CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261 ORIGINAL SIN 70

Having seen off Qiangqiang and Professor Zhang, Yun Shuangshuang began keeping a close eye on the weather again, constantly monitoring the water level that had accumulated on the ground to the point of submerging a person’s calves, to see if it continued to rise and how quickly.

Faced with such heavy rain, the villagers, who initially felt everything would be fine and went about their daily lives leisurely, could no longer sit still. Recalling the government’s previous request for them to construct bamboo rafts, they suddenly burst with enthusiasm to make them.

Now that the ground was already flooded, men and relatively healthy women donned rain boots and raincoats, braving the downpour to rush into the bamboo grove to cut bamboo and continue making the rafts.

Unlike the relaxed atmosphere of the last time they made bamboo rafts, this time everyone was very serious, trying to make the rafts as solid and large as possible. If there truly was a big flood, a larger raft could save more belongings.

It wasn’t just about bamboo rafts; families with pleasure boats and traditional boats brought them home directly. The traditional boats and pleasure boats look like little houses; if there was indeed a major flood, living inside would be the safest option.

Particularly traditional boats—historically, fishermen lived on these boats on the water, so they are perfectly livable and more comfortable to inhabit than extravagant, impractical pleasure boats.

During this period, Zhao Ying, Professor Zhang, as well as Wan Yan, Feng Jing, and Li Ming took turns calling Yun Shuangshuang, all with the same message: to persuade Yun Shuangshuang to come stay with them, as the city is relatively safer. Even if it was flooded, rescue would come faster than in remote areas. However, Yun Shuangshuang firmly refused them all.

Red Dust was something Yun Shuangshuang meticulously oversaw in its construction, personally purchasing every material, ensuring it was of genuine quality, so nobody understood Red Dust’s durability better than her.

Moreover, Yun Shuangshuang built Red Dust to entirely mimic ancient architecture. The walls were thick, and the foundation broad, with a shape of narrow top and wide bottom in the middle. Yun Shuangshuang wouldn’t guarantee other houses, but Red Dust could definitely withstand the flood.

Yun Shuangshuang also had a giant Tower Ship. If there were indeed a flood, both her Red Dust and Tower Ship would be useful—perhaps not accommodating everyone, but at least sheltering the elderly, infirm, women, and children.

Seeing that Yun Shuangshuang was determined and wouldn’t heed advice, her friends reluctantly gave up. Fortunately, even though they didn’t know the materials of Red Dust, anyone who’s been there knows how thick its walls are. As long as Yun Shuangshuang stayed safely inside, there was no need to worry about her safety.

After thinking this way, they no longer worried about her well-being, simply repeatedly urging her to store plenty of food. But they didn’t need to remind her; she had been preparing in advance, having always had a stockpiling habit, likely due to having faced hardships.

Amidst Yun Shuangshuang’s anxious worries, three days passed swiftly, and luckily, none of her fears came true.

The drainage system in the scenic area had been specially widened by the government before, and we must say they did an excellent job—no corners were cut, and the drainage functioned powerfully. Despite the constant rain for so many days, though the ground was flooded and rain boots were required to get around, the water levels hadn’t risen too quickly in the torrential downpour!

Moreover, in the past two days, there were signs the rain was stopping. It shifted from a deluge to a drizzle, and within a day, the drizzle ceased as well, as the skies finally cleared.

The weight in Yun Shuangshuang’s heart finally settled back to its original place, completely assured. As the skies cleared, no large-scale inundation occurred in the surrounding villages.

Although water covering the calves remained for a while without receding, it gradually dwindled. It was just a matter of time before it fully retreated. This disaster hadn’t erupted after all, filling Yun Shuangshuang’s heart with immense relief.

Yun Shuangshuang felt that although the rain had continued frighteningly long, the thing she worried about might not happen after all.

However, this sense of security was shattered the next day. Yun Shuangshuang didn’t expect that the disaster she had been apprehensive about didn’t erupt at Red Dust, but instead about thirty kilometers away!

The flood’s epicenter was a small county, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with its sole road to the city flanked by connected ridges. The county had been around for some years.

Neglected maintenance of public facilities in the county resulted in a deficient underground drainage system. The heavy rain caused water accumulation that couldn’t be timely drained, severely flooding the entire county.

Already struggling to drain water, the county faced an unfortunate deluge of continuous rain for nearly twenty days, culminating in flash floods that completely submerged the county!

People within the county were already unlucky; then, landslides caused by the downpour blocked the only road to the outside world. Forget about driving, even rescue teams couldn’t reach them for a while!

Though people inside the county were prepared early on, except for those who left beforehand, no amount of preparation could withstand nature’s wrath. The scenes of disaster in the county were apparent everywhere!

In the not-so-affluent small county, there were only a few buildings; most residents lived in single-story houses. The low terrain made drainage harder and flooding deeper than other areas.

The floodwaters had now reached the rooftops of these single-story houses. Many people were rendered homeless, with adults wailing and children crying, painting a bleak picture throughout the county. Within, there was panic, while outside, rescuers scratched their heads in frustration.

In this torrential rain, there were bound to be injuries, necessitating timely medical assistance. But getting people in was problematic. Even though rescue forces could carry supplies in, they couldn’t carry much.

Moreover, doctors and nurses weren’t as well-trained as soldiers. If they had to carry medical supplies into the disaster zone as if on a military march, they might be the first to need rescuing once they entered.

Finally, with no other options, the rescuers outside discussed and decided to deploy helicopters. With limited carrying capacity, the helicopters transported only the most critical medical supplies, medical staff, and a small number of elite military rescue personnel.

On that day, the helicopter entered the county, bringing not only medical supplies but also clean drinking water, biscuits, and instant noodles, temporarily alleviating the crisis. However, reports from the disaster area indicated the water was deeper than anticipated. Survivors and rescuers could only shelter in a few tall buildings or on mountains, which risked further landslides, for rest and rescue.