Chapter 46
Finally, Master Fan probably couldn't resist the pleas of others, or maybe he thought that the sun at 6 or 7 o'clock was not as fierce as at noon, and they were really close to the hospital, so they drove over quickly, found a shaded place under a building, and then came back at night, so it should be fine, so he helped. After sending the woman and her husband to the hospital, Master Fan left the group, probably because he was really angry.
Someone, out of curiosity or some other reason, wanted to add Master Fan privately to ask about the situation, but was rejected. That person even posted a screenshot of the rejection in the group, saying tartly, "People are so cold these days. They're afraid of taking advantage of him."
If it weren't for the fact that there were people from other buildings or even other communities in this group, and if he could occasionally get some information from their daily chats, Mu Nan would have wanted to quit the group. Seeing those people saying that people's hearts were not as good as they used to be, and the group owner coming out to defend them, Mu Nan couldn't help but roll his eyes: "This person is so hypocritical, he just said a few words, and people took the risk to send people to the hospital, but in the end all the good things went to the group owner, as if he was a great hero. That Master Fan worked hard but didn't get any good results, and these people in the group are all bootlickers, be careful not to end up with nothing!"
Qin Huai put several steamed buns into the bag, put the pot in place, and came out of the kitchen with a bag of hot buns, asking Mu Nan to put them into the space: "Let's not deal with them."
Fortunately, the RV was placed directly into the space before. Although the RV is not a luxurious and expensive car, it has become the target of public criticism if it is parked in this community. Just like what happened today, if they need oil, the first person they think of is the owner of the RV. After all, in their eyes, anyone who can afford an RV must be a rich person. Rich people must have a lot of things in their hands, and that would be a trouble.
After dark, those who went to the cooling point came back, and the community that was quiet all day was filled with noisy voices. Maybe they had a place to stay during the day. Although the fees were expensive, they could still feel the presence of the government, and in most cases, there was still the order of the previous society, which made many people feel more at ease. Moreover, people are social creatures. Before, they were locked in the house every day, and they would imagine something was wrong when nothing happened. Now many people gather together, even if they didn't know each other before, they can't help chatting when they are close to each other, and gradually they become familiar with each other. Seeing that everyone's life is similar to their own, they are more relaxed.
So a group of people chatted, cursed the government, cursed the world, those who could get along well began to mark out areas and gather together, while those who couldn't get along would automatically move away and find other places to sleep. Small groups also began to form in the cooling points. People of a certain age still cared about who they could get along well with and who they couldn't. People had a channel to express themselves, and even if their lives didn't change much and they still had the same material needs, their mental outlook was lifted.
Listening to the chatter coming from downstairs, Mu Nan said, "Brother, do you think it's like my parents' era now? After work, a group of people would walk out of the factory together, sleeping in a large dormitory and eating from a large pot."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "It is indeed quite similar. People can always find a new way to adapt to various adversities."
The scorching sun seemed to make people stay out at night and work and study basically came to a halt, as if it was the end of the world. But it was only at the beginning that the familiar lifestyle was disrupted, causing temporary chaos. Any change in lifestyle is a turmoil, but after the turmoil, calm will always return.
Their lives are now in this transition between turbulence and calm.
Because the land has cracked due to excessive exposure to the sun, food can no longer be grown in the countryside, let alone in the cities. There is no way to overcome this climate-related reason for the time being. It is better to go to the countryside than to stay in the city at this time because no matter what, where there is land, people can feel at ease. This has been an instinct engraved in the bones of the Chinese people for thousands of years. Moreover, the countryside is not like the city, where people buy as much as they eat. They may store a season's harvest in the granary, and every household has a lot of surplus food. Even if there is no vegetables, they will not starve to death as long as there is food.
But in addition to these two points, the population in rural areas is relatively sparse, and unlike the city, where communities are managed one by one, there is no condition to distribute supplies like in the city. If there is a power outage, it may not be repaired in a short time. Even more remote, it is difficult to send medical treatment in case of emergencies. After all, ambulances can't save people in the city now, so where are the resources to go to the countryside. So there are pros and cons in cities and rural areas, but no matter what, there are no people who have starved to death yet. Most of them died of heatstroke, or due to the shortage of medical care, some serious diseases were delayed and died because they could not get rescued in time, but there is really nothing that can be done about it.
After gradually adapting to the changes in the environment, both in cities and rural areas, after a month of transition and exploration, they have slowly found a new way of survival. The gradual stabilization of social order has also given the government a buffer time. It is said that the government is now building indoor fields. Although the cost of planting will increase a lot in the future, it will not cause a total harvest under such scorching sun.
Some factories have gradually resumed work with the support of the government, and schools have resumed classes. Some universities are now resuming online classes. The only difference from the epidemic period is that now online classes are held in the evening. No matter what, as long as there are conditions for learning, this generation of people should not waste their studies.
Although it is impossible for life to return to the way it was before overnight, the opening of cooling points, the gradual resumption of work in some factories, and the resumption of online classes in schools are all telling people that even if the climate can never return to what it was before, their lives will gradually get better. As long as the country is there, the family will be there.
Therefore, in addition to being unable to go out during the day, the food harvest failure has led to skyrocketing prices, and the continued high temperature has caused many people to be laid off due to the suspension of work and production. However, these things have gradually stabilized as the government distributes supplies and the living environment has changed a little bit. The news these days has been reporting that the country will begin to conduct a census of resident information and begin the gradual allocation work.
This is not the first time that their country has adopted the path of contracting and distribution. They are quite experienced. Special treatment is given in special periods. Although it feels a bit like returning to the pre-liberation era, and maybe we will have to eat from the same pot again, as long as we get through the difficulties, everything will be fine. Before that, in order to allow citizens to have a normal work environment, the country began to strike hard and vigorously rectify some illegal behaviors such as theft, robbery, inciting people to disrupt social order, and the first measure was to broadcast the death penalty live.
The worst people in their province were the Doomsday thugs, so they were the first to be targeted. Of course, there were also some inhumane and cruel comments on the Internet, but before the government said anything, it was already criticized by a group of netizens to the point of almost shutting down the Internet.
[Although I understand that severe punishments are used in troubled times, this kind of live broadcast is still a bit excessive. After all, who knows whether the people watching in front of the computer are adults or minors? Isn’t this kind of deterrence a bit too radical? ]
[It's funny, are modern people so fragile? In ancient times, people would watch the beheading at the Meridian Gate, and it was live broadcast. Can't you stand this live broadcast on the Internet? ]
[I think it’s okay. In the past, we were too humane and the criminal laws were too lenient. For this kind of home robbery, we should catch and kill anyone who dares to commit it again!]
【Those who support the use of severe punishments, do you want to think about why Qin II died? 】
[They say that special times call for special measures. There is no need to use heavy punishments to suppress them now. Those who say it is inhumane and inhumane, wait until we rob your house before you talk about humanity and humanity! ]
[Don’t show off after learning a little history. The death of Qin II was not just a severe punishment! ]
[I think there is nothing wrong with the execution by shooting, but live broadcasting is not a good idea. How can their families bear the fact that the execution is carried out in public? Moreover, the identity of the prisoner is made public, which makes it difficult for their families to live in the future. They may be retaliated against. The person has not done anything bad, but someone in the family has gone astray. If the whole family is implicated because of one person, wouldn’t this cause another tragedy?]
[Isn't it better to think about your family before you commit a crime? Think clearly about how your family will be treated after you are caught. With concerns in your heart, you will naturally not dare to commit crimes easily.]
[If people are not forced to that point, who would be willing to give up their comfortable lives and take risks? If they really want to take risks and commit crimes, who cares about family members? Not all family relationships are harmonious enough to form ties, okay? ]
The debate on the Internet about whether to use severe punishment continued until the day of the live broadcast. Mu Nan turned on the computer, but did not click on the live broadcast link. Instead, he looked at Qin Huai: "Do you want to watch it?" He had seen it in his previous life, but he didn't feel much. He even felt like watching a documentary. Anyway, as long as it was separated by the Internet and did not happen to him with his own eyes, it didn't seem to have much impact on him.
