Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Flood
the next day
He Junxia was awakened by the bright sunlight coming in from the window. He blinked and looked down at the mechanical watch on his wrist.
It’s already past nine o’clock.
He was busy too late yesterday and fell asleep as soon as he got home. Unexpectedly, he slept until dawn.
He Junxia lifted the quilt, pounded his stiff shoulders, got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.
It’s called a bed, but it’s actually just two desks put together and covered with bedding. It’s not soft at all.
My back is stiff after waking up.
After He Junxia finished washing up, she opened the door and walked out. Su Guizhi waved, "Xiaoxing, you're awake. Breakfast is here. I saved it for you."
He Junxia opened the lid and saw that the porridge was still steaming. In a small bowl beside it were shredded kelp, pickled radish and salted duck eggs.
He picked up the bowl and prepared to pour the side dishes into the porridge. Then, as if remembering something, he asked again, "Mom, have the three of them eaten yet?"
"I've already eaten it."
Su Guizhi rolled her eyes at him and said, "Are you still worried about your mother's work?"
He Junxia didn't answer.
He poured the side dishes into the porridge and stirred it. The snow-white rice porridge was instantly blended with the red oil from the side dishes, and it looked very tempting.
He Juanxia lowered her head and took a big sip, then said with a grin, "Mom, your porridge is still the best. My brother's is either too raw or too well done."
Su Guizhi laughed and scolded, "You're just like your brother, both of you are smooth talkers."
He Junxia touched his nose. How could the affairs of scholars be called glib?
The porridge had been cold for a while, and the temperature was just right when he drank it. He drank the whole bowl of porridge in three or two mouthfuls.
"Mom, I'm leaving now. I want to borrow your life jacket."
"I know. Come back soon."
He Junxia put on a life jacket, picked up three other life jackets, turned right and came to a door marked XX Office.
"Xie Shutian, are you ready?"
"I'm ready."
The door was opened from the inside, and He Junxia handed over the life jacket: "This belongs to my family. You can use it today."
"Thanks."
Xie Shutian looked at the orange-red life jacket in surprise, lowered her head and took it embarrassedly.
Whether it was bringing them water, food, or bringing them to the government building, Miao Yuexing helped them so much.
I still have not yet repaid this favor.
The three girls quickly put on their life jackets and came out. He Junxia put the unfolded folding bed out of the broken glass window on the third floor and jumped lightly.
He habitually stood at the stern to control the direction. The three of them imitated his movements and jumped down. They swayed for a long time before they could steady themselves.
Once again stepping onto the ship, the three of them had different feelings in their hearts than yesterday. All their anxieties were replaced by anticipation and hope.
He Junxia took them to a small shopping mall not far away. This place was far from the county center and in a remote area. Before the flood, the small shopping mall was not busy, but there was a big sign for rent.
The advantage is that it is sparsely populated and has a remote location at a high altitude.
Even though the two nearby elevator communities appear to be crowded, their actual occupancy rates are relatively low due to their distance from the county center.
"arrive."
He Junxia rowed the boat towards the stairs outside the mall. It was a small open-air mall built on a high slope, with only the basement and upper floors flooded.
He Junxia pointed to the fourth floor: "There's a movie theater there, and there should be food there."
Xie Shutian watched him fold the plastic bed, put it in his bag, and then put it on his back. She suggested, "Why don't you just leave the boat alone? It's too tiring and inconvenient to carry it on your back."
He Junxia shook his head.
Boats are the only means of transportation at present, and a good boat is so desirable to so many people. If you leave it out in the open, it will be like giving away food for free.
The group went up to the fourth floor via the external stairs, only to see the cinema in a mess.
The glass door outside had been smashed long ago, and the ground was covered with broken glass and thick dust. Occasionally, a few unclear and complete footprints could be seen.
It seems someone has gotten there first.
However, it has been two months since the flood besieged the city, and the food stored in most people's homes is not enough to last for so long, so it is normal for some people to come out to look for food.
"Go in and take a look."
Maybe you can find some food or water in an inconspicuous corner.
He Junxia walked in first, holding a small hammer in his hand, his steps were light and nimble, and the thick and heavy folding boat on his back seemed to be made of paper.
The popcorn machines, vending machines and shelves behind the counter were empty, not even a crumb left.
The three girls were a little disappointed.
He Junxia looked around and said, "Follow me."
Cinemas typically have a food storage room, and for aesthetic reasons, the entrance is often hidden.
He Junxia found the employee-only passage. It was a little dark inside, and the footsteps of the four people echoed, looking like a scene from a horror movie.
However, He Junxia, who had seen countless zombies and ghosts in the deep mountains and forests, abandoned buildings and deep pools of clear water in the previous life, had long been immune to them.
