After dinner, I lay on the kang, feeling warm and content, with a great mood.
The power had been out for a long time, and it got dark early.
After setting up the table, Uncle Gazi took Wang Tingyun, who was playing happily, to the other side.
It wasn't until I relaxed for a while that I suddenly remembered I would be sleeping with Suo Tian tonight!
My heart skipped a beat as I glanced at Suo Tian, who was sitting beside me, lost in thought.
I felt a strange sensation, and memories of that night flashed through my mind.
Although it hadn't been many days since then, looking at Suo Tian now made it feel like it was a lifetime ago.
I sighed, wondering what I had been thinking back then.
I must have been out of my mind.
Suo Tian, who was lost in thought, seemed to notice my gaze and suddenly turned to look at me.
The moonlight was bright outside, shining through the small window above us and illuminating Suo Tian's face.
I'm not sure if he could see my face clearly, but he stared at me for a long time, making me feel uncomfortable.
I had to clear my throat and say, "What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face? Hurry up and go to sleep."
I moved to the side, making more space for him.
Suo Tian didn't respond, but after staring at me for a few more moments, he took off his down jacket and slipped into the quilt.
There was a small distance between us, and even when he lay down, he didn't touch me.
I turned my head and glanced at Suo Tian, who was lying flat and still, and felt a strange sensation in my heart.
After biting my lip and thinking for a while, I finally reached out and pulled Suo Tian's hand from on top of the quilt to behind my neck, using it as a pillow.
I then snuggled closer to him, curling up into his embrace, and let out a satisfied sigh before closing my eyes to sleep.
Ah, it was so warm.
It had been a long time since I'd slept so warmly and comfortably, especially since leaving home.
Suo Tian's body, which had been lying flat on his back, turned slightly towards me.
I took advantage of the opportunity to snuggle closer to him, and soon I heard the sound of his gentle laughter.
He then wrapped his other arm around me, holding me close.
I smiled contentedly, feeling happy and at ease.
On the other side, Tingyun, who had taken a long nap in the afternoon, was now wide awake and chatting quietly with Uncle Gazi.
Although they were speaking in hushed tones, their conversation was still audible
"Ugly Grandpa, I want to sleep with Aunt pretty and Uncle pretty too. I don't want to sleep with Ugly Grandpa."
"Yuntou'er" (probably a regional affectionate term used by elders for younger children), "how is Aunt pretty better than Grandpa?"
"Grandpa isn't pretty."
"But Grandpa is super handsome."
"Grandpa?"
"Hmm? What is it, Yuntou'er?"
"What does 'handsome' mean?"
Curled up in Suo Tian's arms, I was amused by the conversation between the grandfather and granddaughter.
Tilting my head toward the other side of the kang table, I said, "Uncle Gazi, your granddaughter's quite the sparring champ."
Uncle Gazi let out a hearty laugh before replying, "That's the one thing she takes after me—sharp tongue and quick wit."
I chuckled, turned my head back, and nestled deeper into Suo Tian's arms without saying another word.
It was Suo Tian who suddenly spoke, asking Uncle Gazi, "Have you ever thought about leaving this place?"
That was one of Suo Tian's ways of talking—never directly calling others by name.
Uncle Gazi paused for a moment before responding to Suo Tian:
"Of course I've thought about it. There's just me and Yuntou'er left in this village—everyone else is gone. I'm old, maybe I can tough it out a while longer, but my granddaughter can't. She's still so little. If she gets sick again, we'd just have to watch helplessly while she suffers, wouldn't we?"
I quickly asked, "If you've thought about it, why haven't you left?"
Uncle Gazi sighed and replied,
"Yuntou'er may be mature for her age, but she's still just a child. I figured if it comes down to it, we'll wait for spring—once it warms up, we won't stay here anymore. We'll head to, uh... that government shelter. Wherever's best for Tingyun, that's where we'll go."
I nodded instinctively, then realized Uncle Gazi couldn't see it.
Suo Tian patted my back and followed up,
"Do you know the exact route to the shelter?"
"Of course I do, how could I not? It's only a hundred kilometers or so from here—on the outskirts of the city, in some high-rise building. It's a temporary shelter. I heard about it on the radio not long ago, but the broadcasts have gone silent these past few days. Still, I figure the place should still be there."
