Chapter 282 - 213: Fire as Bright as Day

Chapter 282: Chapter 213: Fire as Bright as Day

"Quick, wife! Dongzi and the others are heading into the mountains tomorrow morning, so the bags, sleds, torches, and everything are all ready to go. Grab all our baskets and hurry!"

Zhao Dashan slapped the kang mat, so anxious he wished he could get down and go foraging himself. A great weight was lifted from Lin Huaimin and Wang Lulu’s minds, and they scrambled to get dressed and help. Just moments before, they had thought... After a little while, Zhao Wenjun and Song Xiaoyu also rushed over. Song Xiaoyu placed the still-sleeping Yadan on the kang, asking Zhao Dashan to watch her. Then she, Zhao Wenjun, and Zhao Shitou hurried off toward the coast.

After calling for Zhao Wenjun, Zhao Wendong thought about the situation on the beach and the long coastline outside the village. He instantly made up his mind. ’This must be fate. A massive tide, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades, has washed ashore more than the entire village could ever gather. Heaven is working through my hands.’

’This bounty isn’t for me,’ he thought. ’It’s for everyone in the village, young and old. Of course, if it were only a small amount that my family could easily finish, I wouldn’t play the saint and tell everyone else. But we only have four hours. Once the tide comes back in, everything will be washed back out to sea.’

"Third Master, open up! It’s me!"

Zhao Wendong pounded on the door. Hearing it was Zhao Wendong, Third Master Zhao got up, grumbling and cursing as he opened it.

"You little brat, what’s all this fuss for in the middle of the night? Did something happen to Damei?"

Third Master Zhao had also heard about how Zhao Wendong had gone to Li Village that afternoon, made a show of his strength, and brought Zhao Damei back. As far as gossip in Dragon King Pond Village went, Zhao Wendong was the number one topic every day.

"Something huge has happened! There’s been a massive tide down at the beach. It’s washed in all sorts of good stuff, tons of food! Quick, take me to the team headquarters so we can use the broadcast to call everyone."

"What? Oh—right, right!"

Third Master Zhao grew excited at once. He threw on his clothes, slipped on his shoes, and dashed back into his room to grab the keys before heading straight for the team headquarters with Zhao Wendong. Once they opened the door, Third Master Zhao deftly lit a kerosene lamp, then pointed to an old hand-cranked generator.

"This thing’s on its last legs. It’s been hit-or-miss lately. You crank it!"

Bathed in the light of the kerosene lamp, Zhao Wendong switched off his flashlight and began to furiously crank the generator. The old machine let out painful, creaking groans, as if it were about to fall apart in his hands. Third Master Zhao flipped the broadcast switch and waited for the power, muttering all the while.

"What’s the matter, you young pup? Didn’t you have enough to eat? Or did you use up all your energy in bed earlier? Put some more muscle into it! If we can’t get any power, we’ll have to go knock on every single door. Or if you can’t handle it, should this old man give it a try?"

Zhao Wendong gritted his teeth. He’d been taunted about his "stamina" twice today. This was the last straw. His hands cranked even faster as he put every last ounce of his strength into it. ’Dragon King Pond Village has four main streets and over a hundred households,’ he thought. ’Going door to door would waste more than an hour, and we’d miss our chance!’ He cranked for a while longer, and just as he was about to give up...

CRACKLE—!

A burst of static suddenly erupted from the speaker. Seeing this, Third Master Zhao was overjoyed.

"Keep cranking, don’t stop."

With that, he leaned into the microphone and roared with all his might.

"Wake up, everyone! Get up and go to the beach to gather food! There’s been a massive tide!"

"Dongzi found food! Everyone grab your gear and get to the beach! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Third Master Zhao’s roars instantly spread through the whole of Dragon King Pond Village via the suddenly blaring broadcast system. Back then, every household in the production team had a loudspeaker by the door, and the sleeping village was jolted awake. Zhao Weiguo had been in high spirits that day and had even enjoyed a small drink before bed. He was in the middle of a pleasant dream when his wife shook him awake.

"Hurry, Husband, wake up! Something’s happened!"

"Something’s happened? What is it?"

Zhao Weiguo was taken aback. He shook his head, still not fully awake. Just then, the loudspeaker outside crackled to life again, and Third Master Zhao’s voice drifted through the air.

"I’ll say it again! Everybody get up and go forage the sea! A massive tide has come in and the beach is covered in foo—" CRACKLE... BZZT...

The loudspeaker let out one last squawk before falling silent. Zhao Wendong tossed aside the generator handle he had snapped off, an innocent look on his face.

"Third Master, that thing was already broken! It wasn’t me who did it! Nothing to do with me. Anyway, everyone’s been notified. I’ve gotta go get some of the good stuff, too."

After speaking, Zhao Wendong pulled a sea cucumber from his pocket, pressed it into Third Master Zhao’s hand, then turned and ran.

"To build up your strength!"

Third Master Zhao felt the cold sea cucumber in his hand, and his nose suddenly tingled with emotion. Watching Zhao Wendong run off into the distance, he silently tightened his grip on the sea cucumber and muttered to himself.

"You rascal... I wasn’t wrong about you. You’re a good kid, a true son of Dragon King Pond Village. You’ve got a bright future, just like your uncle. The whole village... everyone, young and old... we all owe you our lives for this!"

Lights began to flicker on one by one in the otherwise pitch-black Dragon King Pond Village. Zhao Lao Nian’s family of four had recently been able to eat two meals a day and were just starting to get some of their strength back. The moment he heard the broadcast, Zhao Lao Nian grabbed the torch from his recent warehouse guard duty, told his wife and two children to follow, and they all ran toward the nearest stretch of beach, carrying baskets and bags.

There were many, like Zhao Lao Nian, who took action the moment they heard there was food on the beach. But there were also some who were skeptical. Zhao the Sixth, for example, lay back down on his kang with a look of disdain, and his wife couldn’t pull him up.

"Hurry up! Didn’t you hear them? There’s food on the beach!"