Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 152 Chinese Cabbage

Less than an hour after placing the order, there was a knock on her door. Xu Xiaoyan was startled when she heard the knocking. She quickly went to the door and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

"Is this the lady whose forum name is Canghai? Your fire bucket has arrived," a polite but slightly hurried voice came from outside the door.

Xu Xiaoyan then opened the door and saw a middle-aged man in dark blue overalls standing outside. Behind him was an electric tricycle with a round object secured with hemp rope and wrapped tightly in a tarpaulin.

When the deliveryman saw her open the door, he quickly took out an electronic signature device from his pocket. "Please check it and then sign for it. I have a lot of orders today, and I have to rush to deliver to the next one."

She quickly signed her name on the screen, and the deliveryman immediately turned around, untied the rope from the tricycle, and carefully unloaded the package. The package looked heavier than she had imagined, and the muscles in the deliveryman's arms were visibly tense as he moved it.

"Do you need help carrying it inside?" the deliveryman asked, catching his breath.

"Okay, thank you," Xu Xiaoyan said, stepping forward to lend a hand. Together, the two carried the heavy package into the house. The deliveryman didn't linger, quickly said goodbye, and drove away, the tires making a slight sound as they rolled on the asphalt road.

After closing the door, Xu Xiaoyan couldn't wait to untie the knot on the rainproof cloth. The cloth slipped down, revealing the fire bucket.

The actual product looks more solid than in the photos. It is round in shape and made of smooth vertical wooden strips. Each strip has been carefully polished and has no burrs. It has a warm luster under indoor light.

The bottom of the fire bucket is slightly thicker than the top. This design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also increases the stability of the structure. There are even gaps between the wooden strips, which ensures ventilation and allows heat to dissipate effectively. Xu Xiaoyan reached out and touched the wall of the bucket. The wood was solid and nearly two centimeters thick, and the workmanship was quite exquisite.

She laboriously tilted the fire bucket slightly to examine its bottom structure, only to discover a sturdy, round ceramic brazier inside. The rim of the brazier protruded about ten centimeters above the bottom of the bucket, clearly the core component for holding the charcoal. The inner wall of the brazier was smooth, while the outer wall had raised patterns that enhanced structural strength and helped distribute heat evenly. It also came with an iron grid rack that could be placed above the brazier to dry clothes or heat food.

"The design is really thoughtful," Xu Xiaoyan murmured in admiration. She straightened the fire bucket completely and tried to sit inside. The height of the bucket was just up to her chest, and the interior space was spacious enough for an adult to sit comfortably cross-legged, with even room for a small stool.

Just as she was struggling to move the fire bucket, the construction noise in the courtyard suddenly stopped, followed by the booming voice of Manager Chen, "Oh my! A fire bucket! This is a good thing!"

Xu Xiaoyan looked up and saw through the backyard window that Manager Chen was standing in the yard, staring at the fire bucket she had just moved in, his face showing undisguised nostalgia and admiration.

Manager Chen dusted off his hands, strode to the window, and without even going inside, exclaimed through the glass, "Young lady, you have an eye for things! These are rare these days! Back in my hometown in Northeast China, we relied entirely on them in the winter! In those sub-zero temperatures of minus thirty degrees Celsius, with a heated kang bed inside, we'd sit in the fire bucket, covered with a thick cotton quilt, and feel warm all over—much more comfortable than just warming ourselves on the kang!"

He seemed to recall a specific scene, his gaze drifting into the distance. "Back then, my grandma would put a fire bucket by the kang (a heated brick bed) every winter, with charcoal inside. We kids would scramble to squeeze in, while she would sit on the kang doing needlework, occasionally adding a piece of charcoal to the fire bucket... Although resources weren't plentiful back then, winters were really easy to get through."

Xu Xiaoyan pushed open the glass and replied with a smile, "Hearing you say that makes me feel even more at ease. Look, everyone on the forum is saying that there will be a big drop in temperature soon, so I'll prepare more supplies to put my mind at ease."

Upon hearing this, Manager Chen seemed to suddenly remember something important. He rubbed his hands together, glanced around at the workers bustling about on the second floor, and asked in a low voice, "Young lady, you're so good at preparing... do you want that cabbage?"

