Chapter 117
Jiang Xuan did want to do something, but Qin Huai's words blocked all his ways. He really wanted to report it, but after an investigation he found out that it was just as Qin Huai said, that they just used the remaining amount to buy food for themselves, and he would not get any good results.
As for whether they were for their own consumption, we could tell from the meals Qin Huai brought every day after the meat was divided: tomato meatball soup, shredded pork with green peppers, and cumin meat patties. With this amount of food, let alone ten kilograms of meat, even a few dozen kilograms would probably not be enough for their family to consume.
Many people know that Qin Huai does not eat at the company. It is said that his younger brother thinks the food at the company is not oily enough and is afraid that the weather will be too cold, so he insists that he bring his own food. So Qin Huai sold the company's meal cards directly to those in need. Even though the amount of food provided by the cafeteria is much more than that in the greenhouse outside, Pang Pang still cannot eat enough.
Then he brought his own lunch box, and people were drooling every day. So when he said that he bought the more than ten kilograms of meat to stockpile for his own consumption, no one would disbelieve him. After all, their family's conditions were there, and it was indeed not worth breaking the rules for such a small amount of meat.
However, the stronger the contrast, the more Jiang Xuan became obsessed. His father froze to death, and his mother was still suffering in the greenhouse. He had already handed in his salary to wait in line for rental housing, and the little money he had left was used to buy two greenhouse meal cards for his mother. One meal card only provided one meal a day, and he didn't want his father to freeze to death and his mother to starve to death, so he simply bought two.
In addition, the temperature is too low now, and the relief meals distributed by the authorities are enough for three meals a day. He is also worried that his mother will be bullied living alone in the greenhouse. He is far away and cannot take care of her, so he has to buy more things to take care of the people living in the bed next to his mother, so that they can take better care of his mother. After spending so much, he doesn't have much money left.
This time he bought the meat together with others. He couldn't even afford half a pound, so he only bought three taels of meat. He would make dumplings with the meat in advance and bring some to his mother every time he went on vacation. He couldn't leave the meat directly in the greenhouse, as few people in the greenhouse could afford meat. It would be too conspicuous and would cause trouble.
Given the general environment, it is good enough for him to be like this, but the premise is that there is no contrast, and Qinhuai is that strong contrast.
White rice, a different lunch every day, and even the ability to pay for a small jar of pickled cabbage for competitions. He buys more than ten pounds of meat at a time, and the meat and vegetables he brings are even more varied. Not to mention that there is a burden who is not productive at home. Just looking at Qin Huai, you can know what kind of life Mu Nan lives at home. He lives in a heated house, does not have to starve or freeze, and someone will protect him even if the sky falls. This huge gap makes Jiang Xuan hate it.
In the past, Jiang Xuan would disguise himself to some extent, but when the hatred in his heart reaches a distorted level, he will lose some of his rationality. People often see Jiang Xuan staring at Qin Huai with a sinister expression, which inexplicably makes people feel a little scary. Those who have a good relationship with Qin Huai will of course tell him about this, at least to let him know.
Qin Huai didn't care. He told the story in a few words, and then the news spread naturally.
"I thought people with such twisted minds could only be seen in weird TV dramas. I was shortsighted."
"What a shame! At the beginning, Boss Qin couldn't go abroad, so he asked him to take care of his younger brother. If he wasn't willing, he wouldn't agree. He agreed but didn't do it, and he even cheated both sides. I really don't know what this person is trying to do."
"This is a bit funny. I asked him to help take care of the family, but he was not happy about it. He even blamed others for not giving him a house to live in and causing his father to die. I really don't understand his train of thought."
"I heard that Boss Qin's brother isn't that young either. He'll be almost an adult by then, so he should be able to live independently."
"Tsk, this is not a matter of independence. You can ignore it, but you can't lie. You clearly don't care about the life or death of your younger brother, but you still deceived Brother Qin into thinking that he was taking good care of his younger brother. He thanked him for all kinds of help. He is abroad, so he should send some gifts back during the holidays. I'm afraid he has suffered a lot if he didn't do his job well."
"Then didn't Boss Qin contact his brother? It's not like he can't contact people back home when he's abroad."
