After waking up, Mu Nan's mind finally cleared, and he belatedly turned to Qin Huai. "Do you think they might find out where we live and come looking for revenge?"
In his previous life, he hadn't paid much attention to who the group leader was initially. It was only after the earthquake, when communication was cut off, that he heard about the group leader from others while digging through the rubble. At that time, their building was without water and electricity, and only a few residents had returned, mostly those living on the lower floors. Most people chose to stay in the army's temporary shelters, so Mu Nan never figured out which unit in their complex the group leader lived in.
In this life, however, he had paid special attention and knew that the group leader lived right below them on the eighth floor. He knew who the person was, and it wasn't impossible that the person could find out about them. After all, both his brother and Yu Zibai were quite handsome and rather recognizable. Plus, their building hadn't collapsed, so most of the residents had survived. If someone asked a longtime neighbor, they might just find out where they lived.
Qin Huai, seeing that Mu Nan was still thinking about this after sleeping, said helplessly, "They won't. Don't worry, nothing's going to happen."
Mu Nan looked at him curiously. "How can you be so sure? His cousin was nearly beaten to death—this is a huge slap in the face to Gou Xintong. Retaliation would be the normal response."
Qin Huai replied, "If he's smart, he won't seek revenge before he's fully prepared. By the time he's ready, we'll already be in the refugee base. Whether we even run into them again is uncertain. If he's stupid, then there's even less to worry about. Stupid people usually don't have much capability. If he does come seeking revenge, he'll just end up getting beaten again."
Mu Nan couldn't help but ask, "But what if he's crazy? Not stupid, but irrational, making it hard to predict his actions?"
Qin Huai chuckled, "Based on what I observed in that trading group, the group leader is average at best—neither stupid nor particularly smart. A breakdown in social order might give some people opportunities, and it's true that turbulent times can give rise to powerful figures. But just because there's chaos doesn't mean anyone can rise to the top. At least, that group leader doesn't have what it takes. As for being crazy—if he's crazy in a way that makes him bold rather than senseless, that's a kind of ability too."
Mu Nan sighed, "Alright, I'm just a little worried."
Qin Huai thought for a moment and then said, "But it's not wrong to be cautious, especially when I'm not home. There's always a chance something could happen. Those people are probably not armed with anything serious, but if anyone shows up on this floor, don't hesitate to use your bow. Don't hold back, even if it means killing someone. Your safety is always the most important thing. Understand?"
Mu Nan laughed, "Listen to yourself. That's practically lawless."
Qin Huai responded, "Are you going back to sleep or getting up?"
Mu Nan lay in bed, reluctant to move. "What are we eating later?"
Qin Huai asked, "Do you want something hot or cold?"
"Cold," Mu Nan replied.
Qin Huai checked the time—it was still before 4 a.m., so the neighbors wouldn't be coming over yet. "How about some mung bean soup with either steamed buns or pancakes? Just something light for now, and then we'll have a proper meal around seven."
"Pancakes," Mu Nan decided.
The pancakes were made by Qin Huai himself. The outer layer was a flaky flatbread, filled with shredded spicy and sour potatoes, lettuce, sausage, and other ingredients that could be rolled up together. During the pandemic, they had spent two or three days making several boxes of these pancakes. Qin Huai would prepare each one, and Mu Nan would roll them up and store them in his space. Now, they could just take out freshly made pancakes, paired perfectly with a cool and sweet mung bean soup.
Just as they finished what could be considered breakfast, the door leading to their balcony was knocked. Mu Nan instinctively checked the time—it was still broad daylight outside. Even though the balconies were close together, anyone waiting outside to knock would be exposed to the harsh sunlight. He quickly went to open the door but only cracked it slightly to avoid the sunlight from glaring into the room. There was no one outside, just a stick extending from the balcony door next door.
The person on the other end used a plastic sheet to block the sunlight, peeking through their door crack. "I thought you might still be asleep, so I knocked lightly to check."
Mu Nan saw Jian Chu squatting behind the balcony door. "We just got up. What's up?"
Jian Chu asked, "Is it convenient now? We didn't finish sorting the stuff we brought back yesterday. I thought we could get a head start. If it's not convenient, we can come back later."
Mu Nan glanced back at Qin Huai, who nodded. "It's fine. You can come over."
"Alright," Jian Chu responded, then closed the balcony door. The sun was blazing outside, and the balcony was cluttered with solar panels. It would be safer to walk over from the hallway rather than risk the sun's heat, even if it might only take a minute or two.
