Chapter Eighty-Eight: Renovation of the Air-Raid Shelter (Part Two)

In fact, Jiang Huan and her younger brother shared a room as well, a spacious area designed for two, yet no one found this arrangement inappropriate. Once everything was settled, everyone went inside to tidy up, and to their surprise, the wooden boards by the door hadn't succumbed to mildew, so they salvaged them to use as bed frames.

Of course, Jiang Huan herself didn't have to endure such hardship. She simply set up a folding bed in the room prepared for her brother, threw on some bedding, and the matter of sleep was resolved. Meals were simple too; they agreed to start with two meals a day, and with shelter and food settled, everything else could be handled gradually. In the evenings, Jiang Huan would supplement her brother's diet with bland but filling snacks, such as rice balls.

The first night passed with everyone making do. The bunker had decent sound insulation; as the night deepened, only the occasional, powerful snore drifted faintly through. With earplugs, sleep was undisturbed.

Early the next morning, after a light meal of thin porridge and steamed buns, everyone continued to repair the shelter. They dragged in cement from the entrance and decided to reinforce the doorway. Jiang Huan planned to search for more useful supplies, while Zhang and Wang—the two strong men—stayed behind to chop firewood. So she took Mei Juan, Jiang Xi, and Bai Weishuang with her.

The group headed down the mountain, cautious with every step and ever-alert for signs of tremors. Though Xie Congzhou had advised them to stay somewhere safe after noon, they set out early, but caution lingered; nothing is ever certain, so the journey was fraught with nervous anticipation.

They finally reached the vicinity of the residential complex. The two massive fissures remained, and the entire place was eerily empty—quiet as an abandoned hospital in a television drama, exuding a chilling sense of desolation. The four divided tasks: Jiang Xi was responsible for floors two to five, Bai Weishuang for six to ten, Mei Juan for eleven to fifteen, and Jiang Huan for everything above the fifteenth floor.

This gave Jiang Huan plenty of leeway. Everything that could be lowered by rope, she did so. Glancing at her watch, it was nearly ten o'clock. Jiang Huan sounded her megaphone a few times to urge everyone to finish up and prepare to gather downstairs.

She untied the rope secured by the window in the corridor—a valuable supply not to be overlooked. On her way down, she dragged along two shopping trolleys, the kind with wheels, commonly used by elderly women for heavy groceries.

Still, the supplies piled on the ground were abundant. Jiang Huan hid the heavier items and those not of immediate necessity behind the door of the now-abandoned pharmacy, covering them slightly. "Tomorrow, let the men come down to fetch these. For now, let's just take a portion back."

No one objected. In that half hour of sorting, it was clear Jiang Huan was indeed an expert—worthy of her reputation as an adventure blogger.

Jiang Huan's backpack was filled with tools. Bai Weishuang carried all the medical equipment and medications they’d gathered. Jiang Xi had hardware, a drone kit, and a portable power source capable of generating electricity. Mei Juan had nothing but food.

Jiang Huan brought a hand-cranked generator, night vision binoculars, emergency lamps, several candles and lighters, five small folding tools with flint, and four sleeping bags. Bai Weishuang took vitamin tablets, medical gloves, protective gloves, gas masks, water purification tablets, and a variety of remaining medicines. They had fruits and canned meats, compressed biscuits, rice, oil, self-heating meals, and packs of sausages—the kind with more than ten in a bundle. Mei Juan was delighted with her haul, enjoying the feeling of carrying food, and even though the two buckets of oil nearly left deep marks on her fingers, she was still cheerful.

Jiang Xi brought a radio, drone set, hardware, batteries, a tent, and pulled a trolley loaded with tissues and towels.

The four hurried back, returning to the shelter by twelve thirty. Jiang Huan handed over the location of the remaining supplies. The men wanted to go immediately, but considering Jiang Huan's account of Xie Congzhou's abilities—something she'd witnessed at the base—they trusted her completely and dared not risk their lives.

That afternoon, everyone tidied up their rooms. The temporary warehouse was lined with moisture-proof mats, and each room had a stack of fuel. The firewalls they’d constructed that morning from cement proved invaluable.

Toward evening, a burst of delighted shouts echoed inside the bunker. Jiang Huan rushed out to find the ancient water-drawing device was, astonishingly, producing water.

This brought immense joy to everyone. After all, melting ice was no easy task.

With water, shelter from wind and rain, and a decent stock of supplies, their anxious hearts gradually settled. The deeply ingrained adaptability in the hearts of the people of Hua Xia made them easily content with the present.

Jiang Huan busied herself with repairs and settling into the bunker, while Xie Congzhou, after much effort, had yet to rescue his relatives from home.

The superior who had protected him had not returned. The former second-in-command, seeing the situation deteriorate and realizing the leader would not be back anytime soon, betrayed the group. Like a bandit staking his claim, he seized the hot spring villa and began to enslave others to gather supplies for him.

Xie Congzhou’s group had been away for less than ten days, yet the villa had already seen dozens of unnecessary deaths.

Upon Xie Congzhou’s return, the second-in-command feigned friendliness, eager for Xie Congzhou to serve him. But Xie Congzhou detested those who sought power even amidst disaster. Upright and inflexible, he refused outright.

Because of this, he was unable to take his surviving relatives from the village with him. Old Xie sighed, lamenting that if Xie Congzhou hadn’t settled them outside earlier, he too would have become a pawn in that villain’s hands.

“If it comes to it, just take Miao Miao away. My old bones can't handle much more; I might as well stay here with my fellow villagers,” the old man said.

Xie Congzhou was undaunted, offering no words of encouragement—just a promise to resolve the issue. He instructed Old Xie, Miao Miao, Uncle Kui, and the others to wait for him that night at a roadside store.

“I'll stay,” Uncle Kui insisted, eager to fight alongside Xie Congzhou. He jumped in place to prove his leg had healed.

But Xie Congzhou waved him off. “Take care of my grandfather and Miao Miao. I truly can get everyone else out.”

Old Xie, recalling Xie Congzhou's unusual abilities, paced a few steps and finally agreed. “Alright, but be careful in everything.”

That night, the old man and his companions went to their usual fruit and vegetable shop. Xie Congzhou headed to the gathering place where his family was held. Ragged cloth and dead branches patched up the ruined building; over a hundred people squeezed into a single large room, looking utterly wretched and pitiful.

No matter what these people were usually like, none had ever harmed him; they were all villagers who’d lived together. Xie Congzhou flexed his fingers, and in his original plan, he increased the weight of that particular thing.