After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lu Qingjiu began preparing for winter. Last year, due to his lack of experience, he had started preparing a little late. The winter in Shuifu Village was even more difficult than he had imagined. This year's situation didn't look any better than last year's, so he might as well prepare everything for the family sooner rather than later.
However, the weather had not cooled down completely yet, and some food could not be stored for the time being. Lu Qingjiu first stocked up on dry goods and other supplies that were easy to preserve, such as oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, coal and other daily necessities that would definitely be used.
The generator Lu Qingjiu wanted to buy was not available in the town, so he had to go to the city to buy one. Along with the generator, he also bought diesel for the machine. Lu Qingjiu bought quite a lot, and he calculated that it would last until February next year.
Besides the all-important generator, Lu Qingjiu also bought a number of quilts, bedding, down jackets, and other items for the family. He also ordered a truckload of coal for heating the kang (stovetop), which he planned to bring home as soon as it arrived. He also bought candles, battery-powered table lamps, and flashlights, just in case the generator malfunctioned and the house was left in darkness.
Hu Shu from the town saw Lu Qingjiu carrying large and small bags of unusual daily necessities home, which was really strange. He said, "It's still early in winter, what are you doing? Is he stockpiling goods because the world is about to end?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "Isn't that right? You should also remember to stock up on food."
Hu Shu said in horror, "Is this true? Are you kidding me?" If anyone else had said this, he would have taken it as a joke, but it was Lu Qingjiu who said it. Lu Qingjiu had helped them so much before, and they also realized that Lu Qingjiu's identity was not ordinary. When these words came out, Hu Shu immediately became nervous, "Is it really the end of the world?"
Lu Qingjiu was squatting on the ground picking duck eggs. When she heard Hu Shu's nervous tone, she asked, "Why are you so nervous?"
Hu Shu said, "The world is about to end, so of course I'm nervous."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Don't you think I'm joking with you?"
Hu Shu: "..." He was silent for a moment, then asked carefully, "Are you really kidding me?"
Lu Qingjiu looked helpless. He could only explain the situation in Shuifu Village, saying that after the snow, he couldn't come to the town, so he had to prepare a lot of winter supplies. If he really said it was the end of the world, it didn't seem wrong.
Hu Shu felt relieved after hearing this, and enthusiastically told Lu Qingjiu that if there was anything he could help with, she could just let him know.
Lu Qingjiu waved his hand to signal him that he could leave, as he hadn't chosen his duck egg yet.
The best duck eggs for making salted duck eggs are sea duck eggs. When chopsticks are inserted into the salted duck eggs made in this way, red oil will ooze out. Ordinary duck eggs can be used to make preserved eggs. Lu Qingjiu quite likes preserved eggs, but Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun are not very interested in this kind of eggs that look like they are moldy. This is a relatively rare situation.
In addition to duck eggs, Lu Qingjiu also purchased a lot of dried goods from the town. Dried seafood is a must, such as squid, sea cucumber, shrimp, kelp, etc. He bought a lot of random things. In addition to dried seafood, there were also fungus and vermicelli. In short, he prepared all the things with a long shelf life.
Lu Qingjiu had spent nearly 50,000 or 60,000 yuan on these items, including a better generator, which, along with the diesel, cost a total of 30,000 yuan. Fortunately, his family wasn't short of money, and thanks to the increased production of hair tonic, the numbers on his bankbook were even better.
Yin Xun looked at Lu Qingjiu who was busy like an ant moving, and said, "Isn't it still two months away from winter? Why is he so busy already?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "Who knows? What if winter comes early and they haven't prepared anything? Wouldn't they freeze to death in Shuifu Village?" Yin Xun said, "Okay, but the Autumn Harvest Festival is coming soon, so I asked Lu Qingjiu if he wanted to go."
Lu Qingjiu thought about it and decided not to go. He had gone last year to build good relationships with the villagers, but this year, not a single one of them was alive, and it felt strange to join them in offering sacrifices. Yin Xun understood, and so, as the Autumn Harvest Festival approached, Lu Qingjiu held their own Autumn Harvest Festival at home. He even went to town and bought a large pig's head, brought it home, and placed it there, lighting incense and beginning to worship Yin Xun, the mountain god.
