Night without Borders

Chapter 2 Eternal Night
That day the sun set and never rose again...

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In the eternal night, the sky and earth are pitch black, as if an unfathomable abyss is about to swallow everything.

The day has long since become a thing of the past and a legend.

The vast frozen land, the biting cold wind, and the heavy snow piled up on the ground half a person's height.

Shuangshu Village was half submerged in heavy snow.

There are only forty or fifty households here, like a village forgotten by time, and only vague outlines of the houses can be seen in the dark.

In the howling gale, many roofs were shaking slightly, as if they were about to be blown off.

Qin Ming was very weak. He was woken up by hunger and his stomach was rumbling. He couldn't help swallowing when he thought of any kind of food in the cold night.

Not to mention the steaming hot meat and delicious fruits, even the thought of a piece of cold, hard bread would make his mouth filled with sweetness and his mouth water.

It was freezing cold, and it was so dark inside and outside the house that it felt suffocating.

Qin Ming wrapped himself tightly in the worn quilt. The temperature of the kang could not keep out the severe cold outside. The cold air he inhaled into his lungs felt like ice chips passing through his lungs, causing a slight sting.

He restrained himself and stopped thinking about food, otherwise the acid in his stomach and mouth would come out.

After calming down a little, he suddenly realized that his mind was now clear and he was no longer groggy like before. Could it be that the "strange disease" was going away?
Although he was hungry and cold, his long-standing illness showed signs of improvement. His eyes became bright and he waited for the arrival of the "light night".

As time passed, the wind gradually died down, and the flying heavy snow gradually turned into scattered small snowflakes.

There was some movement in the yard next door, and the sound of conversation was heard. It was a young couple, Lu Ze and Liang Wanqing.

"Where are you going? Are you going to deliver food to Qin Ming again?" Liang Wanqing's voice gradually became higher.

"He had a serious illness and he was only sixteen or seventeen years old. He lives alone. He's quite pitiful." Lu Ze whispered.

"Do you know that there is not much food left at home? If this continues, the two children will starve!" Liang Wanqing was very emotional.

"Once the blizzard stops, there will be a way to solve it." Lu Ze looked at the dark world.

……

Qin Ming felt bad when he heard the couple arguing. He didn't want to accept Lu Ze's kindness. In this kind of year, every family had a hard time.

He had already gotten up from the kang, and after putting on his cotton-padded clothes, he still felt cold. He found an old fur coat from the cupboard, wrapped it around himself, and walked around in the dark room, rubbing his hands.

After his serious illness, his tall body is now a little thin, the black hair that hangs over his shoulders has lost some luster, and his handsome face is a little pale, but his pair of clear eyes are bright and full of spirit. Although he looks sick, he has a strong temperament.

A month ago, he escaped from the mountains with great difficulty. His hands and feet had turned black and he has been seriously ill ever since.

As for the few companions who traveled with them, they died on the same day they returned.

Qin Ming was suffering from a "strange disease" and many people thought he would not survive.

But he has made it to this day and is clearly getting better.

He still feels frightened when thinking about the unknown dangers in the mountains.

The darkness outside the house changed, like ink dripping into a small amount of clean water and becoming lighter. The "light night" came, which meant the "daytime" had arrived.

Obviously, this is only slightly better than "late night". The whole sky and earth are still shrouded in darkness, and objects that are too far away cannot be seen clearly.

The courtyard gate was pushed open and Lu Ze came in. He was strong and powerful. He used a shovel to shovel the snow to both sides and quickly cleared a path leading to the door.

Qin Ming opened the door that was blocked by heavy snow and called out, "Brother Lu."

Lu Ze carried a glowing cloth bag and poured it into a stone basin in the snow. A pile of red stones fell, making a crisp sound, and the light cut through the night.

This is the "Sun Stone". The name itself carries some good wishes of people in this era, and it illuminates the courtyard at this moment.

Lu Ze was surprised: "Xiao Qin, I think you seem to be in much better spirits."

Qin Ming invited him into the house and told him the truth. He was no longer groggy and probably was getting better. Lu Ze said that he was very lucky and that it was not easy for him to survive the "strange disease" in the mountains. He poured the remaining glowing stones in the bag into the copper basin in the room, and the room was immediately filled with light.

Sunstone is taken from the "Fire Spring". Although it is flaming, its temperature is far lower than that of human body surface. It will automatically go out after a few hours and needs to be sent back to the "Fire Spring" to be rewarmed.

