Chapter 73 Chapter 73 [VIP]
The waves caused by the stone were quickly submerged by larger waves before they could fully develop.
That day was my aunt Chen Zhen’s birthday, and the family specially set aside time to get together and celebrate for her.
At dawn, in the kitchen, the meat, which I usually wouldn't eat, simmered bubblingly in the pot, simmering with precious seasonings, emanating an alluring aroma. A child, nestled in a corner, quietly swallowed.
While Grandpa Bai was chopping vegetables, he surreptitiously slipped a slice of bacon into the boy's mouth. The boy's eyes lit up, and he covered his mouth, his lips curling upwards, thinking he had concealed his small joy perfectly. But in reality, his eyes, gleaming with cunning, and his slightly puffed cheeks betrayed him.
Although the adults pretended not to notice, smiles were hidden in the corners of their eyes and eyebrows. In this difficult and chaotic year, every bit of warmth and beauty is invaluable.
After dinner, Sui Sui gave her grandmother a jar of snacks she had saved for a long time, along with a box of dried wildflowers. Chen Zhen was deeply moved by this thoughtful gesture.
Suddenly, Heidou, who had been quietly chewing a big bone in the corner, rushed out from the corner, his ears erect, barking at everyone, and scratching the ground with his claws anxiously.
"What's wrong with Heidou?" Su Xing asked, also confused. After years of getting along, Su Xing knew Heidou's intelligence and sharpness, and he would never bark for no reason.
At this point, Da Huang and Niu Niu also grew restless. They retreated to a corner, barking incessantly. Since the disaster, these two perceptive puppies, acutely aware of human covetousness and ill will, had carefully concealed themselves, fearing outsiders' attention. Such reckless barking was a rare sight. Their ears perked high, their tails tucked tightly between their legs, their eyes revealing anxiety and fear, as if they had sensed some ominous premonition.
The air was thick with tension. "What's going on?" Grandma Bai's heart was pounding, and she instinctively hugged her great-grandson tightly. The people around them also shielded the elderly and children behind them.
Everyone was on edge and on high alert. Heidou was trembling all over, but he still pulled Baihe's legs, as if to lead him into the room.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the sound of wind ruffling leaves and window paper outside the window startled everyone. Ever since the high temperatures of the polar day, there had been little wind during the day, and the place was as quiet as a still pond. A few people leaned closer to the window, only to see the blindingly bright sky. A strange gray tinge lingered at the distant horizon.
The sky, bright and clear for years, suddenly shifted. They held their breath, staring intently at the spreading gray at the edge of the sky. The gray seemed to be slowly spread by an invisible hand, gradually swallowing up the dazzling white light. The sun, so powerful and dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at, dimmed for the first time. The clouds on the ground grew larger, sweeping away the branches and fallen leaves. A dull atmosphere filled the air, as if even breathing had become difficult.
"Is... it going to rain?" Bai Yu muttered to himself, with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
It hadn't rained in broad daylight in five years, and they had forgotten what it felt like to rain during the day.
The weather changed and the scorching sun seemed to be disappearing. She should have been happy, but the biological instinct to danger and the vigilance brought about by the unstable life in recent years made her tense.
Could God be so kind? A faint fear rose within him. Bai He unconsciously tightened his grip on his target's hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.
The leaves outside the window began to sway violently, making a rustling sound, like countless tiny hands slapping the window. The window paper bulged in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if it would be torn at any moment.
"Something's wrong..." Father Ning's expression was extremely solemn, his brows furrowed, his eyes fixed on the gray cloud that was getting closer and closer on the horizon. "This wind and these clouds came too suddenly."
Bai Yu's heartbeat quickened. She felt an inexplicable chill creep up from the soles of her feet, spreading along her spine and throughout her body. Her throat tightened, as if being strangled by an invisible hand, and even breathing became difficult.
"We can't stay here anymore. Let's go hide in the basement. This wind is not simple." Professor Ning is knowledgeable and has provided a lot of help to the Bai family during the disaster. Everyone takes his words seriously.
"Bring rain gear, cotton clothes, food..."
Everyone quickly got busy, packed up their things, and escorted the old man to the basement...