Yin Xun felt a little embarrassed by Lu Qingjiu.
After the pork offerings were made, Lu Qingjiu braised it and ate it. It was delicious. This year, his family didn't bother raising pigs, but he planned to raise two next year. After all, the taste of pork grown at home was quite different from that of pork grown outside. In addition to the pigs, he planned to raise two lambs. By this time next year, he should be able to enjoy roasted lamb from his own family.
National Day arrived in the blink of an eye. Zhu Miaomiao had wanted to come over to play, but she had to work overtime, so she could only tearfully make an appointment for next year. National Day was the last holiday to visit Shuifu Village. By New Year's Day, Shuifu Village was already covered in snow, and people could neither leave nor enter.
Autumn is a very satisfying season. The crops and vegetables in the fields are ripe, and the branches are full of fruits. The most beautiful ones are the plump and round persimmons that grow on the east side of the village, tempting people to pick them. Lu Qingjiu found a nice afternoon and went to pick persimmons with Bai Yuehu. The two of them picked two large baskets. Lu Qingjiu originally wanted to eat as much as he could and use the rest to make persimmon cakes. But when he saw Bai Yuehu eating persimmons beside him without even peeling them, he finally gave in and said, "Fox, please save some for us. We can make persimmon cakes with the extra ones."
"Okay." Bai Yuehu agreed quite straightforwardly, "I'll just eat a basket."
Lu Qingjiu finally felt relieved.
Persimmons need to be dried thoroughly to preserve them for later consumption. Luckily, there hasn't been much rain this year, and the sun has been excellent, so drying shouldn't be a problem. Lu Qingjiu, on the other hand, moved up everything he was supposed to do in November. He bought meat and sausage casings, ready to start making bacon and smoked meat. This year, he also plans to use beef for the smoked meat. Beef smoked meat is much more fragrant than pork, and importantly, it doesn't require cooking, just a light steaming process. It's perfectly salty and chewy, making it a great snack while watching TV.
In addition to bacon, Lu Qingjiu also made a lot of bacon ribs. These meats can be kept at home for a long time without worrying about them going bad.
After a busy month, Lu Qingjiu, who had transformed into a hamster, finally filled their home to the brim. There was even no space left in the refrigerator's freezer. After it was full, Lu Qingjiu cleaned out the cellar again, planning to wait for the temperature to drop a bit before buying some cabbage to store in the cellar. Last year, they bought too little and had to eat sparingly. This year, they must buy more to avoid being bored and starving. In addition to cabbage, sweet potatoes are also indispensable. This kind of food is easy to store and can satisfy hunger. The most important thing is that they grow it themselves and taste especially good. During the harvest days, Bai Yuehu carried several sacks of sweet potatoes home, and it was difficult to harvest all the sweet potatoes in the field.
All the necessary preparations were made, and all that was left was to wait until the temperature became more suitable. In late October, Lu Qingjiu miraculously had some free time.
With nothing to do, he started watching TV with Yin Xun every day. Bai Yuehu was not very interested in this kind of entertainment. He preferred to lie in the yard and bask in the sun without thinking about anything.
"It's so boring." Yin Xun slumped over the chair. "Can't we do something thrilling and exciting?"
Lu Qingjiu glanced at Yin Xun and asked, "What thrilling and exciting activities?"
"I don't know." Yin Xun said, "It's so boring now. If we wait until it snows, we will be bored to death."
Lu Qingjiu said, "I've prepared a lot of books. Do you want to read them?"
"No." Yin Xun refused.
Lu Qingjiu felt that Yin Xun deserved a beating and glanced at him sideways: "Then let me teach you an activity that can both kill time and make money."
Yin Xun: "What what what?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "You wait."