"Chinese cabbage?" Xu Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding. She had indeed considered winter vegetable reserves, but she mainly thought of root vegetables such as potatoes and radishes, which are more durable for storage. Fresh leafy vegetables were considered a "luxury" in her plan.

Manager Chen chuckled and explained, "Yes! How can we survive the winter in the north without stocking up on Chinese cabbage? That's the wisdom passed down from our ancestors! My parents really went all out this year in the planting area they designated at the base, planting a huge patch of it! The variety is an improved, cold-resistant type, which is sweeter and more tender than ordinary Chinese cabbage, and has a longer shelf life."

He paused, a shrewd look on his face. "I was thinking of selling it on a platform, but they take a commission, and I'd have to handle the shipping myself, which is a hassle." He lowered his voice and continued, "If you want it, we can trade privately, saving you the middleman. I, Old Chen, won't rip you off. One point for 100 jin of processed cabbage hearts, how about that?"

Seemingly worried that Xu Xiaoyan might find it expensive or misunderstand, he quickly added, "Don't let the weight of the cabbage fool you, it's very filling, and mine is absolutely fresh! Those cabbages on the platform that cost one point for 100 jin (50 kg) include the outer layers of old leaves, some even with mud on them! Mine is different; it's prepared to our own standards. All the old and rotten leaves that aren't good quality are removed beforehand, leaving only the freshest and tenderest hearts! The quality is so much better than what's sold on the platform!"

To make it clear to Xu Xiaoyan how worthwhile the deal was, Manager Chen started calculating on his fingers: "Think about it, if you buy 100 jin on the platform, you might only be able to eat 60 or 70 jin, and you'd have to process it yourself, which is time-consuming and laborious. With my 100 jin, it's a solid 100 jin of bok choy, you can just wash it and cook it! And if stored properly, it can last until next spring!"

Freshly prepared bok choy! She was immediately tempted, but then she glanced at the second floor, which was still under construction—the steel frame structure was already erected, and workers were installing reinforcing panels, but the entire second floor was still a mess, with no suitable storage place.

"Manager Chen, this suggestion is indeed good," Xu Xiaoyan said sincerely. "But I have to wait until this two-story shed is completely built before there is a place to store the goods. As you know, there is a lot of dust during the construction period. So, as soon as this is completed, I will buy them from you immediately!"

Upon hearing that this matter had a chance, Manager Chen's face immediately lit up with a smile. "No problem! Absolutely no problem! My family harvested over ten thousand catties this year! You're so generous, young lady! As soon as this is finished, I'll have my father bring over the best bok choy for you! I guarantee every single one will be top-quality!"

A preliminary agreement for a new deal was reached amidst the clanging and banging of construction noise. Manager Chen returned to the courtyard with satisfaction, urging the workers to speed up the process, his voice louder than usual.

Having solved the problems of heating and food storage, Xu Xiaoyan's thoughts drifted to another key to survival—water.

She went to the kitchen, turned on the tap, and the tap water flowed out, clear and icy cold. It seemed perfectly normal for now, but she felt no relief. Various analysis posts on the forum, predictions from weather enthusiasts, and even some insider rumors all pointed to the same possibility: an unprecedented cold wave was brewing.

Once the temperature drops sharply below zero, especially if it remains extremely cold, the existing open-air water pipes and simple water supply systems are likely to freeze or even crack on a large scale. The water supply network in this area is probably not designed with insulation layers for extreme low temperatures. At that time, the days when you can just turn on the tap and have water will probably be gone forever.

"I need to start storing water in advance..." she muttered to herself, her brows furrowing slightly.

Although her space can perfectly preserve freshness, it cannot directly store liquid water, which means that she needs a large number of water storage containers of various sizes.

Thinking of this, she immediately picked up her phone and opened the "Linchuan Trading Forum" APP again. In the search bar, she entered keywords such as "bucket", "empty plastic bottle", "water tank", and "water storage container".

After the page was refreshed, a lot of related information appeared. These supplies do not seem to be in short supply at present. After all, the tap water has not been cut off, and many people have not yet realized the seriousness of the problem, or lack the conditions and places to store large amounts of water.

Xu Xiaoyan carefully browsed through the selections, meticulously choosing containers of different sizes based on her future storage space and portability needs: 10-liter square plastic buckets were easy to stack, like bricks; 20-liter and 50-liter large water buckets with handles were suitable for daily use and relatively easy to move; she even had her eye on two 200-liter large plastic water tanks with lids, which she planned to use as her main water storage equipment, as these tanks had taps on the side for easy access to water.

