Chapter 220 Dry Rations
There were four large pots at the food station, and people lined up in two queues.
I led Sister Xiuqin and Xiaoting to the line with the shorter queue.
The people serving the food were quick, so the line wasn't slow; they kept moving forward in small steps.
As we got closer, we could see the food distribution situation clearly. There were four people getting their food, one person in front of each pot.
The two teams received the same meal: a bowl of porridge and a side dish.
As I got closer, I noticed the person dismissing me and recognized him.
Liu Ersao and Wang Sao were in charge of the pots on my row, but I didn't recognize the two people on the other row.
This...this won't give us away, will it...?
With an excited heart and trembling hands, I went to the front of the line, picked up a small iron bowl stacked to the side, and stretched out my hand.
Liu Ersao was moving very fast up front, but she slowed down considerably when she got to me.
She plunged the spoon deep into the bottom of the pot, then slowly scooped it up, filling it with a full spoonful of thick rice porridge. She poured it all into my bowl, almost overflowing.
Then I walked up to Sister Wang, who also shoved a big spoonful of vegetables onto my rice porridge.
The little bit of rice water in the porridge also overflowed from the side.
Don't worry, you won't be caught.
They clearly recognized me and must have been notified beforehand, which is why they were so calm. It's just that there was a lot of food.
"Why is her bowl so full? It's as full as both of mine!"
The people next to them complained loudly in dissatisfaction.
Aunt Wang, hands on her slightly thick waist, shouted loudly, "I'll serve it however I want, take it or leave it!"
The man hadn't expected Wang Sao to be so direct, so he immediately fell silent, picked up his bowl, and slunk away to a corner to eat.
After Xiuqin and Xiaoting finished getting their food, we squatted down by the wall to eat together.
Looking at the thin broth and a few cabbage leaves in their bowls, and then at my own bowl of thick porridge and stewed cabbage, I felt a little guilty.
"Here, I'll share some with you two!"
I held up the bowl as if to give them both some.
Xiaoting, holding her bowl, dodged away: "Sister is lucky, so eat more. You don't need to share with me."
I picked up a large mouthful of food and threw it into Xiaoting's bowl, and then I also picked up a mouthful for Sister Xiuqin.
"Oh, eat up, eat up, I can't finish it all myself."
The porridge was cooked quite well; the rice was fragrant, and the cabbage was a bit bland, but still edible.
While I was eating, I kept my ears open to listen to the sounds around me.
It's such a pity; we didn't get any reliable information even after finishing the meal.
They returned to their lodgings together, and as soon as they opened the door, they were greeted by a wave of heat from the kitchen, as the iron pot was still burning.
I went into the bedroom and touched the straw mat; it was already warm.
I'm relieved. As long as it's warm, everything else is secondary.
There wasn't even water for washing up in the room, and then I remembered I didn't have a basin either, so I just crawled into bed and went to sleep.
Without hesitation, Sister Xiuqin and Xiaoting also crawled into bed.
Just as my consciousness began to fade, I heard a noise at the door.
The trio is back.
I kept my eyes closed and ignored her; otherwise, if I opened them now, who knows what kind of trouble she might cause.
They entered the house laughing and joking, and then heard a loud thud on the ground, as if something had been thrown there.
"You three, this chamber pot is not for use. It belongs to us, and only we can use it, understand?"
The red tone threatened us with an unquestionable force.
I don't want to use her chamber pot.
Seeing that the three of us didn't react, Red used its powerful claws to poke each of our shoulders.
It really hurts. I suspect her fingers are made of steel bars. Every time she pokes me, it hurts terribly.
"knew."
I said something expressionlessly, then turned around and went back to sleep.
"Hey! What's with your attitude?"
Hong was unhappy with my attitude and pretended to argue with me.
"Red! Go to sleep!"
The woman called Sister Bai stopped her in time, and Hong immediately fell silent.
Although Sister Bai would keep an eye on Hong's excessive behavior, I felt that she was not a kind person. She had a ruthless air about her and her hands must have been stained with blood.
I touched the small silver coin tucked into my waistband, and only then did I feel a little more at ease.
I didn't dare to sleep too soundly at night, and spent the night in fits and starts, opening my eyes just as dawn was breaking.
I had porridge for dinner, and now I'm already starting to get hungry.
This morning's meal won't be served until 10 a.m., and I'll probably starve to death by the time it's served.
Luckily, I had some dry food in my bag. Liu Sao had brought it just to make it look good, but it actually solved my immediate problem.
I sat up and just as I took out my rations, the three-person group walked in from outside, chatting and laughing.
Each person held a piece of dark, dry rations in their hand.
It's obvious that they brought it back from outside, rather than bringing it with them.
Is someone outside the base distributing the food?
Wouldn't that mean...?
"Excuse me, where do you get your rations from?"
I cleared my throat and spoke to this small group for the first time.
Hong is like the spokesperson for this small group; she handles all the social interactions.
She glared at me and said irritably, "Why should I tell you?"
I clutched my stomach, pretending to be a little hungry, and said, "Sister Hong, I'm a little hungry too, please tell me."
"They don't just give it to anyone. You? You don't deserve it."
He glared at me, then sat down on his bunk, munching on crumbly dry rations.
The other two were also eating their own dry rations, showing no intention of answering me.
I looked at the small bag of dry food in my hand, took the food and ran to Sister Bai to fawn over her.
"Sister Bai, here's all my dry rations for you. They're made with cornmeal and soybean flour, and they smell really good."
Sister Bai glanced at me silently, then reached out and took the dry rations.
She asked me expressionlessly, "Don't you have some dry food? Why are you asking me?"
I chuckled sheepishly, "Well, I can tell the difference between a full meal and a full stomach. If I offer you all this dry food, just tell me where it is, and I'll have some to eat."
She looked down and weighed the dry rations in her hand, which looked like five or six pieces, and said, "Only useful people can get the dry rations. The third household on the right."
"Oh dear! Sister Bai, why should we tell her?"
Hong was very unhappy that Sister Bai told me so readily.
Sister Bai didn't say anything, but opened the bag of dry food, broke off a small piece, and handed it to her. Hong also didn't say anything.
I thanked them with a smile and pretended to go out to get some dry rations.
Why is the third household on the right receiving grain?
Walk to the vicinity of the third house on the right and look towards the entrance from a distance.
There was no long line of people waiting for food at the door as I had imagined; only a sleazy-looking man stood there with his hands in his sleeves.
I pretended to be extremely hungry and frightened as I approached and cautiously asked, "Excuse me, do you provide food here?"
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