Winter is a disaster for the residents of Rukongai.
The cold temperature accelerates the loss of souls in the soul. Souls with relatively low spiritual pressure can no longer make up for the consumption of souls by drinking water alone. They must eat spiritual food made from souls, so Ito Ryoji and Kon Idehira and Emi Sanada shivered from the cold every day, but there was nothing they could do.
There is already a shortage of food in Xudiao District. Food prices increase in winter, and they have no extra money to buy food.
As time goes by, the temperature gets lower and lower, and finally reaches the coldest time. After a heavy snowfall, the world is covered in white, and the cold attacks everyone.
Even Renji Abarai and Natsuhiko, who were in the fourth level of spiritual pressure, felt the chill everywhere, and Rukia also turned pale.
As for Ryoji Ito and the other three, they were getting weaker and weaker. Seeing their appearance, Renji Abarai gritted his teeth and made a decision.
He called Natsuhiko and Rukia to leave the house, stood outside the house, and said to them: "If there is no more food, Ito Ryoji, Imadeira and the others will starve to death."
Rukia frowned and said, "But where are we going to find food?"
Abarai Renji looked off into the distance and said, "We can only steal."
"steal?"
Natsuhiko stared at Renji Abarai with his eyes widened.
The latter nodded and said: "Yes, this is the only way. We can't let them starve to death."
Lucia asked: "Where to steal it?"
Abarai Renji said in a low voice: "I have been visiting the place these days and found that the Murata family made a lot of steamed buns. We can steal a few and bring them back."
Lucia thought for a while and said, "How about we ask for a few first? Maybe they will give them to us."
Renji Abarai waved his hand and said, "This is impossible. The Murata family is relatively wealthy in the Xudiao District, but they only have a little bit of spare money. How could they give it to us?"
Lucia glanced at the hungry Ito Ryoji and the other three, and said, "Then we can only steal."
Renji Abarai said: ""
Rukia asked: "What do we need to do?"
Abarai Renji said: "Let's talk about it when we get there."
The three of them left the house and arrived at the end of the village. Abarai pointed to the house not far away and said: "That's the Murata house. The room on the right is the kitchen. The buns have been steamed and are in the kitchen. There is a window in the kitchen, but The window is relatively small, and only Xia Yan can go in. After a while, I will lead them out at the front door. Xia Yan, you can climb in through the side window and steal the buns. Lucia, you can meet him outside and wait for my signal."
Xia Yan and Lucia looked at each other and said, "Okay."
The two walked to the kitchen window and peeked inside. A woman was busy in the kitchen and gestured towards Abarai.
Renji Abarai nodded, took a deep breath, reached the door, raised his palm and slapped the wooden door.
Not long after, the wooden door opened, and a man appeared at the gate. He looked at Renji Abarai and said, "Why is it you?"
Abarai Renji is very famous in Xudiao District. He lives with several orphans and is very competitive. Others dare not provoke him.
Renji Abarai looked at the other person and begged: "Uncle, I wonder if you can give me some food. My younger brothers and sisters are about to starve to death."
When the man heard this, he snorted coldly and said, "Whether you starve to death or not is none of our business, hurry up and leave."
Abarai Renji was still pleading: "Please, just give me a little food."
The man waved his hands dissatisfied and cursed: "Get out of here, no, no, no."
Abarai immediately grabbed the man's arm. The man wanted to push Abarai away, but Abarai hugged the man's arm and would not let go for a moment.
At this time, the man's wife was alerted and came outside the house and asked what happened.
At this moment, Xia Yan pushed open the window, and Lucia squatted down, hugged Xia Yan's legs, and lifted them up suddenly.
Xia Yan held the window with both hands, crawled towards the house, entered the house, jumped out of the window, and walked towards the bun pot.
Lifting the lid of the pot, the white buns inside exuded an alluring aroma.
"ah."
Xia Yan reached out to pick up the bun, but was burned and took his hand back.
Xia Yan felt a little hot, but he didn't give up. He endured the heat, grabbed a few buns, put them in his arms, and ran towards the window.
The window was relatively high, but Xia Yan moved a stool, stepped on the stool, leaned out, and handed the bun in his arms to Rukia.