The next day, Lu Qingjiu went to the town to buy some tools and placed them in front of Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu. Yin Xun was stunned when he saw them, but Bai Yuehu didn't recognize them. She reached out and poked the ball of thread and two needles in front of her and asked, "What is this?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "Sweater yarn."
"Why did you buy sweater yarn?" Yin Xun asked, "Do you know how to knit?"
Lu Qingjiu said that he knew nothing about knitting sweaters, but it didn't matter, he even prepared a book with all the knitting patterns, and if Yin Xun was willing, he could even download tutorials online. In short, there are always more ways than difficulties.
"Look, if you're bored, just knit a sweater. When spring comes, you can take the sweater to the town to sell it for money." Lu Qingjiu explained very considerately, but in fact, he really thought that Yin Xun's idle look was really asking for a beating.
Yin Xun: “…”
Feeling that his masculinity was insulted, Yin Xun firmly rejected Lu Qingjiu's proposal. Lu Qingjiu didn't mind it and just put the knitting needles and wool balls in a conspicuous place.
On the afternoon of the third day after Yin Xun's rejection, Lu Qingjiu took a long nap and got up from the bed in a daze. He saw Yin Xun hunching his shoulders and doing something. He walked closer and found that Yin Xun was studying the patterns. When he heard his footsteps, he immediately wanted to put down what he was holding, but it was too late.
"Do you have anything to say?" Lu Qingjiu asked him.
"It smells so good." Yin Xun said sadly while holding the knitting needles.
The weather is colder, and there's less to do. Weeds won't grow in the yard, and there's no insects. The ground doesn't need to be sown or watered. As the temperature drops, the entire world seems to freeze.
Winter is a season for nature to rest. Everything is quiet and even the air exudes a lazy atmosphere.
Lu Qingjiu had been waiting for the first snow, thinking it would fall in late November, just like last year. But unexpectedly, it would arrive in early November. Because of this snow, Lu Qingjiu hurried to town, bought all the vegetables and fruits he needed, and brought them home to store in the cellar. However, this light snowfall wasn't accompanied by the coming peace, but by another fire.
A fire broke out in a remote warehouse in the city, but fortunately, no one was injured. However, this fire was different from ordinary fires. It was said that Zhu Rong discovered dragon traces at the scene. They initially thought the traces were only from Zhu Long, but after Bai Yuehu went there, they discovered that they included not only Zhu Long but also Lu Qingjiu's grandfather, Ao Run.
However, no one knows why the two of them appeared in the same place at the same time and why they caused the fire.
Lu Qingjiu hadn't heard from her grandfather for a long time. Ever since Zhu Rong cut off one of his claws, he disappeared from everyone's sight and no one knew where he went.
The falling snowflakes soon dyed the world in front of him the same color. Lu Qingjiu was wearing thick clothes, but still felt cold.
Before the mountain was closed, Zhu Rong came to Shuifu Village and gave Lu Qingjiu a big bag of ginger tea, which was said to be very special. Bai Yuehu said that this ginger tea was integrated with Zhu Rong's power and could warm the body, so that Lu Qingjiu's winter would not be so difficult.
Lu Qingjiu huddled up in a ball, breathing out white air: "The snow is falling really early."
Bai Yuehu said, "Well, it's quite early."
Lu Qingjiu said: "I haven't eaten this year's mutton yet, but it doesn't matter. I have a lot stored in the refrigerator, but it's not as delicious as fresh."
Bai Yuehu said: "It's okay, I like them all."
The first snowfall was not too heavy, and the mountain road was still passable. Lu Qingjiu was still feeling thankful, but the second snowfall came just one day after the first snowfall stopped.
The snow was incredibly heavy, fluttering like a curtain, covering the entire world. Standing outside, one couldn't even see people more than five meters away. As the snow fell, Shuifu Village fell into an eerie silence, and not a single villager could be seen from outside. Lu Qingjiu was so curious about where the villagers had gone that he shamelessly climbed over the wall and into Li Xiaoyu's house next door, wanting to see what they were doing during the winter.
