Chapter 349: Continuous Heavy Rain
After settling the children, Gu Jiayue led the people from Taohua Village back.
The rain was still falling, and the big raindrops hit the straw raincoat with crackling sounds. The road under my feet was muddy and slippery, and I had to use extra strength to keep my body steady with every step.
When passing by the usually docile river, the scene before them made everyone gasp.
The muddy river water had already overflowed the bridge deck, and the yellow-brown waves were like wild horses that had broken free from their reins, slapping the bridge body wildly. The wooden bridge creaked under the impact of the water, as if it would fall apart at any time. It was so frightening that people stopped in their tracks involuntarily.
"Don't be afraid, I'll help you get over there." Jiang Luli's voice was steady and powerful, like a reassurance.
As he spoke, he turned and instructed his men following behind him: "Tie one end of the rope firmly to the big tree on the shore, and tie the other end around your waist. Be sure to watch your step and don't get swept away by the flood!"
Although he was speaking to his subordinates, his gaze swept over the villagers who were accompanying him. Most of them were ordinary farmers who had never seen such dangerous water conditions, and their faces turned pale.
This is certainly not a good time to be pretentious.
As soon as Jiang Luli finished speaking, Gu Jiayue's hands tightly wrapped around his waist, with such force that it seemed to dig into his flesh, and her knuckles turned slightly white from the force.
To cherish life, we must start with these little bit of caution.
Jiang Luli felt the force coming from his waist and looked down at her tense profile.
Her eyelashes, wet by the rain, trembled slightly, like a frightened deer.
The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up into an almost imperceptible doting smile, and his voice was filled with warmth: "Hold on tight, we're leaving!"
After crossing the bridge, we saw the village chief and many villagers waiting anxiously on the other side. Some of them were holding hoes in their hands, obviously ready to help at any time.
Seeing them return safely, the village chief's heart finally settled down. The wrinkles on his face relaxed a little. He hurried forward a few steps, rubbing his hands and asking, "I heard there was a landslide in Xinghua Village? Is it serious? Are there any injuries?"
Gu Jiayue shook her head and said calmly, "The village hasn't been endangered yet. Only the road leading into the mountain has been damaged. Village chief, I have something very important to tell you. It's a matter of great importance. Let's go to my house and discuss it in detail."
Without a second thought, the village chief nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together." He then turned to the other villagers and said, "Everyone, go home first. Close the doors and windows. Don't go out and run around. Be safe!"
Everyone dispersed in response, and Gu Jiayue hurriedly asked, "Village Chief, have the people who went to the other three villages returned? How is the situation?"
The village chief sighed, his brow furrowed as he replied, "Everyone's back. Nothing happened in the other two villages. The children who didn't come to school were because their parents, worried about the heavy rain, didn't let them come. Only Walnut Village had a mudslide, and two children were buried..."
He paused, his tone slowed down, and he spoke with a hint of relief: "Luckily, Hu Zi happened by and quickly rescued him. His arm is broken, but the doctor has already reattached it. He'll be fine after a few days of recuperation. Don't worry too much."
Gu Jiayue finally breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like a huge rock had been lifted from her chest, and the heavy weight in her heart finally fell to the ground.
I'm glad you're okay.
Although there seem to be a lot of children in the nearby villages, and they are playing and fighting and having a lot of fun, in fact, the survival rate of children has always been very low.
Limited by the poor medical conditions, even a cold could be fatal. Furthermore, due to the tight financial situation, where even a full meal could not be eaten, how could there be any money left for seeing a doctor?
It was extremely difficult for children in ancient times to grow up safely, and the infant mortality rate was almost half.
This was during a time of peace and prosperity.
If a natural disaster or man-made disaster occurs, the mortality rate will be frighteningly high, often only one in ten survives.
Therefore, every child today is precious and is a flower that needs to be carefully cared for.
The group waded through the mud and entered Gu Jiayue's house. As soon as they opened the gate, they saw Li sitting under the eaves sewing shoe soles.
"Oh my! How did this happen?" Li noticed they were soaking wet. She quickly dropped her sewing basket and hurried forward, her brows knitted together. "Why are you all soaked? Even the ends of your hair are dripping!"
Gu Jiayue waved her hands, her voice a little hoarse: "Mom, I'm fine. Please make some ginger soup for us to drive away the cold. I'll go change clothes first."
"Oh, by the way, mother, go find two new clothes for my second brother and give them to Jiang Shanchang and Brother Lu."
After entering Taohua Village, Jiang Luli's secret guards disappeared quietly. Gu Jiayue didn't know whether they needed them or not, so she could only take care of the people in front of her first.
"Hey, go inside and warm up. I'll get you some hot water." Li hurried to the kitchen and turned back to remind her, "Don't just stand there. Go inside and warm yourself by the fire first!"
Grandma, who heard the noise, also came out from the inner room. Seeing this, she quickly put down the oil-paper umbrella in her hand and hurried over to help: "I'll boil some water. You take Mr. Jiang and the others to Yuchuan's room to try on clothes first. If you keep covering yourself up like this, won't you catch a cold?"
Li quickly nodded in agreement and led Jiang Luli to the side room.
After another round of busy cleaning, everyone finally sat down in the main room.
Gu Jiayue changed into a clean coarse cloth dress, wrapped her hair with a cloth, and held a bowl of steaming ginger soup in her hand, the spicy smell of which rushed into her nostrils.
She drank it in small sips, and the tip of her tongue felt numb from the spiciness, but also warm and comfortable.
After drinking a bowl of ginger soup, my body, which was just cold, began to sweat, the sticky feeling faded away, and I felt a lot more relaxed.
She put down the bowl, took a deep breath, and glanced at the grandfather, grandmother, village chief, and Jiang Luli present. Her expression became serious. "Next, what I am about to say is very important. You must listen carefully."
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the main room suddenly became solemn, and even the sound of rain outside the window seemed to be quieter.
Grandma opened her mouth, as if she wanted to ask if she was tired, but grandpa quietly pulled her sleeve and she swallowed the words back.
"I've been studying astronomical phenomena and agricultural books quite a bit lately. Combining my observations over the past few days, I've come to a conclusion. It will rain for the next month, and there may even be continuous heavy rain."
Everyone here is an old farmer who has lived in Taohua Village for generations and knows all too well how severe the weather can be.
What will happen if there is heavy rain for a month?
Rivers rose, farmland was flooded, and landslides occurred...
Gu Jiayue didn't need to explain any more, everyone's face darkened.
The village chief stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in the small main room, his brow furrowed. "Jiayue, this is no small matter!"
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