Three days later, the uniformed soldiers came again to deliver supplies, this time enough for ten days.
There was no white vinegar in the supplies, and the soldiers who came to deliver the supplies did not mention anything about white vinegar. Qiao Qingqing was almost certain that the prophecy letters were not taken seriously.
If the effect of white vinegar had been discovered earlier, perhaps some people would be able to slow down the reproduction rate of the bugs in their bodies by taking white vinegar in advance.
Maybe just a little bit can help some people survive?
Qiao Qingqing fell into deep thought. She decided to speak directly about the effect of white vinegar, but not in her own name. She had a quick conversation with Shao Shengan, who helped her cover up and block the sight of Shao's father and others. Qiao Qingqing disguised herself, left home alone, and stopped a soldier at the gate of the community.
"Is there anything I can help you with? If it's not necessary, please try not to go out!" The soldier stopped and asked, panting.
"There are bugs in the thick fog, and coughing is caused by bugs. My family and I found that eating white vinegar can relieve the symptoms of coughing. I hope you can help report this discovery." She stuffed a bottle of vinegar into the soldier's hand, "Please try it!"
After she finished speaking, she ran away. The mist was as thick as milk. After she ran a few steps, she was out of the range of the military truck lights and her figure disappeared immediately.
The soldier was holding the bottle of vinegar, still not reacting.
"Get on the bus! We're heading to the next community! Hurry up if you haven't gotten on the bus yet!"
The soldier quickly stuffed the bottle of vinegar into his arms, grabbed his comrade's hand and jumped into the car.
Three hours later, the soldiers who delivered the supplies changed shifts, and the soldiers who had worked all morning returned to the canteen to eat. All the doors and windows in the canteen were quickly closed, a ventilation system was installed at the vents, and finally an isolation room was added behind the gate. Those who opened the door to eat would stay in the isolation room for a while. After the ventilation system in the isolation room filtered the air in the isolation room, the soldiers who came to eat would open the door, take off their masks, and walk into the canteen to start eating.
While eating, the young soldier suddenly remembered something and told his squad leader the suggestions he had received from the public today.
He ate his rice in big mouthfuls and asked vaguely, "Sergeant, what should we do?" The bottle of vinegar was still in his arms.
The squad leader pondered: "Bugs? How is this possible!"
"Yes, but the lady sounded very confident. She told me seriously that she hoped I could report it. The fog outside was so severe, but she came out to tell me about it. It couldn't be a joke, right? Besides, a bottle of vinegar is not cheap. Everything is expensive these days. Monitor, I don't think she is joking."
"Do you know the identity of that lady?"
"I don't know, but I could tell it was an elderly lady, with a voice that sounded like she was in her 50s or 60s."
"That's a bit troubling. How could there be bugs in the fog? Maybe the old man is just talking nonsense."
"Excuse me, are you guys talking about whether white vinegar is effective against thick fog?" A male voice interrupted from the side, and Ye Changtian leaned over, "Can you tell me more about it?"
Ye Changtian directly told Mayor Luo the news. He was very strong, honest and loyal. Mayor Luo really liked him and intended to train him as a confidant. In addition to training his ability to do things, he also sent him to the army for training. After the thick fog came, Ye Changtian obeyed the order and began to deliver supplies to the residents. That's why he got the news while eating in the military cafeteria.
He was a man with a natural intuition. He thought the bug thing was ridiculous and the white vinegar was also nonsensical, but his first reaction after hearing the news was: Tell the mayor about it.
Mayor Luo was stunned when he heard it: "Bugs?"
He was shocked. As early as the third day after the thick fog hit, the research institute had found the existence of bugs in the fog. But unfortunately, after several days, no solution had been found. In order not to cause panic, he had kept this discovery secret and had not revealed it even at the high-level meeting. If that person could say the word "bugs", then the news about the white vinegar would be credible.
"I see. This is indeed a research direction. I will inform the research institute. Changtian, don't spread this matter for the time being. Go and deal with the people in the cafeteria who heard the news. Ask them to keep it secret and not spread it!"
