After Qin Huai brought the items inside, he disinfected everything before letting Mu Nan sort the goods. Vegetables and fruits with damage were set aside to be eaten first. The remaining items were stored in their space. Some of the meat was frozen and needed to be thawed before being stored, so they could use it directly when needed without waiting for it to defrost.
Currently, only frozen meat was available. If they lived in the countryside, they might still be able to buy fresh meat since some families raise their own pigs. But in the city, even live poultry was regulated. There were no conditions to transport fresh meat, so being able to buy frozen meat was already a good outcome.
Mu Nan sorted the meat into categories: pork belly, tenderloin, and ribs. He also pulled out some meat from a recent group buy and planned to make braised ribs, sweet and sour tenderloin, and stir-fried pork belly once the new meat was thawed. He intended to prepare a big batch while there was still time. When every household faces difficulties in the future, it will only be possible to cook less flavorful dishes. Otherwise, with big, fragrant meals at home while others are struggling for food, it would be very resented.
While Mu Nan was sorting the meat, Qin Huai cleaned up the area at the door. Since they had prepared plenty of disinfectant supplies in advance, he ended up spraying the entire hallway. After putting down the disinfectant tools, Mu Nan ran over with his phone, eyes shining. "Brother, are we buying shrimp?"
Qin Huai glanced at the screen of his phone. The WeChat group was organizing a shrimp group buy—live shrimp, but quite expensive, nearly two hundred yuan per pound. However, this price was still acceptable given the difficulty of obtaining such fresh meat now. If it weren't for the fact that the toxic fungi didn't seem to survive in animals and can't withstand temperatures above eighty degrees Celsius, people would be facing even higher food prices.
Despite the high cost, most people understood. Sellers are also human, and with July's heat, they wear airtight protective suits every day, struggling to make a living. Without these people, it would be impossible for the government to manage food supplies across numerous cities and provinces with its limited personnel.
The high prices were also due to the fact that no one dared to go out. Many vegetables were rotting in the fields, and ripe fruits were decaying in the soil with no place to sell. Some live poultry starved due to a lack of feed. Many people had nothing to eat, but more critically, due to the overall environment, food could not find its way to market and thus spoiled. Only a small portion of food could be transported to the cities for sale, making prices even higher. Therefore, shrimp costing over two hundred yuan per pound was considered cheap by some.
Mu Nan saw many people buying, so he wanted to get some too. He had shrimp in his space, but since he didn't know how to cook them and couldn't store live things, he had prepared ready-to-cook shrimp. He now wanted to eat the shrimp cooked by Qin Huai. Qin Huai had a special recipe for shrimp that Mu Nan preferred over the shrimp from outside.
Qin Huai handed his phone to Mu Nan. "If you want to eat, buy it. I'll cook it for you."
Mu Nan quickly unlocked the phone. His own account had no money left, and all recent purchases were made with Qin Huai's funds. He thought it might be useful to spend a bit more since Qin Huai's remaining money might not be used up, rather than it turning into a pile of useless numbers.
"How much should we buy?"
Mu Nan noticed that people were buying one or two pounds each, but with just one or two pounds of shrimp, there wasn't much meat after peeling and deveining. Buying too much might be conspicuous.
Qin Huai said, "Let's buy ten pounds."
This amount was not too conspicuous. Considering Mu Nan's dreams and the current situation, Qin Huai didn't anticipate so many natural disasters. Life was gradually normalizing, with more people managing to get protective suits and going out. The increasing number of group buys indicated that people were adapting to life in the midst of the fungal haze and finding new ways to live.
Even though some people couldn't afford these few pounds of shrimp, others were reluctant to buy them. If they bought a lot and were seen, people would only say that young people don't know how to manage their lives and are too generous with themselves. It wouldn't cause much trouble. When the environment becomes harsher and money becomes worthless, that will be the time to live more discreetly.
With Qin Huai's approval, Mu Nan ordered without hesitation. Despite having experienced the end times himself, he found reassurance in Qin Huai. Habitual reliance was a deeply ingrained instinct that didn't change easily, even with time apart.
Once the first person bought more, others began ordering four or five pounds, making their ten pounds less noticeable. Since these were live shrimp, they needed to be sold quickly. The group buy ended in the morning, and the shrimp were delivered by the afternoon. However, since the group buy was organized by a private vendor, the buyer had to go downstairs to collect the shrimp.
