Chapter 131
Liu Wei, who was thrown away, was obviously unwilling to accept this, and even wanted to take advantage of Qin Huai's action first to cause trouble.
Although life has not been good in the past two years, Liu Wei is actually living a more comfortable life now than before. He no longer has to bow down to others to earn such a small amount of money, be despised and looked down upon, live in a shabby house with a rent of two or three thousand yuan, and live worse than a dog for the money of milk powder.
After the earthquake, his wife was trapped in the dilapidated house with broken tiles. His first reaction was not to rescue her, but to breathe a sigh of relief. There was no one nagging him all day long, despising him for his incompetence, and oppressing him to the point where he couldn't even afford a pack of cigarettes every month. The entire city was destroyed by the earthquake, and he no longer had to be suffocated by the pressure of buying a house, school districts, and education funds.
Although various survival crises followed one after another, no one really starved to death. Everyone's life became the same. The once rich people now have to move bricks at construction sites to survive, and those who looked down on them in the past are not living much better than them now.
Now that he is no longer under the supervision of the woman who looked down on him in every way, he lives a happier life. Most importantly, the child he brings with him can provide him with a lot of conveniences, such as extra subsidies from the government, reductions in rent, water and electricity, and even priority in work. Liu Wei, who has tasted the sweetness, feels it is annoying to bring a child, especially since his daughter is still young. She was only four years old when the earthquake happened, which is the age when even cats and dogs hate her.
But children, if they don't listen, they will be beaten. After being beaten a few times, they will become obedient. The crying child gets the milk. The more the child cries, the more people's sympathy he will get, no matter those people feel sorry for the child who has lost her mother, or think that the child's crying is annoying, and making concessions to him is a practical benefit. Liu Wei even hoped that his daughter would always be this old. If she cries at this young age, it will be pitiful. If she grows up, it will be annoying.
Because he often took advantage of others in the name of his daughter, Liu Wei, who was dissatisfied with not being able to choose a better seat because he came late, used the same trick again. The stone platform was very good, and he didn't have to squeeze with a group of people. He just hated that he came late. If only he could come earlier. But looking at the group of young people on it, although it was a pity that there were no women, after all, women were more likely to be soft-hearted, but let's try, maybe this is a group of soft-hearted young people.
The result was naturally beyond his expectations. He was thinking of using the fact that the other party attacked first as an excuse to find soldiers to make some trouble. He was a single father with a child, and facing a group of strong and powerful young men, anyone with enough knowledge could tell who the weak one was.
But before he could make a move, he saw the young man who had thrown him away took out a hammer from his bag and threw it firmly on the ground, making a clanging sound. He even said fiercely to the man who was more easy to talk to next to him: "Next time if you make trouble like this, just hit me with the hammer. I won't provoke others unless they provoke me. If they do, I won't stop until I beat them to death!"
Hearing this, Liu Wei ran away in disgrace. He wanted to take advantage of others, but he was a coward by nature. He could only take advantage of kind-hearted people. When he met this unreasonable bully, he dared not provoke him at all.
Mu Nan quickly gave him a thumbs up: "My brother is awesome!"
Yu Zibai standing by was also dumbfounded: "Hammer?" Bring a hammer with you when you flee? It would be better to bring a few more kilograms of rice with this weight.
Mu Nan said, "We must have weapons, so I put a hammer in my bag."
Song Jia couldn't help but exclaimed: "You guys have thought it through very thoroughly. When I was told to evacuate, my mind went blank. I couldn't think of anything to bring. I was driven by my survival instinct to bring clothes and food."
Mu Nan smiled and said, "We packed in a hurry. The water was about to reach the second floor. We were thinking about what to do if there was a flood and we had to escape, so we packed our escape bag in advance."
Song Jia couldn't help but sigh. Why do people who plan ahead have foresight? Look at how many items they bring with them. This kind of foresight should really be learned. It's because their emergency response capabilities are too poor.
Seeing that the man shrank back, and his daughter stopped crying, except for crying for a while, after crying she hid in the corner with a dazed look on her face, not daring to get close to her father. This further confirmed what Song Jia said just now.
Mu Nan couldn't help but spit, "They are worse than beasts. Anyone can be a parent now. There is no threshold at all. How many children have been harmed? Most of those who commit crimes and have mental distortions are caused by childhood trauma."
Qin Huai turned his head and said, "There is no way to change it. It's useless to look at it. Come here and wait for breakfast."
That's the biological father of the child, and it can't be solved by them reporting that the man abused his daughter. Now they have the power to teach the man a lesson as long as he hits the child and makes her cry again. Apart from that, they can't do anything else. However, they still have to talk to the soldiers in charge here, even if they don't have the extra energy to pay attention to such a small matter, at least they can make the man restrain himself.
