146: Lu Yu: I listen to you.

Xu Qianyao whispered, “Has Zhou Wanqing come back looking for you?”

Jiang Fei shook her head, indicating no.

“If she comes looking for you, you must tell me immediately.”

“I heard that Zhou Wanqing successfully escaped by contacting people outside the Safety Shelter to break her out of jail. They also stole several boxes of weapons and supplies, and the higher-ups are very angry about this.”

“Whoever harbors her will not have a good outcome. You absolutely must not get involved with her again.”

“Okay, I’ve noted it down.” Jiang Fei outwardly agreed, but what she was thinking was—

If I run into Wan Qing, I’ll send her out of the Safety Shelter first.

After getting into the military truck, Jiang Fei followed the Rescue Team to the location and began removing the insulation panels.

In addition, they also had to use chains and tools to secure road signs, trees, trash cans, public toilets, etc., that could easily be blown away by sandstorms.

Having experienced the previous installation of insulation panels, this time, some survivors saw the Rescue Team doing sand prevention work and came directly to help.

Among them were also some shameless ones.

“My family has a foot-pedal generator that needs constant pedaling to generate electricity. Can you help me find a diesel generator and send it over? Otherwise, I can’t use an electric drill and won’t be able to install the wooden boards.”

“You’re going to be working anyway, so why not help seal my windows? I’ll give each of you a steamed bun as payment.”

“Why should we give them things? They are supposed to serve the people.”

In response, Xu Qianyao found the Rescue Team member responsible for their complex: “Cancel these people’s sand prevention supplies.”

The few people refused.

“We just asked you for a small favor. If you’re unwilling, you can say so directly. Why cancel our share?”

“Letting you do good deeds is for your own good fortune. How can you not distinguish between good and bad?”

Xu Qianyao pulled out his identification: “I am Xu Qianyao, the captain of the Rescue Team. If you have any complaints, go report me.”

“But if you continue to obstruct the Rescue Team from carrying out its mission, I will send you to the Patrol Team’s small dark room for ten days to half a month.”

At these words, the few people dared not argue with Xu Qianyao and quietly shut up and left.

With no one in the way, as sunset approached, the Rescue Team cleaned up the area they were responsible for today and returned to the Mingshang Apartment Complex.

The three team members who had stayed behind were still there, making announcements with a loudspeaker.

Only one-third of the supplies in the two truck compartments were gone.

Xu Qianyao got out of the car and asked, “Why is there so much left?”

The team member turned off the loudspeaker before speaking: “Most residents think the officials are fear-mongering. The weather is clear now, and there’s not even any wind, so a sandstorm is impossible. They also don’t want to wear masks in the hot weather, so they didn’t come to collect things.”

Glancing at his watch, Xu Qianyao said, “You’ll be off duty in two hours. The remaining supplies will be sent back to the Rescue Team.”

“Residents who are unwilling to collect them don’t need to be bothered. They’ve already been given a chance. If their windows break and losses occur, the officials will no longer provide free repairs.”

After speaking, Xu Qianyao looked at everyone: “Everyone go home and rest. We’ll gather again at 6 AM tomorrow.”

Jiang Fei returned to Building 2.

Lu Yu was not off work yet. Ling Zhaorui and the others had gone to collect the official sand prevention supplies and brought a share for her.

Ling Zhaorui brought the items to 302.

Su Liuyuan and Xiao Chuxia helped move three chicks, one gosling, as well as their feed and straw nests.

In over a month, the three chicks had grown several sizes.

The two roosters, Boss and Second, had developed prominent combs, and their creamy yellow down had turned into golden feathers.

Third was a hen, her comb slightly smaller than Boss’s and Second’s, and her snow-white feathers looked clean and beautiful.

The gosling, named Fourth by Jiang Fei, had already shown the appearance of a young goose, plump and white like Third.

Jiang Fei couldn't help but reach out and stroke Fourth.

The goose feathers were soft, like petting a cat.

The feel was so good!

“Sister Jiang, the temperature dropped to 49 degrees Celsius this afternoon. I have to go back to the Planting Base for work tomorrow.”

“It’s inconvenient for me to live in the dorm, so I’m bringing Boss and the others back for you to take care of.”

Xiao Chuxia: “I also have to go back to the Hospital for work. Although I don’t have to live in the dorm, I won’t have time to come home to eat the Miss’s cooking.”

Su Liuyuan brought the price list: “Captain, I’ve set the prices for the cured and preserved products. I’ll go to the shop to stock shelves these few days. After the sandstorm passes, we’ll sell the new products.”

“Alright.” Jiang Fei put Boss and the others into the balcony and went to the bathroom to wash her hands:

“You all go home first. I’ll change clothes and come to 302 to eat in half an hour.”

“We’re having barbecue tonight.”

At 7:30 PM, Lu Yu should also be off work.

After Xiao Chuxia and the others left, Jiang Fei took out beef, beef short ribs, pork chops, pork belly, chicken breast, chicken wings, green shrimp, perilla leaves, button mushrooms, potato slices, and pickled cabbage from the Supermarket warehouse and arranged them on plates.

