Fortunately, after Wu Yuan served as a cautionary tale, those harboring ill intentions had already shifted their attention away from Yu Xifeng. No one dared approach again.

Hu Qiangyong squeezed his way out of the supermarket, bringing back even more supplies than last time. The bags were tightly packed and heavy.

The most eye-catching item was a large slab of pork belly—fat and lean layers interlaced—resting on top of one of the bags. It looked to be around thirty pounds.

He glanced behind him and wiped his sweat. “A friend told me this supermarket’s setting purchase limits starting tomorrow. Might as well buy as much as we can now.”

His arrival, with his muscular build, was intimidating enough to make many avert their eyes.

Yu Xifeng gave him a thumbs-up.

Sister Yun was also pleased. “Good thing we made it in time today.”

The two inflatable rafts were locked together. Yu Xifeng steered while she and Sister Yun sat in the first one. Hu Qiangyong sat in the rear.

When they returned to the residential complex, the entire building was in an uproar.

Sister Yun’s cleaver had been handed off to Hu Qiangyong, who sat at the front like a general, radiating authority. Even Aunt Liu didn’t dare say a word to him.

Yu Xifeng, the youngest of the three, stayed behind to guard the supplies, while Hu Qiangyong and Xu Yun carried things upstairs.

Yu Xifeng wasn’t necessarily weaker than Hu Qiangyong, but Sister Yun kindly looked after her, and Yu Xifeng didn’t refuse the gesture.

She folded up the raincoat, packed it into a plastic bag, and stored it in her backpack.

In the stairwell, the food bags were tightly sealed, making it impossible to tell what was inside.

Ma Tian approached and reached out to touch one. “Sister Yun, where’d you get these rafts? Two of them, no less! And what did you buy that’s so heavy? Let me help you.”

Hu Qiangyong barked, “Don’t block the way. This doesn’t concern you.”

Chen Caifeng stood in her doorway, holding her pregnant belly. “So this is how widows live, huh? Inflatable rafts and someone to stand up for you. Life’s a whole lot cushier than us common folks.”

She eyed the supplies on Hu Qiangyong’s back with jealousy flashing in her eyes.

“Look at how Hu Qiangyong protects her. I wonder if Mrs. Hu ever got this kind of treatment.”

Hu Qiangyong held back his temper, mindful of her pregnancy. His face turned beet red as he took a deep breath.

Xu Yun didn’t bother arguing with anyone. She just cast Chen Caifeng a cold glance.

By the last trip, Yu Xifeng had already packed away the rafts. The three of them headed to the 15th floor together.

Chen Caifeng continued with her snide remarks, implying that something was going on between Xu Yun and Hu Qiangyong.

Yu Xifeng turned her head, handed her things to Hu Qiangyong, and walked up to Chen Caifeng. Without a word, she slapped her across the face. “Said enough yet?”

She still carried the murderous aura from earlier.

Chen Caifeng, stunned by the slap, was just about to scream when she locked eyes with Yu Xifeng. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the floor.

“You… you actually hit me!” she stammered in disbelief.

“If you open that mouth again and say one more disgusting thing, I’ll slap you every time,” Yu Xifeng said flatly.

Chen Caifeng wailed, “Ma Tian, are you dead?! Your wife is about to be beaten to death and you’re just standing there watching! I’m carrying your family’s child!”

A crowd gathered quickly.

Aunt Liu shouted from the back, “What kind of person hits a pregnant woman? If something happens, who’s going to take responsibility?”

Many echoed her sentiment.

On a normal day, someone might have tried to reason things out. But today, with the amount of goods the folks on the 15th floor had brought back, most people were secretly hoping for trouble.

Ma Tian rushed forward, reaching out to grab Yu Xifeng’s collar.

His real intention was to tear her clothes.

He didn’t get the chance. Yu Xifeng kicked him in the knee and twisted his wrist back in a takedown hold.

Her movements were clean and precise—but extremely effective.