They had noodles for breakfast, and they could take out the fuel and the small pot to use, because apart from them, most people in the cave were in good conditions. But it was also true that they were the first ones to evacuate through their own channels before being notified from above, so it was normal for them to bring more things.
Although not all fires were using fuel, some people even carried firewood with them, which shows how well prepared they were before coming. Fortunately, the ceiling of this cave is very high and the air inside the cave is also sufficient. Although the road is a bit rugged and winding, the air circulation in the entire cave is still smooth, so it is not stuffy at all and there is no problem in making a fire.
It was precisely because they saw many people trying to find ways to get some hot food, so it was not very noticeable that they took out the small pots and fuel at this time. What really caught their attention was that there was a family still frying buns, probably meat buns. No one knew how they had been able to survive after so many days of power outage. Anyway, the fragrance had already attracted the attention of most of the people here.
The water used was naturally the water brought by Qin Huai and his friends. Although the water brought by Jian Chu and his friends must have been filtered, the mineral water they used to have was still safer. The water needed to be boiled for a little longer, and when it boiled, the steamed buns that were not finished yesterday were placed on top to steam them. After the steamed buns were softened, the noodles were put in to cook.
Jian Chu couldn't stand food with strong flavors. Although he was very greedy, it was not easy to heal his damaged stomach. So after adding the luncheon meat and seasoning, he served a bowl to Jian Chu first. After pouring out Jian Chu's portion in advance, Mu Nan threw the spicy cabbage he brought into the pot. A bowl of luncheon meat and spicy cabbage noodles and a steamed bun in the morning was enough for him.
The dog and the rabbit still ate steamed buns, and three cold steamed buns were specially left for them. By now, all the steamed buns brought by the three families had been eaten, but it didn’t matter, because they also brought flour and rice, so they could make their own food when the time comes. In addition to steamed buns, they could also make pancakes, make dough dumplings, eat noodles, and even steam rice.
I thought they wouldn't be short of staple food. If they were to flee together, others would definitely bring staple food. So Mu Nan and his friends prepared a small amount of staple food, and most of what they brought were sauces. The beef sauce made by Qin Huai alone could be eaten directly with rice. But they certainly couldn't tell them that it was the beef sauce made by Qin Huai, because there was no beef at all, so they said it was a ready-made sauce they bought before, and it hadn't gone bad until now.
Several people counted their assets and breathed a sigh of relief. If they didn't waste too much food and drink with the things they brought with them, they could at least survive in this cave for half a month. If the water couldn't recede after half a month, it would depend on the government's arrangements. Relief food should be distributed at that time. They could survive for half a month, but others might not be able to survive that long. They might have to rely on the government for help in a week.
After eating, Mu Nan leaned on his bag and played with his phone, asking casually, "Do you think the flood will recede soon?"
Song Jia, who lay down after eating, said: "Let's hope so. I hope we can go home in two or three days and everything will be fine at home." He didn't know where his brother was now, so naturally he hoped that he could retreat as soon as possible.
Mu Nan glanced at the bored people and said, "Do you want to watch a TV series? I brought a power bank that will last for at least a few days."
Song Jia, who was lying down after eating, moved on the mat and moved his head towards Mu Nan: "Look! What TV series are on your phone?"
Mu Nan flipped through them himself: "There is an American drama and a Hong Kong drama, what should I watch?"
Song Jia said, "Let's watch American TV series, criminal investigation ones, which are quite suitable for the dim atmosphere in this cave. Besides, most people can't understand American TV series, so they will automatically block the sound. People can understand Hong Kong TV series. We have already occupied the platform, and it would be too much if we still watch TV series leisurely."
Mu Nan rummaged in his bag and actually took out two headphones and a separator from the space: "It's okay, just wear the headphones."
Song Jia and Jian Chu looked at Mu Nan in amazement again: "Tell me the truth, do you have a Doraemon in your bag?"
Mu Nan laughed and said, "There is also a random door that can take you back to before the end of the world!"
Song Jia sighed: "It would be great if I could go back."
Jian Chu said: "If you can go back, what is the first thing you do?"
Song Jia thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to the food stall downstairs from our house and order a table of barbecue and beer."
Mu Nan looked at Jian Chu: "What about you?"
Jian Chu said: "Eating hot pot, hot and spicy hot pot, I never knew that eating light food could be such a tormenting thing."
Hearing this, Mu Nan couldn't help but poke Qin Huai: "Did you hear that? I'm not the only one who feels tortured."
Qin Huai glanced at him and said, "What did you hear? If you are not sick and have been doing well, you will not be tortured by bland food."
