NOVPUBChapter 83: Chapter 83 Some Joyful Times in the Apocalypse
Chapter 83 -83 Some Joyful Times in the Apocalypse
As they were talking, a head popped out from a window behind Squad Leader Fang, and a pair of big eyes looked rather pretty, but after locking gazes with Gu Pan, they vanished with a whoosh.
Gu Pan smiled without asking and took out another lollipop to place on the paper, waiting for Lu Ruisheng to finish talking with Squad Leader Fang before saying goodbye and leaving.
Once they had left, Squad Leader Fang closed the main gate and picked up the paper, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Fang Lanlan also came out, realizing it was about the method to get water, and smiled, “Dad, these people are truly good people.”
Squad Leader Fang handed his daughter a lollipop, smiling, “Yes, they are good people. If one day Dad is no longer here, you must trust them.”
Fang Lanlan shook her head, “Dad, you promised to be with me for a lifetime.”
Squad Leader Fang sighed, “I hope I have that fortune, I hope we have that fortune.”
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng left, reflecting on the Fang father and daughter, feeling that they had it tough, but who had it easy during the apocalypse?
Ever since Yuan Jiang moved over, their area became lively, with Lin Feifei coming over daily and sometimes Lin Mengmeng too.
Lin Feifei had also bumped into Gu Pan outside once, and this time she didn’t start trouble. Instead, she rolled her eyes hard at Gu Pan and huffed before leaving.
Gu Pan laughed and shook her head. Such people, she couldn’t even be bothered with them; they only considered themselves to be something special.
However, Cheng Yang and Chen Lang, having nothing better to do, loved listening to gossip from Yuan Jiang’s place in the yard. After all, without the internet, TV, or any entertainment, their drama was like a TV series that they could keep up with, which was pretty interesting.
One day, as Cheng Yang and Chen Lang returned from eavesdropping, Gu Pan handed them a handful of sunflower seeds each, “What did you hear this time?”
Cheng Yang took the seeds, his face full of envy, “Sis, you see, this Yuan Jiang is quite lucky with the ladies, with both the sisters liking him.”
While cracking seeds, Gu Pan asked, “Didn’t Lin Mengmeng say before that she didn’t like Yuan Jiang? Was that a lie?”
Cheng Yang spoke animatedly, “Sis, you don’t know, this Lin Mengmeng is pretty smart. She didn’t say it out loud, but she’s been treating Yuan Jiang well silently, whereas Lin Feifei actually gave Yuan Jiang more goods, but she badmouths Lin Mengmeng while giving them. So even though she gave goods, they came with resentment. On the other hand, Lin Mengmeng, while not giving much, spoke words that were truly comforting to hear.”
Gu Pan laughed and asked, “Cheng Yang, if you had to choose, would you pick the sister or the younger sister?”
Cheng Yang hastily waved his hands, “Sis, don’t scare me, who am I, a mere mortal, to handle those ancestors? I don’t want that. I’m content just surviving the apocalypse with you guys. I’m not too interested in this woman thing.”
“That’s what you say now, wait until you meet someone you like, then you’ll be smacked in the face,” Gu Pan teased with a laugh.
Chen Lang chimed in from the side, “I’m also not looking for a partner. In the future, Brother Cheng Yang and I will roam the world with our swords.”
Lu Ruisheng came from behind, “Once dreamt of roaming the world with a sword, plan canceled due to lack of money?”
Gu Pan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “That’s too much. You can’t crush the kids’ dreams.”
In the courtyard at dusk, the setting sun cast a red glow on everyone, faces shining with radiant smiles. If it weren’t for the apocalypse, this would have indeed been a moment of true happiness.
Because they had strict epidemic control measures in place, it had always been safe, with very few infections in the community, which remained peaceful.
Gu Pan and the others, prioritizing safety, had not gone to the city center for supplies and instead searched in the surrounding areas, as they weren’t lacking in resources.
Every day, Cheng Yang and Chen Lang brought joy to the community—like how Fang Lanlan ran even faster today. They often purposely scared her at the Fang Family door, just to see if she could run any quicker.
Then there was the matter of those families who never ventured out during the day, and the situation with Lin Feifei, Yuan Jiang, and Lin Mengmeng.
Unnoticed by everyone, the weather began to heat up, and Gu Pan had the habit of checking the thermometer daily.
One morning, she urgently called out to Lu Ruisheng, “Ruisheng, it’s warming up.”
Hearing this, Lu Ruisheng was also startled, “By how much?”
Gu Pan replied, “Five degrees. In the past life, it took less than three days to rise over fifty degrees. The virus vanished, but the high temperatures persisted and many people died from the heat.”
Lu Ruisheng took a deep breath, “Now that we know what’s coming, we’re prepared. We should be able to get through this.”
After breakfast, they called everyone to the first floor of Cheng Yang’s house, which now served as their meeting room.
Before Gu Pan could speak, Chen Shaonan asked her, “Is it about the weather?”
Previously, Gu Pan had hinted at the possibility of extreme weather, so everyone was sensitive to this. This morning, when they noticed the sudden increase in temperature, Chen Shaonan and Duan Shumei began to worry.
Gu Pan nodded, “I monitor the weather daily. This morning it suddenly rose by five degrees from yesterday, and it’s still climbing. This isn’t normal, so we need to be extra careful. Today, we’ll retrieve some supplies. If the weather changes suddenly, we’ll stay put for a short while until our bodies adapt to the change.”
Feng Zhekai agreed, “Xiao Gu is right. The human body needs time to adapt to changes in temperature and environment. If the temperature really rises suddenly, going outside could make us susceptible to diseases. Plus, with the epidemic, if temperatures rise further, there could be an increase in snakes and other vermin.”
Thinking of snakes, Lu Xuerong shuddered, “I am truly afraid of snakes. Sadly, in this apocalypse, not only can we not afford to be afraid, but we also have to learn how to kill and eat them.”
At this, everyone let out sighs. Indeed, if it weren’t for the apocalypse, everyone would have their fears and food dislikes. But now, fear wasn’t an option, because you had to choose to be unafraid between death and fear. Having something to eat was already good enough; dislikes simply didn’t exist, unless someone had allergies. Of course, those with allergies or generally weaker constitutions were probably few in number by now.
Cheng Yang said, “Deep down, I was hoping for the epidemic to pass and everything to return to normal. But I’m glad you kept sounding the alarm. It seems like this apocalypse won’t be so easy to survive, which explains why we need to establish a base.”
Chen Lang said, “Before, my classmates and I thought post-apocalyptic novels were so exaggerated, just made-up stories that could never happen. Who would have thought that after one sleep, we’d be living in one.”
Duan Shumei tapped Chen Lang’s head, “Kids are even more pessimistic than us. We will survive the apocalypse and welcome a new life. Stay optimistic.”
Gu Pan was grateful to be with them because, in her past life, it was just her and Lu Ruisheng struggling to survive with limited resources, running around just for a meal, constantly fighting—it was too painful. Now, even though it was still the apocalypse, she could hear laughter every day, which was no small feat.
After the meeting, the men went to fetch supplies, in small, inconspicuous batches of course.
Of course, not everything needed to be brought back at once. After adapting to new temperatures, venturing out would still be necessary—it wasn’t feasible to stay indoors forever.
By evening, the temperature had already reached thirty-two degrees, and everyone began to panic.
