Chapter 249: Talking at Cross-Purposes

Dark clouds pressed down, the sky was overcast, and the outdoor air was stuffy and damp. After standing for less than ten minutes, one's body felt as if it were coated in a layer of wet mud.

The temperature wasn't too high, only about twenty-eight or twenty-nine degrees, but sweat kept breaking out on the body in waves.

It is hard to imagine that Shanxi, located in the north, would have such weather.

But once inside the Archaeological Cabin, it was like entering another world: dry, cool, with moderate temperature and humidity.

"Controlled by the subtropical high, precipitation frequently raises humidity, and evaporation intensifies air moisture, leading to persistent warmth and heat..."

An Expert flipped through the project proposal, "According to Lin Sicheng's forecast, this weather will last until mid-August!"

But it is only early July now; by that calculation, there is at least another month and a half left?

If you told this to someone from the south, their jaws would absolutely drop...

Someone asked skeptically: "Is the forecast accurate?"

"Don't know?" The Expert holding the proposal flipped forward again, "But it mentioned earlier that this year's summer heat might come early, estimating that persistent high temperatures would appear by the end of June, followed by frequent showers—both points were estimated correctly!"

The group of Experts fell silent: high temperatures of thirty-seven or thirty-eight degrees had already persisted for over a week. There was at least one rainstorm every other day, sometimes even two in a single day.

Fortunately, precautions were taken in advance and an outer cabin was built; otherwise, between the scorching sun and the torrential rain, the ruins would have long since been washed into a mud pit—what would there even be to excavate?

Even without uncovering the layers, the ruins were only one meter deep; because of the rapid cycles of dryness and wetness in the soil strata, the ruins would still have suffered damage.

Things like silk threads or fur—it would be a miracle if they didn't get moldy.

Someone looked up at the cabin ceiling, then at the fresh air and temperature/humidity control equipment: "I previously thought that kid was just acting on a whim and wasting money, but who would have thought it would actually be useful?"

Sun Jiamu was stunned for a moment, then sighed: truth be told, he had suspected the same thing before.

But looking at it now in conjunction with the excavation plan: he really had the foresight, damn it.

Secretly changing his mind, he tapped the table: "Don't call him 'kid' anymore; call him Teacher from now on..."

"Hahaha..."

The group of Experts burst into laughter.

Laughter aside, the admiration was genuine; no one felt there was anything wrong with calling Lin Sicheng 'Teacher'.

Although in their eyes, Lin Sicheng was indeed still a kid...

Just as he was secretly changing his mind, "Whoosh—whoosh—" came two sounds.

Two flashes of lightning streaked across, and then the sky seemed to tear open, and the rain poured down in torrents.

"Bang, bang, bang" sounded overhead, one burst faster than the next. In an instant, a curtain of water rose on the windows, and one couldn't even see clearly outside.

How heavy must this rain be?

Sun Jiamu was taken aback and hurriedly clicked the mouse. The group of people woke as if from a dream and crowded around.

The Wind gimbal rotated slowly, and the scene around the Archaeological Cabin was clearly displayed on the screen: water from the eaves looked like a waterfall, rolling down the rain canopy and gathering into a torrent at the base of the building, flowing into the flood drainage ditch.

Two yellow dragons surged mightily, flowing straight down along the Archaeological Cabin, then suddenly split apart ten-plus meters away, flowing further and further away like the character "eight".

The rain grew heavier and heavier; in no time at all, a pool of water had gathered on the Taidi, held firmly outside by the flood-interception dam built around the cabin.

Following that, the water level rose higher and higher, and higher and higher. Suddenly, a Researcher exclaimed: "Look... the opposite side is about to collapse... the camera on the right corner..."

It was the Wind gimbal on the cabin roof, filming exactly the opposite Taidi. Sun Jiamu zoomed in on the screen, and the group felt their hearts jump: a cliff wall at least six or seven meters high gradually peeled away from the Taidi, then toppled faster and faster, crashing down like a giant wall.

With a "Boom—" sound, it splashed water ten-plus meters high. In an instant, it was washed into mud by the rain.

Someone frowned, staring at the pool of water outside the cabin: "There's so much water here, will it get soaked and collapse too?"

Sun Jiamu shook his head: "Don't worry, drainage pipes are buried at the high point; once the water level rises to a certain degree, it will drain below the Taidi!"

"Why not bury them at the bottom?"

As the words fell, the group of Experts turned their heads to look at the newly arrived technician, their expressions quite strange.

Sun Jiamu pointed at the screen: "It's all mud; if it doesn't settle, even a drainage pipe as thick as a water bucket could be completely blocked for you..."

The technician blushed and didn't dare to make another sound.

This lasted for over an hour.

