The broadcast sounded like a death knell, slowly drifting downstairs, each word like a small hammer, precisely striking Zhang Shaozhong's fragile little heart.
"Population census registration..." "Report personnel information truthfully..."
Zhang Shaozhong didn't even bother to pick up the chopsticks that had fallen from his hand onto the table; his face turned deathly pale in an instant, and his lips trembled.
"It's over...it's over...speak of the devil and he appears...the census is here!"
Although Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier didn't quite understand what a "census" was, they knew from Zhang Shaozhong's grief-stricken appearance that it was definitely not a good thing.
"A census? What does that mean? Are the officials coming to our door?"
Ling Qingxue immediately grasped the key point, her eyes sharpening.
Ye Meier nervously looked around, as if the officials would burst through the door at any moment:
"So fast?! What do we do? Fight or run?"
"What are you fighting for! What are you running for!"
Zhang Shaozhong was almost in tears.
"A census is... it's when the government... uh, no, the government sends people to count how many people live in this house, what their names are, where they came from... to register them!"
He pointed at Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier, his voice trembling:
"You two! You two are the biggest problem!"
How should I report this? Should I report Ling Qingxue? Someone from a cultivation sect?
Is she Night Enchantress? A Holy Maiden of the Demonic Cult? And her age?
Hundreds or thousands of years old? Where did they come from? Did they travel from another world?
They might arrest me as if I'm insane! Or they might just take you all away as undocumented immigrants!
After hearing this, the two women finally understood the seriousness of the matter.
This isn't just a simple street vendor hiding from the city management officers; they're going to wipe out the entire operation!
"This is outrageous!"
Ye Meier slammed her hand on the table in anger, causing the cheap little table to wobble three times.
"This crappy place has too many rules! Do I have to report where I'm staying?"
Ling Qingxue's face was also extremely pale. She had lived a carefree life and had never been subject to such constraints. But the situation was beyond her control, and she asked in a low voice:
"Is it possible to avoid it?"
Zhang Shaozhong had a mournful face:
"How can we avoid it? They'll be knocking on every door! You can run away one day, but you can't hide the whole time!"
Unless we move right now, but even moving requires ID cards to rent a place! And how are you two, all grown up, going to move? Stuffing you into suitcases?
For a moment, an atmosphere of despair filled the cramped rented room.
The sound of the broadcast truck gradually faded into the distance, but the alarm bells in the hearts of the three people were raised to the highest level.
"Then...what should we do?"
Ye Meier was at a loss, staring at Zhang Shaozhong with longing eyes. Only now did she realize the importance of this "useless" contractor.
Zhang Shaozhong forced himself to calm down, his mind racing:
“Let me think…let me think…Generally, when the census taker comes to your door, if no one is home, they will post a notice asking you to go to the community to register…Can we pretend we're not home?”
Ling Qingxue shook her head:
"This is not a long-term solution. If we repeatedly fail to comply, it will inevitably arouse suspicion, and then there may be more trouble."
"Then... then say you're here to visit relatives? And to stay for a few days?"
Zhang Shaozhong devised another plan.
"No, what about the household registration booklet? Temporary residents also need to register with identification."
"This won't work, and that won't work either!"
Night Enchantress scratched her hair in frustration.
"How about... when they arrive, I try to seduce that census taker or something?"
As she spoke, she tried to muster her meager strength to make her eyes more alluring.
Zhang Shaozhong was so frightened that his soul almost left his body:
"No! Sister! Please! Please don't! There are surveillance cameras everywhere now. If you use this trick on government officials, do you think we won't die soon enough?"
Besides, with that little bit of strength, you'd probably only make people think your eyes are uncomfortable and they want to blink—it's completely useless!
Ye Meier: "..." She was so angry she wanted to hit someone.
The three fell silent again, with only heavy breathing remaining.
After a long while, Zhang Shaozhong suddenly gritted his teeth, as if he had made some kind of decision:
"If all else fails... we'll have to take a gamble!"
How do we bet?
The two women looked at him at the same time.
"Make up a story!"
Zhang Shaozhong's eyes hardened.
"Just tell me you're my distant cousins! You come from a really remote mountain valley! It's so poor there that there's no electricity, let alone a registered household!"
"I've never had an ID card before! I've come to stay with you, hoping to find work in a big city!"
Ling Qingxue & Ye Meier: "???"
"cousin?"
Ling Qingxue's brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly. How could she be asked to impersonate an ordinary man's cousin?
"A remote mountain valley?" Ye Meier looked disgusted.
"Does my mother look like she came from some remote mountain village?"
"It has to look like it, even if it doesn't!"
Zhang Shaozhong was going all out.
"This is the only reason that can be explained even slightly! Although it's full of loopholes, at least it's an explanation!"
It's better than just saying it fell from the sky!
He pointed at the two women:
"You'll have to cooperate then! Fairy, you need to tone down your airs, don't act like a leader on an inspection tour!"
"Sister, you...you're so alluring, can't you tone it down a bit? Can't you act a little more simple, a little naive?"
Ling Qingxue's face turned ashen. To make her disguise herself as an ordinary village girl was worse than death.
Ye Meier also looked visibly resistant. Pretending to be stupid?
She should just die!
But seeing Zhang Shaozhong's anxious expression, and considering the consequences of being taken away by the "officers," the two big shots ultimately... gave in.
"Hmph, I'll do as you say for now."
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