Chapter 21
It was that afternoon when this idea quietly took root.
Ji Dongzang was lying lazily on the soft and thick grass outside the house.
The scorching sun shone on her rough skin.
While enjoying the sunbath, she happily nibbled on the exquisite lumps of earth with a unique taste that she had exchanged from her neighbor.
Used as a teething snack.
Suddenly——
The curtain of time was suddenly pulled down!
The scorching sun disappeared without warning!
The entire sky instantly fell into a dead silence and darkness.
Theia...is here!
Immediately afterwards, the sky was torn apart!
The scarlet sea of blood instantly covered the sky and the earth!
A strange and ominous red light hit Ji Dongzang's face as he looked up in astonishment!
Ji Dongzang suddenly sat up!
She subconsciously hugged the coarse cloth bag filled with grinding soil beside her tightly.
Her neighbors!
Those Juyas who had exchanged items and shared food with her not long ago!
They will be swallowed up!
Will suffer in this scarlet purgatory until death!
Even... even she herself, this giant body named "Winter", has no chance of being spared!
Here, she is not a messenger leading a new civilization!
She just...
One of the living beings that is about to be destroyed and transformed.
Ji Dongzang struggled and stood up with her bulky giant body.
She looked around anxiously, wanting to shout, to warn the neighbors who were still immersed in their daily lives - run! Hide!
But... what should I say? How should I say it?
Could she explain this scarlet falling from the sky?
Can she prevent Theia's arrival?
Confused.
At a loss.
In the end, she could only stand stiffly in the middle of the farm that was once warm but now became extremely strange.
Under my feet, the originally green grass had begun to emit a red glow.
Above my head, the scarlet sky that covered everything was slowly wriggling and surging.
Ji Dongzang's huge figure stood alone.
Clumsy and heavy.
Like a young animal abandoned by its tribe in a strange wilderness, facing a raging flood but clueless...
She could not speak of the impending destruction of the past.
There seems to be no future.
Just when Ji Dongzang was nailed to the spot by boundless panic and confusion.
Hahaha……
There were bursts of hearty, even heartless laughter.
Accompanied by heavy and dense "click, click" footsteps, coming from far away.
Tearing apart the dead silence under the blood-red sky!
Several familiar figures appeared on the farm path. They were her neighbors.
One of them, a Ju Ya with a loud voice, was patting his companion's broad shoulders and shouting:
"Hey! Miss Sun is leaving so early today! Just in time! We don't have to work in the sun!"
"Yes, yes, yes! The open space in front of Yu Er's house, the usual place! Everyone bring some goodies over and have fun!"
Another giant waved his strong arms and shouted from door to door.
Ji Dongzang was caught off guard by the sudden, bustling commotion.
She exchanged a few words stiffly with the neighbors who approached.
What shocked her even more was what she discovered during the communication.
They talked about what "delicious food" and "fun things" to bring to the party, their tone relaxed and casual.
He actually turned a blind eye to the scarlet spot on his head and even got used to it!
"Oh, you mean the weather?" Ju Ya, who was carefully holding a huge pottery jar, said nonchalantly.
"That old fellow, Theia, has come to visit us for the third time in this 'red dress'! There might be some noise later, but it's okay!"
The third time?!
It turns out that Theia had appeared a long time ago.
This means...
The impact with Theia is about to happen, soon!
This was completely different from the human world she knew, which was facing the long-term erosion of "beast transformation".
She opened her mouth, but her throat seemed blocked.
Reminder? Warning? Pointless.
They could not resist the destructive power from the starry sky, and had nowhere to escape.
What's more... all of this is what the Ju Ya neighbors are experiencing right now.
But for her successor Dong Zang, and for the timeline she came from, this was a long, long time ago... "once upon a time".
The world of Juya.
The moment Theia impacted, it was... gone.
What she saw and heard at this moment was nothing more than a solidified and shattered reflection in the long river of time.
Watching the neighbors happily greeting each other.
Carrying home-grown fruits and vegetables, brewed beverages, and woven handicrafts.
Chatting and laughing, they rushed towards Yu Er's house, ready to enjoy this unexpected leisure time...
A thought was clear in Ji Dongzang's heart:
Since the destined ending cannot be changed...
Since this "present" has become an untouchable "past" for her...
So.
Ji Dongzang took a deep breath of the air mixed with the aroma of soil, grass and food.
She decided to completely let go of the worry and mission of "continued winter storage".
She decided to experience, feel, and embrace this doomed world with her whole body and soul as "Winter".
Forget the human world.
Forget about continuing the winter storage.
Now, she is just "Winter".
Ji Dongzang held a large bunch of thick candles that exuded the aroma of pine resin and honey.
And two baskets of her favorite plump fruits with a strange metallic sheen on their skin.
He arrived at the open space in front of Yu Er's farm with familiarity.
