Chapter 441: Get Up and Sleep Again

Seeing Sha Zhu tilted his head and looked at Li Xuewu, giving that reply.

Then he said, "They are setting up a stove in the warehouse; it will be ready soon."

"Got it, keep an eye on the fire."

Li Xuewu hugged Li Shu and bounced her a little. The wind had picked up outside, and fearing Li Shu would catch a chill, he said this to Seeing Sha Zhu and the First Uncle before closing the door.

"Did you call Yushui?"

Turning around and seeing Yu Li coming out of the kitchen, Li Xuewu asked.

"I did."

Yu Li nodded and said, "She said she's going to the gatehouse to sleep with Xilin and the others."

"Hmm."

Li Xuewu nodded, holding Li Shu as he began to pace around the living room.

No one in the gatehouse would be sleeping tonight; Yushui going there was just for peace of mind, but sleep was out of the question.

However, at this moment, Li Xuewu could only look after his own family.

As for the others, they weren't children; he had already said what needed to be said and given the warnings.

What they did was entirely up to them.

He walked to the doorway of the inner room and looked in, seeing that his mother and the old lady were both a bit low on energy, and Li Xue had already fallen back asleep.

"Grandma, Mom, you two go to sleep."

Li Xuewu entered the room with the baby and said to the two women, "I'll put her in the bed once I've coaxed her to sleep."

Hearing Li Xuewu's words, the old lady took her pillow and lay down at the head of the kang.

The sudden news Li Xuewu had delivered tonight had made her heart race, and she wasn't feeling very well either.

Liu Yin patted her daughter, telling her to get up and sleep properly.

Li Xue had been sleeping horizontally across the kang, making it impossible for anyone else to sleep.

Rubbing her eyes and looking at her Second Brother standing on the floor, Li Xue followed her mother's arrangement and lay down properly next to Li Shu's little quilt.

Liu Yin gave Li Xuewu a few instructions, then took a quilt to cover the old lady and Li Xue before lying down herself.

Li Xuewu reached out to turn off the light in the room and walked back to the living room holding Li Shu.

"Dad, you go to sleep too. I won't be sleeping; I'm on duty."

Li Shun sat on the sofa with his head slightly bowed and said, "Why are there so many disasters this year?"

"Who could have guessed?"

Li Xuewu sighed as well, reaching out to touch his daughter's little feet. Finding them a bit cold, he grabbed them to warm them up.

"Lingzhi, cordyceps, safflower, even snow lotus—I encountered quite a few good medicinal herbs at the border."

Li Shun looked at his son and asked, "And you recognize them all?"

"Heh."

Li Xuewu knew his father had always been dissatisfied with him.

The father and son had fought many battles of wits when Li Xuewu was a child because of his medical studies.

It was no exaggeration to say that the broken sticks from those beatings would have been enough to cook a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.

Hearing his father's words now, Li Xuewu didn't find them harsh anymore.

"I don't recognize many."

Li Xuewu teased his father intentionally, "I just bought some that I recognized. Not many varieties, maybe ten or twenty kinds."

"..."

Li Shun squinted at his son and asked, "Are you going to tell me where that half-bottle of liquor went?"

"Hehehehe~"

Li Xuewu knew his father was going to grill him. He pretended not to know and teased his daughter, "Grandpa is asking about our liquor. Did you steal it and drink it?"

Li Shu looked at her father blankly, then at her grandfather, not knowing how she got dragged into this.

If Li Shu could talk, she would have said, "Don't be so shameless!"

Seeing his eldest granddaughter looking over, Li Shun naturally and smoothly switched his stern expression to a kind and benevolent one.

He knew this son was hard to manage now, actually using his granddaughter to threaten him.

Seeing Li Xuewu didn't want to talk about it, Li Shun stopped asking.

Judging by his son's state, he didn't look like he had drunk that liquor.

As for who drank it, he didn't want to think about it anymore.

"I did bring some back."

Li Xuewu was afraid his father would glare at him, so he said with a smile, "I'll bring them back for you to look at later."

"Don't go eating them randomly!"

Li Shun stared at Li Xuewu for a moment, then stood up and said, "With your level, don't go prescribing yourself medicine. If you get sick, I won't even be able to figure out the pharmacology to save you."

