A sense of crisis had taken root in her mind, so much so that Jiang Ting didn’t even want to take her afternoon nap.
With a phone in each hand, she lay propped up on the sofa, scrolling through her own screen one moment and Cong Yixing’s the next. Her fingers moved rapidly as she went on a shopping spree.
Disposable face towels, disposable underwear, pure cotton socks, disinfectant, hand sanitizer… she ordered a full year’s supply of everything!
While Jiang Ting was passionately placing orders, Cong Yixing was in the kitchen cooking. He practically lived in the kitchen now, preparing food without a moment’s rest.
In truth, anxiety was gradually building within him as well. Only by keeping busy and making every preparation he could think of could he find any peace of mind.
Both phones chimed simultaneously. Jiang Ting, caught in the heat of her shopping, accidentally tapped a notification pop-up and was redirected to the community group chat, where she saw the latest announcement.
“On the night of the 14th, from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, residents of Buildings 10-17 of Jingle Community please proceed to the Community Service Center (Location: 50 meters right of the North Road at the community’s West Gate) with your ID card (or digital ID) to collect free state-issued heat relief supplies.”
She shouted to Cong Yixing, “They’re distributing supplies tonight!”
The roar of the range hood drowned out her voice. Wearing an apron, Cong Yixing walked out of the kitchen and asked, “Did you call me?”
“I said they’re giving out supplies tonight! Should we go get them?”
Cong Yixing nodded. “Of course. After we pick them up, we’ll stop by the water station for a few jugs. they’ve stopped doing deliveries now.”
“How many jugs? And how are we going to carry them back? Are you planning to shoulder them one by one?” Jiang Ting didn’t even consider the possibility of helping him.
Truth be told, she barely had enough strength to carry a basin of water on a normal day.
Cong Yixing thought for a moment. “We’ll go get our packages first and see if we can borrow a trolley from the courier station. If not, we’ll find another way.”
“More packages? What did you buy?”
“Some snacks and instant food for you, plus some spicy sauces and pickles—essentials for making any meal better.”
Jiang Ting was shocked. “You bought me snacks again?!” In her mind, Cong Yixing’s understanding of “snacks” was fundamentally flawed.
The snacks he’d bought online before were all influenced by short videos—strange items in oversized packaging with gimmicky slogans like “Give your girlfriend this for the holidays to stun her social media circle” or “No girl can resist the temptation of giant potato chips.” Pure traps for gullible men like him!
Setting aside the taste, who could finish a meter-long bag of chips containing dozens of smaller packs before they went stale?
Cong Yixing had been scolded for this a few times and had finally learned his lesson. “It’s not puffed junk food; that doesn’t keep you full. I bought beef jerky and dairy products from the prairie regions, and spicy rabbit cubes and spicy beef from Chuan City.”
Jiang Ting nodded enthusiastically. She loved meat!
They didn’t head out until after 8:00 PM.
The pair didn’t bother lining up early this time. It was still far too hot when the sun first set, and neither wanted to suffer just to get their supplies a few minutes sooner.
The process was the same as last time. After collecting their supplies, Cong Yixing told Jiang Ting to wait for him at the nearby water station while he went to fetch the packages and borrow a trolley.
Jiang Ting agreed and strolled a few dozen meters to the east before turning into another street.
One side of this street was the community wall, while the other consisted of older storefronts with low ceilings and narrow interiors. These shops handled small-scale business: a water station, a steamed bun shop, a fresh noodle shop, a fruit stand, and a deli selling cold dishes and braised meats. They usually relied on old neighbors for business, and foot traffic was generally light.
Now, however, the two small rooms of the water station were packed with people, and a line had formed even in the open space out front.
Jiang Ting could hear the water station owner’s voice, raw from shouting: “Don’t crowd! Don’t block the back door! The workers carrying the water can’t get in!”
Noticing that many people were holding the red eco-friendly bags given out with the relief supplies, she realized everyone had the same idea: grab some water while they were already out.
After all, in this blistering heat, water was the only thing as vital as air conditioning. Although tap water was drinkable if boiled, it tasted poor and felt unsettling to many. Families without water filtration systems used bottled water even for cooking, so the demand had skyrocketed.
This hadn’t been an issue when the station still delivered, but now that deliveries had ceased and people could only venture out at night, everyone converged at once. The desperation of some made the simple act of buying water feel like a riot.
This chaotic atmosphere was contagious. Many people who didn’t strictly need water yet were infected by the anxiety; though they were just passing by, they inexplicably joined the queue.
Jiang Ting stood a short distance away on the roadside, frowning at the crowd. She decided it was better not to join the fray, or they might not get home until midnight.
Compared to the orderly line for relief supplies, this place was a mess. Some people were even starting to argue over someone cutting the line.
Cong Yixing soon found her. He was dragging a snakeskin bag stuffed with packages. “Plan failed,” he said, calling out to her. “The trolleys at the courier station were all checked out.” He then asked, “What are you looking at? Why is it so crowded?”
Jiang Ting explained the situation and added, “It’s too chaotic right now. Let’s come back another time.” Suddenly, her gaze shifted as she spotted a familiar face in the crowd—it was Liu Fengyang from the community office.
Liu Fengyang was also there for water. She had likely arrived early and was now struggling to squeeze through the crowd while lugging a heavy jug.
