After staying here for such a long time, it finally rained.
The downpour came like a river bursting its banks, crashing down without any pause.
Large raindrops fell densely, striking the tent canvas with a sharp, rapid patter, and hitting the ground to quickly form murky streams of mud.
The dusty smell that had filled the air moments ago was instantly replaced by the heavy scent of wet earth and rain.
The temporary disaster relief site was thrown into complete chaos.
“It’s raining! Quickly, gather everything!”
“Tents! Reinforce the tents!”
“Grain! The grain can’t get wet!”
“Children! Bring the children inside!”
The clamoring voices of the villagers were immediately drowned out by the sound of rain and the sudden panic.
Villagers ran and shouted, the already chaotic scene becoming even worse. Some scrambled to collect the few supplies stacked outside, while others hurriedly tried to secure the tents swaying in the wind. The children, frightened by the sudden change, cried loudly.
Ling Yue curled up in the innermost corner of the tent, wrapping herself in a thin blanket, but the chill still crept upward through her soaked pants.
The tent shook violently in the storm, as if it might be ripped from the ground at any moment.
Water began to seep through the seams of the canvas, first forming tiny droplets, then streams that dripped onto the floor, spreading dark patches of wetness.
Long Ge didn’t go help anyone else—he stayed with her alone. He squatted by a tear in the tent, shielding her from the wind and rain.
“Miss, are you cold?” He took off his own jacket and draped it over her, seeing her hair soaked by the wind and rain, her lips trembling. Heart aching, he whispered, “Hold on a little longer. When the rain eases, I’ll go find some dry firewood to make a fire.”
His jacket carried his body heat, a faint smell of sweat and tobacco. It wasn’t particularly pleasant, but she wasn’t as delicate as before. Instinctively, she wrapped herself tightly in the oversized coat, drawing warmth from it.
A few villagers’ houses were still relatively intact, but they refused to open their doors to let others in, claiming that if everyone crowded in, the house couldn’t hold them all.
Some even shouted through the windows: “Don’t all squeeze into my house! It won’t hold! Go to the tents over there!”
Ling Yue’s heart sank little by little. Was this really the “people” her father worked so hard to protect?
Some children had nowhere to hide from the rain. It was she who had opened the tent for them, letting them inside. A few pitiful children huddled beside her, shivering. The downpour no doubt reminded them of the disasters they had already endured.
Then suddenly, someone dashed through the heavy rain toward the tent, shouting: “It’s bad! Miss… your father fell down the hillside while checking the cables!”
The shout was like a clap of thunder, instantly drowning out all the sounds of wind, rain, and chaos.
Ling Yue felt her head go numb. The blood in her body seemed to freeze instantly. She shot her head up, her face drained of color, forgetting even the children in her arms, and instinctively tried to rush outside.
“Dad—!”
Long Ge reacted incredibly fast, grabbing her before she could lose control, his strength astonishing. “Miss! Calm down! It’s too dangerous outside!”
“You stay here and watch the children! You’re not allowed to go anywhere. I’m going to see my father!”
She yanked open the tent, and the icy rain, mixed with the fierce wind, immediately pelted her, making her shiver violently.
Through the blurry curtain of rain, she saw at once the person she least wanted to see at that moment—Jiang Muchen.