The snow had been falling for a month before it finally stopped. Fortunately, there was a porch, otherwise the house doors would have been impossible to open by now due to the accumulated snow being higher than a person and the ground being frozen solid.
Chang'an bundled herself up tightly, leaving only her eyes exposed. As she opened the main door, a cold wind rushed into the house, causing her to shiver. She said to Old Gu Six, "Father, the snow has stopped. Let's go and clear the snow off the roof. If it piles up too thickly, it might collapse the cave."
Old Gu Six waved his big hand and grabbed Chang'an by the back of her collar, pulling her back inside. Lazily glancing at the snow accumulated almost two meters high outside, he insisted that Chang'an stay indoors and rest.
"It's freezing out there. Go back to your room, daughter. Chang Le and I will clear the snow. Not only do we need to clear the roof, but also the area in front of the house. Luckily, we've been regularly clearing the donkey shed, otherwise it would have collapsed by now."
Looking at her own short legs and then at the snow outside, Chang'an didn't argue with her father. She knew her own capabilities and didn't want to cause more trouble than help.
She would wait for an opportune time to go out and assist them. But when would that opportune time arise?
Let's watch the snow-clearing progress!
Old Gu Six and Chang Le, one with a hoe and the other with a wooden shovel, seemed to be clearing the snow off the roof without much effort. One shoveled while the other chipped away, working in perfect coordination.
As they cleared the lower snow, the snow from the slope above would slide down. So they simply continued clearing upwards until they reached the spot where trees blocked further progress.
Chang'an went to the shed to feed the donkey with hay and water, adding some firewood to the pit. She had stored a lot of hay in her space, so the donkey had enough to eat and a comfortable place to rest, otherwise it would have starved.
After feeding the donkey, Chang'an noticed that apart from their family, no one else was clearing the snow off their roofs. She frowned slightly, wondering if these people had no common sense at all.
Even though it rarely snowed in the east, or basically never snowed, seeing such a thick layer of snow, any normal person should have thought to clear the roofs, right?
Weren't they afraid of their houses collapsing and burying them inside?
Since these people were following Old Gu Six, she should probably call out to them.
Chang'an climbed onto the thick layer of snow, but immediately sank into it, alarming Old Gu Six. He immediately leapt down from the slope, pulled Chang'an out like plucking a radish, and shook off the snow from her body.
"I told you to stay indoors. Why did you come out and wander around?" he scolded, tapping Chang'an's head. His voice, unlike its usual gentleness, carried a hint of coldness due to his anger.
He could only reprimand her, not discipline her, unable to bear doing so.
If she had been a son, he would have ensured she had a complete childhood.
Old Gu Six carried Chang'an back inside and firmly said, "Stay indoors and don't come out."
Chang'an tugged at his sleeve and urgently said, "Father, call those people out to clear the snow too. It's bound to snow again, and if they don't clear it, it will be dangerous."
"I'll go call them. You stay inside and keep the fire going."
He strode out and bolted the door from the outside. Chang'an heard his voice, sounding helpless, "Father, there's no need for this, is there?"
"There is a need."
His voice faded as he then shouted loudly, "Everyone come out and clear the snow off your roofs!"
His shout startled those who were leisurely warming themselves by the fire, as well as the refugees nearby. Grabbing their tools, they hurried out, fearing that if they were too slow, this fierce man would barge into their homes and beat them.
In an instant, the camp became a bustling hive of activity, with no one shrinking from the cold.
Most children under the age of ten were left indoors by their parents to keep warm, though some parents called their five- or six-year-old daughters out to work alongside them.
Those children belonged to families that strongly favored sons over daughters. In those households, boys around twelve or thirteen years old would comfortably warm themselves indoors while enjoying the various benefits and conveniences provided by their younger sisters.
A shrill, scathing voice rang out from the distance on the right, audible within a five-mile radius.
"You worthless girls, you good-for-nothing brats! Apart from eating, what else can you do? If you don't work properly, get out and stop wasting my food!"
Children love to play by nature. After being cooped up indoors for over a month, upon emerging and seeing the vast expanse of pristine white snow, it was only natural for them to feel joyful and want to play.
However, Grandma Sun couldn't bear to see her granddaughters playing while working, finding their smiles and laughter grating.
As girls, how could they laugh and frolic so unrestrainedly? How would they ever find good in-laws?
Recalling her own youth when she never had the chance to play like this, always hungry and overworked, frequently beaten, and taught by her parents to always prioritize her brothers over herself.
These little brats simply hadn't been beaten enough. Their smiles were irksome, their laughter grating. She went back inside, grabbed a thick wooden stick as thick as a child's arm, and started beating her five- or six-year-old granddaughters without a word.
The two children cried and pleaded, "Grandma, stop hitting us, please stop! We won't play anymore, we promise we won't play!"
Their parents, accustomed to this, remained indifferent as their daughters were beaten.
No one in the camp knew each other, so no one was willing to interfere in another family's affairs. Even if they felt sorry for the children, no one would speak up for justice.
It's not that people's hearts have grown cold, seeing children beaten yet doing nothing to stop it.
But didn't you see that the children's own parents didn't intervene? If their own fathers and mothers don't care, how can you expect outsiders to take pity?
Should we call the Leshan Giant Buddha to come and sit on you?
Every family has its own difficult scriptures to recite. On the road fleeing famine, there were days without certainty of the next. It's better to mind your own family's business first.
Of course, there were a few who couldn't bear to watch, and one of them was Little Ya's Mother. She ran over, angrily snatched the wooden stick from Grandma Sun's hand, and said, "Stop hitting them! If you keep hitting these two little girls, you'll beat them to death! They were just playing in the snow for a bit!"
Little Ya's Mother only had one daughter herself and couldn't stand to see children being bullied, so she instinctively rushed over to stop Grandma Sun.
Grandma Sun's weathered face darkened, her triangular eyes filled with disdain as she looked at the frail Little Ya's Mother. She stretched out her gnarled, branch-like hand and snatched the wooden stick back.
"I'm disciplining my own granddaughter, what business is it of yours, an outsider? Why don't you kindly take these two little brats back and raise them yourself?"
She gave Little Ya's Mother a forceful shove, knocking her down into a pile of snow. Yet the woman did not get back up after falling.
"Useless thing, can't even protect yourself, and you want to play the hero? Know your limits."
Grandma Sun's son, the father of the two little girls, spat out these words dripping with scornful mockery toward Little Ya's Mother.
The girls' actual mother simply acted as if she did not see or hear anything, vigorously continuing with her work.
Little Ya's Father hurried over and helped his wife up. He was truly exhausted -- his wife was stubborn and would never learn, always rushing in to defend others against injustice.
She never considered whether people actually needed her rushing in to defend them. Her kindness was kindness, but she could not discern the situation.
The whole family looked at her like she was a fool. Even the two children regarded her with cold indifference rather than gratitude.
