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Li Yan found that the supplies in the space were enough for them to eat and drink for several decades, so he decided not to plant any more grains for the time being. As for fruits, he did plant quite a few. Not only that, but he also planted many trees. The amount of charcoal he bought initially was not much, and after experiencing this cold winter, he realized the importance of charcoal even more. Last year, many elderly people and children froze to death, and now there are even more people; the Safe Zone is not very large, so it is likely that problems will arise.
Yu Tian and Zhang Dazhen exchanged some pumpkin seeds and winter melon seeds, which they estimated would be ready to eat by winter. Recently, Li Ming surprised everyone again; it turned out that the Tibetan Mastiff could not only guard the house but could also plow the fields! This was truly the greatest invention of the century. When Li Yan entered the space, he saw his child happily attaching a plowing tool to Wonton's neck. The speed was not slower than that of an ox, which saved them a lot of trouble.
It was unclear whether it was due to the Tibetan Mastiff eating things from the space and drinking its water, but it had not only become an omnivorous species but also exhibited surprising strength and intelligence. Last time, when Li Ming took Dumpling out, he encountered Li Tao, who had brought a black dog with him. That dog was so scared that it dared not approach Dumpling, which embarrassed Li Tao. He hadn't come to the village for several days after that. It was said that his fragile stainless steel heart was hurt and he would come back only after his mood improved. Look at this; in just a few days, both dogs had learned to plow the fields. If they were to turn into humans in the future, it probably wouldn't surprise anyone.
Zhou Miao patted the child's head and sighed repeatedly, "Xiao Ming, I’m sorry for you! How did I not notice that you have this golden brain filled with infinite hope and potential before?"
Li Ming's big eyes squinted into slits; his proud little expression almost seemed like he could sprout a tail. However, Li Yan said that Wonton and Dumpling could only plow the land in the space; as for the two acres outside, they still had to rely on themselves.
Aside from inventor Li Xiaoming, who felt indignant on behalf of Wonton and Dumpling, everyone else expressed understanding. This Tibetan Mastiff belonged to their family; if it were to go out for a stroll and someone asked to borrow it later, would you lend it or not? If you don't lend it, then you are an enemy of the people and a class enemy of the party and the people. In this current Safe Zone, the concept of Rule of Law had long since lost its effectiveness.
The land in the Crops field had dried up almost completely into clumps. Everyone could only go to fetch water from the riverbank at night every day. Even though there was still quite a bit of gasoline stored in the space, Li Yan dared not take it out. After all, at this point, gasoline and diesel were worth far more than just being described as precious. The intrusion of modern machinery had caused humanity to abandon ancient labor tools early on, but which modern tools could function without oil or electricity?
Not to mention that threshers and flour mills were essential items for living; could you really swallow grains with husks? This made fetching water even more difficult. Several carpenters in the village made carts with wooden wheels below; this indeed helped a lot. But this was merely a drop in the bucket; everyone could only watch helplessly as the wheat in their fields withered day by day. Planting potatoes and corn did not yield much better results either.
It had been two whole months without a drop of rain, and the water in the wells was dwindling further. The villagers could only extend long hemp ropes daily to store as much water as possible at home. However, not every household had a well; initially, neighbors agreed to let each other fetch water, but as well water became scarcer, those with wells became less accommodating.
Those without wells were in dire straits; how could they possibly allow others to fetch water when they themselves didn't have enough? Naturally, stealing water became an issue. For this reason, any young wives or girls in the village would become experts at arguing if anyone dared to steal water from their homes; if things escalated badly enough, it could lead to bloody incidents between two families.
At this time, children and elderly people became the main force behind stealing water. Most rural people are still kind-hearted; if young people or men came to steal water, homeowners might feel justified in fighting back to protect their livelihoods. But when children and elderly people looked pitifully desperate, people's hearts softened; if they stole only a little bit of water, most families would just turn a blind eye.
Li Jingfeng was also anxious; within just a few days, blisters appeared on his lips. If it didn't rain soon, they would really starve to death. Yesterday his father mentioned that life outside the Safe Zone was even harder; every day there were rotting corpses stinking at the entrance of the Safe Zone. Those who couldn't survive outside rushed in several times; at such times, one couldn't afford to be merciful. After killing dozens of them, they finally managed to temporarily suppress things. If it weren't for these guns...
As dawn approached, he dragged his heavy footsteps home. Upon entering, he was surprised to smell the aroma of food. He suspiciously walked into the kitchen and saw a graceful woman smiling at him. "Uncle Li, you're back!"
