In the County Town, it was a quiet night, no different from any other.
Tired after a full day, Li Long went to bed early. In the middle of the night, he heard Gu Xiaoxia talking in her sleep and woke briefly. He turned to look at his wife and found her expression peaceful. He could not make out what she said, and it was only a single sentence, so he went back to sleep.
Early the next morning, Li Long got up and first stoked the stove in the room, adding split firewood and coal. Once the fire caught, he went outside and saw that Sister Yang and Han Fang were already busy in the kitchen.
They really worked hard.
Li Long went to the Glass Room out back and lit the stove there. While he was at it, he picked a handful of the larger leafy greens and brought them back, planning to have Sister Yang stir-fry them in lard for breakfast.
A thin layer of frost covered the tractor's hood. Li Long wiped it, and his fingers turned icy cold.
After handing the greens to Han Fang, he assembled the hand pump and poured a ladle of hot water into it. The water softened the rubber gasket and sealed off the air below. He pumped a few times, drawing up the air from below, and the water followed.
After filling a bucket, Li Long laid the pump handle flat, carried the bucket into the kitchen, and poured the water into the large crock. Two more buckets left the crock half full, which was enough.
They could not store too much water, or things would easily start growing in it.
Then he pumped another bucket and carried it inside.
Gu Xiaoxia was already up and combing her hair.