"I heard there are some twists and turns here. If we can get in touch, what does it have to do with Jiang Xuan?"
"This kind of person is a bit scary, two-faced."
A few people were chatting while taking a break in the tea room. When they saw Jiang Xuan coming in, everyone immediately fell silent, looked at each other, and walked out with their teacups.
Jiang Xuan's face suddenly turned pale. He never knew that Qin Huai could be so shameless as to tell everyone about his family affairs. And these people were just like gossips!
Jiang Xuan, who was making tea alone in the tea room, suddenly felt that the scene in front of him was a little familiar. It was not until he sat back in his seat that he remembered that the scene just now was the scene in which he forced an intern to walk away in his previous company.
That intern was also the type who looked fair, tender and harmless. Although she didn't look like Mu Nan at all, her lively and cheerful temperament was very similar to Mu Nan's when she was a child. After Jiang Xuan discovered that Qin Huai loved the intern a little bit, he used the same method to bully him.
Rumors don't need evidence, it's enough to make them seem like they were made up. He even prepared several plans, but they were of no use because the young intern left before he had even stayed for a month. He was wondering at the time how he could survive in the workplace with such a fragile heart that couldn't withstand any blows. He didn't expect that the person people were talking about in the tea room would now become him.
So when Jiang Xuan directly mocked Qin Huai for having such limited ability, Qin Huai just glanced at him indifferently and ignored him. What was there for him not to say? The power of public opinion was also a kind of capital strategy. What's more, he didn't tell a single lie.
The meat from their unit was distributed first. Since they are a government unit, they have this kind of benefit. When the meat from their unit was distributed, the official shopping website would put it on the shelves. Although Mu Nan knew that Qin Huai bought a lot, he also waited for the goods to be put on the shelves.
His family has meat, so he can help his neighbors get it. There are more people than meat. If they can't get any, he can share a few pounds of meat bought by his brother with his neighbors. Anyway, his family is not short of meat. It would be bad if they eat big mouthfuls of meat while their good friends can't even get a little bit of meat. The contrast is too big, and he feels bad about it.
The price of meat is not cheap, but there are still a lot of people rushing to grab it. Mu Nan was lucky enough to grab one pound, but only one pound. He didn't even have time to add another portion. He tapped and paid twice as soon as it was put on the shelf. When he paid and went to check again, it was sold out. So even though many people were freezing to death or starving to death, there were still many people who could afford to eat meat at this time.
Mu Nan sent the screenshot he had snatched to the group: "Who wants it?"
The neighbors were all trying to be polite to each other. They were not badly off, and their family assets were all over a thousand. But having money without goods was useless. Wu Zheng was the first to speak in the group. He took a screenshot. His hand speed was faster than Mu Nan's. He bought two kilograms. Song Jia said in the group: "I have some at home. If you don't want it, I can take one more kilogram."
Yu Zibai also sent a screenshot. He grabbed one pound, but Jian Chu didn't. Xu Ming's finger speed was not fast enough to touch the phone, so he didn't grab one either. It just so happened that Mu Nan's one pound could be given to Xu Ming, so that every household could have meat to eat.
Jian Chu was still complaining in the group: "There is too little meat, we can only save it and eat it slowly, otherwise we can barbecue and eat skewers."
Mu Nan said in the group: "Don't think about it, just eat the meat secretly, and grill it. The cumin aroma will spread ten miles away, so you don't have to worry about someone snatching it away."
The meat made the entire settlement very happy for a period of time, just like the New Year. But soon another piece of news came, which is not sure whether it is good or bad now: the authorities were going to recruit soldiers.
The advantage of conscription is that they will be provided with food and only need training. Even looking at the current situation, many important government jobs in the future may be selected from the military. But the downside is that if extreme weather changes occur again, they will be the ones who need to take risks to rescue. In short, benefits and risks coexist.
The few unemployed people in their compound had no intention of joining the army, but others were already over the age limit. Mu Nan, the only one who was still within the age limit, had no such idea either. According to what Mu Nan said to Qin Huai, he had not yet realized the need to take on this sacred profession.
