Chapter 37

Two days later, Tong Songming finished modifying the wooden boat, and the first group of people who went out to collect ice looked at the modified wooden boat in the living room on the eighth floor.

"My brother-in-law's brain is definitely much better than ours. After modifying the wooden boat like this, it's effortless to go anywhere." Wang Jianye circled the wooden boat and gave Tong Songming a thumbs up.

"Recently, I saw Director Zhu and the others dragging a big basin to deliver supplies. I thought our family's boat would have to be towed by us too," Qin Jiaqiang said with a simple and honest smile, scratching his chin.

"Going there shouldn't be too much effort, but when we come back with the ice, we'll still need someone to lead the way," Tong Songming said, pointing to the hemp rope hanging at the bow of the boat.

"Yes, that's necessary, otherwise it's too heavy."

Seeing that no one was around, Tong Shu lowered her voice and said to her two uncles, "Don't force yourself when the time comes. Picking ice is just for show. The convenience store will still need to use water from there."

The group nodded in agreement, indicating that they understood.

"Then you should hurry up and set off while it's still early. You should be able to come back for lunch." Tong Song said to Tong Shu and the other two, "Director Zhu said yesterday that the generator has been moved to Building 3. I'll go and test it later. He said he'll take a few female workers over this afternoon, so don't forget."

"Okay, I'll bring my aunt with me this afternoon."

Tong Songming tidied up his tool bag, took a ski pole and went to Building 3. Tong Shu and her two uncles worked together to push the wooden boat out of the apartment building and sat down in the cabin one after another.

Although the small wooden boat wasn't big, it wasn't crowded enough for three people. Tong Shu pulled out the ski poles from the cabin and gave two to each of her two uncles. With a light tap of the ski poles, the wooden boat darted far away.

It was still dark, and there wasn't a single pedestrian in the neighborhood, which suited Tong Shu perfectly. Although the wooden boat moved quickly on the ice, the three of them, being from the south, had never used such a mode of transportation before. Going straight was fine, but turning was a huge struggle; they spun around in circles for ages before finally getting out of the south gate. Tong Shu was thankful that no one was around; otherwise, with their skill level, they would have knocked several people flying.

The back mountain is quite a distance from the residential area. It took the three of them half an hour to reach the foot of the mountain. Even with masks and goggles on their faces, their nasal passages were still dry and painful from the cold air.

Although it's called the foot of the mountain, it's actually the mountainside before the disaster. If the floodwaters had risen any higher, that small reservoir wouldn't have been able to be saved.

The three walked up the mountain path, their feet sinking into the frozen, hard earth, where ice particles crunched underfoot. The vines, which had dried up during the high temperatures, had grown back densely during the floods, but now they were frozen to death in the cold.

Upon arriving at the reservoir, the water was indeed frozen solid. The temperature in the mountains was lower than in other places, and frost had formed on the leaves of the trees around us. On the bare branches of the dead trees, transparent and sharp icicles hung unevenly, creating a magnificent yet eerie ice and snow world.

“Shall we dig here? It’s not too far from the shore, and the ice is clean.” Wang Jianye took out a sharp entrenching tool and began to carve out an area of ​​about one square meter on the ice.

“Okay, let’s dig down 30 centimeters. Two people can still lift it.” Qin Jiaqiang put on another pair of gloves and prepared to start working.

Tong Shu, holding a shovel, was about to go and help when Wang Jianye saw her coming. He waved her away, saying, "You don't need to come. Your second aunt's husband and I can dig it up. If you come, you'll break the ice shovel."

"...I won't." Tong Shu was unconvinced, but she obediently stepped aside.

The ice on the reservoir was much harder than the ice in the residential area at the foot of the mountain. Wang Jianye and Qin Jiaqiang spent a long time chiseling out an outline. Tong Shu estimated that it would take a lot more time, so she walked along the mountain path into the mountains, planning to come back to find them later.

The land reclaimed by the government and the residential community is located below the reservoir. Further up from the reservoir, it's mostly woodland. Tong Shu saw several areas where the trees had been completely cut down, with piles of unprocessed timber next to the stumps, their purpose unknown. She heard that the community's cellars were also dug on the back hill, but only the community workers knew their location.

Further up, there were no traces of human activity; newly grown vines from the flood entwined the tree canopy, blocking out the light from the outside world.

The mountains in the southern urban area are not high, just small mounds. Tong Shu reached the top of the mountain without much effort. There was a viewing pavilion at the top, from which you could see a small reservoir and a large part of the northern part of the city.

Tong Shu slightly pulled down her mask, exposing her nose, and took a deep breath. The cool air traveled through her nasal cavity to her chest and lungs, still chillingly cold, yet Tong Shu managed to detect a hint of new life within it.

It was indeed cold, but the air quality had improved considerably. Tong Shu thought to herself.

Judging that her two uncles had finished carving, Tong Shu did not stay on the mountaintop for long. She took a ski pole in each hand and walked down the mountain path.

Come to think of it, it seems like it's been a long time since I've seen Major Wen. I wonder when he'll be back. Tong Shu walked along, lost in thought.

When their team went out, the situation in the north of the city was still unstable, and they weren't sure if they had brought enough supplies. Z City was so big, and the situation outside was so complicated...

Tong Shu was lost in thought and didn't pay much attention to her footing. She accidentally stepped on a small stone slab, which was icy. She stepped on it and slid backward for three meters.

"Ouch—it hurts." It felt like she twisted her ankle; a piercing pain kept coming from her ankle. Tong Shu gritted her teeth and moved her injured foot.

Thankfully, it can still move.

She grimaced and struggled to get up, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw something reflecting light on the branches of the tree above her.