"..."

Li Xuewu was speechless as he watched his father enter the room. Was he really that useless?

Could he really poison himself just by writing a prescription?

And not being able to figure out the pharmacology!

That was too insulting!

Yu Li had finished cleaning the kitchen and mopping the floor. After putting away the mop in the bathroom and wiping her hands, she was about to leave.

Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Just stay here."

Yu Li looked at Li Shu in Li Xuewu's arms, then at the inner room, hesitating whether to listen to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu stood up holding the child and left the long sofa for Yu Li.

"The gatehouse is a mess, and with people coming and going in the Bai Bai Xiyuan, how could you get any rest there?"

Li Xuewu said softly, walking into the inner room to grab a quilt with one arm.

Li Shun was already lying on the kang with his head down next to Liu Yin. Seeing Li Xuewu bringing the quilt, he knew who it was for.

He glanced at his son but didn't say anything.

Li Xuewu ignored his father; it was dark in the room, so he acted as if he hadn't seen him.

Yu Li walked over, took the quilt, and placed it on the sofa. She then reached out to take Li Shu from Li Xuewu's arms.

"Let me hold the baby for a while; you go wash your face."

After saying this to Li Xuewu, Yu Li reached toward Li Shu and said, "Come, Daddy is tired, let Auntie hold you, okay?"

Li Shu stared at Yu Li with wide eyes, then at her father, before reaching out her little hands toward Yu Li.

"Li Shu is such a good girl!"

Yu Li smiled, took the child, rocked her in her arms, and gave her a kiss.

Li Xuewu took his daughter's handkerchief into the bathroom. After washing his face, he washed the handkerchief for his daughter.

This could be considered the first time he had served his daughter.

Since bringing her home, he hadn't even washed a single diaper; the old lady and Liu Yin had done everything.

When he came out, Yu Li had already found a clothes hanger that could clip the handkerchief.

"Are you tired? Just put her on the sofa and let her play by herself."

Li Xuewu looked at his daughter gnawing on the dried shrimp in Yu Li's arms and said with a smile.

While talking, he walked to the tea cabinet and brewed a cup of tea to help him stay awake. At this moment, the First Uncle pushed the door open and entered the entryway.

"Where's Xuewu?"

"Right here."

Li Xuewu was behind the entryway wall, so the First Uncle didn't see him and asked Yu Li, who was standing in the room.

Hearing Li Xuewu's reply, he looked in and said, "The elderly and children have been arranged in the gatehouse, and the young ones have all gone to the North Warehouse."

"Is the stove set up?"

Li Xuewu had no objections to this arrangement.

He had already done everything he could; one more thing didn't matter.

Asking this, he was about to invite the First Uncle into the room, but the First Uncle waved him off.

"It's set up. The ground has thawed, so it was easy to set up, and the bricks were ready-made."

Seeing the curtains drawn in the inner room, the First Uncle knew Li Shun's family was sleeping there, so he spoke softly.

"Biaozi lit the stove. The young people have plenty of energy, so being cold for a while is fine. We should thank the girls and boys from the recycling station."

This was what the First Uncle had come to say.

"Is that so?"

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "The gatehouse also needs young people on duty; don't leave it just to the elderly and children."

"I know, Biaozi is arranging it."

The First Uncle looked at Li Xuewu with an affirming gaze. He felt admiration and gratitude toward Li Xuewu in his heart.

As the saying goes, "If only I could have a million mansions to shelter all the cold scholars in the world."

Today, not only did he provide an early warning, but Li Xuewu also offered his warehouse and house for everyone to take temporary shelter; it was very righteous.

"Alright, tell Biaozi and the others to gather more firewood. The weather doesn't look right; don't let it start raining."

"Got it."

The First Uncle replied and turned to leave the room, heading back to the Bai Bai Xiyuan.

At this moment, besides the Second Uncle's family, there were two other households that hadn't moved.

The First Uncle wanted to go and persuade those two families; since the stove was warm, sleeping anywhere was fine.

But his intentions were good, whether they appreciated it was another matter.

The First Uncle didn't care about their gratitude, and neither did Li Xuewu.