The meat was all fresh and didn't need marinating; it tasted good even grilled plain.

Jiang Fei prepared two kinds of dipping sauces for the barbecue.

One was a spicy wet sauce, and the other was a non-spicy peanut sesame dry rub.

Xiao Hua Lao didn't particularly like spicy food, so the dry rub was for her.

The kitchen had two electric barbecue grills that could be used by connecting them to the generator.

After preparing the barbecue ingredients, Jiang Fei started putting sand prevention supplies into bags.

The officials only distributed protective face masks. Xiao Hua Lao and the others still lacked goggles, headscarves, sand-proof shoe covers, hats, and masks.

Jiang Fei packed 7 bags, with 3 of each item.

Each teammate and employee received one bag, which they kept in their dorms and shops as backup, to prevent them from having to risk going home to retrieve items if a sandstorm suddenly struck.

At 7:30 PM, Su Liuyuan and the others came to eat, all carrying snacks and drinks.

Even though Jiang Fei had told them not to bring anything for dinner, they still brought things.

They claimed that good things should be shared by everyone.

Lu Yu also came after work, bringing a six-pack of iced beer.

Looking at the abundant dishes on the table, Su Liuyuan swallowed his saliva and joked, “Captain, sometimes I even suspect if you have a storage bag or space like in novels, able to conjure so many delicious things at once.”

“If I did, I’d make you, this foodie, disappear first, so I wouldn’t have to worry about you eating me out of house and home.”

Jiang Fei calmly teased Su Liuyuan, but inside, she was a nervous wreck.

You're making me a little scared.

Su Liuyuan dramatically leaned on Ling Zhaorui’s shoulder, pinching his voice to say, “Look how fierce Captain is~ I’m scared~”

“Gross.” Ling Zhaorui pushed Su Liuyuan away in disgust, conveniently stuffing a handful of perilla leaves into his mouth to shut him up.

Noticing that Lu Yu had been looking down at his bowl as if something was on his mind, Jiang Fei quietly asked:

“What’s wrong?”

Lu Yu pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Today, someone from the Patrol Team told me that Chen Fengping’s ‘there’ has rotted.”

“They sent him to the Hospital. A team member paid the points for Chen Fengping. I heard they had to cut ‘there’ off to save his life.”

“I’m thinking whether to continue holding him or let him go.”

Jiang Fei: “Let him go. Staying with the Patrol Team, not suffering or toiling, is too good for him.”

Lu Yu: “I’ll do as you say.”

Su Liuyuan and Ling Zhaorui immediately exchanged glances, their thoughts identical.

They shipped it!

—

Jiang Fei was busy with the Rescue Team for several days.

This evening, just after getting off work and returning to the Mingshang Apartment Complex, a dark, shadowy thing darted out from a corner.

Jiang Fei instinctively moved to strike, but the dark thing spoke.

“Boss, it’s me!”

...Were you hiding here to scare me?”

Crippled Wang grinned, “I was just afraid the Rescue Team members would see me.”

“The warehouse renovation is finished. I came to get you to inspect it.”

Tired after a day’s work, Jiang Fei was too lazy to drive and chose to ride in Crippled Wang’s minivan.

The new warehouse was not far from the General Store, just across a street.

If any problems arose, Crippled Wang could bring people over immediately.

Yao Damang and the Wu Brothers stood outside the warehouse.

Seeing Jiang Fei arrive, Wu Dayong opened the large iron gate of the warehouse.

“Miss Jiang, I reinforced the warehouse according to your requirements, and the windows have also been replaced with explosion-proof ones. Anti-theft bars have been installed outside, so there’s no fear of thieves.”

“The water and electricity for the warehouse have been connected. The cabinets for storing dried medicinal herbs have been treated for moisture prevention, so there’s no need to worry about them getting damp.”

Jiang Fei walked in to inspect.

The warehouse had only one floor, divided into a seafood area, a dried medicinal herb area, a miscellaneous goods area, and a rest area.

The dried medicinal herb area had 20 cabinets, similar to traditional Chinese medicine cabinets in pharmacies, with individual small drawers.

The seafood area had 50 large glass fish tanks, equipped with oxygen pumps, but not yet filled with water.

The miscellaneous goods area had 10 shelves.

The rest area was the smallest, with a small bathroom and 5 single iron beds, for those who would guard the warehouse in the future.

“After the sandstorm ends, I’ll send the goods over.”

Crippled Wang had no objections: “This gives me time to collect some sea salt and then prepare it into seawater.”

“You handle it. If you can’t get sea salt, let me know.”

She could borrow from the Supermarket!

Since she hadn’t driven, Driver Crippled Wang drove Jiang Fei back to the Mingshang Apartment Complex again.

As soon as she entered 302, Jiang Fei saw Big Yellow lying on the balcony floor, sleeping.

Big Yellow loved playing with the chicks and goslings and had been sleeping there recently.

The little one wouldn't bully Boss and the others, so Jiang Fei didn't interfere. She went to the bathroom as usual to take a shower and then returned to her room to rest.

In the middle of the night.

A loud bang woke Jiang Fei.

Before she could figure out what had happened, she felt a pain in her chest.