她将选好的商品一一放入购物车：二十个200升水箱、两百个50升桶、三百个20升桶、五百个10升方桶，再加上一批500毫升和1.5升的矿泉水瓶作为应急...

When she checked out, the total price surprised her. Compared to food and fuel, the price of the water container was incredibly cheap. She clicked to pay, but hesitated for a moment at the final delivery time selection step.

"Not now..." She glanced out the window and into the backyard. The workers were still working hard, with hammering, drilling, and conversations filling the air. Various building materials were piled up in the kitchen and hallway, and people were coming and going.

If she were to have a large number of buckets and tanks delivered to her door now, it would be too conspicuous and attract attention. After a moment's thought, she specifically noted in the "delivery time" column of the order that she would choose "delivery between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. three days from now" for delivery.

Manager Chen said that the two-story sheds built using the simplified construction method would take about five days to complete. Today is the third day, and the day after tomorrow will be the fifth day. The project should be finished by then, and the workers will leave after inspection.

So, on the night the work was completed, Manager Chen's father could deliver the cabbages to her door, and the next morning she could receive the water containers, thus avoiding everyone's sight. Then, she could have the deliveryman move the containers to the second-floor warehouse.

After placing the order, she put her phone aside and began planning her water storage plan. In addition to the container, she also needed water purification equipment. There were people selling handmade sand filter buckets on the forum, which were simple in principle but effective. There were also people trading water purification agents such as alum and bleach. She added these to her favorites, planning to buy them after the water storage container arrived.

Around 3 p.m., the roar of a diesel engine grew louder as it approached, and Xu Xiaoyan noticed two slightly dilapidated pickup trucks parked in front of her house.

Two dark-skinned drivers, both dressed in dark work clothes covered in coal dust, jumped off the truck. The older one held an electronic tablet in his hand. After verifying the house number and Xu Xiaoyan's identity, he began unloading the cargo without saying a word. The two were not talkative, but their movements were efficient and their cooperation was excellent.

What they were moving was the 10 tons of coal that Xu Xiaoyan had ordered. The black coal chunks were packed in huge woven bags, each bag heavy, and even the two strong men struggled to lift them. Fortunately, they were experienced and used a simple trailer to slide the coal bags from the cargo box to the ground, and then transported them one trip after another into the completely enclosed backyard area on the first floor.

Xu Xiaoyan stood aside, watching as the coal gradually filled the backyard. The coal was of good quality, mostly lump coal with a small amount of broken coal mixed in. In no time, the originally empty backyard was filled with coal, leaving only a narrow passage for people to pass through.

"Madam, this is the delivery slip. Please sign for it." The older driver handed over the tablet, his voice hoarse. "We've left the coal here."

"Thank you," Xu Xiaoyan signed, and as she handed back the tablet, she casually asked, "Are there many coal orders lately?"

The driver wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave a wry smile. "It's more, 30% more than last month. The weather hasn't even really gotten cold yet, and everyone's already starting to hoard. We're working three shifts at the mine now, the machines are running non-stop." He paused, then lowered his voice, "I heard that the higher-ups might restrict purchases, so the price probably won't be the same then."

Xu Xiaoyan felt a chill run down her spine, but remained outwardly calm, saying, "Thank you for letting me know."

After the two small trucks drove away, Xu Xiaoyan did not stop, but put on her backpack and prepared to go out again.

She considered that if the temperature suddenly dropped and the water supply system collapsed, not only would drinking water become a problem, but sanitary water would also be in short supply. The most troublesome thing would be the toilet, as flush toilets would inevitably be unusable. At that time, how to safely and hygienically dispose of excrement would directly affect her living environment.

Her first thought was cat litter, which absorbs odors and clumps together, making it an ideal alternative for dealing with excrement. Moreover, cat litter is dry, easy to store, and takes up relatively little space.

Xu Xiaoyan took out her phone and searched for keywords such as "cat litter" and "pet litter" on the trading forum as she walked. The page showed many results. Ordinary bentonite cat litter was quite expensive, with a 5-kilogram bag costing about 0.2 points. Some pine cat litter or water-soluble cat litter labeled "high-grade" or "strong deodorizing" was two or three times more expensive.