Chapter 86

Every day before leaving for work and before going to bed, Qin Huai would use medicinal oil to massage Mu Nan. The injury wasn't too severe; it seemed like he just twisted his back when he fell, so after two days of massages with the oil, Mu Nan was nearly healed. Walking was mostly unaffected, though bending down to pick things up still hurt a bit, but it was nothing serious—luckily, there were no fractures or serious injuries.

As a result, for these past few days, Qin Huai carried a strong scent of medicinal oil to work. The smell was quite potent and lingered, leading Zhang Qi and the others to think Qin Huai had gotten injured. When they learned it was just that his partner had strained his back, they commented, "The snow hasn't stopped for days now, and the roads are really slippery. Without the ability to spread salt or lay down straw mats, many people are falling. My neighbor next door fractured his tailbone—his whole family of five is relying on him, and now he probably won't be able to work for over a month. They're all frowning, and it seems like they might not even manage to pay next month's rent."

Zhou Chuanghong clicked his tongue. "So one person supports a family of five?"

Zhang Qi, holding a warm cup of tea, added, "Three elderly people, a wife, and a seven or eight-year-old child. That makes a total of six in the family. During this freezing weather, how can elderly folks in their sixties or seventies go out and work? The city's pampered elderly can't handle that. There aren't many jobs available for women either; the kitchen staff are all family members of government workers. These kinds of cushy jobs won't be handed out to outsiders. Even the cleaning jobs are fiercely contested. The technicians who fix electrical wiring and plumbing are in high demand. Even if his family wanted to set up a stall at the local market, they wouldn't have anything to sell. If they can't rely on him, what else can they do?"

Zhou Chuanghong chuckled, "In this kind of weather, I have more experience than you southern folks. I slipped and fell when I went out this morning, but luckily, I reacted quickly and managed to fall flat on my back, avoiding a hard landing. Every day, I walk to and from work very carefully, almost like I'm back in my hometown in Northeast China. But compared to others, I'm more comfortable on my own I just have to take care of myself." Although he said this, he certainly worried about his family. His older brother was taking care of their parents, so he felt a bit more at ease knowing they had someone to look after them. If they survived the earthquake, he wouldn't be too worried. If not, well, that was just the way things were. It was hard to say whether he would get the chance to return home again, so he tried not to dwell on pessimistic thoughts and took each day as it came.

Zhang Qi remarked, "Being alone isn't ideal either the roads are treacherous. If you fall hard, there's no one at home to take care of you. That's tough."

Zhou Chuanghong turned to Qin Huai, asking, "Qin Ge, is your partner okay staying home alone?"

Qin Huai replied, "He's fine, he just strained himself. It's not serious and doesn't affect his mobility."

Zhou Chuanghong nodded. "It's probably not serious. Otherwise, you'd have definitely taken time off. Just look at you, always ready to send a message to check in, you wouldn't let an injured person stay home alone."

Just then, Qin Huai's phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a photo from Mu Nan showing the first piece of shredded bean curd he had made, still steaming.

Qin Huai replied, "That's impressive! Just take it easy don't sit or stand for too long. Move around a bit and rest in bed more."

Mu Nan responded with a cute nodding emoji.

Zhang Qi asked, "Does your partner's work get affected by this?" They didn't know what Qin Huai's partner was called, so they just referred to him as "your partner."

Qin Huai put down his phone. "It's too cold out, so I told him to stay home."

The two men beside Qin Huai immediately felt a tinge of envy, how nice would it be not to have to go out to work in this freezing weather? Unfortunately, they didn't have that option. Shu bin, sitting across from them, merely glanced up for a second, his gaze instinctively sweeping over Qin Huai before quickly lowering his head again, focusing intently on his computer.

At that moment, the meteorological station received a report from the central office, their faces filled with concern as they submitted it to the higher-ups. Looking at the recent reports, they were unsure if they could withstand the approaching cold temperatures.