Qin Huai said: "If you want to watch it, watch it. If you don't want to watch it, don't watch it. Anyway, the scene will definitely not be too bloody." Even if the country uses severe punishments now, it is impossible for the screen to be filled with blood.
Mu Nan turned on the live broadcast and said to Qin Huai: "Watch it." He had seen it, but Qin Huai had not, so he decided to watch it since he had never seen it before.
Seeing Mu Nan leaning beside him and browsing his phone, Qin Huai thought he didn't dare to look, so he didn't force him. He turned down the volume of the computer and moved the screen towards him. However, it was more like watching the barrage of comments than watching a live broadcast. The barrage of comments was so numerous that one could have thought it was some kind of celebration. Everyone was either cursing viciously or celebrating with the sky, as if watching someone being executed was such a joyous thing.
However, after the first shot was executed, the barrage was quiet for a moment, and then all kinds of blessings were flooded on the screen. Qin Huai also felt nothing, even though these people were arrested because of his report. When the second one was also executed, Qin Huai withdrew and found a cheerful variety show.
Mu Nan turned his head to look at him: "Is the execution complete?"
Qin Huai said: "No, two were shot, but the rest of the process is similar. There is no need to watch the whole process. What are you watching?"
Mu Nan handed the phone to Qin Huai: "Look at the pictures they sent. They are from the farmland. They have been exposed to the sun like this."
The photo in the phone was a dry and cracked field without a single bit of green, and the comparison picture was a golden rice field during the previous harvest. The soft-text bloggers were using words to describe the dryness and desolation of this harvestless land, as well as the confusion and panic about the future. However, Mu Nan rarely read the text, at most he would browse the pictures to see the current situation outside.
In addition to these pictures, some variety shows recorded indoors are also being updated in real time. When updating, some outdoor scenes will be released at the same time. Of course, those outdoor scenes are taken by drones. Anyway, try to shoot early in the morning and late at night to avoid the hottest temperatures in the middle. Even if there are some losses due to the high temperature, fortunately, the losses are not many and a lot of video footage is still captured.
Whenever those programs release footage shot by drones, the scorching cities, the empty streets, and compare them with the former prosperity and bustle, it always makes people cry. Many people leave comments hoping that they can go back to the past.
But no matter from which perspective, we can't go back to the past. However, as far as the current situation in their country is concerned, they are living a very good life now. Although the country has banned the Internet, there are always some people who have channels to get some foreign news. The current foreign country has long been in chaos, with domestic affairs in chaos, disorder, and some places are even directly divided by power.
In some places where the border is close to them, many people who can already be called refugees try to rush into the border and come to their country to seek asylum, and several conflicts have occurred as a result. They can now lie peacefully at home, with supplies distributed by the state, and only have to worry about a little food and water and electricity every day. There are really many places they cannot see, and those people with five-pointed stars on their shoulders are using their flesh and blood to carry this stable sky for them.
Thinking of what he had seen online about foreign situations, Mu Nan asked with some curiosity, "I wonder what Tokyo TV is broadcasting right now."
Qin Huai, who doesn't watch comics or TV shows, asked in a soul-searching way, "What channel?"
Mu Nan explained to him, "It's TV Tokyo. This station is the most powerful TV station in their country. No matter what major news happens in their country or in the world, all TV stations will follow up immediately. Only TV Tokyo broadcasts anime without fail. Someone once said that if even TV Tokyo stops broadcasting anime one day, it will definitely be the end of the world. I'm curious whether this TV station in their country still broadcasts anime."
Mu Nan asked, "Do you know why Tokyo TV is so awesome?"
Qin Huai shook his head: "Why?"
Mu Nan smiled and said, "Because the fundamental reason can be summed up in one word: poverty. They don't have the money to produce any extra programs. Even the current affairs news only has enough money to put up a banner on the screen. This has led to their uniqueness and has become the most amazing legend."
Qin Huai suddenly asked, "Since you like watching anime and drawing so much, is Japan the country you most want to visit?"
