◎Happy Day 42: Think positively◎
With the water shortage so severe, even those who drive over to use the water tanks still need water! How can a sign saying "water sales have stopped" possibly discourage people?
Without even a moment's hesitation, the convoy moved aside the roadblock and wanted to go to the family that often sold water in the village to inquire about the situation.
After receiving the other party's response that they refused to sell water, some people tried to increase the price, hoping to impress the other party through financial offensive. Some people had bad intentions and tried to force the purchase or even directly snatch the water.
There are many people in the water purchasing team, but the villagers have lived here for generations, and the neighbors around them are all old relatives. How can they just watch their fellow villagers being bullied?
After a while, conflicts arose between the two sides.
There was a thin and inconspicuous man in this water-buying team.
No one knew that he had disguised himself as a mother with children after the temperature dropped, and used people's sympathy to deceive and kill many people.
Because his disguise was so successful, all witnesses thought the murderer was a woman, and he thus evaded the police's eyes.
At this moment, he saw that the two sides were arguing and the situation was in chaos, so he thought of sneaking into the villager's house to steal something.
In the past, he used to be very careful when buying water because he didn't want to cut off this water source.
Now that he saw that this family was unwilling to sell water, he naturally had no choice but to give up.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the backyard, he was discovered by the family's grandson.
Children naturally panic when they see strangers and subconsciously call for their parents.
The man didn't think twice. He covered the child's mouth with one hand and strangled the child's neck with the other hand. He didn't let the child go until he was completely silent.
Then he filled two bottles of water from the water tank in the backyard, hid them at the bottom of his backpack, and blended into the crowd as if nothing had happened, pretending to be scared.
Of course, the water purchasing team was no match for the entire village, so after making a fuss for a while, they could only return home in disappointment.
The child's body was found shortly after they left.
The grieving villagers caught up with the water purchasing team and the conflict broke out again.
There are many people as dishonest as that man, and there are even more conflicts caused by villagers refusing to sell water and attempting to rob them.
After a few times, some villages chose to call the police in advance when they found a strange convoy coming towards them.
In the first few days, some convoys would be frightened, but as everyone had less and less water, in the face of the survival crisis, all morals and laws had to take a back seat.
The local police station was understaffed, and even though police officers were now equipped with guns when on duty, they were still injured or killed when the crowd scrambling for water went crazy.
After a few rounds, the so-called "water purchasing team" completed the member screening through repeated conflicts.
For some people, it is not their first time committing a crime, so they don’t worry about having too much debt.
For some people, going to jail is better than dying of thirst at home.
They are not afraid of conflict, and some even enjoy violence.
When a group of people like this gather together, their purpose is no longer as simple as "buying water".
The authorities had no choice but to mobilize the army to maintain law and order in the suburbs, but they still could not stop these so-called "water purchasing teams" from roaming around like a group of rats.
As long as the authorities don't use the army to cordon off the entire suburbs of Nanshi, they can seize the opportunity to commit crimes.
After so many times, the villages outside the city spontaneously organized themselves into self-defense forces. Some people even carried homemade guns. If they saw outsiders approaching, they would drive them away or beat them to death or maim them.
Water was no longer available, but the fact that there was still water in the wells in the countryside became known to everyone because of these bloody incidents.
Some people who had not thought of this path at first also started to think about it.
For a time, those who had relatives or friends in the countryside immediately took action.
It seems that life in the city is no longer sustainable, so I might as well go back to the village.
The city, which had just been bustling with activity, fell silent once again. The original resumption of work and production was also stalled due to water shortage.
Everyone was short of money, and many people were desperate to find work. The streets were bustling with people, but there were few openings. Only a few lucky people could return to their original jobs.
Qin Shiwen and Qin Shiwu's work has not stopped yet.
They mostly drink water at work and can use wet wipes to take a shower after returning home, so the water pressure at home is not great.
With the water stored during the winter and the friendly support from Zhao Jiahao and others, their family now has enough water for the time being.
Chu Buwen's family didn't have much water, and it was almost used up, so he simply pulled Jiang Muyun to move it.
