Chapter 23: Gathering

Chapter 23: Gathering

On a bumpy road, Chu Yi finds fewer people around, and the path becomes increasingly difficult. After about an hour, she reaches the wholesale market, which she has passed by a few times before and knows the general direction.

The market, existing for many years, consists of brick and tile structures with sturdy roofs, built in the 1990s. It was due to relocate to a new market soon, but the earthquake caused significant damage, collapsing most of the roofed areas. The surrounding regular shops selling hardware, clothing, and electronics stand intact, but the wholesale food shops under the roofs are the most affected.

The makeshift shops had mostly collapsed. Chu Yi, with the baby properly masked and herself covered as well, cautiously entered. Most of the goods were buried under the debris, with only a few shops partially intact, allowing for some movement. After storing a shared bicycle in her space, Chu Yi pondered how to proceed.

Eventually, Chu Yi decided to enter from the still-standing shop areas. Surrounding her were mostly ruins. She collected most of the items from the partially collapsed shops, leaving some behind as a lifeline for others who might come later.

Chu Yi used her space to clear the obstructing cement bricks, transferring them to the side, gradually clearing a small path. Some shops were completely collapsed, exposing their contents, which Chu Yi collected as she went. She gathered numerous spices and daily necessities like towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and cups from these shops.

Chu Yi cleared the debris in a random pattern to avoid drawing attention. She only took about two-thirds or half of the items each time. Instead of clearing a row of shops, she would sporadically clean one, storing its rubble in her space and then depositing it in an adjacent shop. She would collect half the goods from a shop and then cover up her tracks by depositing concrete rubble from another cleared shop.

This area was a wholesale market, where shops displayed goods upfront, but most of the stock was stored in rented warehouses. So, a slight decrease in displayed items would go unnoticed.

Carrying her baby, Chu Yi treaded carefully, fearing a misstep that could cause a collapse. She chose shops that were easier and safer to clear, especially those partially collapsed.

An entire street was dedicated to spices, and across it was another for daily necessities. The shops offered similar items, and Chu Yi, confident in her space's capacity, diligently collected household and spice items. Her space preserved these perfectly, ensuring they'd remain as good as new for fifty years.

Fortunately, Chu Yi found several diesel generators in some shops and stored them in her space, along with a considerable amount of diesel.

Having almost completed collecting in this area, Chu Yi planned to head to the food wholesale street. But it was relatively far from her current location. Instead of retracing her steps, she used her space to hide her trail by storing concrete and bricks from each shop she passed.

The journey to the food area was long. What was once a few minutes' walk, now took the entire morning due to the obstructing debris and her collecting efforts. As it was getting late, Chu Yi had reached the middle of the wholesale section. She still needed to reach the snack and grain oil wholesale area at the far end.

The towering ruins around her concealed her presence, but the midday sun beat down relentlessly, causing the baby to become restless and fussy. Chu Yi, left with no choice, entered a partially collapsed shop for shade.

She fed the baby, hoping to put him to sleep and then prepare something to eat. However, perhaps due to the heat, the baby refused to sleep, waving his limbs wildly. Chu Yi took out a stroller from her space, placed the baby in it, and then took out some snacks to quickly resolve their lunch.

Chu Yi used a curtain from her space to cover the collapsed side of the shop, blocking the sunlight. She then took out a small, rechargeable electric fan and turned it on towards the baby, softly coaxing him to sleep.

Perhaps it was the shade or the fan dispersing the heat, but the baby gradually fell asleep under Chu Yi’s gentle words. She had already removed the baby's mask, watching his adorable sleeping face and feeling fearless, even if it were the end of the world.

With the noon sun too intense, Chu Yi decided not to venture out further, planning to wait until the sun sank a bit. The collapsed buildings would block most of the sunlight, making it cooler without the direct rays.

While the baby slept, Chu Yi inventoried the supplies in her space. In addition to her own purchases of oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, flour, and plenty of baby formula, she had now amassed a large quantity of household items and spices, enough to last a lifetime.