“Here!” Lu Ze handed over the food box.

Qin Ming had been seriously ill for a month and his food supplies had run out a few days ago. He was completely dependent on Lu Ze for support. Not long ago, he heard the couple quarreling and knew that their situation was not very good, so he felt guilty.

"Eat it while it's hot." Lu Ze is a down-to-earth person who knows how to repay kindness. He was once lost in the dark and endless forest, and it was Qin Ming who called his name over and over again and led him back.

Looking at the steaming black steamed bun, Qin Ming couldn't help swallowing his saliva due to the strong feeling of hunger.

“Why are you standing there? You’re not fully recovered yet. You won’t recover by starving yourself. Are you being so polite?” Lu Ze put the lunch box directly in his hand.

"Brother Lu!" In the end, Qin Ming did not act pretentiously. He tore open a piece of steamed bun. It felt rough, but he gobbled it up in big mouthfuls, feeling the sweetness in his mouth.

"Call me if you need anything." Lu Ze turned and left.

The feeling of hunger subsided, Qin Ming felt more energetic, and all the discomforts in his body disappeared. He was sure that his serious illness would be cured.

He wanted to go outside for some fresh air and a walk. He pushed open the gate and went out to the street. The weather was extremely cold, and his mouth and nose were filled with white mist when he breathed.

In the early night, which is the "daytime" of this era, the fire of sunstone flows in every house, and the streets are also faintly illuminated.

"Qin Ming, are you okay?" Someone found him.

"Xiao Qin, let me take a look." Grandma Zhou from North Street grabbed him, looked left and right, and found that he looked much better than the last time she saw him.

Qin Ming greeted them with a smile and told them that he was indeed recovering quickly.

There were not many people at the intersection, and they all looked incredulous. Could a person who was possessed by a "strange disease" be cured?
"Xiao Qin, even if you feel better, don't rush out. It's very dangerous outside now." Grandma Zhou reminded, looking at the black world outside the village that looked like splashed ink.

The other neighbors also looked worried. This year has been a bad one and food shortage is a big problem now. If it continues like this, people will starve to death.

Qin Ming noticed that the kind and gentle Grandma Zhou in the past now had a pale face and was so thin that she seemed like she would fall down if the wind blew.

After the others left, Grandma Zhou carefully took out a few pieces of dried potatoes from her pocket and stuffed them into Qin Ming's hand.

Qin Ming quickly pushed it back. The old lady was so old and looked hungry. How could he have the nerve to ask her for daily rations?

Every household had cleaned the roads near their homes, but not thoroughly. There was still snow, which made a crunching sound when stepped on. Qin Ming walked forward, breathing out white air.

He stopped near the village entrance.

In front of a larger courtyard, there is a small threshing floor. A black goat as tall as an adult's shoulder is pulling a stone mill to grind the mutant wheat that is as thin as silver particles.

Not everyone lacks food. Apparently, the family at the head of the village is doing well.

Qin Ming stared at the black goat with his eyes sparkling. Now that food and clothing were a problem, he naturally hadn't eaten meat for a long time. He was extremely eager for it.

The black goat was quite tall, with thick horns, and looked a little ferocious. Feeling Qin Ming's gaze, it seemed to be frightened, and its raised tail drooped down.

"Xiao Qin, have you recovered? Those who survived a disaster will surely have good fortune in the future." A sturdy, bearded middle-aged man stood at the gate of the courtyard. He thought Qin Ming was looking at the mutant grain under the millstone - silver wheat, and then said: "There are many people in the family, and the grain is consumed too quickly. This is the last of our family's food reserves."

"Uncle Yang is amazing. He can take care of a whole family even in this kind of year." Qin Ming said with a smile. Of course he didn't believe that the other party only had a bag of silver wheat left.

After saying hello to Yang Yongqing, he walked all the way to the village entrance.

The "fire spring" was right ahead, illuminating the surrounding area brightly.

There, stones were piled up and surrounded to form a pool that was six feet square. The stone fence was only knee-high, and there was a fiery red light inside.

In this blizzard season, although the fire spring inside is almost exhausted and no longer gurgles out, there are still flames around.

There are two trees in the pond, which is the origin of the name of Shuangshu Village. One tree has black leaves, and the other has snow-white leaves that do not wither even in the cold winter.

(End of this chapter)