Chapter 65
The snow is pure white, covering the mountains and rivers. The Dazhui Brigade's home, in front and behind, turned into a silver landscape after the arrival of winter. This year, it seems that there is more snow than usual.
Early in the morning, Yun Haisheng got up and started shoveling snow with his two daughters. Despite the recently fallen snow, it wasn't unbearably cold.
"Will Big Brother and the others be back in the next couple of days?" Xiao'e glanced at the sky and felt that it looked unusually gloomy, as if more snow was on its way.
Yun Da wrote back and mentioned the expected date of their return, but in such heavy snow, the bus service is likely to be suspended. It's not a joke if they get stuck on the road due to the heavy snow.
Yun Shuang sighed, "Normally, they should be here within the next two days, unless something unexpected happens like last time."
This time, they not only have their annual leave but also their wedding leave, so logically Yun Da shouldn't postpone it. But you can never be certain about everything.
"It's a good thing Xiaolu left yesterday. Otherwise, she would have suffered a lot trying to return to school in this heavy snow."
Two days ago, on Saturday, Yun Xiaolu returned home. In addition to bringing back a stack of newspapers and a letter written by Yun Fan, she also brought a large red quilt. Zhao Yueji was overjoyed.
These quilts are not in short supply at the supply and marketing cooperative recently, but most of them are blue and pink. It's really rare to come across such a festive bright red color. Yun Xiaolu actually managed to buy one, which made everyone happy.
The money for buying the quilt was shared among the siblings, and the cloth coupons were provided by the family. Originally, Zhao Yueji and Yun Shuang thought it would be good enough to buy a pink one, but who would have thought that this little girl would encounter good luck once again.
Lately, Zhao Yueji has been very relieved to have her little daughter do the household shopping. And this time, buying the red quilt has solidified Yun Xiaolu's position as the "number one shopper" in the family.
While being nagged, Yun Xiaolu is also shoveling snow at school. When she woke up this morning and saw the vast expanse of white, all the students spontaneously grabbed their tools and started cleaning the dormitories and the entrances of the classrooms. After breakfast, each class teacher arrived at the school and led the students in cleaning their respective areas.
"My big brother has the worst luck. The first time he came home from the army, he brought injuries that scared the whole family. The second time, he almost missed the New Year due to a mission. And now, he's caught in heavy snow blocking the roads. Why can't he have one smooth return?" Yun Xiaolu muttered to Xu Nianyun while shoveling snow, looking at the gloomy sky. She was truly worried about the safety of Yun Da and the others returning home.
Xu Nianyun sighed as she looked at the weather forecast for the next week. It seems that they will have snow here for a few days. Even if the cars are still running, she doesn't want Yun Da to take them. Not only is it easy for the car to stall in weather like this, but the roads are also extremely dangerous.
Unfortunately, there are no personal communication devices available now. Even if she wants to contact Yun Da, she can't find him. She can only pray that he will be clever and not take risks to rush back.
"Yun Jia, come to the office."
Yun Xiaolu was worrying about the weather when she heard her physics teacher calling her from a distance.
The cleaning area assigned to their class is on the side of the teachers' office. To get there from here, they have to bypass the half flower wall and a row of winterberries. Usually, Yun Xiaolu might climb over the flower wall, but with Teacher Liu present, she doesn't dare. She also needs to consider the face of the class teacher, right?
As she entered the office, Yun Xiaolu smelled a familiar ink scent. Turning her head, she saw her physics teacher, indeed, printing test papers with several class representatives. Yun Xiaolu, as the math class representative, was also familiar with this manual printing machine.
"There's a call for you." Another teacher pointed to the landline phone in the teachers' office area. It's one of the most valuable things in the entire Gongshe High School.
A call for her? Yun Xiaolu had never received a phone call in her life. She couldn't figure out who could be calling her.
"Hello? Who is this? I'm Yun Jia."
Although she had no experience, she must not show fear. Yun Xiaolu told herself to stay calm.
"Hello, Yun Jia. It's me, Yun Da." The familiar male voice on the other end of the phone teased her with a hint of humor, apparently amused by Yun Xiaolu's serious response.
"Big Brother?!"
"Yes, it's me. I just got off the train with your sister-in-law not long ago, but all the buses at the station are not operating. They say the roads will be closed for the next few days. So we plan to take the train to your sister-in-law's family first and come back when the roads here are passable." Yun Da had already inquired at the bus station. After discussing with Shen Tian, they decided to change their itinerary and go to Shen's family first before returning to Yun's family.