Qin Huai just chuckled at his beautified statement: "To put it bluntly, he can't endure hardship and can't stand being restrained."
Mu Nan jumped on Qin Huai and covered his mouth: "Believe it or not, I will go to apply for the job and leave you crying in the room!"
Qin Huai pinched his skinny arms and legs, saying that he was not worried at all. With that physique, even if he was old enough, people probably wouldn't want him.
As soon as the conscription news was released, many people's attention was diverted from the cold weather. Even the gloomy atmosphere in the greenhouse shrouded by cold and death had changed slightly, and it became noticeably more lively. The change in the overall environment also made many people more energetic and no longer resigned themselves to waiting for death.
The age requirement for conscription has been relaxed a bit now. One only needs to be sixteen years old, and the upper limit is twenty-four. Over this age, one's physical fitness may not be able to keep up, and one's obedience may be a little worse. There are many young men of this age who have lost their loved ones and are left alone, living in confusion and without goals. When the conscription information is released, it is as if they have found the motivation to live, sweeping away the heavy mood of decadence.
Some simply felt that they could not endure such a life and might as well join the army, at least there was an organization and a goal to pursue, and food was provided. The physical strength consumed by carrying bricks was no less than that of military training, and maybe they could be assigned a job in the future. Of course, there were also some who went there with aspirations. After experiencing great disasters, they also wanted to be like the light they had seen in the dark night.
Regardless of the reason, many people filled out letters of intent, which made the people above feel a little relieved. There are already fewer people now, and after a province has gone through so many disasters, the number of survivors may be less than half. Too many deaths, more than disasters, what really wears people down is their spiritual willpower. Now there are so many people willing to join the army, which proves that the spirit of the people of their country has not been completely worn out, and this is the most gratifying thing.
Two consecutive events that could be said to be related to people's livelihood slightly dispelled some of the cold. When people came to their senses, they found that the climate outside had changed again. The gloomy snowstorm that had lasted for several days seemed to have passed, the sky cleared, and the heavy snow stopped.
Although the change is not very obvious, there are detailed observation data from above, and the temperature is rising slowly by a few tenths of a degree every day. Many people think this is a sign that winter is about to pass, and even many places have started to speed up construction, striving to build houses in this cold but sunny weather, so that those who live in greenhouses with nowhere to go can have a place to settle down as soon as possible.
After the blizzard passed, Daniu and his friends also moved in. They couldn't come here before because the snow and wind outside were so fierce that it was difficult for people to even move. Now that the weather has cleared up a little, it would be better to come here earlier. Living in a heated house is always better than living in a collective greenhouse.
Although Mu Nan and his family had not had much contact with Daniu, they had gotten along well as neighbors for a short period of time. So on the day Daniu moved in, they discussed sending some gifts as a celebration of his new home. Mu Nan's family sent two kilograms of bean shreds, and Jian Chu and his family had nothing else to send, as they thought Daniu had just arrived and their conditions were limited, so they sent two kilograms of large steamed buns. Xu Ming kept it simple and brought a kilogram of sticky bean buns. As for Song Jia, they didn't know Daniu, so there was no need to spend money.
Anyway, this little bit of food can at least feed Daniu for a week. He can look for a job after he settles down and he won't starve to death. If he weren't too old, Daniu is already in his thirties. With his physique, he is really suitable for joining the army. He has a suitable physique and personality. He is honest and straightforward, and he doesn't have any tricks. He is really suitable for the simple environment of the army.
Mu Nan counted the days, and when the temperature outside rose to more than 20 degrees below zero after more than half a month, he moved back to the third floor. With the whole house heated, the temperature outside was not low. The people who could keep warm in the house only wore a thin piece of clothing. Even after experiencing the cold of nearly 70 degrees below zero, many people felt that at more than 20 degrees below zero, they could wear a sweater and run outside.
There is happiness only when there is contrast. Since the temperature has warmed up, Mu Nan can hear some children screaming and laughing at home every day. It is rare for them to come out and play, and for people in the south, such thick snow is something they have never seen in their lifetime.
