However, such cruel scenes were already commonplace for the people of the Slums.
Just as the administrators of Sugu Station did not treat the people of the Slums as human beings, even the people of the Slums themselves did not have such awareness; they merely drifted through life aimlessly.
Lin Yu, holding two bamboo tubes, moved like a nimble fish, weaving through the crowd with the advantage of his physique and agile movements.
Walking through the crowd felt like entering a dense, human-composed forest.
Crowded, messy legs constantly moved, and various sour, rotten odors mixed in the air, with a faint smell of blood.
Regarding these harsh conditions, Lin Yu's face only showed accustomed indifference.
Enduring harsh environments was a necessary experience for living in the Slums.
Now, even if a trampled corpse lay before Lin Yu, he could calmly step over it.
Lin Yu had seen too much death in the Slums.
After some effort, Lin Yu squeezed out of the crowd, his bamboo tubes already filled with steaming thin porridge.
"Nothing happened, did it?"
Returning to the stall, Ikoma and Chu Ying were like two small tigers, vigilantly watching their surroundings, guarding the herbs on the stall.
"Nothing happened.... Gurgle...."
Ikoma shook his head, and just as he spoke, a hungry rumble came from his stomach.
As if a chain reaction, Chu Ying's stomach also began to rumble, the siblings truly had great synergy.
"Brother Lin Yu, stop looking, you should eat quickly."
Lin Yu sat down by the stall and did not stand on ceremony with the Ikoma siblings; he directly picked up a bamboo tube and began to eat.
It is said that children from poor families mature early; Ikoma and Chu Ying, in an environment like the Slums, were much more precocious and sensible than their peers.
They also knew how dangerous it was to get the porridge.
They had seen the broken corpses on the ground every time the crowd dispersed.
Lin Yu's protective and caring actions made them feel more or less guilty, so every time he returned after getting the porridge.
If Lin Yu didn't eat first, they would absolutely not eat; they just wanted Lin Yu to eat more.
In front of them, Lin Yu quickly finished the thin porridge in one bamboo tube and handed the other bamboo tube to the eagerly awaiting siblings.
Although it was called thin porridge, it tasted almost indistinguishable from water.
After two trips to the restroom, it would probably be completely digested.
The siblings took the bamboo tube, each drank half, and their lunch ended just like that.
This was life in the Slums; Huizi's family lived relatively well in the Slums.
Although they weren't full, they wouldn't starve to death, as Lin Yu also ran small businesses to supplement the household income.
After simply tidying up the stall and looking at the scattered crowd, Lin Yu felt a faint sense of disappointment.
It seemed that today, no one would be injured from fighting over porridge and come to buy herbs.
Saying this, Lin Yu prepared to send Ikoma and Chu Ying back; there was no need for three people to guard a small stall, wasting energy.
"No, Brother Lin Yu, I've been cooped up at home for days, and Brother Ikoma has been out several times. Let me stay with you today, okay?"
Chu Ying said with a giggle, hugging Lin Yu's arm, a brilliant smile on her face.
Her large, watery eyes narrowed into two crescent moons, and her two small canine teeth were inadvertently revealed, making her look exceptionally cute.
Although she was still young, with Chu Ying's looks, she would certainly grow into a beauty.
"Brother Ikoma, you go back first. We'll be back when the stall closes this afternoon."
Before Lin Yu could agree, Chu Ying, feigning seniority, began to dismiss him. Ikoma shrugged helplessly and scratched his head.
"Alright, alright, I'm going back now, is that good enough?"
Seeing Ikoma's helpless expression, Lin Yu reached out and flicked Chu Ying's smooth forehead. This little girl was so clingy for some reason; with such a big sun, wouldn't it be better to go back and rest?
After Ikoma left, the crowd gradually dispersed. It was midday, and the blazing sun was out. The remaining street vendors moved their stalls to shady spots.
The rising temperature brought a sense of irritability and a wave of drowsiness.
Chu Ying, the little girl who insisted on staying, was already almost asleep, leaning against Lin Yu, not long after.
Lin Yu looked at Chu Ying's adorable appearance and smiled faintly, placing his wooden sword on his lap, and began to meditate as he had in the morning.
For a swordsman, in addition to swinging a sword, meditation was equally important.
As for whether someone would take the opportunity to steal herbs, that was even more absurd. During meditation, Lin Yu's senses would be sharper than usual; let alone stealing things, he could even detect someone approaching from a distance.