Chapter 388 - 382: A Typhoon is Confirmed

Yun Jiao glanced at the man.

"What are you looking at?"

Having lost face, Sun Qian glared at Yun Jiao.

Yun Jiao didn’t say a word, just gave him a big, obvious eye-roll right to his face.

"Hey, you little brat...!"

"Mr. Sun."

Vice Commander Lin stepped in front of Yun Jiao, his expression cold and stern as he looked at the man.

"Hmph. I’d like to see what you think you’re going to find."

Of course, he didn’t dare to confront someone like Vice Commander Lin head-on. He just threw out that last sentence and left, muttering to himself.

Yun Jiao pointed in a direction, and Vice Commander Lin had the boat head that way.

The sea was cloudless for miles, and the weather was beautiful today.

They could even see fishermen at work on the water.

Yun Jiao sat on the boat, munching on some snacks she had brought with her.

After the boat had been sailing for half a day with nothing unusual in sight, Sun Qian started whining again.

"It’s been so long, and there’s nothing wrong out here! I told you, you’re all making a big deal out of nothing. Isn’t this just wasting our time?"

"And if I saw correctly just now, you’re following directions from that little girl, aren’t you? Vice Commander Lin, are you aware you’re making a joke out of all of our time? When we get back, I’m definitely going to have a long talk with your superiors about this behavior...!"

"Shut up!"

Yun Jiao threw her finished apple core, hitting him squarely on the head.

’So noisy. He’s louder than the ducks back home,’ she thought.

Sun Qian flew into a rage. "Vice Commander Lin, is this your kid? She has no manners! I wonder how her mother raised her..."

Yun Jiao lashed out with a direct kick.

He crashed into the sea.

Vice Commander Lin was a military man and couldn’t just hit people, but Yun Jiao wasn’t bound by such rules.

Sun Qian flailed in the water.

Yun Jiao’s voice was childish, yet it rang with domineering authority.

"How my mom raises me is none of your damn business. You’re a dog trying to catch mice—a total busybody."

Only then did Vice Commander Lin unhurriedly order someone to pull him out.

"My apologies, Professor Sun. The girl is a bit impulsive, but she’s very close with her family and can’t stand to hear anyone speak ill of them."

Although Professor Sun’s expression was grim, he didn’t say anything.

The boat wasn’t large, so everyone had heard what Sun Qian had said earlier.

Besides, getting kicked off the boat by a little girl was what he deserved.

Professor Sun waved his hand. "Sun Qian, after we get back, you’re to leave the meteorological bureau."

Sun Qian, who had been coughing up water and was just about to complain to Professor Sun, was stunned by his words.

"Uncle, what are you talking about? Why are you kicking me out? It was clearly their fault!"

Professor Sun’s face was cold. "My ears aren’t deaf yet."

"This is not the first time you’ve caused trouble."

His wife had passed away young, and he had no children of his own.

His younger brother had foisted Sun Qian on him, saying the boy could be his apprentice and learn from him, and then take care of him in his old age.

Professor Sun was an old-fashioned scholar who only liked to bury himself in meteorological research. He hadn’t paid it much mind and had been talked into agreeing.

Who would have known that not long after Sun Qian started following him, instead of learning the skills, he started using his connection to cause trouble everywhere?

This wasn’t the first time. Back at the bureau, he was constantly cleaning up Sun Qian’s messes.

"Uncle, how can you side with outsiders? I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of you in your old age! Are you really going to kick me out for these people?"

Professor Sun only said, "Leave as soon as we get back."

’If I had to rely on him in my old age, my final years would be bleak indeed.’

Sun Qian was about to cause a scene, but Yun Jiao suddenly walked up to him and pinched a spot on his neck.

Instantly, Sun Qian passed out.

The few others on the boat jumped in alarm.

Yun Jiao said, "This pressure point is pretty useful. It really makes you fall asleep on the spot."

Everyone: "..."

After checking to confirm that Sun Qian had only fainted, no one paid him any more mind.

It was good that he was asleep. Once he was out, the air on the boat seemed to feel a little fresher.

Suddenly, Professor Sun let out a sound of surprise.

He stared into the distance, his expression gradually turning grave.

"Something’s wrong. Something’s not right."

Vice Commander Lin immediately perked up. "What is it, Professor Sun?"

"All of you, look over there. You can see for miles, can’t you?"

Everyone followed his finger. "It’s true. The air feels so fresh over here."

"Let’s head forward a bit more and see."

By now, they had been sailing for over six hours.

Thankfully, they had brought enough fuel. Otherwise, if the diesel ran out, getting back would be a problem.

"Professor, it’s cirrus clouds."

A female student next to Professor Sun pointed at the distant, layered, feather-like clouds, her voice trembling slightly.

Professor Sun took a deep breath. "Head back, quickly! Tell everyone along the coast to evacuate. There really is a typhoon forming over there, and from the looks of it, it’s not a small one."

Hearing this, Vice Commander Lin immediately ordered the helmsman to turn the boat around and head back.

By the time they got back, it was after midnight. Vice Commander Lin sent Yun Jiao home first, then rushed to the military district with Professor Sun.

Once the news was confirmed, everyone sprang into action.

When Yun Jiao got home, she found her family was still busy.

Her father and uncle hadn’t returned yet.

"Grandpa, what are you all doing?"

"Jiaojiao, you’re back! We’re reinforcing the pigpen."

"We have to reinforce the chicken coop and everything else too. It would be heartbreaking if they got swept away."

Around one in the morning, Yun Linhai and the others finally returned.

The first thing they did was gulp down water.

"All the fishing boats have been moved to the typhoon shelter. Starting tomorrow, no one in our village will be going out to fish."

"Our houses can withstand the typhoon, but the windows need to be boarded up. Some people living in the older houses will have to evacuate."

"Daoist Qingfeng did a divination for us. This typhoon is going to be a big one."

"Those whose homes are at risk can move to the village temple."

These days, their village temple and ancestral hall are quite sturdy. They were built with solid materials, so they’ll be fine even in a typhoon.

Even if they don’t go to those two places, there’s still the shelter cave to go to.

This was a survival strategy passed down through generations. In ancient times, houses weren’t as sturdy as they are now. Major typhoons hit the coastal region every few years, and back then, the caves were the best shelters.

The shelter cave in their mountain was actually dug by their ancestors. It’s large and deep, capable of housing many people.

The only problem with living in a communal cave is that the smell is definitely not pleasant.

They also told Yun Jiao about what happened at the village temple during the day.

Originally, the villagers didn’t believe it when they heard a major typhoon was coming, but the village chief took them to the temple on the mountain to ask Mazu herself.

The result, naturally, was all the proof they needed.

And so, everyone moved their boats to the safe harbor today.

The two brothers, Yun Linhai and Yun Lin, had been helping the village chief and the party secretary maintain order, which was why they returned so late.

"Hurry up and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be another busy day."

After urging Yun Jiao to bed, they also tidied up a bit before falling asleep themselves.

「The next day」

Waking up around eight o’clock, they found the entire village was, as expected, already bustling with activity.

The sounds of chickens, ducks, and dogs could be heard everywhere.

Some people were herding their poultry and pigs into the shelter cave up on the mountain.

Now that the people had better shelters, the cave could be freed up for the livestock.