"That's for the best. I was worried that you would get stuck on the road. It snowed heavily last night, and it seems like it will continue today." Yun Xiaolu knew that her sister-in-law is also from the same province. If her big brother goes to Shen's family first, it won't be much of a hassle, and it will avoid any danger.
"It snowed heavily in the city two days ago, and it's still snowing. I assume our family has also received snow. It might take a while for the telegram from the post office to be delivered when the roads are clear. Fortunately, I remember the number for the Gongshe School, so I thought I'd let you know in advance. In case there's any urgency at home, at least someone will be informed."
"Big Brother, don't worry. When the snow stops, I will ask someone to pass on the message to our parents at home. You and sister-in-law also take care of yourselves."
"Alright, let's meet at home. Study hard, and big brother will buy you delicious food when he gets back."
After ending the call, Yun Xiaolu immediately felt a weight lifted off her heart. She thanked her teachers and hurried off to continue shoveling snow.
When it was time for lunch after school, Yun Xiaolu went to the post office first. As expected, she heard the postal workers say that they could only deliver mail once the snow melted, as the mail carriers couldn't ride their bikes on the roads.
"Let's wait until the snow stops before deciding. People from your village probably won't come to the commune in this weather," Xu Nianyun thought that as long as they confirmed Yun Da and the others were safe, they couldn't expect news to reach home immediately in this kind of weather.
"Ah, if only the village had a telephone," Yun Xiaolu also knew she couldn't force it, but she always had something on her mind that she couldn't let go of.
Little did Yun Xiaolu know that while she was still trying to find someone to pass on the message, Yun Haisheng came to the school the next day, braving the snow.
"Dad, why did you come at this time?" Yun Xiaolu looked at her father, who was wrapped in an old military coat, suddenly appearing. She was even more surprised than when she received the call from her big brother.
"Your mom made new cotton shoes for you, and there are two pairs of woolen socks. The snow is heavy, and she's afraid that if your shoes get wet at school, you won't have anything to wear and might freeze your feet. Two pairs of shoes are just enough to switch between." In addition to delivering the shoes and socks, Yun Haisheng also brought a hand warmer. He had just used an industrial voucher to buy it from the supply and marketing cooperative.
"Dad, I'm fine at school." Yun Xiaolu's nose felt a bit sour. Her shoes didn't get wet at school, but her dad's shoes were covered in a layer of snow, and there was frost on his eyebrows.
"Alright, as long as you're fine. Go to your class. Dad will leave now." Yun Haisheng patted his youngest daughter's shoulder, picked up his backpack, and planned to leave. He wanted to go to the post office today, just in case his son sent a telegram. The snow was heavy, and he and his wife hadn't been able to sleep well these past two days.
"Dad, don't rush to leave. I have something to tell you. My brother called. He said the city buses aren't running, and after getting off the bus, he and my sister-in-law realized they won't be able to come back for a short while. So they decided to go to my sister-in-law's mother's house first and come back to our house after the New Year."
"Big brother guessed that it snowed at home too, and the telegram probably wouldn't reach home, so he called the school. I originally wanted to find someone to take a message home, but I couldn't find anyone. I was thinking that if all else failed, I would wait until Saturday to tell you when I go back home."
After hearing her daughter's words, Yun Haisheng's worries faded away completely. He smiled and said, "Good, I knew your brother was clever. He definitely wouldn't be foolishly trapped on the road by the snow. It's good to go to our in-laws first. Oh, now your mother and I can finally rest assured."
With the major concern lifted, Yun Haisheng advised his youngest daughter not to rush home if the snow continued. He would come to bring things for her. If she felt cold at school, he would bring an extra blanket for her, and so on.
After seeing off Yun Haisheng, Yun Xiaolu held the cotton shoes in her arms and felt a warm sensation in her heart. Being cared for and remembered by someone was truly a happy thing.
The snow continued until Thursday before finally stopping for a day. Yun Xiaolu, after clearing several rounds of snow at school, noticed that there were many more classmates taking sick leave and going home.
While she didn't feel the need for warmth charms on regular days, many classmates in the class were living in cold classrooms and dormitories without heating facilities during these consecutive snowy days. Moreover, they had the additional task of clearing snow. When their cotton clothes and shoes became wet and couldn't be changed or dried, it was not easy to avoid getting sick.
