Chapter 68
The other party froze.
The chatterbox younger brother froze along with her.
This was not a rag or a pack of biscuits. Even if she was willing to take something out to exchange, gasoline was extremely precious right now. She had spoken too bluntly. If the other party wanted to harm them, they could completely ignore them, leave them here to freeze to death, then search through and take away their supplies.
But they had agreed so readily?
They even asked how much they needed??
She hesitantly gave a number.
Jiang Qingyu nodded. “Sure. How do we give it to you? Do you have a barrel, or should we pump it straight into your fuel tank?”
Duan Yu hesitated. “Aren’t you going to ask what I have to trade with you?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Up to you. In weather this cold, going back and forth asking what you have and what we want is too troublesome.”
Duan Yu said, “But…”
Fu Jingqiu interrupted her. “The amount you’re asking for isn’t much. It’s just a small favor. Even if you have doubts, you have to go through with it now. Otherwise, you and your brother will both freeze to death here. Tell us how to transfer the fuel to you.”
Jiang Qingyu had discovered long ago that Fu Jingqiu had an air about him that made people trust him. As long as he opened his mouth, even if the request was somewhat unreasonable, the other party would still have to obey and do as he said.
And there really was no other way. Even inside the vehicle, once the heating stopped, they would definitely die.
Were they supposed to abandon the vehicle and walk to their next destination in this temperature? They would freeze to death on the road.
When Duan Yu had hung up the distress flag, she had already imagined the worst possible outcome. Since heaven had favored them, she could not allow herself to hesitate any longer.
Thinking of this, she quickly wrapped herself in her down jacket, took the spare fuel pump from the vehicle, and got out. Seeing this, Duan Cheng hurriedly followed behind her, his mouth still not stopping. “Hey, sis! Wait for me! Can we transfer them money later? I can pay!”
Duan Yu was too lazy to bother with him. She pulled her hat down and jumped out of the vehicle. The cold wind blowing toward her made her instinctively retreat two steps. The door of the heavy truck RV beside them then opened, and a tall man walked down. His lips were pressed together, his face one that warned strangers away. She had already noticed earlier that this man looked very serious even when he was not smiling.
“Where?” he asked.
Duan Yu quickly said, “This way. There’s an electronic lock, but it’s already frozen and broken. We repaired it a little, and it doesn’t affect use.”
The man nodded and said calmly, “Good work. Did you add insulation measures?”
Those three words did not sound particularly special, but Duan Yu somehow felt as if she had been praised by her father at a board meeting. The flesh beneath her skin instinctively tightened, and her tone became serious. “Yes. On the first day of the temperature drop, we already modified it, including changing to anti-skid tires.”
The man lifted his eyes and glanced at her. “No problem. Pump the fuel. How many liters is your tank?”
Duan Yu answered, “Eight hundred.”
“That’s fine.” The other party asked again, “Where do you plan to settle next?”
Duan Yu answered again, “Aksu. My family has a factory there.”
Duan Cheng followed behind his sister, watching her and this warm-hearted big brother ask and answer questions, holding nothing back. He was so shocked that words failed him. At first, his mouth even fell open, and a big mouthful of wind blew in, making his stomach and intestines cramp. Only then did he obediently pull his scarf higher and bury his face in it, though he still found it unbelievable.
His sister had previously been publicly recognized as the company’s great demon king, always saying one thing and meaning it.
Her two favorite phrases were: “What’s it got to do with you?” and “Mind your own business.” She was so cool that he worshipped her to no end. But today, she was actually acting so… so… He could not describe it. Anyway, it was very strange. It was as if this man were his sister’s elder brother.
Duan Cheng was just about to move closer, dispel the strange thoughts in his heart, and go up to naturally start a conversation, when another young man got out of the neighboring heavy truck RV. He wore a light blue down jacket and said to the tall man, amused and helpless, “Why do you chat like you’re interrogating a criminal?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “They need to have a clear plan for the rest of their route and arrangements. Otherwise, something like today may happen again.”
Just like the amount of fuel they had asked for when seeking help earlier, it was cutting things a little too close. If they encountered any accident on the road and were trapped for even one or two hours, it would cause trouble for the rest of their journey. It could even mean they might not reach their destination.
That made some sense. Duan Cheng tucked his hands away and grinned. “This big brother is right. My sister was just afraid she was asking for too much. After all, who would be willing to give away fuel at a time like—”
Before he could finish, Duan Yu turned her head and covered his mouth, hating iron for not becoming steel. “You’d better talk less!”
That sounded way too unpleasant. They had just agreed to make a deal and help, and now he was saying normal people would not be willing to give away fuel. Was that not slapping them in the face?
Jiang Qingyu could see it now. This younger brother was carefree, spoke without thinking, and had a somewhat foolish innocence. The older sister, on the other hand, was calm and sharp. Whether due to bloodline suppression or something else, she could control this silly younger brother. That was also pretty good.
When one’s brain did not work well, being obedient was also a virtue.
Duan Cheng’s mouth was covered, and he looked innocently at his sister with his eyes: What for? I was praising them, wasn’t I?
Duan Yu apologized. “Sorry. That wasn’t what he meant. I was indeed a little self-important earlier. After all, in the current situation…” She was silent for a few seconds. “Although we hung the distress flag outside, we never really thought a vehicle would pass by and be willing to help us.”
On this journey, she had seen travelers whose vehicles had frozen and broken down, leaving them outside forever. She had seen people who tried to walk in search of shelter, only to collapse halfway and become ice sculptures. This extreme cold had caught most people off guard. Although the country was already trying its best to rescue people, it was still inevitable that some would quietly die in the winter night.
Their road home had become especially long because of one snowstorm and one gust of wind.
Jiang Qingyu comforted her at the right moment. “No matter what happened before, at least you’ll be home soon.”
Just hearing those two words made one’s heart feel warm. Duan Yu unconsciously loosened the hand covering her younger brother’s mouth and solemnly thanked him again. “Thank you so much. I… I don’t know which of our supplies you need. How about this? You can go into our vehicle and take a look. If there’s anything you want, just take it. Or if you need money, I can transfer it directly. Any amount is fine.”
Whoa! Was she not afraid they would ask for a ridiculous price? Money was still useful now, sister!
Duan Cheng regained his freedom to speak and, hearing this, pushed his sister’s shoulder with concern. “Sis, who says it like that? You sound like we’re trying to trick them into the vehicle to murder them for money.”
“…” Duan Yu gritted her teeth. “Duan! Cheng!”
Are you sick in the head!! Do you know how to talk or not!
Seeing his sister’s angry face, Duan Cheng said blankly, “What’s wrong? I’m not wrong.”
Jiang Qingyu was so amused by the siblings’ way of interacting that he laughed nonstop. “Okay, okay, I understand. Thank you. I’ll think about it.”
Duan Cheng shrank his neck a little guiltily after being glared at by his sister and did not dare ask anymore.
Fu Jingqiu was already helping him pump the fuel over. Before getting out of the vehicle, he had discussed it briefly with Jiang Qingyu. After all, they had a lot stored. Considering that the road conditions ahead might not be good, and they could not force themselves to drive if they encountered strong wind, resting in place would also mean more consumption. So they pumped over some extra fuel.
Jiang Qingyu carried his little bag, with the realistic fake gun tucked in his pocket, and in the end, he did follow Duan Yu into their vehicle to take a look—mainly because he was curious how other people arranged their RV and what the interior layout was like.
This RV seemed to cost over ten million. The siblings were indeed very capable. And just now, they had mentioned something about their family having a factory in Aksu. Traveling while inspecting business—what a wealthy background.
Duan Cheng cheerfully followed Jiang Qingyu into the vehicle, looking like a silly kid as he began introducing things to him. “Come, come. Um, I don’t think you’re older than me. What’s your surname?”
“Jiang.”
“Oh, okay, Brother Xiao Jiang. I’ll call you that first, out of respect. Thank you so much for helping. Um, you can choose anything in our vehicle.” He introduced things excitedly. “These are all my favorites: computer, Switch, game cartridges, PS5. I even brought a gaming laptop with me. You can take it if you want!”
Jiang Qingyu: “…”
“Or do you like watches?” Duan Cheng opened an embedded cabinet door. Inside was a watch winder. Because they had to save power, it had already stopped running. Even so, those famous watches still glittered under the light.
Jiang Qingyu really had not seen such things before and subconsciously let out a “Holy shit.”
This was a real rich second generation. He was seriously loaded.
It was just that his temperament did not really match. He was like a silly roe deer.
