Chapter 161
There is no problem with the potatoes. According to the previous official news announcement, the potatoes were put on the shelves as scheduled, but the quantity was small. Each ID card account was limited to purchase one, and a potato that might weigh half a pound cost only one dollar.
If you say it's expensive, then it's not cheap. One potato is enough to make a dish, and it costs one dollar. If you replace it with whole grains, you can barely last for two days. But if you say it's cheap, then it's not expensive. One potato is equivalent to a seed, and you can grow a lot of potatoes if you have the conditions to grow them at home.
Now the government is eager to promote farming among the entire population, and every household should grow their own crops, which can alleviate the food supply problem to a large extent. However, not many families have the conditions to grow potatoes, mainly because the living environment does not allow it. The living environment is slightly better in the first few districts. The latter areas are in a hurry to build houses to escape the summer heat and winter, so they all built townhouses, just like the old tube-shaped buildings.
If you want to live in a better house, you may have to wait for a while, at least until the reconstruction area continues to expand and more land is available. By then, everyone who has the conditions may have a small villa for living alone, so that they can grow some vegetables in their own yard or on the roof.
Mu Nan also planted potatoes. Last time when they had dinner, Yu Feng brought over a bag of potatoes. He cut the potatoes into slices and started sprouting them when he got home that day. Two days ago, he took a look at the soil in the pot. Maybe it was because the indoor temperature was enough, the nutrients were enough, and the occasional sunlight was good, so the potatoes were growing well. Although they are not yet mature enough to be harvested, at least the potatoes have been planted.
In addition, the watermelons that I watched grow along the way have also borne fruit. Although they are only small balls the size of a palm now, Qin Huai said that they will grow very quickly after they bear fruit, and they can be eaten in less than a month. Mu Nan has no shortage of watermelons, but if the watermelons grow up, he can take them out to exchange for food. He has a lot of food, so it is not a bad thing to exchange more openly.
Before the food crisis officially broke out, although Mu Nan did not have much contact with Qin Huai, Shi Yuanfei, whom he had known for almost two years, got married. His husband was also a soldier, but he used to work in an art troupe and later became a military doctor. However, because he did not receive systematic training, he could only receive targeted teaching in the later stage and now works as a nurse in a military hospital.
The girl's name is Yuan Minjia. She was originally from a dance troupe. She met Shi Yuanfei at a consolation performance before the end of the world. However, there was no spark between the two at that time. They just left a good impression on each other. Later, the epidemic disappeared and the high temperature came. In the absence of manpower, even the art troupe was requisitioned. Then there was earthquake relief and plague.
It was at that time that Yuan Minjia applied for a job change, from the art troupe to the military medical department. In the beginning, she could only help people disinfect, clean and bandage wounds, but now she has learned some basic medical first aid, as well as how to identify medicines and give injections.
It was during this back-and-forth contact that the feelings between the two grew deeper and deeper. This kind of partner who can fight side by side is far more solid than an ordinary couple relationship.
Although there is no Civil Affairs Bureau now, Shi Yuanfei is not a local, and his parents and relatives are not here, but the bride's parents are here. A marriage certificate is not necessary, but the sense of ceremony of this process is still necessary. It's just that the conditions are limited, and it is definitely impossible to hold a grand wedding like before with a wedding dress and a luxurious banquet. So they can only invite relatives and friends they know to come and be witnesses and have a simple meal.
Qin Huai was invited to attend with his partner. When attending a wedding banquet, one always has to give something. In the past, they would give red envelopes, but now if they just transfer money on the phone, it feels like it lacks a substantial blessing. However, the watermelons in their family have not grown yet. If it were a month later, they would be able to give big watermelons.
After thinking it over, the two decided to take two cabbages. Although the cabbages they grew themselves were not fully mature yet and could still grow a little longer, they were almost there. It would be a good idea to send the vegetables at this time.
Mu Nan felt that it would be too rough to just carry it over like that, so he specially found two pieces of wrapping paper, drew a Chinese character for "囍" on the paper, and two little figures getting married in the hall. It looked delicate and festive, and he tied a bow at the seal. Perfect!