Ye Changtian didn't expect that an interesting piece of news he casually mentioned would make Mayor Luo show such a serious expression. He realized that there must be something hidden, but he didn't dare to ask anything. He just nodded seriously: "Don't worry, I'll do it right away!"
The research institute urgently conducted relevant experiments and finally determined that when people ingest white vinegar, it can effectively suppress the activity of insects in the body and slow down their reproduction rate. This discovery was so important that Mayor Luo immediately decided to restore the white vinegar production workshop, add production lines, and urgently produce large quantities of white vinegar. The white vinegar in stock was given priority to the military, officials in the administrative building, and community grassroots officials...
At the same time, the radio also announced this good news, but the radio did not mention insects. It only said that white vinegar is helpful in resisting bacteria in the thick fog, and asked residents who have white vinegar at home to take it in an orderly manner. Experts from the institute recommended that for the health of the esophagus and stomach, the daily intake of white vinegar should not exceed 30 ml (about two tablespoons).
Listening to the broadcast, Shao's mother was amazed: "We are so lucky, we did the right thing by accident!"
Father Shao rubbed his hands and said, "Thanks to Qingqing, I said that reading more is good for you. Look, Qingqing has done a great job studying medicine in the past few years. It's amazing!"
Qiao Songzhi was cooking. Hearing this, she smiled and said, "Since white vinegar is effective, I'll add more vinegar today. Let's drink seaweed egg drop white vinegar soup today."
"Put more, put more, I will definitely drink one more bowl." Shao's mother said hurriedly, "I'll help you!"
There was enough white vinegar in the room, and Qiao Qingqing took some to spray the gaps in the doors and windows. The insects in the thick fog didn't like acid, and after spraying white vinegar, the sour smell would make them unwilling to come near.
The days of protection at home were very boring, but most people who had experienced those years of heavy rain, cold winter and hot summer were very patient with loneliness. Qiao Qingqing's family each found something they liked to do. Shao's father focused on taking care of the crops at home, and Shao's mother and Qiao Songzhi started making hairpins again. Shao's mother, who had poor craftsmanship, practiced hard and now had very good craftsmanship. Shao Shengfei was naturally playing. He was often locked up at home and not allowed to go out, especially after the natural disaster, so life was no different for him, except that the food he ate was very sour.
Shao Shengan's ankle injury has completely healed, and Qiao Qingqing suggested: "We can take a risk and go out."
"Where are we going?" Shao Shengan was curious.
"Go to the market to sell vinegar. The current production of vinegar cannot keep up. Vinegar fermentation takes time, and it will take at least half a month to supply in large quantities. Besides, the climate has been abnormal in recent years, and grain crops have decreased. The base should not be able to mobilize a large amount of grain to make vinegar in a short period of time. Grain is more precious than vinegar, but for those with financial strength, they can afford the high price of vinegar just to make themselves safer. Therefore, the price of white vinegar in the market must be sky-high now."
Shao Shengan felt that what Qiao Qingqing said made sense: "When do we leave?"
"tonight."
The market became much quieter after the thick fog. The few people setting up stalls and shopping were all fully armed and covered their mouths and noses tightly. Even so, the sound of coughing could still be heard one after another in the market, which made people feel very irritated and depressed.
Qiao Qingqing only planned to do this vinegar selling operation once.
Qiao Qingqing has never stopped wanting to stock up. Perhaps it is because of the great regret and remorse that she had space but lacked supplies in her previous life. In this life, Qiao Qingqing's favorite thing to do is to stock up. The joy brought by stocking up is second only to the safe reunion of her family. Before the end of the world, she stocked up a lot of vinegar. Even if there is no thick fog, white vinegar is a good disinfectant in normal times. She ordered it directly from the factory, in 20-kilogram large vinegar barrels, which were sealed after filling. She bought five barrels and has only opened one barrel so far, using half of it.
This is the time when white vinegar is at its highest value, and it is best to use white vinegar to exchange for other supplies.
In a deserted place, Qiao Qingqing took out the two barrels of white vinegar she had prepared. After arriving at the market, the couple began looking for a store that could produce these twenty kilograms of white vinegar.
