Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 243. Fourteen years old

Frozen flying snow brings not only despair but also hope.

It gives the people huddled in small hills a chance to escape from the maddening places, where the few hills can’t accommodate the many people. Digging tunnels underground doesn’t allow anyone to truly sleep with both eyes shut, fearing they might accidentally become someone else’s food for survival.

Many people, once slightly adapted, wrap themselves in everything they can find to keep warm, and flee collectively with their families and children from the places that scare them.

Though many ultimately fall during their escape, covered by snow and ice, it still doesn’t stop the people behind from seeking the hope to survive.

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, it is now the eighth month of extreme cold, and Hua Jin has welcomed her fourteenth birthday.

Hua Chengtian, who stayed intermittently in the valley for more than half a year, returned home the day before his daughter’s survival.

How could he, being a father, miss such an important day?

Fourteen years old, and a year from now she will be a grown girl; thinking of this makes Hua Chengtian feel the children grow up too fast, which brings a vague sense of sadness.

On this day, just like last year, both aunties’ families came over to celebrate Hua Jin’s lively birthday.

The fourteen-year-old Hua Jin has grown elegantly, her stature now surpasses her initial petite frame that troubled her greatly, taller than her mother now, estimated at least around 165 cm, completely beyond her expectations, and looking like she could grow taller in the next two years, she couldn’t be more satisfied.

Thinking about it, her grandpa, daddy, and brothers are all tall and strong; though grandma and mother lowered the average, fortunately, she took after her daddy, not only growing tall but also taller than most average girls.

Her originally chubby baby fat gradually disappeared, her facial features became more three-dimensional and delicate, plus her naturally cold, fair skin that looks like it could break from a blow, it could be said that none of the half-grown boys in the village dared look straight at Hua Jin.

"Come try the new clothes Auntie made for our Jin’er." Auntie Hua took out a meticulously prepared cotton robe, embroidered with little flowers in thread on the faint lotus-pink fabric, lined with layer upon layer of cotton, exquisitely crafted evidently with care.

Perhaps discussed among the sisters, Auntie Hua made the cotton robe while Second Aunt prepared a set of spring and autumn half-sleeves and jackets, faint apricot-yellow, simply embroidered, adorned with light pink petals on the hem.

Seeing the child liked them, both sighed in relief.

Thanks to the recent improvement in the maternal family’s well-being, with enough cloth stored at home, otherwise the birthday gifts for the niece would have been uncertain.

Facing the aunties’ affection, as the star of the day, Hua Jin could only comply.

Happily letting two aunties doll her up, changed into the carefully prepared clothes, so exquisitely beautiful that Aunt Hua and Second Aunt couldn’t bear to let go of their niece, hugging and kissing her endlessly.

Zeng Yi, Liu Guang, these cousins, and little cousin Liu Hui all showed their affection, mostly self-made trinkets, with the thought that counts.

Among them, Hua Jin liked the wooden hairpin that little cousin made the most, a plum blossom, though the craftsmanship was a little childish, it was made with care and polished very smoothly, which was already quite an achievement for little cousin.

Hua Jin happily hugged Liu Hui and went into her tent to share treats, of course, cousins were not left out, only needing brothers and sisters to entertain them.

Grandma and mother made her favorites, daddy and grandpa gave her a smaller crossbow, modified from the original to hold ten arrows instead of three, every piece compact yet without affecting lethality, providing Hua Jin a delightful surprise.

Usually unaware, not knowing when daddy and grandpa started working on it, particularly since daddy spends most of his time guarding the mountain entrance.

Big Brother gifted her with a small dagger; after learning from Grandpa Wang Tie for so long, here comes his crafted dagger, gleaming with a cold light, looking quite good.

Second Brother, spending most of his days in the valley with daddy, utilized local resources, somehow catching a bright red fox, still immature but looking very cute, Hua Jin held it tightly as soon as she received it, delighted beyond measure.

Youngest Brother, being the youngest and smallest member of the family, opted for practical birthday gifts, directly piling ten different-shaped snowmen outside the cave for sister. Worth mentioning, the little guy invested effort into making each one resemble his sister’s appearance, though Hua Jin couldn’t quite see the resemblance, it didn’t hamper her joy.

On this day, Hua Jin was extremely happy, the feeling of being pampered by the family was truly delightful, and, importantly, she received many gifts.

After throwing a joyful birthday for their daughter, resting at home for a day, Hua Chengtian took the youngest son and several nephews along with the young men who returned to the village to set off for the valley again.

Leaving Hua Jin eager yet frustrated, listening to daddy and brothers talk about the valley’s daily transformation, she truly wants to see it with her own eyes and participate, but daddy disagrees.

Hua Chengtian would certainly disagree; let alone her now being considered a grown girl, even two years ago when she was younger, it would still be forbidden.

The valley is full of young men, not a woman around, though her daddy and brothers are watching over, it remains inappropriate for a young girl.

Not only Hua Chengtian, Hua Laohan, and everyone in the family disagreed, faced with disapproving looks she meekly bowed her head, having to concede.

Fortunately, home isn’t boring; during the morning, continue to melt snow and store ice. In the afternoon, if the Big Cave girls have no tasks, they join her to practice skills and archery; the days are fairly fulfilling.

As for grandma and mother, nothing much to ask, ever since Mahjong made its entrance, they found excellent ways to pass leisure time, whenever both aunties visit they would drag them to build the Great Wall, enjoying themselves more than before, especially when winning copper coins.

"Jin’er, we’re here," from outside the cave came the somewhat shivering voices of Big Sis, Little Cat Sis, Ying Zi.

"Come in quickly..." Hua Jin stored the last piece of ice of the day into her space and opened the door.

Over a few months, the space filled entirely with ice cubes, enough to counter the upcoming extreme heat.

Even if insufficient, there’s no worry with enough saltpeter stored in space, no fear of lacking ice.

Meanwhile, Hua Chengtian led the team back to the valley once more.

After more than half a year of clearing, the valley transformed greatly; except for the sturdy trees, the once abundant dry grass and shrubbery across the valley disappeared, now turned into piles of neatly stacked firewood, the ground revealed its true appearance, tidied up and ready for planting when the temperature warms.

Each cave was cleaned thoroughly, with neatly organized belongings placed inside, almost all inhabited.

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