After lunch, Song Yue returned to her cleaning duties.
The square was a constant stream of activity. Injured people and families whose homes had been flooded were brought in one after another. Government workers immediately stepped forward to assist them, guiding them to vacant rooms.
Medical staff followed close behind, tending to wounds, distributing medication, and giving instructions on how to take it.
Though the square wasn’t spacious, the relief efforts were remarkably organized. This efficiency brought a sense of reassurance to the newly arrived citizens.
“Our government is truly wonderful,” one woman remarked. “As soon as I heard from the community office that my house was flooded, they sent someone to pick up my whole family.”
“Same here,” another person chimed in. “Water got into my place even though it’s on the second floor! I didn’t know what to do, so I called the police. They were here in just over an hour. That’s incredible efficiency!”
“I heard the government was prepared for this,” a third person added. “That’s why they set up the disaster shelters and distributed relief grain so quickly!”
“Really? That’s a relief. I know they’ll find a way to take care of us.”
Song Yue listened to the grateful and emotional praise while she worked, a warm feeling spreading through her chest.
“Hey, Auntie! You can’t take that! It’s against the rules!”
A sharp voice snapped Song Yue out of her thoughts.
Song Yue turned and saw a staff member in charge of food distribution blocking someone from leaving.
“What’s the matter, Xiao Xi? Don’t get rough with the people,” a man who looked like an official hurried over, addressing his subordinate.
The young woman, Xiao Xi, shook her head repeatedly. “Director Zheng, I wasn’t… This lady just took an extra portion of the relief food, so I—”
Director Zheng waved his hand, signaling her to stop. He turned to the woman holding the food. “Ma’am, our relief supplies are limited. Everyone is entitled to one portion per ID card. If you took an extra by mistake, you can just give it to me.”
A true leader, Song Yue thought. Fair and balanced, giving her a way to save face.
She expected the minor drama to end there.
But as Director Zheng stepped aside, Song Yue finally saw the woman’s face—it was Mother Zou.
“Official, please, show some mercy,” Mother Zou pleaded. “Look at my old legs, they’re still injured. My son works day and night to take care of me, and he’s absolutely starving. I just wanted to get him an extra portion.”
Director Zheng paused. “Ma’am, did your son not receive his own portion of the relief food?”
Director Zheng shot a glance at his subordinate. Xiao Xi blinked rapidly, her expression clearly saying, Sir, there’s no way I made a mistake.
Director Zheng turned back to the woman.
Mother Zou’s eyes darted around. “Yes, Official. My son has never received any food at all.”
Never?
Director Zheng and Xiao Xi both froze. This was a serious failure in their duties.
Xiao Xi shuddered. “N-no, Director Zheng… I remember this lady. Her son never even came to claim his portion…”
If someone was injured or sick, staff would distribute food to them in the square. Volunteers, on the other hand, had to present their ID cards to collect their shares.
She remembered the son of the woman before her. He wasn’t on the injured list. If he was a volunteer, wasn’t it his fault for not coming to collect the food?
Xiao Xi bit her lip, her expression filled with grievance.
Director Zheng looked at his subordinate and sighed, shaking his head. “Forget it. We’ll discuss this later. Ma’am?”
He stepped forward with a smile. “Since your son hasn’t received his relief food, you may keep this portion.”
“Oh, thank you, Official!” Mother Zou beamed.
“But you’ll need to come over here and sign for it,” Director Zheng added, his tone turning professional. “We need to register your son’s information.”
Mother Zou’s expression froze. “Wh-what? More paperwork? Official, I… I can’t read or write…”
“Your son can do it,” Director Zheng replied. “In fact, since you said he’s missed several meals, we’ll register him now. We can make up all the missing portions for him later. How does that sound?”
“N-no need, Official… My son doesn’t eat much. This one box is plenty.” As she spoke, Mother Zou backed away, clutching the lunch box to her chest. She stumbled right into a passing group of volunteers.
As luck would have it, they were Song Yue’s neighbors from Building 6.
“You again?” An older woman spotted the lunch box in Mother Zou’s arms, her eyes widening. “Trying to swindle the government’s relief food again, are you?”