The opposite Taidi collapsed again and again; the old flood gullies had just been filled in when new ones were washed out. The edge of the Taidi was jagged, looking like it had been gnawed by a dog.

The muddy water gathered into a yellow stream, rushing straight down along the gorge, rolling stones and snapping trees in its path.

But here, it was the same as it had been before. Especially in the circle around the inside and outside of the Archaeological Cabin, not even a puddle could be seen.

Looking at the surveillance screen, then at the excavation plan on the side, the group of Experts looked at each other in dismay.

Comparing it to the opposite Taidi, if not for this Archaeological Cabin and the flood control and drainage system, the ground beneath their feet would have been washed into a mess, even if it hadn't collapsed.

With a plot only three mu in size, how much would have been left?

The cabin was silent, until the sun shone into the back window and an arched rainbow rose over the opposite Taidi.

Along the gravel road, a minibus drove up from behind the slope and honked its horn twice.

Sun Jiamu sighed inwardly: if not for the road Lin Sicheng built, with rain this heavy, let alone archaeology, even people wouldn't be able to get up here.

But now, it was a case of letting it rain, letting the floods come, continuing the excavation, and getting off work as scheduled.

After a moment of reflection, Sun Jiamu took off his gloves and walked out: "The duty officer stay behind, everyone else off work!"

The group of Experts nodded in unison.

After taking off his Protective Suit and changing into casual clothes, Sun Jiamu thought for a moment, took out his phone, and dialed Lin Sicheng.

But it couldn't be connected, so he called Wang Qi Zhi instead.

"Professor Wang, you're at the Village Committee, right?"

"Yes, Division Chief Sun!"

"Lin Sicheng is there too, right!"

"He's not here; he went to Longmen Mountain."

"What?"

No wonder the call couldn't be connected.

Sun Jiamu was stunned for a moment, tilting his head to listen to the "Boom—" sound coming from the gorge.

With such heavy rain, even the plains have flooded, let alone the mountains?

Wang Qi Zhi explained: "It is precisely because of the heavy rain today that he went up the mountain, saying he wanted to observe the flow of the flood to deduce the possible route of the ancient riverbed..."

Sun Jiamu did not know what to say.

The logic was sound: rivers change course from time to time, but the mountain terrain basically does not undergo major changes. Based on the direction of the flash floods, one can indeed infer which gorges or valley paths are ancient riverbeds that have been raised and cut off due to sediment deposition after flooding.

But that requires looking at every single gorge; even with a drone, don't you have to go up to the top of every mountain to take pictures?

The rain is heavy and the roads are slippery; what if an accident happens?

"No... how can Lin Sicheng be so bold?" Sun Jiamu looked puzzled, "Professor Wang, why didn't you try to persuade him?"

Wang Qi Zhi did not speak.

What kind of boldness is this?

When Lin Sicheng matched wits and courage with those involved in grave-robbing, that was truly putting his head on the line.

He had pleaded earnestly until his lips were worn thin, but did Lin Sicheng listen?

His main approach was: you say your piece, I do my own thing...

"Division Chief Sun, rest assured, he has a local as a guide and brought all the necessary protective equipment, so it shouldn't be a big problem..."

Sun Jiamu really wanted to curse: that isn't my student, what do I have to be worried about?

Secretly grumbling to himself, he followed the Experts onto the minibus.

Upon arriving at the Village Committee, he kept a cold face and did not even want to talk much to Wang Qi Zhi.

It wasn't until dusk, when the call to Lin Sicheng finally went through, that Sun Jiamu's expression softened a little.

Wang Qi Zhi couldn't help but laugh or cry: it's only been a few days?

More than two hours later, approaching eleven o'clock, Lin Sicheng finally returned.

He was covered in mud, his raincoat had a tear on the left and a gash on the right, his hands were covered in bloody marks, and there were two scratches on his face as well.

Wang Qi Zhi was startled: "Did you fall?"

"No, the pickup truck got stuck, and it took a long time to dig it out!"

After replying, Lin Sicheng picked up Wang Qi Zhi's Tea Cup and gulped it down in one breath.

Sun Jiamu tapped the table: "Lin Sicheng, why not wait until the weather clears? Even if the flood dries up, the traces remain, and you can still observe them!"

"Division Chief Sun, it's more intuitive when the flood is happening!"

"It's intuitive, sure, but what if an accident happens?"

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then smiled: "Thank you, Division Chief Sun!"

That one "thank you" left Sun Jiamu with no temper. He sighed again: "Did you find the ancient riverbed?"

"Not yet!" Lin Sicheng shook his head, "But I found a tomb; it should be from the Jin or Yuan dynasty!"

What the hell, a tomb?

You were looking for a kiln site, what does that have to do with a tomb?

It just feels like... completely unrelated...

(End of this chapter)