Chapter 829: Chapter 566: Continuous Spring Rain
As the ancients said, spring rain is as precious as oil, but it’s not good when it just keeps raining.
There’s still a month and a half until the rainy season, yet it’s been raining non-stop, making it impossible to dry clothes that have been washed. They can only be spun in the washing machine and hung in the cabin of the 001 to "bake," leaving a diesel sll on the clothes.
The Yangtze River spring flood has also arrived early, but from the current situation, it can’t even be called a spring flood.
Because a spring flood results from the warming climate, the seasonal snow from the Yangtze River Basin lts, and river ice in the tributaries, especially the upstream ones, thaws. Add spring rain to that, and it causes river levels to rise.
This year’s spring flood surpassed the usual flow rate in the whole Jiangnan Waters, and the tide levels in the Sanhe Waters even exceeded those of the sumr flood in previous years, causing the dunship, which had just relocated to this side of the river levee, to relocate again.
Han Xiangning doesn’t like rainy days and even more dislikes going out in the rain, but she misses her child dearly. If she doesn’t go back soon to see her, her daughter surely won’t be happy.
She lowered her head to check that the diesel sll on her wasn’t too strong, then picked up the snacks she bought the day before yesterday and got into the Santana that the bureau just assigned to the Linghai Port Supervision Office, heading back to the city with Sister Ling and three other colleagues.
On rainy days, it gets dark early.
Although she arrived ho at six, it was already pitch black.
"Chief Han, I’ll co to pick you up at seven ten tomorrow morning."
"No rush, go pick up Sister Ling first."
"Okay, I’m off."
"Drive slowly on the road."
Watching Ge Cunhua, the driver of the supervision boat at the Port Supervision Office, leave, Han Xiangning carried the snacks upstairs and knocked on the door.
Unexpectedly, her father had also just returned from a business trip, bringing many gifts and snacks for Little Han Han from East Sea. The snacks she bought from a small shop at the Lingda Car Ferry didn’t interest Han Han at all. She glanced at them and went to play with the doll her grandpa from East Sea had bought.
Feeling a bit down that her own purchase was snubbed by her daughter, Han Xiangning decided to eat them herself.
"You’re an adult, why act like a child?" Master Han couldn’t help but laugh.
After eating her snack, Han Xiangning went over to help her mom pick vegetables and curiously asked, "Dad, you went on a business trip to East Sea?"
"Went for a eting."
"What kind of eting?"
"A seminar on the possible impact of the El Ni??o Warm Current on our climate, organized by the National teorological Bureau and hosted by the East Sea teorological Bureau. Engineers from various teorological bureaus across several provinces and cities in East China attended."
Han Xiangning asked instinctively, "What is the El Ni??o Warm Current?"
Gently stroking his granddaughter’s head, Master Han explained, "Along the western coast of South Arica, in the eastern part of the South Pacific, there’s a famous Peru Cold Current flowing from south to north. From November to March the following year, which is the sumr in the Southern Hemisphere, the water temperature across the southern hemisphere seas rises generally, intensifying the westward-flowing equatorial warm current.
At this ti, the global pressure belts and wind belts shift southwards, and the northeast trade winds cross the equator and turn left into the northwest monsoon under the effect of the Southern Hemisphere’s Coriolis force.
The northwest monsoon not only weakens the southeast trade winds on the western coast of Peru, reducing the upwelling of cold water from the Peru Cold Current, but it also blows the warr equatorial warm current southward, causing the water temperature of the Peru Cold Current to rise abnormally. This quiet, irregular ocean current is known as the El Ni??o Warm Current."
Han Xiangning felt lost in the explanation and laughed, "It’s so complicated. Why haven’t I heard you ntion it before?"
"Our dostic teorological community started researching the El Ni??o Warm Current and the El Ni??o phenonon late. Western counterparts began earlier, and by the late 1960s, they discovered through studying the weather archives of more than thirty years since World War II that years with significant El Ni??o events also saw global weather anomalies."
"I don’t need to research to know about weather anomalies. Just look at this endless rain now."
"Several experts at the seminar predict it will continue."
"Will there be heavy rain? Will the rainfall be more than last year?"
"The weather is unpredictable. Looking at the cloud map, there can be changes every half hour. Who can accurately predict whether there will be heavy rain and how much it will rain?"
