The water level in the river was still rising. It seemed to be rising very slowly. If one stared at it with their eyes, they could barely see the extent of the rise. However, every two hours, they would find that the water level had risen a little.
The sky that was filled with dark clouds seemed to be even darker. Even though it was not night yet, the people on the shore were still there filling up the sand and stones.
Zhang Zhong had already gone back to the fire once. A part of his clothes was dry, but a part was still wet. The heavy rain did not have the slightest intention of stopping. Zhang Zhong once again stood on the embankment.
"Master, if the water level really rises, where do you think it will break?" The bailiff's heart was tightly gripped at this moment. In a short four hours, the water level had risen another inch. As long as it rose another four inches, the lower part of the embankment would not be able to stop the flood.
How could Zhang Zhongshang know where the water level would break if it didn't drop? He could only force himself to be calm and said, "When the time comes, we'll see which place is dangerous. We'll get people to nail the stakes there and pile up the sandbags."
The bailiff nodded blankly. He did not have any good ideas. He could only save the place where it was dangerous.
Just as they were talking, water began to seep out of a section of the embankment. The seeping was not much, but under such heavy rain, it could be seen.
"Master, Master, here, here is the water, Master." A person in charge of monitoring the situation saw the situation and hurriedly shouted at Zhang Zhong. At this time, a clap of thunder sounded, causing the person's shout to be much softer. However, such a soft voice, in the ears of everyone, was louder than the clap of thunder that day.
Zhang Zhong turned his head to look, and his feet also moved. As he ran, he shouted, "Where is it? Don't be afraid. Come, bring the stakes over. Sandbags, sandbags."
The person who was arranged to carry the stakes did not dare to be negligent. He carried the sharp stakes and ran over. The people who were guarding the sandbags also immediately carried sandbags and rushed over.
"Nail, nail it for me. If there is a break, use people to block it. Take a rope, tie one person to one person. If we die, we die together." Zhang Zhong changed from his frail appearance. He took off his official robes, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped forward.
The yamen runner was so scared that he hugged Zhang Zhong, "Your Excellency, you can't go down. These people are still waiting for your order. This humble one will go down, let this humble one do it. This humble one can swim and is not afraid of this. Your Excellency, please put on your clothes. We haven't made a decision yet.
The commoners were stunned for a moment. Only when they heard the bailiff's words did they react. They didn't care if the dam was about to burst. They rushed up and smashed the wooden stakes with all their strength on the inside of the river. The ropes on the other side were also prepared. One by one, bare-chested young men were tied up one after another, waiting to block the dam when it burst.
After a quarter of an hour, the tense atmosphere was finally relieved. After the wood was nailed in and the sandbags were thrown in, everyone was no longer as worried as before even though there was still water seeping out of this section.
The two rows of wooden stakes were smashed into the river and sandbags were piled inside. For a while, there was no danger here.
The bailiff took the official robes that Zhang Zhong had just taken off and wanted to put it on for Zhang Zhong. It wasn't easy to put on this kind of official robes. When Zhang Zhong took it off, it had already been torn. He could only drape it over his body. After being soaked by the water, there was some mud on it. He didn't look much better than a beggar.
But it was this kind of official robes that was the real official robes in the eyes of the commoners. Even if it wasn't very decent, even if Zhang Zhong looked very embarrassed, in the eyes of the commoners, Zhang Zhong was a county magistrate. He had more authority than the other county magistrates.
Zhang Zhong was also scared for a while. He was really anxious just now and wanted to help. Now that he had calmed down, he ordered, "Send people to guard the other places. Absolutely do not allow any breach."
The commoners were very obedient and let people check the places one by one. The bailiffs also found ropes first. If there was any danger, they would jump in first without waiting for the county magistrate's order.
A waterproof lantern covered with oil paper was picked up and faintly shone on the river. The water seemed to have risen a little. In addition to the sound of rain and thunder, there was only the sound of the commoners working and the sound of digging sand and stones.
At this moment, the sound of nature seemed to be separated from the sound of people. They could all hear it, but they were so different. Just between these two sounds, a new sound was discovered. The sound of horses' hooves in the water came from afar.
The sound was getting louder and louder. There was also a waterproof lantern in front of the carriage. On the light yellow oil paper, there was a picture of two rice seedlings together with their eyes wide open.
