When the temperature dropped below minus forty degrees, Xu Ming also returned to avoid the winter. Previously, he could run around a bit in the low temperatures, but now, even with more clothes on, he couldn't endure the cold outside. The weather was manageable when it was sunny, even though the warmth of the sun couldn't be felt on the skin, at least there was no wind. However, in windy and snowy weather, no amount of clothing could protect him. The key issue was that windy and snowy days were more frequent than clear days. Many people lost their sense of feeling while going to or coming from work, and by the time they were discovered, they were already stiff.
Some doctors had already stationed themselves at the hospital, which provided housing. With the current low temperatures, many people preferred to stay indoors. Those who had to go out were mostly soldiers, and very few ordinary citizens made it to the hospital, as most were already beyond help by the time they were found. Therefore, it was sufficient to leave a few doctors behind. Most medical resources were still focused on the quarantine area, where people were sent in and dragged out in batches. Xu Ming wasn't skilled in handling epidemics although he could help with injections, he felt he hadn't elevated himself to that level. After the rescue efforts at the central camp in the city, even though Xu Ming had a naturally low ability for empathy, facing the numerous deaths he couldn't save, he found it impossible to confront such suffocating despair, which was too heavy.
So, after leaving only a few doctors and nurses on duty at the hospital, he went straight home.
Jian Chu comforted him, "It's nothing really; you were only a veterinarian. In terms of technical qualifications, you weren't at that level anyway. You've worked hard enough for a while."
Xu Ming looked at Jian Chu helplessly, "Is this comfort or a blow?"
Jian Chu laughed heartily, "It's comfort, of course! It's good that you have some free time now. Mu Nan has been saying that when you have time, we should all go out for a meal, and the landlord will treat us."
Xu Ming asked, "Who's the landlord?"
Jian Chu replied, "It's our family of this impoverished class. Who do you think the landlord is?"
Xu Ming inquired, "Why the sudden desire to treat us to a meal?"
Jian Chu chuckled, "You can think of this meal as a farewell to singlehood, an announcement meal, or a wedding meal."
Xu Ming took two seconds to sort out the relationship, wearing an expression of realization, then turned to Jian Chu, "So when will you treat us to your announcement meal?"
Jian Chu was momentarily speechless, still feeling a bit shy from the teasing. Yu Zibai, who was cleaning at home, suddenly popped his head out, "We'll eat with the big spenders first, and after that, we'll have our simple porridge and side dishes." His relationship with Jian Chu hadn't been publicly announced like Mu Nan and the others it had developed naturally. However, with Mu Nan and the others as an example, Yu Zibai felt they should also treat everyone to a meal to make it more formal.
Xu Ming sat on the stairs and chatted with them for a while. Since the upstairs and downstairs were connected with underfloor heating, the house was warm, so Jian Chu usually didn't close the door to their second floor. Xu Ming wouldn't typically intrude, but he occasionally sat on the stairs to talk with Jian Chu, who was busy preparing food. Although there were limited ingredients, she still tried to mix things up. Food left outside for just an hour would freeze solid, making the fridge unnecessary and very easy to store, so making more wasn't a problem. Meanwhile, Yu Zibai cleaned both inside and outside.
Recently, Jian Chu mentioned wanting to grow some vegetables at home; it seemed Mu Nan had seeds and had successfully grown some. Jian Chu was eager to try too, but the ground was hard to work with. The outdoor soil was frozen solid like concrete, and it took Yu Zibai a lot of effort just to dig up a little. They had to defrost it, add fertilizer, and make wooden boxes to store the soil. There was hardly a moment they could relax at home.
Watching how these two families could lead fulfilling lives under the current living conditions made Xu Ming feel a bit envious. If one were alone, it would be one thing, but being sandwiched between these two families and witnessing their happiness inevitably affected him.
Observing the silent communication between Jian Chu and Yu Zibai, who could understand each other with just a glance, Xu Ming asked Jian Chu when Yu Zibai went to change the water with a mop, "Is this how it is for two people living together?"