Ma Tian fell to his knees, screaming, “Stop, stop, it hurts! I was wrong!”

Yu Xifeng grabbed the back of his collar like he was a dead dog.

Her eyes swept across the crowd with a fierce presence that somehow felt even more terrifying than the cleaver in Hu Qiangyong’s hand.

Bringing back this much food today, it was inevitable people would come knocking, looking to “borrow” some. If she didn’t make an example out of someone, they’d think she was easy prey.

As her gaze moved around, no one dared speak again. Aunt Liu even shrank back.

It was Tan Wanwan who came forward to help Chen Caifeng up. She glared at Yu Xifeng but didn’t say anything—clearly angry but too afraid to speak.

Xu Yun looked at Yu Xifeng, eyes shining with surprise and admiration.

“Let’s go,” Yu Xifeng said, releasing Ma Tian. He crumpled to the ground, a large bump swelling on his forehead.

She walked back toward the building, and the crowd instinctively parted to let her pass.

Back on the 15th floor, they piled the goods into Sister Yun’s apartment. Mrs. Hu was already there, keeping watch.

As agreed, Yu Xifeng got thirty percent of the supplies—she had paid for thirty percent.

However, during the trip, she had also contributed one of the rafts. Without that second raft, they couldn’t have brought back nearly as much.

Sister Yun returned 1,500 yuan of the rental fee to Yu Xifeng, and Hu Qiangyong added another 1,500 yuan as compensation.

The supplies were divided as originally agreed.

While portioning out the meat, Hu Qiangyong added a share of his own tenderloin to Yu Xifeng’s pile. “You’ve got some serious skills, sis. Been training since you were a kid?”

“More or less,” Yu Xifeng replied vaguely. She handed him a ten-pound bag of rice. “You’ve got a big family. You’ll go through staple foods fast.”

She was just stating the truth. Hu Qiangyong scratched his head and accepted it with a grin.

“Sister Yun,” Yu Xifeng suddenly said, “keep your doors and windows locked the next few days. Keep something for self-defense nearby. That cleaver will do nicely.”

After today’s display, no one would dare target Yu Xifeng for the time being.

Hu Qiangyong’s household was large—any trouble would end badly for intruders.

Among the three of them, Sister Yun was the most vulnerable.

Her face paled a little, but she nodded.

Hu Qiangyong said, “Let’s exchange numbers. If anything happens, call me. If anyone dares come up here, I’ll make sure they go out horizontal.”

“Do you have any spare cameras?” Sister Yun asked Yu Xifeng.

Yu Xifeng had previously shared video footage in the group chat, so anyone paying attention would know she had cameras installed.

In fact, besides the visible camera above her door, she had a hidden pinhole camera in the peephole.

And yes, she did have extras—in her storage space, she even had two alloy doors.

During renovations, just in case, she had ordered two additional sets.

“I do. I’ll bring one over,” Yu Xifeng agreed.

Since they lived on the same floor, it was better for Sister Yun to protect her apartment and her food than to let shady neighbors get their hands on it.

Yu Xifeng took her share and pretended to go into the bedroom. In reality, she retrieved a brand-new camera from her storage space.

After a moment’s thought, she grabbed a second one.

She installed one outside Sister Yun’s door and another in the hallway.

With these supplies now out in the open, Yu Xifeng didn’t hold back that evening. She cooked herself a big pot of braised pork belly with cabbage and glass noodles.

The noodles were chewy, the cabbage tender, all coated in savory pork flavor. When the little orange cat jumped onto the stove, Yu Xifeng shooed it away and served herself a full bowl.

The dish was light in flavor, so she didn’t eat any other carbs that night. From her stash of milk tea, she picked out an avocado milkshake and sipped it slowly.

She also steamed several baskets of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.

Before she knew it, it was already ten at night.

Lying on her bed slicing fruit with her tablet in hand, she was surprised when someone knocked on her door.

It was Tan Wanwan.