Chapter 85
Ye Qingyun tried to stop her: "Mom..."
But when he thought about what he might face if he went, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to refuse.
At this moment, Jiang He went over and took Grandma Jiang's hand, "Mom, let me go instead. I will bring Dad and my older brother back."
Yuan Ying put it more directly: "Yes, Mom, you're getting old. If you fall or something while you're out, everyone will have to take care of you."
Upon hearing this, the light in Grandma Jiang's eyes dimmed.
Ye Qingyun thought for a moment, and finally said to Wan Changlong, "Commander Wan, we really want to go out and look for people. I wonder if you have any ideas..."
Wan Changlong came to his senses.
He didn't show any emotion on his face.
But deep down, I was actually touched by the family's determination to find their loved one.
It's important to know that he had already served in the military for many years before the Great Cataclysm.
The soldier's belief of "never abandoning any comrade-in-arms and never giving up any hope" is deeply ingrained in his bones.
He never expected to see such dedication in an ordinary person.
But there are some things that are beyond his control.
Wan Changlong said, "We definitely can't open the entrances here for you. But there are indeed a few small paths inside the air-raid shelter that lead to the surface."
"But you'd better think it over carefully. If you go up there, you're on your own. If you die outside, we won't be responsible."
Wu Xiu was overjoyed and repeatedly said, "That's enough, thank you, sir! Thank you so much!!"
Wan Changlong raised his hand and waved, "Don't thank me yet."
"I can only tell you the locations of a few passages. Once you leave, we will immediately send someone to close them. If you want to come back later, you will have to arrange for someone to guard the entrance yourself; our people cannot keep watch for you."
These words sounded like they were all about rules and regulations, but everyone present knew that this was already the maximum help the other party could offer.
Ye Qingyun's face lit up with joy, and he said repeatedly, "Thank you, Commander Wan!"
Wan Changlong: "Alright, thank yourselves if you want. If it weren't for your help just now, we wouldn't be able to help you now. I'll give you half an hour to prepare. In half an hour, I'll have someone take you there."
After Wan Changlong left, Ye Qingyun comforted Grandma Jiang, saying, "Mom, I plan to go with my sister-in-law, and my second brother will come with us too. You are the pillar of the family, so you must not have anything happen to you. Don't worry, even if we go, we will make full preparations before we go."
We definitely can't all go. Putting everything else aside, if the whole family goes, we won't have enough warm clothes to keep warm.
Moreover, there are several children at home who need someone to take care of them.
Liu Xu quickly said, "Auntie, let my Dali go too. He's strong and not so afraid of the cold, he'll definitely be able to help."
Ye Qingyun felt a warmth in his heart and patted Liu Xu's hand: "Xiao Xu, thank you."
Han Lei said, "Two people from my side are also going."
Ah Song immediately said, "Boss, let me go."
Others wanted to go too, but Han Lei had already made up his mind, "Okay, Asong and I will go."
Even after the cold wave passed, the ground temperature was still -68 degrees Celsius.
At this temperature, skin exposed to the elements will quickly freeze.
We must be fully prepared.
"Let's take stock of our current supplies first."
They had just enough clothes for one person each. There were four of them in total, and no matter what, they had to prepare for the possibility that the person was still alive.
As a result, there weren't enough clothes left in the air-raid shelter.
The temperature in the air-raid shelter is slowly rising to below minus ten degrees Celsius, and wrapping oneself in a quilt can barely keep out the chill.
Ye Qingyun made a quick decision, instructing those who remained to take off their fur coats, leaving only their cotton-padded clothes, while handing over the rest to the other six people who were about to depart.
In addition, she carefully packed four cotton-padded coats, a fur coat, and two thick cotton quilts.
Grandma Jiang seemed even more nervous than they were, repeatedly reminding them, "You need to wrap your face, hands, and feet too."
In order to save time, Yuan Ying and Xu Na had to take apart the thin cotton quilts that Han Lei and the others had brought, use the cotton inside to wrap their hands, wrap them with strips of rags, and finally tie them tightly to their wrists.
