Chapter 35 Chapter 35 (Inverted v) [VIP]

"No, I came here after breakfast."

Passing by the firewood shed, the two dogs, Dahuang and Niuniu, were wagging their tails wildly inside. If their necks were not tied, they would probably slip out of the cave and get close to Baihe.

My aunt smiled and said, "You have been loved by these animals since you were a child."

"There have been a lot of dog thieves lately, so I locked them up. Several dogs from the He family's area up ahead have all been stolen, not even a hair left. I wonder who in the village is so wicked as to want this piece of meat."

My aunt-in-law was particularly angry when she talked about this. Dogs are loyal to their owners and can guard the house. In their eyes, they are already members of their family.

"Auntie, please be more careful at home. I'm afraid someone might not just steal the dog but have other bad intentions."

"Don't worry, your uncle and I are keeping an eye on it. I always get up to check on the barking dogs at night."

"Um."

As soon as I entered, my aunt quickly closed the door, afraid to let in any cold wind. Because the doors and windows were closed, a single light was on in the living room, and the dozen or so people in the family gathered there. Two braziers burned brightly, and the firewood burned vigorously. The temperature inside was slightly higher than outside, but everyone still had to bundle up tightly.

The TV and tea room in the living room had been removed, leaving only a few large sofas and a large table. Therefore, even with so many people gathered here, it didn't seem too crowded.

When he arrived, the family was eating. This morning's main course was porridge and pancakes, warmed in the pot and eaten while they cooked. A variety of pickles and eggs were laid out on the large round table in the living room. Everyone was casual, some eating standing up, some sitting down.

Seeing Bai He, regardless of whether he had eaten or not, Grandma Bai forced a pancake on him. The preserved vegetable pancake was salty and fragrant, and it was so crispy that it fell apart in the mouth.

The aunt said, "This is made by your Aunt Xie. It tastes good, right?"

"I like to think about these things when I have nothing to do. The soup I make is especially good, I will make it for everyone to try next time. I am also good at making Western cakes and snacks, but it's a pity that I don't have the tools here." Xie Nian said with a smile while holding a bowl of food.

During this time, the three members of the Ning family got along well with the Bai family. The Bai family were hardworking individuals with a good family atmosphere. The Ning family, while better off, didn't look down on others. Living with the Bai family, they always did what they could. This time together allowed both families to gain a deeper understanding of each other, and they came to accept each other's in-law status.

After dinner, Grandpa Bai said to Bai He, "Tangyuan, I checked your greenhouse yesterday and saw that there's an empty area. Can I build a fence around that area and raise the cattle and sheep in your greenhouse?"

"It's so cold, even our livestock can't handle it. Last night, two chickens and a duck froze to death. My two piglets aren't eating much, and they're shivering and sniffling all the time."

There were too many flammable materials in the pigpen and cattle pen, and it was too dangerous to put a fire pot there, so Grandpa Bai and Uncle Bai spread thick hay in the pen, but it was obvious that it could not withstand the pressure now.

"Sure." Bai He originally reserved that piece of land for raising poultry.

"I won't let you suffer any loss. I'll give you one third of the meat when the time comes." Uncle Bai said generously.

"You guys are responsible for the cleaning and feeding. I just need to borrow some land, so I won't need so much. Just give me a few chicks and ducklings when they hatch."

"How much are chicks and ducklings? I'll give them to you once they're hatched. Greenhouses are so rare these days, and as your uncle, I won't take advantage of you. Just wait for your share of the meat when the time comes." Uncle Bai didn't even give Bai He the chance to answer.

"The snow has stopped. Uncle and Grandpa, I want to go out and take a look."

Uncle Bai's first reaction after hearing this was to refuse, "Why are you going? The snow is already up to your knees. Aren't you afraid of drowning?"

Grandma Bai echoed, "Your uncle is right. The snow has stopped now, but it might start snowing again soon. If you get stuck on the road, who will rescue you?"

"Grandma and uncle's phones and TVs don't work right now. I want to know what the situation is like outside. I haven't been out for nearly two months and I need to buy some things."

"You're missing something"

"Coal, salt, toilet paper... there's a lot to buy."

In the end, the Bai family still failed to persuade Bai He, but they also forced him to promise to wait until the next day when there was no snow before leaving.

The next day, there was no snow. As Bai He had expected, the snow had stopped, and the snow on the ground had frozen into thick ice. In such weather, everyone was dressed like balls, and many people fell down while walking on the road.

Bai He came to his uncle's house early in the morning carrying a big schoolbag and holding a ski pole.

Grandpa Bai took out a stack of red bills from his pocket and stuffed it into Bai He's hand, "You probably don't have much cash on hand, so use it first." The old man knew that young people nowadays scan codes when buying things. That thing is convenient, but it is useless when there is a power outage.

"Grandpa, you are so thoughtful." Bai He accepted it without any hesitation.

Uncle Bai and Aunt Bai were very puzzled when they saw this, because Bai He had borrowed a large sum of cash from them the day before. The two of them were engaged in various agricultural activities and had a lot of cash on hand, so the amount they lent to Bai He was also quite a lot.