Neither he nor his family owed anyone in this courtyard anything; whether he said these things or not, he wouldn't be in the wrong.

But the old lady and the Second Uncle had strong suspicions, and he knew some experiences from the future, so how could he just look after his own family?

It would be fine if everyone was safe and sound, and they could just laugh at him for mobilizing the whole family.

But if something really happened, and only his family had taken shelter, and those connected to him had taken shelter...

When lives are at stake, it wouldn't just be laughter and complaints; they might even want to eat Li Xuewu alive.

Human nature is like this. The Li family would eventually have to live in this courtyard, and none of them were heartless. Li Xuewu wouldn't let his family carry that burden.

So no matter how much trouble tonight caused, Li Xuewu felt it was worth it.

He didn't ask for their gratitude for a false alarm, but he hoped that after a false alarm, they wouldn't use the Li family as a target.

As for the Second Uncle's family, Li Xuewu had a clear conscience.

"The weather is truly unpredictable."

The Third Uncle stood by the warehouse window and looked outside.

The courtyard here was large, and he could already see the wind kicking up dust, hitting the window glass with a clatter.

This warehouse was also huge; one stove wasn't enough for anything. At this moment, people in the courtyard were holding small stools, sitting around the stove to warm themselves.

Looking at the time, it was already past one o'clock. The wind had come, but where was the earthquake?

Some couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep leaning against piles of wooden boards; others had made beds with wooden boards, covering themselves with cotton-padded jackets.

There were also those who were restless, walking around twice, and then, ignoring others' advice, ran back home to sleep.

Where there's a first, there's a second, especially as the temperature dropped in the second half of the night, and more people left.

These were all young people in the warehouse, and they were all bold; how could they listen to the words of the "old man" First Uncle?

Seeing that one had left, others wanted to leave too.

If they didn't leave, it would seem like they were cowardly.

They were all young people, and the last thing they wanted to hear was that they were cowardly.

Yan Jiefang also wanted to leave, but his father was standing by the window, so he didn't dare to move.

His sister-in-law and mother were leaning against a pile of wood, whispering to each other.

The fire in the stove was strong, but it couldn't handle the vastness of the warehouse.

It hadn't been lived in for a long time, and one stove wasn't enough for so many people.

"Dad, I'm going back to get some clothes."

Yan Jiefang said this as he walked toward the door, not looking at his father, fearing he wouldn't let him.

But to his surprise, after he finished speaking and reached the door, his father didn't reply at all.

When he looked toward the window, he saw his father squinting at him.

The look in someone's eyes when they want to kill you cannot be hidden.

The look Yan Jiefang saw in his father's eyes was one of wanting to kill him.

But he was already at the door; if he walked back now, what would happen to his face?

So he steeled his heart, opened the door, and ran home.

"Sigh~"

The Third Uncle sighed helplessly.

Ever since he got sick and his body became "powerless," his children had become less and less obedient.

He had originally thought his eldest son was a reliable support for his old age, so he had taken out most of his savings to get him a job.

But he never expected that after working for only a few days, he wouldn't learn anything good and was now on his second marriage.

After the eldest left, he thought about cultivating the second, but he felt something was wrong as soon as he "went online."

In the past, he had taken care of the whole family, calculating their living expenses, but it was inevitable that he would favor the eldest.

And now look what happened!

Looking at it now, the second son's resentment toward him was quite deep, and he no longer listened to him.

Yan Fugui turned to look at his "small account," Jiekuaung.

Seeing his second brother go home, Yan Jiekuaung was eager to stand up.

But as soon as he saw his father's gaze, he lowered his head and looked away.

It seemed like the small account was also going to be scrapped!!!

Yi Zhonghai had seen the exchange of expressions between Yan Fugui and his son.

They say children can provide for your old age, but he didn't think about being childless anymore.

Look at the Second Uncle and Third Uncle in this courtyard; they didn't look like they had sons who could provide for them either.

"If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault." Today's cause, tomorrow's effect, sigh~

Qin Huairu saw the "commotion" in the Third Uncle's family, touched her son's big head, and smiled.

"Sigh, it's really cold here."

"It's really noisy here."

Jia Zhangshi glanced at her daughter-in-law; seeing others going home, she wanted to go home too.

