“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
Zhou Ling patted Xiaotu on the head, as she opened the door and walked inside their house.
“Tell me, Mommy, please tell me…” Xiaotu followed behind her mother and continued to nag at her.
“Ah, okay…” Xiaotu’s mother sighed, then she stooped down and pointed to the rain falling outside the window. She asked Xiaotu, “Do you see that it’s raining outside?”
“Yes, of course I see it.” Xiaotu nodded vigorously. “It’s been raining for such a long time. Brother Orange Juice and I haven’t even been able to go out and play.”
“Well, it’s also raining right now in the military district where your father is stationed. In fact, the rain is much heavier there where he is than it is here.” Zhou Ling thought it over for a little while, and then she patiently explained to Xiaotu, “After there’s heavy rain like this, the water levels of rivers and lakes will rise. Then, often the water will overwhelm the rivers and lakes and jump their banks. The water will then submerge all the dry land that is around the rivers and lakes, and in this way a flood occurs. Do you understand?”
“Yes…so the water overflows the rivers and covers the roads.” Xiaotu blinked her eyes as she nodded to show that she understood.
“That’s basically what it means. Where Daddy is, the water level has risen very, very high, and the people who live around there are struggling just to keep their heads above water.”
“Whoa…so does that mean it’s like a swimming pool?” Xiaotu asked with a fascinated expression on her face.
“Uh…you could say that, in a sense.” Xiaotu’s mother nodded, then continued, “But sadly, not everybody can swim, so your dad has been sent to rescue those people who can’t swim. After your dad is finished rescuing all those people, he will be able to return home.”
“Oh…” Xiaotu had a vague idea of what her father was doing, and she tilted her head as she thought about it for a little while. Then, suddenly, she shouted to her mother, “So Daddy is basically like Superman, rescuing people.”
“Correct.” Xiaotu’s mother caressed her fluffy head and smiled.
Yet this rain…when will it ever end…
Xiaotu batted her eyes as she gazed at the pouring rain and hoped that the sky would clear soon.
On June 25, the water levels in the Jiangsu Province had completely exceeded the water-level thresholds for a flood warning.
Then the water level for Nanjing Station reached 32.5 feet on July 6.
Due to the high water levels, the inland river drainage system became blocked, causing severe flooding externally and internally.
From the end of July until early September, there were seven consecutive flood peaks, and the Yangtze River’s main stream suffered a midstream tributary confluence. On July 29, Nanjing Station had a peak water level of 33.2 feet, the second highest ever recorded in history, and the water level continued to stay above 32.8 feet for 17 consecutive days.
During the entire summer break, rain continued to pour intermittently. Although occasionally there were one or two days when the sky was clear, it never lasted for very long. Soon, the rain would start pouring again.
Xiaotu occasionally saw her father appear on the news broadcasts. He wore a military uniform with camouflage patterns and carried a bag. Although his face and body were smeared with grime as he stood in waist-level water, he still appeared composed and strong.
“Mommy, Mommy, I just saw Daddy on TV!” Xiaotu quickly ran into the kitchen, tugged at her mother’s apron, and dragged her out in front of the TV.
The news broadcast was reporting about how the soldiers were heroically battling on the front line of this enormous tragedy, in the region that had been hardest hit by the flooding. Even though Xiaotu made her mother wait, looking at the TV, for quite a while, she didn’t catch sight of her father again.
Xiaotu turned around to look at her mother and saw her staring intently at the TV screen. Her lips were drawn into a tight line, while her face was full of hope and worry.