Chapter 114 Urgent
If Lou Yansui hadn't mentioned it beforehand, Lou Fengju wouldn't have made too many connections upon hearing Mao Mao's words.
Just like the sudden drop in temperature, nobody paid any attention to it at first.
But after receiving his younger brother's call, Lou Fengju began to take it seriously and specifically asked someone to retrieve the weather data for that period.
Current meteorological data is mainly used for military operations to avoid affecting air force operations, and is rarely used for weather forecasting.
They mainly rely on manual observation and traditional experience to predict weather changes. Currently, unlike foreign countries, China does not have a complete and mature meteorological observation system. Even professional observatories have limited equipment and low accuracy, making it impossible to accurately predict future weather.
Based on current observations, this winter appears to be colder than in previous years, but no problems are apparent at the moment.
But the fact that the reminder about the cold weather came from Mao Mao's mouth made it all the more special.
Everyone in the Lou family knows that Mao Mao is a lucky charm; whatever she says goes, and she's very quick-witted.
She said it was very cold, very cold. How cold was it?
Unlike northern regions where the city is often covered in snow and ice in winter, Haicheng rarely even gets snowfall; the snow melts into rain before it even touches the ground. Even at its coldest, temperatures only hover around zero degrees Celsius, preventing the widespread disasters seen in northern areas.
It's very cold. How cold? Like in the north, where even the rivers are frozen?
In an instant, Lou Fengju's mind flashed through countless consequences that might result from this.
First, a significant drop in temperature requires more fuel. In the past, winters in Haicheng were not cold, and the city's fuel reserves were insufficient, leading to many people suffering from the cold.
Haicheng relies on port freight. If even the river freezes, cargo ships cannot sail, supplies will be scarce, and prices will rise, making it unaffordable for the poor.
It can be deadly if it's too cold. Even if you don't freeze to death, a headache or fever can easily take your life.
Not to mention other impacts such as traffic disruptions and agricultural losses...
Thinking of all this, Lou Fengju felt a chill run down his spine and his back was covered in cold sweat.
Buy timber! Buy rice! And a whole range of cold-weather and disaster relief supplies!
You absolutely must buy it!
If such a natural disaster were to actually strike, it would affect the lives of millions of people in Haicheng!
Winter is coming, and there's not much time to prepare; we must act quickly.
Lou Fengju immediately made several phone calls, instructing his subordinates to make arrangements.
After finishing the bean sprouts that his younger sister had picked herself, Lou Fengju mentioned the matter to Commander Lou.
This matter concerns the entire city of Haicheng, and the decision cannot be made without the assistance of Commander Lou.
General Lou is busy cultivating a relationship with his youngest daughter.
He felt an urgent sense of crisis, fearing that his father's position would be lost and replaced by someone else. Whenever he had free time, he would come to play with Mao Mao.
Right now, he's awkwardly spreading his five fingers, playing cat's cradle with Mao Mao.
He cut a strand of yarn from Xia Xiaoxiang's yarn basket, tied the two ends into a knot, and threaded his thick fingers through the yarn. The soft yarn gave him a headache than a precision firearm.
After playing for a while, Lou Dashuai was covered in sweat.
Upon hearing Lou Fengju's words, Commander Lou didn't even lift his eyelids, still focused on his struggle with the yarn: "Disaster prevention? How cold can Haicheng be?"
Lou Fengju: "Dad, Mao Mao said those words."
Lou Dashuai paused, the half-wound yarn turning into a tangled mess.
Seeing this, Mao Mao obediently grabbed the yarn, wrapped it around her little hand, held it up in front of Lou Dashuai, and looked at him expectantly.
Lou Dashuai sat up straight, his face tense: "Did Maomao say that?"
"hold head high?"
Mao Mao tilted her head and handed over the yarn in her hand: "Daddy, take this."
Lou Dashuai took it, his tall and strong body bending down, his ten fingers cupping it like a flower, as if he were holding a bomb.
The news he heard was no different from an explosion right next to his ear.
Commander Lou asked seriously, "Mao Mao, you said there might be a disaster in a while?"
"hold head high?"
Mao Mao's entire attention was focused on the yarn in front of her.
She tensed up, her chubby little face stiff, and reached out her fingers to hook the yarn. She wasn't listening to her father and older brother at all. When she heard her own name, she only made a muffled, babyish sound.
She didn't hear it, but the others sitting around the fireplace did.
The first wife walked over: "What are you talking about disaster prevention?"
Lou Fengju: "I'm worried that Haicheng will be particularly cold this year, and many people may freeze to death."
"cold?"
The ladies looked at each other in bewilderment.
"The weather has been a bit cold lately, but so what?"
"Which winter isn't cold?"
"Haicheng isn't in the north. It rarely snows here in winter, so even if it gets cold, it won't get that cold."
Unlike the Northeast region, where a heavy snowfall can cause temperatures to plummet to minus ten or twenty degrees Celsius, which can be deadly.
"How much difference can a temperature of one or two degrees make? How does it become a disaster?"
"I've only ever heard of snow disasters in the north, I've never heard of one in Haicheng."
"--some."
A voice suddenly came from the side.
Everyone turned to look, and there was the old lady dozing off in her recliner.
The old lady stroked the soft, long fur on the back of the big white cat on her lap, lost in her memories: "When I was young, there was a year when it snowed very heavily. It was an exceptionally cold year, and people froze to death on the roadside every day. I heard that so many people froze to death that the people collecting the bodies couldn't keep up. If you were walking on the road, you might accidentally step on a corpse."
The old lady's hometown is not far from Haicheng, and the climate is similar.
The crowd fell silent, making the crackling sound of the flames burning in the fireplace all the more pronounced.
Despite the warmth inside, everyone inexplicably shivered.
"So, this year, Haicheng will be like the old lady was when she was young?"
Xia Xiaoxiang exclaimed in surprise, realizing, "No wonder Mao Mao asked me for wood and rice. I told her I already had some, but she still said it wasn't enough!"
If temperatures drop sharply and an extreme cold wave arrives, the usual reserves will certainly not be enough.
It's not just that our family doesn't have enough; the entire city of Haicheng doesn't have enough reserves!
The yarn in Lou Dashuai's hand snapped abruptly.
He suddenly stood up, his tall figure casting a vast, imposing shadow.
"dad?"
Mao Mao picked up the fallen yarn and went to find Lou Dashuai, but only saw her father and older brother hurriedly leaving.
She looked completely bewildered.
What's wrong?
Not playing anymore?
Lou Yansui sat down next to her: "Mao Mao, I'll play with you."
"Oh." Mao Mao's attention was quickly diverted, and she said happily, "Brother, I'll teach you!"
Apart from the little girl happily playing cat's cradle, everyone else couldn't sit still.
The military and political department held a meeting overnight, and even the wives at home took turns calling their parents' homes by the telephone.
We need to quickly inform our family to stockpile timber and food!
With no one to contact, Xia Xiaoxiang picked up her yarn and quickly continued knitting.
The weather is getting colder, so we need to dress Mao Mao in more layers!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com