There were roughly twenty to thirty people, but in the darkness, their faces were hard to make out.
All that could be seen was that they were carrying packages, some held children, and others were carrying mats, bedding, and the like, looking like refugees.
It wasn’t until they got closer that Shen Cong realized the person leading the group was none other than Xu Xingxue, the village head of Yingshui Village. Standing beside him with a flashlight was the property manager.
A sudden influx of strangers into the neighborhood, especially in these turbulent times, made the residents very alert. Every household sent someone over to inquire.
Seeing that people were displeased, the property manager quickly apologized: “Sorry, sorry, we didn’t have time to discuss this with everyone beforehand.”
Then he gestured toward the group and explained: “These are our neighbors. They are all villagers from the nearby Yingshui Village.
This is really a special situation. Yingshui Village has been hit by disaster, many houses have collapsed, and the square in front of the village committee has been flooded and is still under water.
The village simply cannot accommodate the affected villagers, and it would be unsafe to let them stay in dilapidated houses. That’s why they came to our neighborhood seeking help.
They just want to take shelter in our neighborhood square for now. Once it’s daylight tomorrow, the village will organize people to clear the water from the village committee square and then let them return.”
At this, the property manager forced a smile: “A distant relative isn’t as good as a nearby neighbor. Our neighborhood is so close to the village, in special circumstances we have to lend a hand. I don’t think anyone will object, right?”
Although the property’s unilateral decision made some uncomfortable, in the face of such a disaster, no one could argue over it.
Some muttered a few words, while others casually asked about the situation in the village.
But everyone was still in disaster mode themselves, so no one had much energy to talk, and after a few words, they dispersed. The residents all returned to their own apartments.
After all, the square was large enough, twenty or so people, or even more, could fit comfortably.
No one held onto the matter to oppose it.
Shen Jianyi was originally from Yingshui Village. Hearing that the village had suffered a disaster, he naturally had to go and check on the situation.
Seeing Xu Xingxue arranging the villagers and preparing to leave, he grabbed him and asked, “Xingxue, what’s the situation in the village? Is it serious?”
Seeing it was Shen Jianyi, Xu Xingxue stopped and explained, “Uncle, it’s nothing serious, really. Don’t worry.”
“How can it be nothing serious? Didn’t you say the houses collapsed?”
“A few did, but those were already unsafe houses.”
He glanced back and lowered his voice: “Only Liu Xia’s old courtyard collapsed. That house was nearly uninhabitable even without an earthquake.”
Shen Jianyi clearly remembered the old courtyard he mentioned, nodded, and then asked, “So why did so many people come?”
“Several of the houses have problems,” Xu Xingxue explained.
After Xu Xingxue spoke for a while, Shen Cong and the others finally understood: in fact, not many houses had collapsed in the village during this earthquake.
Apart from Liu Xia’s old courtyard, which was too dilapidated and had half of its structure collapse in the quake, the other houses only had large cracks in the walls, they hadn’t fallen down.
The main issue was the weather that day: it was windy and rainy, and aftershocks were reported. No one dared let the villagers stay inside their homes for fear of accidents.
The small square in front of the village committee was low-lying and had been flooded early on. The water was already over knee-deep, so there was no way to accommodate people there.
Helpless, Xu Xingxue came up with the idea of bringing people to the neighborhood to seek help.
After explaining, he turned to comfort Shen Jianyi: “Uncle, really, there’s nothing to worry about. Once the weather clears tomorrow, the village will organize some people to repair the houses for those few families, they’ll still be able to return and live there.
When the relief funds arrive, they’ll be prioritized for them first, and no one will have any objections. You don’t need to worry.”
Hearing Xu Xingxue’s words, Shen Jianyi finally relaxed.
He turned to Shen Cong and discussed briefly, telling her to go home (actually, to a space) and bring over the large, unused tent.
He said to Xu Xingxue: “My second daughter’s university is holding an anniversary celebration. She and her husband were planning to go on a road trip once the house was sorted. They even signed up for a travel group and bought a bunch of outdoor gear.
Who would’ve thought the earthquake would happen before they left?
Well, this works out, we won’t go traveling, and we can put the stuff to good use here first.”
While he was speaking, Shen Cong had already brought the tent from “home.” Besides the tent, she also brought several large moisture-proof mats.
“Xingxue, the ground is damp. It’s fine for adults, but don’t let the children sleep on the mats. You distribute them so the kids can stay in the tent.”
Shen Cong handed over the tent as she spoke.
