Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 54: The Torrential Rain Strikes (Part 2)
The last batch of people digging large pits was just about to retreat when a sudden strong wind caught them off guard. They struggled forward, heads down and eyes squinted, supported by the tools in their hands against the wind.
Women waiting for their husbands stood at the doorway, craning their necks to look out, and finally saw figures approaching.
Cheng Xiaoxiao also saw Qi Fei, pulled him inside, and immediately locked the door. The wind was unsettling.
Mr. Cheng sighed, "When I was four or five years old, the village suffered from a flood. The wind blew hard the day before, but it wasn’t as strong as tonight. Thankfully, we reinforced the house."
Cheng Jia poked his head out, "Dad, you still remember what happened when you were four or five?"
Mr. Cheng: "..."
Cheng Xiaoxiao chuckled, "You look down on our dad like that, huh?"
"Not exactly. Last time, Brother Liangmu said he couldn’t remember anything before he was five, and considering he’s only twelve now, it’s odd our dad remembers things from when he was four, given he doesn’t seem overly bright!" Cheng Jia earnestly explained.
Hahaha!
Everyone couldn’t help but burst into laughter!
Cheng Jia was too funny.
Cheng Jia, having been given a playful flick on the forehead by Mr. Cheng, felt aggrieved and pouted, murmuring, "The teacher says to be true to the facts and not complacent, that’s not what they said!"
The joyful atmosphere quickly dispelled their unease, and everyone gathered around the table to prepare for dinner.
Tonight is destined to be an unsettled night.
Outside, the gale continued to howl, trees swaying violently, the thatched roof almost blown away, indistinct objects rustling in the wind, sending chills down their spines!
No one could sleep, and at 1 AM, a lightning bolt illuminated the dark night sky, followed by a rumbling thunder that made a child cry out.
Soon, raindrops the size of beans fell from the sky, hitting the windows with a series of crisp sounds.
Bolts of lightning and thunderous claps were deafening.
Rain fell in torrents, merging into lines, pouring heavily, transforming into a continuous roar, as if the sky had cracked open, letting waterfalls cascade down upon the earth.
Such a torrential downpour was rampant across the Southwest Region, including Yanzhou County, sweeping the land.
Only Qingshan Village residents had made preparations; other villages were now in dire straits.
The strong winds knocked down trees, and the heavy rain collapsed houses, a scene of devastation.
Those who heard the news from Cheng Xiaoxiao and Master Jing Yuan made some preparations, preventing an even worse outcome.
At this moment, regret was immense for not having more contingency plans for themselves and their families.
....
The heavy rain continued into the morning, showing no signs of stopping. Residents who stayed awake all night, seeing that the rain wouldn’t relent soon, returned indoors to catch up on sleep.
Among them was Cheng Xiaoxiao, yawning and heading to bed, where she fell asleep hugging her quilt, unaffected by Erya’s calls for breakfast.
On the day Leng Qi arrived, Cheng Yong added a new room between the house and the woodshed.
Due to the unclear situation last night, Qi Fei didn’t return to Doctor Huang’s place but stayed with Cheng Xiaoxiao instead.
Qi Fei and Leng Qi shared a room.
Leng Qi was very reluctant to share a room with anyone. However, he had no choice; it was raining, and there was no big tree, roof, or large beams of a mansion for him to sleep on, so he could only squeeze in with Leng Qi.
When Cheng Xiaoxiao awoke at noon, the system informed her that because she transformed the village, the villagers suffered less from the disaster, saving 67 lives indirectly.
Cheng Xiaoxiao pondered, meaning without her, this torrential rain would have caused 67 deaths.
A fairly large number; there were still 33 people left. "77, do you need to gather 100 lives to get a reward?"
"Hmm, that’s right!"
Damn! Where could she find 33 people? Everyone in the village was safe, and such heavy rain made it impossible for anyone to go outside!
Erya came inside and seeing her sister awake, promptly said, "Sister, you finally woke up, lunch is still warmed up for you!"
Cheng Xiaoxiao was surprised, "You all have already eaten?"
"Yes, it’s already halfway to noon, Dad and Qi Fei went to Seventh Uncle’s house to help, heard the house collapsed," Erya said while tidying the bed.
Cheng Xiaoxiao was shocked; after just a day and a half of rain, the house had collapsed; how could things escalate?
"Wasn’t it reinforced? How could it collapse?"
"Seems like a big tree was struck by lightning and fell, breaking the roof beams."
"I’ll go check it out."
Cheng Xiaoxiao intended to see if there were opportunities to save more lives; she still needed 33 more heads.
"In such rain, are you really going, sister?" Erya disagreed.
"It’s alright, every bit of help counts!" Cheng Xiaoxiao didn’t say much, dressed, grabbed a cloak, and ran out.
The rain was heavy; just stepping outside, she got her shoes and pants wet. This was a flaw of the ancients, no boots, unable to wear shorts, and she couldn’t be the exception.
Rainwater splashed against the ground, swirling about, soon engulfing her figure running through the rain.
She quickly reached Seventh Uncle’s house; a charred large tree lay wet in the middle of the hall, seemingly splitting the house apart. Many villagers helped with salvaging materials here.
Cheng Xiaoxiao found Mr. Cheng among those helping, learning that there were no fatalities; however, Seventh Uncle’s son had his leg broken by a falling roof beam, others got some minor injuries, a fortune in misfortune.
Soon Cheng Xiaoxiao joined the moving party. Rooms on the east and west sides weren’t affected, now filled with furniture moved from the hall, ten men in the rain were cutting the tree into sections for easier handling.
The shouts and cries from the upper house revealed Doctor Huang was treating Seventh Uncle’s son’s leg.
Sigh! Seems there’s no lives to save, what to do then?
Less than 12 hours remain, just about ten days reached.
Returning home, Cheng Xiaoxiao sighed; the system told her she hadn’t received her reward and would be penalized.
Penalty, my ass! What if I don’t take on tasks!
The system sternly informed her that she couldn’t avoid them!
She and the system’s survival here depended on energy support; without energy, they’d be done for.
Cheng Xiaoxiao finally understood what the system meant by erasure due to low energy levels before.
Only by endlessly doing tasks can she and the system continue to exist.
It’s a harsh reality!
A reality she has no choice but to face!
What could she do then? Rushing out in the rain to save others? Besides villagers, there’s no one around to save!
A turning point came at dusk when a commotion stirred outside.
Mr. Cheng went to inquire about the situation and found out a section of the riverbank had collapsed, the nearby families suffered.
Now the village chief is organizing a rescue effort.
Cheng Xiaoxiao perked up at the news; those bringing lives to save had arrived...
