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墨書 Inktalez
The presence of wolf packs is a very dangerous signal!
This means that these wild beasts have placed humans on the food chain, and among other prey, we are the easiest to catch.
The wolf pack is just the beginning; there are other creatures as well. Not to mention other animals, even those pet dogs that were once cherished by their owners can become deadly during desperate times.
Zhang Hong and others once again felt grateful in their hearts to Li Yan. If they hadn't insisted on building that wall, if they had prioritized farming, if they hadn't listened to their advice... then now, they wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at all.
In the past, when food was harvested, everyone liked to wander around. However, the wolf pack situation clearly dampened everyone's spirits. They hurriedly put food back into their homes, and aside from daily patrols, everyone tried to stay indoors as much as possible.
Liu Tao and Yin Le came to Li Yan's house to discuss matters, and coincidentally, Li Xiaoming was also listening to the radio. The broadcasts were no longer daily; now they occurred roughly every five days and mainly consisted of updates from other Safe Zones and some information exchanges. It was similar to a chat group where someone would occasionally speak.
"Xiaoming, what have you heard?" Liu Tao teased the child. In the cold weather, the child wore a fluffy hat and a dark blue down jacket with a Xiyangyang hood. This child was one of the few who managed to stay so clean.
Tang Zhaodi obediently brought a cup of hot tea to Liu Tao and Yin Le. Liu Tao took a sip, feeling warmth spread through him immediately. "Is this ginger tea? It has a nice peanut flavor."
"This is something we had when we were young," Zhou Laoyezi said. Recently, he had been too lazy to move around much; at his age, he couldn't deny his old age. The old man took a cherished puff of his cigarette before chuckling and saying, "I remember when I was young and our family was poor. Once I caught a cold and had a fever but we couldn't afford to see a doctor. My grandmother roasted peanuts, ground them into powder, and boiled them with ginger and sugar. This stuff warms the stomach and is good for health; drinking a bowl on a cold day feels great. After I had a bowl back then, I sweated all over, and by the next day, I was better. Thinking back now, that was over seventy years ago." As he spoke, the old man fell into deep thought.
Zhou Miao also felt quite concerned; ever since the District Chief died, her grandfather's health had noticeably declined. Although he had been drinking plenty of water from their supply, she understood that his ailment was more psychological; if this continued...
"Old man, you're truly a treasure! Thank goodness for you older folks. Otherwise, us Young People wouldn’t know any of this; even if we had materials, we would just waste them. Whether we can live happily in the future depends on your golden brain," Liu Tao said with a laugh.
The old man felt somewhat uplifted by this compliment and asked Liu Tao to stay for dinner while he went with Yu Tian to cook. Occasionally on the radio, someone could be heard speaking when suddenly someone said: "We’ve already spotted black bears here; not only have they damaged farms but they've also injured quite a few people."
"What’s a black bear? Here it’s even worse; there are pythons as thick as barrels roaming around in winter. We should just use explosives... not to mention that snake meat actually tastes pretty good."
"We have established a large Greenhouse Vegetable Shed here, barely enough to sustain the entire Safe Zone's operations. Rice is becoming increasingly scarce, but we at the Yang Research Institute have developed Genetically Modified Hybrid Rice that can survive even in the greenhouse. If anyone needs it, you can come to our Dawn Safe Zone, and we will provide seeds for free. Our address is..."
"Our cotton can also be exchanged with you. If you need seeds, you'll have to trade them for food. The quantity of cotton is limited, so I hope everyone can act quickly..."
After listening for an hour until the radio went silent, it was clear that everyone was striving hard for survival. However, the harsh environment remained unchanged. The hybrid rice and cotton were appealing, but in such heavy snow... without regular military support, moving around was nearly impossible.
Li Yan and Zhou Miao were exceptions; after training for so long, they were no longer afraid of the cold or heat. However, perhaps due to the thinness of the land's spiritual energy, they found their cultivation increasingly difficult, and even Li Ming's recent progress had slowed down. Fortunately, everyone did not have high expectations about becoming immortal; eternal life was not something to envy. The cycle of life and death is a natural law; if one truly became immortal, it would lose its meaning.
Bright Village arranged for people to clean every day, so the road leading to the village remained relatively clear, though everyone tried to avoid going out. The Safe Zone had not sent anyone over during this time. Li Yan and Zhou Miao made a trip there, not because they wanted to go but because they were concerned about Li Jingfeng and his group, fearing they might have ulterior motives.