By lunchtime, the group had organized their things and was preparing to head to the cafeteria when the class monitor in charge of their civil communications group entered first. "A cold wave is about to hit, so everyone will be on leave starting now. Take advantage of the fact that it hasn't started snowing yet and head home early. The work schedule will be notified later, so make sure your phones are available."

Zhou Chuanghong couldn't help but speak up, "Heavy snow will affect communications, right? What if we lose connectivity without our maintenance?"

The class monitor replied, "Don't worry, there will be someone on duty."

Hearing this, they felt reassured, but the duty personnel wouldn't be them it would likely be the communications soldiers. They had completed a few heated dormitories for the soldiers, but only the soldiers' class could occupy them.

After finishing, the class monitor turned to Qin Huai and said, "Wait a moment, Captain Shi will be coming over soon he said he has something to discuss with you."

Qin Huai nodded, while Zhang Qi couldn't help but raise his hand cautiously, "Can we still go eat lunch today?"

The class monitor smiled at him, "Yes, go ahead. I've already spoken to the cafeteria; today's dinner has also been arranged. Remember to take it."

The group instantly felt joyful, planning to go back and buy some supplies to stock up at home. Fortunately, their salaries were decent, so stocking up on food for a month should be enough. They just hoped the cold wave would pass quickly so they could return to work soon. Otherwise, they could at least go to the construction site to help out before being notified to return, though they wondered if the construction site would also close due to the cold wave.

Qin Huai waited for a while until Shi Yuanfei arrived. As soon as Shi Yuanfei saw him, he smiled broadly and said, "I have a good opportunity for you, but it's up to you whether you want it."

Qin Huai didn't show much surprise and calmly asked, "What opportunity?"

Shi Yuanfei replied, "It's about transferring to the engineering corps. You'll still be responsible for the civil communications part, but you'll have the chance to work with military communication equipment. You'll be able to stay in the warm buildings designated for the military, essentially becoming part of the state apparatus without the responsibilities of rescue missions."

For Qin Huai, eating state-provided meals wasn't particularly important; the government didn't have much good food to offer these days. However, having access to military communications equipment would indeed be beneficial. At the very least, he would be among the first to receive information from other provinces and even neighboring countries, which could be lifesaving in critical moments—saving others' lives and, more importantly, saving his own.

However, after Shi Yuanfei finished speaking, Qin Huai asked with clarity, "What are the conditions? It can't just be a sudden transfer without reason." It wasn't as if his abilities had been recognized; communications were crucial and could be considered just below weapons development. It wouldn't make sense to transfer an ordinary person just like that. Even though they no longer had the conditions for a third-generation review, a transfer couldn't be that simple.

Shi Yuanfei said, "Of course, it's not just a simple transfer. This opportunity is based on the fact that the brigade commander's niece, Zhu Peipei, is the orphan of a comrade of the commander."

When Qin Huai heard this, he laughed. "So this opportunity comes from connections? If it's this frivolous, I might lose my good impression of the current government."

Shi Yuanfei clicked his tongue. "How could it be? It's just that Zhu Peipei likes you and asked her uncle for this opportunity. It's a kind of preliminary enlistment. As for whether you can pass the assessments, that depends on you. It's not something frivolous. After a certain amount of reconstruction progress, there will be a formal enlistment, but that will take some time. You could wait until then to apply; this is just an early opportunity."

Qin Huai knew who Zhu Peipei was—a military doctor who came to measure their temperatures and take notes daily. She was a young and pretty girl, and unlike some stern-looking military doctors, Zhu Peipei always had a smile when measuring their temperatures. Although she didn't have the means to dress up, she was refreshing and clean, and her smile made her quite charming. At least the boys in their class had a good impression of her, but Qin Huai hadn't realized she liked him.

Qin Huai shook his head. "Then I can only say I'm sorry."

Shi Yuanfei replied, "Don't feel burdened it's not like you have to marry her. Just get to know her better. It's free love no one can force you."

Qin Huai responded, "It's not that. There are two reasons first, my biological father is Yao Xianqun."

