Chapter 57
Because Yu Zibai had already ordered food, Qin Huai gave them the lunch box he brought with him. He just put the staple food he brought into the plastic bag. They had not exchanged their meal tickets for the past two days, so they exchanged them all at once this time. The food was being consumed less and less every day, and they didn't know if they would still be able to get food later, so they exchanged all the meal tickets they had in hand, filling up their bulging bags.
Yu Zibai only changed one meal, because he thought it didn't look very good, and he changed it just to give Jian Chu a change of taste. The rest were all changed to staple food, just like Qin Huai. Now that we have solar panels, we can use air conditioning and freezers at home, so we don't have to eat all the staple food at once, we can freeze it and eat it slowly.
There were some people waiting outside the canteen. These people did not participate in the rescue, but found some things in the ruins, such as money, gold and jade. They tried to use these things to exchange for some food from the people coming out of the canteen.
Others exchanged food, such as unopened bottles of water, instant noodles, and even some small snacks like dried meat and biscuits. It is estimated that because their homes collapsed, even if these people could find these foods, they would have to eat them raw or without utensils to eat them warm, so they wanted to exchange what they found for some meals or steamed buns.
Qin Huai looked along the way and saw nothing worth exchanging for the big steamed bun. Yu Zibai hesitated and went up to ask the person who was exchanging water. The person said, "One bottle of water for two steamed buns."
Yu Zibai turned around and walked away. The man shouted at him, but Yu Zibai kept walking. It was not that there was no water at home, but the plague that Xu Ming had just mentioned made him feel a sense of crisis. He could eat less food, but he had to wash himself well. Even if he only ate one bite of food a day, he could at least stay alive for a while. If he got sick accidentally, it would be fatal. But even so, he never thought of being a scapegoat.
Qin Huai asked, "Is your family short of water?"
Yu Zibai shook his head: "Not really, I just wanted to stock up a little more. After all, there are still a lot of instant noodles at home, which can last for a while."
Qin Huai said, "Let's go to the shopping mall behind tonight and look around. If we find some cold-proof and warm items, we'll keep them. When the weather gets cold, we can take them and exchange them with the army for some supplies."
Yu Zibai wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "How can this weather get any colder?" The weather started to get hot in May when there was smog. Now it's February and almost March. It has been hot for nearly a year. If the temperature hadn't been so hot for so long and couldn't be lowered, they wouldn't have felt that there might never be winter again.
Because it was hot for too long, no one cared about the thick clothes and quilts. No one was too lazy to look at them when they were put out, because they thought it was too hot. Those found from the ruins were thrown away casually, and they were considered redundant. If it weren't for the brand new ones they found today, they would not want those quilts if they took them home and didn't take up much space.
Qin Huai said: "It is better to be prepared. Who knows if it will be hot this year and cold next year."
Yu Zibai frowned as he thought about this possibility. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. "If that were to happen, would the Earth still be able to survive? I don't know what caused the climate to change like this."
However, this kind of abnormal climate has happened before on this ancient planet. It has been frozen for millions of years and it has rained for millions of years. It is only a little warmer now, and people can still survive. If it really turns into a fireball, then people won't have to struggle. Thinking of this, I feel that the worst outcome would be that everyone would die together, and the burden on my heart is slightly relieved.
As soon as the two of them walked out of the stall outside the cafeteria, Qin Huai heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw that it was Shi Yuanfei, the officer who had said he would reward them. Qin Huai said to Yu Zibai, "You go first, I'll be there soon."
Yu Zibai nodded, turned around and left without asking any more questions.
Shi Yuanfei had been looking for Qin Huai. Although he saw him on the registration list, he had not found him. However, he was not worried that Qin Huai would get into trouble. If it had not been for the photo of Qin Huai on the day of the earthquake, their military would not have known how heavy the losses would be. It was because of Qin Huai's reminder that day that they gathered in an open space as soon as possible and did not get trapped in the collapsed house. However, earthquakes are not frequent in their country, especially in their province. At most, there are only some shaking aftershocks. Therefore, even if the air defense alarm was sounded that day, it was still too late. If they could have discovered it earlier, even half an hour earlier, they could have sent the alarm directly to people's mobile phones through the operator.