Mu Nan didn't care: "It's not a big deal, but I did think about it before. I'll go and see it if I have the chance. After all, it's the hometown of animation. It won't be a pity if I can't go."
Qin Huai gently rubbed Mu Nan's hair, but said nothing else. They always thought that there was still a lot of time, so they wished they could experience all the bitterness of their lives in advance, and then save the rest of the time to slowly experience the sweetness. However, they never thought that maybe a person's life did not have as much time as they thought.
After checking the news, Mu Nan logged out and looked through the WeChat group again. When he saw the content, he said to Qin Huai, "That man didn't make it back to life. He was the one who vomited blood two days ago."
Qin Huai: "Did you tell me the reason?"
Mu Nan flipped back the WeChat messages and said, "It seems that the man had been in pain at home for two days, but he thought that he could just bear it and it would go away, so he didn't go to the hospital. But that day, the pain suddenly became so severe that he couldn't stand it anymore. It was too late when he was sent to the hospital. It seemed that his intestines were perforated, and he developed a lot of inflammation and infection. In the end, he couldn't be saved. Brother, do you think this is equivalent to dying from the pain?"
Qin Huai said, "That's right. If you feel uncomfortable somewhere, you must not hide it from me. A small problem will turn into a big problem if you keep it to yourself."
Mu Nan turned his head away. "They teach me a lesson whenever they get the chance. The people in the group are too much. They are complaining about Master Fan, saying that his family has an energy vehicle. If they had helped when the woman asked for help in the group this morning, maybe the man wouldn't have died. What kind of logic is this? Why didn't they say that they should have gone to the hospital directly when they felt uncomfortable two days ago? They couldn't even use the energy vehicle then."
Qin Huai: "Because of jealousy, now as long as the energy truck is careful, take a break after a trip to let the car body cool down, it can also run a few orders in the evening. Running one night can earn almost a week's rations. Those people are naturally jealous when they see this."
Mu Nan: "Jealousy can change a person beyond recognition. That Master Fan is so miserable. If he knew that he risked his life to send someone to the hospital, and was framed like this just because the person could not be rescued, how disheartened he would be."
Qin Huai put his hand on Mu Nan's phone: "Okay, stop looking at it. What do you want to eat later? If you want to eat stir-fry, then start cooking now."
Mu Nan thought for a moment and said, "I want to eat barbecue."
Barbecue is something that is usually eaten by two or three good friends at a restaurant together, but Mu Nan doesn't have such good friends. Although most of his classmates would accept the invitation if he asked them to, he always felt that he had to go through the trouble of socializing when eating with classmates with whom he had an average relationship. As a result, although he likes to eat barbecue, except for a few rare gatherings with classmates, he never eats it alone.
Seeing his eager eyes, how could Qin Huai refuse? "Then eat. Do you want freshly cut meat, or the ones packed at the barbecue restaurant?"
Before the weather got hot, Qin Huai found a slaughterhouse and bought freshly slaughtered pork, beef and mutton. If he wanted to eat freshly cut meat, he would just take the part of the meat he wanted to eat. He would directly slice it, put it on a plate and grill it. If it was from a barbecue restaurant, it would be even simpler, as it would already be marinated and packaged, so he could just take it out and grill it and eat it.
Mu Nan: "It's from a barbecue restaurant. The fresh meat can be kept for making other dishes. Will our barbecue smell too strong?"
Qin Huai said: "No, the smell of barbecue is not as strong as the smell of hot pot. I can't smell it."
Hearing what Qin Huai said, Mu Nan quickly laid out the barbecue, grill pan, and induction cooker. The small coffee table could only hold an induction cooker and a grill pan, so the barbecue was placed directly on the floor. He also put in the kimchi he made himself, the lettuce he had washed earlier, and the braised kelp that Qin Huai had made earlier into shreds. Before he even started eating, Mu Nan began to drool: "It's so complete. I really want to post it on WeChat Moments."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "Go ahead and send it. Just make it visible only to me."
