Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 24

In early March, sweaters quickly disappeared from daily life. The sudden temperature changes have become a hot topic, with various online headlines and social news discussing the unusual weather.

The heavy rains that lasted nearly a month caused flooding in many areas, but the sudden drop in temperature severely affected crop yields, leading to higher prices. The subsequent snow disaster made things worse. The year's unusual weather has brought significant losses to the country and caused considerable trouble for the people.

In February, it was snowing heavily, but by early March, the weather was sunny, with temperatures in some areas reaching nearly thirty degrees Celsius.

Su Li lounged in his computer chair, eating crushed ice and fanning himself with a hand fan. "It's only a few months in, and it's already this hot. How are we going to handle summer? Maybe we should rent a place outside with air conditioning."

Yao Ziqing recalled that it had also heated up suddenly in his past life. Even the seedlings in the fields didn't grow well. Eventually, his elder brother planted drought-resistant crops like corn, ignoring rice altogether.

In his past life, the weather was hot but not lacking in water, so his elder brother covered the cornfields with shade nets, and the corn grew well. This life, Yao Ziqing knew it would be hot but hadn't warned his elder brother. If his elder brother had known and made preparations, it might have seemed unusual to the villagers. It was better to stay uninformed.

Wu Wenqing's family also farmed and relied on it for income, so he was especially concerned about the unusual weather.

"With the heat like this, how will we grow crops? If there's a total crop failure, the government won't provide compensation."

Wu Wenqing's family is in a more northern area with less water. If there's a drought, it would be a total loss.

Cheng Tao patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. It's not just your family; the whole region is affected. The government will respond. They can't just let farmers suffer without doing anything."

Su Li snorted. "You're too idealistic. The government only cares about its own interests. They might do some field inspections and shed a few crocodile tears, but that's it. They'll just say everything will get better, but the gap between the rich and poor remains huge. Listen to the government, and you'll never know how you'll die."

Cheng Tao looked at Su Li with displeasure. "Can't you say something nicer? Do you have to be so pessimistic?"

Wu Wenqing was caught in the middle of Su Li's blunt remarks and Cheng Tao's reprimands.

"You two should just stop talking. Be quiet like Qingzi and go online. I can't have a pleasant chat with you guys."

Su Li rolled his eyes. "Crops are failing, and you still want to chat happily? Are you out of your mind? Well, actually, you were never smart. Getting into college was a miracle."

Yao Ziqing looked up when they mentioned his name. Su Li was too hot to play games, so Yao Ziqing was using Su Li's computer, as some tasks were easier to handle on a computer.

"There's always a way out. Besides, worrying here won't help. Your family has been farming for years and will find a way to cope. Even if there's nothing you can do, it's not just your family's problem. Worrying won't change the weather."

Wu Wenqing moved closer to Yao Ziqing. "Qingzi, are you still doing part-time work?"

Yao Ziqing shook his head. "No, you already know that."

Wu Wenqing scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Well, do you still have the translation resources you used before? I'm looking for some part-time work. It's better to earn something than nothing."