The others immediately swarmed around them. “Official, don’t let this old woman fool you! She just scammed a meal from the first tent, and now she’s at the second one trying to do the same thing! How shameless!”
“Exactly!” another chimed in. “It’s his own fault her son has nothing to eat! He’s got two working hands and feet. He’s not injured or disabled, and he’s not a volunteer. Why should the government be forced to feed him?”
“Just plain lazy,” a third woman sneered. “He doesn’t want to work, but he expects the government to support him. Dream on!”
“Official, you might not know this, but that mother and daughter are incredibly cunning,” the older woman said. “Back at the square, they conspired to win everyone’s sympathy, tried to get us to back them up, and blamed another young woman for their faults. If that girl hadn’t been so quick-witted and sharp-tongued, we’d have all been fooled by them!”
“Official, don’t listen to a word she says,” another volunteer added. “She’s a compulsive liar!”
The volunteers’ accusations flew like a hail of stones. Mother Zou, surrounded and shamed, couldn’t bear the humiliation.
She lifted her chin, her face flushed crimson. “You’re just bullying a country old woman! Bah! A bunch of snobs and selfish hypocrites, you are! Suck up to the Official the moment you see him! Fine! I don’t want your food—take it back!”
With that, she threw the lunch box out of her arms.
The woman from Building 6 reacted instantly, crouching to catch it before it hit the ground.
“Good heavens,” she gasped, clutching the box. “This is relief food! How dare she just throw it away?”
“Her own son is a lazy glutton, so she’d rather others go hungry,” another sneered. “How vicious!”
Director Zheng waved his hands to disperse the gathering before it drew a crowd. “Thank you for your good intentions in saving a precious portion of food. Since this is all resolved, please return to your duties.”
Once the food was returned, the crowd dispersed and everyone returned to their posts.
After the last person left, Director Zheng turned to Xiao Xi and patted her shoulder. “Xiao Xi, I’m sorry about earlier. I completely misunderstood.”
“It’s okay, Director,” Xiao Xi replied softly, shaking her head.
The truth was out. She didn’t feel wronged.
Director Zheng nodded appreciatively. “Next time something like this happens, don’t keep it all bottled up. If the rest of the crowd hadn’t spoken up, were you just going to take the blame?”
“I understand, Director…”
“Alright, let’s drop it. I’ll keep an eye on that woman from now on. You can focus on your work. If anything else happens, come straight to me.”
Xiao Xi frowned. “But Director… how will her son get his food?”
Director Zheng’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean, ‘how will he get it’? Her son is a lazy glutton who’s not volunteering and isn’t injured. Why should we even give him rations? The government doesn’t support the lazy. If they dare cause any more trouble, I’ll report them directly!”
Am I, the director, really unable to handle a social parasite like him?
With that, Director Zheng left.
After the afternoon’s drama, Song Yue never saw Zou Chen or his mother in the square again.
She wondered if they were too ashamed to show their faces or if Director Zheng had already taken measures to have them relocated. Either way, order had been restored to the square. No one else dared to ignore the rules or try to exploit the state’s generosity.
At 6:00 p.m., it was time to collect dinner and settle the day’s work payments.
Song Yue handed over her white work card.
“Wages or supplies?” the worker asked.
“Supplies,” Song Yue replied.
“Alright, this is the White Card Exchange Area. Let me know what you’d like.”
Song Yue’s gaze swept across the exchange area. Beyond food, she saw candles, hot water bottles, gloves, scarves, and thick wool socks.
If she hadn’t been reborn, she never would have questioned these items. But now she knew all too well: a bitter cold snap would follow the flood. The abundance of cold-weather gear in the exchange area couldn’t be a mere coincidence.
This confirmed it—there were definitely people inside the government who knew what was coming.
Song Yue didn’t need cold-weather gear, so she passed on them, leaving the supplies for those in greater need. She walked away with only two boxes of compressed biscuits and a body fat scale.
The worker started to speak as she watched Song Yue pick the scale—an item no one else wanted and that seemed completely useless in their current situation.
Song Yue smiled. “My parents are losing weight, and we don’t have a scale at home. I figured we could use one.”
The worker didn’t know what to say and simply packed the items into a bag for her to carry more easily.
