You Didn't Ask Me Yesterday
The departure time was set for early the next day. That evening, Su Nian took out the mountaineering backpack again and began checking its contents.
The items put in last time were not taken out, as Su Nian had thought they might come in handy later. She didn't expect to need them again so soon.
Su Nian wasn't sure how long this trip would last, so she had to bring enough food that wouldn't attract too much attention. After all, there would definitely be more people this time compared to when she and Jing Mo went out alone; the situation was completely different.
Su Nian packed a lot of compressed biscuits, ham sausages, and some instant noodles in her backpack. She also tucked a small bottle of seasoning into a side pocket.
After packing everything up, Su Nian lay down on the bed. The overhead light was already off, leaving only a small night light on the bedside table.
Instead of immediately closing her eyes to sleep, Su Nian stared blankly with her eyes open. Ever since she was reborn in this life, she had mostly been alone, and almost everything she did was done alone. Now suddenly having to act collectively, she felt a complex mix of emotions.
In her previous life, she had participated in many collective actions, but none had left a good impression on her. She wondered what tomorrow would be like.
After thinking for a while, Su Nian pushed aside these scattered thoughts. It was useless to overthink; it was better to get some rest. However, with something on her mind, she didn't sleep well that night, dreaming instead of many things from her past life.
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Nian opened her eyes. Although she hadn't slept well, the drowsiness in her eyes disappeared instantly as she woke up.
Jing Mo had mentioned yesterday that they would depart early, so he asked Su Nian to wake up early and finish getting ready. Therefore, without delaying any time, Su Nian quickly washed up after waking and stored all the various heating devices in the room into her storage space.
Not only that, Su Nian also found an iron bucket and stored the charcoal fire burning in the stove into the storage space. She hadn't thought about it before, but after returning from her last outing, Su Nian had considered this possibility.
Normally, she would scoop out some of the burning charcoal and put it in the iron bucket, then store it in the space. This way, when needed, she could take it out directly from the space, and it would still be burning vigorously, without any delay in use.
After storing the charcoal, Su Nian had a tasteless breakfast, strapped on her large backpack, and carried two 4-liter thermos flasks out of the door.
Almost as soon as Su Nian stepped out of her house, Jing Mo's door opposite hers also opened.
The two looked at each other, nodding simultaneously.
"Morning!"
"Morning!"
Seeing the two thermos flasks in Su Nian's hands, Jing Mo reached out, "Let me carry one for you."
Jing Mo also brought a thermos flask, but it wasn't as large as the two Su Nian was carrying; he had it strapped to his body.
Su Nian also had one strapped to herself, but she still brought the two large ones. When out and about, one must be fully prepared. Otherwise, if you need something but can't find it, it'll only cause trouble.
The two walked out of the iron gate together and locked it before descending the stairs.
As they reached the fifth floor, the door to one of the rooms made a soft click.
Hearing this sound, Su Nian immediately quickened her pace down the stairs.
Su Nian had barely descended a few steps when she heard Guan Hui's voice behind her.
"It's you guys!"
The tone carried some surprise, but as it continued, it became quieter, "What are you guys going to do?"
That cautious tone made it seem like Su Nian and Jing Mo were terrifying.
Without hesitating, Su Nian continued down the stairs without slowing her pace.
"Wait for me!"
Jing Mo's voice came from behind, followed by quickened footsteps.
The two of them hurriedly descended the stairs, without answering Guan Hui's question.
Guan Hui stood at the staircase on the fifth floor, looking down with lowered eyes. She could faintly see Su Nian and Jing Mo descending.
The sound of their footsteps gradually faded away, disappearing completely in the end.
"Hui Hui, who were you talking to just now?"
At the words, Guan Hui's breath hitched. When she turned around, her voice had returned to normal, "It's the two people who live above us. I saw them carrying bags and thought they might be going out like us to rescue survivors. But unfortunately, they didn't respond to me!"
As she said this, Guan Hui hung her head, "Brother Chen, do you think they don't like me? Is it because I talk too much?"
Chen Pengfei walked over to Guan Hui and patted her head, "How could that be! Our Hui Hui is so kind-hearted; everyone loves her! They probably just don't like interacting with strangers. You know, it's the end times now, and everyone's living isn't easy. It's normal to be wary of others; don't take it to heart."
Guan Hui raised her head, looking at Chen Pengfei with hesitation in her eyes. After a while, she spoke somewhat despondently, "But I saw that sister dressed so well, her clothes were pretty and warm, doesn't look like she's having a hard time. Maybe she looks down on me!"
As she spoke, Guan Hui looked at her own black down jacket. It didn't fit her well; it wasn't hers. She hadn't washed it since she put it on, and it was smoky and reflective.
Thinking of seeing Su Nian yesterday, it seemed that Su Nian was wearing a clean green military coat outside, with a cream-colored coral fleece pajama inside.
That cream color looked really nice! Fluffy, warm-looking, and clean.
Chen Pengfei looked at Guan Hui, who was hanging her head, feeling gloomy, and quickly hugged her shoulder, "This time when we go out, besides rescuing survivors, we can also look for supplies. If we come across clothes you like, we'll bring them back for you to wear!"
At the words, Guan Hui raised her head, looking at Chen Pengfei with pleasant surprise, "Really? Brother Chen, you're so good to me!"
"Hui Hui is so good; of course, she deserves the best in the world!"
The door was left open, and the conversation between the two people at the door was clearly heard in the room.
Zhang Qiao and Li Juan, who were packing things up, stopped their movements and glanced at each other, both seeing a hint of disdain in each other's eyes.
---
Su Nian and Jing Mo went downstairs without mentioning Guan Hui.
Su Nian looked around, seeing the snow covering everything in a vast expanse. "How are we going this time?"
There were snowplows clearing the
main roads in the base. As long as they could manage to start a car, they could still drive. But once they were outside the base, the snow on the roads wouldn't have been cleared by anyone, so it probably wouldn't be feasible for them to drive their own car out.
Su Nian was pondering when Jing Mo spoke, "Those of us going on missions with the base usually drive our own cars. The base's snowplow will clear the way ahead, and we'll follow behind. Let's just drive one car together. You can drive mine; after all, it has more space."
As Jing Mo spoke, he noticed a change in Su Nian's expression. "What's wrong?"
Su Nian gave Jing Mo a reproachful look, "Why didn't you tell me about this yesterday?"
"Yesterday, you didn't ask me!" Jing Mo replied.
Su Nian placed the things in her hands on the ground, "Wait for me here for a moment. I'll go back and get something, and I'll be down in a minute."