"And if something happens, we'll be wiped out, and we won't even be able to run away."

"But women who have just given birth are stuck at home and can't contribute anything."

“Raising children and taking care of my husband, that’s probably the value of this special period.”

"It's not like that at all. They can't rest for long after giving birth and have to go out to find food. They either go to the mountains or the fields. It's impossible for them to be completely idle. It's just that it's inconvenient to do the work at the base while holding their babies."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Each person has their own role, and given the current situation, it's impossible to give them maternity leave. Or even if they did, there wouldn't be any elderly relatives to help take care of the baby. One of the couple has to sacrifice themselves to take care of the family."

"Hmm. I heard the marriage rate at the base isn't high lately?"

"Ah, isn't that normal? Things are different now than before. The responsibility of supporting a family is too heavy, and many people feel that it's fine to be broke."

“I heard there are…” Ming Jiakang stopped talking.

"What?" Wen Chaohui looked at him in confusion.

Ming Jiakang hesitated. Su Sibin glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, lowered his voice and said, "There's a new shack outside the base; it's where they do those kinds of things."

Wen Chaohui immediately understood. His eyes flashed, and he said, "As long as it's not in the base and there's no chaos outside, let's just pretend we don't see it."

"That's what I think too. Where there's demand, there's a market. The existence of that area can also help reduce the crime rate at the base."

"A base? I've never heard of it." Wen Mengguan asked in surprise.

"No, who would dare to cause trouble inside? But it's hard to say what might happen outside. Every spring and autumn, young women and married women go out to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms. If they get separated from their families, they might be targeted."

There are no security cameras now, so they're completely helpless. Even if they come back to report it, there's nothing we can do. Only a few people can be arrested, but the tragedy has already happened, and the women can only accept it.

Wen Chaohui remained silent for a long time before saying, "Send someone outside to tell them that they must abide by the rules and not force women. Also, they should pay attention to hygiene in that area to avoid spreading bacteria and viruses."

After saying that, he realized he had talked nonsense, shook his head and said, "What are the conditions now? Oh well, let's see if they behave themselves."

If you really care, you probably won't even set foot in that place.

"Our guards can't go to those kinds of places. If they're caught, they'll be fired immediately," he added after thinking for a moment.

"Okay, I understand. I'll issue the notice tomorrow."

"It's also because our work wasn't done well enough. Let's organize a few social events later to give the single young men and women at the base a chance to get to know each other."

"Okay, sure."

"By the way, the participants must undergo rigorous investigation. It would be disastrous if our official organization held an event but the person who introduced them was not qualified."

"Don't worry, our guards are very reliable. Just wait and see the results."

"Okay, it's up to you."

As time passed, by the end of June, the temperature in Shanghai had finally risen to 20 degrees Celsius.

The failure to enter summer has left many people feeling uneasy. There's been no explanation from the capital, as if the arrival of an ice age is a foregone conclusion.

This is still the temperature in central Qinghua Kingdom; further north, it's probably still around ten degrees Celsius. And then there's Kunmeng Mountain, dry and cold.

These places are unsuitable for human habitation, and many people have once again embarked on a migration journey.

On the other hand, the east side, after several years of population movement, has gradually become populated.

At first, everyone complained about the distance and the fact that it was by the sea, but they gradually realized that there were fewer people there and more food.

With Wen Mengguan in charge here in Haishi, things are relatively stable. Even though everyone is panicked, they don't react much.

The weekly live broadcasts on television were everyone's salvation. Looking at the heavy loads of grain, genuine smiles bloomed on everyone's faces.

During this period, Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan left the base several times, each time in a hurry, without paying any attention to the outside environment. Until they saw Li Yueya's figure.

The two men didn't take it seriously, but seeing her pale face and unsteady gait, they couldn't help but follow her.

What we found was a row of a dozen or so shacks, which were well-hidden, but they weren't soundproof. The curtains at the entrances swayed precariously and didn't offer much privacy.

The couple, with their keen senses, heard the suggestive music from afar. They were extremely embarrassed and felt a mix of emotions.

That girl was someone they knew, someone they had treated sincerely. But now, what was she doing here? Was she starving?

The couple exchanged a glance, intending to go forward and ask what was going on. But then they saw the hoodlum at the door grinning and whistling at Li Yueya, "Big sister's here!"

"Big sister's here? Oh my, our Brother Long has missed you so much! Hehe, the brothers missed you too. Boss, your wife's here!"

A tall man emerged from the shack, cursing and swearing. He immediately smiled when he saw Li Yueya.

He grabbed her and gave her a deep kiss in front of his brothers, then put his hand on her private parts and gave them a squeeze, prompting Li Yueya to playfully scold, "You rascal!"

Brother Long chuckled, "What's this? They've seen it all. We do live broadcasts every day, the brothers are used to it."

"Yes, sister-in-law, don't be shy. We didn't see anything, yes, we didn't see anything!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Li Yueya didn't mind, glanced at them with a smile, and asked, "How's business today?"

Brother Long smiled smugly and pointed to the few shacks: "You can tell from the sound that it's awesome! Don't worry, your husband can support you."

Li Yueya nodded, leaned against Brother Long and said, "Brother Long is really capable. Otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to escape this fate either."

Brother Long liked her gentle and weak appearance, took advantage of her, and then carried her into the shack.

"Oh dear, don't do that. If you want to do it, do it at home first."

"Hey, those two old folks are still here, how can we really have fun? Don't worry, the brothers here are watching, no one can get in. Besides, don't you think it's more exciting and fun in this kind of environment?"

Li Yueya wanted to try too, so she smiled shyly and didn't say anything. Brother Long was satisfied, and after a series of kisses, he got down to business.

Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan watched in stunned silence from their hiding place. What shocked them even more was that the henchmen exchanged glances, then tiptoed to the shack. They reached out and pried open a plug, then peered inside through the wall.

"That was really exciting." Bi Qiaoan nodded and tried to pull Shen Yanming away. But Old Shen gestured for her to wait.

Bi Qiaoan figured she couldn't see anything anyway, so at least her ears would be bothered, and agreed. She couldn't help but feel relieved that her two kids hadn't kept up in the space, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing.

An hour later, Li Yueya came out. She was carrying a bag, which probably contained about one or two pounds of grain.