Qiao Qingqing purposefully went to find the shop that sold gasoline and cigarettes. At the beginning of the market, there were no shops, and everyone was setting up stalls. She had seen a stall guarded by more than 20 strong men, selling gasoline and cigarettes, which looked very powerful. Later, when the shops were opened, this stall was one of the first to buy a shop. The shop was very large, and it not only sold gasoline and cigarettes, but also various foods. If you just want to buy something, they only accept gold. If you want to exchange something with them, just take out what they want, and you can pick anything of equal value on the stall.
In preparation for this day, Qiao Qingqing observed several stores in advance, and this store was one of the suitable ones for the transaction.
Two barrels of white vinegar were placed on the ground, and the big man watching the store looked over.
"I have 20 kilograms of white vinegar. Can I exchange it for 100 kilograms of rice or flour?"
Shao Shengan was very direct. The big man frowned, stood up, and called his brother: "Close the door."
The door was closed, the thick fog was kept outside, and the view from inside the house was better, with two orange lights on.
They checked the vinegar barrels and made sure that the contents were not adulterated. Then they exchanged glances and one of them smiled: "This is really good stuff, brother. How did you get such a good source to get such high-quality white vinegar?"
Shao Shengan shook his head: "One hundred kilograms of rice or flour, would you like to exchange it?"
"Brother, it's a bit expensive. One hundred kilograms of rice can make more than twenty kilograms of vinegar."
"The government's announcement has just come out. Time is money. The batch of vinegar from the factory hasn't come out yet. My 20 kilograms are only worth this much, and my vinegar is not diluted with water."
The big man stopped talking. All the white vinegar in their warehouse was bought by the rich at a high price, leaving only a little for their own use.
Time is money, and time is more precious than money. No matter how rich the rich are, they can't buy time to brew vinegar in advance. As far as he knows, there are several rich people who are buying white vinegar at high prices...
Shao Shengan lowered his head to pick up the vinegar bucket: "If you don't change, I'll ask other families."
"Change! Change! Don't be so impatient, big brother!" The big man laughed, "I'll change! White vinegar is in short supply now! Shunzi, go get some rice, the kind that can be packed in 50 kilograms, so he can take two bags away. I see you came here on a bicycle, do you want a motorcycle? We have motorcycles here, too. How about exchanging one for the 50 kilograms of white vinegar?"
"Need not."
Two bags of rice were brought over. Shao Shengan took out a handheld electronic scale, picked up the rice bags and weighed them. After making sure that everything was correct, he carried one bag in each hand and put them on his shoulders.
"Please open the door."
"You don't want to sit for a while before you leave? All right! Open the door! Brother, if you have vinegar of this quality in the future, remember to send it to me again. I promise I won't let you down."
Shao Shengan put the two bags of rice on the back seat of the bike and rode away.
The big man winked at the other man, who nodded and followed him out.
After following for ten minutes, the man came back and spread his hands: "It disappeared after turning a corner. You rode really fast and you're not afraid of hitting the wall!"
"I don't know where the source is, but this vinegar is really good."
"He must have been on guard. I couldn't even see his face. He was covered by a mask and had a hat on his head, leaving only his eyes exposed. Apart from knowing that he was a man, who knew what he looked like?"
"Forget it! Add water to the vinegar - how much? The concentration of this vinegar is quite high, so just add ten kilograms, divide it up, and send a message to the villa area, saying that a batch of particularly good white vinegar has arrived, and ask them if they want it. Boss Chen was generous and left ten kilograms for him alone!"
On the other side, Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengan looked at each other and saw vague smiles in each other's eyes. Nothing could be seen in the thick fog, so the man who followed them and wanted to know their identities naturally didn't know. Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengan had already made preparations. Shao Shengan went in to make the deal, and Qiao Qingqing met him outside. As soon as they left their sight, Qiao Qingqing, who was waiting outside, put the two bags of rice and the bicycle into the space, and then quickly put a coat on Shao Shengan and changed his hat. When the person who was following caught up, there was no man riding a bicycle in front of him, only two passers-by walking towards him, a man and a woman, and he didn't care at all.
