Outdoor Supply Store
The shelves at the outdoor supply store were packed full, with climbing poles, tents, and sleeping bags arranged in a neat jumble. It was a dazzling sight at first glance. Lin Mo made a beeline for the core clothing section, gave it a quick once-over, and furrowed her brow slightly.
All the shelves were filled with three-in-one trekking jackets. While they boasted high-tech three-proof capabilities, they felt thin to the touch—the down fill was definitely not enough to pass the system's standards.
How strange. Everyone goes outdoor sports, aren't they afraid of the cold?
She asked the auntie restocking nearby, "Hello, do you have any down jackets with high fill power that are both warm and waterproof?"
The auntie pointed to the trekking jackets beside her: "Miss, these are enough! The more you hike outdoors, the hotter you get. Too thick a jacket just becomes cumbersome and inconvenient for climbing up and down."
Lin Mo shook her head: "I'm looking for extreme-cold series with high down fill."
"Then you'll need to go to the down jacket counter at Wanda Mall ahead, or the huge Decathlon out in the suburbs," the auntie added after a moment's thought. "Our store mainly caters to everyday outdoor activities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang; we don't stock those thick styles."
"Okay, thank you." Lin Mo politely thanked her but didn't leave immediately. Since she was already here, she might still find some other useful thermal items. So she continued weaving quickly through the shelves. After passing five or six rows, her eyes landed on a pair of ski pants hanging in the corner.
She reached out and touched them. The outer layer's waterproof coating felt smooth, the cuffs had adjustable drawstrings, and the inner fleece was thick and soft, warming the back of her hand.
"This texture is solid enough; the system should recognize it as qualified." She weighed it in her hand and decisively picked three pairs of blue-black ski pants, tossing them into her shopping cart.
The sales assistant, who had been hiding behind the surveillance camera browsing her phone, saw her adding items to the cart. She immediately put away her phone and walked over, a smile spreading across her face: "Little sister, are you planning a hiking and camping trip? Our tents, sleeping bags, and trekking poles are all excellent—would you like to take a look?"
Lin Mo instead asked, "Do you have firewood and charcoal briquettes?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The assistant's eyes lit up. She quickly led her toward the storage area. "We have firewood and charcoal. The smokeless, long-burning fruitwood charcoal is the most popular—it doesn't burn food and adds a nice aroma. Many outdoor campers love this type."
Lin Mo responded, "Then give me three boxes of fruitwood charcoal."
"Would you like some cedar kindling strips and birch logs to go with it? Most people buy them together."
"Sure, two boxes of those too." After a pause, remembering the diesel issue, Lin Mo tested the waters: "By the way, do you have portable diesel storage tanks?"
"Oh, we don't have those." The assistant waved her hands repeatedly, her tone firm. "Diesel is strictly regulated. You have to buy it at designated gas stations, and you'll need your ID, a registration form, and a certificate of use. You can't get oil without any one of those—we dare not sell it illegally."
So there was no way to exploit that loophole. Lin Mo gave up and turned her attention to solar equipment: "Do you have outdoor solar generators? I need high-power ones, and I'll need the solar panels to go with them."
"Yes, we have several models, including ones for RVs." The assistant immediately led her to another section, pointing at a few generators. "This silver one has the highest power—it can handle refrigerators and heaters no problem, and it comes with two solar panels."
"Alright, pack up two high-power generators and five large portable solar lanterns."
These were backup power sources. If the electricity card wasn't enough, she could rely on solar power in an emergency.
Provided the sun came out in S City...
Lin Mo sighed helplessly. It had been a full week since she'd seen the sun.
This haul was expensive. The assistant's smile grew even wider, knowing that this month's sales target was secure. She quickly called over a delivery guy, and together they lugged the heavy items like generators and charcoal into the van.
Lin Mo started the car and headed straight for Wanda. The two places were only three kilometers apart, and she arrived in about ten minutes. The mall's down jacket counter did not disappoint—the down fill was generous, and the fabric was a thick, windproof, waterproof style that felt fluffy and light when touched.
The prices at the mall were quite high, but the materials were solid, windproof and waterproof, with high down fill. Plus, there was a promotion: spend 500 and get a 200 voucher. After buying four extreme-cold down jackets, she took the voucher and headed to the women's shoe section.
