peepers [end times]

The New Year's dumplings are made by Shen Yi.

Lu Qing tried to help, but the dumplings she made were returned by Shen Yi because of their low appearance.Therefore, Lu Qing could only sit aside and watch Shen Yi busy.

There are dumplings with meat mixed with wild vegetables and mushrooms, and there are wild vegetables and mushrooms without meat fillings.

"If you have nothing to do, go out and buy a few candles. I have a habit of burning candles all night to pray for success in the next year."

"Okay... what kind of clothes and shoes do you like?"

"Just fit."

Lu Qing went out.She bought several red candles, and then went to the clothing store to buy a new set of clothes for her and Shen Yi.As for the shoes, it will be winter soon, Lu Qing thought about it and bought two pairs of snow boots to keep him warm.

On the way back, she also bought some flint and steel and a few boxes of matches.Although it won't be used much tonight, it's right to keep such things in the space.

When she returned to the temporarily rented house, Shen Yi was already cooking dumplings.

The tradition of eating dumplings during Chinese New Year... Lu Qing has not celebrated it for four years.When my sister was around, although I didn't have much money, I still had dumplings for Chinese New Year.It's a small bowl, shared between two people, it's hot, and a mouthful of dumpling soup can warm your heart.

After eating the dumplings, my sister will say: "Happy New Year".They would hug each other, and then my sister would conjure up a candy and stuff it into Lu Qing's hand like magic.

Sugar is expensive in peripheral shelters.But my sister said that the beginning of the new year must be sweet.

Lu Qing looked at the steam above the house, and his thoughts went back to the few New Years after his sister was taken away four years ago.

On the first New Year, she cooked a bowl of steaming wild vegetable soup by herself, and drank it as the New Year's bell rang.The wild vegetable soup was not good, but Lu Qing drank it whole, for fear that if she drank it slowly, all the tears would fall into it.At that time, Lu Qing was very envious of those who could spend the New Year with their families.

The next year's New Year, Lu Qing spent in the wilderness.She built a bonfire, still holding a steaming bowl of wild vegetable soup.She lived with the moon on the wilderness.

In the third year, Lu Qing did not celebrate the New Year.

Ironically, Qin Wan even fed her a dumpling during the New Year when she was arrested and sent to the research institute.

"Lu Qing? Lu Qing!" Shen Yi's call brought Lu Qing back to his senses, and she responded as if waking up from a dream.

"What are you thinking? I ask how many dumplings you eat!"

"I... I don't know either, why don't you give me fifteen first?" Lu Qing walked over, and the dumplings in the pot floated up, each of them was white and fat, very cute.I just can't tell which one is meat filling and which one is vegetable filling.

"Well, I'll give you eighteen. You're this year." Shen Yi said, and took out three more fat whites from the pot with a spoon and put them into a big bowl, "Hold it, be careful it's hot."

"Is the candle lit?"

"Oh, right away." Lu Qing carefully took the big bowl of dumplings and put it on the table.Then take out the candle holder specially for holding candles, and light the red candles.Then she walked over again and brought out Shen Yi's share.

Shen Yi turned off the fire and tidied up briefly, then came out with chopsticks and sauce.

A small dish of sauce was placed on the table, the black liquid was rippling with fine white froth, and a few pieces of chopped green onions were mixed in it.

The two sat at the table staring at the flickering candle in a daze, and the room fell into silence.

As the time passed by, Lu Qing unconsciously counted down the time.

"Eat it, you don't have to wait that long." Shen Yi said, "You can cook it after eating."

Lu Qing picked up one and blew carefully.The tip of the tooth pierces the outer skin, and the thick juice inside bursts out. This is a meat filling.delicious.

When Lu Qing finished eating the second one, the bell finally rang.She held the chopsticks of the third dumpling between her hands, raised her eyes and happened to meet Shen Yi's gaze.The red candle in the middle was flickering, both of them laughed for some reason, then lowered their heads and continued eating.

"Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year." After Shen Yi finished speaking, she paused, then smiled and said, "Happy Birthday, Lu Qing." She took her hand from under the table, clenched it into a fist, and stretched it out in the middle of the table, Pass the red candle in the middle and open it.

The hand was taken back, leaving only two candies wrapped in red paper lying there quietly.

Lu Qing was stunned and didn't speak for a moment.But Shen Yi stood up, put her own bowl into Lu Qing's bowl, and took them to the kitchen to wash.

The sound of the clashing of bowls and chopsticks and the sound of water sounded. Lu Qing looked at the candies under the candlelight and reached out to grab them. "Thank you," she whispered.

This is not home.

But Lu Qing felt that he was not so lonely anymore.

……

The first day of the new year seems to be no different from usual.The only difference is probably that Lu Qing put on new clothes.Before going to the library, Lu Qing bought a newspaper as usual.

Then she discovered that she and Shen Yi seemed to be wanted.

As for why "seems"?Because those who are wanted do not know their specific identities.It's just vaguely saying that there are two female superpowers from the Superpower Association who seem to have snatched away the evolutionary crystal of the Lu Group.

Without waiting for feedback, Lu Qing can imagine how the newspaper association will "taunt" back in the next edition.