For the feet, strips of cloth cut from a quilt were rolled into socks, and thick cotton wadding was stuffed inside. Finally, shoes were put on and tied with ropes.
For the face, use a coarse cloth to wrap from the forehead to the chin, leaving only the eyes exposed.
Yuan Ying and Xu Na, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were used to making clothes, so they prepared these things for the group very quickly.
Finally, Liu Xu gave everyone a pot of ginger water and some low-toxin dried meat, and Ye Qingyun and the others prepared to set off.
The six figures were wrapped up tightly, with only their eyebrows and eyes showing, making them stand out in the crowd and attracting the attention of passersby.
Grandma Jiang couldn't help but tear up again, "You all have to take good care of yourselves. If you really can't find them, then... then forget it..."
As if sensing something was wrong, Jiang Si rushed towards Wu Xiu, crying, "Grandma..."
Wu Xiu's voice sounded muffled through the coarse cloth covering her face.
She reached out and patted Jiang Si's head, gently coaxing, "Be good, wait for Grandpa and Grandma to come back."
She looked up at Jiang Sui.
Jiang Sui bit her lower lip hard to force back the tears welling up in her eyes. Wu Xiu smiled and said, "Sui Sui, you've grown up. Remember to take care of your father and sister."
Jiang Sui nodded vigorously.
Wu Xiu took a deep breath. "Alright, let's hurry and find Commander Wan."
Han Lei picked up a few steel bars he had prepared for knocking down the snow. "Let's go."
Without further hesitation, the six men, along with Han Lei and his brothers, headed towards Wan Changlong's location.
When Wan Changlong saw their expressions, he knew he couldn't stop them.
He nodded to his men.
A soldier nearby took out six pairs of military protective goggles that he had prepared, saying, "These are for you; remember to return them."
Han Lei was overjoyed.
He was initially worried that his eyes might be damaged without protection, but Wan Changlong had prepared them.
He couldn't help but say, "Battalion Commander Wan, thank you!"
After the group had put on and fastened their protective goggles, Wan Changlong spoke: "Come with me."
The group followed him through the air-raid shelter's passage and soon arrived at a secluded corner.
There were several soldiers guarding the area. When they saw Wan Changlong leading his men over, they immediately raised their hands to signal for them to pass.
This escape route has a double-door structure; even if you open the outer door, there is another steel door inside to keep out the cold wind.
This is also why Wan Changlong was willing to help these people.
He stopped at the entrance of the passage and instructed Ye Qingyun and the others, "I'll leave you here. Our people inside have already checked and cleared away any obstacles..."
He paused, then said finally, "If the person you're looking for has something to keep warm, there's still hope of saving them if it hasn't been more than 24 hours. Good luck."
These words were like a spark, instantly igniting in the hearts of the group.
Han Lei's brothers gave the group a thumbs-up, "Boss, we'll stay here and wait for you to come back!"
Han Lei smiled at them, then realized that he was covered up so well that the boys couldn't see him at all, so he covered up again.
Wan Changlong, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything more, but saluted the group before the inner door closed.
Once the inner door of the air-raid shelter was completely closed, everyone finally saw the escape passage door located above the stairs, which had long been blocked by ice and snow.
The entire escape route was extremely narrow, barely allowing one person to pass at a time.
Niu Dali said, "I'm strong, I'll go first and pry the snow off the door."
No one had any objections.
This is a time to race against time; getting out as soon as possible is the right thing to do.
Han Lei handed him the steel bar.
Niu Dali took the lead and walked up the steps.
The entire escape route was frozen solid by the snow, making a loud thud when you stepped on it.
The iron railings on both sides of the passage were covered with icicles that couldn't be pried off.
The steps leading up were even more slippery from the cold, with sharp ice crystals all around the edges and corners, making it easy to slip if you're not careful.
Niu Dali took a few steps and realized that something was wrong with his footing. So he used the steel bar in his hand to repeatedly poke and chisel rough textures on each step. Once he had more friction under his feet, he slowly cleared away the thick ice blocks on the steps.