"Dad, I think the more predictions your Chief Forecaster makes, the more confused you get. You should switch to the Earthquake Bureau!"
Reading the pulse of the heavens isn’t that easy!
Accustod to being teased by his two daughters for inaccurate weather forecasts, Master Han smoothly changed the topic: "Ningning, after the eting ended yesterday, I went to see the house. Engineer Wang from the Guzhou teorological Bureau went with . He said the location of the house we bought is great and high-class, and he is quite envious."
Han Xiangning was montarily stunned, then smiled after a while, "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Even though they couldn’t enter the community and could only view it from the main gate, Master Han was still very pleased.
Director Xiang picked up the picked vegetables and smiled, "I’ll go see it when I get the chance, just a glance will make
happy."
Others might not believe it.
Even though every month she worries about how to pay next month’s bank loan, if her parents didn’t ntion it, Han Xiangning almost forgot about the house in East Sea, possibly due to too many tasks at work and being too busy.
Master Han, unaware of what his daughter was thinking, asked, "Why did you co back alone? Where’s San’er?"
"He’s busy organizing training and study, and he has to make ti to check on the retrofit progress of the water factory ship and the cooking ship at two shipyards."
"Has the Linghai Reserve Camp started organizing military training?"
"It’s not just the Linghai Reserve Camp anymore; there are now two battalions, with one being jointly built with the Binjiang Developnt Zone. He’s now the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Binjiang Reserve Group and First Battalion Commander. I’ve also been promoted, now as Deputy Instructor of the Second Battalion."
"So why aren’t you attending training and study?"
"I have my regular job, and besides, I’m so close to the camp. As long as I go to the camp, it counts as training ti. Isn’t it just 240 hours a year? Training ti is definitely not an issue for ."
"The superiors don’t care?"
"The superiors don’t even provide training funds, all expenses are self-raised, so why such strict requirents?"
"San’er is organizing the training of two battalions of officers and soldiers on his own?"
"There’s a military affairs staff officer and a political office officer from the regint helping at the camp. During the opening ceremony, the regintal commander and Political Commissioner attended, but Mayor Qin didn’t. He said he’d co when it’s ti to award the ranks after training."
Master Han whispered, "That ans the higher-ups don’t really value the reserves."
Han Xiangning laughed, "Not only is there no funding, but they don’t even issue uniforms."
"But you’re the Flood Control and Rescue Mobile Assault Battalion! In critical monts, you need to execute flood control and rescue missions!"
"A few days ago, Mayor Shen accompanied so investors for a site visit by the river. I discussed this issue with him. Do you know what Mayor Shen said?"
"What did he say?"
"He’s quite confident now. He said if San’er and the reservists really need to go up the levee for ergency rescue, it’s due to the negligence of the local officials."
Master Han realized and, smiling at his daughter, asked, "Does he have confidence in the Yangtze River levee?"
Han Xiangning nodded, smiling in affirmation, "Not just Mayor Shen, but Secretary Ye from Linghai and our Binjiang city leaders as well. There’s no denying that investing in water conservancy, especially Jianghai flood control, makes a world of difference. The spring flood flow this ti has been significant, and the tide levels are high, but the levees are stronger and higher, allowing them to rest easy."
Though Master Han cared about "politics," as the teorological Bureau is ultimately a marginal departnt, he found it hard to et with leaders usually, so he curiously asked, "How much did the city spend on the Jianghai flood control renovations last autumn and this spring?"
"A lot, a lot of money."
"How much is a lot?"
"I forgot the exact numbers, but I rember Mayor Qin once said that during our Binjiang’s ’Eighth Five-Year Plan,’ the investnt in water conservancy surpassed the total investnt of over forty years since the founding of the country. And last autumn and this spring’s investnt in water conservancy exceeded the sum of the early years of the ’Eighth Five-Year Plan.’"
Seeing his father looking pensive, Han Xiangning thought for a mont and added, "The province not only allocated special funds but also covered several billion in water conservancy construction loan interest for the cities below. Loans without interest — only a fool wouldn’t take them. Just Linghai itself applied for over ten million in loans.
When provincial special funds reach the city, the city has to allocate matching funds. The city’s special funds go to districts and counties, and they have to allocate corresponding matching funds too. It’s like a snowball effect — when the province allocates one billion, it turns into three or four billion by the ti it gets to the lower levels.
