Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 240. Begin to find a way out

The father and son didn’t dare to have opinions, nodding quickly.

Then, they continued building the Great Wall.

After a few rounds, the corners of Old Man Hua’s mouth rose higher and higher, finally breaking into a grin.

Seeing the copper coins placed to the side, Hua Jin also secretly smiled, his long narrow eyes narrowing into a curved line.

While the two across from them, one furrowed his brows tightly, and the other kept glancing at the copper coins being lost with a pained heart.

How could he not feel heartache when half of the New Year’s money he just got was almost gone?

Even so, Elder Brother Hua wasn’t willing to bring it up, pretending not to see Second Brother Hua’s eager eyes.

Although he lost, it was quite fun, and it wasn’t bad to play once in a while.

And although his heart ached, he could still afford to lose for now.

In the end, Second Brother Hua didn’t get a turn, and not only him, but even Elder Brother Hua, after losing a few more rounds, was pulled up by Old Lady Hua, who was disgusted with him.

Hua Chengtian voluntarily gave up his spot, mainly because if he didn’t, he feared he wouldn’t even be able to return to the tent during the break.

It’s worth mentioning that after switching two people, the situation on the field immediately changed, with an absolute bloodline suppression appearing.

Anyway, Hua Jin couldn’t bear to see his mother upset about losing money, and Old Man Hua dared not win against his wife; he even forcibly gave her the winning tiles, letting her win.

The outcome was naturally destined, but it was really joyful; before they knew it, they had welcomed the New Year, still amidst laughter and cheer.

Unlike the people on Qinggu Mountain, the entire continent, except for some special mountain ranges where those in power maintained a semblance of order, had largely devolved into a primal world of survival of the fittest.

No one remembered whether it was New Year or not, only thinking about how to survive in this terrible world, obtain more food, and warm clothing.

Those who luckily survived the first, second, third... seventh wave of extreme cold exhausted all their potential, digging tunnels, building igloos, even hiding in deep mountains, not sparing even animal dens.

Anything edible, even roots under thick snow, wasn’t overlooked. Animals and beasts in the mountains also suffered, with those running slightly slower almost all being skinned and eaten by the starving people.

Everyone struggled to survive to the best of their ability, even though many died searching for food.

On New Year’s Day, the long-lost sunlight broke through the thick clouds, shining its golden rays layer by layer over the scarred earth and those who had survived another night, bringing fleeting warmth.

Hua Jin was woken up by the continuous sounds of New Year greetings; the festive tones gave Hua Jin the illusion of still being in Hua Village.

On this day, Hua Jin and all the children of Hua Village were very busy, visiting every home to extend New Year wishes.

It was precisely because of their presence that the living felt the value of being alive.

On the second day, Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt Hua’s families came over.

The Hua household grew even more lively, and the food was abundant. Old Lady Hua and Mistress Qi showcased their skills, preparing their specialties, even providing lamb hotpot and regular hot pot, allowing everyone to eat whatever they wished.

After the meal and handing out New Year’s money to the children, the new diversion led Old Lady Hua and Mistress Qi to drag the two aunts to teach them how to build the Great Wall.

After two consecutive days, Old Lady Hua and Mistress Qi had become very proficient, even able to multitask by playing tiles while teaching the aunts.

This novel pastime successfully attracted children from the two families, and even Zeng Yong and Liu Xiang sat eagerly in front of their wives, watching with interest, occasionally wanting to help their wives draw tiles.

Hua Jin sat on one side of his elder aunt, assisting her with guidance, while Hua Yunao sat on the other side of his second aunt, doing the same for her.

For the rest, whether standing or sitting, they didn’t feel bored.

Hua Chengtian, who hadn’t gotten a turn, stretched his neck to watch for a while before glancing at his two sons-in-law, finally dragging them towards the pile of wood in the corner of the cave to work.

One set of Mahjong tiles was too little, so they planned to make another set on the spot.

Conveniently, each adult family member had a table to themselves, and as for the children, these mind-absorbing pastimes weren’t for them to play with.

All the tools were already available; with four adults working together, it went quickly.

Choosing a nice, hefty wood, they cut, polished, and drew upon it. Before long, a fresh set of wooden Mahjong tiles was completed. Although they seemed a bit rough, they didn’t hinder play.

Within less than an hour, Old Man Hua and his sons and sons-in-law practiced as they wished.

Since it was for entertainment, it was purely for fun. Although there were wagers, the stakes were low, with self-draw or a tile from another player costing just a penny.

Hua Jin expressed immense admiration for his father’s and grandfather’s efficiency, truly living self-sufficiently and flourishing.

Following this, Eldest Aunt and the others seemed to have found a new toy; whenever they had time, they’d ask their children’s fathers to bring them over, even if trembling from the cold.

After a few days of New Year calm, fully armed with two layers of fur boots on his feet, Hua Chengtian, with his sons, two brothers-in-law, Hua Meng, Meng Cai, and several capable young men, along with several large dogs, began to roam the vast hills and fields.

The innermost layer of the boots was soft rabbit fur, and on top, they added a layer of boar skin boots. Inside, their feet were wrapped layer upon layer in soft fabric, ensuring warmth as they wandered the mountains for an extended time.

Hunting in the mountains was one purpose, but exploring the surrounding mountain ranges was even more important.

Especially wanting to understand the different environments of these mountains, and more importantly, wanting to find suitable places for cultivation.

In the mountains behind Hua Village, there was indeed a spot suitable for planting, where a deep pool of water had once saved many elders during a severe drought.

Unfortunately, the current mountains were quite a distance from the back of Hua Village, and even if they found the pool’s location, cultivating such a distance away wasn’t feasible.

Of course, if it were only their family, they could live well enough, but his son’s book had a good saying: "A single tree doesn’t make a forest; no one can achieve anything worthwhile alone. The power of many is like adding fuel to the fire."

If this land only contained their family, Hua Chengtian couldn’t imagine it.

So, while a comfortable life was nice, he didn’t plan to stay isolated in the cave forever. He decided to take his sons with him to explore the mountains during these times, also looking for better locations and making plans for the future.

As for outside the mountain, even if the flood receded, Hua Chengtian didn’t have plans for that, and could even be said to have avoided it.

It was imaginable how many people, livestock, and animals had perished in the flood; once the water receded, unless handled quickly, an even greater disaster might occur.

Before a bigger disaster arrived, the mountains seemed the best option.

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