"What?" I turned my head back, drawn in by what Uncle Gazi said.
I instinctively tried to sit up, but Suo Tian held me tightly and pulled me back into his arms.
"A shelter is only a hundred kilometers away?"
"That's right," Uncle Gazi confirmed.
"Grandpa, what's a shelter?" Tingyun asked curiously.
"It's a place where other little kids can play with you."
I lowered my voice and asked Suo Tian,
"You knew there was a shelter that close?"
Suo Tian shifted slightly and replied,
"Yeah."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask."
I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
I took a deep breath and decided not to argue with him—at least not for now.
"I remember you saying it would take others two days to reach the place ahead of us. That means… they were probably waiting for us in that shelter?"
"Yeah."
I felt a huge weight suddenly lift from my chest.
Ever since Suo Tian told me the convoy would wait for us up ahead, I'd been anxious—worried that something might've happened while they waited, like running into a horde of walkers, or someone getting bitten because of carelessness.
Now that I knew they had reached the shelter, I finally felt at ease.
Being in a protected place drastically reduced the danger.
Just then, a thought suddenly struck me—I realized something important.
I quickly spoke to Suo Tian:
"Since the two of us are going to that shelter anyway, why not go with Uncle Gazi and his granddaughter? He's only been waiting for spring because he can't take care of the child on his own. But with us, that's three adults for one kid—more than enough, right? That way, Uncle Gazi won't have to wait till spring."
Before Suo Tian could reply, Uncle Gazi had already overheard me and asked,
"You two are heading to the shelter too?"
I glanced at Suo Tian.
To be honest, from the way he'd acted along the way, I always had a feeling his goal wasn't simply to hide away in some government shelter.
But regardless, at least for now, the shelter was our immediate destination.
So I answered Uncle Gazi,
"Exactly. We're headed the same way. I was thinking we could team up. With us around, you won't have to take care of the kid all by yourself—that's way too risky."
"Oh, that's wonderful news!" I could clearly hear Uncle Gazi sit up behind me, his voice full of surprise and joy.
"You two are really a blessing. That's been weighing on my heart for a while—taking care of a kid alone just isn't safe. If you really can come with us, that would be an enormous help."
I pushed Suo Tian aside a little and sat up too.
Turning around, I waved at Uncle Gazi with a smile.
"Don't mention it, Uncle Gazi. We're going there anyway, and having company makes the trip less dull. Plus, more hands mean more help, right? You'll have someone to share the walker-slaying duties with. We're the ones who should be glad."
I swallowed hard and continued,
"Besides, putting everything else aside—just the fact that Uncle Gazi took us in without a second thought, gave us food, drink, and a place to sleep—even if it were something far more difficult than just tagging along together, we'd still owe it to you to help."
Uncle Gazi waved it off cheerfully and said,
"Letting two youngsters in for some shelter—no need to talk about favors or whatnot. It's just some food and a roof, it's not like I'm short on that. Don't carry it in your heart, kid. Everyone needs help at some point, don't they?"
Just as he finished speaking, Tingyun tugged at him and pulled him down to whisper something to him.
I sat for a while longer, and only when my upper body started to feel a little cold did I hurry back under the blanket.
Maybe it was because the snow was melting, but the temperature that night seemed even colder than before.
Curled up in Suo Tian's arms, I felt an overwhelming sense of ease.
After a bit of idle banter with him, my thoughts began to blur, and before long, I drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
It was a quiet night, dreamless and calm.
When I woke up the next morning, I groggily opened my eyes.
It took me a while to fully come to my senses.
I turned my head to look beside me—only to find the spot next to me empty.
Scratching my head, I sat up and looked toward where Uncle Gazi and the others were, only to see that he wasn't there either.
Tingyun was the only one left, still curled up under the blankets, sound asleep.
I stared at her in a daze for a while.
Her rosy little face was incredibly endearing.
After a few moments, my mind finally cleared.
I got dressed, climbed out of bed, walked around to the other side of the kang table, and bent down to kiss Tingyun lightly on the cheek before sneaking a grin and heading out the door.
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