She repeated the same procedure and entered the second, third, and fourth stores. After shaking off the person following her in the fourth store, Qiao Qingqing took out her bicycle in a deserted place and rode it home.
In the future, Qiao Qingqing will not come to exchange white vinegar, and the couple will not come here again in the short term. No matter how the four stores suspect or investigate, it is none of their business.
Looking at the newly added rice and flour in the space, Qiao Qingqing happily hugged Shao Shengan's waist. She was not riding the bicycle fast and the wind was not strong, but she felt her heart was flying.
"So happy?" Shao Shengan's voice also seemed to be smiling.
"Of course we are happy. Our family has two more months of food! This means two more months of life. We are taking advantage of the time difference and making a big profit." Qiao Qingqing happily calculated with Shao Shengan, "If we save our food, we can eat for another 20 years!"
Shao Shengan sighed in agreement: "That's a lot. It's already the fifth year, how come there are still so many?"
"Because we have been making money all the time. If we just keep spending, we won't be able to survive for 20 years." Qiao Qingqing thought for a while, "It's possible that in the end, we will only have rice and steamed buns, and no rich meat and vegetables. Meat and vegetables are so expensive now, I can't bear to exchange them for rice and flour."
"It's okay. Rice and steamed buns are enough to fill you up. That's enough." Over the past five years, their family's food has been very good among ordinary survivors. He is very content to enjoy a few more years.
"The temperature is back to normal now. I want to raise some poultry after the thick fog and the subsequent acid rain pass. What do you think?" Qiao Qingqing has long-term plans. The space contains a batch of fertilized eggs from chickens, ducks and geese, as well as two fully automatic incubators.
Shao Shengan didn't know his wife had prepared all these, and was a little surprised: "Didn't you say that living things can't be placed in the space?"
"You can't put living things in there, but I thought about it and realized that fertilized eggs aren't considered living things, so I bought some and put them in there to give it a try. Unexpectedly, it worked, and those fertilized eggs are still fine now."
"I think it's great. My parents will be very happy. They are good at raising chickens and ducks. I remember that when I was a child, my family raised a lot of chickens and ducks in the yard. The first thing I did when I got up in the morning was to touch the eggs."
Qiao Qingqing leaned against him: "Then I'll let you touch my eggs from now on."
Shao Shengan laughed.
"As for pigs... I won't raise them. They take up too much space. I'll buy some when I have the chance."
The two of them discussed and the journey home quickly shortened during their conversation.
Ten days later, the soldiers who delivered the supplies brought a new batch of home relief supplies, including two bottles of vinegar.
"The production cannot keep up for the moment because there are too many people in the base. In order to ensure that everyone can get vinegar, we can only reduce the amount each person gets. Please use it sparingly." The soldier may have given too many reminders, and his voice became hoarse. After he finished speaking, he left in a hurry.
Qiao Qingqing looked at the two bottles of vinegar in the bag, which were unmarked and filled with plastic, and was once again impressed by the excellent action of the top management of the base. She thought that if there had not been that devastating earthquake, order would have been slowly rebuilt.
The days of home protection did not last long, and the base could not withstand a long-term shutdown.
After announcing that white vinegar can resist bacteria in the thick fog, the base immediately announced that the bacteria in the thick fog only harm living things and will not attach to inanimate objects. It is recommended that residents leave the closed room and go outdoors when cooking. There have been many indoor carbon monoxide poisoning and carbon dioxide poisoning incidents at the base...
Twenty-five days after the thick fog fell, the research institute produced a "cough suppressant" inspired by white vinegar. It has a stronger "acidic substance" that is more easily absorbed by the human body. Taking one pill before going to bed every day can effectively relieve cough symptoms.
At this point, Mayor Luo still didn't dare to announce the secret of the thick fog. He just continued to increase investment, hoping that the research institute could develop a drug that could completely kill the insects as soon as possible.
Cough suppressants were available and distributed to every household along with supplies. Mayor Luo then announced the lifting of the protection status and encouraged the public to resume production and life as much as possible while taking good personal protection measures.
