Chapter 33 Chapter 33 (Inverted v) [VIP]
There were knocks on Bai He's iron door. Bai He looked through the small window and saw Bai Yu and her boyfriend, Ning Zelan. They were wrapped up tightly from head to toe, with only their eyes visible.
"My mom knitted you a sweater, and she made you some dumplings," Bai Yu said, shaking the two bags in her hands. She pointed to Ning Zelan, who was carrying a large woven bag behind her. "And Grandpa said you wanted a roll of oilcloth, so he brought it over for you, too."
"Thanks, come in and warm yourself by the fire." Bai He saw that the two of them were shivering, so he took the things and brought them to the brazier in the room.
"Good boy, you're living a good life!" Bai Yu praised as he watched Bai He skillfully take out an iron net and place it above the brazier, and then took out steamed buns and meat slices and put them on the charcoal grill.
"It's just that the preparations are more complete." He took out another bag of condensed milk and squeezed it into the small bowl.
Bai He could clearly feel his appetite improve since returning. He wasn't one to compromise, so he'd already stocked up on supplies. The shelves in his space stretched to the ceiling.
Bai Yu ate a crispy, golden-brown bun and found it delicious, so she stuffed one into her boyfriend's mouth. Ning Zelan, who had been sitting upright since entering, trying to give off a mature and steady impression, was caught off guard by a mouthful of food and was completely stunned, like a hamster.
Ning Zelan glared at Bai Yu, telling her with his eyes to stop making trouble, then he chewed quickly, and the bulge in his cheek quickly disappeared.
Bai Yu was quite fond of his serious look, so she leaned close to him and whispered something. Ning Zelan's body immediately stiffened and his ears turned red.
Tsk, so disgusting.
Bai He looked up and saw it was already ten o'clock. Winter was slow to work, and the day passed quickly. "If you want tea, pour it yourself. If you want something to eat, grab the snack cart. I'll continue clearing the snow."
"I'll help you." Ning Zelan saw this and hurried out. These days, Ning Zelan and his family had been living and eating at the Bai family's house. Now that money had lost its meaning, they were practically eating and drinking for free. Although the Bai family didn't care, he couldn't take these benefits for granted. That wasn't the right thing to do.
Bai He didn't refuse. He spread the tarpaulin on the roof. He really needed a companion. The temperature was now over 20 degrees Celsius, close to 30 degrees Celsius below zero, and with the constant snow and wind, it was easy to freeze and get sick from working outside for a long time. So he could only work for a while and then take a break.
There is a thick layer of ice on the roof that is difficult to shovel. The tarpaulin can only be laid on top of the ice. Once it thaws, the eaves will definitely become moldy, but this is the only way to deal with it for now.
It was past twelve o'clock when Bai Yu called them to have lunch, and they had just finished laying out the tiles in both rooms.
The dishes were already on the table: seaweed egg drop soup, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, salted duck eggs, and a plate of spicy fish from the snack box.
"Hurry up, otherwise the food will freeze." The most annoying thing about this weather is that the food gets cold right after it comes out of the pot, especially the fat in meat is particularly easy to solidify.
Several people took their bowls and went to the rice cooker to get rice. Bai Yu said to Bai He, "I took everything from your kitchen refrigerator."
Bai He nodded. Although he had stored most of his supplies on the second floor and in the old warehouse behind the house, he also filled the two refrigerators downstairs with food. And one good thing about this cold weather was that the food wouldn't spoil if the refrigerator didn't need to be turned on, saving electricity.
"You know my cooking skills, so just make do with it." Bai Yu rarely cooks at home, and even less so after work, eating out most of the time in the company cafeteria. As a result, her cooking skills are barely good enough to be edible. As Bai Yu herself puts it, she doesn't have a high appetite; as long as she doesn't starve herself, she's fine. Her cooking skills are often about serving others. It makes sense; anyway, Grandma Bai and her aunt didn't force her to practice cooking.
"Bai Zhuo's wedding is the day after tomorrow. If the snow continues like this and guests can't come, will it still be as usual?"
"Actually, a wedding is just a ceremony. I hope that after Bai Zhuo gets married, he can truly mature as Third Grandpa said. He's so old and still needs his parents to clean up his messes all the time."
Bai Zhuo is the son of his third grandfather and the only unmarried member of the second generation of the Bai family. Because he's an only child, and because he wasn't born until they were thirty, he's the apple of their eye. Almost every request he makes is always met. Even though Bai Zhuo started living on the streets before finishing junior high school and now, in his thirties, doesn't have a proper job, the two elders are reluctant to take strong action.
Of course, Bai Yu thought that his third grandfather and his wife were well-off and didn't worry about their child's future. Both of them were veteran workers, they had bought two houses and a shop, and their pensions were not bad. They usually didn't skimp on food or clothes, probably saving them for their only son.
Because Bai Zhuo is close in age to them, he has played with them since childhood and considers himself older than them. He always saves some delicious food and drinks for them, so they have a good relationship and they get together every time he goes home.
It was his wedding, and since it was rare for Bai Yu to be at home, he naturally wanted to attend it, but unfortunately the weather was not good.