Her plan was to gather more rice, flour, cooking oil, and snacks, as well as clothing and hardware. Time was her only constraint; she didn't want to be late returning to the Zhao household and worry Jiang Liran and the others.

Chu Yi had a complex, indescribable feeling towards Jiang Liran. Accepting his help had come naturally, just as the Zhao family had been kind to her and her child without expecting anything in return.

However, she believed in self-reliance. With the advantage of her spatial ability, Chu Yi felt compelled to find her own way. She would certainly help Jiang Liran and the Zhao family if they ever needed assistance, grateful for their support in her time of need.

Hours passed, and checking the time, Chu Yi saw it was now 5 pm, with the sun beginning to set. The baby still slept as she carefully strapped him to her chest, folded the stroller, and set out again.

Using the earlier method, they slowly moved towards the food section while clearing debris and gathering supplies. After about half an hour, they reached the edge of the snack area, filled with nuts and various snacks. Chu Yi, who had a particular fondness for snacks, collected a substantial amount from this section.

Most stores had a small backroom for storing a limited amount of goods. Chu Yi wasn't sure where the main storerooms were, but even the small ones had enough snacks to last her a long time. Some boxes were crushed due to the collapsing buildings, but their contents were still intact.

However, some puffed food packages were completely flattened, and those with broken seals were inedible. While intact puffed food was rare, there were still plenty of other food items that were safe to consume.

Chu Yi was fortunate to find several wholesale milk powder stores and unhesitatingly took most of their stock. Although primarily meant for children, it was precisely what she needed at the moment.

Continuously collecting, clearing paths and shops, and re-covering her tracks, Chu Yi was exhausted. Fortunately, she was nearing the grains and oils section.

Upon reaching the grains and oils section, Chu Yi collected a large quantity of various oils, flours, noodles, and rice. Although these took up much space and the small storage at the back of the shops couldn't hold much, she still managed to gather a considerable amount.

More notably, Chu Yi found solar panels behind a grain and oil store, fortunately undamaged thanks to a surrounding metal frame protecting them from the fallen debris.

The steel frame was so tight that not even a fist could fit through, filled only with dust and untouched by the collapse. Chu Yi easily pried open the locked frame and neatly arranged the solar panel wires, taking them into her space. For Chu Yi, an interstellar being, the ordinary steel frame was trivial.

Unfortunately, she didn't encounter any other shops using solar panels, but was content with one, along with several diesel generators she found.

After collecting most of the grains and oils and covering her tracks from street start to end, Chu Yi moved to the nearby clothing market. With experience from her previous venture, she gathered faster this time. Despite the heavily damaged clothes outside, the packaged ones inside were intact. She collected a variety of clothing and shoes for all ages and genders.

Next was the hardware market. Not being very familiar with these items, Chu Yi picked a few of each kind. Here, she also found solar-powered generators, though of low power. She collected all three of them.

Then she visited the nearby electronics market. Most electronics were damaged, but after searching for a while, she found a few slightly damaged but usable ones.

By the time she finished collecting from the market, it was past 6 PM. Due to the hot weather, the sun was still harsh. Her baby, having just woken up, drowsily leaned on Chu Yi's shoulder, smacking his lips. Chu Yi quickly took out a prepared bottle and placed it in his mouth, which he held with his tender white hands.

The baby lacked the strength to hold the bottle properly, but he drank earnestly. Chu Yi supported the bottom of the bottle, planning to ride off immediately but had to wait for her baby to finish his feed.

Breastfeeding wasn't convenient outdoors, so Chu Yi prepared several bottles of formula in her space. Stored warm, they remained at the right temperature when taken out. Her baby wasn't picky, drinking anything his mother gave, whether breast milk or formula.

After feeding, Chu Yi mounted her shared bike, quickly heading back. Their return had been getting later each day, and they were always exhausted. Chu Yi hoped her big haul today would get her back before the others to avoid worrying them.

Chu Yi's cooking skills were average, but sufficient. Previously, they ate at a canteen. Zhao Jingxing and Jiang Liran joined the rescue team with Zhao Qing. Zhao's company was closed in these circumstances, making work impossible.

