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墨書 Inktalez
Winter is hard to endure, especially after an earthquake. Snow falls continuously, making it difficult for villagers to even step outside. Even when they venture out to search for supplies, they only do so in the afternoon and return within an hour or two. Fortunately, those who built houses earlier allowed a few people from each family to move in, which basically solved the housing problem. As for food, Li Yan's stance remains the same as before: everyone manages their own supplies.
This is not a government-controlled situation; life in the village continues as it always has. This reassures many villagers, as they have heard that in the Safe Zone, things are reminiscent of the pre-reform era where every household must work to earn points, and food is distributed based on those points. It is said that all the land there is public property, and those who enter are treated like laborers.
Outside, it is already a frozen wasteland, and occasionally a few refugees can be seen begging. Everyone is struggling to feed themselves, so these refugees find it even harder to get anything. Of course, there are kind-hearted individuals who might offer a bowl of rice soup diluted with water.
However, sometimes good intentions do not yield good outcomes. One night, a household at the easternmost edge of Bright Village was robbed. Fortunately, that family had over twenty people living together; when the thief entered and stole some food, he was caught. When he was brought to Li Yan's house, he was covered in blood that had frozen into clumps in the icy weather.
According to their account, that morning an old lady from that household had given them a sweet potato out of pity. They thought this family must have food; otherwise, they wouldn't have offered something to eat. Plus, since their house was at the far east of the village, it was easy for them to target it. This turned out to be a classic tale of farmers and snakes; the head of that household slapped his wife in front of everyone.
If it weren't for the earthquake causing so many people to live together in one house, whether that family could survive if these robbers broke in would still be questionable. The wife didn't dare cry; her eyes were red but she remained silent.
Li Yan couldn't be bothered with their domestic issues and waved his hand to have those robbers stripped of their clothes. At first, they acted as if they were unafraid of consequences since they had stolen from villagers before and thought they would just be thrown out again. But when it came time to remove their clothes, they refused vehemently.
In such cold weather, how could anyone survive without clothes? "Please don't! We won't dare do this again! We beg you! We have children and elderly waiting for us at home! Heroes, please! We are not human; we shouldn't have stolen from Master Sun's family! We promise we won't do it again!" The leader among them knelt down and knocked his head on the ground while the others followed suit in fear.
Well, they even know names now; this isn't just simple theft anymore. Li Yan observed that although the young man was kneeling, his eyes kept darting around greedily. Such a person... hm... Li Yan glanced at Zhou Miao, who was half-leaning on a chair staring blankly at his wife. Ever since he practiced techniques in space, his wife's small frame had become both soft and resilient; perhaps tonight he should try something...
Yu Tian made an effort to maintain a cold expression and avoided looking at those piercing eyes filled with burning heat. This guy must have been a monk in his past life; perhaps even in previous lives too...
Li Xiaoming felt that Zhou Miao's brother was quite pitiful too; despite Zhou Miao looking at Yu Tian, Yu Tian ignored him completely. His brother would never act like this—yes, having one's own brother is always best.
Eventually, several young men from the village took action against the robbers who were tied up and unable to struggle. Seeing the murderous intent in Li Yan's eyes made the leader feel fear for the first time. This man was definitely not joking; he had struggled through such harsh times during the apocalypse and wasn't someone who played around with life or death. Perhaps out of instinct, he didn't want to gamble with his life.
"Yes, yes! Someone instructed us to do this! We only sought food!" The leader of the young men shivered even inside the house without clothes on. "I don’t know his name; he's an officer from the Safe Zone. He sent us here to cause trouble along with another group."
The Safe Zone? Li Yan could guess immediately who it was without needing much thought—truly relentless. Li Yan knew this while the villagers did not; upon hearing about the Safe Zone, they immediately escalated their fears. The Safe Zone didn’t want them to survive? That was too unreasonable. Their lives mattered too; did that mean outsiders' lives didn't count?
Isn't this forcing people to a dead end? In an instant, everyone went from envy and abandonment to hatred towards the Safe Zone. Yes, hatred. Because they were not part of the Safe Zone, they were denied any chance of survival; that made them enemies! And they were enemies above all else, much like Little Japan.
Li Yan and Zhou Miao understood this, but such developments did not harm them, so they naturally would not explain. The reaction among the villagers was immense; after returning home, everyone not only kept a closer eye on their life-saving supplies but also added a layer of gray to the three words "Safe Zone."
As for the criminals, they were naturally handed over to the village chief. Looking at Li Yan, it was clear he was not someone who would go easy on them. Li Yan left Zhang Mo and Zhang Hong behind, telling them to wait while he went next door. The neighboring house had originally belonged to Li Jingfeng's family but was now occupied by another family, which had rebuilt the house. However, that family seemed to have left behind some clothes belonging to Jiang Yuejiao that they found in the ruins. Li Yan was quick and soon discovered several summer outfits of Jiang Yuejiao in the female owner's wardrobe.
When Li Yan instructed Zhang Mo and the others to dress the four robbers in those clothes, Zhang Mo looked at Li Yan with a strange expression. This person really had some bizarre ideas... Why bother dressing them in women's clothing after stripping them?
The robbers had their mouths stuffed with something and felt a chill as they watched the villagers' strange actions. They regretted taking this job; initially thinking stealing from the village was no big deal, they had long been accustomed to such work. However, Bright Village seemed different from other villages; one person was so scared that he wet himself.
Would these villagers really kill them?!
Zhang Hong was a rough man; he thought this was truly unmanly. A real man should never shed a tear even in death. He considered himself a true Crops man and shared the common rural male chauvinism. He spat at one of them, thinking such a person should be ashamed to live.
