Chapter 28
Collecting so many things at once must have exhausted his spirit. When Qin Huai woke up, Mu Nan was not even awake yet. Although he was asleep, his face was obviously a little rosier than in the morning, no longer pale and bloodless. He slept until the sun went down, and his stomach growled with hunger before he woke up.
When Mu Nan looked at the time, he was shocked by his ability to sleep: "I slept for a whole day."
Qin Huai rubbed his messy hair: "Sleeping is the body's instinctive behavior to restore function. How about it, are you still sleepy?"
Mu Nan shook his head: "How can I be sleepy after sleeping for so long? I just slept too long and my body feels exhausted."
Qin Huai smiled and stretched out his hand to pull him up from the bed: "Go wash up. If you are tired, then let's go out for a walk. The sun is setting. Take a walk around and see what you want to eat. After eating, find a barber shop to get a haircut."
Mu Nan walked towards the bathroom while glancing at Qin Huai's hair: "I gave you a pretty good haircut before. You do have some hairdressing skills."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "My craftsmanship is not good enough. The haircut you gave me looks like it was bitten by a dog. I need to go back to the factory to have it fixed."
Without the sun, City B is no longer scorching hot, but sultry. The air you breathe into your lungs is hot. After a while, you feel like you are covered with a layer of airtight mucous membrane, which makes you feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, there is a shopping mall near the hotel, where you can shop, eat and drink, and there is also a barber shop. The most important thing is that the mall has sufficient air conditioning, so you don’t have to suffer from the heat outside.
Because they had slept all day, the food they had in the morning had been digested long ago and they were really hungry, so they first found a restaurant to have a meal, and then went to the barber shop to get a haircut. Although it was a high-end barber shop, neither of them wanted any styling, they just asked the barber to cut their hair shorter. At this time, they wouldn't look handsome for more than two days with a styling, and who would they be doing it for?
Looking at their faces, the stylist felt a little regretful. If they had done a hairstyle, their looks would have been 100 points better. But good-looking people look good even with short hair, which is typical of being good-looking and willful. When I finished cutting my hair, it was already dark outside. I was planning to go back to the hotel, but I accidentally found an outdoor goods store. There were knives for sale in the store, but these knives were Tang knives, which were handicrafts, and they were all unopened. After all, it is impossible for controlled knives to be sold in shopping malls. But even if they are unopened, such Tang knives are quite rare.
Mu Nan picked out several knives, as well as some other extreme items that he already had in his space, but it wouldn't hurt to prepare more. When paying the bill, the clerk reminded him that these knives could not be carried on airplanes or high-speed trains and could only be sent through specific mailing channels. If necessary, they could mail them on his behalf.
But since Mu Nan rejected it, there was no need to bother.
Having happily spent some money, Mu Nan was ready to leave the mall carrying a gift box containing several knives. "When we get back, we can see where to go tomorrow. We'll play all day tomorrow and go home the day after tomorrow. I always feel unsafe staying outside for too long."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a loud bang, and Qin Huai subconsciously pulled Mu Nan into his arms.
They had just reached the entrance of the mall. With that loud noise, the lights in the entire mall went out. The screams of passers-by and the crowds of people hurriedly running out of the mall made the originally wide road suddenly become crowded.
Qin Huai took the gift box from Mu Nan's hand with one hand, grabbed Mu Nan's wrist with the other hand and walked out quickly, fearing that they would be swept away by the crowd running out of the mall in a panic.
When they successfully ran outside the mall, they saw that something had exploded on the fourth or fifth floor of the mall. Thick smoke was constantly billowing out and the ground was covered with debris from the explosion. One or two pedestrians were unlucky as they had just walked under the mall and were hit by glass fragments from the explosion. Fortunately, they were only injured and their lives were not in danger.
During the day, due to the heat, fewer people came out. At night, there were obviously more people on the street. When they heard the noise, they gathered around to watch the excitement. Soon, the sound of fire trucks came from a distance. The mall security guards were also maintaining order at the door. The cause of the explosion was still unknown, and whether there would be a second explosion was unknown, so people could not be allowed to gather here. In case of any accident, the mall would be responsible.