Duan Cheng supported himself against the cabinet with one hand, patted his chest, and looked rather proud. “See which one you like. Pick any. Or take two or three. Pick one for your friend too. Hey,” he leaned over and gently nudged Jiang Qingyu with his elbow. “Speaking of your friend, what exactly does he do? He looks so, so imposing?”
Imposing? What kind of description was that?
Jiang Qingyu held back laughter. “He only looks a little serious. He’s actually a very good person. Just now, he even took the initiative to tell me to give you more fuel, worried that if something unexpected happens, you’ll get trapped on the road again.”
Duan Cheng’s eyes widened. “What?!” He ignored the cabinet full of famous watches and turned to run back out of the vehicle. “Sis! Brother Xiao Jiang said they’re even giving us extra fuel!”
“…” Duan Yu helplessly held her forehead. When Fu Jingqiu had told her their fuel amount was cutting it too close, she had already heard the implication in his words. When they were pumping fuel just now, she had seen the number on the machine and already knew.
Duan Cheng excitedly grabbed her shoulder and shook her while looking at Fu Jingqiu. “Thank you, big brother. You’re such good people. Come into the vehicle later and see if there’s anything you want. Anything at all. We can give it to you! Aside from giving things, we can also give money. Don’t be polite!”
Duan Yu silently rolled her eyes, but she did not stop her brother from speaking. At this time, Duan Cheng’s gratitude was also an expression of their stance, though it was a bit reckless and foolish.
Fu Jingqiu smiled slightly. In truth, he liked dealing with people of this personality. This kind of directness was not necessarily bad.
He said, “It’s fine. Let my… younger brother choose. I’m fine with anything.”
Duan Cheng’s eyes shone. “Younger brother? You’re brothers too? Then we really are fated!”
His voice was so loud that even the cold outside could not suppress it. The sound of his words was carried by the wind to Jiang Qingyu’s ears, and Jiang Qingyu somewhat wickedly thought: What kind of brothers roll into bed together?
The interior decoration and various configurations of this RV were, of course, very luxurious. Everything was arranged in an orderly way. Jiang Qingyu casually walked around and saw many famous brand logos and luxury goods. The siblings had quite good taste. The things they chose were not overly flashy and naturally blended into this luxury vehicle. The aesthetics were all on point.
As for food and water, one glance was enough to tell that they had been bought temporarily. They were neatly piled in the kitchen: drinking water, rice, instant noodles, self-heating hotpots, as well as some quick-frozen dumplings and buns. The cookware was also complete.
If they were not locals, they had probably started stockpiling during the heavy rain. They had done it carefully. In the living area outside, there was also a storage cabinet with some daily supplies placed on top, all necessities. Clearly, whoever had made the purchases had put some thought into it.
On the table was spread a map with roads, checkpoints, and scenic spots along the way marked in great detail. The siblings’ laptops were placed facing each other. One was searching for nearby rescue contact information, while the other had actually stopped on the Steam page.
It really was an episode perfectly in line with their personalities.
Aside from that, the separated bedroom, independent kitchen, and entertainment modules were all fully equipped. They even had an expandable second floor. The coffee machine and full set of Hermès teapot and cups were probably for drinking coffee and basking in the sun upstairs when the weather was nice.
One could imagine that if this extreme cold had not happened, they would originally have been able to return home comfortably.
However, Jiang Qingyu did not play many games. No matter how he turned it over, there were only a few. He was not very interested in Duan Cheng’s pile of equipment, let alone cartridges and PS5. Usually, he only liked playing a couple rounds of Honor of Kings, then getting so angry at the matchmaking system that he punched the bed.
Besides, he had all these devices too. He had seen them while doing research online before. He had not known how to play them or whether they were fun, but he had bought them all first anyway. Putting aside everything else, he had not even opened the pile of games he had bought on Steam.
He should call Fu Jingqiu over later to play It Takes Two.
Returning his thoughts, there was nothing in this vehicle that he particularly wanted. Watches and luxury goods were not very useful in daily life, and the two of them had watches too.
Jiang Qingyu thought about it, then chose an old-man melon from the corner of the kitchen and hugged it, deciding to take this as payment for the fuel they had lent.
Seeing him come down with only a melon, the siblings froze in perfect sync for a few seconds. Duan Cheng was the first to move closer. “Brother Xiao Jiang! Why did you only take a melon? You don’t like my equipment and watches? My sister also has diamond jewelry and stuff. We have gold too. Take more!”
