Mi Guo watched them eat with slurping sounds, seemingly enjoying it greatly. He was still hesitant about the dark pear in his hand, asking:
"Can it really be eaten? Is it tasty? Won't it be rotten inside?"
"Of course it's delicious. Like this, take a bite of the skin, and then slurp it down hard."
Gu Qingcheng explained animatedly and demonstrated it to Mi Guo.
Mi Guo followed suit.
He had thought that since the skin was frozen dark, the inside might be rotten, like stinky tofu. But unexpectedly, with just one bite, the fine, soft pear juice was sucked into his mouth.
"Delicious, so good! Sis, I want another one!"
Mi Guo was greatly surprised. He had initially worried about eating rotten fruit and had prepared himself mentally. Now, his eyes lit up with delight.
The pear flesh, frozen and then thawed, turned into juice that could be directly slurped, refreshing and cool. The taste was unlike anything he had eaten before, and it was incredibly delicious. Mi Guo was instantly addicted after eating one.
Hu Lanfang had already slipped away to do her facial mask and was lying on the bed. Hearing her siblings talking noisily, she got up from the bed and poked her head out from behind the screen, asking:
"What are you two arguing about?"
Mi Guo suddenly saw a pale face appear from behind the screen and cried out in fright, dropping the pear in his hand.
But he immediately realized something was wrong; the voice was his mother's. He managed to suppress his fear and said:
"Sis, is that Mom? Why is her face so white?"
"Haha!" Gu Qingcheng laughed so hard her waist couldn't straighten. "Don't be scared, Mom is doing a facial mask!"
Hu Lanfang was also amused by Mi Guo's reaction. As her mask time was up, she directly peeled it off her face, revealing her true appearance.
This time, Mi Guo was dumbfounded again, saying:
"Mom, can you do magic? How can you peel off your entire face?"
Huh? This?
"You'll understand slowly," Hu Lanfang could only say.
Gu Qingcheng pouted. Her mother used to be like this; when she was a child and didn't understand anything, her mother would always fob her off with "you'll understand when you grow up."
Now, it seemed this tactic was being used on Mi Guo.
Gu Qingcheng went outside to draw well water for her mother to wash her face.
Looking at the steam rising from the well water, she suddenly thought of something important: the temperature was slowly rising, and the extreme heat might descend as suddenly as the extreme cold.
They had enough basic living supplies for the hot weather, but they couldn't control the temperature at will.
To cool down the indoors, they would need air conditioning, but with insufficient electricity, they couldn't install any.
Therefore, to cool down, they would need a large quantity of ice.
Gu Qingcheng was a person of action. She checked her recent stockpiled "Shuang Points" and found them to be quite good, at 78,228.
Since there hadn't been any major expenses recently, the Shuang Points had accumulated, mainly from rescuing Xue Sheng at Black Wind Village and the generous rewards from hunting.
She then took the wash water back to her mother and went to the Mountain Cat supermarket to buy over ten thousand large ziplock bags. For less than a thousand yuan, she had convenient containers for storing water.
She had originally intended to buy fresh-keeping boxes, but found them too expensive. A slightly larger fresh-keeping box cost dozens of yuan. If she bought over ten thousand fresh-keeping boxes to store water, it would cost hundreds of thousands.
The ziplock bags were also food-grade. Using them to store water would be fine for eating or drinking. The most important thing was that they were high-quality and inexpensive. For less than a thousand yuan, she bought over ten thousand, and she could buy more if needed.
After buying the ziplock bags, Gu Qingcheng called Mi Guo to help draw well water.
Mi Guo didn't know what she was doing, but he always listened to his sister. Whatever his sister said, he would do. He obediently drew water.
After Mi Guo brought up the well water, Gu Qingcheng filled the ziplock bags one by one and placed them behind the house. Soon, they were frozen solid, bag by bag.
She didn't rush to collect them, waiting until the water turned into ice before storing them in the storage cabinet.
