Although there is a refrigerator in the dormitory, the couple rarely refrigerates vegetables in it.
After all, I have several pots of that plant at home, so I can just pick whatever I want to eat without having to put it in the refrigerator for others to see.
The vegetables in the bedroom, though a bit wilted, are still thriving.
Bi Qiaoan picked some green vegetables, cucumbers, green peppers, and tomatoes, then went back to the kitchen to get a watering can and watered the vegetables.
She had already defrosted the meat she took out of the refrigerator in the microwave, and now she was just waiting to wash the vegetables and cook them.
Zhang Heping felt a little embarrassed watching Bi Qiaoan busy herself and wanted to help, but she dismissed him with the excuse that guests shouldn't lift a finger.
In truth, Bi Qiaoan really didn't want him in the kitchen. Although the plan was to cook with the ingredients readily available, she might remember something midway and need to retrieve it from her spatial storage. It was fine if he wasn't there, but it wasn't very convenient if he was.
Zhang Heping felt helpless, but when he saw that Bi Qiaoan was washing vegetables with warm water and wearing rubber gloves, he didn't say anything more.
He just hoped that Lao Shen would come out quickly while he was in the living room, otherwise he would feel bad when his wife started cooking.
And that was indeed the case. After exchanging a few jokes with Zhang Heping, Shen Yanming quickly returned to the kitchen to take over his wife's duties.
Bi Qiaoan didn't stand on ceremony and went straight out of the kitchen. After glancing at the completely transformed master bedroom, she carried the two little ones back to the room and put them in their cribs.
Then he chatted casually with Zhang Heping, his mouth watering at the aroma wafting from the kitchen.
Although she was smiling on the surface, only heaven knows how much she was suffering inside.
She can't eat spicy food or cold food; she can only eat light food, and even then, there are still many restrictions.
Zhang Heping was initially speaking with great enthusiasm, but gradually, he sensed that Bi Qiaoan was no longer in the zone.
He smelled the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen and suddenly realized that Qiao An was hungry!
But he couldn't exactly say, "Qiao An, why don't you eat something first?" After all, this was someone else's home; didn't she know better than him what was in there? Since she hadn't touched anything, he'd just pretend he didn't know.
Hehe, it really was a misunderstanding, not too big, not too small.
Just then, there was a knock on the living room door.
Just as Bi Qiaoan was about to get up and open the door, Zhang Heping stopped her, saying, "You rest, I'll open it for you."
Since it wasn't far, Bi Qiaoan nodded in agreement.
When the door opened, the women carrying things outside were stunned to see that they didn't recognize the man.
It wasn't until someone realized that these were Lao Shen's friends that they greeted them with smiles.
Zhang Heping smiled and stepped aside to let the person in.
When Bi Qiaoan saw that they were actually her neighbors from these buildings, she quickly stood up to greet them and told them to make themselves at home.
Visitors either sat on the sofa or on small stools. Those who couldn't fit either stood against the wall or by the table, or simply sat on the floor without any regard for decorum.
Anyway, it's hot, so I'm not afraid of catching a cold.
This action greatly surprised Bi Qiaoan.
Even if your home is small, you can't let people sit on the floor; it doesn't feel like proper hospitality.
She got up and went back to her bedroom. From the closet—actually, from a corner of a room in the teleportation villa—she took two yoga mats outside and placed them on the floor so that everyone could sit on them without worrying about the cold floor.
The neighbors were surprised by the girl's thoughtfulness; they praised her a couple of times before sitting down. Because of the two cushions, everyone who came to the house actually sat down.
Bi Qiaoan briefly introduced Zhang Heping's identity to everyone to avoid any awkwardness.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Yanming came out of the kitchen to greet everyone, carrying a fruit plate and a plate of melon seeds, and told them to help themselves.
The fruit platter contained only the most ordinary watermelon, but these days it's considered a precious commodity.
However, the older women in the guard team occasionally get to enjoy a treat in the planting area, so they weren't too surprised to see the bright red fruit.
What surprised them was the plate of sunflower seeds. After all, these seeds could be pressed for oil, and the guards had almost never given them away.
It was only after Bi Qiaoan explained that it was given to them by a friend in Nanshi that they stopped being curious.
After chatting for a while and the distance between them eased up a bit, someone handed the things in their hands to Bi Qiaoan.
She said, "Qiao An, I'm Xu Xiaoqing from Unit 1, 402, Building 2. You can call me Sister Qing. This is two jin of millet I brought from home. It's not much, but you can make do with it to nourish your body."
After Xu Xiaoqing finished speaking, several older women handed her bags, which contained brown sugar, red dates, and even dried mushrooms, dried lily bulbs, white fungus, and kelp.
Bi Qiaoan was flattered and didn't know whether she should accept the offer.
Although the portions weren't large, they were all good quality items. And the women were only vaguely familiar faces; some of them I hadn't even greeted before.
Seeing her hesitation, Xu Xiaoqing, as her representative, explained: "Don't worry, just accept it. This is our custom here."
During special periods, supplies are scarce, and getting sick and hospitalized or becoming pregnant and giving birth are major events that are difficult to overcome on one's own.
So we do it this way: whoever needs it, each family contributes a little, so the other person doesn't feel any pressure and can focus on taking care of their health.
Don't feel pressured; just consider it our congratulatory gift. It's only natural to reciprocate; if anyone in the family is in trouble, please help them out within your means. How does that sound?
Bi Qiaoan nodded, thinking it was a good idea and a way to help each other in the apocalypse. After all, one person's ability is limited, but a group of people working together is not to be underestimated.
For example, right now, bags are piled up one after another, taking up most of the coffee table.
To better reciprocate the gifts, Bi Qiaoan asked Zhang Heping to help register the information of the visitors and make a gift list.
The older women didn't mind; they all knew the young couple hadn't been there long, so it was normal that they didn't recognize everyone.
After registering, they asked to see the two little ones. Although Bi Qiaoan felt there were too many people, she felt bad refusing since they had come with such good intentions.
So I reminded them, "The child is asleep, can we be a little quieter in a bit?"
The older women nodded, indicating that they understood.
Bi Qiaoan got up, opened the bedroom door, and went in first. She glanced at the little ones, saw that they were sleeping soundly, and then beckoned the older woman who was standing by the door to come in.
They didn't crowd around; two or three of them would come in, take a look, and then leave, and then other people would come in.
Everyone tried to walk quietly, and each glance lasted only a few seconds. No one spoke, and no one touched anything, which actually made Bi Qiaoan feel quite good about them.
After all, children are too young and have limited immunity. If they are touched by too many people, they may get infected with bacteria and their health may be affected.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com