Shi Yuanfei looked at him in confusion. "Who is he?"

Qin Huai explained, "In 1995, Mingxu Real Estate's capital chain collapsed, with the funds going missing. The construction site was left unfinished, and hundreds of buyers couldn't get their homes or their money back. The workers were denied their hard-earned wages and constantly petitioned. Unfortunately, back then, communication wasn't as developed as it is now, and the petitioning process dragged on for years due to negligence. In the end, two people were driven to jump off a building, which finally drew attention from the higher-ups, leading to the suicide of the legal representative of Mingxu Real Estate."

Shi Yuanfei pondered this. If that were the case, the political review aspect would indeed be problematic. Although it would be challenging to investigate Qin Huai's background now, if he didn't reveal it, his character would be the biggest issue, making it all the less likely they would want him. However, considering the situation, he wondered if being proactive about it might allow for some leniency.

Without waiting for Shi Yuanfei to respond, Qin Huai continued, "My biological father is not the legal representative who committed suicide he is the one who absconded with the funds. He fled overseas and started anew, even becoming a wealthy Chinese expatriate. At least before the earthquake, he was enjoying life abroad."

Qin Huai had only discovered this after starting his own business. Had he known earlier about his father's colorful past, when he returned from abroad and tried to take him away, threatening him with Mu Nan, he could have just called the police. But at that time, he knew nothing and thought this wealthy man had abandoned his pregnant girlfriend because he was dissatisfied with her family's lack of money, leaving her behind to marry a rich foreign woman. He never imagined it was more than just a case of being materialistic—it was a bloody crime. By the time he found out, the statute of limitations had already passed.

Shi Yuanfei's eyes widened in shock. Well, this time, no amount of leniency would help.

Qin Huai looked at Shi Yuanfei, who was speechless, and said, "This second reason is the real important reason."

Shi Yuanfei felt a tremor in his heart. What could be worse than having a father with a criminal background? Did that mean Qin Huai himself had committed a crime?

Qin Huai continued, "I have a partner, and he's male."

With that statement, the chances of passing the political review dropped to zero. The possibility of climbing the ranks through connections was also virtually non-existent.

As sounds came from the yard, the mobility-impaired Mu Nan could only push open the window of his room to look down. When he saw that Qin Huai had returned, he didn't dare to rush down like before to open the door for him, so he just opened the window and waved down, "Brother!"

Qin Huai looked up and waved back.

Leaning against the railing on the third floor, Mu Nan asked, "Why are you back so early today? Have you eaten lunch yet?"

Qin Huai handed his backpack to Mu Nan. "Not yet. There are some steamed buns and sweet corn cakes inside. You said the café made them delicious, so I took a few more. The cold wave is coming, so we have an early break. We'll wait for further notice about work schedules."

Mu Nan cheered excitedly, "No more early mornings braving the wind and snow to go to work! In this freezing winter, we should just stay home. Go wash your hands and face and change your clothes. I'll get lunch for you. You need to message me when you get back, so I'll wait for you to eat together."

Qin Huai replied, "Meals need to be on time."

Mu Nan countered, "But you're not on time either! Hurry and change. What do you want for lunch? How about a hot pot? It's going to be freezing outside, so you should eat something warm. How about lamb spine? What greens do you want? I can put them in the pot for you."

Qin Huai nodded, "Get some lettuce."

Mu Nan took out a pot from his space and added some lettuce, along with some konjac and dried tofu. After a while, Qin Huai came back in clean clothes. Mu Nan quickly served him the meal and handed him a pair of chopsticks. He took another pair and pressed down the new ingredients added to the pot, saying, "You eat the meat first these still need to cook a bit longer."

Qin Huai said, "You should tell Jian Chu and the others about the cold wave. If they need to stock up on supplies, they should go to the exchange point as soon as possible. Once the news about the cold wave hits, it will be crowded at the exchange point."

