The crops had already been planted and were growing well. She was reluctant to pull them out, so she could only remove some pasture grass instead.

After all, the grass in the pasture was growing vigorously, more than enough to feed the young cattle and sheep.

She didn’t need to clear all the pasture grass on the mountain either—she could plant vegetables while gradually removing some of it.

She decided to plant fast-growing leafy greens first, just in case she ran out of food later. As for the rest, she’d figure it out as she went.

With her mind made up, Ji He worked even faster.

First, she finished cooking all the remaining vegetables. She only stopped when she had used up almost all the vegetables in her space.

Then, she started chopping ingredients to prepare dumpling filling.

By 8 p.m., she had already made over 800 steamed buns, filling several large basins, all of which she stored in her space.

Now, she was making dumplings.

Ji He prepared two types of filling: leek and egg, and celery and pork.

As usual, she cooked them after wrapping, then stored them in her space. Since the storage space kept food fresh indefinitely, she planned to make at least 2,000 dumplings.

Considering she ate about 20 per meal, this would last her for 100 meals.

After nightfall, noises could be heard outside her door, but Ji He was too busy to check.

She continued working until 11 p.m. Just as she took out the last batch of dumplings from the pot, she heard knocking at the courtyard gate.

She quickly turned off the gas.

Hurriedly, she scooped out the last batch of dumplings and stored them in her space, even pouring the leftover dumpling soup into a large container for storage. Then, she turned and walked to the courtyard gate.

Before stepping out, she made sure to change into dirty clothes.

Hearing movement inside, the person outside spoke through a loudspeaker:

“This is the neighborhood committee. We’re here to conduct a population survey.”

It was a woman’s voice.

Ji He didn’t open the door immediately. Instead, she grabbed a wooden stick from the yard and held it in her hand. Only then did she cautiously crack the door open a little.

Seeing a middle-aged woman standing outside, she felt slightly relieved.

Behind the woman, many neighbors had gathered, surrounding another person and bombarding them with questions.

The woman was dressed in sportswear, her forehead covered in sweat, with a water bottle slung around her neck. She kept wiping her sweat with her hands.

Noticing Ji He, she tucked the flashlight under her arm, picked up a pen, and started asking questions.

“Name, age, how many people in your household?”

“Ji He, 18, I live alone. My parents passed away.”

The woman looked up in surprise at her response, her expression softening slightly before she continued her questions.

“Any other relatives?”

Ji He hesitated for a moment before replying, “I have an uncle’s family.”

The woman quickly jotted down notes in her booklet.

“Where were you yesterday?”

Ji He’s mind raced—should she tell the truth? But yesterday, she had encountered Ji Yin. If she lied and they found out later…

“I was at Yunhai Mall.”

The woman looked up and locked eyes with her. “There was a riot at Yunhai Plaza yesterday. How did you get back?”

“I rode a tricycle.”

“Have you noticed anything strange happening recently?”

“Grain getting infested with bugs, rising temperatures.”

The woman continued asking routine questions before finally advising Ji He:

“Since you live alone, please be extra careful.

Don’t open the door to strangers. Avoid going out as much as possible. If you encounter any difficulties, seek help from the government.”

She then took out a QR code and had Ji He scan it to join a neighborhood group chat before moving on to the next house.

Ji He glanced at the crowd gathered in the distance. After thinking for a moment, she locked her door and walked over.

Even before she got close, she could hear people shouting:

“My house has no electricity! The food in the fridge is going bad—what do we do? When will the power come back?”

“I can’t even charge my phone! How are we supposed to stay home without electricity?”

“My elderly mother can’t handle this heat—she’s suffering from heatstroke! What are we supposed to do?”

“My food is infested with bugs! I can’t buy more—what should I do?”

“Can we get a way to buy vegetables? The elderly in my house can’t digest too much meat!”

The crowd was noisy, everyone raising their concerns.

The middle-aged woman who had just surveyed Ji He returned and picked up a loudspeaker to address the crowd:

“Everyone, calm down! Listen to me.

I am the neighborhood committee director. My last name is Xu. You can call me Director Xu or just Old Xu.

Regarding the power outage, the temperature is too high, and workers can’t operate during the day. They have to work at night, so repairs are slow. We ask for your understanding!

We’ve secured a batch of power banks. You can rent one from us to charge your phones at home!”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone in the crowd complained,

“What’s the use of charging phones? It’s too hot! The elderly can’t survive without air conditioning!”

Director Xu sighed—there wasn’t much she could do about the power outage—but she still tried to reassure them:

“In response to your needs, the government has set up several shelters. You can go to nearby underground parking garages or basements—they’re much cooler than outside.

I’ll share a list in the community chat. There’s one not far from here. You should go in groups before sunrise and bring your own water and food.

You can also take shelter in cars—five or six people can squeeze into one vehicle. Let’s help each other in times of crisis!”

“As for the food in your fridges, try exchanging items with your neighbors to prevent waste.

Regarding medicine, the latest government notice allows each person to buy up to 500 yuan worth of medicine with an ID card. There’s nothing I can do about that, so it’s best to go buy medicine now while it’s still available. The pharmacies are open 24/7.”

“As for food shortages, there’s a Meihua Supermarket 7 kilometers away. The government has taken over its operations for security reasons. You can buy food there with an ID card, but the limit is now 500 yuan per person.”

“Wasn’t it 1,000 yuan yesterday? Why is it only 500 today?” someone in the crowd shouted.

Director Xu glanced at the speaker before continuing through the loudspeaker:

“Due to the severity of the crisis, reducing the limit helps prevent waste and ensures more people can get supplies.

Alright, I need to continue the population survey. If you have more questions, talk to Xiao Liu.”

With her voice hoarse, Director Xu shut off the loudspeaker and handed it to a young man beside her. Then, she picked up her notebook and moved on to the next house to continue the survey.