His eyes lit up, and he immediately came up with a solution.
“Xiao Ning, how about I write you an IOU, consider it a loan to us, and I’ll pay you back tenfold when things get better.”
“That’s right, brother, it’s just some food, why are you making such a fuss? We’re all real relatives. If we weren’t starving, we wouldn’t have come to you.”
Jian Jian had finished the biscuits and milk that had been given to him, and now that he felt a little full, he came over.
"Aunt, that's not how it works. You must have a boat to come here, and there are men in the family. There are plenty of things to eat in the water."
As long as you go looking, you definitely won't starve. On the way back, we saw quite a few boats salvaging food.
"What time is it now? People are still dreaming of getting something for nothing, waiting for a windfall. Is that even possible?"
After Jian Ning finished speaking, she gestured for Xiao Lingfeng and the others to take their things upstairs. She didn't have time to waste with the mother and son.
Unexpectedly, Li Cuilan darted over and stretched out her hands to block the stairwell from letting them go up.
“Anping, you’re the eldest brother, why are you hiding in the back and letting a little girl take the lead? Since when did it become her place to make decisions in the Jian family?”
“Aunt, you’re absolutely right about this. My family, including my wife, all listen to my sister. Today, she can give us the grain or not if she wants to. It’s not up to me.”
Jian Anping didn't care about saving face anymore. He had figured it out: face was worth a lot of money, and since Jian Ning said she wouldn't give it to him, she must have her reasons.
I can't hold her back. Besides, if it weren't for Jian Ning, I wouldn't have been able to get these things back.
When Li Cuilan saw that Jian Anping wasn't speaking up for her, she simply plopped down on the stairs and burst into tears.
"Good heavens! Neighbors, come out and take a look! This world is terrible, people's hearts have turned to dust! They're watching her own uncle's family starve to death and they're not even helping them. They have no humanity at all!"
"You dare bully my mom? Give me back my things!" Jian Jian, who was standing nearby, got anxious when he saw his mother crying with snot and tears streaming down her face.
He immediately snatched the things from Jian Ning's hands. Don't let his sixteen years fool you; he's a towering 1.82 meters tall and incredibly strong.
Caught off guard by the push, Jian Ning not only had her bag snatched from her hand, but also stumbled back three or four steps, falling right into Xiao Lingfeng's arms.
Despite the sweltering heat, Xiao Lingfeng didn't smell of sweat at all; instead, he exuded a refreshing citrus scent.
In this day and age, this person even wears perfume when going out? For a moment, she forgot to get up, completely ignoring the strong arm around her slender waist that slightly pulled closer to her.
"Jian Ji'an, how dare you lay a hand on me?" Jian Anping, who was standing next to him, got angry when he saw the girl being pushed down. He kicked Jian Ji'an five or six meters away, showing no mercy whatsoever.
When Li Cuilan saw her son being beaten, she couldn't bother to stop them anymore and rushed over, repeatedly asking if he was hurt.
"Mom, my stomach hurts," Jian Jian clutched his stomach, tears welling in his eyes. Despite his tall and muscular build, he could only act tough at school. He was no match for Jian Anping, a street hustler.
"What's going on?" Jian Ming and Jian Xueqing also came downstairs. They had heard Li Cuilan's shouts from the 15th floor and guessed that Jian Anping had returned.
He hurried downstairs. Just then, he saw his son kick him. He felt a pang of heartache, but still managed to ask a question first.
“Uncle, if Jian hadn’t started it, I wouldn’t have kicked him. That kid is too immature.”
Jian Anping touched his nose, his voice lacking confidence. This uncle had disciplined him a lot since he was a child, and he was a little afraid of him. What should he do?
"No matter what, you are brothers."
"We're a family, and it's a miracle we're even alive in this world. And now we're fighting amongst ourselves. You, as the eldest brother, were right to teach us a lesson." Jian Ming said, his eyes first fixed on Xiao Lingfeng.
Although I don't know him, I can tell from his aura that he's not someone to be trifled with.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Anping, Xiaoning, your uncle's whole family has come over. This isn't the place to talk. Let's go inside and sit down for a while."
"I'm sorry, it's inconvenient. It's on a high floor, not to mention..."
"We had an agreement with this neighbor beforehand that no one is allowed to send anyone else up to the 16th floor. Uncle, you can talk to him here if you need anything." Jian Ning quickly interjected, afraid that her brother would agree.
"That works too. So, this is your neighbor?"
Xiao Lingfeng nodded expressionlessly. Jian Ming smiled at him, walked over, and pulled Jian Anping aside: "Anping, let's talk over here."
"Xiao Ning, it's been a while! You look much better than before!" Jian Xueqing walked over and warmly took Jian Ning's arm.
"Sister Xueqing looks quite well; she doesn't seem to be starving." Jian Ning subtly pulled her arm away and took a step back.
"You brat, hurry up and help your brother up! What are you dawdling about?" Li Cuilan, standing nearby, complained. The father and son hadn't offered them any support whatsoever.
She was so busy trying to get close to her son that she couldn't move him because he was too heavy, and she was sweating profusely with anxiety.
Hearing Li Cuilan's words, Jian Xueqing glared at her younger brother. They came here to ask for food, but he actually tried to snatch it. He was more trouble than he was worth.
She's been spoiled rotten by her mother; all she's good for is eating, she has no other skills.
However, she still went over and helped Jian Jian up.
"Mom, my cousin can't exert himself too much either; my younger brother is just too delicate. You two sit over there for a while."
As he spoke, he helped Jian Jian over and sat down on the sofa that the tattooed man had gnawed on by locusts.
"Take your things upstairs first, we can't finish dealing with this in a short time." Jian Ning nudged Xiao Lingfeng. He nodded, picked up two bags, and went upstairs.
This family's relationships are indeed difficult to manage. As an outsider, he shouldn't get involved. Besides, Jian Ning is very capable and would never suffer a loss.
"Anping, look, your uncle only came to you because he had no other choice. He has no food left at home. He managed to borrow a boat from the neighbor, and he has to return it to them tonight."
We agreed to exchange food for it, but we have nothing. We can't explain this empty-handed.
"Uncle, I understand what you're saying, but as you can see, I've been out all day and this is all I've managed to get."
My mother-in-law's family is upstairs; this little bit of food won't last them two days.
The government announced on broadcast today that we could go to the shelter. Why don't you take my aunt and uncle there to take a look?
“Anping, look, your uncle has come. I can’t go back empty-handed, can I? How about this, you give me a little less to get through today, and I’ll go to the rescue site tomorrow.”
Jian Anping touched his nose and glanced back at Jian Ning.
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