After Lucia took it, Xia Yan climbed up the window, but the stool was relatively short, and Xia Yan was also short. If he wanted to climb out of the window, he had to push himself up. With this push, his steps knocked over the chair, making a clanging sound. A noise.
"what sound?"
The wife heard the sound and returned to the house anxiously. At this time, Xia Yan had just climbed up the window.
Seeing Xia Yan's actions, the other party immediately understood what happened and screamed loudly: "Someone stole something."
"Stealing something?"
When the male host heard this, he glared at Renji Abarai and said angrily: "Okay, so you are trying to hold me back so that others can steal things. Little bastard, let me beat you to death."
The male host said, knocking Renji Abarai to the ground and punching and kicking him. Abarai had fourth-level spiritual pressure and activated his spirit son, so how could he be afraid of him
But Abarai Renji knew that he was stealing something and that he was wrong, so he didn't resist, he just curled up and was pushed to the ground and beaten violently.
In the kitchen, the hostess wanted to catch Natsuhiko, but Natsuhiko jumped out of the window. After landing, he followed Rukia and ran out of the corner. Then the two of them saw the beaten Renji Abarai.
When the male host saw Xia Yan and Rukia, he shouted loudly: "Don't run, put your things down."
He said and wanted to chase the two of them, but Abarai hugged his legs tightly and shouted: "Run quickly."
Xia Yan was still hesitant, but Lucia was calmer and shouted: "Let's go."
Natsuhiko smiled and ran back to the house with Rukia. When the male owner saw that he could not catch up, he continued to beat Renji Abarai.
Back at the house, Lucia took out the buns in her arms. There were four of them in total, exuding white air.
Seeing the buns, Ito Ryoji and Imadeira Sanada Emi all gathered around. Rukia picked up the buns and handed them to the three of them, one to each of them.
The three of them got the buns, grabbed the buns and put them to their mouths to bite. Although they were plain buns, the rich aroma spread throughout the room, making people salivate.
The three of them ate the buns, and there was still one bun left. Lucia handed the bun to Xia Yan and said, "You can eat this."
Xia Yan waved his hands quickly and said, "I don't need to eat the buns. Sister Lucia should eat this bun."
Lucia said loudly: "You stole this bun, eat it quickly."
If it was the previous Natsuhiko, he would definitely listen to Rukia's words, but this time he was very determined and said: "I won't eat it."
Lucia was a little angry, but Xia Yan kept saying he wouldn't eat it, so he could only put the bun aside.
At this time, the door curtain opened, and Abarai Renji entered the room. His nose was bruised and his face was swollen, and his clothes were torn.
Rukia immediately stood up and asked, "Renji, are you okay?"
Renji Abarai waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it's just some skin injuries."
Seeing this scene, Xia Yan said apologetically: "Brother Renji, if I hadn't kicked down the chair, I wouldn't have been discovered."
Renji Abarai rubbed Natsuhiko's head and said, "It's okay. It's enough that you can complete the task."
Lucia immediately said: "There is another bun, Renji, you can eat it."
Renji looked at the bun, waved his hand, and said, "I don't need it, let's give it to Natsuhiko."
Xia Yan shook his head and said, "I don't need it either."
Lucia looked at the bun and said, "What about this bun?"
Ito Ryoji said: "Each of us has eaten one bun. It is enough. This bun is not needed. Natsuhiko, Renji, Rukia, the three of you can eat."
Sanada Emi also nodded and said, "You guys can eat, you brought these buns back."
Renji thought for a while and then said: "The three of us can absorb the spirit children. Although it will be harder in winter, we can still deal with it. Let's leave Ito Ryoji and three of us to deal with this dumpling."
Although the three of them really wanted to eat the buns, they decided to stay in the end.
Compared with the three of them, people like Ryoji Ito who cannot actively absorb spiritual seeds need these spiritual food to fill their stomachs more.
The eyes of Ryoji Ito and the others were red with emotion, and they wanted to say something, but they were stopped by Renji Abarai, who ate the food in their hands with tears in their eyes.
Although the surrounding environment was still cold, Xia Yan felt the warmth that he had not seen for a long time. The people helping each other made Xia Yan feel like home.