With six days left until the end of the world, the tension is palpable. Every minute carries the hope of survival, and the family is even more frantically engaged in stockpiling.
Su Yao and her father started organizing the newly collected supplies early in the morning. Su Yao carefully categorized the manual water pump, screws, nuts, and other hardware tools she bought from the hardware market, grouping similar items into small bags and labeling them with their model numbers. She then placed these bags into a large storage box and carried it, along with the water pump and other tools, to the entrance of the space. Looking at these tools, Su Yao knew they would play a crucial role in repairing various facilities in the apocalypse. Her father, meanwhile, was organizing outdoor gear. He checked the tents, climbing equipment, large-capacity backpacks, and other outdoor equipment one by one before neatly stacking them together. The tents were folded into compact shapes, and the climbing equipment's harnesses, carabiners, and other components were also organized, ensuring there were no tangles or damage.
Meanwhile, Mom busied herself in the kitchen, packing cooked food into disposable lunchboxes. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of various dishes. The braised pork, its glossy red color and tender texture seemingly still warm from cooking, was neatly packed into the lunchboxes; the braised chicken legs, golden and tender, with their enticing sheen, were carefully placed in the lunchboxes; and the small, delicate meat buns, their pleats still clearly visible, seemed to tell of Mom's meticulous care. Mom's movements were swift yet cautious; she knew these cooked meals would provide her family with convenient and delicious food in the early days of the apocalypse. After each lunchbox was filled, Mom gently closed the lid, then carefully wrapped it with plastic wrap to prevent leakage. She arranged the packed lunchboxes in rows on a large tray, making room for later storage.
After Su Yao and her father finished organizing their supplies, they began assisting her mother. Su Yao was responsible for carrying trays full of cooked food to the entrance of the space; her steps were light and quick, as if she were racing against time. Her father, on the other hand, waited at the entrance to receive the trays from Su Yao and carefully placed them in a designated area within the space. This area had a constant temperature, which maximized the freshness of the cooked food. They arranged the food very neatly, each layer orderly, like building a fortress of hope.
Besides cooked food, Mom also prepared some pickled vegetables. The tangy and spicy kimchi, the salty and savory pickled mustard greens, and other pickled vegetables were all packed in airtight containers and placed in the kitchen. These pickled vegetables not only add flavor to a monotonous diet but also provide essential vitamins.
Next, the family began to further organize and store the other supplies they had previously stockpiled. Medicines were placed in a dry, cool area, each box categorized by efficacy and accompanied by a detailed inventory. Lighting and energy equipment were grouped together; solar chargers, hand-cranked flashlights, and other items were placed in easily accessible locations, with spare batteries and light bulbs nearby. Weapons and protective gear were stored in a separate, secure area; Tang swords, machetes, and other weapons hung neatly on shelves, while bulletproof vests, helmets, and other protective equipment were arranged in an orderly fashion.
While organizing the supplies, Su Yao also made some optimizations to the space. Utilizing the space's unique characteristics, she set up simple partition markers to make the supplies clearer and easier to identify. She also tried to create more stable environmental conditions, such as adding small humidity-regulating devices to the food storage area to ensure the food wouldn't spoil due to dryness.
As the sun gradually set, the day's stockpiling spree drew to a close. The family looked at their storage space, now brimming with supplies, their weariness tinged with relief. These supplies were their lifeline for survival in the apocalypse; each item carried the family's yearning to live. Although the pressure of the countdown remained heavy, they knew that each instance of stockpiling was like lighting a lamp of hope in the darkness of the end times.
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