Chu Buwen hid all his supplies in that secret shelter. If he wanted to use them, he could only move them from the shelter to 1504.
Chu Buwen said that there were many things he couldn't show to others, so he could only ask Jiang Muyun for help.
Jiang Muyun looked at the car that Chu Buwen was said to have rented and thought he was talking nonsense, and he even found evidence.
Chu Buwen didn't deny it, but just smiled and said, "Then just consider it as a sign of sincerity from a partner. After all, you told me your home address, so it's only right to return the favor."
Jiang Muyun thought about it and didn't refuse.
After all, Chu Buwen had already told her the address of the shelter when they were at the rescue point, but Jiang Muyun had not been there yet.
Chu Buwen knew that the secret refuge left by his adoptive father was in the western suburbs of Nanshi.
Nanshi is located in a plain and hilly area. There is a group of small hills in the western suburbs. Many famous scenic spots in Nanshi are located in this area.
Previously, due to the boost of tourism, the economy of the western suburbs developed very well and the scenery was beautiful. Many people chose to settle in the western suburbs, so it was not surprising that Jiang Muyun and others went from the city to the western suburbs.
Jiang Muyun thought she would have to walk for two hours in a valley, but Chu Buwen took her directly to the parking lot of an unfinished scenic spot.
There is an area marked as a staff rest area next to the parking lot. It looks like a staff dormitory. There is a door at the innermost part with a sign for a utility room hanging on it.
Chu Buwen opened the locked storage room, and Jiang Muyun found that the storage room was quite large. There were a lot of miscellaneous things in it, as well as some dusty decorations. It looked more like a warehouse in a scenic area.
Chu Buwen moved the pile of boxes away and found a distribution box in the corner of the utility room.
Jiang Muyun ran after him, carrying his empty suitcase. After seeing him open the switchboard, he looked a little excited: "Isn't this going to start some sci-fi segment?"
Chu Buwen paused as he fumbled around in the pile of colorful wires, then grasped the handle hidden behind the wires and pushed hard, revealing a dark passage.
"You're overthinking it. This place is hidden. Even if there's any high-tech stuff, I can't get in." Chu Buwen took out a flashlight from his pocket and shone it into the passage. "Wait a moment, let it air out."
The entrance to the passage is a bit small, but it is still large enough for an adult to walk upright.
Jiang Muyun leaned over to take a look: "It's indeed quite secretive."
This utility room located in the underground garage is inconspicuous enough. The entrance is hidden in the distribution box of the utility room, and no normal person can find it.
But it would not be wrong to say that this shelter lacks high technology.
At least the shelter was well-ventilated, and the door looked expensive. According to Chu Buwen, it could be completely sealed and waterproofed when no one was there.
Chu Buwen muttered to Jiang Muyun as he entered the password: "The password is the old man's last name plus his date of birth in reverse. Then insert the key into the keyhole and enter his full name. Otherwise, high voltage electricity will be released."
In fact, he even thought about changing the password, but it turned out that this thing couldn't be reset at all.
Chu Buwen laughed as he spoke: "The old man is quite traditional in this regard. He is afraid that the biometric lock will be cracked by someone through the Internet. I don't know which movie he watched."
His adoptive father wasn't a bright man, having barely read a book. It was just that when he was young, China was experiencing rapid development, and all walks of life were in turmoil. He took advantage of the situation and made his fortune by working in a well-known rogue industry, which is how he built up his fortune.
Later, China recovered from that shock. When everyone was busy trying to clean up their act, the old man still couldn't see the situation clearly and maintained his corrupt style, and was thoroughly liquidated by the authorities.
If he had any brains, Chu Buwen would not have lived to see the day of survival after the apocalypse.
Jiang Muyun's gaze shifted from Chu Buwen as he began to enter the password. She looked around while chatting with Chu Buwen casually: "Then you should give a banner to the screenwriter. If this door was an iris lock, wouldn't you be stupid now?"
"That makes sense. How about writing 'Miraculous Bringing Back to Life' on the banner?" Chu Buwen pushed open the door of the shelter, fumbled on the wall for a while, turned on the power switch inside, and then the entire shelter lit up: "Come in."
