1959Siheyuan, a Turnaround

When everyone arrived at Liu's house, the scene before them was like a nightmare.

Most of the original roof of the Liu family's house had collapsed at this moment. Tiles, soil, and broken wood were scattered all over the ground, mixed with rain water, forming puddles of mud in the Liu family's house.

Inside the house, the darkness was so thick that it could not be dispelled. The cries of children and the shouts of adults were intertwined, and each sound was heart-wrenching.

The second aunt was trapped under a pile of broken wood. The pungent smell of dust mixed with the fishy smell of rain hit her in the face, choking her and making her cough repeatedly.

She stretched out her arms with difficulty, trying to grab something. The rough wood thorns pierced her skin, bringing excruciating pain, but she ignored them all and shouted, "Guangqi, Guangtian, Guangfu, where are you..."

Her voice was trembling and desperate, with a tone of crying. The rain slid down her dusty face, and she couldn't tell whether it was rain or tears. The salty taste flowed into the corners of her mouth, but she didn't care.

Every time she shouted, her throat felt like it was being torn apart, but she didn't dare stop, for fear that if she stopped, the children would completely disappear in the darkness.

Liu Haizhong fell against the wall with blood gushing out of his head. The warm blood was instantly diluted by the cold rain, dyeing the mud around him red.

His eyes were filled with fear and confusion, and his usual airs were long gone.

The severe pain in his head made him dizzy, as if the whole world was spinning.

He waved his hands feebly in the air, trying to prop himself up, but every time he moved, the injured part felt like being pricked by thousands of needles. The pain made him gasp for air, and he could only fall down again and again due to pain and exhaustion.

He murmured to himself, "It's over, it's all over now..." The voice was so weak that it almost disappeared in the sound of wind and rain.

The eldest brother, Liu Guangqi, was still conscious. The heavy wood pressing on his back made it almost impossible for him to breathe. He felt dull pain in his ribs, as if his chest was about to collapse.

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, mixed with the rain, and flowed into his eyes, causing a sour and stinging pain, but he didn't bother to wipe them away.

He tried his best to use his body to protect his younger brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. His ears were filled with his brothers' cries of fear, each one beating against his heart.

He gritted his teeth and said nothing, but kept comforting his two younger brothers: "Don't be afraid, I'm here, someone will come to save us..."

Every word he spoke seemed to take up all his strength, but he knew that at this moment he was the pillar of support for his brothers.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu hid behind their brother, crying so hard that they couldn't breathe and their bodies shook uncontrollably.

The rain soaked their thin clothes, and the coldness eroded their bodies bit by bit, making their hands and feet cold.

The pungent dust and bloody smell almost suffocated them, and their little hearts were completely crushed by this sudden disaster. Liu Guangtian choked up and said, "Brother, I'm afraid..."

Her voice was tearful and trembling violently, and her hands were tightly grasping the corner of her brother's clothes, as if that was their only lifeline.

Liu Guangfu burst into tears, his face covered with snot and tears. He could only shrink helplessly into his brother's arms. He was so filled with fear that he couldn't even finish his words.

When the rescuers saw this scene, their hearts tightened.

He Daqing rushed in first and shouted, "Don't panic, save people first!" His voice was firm and powerful, piercing through the wind, rain and crying.

Everyone responded immediately. Some carefully moved the wood that was pressing on the second aunt. Every time they moved a piece, they were afraid of causing her further harm. They touched the damp and cold wood chips with their hands and prayed silently in their hearts that she would not be hurt.

Someone helped the injured Liu Haizhong up and bandaged the wound on his head with a piece of cloth they had found temporarily. The rain wet the bandage and blood soon seeped out again. Everyone was anxious when they saw the blood that was constantly oozing out.

Others worked together to lift the thick wood that was pressing on Liu Guangqi. Liu Guangqi groaned in pain but held back his voice. Everyone was moved by the child's strength.

The strong winds and heavy rains were like a mad prehistoric beast, wreaking havoc on everything on the earth with its fangs and claws.

With everyone's concerted efforts, the Liu family was finally rescued safely and sent to He Daqing's house.

At that moment, everyone's clothes were already soaked and stuck tightly to their bodies. Rain water kept dripping down their hair and corners of their clothes, forming small puddles under their feet.

Everyone's face was filled with fatigue, with big raindrops on their foreheads intertwining and sliding down their cheeks, but there was a hint of relief in the fatigue.

Several young and strong men carried the Liu family members, staggering and trudging through the mud. Every step seemed to be on cotton, one deep and one shallow, for fear that if they were not careful, the Liu family members who had just escaped from danger would suffer again.

Someone nearby was holding up an "umbrella" made of oilcloth to protect the Liu family members on the stretcher from wind and rain, but the strong wind almost overturned the "umbrella" several times. They could only shout "Hold on, hold on" loudly while holding on tightly with their other hand.

When I walked into He Daqing's house, a mixed smell of dampness hit me in the face.

"Everyone, come inside. Lao Liu is injured, and Guang Qi is also seriously injured..."

Everyone quickly squeezed in, giving the Liu family a place to rest.

The Liu family's still usable items were also rescued by everyone and piled up in a corner.

The pots and pans collided with each other, making a clanging sound, as if silently telling the horror of the disaster.

At this moment, He Daqing's house, which was not spacious to begin with, seemed even more crowded. People were shoulder to shoulder, feet touching feet. If they moved a little, they would bump into others, but there was no complaint from people.

Now they are lucky enough to have a place to take refuge, so they don't have the energy to look for trouble.

The Liu family was shivering with cold and their bodies were soaked by the heavy rain.

His teeth were chattering uncontrollably, making crisp sounds as they bumped against each other. His lips had already turned purple from the cold and were trembling slightly.

Liu Guangfu snuggled tightly in the arms of Second Auntie like a frightened little animal, his little face red from the cold, his eyes full of fear and helplessness, his body twitching from time to time, obviously frightened by the thrilling scene just now.

Especially in the bangs, the wound on the head was still oozing blood. The blood mixed with rain water flowed down the cheek and dripped onto the muddy ground, creating glaring blood flowers.

His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were empty and lifeless, his usual stubbornness and pride had long since disappeared without a trace, leaving only endless regret and fear.

He slumped over on the ground, his legs stretched out helplessly, his hands hanging at his sides, letting the rain slide down his hands.

The neighbors in the house looked at the miserable state of the Liu family and couldn't help but secretly feel fortunate that they reacted quickly enough and ran to He Daqing's house to take shelter from the rain as soon as possible.

Their eyes lingered on the Liu family for a moment, their eyes full of pity. Some of them sighed softly and muttered quietly: "Alas, this family has suffered so much."

But then he looked out the window at the heavy rain, and worry quickly appeared on his face.

They knew that although they had escaped the disaster for the time being, their house was still leaking, and no one knew whether the roof would suddenly collapse like the Liu family's.