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墨書 Inktalez
The weather did not improve due to the actions of that "Guanyin" master; instead, it became hotter day by day. The elderly and children were the first to struggle with the heat. The children fared a bit better, as their families tended to consider their needs more carefully. The elderly, feeling uncomfortable, could only endure, fearing they would burden their children.
In this kind of weather, without electricity, many improved versions of fans appeared. Most were made from hard cardboard or discarded stiff paper found at home.
A few households had traditional fans, mostly purchased by the elderly in the past. When night fell and the electricity was out, the candles had long been used up. The young people in the village gathered together to reminisce about their lives in the city, where nightlife felt like a distant memory and shopping in supermarkets was a luxury. They would talk about the young ladies in the city who could spend a few dozen yuan effortlessly.
Yu Tian remembered that there was a Zhang Ming in Zhangjia Village; if he hadn't gone to the city back then, he might have been here now chatting with them.
The Li Family had stored quite a few items in their space. Li Yan mentioned this to the old man early on, without specifying it was a space, just saying he had superpowers that allowed him to store things. Having spent his life in politics, the old man simply nodded and did not ask any further questions.
Recently, Li Ming had been staying indoors due to the heat, using an old-fashioned fan. Interestingly, Li Yan hadn’t intended to buy this type; it was a gift from a Taobao seller when he purchased a tent. Since he bought many items, they sent him six fans as a bonus. Now they proved useful—turning misfortune into fortune.
The four family members practiced their breathing techniques; their physical condition was decent. Even Yu Tian, who used to be sensitive to temperature changes, found the heat bearable now. Especially since he noticed that his body was expelling more impurities lately, making him better adapted to the external environment. However, Zhou Laoyezi struggled more with the heat. During winter, Li Yan and Zhou Miao had stored quite a bit of ice in their small cabin just in case; since time didn’t change the temperature inside the cabin, those ice blocks became useful.
As long as they sealed off the old man's room and placed three large blocks of ice inside, he could spend the night comfortably. However, during the day it was still tough; fortunately, there was well water available for cooling down. In the evenings, Li Yan sometimes took Li Ming out for a stroll and noticed many children crying loudly; sleeping in this heat had become torturous. They walked quietly and quickly; Li Ming suggested tossing some ice into those families' homes for the little brothers. Li Yan agreed; given this extreme weather, even having an ice block would be welcome relief for those families. Unexpectedly, some families attributed their relief to that "Guanyin" master's actions and knelt in their yards repeatedly thanking him.
Li Ming had become more sensible lately; seeing those little bags stop crying made him happy too. He even made an agreement with Li Yan to take out one block of ice each day from then on. After thinking it over, Li Yan thought it was feasible but noted they couldn’t stay in one village forever; he needed to explain this gradually to Li Ming.
A few villagers with weaker constitutions experienced heatstroke symptoms, but that was less important than what was happening at home. As temperatures soared daily, the old man felt sorry for Yu Tian cooking every day and taught him an excellent method for making porridge: simply place washed rice into a thermos and fill it with boiling water; after letting it sit all morning, it would turn into soft porridge.
Yu Tian found this method great as it saved water and firewood. When he tried it the next day, it worked perfectly—just like regular porridge. In summer, people generally lacked appetite; this method made things much easier.
Zhang Yi brought his mother over for a visit and saw how they cooked; he decided to try it at home too. Word spread quickly—what started with one household turned into several villages adopting this method for making porridge, which they named "Simple Porridge." Later on, when the old man heard about it, he laughed and said this method was passed down from older generations when he was young. He never expected that after decades of national prosperity, people would regress back to such methods—perhaps suffering is just part of human fate.
The situation in the fields is dire, with many seedlings scorched by the sun. Despite everyone's efforts to prevent this, there seems to be little that can be salvaged. The men in the village wander around the fields almost all day, while the women try to find some fabric to make sunshades. However, this is merely a drop in the bucket; by mid-August, temperatures are nearing forty-five degrees Celsius.
The water in the river decreases day by day, and people are hesitant to eat the hypoxic fish. A large number of fish have died along the riverbank, and the stench can be smelled from several dozen meters away. Some are worried that the river water may be contaminated, questioning whether it would be safe to irrigate the seedlings. Experts have come to the safe zone with several machines placed by the riverbank, claiming that the water can be used when the machines are running. Yet even so, the water supply is gradually dwindling, and cracks are beginning to appear in the fields.
People have started fetching water from the big river; villagers still find ways to cope. With diesel being scarce, at least there hasn't been a shortage of vehicles going to fetch water from the river. Li Yan's family hasn't brought water for others this time either; their own two acres are suffering greatly. Although they do not lack food, fetching water remains essential.
After Yu Tian finishes cooking, she listens to the radio. There are no longer any domestic stations available. The man who used to appear frequently has not been heard from again; it’s uncertain whether he has entered a safe zone or something else entirely. There are still a few foreign radio stations, but the signal here is poor and not always reliable. Zhou Miao has set up a satellite antenna, which has significantly improved reception.
Foreign information is relatively open and direct. Yu Tian and Li Ming now listen to one station daily; they cannot pinpoint its origin but know it is the only Chinese station available. The host is a woman whose voice sounds quite young. This program is called "Entering the World of Sound," where the female broadcaster discusses how chaotic things are abroad. Extreme temperature fluctuations have caused disasters in many farmlands, and there have been large-scale outbreaks of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy). Unscrupulous vendors have introduced this beef into the market, leading many people to contract Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, with hospitals working hard on research.
