Northland, at the foot of the Littinge Snow Mountains.
If it was summer, the scorching sun would be roasting the earth in the south, while the northernmost region of the north would be covered in large areas of snowy mountains. It was cold all year round here, and the temperature varied greatly. It was not the burly Keskill people who lived here, but the simple and kind-hearted Northern Morans who were cold and unyielding.
There had been a snowstorm in the middle of the night, and the temperature in the morning was so low that it made people suspect that the sky was causing trouble. Even the people of Bemora were unable to withstand the harsh weather.
Early in the morning, a large truck with the Keskill logo (the Valiant Army logo) slowly drove into a small village. The vehicle was loaded with supplies. This was the supply vehicle of the northern Keskill army. The truck stopped at the entrance of the village. It was said to be the entrance of the village. He got out of the truck and looked around. Other than the snow-covered land, there was only the lonely cedar to add some scenery.
Ta.
The car door opened, and a man in a valiant military uniform jumped out. He turned around and took out a cotton hat from the car seat to put it on. The environment outside was so cold that he stomped his feet.
"That's strange. Did I see wrongly just now?”The person who spoke was called Lu Zhengyu. He was a truck driver in the Northern Valiant Army Material Transportation Group. His status was as low as a truck driver.
" Ah, Little Lu, what did you say?" His companion jumped down from the other door and slammed the door shut, making a loud bang.
His name was Liao Luo, and he was Lu Zhengyu's assistant. To put it bluntly, he was helping to unload things.
Lu Zhengyu was not tall, but he was more diligent and efficient than anyone else. He put his hands on his hips, looking like a little leader.
"Nothing. My eyes are playing tricks on me." He turned his head and spoke coldly. He explained to Liao Luo,"I thought I saw a bear.”
"Idiot, the bear is hibernating now. It won't come out even if it does.”
" But it's autumn now…"
"Alright then. I hope you're seeing things.”Liao Luo clasped his hands, shivering from the cold. He took small steps and surrounded Lu Zhengyu.
"Stop the car here first?"
"Of course." Lu Zhengyu looked at Liao Luo in surprise. Where else can I park my car if I don't stop here?
"Alright, let's go. Let's go to my house to eat something first.”Liao Luo pushed Lu Zhengyu from behind, but he couldn't move him no matter how hard he tried. He was like a stubborn donkey.
"I…No, I just ate in the middle of the night.”
"Aiya, what's the use of eating in the middle of the night!”Liao Luo couldn't move this guy even if he used all his strength. He didn't believe it today. "Let's go, don't stand on ceremony!"
" It's not convenient. I'll wait for you in the car..." Lu Zhengyu's face showed his difficulties, and his voice became softer and softer. He wasn't used to going around the house, even if he was invited to dinner. This was most likely because of his solitary personality, but it also made him what he was today.
"Aiya, why are you being so polite with me, brother?”Liao Luo patted his shoulder and tried to persuade him jokingly. "Let's go, let's-let's have a drink..."
After being persuaded by Liao Luo, Lu Zhengyu was tempted. The two of them walked towards Liao Luo's house with their arms around each other's shoulders. The footprints of two people were left on the snow.
The snow was frozen solid, and icicles formed under the eaves. There, an old man wearing a cotton jacket and a black cotton hat was holding a stick high and hitting the icicles.
Liao Luo looked over and shouted,""Dad!"
The old man turned around slowly and saw two people pushing open the courtyard door in a hurry and bumping into him. " You're back." The old man looked at the two of them and smiled slightly. He looked at Liao Luo and then at Lu Zhengyu, who he had brought with him. He was a little excited. "Yo, Little Luo, is this the girlfriend you brought?”
"What dad, is he a man? This is my brother-Lu Zhengyu, Little Lu!”Liao Luo patted Lu Zhengyu's shoulder. The two of them looked at each other and chuckled.
The two of them walked into the courtyard and stood in front of the old man.
"Hello, Uncle!" Lu Zhengyu greeted the old man politely.
When the old man heard Liao Luo say that he was a man and his son's brother, the smile on his face instantly disappeared. He turned around and put down the stick. Then, he pulled a long face and said to them,"Come on in, children."
The heated brick bed in the room was much warmer than outside. However, he still felt cold after sitting for a long time. After all, Lu Zhengyu did not expect the window to be open and facing him. He saw a bowl of frozen food by the window and was too embarrassed to move his butt.
The old man ran outside to poke the icicle. The stubborn him quarreled with the woman outside. He insisted that these icicles were very dangerous and inconvenient to go out and enter the house, so he had to break them. However, after standing outside for half an hour, he did not manage to knock down a single icicle.
Liao Luo's return did not make the two old men treat him warmly, as if Liao Luo was not their child and was treated as air. Liao Luo was not embarrassed, but Lu Zhengyu was even more embarrassed. He had almost witnessed the family's internal war.
The woman pushed open the door and walked in dejectedly. She held a hot water bottle and two bowls in her hands and walked straight to the kang in the room.
"Mom."
"Auntie." Lu Zhengyu greeted her politely.
In the room, Lu Zhengyu and Liao Luo sat on the brick bed with a table in the middle. There were three dishes on the table, two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish. There was also a bottle of cheap white wine.
The woman's face was pale. When she looked up at the two of them, she finally smiled. "Children, I'll heat up the wine for you.”As she spoke, she placed the two bowls on the square table in front of them. Then, seeing that they had placed the wine glasses in the bowls, she poured some hot water into them and turned around to leave.
Lu Zhengyu looked at the steam rising from the outside of the wine glass to his head. He smacked the corner of his mouth and then picked up a salted peanut and threw it into his mouth. "Do your parents often do this?"