Jian Chu, while rolling up tofu residue balls made from leftover soy milk, looked up at Xu Ming and said, "Isn't life like this? When two people work together, household chores are shared, worries can be discussed, and you have the courage to face the future together."
Xu Ming, used to relying on himself, found it hard to imagine what it felt like to seek reassurance for the future from another person. However, he had to admit that he had previously thought being alone was better when faced with trivial matters, but seeing others happy made him think that being together really wasn't so bad.
After chatting for a while, Xu Ming went upstairs. Each day, he found it relaxing to talk to his neighbors, and when he was home alone, he would browse the internet, which was quite leisurely.
Xu Ming even created a section for veterinarians where he answered various questions about animals for free, not just limited to pets. Unfortunately, the most common comments were about how, at this time, who could still afford to keep pets, so there weren't many inquiries. But since Xu Ming had time to spare, he occasionally posted some educational content about wild animals, such as how to protect oneself when encountering dangerous animals. Perhaps because there had been wild beasts around, his educational posts generated a bit more interaction, with quite a bit of back-and-forth engagement, allowing Xu Ming to find some ways to pass the time.
Mu Nan, inspired by Xu Ming's initiative, said, "Should I open a comic section too?"
Qin Huai, sitting on the sofa with one hand propping his head and the other draped around Mu Nan, who was leaning against him watching a movie, glanced down at him and replied, "Sure, if you want to draw, you can create a comic channel in the entertainment section. Or you can start drawing now, and I'll set up a dedicated website for you later."
Mu Nan said, "Do I really need to set up a whole website? It feels like such a hassle. Can't I just create a section like Xu Ming did, like a forum?"
Qin Huai replied, "Once the ID cards are updated and points are converted into new currency, everything will become electronic transactions. At that point, some online content will start to incur fees, just like before. Watching movies, reading novels, or accessing copyrighted material will require corresponding payments. By having a dedicated platform for this, you can collect fees uniformly. You can register as a comic artist, and others can register too. Once more people start drawing there, naturally, more people will read it, allowing you to continue making money from home through your art."
Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai with surprise, "Can it be done like that? But setting up such a website requires a server, right?"
Qin Huai smiled, "I guess for quite some time, our lives won't be able to return to the old ways, so many things will have to rely on the state. For fee-based projects like this, they will obviously need to be affiliated with the state. The servers will naturally be provided by the military, and they also need to make money. They're not just giving points and currency conversions they can make a profit from backend operations. If this can bring them extra income, I think they'd be willing to open such an entertainment section."
Mu Nan shook his legs, feeling a sudden urge to grab a pencil and start drawing. The thought of being able to make money without going out made him feel that although he might no longer be a seer about the future after this winter, the future didn't seem so scary. It would be even better if things could gradually improve in such an environment.
"Brother, what do you think I should draw? If I want to make money, I definitely need to create a serialized story, but will anyone read a romance story at this time?"
Qin Huai laughed, "That's something I don't know it's your area of expertise. However, you don't need to focus solely on making money. Just draw what you want. Even if it doesn't earn money, I can still support you."
Mu Nan thought for a moment, "How about I draw a disaster-themed story? It would resonate with many people. But, you know, comics need to have some uplifting moments they can't be as grim as reality. I could depict a world rebuilding scenario, evolving into a high-tech floating city. We could live in a city suspended in the air, supported by floatation devices. Above us would be a massive energy shield, with scorching heat serving as the energy source for the shield. It wouldn't be hot in summer or cold in winter anymore the floating city would be warm all year round. We could ride sightseeing cars floating in mid-air, enjoying the views of the harsh natural landscapes outside. How does that sound?"
Qin Huai praised, "Great! You've built a new world in an instant, Nan Nan, that's impressive!"
Mu Nan felt a bit pleased by the compliment but also thought Qin Huai was just flattering him, so he scoffed lightly, "You're just like a child trying to please someone."
