Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 21

After Lei Lang experienced what Si'er went through yesterday, he realized that Si'er's suffering wasn't just dramatic; it was truly severe!

But seeing that the 'weak' Si'er could endure it, how could he, as the older brother, back down? No matter how painful or brutal, he couldn't shrink back! Otherwise, how could he maintain any authority as the third brother?

There was a huge pile of meat to process. Some needed to be cured to make preserved meat, while others needed multiple preparations to become flavorful pork. Lei Li was busy with this while listening to the cries of his younger brothers in the yard, which only fueled his enthusiasm.

To provide them with a training space, they had specially set up a large oilcloth on the bamboo poles at the top of the yard. As long as they kept an eye on the cloth and used a pole to clear away any accumulated snow, it was good to go.

On the first day, due to some residual snow and water on the ground, the space was limited. By the second day, with the ground completely dry, Lei Xiao was even more vigorous. The result was that they suffered even more.

Lei Lang's cries soon caught the attention of Lei Zheng, who ran over to watch the commotion. Seeing Lei Lang gasping for air and struggling to get up, Lei Zheng laughed heartily.

"You're so useless! Always bragging about handling ten people easily, but look at you now!"

Lei Lang glared angrily. "If you're so capable, why don't you try? If you can take down Second Brother, I'll call you Boss from now on!"

"Am I an idiot? Why would I attempt something I know I can't do?"

Lei Xiao didn't follow the usual training procedures because the initial foundational training was extremely monotonous. So in the mornings, he taught them some techniques, even if they were just showy moves to impress average people. In the afternoons, he had them practice stances to build their lower body strength; if their stance was unstable, everything else was pointless.

Lei Lang had a restless temperament and was usually enthusiastic only for a short while. But compared to losing his authority as an older brother in front of Si'er, even a little bit of effort became tenfold! Even Grandma was surprised. If the most unruly third brother could endure this, it must mean competition brings progress.

After days of rigorous training, Yao Ziqing's rapid improvement shocked everyone, and Lei Lang's body was covered in bruises as the New Year approached. But just a few days before the New Year, the village experienced a sudden power outage.

No electricity meant everything was at a standstill: no TV, no computer, and no way to charge phone batteries. Winter nights were already long, getting dark around five o'clock. Without power, staying indoors felt unbearable; eating dinner and going to bed so early was too inconvenient.

The villagers complained to the village head, but the town was also experiencing power and water outages. If it weren't for their reliance on well water, they might have had a water shortage as well. Compared to the town, they should be grateful. With no TV, many families dug out their radios and listened to the broadcast with batteries.

Yao Ziqing had brought a solar charger, so he had to supply everyone's phones and a tablet. Fortunately, although the power was out, network communication was not significantly affected. It was a shocking situation.

The train services were suspended, causing millions to be stranded at stations, resulting in stampedes that killed over forty people and injured thousands. Icy roads had closed highways, trapping thousands of vehicles. Prices surged, leading to protests in front of malls. Even the stock market fell sharply due to the snow disaster. However, Yao Ziqing knew that, in his previous life, this kind of snow disaster caused market fluctuations where some insurance stocks became unexpected winners, rising against the trend.