Chapter 949: Hard Times
She followed the Sea River water and floated here. Perhaps she was really delivered from a great danger and escaped death. She unconsciously got caught by a log of wood and the desire to survive let her hang onto this big piece of wood. Then she floated along the Sea River for an unknown period of time and was finally picked up by the people here. When they stumbled upon her, the bones in her leg were broken and her face was also lacerated. Her entire person was soaked till she was almost beyond recognition. Later, these kind-hearted people let her stay in the village and the rural doctor in the village gave treatment on her leg. However, the conditions here were too backward after all. A few months later, when she could walk again, her leg had become this way. The rural doctor said, if she could seek help in those big hospitals outside, then it might still recover. It was just that now with the weather, the heavy snowfall would definitely seal off the mountains. She would certainly be courting death if she wanted to go out.
She still had injuries and had no money as well so she basically could not get out of the mountains at all. As a result, she had to wait for the chance.
She had to wait until someone turned up here from the outside. Then maybe the person could bring her out.
But she asked when someone would actually come into the mountains.
And the people in the village did not know. It might be a few batches of people that will come in a few months. These people would come here to give assistance to the poor. It was also possible that no one would come here for a year and a half.
Nevertheless, even though they did not know when those people would come, with the current season, the winter season in the mountains was very cold and the roads in the winter within the mountains were not too good to travel on, so it was not possible for anyone to come in at this time. It certainly meant that it was even more unlikely that anyone could get out at this time.
Wintertime in the mountains was extremely dangerous.
If it was not handled properly, it would be a matter of losing one’s life.
Although it was said that Yan Huan had once acted in a film shot in the mountains and gotten frostbite on her frozen hands, it was not like how it was now, being frozen to such a degree.
They were short of food and clothing in the mountains. Everyone was basically self-sufficient. The thing that the people in the village looked forward to the most was when the electricity would be connected. However, their area was just too remote, and the power poles could not be installed here.
Yan Hua once again walked laboriously forward, with one foot deep and the other foot shallow as she stepped on the thick heavy snow-covered ground.
As soon as her foot reached in, the snow almost got into her shoes. She gritted her teeth. Even if that was the case, she still walked forward planting one foot after another.
She picked up a branch from the ground and held it in her arms. Then she continued to walk. She hoped to pick up more branches, so that there would be firewood to burn at night and she would also suffer less.
Wintertime in the mountains was long, and it was only December now. It was possible that she was going to have to endure three months here.
In fact, three months were not that long. It was true that it was not long. It was only 90 days. From when she first got here and was in a coma, until she could not move nor speak and eventually she was lame in one leg with a disfigured face. And up until now she had already spent nearly half a year here. Although she suffered a lot and it was cold here, she was still alive when all was said and done. Compared to death and dying through dubious causes, she wanted to live, even if she had to suffer a lot of hardships to survive.
She came back with a bundle of firewood, leaving behind her a series of echoes from her footsteps. She only felt a little better after she closed the door. The broken door and windows managed to isolate that layer of cold air from the outside. She patted the snow from her body. Then she walked toward the stove and began to light a fire with her trembling fingers. When the people here made a fire, they all used matches which were sent up by the people below the mountains. The village chief kindly gave her a few boxes, which she used sparingly.
She was afraid that there would not be more once they ran out. After all, she was not one of the people from the village. So, no matter what, she could not be like the other villagers and able to receive the village subsidies. Besides, the lives of the other people in the village were not much better.
Everyone was poor and suffered hardships. Their lives were difficult as well.
With her fingers trembling, she used her almost frozen fingers to light a match and carefully build the fire. It was fortunate that she had learnt some things during her time acting in films in the past. Even though she was acting, it was still necessary to prepare herself. Just like making a fire, she could not create a fake fire, so her skill at starting a fire was quite good. She did not waste too many matches.
She had counted all these matches one by one. One match was to be used for each day. If she was lucky, maybe this fire could last for several days, which could let her boil some hot water, and then to make something for her to eat.
She just had to work harder to pick up more firewood.
On top of the stove was a small broken pot. The water in the pot was boiling and she took a small jar from one side. After she opened it, she put her hand into it and grabbed a small handful of rice from the inside which she put in the pot. She did not wash the rice grains as the water for washing the rice might wash away a lot of the grains till there was nothing.
Anyway, she was rough and hardened. She would not die from eating the food.
The only thing was when she held up that small jar and gave the jar a shake, there was not much rice left inside. The rice given to her was collected from the people in the village each contributing a little. But she really did not know with the little rice she had, whether she could see the winter through. She grabbed a little each day and did not know if she would have enough to last her for 90 days. She could only save all she could.
As long as the weather improved and the snow melted, then she could go down the mountains. Once she got down from the mountains, she could go home.
The water in the pot was gurgling as it boiled. Soon after, she could smell the aroma of the rice. She could not help but swallow her saliva, because she was really too hungry. She could only eat one meal a day and it consisted mainly of drinking the watery broth. She was really starving. In the past, she was still picky about food. She did not eat this nor eat that. Lu Yi was always cajoling and tricking her to get her to eat more. Now that she recalled it, she just wanted to give herself a slap.
Why did she not eat those good food? Why did she waste them? Why was she so picky about food? Why did she turn a blind eye? Whenever she thought of it now, she would feel the pain in her heart.
She only had this small pot, waiting for the rice to be cooked and anticipating the meal.
The small pot was not big and the rice in the pot was not much. A small handful of rice and a small pot of water was enough for her to eat two meals. Once she finished it, she would have to go out again to pick up some firewood for herself. Otherwise, she might really be frozen to death at night.
And this stove was practically her life saver.
The bowl of rice porridge was so thin that it could almost be watery broth. The rice grains were from the farmer’s own rice fields and the fire was made from real firewood. It might be the most indigenous food she had eaten in her two lifetimes. Although it was only white rice porridge with no other dishes, she felt it was just as delicious and fragrant when she ate it. Maybe it was because she was too hungry.
There were some left in the pot, which she was keeping for herself to have tonight. She would just have to make do tonight and another day would be over.