After finally managing to carve out a path to the outer gate, Niu Dali bent over again, using the steel bar in his hand to chisel back and forth on the ice covering the inner edge of the outer gate. Ice shards fell off the gate with a rustling sound, echoing throughout the passage.
The entire passage was covered with a layer of ice a meter thick, and this was after Wan Changlong had already sent people to clear it once.
It's hard to imagine how quickly ice forms in this climate.
Ye Qingyun and his four companions behind him were not idle either.
To prevent the tunnel from freezing too quickly on the way back, the ice on both sides was also removed.
About half an hour later, Niu Dali's steel bar finally hit the door panel of the escape door with a "thud". He continued to chisel for a while, and after the door lock was exposed, Han Lei took out a small can of gasoline and poured it on the door lock.
Once lit, the area around the door lock caught fire very quickly.
Once the ice in the keyhole melted, Ye Qingyun quickly took out the key that Wan Changlong had just handed her to unlock the door.
With a soft creak, the emergency exit door was finally able to be pushed open!
Everyone was delighted.
"You can go out now!"
As the six of them dragged their heavy bodies back to the ground, the biting cold felt like needles pricking them, and they couldn't help but shiver in unison.
Then, he was so shocked by the scene before him that he was speechless for a long time.
Snowflakes were falling from the sky, everything was white and frozen solid.
Not far away, icicles about a foot long hung from the rooftops, and the ground was covered with a slippery layer of ice.
Looking around, everything—the houses, the ground, and even the overhead power lines—was completely covered by a thick layer of ice.
The entire base was eerily quiet; even the wind seemed frozen, the silence oppressive.
Some people couldn't help but wonder if those who were left outside the air-raid shelter could really survive.
Everyone stood there stunned for a moment.
In just a few seconds, his body stiffened.
Then Ah Song said in a muffled voice, "Auntie, where do we go to look for someone now?"
Ye Qingyun and the others suddenly realized what was happening.
Regardless of whether the person is dead or alive, we still have to go and find them.
Ye Qingyun: "The old man went to the No. 2 collection area. Let's go there together."
Having found their direction, the group didn't delay and immediately headed towards the west gate.
Each footstep on the ice made a "crunching" sound, which was especially clear in this still place where there wasn't even a breeze, making people's hearts tighten as they walked.
They were wearing too many clothes, and the temperature was too low, so they didn't walk very fast.
Niu Dali tried to quicken his pace, but the ice was too slippery. He would wobble and slip after taking just a few quick steps, and he couldn't keep his balance after two attempts.
Finally, having no other choice, they could only slow down and inch forward, taking one step at a time.
It took the six of them almost half an hour to reach the self-built housing area.
Here, they were able to truly understand the extent of the damage this disaster had inflicted on them.
There was not a sound of human voices, not a trace of life, only endless whiteness and bone-chilling cold, as if the whole world had been frozen in this moment.
All the houses were completely covered by a thick layer of solid ice, like silent ice tombs.
Almost every house had its walls cracked from the cold, and even the window frames were deformed from the cold.
The icicles hanging from the eaves were long and sharp like knives. When the wind blew, two icicles would collide with each other, making a "clattering" sound that made the surroundings even quieter.
Han Lei suddenly shouted towards the houses, "Is anyone there?!"
He was met only with a chilling silence.
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
Ye Qingyun couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.
He simply whispered, "Let's keep going."
The group continued silently along the predetermined route.
As they were about to pass through the area where the Jiang family lived, Wu Xiu, who had been walking in the middle, suddenly spoke up: "Let's go home and take a look."
The group of people were taken aback and all looked over.
Through the military protective goggles, everyone could vaguely see Wu Xiu's eyes, which still held hope.
Ye Qingyun nodded: "Okay, let's go back."
When they arrived at the Jiang family's house, they saw that the familiar house had been turned into an ice sculpture, and everyone's hearts tightened.
The red-lacquered door that Jiang He had painstakingly built had long since changed color from the cold, with thick ice covering everything from the hinges to the door rings, even completely obscuring the gaps in the door frame.