Xu Xingxue didn’t expect the Shen family to offer such high-quality items for everyone’s use, and he was naturally very grateful.
He immediately called over two people to help set up the tent, then personally explained the situation to the villagers and watched as they put the children inside.
The villagers naturally expressed endless gratitude.
At that moment, Cheng Ru came over as well, bringing a large bag of steamed flower rolls she had made in the afternoon, distributing them to villagers who hadn’t had time for dinner.
Everyone gathered around again, chatting for a while, and only very late did they each go back to sleep.
That night ended up being a false alarm, there were no aftershocks.
As soon as morning came, people began packing their things and returning home.
The Shen family quickly tidied up as well, carrying the children and leaving the square.
Because there were still many people around, it was a bit chaotic, and everyone was moving outward.
At first, they didn’t notice anything, until they reached their doorstep. Cheng Ru was the first to react.
She turned to look at the woman who had been trailing right behind them and asked, “Liu Xia, why are you following us instead of going home?”
Unexpectedly, this question seemed to ignite a fuse. The woman immediately burst into loud sobs!
“Sister-in-law, you have to help us! We have no home!”
Her voice was still as sharp as when she gossiped at the Shen household before, piercing enough to make people want to cover their ears.
She cried while grabbing the roughly five- or six-year-old boy following her, shoving him forward toward Cheng Ru.
She urged him, “Quick, beg your aunt! Beg her to have mercy on our family, let us take shelter with you! Our house has collapsed, how are we supposed to live after this?!”
Her wailing immediately drew the attention of many people.
Having spent the night huddled in the square without proper rest, everyone was groggy.
But this commotion acted like a jolt of adrenaline, instantly waking everyone up.
Many people didn’t even return home; they grabbed their things and rushed over to see what was happening.
The Shen family was completely stunned by Liu Xia’s sudden outburst. For a moment, they didn’t react and no one even thought to step forward to stop her.
It wasn’t until the little boy ran over crying and hugged Cheng Ru’s leg that the Shen family realized they were being scammed!
The entire family was furious.
Cheng Ru was the first to speak up.
“Liu Xia, what are you doing? Your house collapsed, why come to me instead of the village? Do you expect me to rebuild it for you?!
We’ve already helped! Seeing your situation isn’t easy, my husband even brought over our brand-new tent for you. What you’re holding right now is our tent!
And that’s still not enough? What more do you want us to do? Do you expect us to just give you our house?! Why don’t you go steal one instead!”
She tried to pry the child off her leg as she spoke: “This is your grandson, right? Adults handle adult matters. Why are you dragging a child into this? Isn’t this embarrassing?”
Cheng Ru tried to keep calm and not stoop to the child’s level.
But the boy had obviously been coached by the adults beforehand. When Cheng Ru refused to let him hug her, he pulled away and tried to rush into the yard, but Shen Cong, who had followed, grabbed him!
At that moment, Shen Jianyi finally lost his temper.
He pointed at a man standing behind Liu Xia and shouted, “Xu Liang, get over here! Take your son away! All of you, get back to the village!”
Xu Liang, who looked to be in his early thirties, clearly had a rough life, unkempt and scruffy.
His hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in days, and he smelled strongly of sweat.
Being scolded by Shen Jianyi didn’t seem to anger him. He stepped out from behind his mother with an awkward smile and said, “Uncle, we really have no choice. Our house is gone, and we have nowhere to live. Your new house has so many empty rooms, third and fourth floors aren’t even occupied.
Please, uncle and aunt, have mercy on your nephew and let us stay a few days. Once the village houses are rebuilt, we’ll go back.”
As he spoke, he edged forward and positioned himself between Shen Jianyi and Liu Xia.
It was as if the whole family had planned this in advance. Liu Xia stopped crying, and the child lowered his head, trying to bite Shen Cong’s hand.
The three of them seemed determined to charge straight into the Shen family yard!
It was as if entering the house would put everyone else completely at their mercy.
Following their lead, the five or six people who had come with them earlier surged forward, pushing and scrambling to get inside.
At that moment, the Shen family was all standing at the door.
Gu Kai had just opened it, holding the sleepy Tongtong in his arms.
Shen Xi, holding Shanshan, was half inside the doorway and half outside.
Old Master Gu stood beside her, holding a bag with light blankets.
Although the chaos, from their initial commotion to rushing forward, seemed long, it had actually only lasted a few minutes.
No one at the door had expected them to force their way in; they weren’t prepared at all.
Shen Xi let out a frightened cry, instinctively clutching her daughter tightly, not even thinking to move aside.
