Chapter 54
Mu Nan helped Qin Huai take a bath, and he was busy preparing water, because his body was too dirty, he needed to use soap to rub it clean bit by bit. And he had been moving rocks outside for a whole day, so his hands must be so tired that he couldn't even lift them. When they were young, Qin Huai always helped him take a bath, so it was nothing for him to help Qin Huai take a bath now. Moreover, he knew that the shock of the first rescue must have been great. Looking at Qin Huai's expression at this moment, he knew that it would be difficult for him to recover all of a sudden, so he had nothing to be embarrassed about.
When Mu Nan was rubbing Qin Huai's arms, Qin Huai suddenly said, "I was going to go down to rescue people. I have systematically learned about rescue matters in a training camp abroad. At that time, I found a survivor down there. He was still alive and could make sounds for help, but someone was needed to go down with a rope."
Mu Nan didn't say anything, but the movements of scrubbing him became a little gentler: "And then?"
Qin Huai said: "Then others went down and rescued two children. The cave entrance collapsed, and the children's parents and grandfather, as well as the person who went down to rescue them, were all gone. They were crushed to death by the rocks."
Qin Huai said, turning his head to look at Mu Nan: "The first thought in my mind at that time was, thank goodness. At that time, I was thinking, if I went down at that time, what would you do."
Mu Nan lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "No big deal. We agreed to die together. Now that you're gone, what's the point of me living alone? I'll go to the army and give them everything in the space. Then when I get home, I'll jump out of our window."
Qin Huai stroked Mu Nan's face with his soapy hands: "Silly boy."
After washing his hair and taking a shower, Qin Huai came out in a pair of shorts. Mu Nan used iodine to clean the scratches and small wounds on his body, and then said, "Eat something before going to sleep. Would you like porridge or a bowl of mung bean soup? Or how about a bowl of mung bean soup, a steamed bun, and some pickles?"
Qin Huai nodded, and Mu Nan quickly took out the food from the space. He probably had no appetite at this time, so he might as well eat something cooler. While eating, Mu Nan heard a beeping sound, and the air conditioner actually started running, which was much earlier than he expected. "Great, I finally have electricity. It seems that the sun is really strong now. If I get a few more solar panels, maybe I can drive two air conditioners."
He still had solar panels in his space, but they were for replacement. They also had a certain lifespan. Who knew if they could be produced in the future? Even if they were produced, could ordinary civilians like them afford them? So they had to plan for the future, so Mu Nan was not so generous in taking them out. However, he told Jian Chu that if he could find a few more solar panels in the future and put them on the wall outside, one generator should be able to power two homes. If he had more, it would probably be overloaded.
Jian Chu did know where they could buy solar panels here. He used to run errands and deliver goods, and walk the streets, so he was pretty familiar with the area. But the problem was that it was so hot later, and solar panels were sold at a high price. The store might have cleared out its stock long ago or taken them back for their own use. It was not certain that they could find solar panels even if they found a store. But no matter what, they planned to give it a try, but they had to wait until they got used to the current situation first. Besides, the place was a bit far away, and it was obviously not reliable to walk there. It would be much easier if they could find a few bicycles.
After eating, they felt sleepy. Because the electricity was on, the air conditioner at home started running and the temperature dropped quickly. So the two of them slept directly on the bed covered with a cool mat. Qin Huai didn't want to move as soon as he lay down. Mu Nan was quite energetic. He took out a box of ointment from the space and applied it all over Qin Huai's hands, feet, shoulders, back and other sore places.
After he finished pasting, Qin Huai reached out to pull him: "Okay, you haven't slept all night, come here and sleep together for a while."
Mu Nan said, "You go to sleep first. I'll tidy up the house. If they come over, it will be too late."
Mu Nan tidied up the house a little and saw that the empty package that Qin Huai had carried down before was bulging, so he opened it and took a look. There was water inside, some large packages were damaged, but the small packages of instant noodles were still intact, and there were even a few unopened bottles of oil.
Qin Huai lay on the bed and watched Mu Nan rummaging through the bag. He smiled and said, "Everyone was taking things. When digging through the rubble to rescue people, if they found something that was still usable, they would just put it in their bags. It would be bad if I didn't want to take them all, so I took some too."
These things can be put outside, so Mu Nan just put them on the ground instead of putting them in the space. After making sure that there was nothing that shouldn't be outside, he climbed onto the bed. Qin Huai stretched out his hand and hugged him in his arms: "Go to sleep, don't toss and turn."
Mu Nan moved slightly: "Although the air conditioner is on, isn't it hot to hold like this?"
Qin Huai closed his eyes: "It's hot, but I feel more at ease holding me."
Mu Nan thought that he had suffered too much of a shock on the first day of rescue, so he didn't struggle. Just hold him. When the temperature drops completely, he shouldn't be hot anymore.
In the past, he always fell asleep earlier than Qin Huai, but this time he was really tired. Before he fell asleep, Qin Huai started snoring softly. Mu Nan turned over carefully, but as soon as he moved, Qin Huai hugged him tighter, but he was still snoring and obviously had not woken up.
Mu Nan found it amusing, and waited for a while until Qin Huai fell into a deep sleep, then he took the pillow beside him and stuffed it into Qin Huai's arms. Seeing that Qin Huai was sleeping soundly, he got up. Although he had applied a plaster, the swelling in his arm was not so easy to subside. Mu Nan yawned and gently massaged Qin Huai, at least to relax the muscles in his hands and legs. When Qin Huai woke up, he should not be so sore.
Qin Huai slept very soundly, and didn't wake up until about 7 or 8 in the afternoon. When he woke up, Mu Nan was still sleeping, lying on his back with a small blanket covering his stomach. Qin Huai lay there for a while, stretched out his hand and pinched his arm. Although he was sleeping very soundly at that time, he was still conscious in the haze. He felt someone was massaging him. After relaxing, he didn't struggle to wake up, and simply let himself fall asleep. The soreness and swelling on his body was obviously much better at this moment, and it was definitely not just the effect of the plaster. Looking at the person sleeping relaxedly beside him, Qin Huai couldn't help but leaned forward and gently kissed his slightly red lips. It was as soft as he imagined.
If he hadn't heard the sound of gentle knocks on the door, Qin Huai would have continued to stare at the sleeping Mu Nan. He really could not have stared enough. Unfortunately, it was getting dark, and they should get ready to go downstairs. He pulled the small blanket and covered Mu Nan a little more tightly, and tore off all the plasters on his body. Then Qin Huai got up and opened the door.
Waiting at the door were Jian Chu and Yu Zibai, who had just taken a shower and felt refreshed. Before Jian Chu could speak, Qin Huai whispered, "Nan Nan is still sleeping."
Jian Chu quickly made a gesture to whisper, Qin Huai stepped aside to let them in. Yu Zibai was carrying a bag, which was also full of things, all of which were dug out from the ruins. Jian Chu said, "You probably haven't eaten yet? What are you going to eat later? Yu Zibai found a bag of flour and a few bags of kimchi yesterday. Do you want to eat kimchi cakes? I don't know how long this stuff can be kept, why not just make it and eat it first."
Mu Nan woke up when there was a noise at the door. He struggled to get up when he heard the voices. Seeing Jian Chu and Yu Zibai coming over, he searched for his phone everywhere: "What time is it?"
Qin Huai: "It's half past seven."
Mu Nan opened his phone and checked the time: "So fast."
Qin Huai walked up to him and rubbed his head twice: "Go brush your teeth and wash your face first, do you want some kimchi pancakes?"
Mu Nan stretched out his hand and pinched Qin Huai's body: "Making cakes is troublesome, don't your arms feel sore? Otherwise, just eat a few steamed buns."
