The old man in the village who was good at predicting the weather squinted his eyes and looked at the lead-gray sky above his head.
After a while, he slowly spoke, "I think it's going to snow, judging by the weather these days. Once it snows, the roads will be hard to walk on, and it'll be hard to collect firewood. While the weather is still bearable, collect some firewood and bring it back, so you don't have to wait until it snows and you have nothing to burn."
After hearing the old man's words, the villagers suddenly felt a sense of urgency.
As they quickened their pace, they kept an eye out for firewood that could be picked up on the roadside.
Some people carried bamboo baskets on their backs, their eyes searching the surroundings like searchlights; some people held rakes in their hands, and as soon as they saw dead branches and fallen leaves, they would rush forward to collect them.
Everyone knows that in this cold winter, firewood is the guarantee of warmth and should not be taken lightly.
Even though the wind was biting cold and their hands and feet were numb from the cold, they were unwilling to stop, for fear that the whole family would suffer from the cold if it really snowed.
In the evening, the people of Sujia Village found a village not far from the official road.
As you step into the village, an air of desolation and loneliness hits you in the face. The surroundings are eerily quiet. It is obvious that the indigenous people here have fled and are nowhere to be seen.
The village looked dilapidated. The walls of most houses had peeling plaster, revealing broken stones and rotten wooden frames. The thatched roofs had been eroded by wind and rain.
However, among this dilapidated area, there are several blue brick and tile houses that are particularly eye-catching.
The blue-gray bricks and tiles still exude an ancient and solid luster under the dim moonlight. The walls are neat and solid, and the beam structure is intact.
When the people in Sujia Village saw these tiled houses, a glimmer of hope flashed in their tired eyes.
After a brief discussion among the elders of the clan, they began to arrange for everyone to check in in an orderly manner.
With gratitude and relief, everyone moved into these relatively intact blue brick and tile houses one after another.
Although the house was filled with a stale smell of being uninhabited for a long time and there were some cobwebs in the corners, compared to the dilapidated houses outside, it was undoubtedly an ideal safe haven.
The children looked at everything in the house curiously, while the adults were busy cleaning and tidying up.
Soon, the originally deserted and lonely tile-roofed house had some life and warmth. The people of Sujia Village also gradually settled down in this strange but temporarily safe place, preparing to spend the night.
Night enveloped the village. Yao Qingshuang walked out of the simple toilet and just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly, a cool breeze fell gently on her head, and then her face also felt the subtle touch.
She subconsciously reached out and touched it, and the wetness and coldness she felt made her realize instantly: it was snowing.
Looking up, I saw countless tiny white snowflakes falling in the night sky, like a group of elves in white dance dresses dancing in the air, or like pear blossoms blown down by the wind, scattering wantonly between heaven and earth.
She couldn't help but sigh in her heart that the old man in the village's weather forecast was so accurate that it really snowed in just a few days.
However, the snow was undoubtedly a difficult problem for them who were determined to head south.
Now, the snow is like an invisible big hand, holding them back from moving forward.
When traveling in such rainy and snowy weather, the roads will become muddy and slippery.
The official road, which is usually bumpy, is now full of traps. If you slip with one step, you may fall down if you are not careful.
Not only that, cold and dampness are always around, silently eroding the human body and allowing weakness and disease to take advantage of the opportunity to enter.
During this journey where medical care is scarce and medicine is scarce, once you get sick, you may be in desperate situation.
In ancient times, countless people died forever in a foreign land due to a minor cold during such a journey, separated from their loved ones and became wandering ghosts.
Yao Qingshuang slowly raised her head and looked up at the night sky.
I saw that above the sky, as if being gently sprinkled by a pair of invisible skillful hands, one snowflake after another, as light as cotton wool and as fluffy as goose feathers, broke free from the shackles of the clouds and couldn't wait to pounce between heaven and earth.
They are like a group of well-trained dancers, spinning and floating gracefully in the air, announcing the majesty of winter in a quiet and grand posture.
Yao Qingshuang quietly gazed at the snow falling all over the sky, thinking to herself that at this rate, it wouldn't be long before the whole world would be covered in pure white snow.
If this continues, by midnight the roads will surely be completely submerged by layers of accumulated snow, turning them into a vast sea of snow.
By then, not only will it be difficult for vehicles to move, even pedestrians will have to work very hard to take a step.
It seems that tomorrow's trip is destined to be postponed.
Yao Qingshuang sighed softly, her face full of helplessness.
She turned around and walked slowly towards her residence with slightly heavy steps.
Along the way, the snow under her feet made a slight "crunching" sound, as if the snow was whispering its sympathy to her.
Back in the house, everyone's eyes turned to her, with questions and expectations in their eyes.
Yao Qingshuang cleared her throat and told everyone everything about the snow outside.
As soon as the words fell, the room fell into silence. A solemn expression appeared on everyone's face. Worry and anxiety about the future journey quietly spread in this small space.
Yao Qingshuang lay back on the bed, concentrated her mind, and slowly probed her consciousness into the supermarket space to look for items suitable for the moment.
Her consciousness wandered between the supermarket shelves, her eyes quickly scanning the rows of dazzling merchandise.
There are indeed many things suitable for winter consumption, including various high-calorie nuts, long-lasting bacon and sausages, steaming instant soups, etc. They are displayed in full, as if waving to her.
In addition, there are many winter warming products, such as hot water bottles, heaters, electric blankets... However, a trace of helplessness flashed in Yao Qingshuang's eyes. In this environment without electricity, these electrical appliances are just a pile of useless decorations and cannot play their due role at all.
She continued searching in the space, and finally, she found a few pairs of gloves in a corner.
These gloves are thick, have anti-slip ridges on the palm, flexible fingers and excellent warmth.
Snow boots are placed next to it. The boots have high shafts, soft and fine fleece lining, and waterproof outer shell that can effectively resist getting wet by accumulated snow.
There are also several fur hats similar to Lei Feng hats. The main body of the hat is made of sturdy and durable canvas, the brim is crisp, and the hat body is surrounded by fluffy fur, which can perfectly protect the ears and neck and resist the biting cold wind.
Several blankets also came into view. The blankets had long, soft pile, a great touch, bright colors, and excellent warmth retention.
Yao Qingshuang was delighted and quickly picked out these items and prepared to take them out of the space, hoping that they could bring a little warmth and comfort to everyone in this cold snowy day.
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