Chapter Eighteen: Planting a Fierce Kiss on the Lucky Koi

Jiang Huan had been keeping an ear out for any commotion, and when it was time to gather, she took her younger brother downstairs. Jiang Xi was well cared for by his sister—his skin was fair and clean, his features normal, though he seemed a bit quiet and withdrawn.

As they descended, they ran into Liu Ling and her husband. It was the first time the couple had met Jiang Xi face to face. After exchanging greetings, they all went downstairs together.

A fair number of people had already gathered in the lobby. Wu Gang was there with six others, maintaining order and explaining the rules. “As the loudspeaker announced earlier, we’ll be checking the apartments whose residents are missing or absent, or those whose families have left. We’re looking for any supplies that can help us survive this crisis—even a bundle of dry firewood is precious in this weather, isn’t it?”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

They got started right away. In Building Six, because Jiang Huan had taken the master key in advance, there were four unoccupied apartments on the registry, excluding the ones currently lived in.

In one, the occupants had frozen to death; in the other three, the owners hadn’t returned home before the freeze set in.

For the apartment with the frozen corpses, they wrapped the bodies in bed sheets, and four young men, along with Wang Ping and Mr. Qiu, carried them out together. The rest helped move the belongings into the corridor. There were more things than expected—the family had a fondness for wooden items, and if it were all chopped up, there would easily be over a hundred pounds of firewood.

There were also clean quilts, clothing, books, kitchen fuel, flashlights, and other miscellaneous items—enough to fill two large bundles wrapped in sheets. Someone was assigned to guard these to prevent theft, and the group moved on upstairs.

The second apartment had been renovated but not yet occupied. To everyone’s delight, although no one had moved in, there were six sets of bedding prepared—two of which were air-conditioning quilts, but still a cause for celebration.

“This mattress—this is the thirty-thousand-yuan model,” a young man in the crowd exclaimed, caressing the brand-new mattress with undisguised admiration.

The mattress was a high-tech material: you could sleep on one side while someone walked on the other and not feel a thing.

There were many new items in this apartment: several down jackets and woolen coats, all of which were wrapped up in sheets as well.

The other two unoccupied apartments yielded less; one even had several frozen insects in the corners, hinting at poor housekeeping.

Those were the items collected. Wu Gang kept thirty percent, choosing quilts and the like for stockpiling, and let the others divide the rest proportionally. Those in greater need could trade their own goods to make up the difference.

Jiang Huan only had her eyes on the brand-new mattress, still wrapped in plastic; she didn’t ask for anything else.

But others wanted the mattress too. Someone came up to her and said, “My family has trouble sleeping. We really need this mattress. Could you let me have it and choose something else?”

Jiang Huan shook her head. “I really like this too. How should we decide? Captain Wu, what do you suggest?”

Wu Gang hadn’t anticipated a tussle over a mattress. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Whoever can contribute ten pounds of firewood can take it.”

The other man, frustrated, let go. He wasn’t going to compete anymore.

Ten pounds of firewood could last several days!

Jiang Huan rolled up the mattress and propped it in the corner, waiting until she and her brother could carry it home together. Then she brought down ten pounds of firewood and handed it over to Wu Gang, not a stick short.

“That’s a lot of firewood—just to sleep a bit more comfortably. You must’ve found something good on your last trip out, right?” Xiao Wu remarked, drawing everyone’s attention to Jiang Huan.

She didn’t hide it. “Yes, I went out a few days ago and managed to bring back some supplies. If you want to look, you can go yourselves.”

Xiao Wu seemed about to say more, but seeing how hesitant everyone was about going outside, he decided not to make an issue of it. Last time, when everyone paid full price for thermal blankets, they later blamed him for stirring things up, calling him petty behind his back.

Having secured the mattress, Jiang Huan didn’t care how the rest was divided. She laid it out on her bed—it was a perfect fit and so comfortable that she nearly drifted off immediately.

“Oh right, we still have all those parcels to open.” Jiang Huan found herself a chore and sat cross-legged on the sofa with Jiang Xi. She opened the packages and sorted the contents, while Jiang Xi smoothed and folded the packaging materials.

She started with the lighter packages and kept finding things like hair clips, fleece-lined gloves, a wig, cheap tissues, cotton candy that had been frozen, even a few packs of balloons, and contact lenses. It was more disappointing than opening mystery boxes, so Jiang Xi proposed they swap tasks. “I’ll open, you fold.”

Jiang Huan handed him the scissors.

Jiang Xi opened a puffy bag: two pounds of military ration biscuits, the kind where one piece and a couple cups of water made a meal.

It must have been ordered by a military enthusiast.

“Not bad luck—pretty useful,” Jiang Huan praised without much enthusiasm, mostly to amuse her brother.

Encouraged, Jiang Xi opened a second, larger package. It was an inflatable boat for two people, with a three-hundred-pound capacity.

Another good find.

The third item was a modern slingshot. The delivery address matched the biscuits. This slingshot was made of organic carbon fiber, with a bungee cord for the string and bearing balls as ammo—a potentially lethal weapon at close range.

One lucky find could be coincidence; two, luck; but three—that was fortune.

Jiang Huan ended up watching her brother intently as he opened the fourth parcel, a small one: a five-in-one multifunctional survival bracelet, with a whistle, fire starter, compass, paracord, and cutter.

Jiang Huan’s eyelid twitched. She reached out for Jiang Xi’s hand.

Then, she used the hundred points she’d exchanged earlier at the hotel and from Chen Pei to buy a small box. “Spirits above, let it be something good.”

Jiang Xi echoed her wish, and Jiang Huan opened the box.

What she saw made her scoop up her brother and shower him with kisses.

“Motion Detectors x5: can sense the approach of biological entities on different frequencies. Will sound an alarm if malice or heightened excitement is detected, with a sixty-decibel adjustable volume.”

This was beyond useful. She immediately installed one by the door at the end of the hallway.

“If only I had more points. Next time you’ll open it for me again—you really are lucky.” Jiang Xi nodded enthusiastically.

That night, Jiang Huan dreamed of boxes overflowing with rare, precious treasures, and all her brother had to do was snap his fingers to make them appear.

She laughed uproariously in her sleep.

And woke up laughing.

Her brother’s large nostrils were the first thing she saw.

“Morning, Xiao Xi.”

It wasn’t morning anymore—Jiang Xi didn’t cut his sister any slack.

Jiang Huan stretched, washed up, and then sat down, asking her brother what he wanted for breakfast.

“Dan dan noodles, wonton soup, two meat buns—two of each.” He was at that age where his appetite was insatiable.

Jiang Huan had a bowl of wontons and a bun herself. When her brother finished, they read for a while before heading out to climb the stairs. In just a few days, she could feel her core growing firmer.

The rumble of engines sounded again. Jiang Huan leaned by the window to look out. The familiar vehicle was pulling in, and Wu Gang was already rushing over to negotiate.

More supplies, perhaps?