"Lord County Magistrate, most of the surrounding villages have been evacuated, but the people in some villages ran here regardless of hearing that you were here. There are also other migrating villages that have fallen behind and came after hearing the news.

They all gathered together.

"Everyone refused to leave no matter how hard I tried to persuade them, so we had no choice but to connect to the sluice gate. It's too dangerous to stay on the river beach below..."

Ouyang Rong looked startled.

The officials responsible for evacuating the villagers buried their heads, took a step forward, and said bitterly:

"Sir, it has been raining non-stop, and many mudslides have occurred along the middle section of Butterfly Creek. Debris and trees have blocked the river channel, and too many people have gathered to transport it out.

"Two of the ships you brought have capsized. The remaining ships sent to transport supplies downstream have also lost contact. I don't know if they can bring new supplies for support."

Ouyang Rong fell silent, and the fire that was originally burning in his heart was extinguished, and he swallowed back the words of blame.

He turned his head and looked silently at the crowd of people on the sluice dam.

Under a cloudy sky.

The sluice dam across the Yuenv Gorge is like a slender and stubborn straight line, connecting Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain on both sides of the Yuenv Gorge.

Ahead is the unpredictable and moody Yunmengze, and behind is Butterfly Creek, where frequent mudslides have blocked the way back.

Just such a wide and narrow dam was now crowded with hundreds of villagers, as well as their miscellaneous packages and luggage, all crowded together.

Surrounded by howling winds and falling raindrops.

Wet and cold.

Ouyang Rong raised his hand and wiped the wet face with stiff muscles under the bamboo hat.

Looking around, on this narrow gate and dam, the villagers were crowded with heads, and pairs of clear or cloudy black eyes were frequently looking at him.

There were also a group of dejected officials standing around.

There is a group of brave young people who work hard and carry sandbags on their backs.

There were also men like Liu Ashan who followed him silently.

The chaotic information in the environment, the different expressions of everyone...all the feedback from the surroundings turned into a mountain-like wave that rushed towards Ouyang Rong's bloodshot eyes.

At this moment, he suddenly felt very tired, not only the tiredness of the beating heart in his chest, but also...the powerlessness in his heart.

Although he pushed himself to the front without thinking, in fact... he is just an ordinary person?

An ordinary person who just wants to accumulate merit and go home.

Just a college student who had just graduated from his previous life and was preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination for World War II?

Ouyang Rong did not waver.

He never wavered when he aimed at one thing.

Whether you decided to take the postgraduate entrance examination, climbed out of the underground palace to take a look, or decided to go home.

He just suddenly doubted whether he could do it and hold the only sluice in front of him.

He's just...a little tired.

"Excuse me...is this Ouyang Mingfu?"

An old man with a gray beard dressed as a village chief came out of the silent villagers and asked cautiously.

It interrupted Ouyang Rong's trance.

"It's me... I'm the officer."

Ouyang Rong nodded and replied. The official uniform he was wearing when he came had been thrown away. Now he was wearing a raincoat.

Ouyang Rong took off his bamboo hat and tried his best to smile at the trembling, gray-haired Hu Cun old man with a timid face.

The gray-bearded old man's face turned to one of surprise, and he turned around and said happily to the people staggering behind him:

"Your Excellency the County Magistrate! It's the Lord County Magistrate! The County Magistrate is here! Everyone, get up and take a look. Don't worry, we will definitely be saved!"

"Your Excellency the County Magistrate? You are really the Lord County Magistrate! I met your Excellency the County Magistrate at the disaster relief camp..."

"I'm just saying that the water gate must be fine. The county magistrate is here and it was built by you. It can definitely be held. We don't have to run away..."

In the crowd of villagers who were originally silent, the name of a certain young county magistrate came alive like a shot of chicken blood.

The cordial shouts resounded through the originally solemn sluice dam, even drowning out the noisy rain.

Ouyang Rong was stunned.

In the crowd of women, children, old and young, there were faces with expressions of surprise blooming like flowers, and passionate voices that seemed to come from the bottom of their hearts, which made Ouyang Rong feel a little confused for a moment.

