The Whole Village Thrives After Adopting a Lucky Girl

Chen Changhai and his father led the cart out of the village.

Outside the village was a vast expanse of water, the roads were completely obscured, and the cart could easily be trapped in a mud pit.

“Push quickly!” Old Chen tightly grasped the reins, turning back to instruct his son and daughter-in-law.

Chen Changhai and sister-in-law Zhao each stood on one side, pushing the cart forward with difficulty.

Madam Han was at the back of the cart, holding an umbrella in one hand and leaning on the cart with the other, feeling somewhat lost.

The water flow was rapid, the waves were already hitting their knees, and she could hardly stand, let alone have the strength to push the cart.

Suddenly, the cart jerked towards Madam Zhao’s side, terrifying those on the cart into screaming.

Old Chen quickly shouted, “Don’t let the cart fall into a pit! Third Brother! Madam Han! Quickly come push!”

Chen Changhai immediately ran to his sister-in-law’s side to push the cart, trying to right the cart and free it from the pit.

But Madam Han did not come over, he couldn’t help but rushed, turning his head to look back.

There was no trace of Madam Han from behind the cart.

After looking around, he only saw an umbrella being swept further and further away by the water, and behind the umbrella, a faint figure was struggling in the water.

“Dad, Madam Han has fallen into the ditch!” There were occasional shallow ditches along the village roads, which were the irrigation channels for rice fields.

Now the trace of the ditch was obscured by the rain. If one accidentally slipped into it, it was impossible to climb out.

Furthermore, the water flow was rapid, quickly sweeping Madam Han further and further away.

Old Chen took a brief look, and coldly ordered, “Don’t worry about her, let’s get the cart out first, there are still family members on it.”

If the cart flipped over, the whole family would be doomed.

Chen Changhai glances once again at Madam Han being swept farther and farther away, then stopped paying attention, using all his strength to push the cart.

Madam Zhao dared not even look in that direction, and together with her brother-in-law, they finally righted the cart.

When they looked back, there was not a trace to be seen, even the umbrella had disappeared.

The other end of the ditch was Chuanhe River, and was now an extensive expanse of water, forming a vast body of water with the surroundings.

Madam Zhao was trembling slightly, and didn’t dare to look anymore, only tightly gripping the frame of the cart.

Chen Changhai wanted to go back to look, but was stopped by his father, “Changhai! Have you lost your mind! The water’s so deep, we don’t even know where she’s been washed away to. Do you think you can find her? Don’t get us all involved because of her!”

It would be convenient if Madam Han was dead.

This was her own fault for accidentally falling into the irrigation ditch, and it had nothing to do with the Chen Family.

In such a disaster, no one could predict life or death.

If Madam Han’s younger sister, little Madam Han, asked about it later, they would have a few words to say.

Madam Chui on the cart also anxiously implored, “My dear, the water is enormous, don’t take any risks, think of me and Kangkang, and… and also the child in my stomach.”

Chen Changhai was silent for a moment, then turned back to look one more time, sighing in his heart. “Dad, let’s go.”

Hearing these words, Old Chen’s eyebrows relaxed, “Good, you and your sister-in-law be careful, don’t fall.”

“OK.”

The family walked in the water for several hours and finally reached the town.

The town was indeed much better than their village, although the water was high, the situation was not severe.

Many households had managed to stay dry because their foundations were high enough.

The Chen’s cart was the first to arrive at Rongji Pharmacy. Old Chen found his granddaughter Chen Zhao and told her, “Zhao, your mother was swept away by the flood. I was useless, I couldn’t save her.” Then he cried a little.

Chen Zhao was stunned and after a while started to cry loudly, “Mom really was swept away by the water? How was she swept away when she was just fine?”

Old Chen patted his granddaughter, choking on his words, “Our area was hit by a flood, the entire village got flooded, a lot of houses collapsed. Your grandmother and the rest of us barely made it out, we were really lucky. Ah, thank god your little brother was being held by your grandmother, otherwise, ah…”

Chen Zhao cried for quite a while, then turned to look for her little brother, and saw her grandmother Chen and her little brother Xubao sitting blankly to one side, lost in thought.