Jin Yu was Li Yuanyuan's classmate. In school, they had looked down on each other; both were young ladies from affluent backgrounds—one a child of officials and the other a child of the wealthy—naturally unwilling to be overshadowed by the other. However, when disaster struck, their situations became completely different. Li Yuanyuan was fortunate enough to escape with her parents, while Jin Yu was left behind in the city. If she hadn't stripped off her clothes and jumped into a distant relative's car just days before the riots, she might not have survived at all.
Unfortunately, that man proved useless as well; upon reaching the Safe Zone, he immediately handed her over to someone else. She didn't harbor any resentment towards him; their relationship had always been one of mutual use, so there was no question of abandonment. After experiencing that night of life and death, all she wanted was to become strong—only by being strong could she live better. Living was the only reality; everything else was illusory.
Knowing that she had seen Li Yuanyuan in town, she realized her opportunity had come. During their school days, Li Zhi had shown interest in her. Sure enough, as soon as she made herself appear more destitute, Li Zhi immediately took her home. As for Li Yuanyuan, she wasn't afraid; her pride and dignity had been discarded on the way here. Compared to living, Li Yuanyuan's sarcasm and mockery meant nothing to her.
However, this did not bring her peace of mind. She could feel Jiang Yuejiao assessing her with a gaze that seemed to evaluate her worth like a commodity. She had seen this kind of look many times during her journey; in the past, she would never have allowed such an insult. But now she understood that this evaluation was a form of security—a proof of her value and a guarantee that she wouldn't be abandoned for the time being.
The Li family finally enjoyed a hearty meal together, especially Li Zhi, who devoured two bowls of rice. If Jiang Yuejiao hadn't stopped him, he probably would have gone for more. Jin Yu wisely ate only half a bowl before claiming she was full and shyly expressed her gratitude. "Uncle Li, Auntie, if it weren't for you, Jin Yu wouldn't know what would have happened to her parents..."
As she spoke, tears began to fall softly.
Li Jingfeng sighed; in these times, merely surviving was not easy. Those familial bonds... He looked at his family with a sense of gratitude; being able to stay together was indeed a form of happiness.
Jiang Yuejiao watched from the side; this was exactly the effect she wanted. Especially seeing Jin Yu eat only half a bowl of rice without touching much of the dishes made her even more satisfied. "Child, you can stay here comfortably. Although your uncles don't earn much, they can still provide you with meals. Times are tough for everyone; Auntie has watched you grow up—what a pitiful child."
Li Jingfeng glanced at Jiang Yuejiao and nodded in approval; his previous dissatisfaction with her vanished instantly. He understood his wife well—though she could be spoiled at times, her heart was still good. Perhaps Jiang Yuejiao had been under great pressure lately, which led to arguments with Xiao Yan and others.
Li Yuanyuan curled her lip in disdain; she didn't believe Jin Yu had suddenly become a dutiful daughter-in-law. If it weren't for what her mother had said about that matter, she wouldn't have allowed Jin Yu through her door even if it killed her. Li Yuanyuan smirked; there were still many days ahead—Jin Yu was nothing but a lowly wretch. Don't think you can fool me just because you tricked that fool Li Zhi.
As October approached, the weather grew hotter day by day. The heat was unbearable now; hardly anyone wanted to be outside during the day. Back when conditions were better, every household in the village had paved their front yards with concrete.
Originally intended for convenience, this became problematic now. Walking on concrete in this scorching heat felt like stepping into a pot of boiling meat—the soles of one's feet felt like they were burning.
Li Yan found several pairs of sports shoes from the storage space; these shoes had thick soles and would be more comfortable to wear. However, he was hesitant to wear new shoes, so he decided to smear some dirt on the surface before putting them on, making them look dark and less noticeable. At first, the child refused to wear them, as it contradicted his understanding of cleanliness. Eventually, an old man told a story about a pair of worn-out shoes belonging to a Revolutionary Martyr. The child wanted to be a hero, and heroes had to wear worn shoes. He blinked at his dirty shoes and thought that they were still somewhat better than worn-out ones.
Little Li Ming sat in the hall, munching on a cucumber. Zhang Yi walked in and saw this scene. To be honest, he envied Li Ming. Although he had bumped his head, he had an older brother who could support him, along with Zhou Miao and Yu Tian. Even though they were all men in one family, they lived better than others.
"Xiao Ming, is your brother at home?" Zhang Yi asked, feeling a bit shy as he rubbed his nose, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face.
"Zhang Yi, you can go get water yourself," Yu Tian said as he came out of the room and noticed Zhang Yi standing awkwardly at the door. He smiled and took half a cucumber from the plate to give to Zhang Yi. "Have a cucumber to cool off."
