Chapter 41: Extreme Heat, Refuge Camp

Lu Zhifeng was startled.

“It’s been hot for so long, a major rainstorm really is likely.”

“I’ll go back right now and pack up. Niuniu and I will move back into the village.”

He had actually hoped to move in with Jiang Si’s family, but seeing they had no intention of offering, he wisely chose not to make things awkward.

Under the floorboards of his house, he had stashed some firearms and ammunition. If danger came, at least he had a way to protect himself.

Jiang Si nodded.

“Yeah, if strong winds hit, the watchtower is going to be dangerous. It’s better to move down.”

That very night, Lu Zhifeng and Niuniu moved back to the village. Over the next few days, he gradually transferred everything down from the watchtower.

He did everything he could—searching the village for usable supplies, reinforcing windows, doors, and rooftops, and even set up a basic drainage system on the ground floor, imitating Jiang Si’s setup.

The house had been built many years ago, and he rarely stayed in it. Afraid that flooding might damage the ground floor, he moved all important belongings to the second floor.

He also found some light wooden boards and started making improvised life buoys for himself and Niuniu, while training her on how to respond in case of flooding.

In his spare time, he followed Grandma Jiang’s example and began growing sweet potatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, and leeks in woven sacks.

However, unlike Jiang Si’s home, he had no heat insulation panels, nor could he use ice to cool the place down. Apart from some giant mushrooms growing mycelium in a corner, nothing else happened.

Still, Lu Zhifeng wasn’t discouraged. He planned to ask Qin Shen where he had found those cactus seeds. If they were cultivable, even planting cacti would be worthwhile.

Cactus fruit could be eaten, and the plant itself, with the skin peeled, could be cooked like a vegetable. They held plenty of water, yielded well, and grew fast.

Jiang Si also told Qin Shen about the possibility of a torrential rainstorm.

This life was different from her past one. She couldn’t predict things exactly anymore, so she wasn’t worried about Qin Shen questioning how she knew.

Qin Shen responded much like Lu Zhifeng—he actively reinforced his home and occasionally went into the forest to gather mutated plants, small game, salt rocks… which he used to barter with Jiang Si’s family for daily necessities.

After confirming that the local water source was safe to drink, Kuang Jiaying began relocating people from the refuge camp to Longquan Village.

Longquan Village had over 120 households. Besides the homes of Qin Shen, Lu Zhifeng, and Jiang Si, people were moving in every day.

Each house had to accommodate at least twenty people.

Regardless of familiarity, everyone slept on shared floor mats.

With the weather so hot, the air inside was filled with every unpleasant smell imaginable.

Lin Zu’s whole family was crammed into a shelter. They only got two meals a day, had to wait in long lines for the toilet, and there wasn’t even room to stretch their legs when sleeping.

Finally, when news came that a safe water source had been found and a solution for solar radiation existed, people were thrilled they could relocate and start over.

They walked for hours with the relocation team, only to find themselves back in Longquan Village.

And the house that originally belonged to their family? Officially requisitioned.

Even though they technically still had a home, they had to live like everyone else—squeezed into shared housing, surrounded by the smell of filth with every breath.

Conditions were only slightly better than the previous shelter. In many ways, things hadn’t improved much.

Luo Yong’s family was also stunned.

They had fled the village as if running for their lives, and now it turned out the place had become a refuge base?

They quickly went to explain the situation to Song Hui and requested to return to their original home.

That way, they wouldn’t have to crowd with others, and they could skip working on water channels or construction just to earn food. The base had water—they could grow their own food.

But others had already made the same request before them.

Song Hui replied bluntly:

“The moment you left here and accepted the help of the refuge camp, this place no longer had anything to do with you. The state has reassigned this land for public use.”

“If you don’t want to follow the government’s arrangements, you’re free to leave the refuge camp.”

Leave the camp?!

No water, no food, no shelter—how were they supposed to survive?

Realizing the warning hidden in Song Hui’s tone, everyone quietly dropped the idea of reclaiming their homes.

If they insisted on making trouble and managed to get their house back, no one would protect them anymore. They might not even be able to hold on to the few things they had left.

So they left, dejected.

Two days later, Lin Zu was assigned a job taking care of the animals in the camp because of his veterinary skills. It earned him ten points per day—just enough to feed himself. The work was light and, best of all, located in the coolest place in the entire camp.

Apparently, the shelter had built multiple thick layers of insulation panels to help the remaining chickens, ducks, and rabbits reproduce.

On his first day, Lin Zu moved into the chicken coop and didn’t want to leave. He even felt a little lucky.

He figured he might even manage to sneak an egg or two for a treat.

That night, he accidentally spotted a flicker of light coming from Jiang Si’s house.

He asked Jiao Kuangtai if they were also hosting twenty people.

Jiao, still holding a grudge after Jiang Si embarrassed him, sneered,

“Their family isn’t like yours. They don’t need to contribute anything—yet they still eat, drink, and live in a private villa.”

Lin Zu’s eyes widened in anger.

Why?!

They were all from the same village! Jiang Si’s family were even murderers, and yet they were living like emperors in the camp?

“This is unfair!”

Jiao sneered again,

“What’s unfair about it? They never left Longquan Village. They even earned merit and are under the commander’s protection. They got thousands of pounds of food—pretty good life if you ask me.”

He said it intentionally, hoping Lin Zu would go stir up trouble with Jiang Si’s family.

If they slipped up, the authorities could finally punish them.

Thousands of pounds of food.

For anyone now, that was an unthinkable fortune.

Lin Zu was consumed by jealousy and immediately ran off to tell Lin Yonghua.

Lin Yonghua’s arm still couldn’t lift after being shot by Jiang Si.

When he heard how well they were living, he gritted his teeth in fury.

“Let’s go! Gather some people and move into their house! Eat what they eat, drink what they drink!”

Lin Zu hesitated,

“But I heard the commander’s protecting them…”

Lin Yonghua’s eyes turned cold and sharp,

“Protect them my ass! Why should they be special? If we can’t stay in their house, then they need to give it back!”

“It was ours to begin with!”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Even though Longquan Village now had patrols and order-keepers in place, Jiang Si’s family didn’t dare relax.

Each day, they took turns watching through the windows.

Jiang Si was teaching her mom how to break free if grabbed from behind when Jiang Linhai’s voice rang out from upstairs:

“Alert!”

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, geared up, and grabbed their weapons.

Even the dogs, Xiao Hei and Da Hei, rushed to the door, baring their teeth in readiness.

Moments later, Jiang Si heard a commotion outside the door.

Lin Zu’s voice rang out:

“Your house is so big, and just a few of you live in it. You’re wasting resources! We’re from the same village—let us move in!”