Because the electricity was restored and they finally enjoyed the cool breeze from the air conditioner, the pleasant mood didn't last long before it was shattered by the return of the Zhang family.
Since the Zhang family had returned next door, Jian Chu and the others came through the balcony. They were worried that any noise in the hallway might attract the Zhang family's attention. They had to be cautious when they left, too—if the Zhang family discovered their home was empty, it would be like leaving their front door wide open for someone to come in and take things.
Although they didn't know when Jian Chu and the others would arrive, Mu Nan was always on guard, almost habitually stashing items that shouldn't be left out into the storage space, such as empty watermelon boxes and used soda bottles. So even if Jian Chu and the others suddenly knocked on the door, he could still open it and let them in.
As soon as Jian Chu entered, he said, "Your brother really has an eye for these things. He switched all the staples. You have no idea how bad the food in the cafeteria is—there are even stones in the rice. But considering the situation, it's understandable. There's no way to wash the rice properly, and the taste of the vegetables is just indescribable."
Even though having vegetables now was already a big improvement—since even dried vegetables like black fungus and shiitake mushrooms were hard to find—the taste was still truly terrible.
Mu Nan laughed, "It's because we didn't want you to get bored of eating too many buns. That's why Yu Zibai changed up the menu a bit."
Mu Nan thought that if he didn't have a surplus of food in his storage space and looked down on the cafeteria's big pot meals, Qin Huai might have done the same as Yu Zibai, mixing up the meals a bit. Eating nothing but buns every day without any salt or flavor would be unbearable.
Suddenly, Mu Nan realized, "No wonder the government later stopped distributing rice and only provided instant noodles. At least instant noodles come with noodles and seasoning. Even dried vegetable packs have some vegetables and a few slices of meat. If those who were really struggling, relying on government supplies to get by, had to eat plain rice with no oil or salt for months, they wouldn't be able to endure it."
Jian Chu pursed his lips and said, "I think it's probably because instant noodles are easier to store."
Yu Zibai looked at Qin Huai and asked, "What's the plan for today?"
The two people who were talking quickly turned their heads. Yu Zibai said, "It's not that we don't want you to go out, but now that the Zhang family is back, if we all go out together and someone breaks into our home, it would be disastrous."
Qin Huai replied, "Indeed. I discussed it with Nan Nan yesterday. Given the current temperature and death toll, I think the plague will break out sooner or later. So we should gather more supplies in these next few days and then try to stay indoors as much as possible."
Yu Zibai agreed, "That's what I was thinking too. So we definitely can't let anyone take the food and water we already have at home. Otherwise, whether we go out or stay in, it's a death sentence."
Jian Chu sighed. He knew that insisting on going out together at this time would be too reckless. Although he felt that the four of them would gather more resources than two people, he was also worried that if they found something outside, their home might be looted. He exchanged a glance with Mu Nan and said, "Then should we stay at home?"
Mu Nan nodded, "Yes, let's stay."
Seeing Qin Huai's unhappy expression, he patted him on the head, "Don't worry, we'll go and come back the same way. Not a hair will be missing."
As the two prepared to leave, Mu Nan did the same as last time, putting a bottle of water and a thermos full of ice in Qin Huai's bag. Since the electricity was on, he didn't have to hide the ice from Jian Chu and the others.
Jian Chu felt that he wasn't as meticulous as Mu Nan. He hadn't thought to prepare ice for Yu Zibai. The water he brought was frozen, but it would probably melt quickly in the current temperature. "I need to do the same with ice when I get back and find a thermos."
Yu Zibai said, "The thermos is in the cardboard box in my room's closet. You can get it later."
Qin Huai pulled Mu Nan aside, "Give me one of the walkie-talkies we prepared last time. Contact me immediately if anything happens."
Mu Nan nodded and put a walkie-talkie into Qin Huai's bag. Although they hadn't tested the range of the walkie-talkies, they were told they could reach up to five kilometers if the surrounding environment allowed. Now that the area was quite open with no electronic devices around, it was uncertain if the signal could reach that far.
As Qin Huai finished packing, Mu Nan asked, "Is it alright to take this route?"