The items they had piled up in the hallway behind the iron door were still there—a heap of snacks they had dug out from the rubble and several boxes of goods from a Japanese store. At the time, they hadn't looked closely at what they were grabbing. They just threw anything they could find into the cart. If it was edible, they'd eat it if not, they could sell it. If it was completely useless, they'd set it aside for now. Their home had plenty of empty space, with two rooms available to use as storage. These few things wouldn't take up much room.
Mu Nan laid out the mat they used yesterday at the entrance to the living room. Then, he and Jian Chu began wiping down the snacks with cloths while Qin Huai and Yu Zibai sorted through the boxes. One box, they remembered, contained men's underwear. When they opened it, they found individually packaged pairs with a high-end look, each tagged at 299 yuan.
Jian Chu glanced at the contents and marveled, "I've never worn underwear this expensive in my life."
Qin Huai said, "They're labeled by size. Let's separate them. If the sizes match, we'll split them evenly. If not, just take what fits."
The items at the bottom of the box were relatively clean, with little dust, but the top ones were dirty. Jian Chu and Mu Nan wiped them down while Qin Huai and Yu Zibai sorted them by size. However, when it came time to divide them, things got a bit awkward. Underwear was a private item, and with outsiders present, Mu Nan felt embarrassed and moved aside to check the other boxes. Qin Huai knew his size, so he could handle the awkward task.
Qin Huai glanced at Mu Nan and smiled, naturally reaching for the pairs in Mu Nan's size. Noticing that Jian Chu had a similar build to Mu Nan, he said, "Nan Nan wears L."
Mu Nan blushed, surprised that Qin Huai not only didn't stay quiet but also announced it. "Brother! I wear XL!"
Qin Huai laughed. "These are the relaxed-fit type. It says on the label that anyone under 130 pounds should wear L. You've never been over 130 pounds, so XL isn't for you."
Yu Zibai added, "Then Jian Chu should be about the same size."
Jian Chu stiffened. "I'll take XL, thank you."
Yu Zibai turned to him, and Jian Chu insisted, "I prefer them a bit loose. It's more comfortable."
Yu Zibai chuckled and nodded, "Alright, comfort it is."
Despite the conversation, they also took a couple of pairs in the correct size. After all, a larger size wasn't a big deal as long as it wasn't too small. Qin Huai and Yu Zibai's sizes were easier to sort. Qin Huai was more muscular and looked like he kept up a regular fitness routine. Yu Zibai, while also fit, had a more demanding graduate schedule, spending more time on his studies and research than in the gym, so he was slimmer than Qin Huai.
Yu Zibai said, "Xu Ming is about my size. I'll take two pairs for him too."
Qin Huai nodded. "Let's also take one of those self-heating pots down to him later."
When Yu Zibai mentioned the self-heating pots, Jian Chu suddenly said, "Has the New Year already passed?" He remembered that the earthquake happened right after the Spring Festival began. They were buying self-heating pots at the small square, planning to have a good meal for the New Year. But with the earthquake, the rescue efforts, and gathering supplies, they lost track of time. They weren't sure if the New Year had already come and gone.
Mu Nan paused, "I think it has. It should be a few days into the new year now." They had been so busy after the earthquake, and the hot weather made it feel like summer. They hadn't even realized that New Year's Eve had passed.
Jian Chu looked at Qin Huai and Yu Zibai. "Maybe you guys shouldn't go down today. It's the New Year take a day off."
Qin Huai shook his head. "We don't have much time left. We'll be back soon, and when we are, we'll have dinner together. We can make it festive, like a New Year celebration."
Jian Chu said, "Alright, we still have some flour on our side. I noticed there was some beef jerky among the snacks from yesterday. I wonder what those meat-filled dumplings taste like. It feels like something's missing if we don't have dumplings for the New Year."
Yu Zibai replied, "You can be creative, as long as it's not dark cuisine. We can't afford to waste food now."
The remaining boxes contained various miscellaneous items, such as cute notebooks and pens, as well as some products like face masks and toner. There were also some Japanese cookies and candies mixed in. The cookies were a bit crumbled, and the candies had melted, but if they were put in the fridge, they should solidify again. Despite being a bit scattered, there were still plenty of edible items.
Jian Chu pointed to a large bottle labeled with "Job's Tears Water" and asked, "Can this be drunk?" Job's tears should be edible, right?
Mu Nan glanced at it and said, "No, but it can be used for bathing. This is a type of facial water used by women. It's not sticky, so it's just right for a bath." Although Mu Nan had never used these products himself, he was familiar with them from discussions in a manga editing group he joined, where the female members often talked about such items.
