Chapter 195: Response

Chapter 195: Response

Zhang Lamei’s eldest daughter-in-law followed her out. Hearing her mother-in-law’s coarse words, she inwardly winced at the vulgarity but asked with outward deference, "Mother, are we truly not handing over any grain? The village head’s people are collecting it, and each family has marked theirs; there won't be any mix-up."

Ever since Zhang Lamei nearly lost her land deed to a scam, she harbored resentment towards Lin Laoer’s family. She had often spoken ill of them in private. Now, it was Lin Laoer who was sounding the alarm about a potential flood, instigated by that boy Zhou Ye. There was no way she would listen to them. Besides, she was convinced a flood was impossible.

"You didn’t see the pathetic state Zhou Ye and his foreign clan were in when they fled famine to Sweetwater Village. He’s just traumatized by that experience. Besides, their disaster back then was a locust plague; he’s never even seen a flood. Anyone who believes him is a fool!"

The eldest daughter-in-law still regretted not having handed over some grain earlier. Unfortunately, her father-in-law and husband hadn’t returned, leaving her mother-in-law in charge.

Zhang Lamei shot her a sharp glance. "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. Even if your father-in-law and eldest son were here, they’d still listen to me. Just focus on the grandson in your belly. Why worry about this and that all day? Do you think I’d ever treat you unfairly?!"

While Zhang Lamei was scolding her daughter-in-law at home, Zhou Ye and Lin Dashan had already headed into the mountains with several strong men summoned by the village chief.

Aside from Li Chunmiao, Old Man Liao, and a few other families, most villagers had contributed very little grain. A few strong men were more than enough to transport what had been collected.

The cave was not on the outskirts of the deep mountains but further within. Without Zhou Ye leading the way, an ordinary person would never find it. Even after following him once, they might not be able to locate it again.

The cave wasn’t large, but it was spacious enough to accommodate twenty or thirty people. Storing several baskets and back-baskets of grain there posed no problem.

After storing the grain, Zhou Ye didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he gathered the men to collect some dry firewood nearby and store it in the cave.

If a flood truly came, dry firewood would be impossible to find outside. Without it, they couldn't start a fire, making cooking and boiling water problematic.

While Zhou Ye and Lin Dashan were busy in the mountains, Lin Shu was also hard at work.

Taking advantage of the rain not yet having started, she asked He Guixiang to bake about twenty pancakes over the fire as dry rations.

She also decided to catch as many fish as possible from the fishpond. These fish had been raised in mountain spring water for so long, their flesh transforming from earthy to delicious. She couldn't bear the thought of them being swept away by floodwaters, so she caught them all and set them aside.

After her mother finished the pancakes, Lin Shu had her boil half a pot of water and store it in an earthenware jar for later use. If a flood occurred, clean drinking water would be hard to come by, especially if heavy rain lasted for days, polluting water sources. They needed to ensure a supply of drinking water, as they might not be able to make fire either.

Dry clothes and bedding were rolled up, tied securely, and wrapped in gunny sacks to keep them as dry as possible.

As Lin Shu carried out these tasks, Lin Xiaopu grew increasingly anxious.

Her sister, Ping Er, usually seemed delicate and leisurely, but now she was like a changed person—decisive, efficient, and organized, with no wasted words.

"Sister, what about our money jar? Could it be washed away by the flood?"

"Take only the most essential items. Bury the family’s money in a hole."

Lin Shu immediately set to work. With Lin Xiaopu holding an iron shovel and herself a bamboo one, they dug a hole in the courtyard, working up a sweat.

If a flood truly came, it could wash away even houses. Anything left above ground would be unsafe, no matter where it was hidden. That’s why Lin Shu decided to bury the money jar underground. The hole needed to be as deep as possible; too shallow wouldn't do, nor would loosely packed soil.

Once He Guixiang finished her tasks, she came over to help dig. The hole ended up being three feet deep. He Guixiang’s money box, along with Lin Shu and Lin Xiaopu’s small money jars, were all placed inside. After filling the hole and compacting the soil, Lin Shu still wasn’t satisfied. She went to the vegetable garden and brought back two stone slabs. One was placed over the money box, and the remaining soil was piled on top. After filling the hole, she placed another stone slab on the surface.

As for the household’s plates, bowls, bottles, and jars, they tried to save what they could. Since the stove was made of stone and clay and was relatively sturdy, they placed the fragile items inside, stuffed it full of straw, and blocked the stove door with a stone.

Heavy wooden furniture, like cabinets and tables, was stacked against the wall and tied securely with rope. This increased their bulk and weight, making them less likely to be swept away by floodwaters, especially since the corner provided additional support from the corner posts.