Qin Huai replied, "Don't worry, I'll take the safe route. If you need anything, just contact me. Don't hesitate."
After Qin Huai and Yu Zibai left, the two were somewhat idle. Mu Nan handed Jian Chu the items they had sorted out yesterday, "These are yours. I also brought a few bottles of cream for Xu Ming as we discussed."
Seeing these items made Jian Chu feel hot. "I regretted moving these yesterday. They can't be eaten or drunk, and just looking at them increases the heat. What's the point of bringing them back?" He couldn't even take a proper bath now, only able to use a little water to wipe his body. Keeping clean was a struggle, and applying cream was something he had never done before, especially now.
Mu Nan couldn't say that it would get cold soon and that these items would soon be useful. He could only say, "Keep them. These creams were brand-name items and quite expensive. They might be worth something in the future. No matter what happens, there will always be some people who aren't short on money or food and might be willing to trade."
Jian Chu thought that at a time like this, anyone willing to trade food for such items must be out of their mind. But since they had gone to so much trouble to bring them, it was not worth discarding them. He packed up and decided to move the items through the balcony to avoid making noise in the hallway that might alert the Zhang family next door. He asked, "Do you think they can hear the sound of our air conditioner from their side?"
Mu Nan shook his head. "They shouldn't be able to hear it. Your air conditioner is installed on the balcony side, so only we or perhaps the people upstairs or downstairs might hear it. I don't know if anyone has returned upstairs or downstairs."
Jian Chu said, "When they came back yesterday, I thought our floor had been robbed. I don't know if everyone has returned. This floor has no water or electricity. Do you think they would come down?"
Mu Nan replied, "I'm not sure. Maybe they just came up to sort things out. When they returned, my brother checked at the door but didn't see Grandma Zhang."
After sitting for a while, Jian Chu decided to go ahead. With both sides having air conditioning, staying at home was more comfortable. Before leaving, he reminded, "If you get hungry later, you can come over and find me. I can help you cook something with the ingredients I have." He remembered that Mu Nan didn't seem to know how to cook, but it seemed a shame to let him go hungry while his older brother was out working.
Mu Nan said, "No need. I'll wait for my brother to come back and we can eat together. If I get hungry, I'll just have some crackers."
Jian Chu nodded, "Alright, if anything comes up, just come and knock on the door. I'll head over now."
As soon as Jian Chu left, the room fell silent. With nothing else to do, Mu Nan turned on the computer and played a movie. He placed the other walkie-talkie next to him, ensuring it was on so he could hear any important updates. He then took out a pomelo and a large round box from his storage space. Qin Huai wasn't particularly fond of fruit, but among the few fruits he liked, pomelo was one. However, he always avoided eating it because of the bitter peel. Since Mu Nan had some spare time, he decided to peel several pomelos, store them in the refrigerator, and make them more pleasant for Qin Huai to eat when he returned.
Mu Nan peeled a large box full of pomelo fruits. The pomelo peels wouldn't go to waste. He had researched online and found that pomelo peels could be used to make pomelo candy, honey pomelo tea, or even dishwashing liquid. Dishwashing liquid was cheap and available in large quantities, so making it from pomelo peels wasn't worth the effort. Instead, he planned to store the peels in his space and make pomelo candy when the weather got colder. He had even bought special sugar coatings for this purpose. In times of food scarcity, a piece of pomelo candy could become a valuable commodity.
After finishing with the pomelo, Mu Nan checked the time. It had been less than two hours. He was tempted to ask Qin Huai about their situation, but he decided against using the walkie-talkie to avoid making unnecessary noise and drawing attention. Communications were cut off, and walkie-talkies were a rare resource that shouldn't be wasted.
To keep himself occupied and avoid overthinking, Mu Nan decided to cook. He planned to make sushi, which includes rice, vegetables, and meat. During the lockdown, when conditions were better, he mainly stocked up on prepared foods and strong-flavored dishes, as nobody would think much of the smells coming from his home. He hadn't bothered with foods that didn't have strong odors but were filling.