Naturally, it was Qin Huai who went downstairs. As long as he was around, he wouldn't let Mu Nan go out. Mu Nan had always been in poorer health than Qin Huai, frequently catching colds and having a weak immune system. Qin Huai didn't want to risk Mu Nan going out. Even though Mu Nan felt healthy in recent years and hadn't fallen ill in his previous life, he didn't argue with Qin Huai. He had protective suits ready, and although it was just going downstairs, Qin Huai insisted on wearing the full protective gear.
As soon as Qin Huai opened the door, the elevator stopped on their floor. Qin Huai hurriedly entered the elevator. There was another person inside who looked somewhat familiar, but with masks on, he couldn't recognize him. The man in the elevator kept glancing at Qin Huai, frowning in apparent confusion. "Nan Nan?"
Hearing the voice, Qin Huai recognized the person. Smiling, he said, "Uncle Zhong, right? I'm Qin Huai, living next door to Uncle Mu."
Uncle Zhong was surprised. "Qin Huai? You've been gone for years. When did you come back?" He had noticed that the height seemed off but had seen him heading towards Mu Nan's place.
Most people in their neighborhood were long-time residents. After Qin Tai Po passed away, the neighbors had taken more care of the two children. It was unexpected that the wealthy father came to take the children away, leaving only Mu Nan alone.
Qin Huai said, "I came back when the pandemic first started, so it's been a little over a month now."
Uncle Zhong seemed a bit wistful as he said, "It's good that you came back. Things are really chaotic abroad right now; it's safer here. Are you planning to stay?"
Qin Huai shook his head. "I'm not leaving."
Uncle Zhong smiled. "That's good. You and Nan Nan have always had a close bond. It's better to have someone to keep you company during these times. Nan Nan's had a tough few years. It's not easy for a child to live alone. He often eats takeout, which isn't very healthy, and has had to get pain injections at the clinic late at night. It's quite pitiful."
That night, Uncle Zhong had just finished playing cards and was talking to someone at the door. He saw how pale and distressed Mu Nan looked, unable to sit still and squatting on the ground while still receiving an IV. He was alone, with no one to keep him company. They had been old neighbors with the Mu family for decades, originally living in the same courtyard and later moving into the same building after the area was redeveloped. With Uncle Mu having passed away early, those of them who were called uncles and older brothers naturally looked out for Mu Nan. So, Uncle Zhong went home and asked his wife to make some porridge, bringing a large container of it for Mu Nan. The next day, Mu Nan brought a large bag of snacks, saying they were for Uncle Zhong's grandchildren, showing his thoughtfulness and politeness.
Qin Huai's previously cheerful expression gradually turned somber. His heart ached as he listened to Uncle Zhong's sighs. After a moment of silence, as if reassuring himself, he said softly, "I won't let him be alone again. I promise."
The elevator quickly descended to the first floor. Many people had come down to collect their items—some with vegetables, others with rice, flour, and oil. Qin Huai went straight to the shrimp vendor. He collected the bag of shrimp he had purchased and asked, "Do you have any extra?"
The vendor, likely concerned about the shrimp dying during transport or any other mishaps, had brought extra. "Yes, we have some extra. How much do you want?"
Qin Huai took a look and decided to get an additional portion. He had ten pounds weighed and packed into a black bag, placing it in the small cart he had brought. He asked the vendor to pack another three pounds separately, which he carried in his hand. After paying, he walked over to where Uncle Zhong was buying milk and said, "Uncle Zhong, here's some shrimp for you to take home."
The shrimp were quite expensive, and Uncle Zhong hadn't bought any himself, so he quickly declined.
Qin Huai insisted, "Over the years, Nan Nan has been looked after by you uncles and older brothers. Please accept this small token of gratitude. It's a special time, and we can't invite you to dinner, so just take this. I've already bought it."
After a brief hesitation, Uncle Zhong accepted the plastic bag of shrimp, feeling a bit embarrassed. His grandson had mentioned recently how much he wanted to eat shrimp, but given the uncertain future, he had been reluctant to spend on such expensive shrimp. Seeing Qin Huai's insistence, Uncle Zhong reluctantly accepted the gift. "You're such a polite kid. When things settle down, I'll have your aunt make some pickled vegetables for you. The kind you both liked when you were little."
Qin Huai smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Zhong. I'll head upstairs now. You're busy, so I'll let you get back to it."
As Uncle Zhong watched Qin Huai's retreating figure, tall and big even in the protective suit, he thought of how handsome Qin Huai had always been. If Granny Qin and Uncle Mu were still around, they would be so proud of these two young men.