My 1995 Small Farm.

At this point, Chen Ling had already personally taken to the field.

He was strong and worked quickly, helping everyone until evening, when the rain started to fall heavily.

Then they all dispersed.

1998 was a year of utter disaster.

The extent of the floods is unimaginable.

This is nationwide.

In previous years, Chenwangzhuang would have been bustling with summer activity at this time of year.

Golden waves of wheat rippled across the fields as farmers wielded their sickles, the threshing floor resounding with the crackling of flails, the air thick with the fragrance of new wheat and the oppressive heat of summer.

Children splashed around naked in the river, women sat under the shade of trees sewing and cooling off, and cicadas chirped tirelessly from morning till night.

But this May, everything is different.

The thick clouds made it very dark in the early morning.

The clouds seemed to be thousands of feet high and incredibly thick.

The drizzling rain became the main character between heaven and earth.

It wasn't the kind of gentle, nourishing rain that's "as precious as oil" in spring, nor was it the sudden downpour and thunder common in summer.

Instead, it's a continuous, sticky, and persistent plum rain.

The Qinling Mountains region is experiencing weather similar to the plum rain season, which sounds quite funny.

But it did happen.

The sky was always overcast, with clouds so low it seemed you could reach out and pluck a damp wad of cotton.

The sun became a rare visitor, occasionally peeking out for a fleeting moment when the rain stopped, but it was pale and weak, quickly swallowed up by leaden-gray clouds.

The older generation says they've lived for seventy or eighty years and have never seen anything like it.

"This rain is eerily heavy."

Wang Laishun squatted at the entrance of the village committee, gazing at the curtain of rain hanging from the eaves, puffing on his pipe.

"Logically, May should be a time of 'not fullness in the Lesser Fullness, and no trouble in the Grain in Ear,' but look at this wheat. It has been harvested, but it's all piled up in the warehouse and getting damp. If this continues, I'm afraid there will be problems."

He spoke subtly, but the worry between his brows was impossible to hide.

Farmers rely on the weather for their livelihood and are extremely sensitive to the climate.

If the wheat isn't harvested before this continuous rain, it's easy for it to fall over and become moldy in the mud and water, making a year's hard work go to waste.

But if the wheat is harvested and then gets damp and moldy in the warehouse, that's just as unbearable.

What's even stranger is the temperature.

It's mid-May, and we still need to wear padded jackets in the mornings and evenings.

The old willow trees by the river, whose leaves should have been a vibrant green, now have a sickly yellowish-green hue.

On a rainy day, the peaches in the orchard developed small mold spots on their skins.

The animals also behaved strangely.

At the farm, the two big cats, Afu and Ashou, used to love to nap in the shade at this time of year, but now they always seem a little restless, often pricking up their ears to listen to the distant mountains and making low purring sounds.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Jin were also restless, often barking for no reason at night, heading towards the reservoir.

The birds were the most obvious.

Swallows should be busy carrying mud to build nests and feed their chicks, but this year many swallow nests were abandoned halfway through construction.

The calls of the turtledoves have also decreased; when one occasionally hears one or two calls, they sound weak and feeble.

However, some birds that are rarely seen, such as egrets and pond herons, appeared in flocks near the reservoir, as if they were looking for something.

Chen Ling stood by the window on the second floor of the farm, gazing at the misty rain outside.

He held a cup of hot tea in his hands, but his gaze was somewhat distant.

"Ah Ling, what are you thinking about?" Wang Susu walked in carrying a sewing basket, which contained little clothes she was making for Kang Kang and Le Le.

Two children were building blocks with Gao Xiulan downstairs, their babbling voices faintly audible.

"It's nothing." Chen Ling took a sip of tea. "I just made a few phone calls. The county leaders came in the rain and left in the rain. They patrolled around and, fearing something might happen, said they wouldn't bother me anymore and didn't let me go out."

Wang Susu sat down beside him and looked out the window: "Dad said this morning that the water level at the old river bend has risen sharply, more than two feet higher than it is at this time of year. He's worried that if it keeps going down like this, the dam will..."

The words were left unsaid, but the meaning was clear.

Two years ago there was a major flood. Although the dikes were reinforced in time, no one was sure what to do in the face of this unusual and continuous rainfall.

"The dike was built so early this year, there won't be any problems. They did a good job of preparation. The dike is built so high, which is very rare in the surrounding area."

"It's just that waiting for the rain to completely stop is probably going to be difficult..."

He paused, recalling what he had seen that day: in the middle of the reservoir, the big fish he had saved would often surface and look upstream.

Other Chinese sturgeon and finless porpoises also appeared restless, unlike their usual leisurely playfulness.

