Chapter 28: This Middle-Aged Woman Is Truly Formidable!

Chen Yuan glanced at the two houses standing across from each other not far away. He immediately recognized them as the homes of Tang Jiancheng and his parents; both were small and dilapidated.

However, because they had used the accumulated snow to build igloos, there was now very little snow around or on the roofs of these two houses, making them stand out in the small, snow-covered mountain village.

"Alright, let's settle them here for now."

Without getting caught up in the details, Chen Yuan made the executive decision to have all the disaster victims move into the igloos. "Jiancheng, I’ll need you to go get some firewood. Otherwise, in this freezing weather, it will be miserable for them to spend the night here without a fire."

Tang Jiancheng patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Township Head. I’ll not only bring firewood, but also some wooden boards, straw, and even some meat broth so they can have a good meal and get some rest."

Chen Yuan gripped Tang Jiancheng’s hands, moved. "You’ve really been a huge help! Once the relief work is done, I must treat you to a drink!"

Tang Jiancheng replied, "If we’re going to drink, I should be the one treating you. After all, I ruined your drinking session this afternoon..."

Chen Yuan waved his hand. "Ruined it for the better! If you hadn't interrupted my drinking, I would be finished by now! By that logic, I owe you two drinks! Fine, let's keep a tab; once things settle down, I’ll treat you!"

With that, Chen Yuan left. Soon after, he returned with the disaster victims. Most were elderly or children, and while there were some young men, they were all disabled.

Tang Jiancheng had already moved the firewood he had just brought home, laid down plenty of wooden boards to insulate the ground, and covered them with thick straw, turning them into makeshift beds.

Then, Tang Jiancheng’s mother, Yuan Yuezhu, arrived carrying a pole with buckets of meat broth. The aroma drifted over from a distance, and everyone couldn't help but swallow hard.

As soon as the broth was set down, the group swarmed forward. Chen Yuan shouted anxiously, "Don't crowd! If you spill the broth, there won't be any left for anyone!"

However, the villagers didn't listen.

"Get back, all of you! If anyone dares to come closer, I’ll hit you with this iron ladle! Move back!"

Yuan Yuezhu brandished the iron ladle with a fierce swoosh, her face livid as she roared. The crowd stopped in their tracks, no one daring to take another step forward.

Chen Yuan watched in amazement: this woman was truly formidable!

"One by one! If anyone dares to mess around, don't even talk about drinking broth—I won't even give you a drop, not even if it were urine!"

Seeing that she had brought the scene under control, Yuan Yuezhu felt a surge of pride, though she kept grumbling as she began ladling out the broth one by one.

After drinking the meat broth, the victims felt warmth spreading through their bodies. With a fire to sit by and a place to sleep—and despite being igloos, these shelters were far warmer than their own small, crumbling homes—they couldn't help but think that perhaps being a disaster victim wasn't all bad.

By the time all the victims were settled, it was well past midnight. Chen Yuan and the others were exhausted, especially Jiang Yao, who had been injured; she had long since reached her limit, her face pale and cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Comrade Jiang Yao, you can't push yourself any further. You need to find a place to rest," Chen Yuan urged.

"I'm not tired," Jiang Yao insisted.

Tang Jiancheng, understanding her concerns, walked over and said with a smile, "Comrade Jiang, you really shouldn't keep going, or you'll end up with a permanent injury. Come with me; there’s only my wife and nine daughters at home. You can sleep with them, it’ll be fine. As for me... I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight anyway."

Jiang Yao was indeed exhausted and in pain. The only reason she had been gritting her teeth was that she lacked a place where she felt safe enough to rest.

Hearing Tang Jiancheng’s words, her fatigue suddenly washed over her. "It’s so late. If I go over now, won't I be disturbing your wife and daughters?"

"The whole village is so lively tonight, they probably haven't even gone to sleep yet! Come on, I'll take you."

Hearing this, Jiang Yao stopped resisting and followed Tang Jiancheng.

Watching them leave, Chen Yuan felt even more appreciative of Tang Jiancheng. If it weren't for his help tonight, Chen Yuan wouldn't have been able to handle it all, even with three heads and six arms. He really did owe him a drink.

With that thought, Chen Yuan went back to work.

When Tang Jiancheng brought Jiang Yao home, Liu Fangfang and the older children were indeed still awake, pressed against the window to watch the commotion outside.

"Fangfang, this is Comrade Jiang Yao from the township. She hurt her foot and has been working all night. She’s going to rest at our place, so please get things ready for her."

After introducing them, Tang Jiancheng turned and left again.

"Papa, I want to go with you," the third daughter suddenly piped up.

"It's cold outside. Everyone stay home and get some sleep, no running around!" Tang Jiancheng refused. If it were a joyous occasion, he would have agreed, but he preferred to keep the children away from the tragedy of a snow disaster.

After Tang Jiancheng left, Jiang Yao felt a bit awkward.

Liu Fangfang walked over warmly. "Don't be bothered. You're a township cadre; we wouldn't have been worthy of hosting you before! Come, let me help you wash up, and then you can sleep on the bed with my daughters, how about that?"

"Sister-in-law, are you still in your postpartum recovery?" Jiang Yao noticed the towel wrapped around Liu Fangfang's head. Seeing her reach to help with the basin, Jiang Yao said hurriedly, "Sister-in-law, I can do it myself..."

"Mom, let me help the auntie with the water."

The eldest and second daughters had wanted to help, but they were shy and couldn't move or speak in front of strangers. The third daughter was the boldest.

Soon, the third daughter brought hot water to Jiang Yao. Seeing her foot swollen and bruised, she even fetched a hot towel to apply a compress.

"Thank you, you're so thoughtful. What's your name?" Jiang Yao asked.

"My name is Tang Sanmei, because I’m the third in the family."

Tang Sanmei looked directly at Jiang Yao. "Auntie, you're so pretty! Your skin is so fair!"

Jiang Yao blushed at the compliment and laughed, "You're pretty too! You'll grow up to have fair skin as well!"

"Right! Papa said he's going to raise all nine of us sisters to be healthy and plump!" Tang Sanmei said proudly.

"You really have nine sisters? Doesn't your father mind?" Jiang Yao was surprised.

Tang Sanmei replied, "We really do; my ninth sister was born only ten days ago. My dad used to hate us the most, always scolding or hitting us. But these past few days, he's suddenly changed. He's cooking for us, making meat broth, buying us clothes and candies, and even building us igloos... I just wish Papa would stay this good forever."

"Are you worried your father might go back to how he was before?" Jiang Yao empathized.

She had worked in Sanchong Township for several years and knew well that the local people held deep-seated patriarchal views, and the girls here lived very difficult lives.