Sweeping Natural Disasters (席卷天灾)

Chapter 8

"Hello, Mom, it's Qingqing. Sheng'an came back from his business trip and he's feeling unwell, not having much of an appetite. He's longing for hometown dishes. It's been a while since you and Dad visited. How about coming over? Sheng'an mentioned missing Big Brother, so I thought you both could bring him along."

"You know, the sick need extra care, and I want to accommodate him as much as possible. Can you and Dad discuss it? Let me have Sheng'an talk to you for a bit." She handed the phone to Shao Sheng'an.

He coughed, hesitated for a moment, then weakly said, "Mom, I want to see Big Brother. Please come over." This extraordinary performance and tone resonated perfectly. Shao's mother immediately agreed to visit the next morning.

"After half a month of rain last lifetime, Zexian County got flooded. The area has low terrain and many rivers, usually flooding even during minor storms. It was also one of the first areas to be submerged after the apocalypse," Qingqing explained.

"The entire county evacuated. I told them to come to Huacheng, but the transfer bus they were on encountered a mudslide... I went to search, but I couldn't find them among the survivors in several hospitals. Sheng'an, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault; it's mine." Shao Sheng'an couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up, walked over, and hugged her as he spoke weakly, "It's my responsibility as a son. I wasn't home and left all the responsibilities to you. It was my mistake. It won't happen this time. I'll arrange it properly. Don't be afraid."

After the emotional moment, the three discussed their plans.

"Food, water, medicine, clothing, gasoline, and a generator, plus seeds," Qingqing listed the most important supplies.

"Lastly, a secure and sturdy shelter. So, I reinforced the doors and windows and set up a solar-powered generator. Before the apocalypse and the major earthquake, we could live at home. There wasn't much sun in the last three years before the apocalypse, so we need to buy generators and gasoline first to endure the early stages when bodies can't handle the cold. Otherwise, with temperatures dropping to minus seventy-eight degrees Celsius at night, we might not wake up."

"By the fourth year of the apocalypse, when severe heat arrives, we can use solar power for air conditioning. Oh, and we need to stock up on a few more air conditioners..."

Seeing his wife becoming anxious while speaking, Shao Sheng'an hurriedly said, "I'll handle the gasoline. You can't buy a lot of gasoline through regular channels at gas stations. I'll go to the black market; we'll buy ten tanker trucks' worth. It should be enough. Money is not an issue. We already have 1.2 million in savings. I'll withdraw my stock funds, and I'll ask my parents to sell our house in the hometown to gather around 400,000. If the apocalypse really happens, gasoline will become precious; stocking up more will be useful."

Qiao Songzhi added, "I have over fifty thousand. If I sell the family shop in our hometown, I should have around three hundred thousand. Before, when I wanted to contribute to your down payment for a house in a good school district, you disagreed, but now it's useful. Qingqing, don't worry; we have enough money."

Embarrassed, Qingqing smiled, "It's a habit; everything will be fine, don't worry about me."

How could they not worry?

Shao Sheng'an and Qiao Songzhi exchanged glances; the mental state of their wife and daughter was clearly off. Logically, they couldn't refute Qingqing's talk of an impending apocalypse, but emotionally, accepting that the world was about to change drastically was difficult. Moreover, if Qingqing had indeed survived alone in the apocalypse for ten years, how much hardship would she have endured?