Since winter was too long, Wen Qian found herself preoccupied with housekeeping chores, the most tedious of which was cleaning.
The stainless steel surface of the heater table was wiped spotlessly clean, free of any dust or grease, and the drawer underneath that held the ashes was regularly pulled out and emptied.
As for the bedding, the blankets were neatly folded, the sheets unwrinkled, and even the dolls placed atop sat upright.
Any home of a person fond of cleanliness should look the same, pleasing to the eye.
The prerequisite, of course, was having the good habit of keeping things in their proper place, and enough time for cleaning.
The tidy state of the home was a winter-exclusive treat; when spring arrived and Wen Qian became busy with crop planting, a different scene would unfold.
Fortunately, she usually put things back where they belonged, so at most the house would just gather some dust, not become a total mess.
Back when she shared accommodations, she had seen roommates who would leave items strewn about, until over time chairs, sofas, tables, and cabinets were crammed full without an empty spot.
This was one reason she later wanted to buy a house and have her own home, where she could keep things as she pleased without having to tolerate others' messes.
Though she never did buy a house, living alone in Xia Province was in some ways not too different from the life she had envisioned after owning a home, save for being a farmer instead of an office worker.
In the freezing winter, water for laundry had to be preheated first, and after washing, each item had to be carefully wrung out and hung indoors to dry - going outside would just freeze the clothes solid, no telling when they might become wearable again.
Indoor temperature and humidity also required careful control, as prolonged exposure to improper conditions could harm the skin and respiratory system.
The indoor thermometer with hygrometer that Wen Qian had bought earlier came in very handy, as did the heaters she was glad to have purchased several of.
After sorting and classifying the grains, Wen Qian made some candied fruits and hawthorn balls, preparing extra batches wrapped in plastic wrap to enjoy later as desired.
The candied fruits used water and rock sugar, while the hawthorn balls used water and white sugar - fortunately, she had stocked up on plenty of sugar, which she could still use despite current scarcity.
Once done, she placed the finished products by the window and admired them with satisfaction over a cup of lotus leaf tea.
Her former self would never have spent so much time and effort on such laborious treats.
Now, she mused that her newfound handicraft skills could fetch a decent income if she had set up a stall in the past - far more lucrative than office work.
The pity was that despite having the skills, she lacked the materials to put them to full use; money was useless now that those times of being able to purchase goods had become but a wistful memory.
These days, people seemed to use something akin to the old ration coupons from the past.
A kettle sat on the heater, keeping water warm for Wen Qian's daily grooming, while drinking water was boiled separately and stored in a thermos.
She had even stocked up on spare thermos inserts, ensuring a steady supply of hot water - a welcome convenience.
Wen Qian had previously stored ice and snow, intending to use it for cooling in summer, never imagining the years of unending winter that lay ahead.
Well, it could serve as water storage too, so she just kept stockpiling it for whatever uses might arise.
After her break, Wen Qian added water to the utensils from earlier sugar work.
The pots and spoons still had sticky sugar residue, which dissolved to make sugar water; she poured this into bowls and covered them, to be used for making fruit tea later - not a single drop would go to waste.
Xia Province didn't see snowfall every day, but winter winds were indeed fierce; standing outside the compound walls, Wen Qian sometimes felt the gusts pushing against her.
With no real need to go out and risk catching a cold, she chose to just stay indoors.
These were hard times, best to avoid sickness and new children, neither of which could be afforded.
Even on snowless days, residual snow remained unmelted while winds continued to blow intermittently.
At most, Wen Qian would take a turn around the compound walls or make a brief scan of the surroundings through her telescope, spending the rest of her time indoors.
After birds came to eat the crops during the last harvest, this winter Wen Qian planned to weave larger nets from the twine she had previously bought, to better protect her fields from feathered thieves.
Birdcatching nets differed from fishing nets in material, shape, and mesh size, but the weaving principles were similar - she could follow the detailed instructions and examples in her books after some trial and error.
Her previous purchases included all sorts of ropes and twines of varying thickness and material, so she had ample supplies.
Whenever she saw netting, Wen Qian wondered if coastal dwellers might be faring better due to the abundance of seafood.
Yet even marine life was suffering; volcanic ash and aerosols blocked sunlight, causing the terrestrial ecosystem to basically collapse, while acid rain eventually flowed into the oceans, imperiling sea creatures as well.
The persistent cold and lack of sunlight stunted algal growth, leading to oxygen depletion and malnutrition that killed off many fish in lakes and aquaculture farms.
No place seemed to have been spared.
Initially the coastal regions could still rely on seafood, but eventually energy constraints would prevent them from venturing out too far to fish.
Over the radio, Wen Qian heard scarce reports about death tolls overseas - deaths from starvation, the super virus, or even heat weapons.
Food scarcity fueled more and more conflicts, and the once carefully controlled weapons proliferated unchecked across regions.
In clashes over land and rations, or even due to simple psychological breakdowns, anyone who knew how to operate a weapon could inflict casualties.
Wen Qian used to hear people say living alone risked dying unnoticed, while living around others risked dying by others' hands - that was exactly the current situation.
Another news report she heard over the radio filled her with even greater trepidation.