Plus, with interest-free loans, organizing civilians for volunteer work, and donations from local enterprises, institutions, and staff, nobody knows how much has been poured into Jianghai flood control in the past half a year. Our side still spent less. Jiangyin, Zhangjia Port, and Shuzhou district counties that are wealthier, invested even more in water conservancy due to the severe disasters they faced last year."
Better to nd the fold than lose the sheep.
The determination of the province, city, and county to renovate Jianghai flood control is truly a good thing.
Master Han nodded and exclaid, "Since the higher-ups are prepared and determined to renovate, I’m relieved. Even if the El Ni??o phenonon really affects the climate, I don’t have to worry about being flooded like last year."
Director Xiang leaned in to ask, "Ningning, it’s always raining outside; how are San’er and the others organizing training?"
"Most of the reservists are veterans or retired soldiers; they’re not like civilian soldiers who haven’t undergone military training. A few hours of military posture and half a day’s marching to refresh on regulations is enough. Right now, they are primarily learning flood control knowledge and are ford into several small groups to study and discuss how to handle different ergencies."
"The levees have just been repaired and are solid as a rock, with leaders resting easy, according to you. Does San’er need to be so serious? After all, the higher-ups don’t really value the reserves and don’t even issue uniforms."
"Mom, you know what kind of person San’er is. If he weren’t the Deputy Chief of Staff, it wouldn’t matter much, but now that he is, he’s bound to take it seriously."
"But he has his regular job!"
"The party committee mbership at the Water Police Station is a concurrent post; his work relations aren’t with the Water Police Station. His actual job is being the Political and Legal Committee Secretary concurrently with the Military Minister at Linghai Developnt Zone."
Han Xiangning chuckled and continued, "But the developnt zone only has him as the Political and Legal Committee Secretary, and there’s no actual Political and Legal Committee, so he doesn’t even know where to report to work. As for the Military Minister, isn’t it mainly in charge of civilian soldiers and reserves?"
After thinking for a while, Xiang Fan couldn’t help but laugh, "So what he’s doing now is his real job?"
"Pretty much. He’s significantly influenced by his master and you two. He also enjoys doing these things."
"Influenced by us?"
"Of course, you two are both military transfer officials."
This comnt pleased Xiang Fan, who couldn’t help but smile.
Listening to this made Master Han even happier. He patted his thigh and wholeheartedly agreed, "Both your mom and I ca from the army. Now San’er leads troops; you, ngng, and Xiao Jun are all reserve officers. We can say we are a military family, and when Han Han grows up, she can also join the army, passing on the tradition generation after generation."
"Han Han joining the army when she grows up? Dad, you’re thinking far ahead."
"What’s wrong with joining the army?"
"It’s not that there’s anything wrong with joining the army, but whether she can actually join!"
Han Xiangning glanced back at her mom, laughed, and said, "You think now is like when Mom joined the army? Do you know how hard it is to beco a female soldier nowadays? And I guess it will only get harder in the future."
One must admit that the daughter’s words held so truth.
It’s genuinely hard to join the army now, and it’s even harder for girls.
You may want to enlist and defend the country, but the country doesn’t necessarily need you to defend it.
Master Han felt disheartened, holding his granddaughter up, muttering, "San’er is now a Deputy Chief of Staff; he should work well in the reserve forces. I don’t believe Han Han won’t beco a soldier when San’er becos the Chief of Staff and Political Commissioner of the reserve forces one day!"
"If San’er really becos Chief of Staff and Political Commissioner, it wouldn’t be hard for Han Han to join the army. The issue is that San’er is not an active-duty officer, so he can never beco Chief of Staff and Political Commissioner."
Han Xiangning paused, then hugged her father’s shoulder with a smile, "And as far as I know, reserve officers are a one-ti deal. Now he’s a Deputy Chief of Staff; he will be one in the future too. Now he’s a Major, and he will still be a Major later, until he leaves the reserves due to age or health. So far, there’s seemingly no precedent for reserve officers being promoted in rank."
Master Han curiously asked, "None?"
"None, I asked Yang Jianbo."
"But provisions exist; the highest rank in the reserves is Lieutenant General."
"I know, but provisions are one thing, reality is another. Even if there are relevant provisions, who dares break the norm without precedent?"
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