"Hiss~"

Qin Jingru glanced at her sister, and seeing her sister glaring, she swallowed her words.

"If you're cold, go sit by the stove."

Qin Huairu glared at her mother-in-law. The First Uncle and the others were worried, and she was still causing trouble.

"I'm not going."

Jia Zhangshi stiffened her neck and said, "That stove was just set up; it smells like dirt, and sitting in front of it, you're hot in the front and cold in the back."

Qin Huairu looked at Dang in her arms and said, "The gatehouse is fine, but you wouldn't go. Now that you're here, you're still complaining."

"I'm not going."

Jia Zhangshi looked at her eldest grandson and said, "I have to be with my grandson."

Banggeng was Jia Zhangshi's life. At a time like this, she wouldn't go to the gatehouse if her life depended on it.

Actually, Banggeng, Dang, and Huaihua could all go to the gatehouse.

But they were all huddled around Qin Huairu.

Banggeng looked at his grandmother and said to his mother, "Where Mom is, I am."

"Me too."

"Me too."

Hearing Banggeng say this, Huaihua followed suit.

Dang, who was about to fall asleep in Qin Huairu's arms, also mumbled a sentence in her sleep.

"Good, good, good, you're all close to your mom."

Jia Zhangshi said in a slightly low voice, "When people get old, they become annoying."

"What are you saying?"

Qin Huairu glanced at her mother-in-law and said, "Don't go looking for trouble for no reason."

As she spoke, she glanced at the surrounding neighbors; some were sleeping, some were snoring, some were playing cards, and some were chatting.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to their family, Qin Huairu whispered, "Didn't you hear the First Uncle say who organized this?"

Jia Zhangshi looked at her daughter-in-law blankly and said, "It's..."

"What do you think?"

Qin Huairu glared at her mother-in-law and said, "Didn't you see that they moved their own elderly and children to the backyard?"

Hearing her daughter-in-law's words, Jia Zhangshi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Could there really be...!"

Jia Zhangshi said one sentence, and Qin Huairu cut her off. Jia Zhangshi didn't feel any resentment now, only terror.

Qin Huairu scanned the surroundings and said, "Without his permission, could the First Uncle have brought people into this warehouse?"

As she spoke, she signaled her mother-in-law to look at the young people in the gatehouse.

"He wouldn't toss and turn for no reason. Just wait and see."

"I believe Wu Shu."

Banggeng looked at the small basket at his feet, which contained a few eggs.

Ever since Li Xuewu promised to raise chickens with him, Banggeng had trusted him.

When the chickens laid eggs and Banggeng actually got to eat them, that trust reached its peak.

Now, no one could question Wu Shu's words, unless they laid an egg first!

Qin Jingru sat to one side, curled her lips, and rolled her eyes when she heard Banggeng's words.

Is it necessary~

It is necessary; at least Qin Huairu thought it was necessary now.

Seeing her son becoming more sensible day by day, Qin Huairu felt it was even more necessary.

Now the family had enough to eat and wear, the mother-in-law wasn't causing trouble, and the children were all behaving well. Qin Huairu only thought of one person in her heart.

It wasn't about how much money Li Xuewu gave her, nor how much love he gave her; what Li Xuewu gave her was far more than those things.

Her son was her future. When Banggeng first started getting close to Li Xuewu, she was afraid her son would learn bad habits.

But seeing her son becoming more sensible and better at speaking, Qin Huairu understood a truth.

That is, a child must have fatherly love.

Even if this "fatherly love" is invisible.

Besides, when did Li Xuewu ever forget her on his business trips?

Even if it were her own husband, he wouldn't be so thoughtful.

Thinking about moving the liquor boxes to Li Xuewu's office with Zhang Songying today, and the things on top of the liquor boxes...

Not to mention that Li Xuewu didn't directly tell them to come to the warehouse to hide, even if Li Xuewu didn't have a reason, just letting her come to this warehouse, she would be willing.

"Sleep."

Li Xuewu walked out of the inner room lightly.

He had just coaxed Li Shu to sleep and put her back in the quilt on the kang.

Walking out and seeing Yu Li still accompanying him, yawning, he said with a smile.

