"Hmm, for gifts."
The boss said: "Then you've come to the right place. Everyone who tries our cured meat says it's good. Want a big red gift box?"
"No thanks, just weigh it all together." Lin Mo shook her head, scanned the code, and paid.
She had experienced the lockdown three years ago in S City and knew a thing or two about stockpiling. After stuffing the meat into her cart, it was time to find vegetables that could last.
To avoid generating abnormal transaction records from frequent purchases, Lin Mo chose a larger stall and decided to shop there all at once.
As she crouched down, the elderly stall owner smiled warmly: "What would you like, miss? Today's vegetables were delivered early this morning, very fresh."
"Please pack some for me—whatever lasts long." Lin Mo glanced at the prices written in chalk above the stall; they were clearly marked, which was reassuring.
Her slender fingers brushed over the neatly arranged piles: "Potatoes, carrots, winter melon, corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin—some of each."
"Oh, buying so much?" The old man grabbed a net bag and filled it, the iron scale weights swinging: "Preparing for winter? You picked good pumpkins. The yellow-skinned ones are floury and can last half a month without going bad."
"Yeah, stocking up because of the temperature drop." Lin Mo watched him pile sweet potatoes and corn into a small mountain, then added: "Uncle, please give me tender corn."
The corn still had green husks, with wet tassels hanging down. In the dead of winter, holding a soft sweet potato and biting into a burst of tender corn would be wonderful.
"Don't worry!" The old man patted his chest, the plastic bag rustling. "I'll pick the ones with red tassels—they're sweet."
After weighing the last pumpkin, he grabbed two bunches of green onions from the end of the stall and stuffed a big cabbage into the bag, grinning warmly: "For you! Green onions scrambled with eggs are fragrant, and cabbage stewed with meat is warming. Come back for my business next time!"
The cabbage was heavy, enough for several meals.
Some people were really warm, even if they received indifferent responses. Lin Mo looked at his reddened nose and whispered thanks, her tone still distant, but she said, "I'll come again."
The zipper on her backpack was stretched to its limit, with a half carrot peeking out. She glanced at the mound of tomatoes piled like little suns on the stall, bought ten jin, and carried them in her left hand.
Then she bent down and carefully covered the cart. She didn't want to attract trouble later because of visible supplies at home.
On the way back to the neighborhood, she took a detour past a water station. Lin Mo stopped: "I'd like to order 10 barrels of 14.8L bottled water. Please deliver as soon as possible."
On the road, delivery guys from Tmall and JD.com called. Lin Mo asked them to leave the packages at her doorstep, saying she'd be home soon.
The water station was quick; the electric three-wheeler was faster than walking. By the time she reached the apartment building entrance, the guy in blue uniform had just parked.
"Which floor?" The guy bent down to lift a barrel, his arms gripping it.
"First floor."
"First floor is good, saves hauling it up the stairs." He hoisted the barrel onto his shoulder and followed her inside.
He also helped place the bags of rice, oil, and noodles from Tmall and JD that were piled under the stairs because they couldn't fit inside, and neatly put the other water barrels in the corner of the living room.
"Thank you for your hard work." Lin Mo felt a bit guilty for making him carry so many heavy items in the cold, so she grabbed a handful of Dove chocolates and Peet's toffee for him: "Have some to warm up."
"Thanks, it's nothing." The guy took them happily and patted the barrel: "Empty barrels can be recycled. Call us when you're done—we'll pick them up."
He clearly wasn't surprised by such a large order—they had a minimum of five barrels.
After he left, Lin Mo closed the door.
She turned around and couldn't help but gasp.
A translucent blue light screen suddenly floated in front of her.
An electronic voice sounded in her mind: [Detected that the Novice Mission has been completed. Would you like to activate the Extreme Cold Train House?]
Lin Mo took a deep breath, her fingers trembling slightly as she clicked "Yes."
Buzz—
The entire house emitted a buzzing sound, and beneath the floor, it felt like a train was roaring past.
Lin Mo felt a translucent light envelop her whole body! Her vision went blurry, and when she opened her eyes again, she was standing in a completely unfamiliar space.
—The familiar living room was gone, and in front of her was a carriage emitting a moonlit sheen.
Behind her came the dull thud of supply boxes hitting the floor—the bottled water, vegetables, and other items had followed her into this metallic space.
The system's electronic voice sounded in her mind:
[Train activated]
[Carriage domain activated. Living beings must apply for a ticket from the Train Conductor and abide by the carriage rules]
[Do you want to formulate carriage rules?]
Lin Mo was still cautiously observing the new environment and didn't rush to decide. She chose "No."
At the front of the train was a large curved glass windshield over two meters high, seamlessly integrated into the smooth arc of the roof. It felt cool and smooth, with a faint metallic sheen, without a trace of a seam. If the train were parked in an open area, the unobstructed curved glass would provide a fantastic view.
On the left side of the front was a small door with a glass window, the same material as the main windshield. The rear of the carriage had a full two-meter-high window that could be slid open.
Along both sides of the carriage were huge portholes, all two meters high, offering an exceptionally clear view. Through the glass, the sofa in the living room could be seen, crushed and deformed. But these portholes were sealed; Lin Mo felt around for a while but couldn't find a way to open them.
The entire train had no partitions, making the space bright and transparent. It was about four meters long, three meters wide, and three meters high. The roof's curve was as smooth as if polished by moonlight, with no sharp edges. The area was just about the size of Lin Mo's master bedroom.
Author's note: None.