Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 22

The power outage lasted until the evening of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. On that day, when the electricity suddenly came back on, the village erupted in cheers. While playing cards around the stove had been enjoyable, they were even more eager to live under bright lights.

The snowstorm gradually lessened, still occasionally dropping snow but at least providing some breathing room. Regardless of the extent of the damage the snowstorm caused, it didn't impact the citizens' lives afterward.

As the snow on the roads melted and traffic resumed smoothly, everything started running in an orderly manner again. Life for the citizens continued with daily chores and endless work.

Lei Xiao's holiday was shorter than Yao Ziqing's. After the New Year, he returned to the military just a few days later. Although Yao Ziqing was used to sleeping alone in the dormitory, he found it unsettling at home without someone in the bed. Every night, he tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

The construction team for building the house would return only after the Lantern Festival, and it wasn't March yet. With the snow still not melted, they couldn't start planting. But even so, the eldest brother didn't idle. Although the construction team hadn't resumed work, he was busy comparing prices and keeping up with the family's thrifty traditions.

It was better that the eldest brother was busy; that way, he wouldn't ask about his whereabouts. As long as he came home before mealtime, the eldest brother thought he was staying home. As the weather improved, Grandma resumed her craft of making shoes.

Uncle Gao Ming's wife, Aunt Xiu Xiu, opened an online store selling handmade embroidery and other crafts. Seeing how well Grandma's shoes were made, she also started selling them online. They turned out to be even more popular than the embroidery, with a lot of repeat customers. Grandma found a new lease on life and wholeheartedly threw herself into the online business, contributing her last efforts to the family.

The family fully supported Grandma's passion for her 'career.' Only by being needed constantly could she find her value and live with more hope.

Yao Ziqing noticed that the more natural the environment, the higher the chance of encountering mist lines. Previously, due to the weather, he hadn't been allowed to go for a morning run and missed many opportunities. Now that the climate was warming up, the family wouldn't stop him from exercising to keep fit.

Early in the morning, Yao Ziqing practiced the martial arts his second brother taught him in the forest while constantly using his mental energy to observe the mist lines around him. He found that combining mental focus with physical practice not only advanced his mental skills rapidly but also improved his agility and made his movements more effortless.

If Grandma hadn't noticed that the sweater and long johns she made for him last year were now a bit short, he wouldn't have realized he had grown taller by a bit at twenty.

Lei Lang circled around him, examining him for a while. "Could it be that you really grew taller when you were so thin before?"

Standing straight, he gestured with his hands. "I told you our family genes are good; we wouldn't have a short person. See, it's come true!"

Seeing his third brother's smugness as if he himself had grown taller, Yao Ziqing replied, "Is 1.78 meters considered short? How many men would be in tears?"

"1.78 meters? That's with shoes on. At most, it's 1.75 or 1.76 meters!"

Yao Ziqing didn't want to argue further and went back to his room, sorting out his clothes. Some that used to fit perfectly were now too small, so he needed to clear them out.