Chapter 97

“How’s it looking now?” Zhao Huiru called out. Her husband was standing on top of the greenhouse. They had ten vegetable greenhouses, and some of the support frames had already been set up. The two of them were now working to secure the loose plastic coverings.

“Looks good,” Zhao Huiru said as she walked over to check.

“How’s your greenhouse holding up?”

“Just finished weighing it down with stones.”

“Same here.”

…

Next to Lele’s greenhouse were some other greenhouses growing romaine and lettuce. Everyone was working hard in the cold wind. By 7 p.m., Zhao Huiru and her husband were finally done, exhausted from the day’s labor.

“How many people in your household? How many are home these days?” As soon as they returned home, a village cadre walked in with a registration booklet.

“Two,” Zhao Huiru replied.

“You’ve both been home all month?”

“Yes, the whole time.”

After jotting it down, the cadre handed her an A4 sheet. “These are snowstorm precautions. Make sure you’re prepared ahead of time. Join Director Li’s Longxin group chat…”

Ten minutes later, the cadre left. Zhao Huiru carefully read over the A4 sheet—

1: Stock up on vegetables, grains, and drinking water. (At least 20 days’ worth)

2: Keep power banks charged at all times. Prepare flashlights, candles, and other lighting equipment in advance.

3: Make sure you have enough toilet paper, medicine, warm blankets, and other essentials.

4: Avoid going out during snowfall. Stay away from potentially dangerous areas.

…

There were twenty precautionary items in total, all based on lessons learned from last year. Zhao Huiru posted the list in a prominent spot in the living room, then picked up her phone and added Director Li in the Changleyuan group chat.

As soon as her request was approved, Director Li sent over a form: [Name, House Number, Number of People Staying Home During Snowfall…]

Zhao Huiru filled it out step by step and was then added to a smaller group of thirty people.

“We’re Group 3. Once it starts snowing, everyone needs to check in daily in the group. If you need to go out or have any special circumstances, report to your group leader in advance,” Director Li posted a list of reminders in the chat. He emphasized that everyone must prepare the listed supplies. Food and blankets were non-negotiable.

“Everyone, check your yards. Bring in any valuable items that could freeze,” Director Li continued.

Zhao Huiru scrolled through the messages, still a bit dazed, when a private message popped up from Director Li: “Auntie Zhao, I’m the leader of Group 3. Things are a bit hectic these days. If you need anything, contact me. If you can’t reach me, call 130XXXXXXX. [fist bump][fist bump]”

“Got it, got it,” Zhao Huiru quickly replied, then turned to her husband. “This is so official!”

It was only the first of the month, still four days before the snow was expected, but the village committee was already making preparations.

Her husband sighed, “They’re learning from experience.”

Last year’s Longbei Snow Disaster had come with early warnings from Longxia, but the people of Longbei were used to icy weather and didn’t take it seriously. While the vegetation damage was unavoidable, the shortages of supplies, dead phone batteries, and buried vehicles could have all been prevented.

This time, Longbei had learned its lesson. As early as last week, snowstorm warnings were already being broadcast. TV channels were replaying footage from last year’s disaster. The government’s message was clear: take the snowfall seriously and get through it safely.

“I’m heading out,” Zhao Huiru said, putting down her phone and standing up.

“Where to?” her husband asked.

“The corner store just got a new shipment of instant noodles…” They already had two months’ worth of supplies stocked up, but Zhao Huiru still felt uneasy. She was planning to stock up even more.

…

“Longbei News: On December 3rd, grain and vegetable reserves have been increased in Heihe, Liaohe, and other areas. Residents can purchase supplies at designated supermarkets.”

“Longbei Alert: This snowfall is expected to last two weeks, with a maximum accumulation of 15.7mm.”

“Longbei Daily: Residents should take precautions against the cold and avoid unnecessary outings.”

…

On December 3rd, Longbei issued another round of rolling alerts.

“Try to park your cars in garages.”

“Keep blankets in your car to protect against snow buildup.”

“There are three stray cats in Chunyuan Residential Complex. Anyone willing to foster them temporarily?”

…

As the alerts kept coming, residents across the cities of Longbei began large-scale preparations.

“I’ve arrived, just walked in the door.” On the evening of December 4th, Zhou Hai checked in with his colleagues at the observation station.

Zhou Hai’s ancestral home was in Tai’an, Liaohe. After filing his report at the Forestry Bureau yesterday, he began his journey back. Taikang, located in the northeastern part of Liaohe, used to be a coal city. After the industry declined, it dropped from a quasi-tier-four city to a tier-eighteen backwater.

His apartment was in Unit 26 of Chunyuan Residential Complex on Chunan Street. Having not been home in a long time, Zhou Hai hung up the phone and began patting himself down for his keys.

“Meow.” Just as he was halfway through searching, a soft meow came from his arms.

“We’re home.”

Zhou Hai gently rubbed his chin against the cat’s head. That morning, the property management had found three stray cats in the complex’s greenbelt. Two of them were quickly adopted by cat lovers due to their cute appearance. The one in his arms, however, had half its tail cut off for unknown reasons, and its ears and body were covered in ringworm. It had spent the entire afternoon at the property office with no takers.

Zhou Hai had seen several adoption posts in the group chat. Having raised cats before, he hesitated briefly, then decided to bring it home.

Half a minute later, Zhou Hai found his keys and opened the door. The apartment was a clean two-bedroom unit, but it had been unoccupied for a long time and felt stuffy.

He opened the windows to air it out.

“Meow.” The cat jumped down from his arms. Unfamiliar with the environment, it quickly found a dark corner under the table to hide.

