Throughout the day, men braved the heavy snow one after another, trudging out of the residential compound. When they returned, they each carried a large bag of goods. Some entire families even went out to buy supplies. On their way back, they carried bags in their hands and slung sacks over their shoulders, struggling step by step through knee-deep snow toward home.
Supermarket supplies had been nearly wiped out. Even the goods that usually sat unsold were completely snatched up. With old stock depleted and no new shipments arriving, the shelves of every major supermarket in the vicinity were swept completely bare. Those who went late were completely out of luck. Not only did they brave the blizzard to get there, but they ended up grabbing nothing and had to trudge back empty-handed through the storm.
Chen Momo stood by the window, watching the compound residents head out into the raging blizzard, only to return with faces full of disappointment. The difference was that the morning crowd at least managed to bring back a plastic bag or two full of supplies. In contrast, those who ventured out in the afternoon struggled out of the compound only to return half an hour later, hunched against the wind, entirely empty-handed. It was safe to assume that the supermarkets nearby had been completely cleaned out.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for dinner.
Chen Momo took two tomatoes, three eggs, some chili peppers, and pork intestines from her spatial dimension and began preparing the meal. She used the tomatoes and eggs to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and paired the chili peppers with the intestines for a spicy stir-fry. For soup, she made a light sweet potato broth. She also took out two steamed buns from her space, placed them on a plate, and heated them in the microwave for a bit. Soon, the steaming buns and the two dishes were ready!
By now, some people in the building were already running short on food. Chen Momo was extremely careful, strictly keeping her door closed while cooking so the aroma wouldn't drift too far and invite unnecessary trouble. She went to the bedroom to call Xiao Bao, and the mother and son ate their dinner while watching the news.
The news anchor still wore a professional smile. "Please do not panic, and there is no need to fight over or hoard supplies," the anchor announced. "The blizzard will stop very soon, and responsible departments across all regions are doing everything possible to ensure the supply of goods."
Chen Momo sneered. "Like hell I'd believe that," she thought.
Experts and the media were merely tools used to stabilize public sentiment and prevent riots. If everyone actually listened to them, it would only lead to a dead end.
After dinner, Chen Momo checked her phone, only to see the unread messages in the group chat had hit 99+ once again. She quickly scrolled through and noticed the complaints were starting to pile up. The shortage of supplies was directly causing people to grow restless. As a result, some began aiming the frustration brought on by this natural disaster at the property management and the building manager, Wang Liping.
"I'm freezing to death! What kind of air conditioners did you install in this compound? They don't heat up at all!"
"Our windows were installed poorly—they're leaking air! I have two elderly parents at home who are so cold they can't even speak. I called property management this afternoon to come and reseal the windows, but I still haven't seen a single soul!"
"The snow in the compound is knee-deep now, and we can't even step outside. Is anyone going to do anything about this? I spent so much money buying a house here, and this is the kind of service attitude you give us? @BuildingManager-WangLiping"
At first, Wang Liping had patiently placated everyone, tagging the complaining users one by one and replying to them individually. But eventually, there were simply too many complaints. Overwhelmed, she simply stopped responding altogether.
A little while later, Wang Jian Country, the head of property management, was also pulled into the group chat by Wang Liping. Seeing the public outrage, Wang Jian Country first apologized to everyone in the chat, then added, "The property management department is already organizing staff to record the issues you've reported. Starting tomorrow, we will go door-to-door to help resolve them. Please remain calm and be patient. @AllMembers"
After Wang Jian Country spoke, some of the more hot-tempered users refused to listen to his explanation and immediately fired back.
"It's been three days and you only just thought about organizing your staff? Do you take us all for idiots! @WangJianCountry"
"Did you cut corners when building these houses? Why is my house constantly drafting like crazy? @WangJianCountry"
"Room 306 has the same issue. Please make a note of it and come fix it tomorrow. @WangJianCountry"
Unable to withstand the barrage of criticism in the group, Wang Jian Country simply picked two users' questions to briefly answer before disappearing from the chat.
That evening, Chen Momo turned on her computer and logged onto the forums, only to find they were blowing up as well. Many people were posting photos of roads blocked by heavy snow. Avalanches had even occurred in some areas, burying a bus under the snow. Fortunately, the rescue team had arrived in time to pull the passengers out.
Chen Momo pushed open the door to her son's bedroom. The boy was sitting at his desk, fully engrossed in reading a book under the glow of a small desk lamp. Chen Xiaobao was always extremely focused when reading. He never made Chen Momo worry about his studies, which was one of the reasons she was so deeply proud of him.
She quietly slipped out of the room, poured a glass of milk from her space, and heated it in the kitchen microwave. Then, she returned to his room and gently placed it beside him before leaving just as silently to go back to her own room to sleep. Tonight, she still kept the air conditioner and two electric heaters running while sleeping under two heavy quilts. Fortunately, her apartment was small, and she had installed weatherstripping around the windows ahead of time. The insulation was excellent, allowing her to sleep soundly through the night once again.
When she woke up the next day, the blizzard showed no signs of stopping. Today marked the fourth consecutive day of heavy snow.
True to their word, the property management had begun mobilizing their staff. That morning, as Chen Momo stood by the window drinking honey water, she noticed several cleaners bundled up from head to toe in thick cotton coats and windbreakers, shoveling the compound's accumulated snow amidst the raging storm. Several hill-like mounds of snow had already been piled up around the compound, clearing much of the snow from the pathways. Although the blizzard continued to fall relentlessly, the snow on the ground was now only calf-deep, making it much easier to get around.
Soon after, property management began sending maintenance workers door-to-door to apply weatherstripping for residents whose windows were suffering from severe drafts. Meanwhile, Wang Liping took two staff members door-to-door to survey the current situation of each household.
By a little past three in the afternoon, Wang Liping tagged all members in the chat: "Fellow residents, property management has already dispatched maintenance workers to resolve the window drafts and heating issues you reported! If anyone else has unreported issues, please contact me privately. I will compile them and submit them to property management at once! Also, the residents in apartments 502, 709, and 804 on our floors are elderly individuals living alone. They are currently facing extreme difficulties and have basically run out of food! I've already gone door-to-door today to deliver some hot meals and a few quilts to these three seniors! I hope everyone can show a little compassion and help them get through this difficult time together!"
Wang Liping was so used to sending out official notices that she had developed a particular fondness for exclamation marks.