The snow in the south is actually very different from the snow in the north. The snow in the north is like fine sand, which is dry and does not stick to your hands. The snow in the south is sticky and wet, which is not as fun as the dry sand-like fine snow. Although they are in the south now, it snows almost all winter and there is not much humidity, so it is rare to see this kind of fine sandy white snow.
Mu Nan sat on the bay window of the bedroom, holding a cup of hot cocoa and watching the children playing outside. He also wanted to go out and play, but unfortunately no one was with him. Seeing that the snow in the yard had not been shoveled out today, Mu Nan couldn't help but change his clothes and simply made a snowman in the yard. It was twenty degrees below zero and there was sunshine, which could only be described as warm.
Xu Ming, who was also moving upstairs, had just remade his bed when he turned around and saw Mu Nan making a snowman in the yard. He smiled and changed his clothes before going downstairs: "So childlike?"
Mu Nan turned around and saw that it was Xu Ming, and said with a smile: "Let's go out and get some fresh air while the weather is good." It would soon be hot, and if he didn't take the opportunity to play in the snow, he would miss it this year. As for what the situation would be like next year, he didn't know.
Xu Ming said: "I'll go with you. I'll go find some charcoal to make eyes."
After a while, Niu Niu also ran out of the house. Although Wu Zheng did not come out, he let Niu Niu out, probably because he wanted her to get some fresh air. It was so cold, and being locked in the house for a month or so would make the dog depressed.
As soon as Niu Niu rushed out, she pushed Mu Nan directly into the snow pile. This was her owner who had raised her for a while, and she still remembered him, so the first person she got close to was Mu Nan.
Mu Nan fell into the snow and laughed. Yu Zibai upstairs opened a window a little and took a picture of the noisy scene in the yard and sent it to the small group.
Qin Huai was eating when he saw the video and clicked on it. He saw Mu Nan playing in the snow outside. When Niu Niu pounced on him, he could faintly hear laughter, which made him laugh unconsciously.
Zhang Qi, who was sitting next to Qin Huai, heard the voice and couldn't help but turn his head and look: "This is Qin's brother, right?"
Qin Huai hummed, then laughed and scolded, "You're an adult and still playing in the snow." As he said this, he put down his chopsticks and sent a message to the group, asking Yu Zibai to keep an eye on the time and not play for too long. If he plays for too long, remember to call him upstairs.
Yu Zibai responded in the group chat, then shouted downstairs: "Mu Nan, your brother told you not to play for too long!"
Mu Nan turned his head and looked upstairs: "I know!" He is an adult, but she still treats him like a three-year-old child.
When Qin Huai and his friends got off work and went home, there were already four snowmen piled in the yard, two on each side, like guards on duty. They had to pay attention to both sides when driving in, for fear of scratching the snowmen.
Several girls got off the car directly in the yard, and said: "These men in our yard are really childish."
Sun Sisi ran directly between the two snowmen: "Come and take a picture for me."
As a result, Yang Jing slapped him on the head and said, "It's so cold outside, the phone would have automatically shut down long ago."
Hu Xuan, who was gentle and quiet at the side, silently took out his mobile phone and took a photo for Sun Sisi. The others turned their heads to look at him. Hu Xuan shrugged: "It's a domestic camera. The temperature is only minus 20 degrees. There's no problem."
Several people took turns taking photos with the snowman, with four snowmen with different expressions. After the car was put into the garage, Tu Juan, who had not waited for the sisters to come in for a long time, stood at the door and yelled: "Are you guys coming back or not!"
The three girls ran into the house smiling.
As the ice and snow gradually melt away, people don’t know whether all things will revive again, but they cherish this rare normal temperature.
When the temperature returned to zero degrees, a large number of survivors came out. Among them were some familiar faces to Mu Nan, those who had been to the private base together in the previous life. Just as it developed in the previous life, the private base was destroyed before it even survived a winter. If it hadn't been for the snow and wind blocking the road and there were no rescue vehicles patrolling later, they would have come here long ago.
Now that they have survived a winter and the temperature has reached a level where they can go out, they are afraid that if they delay any further, something might happen, so they are walking here in groups.
