Chapter 85: War of Words
Cold, as cold as falling into a cold cellar.
Qin Xiangnuan felt as if her body wasn't her own, though she was fully conscious. She could hear the cries of her family and friends, but she couldn't open her eyes. Her body was shaking, her teeth chattering against each other, and she nearly bit her tongue off several times. Her internal organs felt like they were on fire, and the alternating hot and cold sensations were unbearable. Her throat tightened, and breathing became difficult. "Qin Xiangnuan, you can't keep going like this!"
Plop—warm water drops fell on her face.
From that point on, the surrounding cold seemed to subside a bit. Qin Xiangnuan strained her strength to open her eyes. Seeing Liu's tear-stained eyes, she instinctively spoke to comfort her. "Nuannuan! You're awake!" Countless heads gathered around her, each pair of eyes filled with worry. Qin Xiangnuan coughed twice and struggled to wave her hands, trying to convey a message.
"What do you want, little sister? Paper and pen?"
"Did you leave something there? Don't even think about looking for it now. I'll cook you some meat."
Qin Feng spoke with exceptional concern, but his care was entirely in vain. Qin Xiangnuan was nearly driven to faint by his inability to comprehend and his foolish appearance. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and uttered, "Move aside, I need... air!" The oxygen in the cave wasn't sufficient to begin with, and the numerous candles they lit made the air thin.
"Oh oh!" Qin Feng heard it and immediately fanned the cold wind around him with his hands.
The cold wind blew in her face, making it difficult for Qin Xiangnuan to breathe and she almost choked. If she continued, even if she was still alive, she would suffer from the aftereffects of Qin Feng's torture for the rest of her life! "Spread out, let me take some time." Qin Xiangnuan said these words with difficulty, breathing heavily.
Qin Yi finally understood what she meant, pulled Qin Feng and dispersed everyone.
The situation was dire. If Qin Xiangnuan had escaped alone, she could have escaped unscathed. But when she saw the panic and the desire to survive flash across Ading's young face, she became unlike herself and ultimately chose to buy time. Qin Xiangnuan was confident she could find the thinnest spot in the snow. As long as the time they took to find her was shortened and within a manageable range, she would be safe.
Fortunately, the Qin family did not let her down.
Sneezing sounds continued to be heard from the cave. Anliu led people to the cave entrance and tried to dig a passage.
"It's useless. The snow that fell from the top of the mountain is at least..." Thinking that they would not understand the unit of measurement, Qin Xiangnuan took back the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "If we dig, it will probably take ten days or half a month to get out."
Ten days or half a month? Everyone looked at each other, then at the rations piled in the corner.
Although they got a lot of meat and took out a lot of food from the county magistrate's mansion. But when they were fleeing just now, some people felt that the food was too heavy and threw it outside in order to survive. Adding up all the supplies that can be used, it is barely enough to sustain for three to five days. Are they going to starve to death here? "Big sister, Beibei heard from them that the appearance of starving ghosts is very scary. Beibei, will they become that ugly too?" Qin Xiangning came to Qin Xiangnuan's side at some point, covered her with her little hands, and asked in a milky voice.
"Beibei, don't be afraid. Big sister won't let you die."
Qin Xiangnuan pinched her cheek, feeling the temperature wasn't right. She pushed her back and said, "Go find A'niang. My sister is sick, and I'm afraid she might infect you." The cold was spreading, and there was no medicine to treat it. It was not good! Qin Xiangnuan thought about it, and tore off a piece of cloth from her body and covered her mouth and nose as a barely taken precaution.
"What should we do? Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?"
Xu Jian narrowed his eyes and looked at Anliu calmly, "Do you have a way to contact people outside? Can you send a signal?"
"Yes, we do, but both the pigeons and the signal flares need to be set off outside. We're stuck here, so there's nothing we can do." Undercurrent didn't deny it, but the current predicament made them reconsider the feasibility of this method. "Haha, I thought I was helping everyone escape, but I didn't expect it to be another way to die. You're truly a living bodhisattva." Qi, hiding in a corner, hugged Qin Xiangsong and made sarcastic remarks.
Qin Wen frowned and looked at him, still unable to say anything unpleasant.
Qin Feng ignored all that. He knew Third Uncle and Qi no longer had any feelings for each other, so he bluntly retorted sarcastically, "Just now, I saw Third Aunt run faster than anyone else and was the first one to hide inside. If you feel you're doomed, why don't you hold Brother Song and wait outside? Maybe when we get out, we'll be able to see your ice sculptures! They're so lifelike!"
"You, are you talking to an elder? I'm your third aunt! Is this how the Qin family taught you to respect elders and juniors?"
Qi raised her hand and poked Qin Feng's nose, looking at Zou and Qin Yi with dissatisfaction. Zou listened, having originally intended to remain silent, but now she couldn't help but start a verbal battle, "Sister-in-law, you're really accusing us of something. There's a proper order of seniority, but elders must also be treated with respect and courtesy. Your words are sarcastic and you're just destroying the bridge. I think Feng'er is right."
"Besides, Third Uncle is about to divorce you! What kind of aunt are you to me?"
Seeing his mother's support, Qin Feng immediately raised his head and said bluntly, "She's just following the Qin family to eat and drink for free. What's wrong with me saying a few words? My little sister always thinks about the Qin family. She almost lost her life just now. I dare to say that anyone who dares to criticize her is going against me and the Qin family!"
"You guys! Well, I'll see what that living Bodhisattva can come up with!"
Qi sensed something was amiss and simply covered Qin Xiangsong's ears, staring coldly at everyone with a silent expression. Qin Xiangnuan placed her hand quietly on her neck and could feel the temperature rising. She needed to take medicine immediately. The Qin family members were lightly dressed, and the temperature in the cave was extremely low. If this continued, it would cause problems. Space! How could she find a way to reach the space?
Qin Xiangnuan looked in the opposite direction of the cave entrance and found a dark corridor.
"Cousin, you stay here and take care of grandma. I'll go and see if I can find something or a way out." Qin Xiangnuan's steps were unsteady, and she walked in, holding on to the wall with her hands. Qin Feng saw this and wanted to follow, "You're not feeling well, so I'll go."
Qin Xiangnuan shook her head, rejecting his suggestion. "There are many forks in the road ahead. If you're not careful, you'll get lost. The more people go there, the more dangerous it is. I learned how to remember the route from my father before. Believe me, I'll be back soon."
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