Zhou Hai didn’t mind. He poured the cat some warm water and left again with his keys. An hour later, he returned carrying several large bags. These were supplies he had ordered online in advance, stored at the delivery station. Enough to last thirty days.

“Meow.”

By the time he came back, the cat had moved from under the table to the living room, curiously observing Zhou Hai and its new surroundings.

“No time to buy cat food. You’ll have to make do.” Zhou Hai cut a piece of fresh chicken breast for the cat.

The cat began eating earnestly.

Zhou Hai washed his hands, then found some ringworm medicine and began applying it. The cat was a nine-month-old Chinchilla with a soft, adorable face. Zhou Hai guessed it had once been someone’s pet, now abandoned due to some unfortunate reason.

His movements were practiced. The cat struggled at first but gradually cooperated.

After cleaning the apartment, Zhou Hai opened the Forestry Bureau group chat.

“Qimao power bank—absolutely massive capacity!”

“I bought three electric foot warmers. Can’t let my toes freeze.”

“The Red Sun foot bath bucket is really good.”

…

His colleagues had all made it home and were now sharing their favorite warmers, power banks, and other winter gear in the chat.

Zhou Hai scrolled through for a bit when a private message popped up: “Owner of Unit 3022, Building 26?”

Zhou Hai: “Yes.”

“Please check in via the group form. [Thanks][Thanks]”

…

Only then did Zhou Hai realize this was Longxin from the property office, who he had added earlier when adopting the cat.

He switched to the group chat and filled out the check-in form. Chunyuan Residential Complex had already set up three temporary groups. According to the rules, the complex would be sealed off during the snowfall. Anyone needing to go out had to get special permission. This was to prevent unnecessary accidents during the storm.

Just as Zhou Hai finished checking in, the cat came rubbing against his leg. “Meow.”

“Time for your bath.” Zhou Hai took the cat to the bathroom.

The cat stayed perfectly still. Since he had already applied medicine earlier, he carefully reapplied it again after the bath.

At 10 p.m., man and cat went to bed.

At 3 a.m., Zhou Hai felt a chill in the air, but after a long day, he was too tired to care.

“It’s coming down hard here—at least 12 millimeters.”

“Heard the snowstorm alert at 7 a.m., and now the streets are completely empty…”

…

The next morning, Zhou Hai woke up to a world blanketed in white. His colleagues were already flooding the group chat with photos of the snow.

He opened the curtains. The snowflakes were as big as fingernails, drifting down like pear blossoms instead of snow.

He watched TV, scrolled through his phone, and read the news.

For the next week, man and cat lived a quiet, orderly life. As waves of cold air rolled in, the snow outside piled higher and higher. Thanks to last year’s experience, residents on the ground floors had already reinforced their windows before the storm. Some, still uneasy, had even booked hotel rooms nearby for extra safety.

This year’s snow disaster is more severe than last year’s, yet the residents of Longbei are noticeably calmer and more composed.

On December 13th, due to the heavy accumulation of snow, large-scale power outages began in Taikang. Zhou Hai pulled out the power banks he had prepared in advance. Though everything outside was blanketed in white, his phone still had three bars of signal—enough to get by if he used it sparingly.

With life snowed in at home growing increasingly dull, Zhou Hai would sometimes pass the time by teasing his cat with the curtain tassels. The cat played along enthusiastically. Thanks to his attentive care, the ringworm on its body had already cleared up halfway.

As Zhou Hai watched the adorably dazed cat, a thought suddenly struck him—could a Chinchilla survive at the observation station?

While he was lost in thought, on December 15th, the snowfall intensified once again.

“This year’s snowstorm is brutal. Stay strong, Longbei!”

“I’ve already taken leave in advance—once the snow stops, I’ll rush in to help.”

“Everyone, keep warm! It’s already minus fifteen here in Zhongnan!”

…

This year’s snow disaster is worse than last year’s. As snow blanketed Longbei, netizens across the country turned their attention to the region’s plight. Thanks to diligent management by local governments, cities, towns, and streets now lay under a vast expanse of snow. No cars, no pedestrians—only the occasional eagle soaring overhead broke the stillness, making the world outside seem like a silent, frozen plane.

“Hang in there—Longbei supplies vegetables for the whole country!” one netizen joked, reviving last year’s viral “vegetable basket” meme.

“We have to hold on—I’m already using my third power bank!”

“This is like a half-month closed-door cultivation retreat. Fellow cultivators! Wait for me to emerge!”

…

Longbei netizens responded with their signature humor.

“Global Times: December 16th, Longbei in Longxia experiences another large-scale snowfall, with 22mm of snow falling over 20 hours.”

“Bluewater News: Global forecasts predict the blizzard in Longbei will ease on the 19th and end by the 21st.”

…

As the disaster in Longbei worsened, global netizens also began paying close attention.

“Natal’s acid rain response is an absolute mess!”

“Now we’ve got a food crisis, an economic crisis, and a snowstorm crisis—just what we didn’t need.”

“Let’s hope countries can step up their supply coordination!”

…

Longxia is the world’s largest grain exporter. At this moment, international netizens were watching the snow disaster not just out of concern, but with a clear goal: they hoped their own countries could learn from Longxia’s emergency response strategies.

This snow disaster was affecting multiple regions, including Longxia, Canpe Province, and northern Mali.

According to global meteorological forecasts, the biggest snowfall this year isn’t happening now, but is expected in mid-January, when a dual cold wave is set to hit countries like Natal, Weir. That upcoming snowfall is projected to impact seventy-two countries.