Ning Zelan hadn't had the chance to marry into the Bai family since he came here, so he naturally didn't know anyone in the Bai family. Therefore, he had only listened to Bai Yu's chatter. But at this point, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
“When will the snow stop?”
They had been staying at the Bai family for over ten days, and it looked like transportation and communications wouldn't be restored for another ten days. Although his mother-in-law's family had been welcoming, it wasn't a good idea for them to stay there forever. Besides, both he and Bai Yu had jobs, and their friends and family were in Hai City.
"Don't worry, we'll go back to Hai City once the snow stops." Bai Yu was a workaholic, and his desire to return to Hai City was no less than Ning Zelan's. The young couple's eyes were filled with the same longing.
Bai He laughed. Sheshui Village had enough food to be self-sufficient. But outside, food was already hard to come by, relying entirely on government aid. When the snow stops and you see the people fleeing the city, you'll understand how cruel the world is right now. Forget about returning to Hai City.
Bai Yu and Ning Zelan helped Bai He clean up the snow in the yard and were about to leave. Before leaving, Bai He gave them a few large bags filled with several winter clothes.
"One for each of you."
"Why did you buy so many winter coats?" Gaolin City rarely experiences cold weather, so most people only buy one or two winter coats a year. Bai He's gift of six new winter coats at once truly shocked Bai Yu.
"This brand of clothes is of very good quality. I saw a big sale in Qingcheng and bought some extra. I was planning to give them to you for the New Year."
"It's a good buy. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I would never have believed that Gaolin City could be so cold." Bai Yu and Ning Lanze looked at each other with sympathetic expressions.
Although the Ning family's trip was urgent, they had already planned to come to Gaolin City for the engagement, so they had made all the necessary preparations. However, no matter how much preparation there was, one couldn't foresee natural disasters or man-made calamities, let alone the day when shopping wouldn't be possible. They were wearing the Bai family's clothes, so Bai He's gift of these clothes was just the right thing to do.
"Thank you." Ning Zelan also discovered that although his cousin Bai Yu looked aloof and cold, he was actually very considerate, and they had a really good relationship.
This made Ning Zelan, who had been an only child since childhood and whose relatives lived all over the country and with whom he rarely had contact, feel a little envious.
After the two left, Bai He opened the gift Ning Zelan gave him, a solar-powered watch that could convert light energy into electrical energy and was waterproof. It was a very practical item for Bai He.
With plenty of free time in the afternoon, Bai He went to his gym for a workout, first a ten-kilometer run, then martial arts practice. A healthy body is essential for survival; natural disasters won't wait, and only humans can proactively push their limits and adapt to life. Bai He had a foundation in martial arts from a childhood training with a village master, but now he was constantly practicing the art of killing.
He didn't relax with Heidou either, putting him on the treadmill and constantly practicing various commands: pounce, bite, lurk, etc.
Su Xing also arrived home around five o'clock. As soon as he opened the door, the heating came on. The bright lights and the aroma of food in the room made him relax his expression. He shook off the snow on his body and walked into the house.
Bai He was cooking inside, stirring and keeping an eye on the fire under the pot. He looked very busy and a little embarrassed, but full of the atmosphere of life. At this moment, Su Xing also felt a sense of relief.
Bai He saw that the big plate chicken in the pot was almost cooked, so he took out some of the firewood from the stove, leaving a little residual fire to simmer. He turned around and saw Su Xing standing there in a daze. "What are you standing there for? Go eat."
Su Xing also walked over to him and said, "You stuffed snacks into my pocket."
"Yeah! It's easy to get hungry in the winter!"
"I only managed to hold on thanks to the snacks you gave me. By three o'clock I was starving."
Bai He smiled and said, "Let's eat!"
"good."
"It smells delicious," Su Xing complimented without hesitation. He then plucked a piece of chicken from the bubbling pot. The chicken was tender and tender, stewed to perfection, with a sweet, spicy flavor that went perfectly with rice. Su Xing had been busy all day, physically exhausted, and indeed hungry, so he stuffed another mouthful of rice into his mouth. He ate diligently, his manners impeccable, but his slightly puffed face, contrasting with his naturally cold demeanor, created a strangely adorable contrast.
Moreover, Su Xing also enjoyed the meal so much, and Bai He, who was cooking, was also very happy.
Bai He hadn't rested all day today, and with someone else to eat with him, his appetite had grown considerably. The large pot of chicken he made was indeed delicious, stewed over a wood fire for over forty minutes. The potatoes melted in the mouth, their natural sweetness and the fresh aroma of the chicken juice made it impossible to stop eating. The sweet potato noodles, which had absorbed the broth, were chewy and soft, and there were also fresh vegetable tips...
The two of them ate so deliciously and the aroma was so tempting that Heidou, who was squatting next to Baihe, couldn't help drooling. Although he had dog food and goat milk to eat, it was nothing compared to the delicious meat. He didn't bark, but just swept his tail around Baihe's legs like a fan, and his eyes were staring at their chopsticks.
Its presence was so strong that Su Xing couldn't help but look at it from time to time.
The author has something to say:
The pace is a bit slow, I'll try to speed it up.
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