But no matter what, Qin Huai saved many of them. It was really thanks to him that the entire military department was able to maintain the rescue and normal operation of the masses. Looking at the person in front of him, Shi Yuanfei smiled with some relief and helplessness: "I haven't given you the reward last time, and I don't know how to thank you this time. Now the people above are busy with rescue, and there are many things to deal with later. It may be difficult for a while, but don't worry, we will remember your contribution, and we will definitely give you what you deserve."
Qin Huai said: "It's just a coincidence. You took it seriously, so we have what we have now. If you really want to thank someone, you should thank yourselves. Whether it was the last doomsday thugs or this earthquake, if you had not taken the information provided by us citizens seriously, there would not be such a result. As for the rice reward you mentioned last time."
Shi Yuanfei suddenly said with embarrassment: "Of course there will be, but it may take some time, given the current situation..." He had just said that he would give what should be given, but now he couldn't even give a little rice. This embarrassing behavior made him feel a little embarrassed.
Qin Huai smiled and said, "I mean, I will donate the reward from last time. The rice that should be given to me should be donated to those soldiers. This rescue is all thanks to them. Money is worthless now. It collapsed like this overnight. I can't give anything else except to barely maintain my own food and clothing. So I can only lend them some money to help them have a good meal. It's my little token of my appreciation."
Shi Yuanfei quickly refused: "No, this is what we should do."
Qin Huai shook his head: "Then this is what I should do. Well, my brother is still waiting for me, so it's decided. I'll trouble you to help deal with the rest."
Without giving Shi Yuanfei a chance to refuse again, Qin Huai left. They had no shortage of rice, but some of the soldiers were not even over 20 years old. Mu Nan said that this was a world-class earthquake, and perhaps their families were also buried in the rubble at this moment, but they could only stay here to rescue others. He could not take out the supplies that he and Mu Nan had prepared for the future, so he would just take those unexpected gains as a peace of mind.
Looking at Qin Huai's back, Shi Yuanfei slowly raised his hand and saluted him.
Climbing the stairs is an arduous process. Every time you lift your legs, you feel like you are carrying a huge weight. Mu Nan is not in good physical condition, so he can only pull the quilts tied with ropes along the way. However, those quilts are also a bit heavy. Even if they are made of light velvet, it is very difficult to pull so many quilts together.
Qin Huai and his companions were even more tired. The solar panels were not light to begin with, and there was a box of daily necessities on top. Qin Huai and Yu Zibai were carrying the load at the bottom, while Jian Chu was at the front. They had to take a break after climbing two or three floors. "Do we have to climb like this every day from now on?"
The one in front stopped, so Mu Nan who was following behind also stopped. He rubbed his sore waist and gasped so hard that he couldn't speak. Of course, he wouldn't climb like this every day. The two buildings didn't collapse, so they could accommodate hundreds of families. When more people moved back, the electricity would naturally have to be repaired. The elevator later relied on solar power generation, but the electricity for the residents was still generated by the national power grid. However, many equipments were broken, and power outages were a daily routine. It was not easy to get an hour of electricity a day. If life wasn't so difficult, he wouldn't have followed people to some private base.
However, there is still more than a month before power generation is started. During this period, the most serious problem is not climbing stairs, but the plague.
Yu Zibai glanced at the floor number and said, "It's the twelfth floor. Let's take a rest. It will be fine when we get back."
Jian Chu squatted on the ground, like a fish without oxygen: "I think I'm going to die."
Yu Zibai said with a smile: "Stop talking nonsense, drink some water and take a break, hold on, we will be home soon."
Qin Huai turned around to look at Mu Nan, and saw that he was sweating like he had just taken a shower, so he took the rope from his hand and said, "Give it to me, I'll drag you along, and you can crawl slowly by yourself."
