Hot water bottles and hand warmers
Silence spread across the shed, the only sound being the slow rise of steam. With a few gurgling sounds, the water began to boil. The drafty, cold room suddenly felt warm, and the people inside couldn't help but shiver.
Arthur worked tirelessly, taking out large amounts of food and placing the hot water bottle next to the stove.
The stiff hands and feet of several people finally softened. Ignoring the heavy heart of uncertainty about the future, they looked at Arthur in surprise as he kept taking out various things like Doraemon.
My brother got out of bed and picked up a loaf of bread, identical to the one he'd just eaten. He looked closely at the screen and saw that it was made with high-quality refined wheat flour. No wonder it worked so well!
But...how could wheat flour be made into such an unsightly bread? In Margaret, refined wheat flour was only available to the nobility, and the resulting snacks were barely filling.
With a belly full of doubts, I picked up a hot water bottle again——
At this moment, Arthur had filled the hot water bottle with hot water. There was a layer of rattan on the outside of the iron, so it didn't feel hot when held in the hand, but warmth continued to flow from the palm of the hand.
You now possess the "Exquisite Iron Hot Water Bottle": Keeps water warm by 4-7% (depending on water temperature), lasting 3-6 hours.
Tips: If there is no hot water in the hot water bottle, it will not work.
The young man had never heard of a "hot water bottle" until he saw the message on the screen and realized that this round, flat thing was actually an iron tool used for heating!
He looked at it over and over again in surprise, and it was really iron!
In Margaret's domain, ironware was produced in a factory owned by the Queen. Although the young man didn't work there, he knew the factory only produced standard tools: axes, pickaxes...
Other things are said to be unsalable and simply not produced. Let alone mass-producing daily necessities! It's simply a fantasy!
Although a hot water bottle can keep people warm, the nobles don’t do any manual labor and wear thick clothes, so why would they need a hot water bottle?
Could it be...
Did Margaret change her ways, becoming more compassionate towards the people? She even commissioned a factory to manufacture these hot water bottles?
As soon as this idea came up, it was immediately rejected by the young man.
Because he suddenly found a strange oval symbol in the bottom corner of the screen, with a strange belt in the shape. If he came from a country that eats rice, he would know that this symbol means "rice cooker".
There are three small words "Hungry, hungry, hungry" under the symbol.
I was surprised to pick up other things and found that they all had this special mark.
"We're moving!" Arthur's voice resounded in the house like thunder, causing the others to look up in shock.
"But... all our belongings are here. Although winter is coming and life is a little harder, if we move now, where will we live without this shack? Without this stove, what will we eat?"
One of them said sadly.
"Yes, although Margaret is not good, it was once the number one territory after all. As for the other territories...how can we know whether they are good or bad?"
The others also said so.
They also want to move, but moving is not a decision that can be made easily on impulse.
Having experienced too many deaths in the past few days, I have come to realize that natural disasters are too ruthless. And in the face of such ruthless natural disasters, humans themselves are even more ruthless.
Even when workers were clearly ill and couldn't bear toil, the factory refused to give them a day off. Many died at their workstations, and their families were ordered to carry their bodies.
It is clear that if you wear more clothes, you won't die. However, the nobles hold a lot of resources, but they open their eyes and say that this is not a cold disease, and are unwilling to give a little bit of resources to the common people.
It was obvious that they worked on this land, but it was their compatriots who died, not those arrogant so-called nobles. They were just born with different names!
Who wouldn't want to leave? But... who knows if other territories will be more...
Before Arthur could say anything, the young man interrupted them: "I just have one question. In the Hungry Hungry Territory, can everyone use these things?" He was referring to the hot water bottle and bread in his hand.
Without having time to wonder how the young man knew it meant "hungry, hungry, hungry", Arthur nodded firmly.
A look of relief flashed in the young man's eyes: "Then move!"
These items are all necessities that benefit the lives of the general public, which is enough to show that the Hungry Hungry Territory itself cares about the people.
The young man had heard rumors that "the Hungry Hungry Territory has stronger control over civilians than Margaret", but in the face of natural disasters, staying alive is the most important thing.
No matter how it is controlled, as long as Hungry Hungry is willing to take out these precious supplies and make them available to the public, it will be a good territory.
Unlike Arthur, the young man was not adopted; he was the true eldest son. Although he did not inherit his father's business and lived among the common people like Arthur, he was truly like a father to his younger brothers and sisters and was deeply trusted.
When he said to move, no one disagreed.
"Arthur, what do you say?"
Arthur took out a hot water bottle and said, "Not just us, but everyone needs to move. Each of you takes a hot water bottle to keep warm, and go out and distribute food to everyone. This food will be distributed to everyone according to the daily amount, and then once a day after that."
"We can't move immediately. If we go hungry now, there won't be enough resources to supply us."