Mu Nan took out her cell phone and turned on the beauty camera. She asked Qin Huai to pose for the barbecue and took many photos of him from different angles. She then chose the best one and posted it on her Moments visible only to Qin Huai: My brother is so handsome!
As soon as Mu Nan sent the message, Qin Huai received a WeChat reminder. He clicked on it and smiled. Seeing Mu Nan using his phone to fiddle with his photo printer, he asked, "Do you want to print this out?"
Mu Nan said without even looking up, "Of course. Cell phones and computers can break down sometimes. I printed them out and pasted them on the photo album. As long as they are stored in the space, they won't be lost. Isn't it more reliable than those electronic ones?"
Qin Huai poured him some dipping sauce, and seeing that he was ready to start printing, he urged him, "We'll have plenty of time to do it later. Come eat first. What do you want to eat? Pork belly or secret beef?"
Mu Nan put the things on the bed and quickly sat down at the small coffee table: "Roast the fat beef first, fat beef is easy to cook, and then roast the pork belly when eating the fat beef. The pork belly should be roasted a little bit, it tastes better when it is roasted a little bit."
Seasoning - dip, kimchi - put, lettuce - roll, the first bite of meat Mu Nan fed to Qin Huai's mouth: "You worked hard on grilling meat, this is a reward for you, ah!"
Qin Huai opened his mouth and ate it in one bite. Mu Nan asked hurriedly, "How is it? Is it delicious?"
Qin Huai said with a puffy mouth: "Are you asking about meat or kimchi?"
Mu Nan also packed one for himself: "Of course all of them. Hmm, it's delicious. I've tried many kinds of dipping sauce, and this one tastes the best. I bought several boxes, and I don't know if it's enough." A box contains twenty packs, and a pack weighs one kilogram. This kind of chili powder dipping sauce is not eaten every day, so he only bought seven boxes, which just happened to make up the highest discount in the store.
Qin Huai said, "If it's not enough, I'll make it for you. I bought a lot of dried peppers. I'll grind them into powder and stir-fry them for you. It's pretty simple."
Mu Nan picked up the long chopsticks and flipped the grilled chicken: "Question, if you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three necessities, what would you bring?"
Qin Huai smiled and said, "Take my Nan Nan with you."
Mu Nan: "Then ask me."
Qin Huai: "If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take three necessities with you, what would you bring?"
Mu Nan smiled and said, "Bring the omnipotent Qin Huai with you!"
Seeing that Mu Nan was enjoying his meal, Qin Huai didn't say anything to spoil his mood by asking him to eat less. He just said, "Remember to eat something to help digestion. I bought some Chinese medicine digestion pills made with hawthorn. They are sour and sweet and not bad."
Mu Nan naturally agreed. After eating too much meat, he really needed to digest the food.
Jian Chu, who was lying on the bed, was browsing his phone when he suddenly stopped what he was doing and raised his nose to try to smell something in the air. Yu Zibai, who was tidying up the house, looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Jian Chu said: "Do you smell the smell of barbecue?"
Yu Zibai sniffed twice and frowned in confusion: "No."
Jian Chu tried to smell it twice more, then sighed: "Maybe I'm hallucinating. If I smell it carefully, it's gone."
Yu Zibai smiled: "Do you want to eat meat? You haven't eaten the buns sent by the neighbors last time. Let's steam two." There was a power outage last time, but fortunately they froze a lot of ice cubes in the freezer and covered the entire freezer with a quilt. Although a lot of ice cubes melted after the power came back, at least the meat didn't go sour. It can be eaten now after being refrozen.
Jian Chu touched his slightly deflated stomach, struggling over whether to eat instant noodles for two more days and then eat buns to satisfy his craving when he got too sick of them to eat any more, or to eat them now.
Before he could hesitate, Yu Zibai made the decision for him: "Eat it, but don't eat steamed ones, they don't have that much water. Eat fried buns, fry them in oil."
Finally, Jian Chu picked up the fragrant fried buns with chopsticks and clinked them with Yu Zibai: "Thank you, our lovely neighbor."
Yu Zibai smiled: "Well, thanks to our lovely neighbors."
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