Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 295 Decorating the Room

Xu Xiaoyan walked down the corridor, her footsteps almost inaudible due to the sound of the floor mats absorbing the noise.

门牌号从1-2-41开始，然后是1-2-43、1-2-45……单号在一边，双号在另一边。

She stopped in her tracks. The door in front of her had a number on it: 1-2-63.

Xu Xiaoyan stood in the middle of the corridor, looking at the security door, and suddenly felt a sense of emotion.

The world above ground has become blurred; houses with yards, apartments with balconies, and windows with views of the street have all become fragments of memory.

Here, there is a lobby, a corridor, a security door, and a peephole. In the underground city, these features are already a luxury.

She approached 1-2-63, pressed her right thumb on the recognition area, and with a "click," the sound of the door lock popping open was particularly clear in the quiet corridor.

Xu Xiaoyan pushed the door open and walked in, closing it behind her. The sound of the door closing was muffled, indicating that the sealing strip was well-made and the sound insulation should be good.

She didn't rush inside, but stood at the door. The room was rectangular with a ceiling height of about 2.8 meters. There was no shared area, so it was larger than she had imagined. The ceiling light was recessed and emitted a soft white light.

To the left of the entrance is a closed door – the bathroom.

She reached out and pushed the door open, peeking inside. It was about two or three square meters, with a compact but not crowded layout.

A white squat toilet, a sink with a square mirror embedded in it, and a shower head in the corner. The metal surface was still covered with a protective film, indicating that it was new. The floor had been treated with an anti-slip coating. She nodded in satisfaction, closed the door, and continued to examine the place.

Further inside, on the left-hand wall, there is a 1.5-meter-long desk, about 60 centimeters deep. She ran her finger across the tabletop, which was very clean, without any scratches or stains.

Above the desk was a row of wall-mounted cabinets with double doors. She gestured with her hand and indicated that the bottom of the cabinets was about 60 centimeters from the desktop. This height was such that you wouldn't bump your head while sitting, and you could easily reach things while standing. It was a very reasonable design.

She noticed that there were six sockets installed at intervals on the wall between the desk and the wall cabinet. Next to the sockets were two switches, one to control the ceiling light and the other to control the light fixture under the cabinet. She looked down at the bottom of the wall cabinet from the switches and found a light strip about 30 centimeters long.

Looking at the six sockets, Xu Xiaoyan suddenly understood the purpose of the design: this place could also serve as a kitchen.

With six sockets, it's enough to use an induction cooker, electric kettle, rice cooker, microwave oven, and even an air fryer at the same time.

An open kitchen doesn't require gas pipes or a range hood; all cooking appliances are electric and can be used simply by plugging them in.

In the underground city, this is the most pragmatic solution.

She shifted her gaze from the desk and continued looking inside. At the far end of the room was a bed, about 1.2 meters wide and 2 meters long, a standard single bed size. The bed frame was metal, dark gray, and looked very sturdy, with smooth and flat welds.

The head of the bed is against the wall, and the foot of the bed faces the desk, leaving a narrow passageway in the middle. Next to the bed against the wall, there is a small metal table folded up. There is no mattress, only a bare bed board, which is the basic configuration.

She walked to the wall opposite the desk, which was empty and bare, but there were several metal hanging ornaments on the wall, spaced evenly, clearly reserved for a clothes rack.

In other words, she would need to buy a wardrobe herself, or simply use a hanging rod and a curtain to make a simple walk-in closet. After thinking about it, she felt that the latter was more suitable, as it did not take up much space, was cheaper, and could be changed at any time.

After looking through the entire room, she stood in the center and scanned every corner again.

Although the nine-square-meter studio apartment was small, it was well-laid out and fully functional, which satisfied her. At least, it was a real home.

She put her backpack on the desk, then focused her attention. The next moment, a bunch of things appeared out of thin air in front of her.

The latex mattress is 10 centimeters thick. She used it in her home in Xuancheng and slept on it for two years. She bent down, moved the mattress to the side of the bed, adjusted its position, and made sure it was firmly placed on the bed board.

The mattress was a bit heavy, and she broke out in a light sweat, but looking at the smooth surface of the bed, she felt at ease.

Next came the quilt and two pillows. The quilt was down, very light and warm, and the pillows were memory foam, with just the right firmness and height. She had tried many different kinds before choosing them.

Then came the sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcases, all of which had been washed and dried before, carrying a faint scent of laundry detergent, specifically lavender.

She skillfully put on the duvet cover, shook it to tuck the four corners of the duvet evenly, then laid out the sheets, tucked the four corners under the mattress, smoothed them out, and finally put in the pillows, fluffed them up, and placed them side by side at the head of the bed.

She returned to her desk, where the induction cooker and its matching small pot were placed on the left side of the desk.

The small pot is non-stick and comes with a glass lid. You can use it to cook noodles, dumplings, and porridge by simply plugging it in.

The white electric kettle, with a 1.5-liter capacity and a stainless steel inner liner, was placed next to the induction cooker. It boiled water very quickly. She removed the label from the bottom of the kettle and placed it in a convenient position.

She placed a small rice cooker with a 2-liter capacity next to the induction cooker, even though she didn't use it often. It was useful for occasionally cooking porridge or steaming rice.

There were also several sets of bowls and plates, all made of the most ordinary white porcelain, heat-resistant and easy to wash, two pairs of chopsticks, two spoons, a soup ladle, and a strainer. She opened the casket and put these things inside.

The wall cabinet has two layers. The upper layer is for items that are not frequently used, and the lower layer is for items that are frequently used. Bowls and plates are stacked together, chopsticks and spoons are put into a small storage box, and soup spoons and strainers are hung on hooks on the inside for easy access.

She then took out a set of knives: a kitchen knife, a fruit knife, and a pair of scissors. After thinking for a moment, she placed them in the innermost corner of her desk, where they were far from the power source and far from people, making them safer.

She also placed some things in the bathroom: toothpaste and toothbrush in a cup next to the sink, towels and bath towels on hooks on the wall, and shampoo and shower gel on a shelf behind the toilet.

She also placed a small waterproof storage bag containing feminine hygiene products and spare toilet paper. Above the mirror was a small shelf where she placed a pack of cotton pads and a bottle of toner. Even in the simplest of places, there should be some semblance of life.

As for the miscellaneous items—tape, pens, sticky notes, chargers, power strips… she took them out one by one, categorized them, and put them in their proper places.

After about half an hour of work, the whole room was transformed.

Xu Xiaoyan walked to the bedside, leaned back, and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Then she remembered something—her phone. She had been busy and hadn't been online for a long time.