Chapter 79: Ten pounds of wild vegetables for half a pound of rice
Listening to the powerful middle-aged male voice on the radio, the family looked at each other.
The three shelters were located near Jiangcheng. Liang Yingsheng remembered that other provinces also had shelters of varying sizes, but Jiangcheng was the first to be completed and announced.
Zhou Lanxin was a little tempted, "Shengsheng, why don't you follow the country instead of staying here? We have enough supplies. As long as we are careful, it will be safer to go to the shelter."
After all, it was built by the military, so there must be a lot of soldiers protecting the shelter.
It is many times safer than the small organizations formed by ordinary people like them.
"There are pros and cons to both. Going to an official shelter has a well-managed system, but it's crowded and chaotic. The living conditions are stratified based on the amount of supplies an individual turns in."
Zhou Lanxin was surprised, "We still have to hand over the supplies?"
"If you want official housing, you naturally need supplies. It's like renting a house. Of course, you can live there without paying supplies. It's a greenhouse area."
Based on his experience with the simulator, Liang Yingsheng patiently explained, "Gu Mingsi, the authorities have only built a simple rain shelter. Refugees who can't afford to pay for supplies are all housed there. It's a mess of fakes mixed in with the real ones. If you're not careful, you'll be robbed and lose everything."
Zhou Lanxin glanced at her husband and son with shock in her eyes.
"Of course, people who can't protect themselves would rather live there than wander around outside."
She remembered that in the simulator, in the later stages, a large security base was built, and people worked in exchange for what they wanted. Doctors and technicians stayed in the base to work, and those who did not have such skills but were willing to go out to find supplies could join the scavenging team, and they would get an extra share of the supplies they found.
Some would rather live in shanty towns than go out and take the risk of surviving on government relief food.
The relief food is just some chopped wild vegetables and rice bran in a pot of water, one meal a day.
They were not starving to death, but they were not full either. She really couldn't understand how those people persisted.
She would feel uncomfortable if she didn't eat meat for three days, let alone for years.
"But we will go to Jiangcheng."
Liang Yingsheng said firmly, it’s just not the right time yet.
Perhaps it was because Liang Yingsheng had such a strong deterrent effect that the new group of people were relatively well-behaved. They followed the grain station building to learn and went out early and came back late every day, either to fetch water from the reservoir or to go up the mountain to find food to fill their stomachs.
Once they were lucky enough to catch two stray dogs.
The dog's physique is similar to our golden retriever Yuanbao, but it is very thin.
The group was so happy that they made dog meat soup that night.
Because of this incident, Zhou Lanxin never let Yuanbao leave the space again, for fear that he would be discovered and tricked into killing him to make soup.
After going with the main force to fetch water, Liang Yingsheng said he didn't want to go anymore no matter what.
It was hot, and I couldn’t put it in the space in front of everyone, so I had to carry it myself.
When she got home, she was soaked and immediately chose to give up.
The crops in the space have been harvested again. The fresh vegetables with good growth are stored in the newly built warehouse, and those with average growth are used to feed poultry.
The pregnant sow has given birth to two piglets, which are fat and white raised by Liang Qiuwen.
There were two ewes, one of which was pregnant and had a particularly big belly.
Liang Yingsheng sat in front of the wooden house playing with the dog. Looking at his parents and brother who were reinforcing the sheep pen, he couldn't help laughing.
Although it is the end of the world, life is getting better and better.
In early September, the temperature finally dropped from over 40 degrees Celsius to over 30 degrees Celsius. Liang Yingsheng had a vague feeling that next summer would be even worse.
The family had lunch early and prepared to go to Grandma Chen's house to play mahjong. As soon as they went out, they saw Liang Qiuhan and Liu Shuhui and Liang Min walking towards them.
Although there are no zombies in Youai Town, life is not easy. Liang Min no longer wears her beautiful dress, and her hair is messy and tied behind her head.
The face is too thin.
Liang Qiuhan and Liu Shuhui were not in very good condition either. They seemed to have a lot more white hair after just a few days of not seeing each other.
Seeing the family full of energy and smiling happily, Liu Shuhui's eyes flashed with jealousy, "Hey, second brother and sister, where are you and your family going?"
Zhou Lanxin snorted coldly and didn't want to answer.
Liang Qiuwen was polite and said, "Let's go to Aunt Chen's house up ahead and play for a while."
"Come to think of it, we haven't visited Aunt Chen in such a long time since we moved to Youai Town. Shall we go together?"
Liu Shuhui's smile was hypocritical.
Zhou Lanxin replied sarcastically, "They may not be happy to see you."
Liu Shuhui has a bad mouth and has had an argument with Grandma Chen's daughter-in-law.
Liu Shuhui's smile froze slightly. "Ahem, your courtyard is quite nice. The walls are so high, who are you trying to protect?"
Liang Yingsheng couldn't help but retort, "Isn't it just to guard against you?"
"You, I am your aunt after all, how can you talk like that?"
If she hadn't come for a request this time, she wouldn't have wanted to be nice to this family.
Liang Yingsheng got straight to the point: "Tell me, what do you want from my parents?"
Liu Shuhui looked at Liang Qiuhan.
Liang Qiuhan rubbed his hands and said, "Qiu Wen, our family's food reserves are all gone. Can you please share some food with us? I am your eldest brother after all. You can't bear to see us starve to death, right?"
Liang Qiuwen is kind, which is why he was always able to exploit him easily in the past.
Unfortunately, Liang Qiuhan forgot that people change.
Especially since it's the end of the world.
Pushing up his glasses, Liang Qiuwen said in an unusually indifferent tone, "My family has to dig wild vegetables and yams in the mountains day and night to barely make a living. If you're hungry, aren't we hungry too? If you want to eat, go dig it yourself in the mountains. I don't have any."
Liang Min couldn't help it and pointed at Liang Yingsheng and Liang Zhimo, "Who are you kidding? These two look so fair and tender, you can't tell they're hungry. Second Uncle, at least find a better excuse to lie to them."
Liang Yingsheng whipped out his whip. "Why, don't tell me we don't have any food at home. Even if we did, why would we give it to you? Okay, I'll trade you an eyeball for a salted fish. Okay?"
Liang Min's face turned pale, "You...Liang Yingsheng, how dare you!"
"Do you think I dare?"
Liu Shuhui hurriedly pulled her daughter behind her and said, "Shengsheng, don't worry. We really just want something to eat. Can you lend it to us?"
She forced herself to lower her stance: "Lend us a pound of rice, and we'll go up the mountain to dig wild vegetables tomorrow and pay you back then."
With a curled lip, Liang Yingsheng sneered, "What makes you think wild vegetables are worth the same as rice? Ten kilograms of wild vegetables for half a kilogram of rice. One hand for vegetables, the other for rice. It's your choice."
Liang Qiuhan's face turned pale, "Liang Yingsheng, don't ask for such high prices!"
"I'm asking for too much, so what? Come and bite me if you dare."
Liang Qiuhan pointed at Liang Yingsheng with a trembling finger, then looked at Liang Qiuwen, "Second brother, you don't care about it, and this is the good daughter you raised?"
"You are indeed a good daughter, Shengsheng, let's go, Grandma Chen and the others are still waiting."
(End of this chapter)
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