"No, no, really don't need it. Just save it for Li Ming," Zhang Yi firmly refused. "Food is tight these days, especially fruits and vegetables. Yu Tian, you should keep some for yourself too. No one knows what the future holds; it's good to save what we can. Looking at this year's crops, I don't think we'll harvest much. Sigh, it's uncertain if we can even make it through the year."
Yu Tian nodded silently; his family didn't lack for food since they could survive for years with what they had stored in their space. But in these times, people were not as trustworthy as before; kindness could easily lead to betrayal. After experiencing such things repeatedly, Yu Tian's heart grew colder.
Zhou Laoyezi watched everything from under the eaves and sighed lightly as he walked over. He took a tomato and cucumber from the plate and handed them to Zhang Yi. "Take these; they're not for you but for the child."
Zhang Yi was taken aback but eventually nodded with tears in his eyes. His family's food supply was already tight; for days they had only been drinking thin porridge made with water instead of rice. The once chubby child had become thin and pale in just a short time.
A few days ago, he saw Zhang Jianguo's son staring at an egg at their doorstep for half an hour. The child understood the situation well and didn't mention it when he got home, which made Zhang Yi feel guilty as a father. In the past, he wouldn't have hesitated to give away not just one egg but ten or even a hundred if that’s what the child wanted.
After filling a bucket with water, Zhang Yi left; this water would last his family three days. Although Li Yan's family were good people, he understood that one must be content.
Just after Zhang Yi left, Li Yan and Zhou Miao returned from outside; there were fewer people during the day, so they had just gone for a walk in the fields. The crops lacked fertilizer but could still use poultry manure; however, they had no way to deal with pesticides. Many families' fields were already infested with pests, and if they didn't find a solution soon, their harvest would surely decrease significantly.
Yu Tian also prepared lunch and was about to eat after closing the door when he heard knocking outside. Jin Yu had dressed up early that morning and applied some lipstick she had been hiding; she looked quite stunning now. Seeing Li Zhi's greedy gaze earlier made her feel even prouder as she held her carefully prepared cucumber honey water while knocking on the door. Today might be her lucky day; when she opened the door, it was Li Yan, whom she had been observing for several days.
Such a man, not to mention now, was among the top in school back then as well. With a tall and strong physique, his features were sculpted like a blade, especially under the scorching sun, exuding a masculine charm. This man gave off an impression of being reserved; his deep and sharp eyes made her heart race uncontrollably.
Jin Yu had experienced the taste of men and noticed Li Yan and Zhou Miao on her first day here. The two men each had their own style—one steady and the other wild—but both were capable. However, that wasn't the main point. After observing them for some time, Jin Yu realized that both were rare individuals who could shoulder responsibilities in this society, especially Li Yan. Although he had a foolish younger brother, that brother was always clean and tidy, indicating that Li Yan's family background was not weak.
So when Jiang Yuejiao suggested that she seduce Li Yan, she immediately pretended to shyly agree. She wasn't foolish; as long as she could win over Li Yan, who would care about Jiang Yuejiao's family? She wouldn't let this opportunity slip away. If she failed, Jiang Yuejiao would not continue to take her in, and that would mean...
"Brother Li, this is cucumber honey water I just made; it's really good for the body," Jin Yu said shyly, lowering her head while occasionally glancing up at Li Yan. "This cup is for Xiao Ming; he seems to like sweet things."
"Oh, Xiao Ming is quite popular," Zhou Miao chimed in from behind, deliberately looking at Li Yan. "I thought this girl looked familiar; who are you?"
"I'm Jin Yu, I used to be Yuan Yuan's classmate. I just escaped here; luckily Uncle Li took me in, otherwise..." Jin Yu didn't continue but her voice choked slightly. It seemed she struggled to compose herself before finally managing a smile and saying, "When I arrived that day, I happened to meet Xiao Ming; he even gave me a tomato. He's really a good person. Xiao Ming, are you home?" She called out intentionally towards the inside, which made Li Yan glance at her.
She was clever enough to know that what this society lacked most was weakness. If she had no ulterior motives, Li Yan wouldn't care if she approached Li Ming. However... nothing comes without a purpose; honey water? A person who relied on others for food—could Jiang Yuejiao really be generous enough to give her honey water?
"Hey, aren't you the Jin Yu sister from that day?" Li Ming's little friend tilted his head and walked to the door with his small bowl in hand. He looked at the green drink in her hand. "What is this?"
"This is cucumber honey water; it's delicious and also a thank you for the tomato you gave me that day," Jin Yu said playfully as she stuck out her tongue, looking quite charming. She handed the juice to Li Ming and turned to leave before they could react, giving Li Yan a shy smile before walking away.
Li Yan squinted at the cup and frowned...
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