Mu Nan immediately ran to the bed to grab his phone and sent a message in their small neighborhood group "A cold wave is coming! If you need to exchange supplies, do it quickly! If it's too late, you won't be able to go out because of the blizzard!"

Jian Chu and the others had gone to work, so they probably didn't have time to check their phones. Plus, working outdoors in such low temperatures meant their phones would likely shut off automatically, so there was no response for a while.

However, the neighbor next door, Song Jia, quickly replied "If I wait for my brother to get off work before going to buy, will I make it in time?"

Mu Nan looked at Qin Huai, who nodded, and then Mu Nan replied in the group, "You should be able to make it. Just make a list of what you need to buy and go directly."

Qin Huai added, "There might be a water stoppage. The outside temperature is dropping rapidly, and no matter how well we insulate the pipes, they might freeze."

Mu Nan sent another message in the group: "Hurry and store some water! If the pipes freeze, we'll have to melt snow for drinking water."

After sending the message, Mu Nan put down his phone and ran to the bathroom to get water. He had plenty of water in his space, but it was better to store more while he had the chance. Even though they wouldn't have to worry about water in winter, the snow on the ground was dirty, but the snow on the roof could be melted for water. Even if it wasn't suitable for drinking, boiling it for washing was fine. However, if there was clean underground water available, there was no need to bother with the snow. Mu Nan had done enough of that in his previous life, and now he preferred to take it easy.

After setting up an inflatable pool in the bathroom to collect water, he returned to the table to watch Qin Huai eat. Qin Huai glanced at him and asked, "Does it still hurt today?"

Mu Nan shook his head, "No pain, really all better now. I don't even need the medicine anymore."

Qin Huai said, "We should still massage it once more today."

Mu Nan sighed, "You're making the bedding smell like medicinal oil."

"After we finish today, we can change the bedding just take off the covers and wash them."

Mu Nan replied, "That works. While we still have water, we can use the washing machine to wash the sheets and covers. Do you think the underfloor heating will have issues due to the low temperatures?" Even if there were problems, they could still use the fireplace, smokeless coal, and oil heaters. His brother had stocked up on oil, which they hadn't used up yet. Alternatively, they could clear out the second-floor living room and set up the RV to use it for heating.

With his space and supplies, as long as it wasn't a volcanic eruption or extreme cold, they could endure. But it seemed their neighbors wouldn't fare as well; they didn't even have a bed. Right now, thanks to the underfloor heating, sleeping on the ground was quite comfortable. However, if the heating failed, with just a couple of thick blankets and warm clothes at home, it would be tough.

Qin Huai said, "I don't know how low the temperatures will drop. If it exceeds the limits for human habitation, aside from using fire for warmth, there might not be other options."

The extreme low temperature for human habitation is minus seventy degrees Celsius, but that limit is based on the government's normal heating supply, along with assistance from other regions and the accumulated experience of generations. If they faced such temperatures now, they might have to figure out how to build snow shelters and live underground.

Thinking about such extreme cold and heat, Qin Huai said, "Maybe in the future, humanity's path will resemble those sci-fi movies, where they have to build underground cities."

Mu Nan nodded, "So those movies aren't just fanciful, right? Maybe they really represent a path for humanity, like space migration, Noah's Ark, underground cities... Who knows what the future holds? Brother, do you think our area will turn into an ocean like in those movies? If that happens, we wouldn't even know where to get tickets for boats, and it's unclear if, like in the films, only the world's wealthiest can survive. You remember how many well-known and lesser-known wealthy people from both domestic and foreign backgrounds suddenly donated large sums to the domestic aviation industry? Do you think those were actually tickets for escape?"

Qin Huai shook his head and said, "Who knows? Let's focus on living well in the present and not think too far into the future."

After finishing their meal, Qin Huai cleaned up both upstairs and downstairs. For tasks like sweeping and mopping, he just set the robot vacuum to work, so he didn't have to do it himself. He flipped through Mu Nan's planting journal, which recorded the daily watering times and amounts. It even included sketches of the growth stages of the peppers and tomatoes, showing their progress from tiny sprouts to lush green plants. It was clear that Mu Nan had taken great care, adhering strictly to the guidelines for temperature and water amounts.

