Chapter 28 Chapter 28 (Inverted v) [VIP]

Bai He woke up with frost on his eyelashes. Wisps of white mist rose with his breath. His nose was numb from the cold air, his sense of smell gone. Clear fluid flowed uncontrollably from his nose. For the first time in his twenty-plus years, Bai He realized that air could be lethal. His shoulders and elbows, perhaps from the cold, ached between his bones. He dug out a few heat pads from his space and pressed them against his body.

Since there was no heat in the quilt and it was as cold as iron inside, Bai He had no difficulty getting up.

He dug out his thermals, turtlenecks, and down jackets, and layered them on. He felt twice as big, looking incredibly bloated. The heat packs on his body began to heat up, and the warmth, protected by the thick clothing, trapped inside him. His frozen body suddenly came to life.

Heidou slept in Baihe's room last night. Baihe got up and looked at him. This energetic big guy seemed a little uncomfortable in such an extremely low temperature. His whole body was curled up in the soft blanket. When he saw Baihe get up, he immediately sat up. His eyes were still bright, but his body was shaking and tightening uncontrollably.

Bai He felt a little worried, so he touched its body and nose, checked it, and found nothing wrong with it. He breathed a sigh of relief. He put a fleece windbreaker on Hei Dou.

It was the first time that Heidou wore such tight clothes, and he was not used to it. His body was almost twisted into a knot, and his head kept rubbing against the clothes.

Walking out of the bedroom and into the living room, one could hear the cold wind blowing in through the windows, doors, and other cracks. The empty living room felt as chilly as an ice cellar. Bai He's face, which had warmed up slightly, suddenly turned cold again.

The extreme low temperatures made Bai He, who had always lived in the south, feel anxious. His throat felt dry and sore, like it was on fire, a very bad omen.

Walking into the restroom, Bai He was unsurprised to find that the water pipes had frozen shut, not a single drop of water could be seen. The water in the water tank had been frozen into a large block of ice.

Fortunately, Baihe's toilet is directly connected to the septic tank without any pipes, so he doesn't have to feel the cool wind blowing on his butt in the wild.

The tap water wasn't working, so Bai He opened the back door and headed to the backyard. It was much smaller than the previous one. When Bai He was little, his father had built a trellis in the yard to attract grape vines. Every summer, the trellis would be covered with emerald green leaves and vines, and the bamboo forest outside the yard swayed, creating a unique charm. During the day, Cheng would set up a bamboo bed and recliner under the trellis. At night, it was beautiful to lie there and relax and watch the stars. Especially in the past, when the power outages were unstable and maintenance was frequent, and the summers in the south were dreary, the entire Bai family would retreat to the trellis to cool off. The adults would chat while waving palm-leaf fans, and the children would play and play on the bamboo beds surrounded by mosquito nets.

Many childhood memories are left under this grape trellis.

Unfortunately, as the family of three moved to the city and settled down, the unattended grape vines gradually withered, leaving only the lonely wooden frame covered with moss and black mold.

The backyard wall is connected to a small house made of blue bricks and white tiles. It used to be a kitchen, but now it has become a utility room and warehouse.

There was a well in the backyard, dug when the house was built. Sheshui Village was nestled against a mountain stream, with abundant water nearby. The well wasn't really needed; water could be drawn from the pond or river just a short walk away. But Bai He's mother had been flooded as a child and was afraid of water. To make life easier for his wife, Bai He spent the money to dig a well at home. Back then, digging a well was not only expensive but also a significant undertaking.

Bai He's father enlisted the help of many friends, and they eventually dug a deep well. The water was sweet and clear. Sometimes, when Bai He was extremely thirsty, he would just scoop up the well water and drink it. As a child, there were no refrigerators, so in the summer, the meat at home was hung over the well mouth to preserve it. Watermelon, chilled in the cool well water, was incredibly sweet.

Bai He pressed the water pump at the well's edge, the iron handle frosted with frost. The ancient machine made a dull "click, click, click..." sound, but eventually it became smoother, and water flowed out of the opening. Bai He dipped his hand into the stream and surprisingly felt a faint warmth.

Bai He filled two buckets with water, and wisps of white steam rose from the buckets. He placed one bucket in the kitchen and the other in the bathroom.

Then he took out the brazier from the warehouse and brought it to the smaller restaurant, and also brought a large bundle of firewood.

