying area near the river. Tang Ximian immediately reported the situation to the teacher in charge of liaison.
Although the final news was that the residents in the low-lying areas had been relocated in advance and the old lady's son was safe, Tang Ximian's heart was deeply touched when he saw the old lady's relieved look and tears after hearing the news.
For the first time, he felt so vividly that in the face of a huge disaster, the power of an individual is so small, but even the smallest connection and mutual assistance between people can become the spark that supports each other to overcome difficulties.
During breaks in the distribution of supplies, he saw teachers in a corner using their own power banks to charge the phones of some elderly people, helping them try to contact their lost relatives. He also saw several local young men braving the drizzle to reinforce the threshold of the ancestral hall with sandbags to prevent rainwater from flowing back. He also saw a female nursing student patiently comforting a frightened child with a fever...
There are no earth-shaking feats, only these glimmers of light that are silently given and within one's ability in the mud, wind and rain.
Tang Ximian wiped the rain and sweat from his face. He felt very tired physically, but a strange warmth and strength surged in his heart.
When Tang Ximian returned to the damp and cold room at night, he was so tired that he almost collapsed.
The cell phone signal was intermittent, but he still fumbled and sent a fragmented voice message to Si Yankai:
"Kai... I helped Aunt Li distribute water and biscuits today... It was raining so hard, and the roads were so difficult to walk on... There was an old lady who was worried about her son, but later found out he was safe... So many people were helping... Although I'm very tired, I don't feel so panicked anymore... Am I really awesome?"
After the message was sent, he held the phone, his eyelids drooping with fatigue, but he waited stubbornly.
After a long, long time, so long that he was almost asleep, the phone screen flickered faintly. The signal bar flickered faintly.
Si Yankai's reply was simple, but it was like a beacon in the darkness:
"Yes. Xiaobao is amazing and did a great job. Be careful and stay safe. I'm always here."
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