This task was time-consuming but necessary. When the extreme heat arrived, they would realize that the ice they were now making, which they might find bothersome, would be a life-saving treasure later.
The electricity generated by the photovoltaic panels was insufficient to power air conditioners, and they also lacked the technology to install them. The best way to combat extreme cold was to make ice during the freezing weather.
Moreover, these ice blocks could later be used to make iced drinks, and when melted, the water could be used to wash vegetables or take baths.
The ice and snow on the mountaintop could also be collected, but this ice and snow would at most be sufficient for indoor cooling. For clean water sources, well water was still necessary.
Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo spent a few days making ice blocks and felt that they had done enough, so they stopped.
Hu Lanfang and Gu Zhaobei saw their daughter preparing for the next phase of extreme weather. This also reminded them that it was time to make a shopping list for any unforeseen needs.
Gu Zhaobei mainly compiled a list of medications.
Although their daughter's storage cabinet had a good stock of commonly used reserve medicines, it might not be comprehensive. They needed to be able to retrieve the necessary medications from the storage cabinet at any time, such as Zhengqi water, Huoxiang Zhengqi pills, Yuye Jiedu oral solution, Jinhuahua oral solution, and other heat-clearing, detoxifying, and heat-relieving medications.
Hu Lanfang, on the other hand, began compiling a list of daily household necessities. Their clothing needed to be changed for summer wear, which should be breathable and sweat-wicking, as well as sun-protective. Quick-drying clothing was the best choice, perfectly meeting their requirements.
According to their daughter's dream, future temperatures were estimated to exceed 50 degrees Celsius. The ultraviolet radiation must be very strong, so they would also need to buy sun-protective clothing, sun umbrellas, wide-brimmed sun hats, various ice silk pants, and breathable, comfortable sports shoes.
Hu Lanfang remeasured everyone's height, weight, and bust-waist-hip measurements, and then had her daughter select clothing according to these sizes to be stored in the storage cabinet.
The advantage of the storage cabinet was that whatever you thought of, you could get it. There was no need for special sorting; if you wanted something, you could have it with just a thought.
For quick-drying clothes, Hu Lanfang chose domestic sports brands. For sun protection, she selected long-sleeved, long-pants, thin models. Fortunately, sportswear fully met their requirements.
In addition, sunglasses were also essential.
Many people were unaware of the significant damage ultraviolet rays could cause to the eyes. With strong sunlight and high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation must also be strong, so Hu Lanfang listed several pairs of anti-UV sunglasses.
Thinking that the whole family might have to spend nights outdoors, and while the adults might be fine, Xue Sheng might not be able to endure it. She then listed travel tents, which had ventilated windows to block insects and allow air circulation, making them convenient and comfortable.
Hu Lanfang considered all aspects of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, compiling a complete list for her daughter to purchase from.
After all, Qingcheng alone might overlook some things and not remember everything.
They each compiled lists based on their family roles and expertise.
In addition, for Xue Sheng, there were essential items like baby formula, baby powder, diaper rash cream, baby carriers, and a baby stroller. There were also external ointments and oral medications for the baby.
Mi Guo also compiled a list. He wasn't picky and only requested enough power banks to watch food videos.
Gu Qingcheng noticed that Mi Guo had strong practical skills. Besides being a good cook, he was now also dabbling in modifying his own weapons.
If the Mountain Cat supermarket sold machine tools, Qingcheng would have bought one for him to play with.
However, without machine tools, there were tools like hydraulic shears and files in the car exhibition area. Gu Qingcheng decided to buy these tools and place them in the backyard for Mi Guo to play with and explore.
This opened up a new world of modification for Mi Guo.
Gu Qingcheng herself bought another speedboat. Speedboats weren't expensive, costing around 120,000 yuan, which her Shuang Points could cover.
The speedboat could serve as a supplement to the yacht, facilitating water movement and reconnaissance.
Stockpiling supplies for the next disaster wouldn't be completed in a day. They currently had sufficient basic supplies, but there were still small, miscellaneous items that needed to be replenished daily.