Chapter 53: Chapter 52: Battle and Decision 「June 13th, morning.」
Guan Tong was clearing the snow on the path with a folding shovel, while the little girl, Chen Na, stood not far ahead.
Over the past few days, she and her mother, Wang Yan, had gotten to know Guan Tong. Just yesterday, they had traded food; Wang Yan had exchanged a carton of milk for a bag of Guan Tong’s cookies.
"Brother Guan Tong, do you have to shovel snow every day?" Chen Na asked, squatting on the snowbank to the left of the path and looking down at the busy Guan Tong.
Nearly half a month had passed, and the snow piled on both sides of the path was now over half a person tall. When Guan Tong stood up straight in the path, the snowbanks on either side came up to his waist.
"Yes, I have to shovel every day," Guan Tong said. "If I just leave it, it’ll pile up so much that I won’t be able to get out of my camp."
"Ohh~"
"Nana." Wang Yan’s voice came from nearby. Chen Na called back in reply and ran over.
Not long after, Wang Yan walked over with a small shovel. "Guan," she said to Guan Tong, "let me help you shovel."
Guan Tong quickly replied, "That’s okay, Wang. I can manage on my own."
Wang Yan smiled. "It’s no problem. I’ve finished clearing the snow by my car, and I’m just idle otherwise. Really, Guan, don’t stand on ceremony."
A grateful smile appeared on Guan Tong’s face. "Alright then. Thanks, Wang."
With Wang Yan’s help, clearing the snow from the path went much faster.
After the two of them had been working for a while, Chen Na came over to help too. The three of them chatted as they worked.
"Guan, have you been online the last few days? A lot of cities have had their water cut off and electricity rationed. So many apartment buildings and malls have collapsed under the snow. I’ve seen tons of videos of the collapses. I can’t imagine how many people were killed. It’s absolutely terrifying."
"I haven’t really looked," Guan Tong said.
Ever since coming to Mingdao Mountain, he’d barely looked at his phone.
Partly to save power, and partly because he felt there wasn’t anything worth seeing.
Just like Wang said, the internet was filled with nothing but news about the disaster situations in various places.
Guan Tong had no desire to see any of it. Watching would only depress him, so it was better not to look at all.
Wang Yan said, "It sounds like even Yong’an got hit hard this time. And that’s the Capital, you know."
"The Capital has the largest population in the country, so I suppose the snowfall would be heaviest there," Guan Tong said.
"That makes sense. Still, I think we have to go to the Capital. No other place compares. Think about it—all the important people live there. When other rules come, it’s bound to be the safest place."
Wang Yan’s tone was resolute. Guan Tong heard this and asked, "So, from the sound of it, Wang, you’re planning to take Na to Yong’an later on?"
Wang Yan nodded. "I made up my mind before I even left my village. As soon as this snow disaster rule is over, I’m taking my daughter and driving my truck along the national highway to the Capital."
Guan Tong thought for a moment. "But I heard that the program for free housing applications in the Capital has been suspended. After this disaster, a lot of buildings will probably have collapsed, making the housing situation even more dire. Wang, aren’t you worried you and Na will have nowhere to live if you go?"
Wang Yan laughed. "Listen to you. It’s the Capital, a huge city! You think there won’t be a place for me and my girl? Worst case, we can just sleep in the truck. As long as we can get a foothold and I can get my daughter into a school in the Capital, I can rest easy."
"Mama!"
Just then, Chen Na, who was further up the path, suddenly cried out, drawing the attention of both Wang Yan and Guan Tong.
Wang Yan immediately ran over, scooping up her terrified daughter. "What’s wrong, Nana?!" she asked urgently.
"There’s... there’s something coming down the mountain!" Chen Na said, terrified. "It’s really, really fast!"
’What?’
Hearing this, Guan Tong scrambled out of the path and onto the snowbank. He stood up and scanned the slopes of Mingdao Mountain, but saw nothing.
He shouted, "Na, where’s the thing you saw?"
"I... I didn’t see it..."
Guan Tong froze. But Wang Yan spoke quickly, "Guan, my daughter can sense things moving nearby! If she says something’s there, it’s there!"
’Sense things moving nearby? Is that an ability from some kind of Psychic Power item?’
Just as Guan Tong was thinking this, he suddenly spotted a black shape hurtling down the mountain. He focused his gaze and instantly recognized it.
"It’s a wild boar!"
"Quick, Guan!" Wang Yan’s expression changed dramatically. She immediately hugged her daughter and ran toward her truck. "Get in the truck with us and hide!"
"Right!"
Guan Tong started to follow Wang Yan, but after just a few steps, he abruptly stopped and whipped his head around.
The wild boar, having descended the mountain, was charging straight for his camp!
’All my supplies are in the camp! If that boar ruins them, what am I going to do for the next two-plus weeks? Live off Wang Yan? Sleep in her truck? But what if she doesn’t have enough food for all of us?’
’No way!’
Guan Tong couldn’t bear the thought of the camp he’d spent half a month painstakingly building being destroyed by a wild boar. He gritted his teeth, spun around, and ran back toward it.
By now, Wang Yan had gotten into the truck with her daughter, Chen Na. When she saw Guan Tong running toward the boar, she paled with fright, thinking it was too dangerous. "Guan! Guan!" she screamed.
Guan Tong heard her shouts, but his mind was made up.
’Besides, it’s not like I’m completely helpless against one wild boar. If I can make good use of the path I’ve cleared, and with Shadow’s help... I can win!’
Guan Tong ran along the top of the snowbank and back to his camp. Sure enough, the wild boar was there, rooting through his food-filled backpack with a series of grunts and squeals.