"Tell us about the situation in the Chinese village."
Even if Pei Nansheng didn't mention it, He Xiao would still introduce him to someone.
"The Chinese Village wasn't always called the Chinese Village. Originally, a few families of Chinese descent from Australia lived here. After the apocalypse, several Chinese groups joined in. At that time, they were very weak and were often bullied by the local indigenous people."
Later, the Ning family arrived, gathering forces from all sides, establishing the name of a Chinese village, and attracting Chinese people scattered throughout various places. Their influence gradually grew. The Chinese village now has tens of thousands of people and has become a significant force. The Ning family considers themselves protectors.
The beginning sounded normal enough, but the last sentence revealed a lot of resentment.
"If you're not comfortable staying here, why not move somewhere else?"
Zuo Ling asked directly.
He Xiao was helpless:
“It’s not that we didn’t want to. As you can see, it’s hard to survive out there with a small group. We’re only able to come back alive today thanks to you.”
One person interrupted:
"What you handed in today was compressed biscuits. You can't tamper with compressed biscuits. If you handed in anything else, you'd have to cut some of the profits."
Once the floodgates opened, everyone had a bellyful of complaints.
“When we go to the Ning family to buy grain, we buy 5 jin, and they give us a maximum of 4 jin. If they are in a bad mood, they may give you 3.5 jin, and you still have to accept it.”
"Does the Ning family still have grain to sell?"
Zuo Ling was very concerned about this issue. It would be difficult to grow food in a climate with four seasons in one day. The fact that they could grow food meant that the Ning family had a plant-type ability user.
"Yes, they do, but they are very expensive. One pound of grain requires twenty pounds of fish or meat, or five days of work for them."
Zuo Ling touched her nose awkwardly; it was much cheaper than what she sold.
"It's fine if it's a bit expensive, but shortchanging is a common occurrence."
In this respect, I am better than the Ning family; at least I don't skimp on anything, and Zuo Ling's unease immediately dissipated.
"Someone argued with them, and now he can't even get out of bed."
“Last month, when I went to pay my monthly fee, they charged me 13 jin for 10 jin of fish.”
"You're still lucky. A couple of days ago, they charged me 15 jin (7.5 catties). Who could I complain to?"
"..."
Everyone had a lot to say, and Xiao Hao rolled his eyes as he listened. Why didn't they tell their older brothers and sisters earlier? If they had, they wouldn't have come.
Zuo Ling found it amusing; He Xiao was too calculating.
If no one had mentioned the situation in the Chinese village earlier, someone else would have turned against him.
He Xiao was in an awkward situation. He had no choice but to scheme. Given the circumstances today, would they have made it back alive if they hadn't?
Ah, we've reached the entrance. Let me tell you, don't go in, it's a total rip-off inside.
He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and he couldn't bring himself to say them.
Besides, it's really hard to survive by relying on a small group and fighting alone, and he wasn't entirely lying.
Even if the Chinese village is not good, it is still a powerful force, and living in the village will not cause you to have trouble sleeping at night.
"Is this Australia?"
The group paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, you didn't know?"
Pei Nansheng shook his head: "We've only been here a few days, we've had a few fights, and we haven't had a chance to ask yet."
He Xiao touched his nose. He had expected this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been fooled by him.
As the group walked and stopped, Zuo Ling noticed that there were distinct factions in the Chinese village, which could be discerned simply by observing the density of their residences.
The houses were built in clumps on the left and piles on the right, and the tents were also scattered in patches.
He Xiao's gang's base was more than three miles away from the gate of the Chinese village.
The houses were made of mud bricks, a row of more than twenty rooms, with a yard enclosed by wooden planks, sheet metal, and dead tree branches.
Houses like these make up the vast majority in the Chinese village.
Judging from the houses alone, He Xiao and his gang weren't the worst off; those living in tents were probably at the very bottom of the village.
Upon seeing them return, the children ran up to greet them, curiously observing Zuo Ling's family, their eyes constantly glancing at Xiao Hao.
Zuo Ling took out a handful of colorful candies and distributed them to the children.
The candy looked tempting; the children swallowed hard, wanting to take it but hesitant, glancing at He Xiao.
"Take it, thank you, Auntie."
"Thank you, Auntie."
"Thank you, Auntie."
"..."
Not only children crave candy, but adults do too, though no one dares to show it, and they try to look away.
An eleven or twelve-year-old boy approached Xiao Hao familiarly:
"What's your name? My name is Li Tian."
Xiao Hao, with a straight face, unconsciously uttered two words: "Pei Hao".
He has had no playmates since childhood and no longer knows how to play with children his own age.
"Where are you from? How old are you? How do you know Uncle He...?"
The teenager's problems came one after another.
Xiao Hao was not used to the enthusiasm of teenagers, but he longed to spend time with his peers.
"Let's go to the beach! We can find seashells there, and if we're lucky, we might even find something to eat..."
Xiao Hao looks at his older brother and sister.
Before the danger is over, how could we let Xiao Hao play with them?
Pei Nansheng said, "Let's find a place to stay ourselves."
They immediately humiliated the Ning family, and the Ning family certainly wouldn't let it go. If a fight broke out, the house that He Xiao and his family had worked so hard to build would be destroyed.
"No way, stay here. We'll make room for you."
"Stay here, stay here, so we can look out for each other."
"We have extra houses, but the conditions aren't great. You can make do with these for now."
"..."
At the same time, the sound of a flute drifted into a dilapidated tent near the sea.
The tent was simply furnished with three wooden plank beds, a small table, and three stones used as stools. The sheets and blankets were so black that their original color was indistinguishable, and the room had a salty, raw smell.
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