Now, with the Zhang family's uncertain presence on their floor, Mu Nan had to stay at home and make good use of his time. He used ordinary rice for sushi, filling it with ingredients like Japanese food items and homemade kimchi bacon, and set out rice vinegar, seaweed, and a bamboo mat. When the rice cooker dinged, he emptied the cooked rice and started a new batch.
He spread the seaweed, added rice, and wrapped it with ingredients like kimchi and Japanese items. After rolling and pressing the sushi with the bamboo mat, he cut it into bite-sized pieces. Mu Nan tasted one piece, finding it perfectly sized and flavorful, with the rice's acidity and the fillings being appetizing. He nodded in satisfaction, pleased with his improved skills.
This sushi was perfect for discreet snacking when others weren't looking.
As Mu Nan was finishing the second batch of rice, Qin Huai and Yu Zibai returned to the community downstairs. They had gone to a mall today and had an excellent haul.
When they arrived, the mall was already crowded with people rummaging through the place. Most of the rubble on the top floor had been cleared. The top floor, which originally housed a cinema, restaurants, and snack shops, was now being combed through. Although it was unclear whether the items had been cleared out before the mall closed, many people who didn't have family to rescue or avoid corpses were circulating around the mall, hoping to find something.
When Qin Huai and Yu Zibai arrived, they saw people gathered around a particular spot, probably because there was something of interest there. Qin Huai glanced at them and said, "Let's look elsewhere. It's crowded over there, and we're afraid the weight might be too much. Are you familiar with this mall? Do you know the locations of some major stores?"
When he left, the mall was still under construction. He had asked Mu Nan about it, but Mu Nan had said he hadn't explored much. Aside from the occasional supermarket visit, he mostly bought everything online. Relying on a solitary introverted artist to navigate the mall was too much, so Qin Huai was unfamiliar with the mall's layout.
Yu Zibai said, "I'm somewhat familiar with this place, but given the current state, I can't really recognize where anything is. I only know that one end of the mall should be the cinema and the other end is the supermarket, with some restaurants and small accessory shops in between."
Qin Huai replied, "Well, we'll have to rely on luck. We'll check wherever we can. Any finds will be considered fortunate." After all, the mall had been closed for a while, so the consumables were likely already taken.
Their luck was quite good. Within less than half an hour, Yu Zibai suddenly lowered his voice and called out to Qin Huai, "Qin Huai, come here!"
Qin Huai walked over, and Yu Zibai lifted a heavy stone slab. Underneath was a snack cabinet, filled with individually wrapped snacks. Yu Zibai pulled out a handful of snacks, including hawthorn slices and preserved plums. He recognized the brand, known for its popcorn that Jian Chu loved. Each small pack of popcorn cost nearly twenty yuan, which was quite expensive for someone working to pay tuition and living expenses. Yet, Jian Chu would often buy a few bags whenever he got paid. Yu Zibai didn't eat many snacks himself, but because Jian Chu liked them, he would occasionally buy some when there were discounts. So, when he saw the brand's packaging, he hoped to find more food, and his wish was fulfilled.
Qin Huai quickly helped move the stone slab and glanced around. Since most people had gathered at the other end where the previous discovery was, their side was relatively empty. He said, "Let's search further down. I brought some black plastic bags. If we run out of space, we can use those."
Finding edible items was a major win, regardless of whether they were snacks or not. Anything edible was valuable.
The two quickly continued to search below. Some cabinets were obstructed, and some were damaged, but the snacks inside were still good. Some packages were crushed and the contents spoiled, but they managed to collect and pack away all the intact ones into two backpacks and several plastic bags. They filled a small cart with the finds. Even so, they hadn't finished searching the entire area, and digging deeper might yield more.
Qin Huai said, "Let's head back first and then come back."
Yu Zibai agreed and didn't waste any time heading back, hoping that their find wouldn't be discovered before they returned.
They transported the haul back to Qin Huai's place, using the large iron gate outside to leave the items temporarily. Since the items were retrieved from ruins and though no one had likely died nearby, the dust and debris on the packages made it necessary to clean them before bringing them inside.
