Chapter 002: The Backbone

Compared to Lü Dong, Lü Zhenlin is more thoughtful and mature. He specifically said to a few people who were beating the gong: "Call everyone, both the young and the old, to rise and go to the latest two-story building on each street. Go knock on the door of the meat shop's Cheng Lifeng and the banquet organizer Sun Qinghai, and tell them to prepare water and food, and first keep a record of the brigade's accounts! We cannot work without food when we are tired!"

Li Wenyue's voice came through at this moment: "Third Uncle is here! Dongzi, Third Uncle is here!"

He does not understand, but he possesses the ability to make judgments

Lv Zhenlin turned his gaze to the side, and Li Wenyue quickly interjected: "I saw it with Dongzi with my own eyes"

The riverbank has opened a pit, which is not deep for the time being

Hmm

Uncertain of the reason, Lü Dong felt as if his great-uncle had glanced at him when he spoke those words

This little brat! Lv Zhenlin gritted his teeth and said: "What a damn fool who messes up his work!"

Third Uncle

These are items that can be returned after use, and the Iron Rooster hesitated slightly: "Ah, alright, I will go right away"

Lv Zhenlin continued, "The others wait. Wenyue, give me the flashlight. Dongzi, Jianbin, and Jianshe, the three of you come with me."

It was only later that he truly understood the importance of his hometown, realizing how his father had passed away early in Laoshan, and how many people from the Lü family had helped his family over the years

Standing by the riverbank, Lü Zhenlin advised, "Please be careful."

Lü Zhenlin had a vague impression, as if he had seen him on television, and instructed: "Go and call a few people to take a closer look."

Lu Dong did not pay attention to the iron rooster at the riverbank and followed behind Lu Zhenlin

This is not the time for modesty or concern

Lü Zhenlin does not understand hydraulic engineering; the last river restoration took place in the 1950s, which is too far back in time

Lu Dong saw that people were coming one after another, and shouted loudly: "Three heaps of earth have fallen on the north side of the dam, I saw it with Wen Yue!"

The harsh sound of the gong echoed far into the night, awakening the slumbering village, countless lights illuminated, and Lujia Village came to life

The rope was lowered in sections, and Lü Dong slid down the earthen dam of the Sanhe River, half of his body submerged in the water. The rushing current pushed him to move north immediately, nearly causing him to lose his balance

"Dongzi, what are you banging the gong for!" Uncle Tie came along the riverbank, saying, "This matter cannot be taken lightly!"

Lu Dong turned back to the river: "I need to go down and take a look. Has the embankment underwater been washed out? If so, how large is it? Where exactly..."

In this era, there is no need to think about mechanical equipment; there are only a few trucks in the village, and the number of tractors can be counted on two hands

The old man strode along the corridor and ascended the embankment, greeting everyone as he passed by

Lu Dong adjusted his hat, double-checked the knot at his waist, faced the riverbank, grasped the rope, and nodded to the person pulling the rope.

That object was flipped into the water and then washed away

Lü Dong whispered, "Should we let Uncle Tie stay? His chicken farm is nearby, and he has many tools"

Suddenly, something slippery swam by, and Lü Dong felt a sharp object prick his palm, causing him to cry out in pain

Lv Dongxian pointed to the slope on the outer side of the dam and said, "Experts say that before an incident occurs with the river embankment, there is usually seepage or piping."

Due to the sound of the gong just now, more people have gathered near the dam

Lu Dong needs to determine how long it is, moving north along the embankment, while his hand is still feeling the depth.

This is Lv Zhenlin, a high-ranking official from Lvjiacun village, who ranks third among his cousins. Since Lv Dong began to remember, he has provided significant assistance to their family

Lü Jianshe responded with a sound and ran back

Ah—phew—

Lu Dong maintained a good balance, using one hand to push aside several water hyacinths hanging by the shore, as he sank partially into the water, reaching down towards the riverbank beneath the water.

