At night, Yang Yufen tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly, until she suddenly jolted awake.
It came back to her—the rain, the heavy rain, the torrential downpour.
How could she have forgotten?
But natural disasters were beyond anyone’s control, and with the recent crackdown on feudal superstitions, even if she knew what was coming, she couldn’t reveal anything. What should she do?
Yang Yufen couldn’t stay in bed any longer. Her hometown was about to be submerged. The relentless rain had already alerted the brigade leader, who had organized an early evacuation. The only pity was the crops, so close to harvest.
With this in mind, Yang Yufen decided to buy grain the next day. That winter was also going to be unusually cold.
She needed to make thick cotton coats for the children and call the brigade leader.
She wondered how Niannian was doing—would the floods affect them too?
For the first time, Yang Yufen was snapped out of her thoughts by a child’s crying. She quickly cleaned the baby up and prepared formula.
By the time she finished, dawn had already broken.
The child had just fallen asleep and, as usual, wouldn’t wake for another two hours.
Yang Yufen hopped on her tricycle and went to buy grain.
Since it was the start of the month, the grain store was crowded.
She bought as much as she could. If it were just her, she wouldn’t worry, but she had two children and a daughter-in-law whose whereabouts were unknown. If she didn’t stock up now, it would be hard to scramble for food later with the kids in tow.
After buying grain, Yang Yufen rushed to get formula. When she hurried back home, she found Professor Wen waiting at her doorstep.
"Out shopping?"
"Yes, the rain last night made me uneasy, so I went to stock up on formula for the kids."
"That’s wise. Actually, I came to warn you—don’t go out these days. There’s a crackdown coming from above. Money can wait, but safety comes first."
Professor Wen’s words stirred more memories in Yang Yufen.
Right, the crackdown was coming, and it would be severe, lasting well into the next year.
"Got it. I’ll stay home with the kids. We’ve got a supply and marketing cooperative here, and I’ve stocked up on formula. But I wanted to send some things to Niannian—do you think that’s possible?"
Professor Wen shook his head. "Niannian can’t have contact with the outside world. Don’t worry, though—they’re in a safe place."
A child’s cry came from inside the house.
"The baby’s awake. I’d better tend to them."
Yang Yufen hastily unlocked the door.
"Of course. I should get going too."
Professor Wen would’ve liked to see the children longer, but time was tight.
After soothing the child and tidying up, Yang Yufen realized it was already noon.
"Aunt Yang, there’s a young girl at the residential gate looking for you."
"Thanks for letting me know."
Yang Yufen guessed it was Fan Juan.
Sure enough.
"Aunt Yang, I came to tell you we should pause our business for now. Things are getting complicated. I’ll come back when it’s safe."
"Understood. Are you still renting the courtyard? If not, I’ll refund the rest of your rent."
Yang Yufen wasn’t one to take advantage of Fan Juan.
"I’ll keep renting it. It’s close to the school and safe enough. I just can’t run the business for now. Here’s the rent for the second half of the year."
Fan Juan discreetly handed the money to Yang Yufen.
"Alright. You take care of yourself too. I won’t keep you—the kids are inside."
Yang Yufen wasn’t the only one with a heads-up. Small-time vendors and traders all quickly laid low.
The rains in July were relentless. Biding her time, Yang Yufen finally called the brigade leader on the 15th.
Even through the phone line, she could hear the heavy rain pounding outside.
"What brings you to call? I thought you’d be looking for Gui Xiang."
The brigade leader still didn’t know about Shen Xianjun’s disappearance.
"With all this rain, I’m worried about the crops. How are things there?"
"It’s raining here too, but it’s manageable for now."
"Just started? It’s been pouring here for days—can’t even step outside."
Yang Yufen exaggerated a little.
"I remember one year, it rained like this nonstop. The crops failed, and many in the village starved. That winter was especially harsh. I meant to ask Gui Xiang if she planted any cotton this year."
She brought it up casually. Phone calls were expensive, and she didn’t want to raise suspicion, so she wrapped up the conversation quickly.
On the other end, the brigade leader listened to the dial tone before locking the phone away. The rain outside hadn’t seemed like a big deal—until now.
"Maybe I’m overthinking it," he muttered, trying to reassure himself. But his feet carried him to the riverbank anyway, clad in a raincoat.
Their area was the lowest-lying. If the floodgates opened, they’d be hit first.
The low terrain usually meant no water shortages, but in a downpour, trouble arrived earliest.
He checked the water level, stuck a branch into the bank as a marker, and watched for a while before heading back.
The next day, after a brief respite, the sky darkened again. Frowning, the brigade leader returned to the river and planted another branch in a new spot.
On the third day, the rain stopped. Relieved, he led the team back to the fields.
Maybe he’d overreacted—Yang Yufen’s words had spooked him.
But as he turned toward home, his steps veered back to the river.
The Han River was murky after the rain. At first, he didn’t see the branch he’d planted, assuming someone had taken it. Then his gaze sharpened.
No—this wasn’t right.
He stuck another, more visible branch into the bank and hurried back to the brigade office. Unlocking the phone, he flipped through his contacts and dialed a number.
"Hey, old comrade, it’s Shen Aiguo. Remember me?"
"Of course! Didn’t think you’d ever call."
"Is it raining there?" The brigade leader’s voice was tense.
"Yeah, pouring today. No idea what’s going on. I’ll check the dam’s water level later."
"Has it been raining for days?"
"Yeah—what about your side?" The man on the other end caught the urgency.
"We had a break yesterday, but the water’s still rising."
"Keep an eye on it. Call me if anything changes. If I’m not here, leave a message."
After exchanging warnings, they hung up.
