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墨書 Inktalez
The efficiency of the District Chief in the Safe Zone was infuriatingly fast. On the second day after everyone moved into their new homes, a notice was sent out across the district, assigning each household two acres of responsibility land. Each acre required an annual contribution of one hundred pounds of grain, and this announcement left everyone dissatisfied; some even planned to gather people to protest.
Liu Tao was not walking his dog this time; instead, he drove a large truck filled with soldiers, each holding submachine guns as they entered the village. Liu Tao used a loudspeaker powered by dry batteries to broadcast his original voice: “Villagers, hello! I’m just a soldier, and not a very pleasant one at that. Our District Chief has heard that there are those here who disobey the party and the state's regulations and wish to overthrow the organization and leadership's management and unified deployment. I was very angry upon hearing this—yes, extremely angry. Why is that?
Perhaps you villagers don’t know, but outside these walls, many compatriots welcome your joining them. By the way, do you know what people look like when they are hungry or thirsty? Probably not, right? Well, you’re in luck! This big truck is here specifically to help you. Anyone who refuses management is more than welcome to visit and settle outside the walls. Of course, accommodations will be self-catered since the country is currently in a difficult time; I hope everyone can understand and be tolerant.”
“Damn it, what nonsense! I refuse to comply, so what?” Zhao Shun stepped forward. When disaster struck earlier, the grain he brought from the city had gotten damp, and much of it had gone moldy. He never expected that person would team up with that bodyguard to take away his remaining supplies and drive off secretly. Now he had nothing left; having been pampered since childhood left him incapable of doing anything. With only his second son by his side, he was now being told to farm—impossible, absolutely impossible! “Tell that District Chief that there is no Safe Zone in this country; this is national territory. I’ll do whatever I want! I definitely won’t farm this land; the state has an obligation to assist civilians!”
Many behind him agreed, their faces showing signs of distress—likely from sleepless nights over the past few days. These people didn’t appear to be pure farmers; their clothing and demeanor suggested they were not like rural folk. Even when tired, they didn’t exhibit the genuine fatigue of laborers but rather a kind of lethargy stemming from excessive indulgence rather than productive work. Although villagers also faced hardships, years of labor had instilled in them a sense of resilience.
The village now had a complex population with many unfamiliar faces. Li Yan’s family stood in an inconspicuous spot as they saw Li Jingfeng walk by. He still carried that bureaucratic air, speaking more sweetly than singing. “Villagers, the government has not abandoned you all. I believe many present here have escaped from the city; those here can be considered family—grasshoppers on the same rope. Many of you have witnessed firsthand what life was like in the city.
It was somewhat better at the beginning of winter; after losing power, shops closed down, and grain merchants were unwilling to release their supplies. Everyone had no food; it was nearly impossible to count how many died from starvation or freezing on the streets. Do you still want to live like that? The government is working hard to protect everyone; that’s why we have this Safe Zone—to ensure everyone can survive.
I, Li Jingfeng, am not a great person nor a hero; I’m just an ordinary man who wants to wake up in the morning and see my wife and children alive—a man who hopes for his family to have enough to eat. And now this Safe Zone provides us with such conditions; why should we only think about ourselves at this time? Everyone has hands and feet; I don’t believe that farming two acres will be too much trouble!
No one in this world must be responsible for anyone else; if someone must take responsibility, it should first be for yourselves!”
His words resonated powerfully with many present who applauded sincerely. Li Ming had been hiding behind Li Yan, sneaking glances at the man standing by the truck while whispering, “Brother, let’s go; Mingming doesn’t want to listen.” This man always acted this way; when their mother died, he claimed to be heartbroken but soon married his current wife.
“It’s fine; he has nothing to do with us. As long as I have you here,” Li Yan said quietly with a hint of gloom in his eyes as he quickly looked away so nearby people wouldn’t notice. He had grown up listening to this man’s grandiose words while knowing he turned around and became a corrupt official neglecting his wife for career ambitions—even exploiting death for personal gain. In this situation, perhaps he could see it as an opportunity instead.
Li Yan was not interested in listening to any of this and took Zhou Miao and the others back. Grandpa Zhou was alone in the courtyard drinking tea. There wasn't much tea left; initially, he thought that in the apocalypse, tea would merely be a luxury item, so he only stocked up on it casually.
Recently, Zhou Laoyezi had been living with everyone and seemed much better in spirits. However, after experiencing such a significant upheaval, it was likely that both his body and mind would find it hard to heal. Although Zhou Miao didn't say anything, Li Yan could tell he was still hopeful. Even with his parents' fate uncertain, he still wanted to go to A Province to take a look, even if it ultimately led to nothing.
The matter of farming was finally settled. Liu Tao came over a few days later and gave Li Yan a thumbs-up. "Your dad is quite a character!"
Li Yan couldn't quite gauge whether Liu Tao's words were meant as praise or criticism; regardless, he took it as a definite insult, and a strong one at that. "First of all, he has nothing to do with me. Secondly, I'm not interested in bureaucratic nonsense."
Liu Tao shrugged; his purpose today was simply to mooch a meal, and he had brought along his little Yin Le. Yin Le felt a bit embarrassed since food was scarce now, and they wondered if it was appropriate for them to come over for dinner. The little comrade was quite conflicted, especially after seeing his captain's bowl piled high with rice.
