When Lan Jin asked her about the snacks, Qiao Qiao didn't think it was a big deal. She glanced at the treats in her hand and said, "Mama, from your box. Qiao Qiao tummy hungry, so eat."
Lan Jin's expression turned serious. "How do you know this is safe to eat? What if it wasn't?"
Qiao Qiao didn't hesitate. She pushed the dog forward and said, "Nana smelled it. Smell good, so I eat."
"But Nana is a dog. And you didn't actually give this to her to eat, did you?"
Lan Jin took the snack from Qiao Qiao's hand as she spoke. As soon as she asked, both child and dog fell silent.
Without another word, Lan Jin summoned her forty-meter-long disciplinary ruler and gave the child a firm lesson.
Qiao Qiao burst into loud, tearful sobs, promising she'd never sneak food again. But Lan Jin wasn't finished.
"It's not just about whether you eat it or not. You can't give this to the dog."
The snack Qiao Qiao had eaten had chocolate in it. Dogs couldn't eat chocolate—Lan Jin explained the dangers clearly, and Qiao Qiao quickly admitted her mistake.
"Mama, I sorry. Qiao Qiao no give Nana bad food again."
Lan Jin let out a quiet sigh. She had assumed Qiao Qiao was too young to understand and hadn't said anything at first. But clearly, if she explained things patiently, the child could get it.
"Qiao Qiao, Nana is your friend. She's part of our family too. Mama just doesn't want you to hurt her by accident. Remember, dogs aren't the same as people. They can't eat everything we can. Next time you want to give Nana food, ask Mama first, okay?"
Qiao Qiao nodded seriously. But after a moment, her eyes lit up, and she asked, "Mama, Nana can't eat… but Qiao Qiao can, right? I eat, no give Nana!"
Technically, yes. But Lan Jin didn't like how excited she looked.
"Today's snack quota is already used up. If you want more, wait until tomorrow."
Disappointment washed over Qiao Qiao's face. But that only lasted until dinnertime, when Lan Jin handed her a duck leg. Immediately, the girl's earlier mood vanished, and she happily ate her meal.
Lan Jin had spent the entire day exhausted, with barely any energy left. Once she put Qiao Qiao to bed, she lay down herself and quickly fell asleep.
Of course, before she slept, she didn't forget to give Nana some spiritual spring water. There were no vets to be found these days. If anything happened to the dog, it would be a real loss. Even if the water didn't cure sickness, it could strengthen the body. Human body, dog body—it probably worked the same.
The Next Day
Lan Jin had been so busy the day before that she hadn't had a chance to check the messages in their neighborhood group chat. Now that she was well-rested, she opened it up to catch up.
The more she read, the more anxious she felt.
Because of the poisonous fog, many people had developed breathing problems. By yesterday afternoon, all of them had passed away.
The group had over 500 members, representing 500 households. And based on the rolling updates in the thread, many of the dead were elderly or children.
Leaving bodies at home wasn't an option. Now, the residents were pressuring the community officials to do something about it.
But what could they really do?
"We can't just leave the bodies there. They'll start to rot in a few days. That whole building will reek. We need someone to take them out."
"Easy for you to say. You know how they died. And now you want others to risk their lives moving dead bodies? Isn't that just selfish?"
"Exactly. No one wants to live next to corpses. But those people died from breathing in the poisonous fog. You want the community staff to go in and haul them out? That's basically sending them to their deaths. Your life is a life, but theirs isn't?"
"Still, we can't just leave the bodies there. No one knows how long this fog will last. Or when anyone will come to help. And it's not you sleeping next to the corpses, is it? Easy to talk big when you're not the one living through it."
"What, are you scared? I mean, fear is normal. But those were your family members. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Yeah. Use this time to mourn. Spend a little more time with your loved ones, while you still can."
"Spend time with—what the hell kind of advice is that?!"
"Speaking of ridiculous, my terrible boss actually called me and told me to come to work."
"Well, that's why he's a terrible boss. And yes, I meant he when I said that."
"Right? That's what makes him terrible."
"No cars on the road anyway. If he wants you at work, tell him to come pick you up. If he shows up, then you go. Risk it for the paycheck."
"Haha, true. Gotta hustle for that paycheck. But yeah, what a boss."
"Wait a sec. Weren't we talking about food just now? What happened to that? Community staff, where are you? I've got nothing left at home but water. If I don't eat something soon, I'm going to starve."
"Honestly, stop hoping for the community to help. It's not that they don't want to. They just can't. Do what you can to solve things yourself."
"But that's the problem! I can't solve it! I have no food at all. Not even a crumb."
A few moments later, someone tagged the person who had no food.
"Hey, do you have toilet paper at home? I'll trade you some biscuits."
"Yes! Yes! I've got some!"
Then someone else chimed in.
"Don't even try. I checked yesterday. Someone didn't close the windows in the emergency stairwell. The poisonous fog got in. The front doors are unusable. You can't get out, and no one can get in. Forget trading. It's not worth the risk. Just drink more water and hold out."
"Damn it. The world is seriously ending."
"Well, don't blame me. But seriously, I'm really low on toilet paper."
—
The chat had been going nonstop since yesterday. It seemed like people just kept talking to ease their anxiety. The moment one conversation ended, another picked up. Meanwhile, the community staff repeatedly reminded everyone not to open their doors or windows.
As for everything else—they either gave vague answers or went completely silent.
It was now the fourth day since the poisonous fog arrived.
Yesterday's trip had gone so smoothly that Lan Jin felt even more confident today. Her target this time was a store called "Co."
The Co store wasn't far. Yesterday's MuMart was directly in front of their residential complex. The Co store was directly across from MuMart, on the opposite side of the street.
But between them was a road with no crosswalk. Lan Jin would have to walk to the entrance of the Walmart on the left, use the footbridge to cross, then loop around to reach the Co store. The distance wasn't long—but in this fog, even short walks felt endless.