Chapter 54: Disaster Relief

Amidst the torrential downpour  

As the heavy rain poured relentlessly, the entire village—men, women, young and old—gathered in the brigade courtyard, clad in straw raincoats and armed with tools. The educated youths were no exception.  

Zhao Xinshan raised a loudspeaker, struggling to project his voice as he called out with all his strength:  

“Comrades of Zhao Village Brigade—our crops are ruined! If we don’t act now, we’ll have no grain, no seeds for next year—we must unite—we cannot give up—”  

A cloud of gloom hung over the crowd.  

Deputy Team Leader Xu and Accountant Niu stood behind him, their faces equally grim.  

The relentless downpour had extinguished their fighting spirit. Now, water filled the village, with nowhere for it to drain—completely trapped…  

No one knew if there was still hope or if their efforts would even make a difference. They had only come here, numb and resigned, in response to the brigade’s summons.  

Zhao Xinshan’s throat was hoarse, barely able to produce sound. Zhao Ke stepped up beside him. “Team Leader, let me do it…”  

Zhao Xinshan fell silent, lowering his head to look at Zhao Ke.  

That loudspeaker was more than just a tool for making announcements—it was a symbol. A symbol of the shifting balance between old and new, of power, prestige, and ideology…  

All the villagers were watching them. The rain continued to fall. In Zhao Xinshan’s ears, there was no other sound. His eyes saw only Zhao Ke’s face, so still and quiet it felt as though the world had stopped.  

They had all grown “old.”  

They lacked the vision, the relentless drive to forge ahead. They clung too stubbornly to the old ways, too content with just getting by…  

The world belonged to everyone, but in the end, it was the young who would carry it forward. The future and hope rested on their youthful, energetic shoulders.  

They could not forever be the ones standing in the way, hindering the young from leading the village toward something better.  

Slowly…  

Zhao Xinshan stepped aside. He climbed down from the stool and handed over the loudspeaker.  

In that moment, a deep helplessness washed over him—the realization that he would inevitably be left behind by the tides of time. Yet, at the same time, he felt an immense hope for the future.  

And then, a sense of confusion—what else could he do for this village now?  

“Fellow villagers!”  

Zhao Ke stepped onto the high ground and got straight to the point.  

“The feasibility of drainage channels—there’s no need to debate it once you’ve seen them with your own eyes! Right now, the situation in the fields is that much of our crops are submerged, but they’re not dead yet! Even though the drainage channels are starting to clog, they’re still doing their job!”  

“We don’t know when this rain will stop—but does that matter? No! It will stop sooner or later!”  

“Haven’t we endured enough hardships? At worst, this autumn and winter, and next spring, will be tough!”  

“The crops aren’t dead yet! Are we just going to sit at home and wait for them to die?! Get it together! If we can save the seeds, we must! For every acre we save, that’s one more acre’s worth of grain! That’s one less time we go hungry!”  

“We worked so hard to dig those drainage channels—why are you all standing around looking defeated?! Do you want to go begging for food from others?! We don’t! We won’t give up!”  

A chorus of voices responded.  

The young people of Zhao Village raised their tools and shouted, “That’s right! We don’t want to beg! We will never give up!”  

Even now, in the midst of hardship, their spirit remained unbroken. It was as if no challenge could defeat them—they would always push forward with unwavering determination.  

The other villagers watched them with envy.  

They often criticized the young for being reckless, for causing trouble, for not understanding the ways of the world—but wasn’t that just another way of denying their own younger selves?  

And the irony of it all—they weren’t even old yet, but they had already stopped moving forward.  

In their own words, they weren’t even as good as a bunch of kids.  

Shame crept into everyone’s hearts.  

Finally, someone called out, “Director Zhao, tell us what to do! We’ll follow your lead!”  

“That’s right! We’ll follow you!”

“Director Zhao, we’re with you!”  

“We don’t want to go begging for grain either!”  

Zhao Jianguo and Yu Xiulan looked at their daughter with pride. This was their daughter!  

Everyone else saw Zhao Ke’s face head-on, but Zhao Xinshan and the two beside him could only see her profile. Yet, they felt, more directly than anyone else, the villagers’ growing trust in her at this moment.  

Everyone was hoping Zhao Ke could lead them to find a way forward through this torrential downpour.  

After today, Zhao Ke’s prestige in the village would rise like the sun.  

Deputy Team Leader Xu glanced at his son, Xu Cheng, and let out a sigh.  

