21. Lin Songsong
The wind and snow raged, pounding against the windows. Fu Yunong placed heavy objects on top of each window.
The room was bitterly cold, so she lit two more braziers, placing one beside her and two outside. Ignoring her own distress, she brought out a generator to provide an electric blanket for Lin Songsong.
The extreme low temperature was unbearable even for them, let alone the wounded.
After feeding the kitten in her arms, Fu Yunong held a cup of hot tea, curled up in a ball, and said, "How long will this last? It's terrifying."
Shi Dong shook her head. She didn't know either; the world had long since lost its order.
On the other side, in room 802.
No matter how Xiao Linfang tried to talk to her, Chen Yin remained silent, her lips pursed. She simply couldn't understand why, at this critical moment when everyone was struggling to survive, she insisted on playing the hero and acting like she was sacrificing herself for others!
Xiao Linfang looked at Chen Yin's indifferent profile and sighed softly. In the past, she was always looked down upon and humiliated, and she didn't even have the confidence to speak loudly; now, they would call her "sister," respect her, and be willing to listen to her arrangements.
She was obsessed with the feeling of being needed and trusted, and she really didn't want to lose it, much less disappoint those who trusted her.
Just then, a rapid knocking sounded at the door, and an anxious shout came from outside, "Sister Xiao! There's a fight going on over there, please come quickly!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Linfang didn't think twice, wrapped her coat tighter, and headed out the door.
Chen Yin watched her retreating figure, feeling both angry and anxious. Her expression changed repeatedly. After angrily slamming her fist on the chair, she finally chased after her.
As soon as I opened the door, a biting cold wind blew into my neck, making me shiver. Luckily, it wasn't far away.
A total of eleven people gathered in 801, four women and seven men, including Wang Xiaogang and his sister Wang Xiaoqin.
The brother and sister were in an extremely awkward position because their brother had just betrayed the two people upstairs yesterday. This might not be the main reason, but it gave the bullies an excuse. After all, no one would stand up for them.
The man who led the trouble was named Wenming, what a waste of his name.
He grabbed Wang Xiaogang by the collar like a chick and threatened him viciously, "Hand over all the food obediently, or I'll throw you out!" As he spoke, his eyes darted around, and he glanced at Wang Xiaoqin beside him with a flirtatious look, his tone becoming even more filthy, "As for your sister, she can stay here to warm our beds."
Several men burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"You're dreaming!" Wang Xiaogang struggled a few times, but couldn't break free.
The smell of 802 wasn't exactly pleasant, but Xiao Linfang entered without changing her expression and immediately spotted two people in the crowd.
Wang Xiaoqin cried and begged for help from those around her, but everyone either turned their faces away, stood by indifferently, or gave her mocking looks; no one was willing to step forward. It wasn't until she saw Xiao Linfang that she grasped at a straw, rushing over to her, crying, "Sister Lin, please help us!"
After hearing the whole story, Xiao Linfang simply stood aside and said expressionlessly, "Wang Xiaogang, this is your own choice. I can help you for a while, but not forever. Either you take your sister and find another way to make a living, or you stand up for yourself. If he punches you, won't you fight back? If you just obediently take the beating, you won't be able to keep your food supplies, and you won't be able to keep your sister either."
"Sister Lin..." Wang Xiaoqin's face was full of disbelief.
Even Chen Yin, who arrived a step later, looked at her in surprise.
Wang Xiaogang's eyes turned red instantly, and he slammed his head forward.
Wenming felt a sharp pain in his nose from the impact, touched it and found it covered in blood, and his eyes immediately turned red. He grabbed Wang Xiaogang and swung his fist at him. Wang Xiaogang also went berserk, retaliating every time he was punched, and the two instantly began to wrestle, the tables and chairs creaking as they were hit.
"Brother!" Wang Xiaoqin rushed forward to break up the fight, but Wang Xiaogang shouted at her, "Don't interfere! Today I'm going to show them that we siblings aren't easy to bully!"
The two fought right under everyone's noses, but ultimately, the difference in strength was too great. Before long, Wang Xiaogang was at a disadvantage, his face swollen so badly that he could barely open his eyes.
Although Wenming also took a few punches, he fared much better than Wang Xiaogang. He pinched Wang Xiaogang's face and slammed it against the wall, his face full of mockery, "You overestimating yourself!" After saying that, he slammed him against the wall hard again before loosening his grip.
Just when Wenming thought the outcome was decided, Wang Xiaogang suddenly used his last bit of strength to pounce on him and bit his ear hard with his bloodied mouth!
"Ah!!!" Wenming screamed in pain, his fists pounding on Wang Xiaogang, but Wang Xiaogang wouldn't let go, tearing off a piece of his flesh.
He swayed slightly, spat his ear to the ground, and wore a chilling smile. "If you dare to bully us again, you'd better not close your eyes when you sleep tonight!" After saying that, he coldly scanned the people in the room.
The fierce look in his eyes startled everyone; no one dared to look him in the eye, and they all silently lowered their heads.
Seeing this, Xiao Linfang didn't say another word and turned to leave. Chen Yin glanced at Wang Xiaogang and followed her away.
Wang Xiaoqin rushed over to support her brother, tears streaming down her face with heartache. Wang Xiaogang, however, smiled nonchalantly and whispered in her ear, "Perfect, now we can use the painkillers."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoqin's crying became even more heartbreaking.
Outside the window, the wind and snow continued to rage, and the eighth floor was in an uproar because of the conflict, while room 1101 was filled with a pleasant aroma.
In this kind of weather, it would be a shame not to have hot pot.