Shao's father also went to work wearing a mask and vinegar water. Mayor Luo had already issued a driving ban on motor vehicles, so it was safe to work and would not be hit by vehicles jumping out of the thick fog, but Shao's mother was still very worried. Shao's father went there for a day, and Shao's mother was worried and scared at home for a day, and then she resolutely refused to let him go again, and even scolded Shao's father in front of her son, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law for the first time.
"It's okay, it's okay. I still have the light with me. I always turn it on when I'm at work. Mom, just let me go! I want to save some more things for the family. I will be careful."
"Don't you think about whether your salary will be enough to pay for your medical expenses if you get injured? Hospitals are so expensive now and it's such a waste of supplies! Shao Dacheng, don't be so stubborn. Think more about the children. They will be so sad if something happens to you. There is enough food and drink at home. You can go and make money later if you want. But I won't allow it now!" This was the first time that Shao's mother was so tough. She also said that if Shao's father continued to be so stubborn, they would get divorced.
Father Shao was stunned. He didn't think about how to get a divorce at this time or where to go to go through the divorce procedures. The word "divorce" was all on his mind. It was as if a sledgehammer hit his head, making him lose all ability to think.
Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengan looked at each other without saying anything. Qiao Songzhi looked around and lowered his head.
Only Shao Shengfei burst into tears: "Mom and Dad, don't get divorced! Mom and Dad, don't get divorced! Wuuuuuu!"
Shao's father trembled all over and woke up instantly. He coughed twice: "If you don't want to go, then don't go. Feifei, daddy will take you to play with toys, daddy will take you to play, we won't divorce, don't cry if you don't want to divorce." He pulled Shao Shengfei into the house hand and foot.
The expression on Shao's mother's face finally eased, and she smiled at Qiao Qingqing and the others: "It's okay, you guys go about your business, Sister Zhi, let's knit sweaters!"
After the stay-at-home policy was lifted, the base resumed operations, but there were still very few pedestrians on the road, with only people rushing to work or going out for something. Qiao Qingqing's family had enough supplies, so she was able to avoid the thick fog and didn't have to go out to work.
Until one day, Liuzi knocked on her door and said anxiously: "My grandmother asked me to call you for help. A sister in the village is about to give birth, but she can't raise enough medical expenses to go to the hospital. My grandmother asked you to help save her life."
Qiao Qingqing asked the location, which was not far, so she nodded: "I'll go pack the medicine box, you take a rest first." Qiao Songzhi hurriedly poured water for Liu Yi to drink, adding some vinegar to the water. Liu Yi drank it carefully, watching the sweat on his forehead dripping down, his hair was wet, Qiao Songzhi wiped him with a towel.
"Thank you, Aunt Qiao." Liuzi thanked her shyly, and took the towel and rubbed his hair like rubbing the soles of his shoes.
"Okay, let's go. How did you get here?" Qiao Qingqing walked out of the room.
Liuzi stood up immediately and said, "I ran here. I didn't dare to ride a bicycle."
"Then ride your bike over there. My bike has a yellow light."
The first floor was sold half a year ago. Qiao Qingqing's family had no place to put the tricycle, and it was not safe to leave it outside, so they pretended to sell the tricycle. Now their family travels by bicycle. It took about ten minutes to reach the destination by bicycle. Qiao Qingqing went upstairs first with the medicine box, and Shao Shengan and Liuzi followed behind to carry the tricycle upstairs.
Liuzi panted: "A few days ago, my neighbor was lazy and didn't leave his bicycle at home. He locked it several times, but it was still stolen. He was so angry that he cursed for half an hour downstairs."
Shao Shengan also smiled and said: "My family used to have a tricycle, and one time someone stole a tire from it."
Liuzi sighed: "Everyone is having a hard time now. This damn fog has prevented me from going to work. The factory where I work has not started yet. Without the sun, there is no way to generate electricity. We can't start work, oh!" As they were talking, they arrived at the place. Qiao Qingqing could hear the pregnant woman's painful cries at the door. After entering the door, the good mother-in-law hurriedly greeted her: "Come quickly, the fetus is not in the right position, she is going to lose strength!"
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