Although Chen Lan used the coarse salt purchased from the system as a de-icing agent, it still took some time to completely melt the snow on the greenhouses. Everyone was busy until it was almost dark before they finished clearing the snow from the greenhouses.
Time flew by when everyone was working, and the day passed by in a blur of activity.
As everyone tidied up and prepared to head home, Uncle De and Uncle Fu were still a bit uneasy. They went into the greenhouses again to check if any seedlings had broken through the soil, hoping to witness a miracle with their own eyes.
On the way home, it started snowing again. Xiang Xi grumbled, "Heavens, are you playing with us? We just finished shoveling the snow off the sheds, and you're starting to snow again?"
Uncle De chuckled and said, "Little Watermelon, clearing the snow off the sheds just means we know it's going to snow for the next couple of days. If we knew it wasn't going to snow, why would we bother shoveling it?"
After dinner, everyone didn't sit in the living room chatting as usual. They had worked hard all day and were all tired, so they went back to their rooms to rest early.
Chen Lan returned to her room with her mother and the twins, settled them in, and then the mother and daughter began to chat.
Her mother whispered conspiratorially, "Lan'er, I dreamed of your elder brother at noon today during my nap."
Chen Lan asked in surprise, "Mom, you dreamed of big brother? Did he say anything to you?"
Her mother said with great sadness, "No, he didn't say anything. He just looked at me. I was about to ask him if he was doing well over there.
Then the twins woke up, and Jia Yao and Jia Hui slapped me awake too. Lan'er, do you think your elder brother has something he needs us to do? That's why he appeared in my dream?"
Chen Lan didn't know how to answer her mother for a moment. She figured it was just wishful thinking leading to a dream. Her mother still hadn't fully let go of her elder son, so she could only go along with her for now and offer some comfort.
So, Chen Lan said, "Mom, I was thinking, winter is here. Shouldn't we send some warm clothes and money to our deceased elder brother, father, and father-in-law so they can have a good winter over there?"
Her mother immediately said happily, "Yes, yes, I was thinking the same thing. But, Lan'er, they say it's not allowed to be superstitious now. What should we do?"
Chen Lan said very seriously, "Mom, don't worry! We won't tell anyone. It'll be just between you and me. I'll go out quietly tonight and send the things to big brother, father, and father-in-law.
Her mother, reassured by Chen Lan's promise, felt relieved and happily returned to her room to rest.
Chen Lan was left to busy herself. She didn't know if the system had anything for sale, but she decided to try her luck. With a thought, she opened the system and searched, and to her surprise, she found shops selling such items.
The shops offered a wide variety of goods, more than she could have imagined.
Chen Lan placed orders for some items, planning to send them out later. She hoped that her departed loved ones would have money to spend and enjoy happiness and joy just like the living family members!
This was also her way of remembering and mourning the departed, and it would bring her peace of mind.
Not long after, her mother, still worried, came back and urged, "Lan'er, I'll watch the twins. You hurry up and go take care of things!"
Chen Lan had no choice but to quickly put on a thick cotton-padded jacket, a cotton hat, and other cold-weather gear, preparing to go out.
Before leaving, she bought a windproof lighter from the system.
That night, Chen Lan dreamed for the entire night. She dreamed of her past life, her parents and daughter in her past life.
When she woke up the next morning, she had a slight headache, probably due to lack of sleep. Chen Lan recalled the scenes from her dream, remembering only her parents and daughter, but nothing else.
This was probably her subconscious longing for her parents and daughter, which she herself hadn't even realized.
Early in the morning, Chen Lan felt groggy. She probably caught a chill the night before. She quickly made a packet of cold medicine and drank it while it was hot.
She checked the system time with her mind. It was only seven in the morning, and she didn't have much appetite to go downstairs for breakfast.
So she lay back down in bed, planning to sleep a bit longer to sweat it out.
She didn't know how long she slept. When she woke up, she was alone in bed. The twins had probably already been taken downstairs by her mother.
She checked the system time. It was already past nine-thirty in the morning, almost ten o'clock. She had slept for nearly three hours. She quickly got dressed and got out of bed, washed up in the bathroom, and then prepared to go downstairs.
Before reaching the bottom of the stairs, she heard a lot of noise from the living room downstairs, with many people talking. Chen Lan hurried down and saw that the living room was bustling with activity. There were many unfamiliar faces in the living room.
While Chen Lan was still in a daze, Xu Mingxuan saw her come downstairs. Holding the twins, he called out to Chen Lan, "Lan'er, come quickly. Let me introduce you. They are all my comrades and their families.
Look, this tall fellow is our clansman Xu Hao. He was in the same squad as me when we were in the army. We all call him Haozi. The ones behind are their families."
Chen Lan saw a lean man without a left arm and quickly greeted him, "Hello, it must have been a tiring journey in this cold weather!"
Xu Mingxuan then pointed to two old men and women with haggard faces and stooped bodies and said, "This is Grandpa Xu and Auntie Xu. Haozi's parents."
Chen Lan took Jia Yao from Xu Mingxuan's arms and hurriedly greeted them.
Xu Mingxuan continued to introduce Xu Hao's wife, Qian Yingzi, and their two young children, estimating that Gangdan was about six years old and Tiedan was only half a year old.
Chen Lan nodded and greeted them!
Xu Mingxuan went on to introduce, "Lan'er, this tall, skinny fellow is Zhao Tie. We all call him Tiezi. He was in the same squad as me in the army. He's a very famous scout. I learned a lot of my skills from him. It's a pity!"
Xu Mingxuan patted Zhao Tie's shoulder with great regret.
Zhao Tie laughed heartily, "Old Xu, I'm content just to come home alive from the battlefield and see my mother, wife, and children. It's just a lost leg, it's no big deal."
Xu Mingxuan then introduced Zhao Tie's mother, Grandma Ma, his wife Liu Man'er, a little daughter named Hehua about four years old, and a baby boy in Liu Man'er's arms who was about the same age as the twins.
Xu Mingxuan was about to introduce his next comrade and his family to Chen Lan.
The mother-in-law, Mom Liu, and Mom Cui, along with Ming Wei, came out of the kitchen with steamed buns, flower rolls, and spicy soup. Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan quickly urged everyone to sit down and eat.
The mother-in-law said warmly, "For now, please eat something to tide you over. We'll make a good meal at noon to welcome everyone."