Chapter 40 Chapter 40 (Inverted V) [VIP]
They were all gaunt and pale, their eyes gleaming green when they looked at people. According to Old Lady Zhou, who loved the hustle and bustle, their gazes were incredibly creepy, looking at people like they were looking at pieces of braised pork.
Wu Xiao, son of the Wu family at the village entrance, returned home having eaten seven bowls of rice in a row and refused to put them down. His family, terrified and worried he might get sick, forcibly snatched his bowl away. However, during the fight, the rice inside accidentally spilled onto the floor. The young man, in his twenties, ignored the mess and grabbed the rice and stuffed it into his mouth. His parents were furious. Onlookers cried out, "What a sin, what a sin!"
The village chief and village officials visited these families. Without their cell phones and other communication tools, they were completely clueless about what was happening outside.
I went there full of hope, but when I returned, the village officials' faces were pale. According to Wu Xiao, after the outbreak, countless businesses in the city went bankrupt every day, and countless people lost their jobs. Migrant workers like them, without their source of income, faced even greater hardship. Prices soared, leaving them unable to afford food or shelter. With survival at a premium, countless people naturally took desperate measures, resulting in frequent crimes like home invasions, robberies, and assaults, leaving the police overwhelmed.
Wu Xiao worked in a neighboring city. If the outbreak hadn't led to lockdowns and quarantines, and the construction site hadn't been closed, he would have returned long ago. Initially, their rental location was sealed off, with no one able to leave or enter. However, volunteers delivered food and daily necessities door to door. While the quality wasn't guaranteed, survival was assured. The biggest worry at the time was the loss of time, with only money going out and no money coming in. But worse was to come. A flood struck, completely submerging the urban village where he rented. With no other options left, they fled for their lives. He followed the crowds to a hotel on the highest floor in the area.
But the hotel's food was limited, and outside was a swamp. The high-rise building, housing thousands of people, became a trap for animals. Wu Xiao said he would never forget the scene there. Normally elegant, respectable, decent, and kind... under the pressure of survival, they shed their human skin and became more terrifying than beasts. Brothers fought each other, mothers and sons turned against each other, husbands sold their wives... countless terrible incidents occurred every day. If the organization hadn't delivered supplies regularly, Wu Xiao suspected that cannibalism would have occurred.
The hotel was a mixed crowd, and they were able to survive because they were a group of fellow villagers who stuck together and were all strong men who did hard labor.
After the flood receded and help arrived, Wu Xiao and his fellow villagers fled this nightmarish place like a rocket. Terrified, they didn't dare stop for the entire journey, racing day and night to reach home. Upon returning, he was completely devastated.
Because the news from Wu Xiao was so terrifying, the villagers had been leaving the village in droves these past few days. There were also noticeably more people lingering at the village entrance these days, with some people waiting for their families to return every day despite the freezing cold.
The village entrance inevitably becomes Sheshui Village's busiest spot. There, you can witness the joy of reunions, but also hear cries of grief. For some who haven't returned, perhaps no news is the best news yet.
As some villagers returned, they learned more about the outside world. The disaster was so widespread and severe that even with the full efforts of the national government and military, some areas were overwhelmed and the people were in chaos.
Many of the victims lost their families, property, and homes, leaving them with nothing to worry about. Robberies and assaults in broad daylight occurred frequently, and those who managed to return were the lucky ones.
These days, strangers have been coming into the village one after another, some to buy food, some to beg, and some to borrow food... At first, no one thought much of it, and some kind-hearted people even offered some help.
It was not until thefts became frequent in the village, and even a family in the village was robbed and injured by strangers, that everyone finally woke up from their comfort and realized that this was no longer the stable and law-abiding society they used to be.
The people of Sheshui Village called the police, but the Public Security Bureau was overwhelmed with cases, and it would take at least two weeks for their turn. The family whose money and food had been stolen collapsed on the ground, despairing. They feared they wouldn't see the robbers again for another two weeks, and even if they did find them, they wouldn't be able to recover their belongings.
This incident sounded a wake-up call for the villagers. As their survival was at stake, the villagers were extremely vigilant. Except for the village entrance, all other entrances to the village were closed. The village chief also organized villagers to patrol day and night.
Countless people always assumed that disasters and difficulties were temporary, that the world would soon return to its former stability, with bustling traffic, abundant harvests, and peaceful rivers and seas. People would lament the quality of life, but not their survival. But reality dealt them a heavy blow. Two days later, the snow began to fall again, heavier and faster than before, like countless white paper sheets scattering from the sky. The roads in Sheshui Village, which had been so carefully cleared and smoothed by the villagers, were once again covered in white.
These pure white snowflakes were the scythe of death, severing the hopes of countless people. In places unseen by the people of Sheshui Village, countless people wept in despair, and countless others slept forever in this heavy snow.
Bai He got up early and looked out the window to see the vast white world again. His eyes felt stinging and his brows furrowed deeply. He began to worry about Su Xingye who was outside.
After the snow, Sheshui Village, which had been bustling for a while, returned to its peaceful state. No one dared to go out easily. The temperature outside was not pleasant at all. It was minus 30 degrees Celsius. Walking outside without paying attention could really freeze you to death.
Bai He was in good physical condition, staying active by simply warming himself by the fire and exercising. Meanwhile, the kang (kang) at Bai Dabo's house had to be heated during the day. Southerners were less resistant to cold, and even if they bundled up thickly, it was still difficult to stay outdoors, so most of the time they spent their time on the kang. Even the discerning Bai Yu and other girls didn't care about hygiene at this time.
Because the Bai family had stockpiled firewood and coal in advance, men and women were able to live separately on their kangs. Meanwhile, many families in Sheshui Village still brave the cold to build kangs for their entire families. Just warming themselves by the fire is difficult these days. Grandpa Bai and Uncle Bai had previously shared their kang-building method, so everyone can now make their own. However, a shortage of materials is a major issue.
For most families, daily firewood is a major problem. Many in the village currently have only logs cut from the mountains after the snow stops. The wood is moist, making it difficult to burn and producing a thick, heavy smoke that fills the entire house. After a few days of burning, the whole person becomes saturated with the flavor, and most people inevitably experience some throat problems. While adults may be able to tolerate this discomfort, children, who have been pampered since childhood, find it difficult to endure it. When you step outside, you can almost always hear a child wailing at the top of their lungs, their heart-wrenching cries unbearable.
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