There's nothing special about the shelter. If it weren't for the lack of windows, it would be no different from a small luxury apartment.
Chu Buwen introduced Jiang Muyun familiarly: "This is the bedroom, and next door is the guest room. Next to the guest room is the operating room, and the kitchen and toilet are over there."
Chu Buwen finally stopped in front of an invisible door that was integrated into the wall. He fumbled for the keyhole and opened it. "This is the warehouse. The things I bought and the things the old man hid before are all here."
The warehouse was huge, probably as big as the entire shelter, and it was filled with rows of shelves reaching the ceiling.
A small portion of the shelves were filled with tightly packed metal boxes with the names of various supplies labeled on them.
The items on the remaining half of the shelves were much more random, including vacuum-packed rice and flour, daily necessities in cardboard boxes, and clothes in storage boxes.
The styles of the two sides are very different. You don't have to guess to know that the metal box probably contains the things prepared by Chu Buwen's adoptive father, and the rest are the supplies he stockpiled after returning.
There were several metal boxes placed on the shelves by the door. Chu Buwen opened them and found that the contents were only half full. It seemed that Chu Buwen had taken them before.
Jiang Muyun took a quick look in the warehouse and saw only various kinds of rice, flour, dry goods, and canned food.
Looking at these standard emergency foods and thinking about the fresh fish and shrimp in his own space, Jiang Muyun felt that he was extremely lucky.
Otherwise, even if she was reborn, she would probably have to do the same as Chu Buwen and desperately stockpile some long-lasting food.
Maybe he is not as good as Chu Buwen.
At least they have a secret shelter.
If she stockpiled a house full of stuff, the door of her house would be removed the day after she went to the shelter.
Chu Buwen dug out a few buckets of water, just enough to fill the camper, and then picked up some cans and stuffed them into the gap. After it was full, he piled a few large bags of toilet paper on top. Even through the film covering them, the shape of the toilet paper packaging could be seen.
Chu Buwen simply put things like rice and flour into the suitcase.
Chu Buwen searched for a while and found a box of raincoats. He picked out two large ones and threw them into the suitcase. He also found a few medium-sized ones and asked Jiang Muyun if he wanted to take two sets.
Jiang Muyun bought some himself: "I have them all at home."
Chu Buwen regretfully put the raincoat back and replaced it with an inflatable kayak. A little later, he dug out a box of diving suits.
After the flood came, there was a period of calm. At that time, everyone was rushing to go into the water to fish out things. Wearing a diving suit was much more convenient than other clothes.
Jiang Muyun looked at him and said, "I've never been underwater since I was a child. Do you think this thing is appropriate in my house?"
Chu Buwen didn't give up on his Amway plan: "Take it home and keep it, just in case you need it someday. I can't wear this size anymore."
Jiang Muyun: "Why did you buy it if you can't wear it?"
Chu Buwen: "Why does it have to be bought by me? Can't the store give it away as a gift during a promotion?"
Chu Buwen closed the full suitcase with a bang, and then put in the second suitcase.
He even put a household vacuum in there.
Jiang Muyun was inspired by him: "I forgot about that. I have to buy a vacuum cleaner too, otherwise it will be difficult to preserve things during the rainy season."
Chu Buwen stepped aside and pointed at the unopened boxes on the shelf and said, "Would you like to pick one?"
Jiang Muyun looked at Chu Buwen and said, "Could you please tell me how you earn a living?"
A home vacuum cleaner is not expensive, with the cheaper ones costing just a few dozen yuan, but it's not a necessity. Even considering the rainy season, having two or three is enough.
Jiang Muyun could not think of any other reason why someone like Chu Buwen had ten or so cameras except that he had a lot of money.
According to Chu Buwen, his adoptive father had been operating a sewing machine a long time ago, and he had earned his living expenses by himself over the years.
Jiang Muyun initially thought that he made a living by winnings from competitions and scholarships, but now he realized that scholarships couldn't give him that much money, not even Nansi could.
Chu Buwen said vaguely: "I just wrote something, and luckily I made some money."
