Is Someone Setting Off Fireworks?

Back at the apartment complex.

The two old men were busy at work, having scavenged discarded wooden boards to fashion protective panels, hoping to seal off the bottom of the iron gate.

Seeing Lin Fan return, they hurriedly opened the gate to check on him. They were shocked to see the cart overflowing with goods—rice, flour, oil, salt, and everything else one could need.

He pushed the shopping cart into the elevator and headed upstairs.

"Old men, I bought these for you. Take a look at the receipt." Lin Fan moved the items into the room and arranged them neatly in the kitchen. Since the power was still on, he placed the vegetables and frozen foods into the refrigerator.

Old Man Wang, a veteran, possessed a broad mindset. He understood Lin Fan's reasoning; this was a fine, upstanding young man who took everything seriously. As for the apocalypse or whatever, that was simply out of the question.

Could one just take things without paying during an apocalypse?

That was impossible.

The martyrs of the past had defended the country and driven out invaders under similarly dire conditions. They had gone hungry, fighting battles of life and death while worrying about filling their stomachs, yet they never resorted to looting. They bought what they needed with money, or if they truly had none, they bought on credit and signed IOUs.

They never relied on the excuse that the country was in ruins and they were risking their lives to drive out the enemy, so they were entitled to seize food and demand that others hand it over without complaint.

Rules were rarely meant to restrict any one individual; rather, they acted as a seal, constantly suppressing the negative desires within every person's heart.

A person without desires was not truly human.

To have desires, yet be able to restrain them—that was what it meant to be a true human being.

"Thank you, truly, thank you," Old Man Wang Zhongguo said.

Beside him, Old Man Zhou Aijun looked at the mountain of supplies and then at the receipt in his hand. He seemed to understand something, a voice in his heart telling him that since these were bought with his own money, he could eat them with a clear conscience.

From inside the room, a voice drifted out.

"Feifei, look at this problem."

"The clock in the square strikes 5 times at 5 o'clock, taking 8 seconds to finish. How long does it take to strike 12 times at 12 o'clock?"

"Take your time, don't rush. Use your little head, and you'll definitely be able to solve it."

Grandma Liang's voice was gentle and possessed a special charm, as if she could effortlessly draw a child into the ocean of learning.

Having been a teacher for decades, she had taught in big cities and volunteered in remote mountain areas. The children there had varying levels of proficiency, so she knew one had to take it slow—no rushing, no pressuring. She wanted them to enter their studies with a heart that truly loved to learn.

As Grandma Liang constantly reviewed her teaching methods, summarizing her shortcomings and slowly making improvements, she had eventually developed a pedagogical style all her own.

Feifei lowered her head, biting her finger as she stared at the problem, racking her brain. It felt so difficult.

As a fifth-grader, she felt completely at a loss when faced with this math problem.

Hearing the commotion, Grandma Liang turned to see Lin Fan standing at the doorway. She smiled and said, "Xiao Fan, do you want to come take a look?"

"Grandma Liang, I'll pass. Elementary school problems are so hard nowadays; I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to solve them either." Lin Fan didn't underestimate elementary school work. He had seen complaints online from parents saying, "How can elementary school problems be this hard? I'm a graduate student, and I'm being driven dizzy, nearly exploding on the spot."

Feifei was a sensible child. Seeing Uncle Lin arrive felt like finding a lifeline, and she called out sweetly, "Hello, Uncle."

She thought to herself that since Uncle must have something to discuss with Grandma Liang, it meant she could catch a breather. She might still have to do the problem eventually, but she could slack off for a while—every second counted.

Lin Fan walked in, gave a hum of acknowledgment, and patted Feifei on the head. As if to give her a surprise, he pulled a bag filled with books from behind his back. "Feifei, this is a gift I bought for you. See if you like it."

The bag was black, obscuring its contents.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Feifei happily took the bag, but the moment she touched it, she felt a sense of foreboding. With a trembling heart, she opened the bag and saw what was inside.

Fifth Grade Math Workbook
Essential 300 Ancient Poems for Fifth Grade
Fun History and Geography Culture
Selected Works of Mao

In an instant, the world went dark for Feifei. The human heart was truly treacherous.

"Feifei, are you happy?" Lin Fan asked with a smile.

Feifei wore a smile uglier than a cry. "Uncle, I love it."

"As long as you like it. Study hard, and when you finish these, Uncle will go buy you more." Lin Fan was very pleased. It seemed he hadn't bought the wrong things; look at Feifei's expression—she was so happy she was practically twisting.

She was truly a child who loved to learn.

Feifei: (sob) (sob)

Liang Yan laughed, "That's wonderful. We were just short of practice problems. Now, whenever she learns new knowledge, she can use these to consolidate it."

"Grandma Liang, Feifei, you two carry on. I'll head out now." Lin Fan left and quietly closed the door behind him. Studying required tranquility; a brief interruption was fine, but staying too long might disrupt the atmosphere.

If he did that, he, Lin Fan, would be a sinner.

He left the room.

He now had to return the shopping cart and, while he was at it, return the books he had borrowed. Sister Li was a professional at farming and far more skilled than he was at reading. Even if he finished all the books, he feared he wouldn't reach even a tenth of Sister Li's proficiency in agriculture.

The two old men followed him to the door. Old Man Wang suggested driving over if it was too much trouble, but in Lin Fan's view, the sound of a car was always a bit too loud, and it wouldn't be good to attract zombies.

It was better to just push it over.

He decided to check the situation outside while he was at it; perhaps he might run into someone in need of help.

Pushing the shopping cart, he walked along the quiet streets, looking left and right, but there wasn't a single soul to be seen.

Lin Fan hummed a tune with no known name, the lyrics inspired by the scenery, and it actually felt somewhat fitting.

Returning to the supermarket, he dropped off the cart. Then, he headed back to the library to return his books. The deposit he had paid was still sitting on the table, exactly where he had left it; no one had stolen it.

This was the key reason why he still held onto hope for this world.

Money was right there in plain sight, yet no one had taken it. People with integrity still existed.

It was a comforting thought.

He tucked the deposit away and headed home, feeling lighthearted.

What should he have for lunch?

This was something everyone looked forward to.

As he walked home.

Suddenly.

Bang!

Bang!

It sounded as if the roar of cannons had erupted. He looked up toward the distance, seeing white smoke in the air, and then caught the scent of gunpowder.

Fireworks?

It was strange; someone was actually setting off fireworks.

This was the apocalypse, and such noise could easily attract zombies, not to mention the volume was so loud. In his view, this was practically inviting every zombie in the vicinity to come over.

Could it be that the person was in danger and had no other way to call for help, so they were using fireworks to attract attention?

Hoping someone would come to save them?

Thinking of this.

Lin Fan sprinted toward that building.

Faintly, he could already hear the low growls of zombies emerging from every dark corner.