Posts like these were appearing in online forums all across the country.
Day two of the doomsday countdown.
In the forums, descriptions of bizarre phenomena were increasing. Some complained about the weather suddenly turning from hot to freezing. Someone living on the grasslands claimed to have seen a herd of antelopes lining up to jump off a cliff today. However, the official media remained a picture of peace and prosperity. Top celebrities on the internet were still active on the red carpet, doing everything they could to attract attention.
In the residents' group chat, a parent complained about their neighbor's renovations starting right on their weekend off, severely disrupting their life, and demanded the property management investigate. So far, no one had realized this was the second day of the doomsday countdown.
Chen Momo opened WeChat on her phone. Huang Yuqing had posted another Moments update. In the photo, she held a one-year-old child in one arm and hugged Chen Momo's ex-husband with the other, smiling radiantly. Her upturned lips were full of blatant flaunting. Another photo showed Huang Yuqing and Yang Shunsheng's hands stacked together, with the child's hand sandwiched in between.
The caption read: "As long as our family is together."
Chen Momo sneered and closed the app.
While Xiao Bao was absorbed in reading, Chen Momo began checking the supplies in her dimension. The tablet, flashlights, desk lamps—everything was fully charged. The solar panels were also at full capacity. Even after the power grid failed in the apocalypse, their electricity needs wouldn't be an issue in the short term.
Chen Momo emerged from her dimension. Holding pieces of sponge, she meticulously inspected the doors and windows, stuffing the material into every crack to prevent the freezing wind from seeping in. The apocalyptic cold would far exceed the limits of human endurance. Even a tiny sliver of a crack would drastically reduce the room's heat retention. She also fitted protective covers over the exterior of all the windows to keep the glass from shattering in the extreme subzero temperatures.
Though it seemed like a trivial task, it was incredibly tedious. It required immense patience and meticulous care to ensure not a single gap was left unchecked. Once the basic draft-proofing was complete, Chen Momo breathed a sigh of relief.
"Son, what do you want to eat today?" Chen Momo asked.
Her son lifted his round little head from his book. "Mommy, I wanna eat chicky meat."
Remembering the large stock of chicken stored in her dimension, Chen Momo suggested, "How about Mommy makes you cola chicken wings?"
Xiao Bao nodded happily. "Okay! I wuv Mommy's cola chicken wings the most!"
Chen Momo couldn't help but laugh. It was as if the child's tongue had a built-in filter; everything that came out of his mouth sounded so sweet. He was so lovable—truly worthy of being Chen Momo's son!
Fetching five pairs of chicken wings from her dimension, Chen Momo started cooking for Chen Xiaobao. She boiled the wings in water with a few slices of ginger and scallions, then skimmed off the foam. After scoring both sides, she blanched them in a pot of cold water with ginger, bringing it to a boil. She skimmed the foam again, let it boil for another two minutes, then scooped them out and rinsed them clean.
Heating a little oil in the pan, she placed the wings skin-side down, pan-frying them until both sides were a crisp golden-brown. She tossed in ginger slices, cooking wine, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. For the final step, she poured in the cola, brought it to a boil over high heat, and then let it simmer on low for five minutes. A fragrant plate of cola chicken wings was ready!
Chen Momo decided to make herself some river snail rice noodles. She took a packet from her dimension. Once the water boiled, she added the noodles and seasoning, then covered the pot. When it was done, she lifted the lid and topped it with fresh greens. And just like that, the mother and son's lunch was served.
Chen Momo finished her noodles while watching *The Legend of Zhen Huan*, then decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. Since moving in, she had been so busy hoarding supplies that she hadn't paid attention to what kind of people her neighbors were. In the apocalypse, humans would practically regress into animals. She had to stay vigilant.
That afternoon, hearing a door open across the hall, Chen Momo immediately peered through the peephole. She saw a bloated, heavily pregnant woman stepping out of the apartment with disheveled hair, carrying a bag of trash. The woman was dressed sloppily and looked entirely unkempt. Through the open door behind her, a similarly overweight, middle-aged man could be seen sitting in the living room watching TV, shirtless and wearing only a pair of shorts.
Chen Momo figured the man was clearly a lazy glutton. His wife was pregnant, yet he made her take out the trash while he sat on his ass watching TV. He was definitely no good. She would have to keep her guard up against this family.
As for the household to her left, it was quite a coincidence. Chen Momo happened to share an elevator with her, and they recognized each other at a glance. The girl turned out to be Xu Xiaoka!
Ever since Xiao Bao helped her last time, Xu Xiaoka had always remembered Chen Momo and Chen Xiaobao. She just hadn't been able to find them. To think they serendipitously lived right next door!
"Sister, this is great! I didn't expect us to live so close. It's simply destiny!" Xu Xiaoka said happily, excitedly grasping Chen Momo's hands.
She was a fresh college graduate working nearby. Since her hometown was in another province, she lived alone. Being far from home, Xu Xiaoka was always careful to avoid trouble. During her previous conflict, she had been completely at a loss. Fortunately, Chen Xiaobao had stepped in to help, allowing her to resolve the mess easily.
After eagerly chattering away about her company, Xu Xiaoka asked, "Where is my Little Brother?"
"He's reading at home," Chen Momo replied. "Although, if you call me 'Sister' and call Xiao Bao 'Little Brother,' our seniority gets a bit awkward." Chen Momo couldn't help but laugh as she spoke.
Xu Xiaoka wasn't a bad person, so Chen Momo relaxed and chatted with her a bit longer.
Xu Xiaoka quickly corrected herself. "Right, right! I'll call you Sister from now on, and I'll just call Xiao Bao by his name!"
Having worked at her new company for less than a year, Xu Xiaoka was at the absolute bottom of the totem pole and was constantly bullied. She carried this habit into her personal life, making her exceptionally accommodating, patient, and hardworking in reality.
Xu Xiaoka warmly invited Chen Momo into her apartment to sit for a while, but Chen Momo declined. To Chen Momo, a person's home was their private sanctuary, and she didn't want to overly intrude on someone else's privacy.
"Do you have winter clothes and thick quilts on hand?" Chen Momo suddenly asked before heading inside.
Xu Xiaoka paused, glancing down at her short sleeves, and replied with a smile, "But Sister, it's the middle of summer. I don't need to prepare winter clothes and quilts this early, do I?"
Chen Momo's expression turned serious. "You absolutely must prepare them. Take some time today to visit the nearby mall and stock up on winter gear in advance."
With that said, Chen Momo returned to her own apartment. That was all the warning she could offer. As for whether Xu Xiaoka chose to listen, that was entirely up to her!