Not having seen snow for years, I made a wish to see snow the previous Christmas Day. It was that wish that made me feel a twinge of regret. I felt that I was to blame for that severe winter because my wish turned out to be a disaster for the whole nation. The unprecedented heavy snow was a big challenge for all of us.

According to the report, last winter was one of the worst in living memory. Snow began to fall round about late February. It hit most parts of central and southern China. At first, I was thrilled to see snow. Just imagine the snow falling silently in large soft flakes for a whole night and in the morning the whole garden became a spotless white canopy! However, the snow continued on and off relentlessly for approximately two weeks. Then a frost set in and everything laid in a grip of iron. We were driven into a sea of trouble and inconvenience. Electrical wires and water pipes were hardened and frozen; transportation and food supplies were disrupted. We thus had to go without all the things that we had taken for granted before. Due to the power failure, we had to have an early supper before dark. Instead of watching TV, we sat around the stoves, chatting, complaining about the weather. One of my neighbors, a quick-tempered man who had found it hard to live through such a winter dashed to buy a generator at the price three times higher than before. On hearing the good news, other villagers nearby swarmed in to recharge their flashlights and batteries. Never had he been more popular! As for water supplies, we had to bring water in buckets from a well. I didn’t hate it. After all carrying water was a good way to keep warm. Unfortunately, to get daily necessities was a hard job. Tottering in the heavy snow for hours, you found few stalls in the market and the prices surged sharply. What’s worse, when you decided to buy it at any price, the goods had been sold-out. The goods couldn’t be immediately supplied because cars and buses were covered up with snow. Passengers were also delayed midway. The most impressive scene might be the wedding. The new couples did not postpone their ceremonies because of the weather. Though lack of cars, they walked merrily in the snow, which conformed their pure love.

Fortunately, the snow finally thawed before the New Year. The impact faded gradually. I felt my ears and toes start to thaw out. How excited we were to see light and water again! It was a special winter for us. We were challenged greatly but we rode it out at last.