Even the students who hadn't taken sick leave yet had symptoms of runny noses or coughing. This scared Old Liu so much that he provided vinegar for the students to drink three times a day.
"If it snows when we go home this week, there's no need to return to school immediately. Everyone should bring their books and continue studying even at home. The final exams for the next two weeks have already been scheduled."
The words of the homeroom teacher only left the first half in the students' ears. They cheerfully packed their bags, and even Yun Xiaolu was no exception.
"Since classes are already over, I plan to wait until the weather completely clears before returning to school." Wang Meijuan, before leaving, made an arrangement with Xiaolu to bring snacks next time they meet. Both of them instinctively decided to delay their return to school.
Xu Nianyun didn't object to this. Although they had warmth charms, considering the recent attitude of the students with colds in the school, it would be a total loss if they were infected.
"On a day like this, it's most suitable to stay at home and snack." Treading on the creaking snow, Yun Xiaolu felt that her shoes were likely to get soaked before reaching home.
On a day like this, it's clearly perfect for having hot pot," Xu Nianyun refuted in her mind, but she decided not to voice her craving for hot pot to tease her dear daughter. She thought it would be better to mention it once they could actually have hot pot freely.
"If only I could exchange for a few pairs of snow boots, then I wouldn't be afraid of wet shoes," the system had those snow boots with a very simple design, made of pure black felt. They looked cute and chubby but were warm, comfortable, and not afraid of getting wet from the snow.
"I don't think they would even have these kinds of shoes in the county town, right?" Yun Xiaolu became very tempted after hearing Xu Nianyun's description, but she was hesitant to buy them because she had never seen such a thing before.
"That's why I haven't let you exchange them all this time." If it weren't for Yun Da's imminent return home, Xu Nianyun might have persuaded her dear daughter to convince the family.
Unfortunately, Yun Da's eyes were too sharp. If an unfamiliar item suddenly appeared at home, he would definitely want to take a closer look. If he discovered something, it wouldn't be fun.
"So you told me about this thing just to tease me?" Yun Xiaolu deeply suspected that her "love for studying" had gone bad.
Chapter 66
Well, that's not it. Xu Nianyun definitely wouldn't admit that she was just addicted to teasing the children.
When Yun Xiaolu arrived home, everyone in the village, young and old, was clearing the snow from the streets and houses. The heavy snow these past few days had taken its toll on some of the old, dilapidated houses.
"Mom, what are you doing?" As soon as she entered the house, Yun Xiaolu headed straight for the kitchen and was taken aback by what Zhao Yueji was mixing in her hands.
It was called meat filling, but it didn't look like meat filling. The meat should have been finely minced, but it was more like large chunks. And the aroma didn't resemble the flavor of dumplings or buns; it was a taste that Yun Xiaolu had never encountered before.
"I plan to make some preserved sausages for the Lunar New Year." Zhao Yueji hadn't made them in many years, mainly because she didn't have the necessary ingredients. Finally, this year, she managed to obtain some sausage casings and could fulfill her long-held desire for this delicious treat.
Seeing the sausage casings, Yun Xiaolu understood that they were planning to stuff sausages. Just from the aroma, she knew they would be delicious. After all, they were made entirely of meat and used a variety of spices. How could they not be tasty!
"Where did you get these sausages from?" It wasn't easy to buy them, and Yun Xiaolu was well aware of the current market conditions.
"Your dad found someone to get them. These sausages were harder to obtain than buying beef or lamb."
If it weren't for the fact that the pigsty in the Li family's farm collapsed due to the heavy snow, injuring seven or eight pigs, their family wouldn't have been able to obtain this surplus meat. Not to mention buying sausages through personal connections.
"Mom, did you also make beef jerky? How much meat did you manage to get?" Yun Xiaolu was completely astonished.
"It's all because of your little brother. He keeps writing letters, demanding to be treated equally with your older brother, as if I'm treating him unfairly at home. So this time, I managed to get ten kilograms of pork tenderloin, enough to satisfy his appetite."
Although pork tenderloin was more expensive than the hind leg meat used for making preserved sausages, Zhao Yueji spared no expense. Ten kilograms of pork tenderloin, ten kilograms of hind leg meat, along with a few large bones and a pair of small intestines she bought. It cost her over ten yuan.