Fu Yunong bought four kinds of vegetables, two kinds of mushrooms, and a large piece of pork tenderloin for Shi Dong to slice, coat with egg, and boil in a pot. The main dish was freshly made wheat and scallion pancakes on another stove. This meal was satisfying, filling, and inexpensive. It cost less than 20 points in total.
Shi Dong wasn't picky and ate very happily.
Lin Songsong rarely eats hot pot because her mother says it's unhealthy. She doesn't agree, but she's obedient and only sneaks out to eat it with her teammates when she's really craving it, and she always reminds them to keep it a secret from her mother.
She smelled the hot pot and was craving it terribly. She was worried her mom would scold her if she found out.
No, she won't. Because she no longer has a mother.
Lin Songsong slowly opened her eyes in the dim light, her eyes filled with loneliness.
Suddenly, a weak "meow" came from my arms.
"Hua Hua..." she said with difficulty, trying to reach out and pet the kitten, but as soon as she moved, she felt a sharp pain in her body, which also aggravated the IV needle in her hand.
The next second, two figures walked in one after the other. Lin Songsong's heart tightened, and she subconsciously tensed her body.
"You're awake?"
Lin Songsong looked closely and saw it was them! She had knelt on the ground then and secretly peeked at them through her hair. They were pure and radiant, while she was nothing but mud in a gutter.
Shi Dong lit a candle, first helped her remove the needle, and then turned off the small heater next to her.
It consumes too much power!
Fu Yunong approached with a smile, her voice gentle, "It's good that you're awake. I'll bring you some food later; it's not a long-term solution to keep having IV drips."
Lin Songsong had noticed long ago that she was sleeping on a clean, soft, and warm bed; her body had been cleaned, her wounds had been treated and bandaged; even the flower in her arms had been rescued.
She swallowed slightly and whispered, "Thank you."
"Rest a little longer, I'll go cook you something to eat." After saying that, Fu Yunong turned and left the room.
Lin Songsong looked at Shi Dong beside her, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Where is my mother's body?"
Shi Dong was examining her wound when he heard this and replied calmly, "It's been treated. It's freezing cold outside now, so we can't find it."
Lin Songsong silently turned her head away. It was fine; in truth, she had long since given up on her mother.
"It will take some time for the wound to heal, so you need to rest more." Shi Dong packed up his things and added, "Even if you can stand up, you should walk around more, which will help your leg recover."
After saying that, she turned and left, pretending not to see the tears welling up in her eyes.
This hot pot used mutton soup base. Fu Yunong ladled out some soup, tore the flatbread into pieces and soaked it in, then added some meat and a few pieces of green vegetables. A bowl of fragrant flatbread soup was ready.
“You’ve been hungry for too long, you need to gradually regain your appetite. Just eat this much for today.” Fu Yunong placed the bowl on the bedside table and carefully helped Lin Songsong sit up.
Lin Songsong was in so much pain that she broke out in a cold sweat, but she gritted her teeth and didn't utter a sound. She needed to get better quickly so as not to be a burden to them.
Fu Yunong handed the bowl to her, "Eat quickly, it will get cold soon."
"Thank you." Lin Songsong looked down and stammered, "This...this is too precious!"
"Eat up, it's nothing," Fu Yunong said with a smile, deflecting the question.
It smells so good! The noodles are soft and fluffy, the soup base is delicious, and there are even fresh green vegetables!
For a moment, Lin Songsong even thought he was hallucinating.
Fu Yunong sat beside her watching her eat, "What's your name?"
"My name is Lin Songsong, and I am 24 years old."
Fu Yunong nodded. "My name is Fu Yunong, and I'm two years older than you. Shi Dong..." She turned her head and asked, "How old are you again?"
Shi Dong, who had been leaning against the door with his arms crossed, lifted his eyelids slightly and said calmly, "28."
Fu Yunong opened her eyes wide in surprise, "I can't believe it. Then I'll have to call you 'sister'."
"No." Shi Dong refused without even thinking.
Fu Yunong persisted, "It's no big deal to call out once, you're being stingy."
"don't want."
Seeing the two bickering, Lin Songsong silently lowered her head, deciding to just eat properly.
When Lin Songsong handed the empty bowl back to Fu Yunong, Fu Yunong asked with some surprise, "You don't like pork?"
Lin Songsong's fingertips curled slightly, and she lowered her head to softly reply, "Mmm..."
She will overcome this as soon as possible. Although she doesn't know where they got the pork, it is still a rare treat.
"It's okay, I don't have to eat it. I don't even eat cilantro." Fu Yunong waved her hand dismissively. "You should rest well. Call us if you need anything. We're right next door."
Lin Songsong nodded blankly, "Okay..."
The door closed, and Lin Songsong lowered her head, her fingertips gently stroking Hua Hua's soft fur. "We've met some really nice people."
In the days that followed, Lin Songsong focused on recovering from her injuries. Without having to suffer from hunger and cold, she recovered quickly, and by the third day, she was already able to walk slowly while holding onto the wall.
Fu Yunong craned her neck almost to a 90-degree angle and asked blankly, "Songsong, how tall are you?"
Lin Songsong scratched her buzz cut and gave her a silly smile, "Two meters and three inches."
Fu Yunong exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness, she's taller than Yao's stuff!"
Fortunately, her system was no ordinary system; she bought two large-sized winter outfits from it, which fit Lin Songsong perfectly.
"You're too thin, you need to eat more."
Fu Yunong was not polite at all. She could clearly see Fu Yunong's ribs. She stood there, thin and tall, like a balloon figure at the entrance of a shopping mall.
Lin Songsong felt a warmth in her heart and nodded obediently, "Okay."
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