Chapter 8: No More Food Left

This power outage was different from the usual ones. Outside, the temperature had plummeted to thirty degrees below zero. Once the lingering warmth in the apartment dissipated, it would surely feel no different than being inside an ice cellar.

The community group chat was filled with wails of distress. Meng Ran stopped reading the messages, took out two packs of self-heating instant rice, and decided to make do with that before the sky turned completely dark.

"It will be better by tomorrow noon."

The current temperature was not yet low enough to cause water or power lines to freeze and burst; it was likely some other issue, and unlike the snowfall, it did not appear to be a nationwide event. Thinking this, Meng Ran felt a bit more at ease.

Niannian sat beside the desk lamp, looking less frightened than before. As long as Meng Ran was there, she felt safe.

After finishing their meal, the two went to bed. Meng Ran used the last of the hot water to help Niannian and herself wash up. She then spread two thick quilts over them and opened a box of heat patches, sticking several onto their clothes.

"Let's go to sleep."

Inside the room, the only light came from the desk lamp and a thin sliver of illumination leaking through the gap in the curtains.

The snowstorm was fierce, yet the moon had appeared. Seeing that light, Meng Ran felt something was off. She pulled the curtains open just a crack.

"How is there a moon?"

To have a moon out on such a snowy night—yet it was precisely by this moonlight that she could see the state of the world outside.

Large, thick snowflakes blurred her vision; she could barely make out the shape of the building opposite hers. The snow was falling much heavier than it had at the beginning, and everything outside was deathly silent.

Meng Ran stopped looking and lay back down under the covers. Niannian curled up in her arms and yawned, and both closed their eyes.

In the morning, Meng Ran was frozen awake. She shrank deeper into the quilt, only then feeling her ears and nose begin to thaw. She checked the time on her phone; it was past eight o'clock.

The power had not returned, and the bedroom was quite cold. Meng Ran put on her clothes and told Niannian to stay in bed. She walked into the living room; perhaps due to the renovations she had made earlier, it was still bearable.

Rubbing her hands together, Meng Ran checked the property management group chat. Overnight, there were over a thousand new messages. After a quick scan, she saw that everyone was asking when the power would be restored.

The temperature was thirty-four degrees below zero; it felt as if it were dropping even faster. Early in the morning, many were still sending messages, evidently frozen awake themselves. Meng Ran applied a few new heat patches and held one in her hand to keep warm.

"Mommy," Niannian poked her head out, "it's so cold."

"Just wait a little longer, the power will be back soon."

Meng Ran went to check the water pipes. They had been insulated in advance and showed no signs of cracking; they could still hold out for a while. She lay back down in bed, where there was still a bit of residual warmth. She wasn't particularly hungry yet, so she decided to wait.

"You sleep a little longer; it's too cold outside."

Seeing no updates from management, Meng Ran checked the latest news. Snow blocking the roads was happening everywhere, and their area was no exception. The snow on the streets had already reached calf-height, and no one had cleared it for two days. Some people were trapped at home, while others were stuck at their offices.

This was the third day. The talk about the snow stopping soon had slowly vanished, replaced by growing doubt about when this eerie weather would finally end. The weather reports hadn't been updated since 3:00 PM the previous day, offering nothing beyond the standard blizzard warnings. With the current weather, a blizzard was indeed all that remained.

She turned off her phone and tried to rest, but suddenly heard a "beep." The air conditioner kicked on, and warm air began to flow out.

Niannian scrambled up first. "The power's back!"

Noise erupted from the surroundings; Niannian covered her ears, hearing many people talking at once. Meng Ran took out a portable electric heater. "Keep your clothes on even in the room; it's going to get even colder."

Niannian nodded, put on her coat, and leaned against the heater.

"I want to eat noodles," Niannian said suddenly.

Meng Ran nodded. She got up to wash, turned on the faucet, kneaded some flour, and took out some meatballs she had fried earlier to add to the soup.

After eating a bowl of hot noodle soup, Meng Ran went to check on the vegetable patch and chicken coop in her private space as usual. The seeds she had sown were sprouting tender green shoots. The temperature inside the space was quite pleasant, which allowed them to grow well. She drew water from the well to irrigate them, fed the two chickens, and then returned to reality.

In the group chat, some people were saying they had run out of vegetables. They had only bought a few days' worth the day before, and it was already gone. If this lasted another day, they would have to survive on nothing but rice and flour products.

The snow showed no signs of stopping, and the forecast for the next week was essentially one blizzard icon after another. People were worried and began asking for help in the group. Some residents in the same building even added Meng Ran privately on WeChat, asking if she had food to sell.

Meng Ran didn't accept any of them. She didn't have any particularly close relationships in the complex, so there was no need for her to take care of anyone else.

The property management finally chimed in.

Property Management Office: [Before 5:00 PM, we will deliver vegetables to each household based on the number of registered residents. Please wait patiently.]

They sent this message three times before the group finally quieted down. This scene reminded Meng Ran of the time when the flu was severe, and management had also brought food to every door.

In the afternoon, several staff members began trudging through the heavy snow to deliver the supplies. They wore thick clothing and struggled to walk through the drifts.

"What hellish weather!" one of them cursed. They had tied a rope around their waists, moving in a line as they approached the buildings.

"The problems from these residents over the past few days have surpassed the total of the last few years—either a pipe burst or the AC isn't working. Where are we supposed to find repairmen to come out now?"

The only ones who could come out were electricians to fix the circuits, but even they were helpless. They had made call after call, but few responses came back. The group complained as they went about their deliveries.

The snow had piled up to the level of the first-floor steps and showed no sign of stopping.

"Brother Wang, should we clear some of this snow? It'll be bad if the paths get completely blocked."

"A little snow won't block the path. We'll clear it when it lets up; no need to rush now."

They knocked on the doors, clutching thick logbooks.

Meng Ran waited until nearly 7:00 PM before someone knocked on her security door. It was the property staff she had seen earlier. She opened the inner iron door and looked at them through the security grate. They were covered in melted snow, their faces bright red from the cold.

"How many people in the house?"

"Just me and my daughter."

The staff didn't waste time; after noting the count, they handed her the vegetables. Meng Ran took them and locked the door.

The two men behind the staff stared at the security door for a moment. "That door looks newly installed; it's different from the others."

"Who knows? Some of the other buildings have similar ones. Everyone has their own habits. It's safer for a mother and daughter living alone to be careful."