Yu Li looked at Li Xuewu with concern.

She was now both afraid of an earthquake happening and afraid of it not happening.

An earthquake would be a disaster; if it didn't happen, then for Li Xuewu, it might also be a "disaster."

"Lie down."

Li Xuewu sat back on the sofa and signaled for Yu Li to lie down on the long sofa to sleep.

Yu Li reached out and pulled Li Xuewu's hand, then lay down with her clothes on.

"Ring, ring, ring~"

"Scared me!"

She had just lain down when she was startled by the telephone ringing.

"Hello?"

Li Xuewu was afraid of scaring the child in the room again, so he quickly picked up the phone.

"It's me."

Li Huai De rubbed his eyebrows and said, "It's almost two o'clock, call it off."

"Leader..."

"I know."

Li Huai De was also sitting at his desk, exhausted, holding the phone and saying, "Write a report tomorrow, saying the field drill was fruitful and exercised the team's emergency response capabilities."

Li Xuewu understood; Li Huai De was taking the initiative to clean up his mess.

It must be that the commotion at the steel mill was too big and had reached the ears of the leaders.

He also wanted to control the impact, but how could he control this kind of thing?

"Understood."

Li Huai De was doing this for his own good; he had to give him this face and couldn't go against him.

"Good, don't act on impulse."

Li Huai De instructed, "This matter has the name of a drill, so no one can say anything. Just continue with your work as usual."

"Understood, Leader."

"Hmm, that's all."

Li Xuewu looked at the phone and then put it down.

Li Huai De's words had a hidden meaning; it seemed the impact this time was indeed very large.

Being able to let Li Huai De take the initiative to clean up his mess, and even saying comforting words to him.

It seemed that if this earthquake didn't come, his days at the steel mill wouldn't be easy.

But even so, Li Xuewu wasn't very afraid.

One, as Li Huai De said, he had the righteousness of a drill, so what could they do to him?

Two, everything he did today was for the safety of everyone.

Out of public interest, at most someone would criticize him for being overly anxious, but what else could they say?

He didn't spread this speculation privately; even if he did, it was controlled within the courtyard.

Looking at Yu Li's worried eyes, Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Justice lies in the hearts of the people."

"Doing your best is enough."

Yu Li looked at Li Xuewu, her eyes full of trust and support.

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Ring, ring, ring~"

"Hello?"

"Section Chief, it's me, Han Yating."

Han Yating hesitated and reported, "Just now, several factory leaders called to ask about the Security Section's drill, saying to end it as soon as possible and not to disturb production."

"Hmm."

Li Xuewu held the phone, squinting his eyes, and said, "Ignore them, continue the drill. We'll talk when it's dawn."

"But..."

"Listen to me!"

Li Xuewu said seriously, "I'm in charge of the Security Section now."

"The leaders don't mean a damn thing. If anyone calls the Security Section directly again, you tell them that the Security Section's Deputy Section Chief's phone is still connected!"

"Yes, guarantee to complete the mission!"

Han Yating replied to Li Xuewu with strength and then hung up the phone.

Li Xuewu frowned and gently put the phone back.

Yu Li sat up and went to the bathroom to refill the hot water for Li Xuewu's tea cup.

She brought it back, placed it beside Li Xuewu, and began to knead his shoulders.

"You've been tired all day, lie down."

Li Xuewu knew Yu Li couldn't sleep at this moment, but he still didn't want her to be tired.

Yu Li shook her head and continued kneading from behind the sofa.

"You get some sleep, I'll call you if anything happens."

"Heh."

Li Xuewu closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa, saying, "How could I sleep?"

He had long expected that there would be a backlash.

The factory was now full of undercurrents; the existing leaders couldn't get along, and the new ones weren't honest people either.

Now that he was openly close to Li Huai De, his strong personality was bound to make these leaders wary.

Today, who knows how many leaders thought this was an opportunity.

He wouldn't dare say they were sharpening their knives, but there would definitely be plenty of knives in the dark.

Even Li Huai De was more disappointed in him tonight, just that he didn't say it clearly.

This is the political ecosystem; once someone's thoughts or actions exceed the norm, it will inevitably break the balance and lead to a struggle for power.