Mu Nan had seen too many sudden explosions like this in his previous life. He was just a little surprised. The current temperature was not that outrageously high. At least the high temperature in City B was only hovering between 35 and 38 degrees. Even in the past, although it was a bit hot, it was still within the normal range and would not cause an explosion. Or maybe this was just an accident.
But whether it was a high-temperature explosion or an accident, Mu Nan had no interest in watching the excitement. Qin Huai was not a person who liked to join in the fun, and if the hidden dangers were not eliminated and caused greater danger, it would be too late to leave. When the crowd gathered here, Qin Huai pulled Mu Nan out tightly until they walked out of the mall, and the number of people around them gradually decreased.
In less than ten minutes, Mu Nan was already covered in sweat, and Qin Huai's back was also wet with sweat. Seeing this, Mu Nan hurriedly took a small fan to fan Qin Huai.
Qin Huai stopped him from fanning himself, and seeing that he looked normal and was not frightened by the sudden explosion, he said, "Let's go back to the hotel first, and you take a shower when you get back." He was sweating all over, and needed to cool down quickly.
Mu Nan said: "Let's go back tomorrow. Do you have anything else to deal with here?"
Qin Huai said: "There is nothing to deal with."
Seeing that he really had no intention of returning to the rental house, Mu Nan confirmed again: "Do you really not need to go over and pack your things? It doesn't take up much space anyway."
Qin Huai shook his head: "It's not necessary. It's just a few pieces of clothing. The rent hasn't been paid for a few months. It's too troublesome to cancel the lease temporarily. Let's not waste this time."
Qin Huai did not buy a house here. He rented a small apartment directly after returning from abroad. He originally thought that he would go back to find Mu Nan after he graduated, and then when he took Mu Nan to settle down here, he would buy a house and decorate it according to Mu Nan's preferences. However, before he could take any action, it became like this.
There weren't many things in his rental house, just a few clothes, and his ID cards were all taken with him when he went back to find Mu Nan. The house was empty, and there weren't even a few pieces of furniture. The bed only had a mattress on the floor. Starting a business was not that easy. He had to work every minute of every day. The rental house was just a place to sleep every day, so he never paid attention to the living aspect. Anyway, he could do whatever he wanted. So when he brought Mu Nan to city B, he chose to stay in a hotel. He didn't want Mu Nan to see his empty house that didn't look like a home at all, and he was afraid that he would feel uncomfortable.
Seeing that Qin Huai really didn't have anything to pack, Mu Nan said, "Well, if there's nothing, we'll leave early. We still have to find a car. It feels so dangerous outside. I don't want to go out and play."
Qin Huai said, "Are you really not going? If you don't go this time, I'm afraid you won't have the chance again in the future."
Mu Nan shook his head: "No, I just want to stay at home." Going out to play would only give him more memories to look back on in the future, but the problem is, if something happens on the way just because he plays for one more day, then he won't even have a future, so what's the point of memories?
Seeing that Mu Nan was eager to go home, Qin Huai naturally would not force him, but just said: "Then I will book the tickets first. If there is enough time, we can hire a car and take a quick look at some of the attractions along the way. Since we are here, even if we just sit in the car and take a look, it will be more rewarding than going back directly."
Mu Nan thought this was feasible, as it didn't delay their return home.
Facts have proved that when people have no mentality to travel, even if they go to some scenic spots with good reputation, they will just take a quick look, especially when the car door is opened and the heat wave hits them, they will have no mood to play at all. However, every time they arrived at a place, Mu Nan would take Qin Huai with him and ask the driver to help take some photos for them. It happened that he bought a photo printer, so he would print out the photos after returning. Although they played casually and hurriedly, at least they had been there.
After having a quick bite to eat at the restaurant at the station at noon, it was almost time to get on the bus. But this time they were not going home directly. They would get off the bus halfway and look for Qinhuai's car that had not been able to return halfway.
