Lin Qinghuan gave Lin Piaoxue a wicked smile and said, "My hypocritical good sister, next time don't just say whatever comes to mind without thinking. Think twice before you speak! Otherwise, even your own mother can't protect you, and I'll still beat you without hesitation."
After Lin Qinghuan finished speaking, she clenched her fist and went into the kitchen to eat dinner.
After finishing dinner and washing up, Lin Qinghuan had no interest in reading, so she went to bed.
Lin Qinghuan was awakened by the thunder while half-asleep and half-awake. Listening to the rumbling thunder, she found it difficult to fall back asleep.
Lin Piaoxue was also awakened by the thunder, and Lin Qinghuan even heard her mutter a couple of dissatisfied words.
A sudden gust of wind arose, blowing the curtains, and the barking of dogs from the village drifted over, mingled with the sounds of thunder and wind, creating a chilling atmosphere.
Lin Qinghuan's expression turned serious; this was the prelude to a storm!
Can her thatched house withstand being rushed?
Lin Qinghuan immediately became worried; she didn't want it to rain heavily from the sky while it drizzled inside the house.
The rain started pouring down. Lin Qinghuan closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep, but the sound of the wind and rain made it difficult for her to drift off. She heard the door open; it must have been her father, worried that the house was leaking, getting up to check.
Lin Qinghuan got up, turned on the light, opened the door and walked out of the room. When her father saw her, he said, "Qinghuan, why are you up so late at night?"
"Dad, it's raining so hard, will the house leak?" Lin Qinghuan asked worriedly.
Mr. Lin said, "The house was renovated this year, so there's no need to worry about leaks. Go back to your room and sleep peacefully."
Lin Qinghuan opened the door to the main room a little and looked outside. The rain was pouring down and the wind was blowing, shaking the branches as if it wanted to uproot the trees. The branches made a mournful sound, like a sad and violent symphony, which aroused the unease deep in Lin Qinghuan's heart.
"Dad, it's raining heavily and for so long. If it keeps raining, it'll be troublesome."
Upon hearing this, Lin's father asked with a grave expression, "Qinghuan, what trouble will there be if the rain continues?"
Lin Qinghuan said seriously, "We live in mud-brick houses. If the drainage ditch behind the house is blocked by mud, the water will spread to the base of the walls. If the corners of the walls are soaked in water for a long time, the mud walls will collapse."
Lin's father's expression turned grave. If what Lin Qinghuan said was true, they might be hit by a collapsing earthen wall in their sleep, resulting in either death or serious injury.
Lin Qinghuan watched as the rain intensified, feeling uneasy. She looked at her father and said, "Dad, I don't want to be crushed to death by a mud wall in my sleep. We must deepen the drainage ditch behind the house."
Lin Qinghuan's tone was unquestionable.
Lin's father nodded and said, "You're right. I'll go and wake up your three older brothers."
Regardless of whether it's as serious as Lin Qinghuan described, matters of life and death must be taken seriously and cannot be taken lightly.
Lin Paimen called out to the three Lin brothers.
Lin Ming looked at his father with dissatisfaction, "Dad, why are you waking us up in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Are you catching a thief?"
Lin's father looked at Lin Ming and glared at him, saying, "If there were any robbers, they would all be scared away by your loud voice."
"Then why did you wake us up?" Lin Ming asked, puzzled.
Lin Qing and Lin Feng also looked at their father, as they were also curious about why their father had woken them up in the middle of the night.
"Quickly grab the flashlights, let's go and deepen the drainage ditch behind the house to prevent rainwater from seeping into the walls," Lin's father urged.
Lin Ming chuckled. "Dad, what you're saying is impossible. I personally think you're worrying unnecessarily and overthinking things."
Lin's father said in an unassailable tone, "You're just a short-sighted fool. You eat everything and do everything, leaving nothing behind. I'm just taking precautions."
Lin Qing and Lin Feng walked to Lin Qinghuan's side, looking at the raging wind and rain outside the house, their faces filled with unease.
Lin Ming also came up behind Lin Qing, looking at the heavy rain outside the house, which seemed like water was being poured down from the sky, and said nervously, "Please don't let the roof be blown off, or we'll all be soaked to the bone."
No sooner had Lin Ming finished speaking than a gust of wind swept by, followed by a snapping sound—the sound of a tree branch breaking. Then Lin Qinghuan felt a light drizzle falling from above and exclaimed, "Damn it! What a jinx! The bad news just came true, the roof really is leaking!"
Lin's father was so angry that he slapped Lin Ming on the head, saying, "I told you not to talk nonsense!"
Lin Ming touched his head where he had been hit, feeling more wronged than Dou E, and said in a pitiful voice, "Father, it was all just a coincidence, you can't wrong me."
Lin's father ignored Lin Ming and looked at Lin Qing and Lin Feng, "Hurry up and go to the room to get the flashlight and the hoe. Go and clean up the mud that the rainwater has washed into the drainage ditch. Also, dig the drainage ditch a little deeper."
Lin Qing and Lin Ming also realized the seriousness of the situation and hurriedly went back to their room to get flashlights.
Mr. Lin woke up his wife and asked her to cover the grain with an oilcloth.
Lin Qinghuan also returned to her room, changed into old clothes, put on rain boots, went out of the room, picked up the plastic sheet hanging on the wall, put it on, and wore a straw hat, preparing to help with the drainage.
Lin Qing and Lin Feng looked at Lin Qinghuan, then turned to look at Lin Piaoxue, who was still sleeping in the room, their feelings were somewhat complicated.
Lin Qinghuan was the first to step out of the main room when a bolt of lightning struck right in front of her, startling her greatly. "My God! I almost got struck dead by lightning!"
Lin's father and the three Lin brothers were also frightened, looking outside with lingering fear.
Lin Ming, his face pale, looked at his father and asked, "Dad, are we really going to go out in the rain to drain the water? What if we get struck by lightning?"
Suppressing his inner panic, Lin's father looked at the timid Lin Ming and urged, "Hurry up and get to work. If you get struck by lightning and die, that's your fate."
Seeing Lin Qinghuan already picking up a hoe to drain the water, Lin Qing mustered his courage and said, forcing a smile, "Let's go! Let's finish the work quickly and come back to sleep early."
Lin Qing said this and went out the door, with Lin Feng following behind.
Looking at Lin Ming, who was unwilling to go out, Lin's father sighed helplessly, walked out of the main room, picked up a hoe from the corner of the wall, and walked towards the back of the house.
Lin Ming felt heavy-hearted and walked out of the main room helplessly. Why couldn't he sleep properly at night? Why did he have to go out in the wind and rain and worry about being struck by lightning at any time?
The wind howled wildly, blowing the plastic sheet draped over Lin Qinghuan's shoulders backward. Rain lashed her body and face, blurring her vision. She wiped it away with her hand and bravely continued forward in the storm.
Her hair was soaked by the rain and stuck to her face. Her clothes and pants were wet. Lin Qinghuan felt a little cold and her body couldn't help but shiver. A lot of bitterness welled up in her heart, her eyes were slightly hot, her nose was sore, and something was stuck in her throat. She felt very uncomfortable.
This is Lin Qinghuan's life—bitter and exhausting, filled with gossip and scheming. But she must live; after all, it's better to live a miserable life than to die young, because only by living can there be hope.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