Mu Nan waved his hand: "I can do it." Qin Huai is not Superman, so how can he do everything? Just treat it as training.
After finally climbing to the 17th floor, Mu Nan felt that his whole life had been sublimated, and he was about to reach heaven in bliss.
Jian Chu and Yu Zibai dragged their things directly into Mu Nan's house. The air conditioner was turned on here. If they didn't use the air conditioner to cool down after climbing up the stairs, they would really be too hot. In addition, the solar panels also needed to be installed. They planned to install these solar panels on the balcony. The balcony was unobstructed and had a good orientation. It could receive direct sunlight all day long. The heating surface was larger than that in the room, but the wires connecting the generator had to be longer.
Practice makes perfect. This time the installation was much faster than the last time. Qin Huai and Yu Zibai assembled it in the house, tested the length first, connected the wires, and then dragged it directly to the balcony next door. Their balcony was quite large, so Qin Huai moved four solar panels from the room to the balcony next door. After all, the light in the room was not as good as the open-air balcony.
As for whether such an installation would be discovered, they are not too worried at present. No one would go out during the day, and it is even more impossible to look up. There are no tall buildings around now, and there are only ruins everywhere. At night, it is even more difficult to see anything, it is pitch black. So unless someone hears the sound of their air conditioner running, they will not think that there is solar energy.
Mu Nan lay on the ground, looking at Jian Chu who had recovered and sat up: "When the sun comes out, you can sleep in the air-conditioned room."
Jian Chu: "Yes, I finally see the light."
After the heat in their bodies subsided, Jian Chu and Yu Zibai went home. Qin Huai and the others were also tired. If they were here, they couldn't relax and rest. Anyway, the air conditioner would be available soon, so it would be the same if they went back to use the air conditioner fan. As for the things that were dragged up, they were temporarily left with Qin Huai and the others. They really didn't have the energy to divide them after climbing the stairs. They just wanted to eat something and lie down to sleep.
As soon as they left, Mu Nan slowly got up, placed a swimming pool at the door for Qin Huai, leaned against the side of the pool, put one hand in the pool, and slowly filled Qin Huai with bath water.
Qin Huai wiped the sweat off Mu Nan's face with a wet towel. Although he had been cool in the air-conditioned room for a while, his body was still covered in sweat. It would feel more comfortable if he wiped it off.
Mu Nan tilted her head up to let Qin Huai wipe her face, and stretched out her hand to pinch Qin Huai's arm: "I'll rub it for you after you take a shower. It must be tiring to lift something so heavy."
Qin Huai said: "Not tired, I've almost gotten used to it."
Mu Nan: "Yu Zibai just said that a soldier is looking for you. Who is it? Is it the officer from last time?"
Qin Huai nodded, "It was Shi Yuanfei. There were some signs before the earthquake that day, so I sent him a WeChat message and he took it seriously. Although we didn't have enough time, the emergency mobilization saved many soldiers who were on leave that day. I think he deserves another credit. I said that the rice reward prepared for us last time should be donated to the soldiers. The rescue work was so hard, so it's our intention to let them have a full meal."
Mu Nan nodded: "This is also good. We have prepared enough food. It's too much for them. Why not let them have a full meal? They are fighting too hard. I see many people have lost their fingernails, and they are still saving people with blood all over their bodies."
Qin Huai smiled and said, "You sit here for a while. I'll go take a shower first."
After filling the swimming pool with water, Mu Nan moved to the bedside little by little, took out a can of iced cola from the space, and took a big gulp. He felt so refreshed that he didn't want to move. Compared with yesterday, he felt that he had improved today, at least he didn't rely on glucose to recover. After washing away the heat and sweat, he sat on the ground with a cool smell of floral water, and then started a daily must-do, flipping through the menu to see what to eat today.
Qin Huai poured some disinfectant into the bucket, diluted it with a little water, and mopped the entire living room. As for the things dragged back from outside, they were temporarily placed in the aisle inside the iron gate. It was better not to bring those things brought back from the ruins into the house before disinfection.
After finishing all this, Mu Nan handed him the menu: "Do you want to eat meat today?"
Qin Huai said, "Have some chicken soup. Pick out two dishes at random and add cordyceps to the chicken soup. Drink a bowl every morning and evening these few days."
Mu Nan said: "You saw Xu Ming today, did he say something? Are there already patients with the plague?" Otherwise, he wouldn't suddenly ask him to drink chicken soup every day, and it was chicken soup with Cordyceps to nourish his body.
Qin Huai shook his head: "It seems that there is not yet, but Xu Ming said that once it breaks out, it will be another major epidemic."
This is true, the high temperature corpses, lack of medical care and medicine, the outbreak was quite serious in the previous life. Mu Nan originally followed others to search for supplies outside, but more and more people got sick, some with high fever, some with diarrhea and dehydration, there were many symptoms, some even fell to the ground and convulsed while searching, and died in a short while. He was scared at the time, and later he didn't look for things downstairs, hid back at home, sealed the doors and windows tightly, didn't dare to go downstairs, and didn't know the situation outside because of the cut off communication. He relied on the water and food in the space to survive until the military came to knock on the door of each house for inspection, and disinfected the entire building layer by layer.
Gradually, the power supply of their building was restored. Then he followed others to the private base. In the base, he heard that many people had died of the plague at that time. There were indelible marks of fire on the ground in some places. Those were the marks left by the piles of corpses that were burned later.
But that was almost half a month after the earthquake. Now it has only been a few days, so it shouldn't be that fast. But just in case, Mu Nan still said, "Otherwise, we shouldn't go downstairs for the next two days. It's better to be careful."
Qin Huai hummed, "Let's go to the shopping mall behind tonight. It was sealed off before, so even if it collapses, there's no one underneath. It's safer than the residential area."
Although they didn't have to dig through the ruins, the main purpose of going out so hard was to get information from the outside world. They had enough supplies to hide at home and avoid many dangers, but the problem was that they lived in a group environment, and staying at home was not a long-term solution. Just like now, if they had never gone out, they would not have met Shi Yuanfei and Captain Yuan. The people in these two units, to some extent, were equivalent to their connections. If they had stayed indoors early, they would not have met the two neighbors, no one would help them, and there would be no friend who knew medicine to get more information from the medical team.
Staying at home is only a temporary comfort, but this disaster is not a temporary disaster. But Qin Huai will not take risks knowing the danger, so after going out for two more days, he should stay indoors.
After eating and drinking, Mu Nan started to toss his pile of massagers again. When he rolled them manually, Mu Nan tightened his arms and held them in front of Qin Huai: "Look, there are muscles."
Qin Huai was lying on the bed flipping through Mu Nan's old sketchbooks. Following Mu Nan's words, he glanced at his arm, then glanced at his own arm without saying a word.
Mu Nan sighed softly: "I felt like you were looking down on me just now."
Qin Huai chuckled: "You can remove the word 'feeling'."
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai with an accusing look on his face: "You have changed. You were not like this before. Shouldn't you encourage me now?"
Qin Huai raised his hand and touched Mu Nan's head: "Nan Nan is awesome."
Mu Nan snorted, turned over, opened his laptop and looked for the variety shows he had downloaded before: "I feel your perfunctory attitude."
Seeing that he was still preparing to watch the variety show, Qin Huai put down the sketchbook: "You look so energetic today? Aren't you tired?"
Mu Nan couldn't help but yawn, hugged the pillow and adjusted a comfortable posture: "I'm not tired, I just need to relax. I'll watch some variety shows and then go to sleep."
It turned out that the person who said he wanted to relax mentally started snoring after hugging the pillow for less than five minutes.
Qin Huai closed the sketchbook and placed it next to the pillow, then turned off the computer over to Mu Nan. The room instantly became quiet, and only the sound of each other's breathing could be heard. Qin Huai lay on the bed and looked at Mu Nan for a long time, until Mu Nan moved, turned over, and rolled directly into his arms. Qin Huai smiled, raised his hand to turn off the light, and fell asleep with the person in his arms.
She woke up in Qin Huai's arms as usual. Seeing that she was still holding Qin Huai's arm, Mu Nan smiled at Qin Huai ingratiatingly: "Hey, let me give you a massage." Her voice was still hoarse and nasal from just waking up, like a feather tickling her heart. Qin Huai couldn't control his blood rushing down, so he had to sit up and hold down his hand that was lighting the fire: "It's still early, you should sleep a little longer."
Seeing Qin Huai went to the bathroom, Mu Nan stretched out hard on the bed, heard his bones cracking, sighed comfortably, took out his cell phone from under the pillow and saw that it was only five o'clock in the afternoon.
They had agreed with their neighbors to meet in the corridor at 8pm, which was still three hours away. It was still early, but after waking up, they couldn't fall asleep again, so they simply got up and started their daily soul-searching: what to eat today?
Mu Nan sat on the bed and waited for Qin Huai but he still didn't come out. When he was about to look through the medicine box for constipation medicine, Qin Huai came out with steam all over his body: "Did you take a shower?" Early in the morning? Oh no, taking a shower right after getting up, this was not in line with Qin Huai's water-saving style.
Qin Huai glanced at him and said, "You made me sleep hot."
Mu Nan slowly got up from the bed: "Okay, it's my fault. If you feel too hot, push me away. Otherwise, I'll put a few pillows in the middle when I sleep today so that I can't roll over."
He is very aware of his sleeping position. He has liked to sleep while hugging something since he was a child, and this has not changed, whether he was with Qin Huai or not. He just hugged Qin Huai when he was a child, and hugged a pillow when he grew up. Although this habit is a bit unmanly, a habit formed since childhood cannot be changed easily, not to mention that the instinct after falling asleep cannot be changed just because you want to.
Qin Huai said casually: "Once you get used to it, you can sleep here even if you put down a pillow. There's no need to bother with that."
Mu Nan couldn't refute this, because that was indeed something he could do, so he had to smile ingratiatingly and ran to the bathroom to wash up. While he was washing up, Qin Huai took the disinfectant spray bottle and sprayed all the things outside, but the compression bag of the quilt was dirty, so he had to throw away the outer layer of the bag. Fortunately, there was still a layer of compression film inside. The box of daily chemicals was pitch black at the time and no one knew what it was. It looked like it was for body wipes. Now when it was dragged in, it was all some facial creams and the like, a brand in English. Qin Huai didn't know much about these things, but the packaging looked quite high-end.
After Mu Nan finished washing up and came out, he saw the things Qin Huai had sorted out and said, "You can keep these and use them to wipe your hands and feet in the winter, otherwise they will easily become dry and cracked due to freezing."
People who have never experienced cracked hands and feet don’t know how it feels. Even walking on the ground is excruciatingly painful. However, he bought some anti-crack medicines early on. Although he doesn’t know if they are useful, now he has these high-end creams that used to cost at least a thousand yuan, so he can just keep them and use them as body lotion.
Qin Huai divided the things in half and stuffed the other half along with the quilt into a box, waiting for the neighbors to come over and drag it back.
Because they were going to the mall tonight and would not come into contact with dead bodies, Mu Nan planned to eat some meat today. However, before he took the food out of the space, he heard noises coming from the corridor. The noises sounded like someone coming back from outside. Qin Huai looked out through the cat's eye of the iron gate and could not help but frowning slightly.
Mu Nan: "What happened? Did someone start to pry open the doors and steal things?"
Qin Huai shook his head: "It's someone from the Zhang family."
Mu Nan exclaimed: "Are they all back?"
Qin Huai said: "There are only a couple with their son."
What Mu Nan thought was: "If we all go out, will our home be unsafe?"
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