Armed police help battle deluge

Liang, 30, is a nursing assistant at the Hospital of Jiangxi Provincial Armed Police Corps. She joined the armed police in 2008, and this is the first time she has participated in flood control efforts. She has to walk back and forth on the dike during the day to check if the soldiers have any medical needs, and at night she and her colleagues also need to check the soldiers and render aid if necessary.

Because of the high temperatures in the county, some soldiers have different degrees of sunburn and heat rash. Others have developed eczema after remaining on the front line for days.

Liang also chats with the soldiers, which gives them psychological comfort, letting them know that medical personnel is with them all the time.

"I know many of the soldiers here," she said. "I also feel distressed when I see their sunburns and heat rash. We know that if they can rest in a dry and cold environment they can recover quickly, but the flood is pushing everyone to stick to our position," she said.

Although she and her husband work in the same area, they barely have time to chat face-to-face. The couple mainly communicates over the phone, and they also send short messages to the family's WeChat group to tell their parents they are safe.

"My mother read an article online and saw the photo of my husband and me, then she said she felt moved when she saw other people's children on the front line fighting floods, but she was distressed when she saw her own children. I comforted her that day and asked her to trust that we will win," she said.

"Only by experiencing the flood in person can I understand the great responsibility of the armed police and soldiers and fully appreciate the hard-won achievements garnered from fighting floods," she added. "I am so glad to see that the water level is gradually decreasing, but the weather forecast said there may be rainfall in the days ahead, so we will keep a close eye on things."

Zhang Fuyin, who lives in Zhujiaqiao village about 100 meters from the dike where Liang works, said that the flood was terrible, but with the armed police and the soldiers, she won't be afraid any more.

The soldiers have also formed a wall of sandbags in case the flood comes toward the village.

"We can sleep well these days with their efforts," said Zhang, 77. "Although there is no running water, daily life hasn't been affected too much by the flood. There are also speakers to warn us if an emergency happens."

"I appreciate the soldiers who built the new dike in such a short time. Otherwise, my house would be surrounded by water, so we will also do what we can to support them. They have had a hard time in recent days," she added.