The boots delivered by SF Express yesterday were all mid-calf or shorter. Actually, tall boots could better protect the ankles and offer better windproof and waterproof performance. She wandered around the shoe section and finally picked three pairs of outdoor tall boots. The uppers were made of thick waterproof leather, lined with thick fleece, and the soles had deep anti-slip treads, providing solid footing. She used the mall's discount vouchers as well.
Since she was already at Wanda, Lin Mo decided to head to the supermarket on the second basement level to stock up again. She first had to move the newly bought down jackets and boots to the car. As she descended the spiral staircase, she spotted a pajama shop.
Warm yellow light spilled onto the shelves, making the various soft loungewear look inviting. Lin Mo's eyes immediately landed on the most prominent display—a mint green bathrobe. It was made of long-cotton flannel, felt absorbent and soft to the touch, and came down to just below the knees. It perfectly matched her aesthetic.
A bathrobe offered better coverage than the towel she used before, and she could hang it on the new clothes rack in the train's bathroom. Without hesitation, Lin Mo walked in: "Give me one bathrobe in size L."
By the checkout counter, a set of sky-blue pure cotton pajamas with white cloud patterns looked particularly fresh, so she grabbed a set as well.
"Little sister, would you like some coral fleece pajamas? It's so cold now, you should wear thick pajamas."
Lin Mo shook her head: "I have some at home."
"But this padded air-cotton set of ours is also very warm and won't make you look bulky when sleeping. Would you like to try it, miss?" Seeing that Lin Mo seemed particularly fond of blue-green tones, the sharp-eyed sales assistant immediately brought over a newly stocked padded loungewear set.
The outfit was mainly a soft cream color, accented with white cloud embroidery and light blue decorative details. On the chest was an embroidered three-dimensional kitten pattern, and the light blue knit pockets on both sides were printed with white cat paw prints.
This made her dark blue coral fleece pajamas at home look a bit rustic...
Lin Mo touched it—it was also very soft. Well, an extra set for rotation wouldn't hurt. During extreme cold, she'd be spending most of her time at home anyway. Wearing comfortable and nice-looking clothes would boost her mood: "Okay, ring it all up."
She also added a family pack of underwear and bras.
After putting all the newly bought clothes back in the car, she went to the supermarket on the second basement level. As soon as she entered and grabbed a shopping cart, a rich baking aroma wafted over. Lin Mo followed the smell to the bakery section. The sweet fragrance mixed with the richness of butter and the wheaty scent of freshly baked bread.
She usually restrained herself with these items, worried about the high calories and gaining weight.
But when extreme cold hit, calories would become something to pursue. She no longer needed to stay slim through discipline—after all, her body would be burning fat to fend off the cold. Plus, baked goods were quite cheap.
Original Swiss rolls, 16 slices: ¥59.8
Chocolate Swiss rolls, 12 slices: ¥68
Croissants, 18 pieces: ¥33.8
Lin Mo glanced at the prices and unhesitatingly tossed them into her cart. She also grabbed two large boxes of egg tarts, two large bags of shredded pork song-shaped cakes, and several bags of whole wheat toast.
The egg tarts could be frozen and reheated when wanted. The whole wheat toast was perfect for sandwiches with fried eggs and lettuce leaves. As she passed the deli section, she added six Orleans-style roast chickens and five catties of braised pork intestines to the cart, calculating: once these were frozen, they'd fill up most of the remaining space in the fridge.
She didn't buy any fruits or vegetables—there were still a few empty Basic Lockers in the train. She planned to go to the agricultural wholesale market tomorrow morning, where she could buy hundreds of catties without drawing attention.
She moved to the grain and oil section, grabbing large bags of dried noodles and high-gluten flour.
For assorted grains like red beans, green beans, millet, black rice, and oats, she took 10kg each. These grains had a long shelf life and were great for making porridge or soy milk, and they also provided dietary fiber.
Speaking of which, could her blender still be used? Lin Mo suddenly remembered the unused blender in her kitchen. She made a mental note to dig it out and check it tonight—if it was broken, she'd need to buy another one.
Author's Note: