Then it continued its snow exploration, but it certainly didn't dare to go out of the range illuminated by Su Wei's flashlight.
Su Wei ignored it; the little guy was very clever.
He tightened his collar and stepped into the snowstorm.
The snow was already up to my calves, and I had to pull my boots out with force with every step.
This resistance makes progress very difficult.
The distance from the main house to the garage was only twenty meters, but Su Wei walked for almost a minute.
Reaching the side door of the garage, he shook the snow off his gloves and inserted the key.
The lock cylinder felt stiff from the cold.
Su Wei had no choice but to take off his gloves, warm the keyhole with the warmth of his palms for a while, and then twist it a few more times.
Click.
The latch pops open.
Pushing open the iron gate, a blast of cold air, a mixture of engine oil and old dust, hit me.
The garage was pitch black, with only the beam of a flashlight flickering.
The old Dodge truck sat quietly in the middle, with snow still piled up in the bed from before.
Beside it was the snowmobile, which looked completely dilapidated.
In the corner, the dark green diesel generator lay lifeless.
This machine is older than Su Wei; it's an antique left by the previous owner. Although it's noisy, it's simple in structure and sturdy and durable.
Su Wei walked over and reached out to touch the hood.
It's still a little warm.
He unscrewed the fuel tank cap and shone a flashlight inside.
It was spotless; even the filter at the bottom was visible.
It really was out of gas.
"Old friend, I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Su Wei patted the machine's cold exterior and turned to walk towards the storage shelf in the corner.
There were several spare red oil drums there.
He picked up the outermost one.
Light and airy.
Empty.
Su Wei's heart sank.
He picked up the second one.
It's still empty.
It wasn't until the third one that I felt a heavy weight in my hand.
But there was only half a bucket.
Su Wei shook the oil drum, listening to the sound of the liquid sloshing inside, and frowned.
This is the only bucket left.
Everything else had been used up before this.
This half-bucket of oil can only power the generator for a maximum of ten hours.
Of course, this is under full load conditions.
If used sparingly, about 100 liters of diesel fuel can last for approximately two days.
In other words, if he cannot replenish his diesel fuel tomorrow, he will lose his sight tomorrow night.
Without electricity, the water pump won't work, and there will be no water to drink.
With no electricity and the electric heater out of service, we can only rely on the fireplace to keep warm.
In this godforsaken place, without energy reserves, people can't survive for long.
Without further hesitation, Su Wei unscrewed the oil drum cap, aimed it at the generator's filler neck, and poured in the murky, pale yellow liquid.
Glug glug.
The sound of diesel fuel being swallowed echoed in the empty garage.
Only after the last drop of oil had dripped did Su Wei put away the oil drum and casually toss it into a pile of empty drums to the side.
Clang.
The crisp sound of the empty barrel hitting the ground was a bit harsh.
He closed the generator fuel tank cap and located the starter rope.
This old machine has no electric start; it's all manually operated.
Su Wei adjusted his posture, put on his gloves, gripped the handle with one hand, and placed his foot on the base.
Take a deep breath and gather your strength.
Pull it back sharply!
Pfft pfft... Pfft
The machine coughed twice, emitted a puff of black smoke, and then went silent again.
It's too cold; the cylinder temperature isn't high enough.
Su Wei didn't stop; he pulled again, then a second time.
He gritted his teeth and pulled the rope hard again and again.
On the fifth attempt, with a dull bang, the machine began to shake violently.
rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!
A rough, powerful roar instantly filled the entire space.
The ground trembled slightly.
A thick plume of blue smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe, which quickly faded.
It is operating smoothly.
Su Wei looked towards the main house through the garage window, which was covered in frost.
The warm yellow light in the living room windows on the first floor was turned on again.
Power has been restored.
Su Wei breathed a sigh of relief, took off his gloves, and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
As long as the machine can still run, I can get a good night's sleep.
He locked the garage door again and turned to face the swirling snow.
The footprints that had just been left have now been filled in again.
" Cotton Candy!"
Su Wei shouted.
A small head popped out of a snowdrift not far away, with a dry twig that had somehow appeared in its mouth.
Seeing Su Wei beckoning, it dropped the branch and came running over, leaving a trail of plum blossom-shaped footprints on the snow with its four legs.
The man and the fox braved the wind and returned to the main house.
The moment the door closed, the world instantly became quiet.
The whistling wind was shut out, and the electric heater started working again, emitting a slight electrical hum.
Although the temperature hasn't risen yet, a sense of security has already filled the room again.
Su Wei took off his snow-covered down jacket and hung it on the hanger.
The Cotton Candy shook itself vigorously, sending out a ring of water droplets.
Then, with practiced ease, he jumped back onto the sofa, curled himself into a ball, and continued the dream he hadn't finished.
Su Wei did not go to rest immediately.
He walked to the window and reached out to wipe away a patch of fog from the glass.
The outside world was a vast expanse of white.
Outside the window, snowflakes were falling heavily onto the ground.
This amount of snowfall is very unusual.
Even on Kodiak Island, such a blizzard that occurs in such a short period of time is rare.
Combined with the two previous blizzards, plus this one...