After deciding on farming matters, the issue of the village chief also came up for discussion. After all, a village without a chief simply wouldn't do, and this chief needed to be someone reputable. Zhang Zhong was bustling around, looking for friends and former villagers to rally the current residents. He was busy as a spinning top; previously, Zhangjia Village had only a few hundred people, but now it was different. One Village had over ten thousand people—what an honor it would be to become the village chief!
There were also several individuals in the village who had previously served as small village chiefs themselves, some of whom were self-aware. For instance, Jiang Chao had recently been quiet and mysterious according to reports from the neighboring village's second group.
Indeed, this District Chief sounded like quite the slacker—what great villages he had! He somehow chose the simplest five names from tens of thousands: One Village, Two Village... and so on. It was said that this ridiculous naming received unanimous praise from military personnel who claimed that such a name could only have been created by a genius; nothing could possibly surpass it.
But thinking about it, no one else could have come up with such names; those who did were certainly not ordinary people.
Jiang Yuejiao had also been busy these past few days, maintaining an elegant yet friendly demeanor while visiting various homes. Today happened to coincide with the Li Family having noodles for dinner; this was her first visit since the weather warmed up. Previously, she worried that Li Yan might ask her for food supplies. However, after observing that the Li Family seemed well-off in terms of food supplies, her thoughts began to shift.
Jiang Yuejiao thought resentfully that not only quality rice but even flour was hard to come by now; Li Yan must have grown quite a few good things. She decided that the Li family couldn't keep their resources hidden away.
The Li Family had noodles in their space today; thus Yu Tian prepared meat slices and vegetables along with a pot of soft noodles cooked with mushrooms. Grandpa Zhou preferred these kinds of dishes at his age. Wontons and dumplings had followed Li Yan into the space when suddenly Jiang Yuejiao barged in without knocking.
Jiang Yuejiao walked into the kitchen, her eyes widening as she swallowed hard to maintain her composure. "Oh, you're having noodles? I must say, Li Ming is quite filial. Your dad only has pickled vegetables and plain porridge every day, and here you are with meat and vegetables. How can you even swallow that? I'm not saying this to criticize you, but life should be lived slowly. Your brother is too nice to outsiders; how much food do you think he has to eat every day? You all are just too easy to bully; you wouldn't even know if someone sold you out. Now that your dad and I are here, you don’t have to worry about anything. I think it’s better if we all live together. Mingming, don’t you agree?"
Yu Tian was furious and wanted to kick this woman out. Seeing Li Ming's aggrieved expression, he stood up, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted, "You... you... get the hell out of here! What kind of stepmother are you? We are a family! If you don’t leave... if you don’t leave, I won’t hold back anymore."
"You dare to curse at me, you good-for-nothing!" Jiang Yuejiao was not afraid of Li Yan at all. Just because these official wives usually looked like refined ladies didn’t mean they weren’t formidable characters. "What’s wrong? Did I expose your ugly behavior? Now you want to drive me away so you can seize Xiao Yan’s inheritance? Let me tell you, no way! We are a family and we won’t just sit by and watch. Old man, say something! Don’t let them think I’m bullying an old man without children."
Zhou Laoyezi slammed his hand on the table. Just thinking about why his son and daughter-in-law were taken away made him feel uneasy. "Enough! Heaven is watching! Jiang Yuejiao, the grievances between me and your father have nothing to do with you. I, Zhou Xing, am an old man who has lived with integrity; I owe nothing to heaven or earth. Go back and tell your father that I can wait!" He would wait to see how things would unfold.
Jiang Yuejiao snorted coldly. Seeing that Zhou Miao and Li Yan were not around made her even more arrogant. She noticed Li Ming's bowl was filled with noodles and meat—more meat than noodles—and a few pieces of mushrooms were visible. The aroma made Jiang Yuejiao's eyes flash with jealousy. "My Xiao Zhi and Yuan Yuan are unfortunate; they didn’t get a brother like Li Yan. Their little faces have turned green these past few days. You’re lucky, Mingming; why don’t you give this to your younger siblings... Li Yan, what are you doing!!"
"Who allowed you to come in?" Li Yan had just stepped out with Zhou Miao when he heard Jiang Yuejiao's voice from outside the room. Seeing Li Ming on the verge of tears made him furious; Jiang Yuejiao had snatched his little brother's bowl away. The anger in Li Yan’s eyes flared up instantly as he approached Jiang Yuejiao with a fierce gaze like a blade. He grabbed her hair without caring about her screams and dragged her outside. "Jiang Yuejiao, if you want to die, I can help you."
Li Yan's voice was not loud, but Jiang Yuejiao trembled in fear. This was the first time she had seen Li Yan exuding such a brutal aura; this side of him was too dangerous. The cold-blooded and sinister look in his eyes made Jiang Yuejiao feel that Li Yan was serious—he really seemed like he wanted to kill her... "Let go! Let go of me!"
Li Jingfeng entered the room and saw this scene unfold; he slapped Li Yan across the face. "Unfilial son!! She is your mother! What do you think you're doing?"
Li Ming rushed over like a madman and pushed Li Jingfeng aside with such force that he fell to the ground. Li Ming touched Li Yan's suddenly reddened face and began to cry, feeling both wronged and angry like a wounded little lion, his cries tugging at people's hearts. "Get out! Get out! You’re all bad people! Get out of my house! This is my home—my home with my brother, Zhou Miao, and Tiantian! You are the outsiders; you're the bad ones! Get out of our home!"
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