But because everyone knew that the Yun family was going to celebrate a joyous occasion this year, coupled with their newly built house, people seemed to have grown accustomed to the Yun family's generosity. After all, their son had a promising future, and it was rumored that with his high salary, he could save enough money in a few years to build a brick and tile house.
As people became more aware of the Yun family's wealth, more and more people came to inquire about Yun Shuang's wedding. Even the wedding of Xiao'e, Yun Shuang's younger sister, began to be questioned by some. However, everyone understood that Yun Fan couldn't get married for a few years due to the regulations of the military.
"I stewed bone soup in the pot. Drink it while it's hot. We had an early meal because we're busy stuffing sausages and couldn't wait for you." Xiao'e assisted Zhao Yueji on the side and pointed to the leftover lunch for Yun Xiaolu. Then she immersed herself in the task of stuffing sausages with her mother.
They had been boiling the bone soup for over two hours in the morning, and the white bone marrow had already been extracted. Besides adding some cabbage hearts to reduce the greasiness, Yun Xiaolu ate two bowls of bone soup with pancake slices before reluctantly putting down her chopsticks.
"Mom, it's cold at school lately. Our teacher said we don't need to rush back next week. Many classmates have caught colds. I want to stay at home and study, and go back to school when the weather improves completely." Yun Xiaolu conveyed the teacher's words, omitting unnecessary details. She had a knack for understanding things on her own, especially in this aspect.
"Are you sick? I've been telling you kids that you're likely to catch a cold in this freezing weather." Zhao Yueji immediately asked her younger daughter when she heard about the children falling ill.
"I'm not sick. I have the woolen shoes and socks that you asked Dad to get for me, as well as a hot water bag. That's why I didn't catch a cold. But those classmates who didn't have woolen shoes suffered a bit. Several of them had to go to the hospital to get shots for fever. Later, our class teacher didn't allow them to continue bearing the cold at school, so they went back home."
To be honest, if it weren't for the warm talismans, Yun Xiaolu felt that even if she wore two pairs of woolen shoes, she would still catch a fever from the cold. Not to mention the temperature inside the dormitory was unbearable.
Upon hearing Yun Xiaolu's words, Zhao Yueji immediately agreed to let her youngest daughter stay at home until the snow completely melted. Education was important, but it was crucial to prioritize health, especially in such extreme weather.
After the preserved sausages were made, they needed to be hung in a cool place for ten days before they could be eaten. The northern-style preserved sausages were slightly different from the southern ones. The preservation of these sausages mainly relied on air drying, and when it was time to eat them, they would be steamed or cooked directly. Xu Nianyun had eaten this type of preserved sausages since she was a child. Later, when she saw the southern-style sausages that Mr. Xu brought back from his business trips, she realized the vast difference in taste between the north and the south.
Although the preserved sausages couldn't be consumed in the short term, the dried meat could be eaten after being fully cooked and left to dry for two days. The Five-Spice pork jerky made by Zhao Yueji this time had an excellent flavor. Yun Xiaolu and her two sisters would grab a few pieces to eat whenever they had nothing to do at home. They had consumed a good amount of the jerky in just a few days. After that, Zhao Yueji forbade them from eating more and wrapped two pounds of jerky in oil paper, placing the remaining two pounds in the cupboard.
"I've peeled so many walnut kernels and hazelnut kernels for my younger brother to nourish his brain. If he doesn't perform well in the upcoming exams, I'll tease him relentlessly." Yun Xiaolu and her sisters' hands were sore from peeling the dried fruits at home. Two glass jars full of dried nuts were sealed and intended to be given to Comrade Yun Fan together. It demonstrated the profound bond of friendship.
Xu Nianyun smiled and said, "You can write a letter to your younger brother and let him know of your affection every time he eats. It will remind him of your heartfelt intentions."
"You're right. I'll write a letter and also make it clear to him that next time he can't just provide financial support without putting in any effort. The wedding gift I bought for my elder brother required a lot of thought."
Indeed, it required a lot of thought. It was earned through studying, accumulating one point at a time. In a sense, it was a form of "intellectual wealth."
"However, considering that you've been using up your points too frequently recently, you probably won't be able to redeem anything during the Chinese New Year. We agreed on this." Once you start the habit of using points for special privileges like cooking in the dormitory, Yun Xiaolu has developed a strong appetite for it lately.