Qin Huai chuckled, "Aren't you my little child?"
Mu Nan sat up immediately, "So you are just trying to flatter me, right?"
Qin Huai placed a hand on his back, pushing him gently towards him and wrapping him in a hug, "Who says I'm flattering you? No matter what you do, you're the best in my eyes."
Mu Nan felt a bit overwhelmed by the sweet talk and, feeling a bit shy, tried to push Qin Huai away to sit up. But he quickly grabbed his waist and looked at him with a light smile, "So, may I ask, the best Nan Nan in the world, can I kiss you now?"
Mu Nan covered Qin Huai's mouth with his hand. Even though it was just the two of them at home with no outsiders, some things should just be done without asking.
Qin Huai turned over, quickly switching their positions. Before Mu Nan could kick him, he gently bit his lip, thinking that since he had such a sweet treat in his arms, how could he not enjoy it?
Late at night, Mu Nan curled up in Qin Huai's arms, groaning, "I'm so tired. Why is it exhausting to just lie here without moving?"
Qin Huai smiled contentedly, holding him close and gently massaging his back, "You've worked hard, babe."
Mu Nan, enjoying Qin Huai's massage, didn't hold back, "It really is exhausting."
Qin Huai nibbled on his earlobe, "When you act all spoiled like this, it makes me want to do it again."
Mu Nan immediately curled up and turned his back to Qin Huai. In this shameless, unrestrained life, he didn't forget to heavily criticize Qin Huai, "Brother, you've changed."
Qin Huai held him tightly, kissing his shoulder. He loved this feeling of kissing and hugging, skin on skin, "How have I changed?"
Mu Nan recounted his "crimes," "Before, you wouldn't let me sleep in. Now, for your own pleasure, you've broken the rule of not letting me sleep in. Tsk, men!"
Qin Huai pinched his waist, "My own pleasure? When have I not made you happy? You ungrateful little thing."
Mu Nan laughed heartily as he pinched him, "Brother, be gentle it hurts, haha..."
Just as they were wrapped up in the blankets, playfully teasing each other, they suddenly heard a loud, intense barking from a dog. The excited barking startled Mu Nan, and Qin Huai quickly pulled the blanket over him, grabbing nearby clothes to put on, "I'll go see. You stay here and be good."
Mu Nan couldn't just sit still what if something happened? Feeling exposed and vulnerable, he quickly got up to put on some clothes.
Meanwhile, Qin Huai had already wrapped himself in a thick coat and stepped out onto the balcony. It was very dark outside, with no streetlights, and almost every household had covered their windows for protection. Initially, this was to block out the sunlight, but now it served to keep out the cold and shield them from prying eyes. The darkness outside became even more profound. Anticipating that something might happen, Qin Huai had installed a row of floodlights on the eaves of their third-floor apartment shortly after moving in. As soon as he stepped out, he turned on the lights, illuminating the yard. The intruders climbing over the wall were clearly taken aback by the sudden brightness, causing one of them to slip and fall halfway down, while two others had already entered the yard.
The barking of the dog had naturally awakened everyone in the courtyard. Soon after, Xu Ming, who lived next door, came out dressed as well. His apartment was on the third floor, adjacent to Qin Huai's balcony, which was open, allowing them to see each other easily. Xu Ming instinctively asked what was happening, but before Qin Huai could respond, Xu Ming spotted the intruders who had just entered their yard. Two of them stood in the light, showing no fear, and provocatively made a throat-cutting gesture while looking up at their floor. Then, they opened the iron gate to let in their companions from outside.
One of the intruders raised his knife and shouted, "I advise you to open the door willingly. We're just here for money, not hurt anyone. If you cooperate, we won't kill you all we'll leave you some. But if you don't cooperate, don't blame me for how quick my knife is!"
Qin Huai's eyes turned cold as he looked down at the brazen intruders. He said to Xu Ming, "Wait here."
