At this time, those who had received the grain…
One by one, they could hardly believe their own eyes. After confirming that the food was real, they did not care whether it was clean or not—they immediately stuffed it into their mouths.
Some were crying while chewing slowly and carefully. Some were devouring it so fast they nearly choked to death. Some hurried to feed their family members…
“Baby… Mother found food… there is food now… why didn’t you wait a little longer…”
“If your father and mother were still here, how wonderful it would be… they could also taste this… such tender fruits and vegetables…”
“I can live a little longer again.”
“So delicious… too delicious…”
“My precious child… your father and mother don’t need to send you away anymore… sob sob…”
“Children, wake up—there is food now!”
“This white stuff is milk! There’s milk! Child’s father, our child is saved! And this rice… it smells so good, I’ve never seen such good rice in my life. Quickly bring some to your elder sister too—her family is starving too…”
“I haven’t touched rice or flour for years. Should we exchange it for coarse grains… no, let the children taste it. They’ve never eaten rice before…”
……
No one publicized this matter. They all tacitly kept it as a secret.
After eating just enough to take the edge off their hunger, they carefully wrapped and hid the remaining food. After all, life did not end in a single day.
The rickshaw puller Sheng was in a good mood today. He had paid the cart rental fee and still earned 1.2 yuan—one of which was given by a little girl.
Because of war, his family had lost their home and had come to Shanghai City after wandering from place to place. Fortunately, he had met a benefactor, and through that benefactor’s introduction, he became a rickshaw puller. He could now earn about 9 yuan a month.
For someone who previously had no income, this was undoubtedly a huge sum.
Although he had to run day and night, pay high rental fees, was occasionally fined or forced to pay protection money, and sometimes even got beaten for no reason, at least he could now give his parents, wife, and children a place to shelter from wind and rain.
“Sheng, you’re back. Father, mother, and the children are already asleep,” a slightly hoarse voice said.
“Mm. Were you tired at the factory today? Does your hand still hurt?”
His wife had recently found work at a silk-reeling factory. She started at 3 a.m. and worked until 7 or 8 p.m., with no rest days.
During work, her fingers were constantly exposed to boiling water, becoming swollen and painful—even holding chopsticks hurt.
He felt heartache watching her, and truly wanted her to stop working. Especially since she had caught a cold these past few days, and the factory did not allow leave.
But with prices rising higher and higher, he was powerless despite his desire to help. Compared to those sleeping on the streets, their life was already much better.
“It’s been a long time. I’ve gotten used to it. You’re tired too—eat and sleep quickly,” his wife said, groping in the dark as she handed him a bowl of thick porridge.
Their shack was very dark. They could not afford lamp oil or candles.
The bright lights inside the concessions were something he did not even dare to imagine.
“Alright. Mother of the children, you take this.”
“This is a silver dollar?!”
“Yes. A young lady gave extra.”
“That’s good… then this month will be a little easier.”
“Yes. We really must thank that lady. Go sleep quickly.”
“Mm.”
Sheng finished the porridge in one breath, but still felt no fullness. He then groped for some water and drank until half full.
Just as he lay down, he felt wind rising outside.
It was going to rain.
No wonder it had been so stuffy today.
Sheng quickly got up to check the shack. Many others around them also got up.
But it was too dark to see anything. They could only hope the wind and rain would not be too strong.
However, things often went against wishes. In the middle of the night, heavy rain poured down, and even inside the shack, water began to leak in.
They had no choice but to drag their exhausted bodies up, move belongings to places where the roof did not leak, and bring out bowls and basins to catch dripping water.
As they moved things, they discovered something that did not belong to them.
“This is food!”
“Who put this here?”
“No one. No one came today. It wasn’t here when we went to sleep,” Sheng’s mother said after thinking carefully.
“Gurgle…” the stomachs of the two children growled. The older one rubbed his stomach and said, “If it weren’t for the heavy rain, I wouldn’t be hungry.”
They were still half dreaming, thinking maybe there were still big steamed buns waiting for them.
Sheng looked at his thin family, broke a sweet potato into two halves, and gave each child a portion.
He also shared some with his parents and wife.
“So fragrant…”
“So sweet…”
Because of the sweet potatoes, the two children smiled. Even the leaking rain could not ruin their mood.
“Who could have sent this?”
“Who would have extra food to give away?”
“This must be a gift from heaven.”
“If someone asks tomorrow, we can ask. If no one asks, we should say nothing.”
“Better not ask at all. Don’t invite trouble,” Sheng said after finishing the last bite of sweet potato.
If those people found out, life would become unbearable.
Even if it wasn’t theirs, it could be twisted into being theirs—and they would be forced to hand over even more.
“That makes sense.”
“Hide the rest properly.”
The next day, Sheng noticed many people in the shack area looked tired, yet there was a faint smile on their faces.
Everyone tacitly said nothing, but they all understood something in their hearts.
Sheng went to the rickshaw company as usual and found that nothing had changed in the concessions. No one mentioned the food incident.
So, those grains were meant to save poor people like them.
He did not know who did it, but he was grateful.
Someone had seen their suffering. Someone had been willing to help them. Suddenly, being looked down upon by foreigners and the rich did not feel so unbearable.
They were people too—people someone cared about.
As long as they lived, one day they would live like proper human beings. If not him, then his children would.
After a sweet and peaceful sleep, Ye Qingning tried absorbing a crystal core after breakfast to see if she could level up again.
But the moment she took it out, the crystal core disappeared!
Gone!
The crystal core she had worked so hard to obtain for her upgrade—just vanished!
She sensed that ten more empty rooms had appeared. That was her crystal core!
No wonder Yiren had no crystal cores. The life space actually devoured them—and it seemed that wherever it was used, the space expanded there.
Fortunately, the life space was only embedded within her ability space and had not fully merged.
Losing one crystal core to discover such a major secret—it was not a loss.
At least… it was only one.
When she left the space, she felt a chill. It had rained last night, and the ground was wet.
The weather was gloomy, as if another heavy rain was coming.
Because of the Japan-related arson incident, Japanese soldiers wearing hats and carrying rifles with bayonets occasionally stopped Hua Country civilians for inspection.
The civilians kept their heads down and said nothing, obediently cooperating. Their belongings were taken, and they did not dare to complain.
Ye Qingning’s hands itched again.