Control Diary (Six)
On the sixth day of being under control, I opened my eyes in the morning and habitually opened the "Suikang Code," and it was still green. I love you so much, "green code"! Unfortunately, the green code can only indulge in self-love in the controlled area.
I was lazily browsing my social media feed.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang wildly! This doorbell is the developer's equipment from 18 years ago; the video is already black and white with snowflakes flying, but the ringing sound is still as urgent and loud as ever, like a death knell.
Is it a delivery?
If there’s a delivery, it means the lockdown is lifted! A wave of joy surged in my heart. I hurriedly opened the door,
“Hello! This is the exit card for our community's control area, please sign for it.” Two volunteers handed me the exit card. Why do I feel like I’m still in a lockdown area? Does the control area also require “staying indoors”?
I thought the lockdown was lifted, but now the control measures are even stricter. We are in grid management, and we are in grid 001. We need to show the card to go out, and we have to wear N95 masks. Where can I find an N95 mask now?
“By the way, who is the contact person on the card?”
“You.”
“Then what’s the contact number?”
“It’s still you.”
“Oh? Oh, oh. Alright.”
It seems that the 14-day control period in the control area cannot be ended early; I’ve given up hope.
I might as well stay at home obediently.
“Quick, look, Baiyun District has adjusted the control and lockdown areas, and Qi Fu Road has been changed to a prevention area; we are free!” My partner's joyful shout swept away my frustration.
I’m so happy! Happiness comes unexpectedly!
“Do we still need to go to the community for a nucleic acid test?” my partner asked me.
“Hmm, I think we still need to do it; it’s free anyway. Moreover, if we go to certain places and they ask us to show a negative nucleic acid test result, we’ll have to pay for it ourselves.”
“Okay! Let’s go downstairs to do the nucleic acid test, and then we can go out for a stroll.”
“Wow! There are so many people doing nucleic acid tests in the community,” my partner said.
“Then let’s go to other testing points outside the community; there shouldn’t be many people outside. We can also check the situation of the lockdown lift on Qi Fu Road.”
When we reached the community entrance, “Please show your exit card,” the security guard said.
I took out the exit card, and the security guard signaled that we could go out.
“Isn’t it one card per household? How can both of us go out?” We exchanged glances.
“Yes, it’s one card per household, but it doesn’t say one card per person. We are one household, so one card is enough.”
“Interesting, like family 301 with six people, they only need one card to go out as a family, hahaha!”
When we arrived at Qi Fu Road, we were dumbfounded; why is Qi Fu Road still surrounded by water barriers like yesterday? There are still police officers on duty at the intersection.
“Officer, why is Qi Fu Road still sealed off? Wasn’t it changed to a prevention area?”
“We haven’t received any orders to lift the lockdown here.”
“The epidemic command center of Baiyun District just issued a notice; you can take a look.”
“We are executing orders; we indeed have not received any orders to lift the lockdown.”
“Oh, okay, why are you police from Zengcheng?” We saw the police area identification.
“Yes, we are from Zengcheng on a mission.”
“What time did you come over?”
“We rushed over from Zengcheng at 5:30 in the morning to carry out our duties.”
“You’ve worked hard on maintaining stability!”
“It’s our duty.”
This happiness comes quickly and leaves just as fast.
“I just can’t believe it; did we misunderstand the notice from Baiyun District?”
I said, “How about this, let’s do the nucleic acid test first, and then I’ll check the situation at the intersections of Qi Fu Road, okay?”
“Okay.”
Indeed, there were very few people at this nucleic acid testing point outside the community, and with the two of us, we couldn’t even fill one tube for ten people.
While doing the nucleic acid sampling, I even specially sprayed the space where the person in front of me had just occupied with 75% alcohol. The nurse smiled at me. “Aren’t I clever?” I thought.
On the way back to the community, I saw a fast-food restaurant selling some fresh vegetables at the door.
I picked some vegetable hearts, and after weighing, the staff said, “Seven taels, you want a pound, right?”