"I understand. Seeing how willing my mom is to spend money, I don't plan on redeeming anything else. I've spent what I needed to this year, and the remaining points will be saved for upgrading the virtual learning environment. I remember it well."
Yun Xiaolu also wished to upgrade the system as soon as possible, so she wouldn't have to be tied to the classroom every day. "Love for learning" forced her to take each step in her education, but repeating the knowledge she had already learned every day meant that five years would pass in the blink of an eye. Only those who experience it truly understand.
She spent a cozy week at home before slowly returning to school. By then, the accumulated snow on the road had been compacted, resulting in a different awkward situation. The road became slippery during the cold mornings and evenings, while at noon, the rising temperature turned it into a soft, muddy mess. It was best to avoid going out if possible.
After going to the post office to send the package and letters to Yun Fan, Yun Xiaolu calmly returned to school. It turned out she was one of the early students to return this week.
Back at school, it was all about reviewing every day. Classes were completed, and now everyone's thoughts were focused on the winter vacation. Most students' minds were no longer on their textbooks.
While other students could let loose and enjoy themselves, Yun Xiaolu couldn't be so carefree under the supervision of the Xu System. Lately, she had started studying some basic entry-level knowledge of advanced mathematics. However, since she hadn't officially purchased the advanced math course, the teaching arrangements provided by the system were very fragmented.
"I'll finish studying high school biology first," Yun Xiaolu said. She wasn't in a hurry to start new courses. She was already studying a foreign language, along with biology. Therefore, she wasn't eager to start university courses right now.
Xu Nianyun was also not in a hurry. She had noticed that the higher the level of the virtual learning environment, the more points could be earned from starting new courses, and the knowledge reserve would grow faster. So, instead of rushing and exhausting herself now, she preferred to systematically cover all the knowledge within the scope of secondary education.
As of now, Xu Nianyun could earn at least twenty points a day, excluding the points needed for basic needs. Accumulating over ten thousand points would take about two years.
This year, she had already accumulated over five thousand points in her account. With some effort next year, she might be able to accumulate enough points to upgrade to the advanced virtual learning environment.
"However, the system has swallowed over twenty thousand of my points in these years. Love for learning, are you sure that this knowledge reserve value is truly the foolproof ultimate goal?" Yun Xiaolu couldn't help but feel frustrated when she thought about this.
Every day, she worked hard and diligently on her tasks, but in the end, it wasn't enough to upgrade to a virtual environment. But isn't the purpose of the virtual learning environment to make it easier for her to complete tasks? Something just didn't feel right.
Xu Nianyun had long noticed the frustrating aspects of the system's setup, but ultimately, they were doing tasks in order to accomplish the ultimate mission, so even if they were tricked out of their points, they had to endure it temporarily.
"As long as we upgrade one more time, no matter what fantastic features it offers, we won't be tempted."
Without the limitation of the knowledge reserve value, Xu Nianyun believed that her mother could achieve great things using the existing virtual learning environment. After all, the time difference in the current virtual learning environment had already reached eight times, and it was equipped with various teaching devices. The only thing missing was an experimental environment. When they reached the next level, Xu Nianyun estimated that the depletion rate of the knowledge reserve value should significantly decrease.
At that time, they would firmly hold onto those points, and the path of spending points on learning would come to an end. By then, the economic situation would gradually improve, and with those points, they could provide a reliable material security for her mother's future life.
If they were even luckier, they might seize opportunities to achieve financial freedom. After all, they had crossed over and had a system. Who didn't have dreams of "getting rich"?
In Xu Nianyun's plan, tasks had to be done, but the quality of life for her mother also had to be taken care of. She couldn't let her mother come back and end up with a lower standard of living than in her previous life, could she?
Xu Nianyun, the filial daughter, felt that her grand ambitions had a real chance of being realized at this moment. So even if her mother didn't mention it, she didn't want the system to keep tricking her mother's points.
As long as they satisfied the requirement of upgrading the knowledge reserve value, even if extraordinary things were introduced later, they wouldn't be tempted. By then, her mother would have grown up as well. It's embarrassing to admit, but Xu Nianyun had never really shown her mother the true nature of the system store.
It wasn't that she wanted to keep fooling the child, but the items in the store were just too tempting. To avoid any complications in the upgrading process, she didn't dare let the child see those extravagant items.
At this moment, Xu System was full of confidence. One day, she would definitely resist the system's tricks and help her mother achieve financial prosperity!