The four buckets of water greatly strengthened the tent, but the howling wind made people panic. Qiao Qingqing went out to check the situation. As soon as she opened the tent door, the strong wind made her unable to open her eyes. She raised her hand to block it. The wind blew the rain up and hit her face. She squinted her eyes and looked around.
The camp seemed to be shaking. People came out of their tents and could hardly stand due to the wind. Some soldiers were maintaining order, while others were carrying buckets of water to press down the tents.
"Ah! There's a water leak here!"
"Brother Chen, come and help me, my side is broken too!"
The camp was rocking in the strong wind and heavy rain, and there were panicked shouts everywhere.
Some were reinforcing their tents, some were running and shouting, and some were standing in the rain and looking up at the sky...
She also looked up at the sky, her pupils slightly dilated. She saw that the sky was frighteningly dark, with layers of black clouds and purple lightning dancing in it like a swimming snake.
The sky seemed to be pulled down by the dark clouds. The sky was too close, too low! It seemed that I could reach out and grab a dark cloud.
Uneasy, strong uneasiness swept over her. Qiao Qingqing pursed her lips and held on to the tent tightly.
The wind howled in her ears and the heavy rain created dense puddles on the ground. Qiao Qingqing felt the coldness and dampness under her feet as the rain finally came in.
She was just about to close the tent door when suddenly a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, right in front of her.
“Ahhhh!”
Amid screams, thick black smoke rose up and the red fire was extinguished by the rain before it could spread.
"Oh my God, come here, doctor!"
"Come and help!"
It is impossible to describe Qiao Qingqing's mood at this moment. She was stunned by the power and ruthlessness of nature.
"What happened, Qingqing?" Qiao Songzhi asked in panic. She just heard a loud explosion and the ground seemed to shake.
"There's a tent up ahead that was struck by lightning. Mom, I'll go over and help. You and big brother, be careful."
Qiao Songzhi glanced ahead, where thick smoke was billowing, revealing an ominous and terrifying atmosphere. She hurriedly said, "Okay! You must be careful!"
Qiao Qingqing rushed out. Qiao Songzhi grabbed the tent door that was blown around by the strong wind and said to Shao Shengfei who was frightened behind her: "Don't be afraid. Sister will be back soon. Help me hold the door and I will close it..."
The soldiers in the camp quickly came to the rescue. Qiao Qingqing helped move the burnt tent, pick up the broken supports, and then found the first body, and then the second.
"Move to... the side, there are no more tents." The soldier spoke with a choked voice.
She responded and continued moving.
The tent could accommodate twenty to thirty people, and if they squeezed together, it could accommodate forty people. Qiao Qingqing and her team carried out forty-two bodies. All the people in the tent died at the moment the lightning struck, and no one survived.
The tent next door was affected, but the rain put out the fire and the tent next door was saved, but the survivors did not dare to continue living in this place.
"It's ominous! It's unlucky! Change my tent! Change my tent!" a man shouted in a state of emotional breakdown.
"And me, and me! I want to change too. I don't want to live here anymore!"
The soldiers went to deal with the riots. Qiao Qingqing stood on the ruins and looked down. Lightning struck the tent and blew a nearly two-meter-deep pit in the ground. She couldn't imagine what would happen to her and her family if the lightning struck her tent. This is a natural disaster, which is unpredictable and irresistible. Sometimes, before you know it, you may die.
She sighed, stretched out her hand to wash off the dirt on her hands, and turned back to her tent. After returning, she changed her clothes first and sprayed alcohol to disinfect. The tent was completely flooded, and Qiao Songzhi and Shao Shengfei sat on the chairs.
Seeing her return safely, Qiao Songzhi breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Have you rescued her? Is everyone okay?"
"They couldn't be saved. They're all gone." Qiao Qingqing whispered, and after quickly wiping her face, she said, "We can't leave for now. It's too dangerous to walk in the wild in this weather."
"You're right. I'll do as you say. Isn't there a lightning rod in the camp?"
"This type of military tent has a lightning rod, but there is still the possibility of a lightning strike... A two-meter-deep hole was blown out of the tent."
Qiao Songzhi gasped: "It's so scary! Is our tent still safe?"
"It should be safe, don't be afraid, Mom."
It is impossible not to be afraid. The power of nature is fully demonstrated in thunderstorms, and humans cannot do anything to resist it, but can only passively endure it.
Amid the wind and rain, thunder and lightning began to become active. The sky seemed like a pool of black sea water, with purple thunder dragons roaming and rolling in it, brewing a deeper level of terror.
The children were so frightened that they cried loudly, and no amount of comfort could stop their fear.
In order to prevent the bodies from rotting and bringing disease, the bodies of the survivors killed by lightning were quickly moved away and buried far away. Qiao Qingqing watched the corpse transport vehicle drive out of the camp, feeling heavy in her heart.