During the time she came to Juya, she and Yuer often got together to play simple but fun games.
Yu Er would always generously take out her treasured "Laochun" and the two would sit opposite each other and have a few drinks.
This "Old Spring" is as clear as amber in color and has a rich and mellow aroma.
At first glance, it smells quite similar to the fine wines of the human world.
But the taste is completely different when you put it in your mouth!
It slid into Ju Ya's throat with a strange cool feeling, instantly dispelling the heat in his body and bringing a sense of transparent comfort and indescribable spiritual excitement.
Of course, it also has the power to intoxicate.
According to the Juyas, drinking too much is like "drinking through the winter."
Because in this world, the seasons are divided into "spring" when everything flourishes and "winter" when everything is dormant.
If the joy of "spring" is too excessive, the long and cold "winter" will come quietly.
Yu Er always likes to make fun of Ji Dongzang's name, and tease her with some homophonic puns that only Ju Yayu can understand.
As soon as I got closer, I saw Yu Er sitting cross-legged on a huge straw mat.
They were enthusiastically playing the tic-tac-toe game that Ji Dongzang taught them with the carp opposite them.
Li Zheng frowned and stared at the grid on the ground with a look of deep resentment.
Ji Dongzang put down the candle and fruit in his arms and went over to watch the fight.
When Li saw her, he felt like he had found a lifeline. He looked up and asked, "Dong! Quick! Tell me how I can beat her!"
She shook her head, and her braids, carefully woven from long, flexible leaves, swayed playfully.
It exudes a fresh scent mixed with grass and morning dew.
This taste inexplicably reminded Ji Dongzang of the "Laochun" he drank a few days ago, which also had the aroma of herbal essence.
Ji Dongzang and Yu Er exchanged a knowing look.
The two of them tacitly left behind Li, who was still hesitating about the outcome and was obviously shorter than them.
They patted their buttocks and stood up, one after another going into Yu Er's big wooden house.
After a while, the two of them worked together to move out several large jars of heavy "Laochun".
This seems to be a signal!
Seeing this, the surrounding neighbors also took action.
They took out their best treasures without reservation.
Giant pieces of carefully cured meat, jams stored for years, gorgeous hand-woven tapestries, and even shimmering exotic minerals...
All kinds of treasures soon filled up a corner of the open space, a dazzling array of items.
The flickering candlelight cast a warm halo on the huge candlestick.
It emits a soothing warmth and the aroma of burnt pine resin.
The giants gathered in twos and threes:
Some gathered around the campfire, skewered large pieces of fresh meat with thick wooden sticks, and roasted them intently, with the tempting aroma of meat filling the air.
Some sat on the ground, chatting animatedly while continuing to weave mats or baskets with their nimble fingers.
Some still have a childlike innocence and use those huge, colorful fruits to pile up strange and interesting shapes, or pick up the broad green leaves and carve simple patterns.
Caused bursts of laughter.
Following Dongzang and Yu'er, there was another giant named Ke, who sat comfortably on several large straw stools that had just been woven and still exuded the fragrance of green grass.
In front of them was a simple barbecue grill, and in their hands were rough ceramic bowls filled with amber-colored "Laochun".
The intoxication and warmth intertwined, temporarily numbing the fear of the future.
Looking at the non-stop weaving movements in the hands of the giants, an idea suddenly flashed through Ji Dongzang's mind.
She put down the pottery bowl, picked up a branch, and walked on the soft mud.
Draw the shape of a swing.
Two ropes and a piece of wood.
She excitedly explained the rules of the game to Yu Er and Ke, and waved to Chu Jiao who was processing the ingredients not far away.
Chujiao is recognized as the most dexterous among them.
She looked closely at the pattern on the ground with interest.
After listening to Ji Dongzang's gesticulating description, a glimmer of understanding immediately flashed in his eyes.
"Interesting!" Chujiao laughed heartily and immediately joined the knitting team.
Her nimble and powerful fingers quickly twisted the tough vines and thick straw ropes.
Together with Yu Er, Ke and several other Ju Ya who were attracted here, they were busy working in full swing.
"Freeze to death and collect it!"
——From time to time, shouts of "It will be ready soon" or "It's a piece of cake" in Juya language can be heard.
Ji Dongzang watched them busy with a smile, and subconsciously touched the one he carried with him that was woven by Chujiao himself.
A big bag in exchange for good soap.
This sturdy and beautiful bag contains the most precious gains in her short "life" in the world of Juya.
The small "Ruyi" wooden carving that Chujiao gave her.
That was the souvenir Chujiao carved overnight after Dongzang told them the wonderful story about the "snake spirit".
The lines are rough but full of charm.
And that sugar bowl.
Those were the fragrant, crystal clear candies left by her "relative" Per when she came to visit.
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