Jiang Qingyu smiled. “We don’t need those. I just happen to want to eat a melon right now, and you have one, so it counts as the fuel fee.”
He patted the melon. “And this melon is pretty big. It’s enough for me and my brother to eat.”
Fu Jingqiu smoothly took the melon from his arms.
Duan Yu’s expression was complicated. “But… compared to what you gave us, this really isn’t enough.”
Even without the apocalypse, there was still a large price gap between the things from both sides. What Jiang Qingyu was doing could practically be called charity.
Fu Jingqiu put away their fuel pump. He had nearly filled their precariously low fuel tank, enough for them to drive home without having to be too frugal with the diesel heater.
Duan Cheng was still chattering away. “But you can’t just take a melon. Even if you don’t like them, you can still take them for fun. Maybe one day you’ll suddenly feel like using them. If you really can’t use them, you can sell them. There must be gas stations still open in Aksu by then, so you can fill up your fuel…”
“All right.” Duan Yu had been observing the expressions of these two while her younger brother kept rambling. Their attitude while listening was not perfunctory at all, but from their expressions, she could tell that the other party really had no intention of wavering.
If they said they wanted one melon, then it was one melon.
She could even suspect that if he were not afraid of burdening them, Jiang Qingyu would not even have taken this melon.
Duan Yu took a deep breath and sped up her speech. “The temperature is so cold, so we won’t keep chatting here. May I ask, since you’re also going to Aksu, could we follow you? After we arrive, I would like to invite you to our home as guests.”
“In this temperature, it really isn’t suitable to keep driving on the road all the time.”
Although their heavy truck did not have a vehicle logo for some reason, both its model and external configuration did not look bad. She did not know whether it had been specially customized, but they seemed to have solid capabilities.
In this kind of extreme cold weather, they were still driving outside, and could casually spare so much fuel for them. Their vehicle probably also had quite a bit of storage.
They were not interested in luxury goods. Duan Cheng had repeatedly offered to give them payment, but they also seemed completely uninterested in money. Clearly, their family background was much thicker than theirs.
Talking about payment any further would feel a little overestimating themselves.
It would be better to invite them over as guests.
Although the factory residence over there was a self-built house, it had been built according to villa standards. It was highly insulated and had everything one might need. It should be much more comfortable than staying on the road.
Duan Cheng’s eyes lit up when he heard his sister’s words. “Right, that’s a good idea. Brother Xiao Jiang, and this… big brother, come to our house and hang out. We’ll roast a whole lamb and drink lamb soup. It’ll be hot and warming!”
Mm… Lamb soup, huh. He still was not used to drinking that.
But after hearing what the siblings said, Jiang Qingyu still instinctively turned to look at Fu Jingqiu, meeting his lowered gaze.
With just this look, Jiang Qingyu understood. Fu Jingqiu was handing the choice to him, letting him decide for himself.
So Jiang Qingyu did not put on false politeness and spoke honestly. “It’s fine for you to follow us, but as for whether we’ll go to your house after arriving in Aksu, I’ll still have to think about it. We originally planned to go see the Flaming Spring.”
Duan Cheng immediately said, “That doesn’t conflict. Come stay at our house for a few days first, then go. That place won’t run away. We…”
Before he could finish, his mouth was covered by his sister again.
Duan Yu smiled politely at them. “All right. Please think about it. We are sincerely inviting you. My brother and I both very much hope you’ll come as guests.”
“Okay, okay.” Jiang Qingyu stamped his feet. “Then get back in the vehicle. Tidy up a bit. We’ll set off in ten minutes.”
“By the way, the way you waved that national flag earlier was truly brilliant.”
After getting into the vehicle, Jiang Qingyu hugged himself and warmed up for a while. Only after gradually feeling heat return did he slowly take off his coat and earmuffs, rubbing his hands as he said, “That younger brother really is pretty funny. Just now, he actually left me alone in the vehicle. Wasn’t he afraid I’d put two watches in my pockets?”
After saying this, he remembered that Fu Jingqiu had not gone into their vehicle earlier and briefly described it to him. “I originally wanted to use their RV layout as reference, but the moment I got in, I knew there was nothing to reference. It was all luxury goods. Even if I wanted to buy them now, I wouldn’t know where to buy them.”
He looked around and was very satisfied with his own home too. “But our home isn’t bad either.” He casually touched Tangyuan, who had come over to cling to him. “We have both cat and dog, and we’re equipped with dishwasher, dryer, robot vacuum, everything. It’s very cozy too.”