The ivy on the courtyard wall is now completely covered with layers of ice, each piece is even very distinct, the tendrils are curled up and wrapped in ice, like frozen withered vines, the greenery of the whole wall is like a work of art.
Han Lei tried pushing it.
The gate remained completely still, as if it had been welded there.
"Dali, you should do it."
With a strong effort, the ice on the gate shattered, and the broken ice fell to the ground with a whooshing sound.
The group walked into the courtyard.
As expected, the doors and windows inside were also completely sealed by the ice shell, and even the outline of the glass was blurred into a pale white.
Ye Qingyun had actually given up hope.
Her thoughts were even frozen and somewhat numb.
They felt their lungs were so cold and painful just from breathing through the coarse cloth after coming out.
Even when wrapped up so tightly, Ye Qingyun wondered what kind of suffering humans would endure if they couldn't find shelter during that super cold wave, and felt so cold they lost all feeling.
Ye Qingyun and Wu Xiu quickly went inside and looked around, but as expected, they didn't find Grandpa Jiang and his son.
Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.
Suddenly, Ah Song rushed out of the kitchen.
"Auntie, Auntie!" As he walked out into the yard, Ah Song almost tripped and fell. "I... I saw that the stove in the kitchen had been used, and it looked very fresh!!"
Ye Qingyun felt a chill run down her spine. Before she could react, Wu Xiu had already rushed inside.
Sure enough, there were a few wisps of thin ice mist standing on the stove, clearly indicating that the wisps of smoke had been frozen solid.
Han Lei quickly asked, "Auntie, what is this—"
Before he could finish speaking, Wu Xiu hurriedly walked into the yard, saying, "These aren't marks we made; it must be Ah Hai and his men!!"
Ye Qingyun immediately thought of a place.
"It's a cellar!!"
Wu Xiu had already run ahead of everyone else to the top of the cellar, where he could indeed see firewood frozen into ice blocks.
At that moment, Ye Qingyun's heart was pounding like a drum, and his throat tightened.
"Dali! Quick! Smash the cellar door open!!"
Niu Dali moved even faster.
Upon hearing Ye Qingyun's order, he immediately used all his strength to smash the steel bar in his hand against the cellar door, which was covered with a thin layer of ice.
For a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still, yet it also seemed to be accelerated infinitely.
There was a "crack" sound.
Niu Dali slammed the steel bar down, smashing the cellar door into pieces.
A gentle breeze, warmer than the outside air, spread out from beneath the cellar.
Everyone's spirits lifted.
Wu Xiu's hands trembled, and her voice was unsteady, "Ah... Ah Hai? Dad?"
It was quiet downstairs.
There was no response whatsoever.
Furthermore, the light below was too dim, and the people above couldn't see what was happening inside at all.
Wu Xiu tried to stand up several times by bracing herself on the ice, but she fell down each time because her hands were shaking so badly.
Wu Xiu was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Qingyun, Qingyun... help me, help me..."
Ye Qingyun quickly helped her up: "Sister-in-law, don't panic."
Han Lei was worried that the situation down below might be too alarming for Wu Xiu, so he said, "Yes, Auntie, don't worry, let me and Asong go down and take a look first. You two wait here!"
The entrance to the cellar had been sealed off by Jiang Hai and was very narrow. Although Han Lei and his companion were both quite thin, they were wearing too many clothes and could not get in after several attempts.
The group had no choice but to have Niu Dali destroy the cellar entrance.
Once they got down to the cellar, after the two brothers adjusted to the dim light for a while, they soon saw the father and son, wrapped in quilts, sitting quietly next to the refrigerator.
The thick cotton quilt was now stiff as a board, forming an icy shell.
Han Lei and his companion held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.
The two walked over.
Asong tried to lift the quilt, but found that the whole quilt was like a piece of iron, with its edges hard and stuck to the ground.
Ah Song pulled hard, and with a crisp "crack," the ice shell split open.
Fortunately, the quilts inside were not damaged.
The innermost layer of the quilt was even a little soft.