Jian Chu tilted his head and said, "I'll do it, don't let them do it." Yu Zibai was so tired that he couldn't even lift his hands, and Qin Huai was probably not in much better condition. There was no need for them to do the cooking. Even if he couldn't cook big dishes, he had no problem cooking simple home meals like this.
After hearing that Qin Huai was not asked to do it, Mu Nan said, "Eat."
Jian Chu was amused by his realistic attitude. He felt that as long as it didn't make his brother suffer, it would be fine.
Jian Chu came over to eat with Qin Huai and the others because he thought that Qin Huai must be in the same situation as Yu Zibai at this moment, unable to even lift his arms. If he relied on Mu Nan, he would probably only have instant noodles. Another reason was that their batteries were out of power. No matter what they wanted to eat, they couldn't cook anything without gas or electricity. Moreover, the flour and pickles were dug by Yu Zibai and Qin Huai together. At this time, they could just eat together and there was no need to worry about so much.
Mu Nan took out the induction cooker and pot, found a container for mixing flour, took out a disposable bowl and chopsticks, and asked Jian Chu, "Do you want seasoning?"
Jian Chu said: "We brought the seasoning. Do you have any chili peppers at home?"
Mu Nan opened the cabinet and took out a bag of unopened chili powder: "Yes."
Jian Chu: "These things will do."
While they were preparing to cook, Qin Huai connected the power strip next door to the power strip. One power strip should be enough to load a freezer and an air conditioner.
As soon as the thread was straightened, the smell of making pancakes came from the room. Jian Chu put all the kimchi in when mixing the flour, and then spread them into pancakes one by one in the pot after adding the seasoning. It was a pity that there were no eggs. If he could beat an egg, it would taste even better. Seeing them coming in from the newly installed door, Jian Chu said, "I sprinkled a little bit of chili in the pancakes to enhance the flavor. If you think it's not enough, you can add more by yourself. It's a pity that there is no sauce and pickled cabbage. Let's have some lettuce and luncheon meat and roll it up. That's the correct way to eat kimchi pancakes."
Mu Nan took out a few bottles of water from the refrigerator. He wanted to leave the beer for Qin Huai, so he didn't take it out to entertain people. Jian Chu took a sip of ice water, feeling the coolness of the air conditioner, and sighed comfortably: "I have never felt that having an air conditioner and a sip of ice water is such a happy thing."
Mu Nan said: "If we can find a few more solar panels, your house can also have air conditioning."
As Jian Chu ate the kimchi pancake, he became more eager to go to the solar energy store.
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai and Yu Zibai: "Are you still not going to take us down today?"
Upon hearing this, Jian Chu also looked towards them, but he was thinking of something else: "If no one is at home, will someone break in?" Apart from anything else, a generator is a huge treasure.
Qin Huai nodded: "Of course. Although the solar generator is silent and no sound can be heard outside the house once the door is closed, our iron door outside is closed so tightly that people might think there is something valuable in the house and want to break in to take a look."
Mu Nan said, "It's impossible for us to stay at home all the time. Otherwise, you and Yu Zibai can stay at home and rest for a day, and Jian Chu and I will go down."
Jian Chu immediately agreed, "That's fine. You were exhausted yesterday, so take a day off today. Mu Nan and I will go down, and we'll take turns, so that everyone has some time to relax."
Qin Huai was the first to object: "No."
Mu Nan turned and looked at Qin Huai: "I am twenty-two this year, not twelve."
Jian Chu said, "Can we find a bicycle now? If so, why don't we go to that solar energy store and see if there's anything we can pick up along the way on our way back."
Qin Huai said: "Why not go to the cooling point? There is solar energy installed on the cooling point. I just don't know if we can find something to use after the collapse."
A word awakened the dreamer, Jian Chu said: "Why didn't I think of it! OK, let's go to the cold place to have a look, four of us go together!" In order to avoid endless arguments about who should stay and who should leave, he could see that Qin Huai would either let Mu Nan stay at home or keep him by his side. It was absolutely impossible for him to let Mu Nan be alone outside.