Jiang Hui, a surgeon, was busy at the partially collapsed city hospital, now with increased patient load and makeshift consultation rooms. With the hospital short-staffed, she naturally stayed there, where meals were provided. Chu Yi only needed to worry about her and her baby's food at Zhao's.

The Zhao family had plenty of food, but Chu Yi, not wanting to burden them with her support, ate from her own supply and replaced the Zhao's food nearing expiration with fresh supplies, consuming the older stock herself in these times of scarcity.

When Chu Yi rushed back to the Zhao residence, she found it pitch dark, indicating they hadn’t returned yet. After tidying up her substantial haul for the day, she felt relieved, knowing she wouldn’t have to worry about food shortages for years to come.

Just as Chu Yi was about to cook something for herself, the villa suddenly shook, and debris fell from the ceiling. The baby, frightened, started crying loudly. Seeing the situation, Chu Yi didn’t hesitate; she grabbed the baby and rushed outside.

Just as Chu Yi reached the entrance, the earth seemed to tremble violently. The Zhao family's villa collapsed in an instant, raising layers of ash. The shaking continued, and Chu Yi struggled to maintain her balance, holding her baby tightly. There was no time to comfort her crying child; she could only cover his ears and try to back away.

This area, being a villa district with houses separated by driveways and surrounded by open spaces, was devastated. The earthquake lasted for over ten minutes, and as Chu Yi stood in the open space, she watched as the surrounding houses and trees collapsed, turning the area into ruins.

She took out her phone to check for a signal, but finding none, she stored it in her space, hoping it might be useful if the signal returned later.

Comforting her baby, Chu Yi was unsure of the Zhao family's whereabouts. She had no choice but to wait at the now-ruined villa entrance. The night passed, and those who had left had not returned.

Uncertain of their condition, Chu Yi decided to look for Aunt Jiang Hui. The three men, being together, could take care of each other.

Aunt Jiang Hui, a woman alone at the hospital, had not returned since the earthquake the day before. Chu Yi could easily leave, especially since she had collected a significant amount of food. With these provisions, she and her baby could survive for many years.

Yet, Jiang Liran and the Zhao family had been very caring towards her. Jiang Liran had saved her in a moment of crisis, and the Zhao family had taken her in without knowing about her space and food supply, providing daily meals for her and her baby. They had been supporting them as idle dependents. Now, she couldn't just leave them behind.

Deciding to find Jiang Hui first, Chu Yi wrote three notes explaining her decision and buried them in prominent places around the collapsed villa, weighed down with stones, so Jiang Liran and others wouldn't worry if they returned and didn’t find her.

Then, she looked around for the bicycle she had left near the villa. The earthquake had toppled a tree onto it, but Chu Yi, holding her baby, easily moved the tree aside. Fortunately, the bike was undamaged and still rideable.

Chu Yi softly comforted her baby and wiped the tears from his face. Once he calmed down, she secured him to her chest and rode towards the city center hospital. The disaster was more brutal than imagined. Not only had the previous earthquake destroyed much of N city, but the sudden quake the night before had collapsed many of the remaining buildings, resulting in numerous fatalities.

The deceased were not only civilians but also many who had volunteered for rescue and those who stayed at their jobs. In the face of disaster, humanity seemed so vulnerable. The streets were in even more disarray; the sudden earthquake had made the situation dire. With insufficient manpower, rescue efforts were now even more challenging.

Riding towards the hospital, passing scenes of widespread devastation, only the baby's curious eyes roamed around. The government had mobilized numerous rescue personnel, and Chu Yi saw many soldiers in green uniforms participating in the rescue, using manual labor and limited equipment to save lives.

But at that moment, Chu Yi could do nothing to help others. She could only take care of herself and her baby, and find Aunt Jiang Hui as quickly as possible. Then, they would try to locate Jiang Liran and the others. Beyond that, she could only take one step at a time.

Chu Yi rode for an indeterminate amount of time, detouring whenever the road was blocked. She only knew that the sun had risen high in the sky by the time she saw the landmark buildings of N city. Once bustling and iconic, these towering structures had now collapsed, their fallen debris crushing nearby buildings.