Lifting a corner of the blanket, one could see Grandpa Jiang's head resting on his son's shoulder, his gray hair adorned with shards of ice, his lips frozen purple, and even tiny ice crystals clinging to his eyelashes.
Jiang Hai lowered his head slightly, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and a few strands of hair that were accidentally sticking out had frozen solid.
Han Lei composed himself, then casually took out something and held it under their noses.
A few seconds later, his expression turned extremely ugly.
He saw no white vapor, which meant that both of them were no longer breathing!
Ah Song whispered, "Boss..."
Han Lei slowly put down what he was holding and shook his head.
Ah Song immediately understood.
He subconsciously looked up at Wu Xiu, who was eagerly waiting above.
If the cellar weren't too small, Wu Xiu would have liked to go down and take a look for herself.
"How is it, Lei? Are they down there? How are they now?"
These questions left the two of them momentarily speechless.
The silence of the two young men gave the higher-ups a bad feeling. "Ah Lei?"
After a moment, Han Lei finally spoke: "Auntie, throw the blankets and clothes down here."
Wu Xiu and Ye Qingyun were overjoyed, thinking that the person was still alive, and said repeatedly, "Good, good, good, we'll send the things down now. Take your time, take your time, we're not in a hurry."
After the two handed over the folded quilts and cotton-padded jackets, they left.
Han Lei and Asong touched the relatively soft cotton-padded jackets and gently helped the two of them put them on.
Their bodies hadn't completely stiffened yet; they still seemed to retain a trace of warmth.
It's not difficult to set it up.
After they got dressed and wrapped themselves in blankets, the two of them worked together to carry the person upstairs.
"God help me!!"
Wu Xiu was almost overjoyed and cried. She immediately stepped forward and hurriedly tried to take out the ginger water from her bosom to feed the two of them a sip.
But before she could hand it over, Han Lei, who had climbed up, said, "Auntie, don't feed her anymore."
Wu Xiu didn't react.
"Why aren't you feeding him? This ginger water can dispel cold..."
"Stop feeding him," Han Lei said in a low voice. "Uncle... can't drink it."
Her hand froze in mid-air.
Wu Xiu's voice trembled, "Ah Lei, what are you saying? Auntie doesn't understand. What do you mean by 'can't drink it'?"
Actually, she already had a plan in mind, but she was unwilling to face it.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun disregarded everything else and immediately lifted the quilt, feeling the carotid arteries of the two men through the thick fabric of his hands.
“Qingyun…” Wu Xiu looked helplessly at her younger brother and sister-in-law.
Ye Qingyun calmly shouted in a low voice, "Quiet!!"
Wu Xiu immediately covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, daring only to place her last hope on the other person.
Ye Qingyun suppressed the tension surging in his chest and focused intently on the movement of his fingertips.
After an unknown amount of time, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple came through the fabric, so subtle that she vaguely thought it was the trembling of her fingertips.
Ye Qingyun's heart skipped a beat.
She quickly pulled aside Grandpa Jiang's cotton-padded coat, bent down, and pressed her ear tightly against his chest.
The others instinctively slowed their breathing.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds —
Wu Xiu asked in a trembling voice, "W-how is it?"
Ten seconds later, Ye Qingyun suddenly looked up sharply: "Quick! The old man still has a heartbeat! Quickly, get him the ginger water down his throat!!!"
These words were like a thunderbolt that cleaved through the stagnant air, instantly dispelling the gloom that had hung over everyone's hearts, and even the oppressive atmosphere seemed to ease a bit.
Ah Song took out the ginger water, only to find it had already frozen into slush. He immediately became extremely anxious.
"No good, boss, the water's frozen!"
In the critical moment, Han Lei pulled out a small bottle of gasoline from his pocket, poured it on the wood that had frozen in the cellar, and then quickly lit it. "Quick, get out all the ginger water and boil it!"
While the others were busy, Ye Qingyun went to check on Jiang Hai's situation.
Thank goodness!
Both of them still have heartbeats!
The father and son did not stop breathing; rather, in the extreme cold, their bodies spontaneously defended themselves, causing their breathing and heartbeats to become extremely slow.