Gu Kai quickly stepped forward to block her, simultaneously sealing the doorway.
“What are you doing?!”
Before he could finish his question, Liu Xia slammed headfirst into his stomach!
The impact sent him staggering backward several steps, almost falling to the ground.
Before the Shen family could react, the woman, playing the victim while crying, shouted, “Brother, for the sake of your late sibling, help us! We’re just a widow and an orphan, can you really watch us die?!”
“Then go die! Right now!” Shen Cong was already furious.
Seeing her bully her husband pushed her over the edge, and she charged straight at Liu Xia!
Realizing the danger, Xu Liang hurried to stop her.
Shen Cong, already boiling with anger, didn’t hesitate. She drew a steel anti-wolf baton from her bag and swung it hard at his shoulder!
The baton was made of hardened steel, thickened and reinforced, with the thinnest part already as wide as a pinky finger.
Combined with Shen Cong’s superhuman strength, now beyond Level Two, no grown man could match her.
The strike landed with a scream from Xu Liang, leaving half his body paralyzed.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed at the gate with a thud.
Silence fell immediately.
Those who had followed, hoping to cause trouble, all stepped back several paces. Even Liu Xia froze in shock.
It wasn’t until Xu Liang screamed in pain on the ground that Liu Xia realized she was at a disadvantage and lunged forward, crying out again.
Without a word, Shen Cong swung the baton at Xu Liang’s back and rear repeatedly, each strike drawing more screams.
He didn’t even dare to lie down, instead crawling forward a few desperate steps to get away from her.
He looked utterly miserable and humiliated.
“You cry, I hit him, hard! If you think your son’s life is too long, then keep crying!”
Shen Cong lifted the baton, its pointed tip aimed directly at Liu Xia’s nose.
The sight startled her so much that she choked back all her sobs, swallowing every scream.
The few people who had been gathered around, unwilling to back down, cautiously tried to step forward to mediate.
Shen Cong had no patience for their nonsense. She slammed the baton against the security door, and the specially reinforced steel door erupted with a deafening clang!
The noise made everyone cover their ears in shock, and two women even crouched down on the ground!
“Shen Cong, do you know hitting someone is illegal? You’ve hurt Xu Liang, your family will be held responsible!”
Someone, seemingly fearless, hid in the crowd and shouted with bluster but little courage.
“Breaking into a private home is illegal too! I’m acting in self-defense!”
Shen Cong snorted coldly, rapping the baton against the door again.
Amid the loud clang, she pointed the baton at the crowd and shouted, “Get out! All of you, get out! If anyone dares mess with my family again, I’ll hit them, beat them to death if I have to!”
ᘻᘿᓍᘺ
The intruders fled in disgrace, even Liu Xia and Xu Liang were dragged along behind them.
With the commotion over, the neighbors dispersed, and the Shen family finally returned inside.
Without a word, everyone sat in the living room, none returning to their rooms. Silence stretched for a long time.
Even Tongtong and Shanshan sat obediently by their mother, blinking and watching the adults as if waiting to see who would speak first.
Having vented her anger earlier, Shen Cong now felt a little anxious once the matter was over.
It wasn’t regret over what she had done, those people deserved a good beating! If they hadn’t been taught a lesson, they would never know their limits.
But, Shen Cong was slightly worried about making her father uncomfortable.
After all, he valued family highly; otherwise, he wouldn’t have insisted on buying a house here.
Seeing her father’s face still stern, Shen Cong scooted next to her mother and whispered, “Mom, what relation does Liu Xia have to our family? She keeps calling you ‘sister-in-law’ and Dad ‘brother,’ but I don’t remember Dad having a younger brother.”
“A brother, my foot!”
Cheng Ru spat disdainfully. “What’s her last name and what’s yours? Shameless! She’s just forcing some fake connection to get close!”
Obviously, Ms. Cheng was also furious, she even swore.
Shen Cong couldn’t help but laugh.
She sneaked a glance at her father, took a deep breath, and exaggeratedly patted her chest. “Well, now I can relax.”
“Even if they’re relatives, it doesn’t matter. Next time this happens, hit them all!” Shen Jianyi suddenly spoke.
The whole family looked at him in surprise; none of them expected him to say that.
Shen Jianyi raised his head. “What are you all staring at me for? Do you think I’d play favorites? Even if they’re relatives, who’s closer than our own family?
Shen Cong did a good job just now! If it weren’t for her, who knows how bad this situation could have gotten today.
From now on, if this ever happens again, don’t hesitate, everyone attack! Damn it, if they dare bully us, beat them to death if you have to!”