The Nanshan Community volunteers gathered at the designated meeting point before being escorted back by officials.
On the way back, the older women from Building 6 noticed Song Yue’s nearly empty bag. They crowded around her, stuffing frozen dumplings and dry noodles into it.
“Xiao Yue, we’re so sorry,” one of the women said. “We were blind this morning, siding with that mother and son.”
“If that man comes back to harass you, tell us,” another added. “We’ll help you drive him away.”
“Look at how little food you have,” a third woman chimed in, pressing a package into Song Yue’s hands. “Take some of ours.”
Song Yue stared in bewilderment. The same women who had berated her for being selfish earlier that morning were now surrounding her, offering apologies and gifts.
Song Yue quickly pulled the food back out and handed it back to the women. “Thank you so much for your kindness, but my family doesn’t eat much. This is plenty for us—please keep your supplies.”
Seeing her return everything intact, the older women exchanged glances, their guilt deepening. Look at how sensible and well-behaved she is, they thought. We’re the elders here, yet we’re utterly ashamed of our own conduct.
The rest of the trip passed in silence. The assault boat ferried them back to Building 6.
Families had already gathered at the base of the stairs. As the workers returned, their loved ones rushed forward, embracing them with relieved smiles.
“How was it, old man? Was the work too hard?” a woman asked anxiously, taking the supplies from her husband’s hands.
“It was fine,” the old man replied, starting up the stairs. “I chose the Green Card tasks; they weren’t too tiring for me.”
“What’s a Green Card?”
As they walked, he explained the differences between the White, Green, and Blue Cards.
Another mother, walking ahead of Song Yue, was already questioning her son.
“Dabao, was your work site chaotic? Did anyone bully you? Were the government officials actually keeping things in order?”
The young man, Dabao, let out a wry laugh. “Mom, this is a government-run job. Who would dare cause trouble? And even if they did, there are police stationed nearby—they’d be arrested immediately.”
The woman sighed in relief. “Oh, that’s a load off my mind. You have no idea—my heart was pounding the moment you stepped out the door this morning. I was so afraid someone would bully you… But with the police there, I can stop worrying.”
Every family had their own concerns and doubts, but they were all eventually put to rest by their loved ones’ explanations.
On the morning of July 17, the assault boat returned as usual to recruit volunteers. But this time, the soldiers brought new information.
“The factory is pre-recruiting garment workers. No age or gender restrictions—only a requirement for experience in cutting and sewing. Pay is settled daily, either in cash or supplies. If you’re interested, please contact your local community office by phone. We will come to collect you in three days.”
After several days of management and operational refinement, the community staff in each residential complex had mostly returned to their posts.
Of course, with their offices flooded, they were all working from home.
The internet was still working. The community staff had posted a digital sign-up sheet in the Owners Group, and anyone interested could simply fill it out.
As the recruitment news spread, Song Yue’s phone buzzed.
She checked it—a notification from her company’s department group chat. Her supervisor, Wang Xiaohui, had posted a message, and her colleagues were already lining up to flatter her with a chorus of agreement. Song Yue didn’t reply; she just silently turned off her screen.
On the sofa, Lin Xiaojuan stared at the open form on her own phone for a long moment. “If this were normal times,” she sighed, “I’d be looking for a job like this after retirement. I’d love to get back into the workforce.”
Song Tianyuan chuckled. “When would you ever get an opportunity like this in normal times? Enough of that. You’re better off staying home. Don’t go getting involved in things you don’t need to—we aren’t exactly short on supplies.”
“He’s right, Mom,” Song Yue added, taking the opportunity to bring out the body fat scale. She demonstrated it for them. “This thing measures body fat. You just stand on it barefoot, making sure your feet touch these two metal plates. Come on, you two try it.”
Lin Xiaojuan, who had been bored out of her mind at home, eagerly rose from the sofa and stepped onto the scale.
“34.7%? Is that high or low?”
Song Yue pressed her lips together, offering an awkward but polite smile. “A little on the high side.”
Lin Xiaojuan sighed. “Fine. Let your dad try.”
Song Tianyuan was coerced onto the scale.
“31.5%?” Lin Xiaojuan stared, stunned. “He’s leaner than I am? That can’t be right. Look at his belly—it’s like he’s three months pregnant.”
