After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

The next morning, when Chen Dashan woke up, he felt that the room was darker than usual.

He put on his cotton-padded coat, walked to the door, and reached out to push it—the door wouldn't budge. He pushed harder, but still couldn't open it.

"What's wrong?" Su Xiaoyin asked from the kang (a heated brick bed) when she heard the voice.

Chen Dashan frowned: "The door can't be opened; it seems to be blocked by something."

Hearing the commotion, Chen's father came out from the inner room. He walked to the door, peeked out through the crack, and turned back to say, "The snow is too heavy, it's blocking the door. Never mind for now, let's make breakfast, and then we'll figure out how to get out."

Chen's mother was already up and busy in the kitchen. Hearing this, she sighed, "Just how heavy was the snow? It's enough to block the door."

Before long, breakfast was ready: steaming hot multigrain porridge, cornbread, and a dish of pickled vegetables. The family sat around the kang (a heated brick bed) to eat. The four children were still half asleep. Shitou rubbed his eyes and asked, "Dad, can we go out to play in the snow today?"

Chen Dashan shook his head: "We can't get out; we can't even open the door. Grandpa and Dad will clear the snow later, then we'll take you to play."

Mr. Chen took a sip of porridge and said, "Looking outside, it seems like it snowed all night again."

Chen Dashan nodded: "I estimate it will snow even harder in the latter half of the night. Luckily, we cleared the roof several times yesterday, otherwise the roof really wouldn't be able to withstand such thick snow."

Chen's mother said worriedly, "I wonder how the other people in the village are doing. I'm afraid something's going to happen to those old houses."

Mr. Chen didn't speak, but his brows furrowed even more.

---

After breakfast, Mr. Chen and his two sons began to think of a way to go out.

The door opened outwards, but it was blocked by snow and couldn't be pushed open from the inside. Chen Dashan found a wooden stick and poked it through the crack in the door. After poking for a while, he finally managed to create a small gap. Cold wind rushed in through the crack, making him shiver.

The three of them took turns poking with sticks and digging with their hands, finally clearing a small passage through the snow at the doorway before they could push the door open a crack and squeeze out.

When they came out, all three of them were stunned.

The courtyard was a vast expanse of white, with snow piled up to waist-deep. Long icicles hung from the eaves, glittering in the sunlight. The courtyard walls were almost completely buried in snow, with only a section of the top visible.

"Good heavens..." Chen Xiaohe murmured, "This snow must be at least a meter deep, right?"

Father Chen didn't speak, but took a few steps forward through the snow, which reached his thighs. He turned to his two sons and said, "Let's go to the livestock shed first and see how the chickens, ducks, geese, cows, and mules are doing."

The three of them trudged through the snow, each step leaving a deep crater. Finally reaching the backyard, Chen's father first checked the livestock shed—thankfully, it hadn't collapsed. The chickens, ducks, and geese were huddled together in the pigpen, huddled for warmth, and clucked and squawked when they saw people.

Chen Xiaohe quickly lit the fire wall and added more food for them. The cows and mules were in good condition in the new shed, warmed by the fire wall. When they saw people coming, they wagged their tails and came over for food. Chen Dashan added hay and a handful of bean cakes for them.

"Everything's fine." Mr. Chen breathed a sigh of relief. "Luckily, we moved them all over yesterday."

Next, the three began clearing the snow.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe went up to the roof first and pushed the snow that had accumulated overnight down. The snow clumps hit the ground with a dull thud and splashed up a cloud of snow mist. Chen's father was in the yard clearing snow with a wooden shovel, throwing it out one clump at a time, panting heavily from exhaustion.

They had only managed to clean a small portion of the yard in the entire morning. Chen's mother prepared lunch and called them back to eat.

---

The pork bone soup that was stewed for lunch was piping hot, and each of them got a big bowl. The three of them sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), drinking the soup and eating flatbread, and only then did they feel better.

Mr. Chen sighed and said, "I wonder how many more people will suffer from this heavy snow."

Chen Dashan nodded: "If someone were lazier, they might have frozen to death. Luckily, the village head had told everyone to stock up on firewood and store up food, otherwise it would have been even worse."

Chen Xiaohe said, "I have never seen such heavy snow before."

Mr. Chen said, "Don't even mention you, I've lived to be this old and I've never seen anything like it. This snow is falling so suddenly and so heavily, and for so long, it's truly the first time I've ever seen anything like it."

Chen's mother asked from the side, "Will we be able to go to the county town after the snow melts?"

Father Chen shook his head: "We definitely can't go in the next couple of days. The snow on the road is too thick; even the mules can't move. We'll have to wait a few days until the snow melts or is trampled down before we can go."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoyin said to Chen's father, "Dad, when you go to the county town next time, please buy some more plasters for Dashan. The ones you bought last time were quite effective; after using them for a few days, his leg is much better."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, we'll buy some more from Doctor Li later to keep on hand."

Chen Dashan glanced at Su Xiaoyin without saying anything, but there was a hint of warmth in his eyes.

---

Two days later, the men in the village worked together to clear the main roads within the village area.

The village head organized people to check the disaster situation from house to house. The Chen family was all fine; their house and livestock were unharmed. However, the old houses of several families had collapsed under the weight of the snow, and people were injured, but fortunately, none of them were in life-threatening danger.

The village head stood at the village entrance and said to the gathered villagers, "As you all can see, this snow came in a fierce storm. Fortunately, we listened to the advice and prepared enough firewood, and we didn't sell our grain. Although we suffered some damage, no one is hurt, and we have enough basic supplies."

He paused, then continued, "Next, everyone needs to be careful. If it snows again, clear the snow promptly to prevent the roofs from collapsing. Don't overeat food either; be frugal. Who knows what next year will bring? Judging by the current situation, the price of grain in the county town might rise to a huge sum of money. We need to be prepared."

The villagers nodded and dispersed.

---

The Chen family returned home and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) to rest. Father Chen smoked his pipe, remaining silent for a long while before finally saying, "The village head is right. This year's snowfall is unusually heavy; next year's harvest will definitely be poor. We must conserve our food and not waste it."

Chen's mother nodded: "I understand, I'll be careful when I'm cooking."

Chen Dashan said, "Once the snow on the road melts again, I'll set up a stall in the county town. Although this winter is cold, I still have to earn what I need to earn."

Mr. Chen said, "Okay, I'll go with you then. We have enough firewood and the livestock are fine. Your mother can stay home and take care of the children."

Su Xiaoyin said, "Dad, when you go, don't forget to buy some ointment."

Mr. Chen smiled: "I can't forget it."

The four children were playing on the kang (a heated brick bed). Shitou was leading his younger siblings in folding paper. Afu couldn't fold it well and was so frustrated that he stomped his feet. Su Xiaoqing smiled and helped him fold one. Afu took it and happily ran around holding it.

Outside the window, sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light. The snow had begun to melt, and water dripped from the eaves, making a continuous dripping sound.

Life goes on. Although this snow came suddenly and fiercely, as long as the family is together and supports each other, they can get through even the worst snowstorm.