He went inside and grabbed two crossbows that he kept in the living room, handing one to Xu Ming. He then aimed at the man with the knife who was making threats and quickly fired an arrow.
The group of would-be robbers had likely scouted the area beforehand and knew there was a dog, so they weren't surprised by the barking. After climbing over the wall, they rushed toward the main entrance, each with a knife in hand. However, before they could get close, the leader was hit in the shoulder by the arrow. He didn't immediately react, standing there dazed for a moment before instinctively looking at his shoulder and letting out a horrified scream.
His companions were startled as well, as the floodlights illuminated the yard brightly. They could see the arrow lodged in the leader's shoulder and the blood seeping from it clearly.
There were seven of them in total, and Qin Huai wasted no time in firing a second arrow. Xu Ming had never used a crossbow before, but it wasn't too difficult it was straightforward to draw the bow and shoot. The intruders stood frozen in shock until another man was shot in the leg, prompting them to finally flee.
The one who had threatened them shouted back as he ran, "You wait! I won't let you off so easily!"
However, before he could finish his threat, he felt a sharp pain in his back as another arrow struck him. Qin Huai glanced at Xu Ming, who shrugged, "Seems pretty easy." This was Xu Ming's first time using a crossbow, and his first shot had drawn blood—quite impressive.
At this moment, Mu Nan wrapped in his clothes, stepped outside and was shocked by the scene in the yard. Qin Huai shot him a glance and noted that he was bundled up warmly, so he didn't send him back inside. Although he hoped that Mu Nan would never have to face such situations, reality rarely aligned with wishes. He wouldn't force his growth, but he wouldn't hinder it either when such things occurred.
As the fourth intruder fell, a white figure darted out from next door. The white dog raced across the snow, its sharp teeth sinking into the calf of one of the fleeing intruders. The man, still holding a knife, screamed in pain and swung the knife down at the dog, but Qin Huai swiftly shot an arrow that pierced his arm. The man dropped the knife into the snow with a pained gasp.
The first man shot in the shoulder had not anticipated such a severe setback. After getting back on his feet, he gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "Damn it! You all wait! I won't let you get away with this!"
Qin Huai chuckled lightly and shot another arrow, this time piercing the man's kneecap. The crossbow Xu Ming had was a basic model that required manual drawing, while Qin Huai wielded a mechanical one capable of penetrating a skull, no less effective than a bullet.
Xu Ming gradually found his rhythm. Notably, the dog, Niu Niu, was doing an excellent job he chased after whichever intruder tried to flee. Those lying on the ground were either too injured to move or too terrified to get up.
Jian Chu and Yu Zibai, who had been hiding inside and observing the situation, rushed out to help. Their first action was to kick the weapons away from the intruders, ensuring they disarmed them before approaching. However, they were cautious not to get too close to the injured robbers, aware that a dropped knife could still pose a threat. Having overwhelmingly secured the situation, they were careful not to be caught off guard.
In total, none of the seven intruders escaped. Niu Niu stood guard, his fierce demeanor and exposed teeth making him look frightening. The few who couldn't resist the urge to run were bitten severely on their arms or calves, leaving two of them, completely uninjured, cowering on the ground in fear.
Faced with a dog at the front and armed shooters at the back, the intruders had clearly underestimated the resistance they would encounter.
The reason they attempted to rob this place was primarily due to the presence of the dog. After all, a dog meant meat, and they had not had meat in ages. Besides, the fact that someone could afford to keep a dog indicated they likely had abundant supplies. Knowing there was a dog here, they had specifically monitored the area, aware that several young women lived in the courtyard. A group of big men alongside a few youthful, attractive girls living in such a fortified yard could easily indicate a comfortable life.
They were still thinking about how, once they dealt with the men in the yard, they could have their fun with the women.