Song Yue smiled, trying to soothe her mother. “Women naturally have more body fat than men. Dad’s got a belly, but his arms and legs are thin. Plus, he’s always doing physical labor. That counts as exercise.”
Song Tianyuan lifted his chin smugly. “Our daughter is right. I exercise every day, which is why I’m in better shape than you.”
Lin Xiaojuan rolled her eyes. “Look at you, acting all high and mighty.”
She turned to sit back down on the sofa, but Song Yue caught her arm. “Mom, you and Dad have nothing but time. You should both start exercising. If things get dangerous later, you’ll need the stamina to keep up.”
The two parents exchanged a glance. She had a point.
Idleness bred restlessness, and boredom could be a sickness of its own. Since their daughter had taken the initiative, they figured they might as well get moving.
Song Yue designed a beginner-level fitness plan for them. Considering their age and the fact that their bones weren’t as dense as a younger person’s, she kept the jumping to a minimum, focusing instead on resistance training.
The parents were bored to tears. With nothing to do but watch TV and scroll through their phones, all they saw were endless, heartbreaking reports of torrential rain and floods. The new fitness plan was a welcome distraction, and they were eager to get started.
On July 20, the government took the eligible garment workers away in batches. Since the job required a certain level of skill and experience, only a handful of people from their residential complex qualified.
Song Yue counted them from her balcony: only six.
But that afternoon, at three o’clock, the six workers were brought back by the assault boat. The rest of the complex buzzed with confusion. They were supposed to work until six. Why were they returning so early?
Lin Xiaojuan recognized one of the women in red. “Hey, I know her! She’s from Building 1—we’re in the same dance troupe. We get along well; I’ll ask her what happened.”
She grabbed her phone and sent a message. The other woman, older than Lin Xiaojuan and unfamiliar with typing, replied with a voice note.
“Xiaojuan, let me tell you, we’re absolutely furious! That garment factory owner is a real piece of work. He’d already agreed to let the government use the space for a month free of charge. But today, when he saw how many people had shown up, he got greedy over his equipment and went back on his word, demanding to haggle with the government!”
“So what happened? How did the government handle it?” Lin Xiaojuan asked via voice note.
“They negotiated, of course,” the other woman replied. “The government officials stepped in to talk price with the owner. But that bastard had the nerve to demand a fortune—I think it was over two hundred thousand yuan, plus several tons of supplies. In a world like this, supplies are worth their weight in gold. How could he even bring himself to ask for that?”
Lin Xiaojuan, always one to wear her heart on her sleeve, was instantly absorbed in the drama. She pressed the record button to rail against the owner, but Song Yue stopped her.
“Mom, ask her the name of the factory.”
Lin Xiaojuan looked puzzled but asked anyway.
“I think it’s called Zhongxin Garment Factory,” the woman replied. “It’s not even that big—not half the size of the place I worked at before I retired. I don’t know what the owner’s so smug about.”
Song Yue’s eyebrows shot up. She turned to her parents, her voice flat. “That’s our manager’s husband. His name is Zhong Xin.”
“What?!” Lin Xiaojuan and Song Tianyuan both stared at her in shock.
“You mean Manager Wang? The one who’s always bragging?” Lin Xiaojuan asked, her mind racing.
Song Yue nodded. “The very one. She was just posting in the group chat this morning, boasting about how her husband is partnering with the government.”
“Your manager is reckless,” Song Tianyuan said, shaking his head. “With things so unstable right now, people are hiding any advantage they have. Who would brag about it like Manager Wang did? Now that her husband’s deal has fallen through, someone in your department is bound to have heard the news.”
“Hearing it is the best-case scenario,” Lin Xiaojuan retorted. “You were too busy working to listen to Song Yue. That manager of hers has a vicious tongue—she’s insulted her subordinates countless times, but the employees were too scared of her rank to say anything. Well, now look. After this mess, I bet someone’s finally coming for her.”
Lin Xiaojuan was right on the mark.
As if on cue, the phone on the table buzzed. Song Yue picked it up and read the notification.
【Team Leader Zhu Mengchun: @Manager Wang Xiaohui, I heard your husband pissed off the government. (smile.jpg)】