HPDBC Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Even in February, the temperature remained so low, and on days without snowfall, it was still overcast.
However, the lack of snow was fortunate. Just as people were grateful that it might not snow again, strong winds started blowing here.
The bare tree branches cracked and snapped in the wind, sometimes with the sound of breaking.
To Wen Qian's ears, it sounded like nature was chopping firewood with the wind. She thought that after the wind stopped, she might be able to go and collect some of those fallen branches.
After the strong winds, Wen Qian heard on the radio that some areas were hit by blizzards, while others experienced severe hail storms that could even punch through rooftops.
Wen Qian was a bit worried that such extreme weather might reach her area too. Her home had only one level, and she was concerned about not having a place to take shelter.
So Wen Qian added another layer of false ceiling between the roof and walls, using some boards she had in her living space to construct a simple false ceiling.
Her bed was beneath this false ceiling, so at least when sleeping at night, she wouldn't have to worry about being struck by hail.
Fortunately, there was no hail in her area, but then it started to rain and snow, and with the low temperatures, everything turned to ice, making the trees glisten.
In this situation, Wen Qian could only stay at home, with her range of activity limited to the area just in front of and behind her house. She basically had to check the surroundings of her home every day.
Because the temperature remained extremely low, with occasional light snowfall, there was no sign of the snow melting on the mountains.
It wasn't until the end of February that the snow finally seemed to diminish a little, as icicles started forming under the eaves, and Wen Qian had to knock them down with a bamboo pole every morning.
As the snowfall reduced, transportation gradually resumed, and as a result, some of the people who had gone to the city for the New Year actually returned, especially the older ones who felt it was better not to endure the harsh conditions in the city.
Chen Ming from the Chen Family also had to return to work, as he had been in the countryside for too long.
As March arrived, temperatures gradually rose, and the snow finally started to melt.
With so much snow turning into water, Wen Qian thought that if they planted crops, there should be no shortage of water. People in the village started moving around.
There was little wheat left, and they were planning to re-sow wheat.
Water dripped steadily from the eaves, and Wen Qian went up the mountain to collect firewood, as many branches had been blown down by the strong winds in February.
She collected them and laid them on the slope to dry out, planning to bring them back later.
Around this time, she started uploading outdoor videos again, as previously she had mostly been indoors, except for a few live streams of the sound of the stove burning.
Wen Qian could still visit Auntie Chen and Fang Ya. During the snowfall, they had almost finished the vegetables they had, so they went out and bought some more.
As for the rest, they tried sprouting beans at home. After getting tired of the bean sprouts, they eventually put some soil in containers inside the house and started growing some small greens like mustard greens.
Wen Qian also had seeds for these, so she prepared two plastic containers, dug up some soil from outside, and scattered the seeds in them near the stove.
On sunny days, she would move them outside to sunbathe, and when it was cold or at night, she would bring them back inside near the stove.
Through this process, she even managed to grow some small leafy greens.
Auntie Chen said that if the temperature rose a bit more, the wild vegetables on the mountain would start to sprout, and then they could pick some to make dumplings with pork filling. But for now, with the snow covering and then disappearing, it was just frustrating.
Fortunately, this snowfall only left a thin layer on the mountains before stopping, followed by two days of strong winds.
The temperature then rose, and by the end of March, a tinge of green appeared on the mountains, although from up close, it was still a sea of yellow.
Various grasses and leaves sprouted tiny green tips, and Wen Qian longed for the time when they would grow big enough for her to dig up some wild vegetables.
The weather forecast indicated that there would be another drop in temperature in April, which would essentially be a late spring cold spell.
People in the village complained about the strange weather, saying the cold had lasted for so long, and now there would be another drop in temperature in April.
They would have to delay their planting schedule, or else the seedlings would sprout and then be killed by the cold again.
Sure enough, at the beginning of April, the winds were as strong as they were in February.
Fortunately, the temperature forecasts had warned everyone, so they were spared much damage.
However, this meant that the green cover on the mountains would be further delayed before spreading across the land again.
By the time the wild vegetables were ready to be harvested, Wen Qian realized it was already mid-April.
It seemed that everything was finally back on track, with some villagers returning to the city and others starting to plant crops again.
Uncle Chen asked Wen Qian when she planned to go to An City.
As for the three plots of land from last year, Wen Qian had still sown vegetable seeds there, mostly fast-growing leafy greens.
She didn't expect anything else, as long as she could harvest them quickly.