The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 444 "Qiaotou Earthquake"

Facing this third letter, a white-haired leader looked solemn and said in a deep voice: “Although we still don’t know the true identity of this anonymous hero, his intentions are obviously well-intentioned.

"We must not take this lightly and must be more cautious." The leader said firmly, and then decisively ordered, "Convene the relevant departments to hold an emergency meeting immediately. We must go all out and make full preparations just in case."

Two days later, senior local government officials from Qiaotou district of Beihe Province and its neighboring Beijing-Tianjin region gathered at the National Earthquake Bureau to discuss countermeasures.

As the meeting progressed, the curtain was quietly raised on a wide-ranging earthquake prevention and emergency drill in various places.

From grassroots organizations to large enterprises, from universities to stationed troops, all responded positively and took quick action.

This is not just a simple drill, but a "real-life exercise" involving the entire nation, aimed at enhancing the awareness and capabilities of earthquake prevention and disaster reduction in all sectors of society and building an indestructible line of defense for life safety.

In this "large-scale military exercise" without the smoke of gunpowder, everyone is a participant and a guardian, together weaving a safety net to protect their homes.

The officials in Liujiazhuang adopted a strategy of dividing the area into sections and divided the tasks into several small groups. They worked tirelessly to carry out detailed safety checks on each household.

Under the resolute actions of the cadres, those dilapidated dangerous buildings and randomly built illegal structures were completely demolished or reinforced one by one, eliminating potential safety threats.

At the same time, for buildings with historical value or special significance, local governments have taken measures to strengthen and rebuild them, striving to protect the cultural heritage while ensuring the safety of residents.

In addition, enterprises within the jurisdiction have also responded to the call and actively organized safety protection drills, starting from actual combat to improve their ability to respond to emergencies.

Everyone knows that safety is of no importance. Once natural disasters such as earthquakes occur, the consequences will be disastrous.

Therefore, everyone has devoted themselves to this work with a high sense of responsibility and mission...

The atmosphere in the courtyard of Nanluoguxiang was a little solemn. Several responsible uncles hurried back from the street office, holding the meeting notice tightly in their hands.

Without even taking a breath, they sprang into action, gathering the neighbors in the courtyard and preparing to hold an emergency meeting.

"Hmm!" A light cough broke the silence in the yard.

"Old Yi, are all the people here?" The third uncle Yan Bugui, whose usually smiling face was tense at this moment, turned to Yi Zhonghai who was standing beside him and asked.

Yi Zhonghai quickly glanced around and saw that the central courtyard was already crowded with people and very lively, so he nodded and responded calmly: "It's almost time, let's get started."

Yan Bugui nodded upon hearing this, and then announced: "Okay! For those who didn't come, we won't wait any longer, the meeting officially begins!"

"Okay! Everyone, pay attention! Everyone, pay attention!" He waited until the neighbors' voices died down, and then continued, "Let's have a meeting now. Some people may have already received the news, while others may not yet know. We are here to convey the instructions of the Street Office..."

"Ah, earthquake warning!"

"Is this news accurate?"

"It's almost certain. It looks very real. Our factory has started emergency deployment, safety inspections, and earthquake drills have all been arranged..."

"Oh, what shall I do?"

"Is our area going to be in trouble?"

When everyone heard that an earthquake was coming, their hearts suddenly tightened and everyone looked anxious.

"Calm down, calm down! The earthquake hasn't come yet, why are you so panicked!" Yan Bugui slammed the table and shouted loudly when he saw the situation getting out of control.

Sha Zhu immediately took over, with a somewhat anxious tone: "Uncle, earthquakes are no small matter. If you have any rules, please tell us as soon as possible!"

"Yes, yes, Third Master, we will all listen to you..."

Yan Bugui glanced at Sha Zhu with approval and nodded secretly in his heart, thinking that this kid is quite sensible.

"Come on, everyone gather together and listen to me. Earthquakes may seem fierce, but we are actually prepared for them. As long as we make preparations in advance and unite as one, we will not be afraid of any disaster or difficulty!"