Mu Nan thought that the car had been parked for so long that it might be covered with tickets. After all, it had been more than a week since the lockdown was lifted. However, when he found Qin Huai's car, there was no ticket on it. "So, you let it go for the sake of the epidemic?"
Qin Huai checked the car from front to back. Except for the lack of oil, there was no problem. It had been parked here for a few months, so the body of the car was just a little dirty, but not damaged. "I guess so. Traffic has just been restored, and I'm afraid we can't take care of so many things for a while. In a few days, we may have to rectify the parking problem on the roadside."
Mu Nan looked around and said, "Then I'll get in the car and get a barrel of oil from the space?"
Qin Huai nodded and opened the car door for him. Mu Nan pretended to take out a small bucket of gasoline that he had prepared long ago from the back seat of the car. Qin Huai poured some gasoline into the tank, but not too much. As long as he could start the car and drive a short distance, he could find a gas station. He could still spend money to refuel at this time, so there was no need to consume the inventory.
Although the car has been parked for several months, it can still start normally. Mu Nan wiped the front window a little. After being parked for several months, the dust accumulated and nothing can be seen clearly: "This car still needs to be washed."
Qin Huai drove the car out of the roadside parking space, and Mu Nan quickly got on the passenger seat: "I'll do the navigation."
Qin Huai said: "First find the nearest gas station, then find a car wash."
Mu Nan quickly used the navigation system to give directions: "Drive forward, there is a gas station ten minutes away, but I don't know if the gas station is open."
Fortunately, the gas station was open, and Qin Huai filled up the tank directly. Mu Nan leaned against the window and watched eagerly. After the car started again, he asked, "Should we find a place where no one is around and pump out the oil in the tank?"
Gas stations don't sell bulk oil, so if they want to save some oil, the simplest and most direct way is to fill up the tank, withdraw the oil, and then go to another gas station to continue refueling.
Qin Huai said with a smile: "You're wasting time buying oil, and you may not be able to save much."
Mu Nan asked, "Besides this, how else can we get the oil?"
Qin Huai said: "Buy it from private individuals. Some people always have channels that others don't have. Besides, the oil in the hands of some private individuals is more durable than that in gas stations. Just buy it from them. The price will just be a little higher."
Although Mu Nan has a driver's license, he doesn't have a car, so he has never paid attention to the issue of vehicle gasoline. The only way he can think of is to pump oil. After all, he can't find a private purchase channel at once. After hearing what Qin Huai said, Mu Nan said: "Have you found where to buy oil?"
Qin Huai nodded: "I've made the contact. I'll rent a small truck when I get back and go get the oil in two days."
Mu Nan couldn't help but give him a thumbs up: "Great!"
It would take them seven or eight hours to drive back from where they got the car, or ten hours at the slowest. They set out at three in the afternoon, spent the night in a hotel, and returned home in the early hours of the next morning. They bought a lot of food at supermarkets and shopping malls, ate at restaurants with good food, and packed a lot of dishes. Anyway, once the food was put in the car and started, who knew how it was consumed.
After taking out a lot of things from a supermarket and putting them on the back seat, Mu Nan pushed Qin Huai to the passenger seat: "I'll drive. Next is the highway. It's already nine o'clock. I guess there won't be any large supermarkets open later. Let's just go straight home."
Mu Nan got on the driver's seat without saying anything, so Qin Huai had no choice but to give up the driver's seat: "It's not easy to drive at night, and you have to be more careful on the highway."
Mu Nan smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have no problem driving." He had perfected his driving skills in the three months since his rebirth.
The car started and drove smoothly onto the highway. It was too late, and although there were almost no cars on the highway, Mu Nan still paid close attention to the road conditions. It was a long time before he noticed that Qin Huai had been looking at him: "What's wrong?"
Qin Huai smiled and turned his head to look forward: "You drive very well, you have really grown up."
Mu Nan didn't hear the loneliness hidden in his smile. When he heard Qin Huai praising him, he felt a little proud: "I have grown up."