As for home, the first few days should be fine, but we need to be prepared for what will happen later. After another day or two, it is estimated that it will no longer be a rescue operation, because it is difficult to have survivors in such a collapsed building. In such extreme weather and so much time has been wasted, and by then we will probably be in contact with rotten corpses, which is too dangerous. After all, we will have some wounds on our bodies during the rescue, and if we come into contact with rotten corpses again, there will be no medical conditions to treat the infection at this time.
At that time, it would probably be about clearing the area, rebuilding, and removing the bodies. He didn't plan to let Yu Zibai do the clearing, so before that, it would be best to prepare as many things as possible, including more food and drinks. It would be best if they could close the door and get through the most difficult period.
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai. Seeing his expression that looked like he had something else to say, Qin Huai couldn't help but smile and compromised, "Then let's go together, but you have to promise me that you won't be stubborn."
Mu Nan was satisfied: "Then should we bring a trailer?" If we find solar panels, we can't carry them back from outside one by one.
Yu Zibai said, "Take it. I saw someone rummaging with a trailer yesterday."
After they finished eating the kimchi pancakes, they sat at home for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, they prepared to leave. Before leaving, Qin Huai said, "Take two lunch boxes with you."
Mu Nan carried her bag into the kitchen. When she came out, she stuffed two lunch boxes into her bag. After she finished packing them, she asked, "What are you bringing this for?"
Qin Huai said, "I distributed meal coupons for the cafeteria yesterday. Before I come back today, I can go see what's in the cafeteria over there. If it's food, I can order it back to eat." I don't know when the coupon will expire, and I'm afraid that there will be less and less food in the future, so it's better to eat one day at a time.
Everything was ready, and they went out. Everything was fine at home, but when they went downstairs, Mu Nan found that his legs were trembling a little. He was afraid of being discovered by Qin Huai, so he held his breath and walked with his legs straight.
But Qin Huai was such a person that he could see that Mu Nan was a little bit strange. He poked him on the forehead with amusement and said, "If you're shaking, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't climb stairs every day. It's normal for you to feel uncomfortable after climbing so hard all of a sudden."
Mu Nan immediately bared his teeth and rubbed his legs: "Aren't I afraid that you will drive me back?"
Qin Huai: "If I chase you away, will you just go back?"
Mu Nan snorted: "How is that possible?"
However, going downstairs is easier than going upstairs. The whole process was not delayed except that it was a little hot. But when I was coming down, I ran into people who were going upstairs twice. I guess I was worried that the building would collapse yesterday, so I didn’t dare to go home. Today I see that the situation is not bad, and it doesn’t look like it will collapse. I just don’t know if they came back to clean up their things or just live here.
It wasn't until they left the building that Mu Nan gasped: "It's so hot."
Qin Huai opened the kettle: "Drink two sips."
The water in the kettle was put by Mu Nan, who had added ice cubes on purpose. Due to its good heat preservation effect, the ice cubes haven't melted yet. The cool feeling did relieve the heat a little, but the air at this moment was not only stuffy after the high temperature and exposure, but also had a hint of corruption tainted with dust. However, Mu Nan knew that this was just the beginning. In two days, no matter where he went, he would be able to smell the stench of corpses.
The small trailer can be folded, and it doesn't weigh much when folded. Because there is almost no flat ground, the whole road is made of piles of rocks, and it is a bit unstable to walk on it, let alone tow the car, so Yu Zibai directly carried the small trailer in his hand. Qin Huai was only watching Mu Nan, afraid that he would fall if he didn't step firmly. If he fell, the steel bars and mud would be poked out, and breaking would be considered light. If he poked anywhere, it would be a bloody hole.
Jian Chu asked as he walked: "Have many people been rescued in the past two days?"
Yu Zibai said, "Not many. There are too few rescuers and the earthquake covered a large area. Someone said yesterday that they suspected that this earthquake might have affected the entire city. That's why we haven't received any rescue and the signal has been disconnected. If the situation is really that serious, the preliminary estimate is that the population loss in this earthquake might reach one-third of our city."
