August 6th, 4 PM
Sisi carried the rubber raft and backpack, and tied both Du Du and herself tightly with hemp rope around the waist, so no matter how big the flood, she wouldn’t lose Du Du.
Everyone gazed enviously at Sisi’s rubber raft and life jackets. Sisi explained that she had prepared them for a family trip to the seaside in a few days.
Sisi instructed everyone to gather as households and tore bedsheets into strips, so everyone’s rafts could be tied together, making it easier to look out for one another.
The cracks in the building were getting larger and more numerous. Sisi urged everyone to move faster. She and Sister Peng stayed at the back and only after everyone was in the water did she place the rubber raft on the water, let Du Du and Sister Peng get on, and pushed the raft forcefully into the water, then got in herself, pushing the raft forward.
When they were about a hundred meters away from the residential building, everyone saw the building collapse like a toppled set of blocks, instantly sinking into the water.
"Ah!"
Screams erupted continuously, and everyone was terrified. What if they had been slower by a few steps?
Heavens!
No one dared to imagine the consequences. They looked at Sisi with gratitude, realizing that if they hadn’t followed her advice, they would still be in the building!
Unconsciously, Sisi became the backbone of this group of households.
Sisi’s rubber raft was relatively large. She allowed some children to board the raft. Some mothers were reluctant and politely declined Sisi’s offer. Sisi didn’t insist, understanding that mothers wanted their children by their side for peace of mind, especially in such perilous situations.
Eventually, there were eight children on Sisi’s raft, the oldest being ten and the youngest four, packed tightly. Sister Peng saw that Sisi was struggling to push alone and got into the water to help, to which Sisi reluctantly agreed to let her push for an hour before resting.
Du Du, along with a few older children, used paddles to row. Other children without paddles excitedly used their hands to paddle in the water, eager to help.
The children didn’t feel afraid; they even found it a novel and thrilling experience, each with a smile on their face.
Watching the children’s bright smiles, the gloom in everyone’s hearts was somewhat lifted. They hoped God would open His eyes and, for the children’s sake, stop the rain.
But God hadn’t opened His eyes. By 6:30 PM, dark clouds gathered again in the sky, indicating that the rain would only be heavier than before.
"Sister Peng, quickly get on the raft, the heavy rain is coming," Sisi said worriedly, looking at the sky, urging the exhausted Sister Peng to board the raft.
"Yes, Sister Peng, quickly get on," another young woman said.
This young woman’s surname is Yu, a new university graduate assigned to the city government. She was trapped in the office building two days ago because she returned there to work temporarily. Sisi and the others saw Yu calling for help from the office building and rescued the starving young woman.
Initially, Sisi considered taking refuge in the office building, but she was genuinely afraid. What if it, too, was a shoddy construction?
Therefore, Sisi felt safer drifting on the water rather than staying in a building.
Sister Peng was indeed exhausted and stopped insisting, climbing onto the raft to rest. Sisi took a sip of Qiong Wine from the bag to boost her spirits.
Everyone drifted aimlessly on the water, not knowing where they could go. They just remembered not to drift with the current, but prolonged paddling had severely drained their strength and they lacked the energy to continue.
"Let’s eat something and take a short break. Everyone, sound off," Sisi, equally exhausted, rasped out.
"One, two, three... eighty-two," a series of distinct voices rang out.
Sisi smiled contentedly; eighty-two people, not one missing.
She suddenly felt she was becoming more like the Holy Mother. Clearly, if she had only taken Du Du to escape, the journey would have been much easier. Yet she chose the most difficult path and brought along such a large group of burdens.
But abandoning these people was something she truly couldn’t do. She might have hardened her heart toward adults, but with so many children, children always have a way of softening one’s heart, and are the ones who cannot be left behind.
Moreover, as the wife of the leader, she couldn’t be someone who only cared about her own safety at the expense of others, right?
What kind of reputation would that create!
"Yu, you’re a local. Do you know where the highest ground is in City F?" Sisi asked Yu.
Yu swallowed the cold rice ball in her mouth, tilted her head to think for a moment, and said, "The north of the city is higher. My mom told me that when floods happened before in City F, everyone fled to the north. Plus, there’s a mountain there that’s several hundred meters high."
"We’re now in the south of the city. It might take quite a while to paddle there. Is there any place nearby where we can take refuge?" Sisi asked again.
"I don’t know. All I know is that the north is a safe bet. My family’s home is in the north; we could go there," the young girl suggested enthusiastically, not considering if her home could accommodate over eighty people.
"Does anyone else have good suggestions? Is there any high ground nearby?" Sisi tried to gather ideas from everyone.
But after a barrage of discussion, no one had any good suggestions. Finally, they collectively decided to head to the north of the city, as it was currently the most reliable option. They had lost trust in buildings.
After eating some dry food and catching their breath, they set off again. The children, unable to bear the fatigue, fell asleep. Their mothers carefully covered them with raincoats and tried to shield them with their bodies against the gale and rain, though it was to minimal effect.
"Adults, don’t sleep. If you really can’t stand it, bite on some dried chili. If we hold out until tonight, we’ll be in the north of the city," Sisi encouraged everyone.
"But it’s so cold and tiring. I wish we had a stove with my favorite chicken feet soup simmering on top," someone imagined, earning teasing scolds from the group.
"Think of the children. Right now, they depend on us. If we adults can’t hold out, what about the children?"
Sister Peng, worthy as a leader in the Women’s Federation, spoke straight to everyone’s hearts: Yes, the children are waiting for them to protect!
All the women perked up, chewing on their dried chilies, tearing up from the spiciness. Yet, the chilies worked well, and soon, everyone was reenergized as if they had been injected with adrenaline.
Sisi also munched on a chili, trying to stay alert. Du Du had already fallen asleep, and Sisi wrapped him tightly, even using a raincoat to set up a makeshift rain shelter for the children to prevent rainwater from soaking through.