When everyone was fixed on the lantern, the bailiffs in the inner yard suddenly carried Zhang Zhong up and crazily shouted, "Master, the young master and the young lady are here. Master, the young master and the young lady …"
Zhang Zhong was also shocked. He never would have thought that his son and daughter-in-law would suddenly come over at this time. Beside the carriage, there were also guards who were controlling the horses steadily. They stepped on the water with the same footsteps, making clattering sounds.
"Father, did you think it was too hot and came out to take a cold bath? What happened to your clothes? Did someone push you into the river? "
On the way here, Zhang Xiaobao met the guards who went to look for them. Knowing that it was dangerous here, he sped up and jumped off the carriage. Looking at the situation, he knew that everyone was worried, so he deliberately said a joke.
Zhang Zhong could not describe his current mood. He looked at his son and daughter-in-law and said, "Xiao Bao, they are going to break. What can you do?"
"Ah? Is it really dangerous? What can I do? Yes, I do. God told me where to break, but I don't agree. If I don't agree, then it will never happen. "
Xiaobao proudly said. He even raised his head to look at the sky. A large bolt of lightning flashed above his head. Xiaobao was so scared that he trembled. He reached out his hand to wipe his face. He still had that indifferent expression.
Others did not know whether what Zhang Xiaobao said was true or not, but the bailiffs next to him completely believed it. They echoed and shouted, "Did you see that? Our young master said that the place where the dike will break, if the young master says it will not happen, then it will not happen."
Zhang Zhong was really puzzled at this time. Was his son really a monster or an immortal? Could he even change the things of God? He asked uncertainly, "Xiao Bao, can you really make the place where the dike will not break?"
"Father, in fact, it is not certain. If God and I think the same and want to break at the same place, then I can't stop it. If God says that the place where the dike will break, that place may not be fixed, but if I say that the place will break, then it will definitely break. Father, wait for me and Cuckoo to look around and then choose the place where the dike should break."
Zhang Xiaobao said to his father like a tongue twister. He pulled Wang Juan and began to look around.
Zhang Zhong understood that his son did not come to prevent the dike from breaking, but to find a place where the dike would break. Seeing his son and daughter-in-law disappear in the heavy rain, Zhang Zhong did not know what to do.
After about half an hour, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan turned back like drowned rats.
"Father, this dike can't be blocked. We don't have a lake yet. Let people take advantage of this time to dig a channel and lead the water to the lake. Now that we have a lake, the matter of the river here is also solved."
Zhang Xiaobao finally chose a place. From there, the water could flow to the designated place and also bypass the place where the people lived at the bottom of the mountain. The dike there looked more stable than other places. It was okay to be stable, but it could not withstand damage.
Zhang Zhong heard his son's words and felt that it was indeed the case. He hesitated for a moment and asked Zhang Xiaobao, "Do you really want to do this?"
"Father, don't worry. It's just three days of rain. It may not be able to fill the lake. There is no other way. Do you really think that your son is an immortal? If I have that ability, I can just make some money. Why do I have to work so hard to make money? Father, hurry up and give the order. Otherwise, there will be water seeping in a while."
Zhang Xiaobao saw that his father had not made up his mind, so he scared his father a little. Just now, when he was walking around, he heard someone say that there was water seeping. Naturally, he also heard that his father was going to personally jump in to block the dike, which made him scared.
Zhang Zhong muttered 'I really want to do this' twice in a row, and finally made up his mind. His son was not an immortal, but his son was usually not wrong.
"Someone, over there, dig a channel for me. It will connect to the low-lying place behind. Be quick, don't dig the dike first."
Many people did not know what the county magistrate wanted to do, so they could only follow the order and dig according to Zhang Zhong's request.
With the help of the weak light of the waterproof lanterns and the lightning, they began to work as if their lives depended on it.
In just two hours, they had dug out a channel where the rainwater had seeped in. The deepest part of the channel was four feet deep and six feet wide. With this channel, it was impossible to smoothly drain the rainwater, but at least there was a direction to drain it.
If the water was not drawn over, the dike would burst from who knows where.
"Dig, dig on the dike, little by little, let the water come over first." Zhang Zhong then ordered.
A few of the bolder men tied ropes to their bodies, and with shovels in hand, went up to that spot, and began to dig up the soil and throw it into the river. After waiting for about seven or eight minutes, the river would be able to overflow the lower part and flow into the canal.
"Sandbags, sandbags, pile them up one zhang away from the channel. Pile them up tightly." Zhang Zhong shouted to those who were ready to carry the sandbags.
These people carried the sandbags and began to pile them up on both sides of the channel.
When the dike was dug and the water flowed down, the sandbags were piled up.
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