Upon arrival, they were still shocked; there were already people starving to death in the Safe Zone. The civilians were arranged in large rooms that could accommodate a hundred people each, leaving no room for secrets. The weak who had just received relief food were robbed immediately; the soldiers inside didn’t care at all unless you bribed them with food. Only then would those soldiers lazily wave their guns ceremoniously to keep things in order.
The key to a successful Safe Zone is its leader. Even if this leader lacks extraordinary martial or magical powers, as long as they genuinely care for humanity and strive to do their utmost in the harshest conditions to secure the right for people to survive, they can make a difference.
But Li Jingfeng was clearly not that kind of leader. To Li Yan's surprise, Jin Yu was pregnant. Zhou Miao raised an eyebrow and said, "Congratulations on another nephew; I admire you."
Li Yan rolled his eyes at him without responding. Just as they were about to leave, they saw a young girl get slapped by Jin Yu: "Did you not hear what I said? I told you I'm very busy now; handle Yuan Yuan's matters yourselves."
"Miss Jin, I... I can't help it; she keeps making a fuss. Miss Yuan Yuan..." The girl looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, thin and tearful.
"What? I'm carrying the golden grandson of the Li Family; am I not useful even if I'm disabled?" Jin Yu almost screamed. The morning sickness had tortured her so much that she couldn't sleep at night in pain. Moreover, that bastard Li Zhi hadn't even asked about her; he had completely forgotten about their marriage discussion and had been flirting with that wretched woman again recently. Damn it! Once the child was born, she could cling onto the Li Family. "Where's the District Chief?"
The girl’s eyes flickered before she quickly lowered her head: "In his office, but he said no one is allowed to disturb him..."
Jin Yu smiled smugly and slowly said, "You can go back now; I'm fine being alone for a while." One reason she hadn’t gone looking for Li Jingfeng lately was that her pregnancy wasn't stable yet; now that she was almost five months along, she remembered her cousin had been told by doctors that things stabilized after three months.
The girl nodded obediently and hurried back. Once Jin Yu entered Li Jingfeng's office, the girl reappeared with a strange smile before leaving satisfied.
"Li Jingfeng, I miss you so much."
"Now that you're pregnant, you shouldn't be running around." Li Jingfeng spoke impatiently, as the recent issues with the Safe Zone had been giving him a headache. Plus, Jiang Yuejiao had been inciting her subordinates to retaliate against him. Fortunately, Wu Lin was on his side.
"But, but I... I really miss you," Jin Yu said, biting her lip in distress. "And there's something very important I need to tell you. This child is actually... sob... actually yours. I've calculated the dates, and during those times, Li Zhi and I weren't together at all. But when I think of you, I'm afraid it might affect your future. So I lied to them and moved up the timeline by half a month. Li Jingfeng, what should I do? I truly love you, but I don't want to ruin your marriage because of me. After all, your mother has been good to me, and Yuan Yuan... is my best friend. And you know how people outside view you; your reputation and credibility are so important right now."
Damn, this is a blatant threat! Zhou Miao thought as she looked at Li Yan, feeling the weight of the situation. Li Yan's face was dark enough to draw water from it; this man was truly unrepentant. He felt fortunate that his mother had left early and that his grandfather had once trusted him enough to hand over his daughter.
Li Yan and Zhou Miao had also taken a stroll through the lower-income area, and by now, those people must be regretting their decision to come here. Outside, at least there were fields and houses; in the villages, everyone knew each other and could support one another for a chance at survival.
But here, there was nothing—absolutely nothing. Although there were many fields designated by the Safe Zone, there were also many people within it. After they paid their grain taxes, they hadn't even seen a single grain. All they ate was thin porridge—so thin it could serve as a mirror.
They heard that many people had died outside; some consoled themselves with the thought that at least they still had porridge. But they didn't know how long this increasingly thin porridge would last. With hunger gnawing at them like this, they couldn't even muster the strength to farm or sweep the floor. Last year during the heatwave, many had already perished; perhaps today would be their turn.
When Li Yan came this time, he had prepared hundreds of small bags of rice flour. He and Zhou Miao intended for this to be their last visit, so they decided to do a good deed. The journey back to the Safe Zone wasn't short either; this winter had already taken up most of the year, and no one knew what next year would bring. They could only hope to do what little they could under these limited circumstances.
"Mommy, a big brother just gave me this," a skinny little boy said as he dragged a snake-skin bag over to his mother with excitement.
His mother replied weakly, "What is it? Didn't I tell you not to pick up useless things?" It was such a waste of energy.
"It's food," the boy whispered quietly.
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