The place for eating is the dormitory. Most of the soldiers returned to the base, but some stayed here as garrison troops. Otherwise, if something happened, it would take more than an hour to get here from the base. Shi Yuanfei applied to stay at that time because his girlfriend worked in a military hospital. If he returned to the base, given the inconvenience of the roads now, it would be like having a long-distance relationship between two people.
For those of them who ate from a big pot, a canteen was built in the dormitory area. Special arrangements were made to allow Shi Yuanfei to entertain guests in the canteen. Of course, the cook was still the canteen auntie, but Shi Yuanfei paid her extra money. The ingredients were also prepared by Shi Yuanfei himself. However, Shi Yuanfei did not invite many people. His comrades in the class, his wife's comrades and colleagues, there were only four or five tables of people in total.
When Qin Huai and Mu Nan came over with two big gift bags, Shi Yuanfei smiled and joked to his wife who was standing at the door welcoming guests, "My rich friend is here."
Yuan Minjia pinched him secretly, he was not serious. She also knew Qin Huai. When his wife was hospitalized due to an accident, Shi Yuanfei specially arranged for her to be on duty in the department, fearing that others would neglect to take care of her. Shi Yuanfei often lamented to her how he met Qin Huai, and because of Qin Huai, he avoided so many dangers, even the earthquake. If Qin Huai hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't know if he is still alive now.
Every time I sigh, I end with regret. I regret why Qin Huai didn't join the army. I always say that with Qin Huai's ability, he would definitely become the king of soldiers.
Just because her boyfriend kept mentioning this person, she couldn't help but pay more attention to her when his lover was hospitalized. After that, the door to a new world opened for her. No wonder the sisters who worked with her sometimes got so excited when they talked about TV dramas and novels and mentioned BL love.
Unfortunately, she missed the period when information was most developed. Now she can't even find a resource package to look at, and can only occasionally watch real people to satisfy her craving.
Mu Nan handed two large cabbages to Shi Yuanfei and blessed him with a smile: "Congratulations, may you have a happy marriage, have a baby soon, and live in peace and safety."
Shi Yuanfei misjudged the weight of the two paper bags and almost lost his grip: "They are quite heavy."
Qin Huai: "I found two ripe cabbages."
It has been almost three years since I last had juicy vegetables. When Shi Yuanfei heard about Chinese cabbage, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Yuan Mingjia, who was standing by, felt a little embarrassed: "It's too expensive. You can just come in person."
Mu Nan had some impression of Yuan Minjia. Previously in the hospital, this young lady was the most gentle when giving injections. Later, he learned that she was Shi Yuanfei's girlfriend. Because of Shi Yuanfei, she took special care of him: "We grew them at home, and picked the two biggest ones."
Yuan Minjia: "Thank you, please come in and sit down. There is air conditioning inside. It's hot outside."
Qin Huai congratulated them again, then took Mu Nan inside, found the sign that indicated the table for friends, and chose a cooler place to sit down.
Mu Nan fanned himself while looking around: "There seem to be quite a few people here. If we host a banquet at this time, I'm afraid we'll have to empty our family's coffers. Shi Yuanfei should know what the situation will be like if the food supply gets lower and lower. If he doesn't even have food to eat in the future, I wonder if he will feel sorry for the food he brought out for the banquet today."
Qin Huai said: "No."
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai: "You know, have you asked?"
"Although I haven't asked, I know that at this moment, I can only give the other person a white dress, not even a wedding gown. If I can't even give a sense of ceremony within my ability and conditions, it will become a regret in life. In the future, we will all grit our teeth and get through it together. If we can't get through it, that's fate. At least when I look back on it in the future, I won't have the regret of wishing that my life could be repeated."
When you think about it this way, it is true that some people may feel that living a good life is more important than anything else. They think that as long as they love each other, nothing else matters. Any sense of ritual or process is not as important as storing food to get through future difficulties.
But some people think that the present is the most important. At least there will be no regrets at this moment, and when the future hardships come, they can go through them together.