And now was the time for the preparation of the joint enterprise, and how many people were eyeing the little bit of power in his hands.

In front of mad dogs, even a little bit of breadcrumbs would attract a frenzy.

It didn't matter; Li Xuewu wasn't afraid of these mad dogs' attacks anymore.

Because his wings were full, he had guns and people in his hands; who dared to bare their teeth at him?

He could pull Fu Bin down, and he could pull down another one.

If you can't hold your rice bowl, then I'll smash your pot.

Bai Bai Xiyuan, North Warehouse.

The two uncles stood by the window, watching the changing weather outside, and had been on guard all night.

This night had kept many people like Li Xuewu awake.

Looking at the pitch-black sky outside, this was the darkness before dawn, and also the darkest time of the day.

Perhaps it was the strong wind last night, but the sky this morning felt even more oppressive.

Li Huai De was snoring, dreaming of northern scenery and exotic customs.

Zheng Fuhua was sitting in the branch station's duty room, looking at the clock on the wall and smoking.

Director Wang stood by the office window with her arms crossed, worrying about her godson.

People in the steel mill workshops and duty rooms who were annoyed by the Security Section's tossing and turning were on the verge of losing their tempers.

The team members at the Red Star training ground who hadn't slept all night were still silently waiting for orders.

People in the North Warehouse in the Bai Bai Xiyuan were mostly awake, with more people huddled together sleeping.

People who had returned home were still fast asleep, dreaming and laughing at Li Xuewu, laughing at the First and Third Uncles, and laughing at the neighbors squatting in the North Warehouse.

Li Shun in the backyard had already woken up and was sitting on the sofa with his son in silence.

After waking up in the second half of the night, Li Shun saw Yu Li sleeping on the sofa and his son sitting in the single sofa smoking.

Hearing the movement, Yu Li woke up, and Li Shun told her to go to the inner room to sleep, while he stayed to accompany his son.

He glanced at his son who hadn't slept all night; there were already bloodshot eyes.

He knew his son was kind-hearted, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to notify the First Uncle.

Neither father nor son spoke, just waiting.

It seemed like an earthquake wasn't scary; Li Shun actually hoped it would come, so his son wouldn't be embarrassed.

But when he looked up and saw the time on the wall slowly turning to 5:20, he knew dawn was coming, and his son's pressure was increasing.

This time, maybe no one would say anything to his face, but anything could be said behind his back.

"Squeak~"

As the sound of the door opening rang out, Yu Li walked out.

Her energy wasn't very high at this moment, but she said while tidying her hair, "It's past five, time to get up and cook."

Li Xuewu raised his head to look at Yu Li and then nodded, saying, "Go ahead."

"Good."

Yu Li glanced at Li Shun and didn't say much.

Perhaps just waking up, she felt a bit cold, rubbed her arms, put on her cotton-padded jacket, and went out.

At this moment, there were sounds in the courtyard; some were women getting up early to cook, and some were neighbors who hadn't slept well and were walking home yawning.

As soon as Yu Li reached the moon gate, she heard people gossiping.

"Still earthquake, the sky is about to dawn, heh."

"Waited all night for nothing~"

"Don't know..."

"Shh!"

Yu Li walked into the middle courtyard and bumped into the neighbors.

The lights were still on, and she saw who was gossiping.

"Sister Seven, getting up to cook?"

"Ah, yes, you just got up too?"

"Hmm."

Yu Li replied and headed toward the front.

This family was the Wang Laoqi family living in the gatehouse auxiliary room; the ones gossiping were this couple.

They were the ones who lost their pot last time.

Seeing Yu Li walk by, Wang Laoqi nudged his wife and said, "Didn't you see her coming? Why are you talking nonsense?"

"You were the one talking too."

"But I didn't say it to her face!"

Yu Li walked to the gatehouse door and saw the old men and women coming out of the gatehouse and walking home, none of them had good expressions.

There was no false alarm; more of it was...

"Yo, you're not hiding anymore?"

Qin Laoer Aunt was also getting up early to cook. She was carrying an ash bucket and had just returned from the gate. She started her cold sarcasm mode.

She had caught them today. She had scolded everyone returning from the Bai Bai Xiyuan and the gatehouse.