It is better not to write this.Even the people in the association don't know that they got the evolution crystal.And now that the evolutionary crystals have already been absorbed by the space, even if Lu's wants to provoke the jealousy of the superpowers of the association, and then find them, it is impossible.

Well, in the eyes of the research group... it seems impossible for superpowers to directly absorb evolutionary crystals, so they think that those who "snatch" into the evolutionary crystals will definitely find a chance to make a move?In this way, Lu Qing could understand why Lu would rather be ridiculed than publish this report.

Unfortunately, it's useless.

In a good mood, Lu Qing rolled up the newspaper and put it into her empty backpack. Now her bag only contained a few Dawn Coins for lunch.Putting his hands into his trouser pockets, Lu Qing walked towards the library.

She took out the candy that Shen Yi gave her, the round hard candy was bitten, Lu Qing folded the stripped candy wrapper and put it back in her trouser pocket.Rolling the hard lump on the tip of the tongue, sweet and sour spread on the taste buds, causing Lu Qing to squint his eyes.

Because she came to the library to report and read books very regularly every day, both the staff in charge of registration and the guards who patrolled were already familiar with her.

"Happy New Year, little girl." The man in charge of the registration greeted with a smile, and took Lu Qing's registration paper.

"Happy New Year to you too."

Perhaps because of the first day of the new year, there were not many people in the library, but it was as quiet as ever.Lu Qing skillfully pulled out a travel journal from the bookshelf and looked at it.

After "Sun Xianying's Travel Notes" was published and became popular, it triggered a series of "adventures" and "travel notes" upsurge, which lasted for about 100 years.During that time, many young people from the central city and the inner refuges followed Sun Xianying's adventurous footsteps to embark on a journey to the wilderness, and the adventurers who survived and returned wrote down their travel notes.

Because fewer people survived and returned, there are even fewer wonderful, famous, and worth-seeing travel notes.These few travel notes placed in this library are already the essence accumulated by the times.

"Shenting...Hengduan Mountain..." Lu Qing looked at the places recorded in the travel notes, all the way north across the desert was the Shenting.It is said that many believers in the Dawn God Sect came from God's Court, and they voluntarily left their homeland to preach.

Going west through the wilderness, after passing through the forest, you will see a different mountain range.That mountain is really too high and dangerous. The author of this travel note said with emotion: Even people with superpowers dare not say that they will be able to cross this mountain safely.

As for what is on the other side of the mountain, there is no record in these travel notes.But Lu Qing is not in a hurry, as long as there is a book in the library that records what happened there, she will see it sooner or later.

……

At the end of the day's reading, Lu Qing walked out of the library rubbing her slightly dry eyes.

She has almost finished reading the few travel notes here, what book should she read next?She still hasn't read many books left after the cataclysm, but Lu Qing hasn't decided what kind to read first.Lu Qing gradually understood the power of knowledge.

It is a very pleasant thing to absorb knowledge from words and constantly enrich yourself.Lu Qing couldn't wait to go back and share what she had gained today with Shen Yi. On the way back, she suddenly thought of her sister's act of opening a school to give lectures... In fact, there are many people in the outer shelters who don't understand her sister.Even if the school is free, some adults do not want their children to study because they think it is a waste of time.

For those who are still struggling to survive, it is really meaningless to listen to a class in school that can't change anything for them, compared to working as a worker in a factory in exchange for a meal package.For the children in the outlying shelters, knowledge cannot change fate.

So, why does Lu Yuan persist in doing these things?

A lot of thoughts flooded into Lu Qing's mind, but they disappeared one by one.She sighed inwardly, and knocked lightly on the door.

There was the sound of the doorknob being turned, and Lu Qing walked in.Shen Yi turned around and threw a bag of candy by the door into Lu Qing's arms: "Candy is on sale, I bought it just by chance."

"...Thank you." Lu Qing weighed the bag of candy, but couldn't find the price tag on it.Things like sugar... will they still be on sale?She didn't see this kind of news when she went out and came back today.If the candies are really on sale, even if this is Vault No. [-], the residents who grab the candies will definitely form a bottomless queue.Lu Qing tilted her head, not quite understanding why Shen Yi gave her this to please her? "I don't really eat much sugar. I haven't had one in four years, to be exact."

"Give it back to me if you don't eat it." Shen Yi's tone was clearly dissatisfied, and she turned around in an instant to take back the bag of candy.

"But you gave it to me." Lu Qing squeezed Shen Yi's wrist, and pulled Shen Yi staggeringly with a little force. She lowered her head and approached Shen Yi: "What's wrong with you today? You are not such a kind person. "

Shen Yi was furious, what happened to her?She just went crazy to think that Lu Qing, who pinched two wet eyes last night, looks so cute and pitiful!What's even crazier is that when she saw the candy store when she was shopping for groceries today, Lu Qing's horrible look suddenly appeared in her mind——

Lu Qing was only a 13-year-old child when he lost the edge of the road, and now Lu Qing is still an adult.Shen Yi tightly closed her lips and said nothing, she would not say that she felt a little guilty towards Lu Qing.

The author has something to say:

It's New Year's Eve in Xiaolu, so...

Wishing everyone an early New Year here?

Lu & Shen: Happy New Year?