Mu Nan heard the commotion at the door and thought someone had arrived. Surprised they were back so soon, he quickly closed the kitchen door and tidied up the small table. Hearing the sound of the iron gate opening, he realized it was Qin Huai and rushed to open the door, "Brother!"
Qin Huai said, "Leave the items here for now. Bring me some plastic bags. We found a food store."
Mu Nan asked, "Do you need plastic bags or woven bags?"
Yu Zibai was surprised, "You have woven bags? Then definitely get the big ones!"
Mu Nan went back inside, bringing out a stack of bags from the cabinet. "Here, take them all—small woven bags, large woven bags, and black plastic bags. Is this enough?"
Yu Zibai took the bags and stuffed them into his pack. "This is plenty. Are you guys okay here?"
Mu Nan shook his head. "We're fine. There's been no movement from the Zhang family's side. Are you planning to go again? If so, we could go together."
Qin Huai replied, "No need. You stay here. They might notice if we make noise returning. It's better to have someone guard the house."
Seeing them dump the collected items on the doorstep and head downstairs with the cart, Mu Nan sighed, closed the iron gate, and opened the balcony door to knock on Jian Chu's window.
Jian Chu soon peeked out. "What's up?"
Mu Nan said, "They came back and brought some things. Come over so we can sort them."
Jian Chu quickly emerged, closed the balcony door, and entered Qin Huai's place. "They came up? I didn't hear anything."
Mu Nan explained, "They probably tried to be quiet to avoid alerting the Zhang family. The items are outside. I'll lay out a mat on the ground so we can sort them before bringing them inside."
When Mu Nan laid out the mat and Jian Chu looked at the pile of items, he was astonished. "Did they strike gold? This is my favorite snack brand!"
Mu Nan spread the mat and moved all the items inside. Since the snacks were small and individually packaged, they were scattered and dusty. Mu Nan filled a basin with water and placed two cloths in it. "Let's clean each package. Since these are for eating, we should remove the dust. First, get out the ones we like, and then split the rest."
The two, stuck at home guarding the door, finally had something to do. Meanwhile, Qin Huai and Yu Zibai, seeing no one on their side and that people had gathered around a candy store, resumed their search, digging deeper where they had left off.
Yu Zibai commented, "In this heat, the candy must have melted."
Qin Huai replied, "The candy should have packaging. Even if it's melted, it's okay as long as the packaging is intact. We can either mix it with water to make syrup or freeze it once the weather cools down."
The two continued their search in silence, conserving their energy as they worked through the remaining items. Though the day's finds were promising, fatigue was setting in. They eventually shifted their focus, with Yu Zibai recalling, "I remember there's a Japanese goods store next to this snack shop."
Qin Huai asked, "Japanese goods?"
Yu Zibai explained, "Yes, things imported from Japan, like facial masks, cosmetics for girls, and some Japanese snacks. I once glanced inside and saw a pair of socks priced at 128 yuan. That price made me hesitate to explore further."
Qin Huai replied, "Let's keep digging. Today's haul has been quite successful. Even if we don't find much more, this trip will have been worth it."
The adjacent store had clearly been cleaned out after closing, with nothing left on the display counters. However, some boxes were squeezed and pushed aside in what looked like a storage area. Qin Huai shone his flashlight inside, and through the damaged boxes, he could see what looked like fabric—possibly clothing.
The first box they opened contained something that made Yu Zibai blush a bit. "It seems to be women's underwear."
Qin Huai glanced casually and said, "Let's set it aside for now. If we can take it back, we might be able to trade it for food later."
Yu Zibai's initial embarrassment quickly faded as he focused on continuing their search. They found several more boxes, including men's underwear, which pleased Yu Zibai. They had managed to collect a lot of clothes before, but underwear was scarce, and having a whole box of it would alleviate future concerns.
As the day drew to a close and their cart was nearly full, the two decided it was time to head back. Just as they were descending from the rubble, they were intercepted by a group of people. The group examined the contents of their cart and said without hesitation, "This area is our territory. We don't mind you searching, but you'll need to hand over at least half of what you've found."
If Mu Nan had been there, he would have recognized the leader of this group. It was the same person who had acted as a lackey in the trading group and had previously attempted to rob him in a past life.