My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 21: Formula

“Do you know what Yanjing is like every morning at 5:00 a. m.?” Probably not many people do. But this morning, more than half the population of Yanjing would experience it firsthand. Just past 5:00 a. m. , the piercing air-raid sirens suddenly sounded again, and from the First Ring Road to the Seventh Ring Road, all the lights went out one after another. If one were to look down at Earth from outer space at that moment, they would see the entire Eurasian continent plunged into darkness. The world has never lacked smart people, nor has it lacked smart nations. Although Daxia was the first country to announce a nationwide power outage, other nations aren’t fools either—regardless of whether it’s effective or not, they’re following suit for now. After witnessing the blackout firsthand and eating a bowl of noodles made by Aunt Xu, Xu Dong yawned and went back to his bedroom to catch up on some sleep. He slept until 2:30 in the afternoon. After a quick wash, he brewed a cup of ginseng and goji berry tea, munched on a piece of bread to stave off hunger, and instantly felt rejuvenated. Now that I’m middle-aged, I just can’t stay up late anymore! Ke Ke and Le Le were playing ping-pong in the yard. The table was specially custom-made by Xu Dong—it’s height-adjustable so even little kids can play. After playing with his precious daughters for half an hour, Xu Dong decided to go out for a stroll and check out what was happening outside. Here, I’d like to highlight the neighborhood surrounding Xu Dong’s home. The Siheyuan faces the street. To the left is a high-end residential complex covering 100 mu, named Champs-Élysées Mansion; to the right is a large plaza surrounded by several commercial buildings, which together form a small commercial district; Behind the Siheyuan—including the area where the Siheyuan itself is located—lies an old urban village that roughly forms an inverted triangle. However, the area of this triangle isn’t large—it consists of only a dozen or so low-rise, two- or three-story buildings, forming a stark contrast to the bustling world around it. The Siheyuan is situated at the corner of the triangle facing the street—the prime location in the entire urban village and its public face to the outside world. Xu Dong first went to take a look at the square on the right, but didn’t see a single soul there. The political awareness of the capital’s residents was quite good; for the most part, they strictly followed orders and refrained from violations. He recalled that on this very day in his previous life, many shops on the streets of Luyang were still secretly open for business, and Xu Dong himself had broken the rules by sneaking out to stock up on a large quantity of daily necessities. However, it was precisely because of that large stockpile of supplies that his entire family was able to survive the most difficult year of 2024. But I’ve digressed—there wasn’t much to see at the square, so Xu Dong turned and headed toward “Champs-Élysées Mansion” on the left. The neighborhood was finally showing signs of life; several middle-aged women were cracking sunflower seeds and chatting next to the security guard’s booth. As Xu Dong walked past the main gate, one of the ladies—who looked quite fashionable—suddenly called out to him. “Hey! Xiao Xu… You’re Xiao Xu, right?” Xu Dong stopped in his tracks immediately. He tried to place her but couldn’t recognize the woman in front of him, so he asked in confusion: “Auntie, do you know me?” The woman stepped closer: “Isn’t your name Xu Dong? And isn’t Zhang Xiudi your mom?” “Um, who are you?” “Hey, my last name is Wang. Just call me Auntie Wang. Your mom is a member of the Square Dance Troupe, and I’ve even been to your house once. Don’t you remember?” Auntie Wang seemed very talkative. Xu Dong still couldn’t remember, so he just bit the bullet and said, “I remember now—wasn’t that the other day? Um, Auntie Wang, are you asking about my mom, or…” Aunt Wang quickly chimed in, “I do have something to discuss with your mom, but it’s just as easy to ask you!” “Auntie Wang, please feel free to ask whatever you need,” Xu Dong said politely. “All right, then I’ll ask. Um… do you have any extra infant formula left at home?” Aunt Wang knew that Xu Dong’s family had triplets and went through a lot of formula, so she assumed they must have some stockpiled—that’s why she asked. Xu Dong nodded. “We do have some left over. What do you mean, Auntie Wang?” “Oh my, that’s wonderful.” Aunt Wang looked delighted and immediately explained: “We have a granddaughter who’s about the same age as Da Bao and the others. We’ve only got a tiny bit of formula left—just a little bit—and I was actually planning to go buy some today, but I never expected… I’m really at a loss. Could you spare a can for me? I’ll pay triple the price.” “I understand,” Xu Dong said after a moment’s thought. “Here’s what we’ll do… Auntie Wang, I can give you two cans for now, and forget about triple the price—just pay the regular price.” “Thank you so much…” “Don’t mention it! We’re neighbors, after all, and you and my mom are good friends—it’s only natural,” Xu Dong replied politely. “So, Xiao Xu, when do you think would be a good time for me to come over?” “I’m free right now. Why don’t you come with me to get them right now?” Xu Dong suggested. “I don’t have any cash on me. Could you wait a little while? I’ll go home right away to get it,” Aunt Wang said with a wry smile. Xu Dong waved his hand. “Don’t worry about the money. Once you get a call, just transfer it directly to my mom!” Anyone who can afford to live in a high-end neighborhood shouldn’t be short on a little money like this; Xu Dong didn’t believe she’d try to renege on such a small debt. “All right, then.” Aunt Wang wasn’t the type to beat around the bush, so she agreed on the spot. In less than three minutes, Xu Dong led Aunt Wang back to the Siheyuan. Xu’s mom was in the courtyard helping the triplets practice walking. When she saw her dance partner arrive, she greeted her with a smile: “What brings you here?” Aunt Wang stepped forward to play with the triplets for a moment, then mentioned the need to buy formula. But no sooner had she finished speaking than Xu Dong emerged carrying two buckets of formula. She hurried over to take them, and when she saw that it was actually imported formula, she was even more pleased. “Thank you so much, Xiao Xu! I have some connections in our neighborhood. If you ever run into trouble, just come straight to me—I’ll do whatever I can to help.” Auntie Wang promised solemnly. Xu’s mother chimed in, “No need to thank me. When you run out of formula, just come by my place to get more.” Aunt Wang nodded in agreement. The two chatted a bit more about the dance troupe, and in the end, Xu Dong personally walked her out the door. Back in the courtyard, Xu Dong hurriedly asked, “Mom, who is this Aunt Wang? She sure talks with a lot of authority!” Mrs. Xu shot Xu Dong a sidelong glance, leaving him somewhat baffled. “Well, she’s got a great son, doesn’t she?” “My son isn’t half bad either. Not to mention having a house and a car—I’ve had five kids in just two pregnancies. Pretty impressive, huh!” Xu Dong said with a grin, boasting about himself. Mrs. Xu feigned a sigh. “Oh, that’s all you’ve got going for you. You’re nowhere near as good as them!” “So what does her son do for a living?” Xu Dong asked defiantly. “He’s a full-level section-chief-level state official—he’s the director of our local subdistrict office.” Xu Dong said in surprise, “Wow, a full-level section chief—that’s quite a high-ranking position…” “Of course. Otherwise, Old Wang wouldn’t have been able to become the leader of our Square Dance Troupe.” Xu Dong asked curiously, “Then how come their family still runs out of baby formula? You’d think there’d be plenty of people trying to curry favor with them.” “What’s so strange about that? People do want to curry favor, but they just didn’t know her family was short on formula—there’s no electricity, and even the phone lines are down. Besides, with the situation being so serious right now, her son must be swamped with work—he wouldn’t have the energy to worry about something as trivial as formula.” Xu’s mom speculated. Xu Dong was at a loss for words and could only admit that experience really does count.