Chapter 25 Chapter 25
It's October now, and the days are visibly getting shorter.
The temperature was low in the morning, and the warm quilt was so comfortable that it made people unable to open their eyes. Although Bai He woke up early, he still stayed in the quilt and stared at the ceiling for a while before he opened his quilt.
The moment the quilt was lifted, Bai He couldn't help but shiver and goose bumps stood up all over his body. Bai He looked up at the thermometer on the wall. Sure enough, the temperature had dropped again, and the indoor temperature had dropped below zero degrees.
It was a little strange that it wasn't snowing in such a cold weather. But it also seemed normal; Gaolin hadn't seen snow in years. The kind of snow in the north, so thick it could be used as a blanket, seemed like something out of a TV show to many elementary school students in the south; it didn't feel real.
It's already eight o'clock and it's still dark outside the window. It's not raining anymore, but the wind hasn't stopped. The bamboos outside the window are leaning down one by one. The dense tempered glass blocks the shrill sound of the wind, but it can't block the moisture in the air.
Bai He quickly took out a plush coat from the closet and put on a long plush coat that reached his legs, which stopped the continuous loss of body temperature.
Bai He had just put on his clothes when Hei Dou, hearing the noise, ran out of his doghouse on his own initiative. He squatted upright on the ground, his bright black eyes a little moist as he looked at Bai He seriously and intently, looking so cute and adorable.
As Bai He crouched down, it offered its head to Bai He, who rubbed its head and scratched its neck. Hei Dou hummed in pleasure. Bai He ran his fingers through Hei Dou's fur, feeling its warm skin. He also noticed that its body was trembling slightly underneath, and its moist nose was cold.
The German Shepherd's hair is not very short, but the hair is thin, unlike the Husky and Samoyed, which live in the land of ice and snow. Once the temperature drops below zero, it will feel cold.
Previously, Heidou had lived with Baihe in the south, where the coldest temperatures were only two or three degrees Celsius below zero, and he had never experienced any such problems. But fortunately, he had made various preparations.
Baihe put a windbreaker on Heidou, but it only protected him from the wind and rain. Baihe had the means to dress him in thicker clothing, but why didn't he? Animals are highly adaptable to their environments. In winter, when the weather gets colder, their fur thickens. The saying "survival of the fittest" holds true everywhere.
Especially in the future, the environment will only become worse and worse. Anyone who cannot adapt will be eliminated.
Bai He went to the bathroom to wash up, but when he turned on the faucet, he found it was frozen and no water was flowing. Worried, Bai He checked his pipes, but luckily they were only frozen and not cracked, which would have been troublesome. He used the water in the bucket to wash up briefly.
Then he went to the kitchen. When he was in good physical condition, he would maintain a good work and rest and eating habits, because they affect the body and mind.
Bai He took out eggs, small dumplings and fermented glutinous rice from the refrigerator and cooked himself a bowl of sweet soup. After eating such a big bowl of hot sweet soup in the cold winter, his body finally had the energy to start working.
But for Bai and a man who was over 1.8 meters tall, just eating some soup was definitely not enough. It happened that he had braised a pot of vegetables yesterday. He took out a piece of braised meat from the pot, put it in the microwave for a while, and then chopped it up and put it in a steamed bun with chopped green onions. It was delicious and filling. After eating two homemade roujiamo, Baihe stopped eating.
During this time, Heidou, who was eating dog food, smelled the aroma of meat and saliva flowed from the corners of his mouth unconsciously. However, Heidou was an educated dog. Although he was greedy, he was also very reserved. He would not ask for it actively, but would just stare at the meat with his wet black eyes.
Bai He smiled and put a piece of braised meat in Heidou's bowl and added two eggs. When it's cold, both humans and animals consume much more energy.
After finishing his meal, Bai He picked out a few bags of food from the refrigerator and placed them in a canvas bag. He then searched the room for some clothes and belongings, placed them in a large bag, and headed out. The first time he pushed the door, he froze. It seemed as if a huge force was blocking it, holding it tightly shut. A second push took considerable force before it finally opened.
The moment Bai He stepped outside, he was blinded by the wind, tears streaming uncontrollably. The wind outside rivaled a typhoon, toppling trees and grass to one side, and the wires strung from the utility poles stretched taut like strings. The black tiles covering Bai He's utility room had been blown away. Instead of remaining in place, the shattered tiles were swept across the yard, the thin fragments swirling dangerously in the air. Fortunately, the previous twenty-odd days of rain had turned the sand into sticky mud; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get out.
Bai He used a meter to measure the outside temperature, which was -15 degrees Celsius. But standing outside, it felt like it was much higher. The wind was incredibly strong, sharp and powerful, like a scalpel scraping into the flesh beneath clothes, slicing away warmth bit by bit. The wind carried the lingering dampness of the downpour, a damp chill that was impossible to resist. No matter how many layers you put on, it was useless. After a while, you'd feel like your bones were breaking.
