mtl008 Chapter 302 is already struggling to make ends meet.
Chapter 302 is already struggling to make ends meet.
Just then, there was a rapid knocking at the door outside the courtyard.
"Who is it?" Li Xiangyang asked, getting up.
"Xiangyang, it's me, Wang Ergou!" A familiar voice came from outside the door.
Li Xiangyang quickly opened the door and saw Wang Ergou standing outside, completely soaked.
"Something terrible has happened!" Wang Ergou said breathlessly. "The wheat fields to the east are all flooded, and Captain Zhang is calling us to go help drain the water."
“I knew this would happen,” Li Xiangyang said, frowning. “Let’s go, let’s go now.”
“I’m going too!” Li Xiaoyun stood up, her voice firm.
Li Xiangyang turned to look at her: "You're pregnant, you should stay home and take care of Xiaohua and Wang Ying."
"But--"
“Sister-in-law, Xiangyang is right,” Wang Ergou interjected, “It’s raining heavily outside and the roads are slippery; it’s too dangerous.”
Looking at the heavy rain outside the window, Li Xiaoyun finally nodded: "Then be careful, wear more clothes, and don't catch a cold."
Li Xiangyang changed into a thick raincoat, picked up two shovels, and said to Li Xiaohua and Wang Ying, "You two stay home obediently and listen to Sister Xiaoyun, okay?"
The two girls nodded. Wang Ying asked with some concern, "Brother Xiangyang, with such heavy rain, aren't you in danger?"
"No, we won't," Li Xiangyang patted her head and smiled, "we'll be right back."
Before leaving, Li Xiangyang reminded Li Xiaoyun, "There's enough food and water at home. Don't worry about me, take care of yourself."
Li Xiaoyun handed him a kettle filled with hot water.
Li Xiangyang took the water bottle, gently kissed Li Xiaoyun's forehead, and then followed Wang Ergou into the rain.
The rain outside intensified, turning the path into a stream, with muddy water reaching above ankle level.
The two of them walked with difficulty toward the wheat field at the east end of the village.
From a distance, Li Xiangyang could see Captain Zhang and several villagers busy at the edge of the wheat field.
The wheat field was mostly submerged, and the golden ears of wheat were pitifully soaked in the water.
"Perfect timing!" Captain Zhang waved to Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou as soon as he saw them. "We need to dig a drainage ditch quickly to divert the water to the low-lying areas!"
Without saying a word, Li Xiangyang picked up a shovel and started digging a ditch.
Rain streamed down his face, soaking his entire body, but he didn't care at all.
“Digging like this won’t work,” Li Xiangyang said to Captain Zhang after observing the terrain. “We should start from over there, following the natural slope, so the water can flow faster.”
Captain Zhang glanced in the direction Li Xiangyang was pointing and nodded, saying, "That makes sense. Everyone, listen to Xiangyang!"
A group of people followed Li Xiangyang to the location he designated and began to dig a trench.
The soil was wet and heavy, and each shovelful required all one's strength.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the sky was getting darker and darker, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead.
"Everyone be careful, don't fall!" Li Xiangyang shouted, while digging the drainage ditch with all his might.
"Xiangyang, look!" Wang Ergou suddenly shouted, pointing into the distance.
Li Xiangyang looked up and saw that the soil on the distant hillside had begun to loosen, and several stones had rolled down.
"Oh no, a mudslide might be happening!" Li Xiangyang's expression changed, and he shouted, "Everyone evacuate immediately to higher ground!"
Captain Zhang also realized the danger and immediately ordered, "Everyone stop! Evacuate immediately!"
The group dropped their tools and started running towards the village.
Li Xiangyang stopped and looked at the few thatched huts next to him.
"There are other families over there!" Li Xiangyang said to Wang Ergou. "We need to go and inform them!"
Before Wang Ergou could answer, Li Xiangyang had already run towards the thatched hut.
Wang Ergou gritted his teeth and followed.
They arrived at the first house and pounded on the door, shouting, "Open the door! There's a mudslide! Evacuate immediately!"
The door opened, and an elderly woman stood in the doorway, looking bewildered: "What? A mudslide?"
"There's no time to explain, ma'am, come with us!" Li Xiangyang said hurriedly.
The old woman hesitated, "But what about my things at home—"
"Is life more important or possessions?" Wang Ergou was so anxious that he stamped his feet.
Just then, a loud rumbling sound came from afar, followed by screams from the people.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance, realizing that the situation had become extremely urgent.
"Grandma, there's no time!" Without saying another word, Li Xiangyang picked up the old lady and ran towards the village.
Wang Ergou continued running to the next house, shouting loudly to remind everyone to evacuate.
Li Xiangyang carried the old lady and struggled forward along the muddy path.
The rain blurred his vision, and he could only rely on his memory to find his way.
Finally, he saw the big tree at the entrance of the village, where the villagers were gathered.
He breathed a sigh of relief and quickened his pace.
Just then, he suddenly heard a scream from behind him.
He looked back and saw Wang Ergou supporting a child, but the hillside behind them had begun to collapse, with mud and rocks rushing down like a flood.
"Ergou! Run!" Li Xiangyang put down the old lady and shouted loudly.
Wang Ergou carried the child on his back and ran forward desperately, but the mudslide was moving even faster.
Without saying a word, Li Xiangyang ran towards Wang Ergou.
"Are you crazy?" Captain Zhang shouted from behind, but Li Xiangyang didn't care anymore.
He ran quickly to Wang Ergou's side, grabbed his arm, and pulled him forward.
"Faster! Faster!" Li Xiangyang roared.
The two of them exerted all their strength and finally reached safety at the last moment before the mudslide arrived.
The mudslide stopped not far behind them, submerging half a wheat field and several thatched huts.
Li Xiangyang collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Looking at the disheveled Wang Ergou, he couldn't help but laugh: "You're lucky to be alive!"
Wang Ergou wiped the mud off his face and grinned, "If it weren't for you, this kid and I would be finished long ago."
The villagers gathered around, thanking them profusely.
Li Xiangyang waved his hand: "It's good that everyone is alright."
The rain finally subsided a bit, and the sky gradually brightened.
“The wheat field is lost,” Captain Zhang sighed, “but at least everyone is safe.”
Li Xiangyang stood up, looking at the farmland destroyed by the mudslide, and felt a pang of grief. This was the villagers' food supply for a whole year.
“There’s still a cornfield that can be saved,” Li Xiangyang said. “Let’s go back to the village first and go check on it again when the rain subsides.”
Everyone nodded and followed Li Xiangyang into the village.
When Li Xiaoyun returned home, she was shocked to see Li Xiangyang covered in mud: "What happened?"
"There was a mudslide, but thankfully everyone is alright," Li Xiangyang said with a smile, trying to reassure people. "It's just that the wheat fields are ruined."
Li Xiaoyun quickly brought clean clothes and hot water: "Change quickly, don't catch a cold."
Li Xiaohua and Wang Ying also came over, their eyes full of worry.
"Brother, are you alright?" Li Xiaohua asked.
Li Xiangyang ruffled her hair: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."
After changing his clothes and drinking a bowl of hot soup, Li Xiangyang felt much warmer.
But his heart remained heavy.
Most of the village's farmland was flooded, so this year's harvest is definitely going to be bad, and everyone will have to struggle to make ends meet in the future.