New Year's Is Here! Welfare Has Arrived
The familiar moon in the sky, the familiar yellow earth on the ground—in this world, it is Lunar New Year 'New Year's Eve, the first grand festival for the Chinese people.
While Su Mo was so busy that he had forgotten the time, they approached silently.
Dumplings, New Year's Eve, is it the New Year? Lost in thought, Su Mo surveyed the group of refugees, all hunched over, their faces etched with weariness and overflowing happiness. He slowly stepped forward.
Yes, it's New Year's Eve.
It happened to be chosen on the first day of the Welfare Disaster, the day when everyone reaped the rewards.
I can eat my fill and sleep well.
Having washed away last year's humiliation, next year will be a year of hope!
After using the system to verify that there was nothing wrong with the contents of the bowl, Su Mo glanced around at the refugees who were almost bursting with excitement, and gently took the large bowl that Chen Shen was holding.
The large bowl was fired, and there were faint blue patterns on the rim. Such utensils could only be found in treasure chests, and they were quite expensive to make in the market.
The soup in the bowl was rich in color and clear.
The red chili Chili Powder garnished the Aged Vinegar Soup. Although there was no Psionic Water to enhance the flavor or Psionic Cabbage to add fragrance, it was precisely this kind of ordinary food that every household would eat during the New Year in civilized times that made Su Mo's eyes well up with tears.
Picking up his chopsticks, under everyone's watchful eyes, Su Mo gently picked up a large dumpling that stood out from the rest of the dumplings, with an extremely strange shape, and put it in his mouth.
"Mmm, it tastes good!"
Wild vegetable dumplings with bits of beef inside, paired with this broth, taste surprisingly sweet.
Especially after Su Mo praised him, before anyone else could even cheer, Moore, who was standing in the front row, got excited and even started doing a belly dance that he had somehow learned.
"The first thing Master ate was the dumplings made by Moore. Master really likes Moore's kung fu!"
She swayed and twisted her body with a seductive dance move.
Moore's silly antics immediately ruined the previously solemn atmosphere, and most of the refugees joined in the laughter.
"Alright, it's almost New Year's, why all this solemnity? Since it's New Year's, all the supplies for tonight..."
"It's all my fault!"
After glancing at the happy Moore, Su Mo was slightly moved. Looking down at all the refugees below, he spoke loudly.
Wow! It would have been fine if they hadn't said anything, but once they did, the refugee groups, who had been holding back, suddenly erupted in cheers and roars.
From men in their forties and fifties to teenagers of seventeen or eighteen, everyone was imitating Moore's dance moves, happily swaying and twisting.
Then, the cooks, who had been prepared in advance, began to bring out bowls of dumplings from the kitchen, and the New Year's Eve's Eve revelry began!
Eating alone isn't enjoyable; it only tastes good when there are ten or a hundred people sharing the meal.
The larger and more grand the festival, the more people there are, and the stronger the "New Year's atmosphere" becomes.
Today, on this special New Year's Eve's Eve.
There was no "conventional" Spring Festival Gala, nor the Five Blessings that required begging here and scanning there to obtain for a few cents.
There were no friends to help me cut the price, or any meager bounty that required collecting various cards.
There were no mass text messages, no insincere congratulatory messages from superiors and subordinates, and it was pitch black once you left the village.
But even under these circumstances, on this special day in the wasteland, whether in large or small shelters.
Wherever people gather, everyone genuinely feels something called "the spirit of the New Year" from the bottom of their hearts.
It's Chinese New Year, and it's time to reap the rewards.
It's Chinese New Year, time for celebration.
Shed all your fatigue, have a good meal, get a good night's sleep, and wait until tomorrow to continue embracing a hard but fulfilling life.
Let's be companions in this mortal world! Let's live freely and unrestrained!
"Galloping on horseback, sharing in the prosperity of the world."
"Let us sing and drink to express the joy in our hearts."
"Make the most of your youth!"
"."
A rechargeable speaker was carried out by the refugees from somewhere, and as lively background music played from it, the festive atmosphere of the New Year became even stronger.
The revelry became even more enjoyable, with a cassette tape containing only eight songs played repeatedly.
Singing, cheering, and lively noise spread wildly throughout every corner of this wasteland.
And Su Mo was the one who brought all of this to light.
But on this lively night, sitting on the highest roof of the Candlelight Shelter, I finally let my mind go free for the first time in a long time.
He brought out a bottle of sake from the Candlelight Shelter, which he didn't know when he got it, and took small sips every now and then, while eating a fried snack.
Su Mo knew that only when he was not around could these people indulge in unbridled joy and arrogance, enjoying the present moment and this hard-won harvest.
"My dear sister, I wonder how you're doing over there!"
Lying on the rooftop, gazing at the wasteland night sky, I stroked the gentle Oreo that lay beside me like a big fluffy ball.
At this moment, no one is more lonely Su Mo, and no one is more fulfilled Su Mo!
What people fear most is having a completely unclear road ahead, living in this world without knowing what they will do tomorrow.
What are my own pursuits, or rather, what do I want to protect?
Su Mo was very fortunate, because in this wasteland, he found the path he needed to persevere on, and he knew how to walk it and how to successfully reach his destination!
All I want is a little peace and quiet!
"Since this world cannot even fulfill this small request, then let me, Su Mo, use my own power to defend everything I desire!"
