Re-embroidering life

It rained for more than half a month, and the continuous drizzle at the beginning gradually turned into a downpour. It became increasingly difficult to go to school. The horse refused to go halfway, so Ji Zimo had to lead the horse and walk to Zhiyuan Villa. Along the way, he saw large areas of trees lying on the ground, low-lying areas were flooded, and the farmland near the villa was almost completely submerged by rain.

Walking into the study, Dong Daru, who was always smiling and serious, looked serious. Ji Zimo's heart sank: "Teacher, what happened?"

"This year's rain is abnormal. Jiangxia has rain every summer, but I have never seen such a long and strong rain. Yesterday I borrowed the Jiangxia Chronicles from someone and found that seventy years ago, there was a month of heavy rain. The Oujiang River burst more than 300 times, Jiangxia Prefecture was flooded for more than three months, and the plains along the river were all flooded. The people were in mourning and their lives were in misery. The heavy rain has been going on for more than half a month now, and I am worried that a disaster is coming."

Ji Zimo also became nervous: "Teacher, what should we do?"

Dong Daru spread out a map and called Ji Zimo forward: "You see, Jiangxia Prefecture is located at a higher altitude. The most dangerous place is actually Qianzhou. Qianzhou is located in a plain area with a crisscrossing water system. If Qianzhou is lost, the river water will definitely overflow the plain and directly flood Jiangxia. It will be a hell on earth! The governor of Qianzhou is my student Deng Zhihao. I sent someone to send him a letter last night to warn him. But I am still worried, so I decided to go to Qianzhou myself!"

"Teacher, this is too dangerous! Many roads outside are flooded or even washed away. It is still hundreds of miles to Qianzhou. You are risking your life!" Ji Zimo was anxious.

"Zimo, if Qianzhou is lost, do you think we will still be alive? Will my wife and children, your wife and children be alive?" Dong Daru looked at him sternly, which was uncharacteristically the case.

Ji Zimo's heart was instantly struck, and he was speechless. Yes, he still has a wife and children, a mother, and a family. He is a man!

"Teacher, I will go with you."

***

Shui Qinghua was extremely anxious at home. The water on the road outside was almost knee-deep and was pouring into the courtyard. She couldn't get out of the door. How could she get to the embroidery workshop?

At this time, Ji Zimo came back leading the horse like a drowned chicken.

"Husband, you didn't go to school today?"

Ji Zimo didn't have time to say more: "Qinghua, pack my luggage for me, as soon as possible! I'm leaving for Qianzhou."

Shui Qinghua was stunned. There was a heavy rain outside, but Ji Zimo was going on a long journey?

After finding out the whole story, Shui Qinghua was really worried: "Husband, you have never been far away before. This is your first time going to such a dangerous place. Have you thought it through?"

"Think it over, Qinghua," Ji Zimo looked at her deeply, "I realized today that I have never really grown up. But I am a man, and I should rush to the front for my mother, for you and the child. I must go."

Although Ji Zimo didn't say it, Shui Qinghua could see that he had a hard time since his rebirth. He no longer obeyed him and scolded him several times. Dong Daru even pulled him out of his warm study to accept all kinds of criticism, encouragement and spurring. His former arrogance and self-confidence were crushed one after another. The youthful look on his face gradually disappeared, his eyes became deep, and shallow wrinkles appeared between his eyebrows.

This was the first time he faced his responsibilities as a man head-on. The process of transformation must be painful, but no one can replace him.

"I'll pack your luggage now. I'll take good care of the children. You don't have to worry about them while you're outside." Shui Qinghua said as she packed without stopping.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, hitting my face and hurting. I couldn't even open my eyes. Ji Zimo put on a bamboo hat and a raincoat, went to see the children, and told them to listen to their mother at home. Before leaving, he suddenly hugged Shui Qinghua tightly at the door. Before she could feel his body temperature, he quickly let go, waded through the courtyard, and his back disappeared in the heavy rain.

Shui Qinghua felt empty inside. Before she had time to process this emotion, Lan Xin had already stumbled over and waded over. She said loudly, "Third Madam, the steward Dou is here. He said that the warehouse where the silk threads of Shuixiufang are stored is leaking. All the fabrics and threads have been flooded!"

Shui Qinghua's head was buzzing. The raw materials for the first batch of embroidery products put on the shelves when the embroidery workshop opened were gone!

Shui Qinghua took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and told Lan Xin: "Please ask Manager Dou to come in."

When meeting Dou Jian, Shui Qinghua expressed her thoughts.

"What, drying?" Dou Jianzhi really couldn't understand his second sister's thinking. Silk would be ruined if soaked in water, and it couldn't be sold if it was dried. Why would he do this useless work? And it wouldn't dry even if it rained so hard.

"Jianzhi, listen to me. We have to put aside the embroidery workshop for now. The most urgent thing is to prepare for disaster relief."

Dou Jianzhi responded immediately: "Yes, I'll arrange it."

Traffic was completely paralyzed, and the inner city became an ocean overnight. Dou Jianzhi found a way to get a wooden boat, and rowed in and out. He finally hired someone at a high price to convert the warehouse into a drying yard. While repairing the roof, he set up bamboo racks in the warehouse and spread out the silk on the racks. There was no sunlight, and the air was full of moisture. No one knew when it would dry out.

***

The situation did not improve. The rain continued to fall, and the floods destroyed houses. Even people began to die in Yuquan Town.

Shen Yi realized that something was wrong, and relying on his martial arts skills, he went out in the rain to see if anyone needed help. In the low-lying areas, the water had already reached the waist, and in the sloped areas, the water was rushing, and people were washed away by the water everywhere, with cries and shouts coming one after another.

He walked along the way, saving people, and came to a huge pool of water. The surrounding area was almost a swamp, with only a protruding stone pier not far away. There were a woman and several children standing in the shadows. The woman bent over and hugged the children in her arms. If the water level rose a little more, this group of people would probably be swept away.

Without giving it much thought, he swam over immediately. He was washed away by the current several times and after several attempts, he finally got close to the stone pier.

The rain hit his eyelids heavily and he wiped his eyes fiercely.

"Mr. Shen?" the woman called him.

He looked up and struggled to open his eyes in the rain. It was Mrs. Shui. She was in a very sorry state, with her hair sticking to her face, soaking wet, and shivering while holding the child.

He counted them: one adult and four children. His strength was almost at its limit.

He looked around and found a wooden bathtub floating upstream. He aimed in the direction, pushed his feet hard, jumped into the water, and decisively grabbed the bathtub.