Chapter 17 Chapter 17
Bai He was also feeling down, not because of the electricity, but because his illness was more likely to relapse and his mood became even lower when the weather was cold and gloomy. He hadn't noticed it before, but after getting sick, he discovered that sunlight really did have energy.
"Even if there is no electricity, it can still cost you your lives. Eat, eat." The aunt knocked on the table. Her loud voice cheered everyone up.
The weather was cold, and eating a warm meal made the chill less intense. Especially since my aunt-in-law had added extra chilies to each dish, it was breathtaking. And the food was so appetizing that I couldn't help but stuff my mouth with rice.
Bai He rarely eats offal, but he really enjoys this stir-fried chicken giblet dish at home. It's cleaned by his aunt, stir-fried with lard and seasoned with chili peppers and garlic. There's no odor at all, just the distinct aroma of the offal and the spicy and sour flavor of the ingredients. He washes it down with a large bowl of rice. He finishes his meal with a bowl of crispy dried cabbage and egg soup, a refreshing treat.
After dinner, the family put on their raincoats and ran to the vegetable garden. Because the family raised a lot of livestock, the Bai family planted vegetables in addition to the large piece of land behind the house, and also planted vegetables on half an acre of abandoned land.
The vegetable patch was soaked by water, and there was only a narrow path paved with stone slabs. The rest of the path was a pit where you stepped.
The huddled cabbages were scattered by the heavy rain, the lower layers soaked in muddy water. The strong wind stripped the peppers from the chili pepper trees, leaving only a few peppers visible at the tops of the trees, while the ground was covered in a layer of red and green.
Grandpa Bai saw this and scooped up some vegetables from the field. Some of them were soaked and rotten, while others were scraped down just as they were emerging. Many of the newly planted vegetable seedlings in the vegetable patch were also flooded. He sighed with heartache.
"You have time to sigh, why don't you hurry up and harvest the vegetables?" Grandma Bai's sunken eyes glanced at Grandpa Bai, and it was like a knife scraping. Grandpa Bai smiled innocently and stopped talking.
Everyone present was a skilled worker. Grandpa and Grandma Bai, not to mention their lifelong labor, had been at work. Bai He had also been helping out at home since he was little, harvesting and sowing in the summer, cooking, collecting firewood, and cleaning after school. The Bai family never spoiled their children; they were expected to do the work from a young age.
A few people braved the downpour, carrying basket after basket of vegetables home. However, the wind and rain were so strong that even through their raincoats, water seeped through the cracks, leaving Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai's hands red from the cold. The road was especially slippery and muddy. While carrying a load of peppers home, Grandma Bai slipped and nearly fell to the ground.
The others were so frightened that their souls had left their bodies. Uncle Bai asked the two to go back and rest first, but the stubborn old couple refused. Uncle Bai was a filial son, and his wife was also filial. The two of them shouted until their mouths were dry, but the two old couples just chopped a basket of cabbage during this time.
Uncle Bai was so angry that he almost jumped up and down. Finally, Bai He went out to help the two elders, who reluctantly went back. Bai He did nothing but calculate the cost of treating colds, falls, and other illnesses. Needless to say, the two elders, who were afraid of illness and money, went back on their own accord.
While harvesting vegetables, Bai He's face never got dry. He felt like he was standing under a shower, the water streaming down his face in streams. The wind blew relentlessly, constantly absorbing the warmth from his body. By the end, he felt completely stiff, like he was just mechanically doing things.
It was several hours later when Bai and his companions had finished collecting everything.
When it gets dark, the moon and stars are completely invisible, and the whole world is dark. Walking on the country road, the shadows of the swaying trees cast on the head are terrifying. The road is full of broken branches, plastic bags and other garbage, which fly everywhere when the wind blows, and they are so heavy that my heart skips a beat when I see them suddenly.
When he got home, Uncle Bai threw his wet raincoat on the ground and sat down on the ground, gasping for breath. He was really tired today.
"Take a shower first and then rest." The aunt who came back first had already taken a shower and changed clothes. Seeing Uncle Bai sitting at the door wrapped in wet clothes, she was worried that he would catch a cold and pushed him to take a shower despite his fatigue.
Without electricity, the electric water heater couldn't be used, and without the sun, the solar water heater couldn't be used either. All the hot water was boiled by Grandpa Bai in a pot, and Uncle Bai could only quickly take a hot shower to warm himself up before leaving.
Bai He went home without his aunt's reminder. His physical condition was excellent thanks to his regular exercise, and he felt no discomfort after working in the rain for half a day. However, he always took good care of his health, as he hated being sick and any physical or physiological weakness that came with it.
The electric heater in Bai He's home was still functioning normally, because he had anticipated this situation and had prepared various generators, including solar energy, wind energy, diesel energy... So Bai He turned on the bathroom heater at home and took a comfortable hot bath.
After taking a shower, he took Heidou to his uncle's house.
