Chapter 476: Eternity 37.

The hardware shop sat beside a

small grocery store, and behind both was a narrow passage leading to an

enclosed parking area. The alley appeared clear from the road, but the

rear of the building was hidden by a high wall. Yan pointed out that the

entrance was too narrow for the caravan and could easily become a trap

if they drove into it without knowing what was there.

"I wasn’t going to drive into it," Bai said.

"You were thinking about driving into it."

"I was thinking about checking it."

"Then we agree. We check it on foot."

Bai glanced at her. "You must be very pleased with yourself today."

"I have been pleased with myself since breakfast."

"Was that before or after you stole my last piece of fried egg?"

"That was a reward for my excellent planning."

"You stole it while I was looking for the clean cloth."

"And you were very slow." Yan’s eyes brightened. "Maybe you should plan

better."

Bai opened her mouth, then closed it again. There were times when she

could think of a dozen answers and times when Yan said something so

silly and so confidently that every answer seemed like too much effort.

She settled for a quiet laugh and brought the caravan to a stop in a

position where they could leave without reversing through the

intersection.

They checked the alley from outside. Bai did not need to enter the

hardware shop to see that the rear entrance had been forced open. There

were scratches around the lock and a dark stain across the threshold.

She crouched to inspect the marks, then touched a fingertip to the edge

of the stain. It had dried. Yan remained a few steps behind, looking

into the alley and watching the roofs. They found a narrow path behind

the grocery store, but it was clogged with rubbish and a collapsed

fence. The lane would be useless to the caravan even if they cleared

every object blocking it.

They did, however, find a small tool case wedged beneath the remains of

a wooden shelf. Inside were two adjustable spanners, a set of

screwdrivers, a pair of pliers, and a coil of thin steel wire. The tools

were dusty but usable. Bai checked them, cleaned the worst of the grime

off the handles, and brought them back to the caravan. Yan had found a

sealed package of work gloves inside a damaged cabinet near the rear

doorway. It was not a great haul, but it was a useful one, and it cost

them very little time.

The moment they returned to the vehicle, Lili came to the inner doorway

holding her picture book upside down. "Did you find treasure?"

"Tools," Bai told her, setting the case on the table. "Very exciting

treasure for people who want to keep the caravan from falling apart."

Lili considered the case. "Are the tools magic?"

"No. If they were magic, I would not have to keep fixing things."

Yan leaned over to look inside. "Would you like to explain that to the

shelf you replaced yesterday?"

"The shelf was not a tool."

"It fell apart because you put too much weight on it."

"It fell apart because it was weak."

"You put three boxes of canned food on it."

"They were not heavy boxes."

"They were full of cans."

Bai gave Yan a long look. "You seem to remember a lot about a shelf you

claimed was perfectly fine."

"I have an excellent memory." Yan took the adjustable spanner and slid

it into the tool drawer. "Especially when someone tries to make me eat

lunch standing up because she wants to fix something instead."

Mother Yan came forward from the rear of the caravan with a tray of

food. "Then I suggest that you both sit down and eat before you begin

another argument about furniture."

Bai immediately moved away from the tool case. Yan looked far too

pleased. Mother Yan placed the tray on the table and then inspected the

map. She had learned to take part in route discussions because it helped

her understand why the vehicle stopped or changed direction. She also

wanted to be useful rather than simply wait for Bai and Yan to make

every decision for her.

"How much farther before we need to find a safe place for the night?"

she asked.

"If the road stays open, we can reach the edge of the next district

before dusk," Yan said. "But I’d rather stop early than drive into an

unfamiliar area after dark."

Mother Yan nodded. "I agree. Are we looking for a building or an open

lot?"

"An open lot is easier to watch, but we lose the protection of solid

walls," Bai said. "A building gives us cover, but if something gets

inside, we could be trapped."

"So we need somewhere with more than one exit," Mother Yan said.

Yan looked up from the map. "Exactly. Ideally, a place with a wall

around it, a clear approach, and somewhere we can turn around without

reversing a long distance."

Mother Yan made a note on the spare page beside the map. She had begun

keeping a small list of the family’s requirements for a stopping place,

and Bai had found the habit useful. It was a simple thing, but it gave

Mother Yan a way to contribute to the journey’s planning. She was not a

frontline fighter, and she was not pretending to be one. She was

learning the parts of survival that made the difference between a group

of strong people and a group that could keep living together.

Lili crawled into her chair and looked toward the windows. "Will we see

more people today?"

"Maybe," Yan said. "We can’t know until we get there."

"Will Shanghai have more people than our building?"

"It should have many more," Bai answered, then saw Lili’s face turn

uncertain. She leaned closer. "But we are not going there because we

want to see a crowd.

TO BE CONTINUED.