Chapter 50: Harmony between Military and Civilians

  Our team has been struggling in Xinhu Township for seven days, and on the fourth day, we can sleep for a few hours.

  It was then after the disaster season, many villagers had also begun to return home one after another to clean up their homes that were destroyed by floodwaters.

  On the eighth day, we received our mission. Some people carried a bag of rice, some carried several boxes of instant noodles, water and some dry food.

  All of these foods need to be carried on shoulders and delivered to remote villages on foot, door-to-door, as the villagers there have been without water or electricity for several days due to this flood, and today it was reported that they are now running out of food.

  After we had all received our things, the team leader began ordering us to set off.

  From Xinhu Township Government to Qiaotou Village is 18 kilometers, we can only take the bus for about 7 kilometers and then get off and walk, and also need to walk on mountain roads.

  Because the roads and some trails there have been blocked by landslides from the mountains.

  The car can't go up and can't come down.

  When we hiked down to the riverbank, the water flow there was extremely fierce.

  Our path was blocked again. As long as we crossed this river, we would arrive at Xin Qiao Village. Originally, there was a suspension bridge here, but it was washed away by the flood this time. Even the large iron stakes with fixed iron locks on both sides were pulled out from the roots, which made us think that the situation at that time was so severe.

  I still remember when we had dinner at the township government, the auntie who cooked in the kitchen told us that on the night of the incident, it felt like the end was near. First, the power suddenly went out, then there were loud rumbling sounds, and soon after, the river water and reservoir water invaded their village.

  The village head looked at the situation in front and said to our company commander: "Commander, what can we do? We didn't expect that overnight the water from the reservoir started flowing here again."

  "Yes, the river's current is too strong. If we force our way through, the soldiers might be swept away by the rapid flow." The instructor said after taking a look.

  We stopped in our tracks and asked the village head of Xinhu Township: "Village Head, is there any other way to get to Qiaotou Village?"

  The village head thought carefully for a long time before shaking his head helplessly.

  Just as we were all about to give up, the company commander suddenly walked in. The company commander stood in the river and tested how deep the water was. When he got halfway, he didn't dare go any further because if he went forward, he would definitely be washed away by the rushing river water.

  After walking back for a long time, Chao shouted at a row of tall buildings.

  "Sun Pai Chang."

  One of the soldiers heard the company commander calling him and immediately put down the rice on his shoulder and ran towards the company commander.

  Arrived.

  Lian Chang took a look at the opposite bank of the river and then said to a row of soldiers, "Call the logistics director and have him send a cook over with a rope, the longer and thicker the better."

  "Yes."

  Let's start by having us rest on the spot for a while.

  The village head asked our company commander: "Commander Chen, Qiaotou Village is currently the most severely affected village in our town. Is there any way to let them drink clean water?"

  Lian Chang deliberated for a long time before responding, "Director Wu, based on our past experience with disaster relief, I suggest that you procure some water pipes in your township. I can arrange for our soldiers to connect the pipes directly from the water source to Qiaotou Village, so that they can get water from the pipes when the time comes, which will solve their drinking water problem."

  "Ah, I should have thought of that earlier. Sorry about that, Commander Chen. You've seen us make fools of ourselves. This is the first time New Lake Township has encountered a disaster like this in years." Mayor Wu said with a laugh, slapping his thigh.

  "Director Wu, I understand you, your current workload is extremely heavy."

  At this time, our instructor asked Wu Xiangzhang: "Wu Xiangzhang, is there any water source near Qiaotou Village?"

  The village headman thought for a moment and said: "There is one, just in a place not far from us, there is a well, usually villagers take water from there."

  Lian Chang and the instructor nodded, both having their own ideas in mind.

  About 20 minutes later, the cook corporal came here with a very thick hemp rope, panting heavily.

  "Chen Feng." The squad leader shouted at the head of the rope towards the seventh class monitor.

  "Here." Class monitor Chen Feng stood up and replied.

  Then he went running towards Lianchang.

  "You tie the rope around your waist, we'll pull you over, and after you get to the other side, secure the rope," Lian Chang said.

  "Yes. Commissar, I guarantee the completion of the task." Chen Feng replied after saluting the commissar.

  Then Lian Chang personally tied the rope around Chen Feng's waist.

  When Classmate Chenfeng walked towards the river, we tightly grasped the rope. When he walked a certain distance, we would loosen the rope a bit. If Classmate Chenfeng was in any danger, we would immediately pull him back with all our might.

  When Chen Feng, the class monitor, successfully made it to the other side, we finally breathed a sigh of relief.

  Chen Feng fixed the rope and our side, Lian Chang tied the rope to the tree, tightly tying three dead knots.

  At this time, Lian Chang began to cut the remaining rope into sections with a dagger.

  "Company Commander shouted to the squad leaders and veterans: 'One officer and one veteran come over and each take a stick.'"

  Some of our new recruits were perplexed and didn't know what this was all about.

  When the class leaders and old soldiers tied their bodies around their waists, we knew what it was for.

  It turned out that the class leader and the old soldiers tied the rope to their waists, lined up and started tying the rope on their waists to the fixed rope. The rope couldn't be tied too tightly either, because they still had to move in the river water.

  The squad leaders and veterans lined up and walked into the river water. After they stood in the river, the company commander ordered us new recruits to pass on the disaster relief supplies to them.

  The first veteran received the supplies we passed on and began to pass them on to the veterans in front.

  It was by such means that we successfully transported the supplies across the river.

  We are very impressed with Lian Chang's approach, which not only reduces the danger but also safely delivers disaster relief supplies to the other side of the river, and even the village head gives Lian Chang a thumbs up.

  We thought that after letting the village headman off at Lianchang, he wouldn't follow us to the other side of the river and take this risk with us, but unexpectedly, the village headman insisted on continuing forward with us.

  Finally, we arrived at Qiaotou Village smoothly.

  We started delivering relief supplies to the villagers.

  The villagers thanked us warmly. When they learned that we would solve the problem of drinking water as soon as possible, some elderly people were moved to tears.

  There is a saying that goes like this: The relationship between the military and civilians is as inseparable as fish and water. The military loves the people, the people support the military, and the bond between them runs deeper than the ocean.

  After delivering the relief supplies, we returned to the other side of the river and waited for the village head to send over pipes and water pumps.

  It's already time for lunch.

  We sat on the ground and simply ate some dry rations we had brought with us.

  When the pipes and pumps arrived, we passed them on in the same way as when delivering relief supplies. After connecting the pipes section by section, many large water tanks were brought over by the villagers from across the river.

  After doing all this, we will fix the pump with a rope and slowly lower it into the well.

  After the water pump worked for a while, villagers on the other side of the river excitedly shouted towards us: "The water has come! The water has come! Thank you, Liberation Army!"

  At this moment, our hearts are filled with joy and satisfaction, all the hard work in these days is worthwhile.

  Floods have no emotions, but humans do.