These are tough choices but, in the end, it becomes a government decision over who

must suffer for the greater good.

In Zhuozhou, for many, a bright future is still a long way away.

"It'll take me eight to 10 years to recover from these losses," says Mr Zhang, who
has two small businesses there. "The government has not said whether it will
compensate us. I run two shops but what I can I do?"

A few weeks ago, cars were still slowly pushing through lingering floodwaters and
mush in the main street. On either side of the road were mud-caked vehicles, with
windscreens smashed in as they were submerged when the water suddenly rose with
such force.

A brown line revealed what was the high-water mark, with all manner of first-floor
items swallowed up and spat out into the street as the flood spread the carnage.

"We suffered big losses: trucks and other vehicles; our goods; furniture;
everything we own was wrecked," says Mrs Han, who operates a warehouse for
deliveries with her husband.

He indicates how even the goods stored high on racks well above three metres were
ruined.

Then his wife opens the door to their nearby home - a thick layer of mud cakes
everything.

"Every day we keep trying to clear more mud out," she says. "I can't describe how I
felt when I saw this. It's as if our life's work is over."