Zhao Ke was too dazzling. As long as she remained in the village, young people their age—even those older than her—would all pale in comparison.  

Xu Cheng listened to the villagers’ cheers, staring at Zhao Ke with jealousy.  

He hadn’t even taken over his own father’s position yet, while Zhao Ke, much younger than him, had already earned the trust of the entire village.  

That uncontrollable jealousy twisted his once-upright features into something dark.  

A similar feeling burned in the heart of Fang Jing, the female educated youth.

When the mountains were full of pheasants, a particularly beautiful one would inevitably provoke envy.  

But Zhao Ke never bothered comparing herself to others—whether she was a pheasant or a phoenix, what did it matter? If a carp could leap over the dragon gate, then a pheasant could just as well fly over the farmer’s gate.  

The rain waited for no one. Zhao Ke lifted the loudspeaker and shouted, “Now, listen to my orders! Six caretakers, step forward!”  

Uncle Ban and five women stepped out, moving to the side Zhao Ke indicated and standing in formation.  

“You don’t have to do anything else—your only task is to look after the cattle and pigs! This is our brigade’s collective property! Even if the crops suffer heavy losses, we still have the pigs, we still have a fallback! Do you understand?”  

“Yes!”  

Zhao Ke turned the loudspeaker toward her father. “Zhao Jianguo, step forward.”  

Zhao Jianguo stepped out.  

Zhao Ke then called out a few villagers with weaker constitutions, both men and women, and instructed them, “The communal meals and the large pots of warming medicinal soup are your responsibility. Make sure the logistical support runs smoothly!”  

“Got it!”  

“Wu Ying, Yu Xiulan, step forward.”  

Teacher Wu and Yu Xiulan moved into a separate line, standing beside Zhao Jianguo and the others.  

“Organize the older children to look after all the children in the village! Also, keep an eye on the elderly with mobility issues and the pregnant women! Check on each household regularly and report back promptly!”  

Teacher Wu and Yu Xiulan agreed.  

“The rest of you—those who have been involved in digging drainage channels, line up at the front by household. Those whose families haven’t contributed to the digging, find a household with fewer people and join them!”  

The young men eagerly pushed to the front, forming a line.  

The other villagers moved as well, standing behind their family members. Those whose households hadn’t participated in digging waited for the others to arrange themselves before naturally merging into smaller groups.  

The educated youths automatically lined up in a separate row, with Fu Hang standing at the front.  

Accountant Niu and Deputy Team Leader Xu hesitated for a moment before picking up tools and joining the ranks.  

Zhao Xinshan suggested, “How about letting the women stay in the village while the men go out to work?”  

Zhao Ke disagreed. “Women are just as much a part of this village as men. They put in the same labor during regular workdays, so they can’t back out now.”  

There were natural differences in physical strength between men and women, and people generally believed that men should work outside while women handled domestic affairs. But this was not the time to divide tasks based on gender, and Zhao Ke wouldn’t allow the women to retreat at this critical moment.  

You can’t just demand equal rights but then hide when responsibility calls. It doesn’t work that way!  

“When it’s time to fulfill our duties, everyone must step up!” Zhao Ke shouted. “This is for the collective good. I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman—you’re all going!”  

At this moment, no one dared to argue.  

Since Zhao Xinshan had already handed over command to her, he could only offer suggestions but couldn’t interfere and disrupt the group.  

Since Zhao Ke had made the decision, he fell silent and was about to step behind Zhao Rui.  

“Team Leader, you should stay in the village to oversee everything. That way, you can coordinate as needed.”  

Zhao Xinshan stopped in his tracks. He originally wanted to insist that Zhao Ke stay behind, but then he thought about how her entire family of four would remain in the village, which might invite criticism. So, he nodded in agreement. “Alright, I’ll stay and oversee things here.”  

Zhao Ke then called out Zhao Rui and Fu Hang, assigning them to lead groups responsible for the drainage channels in the east, west, and south fields.  

Then, she turned to the line of educated youths, hesitated for a moment, and called on Liu Xingxue.  

Liu Xingxue looked at her in surprise.  

“You’ll lead the educated youths and Zhao Feng’s group to handle the drainage within the village.”  

Liu Xingxue hadn’t expected to be chosen at all. For a moment, he was at a loss.  

Zhao Ke urged him, “Any problems?”  

Liu Xingxue glanced around, then clenched his teeth, his chest burning with determination. “No problem!”  

