0p0 Chapter 264 Suffering and Hope
Chapter 264 Suffering and Hope
"Sister Bai... I'm so cold... How much longer do we have to walk?"
Amidst the wind and snow, 500,000 people from Kangcheng formed long queues and migrated south.
In the "Bai Yutang" folk organization established by the two Bai sisters, a little girl, not very old, struggled to move her short legs and trembled as she spoke.
Hearing this, Bai Jin shook her head and put her hand into the little girl's cotton sleeve, using her body heat to drive away the cold.
She didn't know how long this migration would take.
As an evolved being with non-combat abilities, Bai Jin was in the middle of the group, protected, along with the elderly and children.
Bai Jue, who can transform and whose combat abilities are among the best in Kangcheng, led the way at the very front of the group.
A snow depth of several tens of centimeters is not an exaggeration for the snow-covered mountains of Northeast China.
In the past, Kangcheng could use various engineering tools to level and clear snow.
However, Kangcheng currently has few usable vehicles, lacks fuel, and still needs to transport important supplies.
Therefore, the heavy responsibility of clearing the way fell on the shoulders of the evolved beings.
With the evolved beings leading the way, even little girls as young as a few years old could barely keep up with the pace of the main force due to their weak physical abilities.
Otherwise, the thick snow layer, reaching knee-deep in adults, would exhaust such children after walking only a kilometer at most.
According to Professor Liu's prediction, they would have to migrate at least several hundred kilometers south to escape the severe cold.
Therefore, without evolved beings clearing the way, many people would definitely die on the migration route.
Even though the Kangcheng government, led by Qin Changyi, had done its best to consider the needs of most of the Kangcheng residents, this migration was still incredibly difficult for many.
The uneven mountain road, the cold air, and the howling wind felt like knives cutting into their faces.
Especially for children, while moving around can warm them up, the significant energy expenditure also means they can't keep it up for long.
To take care of them, the main force would stop every two and a half hours.
Strong adult men gathered dry firewood and branches nearby, while the women collected the freshly fallen snow in bottles and jars, melted and boiled it over the campfire, and everyone gathered around the fire to keep warm.
Once everyone has warmed up and the hot water has been stored, we can set off on our journey.
When it's too cold on the road, a sip of hot water that scalds your tongue is a great comfort.
Moreover, carrying it in your pocket on the road can ward off the cold for a while.
"Attention everyone! Set up camp here! We'll spend the night here! Those on night watch, stay alert!"
At this moment, the voice came from the very front of the main force, repeating itself over and over, and carrying towards the rear of the column.
At the very back of the group, there was a group of powerful evolved beings, holding the rear for the team.
In the middle of the team, there are also many evolved beings stationed to ensure that any area can be defended against an emergency at the first moment.
If it weren't for the heavy snow, the group could have been even more compact.
However, opening up snowy roads is also a rather strenuous task for evolved beings.
The wider the road, the greater the physical and spiritual energy consumption for the evolved beings.
Therefore, they could only proceed south in a long, single-line formation, only a few meters wide.
"Great!"
Upon hearing the order to set up camp on the spot, many people breathed a sigh of relief.
That day, I walked a full fifty kilometers.
If there were no severe cold weather, it wouldn't be too difficult for ordinary people whose physical condition has improved considerably.
But in the freezing weather, every half hour of walking was an ordeal.
To maintain body temperature, the kettle we boiled during our last temporary stay has already run out of water.
If we don't stop, many people are in danger of freezing to death.
Before long, everyone worked together to light the campfire, and they gathered around it in circles to dispel the chill that had accumulated earlier.
Knowing they would be stationed here tonight, everyone relaxed considerably.
Many people took out the food they had brought and put it in a small pot to cook.
On Bai Jin's side, many women set up large pots, preparing to cook a pot of meat soup.
Because Bai Yutang has too many children, most of whom are not yet able to cook for themselves, meals are cooked in large batches here.
The children were very sensible; they thanked the uncles who gave them firewood and added it to the campfire.
"Xiao Su, what are you doing?"
At that moment, Bai Jue's voice rang out from beside the campfire.
Tonight, we'll camp here and rest. Bai Jue, as the vanguard, doesn't need to stay at the head of the group; he can return to his own side to rest.
"Sister Xiaobai, I'm offering incense to the big tiger!"
Upon hearing Bai Jue's question, the little girl answered earnestly.
On the ground in front of her was a small wooden tiger sculpture, no bigger than a thumb, that looked somewhat abstract.
It's clear that she sculpted it herself.
In her hand were grass stems that she had torn off from the roadside.
Before the food was cooked, she brought the grass stalks to the campfire, lit one end, and then stuck them into the snowdrift in front of the wooden tiger sculpture.
"Offering incense to a big tiger? Who taught you that?"
Upon seeing this, Bai Jue's expression became somewhat unnatural.
Originally, during the discussions before the migration, Yichen had proposed to ask for the help of Cangnian's family.
But after some discussion, everyone decided to abandon this plan.
It's not that I don't trust the Cangnian family's friendliness, but I'm afraid they might harm the people of Kangcheng.
Rather, Kangcheng simply didn't have anything that could persuade Cangnian's family to come.
Whether it was killing the queen insect or dealing with the monks of Chanlan Temple, these were all actions taken by the Cangnian family, either to protect themselves or to help Kangcheng for their own benefit.
Now, having the Cangnian family help with the Kangcheng relocation is not only a burden but also a source of trouble for them.
What makes Kangcheng stand out?
Therefore, after some discussion, the final decision was not to disturb Cangnian's family.
Otherwise, such an overbearing behavior would definitely ruin all the goodwill that the Cang Nian family had for Kang Cheng.
This is not the point.
The key point is that once goodwill has been completely lost, the Cang Nian family will most likely not agree to Kang Cheng's unreasonable request.
After Bai Jue understood, he also felt that if he were in Cang Nian's position, he would have no reason to help Kang Cheng.
Therefore, she had long since given up hope.
As it turned out, the children she knew were offering incense to the elderly, and she was unsure how to react.
"I heard from my uncles and aunts that tigers are pure yang in nature and are not afraid of the cold!"
So, I hope I can be like a tiger, not afraid of the cold either!
However, the little girl answered Bai Jue's question very seriously.
Upon hearing this, Bai Jue couldn't help but look around.
Before each bonfire, instead of people being busy, many were lighting grass stems, sticking them in the ground, closing their eyes, and muttering something.
Even though some of them had small tiger statues, and others had nothing at all, they simply lit incense and closed their eyes to pray.
The inescapable suffering makes people yearn for a better life.
And the yearning for a better life often has something to hold onto.
Now, people suffering during the Great Migration subconsciously pray to the most powerful beings in their minds.
Boom boom boom...
But at that moment, the ground trembled, and something was rushing in from the north to the south!