Chapter 116 It's Snowing
The weather in Haicheng seemed to have been switched on, getting colder day by day.
When it's cold, I don't want to move. The down comforter is light and warm, creating a cozy fortress on the bed, trapping Mao Mao inside. Every morning, after waking up, Mao Mao stays in bed for a long time.
She had to be coaxed and coaxed by her mother before she would finally peek out of the down comforter with her fluffy little head, but she still whined and refused to get up, pushing the comforter up into little mounds.
When she was carried out, her cheeks were chubby, and she looked so aggrieved.
At the same time, Mao Mao has become more clingy.
Whenever they have the chance, they want to stay in their mothers' or brothers' arms and don't want to walk on their own.
Only now did Mao Mao realize how big her house really was!
It seemed like there was no end to the journey. From the bed to the dining room, we had to walk along a long corridor and up long stairs. The way to eat seemed to be longer than Sun Wukong's journey to the West.
After each walk, I'm so tired that I have to eat half a bowl of rice more.
My fourth brother said that as the weather gets colder, people need to eat to maintain their body heat so they don't get cold.
Mao Mao is very obedient and always eats very well.
Lou Hongjian also became lazy, just like her.
When the weather gets cold, he doesn't like to go out anymore.
Unless absolutely necessary, he sleeps until noon every day. When friends call to invite him out for drinks and dancing, he always refuses.
It seems that the former playboy has undergone a complete transformation, which is truly eye-opening.
His friends, hearing his repeated excuses, assumed he was busy with something important again.
But in reality, he was afraid of the cold.
At home, he disregarded manners, wrapped himself in his clothes, and warmed himself by the fireplace with his sister.
"It's not even January yet, how come it's already this cold?" Lou Hongjian held a cup of hot cocoa and hugged a warm little dumpling in his arms. The two siblings huddled together for warmth. "I heard from my older brother that Haicheng also experienced a cold wave before, with the lowest temperature reaching minus fifteen degrees Celsius... ouch."
He gasped and took a sip of hot cocoa to calm himself. He continued, "Minus fifteen degrees Celsius, how cold would that be? I wonder how low it will get this year."
Lou Yansui touched her knees: "It must have been extremely difficult."
"Luckily, I don't have to work in an office." Lou Hongjian sighed. "I see my second brother going to work every day, braving the wind and rain. It's really hard for him. Luckily, I didn't end up in a cubicle."
Lou Yansui asked, "Third Brother, where's your art gallery?"
“I have hired a manager to handle things, so I don’t have to do it myself. If someone wants to order a painting, they can just contact me by phone.”
“You didn’t say that before. You said that guests need to communicate in person, and only by meeting you in person can they feel your artistic pursuits and romance.”
Lou Hongjian argued vehemently: "Romance is too freezing; compared to that, my life is of course more important."
Lou Yansui was speechless: "Why don't you just wear more clothes like Mao Mao?"
Lou Hongjian: "How can that be? Don't I have any pride?"
Lou Yansui: "..."
Hearing her own name, Mao Mao raised her head in confusion: "Brother?"
Lou Hongjian pinched her little cheek and said with a grin, "Our Mao Mao is so cute. Even if she's dressed like a bear, she's still the cutest little bear in the world."
"oh."
Mao Mao stared blankly for a moment, thinking it seemed like a compliment, then continued to lower her head and concentrate on eating the dried sweet potato.
Lou Yansui flipped through today's newspaper and quickly found what she wanted to read.
The largest newspaper in Haicheng has a regular section that has been reminding residents for several days that a cold wave is coming, urging them to stock up on wood and food, and listing some cold-weather protection measures.
Unlike the north, where it is cold year-round, the people of Haicheng have ingeniously built houses to withstand the low temperatures. In the north, every household has a heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed) with a fire wall and chimney, so when it's lit, the whole room is warm.
But the houses in Haicheng are not well insulated. The villas have fireplaces, while ordinary homes only have braziers.
Due to the local climate, it's damp and cold both indoors and outdoors. The only way to keep warm is to wear more layers, but the cold still seeps in everywhere, as if ice and snow are flowing through your veins.
Lou Yansui flipped through two more pages and found another piece of content in a corner.
Because of the cold weather, fuel consumption is higher than usual, and heating costs have increased significantly.
Prices of goods such as wood and coal have risen. In a short period of time, the price of a piece of wood has doubled, causing people to complain bitterly.
If prices continue to rise like this, I'm afraid people won't have the money to buy wood.
He stared at the message, lost in thought, then looked up and asked, "Did Dad schedule another meeting with the Chamber of Commerce?"
Lou Hongjian racked his brains to recall: "I think so."
During this period, Lou Dashuai and Lou Fengju left early and returned late every day. Even though they lived under the same roof, it was rare to see them together.
"I wonder if we can get a good result," Lou Yansui muttered to herself.
He continued flipping through the pages and soon found good news next to the previous post.
Led by the Zhang family, many merchants in the Haicheng Chamber of Commerce responded to the call and did not raise prices during the disaster. The disaster relief supplies they sold were sold at the same price as before, without any increase in price.
The cost of goods varies at different times.
For example, now that the weather is getting colder, transportation costs are increasing, and selling at the previous price would result in a loss. Chairman Zhang personally funded the purchase, showing great generosity.
But if they don't lose money, people will go hungry and cold. Many people have to support large families, and they have to squeeze out money from their meager savings to buy even one more piece of wood.
It's really putting people in a dilemma.
Lou Yansui finished flipping through the newspaper, making sure she hadn't seen any new news or missed anything, before closing it.
His father and brothers were extremely busy, and the newspapers were dutifully publishing news about the cold wave. People seemed to be wound up tight, waiting for the natural disaster to strike at any moment.
Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after.
Perhaps it will come soon.
"I really want this winter to pass quickly." Lou Hongjian picked up his hot cocoa and took a sip, muttering, "I want spring, so I can go dancing, go for a walk in nature, and I also want to drive my car around."
Lou Yansui: "When spring comes, I can go to school."
"I don't need to wear these heavy clothes all day long," Lou Hongjian said, "making my legs look like radishes."
Lou Yansui: "Yeah, my hands are cold, so it's not very convenient to do the problems."
Thinking about it this way, winter in Haicheng is really no good.
And then there's this distressing cold snap, adding insult to injury.
"hold head high?"
Mao Mao, who was sitting in Lou Hongjian's arms, suddenly raised her head.
She opened her eyes wide, looked outside, and then twisted her little body, trying to struggle out.
Since the weather turned cold, her younger sister had become as docile as a doll, letting anyone hold her. Lou Hongjian even used her head as a cushion for his sketchbook, and she never got angry, lazily serving as a human-shaped pillow. Suddenly, she moved, and Lou Hongjian almost dropped the cup in his hand.
"What's wrong, Mao Mao?"
Mao Mao didn't say anything, but climbed out of his arms.
She was wearing too many clothes, and she walked unsteadily like a little penguin, taking small steps to the French windows.
Then, she braced her little hands against the French windows, pressing her chubby little face against them. The cold glass distorted her breasts, but her big, dark eyes remained wide open, staring unblinkingly outside.
It was as if I had seen something strange I had never seen before.
Lou Hongjian and Lou Yansui both looked in the direction she was looking, puzzled.
The sky outside the window remained dark and gloomy, as if gray dust was falling from the sky and covering their vision.
Suddenly, Lou Yansui also blinked.
He stood up in surprise: "It's snowing!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com