Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 411 Snowstorm in the South

Just a few days after New Year's Day, the daytime temperature in Beijing never exceeded 5℃, and the nighttime temperature ranged from -5℃ to -8℃. He Yuzhu had been waiting for the weather forecast from the meteorological observatory, otherwise it would be difficult to explain.

Finally, the Central Meteorological Observatory issued a weather forecast for January 8th: From January 10th to 13th, there will be a widespread round of rain, snow, and temperature drop in southern China.

He Yuzhu took out his phone and dialed He Xiao's number. It rang twice before the other end answered. "He Xiao, put everything aside for now. The weather forecast says that starting on the 10th, there will be widespread rain, snow, and a drop in temperature in the south."

I carefully studied historical climate data, and under the La Niña background, once this circulation stabilizes, it's very difficult for it to dissipate; it won't just pass in two or three days.

He Xiao knew her father was capable; her mother and aunt had mentioned that when Beijing was flooded, her father had predicted the torrential rain.

Hearing this, he knew the matter was serious. "Dad, I'll immediately send people to procure quilts and coats, convenience foods, and a diesel generator. What else do we need? Should the first batch be sent to the warehouse in Guangzhou?"

He Yuzhu had planned it all out long ago: "bottled water, heaters, commonly used medicines, simple temporary toilets, flashlights, a large number of dry batteries, and a large number of disposable rain boots/plastic shoe covers."

There are also high-powered hot water heaters; without them, even getting a hot drink would be a problem. He Xiao, this time of year happens to be during the Spring Festival travel rush. They also need a lot of simple plastic sheeting; the ground is damp, so passengers sit on the ground to keep it dry.

"Get a batch of walkie-talkies. There are too many people at the train station, cell phone signals are congested and paralyzed, making it impossible to make calls. On-site staff rely on walkie-talkies to communicate."

The son quickly took notes on the other end of the phone. He Yuzhu lit a cigarette and smoked. Three minutes later, he spoke again: "Relief supplies will be sent to Guizhou, Changsha and Hengyang in Hunan, and Nanchang in Jiangxi, each with 10 doses, plus a large number of car snow chains."

Guangzhou Railway Station will receive 20 supplies, and Chenzhou, Hunan will receive an additional 10. You need to coordinate with the civil affairs and commerce departments in each region, and the supplies should be transferred under the name of "Enterprise Spring Festival Emergency Reserve, Donated by Zhonghuan Group." Except for Chenzhou and Guangzhou, supplies to other places will be transported by air.

On January 11th, the National Meteorological Center issued its first orange alert for blizzards. He Yuzhu's phone rang. He picked it up and saw a message from He Xiao: "The first batch of supplies has arrived in various locations. Supplies to Guangzhou and Chenzhou will depart tonight."

He Yuzhu smiled after reading the message. His task was complete; the rest was up to the government.

After the second round of rain and snow arrived on January 18, people realized that something was wrong, and the disaster broke out and expanded.

Xu Damao was sitting on the sofa in the supermarket office watching TV. The news on TV cut to the scene of freezing rain in Hunan, where rows of high-voltage power line towers were bent by the ice and lay haphazardly on the snow.

He watched for a while, then picked up his phone and dialed. The call connected, and Xu Damao spoke first, much more serious than usual: "Brother Zhu, it's freezing over there in Hunan, what are you doing?"

He Yuzhu heard the TV on Xu Damao's side was on, and in the background, he could hear a news anchor reading a prepared statement: "Freezing conditions have occurred in 92 counties and cities across Hunan Province..."

Instead of answering Xu Damao's question, he asked him, "Does Damao Supermarket's southern branch have a lot of supplies? This is the time for you to win people's hearts."

"Oh my! My dear in-law, you old fox, you truly live up to your title as the world's richest man. I get it."

He Yuzhu laughed and scolded, "You donkey face, remember to inform Ma Hua and Ma Qiang."

"Don't worry, Brother Zhu. We guarantee we'll do a perfect job."

Xu Jia's nationwide chain of supermarkets immediately activated its public welfare plan. Prices in all supermarkets in the disaster-stricken areas of the south were frozen, with no price increases, and daily necessities were readily available.

Meanwhile, trucks were dispatched overnight, carrying warm clothing, drinking water, and dry food, which were delivered free of charge to various stranded points, villages, and disaster areas. Xu Damao, having been influenced by He Yuzhu for so many years, had long understood the principle: working for the He family meant not profiting from national disasters, and accumulating virtue was far more important than accumulating wealth.

