novelaction Chapter 206 Arriving in Sindh, another natural disaster
Chapter 206 Arriving in Sindh, another natural disaster
In July of the ninth year of Jiayou, when Zhou Dajiang led the second rescue team to Xinde Prefecture, the low-lying areas of Xinde Prefecture were still flooded, and many houses exposed outside had collapsed, many trees were crooked, and weeds and rags were hanging on the branches of the trees. All the farmland was flooded, the bridges were washed away, and the exposed roads were muddy. Everywhere was in a state of devastation.
And the most important thing is that the sky is still gloomy, and the dark clouds are still hanging in the sky, refusing to disperse, as if they will fall from the sky at the next moment.
The ninety-six doctors led by Prince Chen, along with ten waterworks officers dispatched by the Ministry of Works, and a hundred craftsmen recruited from nearby areas, were dispersed by Prince Chen and distributed among the three affected areas. As the royal representative, Prince Chen remained in Sinde, the worst-hit prefecture.
Soldiers sent by the military district were everywhere nearby, continuing to search for survivors.
As the deputy envoy of disaster relief, Zhou Dajiang naturally had to confirm the situation with King Chen. After asking, he found out that although the two teams set out two days apart, King Chen's team spent one day longer on the road than Zhou Dajiang's team and arrived only yesterday.
Fortunately, the Ministry of War was the first to arrive. Since arriving in Sindh Province, the military personnel have rescued 80% of the trapped and missing people. The remaining 20% are still under emergency search.
At this time, a rubber lifeboat would occasionally pass by on the murky water, and the soldiers on the boat would shout loudly: "Is anyone there?"
Zhou Dajiang looked up at the sky. The situation was still very serious. If he didn't speed up, it might rain.
He quickly asked someone to find the temporary office of the local government, and had the medicinal herbs and food he brought registered and moved to the warehouse for storage.
Then, he went to King Chen and suggested, "Your Highness, the weather isn't conducive to post-disaster reconstruction right now. We need to expedite the rescue efforts. If we get another downpour, it'll be even more difficult. Also, it would be best if we relocate the people. The current resettlement area is too close to the mountain. If there's a mudslide, they won't be able to escape."
After Zhou Dajiang arrived, Prince Chen seemed to have found a backbone. He nodded to everything Zhou Dajiang said. "Okay, I'll listen to you. Let them move to another place. Where do you think is best?"
Zhou Dajiang immediately ordered a local official to come over so he could understand the situation first. He had originally thought of asking someone to come over and ask about the empty public facilities in Sindh Prefecture. Who would have thought that the person was more practical and directly called their prefect.
When the prefect came closer, Zhou Dajiang realized that he knew this man, Lin Zhigao, the youngest son of Prime Minister Lin.
Because of the war, Lin Zhigao stayed in Qingshan Town for several years. When the war ended, he was promoted to the rank of prefect because of his good work in the rear defense.
Moreover, this prefect wasn't just a small prefect, but the prefect of the second-largest granary in Donghua Country, which was equivalent to the secretary of the municipal party committee of a modern second-tier city. Even though Zhou Dajiang was a Beijing official, half a level higher, he was still two levels lower than him in front of him.
But this time Zhou Dajiang was the deputy envoy for disaster relief appointed by the emperor, and he was an imperial envoy, so it was a different matter.
The two men met and congratulated each other, and then Zhou Dajiang asked Prefect Lin about the situation, focusing on where there were relatively safe public facilities.
It's hard to say whether Lin Zhigao's career was a bumpy one or just a stroke of luck. Wherever he worked, things always went wrong, big ones. But he was lucky to have Zhou Dajiang by his side. Without much effort on his part, he could just follow in his footsteps and rise to prominence.
During the last war, his position as Lingang County Magistrate was supposedly dangerous, but Zhou Dajiang's maneuvers had transformed him into the main force behind the anti-Japanese war effort. Warship renovations and weapons development were all within his jurisdiction. All he had to do was follow the orders and execute all tasks. Qingshan Town's economy flourished naturally, without him having to think.
When he returned to Beijing for the New Year, his father said that he had benefited from Zhou Dajiang's influence. So when Lin Zhigao saw Zhou Dajiang coming over this time, he was particularly happy. He had a hunch that Zhou Dajiang would bring him good luck again this time!
So, when Zhou Dajiang asked him about safe public facilities, he directly asked "Secretary Yang" to bring a map of Xinde Prefecture. Zhou Dajiang was very happy after receiving the map because Prefect Lin had already had the locations of various dams marked on the map.
Lin Zhigao also pointed out the empty buildings above with his pen. Finally, Zhou Dajiang chose a place far away from the mountains and rivers, the Nuwa Temple. Although this place is a temple, there are several rows of temples around the main hall, and the open space in each room of the temple is very large. If everyone squeezes together, these rooms can accommodate all the rescued victims.
Like King Chen, Zhou Dajiang and his group were arranged by Prefect Lin to study in the prefectural school not far from the Nuwa Temple.
After entering the provincial school, Zhou Dajiang divided the two hundred craftsmen into three groups, just as she had done when King Chen came before. One group followed her, and the other two groups were taken to Jizhou and Cangzhou to meet up with the previous craftsmen.
Then, they went to check which parts of the dam needed to be repaired and which parts were more dangerous. Because the sky was overcast, Zhou Dajiang put this matter first.
Before the craftsmen arrived, they were equipped with straw raincoats and put them on directly. They were also asked to wear bamboo hats. They were divided into groups of several and were taken to the dam for inspection by local people arranged by Prefect Lin.
After arranging the people and craftsmen, Zhou Dajiang and King Chen came to the medical room, checked the condition of the patients, and instructed the doctors on duty that if anyone had a fever, they should be immediately sent to a single room for isolation and reported in time to avoid a large-scale plague.
He also confirmed with several doctors how to deal with some common illnesses to ensure that there were no risks.
By the time they were done, a light drizzle began to fall. Zhou Dajiang's heart tightened, worried that the rain would get heavier. He immediately ordered the soldiers to speed up the search and rescue efforts, and at the same time, urged the people to evacuate to the Nuwa Temple as quickly as possible.
However, the evacuation wasn't entirely smooth sailing. The muddy roads made it difficult for the elderly, women, and children to walk, slipping with every step. Seeing this, Zhou Dajiang took the lead and carried an elderly person on his back. Other soldiers and young men followed suit, each carrying an elderly person or helping to hold a child as they hurried along the muddy roads. The scene was deeply moving.
After finally arriving at the Nuwa Temple, everyone began to settle down in an orderly manner, with the men finding one room, the women and children staying in another, and so on.
After we settled down, the rain outside gradually got heavier, hitting the roof tiles and making crackling sounds.
Zhou Dajiang stared out the window at the rain, silently praying for no more accidents. However, natural disasters are called natural disasters because they are beyond human control. Just when everyone thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, suddenly, there was a loud "boom," and the very thing Zhou Dajiang had worried about happened.