Chapter 10: Undeterred by Snow

The Next Day… Early Morning

“It’s snowing~”

Lin Chao was awakened by Lin Jian’s noise outside the door. He frowned, stretched out a hand to pull the quilt over his head, leaving only a few messy strands of hair visible.

After a while, he peeked half his head out from under the covers, gazing drowsily toward the outside.

A thick door curtain hung over the entrance, pieced together from fabric scraps back when Grandpa was still around.

When Lin Jian lifted the curtain, he saw snowflakes dancing wildly in the air, the earth blanketed in a white carpet.

Lin Chao rubbed his eyes, sat up wrapped in his quilt, still somewhat dazed. The side of his face bore faint red marks from being pressed against the pillow.

The adults, unable to sleep in, had risen early to light the fire and were chatting in another cave dwelling.

After wrestling for several minutes over whether to go back to sleep or get up, Lin Chao suddenly remembered he had made plans with Luo Shisi to play together today.

He slowly opened his eyes and realized it was already 9 o’clock.

What Lin Chao hadn’t expected was that the snow had been falling for a long time and was exceptionally heavy.

However, the villagers went to bed early, all retiring to their heated brick beds just after sunset.

A thick layer of snow had accumulated outside the door. Bundling up heavily, before he could take a step, he saw Grandma’s cat leap down from the windowsill. The white cat arched its back as it landed in the white snow, leaving only a suddenly stiff tail standing upright in the snow.

Lin Chao chuckled.

The cat shook its furry paws, widened its eyes in disbelief, and immediately jumped back to Lin Chao’s feet. It shook off the snow from its body, pushed open the door curtain with its front paws splayed outward and back paws turned inward, then strutted back into the inner room with its tail held high.

Spreading his arms for balance, Lin Chao stepped onto the snow, shuffling step by step toward the main gate.

Fortunately, he had worn snow boots to Grandma’s house.

Even so, some snow still seeped along the edges of his boots. Lin Chao felt a chill around his calves.

Grandma’s house was situated on higher ground. Just a few steps outside the door led to a sunken three-way intersection where the snow was thicker than anywhere else.

He wondered how so much had fallen in just one night…

Standing in the snow, his gaze drifted uncontrollably toward the end of the road, his fingers incessantly fiddling with the fabric inside his pocket.
Luo Shisi… probably… wouldn’t come, right…

Lin Chao knew he should go back inside, but he couldn’t help pacing back and forth.

The snow within a fifty-centimeter radius around him was completely trampled flat.

The sky remained gray, snow falling softly onto Lin Chao’s hair, eyelashes, and shoulders.

Lin Chao exhaled, his breath forming a small white cloud in the air. He looked up at the sky and unconsciously rubbed his hands together.

It was a bit cold.

Maybe… I should just go back…

His rational mind told him.

But his feet remained rooted.

“Why are you standing out here in this cold? Waiting for someone?”

Lin Chao turned to see First Aunt coming out, speaking to him with a cheerful smile.

He thought for a moment, then gently shook his head: “Not wait for anyone. It’s just my first time seeing snow this heavily.”

“It’s been years since I’ve seen snow this heavy too…” First Aunt gazed at the snowy scenery, sighed with feeling, then hunched her shoulders and walked past him.

“Of course, who could you be waiting for? I was overthinking how could someone from the He family… possibly play with our children?”

First Aunt’s trailing murmur, though not loud, pierced sharply into Lin Chao’s heart.

He bit his lower lip, looking down at his snow-covered boots utterly disheveled.

When he looked toward the end of the road again, the anticipation he had felt earlier was gone.

Yesterday, he read a quote at the bottom of a literary tabloid:

“Hold no expectations, and you shall harbor no disappointment.”

At the time, he thought it was overly pessimistic, but now he felt it spoke the truth.

Just as he decided to take one last glance in that direction before turning back…

A dark dot appeared in the distance, followed by several more.

Lin Chao squinted, and as the figures drew closer, he recognized Luo Shisi.

She was leading the way, holding a shovel, while several girls followed behind her, carrying brooms.

Were they… sweeping the snow?

But… the snow hadn’t stopped yet.
Lin Chao tightened his grip on the hem of his clothes, yet a faint light rekindled in the depths of his eyes.