What does this kid need so much money for?

Bai He answered without hesitation: of course, spend it. Cash is still useful now, but after a while, it will become waste paper.

Today, not only Bai He went out, but Bai Yu and Ning Zelan also followed him. The two of them really couldn't stand being cooped up at home. As Bai He said, there were indeed a lot of things to buy.

"Go visit your aunt and uncle on the way." Grandpa Bai advised.

He was somewhat worried about his younger siblings. Perhaps they had experienced too many difficulties when they were young, so they became particularly frightened whenever natural disasters like these occurred.

Seeing her husband about to clear out a bunch of things for his grandson to take away, Grandma Bai quickly stopped him. "Walking in this weather is hard enough, and you're asking them to carry so many things. Do you think they're cows?"

Looking at the people who were wrapped up like balls and had difficulty walking, Grandpa Bai hesitated and put down the things in his hands. He felt a little distressed that it would be bad to go to the county without taking anything!

Grandma Bai made the decision to "take the two chickens away"

When Grandma Bai brought over two chickens that had frozen to death the day before, there was a hint of displeasure in her eyes. Every time these two families came to visit, they either came empty-handed or brought a few yuan worth of pancakes. Not only did they have two good meals here, but they also took home a large bag. It would be fine if they were truly poor, but these two families weren't poor at all, clearly taking advantage.

They were free to come and go in the Bai family's vegetable garden, picking whatever they wanted without even asking the owner. They also said, "Living in the countryside is great; as long as you have a piece of land, you don't have to worry about vegetables."

Grandma Bai was furious when she heard this. Do you really think that these vegetables will grow in large patches just by sowing the seeds? She still has to fetch water and apply fertilizer to them all day long.

But Grandma Bai always just complained. She valued social etiquette and face the most, and never missed giving anything away.

"You guys must be careful when you go out. If it snows, find shelter from someone's house first." The Bai family members gave earnest instructions before leaving.

Several people nodded naturally.

Bai and a few others left home and met several waves of people leaving and entering the village at the village entrance and on the road.

These days have been incredibly difficult for everyone. From the comfort of their homes, everyone has become accustomed to the convenience of modern information. The power and internet outages have rendered the villagers blind and deaf, feeling disconnected from society. Many leave their homes simply to find out what's happening outside and to contact family.

Sheshui Village was only seven or eight kilometers from the town, normally a two-hour walk. But now, it might take even four hours. Everyone's clothes weighed several pounds, and every step through their fleece pants was exhausting. After only two or three kilometers, Bai Yu, who didn't usually exercise, was already panting and exhausted. But leaving was her own decision, and she couldn't just give up and hold the others back. She gritted her teeth and walked on, ignoring her body's protests.

"This won't work." Listening to Bai Yu's heavy breathing, Bai He looked at Ning Zelan, who was holding him up. Ning Zelan was a sportsman, so his physical strength was naturally beyond reproach, and he seemed to be in good shape.

"We two drag her away."

There were trees on both sides of the road. At this time, all the leaves had fallen off, leaving only bare branches. Bai He chose a branch as thick as a human arm and broke it. He took out an outdoor multi-functional knife from his schoolbag and split the branch in half. He then drilled a hole and threaded a rope through it. A simple sled was ready.

Bai Yu stood on the sled, while Bai He and Ning Zelan each pulled her and dragged her along. Without Bai Yu's burden, the two of them loosened their speed and ran.

It took just over two hours to get to town, and it was only ten o'clock.

Bai Yu knew that his brother was a loner, so before he could speak, he took the initiative to say, "It would be a waste of time for us to act together. After we visit my aunt and uncle's house, we will act separately."

"You have to go when your uncle comes back with his wife."

Bai He nodded. He always remembered the kindness of Bai Zhuo when he gave him money when he was sick.

The town is not big, and Bai Zhuo's family lives in an open five-story building near the street at the entrance of the town.

Bai Zhuo's house was pretty safe, with an anti-theft door inside and a thick iron door outside. Bai Yu pressed the doorbell for several minutes but there was no response, so he could only knock on the iron door.

After a while, a voice came from inside asking "Who is it?"

"My uncle is Bai Yu and Bai He."

There was a sound of a door lock unlocking from inside. The security door opened and Bai Zhuo poked his head out with a serious expression. When he saw the familiar face, he relaxed a little.

"Come in quickly." Bai Qiujin urged quietly, and quickly locked the iron door as soon as they entered. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the two doors were locked.

This situation left Bai Yu confused.

Bai Zhuo explained, "The night before last, a house in the building next door was broken into and robbed. All their belongings were stolen. There were two elderly people in that house. While trying to stop them, one was pushed down the stairs and died instantly. The other died on the way to the hospital after having his head smashed open."

Bai Yu hadn't expected something this awful to happen in the town. The town was once a former textile factory and mining family housing complex, mostly populated by the elderly and children. While disputes often made the news, incidents like this were rare. "So rampant?"

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