"So, starting tomorrow, we will hurry up and invite craftsmen to come to our house to inspect and repair it to reduce the potential safety hazards in this area. In addition, everyone must learn about earthquake prevention knowledge..."

"Also, let's prepare some medicines and other things. If necessary, we can start self-help..."

"And then there's food and drinks. You need to prepare more. If an earthquake strikes, you might run out of food..."

…………

In Qiaotou area, the focus of earthquake early warning, great importance is attached to it.

The China Seismological Bureau, the Academy of Sciences and local governments responded quickly and dispatched elite forces to various places in Qiaotou to carry out detailed geological surveys.

At the local level, various emergency drills are being prepared intensively to ensure that the public can take quick and orderly action at critical moments.

As the early warning signals became increasingly urgent, forces from all directions converged in Qiaotou. Emergency medicines were delivered like timely rain. Rescue teams were ready to go into battle at any time to jointly protect the safety and tranquility of this land.

In late July, people did not go home to sleep at night. Instead, organizations at all levels rested in the open air to avoid possible earthquakes.

However, nothing happened for several days, and some people gradually relaxed their vigilance and ran back home to rest without listening to the advice...

On July 7, Sun Hongjun, who was only eight years old, returned to his hometown in the countryside 27 kilometers away from the city during the summer vacation. He slept on a kang with his grandmother, his second brother, and his second uncle's younger brother.

Life in the countryside is very boring.

It was very hot today. The chickens and rabbits in Sun Hongjun's second uncle's house were getting very irritable. The children drank the cold well water in big gulps and went to bed on the kang after being scolded by the adults. Almost everyone was naked, but it was too hot and they couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

In the middle of the night, Sun Hongjun's grandmother called him to get up and pee in a daze. He dripped a few drops into the urine pot in a daze. After lying down, he suddenly felt cold. He tried to hook the quilt under his feet, but couldn't get it. He became more and more irritated, and didn't want to get up, so he couldn't fall asleep. He just tossed and turned with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning outside the window. Sun Hongjun thought in a daze: "No wonder it's so cold, it's going to thunder and rain." But he vaguely felt that something was wrong - lightning usually only flashes for a moment, why did this lightning last so long?

After a few seconds, the lightning went out, but a sound came from under his pillow. It was a sound he had never heard before, very dull, like the lowing of a huge bull at the bottom of a well.

For the first time in his life, Sun Hongjun felt what it meant to be horrified. It was a suffocating fear.

The sound seemed to come from deep underground, getting closer and closer to my ears, and the feeling of fear grew stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, a huge vibration began under my body, everything made a loud noise, and everything was distorted.

Suddenly, he thought of what his teachers had taught him about earthquakes, and he cried out in fear: "Oh no! There's going to be an earthquake!"

The grandmother next to Sun Hongjun also shouted: "Ah...! Everyone, get up! The ground is shaking! Run!"

"Hurry! Get up quickly..."

Upon hearing this, the family quickly got up. Although they were frightened, they were still calm because they had organized earthquake drills for the people in Qiaotou City in recent months and had some experience.

The family quickly made the most correct choice based on earthquake prevention knowledge. Sun Hongjun was short, so his grandfather held him and his cousin in one hand each, but he did not forget to kick his second brother. Everyone quickly got off the kang and walked through the main room, but then they found that the door to the main room could not be opened, and the second brother kicked it several times but it was useless.

At this time, Sun Hongjun's grandfather shouted: "Old Second, go away!"

Sun Hongjun's grandfather was like a god, holding him and his brother under his arms. He took two steps back and rushed towards the door of the main hall. The two century-old door panels were knocked open by his grandfather!
As soon as I arrived in the yard, I found that I couldn't stand at all and could only crawl on the ground. At this time, I saw their house, the huge old house, made a loud noise and collapsed like a paper house, as if it was sinking.