Li Yan didn't need them to handle the rest; Zhang Mo asked nothing and left with Zhang Hong from the Li Family. Zhang Yi was also smart enough not to ask what shouldn't be asked; he understood that.
The next evening, these men passed out from the cold in the yard one by one. Li Yan and Zhou Miao placed them on a cart; with so much snow on the road, driving a car wasn't safe. Dumplings and Wontons came out from their space, filled with joy and bouncing around. They even howled loudly; fortunately, it wasn't in the village or they would have scared everyone.
Dumplings and Wontons were quite strong; with four people's weight plus the cart, they managed to reach the Safe Zone in just an hour. Li Yan and Zhou Miao felt no fatigue as their internal energy was abundant.
This was their first time visiting the new Safe Zone, which was evidently arranged under expert guidance—capable of both offense and defense. Li Yan had seen something similar in his jade gourd; it seemed organized according to the five elements and eight trigrams. The materials used for the houses didn't seem entirely like concrete and steel; he couldn't figure out their exact composition.
They casually asked someone about Jiang Yuejiao's residence, and Zhou Miao knocked out that terrified person directly. Even if he woke up later, he wouldn't dare speak out since he wouldn't want others to know he had betrayed the Safe Zone.
Jiang Yuejiao's house was located at the far west end; clearly, it was much better than those near the entrance. Li Yan glanced around this elegantly arranged room—it was obviously Jiang Yuejiao's handiwork—she truly knew how to enjoy her wealth.
The four robbers were already freezing, barely breathing. Li Yan placed them directly on the bed and covered them with blankets, disguising the scene accordingly.
Zhou Miao watched from the side, feeling that this guy was too ruthless. Four men covered in blood lay there, and it was still uncertain whether they were dead or alive. Li Yan's stepmother was already showing signs of early-onset dementia.
Just as they finished tidying up the scene, there was a commotion outside. Li Yan and Zhou Miao quickly hid behind a nearby wardrobe. "Li Jingfeng, you have to believe me," Jiang Yuejiao's soft voice carried a hint of grievance.
"Jiang Yuejiao, I asked you to pick up Xiao Yan and the others; it's been over a month," Li Jingfeng suppressed his disgust for this woman and tried to maintain a calm demeanor.
"Li Jingfeng, I care about Xiao Yan and Xiaoming too. After being married for so many years, do you still not trust me? The roads are difficult right now, and you know that. Xiao Yan is so capable; even in the village, they will be fine," Jiang Yuejiao said anxiously as she looked at Li Jingfeng. After all these years of marriage, despite his indifferent attitude since the earthquake, she understood him better than anyone else. She remembered the moment she pushed Li Jingfeng away to face death; the disbelief and hatred in his eyes haunted her many nights. "Trust me; as soon as spring comes, I will send someone to pick up Xiao Yan and the others."
"Is that so? Jiang Yuejiao, I really don't blame you for what happened that day anymore, but Xiao Yan and Xiaoming are still my sons. Please don't let me down." Li Jingfeng raised a gentle smile and touched Jiang Yuejiao's face. Over the years, Jiang Yuejiao understood him well, and he understood her too. "Jiang Yuejiao, Yuan Yuan and Xiao Zhi are both our children. As long as you don't go too far with some things, I will forgive you. I'm not young anymore; we've been through over twenty years together, through various storms. I know you've had it tough. If we can continue like this, it wouldn't be bad. Although Xiao Yan is not your child, I believe that if you treat them like you do Xiao Zhi, they will come around. Think about it; I have official business to attend to." With that, Li Jingfeng opened the door and left.
Jiang Yuejiao sat down in disappointment. Yes, they weren't young anymore. She remembered wanting to marry Li Jingfeng when she was only twenty; with just a little scheme, that woman ended up committing suicide—truly fragile.
In the blink of an eye, over twenty years had passed. Perhaps she had been overthinking; Li Jingfeng would not truly abandon her after all, especially with Yuan Yuan and Xiao Zhi around, plus her father as support. However, that Li Yan and Li Ming... Li Yan was quite capable; he had even become the village chief. But don't get too proud; whether this village can survive is still questionable.
Li Yan listened to the sounds outside and did not believe that his father was so eager to bring him and Xiaoming over just because of some pitiful familial bond. It was likely due to the earthquake chaos—Li Jingfeng had been rescued by villagers while his son and wife had rushed out of their house unharmed on their own. The underlying motives were worth pondering; Li Jingfeng's urgent desire for them to come over might also be aimed at consolidating his own power.
Jiang Yuejiao looked at herself in the mirror; over the years she had spent a fortune on her beauty. It had only been a year since the apocalypse began, yet she had aged considerably. The crow's feet at the corners of her eyes made her bite her lip in frustration. No, she needed to hold onto Li Jingfeng tightly. Her father was getting old, and Xiao Zhi was still too young; she had to stabilize Li Jingfeng before Ash became independent. She did not want those shameless women from Safe Zone climbing into that bed and coveting her position as Mrs. Li. Fortunately, she had Jin Yu keeping an eye on things; she nodded in satisfaction—Jin Yu truly pleased her.
As she walked toward the bed while deep in thought, she pulled back the covers only to be startled into silence. Who were these four people?! And they were wearing her clothes... Jiang Yuejiao was clever; after letting out a startled scream, she quickly covered her mouth and forced herself to steady her trembling body as she moved forward.
She struggled to calm herself down while recalling her rival: it was Li Yan! Only he would do something like this, and she remembered throwing those clothes away in One Village—could it be that Li Yan had accomplices in Safe Zone? This speculation made Jiang Yuejiao's face turn pale with anger as she stared at the four uncertain figures on the bed. She needed to find Lin Deputy Officer; these people could not be left alive—absolutely not...
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