They didn't know much about the situation of the others, but they were aware that there was a doctor in this house—a profession that earned a lot of points. Just by robbing one doctor, they figured they wouldn't have to worry about food for quite some time. So even though there were a lot of men in the yard, they believed that fortune favored the bold, and if they could surround such a place, it surely held many valuable items. After all, this wasn't their first time doing something like this. Some of the onlookers had already flinched at the sight of their knives, and there were hardly any who dared to resist those who did had already been sent to meet their end.
However, this was also their first time going after such a big target. They hadn't counted the exact number of people they estimated around five or six men were present. Still, they had a decent number of people on their side, and even in one-on-one fights, their opponents might not stand a chance. What they hadn't anticipated was that while they had knives, their adversaries had ranged weapons, which resulted in severe injuries.
Two of the uninjured men, fearing they would be reported, trembled and pleaded, "We were just momentarily misguided! Please let us go we promise we won't do this again!"
At that moment, Qin Huai, who had already come downstairs, kicked one of the men in the face, causing blood to splatter everywhere, and it looked like a couple of his teeth fell out. He handed a length of rope to Yu Zibai, saying, "Tie them up and drag them outside." He then proceeded to pull the arrows out of the men without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Song Jia rushed over, pale-faced, trembling as he helped Yu Zibai tie the robbers. His brother was still bedridden and unable to move, and if these intruders had broken into their home today, they would have been at their mercy. So even though it was his first time witnessing bloodshed, he fought to suppress his fear and anxiety.
The moment the arrows pierced flesh was so quick that it caught them off guard. Although it hurt, it wasn't unbearable to the point of agony when pulled out however, anyone with a bit of common sense would know that getting shot could still allow for survival, but once the arrows were removed, that was a different story altogether.
The men writhed in pain and screamed. Qin Huai stepped on one of the rolling men, showing no mercy as he pulled out the arrows from various parts of their bodies—his hands, legs, and back.
Xu Ming came down as well, crossing his arms and shaking his head in dismay. "In this cold weather, the wounds will clot quickly, so they won't die from blood loss. However, they will lose body heat faster, and with the cold sweat mixing with the blood on their bodies, they'll only get colder. Whether they see the sun tomorrow depends on their luck."
Jian Chu, although he had never witnessed such a scene, accepted it quite well. He understood that if they didn't suppress these intruders today, it would be them lying on the ground waiting to die, whether from being killed or starving to death after having all their food and points taken away. Thus, seeing the robbers in such a miserable state, he felt no sympathy at all.
As Yu Zibai and Song Jia worked on binding the robbers, one of the intruders who had been too scared to move and had remained on the ground suddenly pulled something out of his pocket. Before he could brandish it, there was a sharp whooshing sound, followed by a scream. Xu Ming reacted quickly, kicking the hand that was shot with an arrow away, causing a small dagger to drop into the snow. The arrow had originated from their front door.
Mu Nan sighed with relief, having practiced his aim at home.
Qin Huai turned to Mu Nan and saw that he showed no signs of fear or discomfort from having harmed someone he had acted decisively and efficiently, so he waved him over. Mu Nan hurriedly ran to him, and Qin Huai praised him, "All that practice paid off."
Mu Nan proudly tilted his head, "Of course!"
After collecting all the arrows, which were reusable with a bit of washing, they tied up the robbers and tossed them outside. Before dawn broke, with the floodlights still on in the yard, Mu Nan and Jian Chu began shoveling the bloody snow into a pile to dump into a cart outside. Leaving it there would be too disgusting.
Once everything was cleaned up, Qin Huai asked them, "Did you call the police?"
The group exchanged uncertain glances, clearly having not called.
Song Jia, now composed, asked, "Can we even call the police?"
Their country had no laws that allowed for home invasion and murder without consequences, nor did it permit the possession of such illegal weapons, so instinctively they were struggling to process the situation, even thinking about how to cover it up.
Qin Huai chuckled, "Why not? They broke in to rob us we were just defending ourselves. Call the police and let them take care of it." As for whether the military would send someone over, whether the robbers lived or froze to death would depend on their luck.