Because he was wearing too many clothes, Lu Qingjiu had a hard time crawling over and fell down in the snow, leaving a complete butt print in the snow. After he got up, he looked at Li Xiaoyu's yard and made sure that there was no one at home at all - there was not even a trace of trampling on the snow in the yard. He walked to the window and looked, and saw that there was no light in the house.
"Is anyone there? Is anyone there?" Lu Qingjiu shouted twice, but naturally no one answered. He reached out and pushed the door, only to find that the door of Li Xiaoyu's house was not locked. He pushed it open casually.
Yin Xun, who was standing by the wall watching, asked hurriedly, "Is anyone home?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "No one is there, but his door is not closed."
Yin Xun said, "Do you want to go in and take a look?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "Nothing should happen." Isn't Bai Yuehu still at home? It's just that he has no interest in getting involved in Lu Qingjiu's behavior, which is as idle as Yin Xun's. He just took a handful of roasted melon seeds and sat in the yard, watching Yin Xun and Lu Qingjiu fooling around.
"I'm going in." Lu Qingjiu mustered up the courage.
He pushed the door open and saw that the room was dark and didn't look like anyone was there. At this moment, the power in the village had not yet been cut off. Lu Qingjiu touched the switch on the wall next to him and turned it on. The room was bathed in warm light.
Despite the light, there was no sign of anyone. Lu Qingjiu initially thought Li Xiaoyu and his family had simply vanished, until he reached the bedroom and peered inside. He was startled by the scene. Several people lay stretched out on the bed, dressed in thin autumn clothing, without any warm clothing. These people were clearly Li Xiaoyu's family. It seemed the villagers of Shuifu Village hadn't vanished during the winter, but rather remained in bed for the entire winter, waiting for the warm spring breeze to melt the icy snow before they could resume their activities.
When Lu Qingjiu saw this, he turned around and left, quickly climbing over the wall back to his home.
Yin Xun said, "What did you see?"
Lu Qingjiu rubbed his red, frozen hands and described the situation in the room.
Yin Xun felt a little uncomfortable after hearing this and said that they would just stay in the house for the whole winter...
"Yeah." Lu Qingjiu said, "No wonder the whole village is so quiet in winter. Last year, I thought everyone was afraid of the cold and didn't want to go out..." As he was speaking, Bai Yuehu, who was sitting next to him, stretched out his hand and wrapped Lu Qingjiu's cold hand in his palm. His palm was hot, and after rubbing it slowly, Lu Qingjiu's hand quickly regained its temperature.
"Have you had enough fun?" asked Bai Yuehu.
"That's enough." Lu Qingjiu answered obediently.
"That's enough, let's go back inside." White Moon Fox said, "It's too cold outside, and it's going to snow again soon."
Lu Qingjiu responded, but didn't move. He was worried that if it snowed again, he would be too cold to even leave the house. He might as well stand outside for a while and breathe in the fresh air while the temperature was still good. Bai Yuehu knew what Lu Qingjiu was thinking. He bent his arms and picked Lu Qingjiu up. Lu Qingjiu was startled by Bai Yuehu's action and said hurriedly, "Don't...don't, let me go by myself!"
Bai Yuehu didn't listen at all. She carried Lu Qingjiu into the house and used one hand to close the door.
Yin Xun stood outside the door, feeling really cold all over. Not only was his body cold, but Bai Yuehu and Lu Qingjiu also had to feed him dog food, which made his fragile heart feel cold.
After being carried into the house, Lu Qingjiu was stuffed with a large bowl of ginger soup by Bai Yuehu. Then, under Bai Yuehu's glare, Lu Qingjiu had no choice but to drink it all. Although Bai Yuehu usually didn't care about anything, he was not willing to be careless when it came to Lu Qingjiu's health.
Lu Qingjiu's body quickly warmed up, and his cheeks flushed. He put down the bowl and said, "When will this winter end?" To be honest, he felt uncomfortable when he thought about having to spend most of his time in the house for several months.
White Moon Fox said, "This winter will be a bit long."
Lu Qingjiu sighed.