"That's right, ignore them. "Eat, brother-" Lioluo looked at the snow outside the window, but he was always disturbed by the sound of his father hitting the icicles.
"Yes, eat." Lu Zhengyu responded and extended his hand.
.
Half an hour later.
"Uncle Wan's family next door gave birth to a child. It's a boy.”The woman suddenly walked in. This time, she took off the scarf on her head.
The two of them looked at the door. The woman walked in directly. She didn't get on the kang but sat around it.
Liao Luo was a little angry. He replied with an impatient " oh " as if he was asking why. He was not related to the Wan family. Why was he telling him this?
"So what?" Liao Luo asked strangely. He looked impatient. It was obvious that this woman had interrupted their drinking and chatting.
"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you, child.”The woman said in a timid tone, her palm naturally resting on her leg.
There was firewood added under the pot in the outer room, making the kang in the inner room very warm and comfortable.
"I know. I'll go over with Little Lu after dinner.”Liao Luo seemed to understand. He thought back to when he was young, when his family was so poor. If not for Uncle Wan, his family would have starved to death in the Great Snowfield.
"Yes, give your uncle the bag of eggs on the table outside. Your aunt has just given birth and needs to replenish her nutrition.”
Liao Luo glared at her. The woman sighed and turned to leave.
The two of them clinked their glasses and sipped their wine.
As Lu Zhengyu had to drive, he only took a sip and put down his glass. Then, he picked up some food and ate.
The two of them chatted for a while and then left the kang.
The sun was shining outside, and the weather was cold. The two of them stepped on the white snow, making clear sounds along the way.
"Little Lu."
"Yes."
"Shall we go in together later?"
"Oh, sure."
"Uncle Wan was very good to me when I was young.”Liao Luo said as he recalled his childhood. At that time, Uncle Wan was alone and unmarried. Some people said that he came from Kanaoya in the south to do business here.
But thinking about it carefully, who would come to such a remote place to do business? It was just to avoid the war back then, so they came here to live. He had the enthusiasm and kindness of the southern Moors and had always been welcomed by the North Moors in the village.
When they were young, there was a year of famine in the village. However, it happened right under the eyes of the monarch's regime, and they ignored it. If Uncle Wan hadn't been here back then, the entire village would have starved to death and frozen to death in that snowstorm. Uncle Wan spent a lot of money to buy a large amount of food and firewood from a distant city, allowing everyone in the village to survive a year of cold winter.
Tears welled up in Liao Luo's eyes as he thought about it. At this moment, he was carrying a bag of eggs and was accompanied by Lu Zhengyu to Uncle Wan's house.
When Uncle Wan was forty years old, he married a girl in the village and had children. Thinking of this, Liao Luo's heart ached a little.
"What's wrong, Xiao Luo? Aiya, why are you crying? It's not like you can't get a wife.”Lu Zhengyu was used to such things. He patted Liao Luo's shoulder and the two of them walked away.
"I'm almost thirty years old, but I can't even get a wife.”
"Am I not the same as you?" Lu Zhengyu looked up at him.
"Are we going to be like this for the rest of our lives? Brother."
"How is that possible? There are so many girls in the city. Isn't it easy to find a suitable one?”
"But I don't have money." When Liao Luo said this, his voice was so soft that even he couldn't hear it.
"I don't have money either, but I'm still optimistic.”Lu Zhengyu acted like a deputy leader again. However, just as he crossed his arms, he almost tripped over a stone hidden in the snow.
"But I can't be like you. I'm under pressure. My parents urge me all day long. Look at their attitude just now-I'll take you to a restaurant next time, brother.”
"Next time, it's my turn to treat you. Little Luo, don't stand on ceremony.”Lu Zhengyu nodded. He no longer dared to walk with his arms crossed.
Liao ** head.
" Take it easy, Xiao Luo." Lu Zhengyu adjusted his cotton hat and comforted him as he walked. "Don't tell me you live for women?”
"Of course." Liao Luo answered bluntly, expressing his thoughts.
"I don't live for women."
"Then why did you?"
"Why? I only live for myself." Lu Zhengyu looked up at the sky and then explained,""At least that's what I thought after my parents died.”
As the two of them chatted, they arrived at Uncle Wan's house.
His house had a front yard, and there was a shed in the corner of the yard, which contained firewood buried by snow. There were two tile-roofed houses, one was an inner and outer house, and the other was a kitchen. There was a cluster of corn hanging by the door, and the eaves were covered in snow. The courtyard was very clean. It seemed that Uncle Wan's house had not come out yet.
Liao Luo and Lu Zhengyu stood in front of the door, somewhat hesitant. Liao Luo suspected that Uncle Wan's family was still asleep. After all, it was only eight in the morning (the northern and southern time zones were different).
The two of them looked at each other. It was Liao Luo who spoke first,"Why don't we wait for a while?"
"Maybe we'll be discovered after we turn into popsicles in half an hour.”Lu Zhengyu told Liao Luo jokingly.
The two of them stood there numbly. Liao Luo wanted to summon his courage to call out " Uncle Wan ", but he didn't dare to.
Ka--
The door of the house suddenly opened.
The two of them looked up in surprise. "Uncle Wan!" Liao Luo subconsciously shouted.”
The man's hair was messy. It seemed that he had just woken up and had not had the time to tidy himself up. "What are you two standing there for? Hurry up and come into the house to warm up!”
……
(To be continued)
(1) The fate of Lu Zhengyu and Liao Luo: After chapters 18 and 19, neither of them had the chance to appear again. In the finale, both of them died from the nuclear radiation of the Light of Destruction.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。