A normal person's heart beats 60-100 times per minute, but theirs only beats around 30 times per minute.
Ye Qingyun was both surprised and delighted, her voice trembling with barely concealed urgency: "Sister-in-law! Brother is still alive! We have to move him to the air-raid shelter immediately, the sooner the better!"
Han Lei and A Song were overjoyed upon hearing this.
This was truly a stroke of luck.
The ice on the firewood melted quickly as the gasoline burned.
The fire has started!
The group hurriedly poured the warmed ginger water into the two people's mouths.
After feeding them ginger water, Ye Qingyun performed some first aid on the two of them and finally said, "Dali, you are strong, please take them and my sister-in-law back first."
Although the two were still alive, the situation was urgent and could not be delayed.
Han Lei's side still has to find Brother A Yu, so they need to split up and search separately.
After Han Lei and his companion made a makeshift sled for Jiang Hai and his son using cotton blankets that had frozen into ice, they suddenly heard a faint sound coming from the cellar.
Everyone thought they had misheard.
Ah Song even asked, "Boss, am I just imagining things? Why do I hear sounds coming from downstairs?"
The group exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Could it be that Ah Yu and the others are down there too?
Ah Song acted faster than he thought, and jumped down.
The refrigerator door moved slightly a few times, and then a very faint, weak sound came out.
"Is anyone there? Please help us..."
Ah Song was so happy he didn't know what to do!
It's their good brother Ayu's voice!!
He rushed to the refrigerator and slammed his elbow against the door, shattering the thin layer of ice that had formed on the surface.
Fortunately, the temperature in the cellar wasn't too low, and the ice layer wasn't thick to begin with, so it didn't take long for Ah Song to open the cabinet door.
The two brothers, Ah Yu and Ah Yu, were actually lying inside!
They...they were actually in the Jiang family too, and they were all still alive!!!
Overwhelmed by a mix of surprise and lingering fear, Ah Song could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his face.
"Boss, waaaaah! Boss!! Brother Yu and the others are still alive!!!"
Han Lei suddenly opened his eyes wide and his Adam's apple bobbed twice.
The huge weight that had been pressing on my heart finally lifted, but I couldn't catch my breath. Instead, a trembling fear rose within me.
"Really alive?"
He jumped down into the cellar.
Upon seeing Ah Yu's brother being helped up by Ah Song, his eyes uncontrollably reddened—the responsibility weighing on his shoulders these past few days, the anxiety of not being able to find him, and the guilt towards his brother all turned into scalding emotions rushing to his eyes, but he managed to hold them back.
Ah Yu's body was so stiff, yet miraculously he didn't suffer much frostbite.
His face was purplish-black from lack of oxygen due to being trapped in a refrigerated display case for a long time.
"Boss, you guys came just in time." His voice was still a little weak, with the relief of surviving a disaster. "Ah Yun and I thought we were going to suffocate here."
They had been trapped for a full nine hours.
In the cramped space, neither of them could move, and the oxygen was running out little by little over time.
They weren't frozen solid during the worst of the cold wave, but the prolonged static posture and the increasingly thin air left them without the strength to even break down a door and escape.
Hearing Asong's sobbing, Ayu breathed a sigh of relief—he really didn't dare to imagine that if the rescue had been even a moment later, the two brothers would have suffocated to death in the refrigerator.
Ayun said, "It must be the ginger and mugwort water that Grandpa Jiang gave us that worked. Even now, after drinking that water for so long, I still feel warm all over. And I can feel that every time my face gets frostbite, it heals itself in no time."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun's heart stirred.
Could it be that the tooth powder Ah-zhi gave me worked?
Han Lei felt as if he were being warmed by a stove, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside him. He wanted to say something, but he knew now wasn't the time for reminiscing. "We can talk about that when we get back to the air-raid shelter. Let's go back now!"
No matter what, the fact that Grandpa Jiang and the others are still alive is more important than anything else!
Ye Qingyun nodded emphatically: "Yes! Let's go back!!"
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