The old man with a gray beard, leaning on a cane, took a step forward and led the villagers behind him to salute.

Ouyang Rong hurriedly stepped forward to help.

"You're welcome, old man."

"Mingfu."

After being helped up, the old man with gray beard showed a look of hope on his old face and asked:

"It's raining a lot. Is Dickong Gate going to be fine?

"We heard a message from the officials in the village saying, Mingfu, you said there is no need to be afraid of rising water, and that the Dickong Gate will not collapse as long as you are here. We all believe it, but everyone wants to come and bring you some food.

I heard you were at the gate."

Ouyang Rong silently looked at the pickled radish, eggs, steamed buns and other local specialties that the villagers in front of him were handing over.

He opened his mouth, but when the words reached his throat, he swallowed them silently.

Facing the simple eyes of hope and hope from all directions.

Ouyang Rong put on his bamboo hat again and pressed the hat firmly on his head with his palms. He reached out with his other hand and directly grabbed the steamed bun that a little girl with horns was holding in front of her, and took a big bite.

The buns were cold and hard.

Ouyang Rong puffed up his cheeks and chewed with gusto.

He lifted up the brim of his hat with his index finger, revealed a pair of bright, torch-like eyes to the crowd, and spoke in a hoarse but sonorous voice:

"Everything will be fine at Di Gongzha! As long as we are here, it doesn't matter, folks, don't be afraid!"

The villagers on the gate and dam burst into joy.

Liu Ashan and other men, as well as the surrounding officials, couldn't help but look at the young county magistrate who was soaked in the rain in the middle of the crowd.

Standing like a pine or cypress, you have been exposed to the wind and rain for a long time, but your spirit is restored again.

The old man with a gray beard looked around and seemed to notice that the officials around him had expressions of embarrassment. The old man sighed and said in an apologetic tone:

"Hey, Mingfu, everyone has gathered here, are they causing trouble for you?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head and smiled:

"What's causing trouble? The folks came at the right time. We all need you!"

The old man with a gray beard and all the villagers looked at each other with stunned expressions on their faces.

Ouyang Rong no longer delayed and quickly made arrangements.

Of course, the women, children, and children among the hundreds of villagers are not suitable to continue to stay on the sluice dam.

Under Ouyang Rong's earnest temptation, all the women, children, old and young moved to the nearby Longbei Mountain and Caifeng Mountain.

At the same time, patient camps and rest camps were set up on these two mountains.

A few senior officials were left behind to work with women, children, old and young people to take care of the injured or sick people who had retreated from the gate, and were responsible for cooking and heating hot water.

The local specialties, bedding, pots, bowls, etc. brought by these villagers and their families were put to great use.

As for the middle-aged and young people among the villagers, Ouyang Rong allowed them to be included in the rescue team of Di Gong Gate if the conditions were suitable and they volunteered.

Although there are not many people, in the current situation where the upstream and downstream are blocked, every additional person has more strength.

Therefore, the villagers and fellow villagers are not a burden, but a force that can be united.

Under Ouyang Rong's calm command, the officials and the people were united.

Everyone performed their duties, no one was idle, even the priests of the wild temple who were sent to labor reform began to work honestly.

Perhaps it was the hard-working back figure of a young county magistrate who was constantly in the public eye, walking around and directing, like a flag that would not fall down, standing at the top of the city to always boost morale.

Or maybe it's because everyone on the gate has been getting used to it for two days, and the whole system has gradually come to a tacit understanding.

For a time, the gate and dam actually glowed with a different kind of vitality.

Confidence naturally accumulates quietly in the hearts of some people.

Ouyang Rong, who was personally directing everywhere, naturally saw these subtle changes.

His face was calm, and he turned his head from time to time in the rain to look at the endless Yunmengze surrounded by smoke.

The string in his heart has never been loosened, but the fatigue in his eyes has slightly diminished.

In this way, he also spent most of the rare peaceful time after arriving at Dee Gong Gate in a hurry.

The officials and people at Di Gongzha adhered to their posts and performed their duties without any incident.
To be continued...