Tong Shu was drawn to the indistinct object again. After getting up from the ground, she ignored her feet and craned her neck to examine the thing on the branch.

When she saw it clearly, Tong Shu was stunned.

It was a little bird that had been frozen.

Its body was grayish-white, with beautiful blue tail feathers. Its claws gripped the withered branches beneath it tightly. Its small, black bean-like eyes were open, but they had lost their luster. Its beak was wide open, and as Tong Shu looked at it, she seemed to hear a desperate cry.

It was encased in a layer of translucent ice shell from top to bottom, and finally connected tightly to the branches, growing on the tree just like that.

Tong Shu slowed her breathing and gently plucked it from the branch.

She held the little bird in her hands, silently examining it for a long time, then took out an entrenching tool, dug a small hole in the frozen ground, and carefully placed the bird inside.

"Go to sleep," Tong Shu said softly to the small mound. "Come back when the weather is better."

-----

Tong Shu limped back to the reservoir. Wang Jianye and Qin Jiaqiang had already chiseled out three blocks of ice. The two were sitting on the embankment not far away, sharing a cup of ginger tea.

When Wang Jianye saw Tong Shu coming over, he handed the cup lid to Qin Jiaqiang, patted the dirt off his pants, and stood up: "You're back. So... what happened to your foot?"

Tong Shu forced a smile and replied, "It's nothing, I just tripped and fell down the mountain and twisted my ankle a little."

Qin Jiaqiang frowned and stepped forward: "Is it serious? Otherwise, I'll carry you down first and then come back up to help your uncle carry the ice."

Tong Shu quickly waved her hand and refused, "No need, no need! It's not serious, I can walk by myself. You carry the ice down, I'll follow behind slowly, it'll be fine!"

Her two uncles couldn't dissuade her, so they took ropes to tie the ice. After tying the ice blocks together, they secured the ropes to the middle of the carrying pole, and together they lifted the ice up. Tong Shu then put the remaining two blocks of ice into her backpack.

"We'll go down first, and you follow behind. Don't rush, walk slowly, and we'll come back to pick you up after we've put the ice down."

Tong Shu nodded.

Wang Jianye and Qin Jiaqiang carried their loads with one hand and leaned on their ski poles with the other, swaying as they walked down the mountain.

As noon approached, people began to walk up the mountain, passing by Tong Shu and her two companions.

Most of them came carrying buckets of water, and when they saw Wang Jianye and Qin Jiaqiang carrying ice, they all turned to look at them.

Tong Shu looked at the figures and clothes of these people but didn't recognize them. They probably weren't from her neighborhood. It seemed that the people living nearby had also started going up the mountain to fetch water.

Tong Shu felt that some of the gazes were somewhat malicious, so she quickened her pace to catch up with her uncles ahead. The three of them walked down the mountain in one go without stopping.

The wooden boat was hidden in withered bushes and covered with vines cut from nearby. Qin Jiaqiang moved the covering aside, pushed the boat out, and Tong Shu looked around to make sure no one was nearby before putting two blocks of ice from her bag into the cabin.

The last piece of ice was brought up, and the wooden boat was almost full. Wang Jianye and Qin Jiaqiang helped Tong Shu into the boat, one pulling from the front and the other pushing from behind. Tong Shu used her two ski poles to give occasional pushes, and the boat moved quite fast.

Another batch of cotton-padded clothes were distributed in the community, and more people came out of their homes to find work. When Tong Shu and her group returned to the community, many people saw their wooden boat. Several residents who often visited the convenience store came over curiously. Some praised the wooden boat for being well modified, while others were curious as to why they had brought ice back.

"This is ice we brought from the reservoir behind the mountain. It's drinkable after boiling. My dad modified this boat specifically for hauling ice," Tong Shu said to the residents who had gathered around.

"Oh dear, how come I didn't think of that? I'll have my husband go to the back mountain to chisel ice later."

"My water supply is almost gone, but the road behind the mountain is too far, and it's so cold it hurts to the bone, yet I still have to carry ice back..."

Some people have already set their sights on Tong Shu's wooden boat: "Young boss, could you lend your boat to everyone?"

Tong Shu rolled her eyes and replied, "My family's boat isn't for loan."

Everyone was instantly disappointed and was just about to sigh.

"But we can't use all that ice at home. We'll boil water, bottle it, and sell it at the convenience store."

Those who didn't want to go to the back mountain to get ice were happy, but some people who were short of money still looked troubled.

Tong Shu added, "Although the boat cannot be lent out, it can be rented."

The person who initially asked to borrow the boat perked up again: "Rent! I'll rent it! Cash only?"

Tong Shu shook her head and pointed to the cabin: "This ship can bring back three large blocks of ice at a time. If you borrow the ship, bring me one block each time."

Those who had the idea hesitated again. Most of them had farmed on the back mountain before and knew the distance between the foot of the mountain and the reservoir. It was really painful to have to hand over a third of the ice after all the hard work of carrying it down.

"Anyway, the ice I collect is boiled and sold to the neighbors in the community. Everyone doesn't have to provide their own charcoal, which saves them effort. If no one rents the boat, it's just a matter of me making a few more trips to my home and earning a little extra money along the way."

Hearing Tong Shu say this, everyone felt relieved. Those with money could pay for it, and those without could simply form a team to dig for ice together. The ice given to the Tong family would also benefit the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in the community. They had received a lot of care from the community since the natural disaster began, so this little bit of ice was really not worth fussing over.

"Young boss! I'll come over this afternoon to rent a boat from you!"

"How many of you are there? Let's team up; I have a brother at home."

"Okay! My cousin and I will split it into two portions among the three families!"

...

Tong Shu had her neighbors discuss and agree on a way to rent the boat from the convenience store. She and her two uncles then took the boat back to their apartment building.