Stir-fried beef, tofu with shrimp, cold shredded bamboo shoots, along with a neatly squared piece of Dongpo pork, accompanied by a bowl of Russian soup. With these four dishes and a soup, Su Nian felt satisfied without the need for rice.
After finishing the meal and tidying up the tableware, Su Nian resumed her busyness. She had laid the bedroom floor yesterday, and today, she planned to tidy up the walls. The dullness of the walls was rather unattractive. Su Nian had bought a variety of wall stickers in different colors. After some consideration, she opted for white, a classic and enduring choice. If she ever grew tired of it, she could always add secondary decorations. The wall stickers were conveniently sized at 80x80, making them easy to apply alone. Despite the limited space, Su Nian swiftly covered all four walls and the ceiling with the white stickers, leaving only the switches and sockets needing holes to be drilled. Once the wall stickers were up, Su Nian fetched a clothes rack and placed it at the foot of the bed, alongside a bedside table and the iPad table.
Apart from being slightly smaller, the bedroom was nearly identical to the one in her previous apartment. After this flurry of activity, night had fallen. Su Nian turned off the lights, positioned herself between the window and the curtains, and began applying heat-insulating film to the windows. Not only did she apply the film, but she also hung heat-insulating cloth outside the windows to prevent the room from getting too hot.
Although the two-bedroom apartment wasn't overly spacious, Su Nian knew it would take time to finish everything alone. Fortunately, time was something she had in abundance. With the bedroom sorted, she could take her time with the rest. By the time she finished organizing the bedroom, it was already ten at night. As the temperature dropped, she could hear the faint sounds of cars passing by and people chatting outside. Su Nian decided to venture out to explore.
While she could take her time tidying up at home, she felt the need to understand the situation outside the base. After dressing in long sleeves, pants, a hat, and a mask, Su Nian stepped out, well-protected against mosquitoes.
Having been busy with chores since arriving at the base, Su Nian hadn't noticed before, but now she realized there were notably fewer mosquitoes and flies here compared to her previous neighborhood. She suspected the base had developed some sort of chemical to eliminate them, though they weren't completely eradicated, the reduction was welcomed.
The base was well-lit with street lamps, offering clear visibility of the surroundings. As Su Nian walked, she observed people hurrying past, wondering about their destinations but refraining from asking. She memorized the route as she walked, eventually arriving at a bustling area with numerous stalls, resembling a night market.
Despite not purchasing anything, Su Nian learned how to earn contribution points, which could be exchanged at the service hall for various items. These points could be earned by working for the base, contributing food or seeds, or by participating in certain activities.
Realizing she needed to earn more contribution points to secure her rent, Su Nian decided to make a trip to the base after finishing her house chores. With only the bedroom fully organized, the rest of the rooms were left relatively untouched for the time being.
After a brief tour outside, Su Nian returned home, feeling satisfied with her progress. She had installed solar panels on the balcony wall, taking advantage of the base's electricity while saving on utility bills. Su Nian noticed many others had also installed solar panels, making her installation blend in seamlessly.
With her home nearly in order, Su Nian prepared for bed and ventured out of the base once again. Knowing she could return freely with her new identification, she joined the queue of cars outside the base, noticing the influx of people from distant places who had come upon hearing about the base.