Xu Qingrou was tidying up while nagging, “How can a father and daughter hold grudges overnight? You haven’t really cared for her all these years. You should talk to her properly. Then she’ll definitely let us in. She’s just a girl, living alone in such a big house; it’s not safe at this time. If we’re here, we can help watch over her.”

Yang Silong smacked his lips and said, “Does Yu Xifeng’s family have meat stew? I smell fish.”

Xu Qingrou, having already settled her mood, shot Yang Silong a sharp glance. “Yu Xifeng is your sister. You’re the one who called her here.”

So the Yang family ended up living in the corridor.

The house wasn’t meant for long-term living anyway, so Yu Xifeng didn’t bother paying attention to them.

She started paying more attention to the broadcast.

The broadcast mentioned that an underground city shelter had begun construction near Lin City, expected to accommodate at least 100,000 people.

For the next two days, Yu Xifeng didn’t cook. She just ate ready-made food from her space.

The surveillance camera showed the corridor’s situation, and she listened to every word of the conversations outside without missing anything.

At first, they knew Yu Xifeng hated them and feared her crossbow, so they only talked to themselves outside quietly.

Yu Xifeng ignored it, not even opening the door.

Xu Qingrou privately told Yang Rong, “Xiao Yu hasn’t come out for a long time. I don’t know if there’s still food at home. Why don’t you send in some wild vegetable buns? After all, she’s your daughter.”

Yang Rong scoffed, “She doesn’t even care about me, how could she care about food from you?”

Yang Rong shouted at the door fiercely, “I wouldn’t even give her food to feed dogs.”

Xu Qingrou thought he was a complete fool.

He couldn’t even win over his own biological daughter.

But now, she still had to rely on this idiot.

Xu Qingrou took a deep breath, patiently coaxed him for a while, and finally, Yang Rong reluctantly took the wild vegetable buns and knocked on Yu Xifeng’s door.

Inside, Yu Xifeng finished a bowl of beef bibimbap and peeled two mangosteens that grew in her space, enjoying the outside surveillance scene as if it were a drama.

Of course, she didn’t open the door. Even if she was full, she wouldn’t do that.

The day came when she was supposed to meet Sister Yun.

Sister Yun called Hu Qiangyong and Zhao Yao out and waited for Yu Xifeng in the corridor.

Xu Qingrou came closer, “What do you want with my daughter?”

Just as Yu Xifeng opened the door and heard that, Xu Qingrou gave her a kind smile.

Sister Yun said, “The stuff has arrived. Let’s go downstairs to pick it up.”

“Okay.” Yu Xifeng nodded, not even looking at Xu Qingrou.

Zhao Yao asked, “That person says she’s your mom?”

Yu Xifeng said, “She’s my dad’s mistress who drove my mother to death.”

Zhao Yao instantly became wary looking at Xu Qingrou.

She was always very protective of her own man and hated mistresses most of all.

Xu Qingrou showed a hurt expression. “How can you say that about your father?”

“She’s addicted to acting; don’t mind her,” Yu Xifeng said.

Xu Qingrou’s face darkened. She forced a smile but never expected Yu Xifeng to become this difficult now.

The three families pooled together over sixty thousand yuan, but the rice they bought was less than three boxes.

The rice bags were vacuum-sealed and wrapped in cartons.

The cartons had no markings.

They hid it well, which only made people more curious.

When Yu Xifeng brought the rice home, many people in the building followed. The Yang family’s gaze stuck to her even more.

As soon as she opened the door, Yu Xifeng quickly stepped aside and slammed the door back hard.

Behind her, Yang Silong failed to stop in time and crashed straight into the door.

“Ouch,” Yang Silong held his head in pain and crouched down.

“Son, what’s wrong?” Xu Qingrou hurried over.

Yu Xifeng put the rice boxes inside, turned around, her expression half-smiling, half-smirking.

Even a thick-skinned person like Xu Qingrou lowered her head under Yu Xifeng’s piercing gaze.

“Son, are you okay?” Xu Qingrou asked.

Yu Xifeng kicked Yang Silong through the lattice, sending him crashing into the wall.

The door quickly shut right in front of Xu Qingrou’s face. Xu Qingrou tried to squeeze in but couldn’t find an opening.

Yang Sizhu complained from behind, “Brother, how come you can’t stop a woman?”

Yang Silong rolled on the floor, annoyed, “She has arrows! If you’re so capable, why don’t you stop her?”

“She’s holding such a big box. How can she shoot arrows? You had a good chance just now but didn’t catch her. If you controlled her, we’d be in by now,” Yang Sizhu said.

Xu Qingrou lowered her voice and asked Yang Silong, “You were so close just now. Did you see what was inside her box?”

If they managed to get something from outside now, it must be good stuff.

After all, renting a kayak cost a lot.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given up such a big golden anklet.

Just thinking about it made Xu Qingrou feel distressed.

Not only Xu Qingrou was curious—Aunt Liu and others who followed from below also wanted to know.

Unfortunately, Yang Silong seemed dazed from the kick.

He didn’t say a word for a while.

The onlookers waited a bit longer, saw no excitement, then left.

Yang Silong got up and sat somewhere. He hadn’t held back just now.

Yu Xifeng boldly carried so many things in front of them without respect.

He wanted to teach this stepsister a lesson.

Who would have thought she seemed to have eyes on her back, dodged him, and made him crash into the door.

That bitch.

He never lost like this before and had no mind to check what was inside the box.

When it was mealtime,

Xu Yun and the Hu family had bought a good amount of rice today. The New Year hadn’t ended yet, and with so much rice, even if the meals weren’t lavish, at least they could eat their fill.

The fragrant smell of rice filled the 15th floor.

It was faint, with a bit of warm steam.

This aroma stimulated Yang Siyou’s appetite, reminding him sharply of the sound he heard when approaching Yu Xifeng.

When the box tilted, there was a slight rustling sound inside.

Yang Silong grew up comfortably and had never stepped into a kitchen.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he never touched a drop of water for chores.

Yang Rong looked down on women and, accordingly, never cared about cooking.

Yang Silong followed the same attitude, thinking cooking was humiliating for a man.

At first, he didn’t connect that sound to rice.

Subconsciously, he didn’t believe Yu Xifeng could get food their whole family couldn’t.

He thought it was just luck that she got a house.

The rice aroma convinced Yang Silong: these three families moving in brought rice!

Rice—white rice, steamed soft, lightly sweet; one bowl could erase hunger.

The more he thought about it, the more bitter and astringent the wild vegetable buns in his hand tasted.