Obviously, Shi Yuanfei is the latter.
If he and Qin Huai could also hold a wedding, Mu Nan felt that Qin Huai was also the latter. Regardless of whether there would be food tomorrow, the importance and cherishment of this moment must not be less.
Mu Nan sighed softly: "I thought most men were rational."
Although he is also a man, perhaps due to his personality and environment, he is more emotional. But his brother is so rational and calm. He can analyze a hundred steps ahead before taking one step. He is so prepared that he wants to plan the next ten years in a comprehensive manner. He should also be a rational person.
Qin Huai: "This is not rationality or sensibility, but how much you value the other person. If you value them 50%, you can rationally analyze the pros and cons of all actions. If you value them 100%, all the pros and cons will be ranked behind the person you value. Everything is just instinct. The so-called rationality is just not valued to that extent."
He was rational, he could have planned a thousand ways to kill Ma San, to make the deaths of Ma San and his people legitimate and reasonable, without getting himself stained with blood. But because that person was Mu Nan, he couldn't wait even a day, couldn't stand those people breathing the air of this world for even a moment, so he chose the most direct and irrational way.
Everything is just because of instinct.
Shi Yuanfei's wedding banquet was quite grand. The staple food was steamed buns mixed with grains. Although they were not pure white flour buns, they were made very delicately and tasted okay. There were relatively few dishes, potato pancakes and a big pot of roast chicken with potatoes. The chicken must have been obtained from Qinghe by Shi Yuanfei at a great cost. It may have taken him several months to raise it before there were enough conditions for six tables, and each table had a big bowl of roast chicken with potatoes.
Many people haven't seen any meat for a long time, and they can't help drooling at the smell of roast chicken.
Sitting at the same table with Qin Huai and the others were Shi Yuanfei's comrades-in-arms. Some were wearing casual clothes while others were in military uniforms, but from the way they sat one could tell that they were all military personnel, so they were relatively restrained in their behavior. They didn't get jealous when they saw the meat, and even when they saw Mu Nan not reaching for the roast chicken with potatoes, they thought he was being embarrassed and enthusiastically picked up a large portion of chicken for him.
Mu Nan smiled and thanked them, accepting their kindness. He didn't reach out for his chopsticks not because he thought the big pot banquet was not delicious, but because they had no shortage of meat, so he wanted to leave some more for the soldiers to eat.
As for Qin Huai, perhaps he had too strong an aura and was not the kind of person who needed to be taken care of, so even though he didn't stretch out his chopsticks, others didn't put food directly into his bowl. They just told them to be polite and eat more meat.
Although there was no emcee, no lively music, no drinks, and even no formal wear, Shi Yuanfei wore a neat military uniform and Yuan Minjia wore a pure white dress, but the whole wedding banquet was very lively. The soldiers made fun of the bride and groom without any hesitation, and even Shi Yuanfei's roar that he would have extra exercises the next day if they continued to make trouble could not stop the high spirits of the crowd.
Until the show was over and Mu Nan got on the car to go home, he felt his head buzzing: "These people are too noisy. They haven't even drunk yet. If they drink, they will tear the roof off the house."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "It's a rare happy event, so I should relax."
Mu Nan rubbed his forehead and said, "My head is buzzing. It's so annoying. Are they going to have a bridal chamber disturbance later?"
Thinking of Yuan Mingjia's angry eyes, Qin Huai smiled and said, "Probably not. Shi Yuanfei and the others dare to provoke them, but my sister-in-law probably doesn't."
The garrison base in the residential area was previously located a little behind Building No. 1. Later, after a large number of troops returned to the military base, the garrison base was moved to a new location. Now it is located in the area of the military hospital. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from their District 2, and they have to go around several districts.
Now many houses have been built on flat ground, and the main roads have been repaved with cement to facilitate bus traffic. The road surface is very flat. If there were not almost no people on the road, looking at the houses with scattered lights, you would probably just think this is some small village in the 18th tier, not the end of the world.
