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墨書 Inktalez
The snow kept falling heavier, and many places had their power lines damaged by the weight of the snow. The Power Supply Bureau dispatched a large number of repair workers to the countryside, but as soon as they fixed one issue, another would arise. They were fixing problems here and there, yet many areas still had no electricity. Eventually, as the weather grew colder, one repair worker had an accident on his way back from a repair job, and the Power Supply Bureau stopped sending people to the countryside altogether.
But how could one live without electricity in such weather? It was bad enough without heating; now even electric blankets couldn't be used. Zhang Zhong was entrusted by everyone to go to the town's Power Supply Bureau to inquire about the situation, but they flatly refused to send anyone. When Zhang Zhong pressed them, threatening to file a complaint, the workers didn't even blink. "Fine, if you have the guts, go to the city right now. Don't say I didn't warn you; the road to the city is dangerous, and if anything happens, you can't blame anyone."
When Zhang Zhong returned, his face was nearly frozen stiff, and he was covered in snowflakes. The road to the town was so buried in snow that it was almost invisible. Everyone felt it was unfair to make him go on such a trip. Fortunately, they had collected quite a few branches and dry leaves from the mountain earlier, motivated by a sense of fairness—if others were collecting, they should too—and now those supplies proved invaluable.
Zhang Sanye looked at the sky and poked at the snow with his cane; it had already reached halfway up his cane. The old man grumbled about how "Heavenly Father" really made life difficult, going on and on. He finally advised everyone to pile up some snow in front of their doors when they got home, saying that when it melted, it might cause disasters.
Watching the snow continue to fall outside without stopping, many people took precautions just in case. Li Yan went to Dong Village and dug up quite a bit of dirt. Although winter soil is hard to dig through, he felt that Zhang Sanye's words were wise. After filling some snake-skin bags with dirt and piling them at his door, he worked hard for quite a while.
The snow kept accumulating higher; it was fine now, but if it suddenly melted quickly, water would flood into their homes—then there would be no tears left to cry.
Li Yan took out blankets from storage; last winter they had used air conditioning and electric blankets, so there were still many new blankets available. This year would definitely be different; he thickly spread out the blankets on the bed and placed two hot water bottles inside each one. He also covered the entrance with thick cotton cloth to prevent cold air from coming in. With their family of four naturally having stronger constitutions than average people, they didn’t feel too cold.
It was barely eight o'clock when the Li family had just fallen asleep when there seemed to be some noise outside. Li Yan listened carefully; it sounded like someone was calling for help. Not long after, there was movement from Zhou Miao's house as well; they probably heard it too.
Li Ming turned over and sleepily burrowed into Li Yan's arms. The noise outside grew louder; Wonton and Dumpling were the first to rush out of the house, barking loudly with warning and urgency.
When Zhou Miao opened her door, she saw three people standing at Zhang Dazhen's doorstep next door; inside there was a woman holding a child whose cries were faint and weak. The woman knelt down pleading for Zhang Dazhen to take them in.
As soon as Zhang Dazhen saw Li Yan open his door, he shouted: "You all need to leave quickly! My family has several mouths to feed; this little food isn't enough for us! Go ask someone else." He gestured towards Li Yan's family with clear intent: go find that family instead; I have nothing here.
Without caring for the woman's pleas as she knelt down begging him, he closed the door with his wife beside him. After this incident, it would likely be even harder for them to open their door in the future.
Seeing this, the two men immediately ran toward Li Yan's house, fearing that if they waited too long this household would also close their door. Li Yan wanted to shut the door but his child woke up and peeked out curiously at the commotion; warm breath formed little white puffs in the cold air. "Brother, look! A snowman!"
"Please, let us stay for one night. I'm begging you." The woman anxiously looked at the child in her arms, humbly pleading at the door of the Li Family. "My child hasn't eaten for a day and a night. If he doesn't find a warm place soon, he will die. Please, good people will be rewarded; I will serve you in my next life, I promise." The woman's lips were already turning purple from the cold, but her concern for her child was greater.
One of the middle-aged men, dressed in a thick down jacket, still exuded an air of authority from his long-standing position. "My name is Luo Zhijiang. Here is my ID and my work permit. Brother, can you let my partner and child inside? We men won't enter; you can rest assured we won't cause any trouble. Please help us." Although Luo Zhijiang did not plead or kneel like the woman, his tone was filled with earnestness and hope.
"Okay," Li Ming's Little Friend replied happily, pushing aside his brother and Zhou Miao to create a clear path. "Brother, we have a snowman now!" The child had seen an animated show when he was younger about a snowman that could talk and walk, which he had envied. However, every time he built a snowman with his brother, it never spoke, leading him to stop watching that show in frustration. Now that he could see a talking snowman, he was so excited that he decided he would sleep with the snowman tonight! His brother would have to sleep on the floor.
Li Yan and Zhou Miao exchanged glances but remained silent. Luo Zhijiang could tell these two men were not ordinary; no matter what happened, they needed to survive the night first.
Yu Tian had just come out of the room when he was startled to see four additional people. Seeing the child in the woman's arms motionless made him realize something was wrong. He quickly took the child to the kitchen, where every rural household had a stove similar to a European fireplace but designed for cooking.