Jian Chu sighed in disappointment, "Alright, if it can be used for bathing, it helps save on drinking water."
Before he could finish his sentence, his face suddenly turned red upon seeing the item in his hand, and he instinctively shoved it back into the box.
Mu Nan turned to look at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Seeing Mu Nan rummaging through the boxes, Jian Chu instinctively shouted, "Don't!"
Unfortunately, by the time he shouted, Mu Nan had already picked up a red and white box. Although it was all in Japanese, there was a large "001" label that clearly indicated what the item was.
Qin Huai, who was behind Mu Nan, glanced at the item and calmly said, "Let's divide these. Let's see how many boxes there are."
It seemed Mu Nan hadn't realized or had only been thinking about stocking up for the future, and didn't prepare for these intimate items earlier. However, Qin Huai had bought plenty, enough for the rest of their lives. While having enough is never a bad thing, there was still a surplus.
Seeing them both so embarrassed they wished they could disappear, Qin Huai joked, "Are you guys children or something?" He found it normal for Mu Nan to be pure, considering his simple social circle, but was surprised to see Jian Chu being so innocent as well.
Mu Nan turned to cover Qin Huai's mouth, "Don't say that!"
Mu Nan felt these were too private and was a bit embarrassed. Although he could joke about explicit content online, he had never physically handled such items. Jian Chu, on the other hand, instinctively thought about what these items were used for, and the thought of the intended use made him feel extremely awkward.
Mu Nan turned the box upside down and threw all the red and white boxes to the back without looking back. "If you're not embarrassed, then you can sort them out yourselves."
Yu Zibai, trying not to laugh, worked with Qin Huai to divide them. Since the boxes were in Japanese and lacked size or scent details, they didn't examine them closely, just split them evenly. Any extra boxes were set aside for Xu Ming.
Jian Chu couldn't help but grumble, "What kind of store did they find these at?" His impression was that only supermarkets and pharmacies sold such items.
Mu Nan said, "It's a Japanese products store, so it's not surprising. Only Japan could turn such items into a cultural export."
It took a while to organize all the miscellaneous items. By the time everything was sorted, the sun was setting. Jian Chu and Yu Zibai went back inside from the balcony, having made several trips to move everything over.
Yu Zibai checked the time and said, "I'll come find you at eight."
Qin Huai nodded and reminded, "You might want to clean up the items a bit. When we go to find Xu Ming, we can ask the military if we can exchange some of these for rice and water. If we're going to stay indoors, we can't just rely on these small snacks for meals."
Yu Zibai agreed, "I'll check on that later."
After they returned, Mu Nan quickly asked, "Why do we need to have a meal together? If they're here, we can't really eat freely."
Qin Huai poked his reluctant face and said, "The New Year isn't just about one meal. By the time we get back, it'll be morning, and we'll be too tired to eat much. Having a meal together will be our way of celebrating the New Year. The real feast will be in the evening, so we'll have an appetite after waking up."
Hearing Qin Huai's plan, Mu Nan realized that although he was used to quiet New Year celebrations, it was better to celebrate with others. Since this was their first disaster-stricken New Year, it was worth making it lively. He said, "I need to think about what to bring out. It's best to take out a bag of flour, and what else is reasonable to take out?"
Qin Huai suggested, "Fruit cans should be fine. You can take out a pumpkin; it's more heat-resistant. You can also put out a sealed smoked meat; it's also heat-resistant. And some dehydrated vegetables from before."
Every time Qin Huai suggested an item, Mu Nan pulled it out. Noticing some meat cans in the space, he asked, "What about meat cans?"
Qin Huai replied, "Yes, those are fine as long as they're not exposed to direct sunlight."
Mu Nan said, "Then we'll take these. Let's see what Jian Chu comes up with later." As for him, he wasn't confident in his cooking skills, so he wouldn't force himself.
To supplement Qin Huai's nutrition, Mu Nan prepared a steamed egg before heading out. Just like when he was younger, Qin Huai took Mu Nan's bowl, mixed half of the steamed egg with his rice, and finished the rest like a soup before his meal. He didn't like this mixed rice but couldn't refuse Mu Nan's request for him to eat the egg, so he had to deal with it in this manner.
For today's meal, they prepared fish-flavored shredded pork, Kung Pao chicken, and a plate of hand-torn cabbage—dishes that went well with rice. After quickly finishing the meal, Mu Nan used a deodorizer to freshen up the house. He hadn't prepared much of this, thinking that people wouldn't visit often in the future. However, given the increased number of visitors after the earthquake, he wasn't sure if the few bottles he bought would be enough.
