Finally, after all the crops matured, the base would collect them by weight. The price for collection—
Under normal circumstances, as long as crops were grown, there was no loss. The final profit depended on the weight harvested. The more vegetables grown, the more earned.
Even a poor harvest was better than nothing. But renting land and wasting time without growing anything would incur penalties. Contribution points were spent, but the resources belonged to everyone. This rule discouraged inexperienced people from wasting time at the start.
So planting might seem simple, but it was truly a skill. Without experience, one could not try lightly.
In this world, people with planting experience were rare. Before the end of 2121, most had no exposure to farming. Even simple tasks like turning soil or sowing seeds were unknown to them. Under these circumstances, anyone who could successfully grow crops was exceptional.
…
With all these important matters handled, a week had passed. The blizzard, however, had not stopped. The snow and wind had built up, adding three more stories on top of the original four. Low-lying areas were completely buried.
Lan Jin thought of the people living at the foot of the mountain. She asked, "Those at the foot of the mountain, could they all be wiped out?"
The ice and snow had reached roughly seven stories high. Even if the snow had been a bit away from the base gate before, now it must have already covered it. If the mountain top was like this, the foot of the mountain would be far worse.
Lao Gao, however, disagreed. "People who survive the apocalypse are not simple. If they survived before, a blizzard cannot kill them. Most at the foot of the mountain have abilities too."
Ling Jiang said flatly, "You live in the base and talk like this is easy. Life down there was hard. Without Lan Jin's space, that last blizzard would have been unbearable."
Lao Gao argued, "You can't think like that. Life is tough, but enduring it gets you through. Anyone alive now is like a cockroach that cannot die. Don't argue with me. Even outside the base, we could have survived. They won't be worse than us."
Ling Jiang did not bother arguing further, but commented on the weather. "It has been so long. The extreme heat should be coming soon."
Lan Jin said, "I think it will arrive after the blizzard. We were facing natural disasters before, mainly abnormal weather. After a cold blizzard, there will surely be a rapid reversal. Living in the base we don't need to worry…."
But for those outside, could they withstand another extreme temperature swing?
Grandma Ling stopped her cross-stitching and smiled. "It is right to worry. Life is long, so it is wise to prepare. Once extreme heat arrives, the base should have cooling systems."
Huang Jinghe nodded. "Yes. When extreme heat hits, seventy degrees may not be enough. We are all indoors. Who can handle this heat? Once ice melts into water, it can produce power. That flood might be too much to control. Can't run out of power."
Speaking of extreme heat, Lao Gao quickly asked, "Sister Lan, will the ice blocks and ice drinks in your space be enough for us?"
Lan Jin said, "It should be. Our daily drinking water is all spirit spring water. I froze two-thirds of the bottled water I bought. The remaining third I kept in case of emergencies. I also bought many ice blocks and made more later. … It should be enough. If not, I still have the ice machine, though using it is more trouble."
Using these items inside the space was easy, but outside it was difficult. You had to find a private spot. Even if it was not enough, making more ice now was inconvenient. Finding a cold, empty place in the base was nearly impossible. Going outside—no one dared in this blizzard.
Lan Jin thought for a moment. "If we really need more, we can make more once the blizzard stops. It is cold outside. It will freeze quickly."
Lao Gao still worried. He asked to be placed in the space. He checked the number of ice blocks and ice drinks. After leaving the space, he said, "We won't always be outside. In the base, we don't have to drink ice water. Ice in thermos cups can stay cold longer. In extreme heat, sip a little. Our main drinking water is spirit spring water. With ice blocks, I think it will last two years without problem."
"Two years, that is a long time," Ling Jiang said.
"But there are many of us. Who knows how long extreme heat will last? Making ice is possible, but freezing in winter is simpler," Lan Jin said. "We'll see. Once the blizzard stops, we can go out, throw bottled water in the ice… Oh, you only counted drinks and ice blocks. What about ice cream? There is a lot. I froze many fruits too. They provide vitamins and satisfy cravings."
Lao Gao said, "No, I did not count those. Ice cream makes you thirstier. At seventy degrees, it only cools temporarily. Fruits? I grouped them with snacks."
Lan Jin said, "But both are frozen. I have so much ice cream in my space." Then she asked, "Do you want some? Eating ice cream in a heated room is fun."
They had been together so long but never talked about ice cream.
Huang Jinghe nodded. "Yes, I want some. Really, I haven't had ice cream in a long time."
Lan Jin then brought out a giant tub of Ha Ice Cream. She had eaten it before the apocalypse. Lan Qiaoqiao could not eat it, Ren Xing did not like it, so she ate it herself. A whole year and she did not finish it. Luckily, she pre-packaged portions; otherwise, eating bit by bit would feel unhygienic.