Master Xi mentioned a few days ago that the Yangtze River's annual sediment transport is about 520 million tons.
What does it mean to lose 520 million tons of sediment in a year? How much of it is washed into the sea from upstream by the river? It's conceivable that the lakes that once regulated floods might now only handle a fraction of that capacity.
Yao Lirong heard this and was silently shocked, worrying whether the dikes along the river could withstand the flood peak test. Master Xu, standing with his back to the river wind, lit a cigarette and reminded, "Master Xi hasn't been resting well these past days. Let's enter the command cabin later and let him sleep a bit more."
"Oh, okay."