At dinner, the soldiers brought a large bowl of thick soup with boiled lumps floating in it.
"This is big root soup, which was dug out from deep underground after the earthquake. It contains mild toxins but is not fatal. Cooking it can completely remove the toxins. If you eat it raw, there will be no big problem as long as you don't eat too much. We call it big root because the roots are many and long." The soldier explained.
"We have dug this up before," said Qiao Songzhi.
The soldier smiled and said, "It seems you have eaten before. That's good. There are many new things in the wild that can fill your stomach. It's a good thing to get to know more. You helped during the day, and the squad leader asked me to send you a bowl. Do you have enough food at home? If not, I can share food with you starting tomorrow."
Qiao Qingqing did not refuse this time. They came here with three backpacks on their backs. Twenty days had passed since the earthquake, and their food reserves could not be unlimited, which would arouse suspicion.
"Thanks."
"No need to thank me, you can eat this bowl first." The soldier left.
Qiao Qingqing and her friends hadn't had dinner yet, so they shared the salty daikon soup. After eating a bowl of this, they still felt hungry, but Qiao Qingqing knew that this was actually the amount for three people for two meals. If it were someone else, they would have to eat two meals. Their family had never been hungry during the natural disaster apocalypse, and their appetite was no different from before the apocalypse. No, if you compare carefully, they might even eat more than before the apocalypse. After all, only a strong body can cope with the natural disaster apocalypse that tortures the body and mind. They also exercise regularly and frequently, which requires sufficient food.
Qiao Qingqing took out their dinner and let them fill their stomachs.
"Nowadays, many people don't have enough food to eat. Qingqing, do you think we should reduce our food intake? Our appetite is much larger than others."
Hearing her mother's question, Qiao Qingqing's first reaction was to shake her head. She said softly, "Mom, our appetite is normal, and we are not overeating. We are still together now, so it is best to eat and drink well. If we are unfortunately forced to separate in the future... then there will be nothing to eat, and there will be no way to eat more." Naturally, she ate less. She had enough supplies in her space, so how could she bear to let her family go hungry?
During the time of separation, she even occasionally recalled the day of the earthquake while eating.
They were having breakfast that day, and it was already dawn just as they started eating. The longer they were apart, the stronger a thought became in her mind: Sheng An did not eat enough that morning, and it would have been nice if he had eaten enough.
She knew that there was something wrong with her thoughts. In fact, she had not been like this for a long time. Fortunately, her mother was still by her side, becoming an anchor to pull her forward. Otherwise, she would not know how to move forward.
"You're right..." Qiao Songzhi glanced at Shao Shengfei who was concentrating on eating and sighed slightly.
As the water in the tent increased, the soldiers distributed wooden boards to the survivors to make their own bedding. Qiao Qingqing followed the crowd and went out to find stones to make "bedposts". She laid the two wooden boards she was given on top to make a simple bench.
It is impossible to sleep with just a bench. Before going to bed at night, Qiao Qingqing took out a low bed from the space so that she could at least have a good sleep.
There was a lot of clanging in the other tents until late at night, and the sounds of complaining, crying, and cursing did not stop until very late.
Early the next morning, Qiao Qingqing heard soldiers outside dredging ditches in the wind and rain to drain the water from the camp. She put on her raincoat and went out to help. This time, they dug several more ditches, one of which was right next to her tent. The yellow muddy water gurgled out, but the water in the camp did not seem to decrease. Instead, it became deeper after accumulating overnight.
"Sister, let me help you!"
Qiao Qingqing turned around and saw Shao Shengfei, fully armed, walking towards her. He walked slowly, careful not to splash any water.
"Does Mother Qiao know that you are out?"
“I know!”
Seeing Shao Shengfei's happy face, Qiao Qingqing knew that he was bored of staying in the tent these days and wanted to come out for some fresh air.
She went to find another shovel and gave it to him: "You can help me if you want, but be sure to pay attention to safety and don't dig your feet or other people's feet."
Shao Shengfei nodded seriously.
With the help of the strong Shao Shengfei, the ditch on Qiao Qingqing's side was quickly dug.
After lunch, Qiao Qingqing went outside to empty the excrement bucket, and Shao Shengfei went out with her.
Going out in this weather makes people nervous. It's still a mess outside. The survivors near the tent that was blown down by lightning are still trying to change tents. From yesterday to today, the soldiers can't persuade them and seem to be angry. She retracted her gaze and led Shao Shengfei to the place designated by the soldiers to dump the garbage, and then use rainwater to clean the toilet bucket.
While cleaning, Shao Shengfei said, "We like to be clean, but our neighbors don't. Their house stinks. There's shit flowing over there. It stinks so much."
"The stink is one thing. Excrement may contain germs. We have to pay attention to hygiene when we live in a tent." Qiao Qingqing took the opportunity to teach him.
"I know, sister. I will pay attention to hygiene!"
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