Seeing that Jiang Ting wasn’t moving, Cong Yixing asked, “What’s wrong?” He followed her gaze. “Do you know her? Want me to help?”
“She’s the staff member who came to do the registration last time,” Jiang Ting replied.
As they spoke, Liu Fengyang managed to break free from the crowd. Looking exhausted, she set the jug on the ground to adjust her grip, then lifted it again toward a pedal-powered tricycle parked two shops away.
A young girl of seventeen or eighteen stood by the tricycle. Seeing Liu Fengyang approach, she hurried forward to help, but she clearly lacked strength. Liu Fengyang seemed to find her more of a hindrance than a help and waved her off with a gentle shove.
The girl said something, and Liu Fengyang’s expression immediately soured. Her voice rose loud enough for Jiang Ting and Cong Yixing to hear from ten meters away.
“I didn’t call him? Who could possibly move him! The house has been out of water for two days—have you seen him budge once? I swear, he won’t leave that sofa until he’s about to die of thirst!”
The area around the water station was noisy, and only a few people nearby turned to look. However, girls of that age are usually thin-skinned; she quickly turned away to avoid the stares.
Realizing she had lost control of her volume and drawn unwanted attention, Liu Fengyang looked embarrassed. She fell silent and focused on the jug on the ground.
There was already one jug in the back of the tricycle; this was clearly her second trip.
She was thin and didn’t look like someone accustomed to heavy labor. Lifting the jug into the cargo bed was proving to be a struggle.
Just as she took a deep breath to brace herself, a pair of hands reached out from the side. With a practiced motion, the newcomer gripped the handle, hoisted the jug, and set it firmly onto the vehicle.
Liu Fengyang looked up to see a tall, lean young man with a tanned complexion.
The young man gave her a small smile but didn’t speak.
A soft female voice came from nearby, greeting her: “Hello, Auntie Liu.”
Liu Fengyang blinked, but having met recently, she recognized the girl even if she couldn’t quite place the name. She nodded with a smile. “Hello! Are you two here for water as well?”
Jiang Ting gestured with her eco-friendly bag. “We thought we’d grab a jug after picking up our supplies, but we didn’t expect it to be this crowded.” She then introduced her companion: “This is my boyfriend, Cong Yixing. He wasn’t home last time, but thanks to you, he’s in the group chat now.”
Cong Yixing greeted her politely.
Since he had just helped her, the first impression was quite good. Liu Fengyang praised him, “What a fine, energetic young man.” She continued, “It really is crowded right now. Who knows how long you’d have to wait in line. I just bought four jugs—don’t bother queuing, just take one of mine back with you.”
Jiang Ting didn’t take her up on the offer. Looking at the tricycle, she asked, “Are there two more jugs inside? Let him go with you so you don’t have to make another trip.” She looked at Cong Yixing.
Cong Yixing took the cue and nodded. “I’ll go with you.” Without another word, he turned and headed back toward the station.
Liu Fengyang didn’t want to trouble anyone. The refusal was on the tip of her tongue, but Cong Yixing was already walking away. She had to swallow her words and hurry after him.
Watching the two disappear into the crowd, Jiang Ting nudged the snakeskin bag of packages on the ground. She noticed the young girl with Liu Fengyang staring at her.
She smiled and asked, “Are you Auntie Liu’s daughter?”
“Yes.” The girl nodded. She didn’t ask who Jiang Ting was, but instead said, “Sister, your voice is so pretty.”
Jiang Ting’s smile widened. “Really? Thank you. You’re very pretty too; your eyes look just like your mother’s.” She introduced herself: “My name is Jiang Ting. I live in the Jingle Community across the street. What’s your name?”
“I’m Luo Mumu.”
As they chatted, Cong Yixing’s tall frame emerged from the crowd. He was carrying a jug in each hand. The exertion caused the smooth lines of muscle beneath his heat-insulating suit to bulge slightly.
Luo Mumu whispered, “Your boyfriend looks lean, but he’s so strong. Not like my dad—he’s fat and useless.”
Jiang Ting was taken aback. She hadn’t expected such a quiet-looking girl to say something like that to a stranger.
She turned in surprise, but Luo Mumu had already lowered her head, hiding her expression.
Liu Fengyang, walking empty-handed, couldn’t keep up with Cong Yixing even though he was carrying two jugs. She emerged from the crowd looking a bit disheveled. Seeing that Cong Yixing had already loaded both jugs onto the tricycle, she said quickly, “I really don’t know what I would have done without you today. Little Cong, please, take one of these home.”
Cong Yixing looked at Jiang Ting. Seeing her shake her head, he said to Liu Fengyang, “No need, Auntie Liu. We still have water at home. we just thought we’d pick one up since we were passing by. Since it’s so busy and we’re not in a rush, we’ll just get some next time.”
Jiang Ting added, “Don’t worry about it, Auntie Liu.”
After politely declining, they watched the mother and daughter ride off on the tricycle. Jiang Ting helped Cong Yixing lift the snakeskin bag, and they turned toward their community.
“Auntie Liu’s family lives in the Jingfeng Community nearby. It’s quite close.”
“Her daughter told you?”
“Yeah. How did you know they were mother and daughter?”
“They look alike.”
Jiang Ting teased, “Then do the two of us look alike?”
Cong Yixing paused. “Huh? Are you trying to say we’re related?”
Jiang Ting burst out laughing.