Bai He returned to the house, donning a windproof goggles and a jacket. He didn't bring Hei Dou with him, as even a 150-pound man like him would have trouble walking outdoors, let alone a dog. Furthermore, the wind carried a lot of debris, making it quite dangerous.
Walking against the wind, Bai He kept his mouth shut, but the wind was like a powerful hand, suffocating his breath and forcing him to give up control of his body. Walking in the wind was like walking in a quagmire, and Bai He, who was already a little cold, was forced to sweat lightly.
When Bai He arrived at his uncle's house, the first people to notice him were the family's two dogs. They quickly emerged from a small hole in the firewood shed. Seeing a familiar face, their wary eyes turned moist, and they let out clingy hums. They stood up, their front paws resting on Bai He's legs. They looked lively, but their bodies were tense and shivering uncontrollably in the cold wind. Bai He pulled two pieces of clothing from his bag.
My family treats the dog well, but they also keep it in a rough, free-range environment. When the weather gets cold, they'll just put two extra layers of cotton clothes in the doghouse, never thinking of adding a layer of clothing to the dog. They think it's a waste to wear clothes on a dog that rolls around in the dirt and grass all day.
The family was quietly preparing breakfast. In the old-fashioned kitchen, Grandpa Bai was squatting by the stove, lighting a fire, while Uncle Bai was chopping vegetables on the stove, while Grandma Bai and Aunt Bai were squatting by two stoves, stewing something.
The warm yellow light of the fire reflected on people's figures, and the air was filled with warmth and the sweet aroma of food, which made people feel peaceful.
Seeing Bai and Grandma Bai smiled unconsciously, she brought a cup of Tremella and Red Dates Soup and said, "Try it and see how it tastes."
The white fungus and red dates soup was still steaming from the pot, but Bai He took a big sip from the bowl. The white fungus had already been stewed to a gelatinous consistency, and the sweet red dates blended together, making it soft, sticky, and sweet. However...
"It's a bit sweet," Bai He told the truth.
"That's probably because we put too many red dates this time." Grandma Bai frowned, scooped a bowl from the pot for herself, took a sip, and then her brows relaxed again. "It's okay, not greasy."
"This weather is weird! It seems our province hasn't been this cold since I was born."
Uncle Bai, who was cutting vegetables, had his hands already red from the cold. He brought his numb hands to the fire and roasted them while complaining.
"Something is wrong with the weather this year." Grandma Bai has been observing the weather all her life, and this year's weather makes her feel uneasy instinctively.
"Don't worry, technology is so advanced now. We have air conditioning and fireplaces, so we don't have to worry about the cold. It's not like back then..." Grandpa Bai's face was slightly red from the heat, and a comfortable smile was on his face. The couple, who were still in a cold war yesterday, had tacitly reconciled today.
"Your sister and the others haven't gotten up yet. They've been working hard these days. Let's speak quietly and not disturb them." Grandpa Bai said to Bai He in a sideways voice.
"Um."
"By the way, these are some food and clothes I brought." Bai He handed the two big bags in his hands to his grandfather.
Grandpa Bai: "Let me see, it's good to have rice noodles. Your grandma stewed a chicken, so we can make some chicken soup rice noodles later."
"...there's also corn, braised pork, pickled mustard greens, pancakes, spring rolls, soy milk powder... wow, there's a lot of stuff!"
"I'm usually too lazy to go out, so I stocked up on some food at home. Now that you can't buy anything outside, you can try some more."
Grandpa Bai accepted the food without any burden.
However, the worried Grandma Bai couldn't help but mutter, "I don't know how long these frozen things have been kept. You're still a single man, Tangyuan. You should buy less of these messy things outside. Be careful not to be able to have children in the future. Tell your family what you want to eat, and Grandma will make it for you..."
Uncle Bai was worried about the other side of the matter. "Tangyuan, you're still young and you should get in touch with the outside world and interact with other people. I saw many of your classmates from elementary and middle schools back home these past few days. If you have time, you can get together to chat and play cards. You don't have to stay stuck at home all day!"
Uncle Bai didn't know much about medicine. But he knew that a normal person would become withdrawn and eccentric if left alone for too long, let alone someone like Bai He, who already had a special medical condition. He hoped that Bai He would interact with others more and have a normal social life.
Bai He could sense the tension and caution behind his uncle's pretense of being relaxed. Bai He actually wanted to tell him that he didn't need to be so cautious, that he wasn't that sensitive.
But reason stopped him. Based on past experience and daily observation, doing so would only make them sad.
Finally, Baihe nodded, and then saw the relaxed smiles on their faces.
This was what he wanted to achieve, but Bai He didn't feel anything in his heart. He seemed to be standing in the sky watching all this from a third perspective.
After delivering the items, Bai He returned home despite his family's attempts to keep him. Bai He's house was large, but with only him and his dog, it was eerily quiet. But he was quite used to this kind of silence.
Being alone in an environment allows him to drop all his disguises and no longer hide his true self. Bai He lay on the sofa, his eyes empty and numb.
The author has something to say:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
