These past few years, although the basic needs of the people have generally been t, many villages still live in decades-old houses. When the weather is fine, it’s okay, but when facing such heavy rain and snow, the old houses can hardly withstand it. So roofs have rotten timbers that can’t bear the weight of the snow, leading to nurous collapses and leaks.
The Special Service Company brought along so supplies like roofing felt and tarpaulins to patch up those houses with minor collapses, so people can make do living in them. After the New Year, when the weather warms up, they would either renovate or completely rebuild.
For those houses that are severely damaged, they had to search for any people who might be buried and assist in salvaging valuable property and materials... The elderly cried, children scread, cold and exhausted, until it was completely dark, only then did the mbers of the Special Service return to their base.
The cooking squad prepared scallion, garlic, and ginger soup for them again.
Ling Chengyan gulped down the soup from a large mug, and as the coldness on her body dissipated, she gradually ward up: "Once you get used to this stuff, it’s not that bad."
Fu Qiang took her mug and said with a smile, "It works quite well."
Unexpectedly, there wasn’t much snow throughout the entire winter, and it seed to have accumulated together. With only five days left before the year-end, three snowfalls occurred consecutively, with only one being slightly smaller and the other two particularly large.
Thus, the mbers of the Special Service have been assisting with disaster relief everywhere, staying busy until New Year’s Eve, even eating the dumplings prepared by the cooking squad at the disaster relief site on New Year’s Eve.
Families ca to help, making lots of extra dumplings. Da Liu from the cooking squad led over a dozen people to boil dumplings in a big pot, then distributed them to the soldiers and the affected people.
In the freezing cold, groups of people huddled together to eat dumplings. Villagers and team mbers gathered together, casually chatting and eating dumplings.
The team mbers encouraged with a smile: "Heavy snow is a sign of a good harvest. Endure these days, and next year will be a year of plenty. Everyone, let’s strive to build new houses."
The villagers responded with cheerful smiles: "Yes, we must build new houses. When they are done next year, you must co to our hos to eat, and we’ll have dumplings together again."
Though the snow disaster was severe, people’s hearts remained warm, and their eyes were filled with hope.
On the first day of the New Year, there was no morning exercise. Ling Chengyan ca to the team for a midday al.
This was a belated reunion al, originally ant for New Year’s Eve, postponed to noon on the first day of the New Year.
Large dishes were served, and wine was poured into the tea mugs in front of them. Ling Chengyan held her wine and said with a smile, "Although we’ve just established the company less than half a year ago, our comrades have worked together and achieved so accomplishnts. For instance, Comrade Zhang Yuanhong won first place in the district shooting competition, and Comrade Zheng Hongwei won second place. I also heard a team mber saying yesterday, ’A tily snow promises a good harvest’, and I hope in the new year, our comrades continue to strive for more and better achievents. Cheers!"
After speaking, she raised her tea mug and downed the drink in one gulp.
Everyone raised their glasses together, loudly shouting: "Cheers!"
After drinking, laughter and applause filled the room. Ling Chengyan then said, "Let’s have our instructor say a few words."
Zhang Yuanhong got up amidst the laughter and applause, raised his tea mug, gestured to everyone, then laughed and said, "First, about that first-place in the shooting competition, our captain gave it to ..."
Laughter and applause drowned out his words. Zhang Yuanhong waited for everyone to finish laughing and then continued, "As you all know, I was defeated by the captain. If she had participated, I..."
"The instructor wouldn’t dare to participate!" Tian Kai led the coaxing, and everyone laughed again.
Zhang Yuanhong waited for the laughter to subside and continued, "Don’t listen to Deputy Tian ruin my reputation. At most, I admit defeat, but I never said I wouldn’t dare to participate."
"Now you can say whatever you want." Squad Leader Geng Wei jokingly exposed his shortcoming.
Zhang Yuanhong glared at him: "You brat, be careful or I’ll give you a hard ti."
Laughter once again filled the entire dining hall, even making Ling Chengyan laugh until tears ca out.
After having a lively reunion al, the New Year was considered over.
In the following days, Ling Chengyan and Wang Liansheng took a few days off to return to their hotown, paying New Year’s visits to Ling’s father and brother and sister-in-law, and to their uncle, aunt, and hotown folks.
Ling Chengyan didn’t have Fu Qiang accompany her; she drove with Wang Liansheng back ho. The snow hadn’t lted yet, and after being compacted, the road was slippery, so they drove slowly. A usual three-hour drive took nearly five hours to reach Taiping Town.
They also had a few households in town to visit, so the couple stopped briefly to extend New Year’s greetings to a few old leaders and elders, then hurriedly drove towards Nanli Village. Their uncle and aunt had arranged over the phone for all the family to wait for them to co ho for lunch.
The car hadn’t yet entered the village, and as they passed by the courtyard at the village’s entrance, Ling Chengyan saw from a distance what looked like a person beneath the haystack by the roadside.
She nudged Wang Liansheng beside her, indicating him to look: "Look over there, is that a person?"
There was still snow on the haystack, but the snow on the sunny side had lted, revealing dark, dry grass. From afar, it was not clear, but it seed like a human figure was curled up there.
Wang Liansheng quickly looked in the direction his wife pointed out. At first, he couldn’t see clearly, but as they drew closer, Ling Chengyan was the first to confirm: "It’s a woman!"
Wang Liansheng also saw the figure, leaning against the haystack with her body curled.
In winter’s warm sun, many elderly and children in the village liked to sunbathe, chat, and play along the walls or haystacks. But after a heavy snow, in a freezing cold environnt, everyone stayed indoors for warmth, and no one would be outside.
Moreover, it was lunchti and outside the village, making it even less likely for soone to be sunbathing.
As they got closer, Ling Chengyan could see clearly that the person’s head was slightly tilted, hanging... just like soone who had fallen asleep there.
In her mind, she thought of the ’frozen’ people she had seen in the Great Qi Country, people who froze or starved to death by the roadside, just like this figure before her.
She glanced back at Wang Liansheng, and the couple quickly exchanged a look. Ling Chengyan pulled the car to the side.
The two of them got out and ran towards the person simultaneously.
Getting closer, they could clearly see that the person wore tattered clothes, with neither color nor pattern discernible. The shoes exposed the toes, but because of the dirt and gri, the original flesh color was almost indiscernible.
Especially the person’s hair, long and disheveled, tangled and knotted, covering almost the entire face, making it impossible to see the features.
Ling Chengyan looked back at Wang Liansheng, and he replied with a sound, taking a step ahead of her and extending his hand under the person’s nose...
Wang Liansheng’s heart tightened—no breath.
Just as his hand stiffened and he was about to retract it, suddenly, a faint wisp of warmth, almost undetectable, landed on his fingers.
Seeing him at a loss for an answer, hand still outstretched, Ling Chengyan couldn’t help but ask: "How is it?"
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