On the second day of the temperature drop, snowflakes were flying.
Those who were lucky enough to live in the sturdy houses were extremely grateful to the government. They no longer had to worry day and night about their houses collapsing.
Although the walls were cold, they kept warm by lighting a fire inside. Those who could afford it had already hired someone to build a kang (a traditional Chinese bed) for the whole family to sleep on. Even if the quilt wasn't thick enough, they wouldn't freeze to death easily.
Many families only had one set of cotton-padded clothes, so they would share it with each other when going out, while those who didn't had cotton-padded clothes basically stayed at home and didn't move.
The ground was frozen, forcing the construction team to halt and wait for the snow to melt before continuing. Those who were too late or not on the list for a new house could only beg for help or pay rent with something they could give to someone who already had a solid house to stay in for the winter.
Jiang Nian carried the bucket and walked to the backyard, filling it with food for the pigs and chickens. He then watched the poultry and livestock inch out, then quickly dash back into their cages after eating.
At first, the pigs were not used to the narrow cage, but it was warmer inside than outside. Once they tasted the sweetness, they no longer needed anyone to drive them away and would run back in automatically after eating.
Jiang Nian put the bucket and ladle away, washed his hands, and walked into the main room.
They used the leftover wooden boards from building the house to hammer together a few simple little benches, which were perfect for sitting by the fire and warming themselves.
Bone soup was stewing on the stove. Jiang Yue also threw a few sweet potatoes onto the stove. When they were roasted, the aroma filled the whole room.
The tongs had been bitten by the charcoal and were blackened. She then grabbed the sweet potatoes with her hands.
"hiss!"
She got burned and pulled her hand back, causing the sweet potato to fall.
Jiang Nian frowned and squatted down, holding her hand and looking at it back and forth. Apart from the red spots, there was no burn, so he blew on her for a while.
He pulled over a small stool and sat behind her, then picked up the sweet potato and put his arms around her.
"I told you to wait until I come back to peel it, otherwise you'll have to wash your hands and the water is too cold."
"I can't help it, the sweet potato is tempting me, the fragrance is too strong~"
Jiang Yue leaned back against his strong chest and looked up. He was quietly and seriously peeling sweet potatoes for her, and then fell silent again.
At first she thought Jiang Nian was sick and gave him cold and fever medicine, but it turned out that was not the case at all.
But his body temperature remained high and he spoke even less. When asked, he didn't seem to be feeling unwell.
Jiang Yue sat up straight, moved her back a little further away, then stretched out her hand and placed her palm on his chest.
Jiang Yue felt cold even with her cotton coat on, but he was only wearing a single layer of clothes, and his body temperature was much higher than hers.
Then she put her ear to his chest, listening to the strong heartbeat, which was also steady, so there was nothing wrong.
She will take out the medical book and read it later. It is useless to learn without mastering the skills.
Jiang Nian felt so soft-hearted seeing how well-behaved she was, he bent down and kissed her soft lips.
"I'm not feeling unwell, don't worry. Okay, I've peeled the sweet potato, have a bite."
Jiang Yue took a bite of his hand; it was sweet and fragrant.
Come to think of it, it seems that there is nothing wrong with Jiang Nian except that he is more clingy.
Whether eating or bathing, he always followed her, either kissing or hugging her. Even if he left her sight, he would be clingy again within a quarter of an hour.
But they are inseparable in normal times, so this is not too strange.
Jiang Yue could only convince herself that she was too sensitive.
After the snow fell, the two of them did not go out again. Instead, Fan Bai and Fan Jin brought the store's income over.
After the light snow turned into heavy snow, their store's revenue decreased, so they changed the delivery schedule from every three days to every five days.
Jiang Nian only allowed them to hand over things in the yard. They couldn't even enter the house and couldn't even drink hot water.
Therefore, she was unaware of what was happening in the city.
Weather changes affected General Liang's pace of expansion, so he decided to recuperate and take the opportunity to increase the population of several captured cities.
The city continued to absorb new citizens, and as the population grew, order became disrupted. Even though officers and soldiers patrolled day and night, friction between the people increased, and fights broke out frequently.
On this day, Jiang Yue and Jiang Nian were making roast chicken. Perhaps because the aroma was too strong, it attracted many people to beg.
At first they just knocked on the door gently, crying and begging for alms.
When the two ignored them, they intensified their efforts and started banging on the door. Asking for alms turned into forcing alms.
The two men opened the gate with stern faces and found seven or eight people kneeling outside.
Everyone in the city knew that they had the general's support and did not dare to cause trouble, unless these people were newcomers to the city and were illiterate.
Several neighbors opened their doors and came out with their hands and feet tucked in. Seeing this scene, they frowned and spoke up for the Jiang family.
"Don't kneel anymore, be careful not to hurt your legs. The ground is very cold."
"Yes, hurry up and get up. Everyone is in trouble now, and no one can give you anything. Didn't the government issue relief food? If you have something to say, go to the government office and report it. Why are you looking for us ordinary people?"
One of the women, thinly dressed, cried, "The government relief food isn't enough. We have a large family, no firewood, and no shelter. How are we going to get through the winter? I heard you're a small family with a large house, so I'm begging you to be kind and take us in for the winter. We're willing to work like slaves!"
The newcomers to the city actually figured out that their house is large but their family is small? Is there something fishy going on?
Another thin man spoke up, "We smelled meat in their house. They must be well-off. Please, give us some food!"
Jiang Yue leaned against the door. "You're asking for shelter and food, are you treating us like government officials? You don't go looking for the wealthy families in this city, but only come to us. Do you think we're outnumbered and therefore bully the weak and afraid of the strong?"
She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "The person who gave you the news only said that we were common people and easy to bully, but didn't say that we knew the general's mansion? Look up, the plaque above is stamped with the general's seal."
These people looked at each other in panic, and it seemed that they really didn't know about this.
Seeing their reactions, Jiang Yue was certain that someone was behind them instigating this. However, the intentions of this person behind the scenes were unknown. They didn't have any enemies, so could it be someone who was jealous?
At this time, more and more people gathered around, and people from two streets away came to watch the excitement, not even afraid of the cold.
Someone spoke up, "The general is a man of many things to do. How could he possibly have anything to do with the common people? He must be bluffing."
Jiang Yue looked over and saw the man, hidden in the crowd, saying this and then falling silent. The whispers around them grew louder and louder, and it was hard to tell who was behind the instigation.
Jiang Nian's patience had reached its limit. He said coldly, "We are not officials, let alone your parents. We can't control your food, drink, and toilet."
After saying that, he turned around and was about to pull Jiang Yue into the house.
Suddenly, the person in front rushed forward and tried to hug Jiang Nian's legs.
Jiang Nian's eyes flashed, and he kicked the man hard, sending him flying three or four meters away.
The situation suddenly became chaotic.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com