Mu Nan seldom goes out, so the changes in the outside world are very big for him: "When we first came here, was this still a pile of ruins? I remember this intersection. At that time, the wall had not collapsed, and the road had been piled up into a small hill. If Xu Ming had not been quick to catch Jian Chu, Jian Chu would have fallen into the hole. Such a long steel bar would have been stuck in it. If he fell, his whole foot would have been pierced. Yu Zibai's face turned pale with fear."
Mu Nan turned around and looked at Qin Huai who was driving: "Brother, do you think we should move to a new place in the future?"
"Where to change?"
Mu Nan took out his phone and looked through some previous soft articles: "Look, it says here, what road was this before, Wencheng Road, now renamed Kangjian Road, this place was taken over by a private person, and they are going to build a villa complex, single house with a courtyard, two meters high, with an electric fence, and the basic supporting facilities are home solar energy, it looks pretty good, and now there are still people who have the money to buy the land, it's true that no matter what time, the rich and the poor are polarized."
Qin Huai drove around a small road and onto the main road. The street was empty with only street lights illuminating the night. Mu Nan was sitting next to him, muttering to himself. After he finished talking about the news about the house, he jumped to some trivial disputes he saw in the group chat. Finally, he thought of something and turned the topic to Cai Wentao's attentiveness to Yang Jing.
It is said that it was Song Jia who enlightened Cai Wentao about his hesitation. It was not known whether it was because of the previous fake relationship that made Cai Wentao have an illusion, or for some other reason, but for several days in a row, Cai Wentao was hesitant and struggling.
Song Jia asked curiously. He learned that Cai Wentao was thinking about Yang Jing, but he didn't dare to take any action. He didn't know why he was hesitating, so he said, "You don't know whether you will be lucky enough to live or unlucky enough to die tomorrow. If you have an idea, just do it. Your life has become like this now, why are you still entangled?"
So Cai Wentao got excited and ran to knock on Yang Jing's door, and then asked directly in front of Yang Jing's two good friends who lived with her if he could pursue her.
Mu Nan said with regret, "I wasn't there at the time. I really want to see Yang Jing's expression at the time. Hahahahaha, hey, where is this? Where are we going to go home? We didn't take this road before."
Qin Huai: "It's faster to go along the river."
Mu Nan said "oh" and was about to continue the previous topic when he saw a group of people surrounding a man as if they were trying to rob him. After the robbery, they kicked the man twice. The man curled up and fell to the ground, and the people who were trying to rob him dispersed.
Mu Nan was about to lean on the window to take a closer look when Qin Huai turned his head back and said, "Don't look around. We're almost home. We didn't eat much just now. Now you can think about what to eat when you get home."
Mu Nan scratched the car window and saw through the rearview mirror that the man was struggling to sit up. Although he couldn't see his face clearly as the distance was getting farther and farther, he looked like a young man, maybe even a teenager. Soon he turned a corner and got rid of all the images. Mu Nan then withdrew his gaze.
"I thought the security in the outer city was bad, so there are a lot of robberies in the inner city too?"
Qin Huai nodded. "A lot, especially at three or four in the morning, when many people are going home from work. Some people will save a portion of their work lunch to take home. Some vagrants or teenagers of 17 or 18 years old will take advantage of their numbers to rob those who are alone. There are only cameras on the main roads, but some people have to go through small alleys to go home, so this kind of thing is unavoidable."
As for helping, unless they can take the person away from this environment, helping once may hurt the other person even more. If you help today, those people will retaliate against you even more severely tomorrow, and may even double the anger for what they failed to rob today. Either take care of it to the end, or don't interfere in other people's lives casually.
But in the end, Qin Huai's car backed up, the window rolled down, and Mu Nan threw two bags of relief grain cakes distributed by the government. The person who was hit looked up in surprise. Although his face was dirty, the light coming through from the street could vaguely show that he was still a teenager, who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old.
Without waiting for the man to react, Qin Huai stepped on the accelerator and drove away again.
Seeing Mu Nan's bright eyes, Qin Huai couldn't help but smile: "Are you happy?"
Mu Nan chuckled: "Brother is the best."
Qin Huai: "Don't do it again, especially if you are alone. Even if the other person looks miserable, you must never be too kind."
