nashuaworldcup Chapter 14 Ah! It's finally stopped.
Chapter 14 Ah! It's finally stopped.
After lunch, Lin Yue took her child to take a nap. Once the child was asleep, Lin Yue got up and found some sturdy, durable, decorative colorful ropes she used for making handicrafts.
She chose a red cord and a black cord, and braided each into a long, necklace-like knot. Two beads were braided between the two cords, leaving a gap—she'd ask Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei what to put inside later. Then, she left a bead at the end of each knot, and braided both knots in the same way.
After finishing, he threaded the last bead through and continued weaving. Once finished, he placed it beside the table. The six beads, their patterns shimmering in the distance, emitted a soft glow in the room.
Looking at the finished knots and beads, Lin Yue silently looked forward to Lao Xiao and Xiao Hui's arrival, and hoped that the transaction would be completed smoothly to solve her family's financial difficulties.
~~~~~~Cute dividing line~~~~~~~
After leaving Lin Yue's house, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei went downstairs and got into their car to discuss something. They immediately went to withdraw the 50 yuan that Lao Xiao had previously deposited.
When they got to the bank, they were told they needed to make an appointment beforehand to withdraw the money. Old Xiao talked to the bank manager for a long time and initially withdrew 10 yuan. Then they went to another bank and withdrew another 10 yuan. In those two hours at noon, they visited three different banks before finally withdrawing 30 yuan.
Old Xiao also took the 2 yuan in cash he had on hand. While he was at it, he went to the supermarket with Xiao Wei to buy some toys and daily necessities for the children. Then they ate two bowls of noodles at a restaurant next to the mall and hurried to Lin Yue's house with the things.
Along the way, Lao Xiao drove, looking somewhat anxious, while Xiao Wei tidied up the things they had just bought. They were both hoping to complete the transaction as soon as possible and also wanted to help Lin Yue, but they were also worried that Lin Yue might suddenly change her mind and not want to sell.
The two women carried the same backpack that Lao Xiao usually used for work, which contained 30 yuan. Xiao Wei carried two bags of daily necessities, while Lao Xiao carried two bags of children's toys. They hurriedly entered Mingyue's apartment complex, pressed the elevator button, and went up to the 18th floor.
Upon arrival, Lin Yue knocked urgently on the door, and quickly opened it. After opening the door, both men politely said, "Please come in." After Lao Xiao sat down, he said, "Lin Yue, we won't stand on ceremony with you. There's 30 in this bag. Would you like to count it? We just withdrew it from the bank." Lao Xiao then opened the bag and placed the money on the coffee table, stacks of 1 in bills. There were also stacks of 10 in bills, still stamped with the bank's seal—freshly issued. There were 30 in total on the coffee table.
Lin Yue took out six beads she had already prepared from a corner of the dining table and handed them to Lao Xiao. She said, "Take a look. I've finished preparing this. Now, we need a pendant in the middle. What do you think we should put two of them?" The two looked at each other, then at the rings in their hands, and both said, "Let's put the rings in the middle." Lin Yue immediately had them take out the rings, and she threaded them through the unfinished opening, making a small knot. One was for the man, and the other for the woman; the man's was black, and the woman's was red. What did they think?
Both of them thought it was a good idea, and each of them would hang the other's ring around their neck. Lin Yue said, "Since I've accepted the 300,000 yuan, now I'll let you open this 15-cubic-meter space. She said, 'Old Xiao, you go first.'" Lin Yue found a needle used for testing blood sugar, the kind of twisted needle her mother used before. It didn't hurt much, and it was very thin, but it could squeeze out a little blood. Lin Yue disinfected it with alcohol and then flicked it with fire; there wasn't a big problem. She pricked a small hole in Old Xiao's ring finger and dripped blood onto two beads in the middle of the rope, one drop of blood on each bead, until all three beads had dripped blood. Then she told Old Xiao to close his eyes and wait a moment, so that three to five cubic meters would appear around his head.
Three five-cubic-meter cubes, because they are on a knot, Lin Yue drew a "Fu Lu" (福禄, meaning good fortune and prosperity) in front of the two people, and connected the three "Fu" to the three five-cubic-meter cubes, which made a total of fifteen cubic-meter cubes.
Old Xiao and Xiao Wei found it particularly magical because they only knew that Taoists used cinnabar to draw "Fu Lu" (福禄, good fortune and prosperity) on yellow paper, and they had never seen anyone draw "Fu Lu" in the air with just a breath, and the "Fu Lu" would appear in the air. Although it was only a light gold color, it was golden, not the white vapor they had seen online before. He saw that Mingyue had drawn it in gold.
The blessing instantly entered the central ring, and the five cubic spaces within Old Xiao's head merged together. Old Xiao found it incredible; he could also see 15 square meters of space within his consciousness.