Li Ming's Little Friend also came over to help, although it seemed more like hindering than assisting. Soon enough, the stove warmed up, and the woman removed her child's already damp outer coat, shaking him gently. "Baby, wake up... Baby..." Her voice trembled as she spoke; she struggled to control her shaking hands until she felt the child's faint breathing. Only then did she relax slightly, though tears began to stream down her face.
The Li Family child watched eagerly and curiously tugged at Li Yan's sleeve. "Brother, the snowman is crying." Was it because it was near the fire? Yes! Snowmen shouldn't be close to fire! "Brother, it's going to melt!" The child became anxious; after all this effort to get a snowman.
At first, Li Yan didn't understand what his little sibling was thinking but finally grasped it. He patted the child's head and smiled before saying, "Mingming, they are uncles and aunties, not snowmen. If you want a snowman, I'll make you one tomorrow, okay?"
Li Ming frowned as he looked around nervously, worried his brother might be mistaken. But clearly, the four people who had taken off their clothes looked human enough; their previously white bodies were just covered in snow. The child felt disappointed and squatted beside the woman to watch her child instead. That child looked about two or three years old and seemed dazed but occasionally moved slightly. Both the woman and Luo Zhijiang were anxious as they called out to him repeatedly. Perhaps it was warm inside or perhaps it was their parents' calls that stirred him; slowly, the child opened his eyes but appeared very weak.
Yu Tian quickly made some rice porridge and noticed that none of them had eaten yet; he also prepared several packets of instant noodles since they were quick to prepare. The woman refused to eat until she fed her child first. The little one seemed truly hungry; after eating two small bowls of porridge, he devoured it almost ravenously in the end. Tears glistened in the woman's eyes as she watched her child eat; she radiated maternal love—warmth and beauty.
About half an hour later, once things calmed down, Li Ming's Little Friend found it amusing watching the quiet little boy and curiously reached out to pull down his pants when suddenly... "Wow!! Mommy!! Baby wants Mommy! Not bad people!!! Mommy!!"
Then... "Brother, sob sob, Mingming isn't a bad person." The child felt wronged upon hearing this; he just wanted to know if he was a little brother or sister—how did he become a bad person? "Sob sob!! Brother, Mingming... sob sob... isn't a bad person." The child cried sadly; all he wanted was to see if there was a little brother—he wasn't a bad person; sob sob... it was the little brother who was bad.
The two men felt awkward and didn't know what to say; they had been anxious for so long for the child to wake up. Now this commotion left them only able to continuously apologize to Li Ming. Alongside Luo Zhijiang was another man in his thirties who appeared physically fit and looked like someone who trained regularly.
This man had a sturdy appearance and kept scratching his head while apologizing profusely to Yu Tian. "I'm sorry; my nephew is still young and doesn't understand things well. My name is Luo Zhiyuan; thank you for your instant noodles."
Li Ming's appearance made it obvious to outsiders what was going on, but Luojia was someone Li Ming had brought in, and the four of them felt immense gratitude.
After a while, both children stopped crying and held hands to show they were reconciled. Li Ming's little friend generously gave the child a pack of Teddy Bear Cookies, a treat that in the Li Family was usually reserved for Li Ming. Yu Tian might occasionally get a few cookies, but as for Zhou Miao... well, you understand.
Zhou Miao watched with envy, his gaze at Li Yan clearly expressing disapproval. As a tall young man, he felt inferior to a mere child. "Li Yan, don't you think your upbringing is questionable?"
Li Yan glanced at the sleepy little one in his arms and ignored Zhou Miao's look. Sometimes, character really matters in life...
"Thank you all," Luo Zhijiang said as the three of them finished their noodles without wasting any broth.
"I thought you guys were doing well; how did you end up in our village?" Zhou Miao asked curiously while eating sunflower seeds.
"You might not know what's happening outside; it's chaotic out there now," Luo Zhijiang sighed, his eyes filled with uncertainty and helplessness about the future. "Since it got cold, life in the city has become difficult. After the trains stopped running, food became a problem. To be honest, I have a friend in Tianchao, and I heard things will get even worse. The city is becoming increasingly unsafe; most buildings are made of glass and can't withstand the cold. With this snow falling continuously, many windows have shattered, and petty thefts have increased."
"Isn't the government doing anything?" Li Yan thought that the authorities wouldn't announce their plans directly yet; they would at least wait until the base was nearly completed. Otherwise, if farmers returned home, it would likely lead to chaos.
"Management? Of course there's management," Luo Zhiyuan scoffed. "But too many people from the countryside have moved to the city; now there are just too many people everywhere. A few days ago, we had no water or electricity; our family almost froze to death. Many supermarkets in the city have closed down; I heard that the snow damaged several factories and some people even died. My brother thinks we should take advantage of the roads while they are still passable and head back to the countryside for shelter. At least there are elderly folks at home and a few acres of land; food for winter shouldn't be a problem."
It was rare to find someone so clear-headed. After Li Yan grasped the situation in the city, he didn't ask further questions. Some things are better left unknown. That night, he took out several blankets for them to stay warm in the kitchen since there was no room left in the house anyway; besides, Luojia wouldn't mind.
Seeing that the Li Family didn't seem to guard against him at all made Luo Zhijiang feel that their trust was quite low. However, he opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. In times like these, it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble since he planned to leave anyway. Still, he needed to figure out how to stay for a few more days given the weather conditions.
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