"I can't possibly go out alone. Besides, this isn't out of kindness. We don't eat those grain cakes anyway. They're just there for us to keep. We can drive fast. We probably won't have a chance to meet again in the future. It won't expose anything. It's just a simple thing."
Qin Huai: "You always have twisted ideas."
Mu Nan was unwrapping the chocolate that he had just taken out of the space, and said, "How is this a perverse logic? If you were that person, wouldn't you instantly feel that the world is not that bad, and there is still light in the darkness? Would you be so moved that you want to cry?"
Qin Huai sneered: "I just think this is a fool with a lot of money."
Mu Nan stuffed two chocolates into Qin Huai's mouth: "You'll be so sweet!"
Qin Huai, overwhelmed by the sweetness, quickened his pace and returned home. Mu Nan took off his shoes and threw them on the ground, rubbing his stomach and shouting that he was hungry while going upstairs. Qin Huai, who followed behind him, put his shoes back into the shoe cabinet, then locked the door, checked the backyard door on the first floor, and after making sure that there was nothing wrong in the house, he followed him upstairs.
The two of them had been outside all night. Qin Huai had been driving for so long and was very tired, so Mu Nan didn't bother Qin Huai. After they took a shower, Mu Nan took out two bowls of noodles from the space. One bowl of seafood noodles was for Qin Huai, and he had a bowl of three-fresh vermicelli.
After eating a bowl of noodles, my empty stomach was finally filled.
"Whether in the past or now, it's hard to get full at any banquet. It's better to eat a bowl of noodles at home."
Qin Huai tilted his head to look at him: "Then shall we eat noodles all day tomorrow?"
Mu Nan turned over and faced Qin Huai: "Go to sleep, good night."
Qin Huai smiled, turned off the lights, went to bed, reached out and held the person in his arms, and then slowly fell asleep as the sun slowly rose.
There was a little commotion about the food price increase, but it was quickly diverted by the popularity of the potato launch. Perhaps many people are well aware of the current environment and have anticipated the price increase, so most people accepted it calmly. What else can they do if they don't accept it calmly? The government doesn't have any surplus food, and making a fuss won't change the reality.
In addition to the rising price of rice, when the Cai family went to collect relief food again, they were told that it was out of stock.
Before, those who came from Qinghe and the north could receive relief food every day, free of charge. After all, they had fled here with nothing, and the authorities couldn't just watch them starve to death. But for those who had friends in the local area who could take them in, there was no relief food. But they understood how difficult it was for them, so they could buy food rations per person once a week. This required a note from the person in charge at Dongjiao Square.
Although it is not free after this slip is issued, the price is somewhat cheaper, that is, one dollar and fifty cents cheaper per kilogram of rice, which is still money. But now we are informed that this kind of relief benefit is no longer available. If you want to buy food, you can buy it online directly using your ID number, just like the locals. The only difference is that you have to register and activate your ID card at the neighborhood committee first, otherwise you cannot use it.
The Cai family drove back dejectedly, because they thought they could buy something, and the road to Dongjiao was far, so they borrowed Qin Huai's car. In the end, they came back empty-handed. Mu Nan quickly put the unfinished lollipops into the space, and then leaned on the balcony on the third floor to look down: "Didn't you buy anything?"
Cai Wentao looked up and spread his hands helplessly: "There are no more welfare benefits. I will wait until the neighborhood committee opens an online mall. From now on, I will buy food once a week like you guys."
Cai Wentao couldn't help but sigh after he finished speaking: "Fortunately, my salary is paid daily, otherwise I really wouldn't have the money to buy it. By the way, I filled up your gas tank and drove your car out several times. Thank you."
Cai Wenwen stood at the door and couldn't help but said, "Brother, I'll find a job too. I'll just let mom and sister take care of the house."
Cai Wentao pushed her into the house: "Wait a minute, I won't stop you if there is a suitable job, but you can't just pick one randomly, come in first."
Although it was unfortunate news that they couldn't buy cheap food, fortunately, the mushrooms they grew successfully.
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