Xiao Wei was speechless with astonishment. She stared at everything in disbelief and couldn't help but say, "This is simply incredible, Lin Yue, how did you do that?" Lin Yue smiled slightly and said, "This is the result of my cultivation, but I can't go into the details with you." Old Xiao excitedly tried to control the space with his mind. He put a small object next to him into the space and then easily took it out, saying excitedly, "This is truly a magical treasure. It will be so much more convenient in the future."
Lin Yue said to Lao Xiao, "Our transaction is now complete. I'm going to do it again for Xiao Wei using the same method. Xiao Wei, try it and see if it works." Lin Yue then did the same process for Xiao Wei as Lao Xiao had suggested.
Xiao Wei also made a miraculous discovery in her mind: after Lin Yue cast the "Fortune and Prosperity" spell, the five cubic spaces gradually merged into a total of 15 cubic spaces, consisting of three or five cubic spaces. Xiao Wei found this amazing and tried to put her own set of keys in and out of the space. She and Lao Xiao were both incredibly excited.
After their initial excitement subsided, Lin Yue calmly and seriously told Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei, "You've seen the news lately; things aren't very stable internationally. I know you're financially well-off and have a large sum of money in savings. It's advisable to withdraw some for preparation. But this shouldn't be a one-time purchase; you need to do it in batches and avoid attracting attention. I'm telling you clearly, because of my carelessness, I seem to have been noticed. After you leave my house, you must be extremely careful. If you have time, read some post-apocalyptic novels and see how people with spatial abilities avoid those random cameras to achieve their storage goals. This is my advice to you. I'm afraid someone might find me through you, and I don't want to endanger your lives at this moment. You are my friends. Although you gave me money and I took your money—it's a transaction—this item could cost much more than just a small amount to someone else. It could be tens or hundreds of thousands, even millions, for one cubic meter. So I hope you two will keep your mouths shut." "Please handle this carefully, as I don't want you to suffer any harm outside. The moment this necklace is placed around your necks, it will live and die with you. If you perish, these three beads will explode, meaning the contents and the beads themselves will shatter and cease to exist. I hope you understand this unless you willingly remove them. I suggest you never remove them, not even when showering, let alone anything else; wear them forever. When taking things, make sure no one is using their mind to retrieve them. You can retrieve objects telekinetically within 20 centimeters of your hand. But beyond 20 centimeters, your mental strength is insufficient. If your mental strength is very good, you can reach a longer distance. Because you haven't cultivated, you can't do it. So, within 20 centimeters, you can retrieve objects telekinetically. Alright, I won't keep you any longer today. You two should get home safely and securely, then make some preparations for war, stockpile some supplies, and it's best not to tell your parents and children at home—keep it a secret. Okay, goodbye."
After hearing Lin Yue's solemn words, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei gradually calmed down from their excitement. They nodded solemnly, bid farewell to Lin Yue, and left with the magical spatial bead in their hearts.
After leaving Lin Yue's house, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei drove their beloved car home. After having dinner with their family, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei lay on their bed, discussing how to stock up on some supplies in their space, just in case.
They discussed it and decided that in addition to stocking the same essential outdoor supplies and survival gear in each space, they would also stock up on other necessities in their respective spaces. Xiao Wei and Lao Xiao simultaneously opened Tomato Novels, found apocalyptic novels, and began to read them seriously in their available spaces. Only after truly starting to read did they realize that their 15 spaces were far too small and could only hold so many supplies.
Finally, the two of them got up again in the middle of the night. One of them took notes in a notebook, while the other listed the supplies that needed to be stockpiled. They used Lao Xiao's professional knowledge to access foreign websites by circumventing the Great Firewall and found out about the tragic experiences of civilians in wars abroad. They combined the necessary supplies with some supplies mentioned in post-apocalyptic novels, taking into account the possibility of war breaking out in China.
These supplies should be available for use in the event of war, and also usable by their own families if war doesn't break out—meaning there's no waste. They should be stored cyclically, for example, water and food. This way, food won't expire and become inedible, and people can buy food from outside or have long-term reserves. So, they are discussing how to achieve this cycle.
Old Xiao frowned and said, "Honey, we need to first determine the most basic survival necessities, such as water. We need to make sure everyone has enough every day." Xiao Wei nodded and replied, "Yes, and food too. We need to prepare some compressed biscuits and canned food that can be stored for a long time." Old Xiao continued, "Medicines are also essential. We need commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs, fever reducers, and gastrointestinal medicines." Xiao Wei wrote down her notes as she said, "We also need warm clothing and sleeping bags. In case things get worse, these could be life-saving." The two of them talked back and forth, constantly refining the supplies list. Their expressions were focused and serious. They knew that this was not only to deal with a possible crisis, but also for the safety of their family and their future life.
