Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

The snow started falling before it even got dark.

It wasn't the kind of heavy, all-encompassing snow; it was fine, like grains of salt sifted down from the hazy sky, rustling as it hit the oilcloth, and stinging when it hit my face.

Jiang Xing squatted at the entrance of the shed, watching the snow fall. Soon, a thin layer of snow had accumulated on the ground, so white it was dazzling.

The camp was bustling with people: reinforcing the sheds, chopping firewood, and stuffing gaps with blankets. The cries of children, the scolding of adults, and the restless moans of livestock mingled together, muffled by the weight of the snow.

Third Uncle poked his head out of the shed and looked at the sky: "This snow will probably last all night."

"Okay." Jiang Xing stood up, picked up the wood-chopping knife, and said, "Third Uncle, I'm going to chop some firewood. The fire in the shed can't be turned off."

"It's getting dark, don't go too far."

"understood."

Jiang Xing picked up a wood-chopping knife, put on an old oilcloth as a raincoat, and walked into the snow.

The roads were slippery due to the snow, so she walked slowly. All the dry branches near the campsite had been picked up, so she had to walk further away. The hillside was covered in white, and the snow under her feet was ankle-deep, making a crunching sound when she stepped on it.

After walking a long way, she brought up the shop panel.

Current points: 200863

Today's Special: Firewood (1 point/3 bundles)

Winter protection medicine pack (5 points/pack)

Jiang Xing bought three bundles of firewood and two packets of medicine to keep warm without hesitation.

Firewood isn't expensive; one point can be exchanged for three bundles, enough to burn for two days. The medicine packet comes pre-packaged; just add water and boil it when you get home.

She took out the firewood and medicine packets from the mall, mixed them with the dry branches she had collected, bundled them into a large bundle, and carried it on her shoulder as she walked back.

Passing by a withered tree, she saw Widow Sun squatting there, her hands red with cold, chopping branches with a broken sickle. Her two children huddled under the tree, the older one holding the younger one, the younger one's face buried in the older one's arms, their expressions unreadable.

"Don't cry, Niu Niu, Mother will finish chopping soon." Widow Sun's voice trembled, not from the cold, but from her anxiety.

Jiang Xing stopped and looked at her.

Widow Sun's hair was covered in snow, and it was impossible to tell whether the water on her face was snow or tears. Her lips were purple, and her fingers were swollen like radishes; she had to gasp for breath several times just to chop a branch.

A scene suddenly flashed through Jiang Xing's mind.

In the winter of the apocalypse, her companion who shared life and death with her was also a mother. In order to find a way out for her daughter, she rushed out alone to lure away the zombies.

She never came back.

Jiang Xing closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the image.

She took a small portion of the bundle of firewood from her shoulder and placed it on the ground next to Widow Sun. The firewood fell into the snow with a dull thud.

Widow Sun looked up and paused for a moment.

The snow fell heavier and heavier. The fine grains of salt turned into snowflakes as big as goose feathers, drifting down and landing on Jiang Xing's head, shoulders, and hands. She wrapped the oilcloth tighter around herself and quickened her pace to walk back.

It was already dark when we got back to camp.

Third Uncle lit a fire in the shed, and the smoke seeped out through the gaps in the shed and was dispersed by the snow.

Jiang Xing piled firewood at the entrance of the shed, covered it with an oilcloth, and went inside.

The temperature inside the shed was more than twice as high as outside. The cold wind was blocked by the tarpaulin, and the heat could not escape. People's faces were burning hot from the fire, but their backs were still cool. However, compared with a few days ago, it was a world of difference.

Zhang sat at the very back, her legs covered with a quilt, her face flushed red from the firelight.

The calf huddled beside her, only its head peeking out. Uncle San squatted by the fire, a pipe in his mouth but not lit. The shed was small, and the smoke was choking.

"Sister, is it snowing heavily outside?" Little Niu asked.

"It's huge, there's a thick layer of it." Jiang Xing squatted down to warm his hands, turning his palms over and over to warm them.

Are you still leaving?

"I'm not leaving tonight, we'll see how things go tomorrow."

Jiang Xing took out wild vegetables and cured meat from his basket. The wild vegetables were dug up a few days ago and soaked in snow water, so they were still quite fresh.

The cured meat was chopped into small pieces and stir-fried with wild vegetables. The oil sizzled and the aroma filled the shed, making the calf's mouth water.

Zhang was kneading dough nearby, mixing a little wheat flour with mixed grain flour, kneading it into a dough, rolling it into flatbread, and sticking it to the side of the pan to bake. One side of the flatbread was golden brown, and the other side was crispy. The aroma mixed with the smell of stir-fried vegetables, making everyone's stomach rumble.

The dishes were cooked, and the flatbreads were baked. The four of them gathered around the fire to eat. The flatbreads were eaten with the stir-fried dishes, and each bite was both fragrant and warming.

"Grandma, this biscuit is so delicious!" The calf ate until his cheeks were bulging.

"Eat more, save what you can't finish for tomorrow's journey," Jiang Xing said, placing another piece of food on his plate.

Third Uncle ate two pancakes, and Zhang also ate two; they had a better appetite than a few days ago.

After finishing his meal, Jiang Xing took out a small earthenware pot from his basket, poured in water, opened the warming medicine packet and threw it in, then put it on the fire to simmer.

The medicine packet contains ginger, mugwort, cinnamon twigs, and saposhnikovia root, all of which are warming herbs. When the water boils, the aroma of the herbs wafts out; it's a bit bitter, but the smell alone makes you feel warm.

"Here, one bowl each." Jiang Xing poured the medicine into bowls and handed them to Third Uncle and Zhang Shi: "This is medicine to keep you warm; you won't get sick if you drink it."

Third Uncle took it, blew on it, and drank it sip by sip.

After Zhang finished drinking, her lips regained color.

The calf pinched its nose and drank a small bowl of the spicy liquor, sticking out its tongue, but it didn't complain.

Jiang Xing drank a bowl himself, poured out the remaining dregs, and put the clay pot away.

The fire was still burning, and the temperature inside the shed hadn't dropped. Outside, the snow was falling softly, and inside the shed, the heat was stifling.

Looking at Zhang Shi and her third uncle's faces, Jiang Xing pondered: The two old people were struggling to keep up. Zhang Shi was walking with a limp, and her third uncle had to hold onto the edge of the car when getting on and off, and his movements were getting slower and slower. He had to find a way to get the two old people some kind of knee pads to keep warm, otherwise, if they fell on the slippery roads in the snow, it would be a big problem.

She kept this in mind and added a few more pieces of firewood to the fire.

Night fell, and the campsite grew quiet.

Jiang Xing lifted the curtain of the tent a crack and peeked outside.

The snow was still falling, but less so than in the evening. Most of the fires in the distance had gone out, with only a few still lit, as faint as fireflies in the snowy night.

The coughing sounds came from different directions, rising and falling, and were particularly clear in the snowy night.

She heard someone crying, their voice very low, as if afraid of being overheard.

She also heard someone cursing, cursing heaven and earth and the government, then sighing, then coughing.