Black smoke burst from the exhaust pipe and was instantly scattered by the wind.
The old pickup had finally woken up.
Su Wei felt the vibration beneath his seat, and his tense shoulders relaxed.
"Sit tight."
He shifted into gear and pressed the accelerator.
The off-road tires crushed the thin ice on the ground as the truck set off along the mountain road.
In the passenger seat, the roar of the engine startled Cotton Candy.
Cotton Candy gripped the cracked leather seat tightly with both front paws, and the big, fluffy tail puffed up like a feather duster.
Kodiak Town was not far from the cabin in the woods.
It was a forty-minute drive along the highway.
Heavy plows had pushed the snow to either side of the roadbed, piling it into two dirty white walls.
Su Wei turned the heater up to full blast.
A dry, hot current of air carrying the smell of dust poured from the vents.
It didn't smell good, but in weather more than ten degrees below zero, he couldn't ask for much more.
Su Wei held the steering wheel with one hand and felt the roll of dollars through his pants pocket with the other.
This money had to be spent where it mattered.
The truck soon entered town.
The Town of Kodiak was the largest settlement on Kodiak Island, with a permanent population of only seven or eight thousand.
Most of the low buildings in town were painted in bright colors, perhaps to offer a little visual comfort during the long, dreary winter.
Su Wei parked outside Dad's Supermarket.
"Stay here. Don't run off."
He rolled the window down, leaving a gap two fingers wide.
Through the glass, he could see the little ball of white fur lying on the dashboard, both ears pricked up alertly like little radar dishes.
Su Wei pushed through the supermarket's heavy windproof curtain.
A wave of heat hit him in the face, carrying the aroma of baking bread and the smell of cheap perfume.
He had no time to linger over the smells. He grabbed a shopping cart and headed straight for the staples aisle.
Two twenty-five-pound bags of bread flour landed in the cart with a thud.
A two-gallon jug of cooking oil.
Five bags of sugar and two large canisters of sea salt.
These were the basics for staying alive.
In a godforsaken place like this, calories were life.
Without enough carbohydrates and oil, a person wouldn't last three days in the wild.
Next came the produce section.
The vegetables here were frighteningly expensive; even a few wilted tomatoes cost five dollars.
Su Wei glanced over the selection and picked up two bags of onions and three bags of potatoes.
Both vegetables kept well and were just right for stewing with meat.
Finally, after hesitating for a moment, he also picked up a few cucumbers and tomatoes.
He passed the meat section, where the prices were much lower.
Su Wei loaded several large cuts of beef straight into the cart, then picked up some lamb and pork.
The household goods section.
Large garbage bags, dish soap, and a few bars of soap.
The cart was soon half full.
After taking careful stock, Su Wei ultimately went to buy some grains and beans as well.
He also went to the miscellaneous goods section to buy Cotton Candy some toys and things that might come in handy.
Su Wei stopped at the corner and mentally added up the prices.
About three hundred dollars, still within budget.
He was about to go check out when a figure suddenly came around the shelves to the side, nearly colliding with his cart.
"Oh, damn, I didn't see..."
The woman wore a heavy down jacket, her hair was a mess, and she carried a basket of discounted canned goods.
Once she got a good look at Su Wei's face, her voice rose:
"Su Wei? Little Su Wei?"
Su Wei stopped and saw who it was.
It was Mrs. Tessa.
She lived at the east end of town. Her husband was an honest fisherman and had also been the first mate on Su Wei's parents' crab boat when they were alive.
That maritime disaster had taken not only Su Wei's parents' lives, but the lives of everyone aboard.
A merciless rainstorm and unusually large waves had swallowed everything.
"Aunt Tessa."
Su Wei nodded.
In his memories, she had always been warm and friendly.
Whenever his parents returned from the sea, she used to bring over freshly baked blueberry pie.
But now, her complexion was sallow, the bags under her eyes were puffy, and her down jacket's collar was stained with grease. The disaster had evidently ruined her life too.
"God bless, it's so good to see you looking so well."
Tessa put down her basket and seized Su Wei's forearm with her large, rough hands.
Her grip was strong, as though she were afraid he might run away.
"I heard those vampires at the bank have been giving you trouble? Those damned bastards... If you need food, you must come to me, although..."
She glanced down at the cans nearing their expiration dates in her basket, a bitter smile tugging at her lips:
"Although I don't have much good to offer either, I can always spare a bowl of hot soup."
Su Wei's gaze shifted slightly.
At a time when everyone was eyeing the inheritance and the debts, such genuine kindness was indeed rare.
"I'm fine. I can manage."
Su Wei carefully glanced around and asked in a low voice, "How have you been lately?"
"Same as always. Until those sons of bitches at the insurance company pay up, we have to tighten our belts."
Tessa suddenly lowered her voice and glanced furtively from side to side, then leaned in mysteriously:
"That's what I wanted to tell you, Su Wei. We might be saved."
Su Wei raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"You know how those vampires have been refusing to pay, clinging to the excuse that they 'went to sea in violation of regulations,' right?"
Tessa's face flushed with excitement:
"It's all bullshit!"
"That new lawyer at the fishermen's union, Anderson, is a force to be reckoned with. He found a crucial piece of evidence!"
Su Wei said nothing and listened quietly.
After the disaster, the insurance company had come up with a bullshit excuse, claiming that the fleet had gone to sea despite knowing heavy rain was possible, and ultimately refused to pay.
Everyone in the king crab fishing business paid the insurance company at least tens of thousands, or even over a hundred thousand, in premiums every year!
And now the company had flatly refused to pay, which was undoubtedly a death sentence for them.
Afterward, the families, led by the captain's wife, Margaret, filed a collective complaint.
It caused such a stir that the fishermen's union eventually stepped in and helped them hire a lawyer for the lawsuit.
"A recording of the captain's satellite phone call before he went to sea!"
Tessa waved her arms, flecks of spit flying:
"It's crystal clear in the recording. The company's higher-ups pressured them, forcing them to go out that day or lose their bonuses for the previous quarter! The captain didn't break the rules; the company forced them to do it!"