When Chu Yi finally reached the city hospital, its gates had collapsed, possibly due to the previous or the most recent earthquake. The connected inpatient buildings had also partially collapsed, and the temporary shelters built nearby couldn't withstand the quake and had fallen completely.

Numerous doctors and nurses in white coats were busy caring for the injured, assisted by various personnel, including soldiers, armed police, civil police, and plainclothes officers. They helped to lift those too severely injured to walk on their own. A line of vehicles was parked at the hospital entrance, and stretchers were carried out and loaded into the vehicles before being whisked away.

Chu Yi quickly found a place to park her bike and was about to rush in when a person in camouflage, who seemed to be a commander, stopped her. "You can't go in there. The building has collapsed, and rescue operations are underway. You won't be of any help with a child, and if you're looking for friends or family, it's best to wait outside."

Chu Yi, undeterred by being stopped, hurriedly asked, "I'm looking for Doctor Jiang Hui, I'm her relative. She's a surgeon at this hospital. She hasn't returned since yesterday's earthquake, so I came looking for her."

The soldier still didn't let go, saying, "The government has established a refuge in an open area on the outskirts. All survivors are being taken there by rescue teams. I don't know of any Doctor Jiang Hui here. The situation inside is unclear, with many areas collapsed and difficult to access. Additionally, because the hospital's inpatient building is tall, it's at risk of secondary collapse. For your safety, it's best to wait outside."

Holding her baby tightly, Chu Yi felt compelled to find the person she came for and couldn’t just leave. She asked, "I won't go in. I'll wait outside. If I see any doctors coming out, can I ask them?" Knowing that rescue workers wouldn't be familiar with the names of hospital staff, she hoped to ask other doctors about Aunt Jiang Hui's situation.

The soldier nodded, understanding Chu Yi's intention, and went back inside to join the rescue efforts. Many patients had been moved to the hastily constructed temporary shelters. Fortunately, these shelters, while not earthquake-resistant, were unlikely to cause fatalities if collapsed. Despite this, some critically injured patients could not survive another quake.

Many of the hospital's remaining doctors were injured too. Chu Yi, after seeing many people coming and going, finally spotted a young nurse with a bandaged arm, heading outside. She quickly approached the nurse, asking, "Excuse me, have you seen Doctor Jiang Hui?"

The nurse looked at Chu Yi and replied, "The surgeon, Doctor Jiang Hui? She hurt her leg and has been taken to the refuge."

This was at least good news for Chu Yi, knowing that Jiang Hui was still alive. She quickly thanked the nurse, "Thank you."

After getting the specific location of the refuge, Chu Yi turned, mounted her bike, and headed towards the villa. She feared Jiang Liran and the others might return there looking for her and Jiang Hui. If she didn't find them at the villa, she planned to go to the government refuge to look for Aunt Jiang Hui.

Upon returning to the villa, Chu Yi noticed that some people had already packed up and left. The area was sparsely populated to begin with, and now it seemed even emptier. Reaching the Zhao family villa, she checked the notes she had left earlier. Finding them untouched indicated no one had been there. She collected the notes.

Chu Yi wrote three new notes, explaining that Aunt Jiang Hui had injured her leg and was taken to the refuge by rescuers. She wrote that if she couldn’t wait for them, she would go to the refuge to find Jiang Hui and reunite there. She buried these notes well.

There was still a lot of food inside the villa, but now that the entire building had collapsed and with the presence of surveillance cameras on street lamps, despite the earthquake damaging many, Chu Yi didn’t dare to collect the villa's food using her usual method from the wholesale market.

She had to leave it there, not knowing if any cameras were still operational. Fortunately, she had a backpack, which, along with housing her spatial button, contained two sets of clothes for the baby, a small can of formula, and some food.

By noon, Chu Yi’s stomach growled. Finding a shaded spot, she took out some bread and water from her backpack (in reality, her spatial button) for a simple meal. After preparing and feeding her baby his formula, she planned to cycle to the refuge.