This situation was happening in many cities.

But because official authorities were still functioning, social order hadn’t completely broken down. At most, there were people reselling goods at high prices.

These underground transactions were hard to regulate—where there were buyers, there were sellers.

Finally, on the seventh day after the heavy rain stopped, the government began distributing supplies and conducting disaster relief. Some large supermarkets reopened, offering goods at fair prices so affected residents could purchase essentials.

This plan quickly received widespread support.

However, a new problem arose—outside, the streets were still flooded. How could people go out? They’d need boats to transport goods.

Thus, the households with inflatable boats became highly sought after in the entire community. Some residents paid high prices to ride in these boats, and others had no choice but to pay as well.

Those unwilling to pay saw people using makeshift boats made from life rings and plastic bottles. They too got creative, using large washbasins, planks of wood, and other materials to build their own rafts.

Day 10, at Shen Xiaoxiao’s home.

Chen Juan brought out freshly made silver ear and red date soup from the kitchen and said to the father and daughter, “Eat something first. You’ll need your strength to go out.”

The father and daughter set aside their tasks and started drinking the soup, discussing the current situation.

“It’s not chaotic yet. Everyone still has food stored, so no one is starving. Once home supplies run out, we’ll have to rely on the government to manage and distribute resources fairly for the city.”

“Some shelters have started accepting people. I saw that some from our community are planning to go to the one at Huanxi Valley. Everyone’s busy going out to gather supplies; no one knows if we’ll be back, but since our things are ready, we might as well go out while there’s some disorder.”

“I think that’s fine. The rain has lessened a lot; if we wear raincoats, we won’t catch a cold easily.”

After agreeing, the family finally got ready to act.

Shen Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief. Over the past few days, she had finally convinced her father.

She knew he still worried about the hospital, but the leadership had long forgotten him, sending no news at all.

The Huanxi Valley resort area also had a shelter, so persuading her father to leave for the shelter was relatively easy.

On their way downstairs, they ran into Aunt Wang in the hallway.

Seeing them dragging an inflatable boat down, she couldn’t help feeling sour.

“Oh, isn’t this Dr. Shen’s family? Didn’t I see your daughter buy so much food the other day? Now you’re going shopping again?”

“Look at this inflatable boat—so new. Why didn’t you bring it out for everyone earlier? Selfish as always.”

Shen Xiaoxiao, worried her father might not argue well, said, “What’s wrong with us having an inflatable boat? We just don’t want to use it. What if it breaks? Will you pay for it?”

Aunt Wang huffed angrily: “Pay? You think this stuff comes cheap? When we get to the store, I’ll just buy one myself. No one needs your stuff.”

Behind Aunt Wang followed a newly moved-in young couple. Seeing Shen Xiaoxiao boldly stand her ground, they looked impressed—they had witnessed Aunt Wang’s tactics before.

When Aunt Wang’s home had flooded, the couple had kindly helped, only to have Aunt Wang grab many items from her flooded house and put them in theirs, soaking everything under the guise of “properly storing them.”

Now, the three of them occupied all usable space at home, leaving the young couple only the bedroom.

The couple had barely moved a few steps before Aunt Wang urged them, “Come on, hurry! Let’s see if we can get on the inflatable boat. This family doesn’t need that much space—might as well use it if it’s free.”

The couple was stunned.

After what had just happened, they still thought to take advantage of someone else’s boat—talk about nerve.

They increasingly regretted speaking out in the chat, bringing such a “plague” into their lives.

At that time, seeing the old woman pitifully crying about her misfortune, they hadn’t questioned why neighbors hadn’t helped her.

Now they understood: nobody wants to provoke an unreasonable old woman who flips out, yet they still brazenly tried to use someone else’s property.

The couple almost wished they could disappear.

The water had now submerged the second floor. Shen Xiaoxiao lowered the inflatable boat from the third-floor window.

She first threw out her backpack, helped her parents get in, and finally jumped in herself.

Aunt Wang followed hurriedly, “Wait for me!”

Shen Xiaoxiao had prepared for this, pulling away quickly. “My boat’s small—it won’t hold your big Buddha-sized frame. We’ll go ahead.”

She glanced at the nearby area. “Oh, I see private rescue boats coming in, probably also charging fees. Their experience is much better than our inflatable. Aunt Wang, you can use that one.”

Watching the family row away, Aunt Wang started cursing loudly.

Seeing the young couple behind her, she grumbled, “You two, why didn’t you stop them? I need to go to the hospital to get my son. How much will this back-and-forth cost me?”

The wife replied, “We were just helping you carry your son. Why are you making such a fuss?”

Aunt Wang sneered, “Helping your neighbors, and you’re still not satisfied? You two are just bullying me because I’m old. Oh, how hard my life is!”

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Shen Xiaoxiao was still not very skilled at rowing the inflatable boat, so their speed was relatively slow.

All three wore insulated waterproof jackets with hoods and masks, each carrying a travel backpack to blend in.

They initially thought this outfit looked strange, but everyone else venturing out was similarly dressed, so they blended in.

Exiting their gated community onto the flooded streets, they saw many motorized rescue boats and inflatables coming and going—people taking advantage of the opportunity to buy supplies.

The water was unusually murky, floating with debris. Black insects flew above the surface.

Occasionally, they saw dead stray cats and dogs. In such circumstances, no one could care for these creatures, leaving them to rot.

There were also rats, birds, and other creatures. Combined with garbage, the smell was foul, so everyone instinctively wore masks.

The family looked at the scene, feeling an immense weight in their hearts, unsure what to say.

This disaster was global. Everyone was focused on survival; nobody could help others. The only option was to rely on personal management and emergency skills to save themselves.