Chapter 001: Emergency Drum

Lu Dong suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

Lü Dong sounded the emergency gong

Before this flood, no one would have associated the Qingzhao River with flood control

At this moment, I glanced down with the tin flashlight, and my clothes were in disarray.

The song carried by the night breeze is accompanied by a crackling noise: "Come on, come on, let's meet in 1998..."

Lü Dong is a peasant's son, able to detect the foul smell of chicken manure

Lü Dong has a memory of wearing a middle school uniform for the last time during the summer after the college entrance examination

Li Wenyue is acting strangely, this unreliable childhood friend, what is he up to

This river, surging and rolling with muddy waves, flows closely past Lujia Village to the north; once it breaches its banks, the consequences would be unimaginable

At that time, he was the most outstanding student in Lujia Village, yet he did not receive the 211 admission notice

On the left is a gong, larger than what is commonly used by sesame oil vendors

I remember when the college entrance examination ended, floods ravaged the area, the Qingzhao River breached its banks, and Lujia Village was destroyed

Before he could think it through, Lu Dong had already walked nearly 20 meters away, and Li Wen quickly followed after him

No one wants to be homeless

This is related to the fact that there has not been a major flood in Qingzhao County since the founding of the nation, leading to a lack of attention from all levels and a deficiency in response experience

The shoes on my feet are layered soles caked with mud, and both shoes have small windows at the front, providing extra comfort for the big brother hiding behind—ventilated, breathable, and water-permeable

Uncle Tie, caught off guard, shouted at Lu Dong: "You are already eighteen, why are you still being foolish? Leave the gong!"

I once heard someone mention the analysis of a water conservancy expert, explaining why this section of the riverbank collapsed

Little Li Wenyue, who was on night duty at that section of the embankment, has also disappeared

The river is not considered large; during the winter dry season, it may run dry. In the normal rainy season, it is only about ten meters wide and over two meters deep, with the river water level being lower than the flat land outside the riverbanks

Returned to the past? Returned to the summer after the college entrance examination? Youth restored? The greasy middle-aged man transformed into a strong young man

Lu Dong paid no attention to the words that followed; high school was merely a matter of getting in, having muddled through for three years, and it is better not to mention the grades

Once again, a faint sound came from below, and right where Li Wenyue's flashlight illuminated, a piece of wet loess cracked and fell into the water.

But there is no time to think more.

Uncle Tie shook his head in disappointment: "Jianjun is a hero, how could he have given birth to such a good-for-nothing? He only has some strength, but nothing else is up to par. Sooner or later, he will become a wastrel..."

"Nineteen ninety-eight?" Lü Dong asked.

What was once a guess has now become a reality, as the scenes that Lü Dong had witnessed and heard gradually coalesce in his mind: the surging river water roars and churns, the soaked clay falls away in chunks, constantly splashing water, accompanied by a cacophony of crashing sounds, as a massive breach opens in the riverbank, and the muddy waves surge forth.

This is not 2019

As more and more memories surfaced for Lü Dong, it had not rained in the northern part of Qingzhao County since the start of the college entrance examination, while the southern mountainous areas experienced continuous heavy rainfall. Several large reservoirs could not withstand the pressure and released floodwaters downstream, leading to a state of emergency in the central and lower reaches.

More black fragments flew up, and the scent hidden within them invigorated the spirit!

Lu Dong did not respond, continuing north past the triangular dam, the flashlight beam illuminating the river below, searching for any possible anomalies

This Qingzhao River, except for the northern section that flows into the Yellow River, is entirely within the jurisdiction of Qingzhao County in Quannan City. Quannan is renowned for its springs, and Qingzhao County is no exception, as numerous springs in the southern mountainous area converge to form the source of the Qingzhao River, which flows northward.

Thud

Looking back, not far behind the riverbank, my hometown, Lujia Village, is shrouded in darkness

The cloth shoe on the right has a sole covered in dry, hard black mud, and the foul smell rising indicates that this is the worn-out shoe that Uncle Tie used at the chicken farm

Lü Dong realized that he had truly returned to the year 1998

Countless black fragments flew up, landing in the river, on the riverbank, and on Lu Dong.