The wind turbine Baihe currently uses doesn't generate much electricity each day, barely enough to keep the basic appliances running. If he continues to use high-powered appliances like heaters for heating, it won't be able to keep up.

While using pine needles to light the fire, Bai He, who was not very skilled, choked on the smoke several times. Although making a fire may seem simple, it does require some skills to keep thick firewood burning in the pot.

The wood burned, its dim light and a hint of smoke spreading through the room. This method of heating was primitive, but the warmth was palpable. The room's temperature rose instantly. Dust danced in the air with the flames, and the smell of smoke was particularly strong in the enclosed room.

In order to avoid carbon dioxide poisoning, Bai He opened a small gap in the window, as wide as a fingernail, to allow for ventilation.

Baihe brought in a sofa and a blanket. Heidou crouched beside the brazier in a frog-like position, feeling the warmth and relaxation of his tense body. His long tail flicked intermittently, his eyes slowly drooping as he dozed off.

Bai He took out a rack and propped it up on the brazier, then skillfully placed a pot of water on it. The silver pot was licked by the sparks, leaving black marks, and steam slowly rose from the lid.

Bai He nestled himself in the soft sofa, the firelight dancing on his face. The notebook in his hand was showing a funny adventure anime.

There were a few sweet potatoes roasted by the remaining fire next to the brazier. This was his breakfast, which was very convenient.

The sweet potatoes were slowly roasted, giving off an alluring sweet aroma. Bai He picked them up from the plate with tongs.

When Heidou smelled the fragrance, he immediately opened his eyes wide, raised his head, and wagged his tail faster.

"Wait a minute, it's a little hot." Knowing that it was greedy, Bai He put the sweet potatoes in a bowl to cool down.

The water boiled, and Bai He took out two thermos bottles. After filling them, he used the remaining water to wash himself and soaked his feet in hot water.

As he soaked, Bai He let out a long sigh. A young man with a strong constitution, Bai He usually only needed a down jacket for winter. This was the first time he'd felt his feet go numb from the cold.

After washing up, the sweet potatoes were cold. This was the first crop produced in Bai He's space. The sweet potatoes were large. Bai He ate one raw, and it was sweet and crisp, like fruit. The skin was charred by the charcoal fire, but the smell was overpowering. Peeling it open, the red molasses immediately flowed out. The orange-red flesh was soft and sticky, like a small flame. The appearance and smell alone were very tempting.

Baihe first gave one to Heidou, who was drooling. This meat lover thought it tasted pretty good and finished it in two mouthfuls.

Bai He also tried one himself. The flesh was incredibly soft and melted in his mouth. The warmth of the sweet potato slid into his stomach, dispelling much of the coldness in his body. It was sweet but not overpowering, and even though he loves salty things, he ate two without getting tired of it.

Every winter, Baihe's appetite would increase. A few roasted sweet potatoes would definitely not be enough, so he would light a fire and roast a few pieces of bread and sausages.

Heidou was very interested in Baihe's sausages. When Baihe was roasting them, his eyes would fall on them from time to time.

Bai He satisfied it and put a few roots in its bowl, as well as two sweet potatoes and a piece of bread. This was its breakfast.

Black Dou is not like pet dogs, which are not expensive and difficult to raise. It does not have any strict requirements on food. Sometimes it will eat whatever Baihe eats.

As Shirokazu and Heidou were enjoying breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Shirokazu didn't pay much attention at first, thinking it was just the wind blowing against the iron door. It wasn't until he saw Heidou walking towards the door that he realized someone was coming.

The moment Bai He stepped outside, he was nearly suffocated by the cold. His eyes were momentarily blinded, and everywhere he looked was white. The roofs and the ground were covered in snow. Wherever Bai He stepped, his feet were soaked. Overnight, the snow had already fallen as thick as his calves. And now, the snow, as thick as goose feathers, was still falling from the sky.

Through the window of the iron gate, Bai He saw the person outside the door, Chen Lixin from the village. He was related to his family by blood, and his father had to call him brother.

He was wearing a raincoat, his face red from the cold beneath his woolen hat, and he was hunched over, stamping his feet from time to time and blowing on his hands. Seeing the door open, he hurriedly said, "Bai He, my old lady passed away last night and will be going up the mountain the day after tomorrow."

"Uncle, I'm so sorry."

Chen Lixin nodded, said thank you hoarsely, shook off the snow, and strode to the next house. Without a phone, he could only visit friends and relatives in person.

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