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from a distance, like the roar of countless wild beasts. The sound was getting closer and louder, shaking the windows.
"It's the wind! Such a strong wind!" Fear inevitably crossed the faces of several people. Through the wall, they saw dust from the distant fields being whipped up by the strong wind, forming a huge gray-yellow curtain that was approaching the village at an alarming speed. Within the wind wall, swirling air currents were faintly visible, sweeping up countless debris, like a ferocious dragon with its bloody mouth gaping.
"Dad, get away from the window!" The voices of "Changqing" suddenly rose, with unprecedented urgency and fear.
Bai Changqing, who was closest to the window, hadn't noticed the problem yet and quickly stepped back, but it was too late. A gust of wind carried a wooden board like a giant hand, slamming fiercely against the window. The glass crackled under the weight, and the window frame shook violently.
"Get down!" Bai He threw the staggering uncle to the ground.
There was a loud bang, and the window was completely shattered by the strong wind. Glass fragments flew everywhere like sharp blades. The moment Bai Changqing was pinned to the ground by his nephew, he felt the sharp sound of the wind ringing in his ears, and a fragment of glass brushed his cheek, causing a stinging pain.
The strong wind mixed with sand and stones rushed into the house, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
"Bai He, are you hurt?" Su Xing also came to his side and asked anxiously, while pulling him and his uncle up.
"I'm fine." Bai He pulled his uncle and Su Xing to hide in the corner.
Outside, the world was in chaos. Through the shattered window, Bai He watched trees in the distance sway wildly in the gale, some snapped in half and dancing in the air. Roof tiles were blown off, swirling like black butterflies in the wind.
Inside the house, strong winds mixed with broken glass roared in, and the furniture in the living room was overturned to the ground with a deafening crash.
"Hurry up and go to the basement, we don't need the things anymore!" Bai He shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the wind.
"What about our cattle and sheep?" Ning's mother, her aunt, and the others anxiously looked toward the cattle pen, trying to bring them over despite the strong wind. The Bai family's current livelihood depended heavily on these livestock.
"People are more important than things. If we lose our cattle and sheep, we can exchange them for new ones. Mom, let's go. We'll die if we stay here."
Bai Yu struggled to pull her mother and mother-in-law up from the ground, and directed her partner and father-in-law to carry the newly collected items on their backs. The strong wind nearly blew her over, but she, her mother and mother-in-law, clung to each other, leaning against the wall as they inched their way toward the basement behind the courtyard. With every step, she could hear terrifying sounds outside: the snapping of trees, the rumble of falling objects, and the shrieking of animals.
At this moment, she was extremely grateful that she had sent her grandparents and children to the basement first.
Bai He pulled his uncle to the backyard, but his uncle was reluctant to move.
"Tangyuan, our home is gone. This is all built by our family, bit by bit!" Bai He felt a pang of pain in his heart when he heard his uncle's trembling voice. He looked back and saw his uncle standing blankly in the middle of the wind-swept living room, his scarlet eyes filled with despair and reluctance. The scene inside the house was completely distorted - the coffee table was overturned, glass fragments were scattered all over the floor; the picture frames on the wall were blown off, and the photos were flying in the wind; the vase with wild flowers tilted to the ground, and the flowers were long gone.
"Uncle!" Bai He said with sadness in his voice, but with great determination, "If we lose our home, we can rebuild it. But if we lose our people, we lose everything! Come with me!"
Before he could finish his words, another gust of wind blew over, and a loud "bang" came from the roof. It seemed that the roof of the second floor was smashed through by something, and the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground and rolling was so obvious.
Dust began to fall from the ceiling above his head, and the walls began to shake. His heart suddenly tightened, and he gave Su Xing a look. The two of them grabbed his uncle's arms and dragged him to the backyard.
"Tangyuan..." The uncle's voice choked. He took a last look at the home where he had lived for decades, and turbid tears slid down his wrinkled cheeks.
Several people stumbled toward the backyard. The strong wind, like an invisible giant hand, kept pushing them back. Bai He felt the pain from the sand and stones hitting his face, and he could hardly open his eyes. He clutched his uncle and Su Xingye's hands tightly.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from overhead. Bai He looked up and saw the roof of the shed in the backyard completely blown away, revealing a gray sky. A fierce wind poured down like a flood, sweeping up objects in the yard and sending them flying through the air.