Everything was silent, all sounds disappeared, even Sun Hongjun could hear the sound of his own blood flowing, and his grandfather was still half lying on the ground. Everyone held their breath as if they were doing something bad, occasionally there were a few dying cries of chickens, and the surroundings were dead silent.

It seemed like daybreak soon came. I don’t know when they all stood up. At that moment, I suddenly felt that they had all grown taller, because all the houses had collapsed!
The coal bunker and chicken coop no longer existed. The first feeling at this moment was like a legendary nuclear war had occurred.

The earthquake in Qiaotou area really happened!
There are only a few families living in Wujiatun at the foot of the mountain.

"The sky is falling! The ground is sinking! Run!"

"Where to run?"

"Hurry! Run to higher places, run up the mountain!" So everyone started running like crazy.

At this time, Wu Haiqing's grandmother was exhausted, but very calm. She said to them: "Shaoliang, take Jinghai and Xiaobo, take Haiqing. Don't run together. Otherwise, if something happens to them, our family will be wiped out. See if you can take something valuable with you..."

Wu Shaoliang asked his mother: "Mom! What are you going to do?"

The old lady said, "I can't run any more. Besides, your father has been gone for so many years. I'll just stay here with him. In times of crisis, men should be taken care of first. It doesn't matter to me, an old woman."

Wu Shaoliang said, "Okay, let Xiaobo take the two children and run away. I'll stay here with Mom."

The old lady was furious: "Let's run together! Mom is already seventy years old, and death is not a short life! If you can come back, just send her off to me. If you don't leave, you are an unworthy descendant of the Liu family!"

The brothers Wu Shaoliang and Wu Haibo were immediately anxious. How could they just abandon their mother? "Mom! We will carry you. Everything will be fine. Come with us!"

At this moment, the village militia arrived. They were the first to react, after all, they had practiced it so many times.

"Shaoliang, Haibo, what are you guys dawdling about for? Come with us!"

With the help of these militiamen, the old lady no longer insisted. Who would want to die when they can live?
Uncle Wu Haibo and Wu Haiqing were pulled out of the village, and they found that there were cracks and water everywhere. Someone was shouting, "Be careful of the cracks, don't fall in. Wu Laoba fell in."

Wu Laoba was Wu Haiqing's cousin and the only one alive in his family. He was dug out from the rubble with only a broken arm. When he was running away, he fell into a crack in the ground and disappeared. No one dared to dig him out immediately.

Two days later, people returned to the village and dug up the place. They dug for more than ten meters but still couldn't find him. So that was it, as his branch of the family was completely wiped out.

……

Ma Guowei is a teacher. He usually lives in the teachers' dormitory in the village. There is only one room, which is a bungalow.

Today, a relative, a woman with a daughter, came to his house, so Ma Guowei had to stay in the school duty room that night.

Ma Guowei is a heavy smoker, and he smokes dry cigarettes that have to be rolled with paper.

After going to the toilet in the middle of the night, he rolled a cigarette. Unexpectedly, the cigarette was a little damp and kept going out. He kept lighting, smoking, lighting, smoking, and tossing for an unknown amount of time. He finally fell asleep in a daze, and suddenly a huge force threw his father off the bed and onto the ground! Ma Guowei woke up with a start.

The earthquake really came.

Ma Guowei's ears were filled with all kinds of loud noises, everything was squeezed and twisted but he could not see anything. He quickly touched the bed legs and felt that they were too thin, so he instinctively got under the desk. But just as he got his shoulders in, the house collapsed. The roof of the bungalow was made of very thick "jiaozi boards" and was very heavy. It would be painful if it fell down. He did not feel any pain and struggled desperately to squeeze his whole body under the table.

As soon as Ma Guowei hid inside, he felt the table shaking and all four legs were broken. It was a chair on each side of the table that saved his life. Four legs were broken, but the next eight legs supported the weight coming down from above. He had to thank his colleague Lao Xu, who had a good habit of pushing his chair under the table after get off work every day. It was Lao Xu who saved his life.

