CHAPTER 173: 167 EARTHQUAKE

Tian Sangsang carefully checked for any typos before placing the letter into the envelope. It was an ordinary day, yet everyone harbored extraordinary thoughts.

"Yingzi, I need to mail a letter," she said.

Chen Ying, who was strolling in the courtyard after lunch to aid digestion, nodded knowingly and replied enthusiastically, "Sure, no problem. I’ll take it for you when I head to work."

"Thanks." Tian Sangsang glanced at Little Milk Tea, who was dashing about the courtyard, and softly scolded, "Milk Tea, stop barking!"

"Woof woof woof!" The little creature opened its mouth wide, its almond-shaped eyes glaring as it barked incessantly.

Chen Ying remarked curiously, "What’s gotten into Little Milk Tea? It hasn’t stopped barking these past two days." The constant barking unnerved her, giving her the uneasy feeling that something bad was about to happen. After all, in rural areas, a dog’s persistent barking was never a good omen.

Tian Sangsang frowned and said, "I think it’s strange too. Maybe it’s time for it to find a mate. Tomorrow, I’ll take it out to look for one."

Saying this, she turned and headed back into the house, somewhat worried, to check on Meng Shuyan.

The little boy had been behaving as unusually as Little Milk Tea these past couple of days. While Little Milk Tea was excessively noisy, he was excessively quiet.

"Mama, I’m a little scared." Meng Shuyan hugged her leg, his fluffy head rubbing against her calf as his dark, wide eyes revealed fear. "So many sounds... messy... noisy... rumbling... rumbling... they’re getting closer and closer."

"It’s okay, Mama’s here. Don’t be scared." Tian Sangsang squatted down, gazing at him seriously, and asked gently, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Mama can take you to see a doctor."

"No." Meng Shuyan shook his head, pursing his lips and whispering, "It’s just chaos in my head."

Tian Sangsang froze for a moment. Chaos in his head? Was it due to some trouble, or had he not slept well at night? She picked up his small frame, laid him on the bed, and covered him with a thin blanket.

"Then take a nap first. If you still don’t feel well when you wake up, we’ll go to the doctor."

Obediently, Meng Shuyan lay down, his little face growing paler. Suddenly, he covered his ears, shifting his head restlessly from side to side.

He whimpered pitifully, "Mama, I can’t sleep. It’s too noisy."

Noisy? In the middle of the day? But the store was quiet, the street was nearly deserted, and there were no sounds or disturbances. Everything was calm.

Watching his distressed expression, Tian Sangsang’s heart ached. Suddenly, she recalled some of Meng Shuyan’s earlier peculiarities. Gently stroking his hair to comfort him, she asked, "Baby, what sounds are you hearing?"

"The voices of the little animals. They say they’re scared."

"What little animals?"

"The little ant under the bed says the ground is very hot. The two sparrows on the roof say there’s danger and they need to escape quickly. And the row of swallows in the sky says they’re leaving for somewhere else..." He muttered on, leaving Tian Sangsang in a cold sweat. What did this mean? Was it a coincidence, or was it extraordinary? Could her son hear the voices of animals?

"Alright." Tian Sangsang pulled out a pair of earplugs. "Mama will help you wear these. Once you have them on, you won’t hear the sounds anymore, and you can sleep well."

"Okay." Meng Shuyan nodded his small head, feeling a bit less afraid as he grew curious about the earplugs.

"Sleep tight." Tian Sangsang patted his head and kissed his cheek.

Sitting in the outer hall, Tian Sangsang still couldn’t believe it. The whole situation felt too fantastical. But considering she’d experienced things like rebirth, ancient individuals crossing into modern times, and even encountering beasts like Little Milk Tea, being able to hear animals shouldn’t have been surprising. Yet, the animals were in a frantic mess, warning of danger—what danger?

Propping her chin on her hand, she pondered for over ten minutes, her mind racing through countless possibilities.

Suddenly, the dishes on the table began to tremble lightly. At first, the vibrations were faint, but they quickly escalated into violent shaking. Tian Sangsang instinctively looked around her. The table quaked, and objects hanging on the walls swayed. Startled, she jumped to her feet, unsteady and stumbling.

A terrifying realization crept into her mind. Clutching the table, she steadied herself and stood firmly.

"What’s happening? Why is the ground shaking?" Chen Ying, who had been napping upstairs, hurriedly descended, her hair disheveled and her face riddled with panic. "Is something bad really going to happen...?"

"It’s an earthquake!" Tian Sangsang blurted out almost instantly. She urged, "Yingzi, hurry and get outside or find a safe spot to hide. I’m going to get Yanyan."

The earthquake gave her no time to pause. No sooner had her words fallen than the walls began to collapse, and beams came crashing down. Dodging the falling debris, Tian Sangsang rushed inside.

"Yanyan! Baby!" she called out desperately.

"Mama." Meng Shuyan was standing groggily by the bed, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.

A small distance separated them. Tian Sangsang moved to pick him up, but as she approached, something from above and beside them fell with a loud crash, raising a cloud of dust.

"Yanyan, watch out!"

A sharp pain seized her body. Struggling to see ahead, Tian Sangsang’s cries filled the air, but an all-encompassing darkness engulfed her.

On this otherwise ordinary day, an earthquake struck this unassuming small town. No one saw it coming—perhaps some had sensed something off earlier, but it was too late. The process didn’t matter; the outcome was inevitable. The initial tremors radiated outward chaotically, like a brewing storm long in the making.

The earth trembled. Buildings crumbled into flat rubble in an instant. Death’s hand reached out to the ordinary people—they struggled, they screamed, they despaired. Dust filled the air, obscuring everything in dim hues. Roads split open, revealing deep cracks. Natural disasters—no human could ever stop them.

Nature.

Terrifying, relentless nature.

And in the neighboring small villages not far from town, the same disaster was unfolding.

"Tian Tian, run!" Chen Ming, who was outside and trying to rush back home to find his parents, saw Tian Tian trembling uncontrollably in front of a collapsing house.

"Chen Ming... Chen Ming... save me..." Tian Tian cried helplessly, tears streaming down her face. In moments of crisis, most people instinctively run, but Tian Tian was paralyzed by fear, unable to move. She was just that frightened, that timid, that helpless.

Without hesitation, Chen Ming lunged towards her. The two rolled to the side as the house collapsed behind them in a deafening crash, sending up a cloud of dust.

Helping Tian Tian to her feet, Chen Ming didn’t understand why he’d saved her—it must have been a subconscious instinct. "Find an open area quickly. It’s too dangerous here. I can’t stay with you; I need to go back home to find my parents."

"No... Chen Ming..." Tian Tian looked at him with a mix of gratitude and fear. Both of their faces were covered in dust. She grabbed his hand, pleading, "I’m scared. Don’t leave me... It’s too dangerous there. Everything is collapsing—you can’t just go to your death."

"Chen Ming, let her go!" A voice roared as Zhou Zheng appeared, separating their hands with a forceful swipe. "Chen Ming, Tian Tian is my girlfriend. Don’t think you can take advantage of her in a moment like this. Who gave you the right to touch her..."