Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 228. Extreme Cold Is Coming

Fortunately, these people are quite self-aware, and those who own a large ship and survived the catastrophe are not lacking in money or food. Each parked in a certain area, aside from nodding in acknowledgment, everyone avoided overly friendly greetings, their eyes cautious and ensuring no disturbance of one another.

Finally arriving, Luo Song breathed a sigh of relief, holding an umbrella as he accompanied his grandfather on the deck, gazing through the rain at the mountains surrounded by the downpour.

Visibility was low in the heavy rain, but as they approached, the outline of the mountain range could still be discerned.

And there’s something to be said for the abundance of trees and plants; the benefits were apparent. Thanks to the deep-rooted vegetation, although some areas inevitably suffered landslides, overall, the mountains seemed to be in decent condition.

However, if the rain were to continue incessantly, no matter how deeply rooted, few mountains could hold on for long. After all, the relentless rain washed over the mountainsides constantly.

Safety comes first, and without finding a safe place, there are no plans to disembark for now.

Just mooring at the mountain’s edge, resting for two days, Luo Song, now organized, prepared to take guards to find a place to settle.

Meanwhile, in the waters by Hua Village, scattered rafts floated in over a few days, eventually drifting with manpower to Qinggu Mountain, their destination.

The people at the mountain’s edge, nearly overwhelmed with tears and fear, climbed eagerly up the mountain with lingering trepidation. In previous times, it would’ve been unimaginable for them to dream of reaching their desired place on rafts they had built themselves; the joy brought them to tears!

It felt like a bet had paid off, and finally, there was hope for survival.

The Liu and Zeng families were among the fortunate ones, exerting much effort midway. Their raft, due to water currents, drifted elsewhere but eventually arrived here through their efforts.

The families brought all their belongings and climbed the mountain almost simultaneously. Observing the greenery, starkly different from the barren scene where they were, they couldn’t help but cry and laugh, regardless of gender.

From time to time, more people arrived at Qinggu Mountain, and without hesitation, almost all climbed the mountain as if escaping for their lives.

A few rafts even drifted to the side of the mountain where Luo Song’s large ship was moored.

Upon seeing such a large ship, the families on the rafts were in sheer shock, and then a calculating look appeared in their eyes, akin to dogs seeing a bone, eager to seek help.

Unfortunately, it was no longer the early stage of the disaster. Kindness had eroded in the face of disappointment, replaced by defensiveness, caution, and even disdain. Faced with pleading faces, only merciless rejection and cold gleaming weapons remained.

The ship where Luo Song was likewise faced pleas for help from drifting citizens, particularly the elderly and children, using their pitiful faces in attempts to elicit sympathy.

If they were really on the brink of death, barely surviving in the water, maybe the humanity deep in Luo Song’s heart could emerge. But these people had already reached the mountainside. As long as they were industrious, they could find sustenance in the mountains.

Unnecessary conscience wasn’t something to show at this time, decisively rejecting their pleas for help, in the end giving each person a pound of coarse grains before driving them away.

Ultimately, they couldn’t completely harden their hearts!

Upon reaching Qinggu Mountain, besides taking two days to recuperate, Luo Song didn’t rest, traversing the mountains daily with his guards to find a suitable temporary lodging.

And they indeed found a mountain. Though vegetation was sparse, there were numerous large boulders tightly embedded in the mountain, and the best news was finding several nearby caves that, once renovated, would be excellent temporary shelters.

In the following days, Luo Song and the guards were busy. First cleaning then drying the caves, after several days, they installed doors for nearby caves and were ready to move in at any time.

The temperature continued to drop, and the rain seemed to abate, but the downside was that ice was starting to form in the water. Living on a ship was not bad for now, but Luo Song feared a rapid and significant temperature drop, making winter here extremely cold, prompting them to relocate to the warmer caves for safety.

So began another round of relentless activity. Leaving guards with the ship, remaining people gradually transported items from the ship into the mountain, leaving servants to guard the caves, taking ten days to clear the ship of supplies.

With such large movements, it was impossible to hide from others on different ships. Gradually, they too became restless as they noticed the ice thickening.

Following them like shadows, they also headed towards the mountain, seemingly planning to find a place there. Fortunately, they didn’t choose the same direction, but as a precaution, Luo Song sent several people to follow and confirm their ultimate destination.

Then, after more than two months, on the day the rain finally stopped, they unhesitatingly changed locations, locking the ship’s cabins, taking his grandfather, and their family and people with them.

Everyone had already donned winter clothing by then. The thin ice had turned into thick chunks, and the temperature plummeted as soon as the rain ceased, quickly reaching the lowest winter levels.

In the frigid winds, Luo Song moved his grandfather into the cave, feeling truly alive only under the cave’s warmth.

The cave was naturally warmer, with charcoal fires prepared in advance, making the warmth incomparable.

After their departure, others were hesitating, intending to observe a bit longer. But with the sudden drop in temperature, they couldn’t resist and also moved to the mountain, settling into the temporary locations they’d previously found.

Gradually over the days of abrupt temperature drop, the occupants of several ships all moved away. The large mountain offered ample places to find shelter.

They didn’t lack resources or manpower, and dwelling in the mountain was more favorable than on the ship, with the cave temperatures notably higher.

Heaven knows they truly regretted not following the Luo family’s example earlier. Just one day’s delay caused the temperature to plummet unexpectedly.

Leaving out or even popping a head out of the cabin felt like it would freeze off.

Thus, staying on the ship was untenable. Heaven knows how they transported their supplies up little by little, frozen like ice blocks, their limbs feeling inaccessible, relying on sheer will to move things up.

Those who didn’t lack supplies fared thus; how much more so those barely hanging on in the mountains?

On the night of an especially sharp temperature drop, many passed away in their sleep. Those who survived lost their sanity, robbing or begging, in any way possible, not sparing the dead or the living, just to keep themselves alive.

Almost all who froze were stripped bare upon discovery; some corpses were even dragged away.

On all mountains with possible hiding spots, human presence dwindled overnight. Those lucky enough to survive ventured deeper into the forest, despite the cold and fearing being devoured by wild animals, simply to avoid becoming someone else’s meal.

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