Xu Qingrou Almost Vomited Blood

Xu Qingrou spoke without thinking, “Yang Silong, hurry up and go in. You have to listen to your big sister.”

As long as Yang Silong could get in, they could coordinate from inside and out. Sooner or later, they’d be able to deal with Yu Xifeng.

Yang Sizhu was crouched on the ground, coughing violently. Her head was lowered, and tears dripped onto the floor.

Mom still chose her brother.

They were twins, born of the same mother, so technically there shouldn’t have been a distinction in age.

But both Dad and Mom always said she was the older sister, and that she had to take good care of her brother.

Why?

She wasn’t willing to accept that.

Yang Silong, afraid his mother would change her mind, excitedly moved closer.

Yu Xifeng tilted her head, having had enough of watching this family full of their own agendas.

She smiled sweetly and beckoned to Yang Silong. “Come, little brother, come in. Only you, okay? You’re sick, right? But if you die in here, that’s not on me.”

Yang Silong had just lifted his foot, but froze in place. He couldn’t go forward, and he couldn’t go back.

Yu Xifeng smiled, “So pitiful. You’re this sick, but only your mom came to beg me. Where’s your dad? Don’t you wonder? Your mom has nothing to do with me, but your dad—he won’t even speak up for you.”

The reason Yang Rong didn’t come was obvious—he thought it was shameful.

If Xu Qingrou managed to get in, he’d benefit too.

If she didn’t, well, that was her problem.

“The only connection between us is that we have the same father. But if he won’t even speak up for you… Little brother, do you really think Dad loves you? If he doesn’t, how can you expect anything from me, your so-called sister?”

“You want to come in? Of course, that’s fine,” Yu Xifeng said softly, “But don’t forget, your mother and I are enemies.”

Her voice was pleasant, but her eyes glinted with murderous coldness.

She really… would kill him.

Yang Silong remembered how she had pinned him to the wall and beat him up.

She said if he made a noise, she’d hit him. Every time.

He had no way to fight back. In that moment, Yang Silong was certain—if he entered Yu Xifeng’s house, he would die at her hands.

“I’m not going!” Yang Silong shouted, “I’m not going!”

Yu Xifeng looked regretful. “Really not coming in? It’s warmer inside, you know.”

“I don’t want to!”

Before Xu Qingrou could react, Yang Silong scrambled to his feet, pushed through the crowd, and ran off.

Sure, it was warmer inside—but more than warmth, he wanted to stay alive.

Yang Silong had inherited Yang Rong’s cowardice, meanness, and sleaziness.

Xu Qingrou almost vomited blood.

If she could, Yu Xifeng would have gladly climbed back into her mother’s womb to exchange for a less disgusting father.

Xu Qingrou grabbed Yang Sizhu again. “Zhu’er, then you go.”

Caught off guard, Yang Sizhu stumbled forward and didn’t dare resist.

“You think this is a market? Just pick and choose however you like?” Yu Xifeng leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, with a mocking smile. “If you want to kneel, keep kneeling. You’re not my mom, I won’t be cursed for disrespecting you.”

How could a pushover like Yu Xifeng’s mom have given birth to such a sharp and difficult daughter?

Xu Qingrou, still fuming at the uselessness of her son who had run off, was burning with frustration.

The farce ended on a limp note.

Yu Xifeng looked up and saw Zhao Yao standing in the back. Zhao Yao avoided her gaze and slammed the door shut.

That night, Hu Qiangyong came.

He brought a few sweet potatoes—about two jin—and half a jin of mushrooms.

He scratched his head at the door.

Like Xu Qingrou, he also wanted to get his two kids into Yu Xifeng’s house for the warmth of her air conditioning.

It was too cold. He was scared his kids would freeze to death.

Yu Xifeng looked indifferent and didn’t take his offerings. “Zhao Yao sent you, didn’t she?”

Hu Qiangyong, confused, replied, “Ah… yeah.”

“Tell her I saw her this afternoon.”

Xu Qingrou had stirred up trouble from beginning to end, always siding with those who condemned Yu Xifeng.

Zhao Yao knew exactly what kind of person Xu Qingrou was.

If Yu Xifeng made an exception for Xu Qingrou, Zhao Yao would find it easier to push her own kids in too.

“I don’t agree to this. Go back,” Yu Xifeng said, dismissing Hu Qiangyong before returning to sit on the sofa.

Little Orange curled up at her feet, absentmindedly licking its paws.

The freezing temperatures lasted for a week, with no sign of letting up.

The city was covered in mud, practically needing to be rebuilt from the ground up.

There was also a need to organize rescue and resource recovery efforts.

After the sudden drop in temperature, job openings—which had once been plentiful—became scarce.

Work hours were limited to 10 AM to 3 PM, only five hours a day.

Originally, jobs included three meals and a small amount of contribution points.

Now, only three meals were offered. For balance and stability, each household could only have one person employed, and there were strict requirements.

Even so, people were fighting tooth and nail for every position.

Many brought their dinner home to share with their families.

Trades at the market were mostly done using compressed biscuits—not the pre-apocalypse type made mostly of starch, but ones made from insect powder mixed with a little grain.

Well… at least they had protein. You just couldn’t expect them to taste good.

Hu Qiangyong went too.

His family had food, but also many mouths to feed. He took both his kids along. The kids weren’t selected, but Hu Qiangyong stayed.

When Yu Xifeng went to the community center to inquire about news, she ran into Yang Rong at a job recruitment site.

Upon seeing her, Yang Rong quickly squeezed to the front and registered himself.

His back was hunched, and he looked much older now.

In principle, except for highly skilled positions, only one person per household could be hired.

Yang Rong was afraid Yu Xifeng would compete with him.

She was young and a graduate from a top university—much more likely to be chosen.

Yu Xifeng gave him a single glance and walked away.

Yang Rong stared at her back, eyes full of hate.

Yu Xifeng spent one or two afternoons making her way to the still-under-construction underground shelter.

At the entrance, two guards lounged lazily. Clearly, not much was going on.

Yu Xifeng pulled out two packs of compressed biscuits. Hers, of course, weren’t the insect-powder ones of the apocalypse.

And just like that, she struck up a conversation.

“This was originally an air raid shelter, right? Just modified from the old structure. They’re saying it’ll be a new base. But I don’t get it—after that huge flood, why dig a hole underground?”

“Another flood would drown the whole thing.”

“They say it’s floodproof. But now that the water’s receded, what’s the point? And they’re planning to sell the units later. Who in their right mind would want to buy a damp, dark basement?”

“With this freezing weather, construction might stop altogether.”

Yu Xifeng’s heart leapt.

In her previous life, she had squeezed in as a refugee. Tens of thousands of people were packed into the underground shelter like ants, swarming everywhere.

The living conditions were unbearable—you came out feeling like you’d been skinned.

But there was no choice. When the unprecedented cold wave hit, the government urgently opened the shelter and provided central heating.

Only inside could you survive.

She’d heard that in the central district, there were private units with full heating and security.

Those living there had gotten the news in advance—people with power and connections.

Who would’ve thought that at this moment, those priceless private units in the underground shelter were still sitting unclaimed?

The authorities had probably predicted the coming weather using some technology—but they hadn’t made it public.

Yu Xifeng calmed her racing thoughts. After giving away two more packs of biscuits, she confirmed the news.

The sale wouldn’t start for another two months.

Before that, she needed to prepare a lot of documentation.

She also planned to transfer her household registration out.

Sharing a household booklet with Yang Rong—ugh, what a jinx.