Once Mu Nan confirmed that the smell in the house had dissipated, he leaned back on the bed. He had expected Jian Chu to come over after Yu Zibai left, but Yu Zibai said, "Let's see what we can gather today. It might not be as fruitful as yesterday. Jian Chu will come over around three, and we'll prepare the New Year's Eve meal together. We'll return around five or six, which will be just right."
Mu Nan nodded and turned to Qin Huai, saying, "Be careful outside. Avoid conflicts with those territorial people. There are only two of you, and you'll be at a disadvantage."
Qin Huai lightly patted his head and said, "Got it, housekeeper. You take care at home. If you hear any noise in the corridor, go find Jian Chu. Don't go easy on them, understood?"
Mu Nan retorted, "Understood, master!"
After Qin Huai left, Mu Nan realized he'd called Qin Huai a naster and himself a housekeeper. Ugh, why was Qin Huai the master and he the servant?
Xu Ming was expecting them to come by either today or tomorrow. After finishing with a patient, he heard someone was looking for him and stepped out of the tent. Without waiting for them to get closer, he waved them over and then sprayed himself with a disinfectant from a nearby bottle.
Even from a distance, Qin Huai and Yu Zibai could smell the strong disinfectant and had an ominous feeling.
After disinfecting himself, Xu Ming walked over but kept his distance. "I figured you might come. Is this for me?"
Yu Zibai said, "We found some supplies, including underwear. You might need these. We also brought some short sleeves for you. Since you haven't been upstairs, it's good to have some changes of clothes."
Xu Ming smiled at the mention of the items. "These are indeed needed. Thanks."
Yu Zibai handed him the items and said, "We didn't notice it was New Year's Eve yesterday. We plan to have a New Year's Eve meal today. It's New Year's after all, just a little celebration. Do you want to come upstairs and join us?"
Xu Ming shook his head. "I'm too busy to step away. I can't afford to leave right now." Moreover, he had been in contact with many patients and wasn't sure what he might be carrying, so it was better to keep some distance.
Yu Zibai sighed, "I figured as much. We brought down a hotpot for you. Even though it's New Year's, you should still enjoy a good meal. Keep the food safe and don't let anyone take it."
Xu Ming thanked him again and added, "You should stay indoors as much as possible. The situation is worsening."
Qin Huai frowned slightly. "Are people starting to get sick?"
Xu Ming nodded and gestured to the last tent in the row. "That tent was just set up yesterday. It's for patients who are ill after the earthquake. Right now, it's mainly malaria caused by mosquito bites. There are so many decomposing bodies in the ruins; the damage is so severe it won't be cleared in a few weeks. Many roads are blocked, and even cars might not be able to get out. There isn't a clean place in the city to shelter survivors from disease. Besides being cautious, there's nothing else to do. Malaria is just the beginning. Mosquitoes are adapting to the heat, and rats and cockroaches will likely adapt too. Once plague and cholera break out, it's hard to imagine. Given the current situation, the likelihood of a plague outbreak is very high."
Qin Huai and Yu Zibai exchanged glances. Qin Huai was relatively calm since he had previously researched the infectious diseases that might emerge after earthquakes, so he had a basic understanding of diseases like plague and cholera. Yu Zibai, on the other hand, had only heard of such diseases and had no concrete knowledge about them, knowing only that large-scale outbreaks in history had resulted in many deaths.
Seeing Yu Zibai's bewildered expression, Xu Ming briefly explained, "To put it simply, malaria is transmitted through mosquito bites, which is its main mode of transmission. Plague, however, can be spread through the air in addition to mosquito bites. It can be transmitted between people, animals, and from animals to people. You might just pass by a ruin today and become a carrier of the virus."
Yu Zibai felt a shiver run down his spine from Xu Ming's words. Before they could ask more questions, a middle-aged man rushed over with a child in his arms, exclaiming, "Doctor, help! My son is convulsing!"
Xu Ming, not wearing protective gear, stepped back and did not approach the child. He pointed to the tent behind him. "Quickly, go over there. There are doctors there."
The man hurriedly followed the directions.
Xu Ming sighed, "You should leave quickly, secure the doors and windows, and prepare the food. If you can stay indoors, do so."
Yu Zibai frowned slightly. "You're just a veterinarian you don't need to work this hard."
Xu Ming smiled, "A veterinarian is still a doctor. I've studied medicine, and although I might not be skilled in everything, I can handle injections. Alright, go back to what you need to do. It's better for the medical team to stay at a distance."