Bang

Lu Dong has been bombarded by the internet age and has a general sense of the current situation

Lacking experience in flood control and severely underestimating the water situation, tonight in Lujia Village, only about ten individuals are scattered along the riverbank to stand guard, having previously paid a heavy price.

As they called out, many people no longer knew what his main account was called

Holding a flashlight in his right hand and using his left hand to push aside the branches of the sour jujube tree that were protruding from the riverbank, Lü Dong simply hung the rope used to tie his shoes to the gong around his neck

Lu Dong, with no time to say much, rushed forward to snatch the gong from Uncle Tie and ran towards the north.

The mind is still in a daze, and a metal flashlight struck the forehead, it hurts

Li Wenyue looked at his childhood friend, who seemed to have transformed into a different person, and confirmed that this was not a moment of folly. He immediately descended the riverbank and ran towards the southeast.

In my memory, on the second day after the college entrance examination, at midnight, the Qingzhao River breached its banks, and the surging flood rushed towards Lujia Village. The chicken farm in the northern part of the village was the first to be hit, and Uncle Tie and his wife could not bear to leave the chickens in the farm, and they perished together.

Lu Dong did not look back, having no time to explain to anyone, nor to think about anything else. The flashlight illuminated the riverbank as he ran northward, his feet treading on the uneven hardened soil.

The gate at the bridgehead has been closed with the gate board, hasn't it

Compared to the excrement of pigs, cattle, sheep, and horses, the odor of chicken manure is more intense and pungent

Uncle Tie stopped and looked at Lu Dong: "You melon, you don't even recognize your Uncle Tie?"

This is a flood that could breach the riverbank at any moment

Behind the dimly moving beam of the flashlight, a person is walking along the riverbank

The night enveloped the old riverbank made of rammed earth. Lü Dong turned on the switch of the iron flashlight, and a yellow circle of light descended, illuminating the murky river water just over a meter below the bank, where clusters of water hyacinth rolled by.

Once, this riverbank claimed the lives of Li and Tu Shuwen Yue, but now he has finally left

According to hydrology experts, the triangular dam splits the torrent, reducing the direct impact of the water flow and creating a buffer zone on the northern side of the dam. However, on the northern bank of the buffer zone, underwater vortices have emerged due to changes in the water flow, resulting in faster and more complex water flow outside the calm area, posing a fatal threat to the aging river embankments

Lu Dong pulled Li Wenyue and quickly retreated to the sturdy triangular dam, saying: "Wenyue, go find Third Grandpa!" Third Grandpa is a high-ranking official in the village: "Tell him to come over quickly and take a look!"

Before the person arrived, a foul odor assaulted Lu Dong's nose

It seems that something happened. Did it fall into the water? Lu Dong quickly stopped to check, and apart from the murky river water, there were only some water hyacinths mixed with various types of garbage

Uncle Tie was puzzled: "Can it really be nine years? You just returned from the college entrance examination yesterday! Have you already forgotten? I haven't even asked you how you did. Forget it, with your grades, it's as if I never asked."

Uncle Tie, whose surname is Lü, is a poultry farmer from his hometown. He is somewhat frugal and was nicknamed "Iron Rooster" in the 1980s. Over time, those younger than him began to call him "Tie Ge," while the younger generation refers to him as "Uncle Tie"

Lv Dong recalled who this was: "You are ... ... Uncle Tie ... ... "

Ninety-nine percent of the time, a car accident occurred in the tunnel of the expressway bridge

Lu Dong disregarded the foul smell and glanced at the murky river water not far from the shore, hoping to make it in time

Above it is a light blue short-sleeved T-shirt, sufficiently loose, sufficiently large, and the style is quite outdated, possessing an inherent aura of unattractiveness, with four characters on the chest: Qingzhao No. 1 Middle School

As the person drew closer, Lü Dong was able to see the figure behind the halo of the flashlight.

There is also !

"Is everything going to be alright?" Li Wenyue took two steps back: "This embankment is the thickest, and there is also a triangular dam..."

The cloth shoes are tied to the other side of the gong, and the layer of dried chicken manure is substantial and heavy.

The person ran swiftly, and he had no choice but to shout, "Dongzi, slow down! Don't fall into the river; with this high water, your swimming skills won't be of any use!"

The floodwaters surged a thousand miles, crashing into the villages behind the breach, sweeping away vast expanses of farmland and orchards

The legs are adorned with coarse fabric shorts, exuding a high-end, elegant, and sophisticated style, meticulously handcrafted!

Running along the riverbank to the last sharp bend, Lu Dong saw Li Wenyue

The village that nurtured him has encountered the greatest calamity since the founding of the nation

Lu Dong gazed into the distance, where under the night sky, twinkling lights flickered, and faint shadows moved. Along the riverbank, there were watchmen stationed at intervals throughout the night.

The embankment of Lujia Village is nearly three meters above the ground, wide enough for light trucks to pass through, and narrow enough for agricultural tricycles to navigate. It is constructed from rammed earth and was built in the late 1950s, but Lujia has not seen any maintenance or repairs since childhood.

The last sharp bend of the riverbank has collapsed

More than 200 meters to the southeast, the brightest lights illuminate a bridge that connects the central street of Lujia Village with the opposite Majiacun, which is also the closest point of Lujia Village to the river

As he climbed up from the outer side of the riverbank, Lü Dong felt a change; his belly was no longer in sight, and he felt particularly vigorous.

As Li Wenyue disappeared into the night, Lü Dong took down the gong hanging around his neck, holding the gong in his left hand and gripping the heel of a tattered shoe in his right hand. He swung his arm forcefully, striking the gong with the sole of the shoe.

Lu Dong remembers very clearly: in 2019, Typhoon Lekima struck, causing flooding in his hometown along the Qingzhao River. He returned to assist in flood relief efforts, fighting by the river for three consecutive days. When he left, while driving through a highway underpass, he became overly fatigued and... drove into the accumulated water in the underpass, and then he lost consciousness...

Uncle Tie seemed quite surprised, shining the flashlight on Lu Dong: "The 10th of the solar calendar!"

Lv Dong's face turned pale as he recalled certain memories

From 1998 to 2019, over a span of 21 years, he has experienced a mix of struggles, exhaustion, tears, and hard work. Although he has not achieved much success, and even became a figure of ridicule, he has come to understand the significance of his hometown and the weight of responsibility

The result, however, awakened outside the embankment of the Qingzhao River, and was even younger.

His mind is completely elsewhere, the college entrance examination ended yesterday... Today is July 10, 1998

His home, his uncle's home, the apple orchard contracted by his family, and indeed most of the homes in the entire Lv Family Village were largely swept away and submerged by the flood

The sound is not loud; it cannot be heard at a distance.

This delicate young boy, who was born with a deficiency, grew up to be of average height but remained very thin. Sitting at the sharp corner of the triangular dam near the river, he asked in surprise, "Dongzi, what brings you here?"

The section of the river flowing through the north of Lujia Village is a several hundred meters long "S" shape, and the impact of the water flow caused by several consecutive sharp bends has significantly increased the pressure on the riverbank

The gravel underfoot that jabs at the soles, the sour jujube branches hanging on the outer side of the riverbank that cause pain, all serve to inform Lu Dong that this is not a dream

The riverbank is not a straight line, and it is night. Lv Dong is anxious and restless, and even though he does not pay attention to the other guards he encounters, he cannot run very fast.

A man in his forties, with a face marked by the roughness typical of a rural laborer, held a flashlight in his right hand, while a small radio hung from his left wrist. A gong was suspended from his finger, and a tattered shoe was tied to the gong with a string

The section of the riverbank that collapsed occurred at three thirty this morning

Come on, come on, let's meet in 1998

Many people in rural areas are accustomed to using the lunar calendar as their primary reference

How am I here

The turning point of the fate of Lujia Village

Under normal circumstances, the riverbank at this bend is the thickest, and the sharp angle of the triangular dam splits the rushing current that comes straight at it, so there should be no issues

"Dongzi!" The call, tinged with a rural accent, came through: "You were supposed to patrol the river, where have you run off to!"

Lü Dong's moment of daze quickly dissipated as he made a final confirmation: "Uncle Tie, what is today's date? In the Gregorian calendar!"

Bang

Certainly, the primary reason is the prolonged lack of maintenance

"Dongzi, I seem to have heard some sound?" Li Wenyue was also looking carefully.