Zhao Ke then lifted the loudspeaker and announced, “Every household, contribute twenty jin of grain per person to the brigade’s warehouse! Until the flooding crisis is completely over, we’ll take turns eating and resting. Any objections?”  

“No!”  

“If there are no objections, then get moving! Assemble in fifteen minutes! For the village—give it everything you’ve got!”  

“Give it everything we’ve got!”  

A roar erupted from the crowd as they surged into action. Within seconds, the courtyard was empty.  

In less than fifteen minutes, the villagers returned, bringing their grain to the warehouse. After depositing it, they stood in formation once again.  

Seeing that everyone was ready, Zhao Ke raised her hand. “Move out!”  

Three teams sprinted off in three different directions.  

Liu Xingxue and Zhao Feng’s group remained in the courtyard for now. Liu Xingxue assigned Zhao Feng to take a few people outside the village while the rest scattered throughout the village to manage drainage.  

While other brigades were still helplessly lamenting the downpour, the Zhao Village production team had already shaken off despair and thrown themselves fully into rescuing their crops.  

···  

The entire Shuangshan Commune was being battered by torrential rain. Every brigade, every village, was dealing with flooding.  

The rain was relentless. The commune had lost power, the bearing factory had shut down, and Zhao Mian, stuck in the dormitory, was worried sick about the village. But she couldn’t go back—she could only endure and hope the rain would stop soon, that the skies would clear a little earlier.  

The three women in the midwife training program were also anxious about their families in the village, often crying themselves to sleep.  

“With rain this heavy, I have no idea how things are at home.” Sun Jihong wiped her tears. “My in-laws aren’t in good health…”  

Yin Zhiqing was also worried about her husband and daughter. “My daughter is so young. I’m not there with her. With the thunder so loud, she must be terrified.”  

Zhao Chunhua sighed. “The crops in the fields must be ruined. Who knows what we’ll do next year…”  

In their dormitory, it wasn’t just them—everyone was the same. But with the roads impassable, no one knew what was happening in the village. They could only worry themselves sick, unable to focus on their training.  

Zhao Village—

At Sun Jihong’s house, the two elderly parents, already under stress, had their health conditions worsen. Upon discovering this, Yu Xiulan immediately went over to comfort them. “Everyone in the village is doing their best. Right now, it’s just your eldest grandson and granddaughter watching the house. You two mustn’t overthink things and add more burden to your son and grandchildren working outside.”  

The elderly couple wiped their tears. “It’s because we’re useless.”  

Yu Xiulan reassured them, “How are you useless? With you here, the kids can feel at ease. And I heard from them that your family is renovating the house this year—who else could hold things together but you two? That’s already a huge help.”  

The elderly couple, eyes red with gratitude, said, “If it weren’t for Director Zhao persuading us, our family is so poor, we wouldn’t have dared to renovate. Xiulan, you’ve raised a wonderful daughter.”  

Yu Xiulan felt pleased and, in turn, praised their grandchildren. “They’re very sensible too. With their parents away, they take care of both the elderly and the young. You mustn’t dwell too much on things.”  

The elderly couple nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, we won’t add to the team’s or the kids’ burden.”  

The older children in the village had also taken on responsibilities. Some, like Mo Yu and Mo Hao from the Mo family, accompanied Yu Xiulan in checking on families daily. Others, like Niu Xiaoqiang, Shu Gen’er, Zhao Xiaocao, and He Bailing, helped Teacher Wu look after the younger children who had no one at home to care for them.  

The boys gathered at Niu Xiaoqiang’s house, including even Liu Xiaobao, Shu Gen’er’s half-brother.  

Niu Xiaoqiang was the kids’ “big brother,” and Shu Gen’er was his most trusted and obedient little follower. Even if Liu Xiaobao wanted to throw a tantrum or give Shu Gen’er trouble, Niu Xiaoqiang would keep him in check.  

Niu Xiaoqiang, having learned all sorts of fantastical stories from Fu Zhiqing, would vividly retell them to his “inexperienced” new little brothers.  

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaocao and He Bailing stayed at Principal Gu’s and Teacher Wu’s homes to care for the younger girls.  

At first, when the thunder and rain started, Tang Xiaowan was terrified and kept crying for her “mommy.” She even developed a slight fever. But with Zhao Xiaocao, He Bailing, and a bunch of older sisters and younger girls playing together, she soon forgot her fear.  