Jian Chu frowned slightly: "It shouldn't be one third. The floating population in our city plus the local residents are at least tens of millions." What is the concept of one third? Even if it is only ten million, one third is more than three million. More than three million people died in an earthquake. This is an unprecedented major disaster. If it is so serious, then the whole country should come to rescue.
Yu Zibai said: "So now in addition to rescue, the important thing is to find supplies and store more. I always feel that the situation is going to change."
After Yu Zibai finished speaking, he naturally reached out his hand to Jian Chu: "I'll help you walk."
Jian Chu slapped his hand away: "I can walk well on my own. Don't let one of you fall and take everyone with you."
Just as Mu Nan was about to look back, Qin Huai held her hand and said, "Don't look around. Pay attention to your feet."
Mu Nan said "oh" and walked out of the community. Because he reached the main road, the road was a little easier to walk on. But because the street lights had not been set up yet, he still had to be careful with his feet, for fear that the road would crack and he would fall into it accidentally without knowing how deep it was. Fortunately, he finally arrived at the cooling point smoothly, but the cooling point was similar to other communities, but because the floors were not as high as other communities, only four or five floors, so the collapse was not too serious, and even half of the roof of the cooling point was still intact.
It’s just that the roof was covered with solar panels before, but now there is not a single one left. Jian Chu’s heart sank instantly.
Yu Zibai frowned and said, "Solar panels are also considered important supplies. I guess they were collected by the military as soon as possible."
Jian Chu couldn't hide his disappointment: "What should I do? Is it a wasted trip?"
Mu Nan said, "Since you are here, then help rescue people. The cooling point is on a low floor. If there are still people alive, the rescue difficulty will be lower than in the community. However, there are obviously not many resident rescue teams here. Most of them are soldiers."
Qin Huai said: "It's normal. After all, there are more residents in the community, and there are not many people who can escape from the cooling point. Those who can't escape are all inside. The residents there won't specially come here to help with the rescue. They are too busy there."
Jian Chu sighed: "Now that we are here, let's go. Should we find a place to register first? Otherwise, we will be busy and won't even get a meal."
As they talked, they walked towards the ruins and successfully found the registration place. Qin Huai asked one more question: "How many people are there down there who know?"
The soldier's voice was hoarse as if he hadn't rested for too long, and he couldn't even pronounce some words when he spoke. But he still answered their questions seriously, "Some people left the cooling point after dark, but the extremely poor people who were rescued have been living there. There are more than 300 extremely poor single elderly people in this area. Some of those on the lower floors have escaped, and those on the higher floors are buried. According to preliminary estimates, there are at least 1,000 people still inside."
Qin Huai said: "Thank you, where should we start to help with the rescue?"
The soldier pointed in a direction: "The rescue team is in the southern area today. A gap was opened there yesterday."
Qin Huai thanked him again, and Mu Nan dug into his bag, took out two throat lozenges and handed them to the soldier: "Here you go."
The soldier shook his head quickly: "I don't want it, you keep it for yourselves." They knew better than the ordinary people how scarce the current supplies were. For example, after the earthquake, it was unknown when sugar could be produced again, so he couldn't take it.
Mu Nan directly grabbed the soldier's hand, stuffed the throat lozenge into his hand, stuffed a bottle of water into his hand, and then hurriedly ran towards Qin Huai, not giving the soldier a chance to refuse.
Just when he grabbed his hands, he felt that the other person's hands were cracked, there were many scars on the palms, and there was even dried blood in the gaps between the nails. The other person's eyes were full of red bloodshot. It was likely that after the earthquake, these soldiers had not been able to have a good rest in order to carry out rescue operations, and all he could give them were two throat lozenges and a bottle of water.
He was not the kind of person who would feel soft-hearted and want to help anyone he saw as pitiful, but he really couldn't be cold-hearted towards those who were fighting for them with their flesh and blood.
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