Zhang Xiqin, a farmer in her 50s from Caoji, was clearing the dead soybean plants in a field and preparing for a new round of planting.

"We will grow turnips, sunflowers and cabbage," said Zhang. " With the instruction of the agrotechnicians from the town, we may have a harvest in 80 days."

The hard-hit regions along the Huaihe River are still in the shadow of the flood, but farmers living there have started rebuilding their lives. Like Zhang, all the flood victims have got seeds for a late autumn harvest free of charge from the government and are ready to start the second round of planting.

The mung beans Zhang's family planted after the first flood diversion were washed away in the second diversion. However, the rural woman did not complain.

"We can do nothing when floods come," she said. "But we can make a living with help from the government."

"The relocation of flood victims is much better than in 1991," said Yang Wenjiu, deputy magistrate of Funan County. "All the victims were transferred to a safe place before the first diversion. They have received enough relief goods and are well guided by the government to plant crops after the flood."

The flood this year caused 16 deaths in the Huaihe River Valley, which has a total population of 165 million. The number of victims this year is much less than that of 1991.

The cost brought by the flood in Anhui, Jiangsu and Henan provinces is about 18.17 billion yuan (US$1.96 billion), with the number of people affected over 47.5 million.

After more than 20 years' economic development, China has greatly improved its capability to deal with disasters.

The isolated islands where flood victims shelter themselves in Gaotai Town of Funan County are still surrounded by floods. But victims there have already started wickerwork to make a living.

Liu Weili, a wickerwork dealer, is happy that the flood did not affect his business.

"My new computer helps a lot," said Liu, who sold wickerwork worth 200,000 yuan (US$24,100) through the Internet and got orders of over 100,000 yuan (US$12,000) via e-mail.

The local governments of the flooded areas have taken measures to develop the regional economy. The township government of Tangdian has helped victims to buy cattle and sheep at a low price to enlarge the scale of livestock breeding after the flooding, said Zhang Zhigang, a local official of Tangdian.

(China Daily August 7, 2003)