Bai He, walking in front, felt his body suddenly lighten, as if he were about to fly into the air. Fortunately, he grabbed the millstone in the yard in time. On the other side, Su Xing and his uncle also quickly hugged him, preventing him from being blown away.
Bai He looked around and saw that the wall of the backyard was crumbling. If the wall collapsed, they would be completely exposed to the wind and would probably be blown away.
"Hold me!" Bai He screamed at the top of his lungs. A knife appeared in his hand, his knuckles white from the strain. Bai He's hand gripped the knife tightly, his knuckles white from the strain. His heart was beating so fast it threatened to burst out of his chest, but his mind was strangely calm at that moment, as if his soul was floating above, observing everything. The wind howled like countless evil spirits, and the swirling sand and stones hit his cheek painfully.
"Rope!" Bai He shouted.
Su Xing immediately understood his intention and quickly took out a bundle of climbing rope from Bai He's backpack and tied it around the men. Bai He tied one end of the rope firmly to the knife handle.
"Come one by one!" Bai He shouted, "I'll go first, you guys hold on to the rope!"
He took a deep breath and began to climb the rope toward the basement. The strong wind nearly blew him off into the air, and he felt his arms were about to be torn apart. Sand and gravel hit his face, burning with pain. But he gritted his teeth and inched forward.
Finally, he grabbed the door to the basement. The rough cement scratched his palms, but he ignored the pain and quickly fastened the rope to the door frame.
"Uncle, you come first."
In the strong wind, you can see that the uncle is obviously exhausted, but he still struggles to hold on to the rope and move forward.
Every second is so difficult.
"Su Xingye! Hurry!" Bai He shouted at the top of his lungs, desperately pulling the rope towards them. A large hole had been cut through one side of the wall, and objects outside the courtyard were flying through the air. If they were hit, they would be dead.
Su Xingye was thankful that Bai He had been training with him. Holding onto the rope, he still had enough energy to dodge the debris in the air. The house was getting closer. Just then, a loud bang echoed, and the backyard wall collapsed. Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and smoke and dust filled the air. Bai He's heart leaped into his throat. He saw Su Xingye's figure swaying in the strong wind, as if he would be swept away at any moment.
"Hold on tight!" Bai He shouted.
Su Xing also clung to the rope tightly. His body was already floating, and only Bai He's pulling him kept him from being blown away. But he couldn't hold on for much longer. He felt as if his arms were about to be torn off, and his internal organs were churning.
"Xiao Su, don't let go!" Bai Changqing's face turned red, and he almost risked his life.
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Su Xingye glimpsed an even more violent storm sweeping in from the corner of his eye. The fury of heaven and earth was unleashed in this moment. The lampposts and shattered houses by the roadside were like toys being toyed by giant hands, instantly torn apart and thrown high into the sky. The wind roared like a beast, drowning out all shouts and cries. Humanity's insignificance seemed so powerless before the might of nature. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, which trickled down his cheeks, mixing with the blood from biting his lip and dripping onto the back of his trembling hand, warm yet cold.
He made a decision immediately.
"If you dare to let go, I will run into the wind to find you." Bai He knows him so well!
At this moment, Su Xing felt both sadness, regret, and satisfaction. Though he would soon die, his spirit was complete. He had loved Bai He, from his youth until now, for most of his life. Even after their reconciliation, the past and Bai He's reserved nature still haunted him in his dreams, wondering if they were forced together by his insistence or his illness. In this moment, Bai He was willing to sacrifice her life for him, and Su Xing felt the purest and most profound happiness.
The anxious barking of dogs was accompanied by two figures. Ning Zelan and Bai Yu grabbed the rope and worked together to pull the people over.
Su Xing also collapsed on the ground, his face pale and his breathing rapid.
Bai He didn't bother to comfort her, he just held on to the wooden door of the house tightly.
"Hurry up and bring something over to hold it up."
Bai He roared, feeling the door panel vibrate under the strong wind. Ning Zelan, Bai Changqing, and the others suppressed their fear and lifted the heavy water tank to support it, while piling everything in the room behind the door.
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