Chapter 19 Diesel, Electric Appliances, and High-End Goods

June 14th, with two weeks to go before the weather turns cold.

I need to finish all the outdoor work within the next two weeks when the weather is good.

This includes making chicken coops, filling vegetable basins with soil, and building sheds for firewood and straw.

The first thing I want to do is make a chicken coop.

I carefully removed the wooden board.

After fiddling with it for a while with great confidence, I suddenly realized that things were not as simple as I had thought.

My hands-on skills don't seem to be very good right now.

It's just not good right now; I won't admit that I've always been stupid.

However, we still need to solve the problem of making the chicken coop.

I quickly loaded the materials needed to make the chicken coop onto the car, and then started calling for help.

First, he called the butcher shop, who said he didn't know anyone who could do carpentry.

Then I called the chicken seller, and coincidentally, he was very skilled and could make a chicken coop.

He said he made the doghouse for his big yellow dog, and since he had some free time today, he could make one or two for me.

I couldn't let my brother do it for free, so I asked him how much he would charge.

He didn't mince words and said 150 would be fine.

My older brother was quite surprised when he saw the wooden planks I was carrying in my truck.

"This wood looks so new and is of really good quality. Where did you get it from, girl?"

He tapped the wooden board with his hand and then lifted it up to look underneath.

"Hehe, I bought it from that furniture lumber mill."

"Huh? Furniture and timber factories can sell to individuals? Aren't they all wholesale?"

The older brother was puzzled.

"It's just a matter of handing over a pack of cigarettes."

I said this in a deliberately profound tone.

My older brother's gaze towards me suddenly changed; perhaps he was thinking to himself that I was no ordinary girl.

Hahaha, I'm laughing hysterically inside and feeling narcissistic.

"Then I'll go get some some another day... Tell me, what kind of chicken coop do you want to make?"

Then the older brother got to the point.

My idea is actually very simple.

The chicken coop should have two layers, with a roof made of wooden planks nailed on top, measuring 100 mm high × 100 mm long × 60 mm wide.

Install 30×30 small partitions on the left middle and outside of the first layer.

Then, place small round chicken coops in the two small partitioned rooms. Hens like to lay their eggs in secluded and comfortable corners.

After hearing my idea, my older brother nodded knowingly.

He went back inside, took out an air gun and a chainsaw, and began sawing wood to build a chicken coop.

A perfect chicken coop was made in two hours.

It's neat, clean, and very sturdy, much like a chicken coop from an animated film.

"Brother, are you busy later?" I asked, pressing my advantage.

"Nothing much this morning," she said, as if she had read my mind.

He then asked, "Is it not enough?"

"Your chicken coop is so well made. If you have time, could you make another one?"

I'll still shamelessly say it anyway.

"This chicken coop is 150, and if I make another one, it'll be 300 for you," I added, afraid my brother wouldn't agree.

"Why not? Do it! I made money too."

The older brother was a really straightforward person; he went to the car to get more wood.

I casually transferred 300 yuan directly into my brother's WeChat account.

He waved his phone, "Brother, the money's been transferred in."

"Oh, no rush."

The older brother didn't even look up, continuing to examine the wood.

"How about I make you a different style?" The older brother seemed to have become interested.

"Great! Go ahead and do your best."

I'd also like to see what other ideas my brother has; the chicken coop can be made in any shape.

The second time, the older brother was more skilled and completed the second chicken coop in just over an hour.

It was about the same size as the first chicken coop, but the bottom of the coop was raised and supported by a row of wooden strips.

The entrance to the chicken coop is a large inscribed circle, while the rest of the coop is covered with wooden boards to make it look more aesthetically pleasing.

Moreover, all four corners are concealed, making them ideal for placing chicken coops to lay eggs.

I was amazed and didn't hold back my praise.

"Wow, you're amazing, bro! You're such a wise man!"

My older brother was beaming with pride as he loaded me into the car, giving me instructions on what to do.

"If you're not in a hurry, go to town and buy two buckets of paint. If you paint this log with wood varnish, it won't rot and can be used for many years."

That's a great idea! I readily agreed and planned to go buy it in a little while.

As I was about to leave, I looked around the yard and noticed that there were far fewer of the chickens I had bought since I bought them.

That won't do. If the apocalypse comes, and I take away my brother's chickens, what will he eat?

"Brother, why didn't you raise a second batch of chickens after you sold them?"

"Oh dear, I've been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to do it yet," the older brother said, hands on his hips.

"Buy another twenty or thirty. I'll buy more once you've raised them to adulthood. My family has a lot of people, so we need a lot of chicken."

When the older brother heard that the business could continue, he immediately agreed and went to buy chickens in the next two days.

After saying goodbye, I went to town to buy paint.

Remembering that the little tree stumps at home haven't been used as benches yet, I'm going to buy more paint and paint them all eventually.

I bought 20 buckets of transparent wood varnish, 1 liter each, in case I need them later. They cost 400 yuan, 20 yuan a bucket. I also bought 10 brushes, which the shopkeeper gave to me for free.

I got home around 4 p.m. While it was still light, I painted both chicken coops following a tutorial from a short video I watched online.

It's true that this paint not only prevents corrosion but also enhances the appearance.

Once the paint is applied to the wood, the painted areas immediately become glossy and shiny, the wood grain becomes deeper, and it gleams with a honey-like luster.

It looks absolutely beautiful; the whole painting process was very therapeutic.

On June 15th, the goods have been almost fully stocked up. Apart from vegetables, fruits, and frozen products, we have almost nothing to lack.

I feel more comfortable buying some high-end goods now.

Let's start by stockpiling diesel fuel.

When I drove to town, I bought 30 20-liter plastic buckets.

Every time I passed a gas station, I filled up my truck with gas, then parked it in a deserted place and, following online tutorials, used a hose to siphon the gas into a bucket.

My truck can hold 60 liters of fuel. Following the directions on Gaode Map, I visited 11 gas stations and finally filled 30 oil drums.

My heart was pounding. This wasn't just stealing wood—no, faking wood. This was completely illegal.

I'm terrified that I'll be taken to prison when the end of the world comes.

My heart was pounding as I sped along in my small truck. After agonizing internal struggle, I finally arrived home.

Regardless of whether stockpiling this diesel is enough, this kind of thing cannot be done again.

I carried the diesel can, my arms and legs trembling, to the basement, only to realize belatedly that the basement was already full.

But space is like a sponge; you can always squeeze some out. Even by piling things together as much as possible, we still managed to create enough space to put 30 barrels of diesel fuel.

I was exhausted from driving all day, and I was also feeling scared and terrified, so I didn't want to do anything.

I'll just lie down for the afternoon and leave the work for tomorrow.

The cost of refueling and oil drums totaled 5,000 yuan.

On June 16th, I woke up early, feeling refreshed and ready to go to the county town to buy appliances and high-end goods.

I found a decent wilderness survival shop through Gaode Maps and plan to buy a drone and binoculars.

Since it's for use in the apocalypse, we can't buy anything of poor quality.

In the end, I selected two drones, two telescopes, and 50 magnesium flints. The total cost was 20,000 yuan. The flint seller didn't charge me; he gave it to me for free.

After carefully placing my precious drone telescope on the back seat, I planned to find a place to buy some small appliances.

I originally planned to go to the large supermarket where I usually stock up on goods, but I ended up seeing a newly opened small commodity wholesale market on the roadside.

This is exactly what I wanted! I quickly parked the car and drove in.

The banner that said all items were 20% off during the opening period made me really eager to buy.