Animals are often much more perceptive of natural disasters than humans.

Those are aquatic creatures, so naturally their senses are more acute than those of terrestrial creatures.

Furthermore, the unusual behavior of the Bull Demon King and others living by the sea all point to the same thing.

"and……"

Chen Ling thought of the old turtles in the garlic plant and the wild yellow turtles in the mountains.

"And what?" Wang Susu asked.

"It's nothing." Chen Ling shook his head, not wanting her to worry. "I just feel that we need to make more preparations this year."

As he spoke, he walked to the desk and opened a notebook.

The page was filled with all sorts of notes.

He's already doing a lot of things.

A flood prevention team was established in the village, and Chen Ling was naturally the backbone of the team.

Zhao Dahai led the construction team to inspect and reinforce the reservoir dam once again.

Wang Laishun organized the villagers to clean up the drainage ditches on both sides of the village road.

The families listened to the advice and moved their valuables to higher places, and prepared more rice, flour and other dry food.

But faced with such overwhelming power, human strength is ultimately insignificant. All Chen Ling could do was his best and leave the rest to fate.

The rain was still falling, drizzling slowly but persistently, as if trying to make up for all the rain that spring had missed.

The villagers' mood, like the weather, was shrouded in gloom.

"When will this awful weather end?" Several men grumbled as they sought shelter from the rain outside the convenience store.

"My roof is leaking, so I've used three basins to catch the leak!"

"What are we going to do with the wheat? We've already brought it home, and then this happens..."

"I heard on the radio that it's not just here, it's raining all along the Yangtze River."

Amid the discussions, there were worries, anxieties, and a sense of resignation to fate.

Farmers are used to hardship, and when faced with natural disasters, they seem to have no other choice but to grit their teeth and endure it.

Only the children are carefree; on the contrary, the rain brings them much more joy.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming, wearing raincoats and rain boots, splashed in puddles in the yard, their giggles piercing through the rain.

Wang Zhenzhen, along with Liu Nier and the others, made a small boat out of bamboo poles and plastic sheeting, and paddled around in the flooded threshing ground, having a great time.

But the adults couldn't laugh.

Chen Ling wasn't idle either.

He rode the little white ox, traveling back and forth along the Jinshui River, from the reservoir to Kinmen Village. The river was turbid and swift, and the water level had risen significantly, with some sections already close to the top of the embankment.

The lower half of the trunks of the poplar trees on the bank were submerged in water.

"The water came too fast," Chen Ling murmured to himself, stroking the little white calf's wet fur.

The little white calf looked up at the gray sky and let out a long "moo—" that carried far in the rain, carrying a certain warning meaning.

What concerned Chen Ling even more was the activity in the mountains.

The old shepherd said that recently the wild animals have been moving to higher ground.

The roe deer, muntjacs, and even wild boars no longer go into the ravines; they all run to the mountaintop.

The squirrels were so busy they barely touched the ground, frantically carrying pine nuts into the tree hole, as if they were storing up food for the winter.

But it's only May.

"Animals are smarter than humans." The old shepherd puffed on his pipe. "With them causing such a ruckus, nothing good can come of it."

Chen Lingshen agreed.

After returning to the farm, he reviewed the flood prevention checklist again and added a few items.

Lifeline, life ring or inner tube, whistle, gong, flashlight and enough batteries.

Wang Susu quietly helped him prepare these things, occasionally glancing up at the sky outside the window, her eyes filled with unconcealed worry.

"Don't be afraid."

Chen Ling held her hand: "We've done what we could. The rest is up to God."

Despite saying that, Chen Ling still couldn't fall asleep for a long time while lying in bed at night, listening to the incessant rain outside the window.

While tossing and turning in bed, he suddenly heard a strange sound.

It sounded like many wings fluttering, or like some kind of light, rustling footsteps.

He got up, walked to the window, and opened it.

On a rainy night, a strange scene stunned him.

Under the eaves of the farmhouse, a large flock of birds had gathered.

Swallows, sparrows, doves... all sorts of common birds mingled together, a dark mass, emitting a jumble of restless calls.

They neither return to their nests nor land. With such poor night vision, they just fly around aimlessly under the eaves like headless flies.

It's like chasing after some tiny insect that doesn't exist.

He looked like he had been traumatized.

Er Tuzi didn't care about these birds, and Chen Ling naturally wouldn't care either.

In the distance, from the direction of the mountains and forests, the faint howls of wild beasts could be heard, rising and falling, mournful and long.

Chen Ling stood by the window, motionless for a long time.

The night wind blew in the rain, wetting his clothes, but he was completely unaware.