With his good night vision, he successfully found the food storage room next to the staff lounge after turning around a few times.
Fortunately, the warehouse door was closed.
He Junxia pressed the door handle through the tissue. A cloud of dust was raised with his movement, and several coughs were heard immediately.
He Junxia waved his hand to clear away the flying dust. He opened the door completely and waited for a while before walking in.
"It's so dark, I can't see clearly."
This room has no windows, and is only slightly better than the pitch-black night. Ordinary people can vaguely see some outlines with their eyes.
He Junxia looked around and saw several large boxes of mineral water, drinks and some potato chips and snacks.
He took out a snakeskin bag and handed it to the three people: "Here are some snacks, you can take them first."
He Junxia pointed in a direction, and the three of them's eyes lit up as they excitedly walked to the left.
Regardless of the dirt and dust on the plastic bag, the three of them excitedly threw the snacks into the snakeskin bag.
He Junxia bent down, picked up a few bottles of mineral water and walked out. No one would complain about the lack of clean water.
The four of them went back and forth several times and finally cleared out all the food and drinks in the warehouse.
This cinema doesn't seem to be doing very well. Compared to the food reserves of a normal cinema, there is not much food and water in the warehouse.
Of course, for the four of them, it was a great harvest. If they ate sparingly, it would be enough to last them a month.
After leaving the cinema, everyone went to several nearby restaurants, but unfortunately all the food was sold out.
He Junxia glanced at the time: "It's almost two o'clock, let's go back."
"good."
He opened the boat on his back and put it into the water. The four of them worked together to put the food and water they had found onto the boat. The hull sank significantly and the draft became deeper.
Half an hour later
The boat sailed back to the government building, and the boat full of harvest attracted a crowd of onlookers.
but……
"Xiao Xing, why are you only taking them to find snacks? How can they be full if you don't find some rice or noodles?"
"I can't find it. They've all been searched. I'll look somewhere else tomorrow."
He Junxia let the three of them into the building. He threw the supplies on the boat in through the window and folded the boat away before saying, "I'll only take two boxes of mineral water. You can take the rest."
Liang Cai immediately shook her head: "No, if you hadn't taken us to the employee passage, the three of us wouldn't have been able to find these things."
"You should take at least half."
Zhang Liqin laughed and said, "Doctor Liang, just listen to him. We don't lack food."
As the first group of people to try new things, each household stockpiled enough food to feed the whole family for two or three months.
"But……"
"Don't worry, if he takes half, I'll have to take you out a few more times tomorrow."
Seeing that everyone said so, the three of them had no choice but to accept this distribution method that was close to 1:9, and remembered this kindness deeply in their hearts.
*
In the following week, He Junxia took the three of them out several times.
Although we can't harvest a lot of food every time, we can always bring back some every time. A little bit adds up to a lot, which is quite considerable.
He Junxia stopped this behavior only after confirming that they had enough food to last for a month or two. The others also stayed in the government building and rarely went out.
There is less and less food to collect outside. After two hours of hard work rowing, what you find may not even be enough to fill your stomach. It is more likely that you will return empty-handed or get into conflicts with others over it.
Once, Zhang Liqin and Li Zhengping went out and saw two people arguing over a few bottles of Coke, and then fighting.
The price/performance ratio is too low.
It would be better to follow Miao Yuexing and do the health-preserving exercises in the building for 60 minutes every day.
After a few days, I felt refreshed.
In addition, they heard a good news from other survivors - the small silver fish that suddenly appeared in the flood were edible.
The man said that he did not have any adverse reactions after eating it, but the taste of the fish was hard to describe and it felt like plastic when chewed.
He tried countless methods, including but not limited to steaming, stir-frying, frying and boiling, but could not change the plastic texture.
As he said this, he finished eating a cooked small silver fish in front of He Junxia and swallowed it with disgust.
Of course, anything that’s edible is good.
There are a large number of small silver fish in the flood. Their presence can alleviate at least 80% of the fighting and ethical problems caused by lack of food.
The remaining 20% is because the silver fish is too unpalatable. Living in a country with a strong love for gourmet food, people's pursuit of gourmet food is ingrained in their bones.
Not only He Junxia's family, but everyone living in the government building kept their distance from the little silver fish in the water.
At least they will never actively eat plastic in the water until their food is finished.
However, before everyone had spent half a month in peace in the government building, something happened.
It was an ordinary day, with clear skies and bright sunshine, but the calm water suddenly began to ripple.
Layer after layer, wave after wave
The water surface was surging and the current was turbulent. The water level rose rapidly again, and in just two minutes it submerged the fourth and fifth floors.
The waves hitting the wall grew higher and higher, and finally, right under everyone's eyes, they pushed a five-story building into the water.
Even the building they were in was shaking a little.
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