The wine doesn't intoxicate, but the person does. The sake has a low alcohol content, and with the slight dizziness, Su Mo felt an unprecedented fighting spirit towards the bumpy road ahead.
Ten thousand miles, so what! I, Su Mo, am determined to travel this road! Heaven is flat and earth is square, a world shrouded in mist, what is there to fear! I will pierce through this sky sooner or later!
After revisiting the future that was already taking shape in his mind, and looking down at the still bustling crowd, Su Mo leaped up from the rooftop.
Without disturbing anyone, the group of one adult and two children, carrying Moore who was already full and fast asleep, began their return journey! It's Chinese New Year, after all, you have to go home! For these people, the Candlelight Shelter is their home, but for Su Mo himself, the Underground Shelter is his true home!
Opening the car window, a gentle breeze blew in, and the short-term increase in oxygen brought by the growth of plants made the air not only slightly moist but also slightly comfortable.
Taking a deep breath, looking at the drastically changed wasteland, Su Mo felt increasingly excited as he got closer to the Underground Shelter.
The Deep Sea Shelter is finally near!
Looking at the place where he had once unearthed his first pot of gold, Su Mo stopped the car and poured all the remaining sake in front of the Deep Sea Shelter.
"Brother Ma Gu, it's New Year's Day, so you can sleep well here. Earth, we'll go back one day!"
The grass rustled slightly, as if Ma Gu was responding.
After bowing deeply once more, Su Mo put away the sake bottle, glanced at the Deep Sea Shelter now covered in weeds, straddled the vehicle, and stepped on the gas.
The two places were not far apart, and with the roar of the earth tiger, they arrived at the Underground Shelter in just two or three minutes.
One Welfare Disaster alone has drastically changed the entire low-lying area.
The once barren Gobi Desert is now sprouting many colorful plants.
The hilltops surrounding the Underground Shelter are a vibrant green.
After a day's absence, eight out of the ten remaining seedlings of the Psionic Fruit Tree Saplings had fully grown.
Moreover, this growth rate is far more terrifying than that of the forest in the Talisman Paper World! Every Source Energy Saplings has absorbed the Psionic Water is at least half a meter thick, and the shortest is at least eight or nine meters tall.
Located in front of the Underground Shelter, all the branches swayed gently in the cool night breeze, emitting a natural fragrance of plants.
After checking the surrounding area and finding no signs of danger, I opened the gate and parked the car.
As he watched the Big and Little Spark, emerge to greet him, a long-lost feeling of "coming home" welled up from the depths of Su Mo's heart.
"Alright, alright, this is my home, Su Mo. Be good, you've all been waiting impatiently, haven't you? I'll cook for you right away!"
Today, the Big Spark 'Big and Little Spark wingspan is about one meter, while the Little Spark's wingspan is about seventy centimeters.
The two enormous creatures, seemingly possessing human-like intelligence, pounced on him and acted affectionately. Only after Su Mo had comforted them properly did they obediently stop and follow behind Su Mo like little shadows.
Moore, who had been fast asleep in the car the whole way, rubbed his sleepy eyes, opened the passenger door, rolled out of the car, and continued to sleep soundly on the floor.
This sight made Oreo bark and laugh heartily.
Su Mo took out three bags of freshly ground flour from the Earth Tiger Car and, taking advantage of the remaining supplies at the base, prepared another sumptuous midnight snack before nightfall.
After finishing his midnight snack, closing the main gate, and checking all the facilities, Su Mo returned to his bedside.
The three of us, one adult and two children, had been exhausted for the past two days. After a good meal and with nothing to do the next day, we slept very soundly Oreo Su Mo Moore.
Elsewhere, people were having fun and celebrating, but in his small Underground Shelter, Su Mo felt a long-lost sense of relaxation and comfort.
I slept until a little after eight o'clock, and after all the fatigue had dissipated, I greeted the morning sunlight and fresh air.
On the small bed on the third floor of the Underground Shelter, Su Mo slowly opened his eyes.
"Even during the Lunar New Year, the system is joining in the fun!"
At this hour, given yesterday's fatigue, Su Mo should still be able to sleep.
But at this moment, the constant notifications from the system in his mind forced Su Mo to wake up earlier.
In the past few days, the system only had a fixed amount of income each day, plus the occasional small event with tens of points. Compared to the current expenses of several thousand points, this accumulation speed was completely inadequate.
On the first day after Lunar New Year's Eve, which was also the first day of the Lunar New Year, the system showed unusual activity that hadn't happened in a long time.
Just after the daily report time, a rapid series of firecrackers went off, as if in celebration.
He sat up, stretched his stiff neck slightly, and took a big gulp of the Psionic Water that was placed on the bedside table. With a Su Mo, the familiar system interface popped up.
Incidentally, a settlement list that was completely different from the usual simple one also appeared in a hurry.
"Wow, they used to go for the high-class light blue, but today they've come to adapt to local customs and arranged such a festive bright red!"
"This system looks like it was made by Chinese people, they even know about celebrating the New Year, haha!"
The bright red interface was extremely eye-catching. With a smile, Su Mo dragged the panel directly to the bottom and habitually checked his accumulated earnings for the day.
But even with this one look, Su Mo, who usually maintains inner peace, couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
"There's another chance to win a prize!"
"The system is actually giving out benefits during the Chinese New Year! This is outrageous and awesome!"