After a long while, he gently closed the window and returned to the bedside.

Wang Susu woke up and asked sleepily, "What's wrong?"

"fine."

Chen Ling lay down and pulled her into his arms; "Sleep."

He knew that once the rain started, it probably wouldn't stop easily.

……

As dawn broke, the rain subsided temporarily, then turned into a fine drizzle again.

Chen Ling stood at the window on the second floor of the farm, gazing at the gray reservoir dam in the distance.

The sounds of Wang Susu making breakfast came from the kitchen: the crackling of firewood, the clanging of spatulas, and the babbling of Kang Kang and Lele.

This ordinary, everyday atmosphere brings a special sense of peace at this moment.

"Drip-drip-"

The phone in the living room suddenly rang, breaking the morning's tranquility.

Chen Ling walked over quickly, glanced at the screen, and saw an unfamiliar Hong Kong number.

He pressed the answer button, and Li Lianjie's tired but excited voice came through the receiver:

"Mr. Chen! It's me, Li Lianjie!"

"Mr. Li? Why are you calling so early?" Chen Ling was somewhat surprised.

Jet Li has been back in Hong Kong Island for over a week now, and should be busy with his new film.

"I didn't sleep all night!"

Li Lianjie's voice was fast and urgent.

"Last night, I saw on the news that there was heavy rainfall across the entire Yangtze River basin in mainland China, causing water levels to rise sharply. Meteorological experts said there might be major flooding! I also heard that livestock were restless, giant softshell turtles were appearing, and water levels were abnormal over there..."

He took a breath and continued, "I immediately contacted several friends, some who run charitable foundations, some who deal in relief supplies, and some who work in the media."

I told them everything you did at Chenwangzhuang, including the preventative work you did and the advance reinforcement of the dikes!

Chen Ling held his phone, walked to the window, and listened quietly.

"guess what?"

Li Lianjie's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "They believed it all! Not just a perfunctory belief, they really took it to heart! My friend who does charity work, surnamed Zhou, is in the shipping business. His father used to sail on the Yangtze River and knows the waters like the back of his hand. After listening to this, he said, 'Animals are more intelligent than instruments; even old boatmen believe in this!'"

"He convened the foundation's staff overnight and allocated the first batch of supplies... 5,000 life jackets, 20,000 woven bags, 1,500 tents, as well as diesel generators, water pumps, disinfectants... They've already been loaded onto trucks and are ready to be sent from Shenzhen!"

Chen Ling's heart skipped a beat, and his grip on the phone tightened: "Mr. Li, this..."

“It’s not over yet!” Li Lianjie interrupted him. “I contacted some friends at the TV station, and they’ve decided to send an interview team over, not for disaster reporting, but for a special feature on ‘grassroots disaster prevention models’! The focus will be on you and your village! With media coverage and increased attention, official relief resources will be allocated more to you!”

Chen Ling took a deep breath. Raindrops drifted in through the window cracks, feeling cool on his face.

He spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: "Brother Li, I... I'll remember this favor."

"What are you talking about!"

Li Lianjie laughed on the other end of the phone, "You saved my leg and showed me what it means to have a true 'hidden master among ordinary people.' What's this little thing? Besides..."

He lowered his voice: "To be honest, several of my friends are particularly interested in you."

That Mr. Zhou, I heard that you can tame cattle and eagles, and even treat injuries with maggots. He said he wanted to meet you in person.

Another person, Mr. Lin, who trades in seafood, saw the photos I took of the fish and asked several times if we could cooperate.

“Mr. Chen, do you know that you are now a ‘legendary figure’ in this small circle in Hong Kong Island?”

Li Lianjie said earnestly, "People believe not only in what you say about the disaster, but also in you as a person."

Chen Ling remained silent for a moment, then heard Wang Susu calling him to eat from outside the window.

He responded and said into the phone, "Brother Li, on behalf of the villagers of Chenwangzhuang and the surrounding villages, thank you for the supplies."

"I welcome the interview team, but on one condition: they must not interfere with the rescue and relief efforts."

"Don't worry! I've told them everything!" Li Lianjie assured him. "They know the rules. Oh, and there's one more thing..."

As they were talking, a burst of noise came from the phone, seemingly from someone on Li Lianjie's end.

A moment later, Li Lianjie's voice became clear again: "Brother, I just received news that Boss Xu Yingguang has also made his move!"

Chen Ling was taken aback: "Boss Xu? I didn't call him..."

After saying that, he immediately realized that what he had said was a bit stupid.

Although he didn't call directly, he told Liang Yuemin and Sun Yanhong the truth. (End of Chapter)