Bai Yuehu said: "But I will always be with you."
Lu Qingjiu couldn't help laughing when he heard this. Yin Xun happened to come in from outside at this moment. He said casually: "Oh, the child is so big, and you are still talking about this. Aren't you ashamed?"
Yin Xun: “???” Are you two done yet?
Soon, the generator they bought came in handy. Just a few days after the snow fell, the public power supply here was cut off, and along with the public power supply, the TV signal and the network cable also collapsed. In less than a month, they were completely isolated from the world.
Yin Xun was the one who found her own interests. She was knitting a sweater with great interest. She even took out a tape measure to show that she wanted to measure Lu Qingjiu's height before knitting a sweater for him.
Lu Qingjiu was in a complicated mood. Is knitting a sweater so fun?
"Do you want to try it?" Yin Xun said, "It's really addictive."
Lu Qingjiu: "...try it?"
Yin Xun: "Come on, let me teach you. Let me start like this..."
Bai Yuehu who was sitting next to him: "..." Is it really fun?
More than a month passed like this. One day, Zhu Rong came to Shuifu Village to look for Bai Yuehu. He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He walked in and saw three grown men sitting on the kang, their heads bowed, happily knitting sweaters. They looked up at the sound, and three pairs of eyes fell on Zhu Rong at the same time.
"...Sorry to bother you?" Zhu Rong didn't know what to say.
Lu Qingjiu silently put down the sweater in his hand. He had been trying to knit a pair of earmuffs for Bai Yuehu's furry ears these past few days. He was working very hard, so he could only pretend that nothing had happened and said, "No, no, just tell me what's the matter."
Zhu Rong was silent for a moment: "It's nothing serious."
Hearing that it was nothing serious, Bai Yuehu continued and turned his attention to the knitting needles in front of him. He planned to knit a sweater for Lu Qingjiu. The money in the family was all earned by Lu Qingjiu. He usually brought back some fresh food at most and had nothing to give to Lu Qingjiu. Now he suddenly found that he had a special gift for his lover, and he was naturally very happy. As for what Zhu Rong came here - it didn't matter.
The room was quiet for a moment, and the atmosphere became increasingly awkward. Finally, Lu Qingjiu couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up with an awkward smile and asked Zhu Rong if he wanted to have lunch before leaving, which he was planning to do.
Zhu Rong thought about it and actually agreed.
Bai Yuehu was a little unhappy when he heard Zhu Rong was going to have lunch here, but Zhu Rong was invited by Lu Qingjiu, and he couldn't just kick him out, so he looked over with a bad look. Zhu Rong had long been accustomed to Bai Yuehu's guarding of his food, so he didn't care at all, and even sat down next to Lu Qingjiu naturally.
"Let's have pork stewed with vermicelli today." Lu Qingjiu thought about the recipe, "And some kelp salad and some fried bacon..."
Zhu Rong said, "It's all fine. It's up to you. Make it as simple as you want."
"Then you guys chat first. Yin Xun, come and help me." Lu Qingjiu called Yin Xun and left the room alone to Bai Yuehu and Zhu Rong.
"Do you like life in the human world?" Zhu Rong asked after Lu Qingjiu left.
"You don't like it?" Bai Yuehu asked back.
Zhu Rong smiled and said, "Of course I like it." Otherwise, he wouldn't have worked so hard to maintain all this.
"What happened?" asked Bai Yuehu.
Zhu Rong sighed, a look of fatigue between his brows. He said, "Nothing serious."
Bai Yuehu frowned slightly, not believing Zhu Rong's answer, but Zhu Rong did not intend to continue. The two remained silent until Lu Qingjiu came in and said that the meal was ready, breaking the silence.
"I'm very happy to see you like this." Zhu Rong finally said, "It would be great if all dragons could meet the right person like you."
It’s a pity that if miracles happen all the time, they will no longer be miracles.
The author has something to say: Bai Yuehu: This is our token of love!
Lu Qingjiu took the sweater and put it on with mixed feelings.
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