When everything was quiet, Ma Guowei felt around under the narrow table, hoping to find a way out, but he didn't dare to use force because he was afraid of hurting his hands. If he didn't use force, he would be even more unable to get out. Finally, there seemed to be a place that was a little loose. He lay down, raised his foot and kicked it hard. After a few kicks, "Wow!" A lot of things fell down, and Ma Guowei saw stars! He climbed out of the hole.

Standing on the ruins, Ma Guowei wanted to go back and save people immediately, but suddenly he heard someone calling for help. Looking in the starlight, he found that it was Teacher Zhao from the duty room next to him, who was pinned down by a pile of things with only his head exposed. He was unable to move and was having difficulty breathing. He immediately walked over and pulled him out, only to find that several of Teacher Zhao's ribs were broken and some bones were exposed.

Ma Guowei asked Teacher Zhao to lie down first, and then he started to dig up Teacher Zhao's family...

…………

Wang Wei, a new recruit who had been in the Second Guard Division for only four months, was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly pulled out of bed by the squad leader!

"Earthquake!" "Earthquake!" People in the entire camp were shouting.

Everyone gathered on the playground at the speed of an emergency assembly.

Some people said they heard a muffled thunder, some said they saw a flash of fire outside, but more people felt a shaking... Everyone guessed that there must have been an earthquake not far away.

This sudden and violent earthquake shook the earth and mountains. Liu Zhiye, who stayed on duty at the military zone tonight, thought to himself: "This big earthquake has finally arrived."

Even though they were far away in the capital, they could still feel the strong tremors. Only later did they learn that the magnitude of the earthquake in the capital had reached six.

Faced with this situation, Liu Zhiye's mood unexpectedly calmed down.

Without any hesitation, he quickly grabbed the phone on the table and calmly issued an order: "Battle Duty Room, notify all divisions immediately and complete the troop assembly immediately!"

In the deep night, above the camps of the garrison area, a rapid and firm call of assembly suddenly sounded, piercing the night sky and resounding through the clouds.

In just half an hour, the rescue teams in the garrison area were quickly assembled and all kinds of rescue supplies were efficiently loaded onto the vehicles. This was undoubtedly a direct reflection of the valuable experience they had accumulated from countless actual combat exercises.

As the rescue mission was issued by the headquarters, Deputy Commander Liu Zhiye immediately issued an order. In an instant, rescue teams loaded with supplies and personnel rushed out of the camp like arrows from a bow, and headed at full speed along the predetermined route towards the disaster area 400 kilometers away, vowing to arrive as soon as possible to bring hope and assistance to the affected people.

After receiving the order, Wang Wei and his comrades had to rush to the eastern Hebei region before 7 a.m. to carry out earthquake relief missions.

When the convoy approached the outskirts of Qiaotou, everyone was dumbfounded: all the houses collapsed, the rails twisted into a knot, and the dust that covered the sky seemed to be a huge net covering the sky above Qiaotou. Carriages were loaded with corpses, and the cries of the deceased's relatives were earth-shaking. Even the old people who had experienced the war had rarely seen so many corpses. For the young recruits, this was a tragic scene they had never seen before...

"The People's Liberation Army is coming!"

"Hurry up and save us, Qiao's head is flat!"

"Help! Someone come quickly!"

Looking at the helpless people in the disaster and the mountains of ruins, everyone was silent and heartbroken, hoping that their superiors would quickly order the military vehicles to stop and join the battle as soon as possible!

Along the way, a total of 12 soldiers were heading to Qiaotou... They had only one goal: to save people! Save more people who were still alive!

However, even if people were well prepared, there would still be heavy casualties because there was no relatively safe place in the entire city.

The soldiers wore masks and gloves that had been prepared long ago. Because they were afraid of hurting the living, they didn't use the pickaxes and shovels, but just dug with their hands. Some of the gloves were torn, and their hands were bleeding...

In the afternoon, a sudden strong aftershock caused the city, which had just calmed down, to shake and tremble again... For the first time, many young soldiers felt that the god of death had always been around them...

(End of this chapter)