They left early, and the private resort was located outside the Third Ring Road, so despite some setbacks, they were lucky not to be trapped in the city center. Now, even though the snow on the ground had gradually melted and the temperature was not too extreme, they had walked for nearly half a month.
They started their journey when the wind and snow stopped and the temperature was over 30 degrees below zero. It got hotter and hotter as they walked. By the time they arrived here, a lot of the snow had melted and even the greenhouse had been tidied up and turned into a planting shed.
Those who came later had to be quarantined for observation. There were at least several hundred people transferred from there, which was not a small number. They were all hungry and cold, so they could only stay in the observation houses outside the residential area and wait for quarantine. During this period, they had to learn the rules and regulations of the new city. After the quarantine period, they had to register their identities first. The government could advance the rent of the small cabins for people to live in temporarily, but they had to work to repay it later.
Mu Nan had experienced all of this, but now, he didn't have to live in the outer city until the quarantine period was over. They were notified that they could get vaccinated in batches.
Until now, the plague is still everywhere in the city center. The viruses were not killed by the extreme cold, but instead took away countless innocent lives. However, no matter how extreme the environment is, there are some survivors, many of whom still carry the disease. So in order to prevent the plague from breaking out again and spreading as the temperature rises, we must first ensure that healthy people are vaccinated to form antibodies.
The vaccine was given at a hospital that was built later. The time for the vaccination was notified on the wall. According to the time notified, there was no need to queue for too long. Although the conditions may not be met now, everyone who got the shot was told not to drink alcohol within three days. Mu Nan came out by pressing the needle hole. In order not to take off his clothes, he deliberately wore a coat with a huge collar under his down jacket. It was loose enough to expose half of his body when pulled down, which also saved the trouble of taking off his clothes.
Qin Huai threw away the visa-free card. Seeing Mu Nan coming out, he stepped forward and tightened his unbuttoned down jacket: "Does it hurt?"
Mu Nan said: "It's okay, it won't hurt if you don't look at it."
Faced with his evasive way of shielding himself from the pain, Qin Huai smiled and said, "I'll make you something delicious when I get home."
Mu Nan's eyes lit up: "Braised prawns?"
Qin Huai said ruthlessly: "I just got vaccinated and I have to eat a light diet for three days."
Mu Nan rolled his eyes: "Then you said you would make delicious food for me."
"I can make clear pot skewers for you."
Mu Nan snorted: "I choose not to eat."
When the temperature started to rise, it climbed almost once a day. By the time everyone in their yard had finished getting vaccinated, the temperature had reached more than 10 degrees. It was so warm that the floor heating had been turned off long ago. They could even open the windows at night to let in the natural breeze, which was very comfortable.
But as the temperature rises, some problems have become more serious.
For example, Mu Nan, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly shook his head several times and got up from the bed. Qin Huai quickly turned on the light: "What's wrong?"
Mu Nan rubbed his ears and said with annoyance of being woken up: "A mosquito just whizzed past my ears."
Qin Huai got up from the bed. The windows of their room had screens, but for ventilation, the door was not closed. There were vegetables planted outside. He didn't know if this attracted mosquitoes. After checking the room, he didn't see any mosquitoes flying around, but Qin Huai still asked Mu Nan to bring out a plate of mosquito coils and asked for a mosquito net.
Mu Nan was so sleepy that he couldn't help but say, "Let's just light a mosquito coil."
Qin Huai said, "It's okay, it will be quick. You go to sleep first, I'll put up the mosquito net."
Mu Nan had no choice but to take out the mosquito net, but it was a simpler kind, just like a vegetable cover, with four sides stood up and then covered the bed.
Qin Huai used moxa sticks to fumigate the place where they slept. Now that the windows were open for ventilation, the smoke from the moxa sticks would dissipate quickly, so it was okay to use it indoors. He placed the unburned moxa sticks at the door and also placed a plate of mosquito coils beside the bed. He tossed and turned for more than half an hour before turning off the lights and going to bed. However, this toss and turned was indeed effective. Mu Nan was no longer woken up by mosquitoes in the second half of the night.
They have the conditions, so they sleep well. Those who don’t have mosquito nets and mosquito coils are severely tortured by these mosquitoes.
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