Mu Nan couldn't help but poke Qin Huai twice again.
The three of them leaned against the stone wall at the back, with backpacks filled with clothes at the back. They had almost taken out all the food, because the stone wall was too hard and it was tiring to lean against. So they put a small boiler in front and leaned their phones against the lid. The height was just right. Although it was tiring to sit like this for a long time, it was better than holding it in the hand.
As for Yu Zibai and Qin Huai, Yu Zibai was kneading dough to make steamed buns. They could make other food, but they still had to eat the dog and the rabbit, so they prepared to steam some more buns. It just so happened that the boiled water was drinkable.
Qin Huai went out to inquire about the situation. Living in the deepest part of the cave, it was too passive to just wait for notifications from above for any news. There was nothing to do anyway, so he might as well wander around and see what was going on outside, so that he could be prepared for anything as soon as possible.
The closer we got to the cave entrance, the worse the situation of the people who were transferred there was. Many of them must have been rescued from the water. They didn't have any food or clothes on them. Some of them had cuts from what they didn't know in the water. They had to stop bleeding on their own for small wounds, and for big wounds, whether they could bear it or not, those who wanted to survive had to have their lives sutured directly, and at most disinfected. There was no anesthesia. There were cries of despair, numb expressions, and even many people whose clothes were so tattered that they couldn't cover their bodies looked at the pouring rain outside the cave with empty eyes. A cave with firewood and hot food inside and hell outside was like two separate worlds.
As Qin Huai arrived at the entrance of the cave, a car that was constantly spewing water drove up. A group of soldiers jumped out of the car, shouting that there were wounded people and asked someone to come quickly. Several people wearing masks hurriedly gathered around, and one by one, people with pale faces and bleeding bodies were carried down from the car.
Someone, who might be the leader of the medical team, said to the rescue soldiers, "We can't accommodate any more people here. Send the rest directly up there!"
The soldier made a bitter face and shook his head: "The upper part is full too, and there are still many people down there. Bring them all up first. The next supply truck will arrive soon. We can then set up tents on the mountain road. It's better than soaking in the water."
As soon as the soldier finished speaking, he saw that everyone on the car had been cleared out, so he quickly jumped back on and rushed down to rescue the next group of people.
Qin Huai saw those soldiers, none of them had any color on their faces or lips. It was such a hot day, and they felt cold just after passing by him, which showed that they had been soaking in the water for quite some time. It should be said that it was fortunate that the temperature outside was still over 50 degrees Celsius, otherwise they would have been frozen to hypothermia after soaking in the water for so long.
The car left in a hurry again. Many people wearing masks came out of the cave and transferred the wounded who had just been transported in to the cave. Qin Huai saw that they did not have enough manpower. Although there were many people in the cave, most of them could not take care of themselves. They were injured, and some had not eaten for a long time. Some of them did not even have the strength to stand up, so he simply stepped forward to help.
Mu Nan watched four episodes of an American TV series with Jian Chu and Song Jia in the morning. His waist was sore from sitting so he paused to put down his phone and lay on the mat to stretch his muscles. Yu Zibai had already steamed three pots of steamed buns. Since the pot was not a big one, it could only steam four buns at most. Three pots were enough for one meal for them, including the dog and the rabbit.
Because I was worried that the fuel would be consumed too quickly, I stopped after making more than ten steamed buns. If I save some, at least the dog and rabbit can eat for a few more days. As for them, noodles or steamed rice with sauce are enough.
Qin Huai didn't come back until noon. His body was wet and covered in blood. This scared Mu Nan. Qin Huai quickly comforted him, "I went to help with the rescue. This blood is not mine, but from the wounded. Bring me a pack of wet wipes. I'll change my clothes and wash them outside later."
Mu Nan's heart dropped immediately: "I was so scared, I thought you were fighting with someone outside."
Yu Zibai and the others were also startled, thinking something had happened. They were relieved to hear that Qin Huai was fine. "What's the situation outside?"
Qin Huai said as he used a blanket to wipe his body and change clothes inside the stone wall: "It's very bad. The water outside has already come in. Many people were washed away before they could even wait for rescue. Now I heard that some people are still trapped in the residential area. They tried to hold hands and resist with manpower, but they couldn't let go all night. They were all numb. Many houses were destroyed, and some factories were directly washed to the ground."
When Song Jia heard the word factory, his heart was lifted up: "Have all the people in the factory been relocated?"
Qin Huai shook his head. "I don't know, but they should have moved. In addition to moving people, they also moved a lot of machinery. There was really nothing they could do on the farm, but everything that could be moved on the ranch was moved. After this flood, I'm afraid all the reconstruction will have to start all over again."
