22: Heavy rain is coming

After more than five months of a heatwave, according to incomplete statistics, over ten million people nationwide have died from the heat. This number continues to climb as the days of extreme temperatures persist!

The entire world was longing for a heavy rain to relieve this parched and scorching world.

Just this afternoon, exhilarating news arrived.

Power would be restored promptly at nine o'clock tonight!

When people received this news, their eyes welled up with tears of excitement. Finally, they wouldn't have to endure houses that felt like steamers; they could enjoy the air conditioning to their heart's content!

There was even more explosive news: their city's official website announced that the military had found an underground freshwater lake and would supply water to specific districts at scheduled times every day.

Water would be supplied street by street in sequence, starting at one o'clock every morning, with each street receiving twenty seconds of water flow.

At this time, water was practically more precious than gold.

An hour before the water was due, almost everyone was too excited to sleep. They waited in front of their faucets, terrified of missing the supply time, and placed basins under every single tap in their homes.

People stared greedily at the faucets like they were staring at a peerless beauty, waiting only for the command to pounce with the utmost speed.

Ai Yue's family did not collect any water. They weren't lacking any and decided to leave the water for those who needed it more.

One o'clock in the morning arrived quickly. Everyone turned on their faucets. Perhaps because it had been so long since the last supply, the water flowing out was extremely murky.

Fortunately, it could still be drunk once it settled and was boiled. No one was picky at a time like this; they were terrified of thirst!

Twenty seconds flashed by. Although it wasn't much time, every household managed to collect two basins of water, which was much more than the daily rations they had been receiving.

Some people couldn't help but wail as they clutched their water basins; they finally saw a glimmer of hope in their lives.

Little did they know, the extreme heat was just the appetizer of the natural disasters; the even more terrifying parts were yet to come.

Many years later, when people looked back, they couldn't help but curse their own stupidity. The days of extreme heat were actually the happiest days of the Apocalypse—at least they didn't worry about food and drink, and social order was stable.

With the restoration of water and electricity, social production fully resumed. Working hours for all walks of life were shifted to the night, with people sleeping at home during the day.

Just when people thought life would continue this way indefinitely, it rained!

One moment the sun was blazing, and the next, dark clouds loomed. As if a deity had cast a spell, the weather changed abruptly, and the air suddenly turned cool.

It happened so fast that people thought they were hallucinating. They couldn't help but rub their eyes, watching the churning dark clouds on the horizon in disbelief.

Standing in the open space of the garden, Ai Yue also looked up at the sky, marveling once again at the wonders of nature. Although she had seen the scenes of every natural disaster transition in her previous life, seeing it again still felt miraculous.

The people of the world were stunned for a moment before snapping out of it. They ran outside in a frenzy, crying and laughing at the sky.

More and more people joined the cheering crowd, celebrating that it was finally going to rain and the extreme heat was finally coming to an end.

Amidst the cheers, raindrops the size of beans fell onto the frantic faces of the people. Adults wept with joy as they cupped the rainwater, while children were like wild horses broken loose, running and playing in the rain.

Some shrewd people brought out basins and buckets to collect water. Seeing this, more people rushed home to find containers of their own.

The rain grew heavier. Within minutes, it was as if a hole had been punctured in the sky, and the rain came down in a deluge.

Only when they were soaked to the bone like drowned rats did the people reluctantly return home.

At some point, the wind picked up.

Ai Yue stood by the window, watching the wind grow stronger. It gradually turned into a howling gale that violently slammed against the walls, accompanied by the torrential rain that made the blast-proof glass clatter loudly.

Those who hadn't made it home in time were swept away by the gale, vanishing in a whirl... Cars parked outside the residential area were flipped over by the force of the wind, and trees that weren't thick enough were snapped in half... It was like an angry child violently tearing the house apart.

The dark clouds in the distance hung lower and lower, as if poised to destroy the entire city. It grew darker as well; the rain blocked the view of the distance, leaving everything a hazy blur, like a monster slowly devouring the light.

Ai Yue and her parents finished their day's training and stopped paying attention to the outside world. After eating, they went straight to sleep.

In the morning, Ai Yue pulled open the blackout curtains. Outside, it was still a torrential downpour, with the wind and rain howling in a tangled mess.

In just one night, the drainage system had failed, and the city roads were a vast ocean. Not only that, but the first floor had flooded in the middle of the night, making it uninhabitable. The first-floor residents had to go to the second floor to sleep on the floor for the night.

Most critically, the electricity that had only been back for a few days was out again. The base stations were submerged and completely ruined. One can imagine the bitterness in people's hearts.

Ai Yue scrolled through the Jinhua owners' group chat. The first-floor residents were cursing and complaining about their misery. Their floor was flooded and completely uninhabitable, and they were asking if anyone had a spare room to take them in temporarily until the rain stopped, promising generous compensation... But after experiencing the extreme heat, who would dare to take someone in so casually? Besides, the power was out again, and no one knew when the rain would stop. If it lasted for six months like the heatwave, which family could afford to sustain that?

If they had a momentary lapse in judgment and let them in out of pity, what if they were inviting wolves into their home? With the torrential rain outside, rescue teams couldn't get in; it was too dangerous!

Furthermore, food was a major issue. Although the water problem was solved, food and shelter remained significant concerns.

The greatest fear was that neighbors helping each other would lead to conflict. After all, a small favor earns gratitude, but a large one breeds resentment.

The group chat remained silent for a long time.

Ai Yue didn't bother looking anymore. She tossed her phone aside and called her parents to start their daily special training.

After training, Ai Yue took out her long-neglected tablet to watch variety shows. Her parents, unable to sit idle and unwilling to look at the wretched world or watch TV, moved their operations to the kitchen.

Under Li Shilan's hands, various snacks were whipped up: stinky tofu, liangpi, wine-braised meatballs, roasted gluten, hot and sour rice noodles, malatang, pickled chicken feet, and more—all of which were Ai Yue's favorites.

Smelling the aroma, Ai Yue bounced over. "Mom, what delicious things are you making? It smells so good, I'm practically drooling."

Seeing Ai Yue's greedy look, Li Shilan felt immense satisfaction. "Come and see for yourself, then you'll know!"

"Wow, so many snacks? Mom, how did you know I've been craving these lately? Are you the roundworm in my stomach?"

"Who's a roundworm in your stomach? Show some respect!" Ai Guosheng said with a glare, sounding displeased.

"Hmph, Dad, you're really something. Mom hasn't even said anything and you're already unhappy. That's my mom." Ai Yue puffed out her cheeks and glared back, refusing to back down.

"She's also my wife..."

Li Shilan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Oh, alright now. You're both such grown-ups, yet you're acting like children. Yueyue, hurry and try some. Is it good?"

"Mm-hmm." Ai Yue made a face at Ai Guosheng and happily began to feast.

The leftovers were put into the space while still hot. Time was frozen inside the space; whatever went in came out exactly the same. That was why Li Shilan had made so much.

Three days later, the rain was still falling, the gale was still blowing, and the water level continued to rise. This time, not only was the first floor uninhabitable, but the second floor was also submerged.

The entire city was plunged into water. All the trees had been snapped by the gale, and the floodwaters in the streets were filled with broken roots, making the already difficult rescue efforts even harder and progress even slower.