Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 533: Firecracker Sounds

Returning was impossible; each of their squads had pledged to bring back the weapon recipe or face severe consequences.

They could only grit their teeth and press forward, even if they ultimately lost their sense of direction.

At least the sound of these firecrackers gave them a glimmer of hope—it indicated that there were inhabited places beyond the mountains, suggesting that they were finally descending, which was certainly cause for excitement!

"Liu Neng, where do you think these firecrackers came from?" A shadow pondered for a moment, eyes gleaming with sudden realization.

"General, are you suggesting…" Liu Neng's eyes widened suddenly, revealing a hint of joy.

Yes, after years of natural disasters, it seems impossible to still have firecrackers unless someone knew how to make them, which might also relate to the skyward cannon and thunder bomb.

Although they had lost their way in recent days, they were heading in the right general direction—being in the territory of Lingyun State, this wasn't impossible.

But would such an important thing be built in such a remote place? Moreover, with Beicang not having conquered even Lianzhou City yet, during such a critical time in the war, such crucial weapons wouldn't be made in an isolated location; Liu Neng's excitement was significantly dampened by this thought.

But… what if?

"General, shouldn't we follow the sounds down the mountain to find out?"

The shadow nodded: "Pass the order, get ready, and march through the night."

Mountain roads were treacherous at night, making it even more imperative to follow the sounds to discern direction.

Before Liu Neng could relay the order, the troops were already prepping themselves; they couldn't wait any longer.

It's not like they're deaf; they'd heard the conversation between the General and Deputy Liu.

While Hua Jin and her family played mahjong to stay up late, there was a troop following the firecracker sounds, progressively closing in on the Qinggu Mountain range behind the village.

Unaware of the impending danger, they were cheerfully engaged in several tables of mahjong.

Ever since mahjong was introduced, staying up during annual celebrations was no longer dull but seemed to make time fly, bringing them to the following year in the blink of an eye.

During this year, Hua Jin had someone by her side, and her luck was extraordinarily good, winning a pile of copper coins.

As midnight and the New Year arrived, led by the hyperactive Xiaosi, bursts of firecrackers echoed throughout Hua Village, with the festive noise heralding a prosperous new year.

Having stayed up for the New Year and eaten the New Year's dumplings, Hua Jin couldn't resist passing the mahjong tiles to the man next to her, yawning and returning to her room to sleep.

As for how long everyone played, Hua Jin wasn't aware; she was awoken the next day by the chorus of children's New Year greetings, but everyone seemed in good spirits, suggesting they didn't stay up all night.

Her family had already left since Hua Jin was inclined to avoid visiting her mother's home on the first day of the New Year, out of tradition.

Still, she was not idle; having married, her role changed from that of a child wandering the village to being the one whom children visited to wish a happy New Year.

It was then that the advantage of having a husband came into play; there was no need for her to fret as he had already prepared red envelopes, candies, and snacks, leaving her only to greet guests with a smile and distribute the red packets.

Hua Jin never expected Hua Village to have so many children; she stayed home the entire day, distributing red packets all day long. Even if each child received only a little for luck, the repetitive gestures and continual smiling were quite exhausting, leaving her cheeks feeling numb by bedtime.

That day passed amidst the laughter of children, and Hua Jin had a good night's sleep, even kicking Luo Song to the bed's edge with her restless movement.

On the second day, traditionally a day for married daughters to return to their parental homes, Hua Jin couldn't wait and, with the year's gifts prepared by Luo Song, took her family back to her parents' house.

Upon arriving, her two brothers and sisters-in-law had yet to prepare to return home, and Hua Jin cherished holding several little ones, each receiving a large red envelope filled with goodies, resulting in endless "auntie, auntie" exclamations. So thrilled were they to see their favorite auntie that they refused to leave, necessitating much coaxing from the two sisters-in-law when it was time to depart.

Though her brothers and their wives were absent, the whole family of her two aunts was present, adding to the lively atmosphere.

"Mother, when are we going to Grandma's?" Hua Jin asked between bites of her mother's fried snacks, crunching happily as she sat in her old spot behind the stove.

After the Qi brothers finally came to their senses, Qi's wife and husband, perhaps due to aging, had mellowed significantly, no longer the particularly disagreeable family they once were. Under her mother-in-law's persuasion, Qi's relations with her natal family had improved greatly over the last two years, leading to regular festival visits.

Still, in her heart, her marital family remained the top priority, making the second day of the New Year strictly for familial visits, especially with her daughter coming over.

However, the visit was merely postponed to the fourth day.

"The fourth day," her mother replied after some thought.

"Then I'll go with you, Mother."

Having married, Hua Jin understood the nuances of social propriety; despite her apathy towards her grandmother's home, she would visit for her mother's sake.

At the Qinggu Mountain range behind Hua Village, a group had finally emerged from the deep mountains. After nearly two months of trekking, their clothes no longer resembled their original state, tattered but no longer recognizable.

Relief washed over them as they collectively exhaled; whatever the case, they had finally emerged, almost lost within this vast mountain range.

They could scarcely believe its seemingly endless expanse. Without the intermittent firecracker sounds, they wouldn't have emerged so quickly.

"Crackle... crackle..."

Another series of firecrackers sounded, directing everyone's gaze toward its source, in the southeast, then following the leading man in black, General Qi Chong of the advance guard.

"General," Liu Neng looked at him.

At that moment, General Qi gazed deep into the direction of the sounds. They had exited the mountains, but their location remained unknown, making the firecracker sounds their key clue.

General Qi was also very curious how there were still firecrackers amid the dire circumstances surrounding Guyan.

Go find out; he raised his hand, signaling everyone to follow.

To discover the truth was simple, just go and investigate.

Subsequently, a group dressed in black swiftly dashed through the forest, appearing almost like shadows.

Meanwhile, Hua Village remained unaware that a band was nearing the village entrance, still basking in the New Year atmosphere. Children happily chased each other, and occasionally mischievous boys went to the village chief's general store to buy firecrackers with their New Year money, joyfully setting them off.

Hua Jin's family particularly celebrated with a large platter of firecrackers at lunchtime, creating a lively and festive scene.

How joyous! Her grandson had learned to walk, and her daughter found a good match. After enduring harsh months, these moments of peace and happiness were indeed worth celebrating. With an abundance of supplies, Hua Chengtian eagerly handed the prepared firecrackers to his youngest son before Xiaosi even requested it.