The entire staff of the restaurant owned by the Ma brothers, Ma Keong and Ma Hua, were mobilized.

All of the more than twenty directly operated stores in the south are open 24 hours a day. Hot porridge, hot soup, and hot meals are provided free of charge to all stranded passersby, disaster relief workers, and elderly and children affected by the disaster.

Kitchen staff worked overtime in shifts, all to bring warmth to people freezing in the snow. The Ma brothers also donated millions in cash to support the delivery of supplies, truly contributing money and effort.

On the 20th, news about Zhonghuan Group appeared on television. The footage showed rows of blue containers stacked at the port, with cranes lifting them onto cargo ships.

He Xiao said to the camera, "The first two batches of supplies from Zhonghuan Group were delivered directly to the most severely affected counties and cities by air and road. This is the third batch being transported to Guangzhou."

The text at the bottom of the screen reads: "Zhonghuan Group urgently donated 20 billion yuan in special funds for snow disaster relief in southern China and allocated 5000 million yuan worth of supplies to be directly transported to the disaster area."

He watched for a while, then picked up his phone and dialed He Jing'an's number. The phone rang a few times before the other end answered, "Nephew, you saw the news?"

"I saw it. Our He family is moving faster than the news; videos have already been uploaded online." He Jing'an said loudly on the other end of the phone, "I just called Grandpa. He told us to stay at school and not worry about these things."

He Yang frowned. "Then should we do something too?"

He Jing'an's smug voice came over: "Uncle, I'm already doing it at Peking University. I'm contacting classmates and preparing to hold a fundraising event on campus. It's not a lot of money, but every little bit helps."

"Good lad, I'll have to get one at Tsinghua too." He Yang hung up the phone and ran to contact his classmate.

The next morning, at the martial arts training ground, the entire He family guard, along with the He family's grandchildren, assembled. These children had been practicing martial arts, learning Chinese culture, and understanding the principles of family and country since childhood, cultivating both literary and martial skills, and their character far surpassed that of their peers.

The winter wind was biting, and snowflakes were falling in the yard. A group of children stood in neat rows, their postures upright.

He Yuzhu stood in front, not spouting grand principles, but teaching them in the most straightforward way.

"Today, I will tell you the true purpose of studying and practicing martial arts."

Practicing martial arts is not about being competitive. Studying is not about becoming superior to others. Skills, knowledge, and physical strength are all for enabling you to help others, save lives, and shoulder responsibilities in times of crisis.

"This year's heavy snow caught the whole country off guard, and countless people suffered from the cold, were trapped, and endured hardship. Our He family anticipated this and prepared supplies for disaster relief, which was done out of good intentions."

"What is a family? Having money doesn't make a family. A family is one that has a sense of responsibility, kindness, and a strong sense of national pride. Xu Da Mao's business doesn't forget the people, and the MCA brothers' shops don't forget their original intentions. These are the role models you should learn from."

The He family's grandchildren stood in the front row, listening intently. The youngest, Jingchuan, seemed to understand but not quite, yet he remembered his grandfather's words, standing ramrod straight.

The He family guards all had solemn expressions. They had witnessed firsthand how the family had provided money, supplies, and manpower to support the local people, and a sense of belonging and mission instantly took root in their hearts.

He Yuzhu then added a family rule: From now on, in the face of natural disasters, man-made calamities, or social crises, the He family members will never engage in speculation, profiteering, or stand idly by. Those with less ability will cultivate their character and virtue. Those with greater ability will help others and aid the world.

The school is a vibrant place for nurturing students, where people are united and a strong family tradition prevails.

Meanwhile, the financial terminal in the study continued to quietly flash its data.

The domestic situation was marked by visible natural disasters, with heavy snow and strong winds, but the entire nation united as one. The He family maintained its reputation among the people and ensured the morale of its descendants, thus strengthening its foundation.

But on Wall Street, across the ocean, lies an invisible, slow decay.

As subprime bad debts are exposed layer by layer, panic is quietly spreading among institutions, but ordinary market participants still hold out hope and are waiting for a rebound.

Everyone thought the worst was over.

Only He Yuzhu knew that the snow disaster in China was just the smallest disturbance this year.