The Obligations of the Elderly - Chapter 20

But this year’s snowfall was even heavier than Gong Si had imagined!

Late at night, Gong Si was awakened by the sound of the loudspeaker outside.

Every household in town had a loudspeaker installed outside, just so that in heavy snow, when signals were poor, important messages could be delivered to everyone in time. So as soon as he heard the sound coming from the loudspeaker, Gong Si immediately knew something was wrong!

Sure enough-

“…Attention all residents, this year’s snow is more severe than previous years. Please check your rooftops in time, clear away some of the accumulated snow before going to sleep, to prevent any collapse incidents! Attention all residents…”

Gong Si sat up with a start.

By the time he was dressed and ran out of his bedroom, he bumped into his Second Brother, who was also dressed and ready to head out.

“Eldest Brother,” Qiu Xia called out to him.

“I’ll check the roof, you go look at the rest of the yard,” Gong Si immediately assigned the tasks.

“Okay.” Without any fuss, Qiu Xia went off to do his part.

As he was heading downstairs, he ran into Dong Chun, who was rubbing his eyes.

“Second Brother…” Dong Chun yawned, “What should I do?”

He wasn’t very old, but Dong Chun was already used to helping out at home.

“You go upstairs to Eldest Brother’s room and watch Ah Ji.” Eldest Brother was checking the roof, so his room was empty, with only Ah Ji inside.

Qiu Xia also found something for Dong Chun to do.

Nodding, Dong Chun headed upstairs, while Qiu Xia took a flashlight and began inspecting the various places in the yard.

He focused especially on the wooden pavilion outside the study.

To make it convenient for guests, the study had two doors-one inside, and another opening onto the corridor. To allow guests to sit and read in the corridor, they had even built a pavilion there. When Gong Si told Qiu Xia to check the rest of the yard, he was mainly referring to this spot.

Fortunately, everything was fine here for now.

“Qiu Xia, come up and help clear the snow! It’s piled up too thick!” Gong Si shouted from above. Responding, Qiu Xia climbed back upstairs and joined his brother on the roof to clear the snow.

They swept for over two hours, first clearing the snow off the roof, then sweeping the yard, and finally removing all the snow, piling it up on both sides of the road in front of their house. Although the snow kept falling, clearing it made things a little better.

By the time they finished, dawn had broken. Gong Si pulled Qiu Xia back inside for a simple breakfast. Looking out the window, Gong Si asked, “Qiu Xia, do you still have energy?”

Qiu Xia curved his lips into a smile, “Yes, Eldest Brother. Shall we go to Grandma Lin’s after breakfast?”

Clearly, he remembered this tradition too.

“Mm!” Gong Si nodded, finishing the soup left in his bowl in one gulp.

After making sure Dong Chun took his medicine and instructing him to watch the house with Ah Ji, Gong Si and Qiu Xia hurried out to their neighbor’s house to help clear snow.

At home, only Gong Dongchun and Gong Siji, the two little ones, were left.

Gathering everyone’s empty plates, Dong Chun dragged a stool over, stood on tiptoe, and washed the dishes.

Although Eldest Brother said he didn’t need to wash dishes today, he insisted on finishing them anyway.

“Now it’s my turn to wash dishes. When you grow up, it’ll be your turn. You can start learning now.” While washing, Dong Chun placed Ah Ji next to the sink to watch and even gave him a little advice.

Whether Ah Ji understood or not, he watched intently.

Washing dishes used up all his strength, and Dong Chun felt his face getting hot, with his nose running more and more.
Pulling out a tissue to blow his nose clean, Dong Chun glanced at Ah Ji and then put on the mask he usually hated wearing the most.

After quickly wiping the table, he placed Ah Ji on the crawling mat by the edge of the table.

“The brothers will definitely be cold when they get back. We need to boil some water.” Most of the TV programs at this time were news, which Dong Chun found boring, so he quickly found himself another chore to do.

In winter, the task Gong Si had Dong Chun do the most was boiling water. Gong Si’s original intention was just to give his younger brother something to do so he wouldn’t have to go out and freeze, but Dong Chun ended up taking this job very seriously.

Their family had several thermos flasks. Even if Dong Chun was playful, he would still make sure to fill all the thermoses every day during winter.

“You eat more now and poop more, too. Every time I wash your butt, I have to mix in hot water. We can’t run out of hot water.” While boiling water, Dong Chun chatted with Ah Ji.

The Gong Si family used the kind of water boiler that every household in Lengshui Town had to have.

In summer, it was kept outside; in winter, it was brought indoors. It was electric, shaped like a cylinder, with a kettle placed right on top. The rest could be wrapped in all kinds of fabric. When you first came inside and put your hands on it, they’d warm up in no time.

While chatting with Ah Ji, Dong Chun kept boiling water, filling a thermos with each kettleful. By the time he filled the sixth thermos, his energy was starting to wane.

“No, still two more… I can only go to sleep after I fill two more…” he told himself.

But his head was really spinning, his face was burning, and his vision was gradually blurring. He felt as if his whole head was stuffed with mucus…

With a “thud,” Dong Chun’s head slumped onto the table, and he fell asleep.

Not long after he dozed off, the kettle on the water boiler started boiling, steam puffing out of the spout, and soon it began to whistle loudly.

But Dong Chun couldn’t hear it.

Ah Ji heard it. Not only did he hear it, but he also understood.

“Ah!” He called out to his brother.

“Ah ah!” Two more cries.

“Pa pa!” With no other choice, Ah Ji had to use his hands. Crawling to his brother’s calf, he slapped Dong Chun’s leg twice.

But a baby’s soft little hands really lacked any deterrent force, and Dong Chun didn’t move at all.

Seeing that he couldn’t wake his brother, Ah Ji began to crawl in the opposite direction.

His goal was clear: the whistling kettle.

The cylindrical water boiler was the perfect support. Holding onto the thickly wrapped water boiler, Ah Ji shakily stood up, then reached his little hand toward the kettle on top.

When Dong Chun squinted his eyes open, this was the scene he saw!

He was petrified!

He wanted to rush over and pull Ah Ji away, but his body wouldn’t obey at all. His mind was unbearably heavy, and the hot air coming out of his nostrils felt like it could roast his lips. Dong Chun’s body temperature rose again.

Watching his own body slump weakly from the chair toward the floor, Dong Chun desperately reached out toward Ah Ji.

Ah Ji! Ah Ji! Ah Ji is going to get burned by the kettle! No! I can’t let Ah Ji get hurt-

This became the only thought in his mind before he fainted.

Then, almost at the exact moment he collapsed-

Ah Ji tilted his head back and saw a torrential downpour pouring from above.

Touching the droplets on his face, Ah Ji even opened his mouth to catch a couple, laughing happily.