"It's raining!"
"Finally, the heavens are pouring rain again!"
December 31st, 2023. Sunday. 37°C. After a full year of relentless drought, the world was greeted with a torrential downpour that soaked everything to the bone.
That day had begun as uneventfully as any other. At one in the afternoon, weather stations across online platforms—renowned for boasting predictions of the next fifteen days—suddenly issued an emergency announcement: heavy rainfall would hit most regions the next day.
Yet almost as soon as the announcement was made, the skies opened everywhere at once, releasing sheets of rain as if on cue.
People across the country flocked to social media, mocking the meteorologists. This batch of weather forecasters really has it rough. Their predictions get slapped in the face every time.
Jing Shu, however, had a different understanding. The world had spent an entire year gathering water vapor in the atmosphere until it could no longer hold it. The result was inevitable. Just like a water balloon filled to the point of bursting, the sky had simply given way.
On this rare day off, Su Lanzhi and Jing An were at home, and the whole family had gathered for a meal of hot pot mutton.
Two days ago, they had butchered a sheep. The prime cuts had been sliced into thin rolls, while the offal had been cleaned and prepared for today's feast. Garlic paste, chopped chili, sesame oil, and vinegar flavored the dipping sauce, and each bite of chewy, sauce-coated tripe was followed by a gulp of chilled coconut milk. The meal was nothing short of divine.
As they ate, Grandma Jing remarked, "The water tank on the third-floor terrace is running low. Even though we get thirty liters a day, that's just enough for the cattle. At this rate, we won't have enough water for the crops within a week."
Grandpa Jing chimed in, "Didn't the news say there would be floods soon? Been saying that for months, but it never rained."
The words had barely left his mouth when a sudden downpour hammered against the villa's massive PVC canopy overhead.
"Shh!"
Everyone paused mid-bite, listening.
"Is that... is that rain?" Grandma Jing's voice trembled with disbelief.
Jing Shu exhaled softly. It had finally come, right on time, exactly like her previous life.
Grandma Jing was the first to spring to her feet, charging out of the dining room. Water was life to her, the very hope of their fields.
The whole family dropped their chopsticks and bolted for the door. Jing Shu calmly filled her bowl with meat before leisurely following them out. Wu You'ai, however, continued scrolling through her phone, unhurriedly eating her hot pot.
The villa's courtyard lights flicked on as Grandma Jing rushed out the front door.
"Grandma, slow down! The air outside is full of dust, don't go out in the rain!" Jing Shu shouted.
She wasn't worried about dirt. It was the red nematodes she feared. If even one of those worms landed on Grandma Jing's head, the consequences would be unimaginable.
As the gate swung open, Xiao Dou burst out like a dog set free, flapping its wings and clucking joyously in the rain.
The earthy scent of freshly drenched soil drifted through the air, mingled with that all-too-familiar fishy stench. Nothing had changed since her past life.
Grandma Jing stood in the doorway, tears brimming in her eyes as she gazed at the downpour under the courtyard lights. "Old man, do you see this? It's raining! It's finally raining! The crops are saved!"
"Yes! The famine's finally over. As long as there's no drought, we won't go hungry again." Grandpa Jing's voice was equally choked with emotion. Droughts had been the root of every famine he'd lived through.
Jing Shu stayed quiet. Things would not be so simple.
Her phone buzzed relentlessly in her pocket. The group chats were in chaos.
[Wang Qiqi]: "It's raining! Heavy rain!"
[Fatty Niu]: "Oh my God, I'm going to shower until I'm clean! Dear heavens, please let this rain never stop. I'd rather drown than ever feel thirst like that again!"
[Luo Zhu]: "Same! Better to drown than to die of thirst."
Jing Shu shook her head. Those vows would only bring regret later.
Wang Cuihua sent a voice message: "Hurry up, everyone! Bring out your dirty clothes and dishes to wash! Who knows how long this rain will last. Anyone want to go shower together?"
[Chou Chou]: "I'm washing everything—blankets, sheets, whatever I can. They smell so bad I can barely stand to touch them."
[Fatty Niu]: "Yeah! Wash everything while you can! And let's collect as much water as possible."
[Young Madam]: "Agreed!"
Reality would soon prove them wrong. Anything washed today would stay damp for a year, moldy and full of bugs. Only government-issued supplies would hold up.
But after going a year without bathing or laundry, the layer of grime on everyone's bodies could practically be kneaded into noodles as thick as a finger. The filth was unbearable, and even rain mixed with unknown creatures seemed worth the risk.
People from the community gathered downstairs in groups, carrying buckets, basins, and piles of clothes. At 37°C, the rain hadn't yet reached the bone-chilling cold of the coming months. Bathing in it was almost pleasant.
Some stood chatting as they scrubbed their belongings. Chou Chou even tilted her head back and drank greedily.
"Ew, why is the rainwater so slippery?"
"I drank some too, and it tastes fishy. Felt something slimy slide down my throat."
"Just be grateful. The water rations barely cover drinking needs. Bathing? Forget it."
The overcast sky was so dark you couldn't recognize your own father three meters away. The rain fell in torrents, masking all signs of danger.
But soon, the people washing their clothes and showering in the rain began to notice something was wrong. Something soft and slimy brushed against their hands, slid into their ears, clung to their hair, and even wriggled into their mouths.
Red nematodes.
They were barely a millimeter thick but could grow up to twenty centimeters long, each worm red from head to tail except for its two black-tipped ends. Hair-thin, slippery, and constantly writhing, these creatures thrived in the rain.
Scientists had studied them and discovered a bizarre trait: every worm was either female-female or male-male.
In other words, if one end of the worm was female, so was the other. Two minds shared one body, both competing for control, both trying to go in opposite directions. This constant struggle was what caused the worms to writhe and jump endlessly.
It also made them nearly impossible to chew. Their muscles were dense and their skin unbelievably tough.
The black tips on each end housed their organs and mouths. Killing one half killed the other instantly, so they had evolved unyielding, armor-like bodies.
It didn't take long for panic to spread. Everyone bathing or washing clothes began to itch all over, as if something were frantically trying to burrow into their skin. Worse, their heads felt unbearably heavy.
Fatty Niu reached up to touch her head, shocked to find it weighed down with something soft and slick that bounced and writhed against her scalp like a living carpet.
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Finally, my red nematode makes its grand return!!!
This chapter marks the start of Year 2 in the story, and this volume will focus heavily on the red nematode. You'll be seeing it a lot from here on out, which honestly makes me so happy and excited! ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