The village chief wanted to call Yang Yufen but hesitated and eventually gave up.
The next day, rain began to fall again—not heavily, but the chief still used the loudspeaker to summon the villagers, asking each household to send one person to the brigade office for a meeting.
"It's been raining continuously. I called around and learned that other towns upstream along the Han River are also experiencing heavy rainfall. The water level in the dam has risen significantly. We're downstream, in the flood discharge area. Over twenty years ago, there was a major flood—I’m sure many of you still remember."
The chief’s words weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.
"We’ll form a patrol team to monitor the water levels around the clock. If the rain continues, harvest whatever crops you can. If not, prioritize safety. Be prepared."
Similar announcements echoed across other brigades, and phone calls between them grew more frequent.
The situation was quickly reported up the chain of command, drawing serious attention from higher authorities.
Yang Yufen finally took out her radio and listened daily to the updates. Hearing that the leadership was taking decisive action eased her worries somewhat.
Not burdening the state was the simplest and best thing she could do.
Yaoyao was on break, but Wang Shuo was swamped with work, and Fang Fen was equally busy. As a result, Aunt Wang and Yaoyao became frequent visitors at Yang Yufen’s place.
The two elderly women listened to the radio and chatted while Yaoyao played with the twins—doing homework in the morning and kicking a ball or jumping rope in the afternoon.
"I called the village yesterday, but the line was dead. They must have already evacuated to safety."
"That’s good. In times of disaster, there’s nothing anyone can do. Thank goodness for our leaders and our soldiers—they rush to the front lines, putting ordinary folks’ safety first."
"Absolutely."
Yang Yufen thought back to her past life, when floods struck, and the People’s Liberation Army had always been the first to respond.
Then her mind drifted to her missing son—who knew where he’d run off to? Not that it mattered. He was a grown man, tough as nails.
"Ah! Grandma! Grandma! Granny Yang! The baby rolled off the bed!"
Yaoyao’s panicked voice rang out. Yang Yufen dropped what she was holding and rushed inside to find Yaoyao sitting on the floor, cradling the child in her arms.
Yang Yufen scooped the baby up and placed him back on the bed, then turned to see Yaoyao pushing herself up from the ground.
"Let Granny Yang check—where does it hurt? Tell me, and I’ll take you to the doctor."
"Granny Yang, I’m fine! I just got scared when the baby suddenly rolled over."
Yaoyao waved her hands dismissively.
"Really, no pain?"
"The little one’s starting to roll over now. We’ll have to keep a closer eye on him from now on."
Aunt Wang, who had arrived a step later, took Yaoyao’s hand and inspected it carefully.
"Grandma, I’m really okay! I caught him in time."
Yaoyao held out her palm—still soft and fair, with just a faint pink flush.
Yang Yufen wasn’t entirely convinced. She gently pressed Yaoyao’s bones, checking her tailbone.
Yaoyao burst into giggles.
"Granny Yang, that tickles! Hehehe~"
"Seems like she’s fine."
Aunt Wang exhaled in relief at Yaoyao’s laughter.
"We should get some bamboo and make a bed rail. Once they start rolling, crawling and standing won’t be far behind."
Yang Yufen patted the baby’s head—a superstitious gesture to ward off fright—though the child seemed fearless.
The twins were opposites in temperament. Though they looked alike, they were easy to tell apart—the elder was lively, the younger quiet. The older one cried loudly, while the younger was much more reserved.
Suddenly, the radio broadcast cut off.
Yang Yufen and Aunt Wang exchanged glances—something big must have happened.
At the military base:
"All units assemble immediately! Proceed to the disaster zone at top speed!"
In government offices:
"Spare no expense! The safety of the people comes first!"
In the residential compound, women’s director Zhao Lian gathered everyone together.
"The relentless rain has left our fellow citizens suffering, forced to leave their homes. While disaster relief is underway at the front lines, let’s also contribute what we can—donate old clothes, unused items, anything to help our compatriots pull through."
People gave money, supplies, and grain. Even those usually stingy didn’t hold back this time.
Yang Yufen quietly donated three hundred yuan.
"It’s for the children’s karma. The disaster struck my hometown too."
Zhao Lian was taken aback by Yang Yufen’s generosity.
"Granny Yang, on behalf of the people, thank you."
Three hundred yuan was no small sum. Zhao Lian knew Yang Yufen was raising two children and running a small business—hardly a lucrative venture.
Yang Yufen said nothing more. If not for the twins, she might have gone back to help with relief efforts herself.
In her past life, they had sensed the danger early—the endless rain, the swarming pests. The village chief had acted decisively, leading the evacuation.
But the year that followed was bitterly hard. The village phone lines remained down until just a month before Qin Nian called her.
She resented it all—her son’s disregard for her at his wedding, the lack of concern from him and his wife after the disaster, the absence of his presence among the soldiers who came to help.
July slipped away amid hardship. August arrived with the nation united in disaster relief.
"Sister Wang, what’s my godson been up to lately?"
Thinking of that difficult year, Yang Yufen wanted to do more.
"He’s still buried in his sweet potato research. Sigh..."
Aunt Wang sighed.
Yang Yufen immediately sensed trouble.
"What’s wrong?"
"Sweet potatoes kept people alive during the hardest times, but they’re not proper grain. Eating too much makes people sick. If not for you last year, his honey sweet potatoes wouldn’t have had a chance this year."
Aunt Wang spoke slowly. Several professors researching the same field as Wang Shuo had already abandoned their projects to focus on other crops.
"The higher-ups cut his experimental plots. If not for July’s floods, they’d have been plowed under already."
"Sweet potatoes are good—not as filling as grain, but they’re emergency food. Now that the floods have wiped out the crops, replanting might be too late. I wanted to ask my godson if there’s anything that can be planted now for a quick harvest. Otherwise, this year will be wasted."
As fellow farmers, they shared a deep connection to the land.
"You’re right. I’ll have Fang Fen fetch him."