“Xubao.” Chen Zhao flung herself at Xubao, starting another bout of crying, scaring Xubao into crying as well.

“Don’t cry, be careful not to scare Xubao.”

Chen Laoshuan scanned the surroundings and asked, “Where’s your aunt?”

Chen Zhao stuttered, “She caught a cold yesterday. She’s lying in the house at the backyard.”

While they were speaking, the doctor Li came rushing in, greeted Chen Laoshuan with a bow, and asked, “Your village is really flooded?”

“It’s more than flooded! Many houses in the village were washed away.” The houses that were washed away were all mud huts that had long been in disrepair.

“Oh dear, that’s terrible, has anyone been injured?” Doctor Li asked.

Chen Laoshuan’s face was etched with grief, “Of course people were injured. My second daughter-in-law was washed away by the flood. How… how am I going to explain this to my second son…” He broke down sobbing as he spoke.

Doctor Li was taken aback, then comforted him, “Please accept my condolences. Thank God the others are safe. If you, old Brother Chen, have no place to go, why not stay at my place until the flood subsides?”

Chen Laoshuan wiped his eyes and saluted Doctor Li, “Thank you for your kindness, Brother Li, I am truly grateful.”

So, Chen Laoshuan’s family temporarily settled down in the Li’s family home.

The next day, the rain stopped, and the accumulated floodwater gradually receded.

A few days passed and the water level of Chuanhe finally dropped to a safe level.

The villagers of West Village returned bit by bit, only to find the ground covered in mud, with fish and shrimps flopping around in puddles by the roadside.

Many of the old mud huts had collapsed, but the red-brick houses were still standing.

However, the standing houses were filled with mud, and the walls and furniture were crawling with all kinds of bugs and leeches.

Those who moved to the South Slope in advance were glad to have heeded Lizheng’s advice to move their food and bedding to the slope, otherwise the loss would have been great.

Those who did not move were in a pitiful state, with their belongings soaked and their grains ruined by the water.

The greatest loss was incurred by the farmland along the banks of Chuanhe, with not a single stalk of seedling or rice sapling remaining. Everything was gone.

Some people sat by the field and wept bitterly, while others were secretly pleased.

The secretly pleased ones were those who had heeded Lizheng’s advice and did not sow their fields.

Not sowing the seeds meant that their own seeds were not lost.

Jiang Sanlang, the village head of East Village, announced that the flood crisis had passed. He urged everyone to tidy up their fields while they still had time and to start sowing seeds again.

Due to the early warnings from Jiang Sanlang and Sun Licheng, the villagers living on both sides of the Chuanhe, though some of them had houses collapsed, most of their property was saved and there were not many casualties.

As far as Xichen Village was concerned, only Chen Laoshuang’s family was preparing for a funeral.

When Yingbao learnt of Han Family’s death in the flood, she was somewhat surprised.

She did not expect that Han Family would die this early in this lifetime.

She did not feel happy nor sad, just found it a bit strange, but also felt relieved.

She could still vividly recall the feeling of being strangled to death by Han Family in her previous life, which made her feel scared whenever she thought about it.

Now that Han Family was dead, the heavy stone in her heart was finally put down.

“You wouldn’t believe it, Chunniang, when Han Family’s body was dragged out of the bushes, she was already bloated, her body didn’t even fit into the coffin, what a sin…”

Tang Family sat under the eaves repairing shoes, and spoke as she pulled the hemp thread, “I pity her son, he’s just over a year old, alas, how will he live without a mom at such a tender age?”

Chunniang was silent, casting a stealthy glance at Yingbao, who was sitting by the window writing words. Seeing that her daughter had no reaction, she relaxed slightly.

She heard Tang Family continued, “Since Han Family’s passing, Feng Family has seemed like a changed person. Her neighbors even say that she started chanting Buddhist scriptures at home, and is planning to bring a Buddha statue from Simen for worship.”

Since the people of West Village moved to the South Slope, a lot of women and young wives from East Village had been dropping by with their sewing baskets, hence Tang Family had heard a lot of gossip.

Chunniang chuckled, “Perhaps it’s due to the sudden death of her daughter-in-law, she must have been quite shocked.”

“Exactly, that’s what I think too.”