She hadn't slept all night; she knew how scared she was, so she was just as rampant now.

"The child's father said it too; this earthquake doesn't wrong people. If we don't do anything shameful, do we still need to worry about natural disasters?"

This sentence was like a stick hitting a whole area.

"Watch your mouth!"

The Deaf Old Lady was being helped by Yushui as she walked into the courtyard and said to the Second Aunt, "Don't treat good intentions as a donkey's liver and lungs. Speaking with a guilty conscience won't work; you'll be struck by lightning!"

Qin Laoer Aunt curled her lips, glanced at the First and Third Uncles who had walked in, and didn't dare to talk back.

In this courtyard, the Second Aunt dared to confront anyone, except the Old Lady.

As people walked home one after another, as people grumbled and sneezed, as people cast strange looks at the Li family...

The time on the clock slowly reached 5:29.

"Boom!"

"Boom-rumble~ rumble~"

"Crack!"

"Ah!"

"Mom! Wuwu! Mom~"

Following a muffled sound from underground, there was a violent shaking.

The ash from the cigarette Li Xuewu was holding fell off.

Hearing that something was wrong, Li Xuewu ran into the room, ignoring the shaking, ran to the kang, grabbed his daughter, grabbed the old lady, and ran out.

Because only they were on the kang, Liu Yin and Li Xue had already gotten up and were washing up in the living room, about to go home to cook.

By the time Li Xuewu stood in the courtyard holding the crying Li Shu and the old lady, the ground had stopped shaking, but the sky had changed.

The wind that had started blowing at some point last night suddenly picked up, and it was a gale.

It blew so hard that Li Xuewu couldn't even open his eyes.

And it started snowing in the sky; the snowflakes drifted wildly in the wind like catkins.

The lights in the courtyard and the house flickered and went out.

"Dad!"

"I'm here."

Hearing his son's call, Li Shun replied immediately.

Li Xuewu heard his father's voice and turned back to find his mother and little sister, only to see his father hugging two figures standing behind him.

"Mom!"

"Mom is here!"

Liu Yin replied to her son, suppressing her fear.

She was fine, but Li Xue was terrified and was crying while hugging her father.

Li Xuewu hadn't had time to look at Li Shu and the old lady in his arms, but he heard a series of sounds: "Clang!", "Ah!", "Crash!" coming from the direction of the Second Uncle's house.

Everything came so suddenly, yet so naturally.

In that moment of wind and snow, the world plunged into darkness.

Li Huai De and his wife were shivering under the bed, listening to the sound of furniture and decorations falling and breaking in the room, too late to feel heartache.

Feeling the shaking of the building, Li Huai De was terrified.

Accurate!

Too accurate!

He suddenly remembered Li Xuewu's words. This kid didn't seem to have suffered any losses since joining the factory.

The reason he didn't suffer losses was that this kid didn't seem to have spoken nonsense.

This time he called so proactively, saying he wasn't sure, but already...

The earthquake had happened.

Zheng Fuhua was smoking, trying to clear his head in a daze.

But the sudden shaking made him lose his balance and fall to the ground.

"It really came!"

Zheng Fuhua gritted his teeth and climbed up. When he went to grab the phone, the light suddenly went out.

"Damn!"

Zheng Fuhua stared at the pitch-black window outside; things seemed to have become serious.

It was indeed quite serious. The courtyard wall of the street office's rear building had collapsed, and the warehouse building where things were stored had also collapsed.

Fortunately, no one was in the back at night, otherwise, there would have been danger.

Because the backyard was where the kitchen and data room were, people walked back and forth every day.

If they had been crushed inside, they would have been buried with the artifacts.

Don't look at Shen Fang saying they were all "artifacts"; look at the street office, they really had artifacts.

But now they were all buried underneath.

Director Wang was braving the wind and snow, leading people to check the losses in the courtyard.

Only a few people were on duty tonight, and now everyone who could be used was being used.

Li Huai De could think of Li Xuewu, Zheng Fuhua could think of Li Xuewu, but Li Xuewu's godmother didn't have time to think of him now.

Because after checking the street office, she had to take action immediately to check the losses in various areas and courtyards of the street.

