Chapter 286: Chapter 286: The Difficulties Faced by the Polar Night
Chen Lu led them to a table, and the process was soon completed.
After saying goodbye to Chen Lu, they went to Zhang Huishu’s ho. They had to inform her that Lu Ruiming was unable to return. After all, they had previously promised to bring him back, but they had truly not anticipated that Lu Ruiming’s ntal fortitude was so weak. In the apocalypse, people went mad either because they were terrorized by murder and looting or because they couldn’t handle the stress of such events—a rare occurrence indeed.
They arrived at Zhang Huishu’s residence and knocked on the door. It took a good while before Zhang Huishu ca to open it, having first lit an oil lamp before answering the door.
Upon opening the door and seeing Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng, her eyes lit up. She looked past them, hoping to catch a glimpse of her dearly missed eldest son.
But even as she looked far into the distance, she did not see Lu Ruiming, and her face turned ghostly pale: “Where is Ruiming?”
Gu Pan said, “Let’s talk inside.” Discussing in the hallway would affect others, especially since Zhang Huishu was likely to cry.
Once they were inside with the door closed, Zhang Huishu had already begun wiping away tears: “Didn’t you promise to bring Ruiming back to ?”
Gu Pan nodded: “We indeed made such a promise, but no one expected that Huang Suzhen would die, and that upon learning he was not a child of the Lu Family, Ruiming suffered ntal trauma and was hospitalized in the psychiatric departnt. There’s no way we could bring him back in his current state.”
Zhang Huishu was stunned upon hearing this and, after a long mont, burst into loud sobbing: “My son, why would you think so pessimistically? Whatever it is, you could have co back and faced it with Mom. How could you be so fragile?”
Lu Ruisheng agreed with Zhang Huishu’s words: “He truly is very fragile. No one expected him to go mad.”
Zhang Huishu looked at Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng with pleading eyes: “Then how can we bring him back? Can’t we give him dication or restrain him?”
Lu Ruisheng shook his head: “That’s not feasible. The military absolutely cannot allow soone with ntal issues to accompany the troops. It’s too dangerous. The only option now is for you to go to the main base.”
Zhang Huishu did not hesitate: “I’ll go, I’ll go. When can I leave?”
Gu Pan calculated: “The team from the main base should return in three days. If you want to go, we can help you get a pass.”
Zhang Huishu bowed gratefully to them: “Thank you, thank you for not abandoning us.”
Although they had promised to bring Lu Ruiming back, they were unable to fulfill that due to unforeseen circumstances. Not abandoning Zhang Huishu and keeping their word as best they could already spoke volus of their integrity, especially considering how Lu Ruiming had always made life difficult for them in the past.
Of course, Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng were not Holy Mothers. They simply wanted to keep the promise they made to Zhang Huishu when they took Ruiming away—they didn’t want to go back on their word.
After accepting Zhang Huishu’s gratitude, they told her they would deliver the pass within three days and advised her to set her own affairs in order during this ti because she might not return after going to the main base.
Everyone knew that Zhang Huishu had a lover here, but her willingness to leave for the sake of her son demonstrated how important Lu Ruiming was to her.
After leaving Zhang Huishu’s ho, the two of them hurried back to their own ho. Nowhere was better than ho, where they had electricity, while everywhere else was dim.
Upon arriving ho, Lu Ruisheng started the generator, and they turned on the living room lights that simulated sunlight. Despite Chen Shaonan’s latest upgrades not being completed, the current setup was still adequate, having been previously stored in the “Space” for such tis.
Both devices were powered by generators, so Gu Pan took out the grow lights and planting pots from the “Space” and began gardening with Lu Ruisheng.
Because the lights were in the living room, which was convenient for everyone who wanted to co over for illumination after work, they decided to grow plants there instead of the second-floor greenhouse. They fixed several plant lamps near the windows and placed the planting pots under those lights. Opening the windows allowed ventilation and light to co in, which would later provide everyone with a pleasant view of greenery, beneficial for both their spirits and ntal health.
They planted a variety of crops, using large pots, including deep ones for growing potatoes, which were more practical and filling.
The soil they used was from the greenhouse in the yard. Before they left for the main base, the site had been planted with vegetables, but when the polar night ca, Lu Xuerong and others helped to uproot the crops, dry them, and store them in the kitchen. They then flattened the soil, and now Gu Pan and the others just needed to add fertilizer to reuse it.
Both of them tied on aprons and shuttled back and forth, transporting soil. Even though Gu Pan could use “Space,” she felt that sotis working together like this was a kind of pleasure in life.
Lu Ruisheng not only grew vegetables, but also planted two flowers for Gu Pan. Such things were extrely precious during the apocalypse. Normally, no one would waste resources on them. If it was possible to grow sothing, who wouldn’t want to grow vegetables? Flowers, being pretty but impractical, were truly useless in the apocalypse.
By the ti they finished, it was already evening.
Because Lu Jianguo was coming over for dinner today, the two of them started preparing the al a bit earlier.
After putting the rice on to cook, Lu Ruisheng went to pick up Lu Jianguo. Gu Pan didn’t rush to start cooking; instead, she went to check on the vegetables she had planted, feeling quite hopeful.
It wasn’t long before Lu Jianguo arrived. Seeing the lights in their ho and the abundance of vegetables, he was still shocked, “When did you get all these flowerpots?”
The thing is, every ti Lu Jianguo asked a question, it was always on point.
Gu Pan replied with a smile, “We brought them back from a previous trip. We never had a chance to use them until now. Since we’re using a generator anyway, and have plant lights at ho, we figured we might as well plant so vegetables. They’re enough for our few families, and it also saves resources for the base.”
“Indeed, the base’s supplies are getting scarcer and scarcer. The fact that you few families can be self-sufficient takes so pressure off the base,” Lu Jianguo affird them.
Lu Ruisheng ca in and said, “I’ll go fry the dishes, Panpan, you keep Dad company.”
Gu Pan said, “I’ll go.”
Lu Jianguo smiled happily, “You two go together, I’ll make a few cucumber trellises for you.”
Saying that, he sat next to the flowerpots, picked up the tools they had prepared for the tomato and cucumber trellises, and started working. He had done these kinds of tasks when he was in the military.
Gu Pan and Lu Ruisheng went to the kitchen together and started cooking.
Savoring the fragrance of the food, Lu Jianguo took pleasure in his work.
Soon, it was ti to eat.
While eating, they also started discussing the situation at the main base.
There wasn’t ti to talk in detail the day he returned, so today Lu Jianguo wanted to have a thorough discussion about these matters.
The al took a long ti because they didn’t leave the table after finishing, continuing to talk about the main base.
Gu Pan eventually took out the two tickets to Mount Everest Base that Lun Wanli had given them. She couldn’t talk about this to outsiders, but there was no need to hide it from Lu Jianguo.
Looking at the two tickets, Lu Jianguo sighed, “Although we have tickets, the journey there is filled with obstacles. Moreover, we can’t settle there until the last mont; even if we wanted to go early, it wouldn’t be possible. The higher-ups still hope the Mount Everest Base won’t be needed and that people can survive in the base until the apocalypse ends.”
At this, he sighed again, “After all, they still hope that humanity’s fla can continue to burn for as long as possible. If we need to go to Mount Everest, it ans we’ll have to abandon too many people, which is sothing nobody wants to see.”
Everyone understood this; that would be the last resort, the very end. How long human civilization could hold out, and how much would be left, was all unknown.
Lu Jianguo looked at the two of them and still managed a smile, “Don’t be too negative. Maybe it won’t be needed, right?”
How could one answer that? No one dared to think that way now, but everyone still hoped it would be so.
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