After completing these tasks, Lin Shu looked up at the dark, cloud-filled sky, grabbed an axe, and headed out of the courtyard.

"Sister, where are you going?" Lin Xiaopu started to follow but was stopped by Lin Shu’s sharp order, "I’ll be back soon. You and Mother stay inside—don’t go anywhere!"

Zhou Ye had left in a hurry and had forgotten his axe, which he always carried when going out. Lin Shu took it and went to the back mountain to cut several bamboo stalks. She split them in half, tied them together, and dragged them back.

Outside, a fierce wind howled, whipping the branches wildly. The gusts were so strong that lighter people might have been blown away.

There were no pedestrians on the roads. Farmers who had been working in the fields had all taken cover indoors, and every household had tightly closed its windows and doors.

Just as Lin Shu returned to the courtyard, a loud roar echoed through the sky.

"Boom—"

Thick bolts of lightning split the dark sky, zigzagging back and forth, accompanied by deafening thunder.

Lin Xiaopu exclaimed, "Sister, it’s starting!"

Raindrops as big as beans began to fall, quickly turning into a pouring rain.

"A Shu, get inside quickly!" He Guixiang shouted.

Lin Shu dragged the bamboo into the main room and, without delay, began working on it with the axe.

"Sister, what are you making?"

Without looking up, Lin Shu replied, "A bamboo raft. Mother, not many people in Sweetwater Village know how to swim, right?"

He Guixiang paused, frowning. "Not many? Almost no one knows how to swim."

Although Sweetwater Village had plenty of water, it was mostly small streams and shallow rivers. Except for a few deeper sections, the water usually only reached villagers’ knees. At most, villagers would bathe in the water occasionally—very few actually knew how to swim.

Lin Shu had guessed as much, which was why she was making a bamboo raft as a precaution.

She had only just started on the raft when Zhou Ye and Lin Dashan returned, soaked from the heavy rain.

He Guixiang had already prepared towels for them to dry off.

After changing into dry clothes, Zhou Ye took the iron axe from Lin Shu and continued chopping the bamboo.

Without her needing to explain, he guessed what she intended to do. He cut the bamboo into equal lengths, tied them into rafts with rope, and made them double-thick for stability.

Watching the two of them working on the raft, Lin Dashan grew increasingly anxious. He kept glancing at the pouring rain outside, sighing repeatedly.

In the past, even such heavy rain would let up after half an hour. But now, seeing that the rain showed no signs of letting up—instead growing heavier—his heart pounded with worry.

As water rapidly accumulated outside, rising to the doorstep, Lin Shu made a quick decision. "We can’t wait any longer! Father, Mother, Xiao Pu—head to the back mountain now! The thunder has stopped. Find a place to shelter from the rain. A Ye and I will go warn the villagers. No one should stay in the village!"

Sweetwater Village was situated on low-lying ground. If a flood occurred, it would easily be submerged. Waiting longer would only make the water rise higher and the currents stronger, making it nearly impossible to move.

While Lin Dashan hesitated, He Guixiang shouldered the bundled bedding and clothes Lin Shu had prepared earlier. Lin Xiaopu quickly slung a pack over her back.

"What are you standing around for? Grab your things and go!" He Guixiang urged.

"Oh, right, right." Lin Dashan picked up two buckets of fish and a backpack filled with essential items, including their hens, pheasants, and chicks, all tied up and stuffed inside. He also slung an iron pot across his chest—they were taking everything they could carry.

The three of them made their way through the heavy rain toward the back mountain.

By then, water was pooling everywhere on the ground, making the journey to the mountain risky.

Lin Shu and Zhou Ye didn’t dare delay either. They split up: Lin Shu went to warn the villagers and urge them to seek shelter in the mountains, while Zhou Ye went to find the village chief.

The village chief’s word carried weight. If they could convince him to put out the call, most villagers would likely follow.

In fact, ever since agreeing to Zhou Ye’s plan to store grain, the village chief's eyelid kept twitching. Having lived a long life and been through plenty, he knew that while Sweetwater Village had never experienced a major flood, what if this time was different? If a flood really happened, the fields might be ruined, but worse—lives could be lost!

"Has the rain let up?" the village chief asked his eldest son.

"Father, the rain hasn't stopped—it's getting heavier!" replied Zhang Laoda.

His eldest daughter-in-law, Zhang Shi, said worriedly, "But Father, what about Zongyao? He's still at school in town. If there’s really a flood, will he be safe there?"