Li Xuewu felt no joy or celebration in his heart, only the trembling of disaster.

He didn't have time to see what had happened; he hugged Li Shu and the old lady and went back into the room.

"Grandma, are you okay?"

Li Xuewu placed the old lady at the entryway and let her put on her shoes, while he hugged Li Shu in his arms.

He had run so fast that he didn't know how he had picked them both up, nor did he remember how he had run out.

By the time he reacted, he was already in the courtyard.

Now looking at the old lady's blurry figure, he was afraid he had hurt her in his haste.

"I'm fine, give me the child."

The old lady felt for her shoes in the dark, threw Li Shun's and the others' shoes out, and then wanted to take the child from Li Xuewu's arms.

Li Xuewu touched his daughter's forehead. Li Shu had been sleeping soundly, and being startled like that and catching a chill, he was afraid she would get sick.

"Grandma, you wait for me at the entryway, I'll go get the quilt and clothes."

Li Xuewu handed the child to the old lady and went into the inner room to get their cotton-padded jackets.

He also wrapped his daughter in a small quilt.

Although snow was drifting and wind was blowing outside, none of them dared to enter the room.

During the earthquake just now, they had all heard the creaking of the house.

After putting on their cotton-padded jackets with a flashlight, Li Xuewu told his mother to take Li Xue, protect the old lady and Li Shu, and wait at the entryway door.

He took a flashlight and walked toward the Second Uncle's house.

Li Shun had gone there as soon as he put on his clothes because someone was lying at the door.

This person was none other than the Second Uncle, Liu Haizhong.

He had woken up before the earthquake and was lying in bed thinking about how to mock the First Uncle and Li Xuewu, when the earthquake suddenly came.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were still in bed in their autumn clothes, not knowing what had happened, when he ran out first.

It was a coincidence that he tripped over the threshold while running out in a panic.

What was even more coincidental was that the tiles on the eaves fell off, and more than a dozen old tiles smashed directly onto his head and body.

By the time Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu reacted, the earthquake had stopped.

They looked blankly into the pitch-black room and exchanged glances in the night.

They didn't know if they had seen what the other meant.

But perhaps they had, because they both started putting on their clothes in the dark.

By the time they stumbled out, because the power was out and it was dark, they didn't notice at all that their father had fainted at the door.

It wasn't until Li Xuewu came out with a flashlight and shone it on them that they discovered someone squatting at the door and someone lying down.

The one lying down was their father, and the one squatting was Li Xuewu's father.

"Dad, is something wrong?"

"I don't know, he was smashed on the head and lost quite a bit of blood."

Li Shun briefly checked Liu Haizhong's injuries, made a judgment, and began to clear the fragments from his body.

Li Xuewu patted Liu Guangtian, who was already scared silly, and said, "Carry your father to the Bai Bai Xiyuan warehouse."

Li Shun went there as soon as he was dressed, because someone was lying at the door.

This person was none other than the Second Master, Liu Haizhong.

He woke up before the earthquake and was thinking about how to mock the First Master and Li Xuewu in a while, but didn't expect the earthquake to come suddenly.

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu were still in bed in their autumn clothes, not knowing what had happened, when he ran out first.

It was a coincidence; he was tripped by the threshold when he ran out of the door in a panic.

Coincidentally, the tiles on the eaves fell off, and more than a dozen old tiles smashed directly onto his head and body.

By the time Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu reacted, the earthquake had already stopped.

They looked blankly into the pitch-black room, and the two brothers looked at each other in the night.

I don't know if the two of them saw each other's meaning.

But perhaps they did, because the two brothers started getting dressed in the dark.

By the time they stumbled out, because of the power outage and the darkness, they didn't notice at all that their father had already fainted at the door.

It was Li Xuewu who took a flashlight out and shone it on their father that they discovered someone was squatting and someone was lying at the door.

The one lying down was their father, and the one squatting was Li Xuewu's father.

"Dad, is there anything wrong?"

"Don't know, it smashed on his head, and a lot of blood came out."

Li Shun simply checked Liu Haizhong's injury and began to clear the fragments from Liu Haizhong's body.

Li Xuewu patted Liu Guangtian, who was already scared silly, and said, "Carry your father to the warehouse in the west courtyard."