This is really suffocating news. Because of the pests, only one tenth of the grain harvest survived. Now the flood has completely wiped out the harvest. The house that was rebuilt with great difficulty was washed away, and the home that had just been settled was gone. Even the strongest people would fall into a state of powerless despair.
After Qin Huai changed his clothes, he threw the wet clothes under the steps of the stone platform to prevent them from being contaminated with blood and germs. He then found a plastic bag to wrap them up.
Mu Nan said, "Don't take these clothes. I brought a lot of vests and some to change into."
The main reason is that it is stained with other people's blood, and I always feel that no matter how much I wash it, I can't put it on again.
Qin Huai didn't care: "It's okay, just wash it with rainwater outside. Relief supplies will be distributed soon, but the quantity should not be much. It may only be enough to meet the minimum survival needs of people, to the extent that they will not starve to death."
Jian Chu said worriedly, "Should we also save on food? The situation outside is so serious and the house has been washed away. We only have so little food now. Even if there is still some money in the account, I'm afraid there will be nothing to sell if the harvest is completely gone."
Song Jia was a little annoyed: "I should have at least carried a bag of 50 kilograms of rice when I fled. 50 kilograms is enough for us to eat for a month if we save some."
Mu Nan couldn't help but look at Qin Huai, because he didn't know what was going on outside. He didn't know whether their house was still there. If it was not there, they didn't have much at home. Everything that could be put away was put into the space, that is, some things that could not be moved flexibly, such as air conditioners, solar generators and the like. But the neighbors could be said to have nothing left. If it was really that miserable, then the things they already had would become their only remaining assets.
Qin Huai said, "Let's eat sparingly for now. There's nothing to do in the cave that consumes your energy, so you can eat less, but you can't eat only one meal a day just to save money. There's a flood outside now, and there are too many people in the cave. If you eat less, your resistance will drop, and you'll get sick easily. Just live well in the present, and think of a way if the future really happens."
This is the only way for now. However, knowing a little news from outside, my originally relaxed mood was suddenly overshadowed. I didn't dare to eat as much as I wanted at lunch. Each of us only had one bowl of rice. We also saved the sauce and each of us only picked up a small piece.
Mu Nan didn't care about these things. There were piles of supplies in his space, but he still had to save them. He saved them now. In case the situation was really too bad later, they would at least have some surplus food. The sauces and other things could also be used to cover it up, so they wouldn't be too hard to endure.
Qin Huai did not go out again in the afternoon. The injured, those who were half dead when they were fished out of the water, were piled up at the entrance of the cave. Any major disaster will be followed by a major epidemic. Now there are no conditions to treat various diseases, and disasters continue to accumulate. It is better to avoid contact with the injured as much as possible.
Qin Huai even asked Mu Nan to take out a box of masks from his bag. Everyone had to wear them and they were not allowed to take them off even when sleeping. There were so many people in the cave and there was a flood outside. The people who died in the water and the rampant mosquitoes could easily cause a flu outbreak.
Influenza is also quite deadly. In the past peacetime, nearly 100,000 people died from influenza every year in their country alone. Although many people think that influenza is a more contagious and serious cold that can be cured by taking medicine and injections, now a minor cold can be fatal, let alone influenza. Although it is not known how much a mask can prevent, wearing one is better than not wearing one.
Sufficient sleep is the most natural way to enhance immunity. Yu Zibai and the others do not have the conditions and can only rely on sleep. Mu Nan and Qin Huai have no way to take out the health care products they take and can only take them secretly. Now Mu Nan has trained himself to be just like Qin Huai, stuffing the drink into his mouth and gulping it down with water. He is no longer able to swallow only one pill at a time due to his small throat.
However, they still took out a can of vitamin C. They didn't know if it was useful or not, but they just took it as candy: "Here, each of you take one a day."
Song Jia shook his head quickly: "Eat it yourselves. This thing is not for sale at all now. If you eat one, there will be one less. Keep it for yourselves."
Mu Nan said, "Let's just get through this time in the cave. I bought this a long time ago and it's almost expired. I don't know if it's useful. Let's eat it. If it can really enhance our immunity, that would be great. Otherwise, if we live together and someone gets sick, I'm afraid none of us will be able to escape."
Mu Nan said so, and they were indeed worried about being infected and getting sick in this environment. Alas, they owed him too much. Song Jia held Mu Nan's hand and said, "I can't repay you in this life, so I will work like a cow or a horse in the next life to repay you."
Mu Nan shook his hand away in disgust: "You are saying this like a scumbag, do you know that?"
Song Jia smiled and said, "What a pity. I have never cheated on anyone in my life, nor have I been cheated on by anyone. People like you who show off your affection will never understand the sadness of being single since birth."
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