Then he took a vacuum cleaner from the shelf, opened the packaging in two quick strokes, and stuffed it directly into the suitcase.
Jiang Muyun just said it casually, and when he saw that Chu Buwen didn't want to talk about it, he didn't ask any more questions.
Chu Buwen packed up everything he needed, and finally rummaged through the pile of iron boxes and handed Jiang Muyun a small cloth bag.
When Jiang Muyun took the cloth bag, he felt a familiar shape and looked up at Chu Buwen.
Inside the bag was a police-issued pistol and a box of bullets.
This gun was the most common police pistol in China, and Jiang Muyun had picked it up in his previous life. Unfortunately, after the apocalypse, guns were easy to find, but bullets were hard to find, so Jiang Muyun had always been very frugal with them.
When Jiang Muyun was stockpiling supplies, he was thinking of getting some hot weapons after the order collapsed, but he didn't expect that Chu Buwen had even these.
Chu Buwen spread his hands and said, "He also hid a few AKs, but it's not convenient to take them out now. It's not unfair for the old man to be arrested."
Being able to obtain these things in China, combined with what Chu Buwen said about his adoptive father's history of making a fortune, it is quite incredible that the death penalty was not immediately executed.
Before the two left the shelter, Chu Buwen sealed the entire shelter, and after they came out, the debris outside was piled up again.
Chu Buwen even took out a small box filled with dust from his pocket, and the dust that rose up covered all traces.
After returning to the community, the two drove directly into the underground garage. Chu Buwen had a car but no parking space, so they wandered around in the garage for twenty minutes before parking the car.
Although the temperature has risen now, there are still not many cars that can be driven outside. Those who rushed to repair their cars at the beginning are now regretting it.
It's been so long since water arrived, and the rivers outside are practically dry. Even the most affluent families, even if they don't pump out the water from their radiators to drink, can't even fill their cars with water. Most cars are now just sitting in the garage gathering dust.
The two men packed two full suitcases and a camper van, and both wore masks when they got out of the car.
There is a shortage of water outside now, and most people have chapped lips. People like them who live a moisturized life certainly need to cover their lips.
When the two of them took the elevator upstairs, they were bound to run into their neighbors.
The man felt itchy when he saw that they brought so many things, so he tentatively asked a few questions.
Chu Buwen calmly lifted the film covering the camper van, revealing the piles of toilet paper. "No one's taking care of the scenic area in the western suburbs right now. My family is desperately short of paper, and we can't find any at the supermarket, so we've had no choice but to go over there."
After saying that, Chu Buwen patted the neighbor on the shoulder and deliberately lowered his voice and said, "If I hadn't worked there before, I wouldn't have thought of this. Brother, that place is like a wasteland now. If you are short of paper, brushes, or other small things at home, you can go over and take a look."
Chu Buwen and the man exchanged a glance, revealing a knowing smile: "Just think of it as me offering you a flower to make friends with you."
When that person heard that they were all daily necessities, his interest immediately waned.
Of course he knew that what they brought back couldn't all be paper, but since he had already gained benefits, there was no need to make enemies with the people upstairs and downstairs.
Moreover, going to deserted scenic spots to look for things is indeed an unpopular method that most people would never think of.
The man thought about his little remaining savings and it would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted.
There are many scenic spots in the western suburbs, and there are many buses and subways from the city. Now that the subway has resumed operation, it is not a big deal for him to go there.
The man, with the attitude of being grateful for what he had received, exchanged cordial greetings with Chu Buwen for a while, and made several implicit promises, saying that he would never tell anyone about Chu Buwen taking things from the scenic spot.
Jiang Muyun also borrowed a vacuum machine from Chu Buwen. He was also in a situation where he needed to take something from someone else, so after they delivered the things, Jiang Muyun was kind enough to help Chu Buwen clean up the pile of things.
After cleaning up, I wiped my forehead and saw sweat all over. I had just gotten back at myself for the blow I had just avoided.
Jiang Muyun fanned himself by the collar of his shirt, removing the cat hair stuck to his neck. "How many degrees is it today?"
