July seemed to be a bit more normal in terms of the weather, but Wen Qian knew it was only a temporary normality in her region.
According to the news from the emergency management department she followed, floods, hail storms, and wind disasters were currently the main disasters occurring nationwide, with typhoons, earthquakes, and geological disasters also happening to varying degrees.
She paid attention to various websites, and now in addition to watching the news every day, she also kept an eye on and recorded the times and locations of disaster-related events.
Some places on Earth are more disaster-prone than others, such as certain countries located in volcanic and seismic zones.
Wen Qian looked at the places marked with different disasters on the map. Some areas would inevitably face typhoons or worry about flood peaks at certain times of the year, and those were definitely places to avoid.
Earthquake-prone areas should also be avoided as much as possible.
Areas that are the first choice for refuge after major disasters were also on the list to be excluded.
Xiaochenwa's village was relatively secluded, which had its advantages during times like before the founding of the nation or during the recent pandemic.
No one came and went.
However, there were two reasons why Wen Qian wanted to leave: first, there were annoying people watching her, and second, in case of a disaster, this place would also become a choice for people to seek shelter with relatives.
Take Xiaochenwa for example. His older generation of relatives might be around here, but their younger generation of relatives could be everywhere.
If something happened, for instance, Fang Ya might ask her parents and brother to come over, and her brother's wife would also have relatives.
One thing would lead to another, and eventually this place would become crowded. When there were too many people, even a blade of grass or a piece of wood could become a source of conflict.
The village would then revert to a state where whoever had more men in their family could walk around arrogantly, which would not be a good thing for Wen Qian. At that time, she might not even be able to maintain her single status.
At that time, Wen Qian might not even have the choice to be alone, which was not the life she wanted.
With more people, she might be exposed, and Wen Qian had even thought of 365 ways she could die.
All these thoughts prompted Wen Qian to leave her comfort zone, even though the mere thought of leaving was already very stressful for her.
If it were so easy to step out of the comfort zone, it wouldn't be called a comfort zone. It took a long time just to continue thinking about leaving.
The subsequent mental struggle also took time, and the preparation before leaving was even more painful and anxious.
However, it was better to start doing than thinking too much. Once she started taking action, Wen Qian's anxiety would dissipate, and although the remaining anxiety still existed, it didn't seem to affect her much as she took action.
After the initial period of worry, Wen Qian's mindset became steady again.
After the past few days of hard work, Wen Qian arranged some leisurely activities for herself in the following days, such as gathering firewood in the mountains.
Although her spatial dimension already had a lot of firewood stored, she would continue to store it as long as there was space.
Wen Qian also walked through all the nearby mountains, with a vague feeling in her heart that she might never come back. Before going on a long journey, she still wanted to walk around and take a closer look at the place where she grew up.
Wen Qian had her ID card expedited. She paid a fee, filled in her address, and had it mailed to the nearby town, saving her the trouble of going to pick it up herself, which would cost more in transportation fees than postage and take more time.
If the weather was nice, she would take leisurely walks in the mountains to gather firewood. If it rained, she would tinker around in the kitchen preparing food. In general, her life was fulfilling and relaxed.
Half a month later, when she received her ID card, her mood was not particularly bright that day.
Wen Qian still bought some things in the street and brought them back home. She stood in a daze at the entrance of the hall, and then booked a ticket for four days later.
The reason she chose four days later was that she saw a discounted flight ticket, with economy class fares starting from half price.
To her, it didn't matter whether she left early or late by a few days. She didn't consult the Chinese almanac and choose an auspicious day.
At this point, she had to consider her financial situation and find a cheaper option. Wen Qian had very few opportunities to take a plane, with the only times being when she accompanied her boss on business trips during her working years.
This time, Wen Qian had her spatial dimension, so she didn't need to carry any luggage.
The high-speed hard seat would be too long and uncomfortable for Wen Qian, and there were no other direct routes either. With the combined cost of transfers, she might as well fly.
Once the ticket and time were confirmed, Wen Qian started packing up at home. She took away everything that could be taken, except for the house that her grandparents left behind. She planned to take all their other belongings with her.
If she didn't worry about how the neighbors would react, she would even take the big red tiles from the roof, but she decided against it in the end.
She also took the old-style windmill and the brazier, and sealed any holes in the walls with yellow mud.
Since she was departing from the airport in Anshi, she needed to buy a ticket in advance to get to Anshi for her flight.
Wen Qian packed her backpack and luggage, and of course, when she left, she would pull the suitcase. Once she was out of the village, she could put it into her spatial dimension, making it easier to travel.
At the same time, she didn't forget to let Auntie Chen Fang Ya, Xiaochenwa's wife, know that she was going to Anshi. Everyone just assumed she was going to look for a job in the city.
Originally, the people here thought she was just staying here temporarily, and that going to the city was her long-term plan.
When Fang Ya heard that Wen Qian was leaving, she asked her to come over for dinner the next day, with an obvious intention.
During their time together, the two of them had become quite close.
Therefore, Wen Qian also prepared a gift for her, a set of survival books packed in a waterproof box.
In their conversations, Wen Qian also mentioned that Fang Ya should stockpile more infant formula for the child. The Chen family was already storing some supplies, so Wen Qian didn't need to say much more.
After experiencing heavy snow and rain, Fang Ya and her in-laws realized the importance of stockpiling supplies. Wen Qian's suggestion to stockpile infant formula was naturally out of concern for the child.
They mentioned the typhoon disasters in coastal areas and the floods and earthquakes that occurred in various places this year. Stockpiling supplies was to buy peace of mind.
The next day, Wen Qian had dinner at the Chen family's home, and Fang Ya even said that when she returned to Anshi in the future, she would meet up with Wen Qian for a meal.
Of course, Fang Ya wouldn't return to Anshi until after her child turned one year old, when the child could start attending kindergarten. At that point, Fang Ya would need to start working again.
As she talked about her future plans, Wen Qian thought about her own vastly different direction.
Despite the many rumors about the apocalypse and disasters, most people still followed their original inertia, moving forward step by step, which was a plain and painful routine, but also a safe one for them.
Once this rhythm was disrupted, no one knew what awaited them.