Lü Dong shook his bleeding hand and said: "It's nothing, just got pricked by a catfish! And * picture * book"

Lu Dong took the rope, looped it around his waist, tied a tight knot, and walked north. Suddenly, he thought of something and turned back to say: "Uncle Tie, you all pull the rope tight, let's give it a try first"

As soon as everyone found the mainstay, the beam of the flashlight and their gazes all turned in that direction

Lu Dong was lost in thought, yet spoke without hesitation: "Third Uncle, I will go down now"

He continued to reach inside, and fortunately, he had only extended his arm halfway out before he felt the edge

"Third Uncle, I have been watching television these past two days, and the southern regions have also started to experience severe flooding." Lu Dong found a plausible reason to enhance his credibility: "The news mentioned the signs that indicate when the levees are about to fail."

Lu Zhenlin glanced at the rope and shouted, "Old Seven! Where is Old Seven? Hurry up, get ready to go into the water!"

The atmosphere around suddenly became stagnant

Third Uncle

This touch, originally a riverbank area, is now empty

Lu Zhenlin, without any delay, shouted at the dozens of people on both sides of the river: "Gentlemen and ladies, the riverbank is not safe! It concerns the safety of the entire village! Guozi, Hongxing, start your tractors and bring the stones and sand from the south entrance of the village! Get some people to help! Those who have woven bags at home, go and get them! The more, the better! If there are sand and stones, go find the accountant to take stock!"

This time, during the meeting in town, it was only mentioned that the upstream is releasing water and that each village should pay attention to flood prevention. However, how to pay attention and how to prevent it is unclear to those who have not experienced a flood in decades

"Aside from Uncle Qi, who in the village has better swimming skills than I do?" Lu Dong felt a sense of self-awareness as he approached Uncle Tie: "I am also not as young and strong as I used to be..."

Among them is Uncle Tie

Lu Dong was momentarily speechless, then took another bundle of rope, tested it to ensure there were no issues, and prepared to enter the water

Who is beating the gong! There is a roar from the southeast: "Who is beating the gong!"

Under the flashlight's beam, the area of the riverbank close to the water's surface, with its sparse fragments of clay, resembles a light drizzle that intermittently falls into the river.

Lu Dong is no longer the impulsive youth of eighteen and will not have any objections to others believing his childhood friend's words

The person behind quickly tightened the rope, and Lu Dong pulled forward with all his strength, with a loud snap, the rope... broke!

What happened? A voice inquired from above.

Li Wenyue closely followed the short-haired old man, who was jogging. The old man was in good health, his sturdy cotton shirt held up, and his back was straight, running steadily and powerfully

This statement is certainly a wild guess based on memory

That being said, this is also a result of his eighteen years of fighting, brawling, and various unreliable actions.

No one opposes, including the stingy person, hurry back to your respective positions

Lu Zhenlin was still shouting: "Wen Yue, Li Lin, Lu Kun, Gangzi, go to the village to beat the gong, call all the strong laborers over, and those who are on duty tomorrow should come too! The vehicle will arrive shortly, the women will pack the bags, and the men will carry them up!"

Not just anyone can become the backbone in a village with complex clan relationships

The iron rooster accelerated, reaching two meters in front of Lv Dong, while Lv Jianshe fell to the last position

The chicken farm of the iron rooster is not far away: "But I dare not gamble"

Everyone present, even the oldest Lü Zhenlin, had no actual experience in flood control, but Lü Zhenlin had to stabilize the morale: "Those on duty, return to your respective posts! Keep your eyes wide open!"

Li Wenyue looked at Lü Dong, has he changed his ways? In the past, he would only burn incense if he didn't cause trouble

"To see clearly!" Lü Zhenlin said, "The entire village, young and old, has more than 1,000 people..."

When it comes to being foolish, neither of the two can compare to Uncle Qi, can they

Lüjia Village is located right by the river, and someone has already run over from the northern part of the village where the river guards are stationed

The yellow sand I collected the day before yesterday has not been sold yet; it is still in the truck. Many people may not have a high level of education, but they are aware of the consequences of a riverbank breach. Hongxing said anxiously, "I will bring it over first"

Suddenly, a relative uncle of the Iron Rooster spoke up: "Well done! Well done! It's better to cut it off now than to do so after it has gone into the water!"

His most striking features are those two sword-like eyebrows, which, despite being sprinkled with a few flecks of white frost, remain thick and dense. Every time Lv Dong sees them, he inexplicably thinks of the character Jiu Shu from the movies

Lu Dong continued to strike the gong with the worn-out shoe, while contemplating the next steps to take

Although the speaker may not have been very reliable in the past, Lu Zhenlin's rich life experience is sufficient to make a judgment

Someone weakly replied: "Old Seven got drunk this afternoon and can't be woken up even with firecrackers."

Arriving at the previous location, Lu Dong shone the flashlight downwards while reminding everyone: "Keep your distance, do not cluster together!"

Lu Zhenlin glanced at Lu Dong with a hint of surprise, but did not dwell on it, and directly said: "Jianbin, you stay!"

Lv Zhenlin stopped one meter away from Lv Dong, looking down as he said: "Listen to Dongzi."

Do not say it is Lujiazhuang, the southern region is so vast and much of it is also driven by human effort to surge upwards

Seven or eight people were distributed along the banks of the river, holding onto a rope. The person at the back, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, simply tied the end of the rope to a large tree on the riverbank.

Lu Dong handed the gong to Li Wenyue, taking the lead and walking at the forefront

Lu Dong has at least reviewed some materials on the 1998 flood and has fought alongside the local villagers and soldiers for several days to withstand the 2019 Lekima typhoon. Although they ultimately succumbed to the flooding caused by the rain at the highway bridge tunnels, selecting the tallest among the short ones still counts as having some experience

The relationships among rural clans are intricate and complex, especially in conservative and traditional provinces like Taidong

Lu Dong's face turned green, Uncle Tie is so stingy, which year's old rope did he bring?

What is the situation? As soon as Lü Zhenlin spoke, the others instinctively fell silent

This requires more than just seniority

Bang—bang—

Lu Dong silently watched a group of people head south to the village, and everyone actually understood that in order to protect their homeland, they could not be overly concerned about the details at this moment

Lu Dong also shouted: "Third Uncle"

Everyone knows that professionals should handle professional tasks, but what should be done when there are no professionals available

Moreover, having a rope does not pose much danger

Lu Zhenlin looked at him with increasing astonishment: "You?"

Lu Zhenlin does not trust the unreliable Lu Dong, but believes the news: "You say!"

Twenty to thirty rural men quickly gathered, some with bleary eyes, others momentarily unclear about what was happening, creating a bit of chaos on the dam

Just now, I held my breath, yet my lips are still covered in mud and sand

Fortunately, Lu Dong was mentally prepared, had excellent swimming skills, and was able to tread water, gripping the rope tightly to leverage the pull and get as close to the shore as possible

Lu Dong quickly exclaimed, "The debris falling from above indicates that everything underwater has already soaked through"

They had just left when the miser brought back a few people carrying a shovel and several bundles of rope

Furthermore, Lv Dong's speech has always been extremely rapid: "Bring over the woven bags and gravel as soon as possible..."

There is work being done in the mine, and a waterproof miner's helmet has been provided, which serves both as a light source and a safety helmet

Move down! The person in front will act as the temporary commander: Slow down! Hold on tight!

I had not had the chance to pay attention to the time. Lü Dong specifically asked an uncle from the same family who was walking ahead, and learned that it was not yet 10:30, which somewhat relieved me. I remember that the dam collapsed at 3:30 in the morning

This is not the time for further discussion, Lü Dong quickly interjected: "There is a section of the embankment about twenty meters north of the dam, and just now three loads of earth have fallen down in succession." He emphasized, "Wen Yue also saw it."

Lü Zhenlin exhaled, paused in silence for a moment, and made a decision: "Prepare for the worst." He turned back towards the triangular dam, walking as he spoke: "Jianbin, take a few people to the site to get the tools; bring plenty of ropes and shovels."

It seems that nothing significant has happened, " Lu Jianshe murmured from behind.