novelhk Chapter 172 Going Out
Chapter 172 Going Out
Xu Xiaoyan groggily reached out from under the covers, and a chill instantly crept up her fingertips. She touched her phone on the pillow and swiped her thumb across the screen.
The light was too bright, and she subconsciously squinted. Once her pupils adjusted to the sudden light, the name of the message sender that popped up on the lock screen quickly dispelled her lingering drowsiness—Xie Yingtang.
She unlocked her screen, tapped the long message, her fingers stiff from the cold: "Xiaoyan, are you awake? I just checked the temperature; it's already minus eighteen degrees outside. There's something I need to tell you..."
Xu Xiaoyan sat up, the heavy blanket slipping off her shoulders, the chill immediately enveloping her. She pulled the blanket up higher, wrapping herself tightly in it, curling up into a warmer position, her gaze fixed on the lines of text: "I know a friend who told me about a place, a privately run sea buckthorn plantation outside the city..."
Sea buckthorn? The word made her pause slightly, and fragments of knowledge about this plant quickly flashed through her mind: cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and tolerant of poor soil; it grows in marginal areas; its fruits are small and dense, orange-yellow or orange-red, and taste extremely sour and astringent, but are very high in vitamin C, as well as rich in vitamin E, carotene, etc. In today's world where fresh fruits and vegetables are becoming increasingly scarce, sea buckthorn berries are practically a mobile natural nutrient storehouse. No, not just a nutrient storehouse, but also a great thing for fighting scurvy and maintaining the functioning of the immune system.
She hurriedly read on: [The owner had fled back to his hometown before the cold wave warning was issued, and all the growers in the orchard had also left, so it's basically unattended now... He went to check on it once, and at that time the fruit wasn't very plentiful, just sparse. He said that these few days are the peak fruiting season, and the fruit should all be ripe...]
Unattended, in its prime, ripe—every word shimmers with allure. Who knows what the world outside the city has become?
The news about Xie Yingtang continues: [He had wanted to pick sea buckthorn a couple of days ago, but he's poor and busy preparing for warmth and food, so he didn't have the time. Sea buckthorn is good, but it can't be eaten as a staple food, so he kept putting it off... I helped him out last time, and he wanted to return the favor, so this time he specifically asked me and Wang Xiao to go with him...]
Xu Xiaoyan's lips curved slightly, almost imperceptibly. In these times of scarcity, such a gesture of goodwill seemed both precious and fragile. [I told him I have a younger sister I'd like to bring along, and he agreed. Are you interested in coming? It's a rare opportunity.]
Almost without a moment's hesitation, they replied, "Interested! When do we depart? Where do we meet?"
After sending the message, she finally "woke up." She threw off the covers, and the cold air made her shiver instantly. She first put on a fleece-lined thermal undershirt, then a thick wool sweater, and on the outermost layer was her military green coat with a thick lining and a windproof finish. Although it was bulky, it was life-saving. She followed the same three-layer principle for her pants, and finally put on her ski pants.
She wore a Lei Feng hat that covered her ears, stuffed her long hair haphazardly into it, pulled down the brim, and covered her mouth and nose with a windproof mask, leaving only her eyes visible. She wore two layers of gloves: a thin, close-fitting fleece inner layer and a thick, waterproof and windproof outer layer. Her snow boots had deep anti-slip treads on the soles and were lined with homemade heated insoles, which, although not very effective, were better than nothing.
About fifteen minutes later, the phone rang again. Xie Yingtang replied, "Okay! Meet at the North Gate of the Outer City at 10:00 AM today. Bring your gear. It's so cold that I don't think many people will be going out, but it's better to be prepared."
"Received, I will be there on time," Xu Xiaoyan replied crisply, then put down her phone.
After getting dressed, she stepped out the door and looked up. The sky was leaden gray. Fortunately, the strong winds and snow from last night were nowhere to be seen. Going out of the city at this time would undoubtedly be risky, as the temperature was still dropping. According to official forecasts, it might fall below minus twenty degrees Celsius tomorrow, at which point outdoor activities would become extremely dangerous. But on the other hand, the current "relatively mild" minus eighteen degrees Celsius might be the last window of opportunity.
She forced herself to look away from the door and turned back into her room to check her equipment. She took out a watermelon knife from her spatial storage. The blade was about forty centimeters long, with a thick back and a sharpened edge. She wrapped the handle with a strip of cloth to make it more secure and prevent it from slipping, and then carefully put it into her backpack.
This backpack is for outdoor mountaineering. It has a large capacity and a good carrying system. She put the necessary items in the main compartment: six packs of compressed biscuits; two packs of instant noodles; a water bottle with a homemade insulated cover; three woven burlap sacks; and two windproof lighters.
Considering the difficulty of obtaining hot water while traveling, Xu Xiaoyan used the tap water and kettle at home that were still usable to boil several large kettles of hot water before leaving. She carefully poured the boiled water into several thermos bottles, and after filling them, she stored them all in her spatial storage with a thought.
It was 9:10. Under normal weather conditions, it would take her 30 to 40 minutes to walk from her small building to the north gate of the outer city. But now, the condition of the snow-covered road was unclear, and although the cold wind had weakened, it was still there. Every step could encounter unexpected obstacles, so she had to allow enough time for leeway.
She really didn't want to be late for her first meeting with Xie Yingtang's friends, as a bad impression could mean being excluded from the list of future opportunities.
She slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked toward the door. The moment her hand grasped the old-fashioned iron doorknob, her heart sank.
Beyond the cold metallic touch, there was an unusual sense of "stagnation." She pulled hard, but the door didn't budge. It wasn't the resistance of being locked; rather, it was as if the entire door and the frame were cast together as one.
Startled, she peered through the crack in the door and, using the faint light filtering in from the window, examined it closely. Sure enough, at the junction of the door panel and frame, there was a thick, crystal-clear layer of ice. The ice wasn't particularly thick, but it was exceptionally hard and solid, completely sealing the door shut.
"Damn it..." she cursed under her breath. She had heard her roommate Chen Ye mention this situation before. In extremely low temperatures, if there is even a little water seeping through the cracks in the door or moisture condensing, it can freeze into an icebox overnight. She never thought she would actually encounter this situation. Fortunately, she had just prepared hot water.
Without delay, Xu Xiaoyan immediately took out a thermos from her spatial storage, unscrewed the stopper, and a cloud of hot steam rose up. She carefully and evenly poured the hot water around the door lock and the areas where the ice was most severe in the door cracks.
"Hiss..." The ice layer made a slight but continuous sound when it was heated. The surface melted quickly and turned into water that flowed down. However, the temperature in the room was too low. White frost flowers quickly appeared where the water flowed, and there was a tendency for it to refreeze. She had to be quick.