They entered the city smoothly and returned home safely. However, because Mu Nan did not have a car, he did not apply for a parking space in the community and could not enter the underground parking lot. Fortunately, after the epidemic, many tenants here returned to their hometowns as soon as possible, and there were many vacant spaces on the ground in the community, so Mu Nan simply parked the car under their building.
As soon as he got off the car, Mu Nan couldn't help stretching, his whole body crackling. Qin Huai drove all day and he sat all day, so he was very tired. At night, he drove and was highly focused on the road, so he was also tired. He felt like all the bones in his body were not his own.
Coincidentally, they ran into their neighbors when they were leaving. When they came back, their next-door neighbor just came back from outside. However, only Yu Zibai was there. When he saw them getting out of the car, he smiled and greeted them, "What a coincidence, you're back so late."
Mu Nan was busy stretching, so Qin Huai said, "Yeah, you just got back too?"
Yu Zibai raised the things in his hand and said, "My roommate is almost off work, so I came down to buy some midnight snacks and wait for him."
Mu Nan smelled the aroma of barbecue in the air. He didn't feel hungry at first, but when the aroma tempted him, he felt like eating some. However, he was so tired that he just wanted to go back and lie down.
With just one look from him, Qin Huai knew what he was thinking: "Want to eat?"
Mu Nan nodded, and Qin Huai smiled: "Then you go upstairs first, I'll go buy some."
Mu Nan quickly pulled Qin Huai with him. He was tired, but Qin Huai would be even more tired than him: "Just order takeout, let's go home, it's so hot."
When the three of them were waiting for the elevator downstairs, a tall and handsome guy came in. Mu Nan couldn't help but take another look at him. Why didn't he notice before that there were so many handsome guys here?
Yu Zibai seemed to know this person. When he saw the person coming in, he smiled and said hello: "Doctor Xu, you're off work so late?"
Although the man called Doctor Xu looked a little tired, he still smiled back: "Well, I had an emergency operation, so I'm a little late today."
These words made Mu Nan couldn't help but sigh in his heart, being a doctor, it's really not easy.
The group got on the elevator. Mu Nan saw that Yu Zibai only pressed the 17th floor, and the doctor did not move, so he subconsciously turned his head to look at him. Just as he was about to ask him which floor he was on, Yu Zibai looked at him and smiled, "He lives on the same floor as us, number seven."
Hearing Yu Zibai's words, Doctor Xu also looked at Mu Nan and smiled, "It's rare that you didn't wear headphones today. We've met so many times, but today is the first time I greet you formally. Hello, my name is Xu Ming."
He has lived here for almost four years. When he first met this neighbor, he was still wearing a high school uniform. He doesn't see him often, but a few times a month. Sometimes when he bumps into him, he walks past him like a complete stranger without even a glance. He still thinks, this kid is pretty cold.
Mu Nan was a little embarrassed when he heard this and said, "Hello, my name is Mu Nan, and this is my brother, Qin Huai."
Qin Huai placed his hand on Mu Nan's head and said with a smile: "I'm sorry, my brother is a little shy, so he's not very good at communicating with people."
Doctor Xu was not a fussy person, and this was not something that needed to be fussy about, so he smiled and said, "Children nowadays are almost all like this. Once they put on headphones, no one likes them."
It took only a few words to reach the floor. They said goodbye to each other and went to their own homes. Once inside, Qin Huai closed the doors and windows again, turned on the air conditioner, and then asked, "Don't like to talk to people?"
He now knows that everything Jiang Xuan told him about Mu Nan before was false. So Mu Nan, who has grown up alone now, might not be as lively and cheerful, enthusiastic and active, with many friends as he thought.
In front of him, Mu Nan had not changed much except that he was a little more mature and sensible than before. But people always have many sides, one side when they get along with their family, one side when they get along with their friends, one side when they get along with school, one side when they get along with the workplace. He couldn't just speculate on Mu Nan's life alone all these years based on how she looked in front of him. Just look at the present, he even treats the neighbors next door as if he has never seen them before. It can be seen that his Mu Nan is not lively and enthusiastic at all.