The next morning, Lao Xiao went to work as usual, and Xiao Wei dropped the child off at school before starting to shop online.
Xiaowei, being a freelancer, runs a small shop with a small warehouse in the back. Since she sells clothes, her primary task is to stock up on clothing. Based on her existing inventory channels, she bought essential windproof clothing, as well as thicker clothes for the Arctic, sleeping bags, outdoor gear, and so on. She contacted several vendors she had previously worked with to negotiate the purchases. She planned to buy about ten sets of essential clothing for each of her five family members, mainly for her daughter, as she was concerned that she would need more as she grew older.
Her in-laws each bought about ten sets. Then, considering that her husband might have another child or two, they bought some contraceptives as a precaution, just in case, for the birth of another new life.
In just one day, she had spent over 500,000 yuan. Looking at her dwindling account balance, Xiaowei felt a pang of heartache, but more than anything, she felt a firm resolve to prepare for whatever the future might hold. She knew that these supplies could be her family's lifeline in a critical moment.
As evening fell, Lao Xiao returned home from get off work, and Xiao Wei quickly reported the day's purchasing results to him. Lao Xiao listened attentively, nodding and praising Xiao Wei's decisiveness and thoroughness. The two then discussed what supplies still needed to be replenished and how to rationally allocate storage space.
Old Xiao said to Xiao Wei, "We have two days this weekend. Come with us to the east of the city. There's a wholesale market there, a grain and oil wholesale market. We'll check out the goods and then confirm them."
Over the weekend, Lao Xiao drove Xiao Wei to a grain and oil wholesale market in the east of the city and found a few suitable shops.
Old Xiao and Xiao Wei considered that they didn't need advanced technology or strenuous labor, so they tried to find products directly from their origin, preferably handmade ones, for soy sauce, rice, flour, and cooking oil. They figured some might be slightly more expensive, others cheaper. Since the eastern part of the city was a semi-rural area, they visited a farmer who raised about 200 free-range chickens. They looked at his chickens and eggs and placed an order with him: 500 eggs and 10 free-range chickens per month. They felt 500 eggs weren't enough, and they were running out of eggs each month, so they ordered 500 more. Any leftover eggs were stored in their storage space.
Another family in their village, raising ducks in a pond by the river, also ordered 500 ducks, and 10 ducks for slaughter. Then they went to a friend's place west of the city to get yaks from the highlands—fresh yaks—demanding two slaughtered yaks per month, which the yaks would then collect themselves. They discussed the monthly schedule with the owner, and agreed to take everything from the two yaks, inside and out, including the yak hair. They also got two sheep, two per month.
Finally, they found a shop selling free-range black pork and ordered five head of fresh meat, five head per month. Since the owners were all acquaintances, they asked, "You need so much, what kind of business do you run?" Lao Xiao said, "I'm planning to open a restaurant." After running around for the past two days, they had prepared all the essentials for eating, drinking, and sanitation, but they were still missing some medicine and daily necessities.
Xiaowei said she had a friend who owned a supermarket, so she suggested going to him to see if he had any suppliers who wholesaled household goods. In the end, Lao Xiao took Xiaowei to a hotel supplies wholesale market not far from the grain and oil wholesale market in the east of the city, about one or two kilometers away. They bought a lot of high-end four-piece bedding sets for hotels, all in solid colors. Xiaowei selected dozens of sets, which were better than those in the market, those in various colors, as long as the colors were solid—either white, light colors, or warm colors—colors typically used in high-end hotels. As for the pots, pans, and other kitchenware, Xiaowei felt that outdoor supplies might not be as practical as these, so she only bought two sets, just two, because space was very limited.
After finishing all this, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei felt exhausted, but also much more at ease. They knew that all the sacrifices were worthwhile for the future of their family. Xiao Wei nodded and replied, "Okay, going to investigate in person will give us a clearer picture and help us make a better decision."
Old Xiao continued, "Yes, this time we need to pay more attention to quality and price, after all, this is a big deal concerning our long-term reserves."
Xiao Wei responded, "I understand. We need to make thorough preparations and leave no room for oversight."
The two smiled at each other, their hearts filled with anticipation for the future and a sense of responsibility to plan ahead for their family.
To avoid attracting attention, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei kept a low profile, picking up and storing the goods in different locations every weekend for a month. Sometimes they did it in the early morning when there were fewer people, and sometimes they chose to do it in the evening. They were careful and cautious, afraid of causing unnecessary trouble.
Every weekend felt like a clandestine operation for them. They quietly accumulated supplies, little by little, storing them in their spatial beads. Although the process was arduous, their hearts were filled with hope for the future and a determination to provide for their families.
Over the course of this month, Lao Xiao and Xiao Wei's understanding deepened. They supported and cooperated with each other, working towards a common goal.