The utility room and garage at my uncle's house were filled with today's harvested vegetables. Bai He collected everything that was edible.
But the most troublesome thing is not harvesting the vegetables, but handling them properly. These vegetables are soaked in water and will become moldy and rotten if not handled properly.
But they don’t have time to deal with these things now, because Bai He’s cousin Bai Duan is coming back.
Uncle Bai was preparing the dishes, while Aunt Bai, a smile on her face, was wielding a wok. Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai were hogging the firewood, with Grandpa Bai stoking the fire while Grandma Bai was frying something. The kitchen, without electricity, was lit by three candles, the light dimming as they worked with squinted eyes.
Bai He turned on the high-wattage solar lamp he brought with him, and the entire space was lit up.
When Grandpa Bai saw it, his eyes lit up and he asked curiously, "What is this?"
"I bought several solar light bulbs just to prevent situations like this. I brought two for you."
"Okay," Grandpa Bai accepted it without hesitation. The old man liked all these new gadgets. He put one in the kitchen and another in the living room, lighting it up.
With enough light, Grandma Bai took the opportunity to rub her sore eyes, and my aunt worked more efficiently.
Bai He asked, "When will everyone be together?"
Grandpa Bai quickly answered, "Bai Duan just called and he will be home in about twenty minutes." It was only because he was in the army that he could get home so smoothly under such circumstances.
But Bai Heshen thought it would not be easy for them to come back at this moment.
Bai Duan has been in the army for many years and rarely goes home once a year. When they heard that he would bring a few comrades with him this time, the Bai family took out all the delicious dishes at home, including pork elbows, lotus root dumplings, braised pork, stir-fried eels... The weather was cold and they were worried that the dishes would get cold by the time they got home, so they also started a hot pot. The hot pot used gas, and it was also to match the revolving table they bought at home. It looks very good now.
At seven o'clock, my aunt and Grandma Bai came running to the door to greet them. Uncle Bai and Grandpa Bai sat in the living room with the dignity of the head of the family, but they kept stretching their heads to look outside.
Accompanied by the barking of dogs, Bai Duan and several young men in military uniforms came from the direction of the village entrance wearing raincoats.
"Grandpa, grandma, mom and dad, I'm back." Bai Duan, who looks tall and cold, came in with a happy smile like a Husky, which was completely inconsistent with his temperament.
"Hello, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Auntie!" His comrades behind him all smiled cheerfully and brightly. They stood straight and spoke in a loud voice, full of high spirits.
Seeing this, Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai nodded and said, "Hello! Hello!" They like such energetic young men, and the smile on their faces has never faded since they came in.
"Good boy," Grandpa Bai said, walking over to his grandson and patting him on the shoulder. Feeling the hard muscles and strength under his hands, he narrowed his eyes and smiled. Grandma Bai kept looking him over, as if comparing him to see if he was thinner than before.
Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai sat on both sides of their grandson, and Uncle Bai and his wife quickly asked his comrades to sit down.
It was cold, so Bai He served them some ginger and honey tea made by Grandma Bai to ward off the cold.
It was then that Bai Duan noticed Bai He. He looked at Bai He carefully, then leaned closer and said with a grin, "Bai He, you haven't changed at all."
Bai He does not live in Gaolin Province, and Bai Duan's visit schedule is irregular. It has been two years since Bai He and Bai Duan last saw each other.
"You haven't changed at all."
Staying in the army, Bai Duan is like being covered with plastic wrap. He is already 28 years old, but he hasn't changed much. His eyes are bright and lively, and he is still the naughty, cheerful and energetic boy.
Bai Duan straightened his 1.88-meter tall stature, deliberately showed off his muscles, and said proudly, "Brother, you're back now! I'll protect you from now on." He stretched out his hand to pat Bai He, but Bai He dodged it quickly.
"Okay, you'll protect me from now on." Bai He put his chin in his hand and thought carefully. He knew that he would have to trouble Bai Duan a lot in the future. He said the softest words in the coldest tone.
Bai Duan hadn't anticipated this turn of events; he nearly choked on his water. He was wrong. Bai He had changed drastically. But what kind of blow had struck him to become like this?
Although Bai Duan is two years older than Bai He, he actually always called Bai He "Big Brother" when they were little, and Bai He always protected him. The world of children is very realistic, and the strong are kings. Bai Duan's grades were not good as a child, and he always had to rely on Bai He's support to escape the teacher's clutches. Moreover, Bai He was a good fighter and a bit ruthless at a young age. Following Bai He's side, he never suffered any loss, and he didn't have to think about anything.
I never thought that one day I would be able to turn the tables. Bai Duan's eyes were full of vigor and ambition.
The team members next to him exchanged glances and shook themselves. They were used to seeing Bai Duan's cold and unapproachable side in the army, but today's goofy look was a little creepy.
But the food was really delicious. They lowered their heads and took a few mouthfuls of rice, with happy expressions on their faces. They had been busy with rescue and travel these days, and all they had to eat on the road were dry food.
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