Mu Nan thought Qin Huai was lecturing him and thought it was impolite for him not to greet his neighbor, so he made a weak defense: "No one greeted me, and I would definitely respond if someone greeted me. I can't just talk to someone I see in the elevator. Besides, it takes a lot of brainpower to make comics. I'm going to lose my hair thinking about the plot every day. Sometimes I get some inspiration when I'm walking or listening to music, so I naturally neglect the people and things around me."
Qin Huai was thinking about the sweet-mouthed Mu Nan when he was a child, the Mu Nan who would call everyone uncle or aunt when he met them, but now, the Mu Nan that no one in the neighbors recognizes.
Seeing Mu Nan carefully studying his expression, Qin Huai pinched his face with amusement: "I don't blame you. If you were a sociable person and would happily approach everyone to chat, then I would have a headache."
Mu Nan rubbed his pinched face and said, "Then why do you look like you're going to accuse me? It's so scary."
Qin Huai didn't continue the topic with him. He took out some clothes from the closet and pushed him into the bathroom: "Barbecue or something else?"
Mu Nan said, "Let's grill it. Order more. You can put the leftovers in the space."
After hearing Qin Huai's response, Mu Nan went into the bathroom, closed the door, looked at himself in the mirror, and couldn't help but sigh softly.
After a good night's rest, Mu Nan would have wanted to stay in bed if there were not many things to do. Although the temperature has not started to rise sharply, it is still very hot. He bought a lot of heat-insulating things, some of which are attached to the window glass, some are installed outside the window glass to block the sunlight, and some are placed inside the house to block the light and heat. He tries to block the sunlight from coming in with three layers inside and three layers outside. In this way, even if there is a power outage and the air conditioner cannot be used, the generator can still generate electricity. The generator cannot drive such a powerful air conditioner, but it can still drive an air-conditioning fan.
It blocks part of the high temperature and uses the air-conditioning fan to cool down. Even if it is not as cool as the air-conditioning, at least it will not be so hot that people can't stand it. With this temperature blocking, the temperature in the house can at least be reduced to more than 30 degrees. If it is too hot and the air-conditioning fan can't lower it, Mu Nan also prepared an inflatable swimming pool this time, and even put the water in the space. If he can't stand the heat at that time, he and Qin Huai will soak in the water to cool down, striving to achieve the goal of not dying from the heat without going out!
Looking at Mu Nan who was ready to do something big, Qin Huai said helplessly: "Let's put up the film first, and then install the thermal insulation curtains inside the house. Don't install the thermal insulation baffles outside the glass for now, as that would be too conspicuous. If someone installs a sunshade outside in the future, we will install it. Before others install it, we can't make such a big fuss."
Mu Nan thought so too. Such strict protection in advance might attract the attention of someone with ulterior motives. "Well, let's apply film to a few windows today. You should also apply film to the windows over there. Your windows are all old and too fragile. I'm afraid they will explode due to high temperature. We should block as much heat as possible."
Qin Huai said, "You can paste it slowly at home. I have locked all the windows. When you stand on the platform to paste it, please be careful not to open the window. Do you understand?"
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai: "I'll post it by myself, what are you going to do?"
Qin Huai: "Go check out the ice storage."
"Icehouse?"
Qin Huai said: "I checked. It's the season now, so ice is in great demand and the price is high, about three to five hundred per ton. I think we can rent an ice storage and buy some ice. If the heat is unbearable and there is no way to generate electricity, we can put a few large ice blocks at home to cool down."
Mu Nan blinked. He had also thought about ice cubes, but he didn't think about buying them. He thought about waiting until winter and using the low temperature outside to make ice cubes and store them so that they could use them next summer. After all, every penny saved counts. If Qin Huai hadn't brought it up, he wouldn't have realized that they were rich now and didn't have to be so stingy.
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