Every day, many people die from this disease at hospitals, creating widespread panic as everyone avoids beef. They resort to eating pork or chicken instead, but recently there have been reports that these pigs might also be problematic. The female broadcaster expresses her anger on air, shouting about how these unscrupulous merchants will meet a terrible end.
Yu Tian envies that female broadcaster; this highlights the difference between their government and those in European countries. It reminds her of another female broadcaster during New Year’s who lost control of her emotions and cried on air—she hasn’t been heard from since and may never return. In contrast, foreign media enjoys much greater tolerance.
When Li Yan and Zhou Miao return home, they find Yu Tian and Li Ming sprawled over the table. The old man holds a mat while fanning himself and cooling dumplings and wontons. Those two seem quite content, sticking out their tongues and remaining motionless; upon seeing Li Yan and Zhou Miao enter, they merely lift their eyelids slightly.
“How was today?” Yu Tian serves them porridge; cucumbers from their yard are ripe now—perfect for eating at this moment. She prepares cold cucumbers with two scrambled eggs, along with stir-fried sweet potato vines and a plate of stewed minced meat.
“I’m back,” Zhou Miao announces as he enters wearing camouflage pants and a tank top; despite the heat, he doesn’t seem overly sweaty. With their continued practice of breathing techniques, their bodies have become increasingly adept at self-regulating to maintain a stable temperature. However, he sprinkled some water on himself before returning home, making him look like he had just come from a workout.
Li Ming eagerly runs over with a fan to Li Yan’s side, obediently fanning her. “Brother, are you hot?”
“Not hot at all; you’re really good,” Li Yan replies. His once fair skin has turned a healthy wheat color after more than a year of working in rural areas, making him appear more composed and reserved—something he intentionally cultivated. Otherwise, if he went out every day exposed to wind and rain yet still looked like a delicate young man, people would surely suspect him.
Zhou Miao is naturally not someone who keeps quiet; he speaks and acts with an unexplainable ease. The two have become quite popular in the village since the new village merger; many families have come asking about them. When they brought the old man over, they made sure everything was clear with him—he’s also quite clever and managed to handle things smoothly without much fuss. Behind their backs, villagers whisper about how strange it is that there are no women in their household and that they haven’t seen them looking for women among the new households—it must be abnormal.
Li Yan took out a bottle of chilled bayberry juice from the space and poured a jug for Zhou Miao, feeling refreshed. When Li Yan initially planted many fruits in the space, the family was living comfortably now. The fruits wouldn’t spoil if left in the small cabin, and they could be made into various cold drinks. Yu Tian also brought out watermelons from the well, cutting them into six pieces since there was no rush for dinner. The five of them comfortably munched on a slice of watermelon when someone knocked at the door.
They exchanged glances, tossed the watermelon rinds into the space, and put away the remaining sour plum jar before Zhou Miao went to open the door.
Li Yuanyuan greeted Zhou Miao with a sweet smile, holding a fragrant melon in her hand. "Is my brother here? Dad brought back two melons from town, and I wanted you all to try some."
Zhou Miao looked Li Yuanyuan up and down; he had seen many women like her—if not ten, then at least a hundred. However, this woman was not easy to deal with; after just a few days of conflict, she had the audacity to come over seeking reconciliation. Such fragrant melons were rare; he hadn’t seen any outside so far.
"No thanks," Li Yan said as he pulled Li Ming out with him, not even glancing at her. His attitude spoke volumes. "Mingming and I have nothing to do with your family; your mother should have already told you that. In the future, don’t come looking for us unless it’s necessary; we aren’t even neighbors."
Li Yuanyuan bit her lip hard, her thick eyelashes fluttering as she looked at Li Yan and Li Ming with a pitiful expression. Tears seemed ready to spill from her eyes as she sobbed, "Brother, my mom isn’t really bad-hearted; she’s just straightforward. I... I know you hate us, but... but... Brother, Dad is getting old; he almost fainted from the heat last night. He’s been worried about you and Mingming..."
"Liars!" Li Ming interrupted before Li Yuanyuan could finish her sentence, pushing her away. After all, there was a difference between men and women; Li Yuanyuan stumbled and fell to the ground. A few streaks of blood appeared on her fair knees as tears streamed down her face, yet she still bit her lip to hold back her cries. "Brother, I don’t blame Mingming; I know my mom did wrong before. I’m sorry; you all can eat this melon... I’ll leave first." She said this while getting up awkwardly and limping toward the neighboring house.
Li Ming lowered his head for a while before finally lifting it again. "Brother, was Mingming wrong?"
"No, as long as Mingming stays with me, he doesn’t need to think about anything else." Li Yan closed the door behind him. He found it hard to read Li Yuanyuan—whether she was genuinely kind or just pretending didn’t concern him. This family... hmph...
Li Ming felt uncomfortable inside; he didn’t know why he felt this way. Was it because he was hungry? He decided to eat more later since Mingming still wanted watermelon!
Li Yuanyuan stood at the door for five minutes before secretly opening it again, only to find that Li Yan's family had all gone inside while the fragrant melon lay lonely on the ground. Furious, her face turned pale; she had never been treated like this before in her life. Clenching her fists tightly, she vowed never to forget this humiliation.
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