Mu Nan leaned over to Qin Huai and said, "From the guides I looked up before, the peppers don't need much attention, but the tomatoes need support, and I'll need to pollinate them by hand. So we need to process those wooden pieces into sticks."

Qin Huai noticed that Mu Nan had drawn potatoes in his second notebook and asked, "Are you planning to grow potatoes on the second floor?"

Mu Nan replied, "That was the plan, but it seems there are no potatoes for sale outside. When I went to buy seed potatoes, they didn't have any. They said I could just cut the potatoes into slices and let them sprout, so I'm waiting to buy seed potatoes when they become available." Although he had potatoes in his space, there were none for sale outside, and he couldn't explain where his potatoes came from, so he decided to wait.

Qin Huai said, "Let's go to the second floor. I'll help you set up the racks. We have time now, so we can take it slow. As for what to plant, we can decide later."

Qin Huai's hands-on skills were impressive. By the end of the afternoon, he had already built half of the wooden rack on the second floor. The purpose of the rack was to keep the plants slightly elevated off the ground; otherwise, the underfloor heating would cook the seeds in the soil. Just before it got dark, Jian Chu and the others returned and came to borrow a tricycle from them.

Qin Huai went downstairs to open the garage door and saw Yu Zibai and Wu Zheng planning to go together, so he asked, "Is Xu Ming not going with you?"

Yu Zibai replied, "He hasn't gotten off work yet. Recently, many people have been slipping and fracturing bones. Sometimes he doesn't get back until after midnight."

Qin Huai mentioned, "I also sent him a message about the cold wave. I don't know if he saw it."

Jian Chu stomped his feet in the cold. "If he saw it, he probably wouldn't have time to reply. Have you all bought everything you need? Aren't you going together?"

Qin Huai said, "No, we've already bought everything. You guys go ahead and leave the tricycle at your place. If Xu Ming needs to buy something, he can avoid coming here to get it."

Jian Chu nodded, and the group didn't waste any more time. It was already dark, and if they delayed further, it would be even later. Although the four of them weren't afraid of being robbed, they were concerned about wild animals, which could be dangerous. Even Niu Niu was kept at home and not taken outside.

Mu Nan watched them leave from the balcony on the second floor. When Qin Huai came back up, his eyes sparkled as he looked at him. "Brother, our neighbors only have one dog left that doesn't talk!"

Qin Huai asked, "So?"

Mu Nan exclaimed, "Let's eat hotpot!"

Qin Huai chuckled, "Okay, let's eat. I don't know if they will stop work in the next few days. If they don't, you can eat whenever you want."

Excited, Mu Nan quickly bounced up to the third floor. Just the thought of eating hot pot made his waist pain disappear and his body feel relaxed.

The hot pot was pre-cooked and stored in his space. Although there weren't many ingredients added, Mu Nan had prepared this in case he craved something during an emergency. Now that they had time, they could enjoy it slowly. He took out various ingredients one by one from his space, feeling that cooking and eating at the same time was much more enjoyable.

After such a long time, Mu Nan finally got to eat hot pot and felt his life was complete. "It's snowing outside, and we're cooking hot pot at home. We don't have to go to work, and we can sleep in. Life is worth it!"

Qin Huai laughed, "Who was it that cried while wearing an unremovable protective suit, saying life wasn't worth it back then?"

Mu Nan lightly clicked his tongue, "That was then, this is now." He added a slice of freshly cooked fatty beef to Qin Huai's dipping plate. "Hurry up and eat! Eat more meat to build up some fat to stay warm this winter!"

Qin Huai smiled as he picked up the fatty meat and put it into his mouth. He watched as Mu Nan licked his lips while fishing for his favorite ingredients in the pot, and his eyes softened. No matter how tough life became, it was still worth it.