“That’s enough, how much is it?”
“Boss, how much is the vegetable heart per pound?” the staff asked the boss.
“8 yuan per pound.”
“That’s more than double the price?” I said.
“There’s no way, in this day and age, having vegetables to eat is already very lucky!”
I suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of happiness. Indeed, having vegetables to eat now is really a blessing.
“You go home first; I’ll go check the situation around.” “Okay.”
I rode a shared bike to the east of Qi Fu Road. This area is guarded by police, and people can only enter but not exit. Goods entering the control area can be transferred here. Supply trucks can also enter the control area.
“Officer, can I go out?”
“No!”
I rode to the west of Qi Fu Road. This area is still guarded by police, and people can only enter but not exit.
Every intersection along Qi Fu Road has police on duty, and there are police patrolling back and forth on motorcycles.
It seems that Qi Fu Road has indeed not been adjusted to a prevention area.
In this case, was it my misunderstanding of the notice, or was the notice not clearly written? I really can’t figure it out.
In the end, I confirmed that it was my Chinese that wasn’t learned well.
Because I learned my language during the ten years of turmoil in the Cultural Revolution, and I don’t know if my language teacher or my PE teacher taught me, so it’s my fault.
Time to go home!
On the way, garbage collection trucks and medical staff were shuttling back and forth.
Passing by the dormitory “Guli Building” of Peiying Center High School, I surprisingly heard music playing inside.
The balcony was also filled with drying school uniforms. It seems the students haven’t gone home; they are sealed off in the campus by the control area.
Come on, students!
After riding a short distance, a bright male tenor suddenly rang in my ears.
“Come, come, come, come, come, come, the girl will accompany my song...”
The singing came from a parking lot booth.
“Hello, big brother! You sing really well.”
“I’m so bored; I’ve been here for six days!”
“You’ve been living in this booth for six days?”
“Yes, I’m on duty in this booth 24 hours a day, cooking noodles, eating, drinking, and sleeping here. Sometimes the shop owner across the street comes back, and I go wash my face; I haven’t shaved for six days.”
“Why don’t you switch shifts? Isn’t there anyone to take over?”
“There are people to take shifts, but if he comes in, I can’t go home; with two people, you watch me, I watch you. It’s better for me to be a bit more tired; if I really collapse, he can take over.”
“Big brother, you’re really a good person! Thumbs up for you! What’s your surname? How old are you this year? Are you from Guangzhou?”
“My surname is Fan, I’m from Guangzhou, and I’m 59 years old. I used to live in Xiguan, now I live in Lingnan Huayuan outside the control area, just across the street from the control area, but I can’t go home. My daughter and son-in-law work in the neighborhood committee in the control area in Haizhu District, and my grandson called me asking, ‘Grandpa, is it hard? You need to take care of your health!’” As he spoke, his eyes became a bit moist.
This parking lot booth is less than two square meters. During this COVID-19 pandemic, every ordinary citizen has a segment of their own ordinary, simple, and hard life in the control area.
On the way home, I went to the community health service center, where the general practitioner prescribed “Benzbromarone” and “Colchicine” for gout, each box containing 20 tablets. It cost 9 yuan.
Entering the community, I saw that Metro was selling food ingredients at the entrance of the community clubhouse.
Behind the community clubhouse, residents were picking up group-purchased goods.
Life during the control period is hard, but with various efforts, it is also guaranteed.
The nucleic acid testing in the community has not yet ended. I suddenly remembered that I should take my parents, who are over 90 years old, to do another nucleic acid test, as they need a 24-hour, 48-hour, or 72-hour negative nucleic acid test report if they need to see a doctor. I helped them walk slowly to the nucleic acid testing point, and after my elderly mother finished the nucleic acid sampling, her legs were no longer obeying her commands, and her feet felt weak. So I immediately carried my mother home.
When I was young, my mother carried me; now that my mother is old and her legs are not good, I am my mother’s legs.