"Lord Ye said we can move after the sixth day of the disaster, but we should try to avoid the seventh day when the temperature drops significantly. However, the food I brought can only last until the sixth day at most. After the seventh day, the eighth day will be even more difficult. So we will move on the sixth day!"
The young man nodded solemnly.
In the western territory of Hunghung, an army is conducting intensive training.
Although the hungry hungry hungry have steam-type "high-tech weapons", the crawlers are by no means ordinary enemies. It is necessary to seize the time to train and boost morale.
"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four!"
In unison, the entire territory was operating in a tight circle.
But not far away, in the hospital, on a plain wooden bed, a middle-aged woman was oblivious to the military drills unfolding outside her window. Her eyes were tightly closed, their pupils trembling in a coma.
She is one of the few people in the territory who is not busy.
"Mom, please wake up. It's all my fault... It's all my fault..." A woman beside the bed covered her eyes, tears constantly flowing out from between her fingers.
Zhang Li held the hand warmer and sighed.
She patted the girl on the back, walked out of the room, and found Medical Team No. 1 busy among the crowd.
There was also an acquaintance named Xu Lu in the crowd.
Many of the new residents among the patients were helped by her. Seeing Zhang Li, she came over and asked: "Is Aunt Li still not awake?"
Zhang Li shook her head: "I gave him medicine, and he seems to be responding a little, but I don't know why he's not waking up."
Xu Lu also sighed: "It's all my fault. I knew she was sick, but thinking about so many people waiting for clothes, I didn't say a few more words to persuade her." Now Aunt Li's life or death is uncertain, which is really worrying.
"It's not your fault. It's not your fault." Zhang Li followed Xu Lu's words and looked at the new residents not far away.
They were indeed wearing thin clothes as Xu Lu said.
Many people wore one or two sweaters, and even more wore a variety of clothes. But none of them had thick coats, down jackets, or cotton-padded jackets, so no matter how many or how varied their clothes were, they were still too thin.
They all looked sickly and listless.
"You can't help me. We can still knit sweaters, but how can we make down jackets and cotton coats?" Zhang Li said bluntly, "Try this?"
Xu Lu looked up in surprise and saw Zhang Li put the hand warmer into her arms.
The hand warmer is filled with charcoal, which is difficult to use and requires constant refilling in the kitchen. Furthermore, the task board only lists the price of the hand warmer, not the cost of refilling charcoal.
Formal residents don’t need it, and new residents are afraid it’s too expensive, so few people use it.
Zhang Li was pregnant, so she was very careful about everything, and that's why she carried a hand warmer with her.
You now have the "Exquisite Iron Hand Warmer": Keeps heat at 15-20%, lasting 3-6 hours.
Tips: If there is no burning charcoal in the hand warmer, it will not work.
"Such a good thermal insulation effect!" Xu Lu exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's almost as good as a cotton coat." Down jackets keep 25% of the heat, and cotton coats keep 20% of the heat. Isn't that almost as good as a coat?
As Zhang Li spoke, she glanced vaguely at the people behind Xu Lu.
"Yeah!" Xu Lu looked over and suddenly realized: "Then the hand warmer can be used as a coat, right?"
These people don't have coats, so wouldn't a hand warmer be a good option? It's just a "makeshift coat" and not as effective as this, but it's better than being cold!
"But, refilling charcoal is expensive..." someone whispered, overhearing the conversation. Charcoal was high-tech, at least not in their previous territory.
Zhang Li smiled and said, "How much charcoal can be put into a hand warmer? The fireplace fee in the residential building is only three points a day. Refilling this hand warmer with charcoal only costs one point."
"So cheap!" everyone exclaimed.
Doesn't that mean...
Someone immediately turned on the screen and began sending messages to relatives and friends. The hand warmer, whose light had been drowned out by the hot water bottle, finally emitted a dazzling light.
Although hot water bottles are cheaper, their heat preservation effect is not as good as that of hand warmers!
"Fortunately..." Xu Lu breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried about Aunt Li's illness and the delay in getting her clothes to many people. Now she was finally relieved.
"It's just a sudden idea, a temporary plan. I don't know if it will work. After all, I don't have any clothes..." Zhang Li stays in the house every day and rarely goes out. She only knew that she was in urgent need of thick clothes, but she didn't expect that she needed them so much.
"I believe in the Lord," Xu Lu said calmly. "Even if the Lord can't get the clothes right away, we can still do it if we unite in the face of disaster. I've been helping, and I thought there was nothing I could do, but then I encountered your inspiration, Sister Zhang."
"You'd save a lot of people if you could."
Zhang Li was stunned. Seeing so many sick people, her heart felt heavy as if a stone had fallen. But now she suddenly felt a little relieved.
"There are many more people who have had brilliant ideas," she said with a smile, not taking any credit for herself. "Like you said, we need to unite and pool our wisdom. I'll just take this as a good start."
While the hand warmers were becoming a hit in the territory, Ye Miaomiao was not idle either, waiting for everyone to brainstorm.
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