Fu Jingqiu poured him a cup of hot tea. “Warm yourself.” Then he said, “If you really had taken their watches, they might have actually breathed a sigh of relief.”
Jiang Qingyu tilted his head up to look at him. “But watches aren’t as practical as roasted whole lamb. If we’re really interested then, you can go have lamb soup, and I’ll go freeload a meal.”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “You want to go?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Depends on the situation.” He sipped his tea in small mouthfuls. “If the atmosphere at their family factory is like Xiao Xu’s checkpoint, then I’ll go.”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “Then why didn’t you stay at the checkpoint for a few more days back then?”
Jiang Qingyu threw out the killing blow. “Because I want to go to Altay.”
Fu Jingqiu: “…”
Jiang Qingyu said, “I already told you. We’ll stay in Altay for a while when the time comes.”
A quiet village, a small wooden cabin—that was the place he and his grandparents had once agreed on.
He held the teacup and stared at Fu Jingqiu. “I think I forgot to ask you. Do you prefer staying a few more days in places like the checkpoint, or do you prefer traveling?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “To me, there isn’t much difference. If you want to stay, then I want to stay. If you want to leave, then I want to leave too. I like being with you.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “When you say it like that, it’s hard for me to respond.”
Too sincere. And with no disguise or tact at all. When Fu Jingqiu threw straight shots, seven or eight times out of ten, Jiang Qingyu did not know how to answer.
Fu Jingqiu thought for a moment. “Then… send an emoji?”
What emoji! Jiang Qingyu burst out laughing. “That cold joke is good. I have to remember it.”
This was also something Jiang Qingyu had said to him before. Sometimes, when he contacted his former roommates and the topic was finished, if he did not know what to say, they would tacitly send each other an emoji to end the conversation. This was also one of his “social etiquettes.”
Ten minutes later, the two heavy truck RVs set off again, looking very impressive. Jiang Qingyu went to the rear of the vehicle and glanced back. The SOS flag on the Mercedes heavy truck had already been taken down. The driver was Duan Yu. Through the windshield, Jiang Qingyu saw her holding the steering wheel, her expression much more relaxed.
It was another good deed done.
Jiang Qingyu had not forgotten the matter of playing games. After warming up for a while, he went to find Fu Jingqiu again. The other man was cutting melon in the kitchen. This melon was indeed soft, glutinous, and sweet, perfectly ripe. The moment it was cut open, its fragrance rushed out. In Xinjiang, they had never eaten a melon that was not delicious.
“Comrade Fu Jingqiu,” Jiang Qingyu called him. “When you’re free, can you help me with something?”
Hearing this form of address, Fu Jingqiu’s eyelid first twitched. Then he turned toward the source of the voice. Jiang Qingyu stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, his face solemn.
Behind him, Tangyuan was sitting obediently as well, and Meimei was lying in the little nest on the cat climbing frame while looking over at them.
Being stared at by one big and two small pairs of equally round eyes, with Jiang Qingyu’s fair face carrying a cute sense of forced seriousness, Fu Jingqiu felt a little urge to pinch his face. At the same time, he put down the fruit knife and plate and replied seriously, “Please speak, sir.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Here’s the thing. I now have a very troubling matter. After thinking it over, only you can help me.”
Just now it had only been a joke, but hearing Jiang Qingyu say this, Fu Jingqiu’s expression immediately became much more serious. “What is it? I’ll definitely help you.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “There is something I very, very, very much want to do. Back when I was in school, I didn’t have time, and there was no one who could help me. But now, after being reminded by that younger brother just now, I really want to restart this matter that has been shelved for a very long time.”
He had wanted to do it in university? And had never had the chance to complete it?
Fu Jingqiu knew that Jiang Qingyu’s university days had not been very good. After all, aside from coursework, he had also had part-time jobs. In order to save money, he had even been ruthless enough to stop himself from eating anything good. Jiang Qingyu had shown him photos from his university days. He had been much thinner than now, making his eyes look especially large. It had made Fu Jingqiu’s heart ache.
Fu Jingqiu’s throat felt dry. “All right. I’ll definitely help you. Say it.”
Jiang Qingyu said with incomparable sincerity, “I really, really, really want to play a two-player game with you.”
Fu Jingqiu: “…”