They played games like “Throw the Handkerchief” and “Cat’s Cradle,” while He Bailing led them in singing and dancing on the kang.  

Not even the heavy rain could wash away the children’s laughter.  

Meanwhile, Zhao Ke’s team was on the east side, working to clear the clogged drainage channels. The sludge was thick and heavy, making it strenuous on their arms, backs, and legs.  

Those used to hard labor could manage, but for Zhao Ke, it was a disaster.  

Sometimes, she’d step into the mud, and when she pulled her foot out, her boot would remain stuck, forcing her to shove her foot back in and use both hands and feet to yank it out.  

Other times, she’d lose balance and land flat on her backside.  

The people nearby would silently pull her up before going back to digging.  

At first, Zhao Ke felt clumsy, but when someone else lost their footing and toppled into the channel, needing to be fished out, she instantly felt much better.  

Turns out, happiness really does come from others’ misfortune—seeing someone else struggle made her feel less incompetent.  

She shared this realization with her teammates, lightening their spirits amid the exhausting rain and nonstop work.  

Someone sighed, “There are mushrooms growing under my house.”  

Zhao Ke immediately asked, “Are they edible? If they can be cooked, we’ll have more motivation to keep working today.”  

“They actually are edible.” The villager grinned. “I’ll tell the cook later to go pick some from my place.”  

The fields had already suffered—first from hail, then from flooding. They were doing their best to dig channels and drain the water, but they could only watch helplessly as more crops rotted away. Their frustration was understandable.  

But Zhao Ke always found a glimmer of hope in small things. “The forest must be full of mushrooms and wood ear fungus. Once the rain stops, we should organize a trip to gather them and dry them for winter.”  

Hearing about mushrooms reminded someone of the river. “There are tons of fish flopping around—it’s tempting.”  

Fu Hang’s team and Zhao Feng’s team were stationed near the river. When their shifts overlapped, Zhao Ke excitedly encouraged them, “Bring a fishing net when you get the chance. Catch some fish for everyone!”  

The villagers who overheard teased, “Did you hear that? Director Zhao is craving fish! If you don’t bring any back today, we’ll have to cook you instead!”  

The two teams laughed and promised, “We’ll definitely bring some fish back.”  

Zhao Ke didn’t forget to warn them, “The river’s fast—don’t fall in.”  

“Don’t worry,” said one of the clever boys, holding up two coils of rope. “We’ll tie ourselves up while fishing. If someone falls in, we’ll let them have a bath before pulling them out.”  

But it wasn’t just Zhao Ke who wanted fish—everyone in the village had been soaked in the rain for days, exhausted beyond words. Even eating had become a struggle.  

To help, Zhao Xinshan even slaughtered a few of his chickens to replenish everyone’s strength.  

It was small things like these that helped the villagers of Zhao Village endure day after day of relentless rain and grueling labor.  

Later, as the river threatened to overflow, the team took on new tasks—sewing burlap sacks in the village and filling them with soil to stack along the riverbanks as flood barriers.  

Just when Zhao Ke and Zhao Xinshan were about to give up on saving the crops and focus entirely on protecting the village—  

The rain stopped.  

For a moment, the villagers stood in stunned silence.  

Standing by the drainage channel, they gazed up at the sky in a daze.  

It really had stopped.  

Some reached out their hands, only to find them still wet. They wiped their hands on their clothes, but the dampness wouldn’t go away—completely soaked through.  

But no more raindrops fell.  

No more rain splattered on their faces.  

“The rain stopped!”  

Someone finally shouted, voice trembling with emotion.  

Then came the wave of cheers—  

“The rain stopped!” 

“It really stopped!”  

“The rain stopped… Wu wu wu…”  

Some burst into tears of joy, some tore off their straw hats and tossed them into the air, and some jumped straight into the drainage channel, letting the muddy water wash over them. Others even scooped up the murky water and flung it skyward.  

“The rain stopped!”  

Zhao Ke let go of her shovel and collapsed onto the ground, staring up at the clearing sky with a silly grin.  

A few young men, overjoyed, rushed over, lifted Zhao Ke by her limbs, and tossed her into the air.  

“Director Zhao!”  

She was thrown up again and again, weightless in midair, laughing and scolding, “If anyone dares drop me, I’ll limp over and block your doorway for days!”  

“Ohhh—”  

The boys cheered and laughed.  

The other villagers watched, smiling.  

The rain had really stopped.  

How wonderful.