The village chief scolded, "You only care about Zongyao, but have you thought about the entire village? Jingxi Town is on higher ground, and the houses there aren’t thatched-roof houses like ours. Even if there is a flood, the villages like ours will be the first to suffer!"

Zhang Shi didn't say anything more. As a mother, was it wrong to worry about her own son’s safety?

"Father, the floodwater outside is almost above the doorstep!" Zhang Laoda continued reporting.

"Father, more and more parts of the house are leaking!" added Zhang Laoer.

The second and third sons' families were all busy. The heavy rain was washing over the thatched roof, causing leaks in several places. Outside, the wind was howling fiercely, and they were afraid the wind would tear the roof right off.

The village chief paced back and forth anxiously, his hands clasped behind his back.

Then, Zhou Ye showed up and urged the village chief to make a decision: "...Given the intensity of this storm, if we delay any longer, it’ll be too late to head to the back mountain."

Although the village had many slopes, they were mostly earthen ones. With the heavy rain, mudslides and rockfalls were likely, making it unsafe to go there. The nearest safe place was the back mountain—large, covered in vegetation, with gentle slopes and high elevation, making it the safest spot in Sweetwater Village.

After only a brief hesitation, the village chief made up his mind. "Alright, I’ll tell all the villagers to head to the back mountain!"

The village chief sent Zhang Laoda with Zhou Ye to spread the word in the village.

Zhang Laoda’s words carried the authority of the village chief, and after the announcement, the villagers grew even more uneasy.

Today’s rain was indeed terrifyingly heavy.

"No time to lose! Grab what you need and head to the back mountain now!" Zhou Ye urged, following behind Zhang Laoda.

Lin Shu had already sounded the alarm earlier. Except for the folks who trusted her and the ones who were already scared enough to go, most had stayed put.

But this time, the order came from the respected village chief himself. This meant that even he believed a flood was imminent.

"Really? Is a flood really coming?"

"Whether it floods or not, it’s better to be safe. I’m going back to pack!"

"Pack? If there’s no flood, won’t it be a waste of effort? We should just get ourselves to safety."

"Then don’t pack. If there is a flood, you'll be left with nothing!"

"Mangzi, quit standing around! Let’s pack up and follow the others!"

"Honey, pack up anything valuable, quick!"

"Husband, should we bring the bedding and quilts?"

"Eldest son, go tie up the chickens and put them in baskets to carry!"

"Er Niu, you take the rice jar! Grab the clay pot too!"

"..."

In the critical moment, the panicked villagers were grabbing anything and everything.

If a flood came, their thatched cottages would be washed away, along with everything inside. They wanted to bring pots, pans, bowls, bedding, quilts—everything.

In the end, if they couldn’t take it all, they prioritized the most important thing: food. Many villagers had only handed over a small portion of their grain earlier, keeping the bulk of it at home.

They could leave other things behind, but they had to bring their food!

Households with little grain, like Old Man Liao’s family, had only kept two or three days’ worth of rice, storing the rest in the stone cave deep in the mountains. They had already packed up and hurried to the back mountain when Lin Shu made her first announcement.

Li Chunmiao’s family still had plenty of grain left, but she didn’t delay. With only two able-bodied men in the household, they took as much as they could and abandoned the rest.

Lin Dashui and Zhang Qiaohua were even quicker—they packed up and left without a moment’s hesitation as soon as Lin Shu called.

If it weren’t for Lin Shu, their son wouldn’t have been able to study at the town school, which didn’t accept just anyone. It was all because of the solid foundation Lin Shu had given him.

As for Zhang Qiaohua’s embroidery work, Lin Shu had also given her many suggestions. Now, she not only embroidered bamboo but also lucky symbols like osmanthus and persimmons, which sold very well. Recently, she had earned some extra money by helping sell bamboo reclining chairs, another opportunity given by her niece Lin Shu.

In Zhang Qiaohua’s eyes, listening to Lin Shu always paid off—it never led them astray.

The only thing the couple worried about now was their son, Lin Yushu, who was also studying in town. But worrying was useless—their son wouldn’t be able to return anytime soon.

Aside from these families, several others who were close to Lin Dashan’s family were also willing to listen to Lin Shu.

These were the first to head to the back mountain.

Seeing so many people leave, the others finally started to move.

Watching the villagers carrying large and small bundles toward the back mountain, Lin Datian grew restless.

The floodwater had already risen above the doorstep, and the floor inside was covered in water.

Lin Datian said, "Pack up! We’re leaving too!"

But Zhang Lamei stubbornly retorted, "You go if you want! I’m not going. Just you wait—this rain will stop soon!"