As soon as Lan Jin stepped out of her space carrying the two buckets, she snapped a quick photo and sent a message to Huang Jinghe.
[Lan Jin]: I've got a few 6-liter water buckets at home, so you don't need to buy any. These ones are better at keeping mosquitoes out and easier for us to use. They're not the easiest to carry, but I'll bring a small cart. At least on flat ground, it should make things a lot easier."
Huang Jinghe replied right away to thank her. He had been stressing about this very problem.
[Huang Jinghe]: "Thank you, Sister Lan. I was just worried about that. The buckets I have at home are already filled, and the ones in the supermarket don't look great. The openings are way too wide. I was afraid I'd spill most of the water carrying them back, and if any mosquitoes got in, we couldn't even drink it."
[Lan Jin]: "No need to thank me. I had extras anyway. If we didn't use them, they'd just sit there. You go ahead and use them. Once we get the call, let's head out together."
Not long after, staff started announcing the water-fetching schedule by neighborhood. By the time it was their turn, it was already around 3 in the afternoon.
Lan Jin actually thought that was the perfect time. While waiting in line for water, they could also grab dinner to bring home. Two birds with one stone.
They agreed to meet at 4. After connecting in the emergency stairwell, they exchanged a smile. Huang Jinghe naturally reached over and took the cart from her hands.
When they reached the cafeteria, there were only about twenty people in line. But others kept showing up even later. As soon as Lan Jin and Huang Jinghe took their place at the back, the line behind them quickly grew by another dozen or so.
While waiting, Lan Jin noticed that some other people were using the same type of water bucket she had brought. Blended among them, hers didn't stand out at all.
She felt a wave of relief. Honestly, she had been worried her choice would make her look too unique. Now she could finally relax.
After about twenty minutes, it was their turn. Huang Jinghe stepped up to scan his card and draw water. As soon as he was done, Lan Jin took her card over to the boxed meal station to buy food.
There weren't many people lining up for meals, so it didn't take long. By the time she got back, Huang Jinghe had already filled both buckets and loaded them neatly onto the cart. Without needing her to say a word, he covered the buckets and started walking the cart toward their building.
When they got back to Building 12, Huang Jinghe, without hesitation, kept pulling the cart as if he meant to go all the way up. That caught Lan Jin a little off guard, and she felt a bit awkward.
She said politely, "That's a lot to carry upstairs. Let me handle the buckets myself."
Huang Jinghe shook his head. "No need. The cart has three wheels. It's designed for stairs. You just have to go slow. Carrying it would be way harder than dragging it like this."
Lan Jin gave a small nod. "Alright. Then I'll just carry the food."
"Sure."
They slowly made their way up to the 32nd floor. Since they had gone out later than most, the building was quiet. Aside from the occasional sound from upstairs, they didn't run into any neighbors on the way up.
But just as Lan Jin reached the hallway of the 32nd floor, she bumped into the woman from Unit 3204. The woman was panting, slapping her front door with one hand while keeping the other on a newly filled water bucket.
It was obvious the bucket had come from the supermarket. The kind that cost just one contribution point. Cheap plastic, poorly made, and it had a strong smell. Lan Jin had sniffed it earlier while passing through the store and nearly got a headache from the plastic fumes.
The opening on the bucket was huge too. Anyone with less strength would probably spill half the water before making it home.
Lan Jin had clashed with this woman before. She had no intention of saying hello.
But the woman turned around and spotted her. When she saw Lan Jin not only had help but had also brought a young man to carry her water, her face instantly soured.
With a sharp "Hmph," she rolled her eyes at them dramatically and went back to pounding on her door.
Huang Jinghe blinked in confusion and looked at Lan Jin with a questioning glance, as if to ask, What was that about?
Lan Jin just smiled and said nothing. She opened the cart cover, signaling for him to take his bucket and head home.
But it seemed like no one inside Unit 3204 had heard the knocking. The door still hadn't opened, and the woman's frustration visibly deepened.
She looked over at the peaceful scene by Unit 3202, then at her own situation, drenched in sweat with a heavy bucket at her feet. Having a man at home or not—what difference did it even make? Her irritation finally boiled over.
"I don't know what kind of tricks she's using," she muttered loudly, glaring at Lan Jin, "getting some young guy to help carry water at a time like this. People like us, the honest ones, we just have to do everything ourselves."
Lan Jin had been about to say something, but paused. There was no point talking to someone like that. After a moment of silence, she simply took out her keys, ready to open her door and go inside.
Huang Jinghe had already taken out his water bucket, but when he heard what the woman said, he hesitated. He looked like he didn't feel right leaving just yet.
Now that he thought about it, wasn't this the same voice that had banged on Lan Jin's door last time?
So this was about revenge? Last time she got scolded and left. Now she had to carry her own water and couldn't stand it?
If that was the case, Huang Jinghe didn't feel comfortable leaving. If an argument broke out, he'd need to step in.
But Lan Jin wasn't thinking that way at all. If there really was a fight, she'd hold her own just fine. The problem was that she couldn't act freely with Huang Jinghe standing there.
Once both locks were open, she looked at him and said, "It's nothing. Go on home."
"But—" Huang Jinghe hesitated.
Lan Jin shook her head firmly. "Really. It's fine."
She stepped into her apartment, clearly ready to end the interaction. Seeing she truly had no intention of getting into it, he nodded and left.
To be honest, even though they had known each other for a while, Huang Jinghe couldn't say he fully understood Lan Jin. But he did know she was not someone who let herself get pushed around. Not during the poisonous fog, and definitely not now. If anything really happened, he was just one floor above. He could get there in under a minute.
After they both went inside, the door to Unit 3204 still hadn't opened.
But just as Lan Jin closed her door, the man inside finally opened up.
The woman outside snapped, "What's your problem? Why did it take so long to answer?"
The man replied casually, "I just fell asleep."
She didn't believe a word of it. Fell asleep? Please. He hadn't been sleeping when she left to get water. There was no way he dozed off in the time it took her to fetch a bucket. He just didn't want to help and made up some lazy excuse.
"Fine. Just carry the water inside."
The man didn't even glance at the bucket. As if he hadn't heard, he turned around and walked back into the apartment.
The woman, already annoyed to the brink, stormed in behind him and the two launched into another argument.