Chapter Thirty-Eight: Choice

"Waaaaah, Mommy... I want Mommy... Waaaaah, I'm so scared... Mommy, someone please save me..."

The child's voice was very young, sounding like he was three or four years old; it was impossible to tell if he was a boy or a girl.

"That's a bit strange." Mu Qingrong didn't open the window, her brows furrowed. "We searched most of the villages yesterday and didn't find any children. Where did such a small child suddenly appear from?"

But Mu Qingyu sensed a familiar feeling in the strange situation before her. It was a child again!

She remembered that the gas station wasn't far from their village. It would take about twenty minutes by car, or two or three hours to walk there.

"Xiao Rong, have you seen a movie?"

"Huh?" Mu Qingrong's thoughts were still on the child's crying when he was caught off guard by Mu Qingyu's question about the movie, and he was momentarily stunned.

Mu Qingyu didn't expect him to answer, so she continued, "In a Korean movie, there's a little girl knocking on a woman's door, saying she's a new neighbor who's brought some snacks."

"Seeing a little girl at the door, the woman opened the door without any suspicion. Then, a group of dirty, lewd men suddenly emerged from behind the little girl..." She didn't finish her sentence, but anyone could guess what happened next.

This kind of scam existed before the apocalypse, and it has been exploited even more severely by some people after the apocalypse! Whether before or after the apocalypse, their goals are basically the same. It's just that after the apocalypse, the world lost its rules, and those people became more vicious, cruel, and greedy.

"Ah!" Mu Qingrong finally realized that Mu Qingyu was warning him that this was likely a scam to trick them into opening the door. "I seem to have vaguely heard of this kind of scam before."

"Then let's stay put and see what happens. But, sis, the child keeps crying, won't that attract zombies?"

"It's alright for now. We cleared out all the zombies in the neighborhood yesterday. But if it goes on for too long, I don't know if it will attract zombies from outside. Let's see." Mu Qingyu was a little worried that Aunt Mei next door would go out to check because of the child's crying, since Aunt Mei used to take care of children.

So Mu Qingyu stood by the window and kept watching. There was a yard next door, and to open the door, you had to go through the yard first. If someone came out, she could stop them in time.

However, to Mu Qingyu's great surprise, Building 4 was also completely silent, and no one ran out to check because of the child's crying.

Even the newly moved-in Building No. 2 next door remains completely silent.

Inside Building 4.

Xiao Mo told Aunt Mei and Xiao Ai a story exactly like Mu Qingyu's, and then he warned, "We've been staying here for several days, and we haven't seen the child since before the extreme cold."

“Yesterday, the Mu siblings next door were out all day and didn’t mention anyone else in the village. The new residents of Building 2 are a pair of sisters, we all saw them, and they don’t have children.”

“A child that young won’t just suddenly appear. Don’t meddle in other people’s business, Aunt Mei. Our priority right now is to protect ourselves. We’re still being provided with food and shelter by Sister Mu. We can’t control too many people.”

Although Xiao Mo said "you all," his eyes were fixed on Aunt Mei. Sister Xiao Ai was always simple and obedient; she wouldn't do anything he forbade.

The main concern was Aunt Mei; she was afraid Aunt Mei would soften her heart if she saw the child. His worries were exactly the same as Mu Qingyu's.

Aunt Mei sighed with a wry smile, "I know. Aunt Mei is getting old, and there are many things I can no longer do... From now on, Aunt Mei will listen to you." After she finished speaking, she added worriedly, "Should we also tell Xiaoyu and the others, in case they open the door..."

Xiao Mo shook her head: "There's no need for that. I think that Sister Mu is very wary. She doesn't trust any of us, let alone a stranger like me."

He was always sensitive, and although Mu Qingyu took him, Xiao Ai, and Aunt Mei over without hesitation, she was still wary of them because they weren't familiar with each other. This led to Mu Qingyu cutting ties with them after the extreme cold, as if they were going to live separate lives.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with that; he never intended to leech off Mu Qingyu. The current accommodations and supplies are what he and Xiao Ai owe Mu Qingyu, and they must work hard to survive first so they can repay her later.

Xiao Mo had a feeling that if it weren't for him and Xiao Ai, Mu Qingyu probably wouldn't have left Aunt Mei alone in a house; she would most likely have chosen to live with Aunt Mei.

Preparing two houses was probably a backup plan, but in the end, the backup plan still came in handy.

Now that Aunt Mei lives with them, it's his responsibility. He's the only male in the family, and he has to shoulder that responsibility. Besides, after that bitterly cold night, he gained superpowers; he's no longer the ordinary person he once was.

Similar scenes of persuasion were also occurring in Building 2.

The younger sister held her older sister's hand tightly and said, "Sister, don't feel sorry for us, don't be soft-hearted! The world has changed, and we don't have the power to meddle in other people's business. Compared to the house next door, our house is no match for it."

"I know." The older sister's voice was soft, revealing a face of stunning beauty. She sighed. They had finally managed to escape from the city. Although she felt heartbroken hearing the child crying so desperately, she never intended to open the door and go out to check on him.

Just like her sister said, they had no right to meddle. Her sister had already done everything she could to protect her, so how could she bear to cause her any more trouble?

The child outside the door cried for a full hour, until his voice was completely hoarse, but the child still seemed afraid to stop crying, and even though his voice was hoarse, he was still tearing at his throat.

"This is really...it sounds so tragic..." Mu Qingrong felt a pang of sympathy. Although it sounded tragic, it only made him more certain that there were people lying in ambush outside.

If it were truly a lost three- or four-year-old child, they would have already walked away crying. Moreover, a normal child would most likely lie down and sleep after crying until they are tired. They are just small, but they are not without feelings. They will get tired and their throats will hurt, so they will naturally stop crying.

Unlike now, it seems they dare not stop at all.

"It's been an hour. Now we'll see who loses their patience first." Mu Qingyu became even more certain of her guess and continued to look out the window with a cold smile.

She breathed a sigh of relief when no one from next door came out. It seemed that the boy named Xiao Mo could keep Aunt Mei in check. With him around, things were much easier.

No sooner had Mu Qingyu finished speaking than there was a new commotion outside the gate—