The temperature has been rising very quickly recently. The feathers of Xiaobai and Dabai have been falling off in clumps. Even the two chickens seem to have taken a catalyst. Not only have they grown into adult chickens, they have also learned to crow.
But those two roosters may have been holding it in for too long, so their crowing is mute. Jiang Muyun's windows are thick and soundproof, so only the neighbors can hear some of the noise.
Chu Buwen also had a thermometer hanging in his house. He turned on the air conditioner first, then glanced at the thermometer: "Twenty-six degrees."
Jiang Muyun hissed, took out his cell phone and checked the time: March 10th.
By chance her cell phone rang and a text message popped up.
Officials will open water supply points in each community tomorrow. People must bring their ID cards to collect water, and each person is limited to five liters per day.
Five liters of water is not a lot, but it is enough to sustain life and can be used for some simple washing.
For those who have gone crazy due to lack of water, these five liters of water are the hope of life.
The next morning, the temperature reached 28 degrees.
The low-temperature-resistant air conditioners had not been in operation for two days before their owners switched them to cooling mode.
Jiang Muyun and Chu Buwen packed up briefly and went downstairs together to queue up for water.
It was eight o'clock in the morning when they went downstairs. The sky was still gray and the sun was not visible. It was hot and stuffy.
It was at this time that most people remembered that in addition to the lack of rainfall, they had not seen the sun for a long time.
If it is understandable that there is less sunshine in winter, then why is it so hot now and the sun still hasn’t come out?
The line for water was very long, with some distance between each person.
The team maintained an eerie silence, and occasionally someone spoke, but the voice was vague.
Standing in front of Jiang Muyun were four young girls who looked somewhat familiar.
They had unclenched bald heads, carried buckets of water, were covered in dust, and looked haggard and disheveled.
One of the girls licked her cracked lips, looked at the gray sky, and said to her companions, "You said the weather is gloomy now. Does it mean it's going to rain heavily soon?"
Another girl slapped her forehead and said, "It's been cloudy for several months now, and we haven't seen a single raindrop. What are you daydreaming about?"
The girl who was photographed was not convinced: "What do you mean by fantasy? I am just looking at plums to quench my thirst."
The girl in front of them turned around and said seriously, "According to scientific research, the principle of quenching thirst by looking at plums is that when humans want to drink water, their mouths automatically secrete saliva. After swallowing, it replenishes the body with water, completing the body's water cycle."
When Jiang Muyun heard the words "autologous water circulation", he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Several girls turned around to look at her.
When the girls showed their faces, Jiang Muyun recognized them.
When the temperature dropped for the first time, there were a few girls in the community who reacted extremely quickly. As soon as they realized something was wrong, they took a small loudspeaker and woke up most of the families in the community.
At that time, Jiang Muyun went downstairs to deliver clothes to Qin Shiwu and others. He happened to meet these girls who were about to take the elevator to go upstairs, so he reminded them.
Although these girls looked much more haggard than they did back then, Jiang Muyun was deeply impressed by them and could still recognize them.
"I live in the building across from you. I haven't thanked you for what happened that night when the temperature dropped." Jiang Muyun had a good impression of these kind and optimistic girls.
The person who spoke first thought about what Jiang Muyun said, then said in surprise: "I remember you! It was you who reminded us not to take the elevator that night when the temperature dropped, right?"
Jiang Muyun was shocked: "You can recognize this?"
When she went downstairs that night, she was wrapped in a scarf and a hat, and her entire face was not exposed at all. She also wore a mask when she went out today.
Moreover, due to the lack of water, no one had the time to pay attention to their appearance. People on the street were either bald or had a crew cut. Even Jiang Muyun and the others had shaved their heads, looking completely different from before.
She can still be recognized like this. Is her disguise really unsuccessful?
Jiang Muyun thought again of how Chu Buwen recognized her at first sight.
The girl waved her hand. “My job requires me to be very sensitive to sounds. I remember your voice.”
Jiang Muyun breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she had some peculiarities that could be recognized by others at a glance, but she herself had never discovered them.
The girl was very happy to see Jiang Muyun: "Why thank us? We just happened to be awake. If you want to thank someone, we should thank you."
At first they didn't feel it was real, until they experienced an elevator accident in the community and heard the sound of the elevator car falling, then they knew what they had avoided that night.
"My name is Wang Qingqing," the girl introduced herself. "The four of us were roommates in college. After graduation, we all stayed in Nanshi to work, so we just continued living together."
The three girls in front of her also greeted Jiang Muyun and the others.
"Zhou, Wu, Zheng." Wang Qingqing pointed at them one by one, and finally pointed at herself and said, "Wang."
"Our ages are arranged in this order. Isn't it amazing?" There were still cracked wounds on Wang Qingqing's lips, but she still had a smile on her face as she spoke.
The girls also greeted Jiang Muyun and the others in turn.
The girl standing in the front who has been silent is called Zhou Ying.
It was Wu Xingyue who told Wang Qingqing to stop fantasizing.
It was Zheng Xiang who came up with the theory of "autologous water circulation".
Jiang Muyun and Chu Buwen also reported their names, and the few of them got to know each other.
According to Wang Qingqing, the four of them lived on the top floor of the building opposite Jiang Muyun's home. They lost their jobs when the temperature started to drop, and now they rely on odd jobs to make a living.
As a few people were talking, there was a sudden commotion at the front of the team, and everyone rushed to the front.
The people at the back didn't know what was going on, but seeing that people at the front of the line were pushing, they unconsciously followed suit.
Chu Buwen stopped the person who was about to hit Jiang Muyun from behind and frowned, "What happened?"
Zhou Ying, who was at the front of the line, heard something: "It seems like the water flow at the water supply point has slowed down."
So everyone was afraid that those behind would not be able to get water, so they all started to rush forward.
Jiang Muyun and Chu Buwen had water at home, and they were afraid of something happening, so they stepped back a few steps, leaving the center of the most crowded crowd, and then moved forward with the crowd.
The four girls had been without water for a long time. When they heard that the water might be cut off, they immediately tried to rush forward.
Fortunately, this wave of turmoil did not last long. The water flow quickly returned to normal and the panicked crowd lined up again under the arrangement of the soldiers.
Only this time, people's brows were furrowed even more tightly.
That night, many people went downstairs in the dark, carrying benches, buckets and ID cards, and stood in front of the water supply point, refusing to leave, waiting for the water supply point to open so they could get water.
The temperature is getting higher during the day and slightly better at night.
You can turn on the air conditioner at home during the day and sleep there, and then go out to enjoy the cool air at night. You can also save some electricity, killing two birds with one stone.
Perhaps everyone has this idea. As more and more people go downstairs to queue up at night, the authorities simply change the water supply time to night time, which also makes it convenient for people like Qin Shiwu who have to work during the day to get water.
There are few street lights on the roads now, and the authorities are afraid of more bloodshed, so they simply turn off all the lights on the main roads and use the freed-up resources to build a brightly lit road from the water supply points in each community to the interior of the community.
There are soldiers on duty at the water supply point, and the road is brightly lit. No matter how many evil spirits there are, they have to put away their little thoughts.
Life has gotten better for everyone here, and the "water purchasing team" that caused trouble earlier has quieted down.
Life seems to be getting calmer, but the temperature has not calmed down.
One night, Jiang Muyun and his four companions met Wang Qingqing and others while queuing. As they were talking, an old man behind them suddenly fainted.
Qin Shiwu went over to take a look and found that he had heatstroke.
Wang Qingqing subconsciously asked, "Can someone get heatstroke at night?"
Qin Shiwu gave the man first aid. After the ambulance arrived and took him away, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed softly, "Heatstroke is only related to temperature. There's no sun during the day, and the temperature difference between day and night is not much. It's not surprising to get heatstroke at night."
Jiang Muyun handed Qin Shiwu a wet towel: "It's like this even without the sun. If there was sun, we would have been cooked by now."
Wang Qingqing smiled, but accidentally pulled the cracked wound on her lips. She hissed softly and pursed her lips.
She had gotten used to it during this time, and even though her lips were cracked, she continued to speak: "Look at the bright side, maybe the lack of sunshine is because it's been holding back a heavy rainstorm."
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