No one expected Old Shen to say something like that.
It was so different from his usual stiff, bureaucratic demeanor.
But as soon as he spoke, everyone felt an immediate rush of satisfaction.
Of course, what time is it anyway?
Those people were shamelessly crowding in to take advantage, which only proved that even they sensed something was wrong.
The apocalypse was coming, and yet they were still thinking about trivial matters?
Indecision now would mean they wouldn’t have a future at all.
“Should we skip the square tonight? The house is built so solidly, why don’t we just stay home?”
Recalling the earlier chaos, Cheng Ru was still a little uneasy. “What if that group comes back tonight and tries something while we’re not home? What should we do then?”
“They dare?!” Shen Jianyi slammed his thigh angrily.
“Whether they dare or not, I don’t want to go to the square anyway. The road in front of our house is wide enough. If anything happens, we can stay right by the door, there’s still time to run,” Shen Cong agreed with her mother.
What she didn’t say was, if a real earthquake hit, staying by the door would probably be no safer than being in the square.
Her and her mother’s idea won the family’s approval. After all, staying near the front door would be much more convenient.
At least when it came to clothes and daily necessities, there were fewer worries, they didn’t have to fear anyone discovering anything.
“Alright, it’s settled then!” Cheng Ru decided firmly.
Then she looked at her daughter. “Take out the rice and flour and measure it. Since we have so many people here now, let’s cook as much as we can together. Make as much as possible, I’m feeling increasingly uneasy, all jittery. We don’t know what might happen if the water or electricity goes out.”
Cheng Ru’s words brought another silence over the room.
Their phones still had no signal, and Jiashu and his mother hadn’t been able to make contact.
Old Master Gu didn’t say anything, probably to avoid worrying the whole family, but did that make him feel any better?
The persistent lack of signal already suggested that things outside were not good.
Although the villa seemed safe for now, how long would that last?
So even though Cheng Ru spoke gently, everyone understood that she meant to use this relatively peaceful time to prepare as much food and supplies as possible.
Shen Cong took out rice and flour from her spatial storage, along with the red bean paste Cheng Ru had cooked earlier, and the family gathered to make red bean buns together.
Cheng Ru’s red bean paste was exceptional, everyone, young and old, loved it.
Especially the two children, who could eat it at every meal without getting tired.
Everyone sat in a circle in the living room making buns, with the stove and electric kettle still heating water.
This had been Shen Xi’s suggestion.
Since time didn’t flow inside the space, heating extra water now would save energy later.
Everyone was preparing for the future.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and everyone immediately paused what they were doing.
“I’ll get it!”
The children couldn’t wait inside. Hearing the doorbell, Tongtong ran out before any adult could speak.
“It’s Xiao Yu!” Tongtong called out loudly in the yard, her voice brimming with unrestrained joy.
Soon, a woman followed him inside, carrying a small child, the same boy who had played happily with him earlier.
The woman held a piece of clothing and, entering the house, gratefully said to Shen Cong, “Thank you, Xiao Shen. This clothing really helped us a lot, otherwise, Xiao Yu would have caught a cold. I’ve already washed it, so you can put it away.”
“Why be so formal? Neighbors should help each other, that’s only natural.”
Seeing that she was a neighbor, Cheng Ru warmly greeted her.
Meanwhile, the three children had already started playing together.
The woman hadn’t come empty-handed; she carried a large bunch of grapes, a newly harvested variety she said was especially delicious, meant for everyone to try together.
Seeing this, Cheng Ru quickly went to the kitchen, took out some freshly steamed buns, wrapped a few, and handed them to her.
“We made the filling ourselves and wrapped these ourselves. Take a few home and eat them.”
Xiao Yu’s mother thanked her repeatedly.
She looked at the Shen family still busy making buns and couldn’t help sighing, “It’s so nice for you, having the whole family together… not like us…”
Her eyes welled up with tears as she spoke.
“Your family hasn’t been able to get in touch either?” Cheng Ru asked, worried.
Xiao Yu’s mother nodded. “The phone isn’t working. Grandpa and Grandma don’t know what’s going on. His dad drove back to the city, I don’t even know if he’s home yet. Sigh, with all this chaos, our shop is surely ruined.”
Her tears began to fall as she spoke.
She was clearly overwhelmed with worry and had no outlet to vent. To her, the Shen family seemed so dependable.
Even though they weren’t familiar, once she started talking, Xiao Yu’s mother couldn’t stop.
Through the conversation, Shen Cong learned that Xiao Yu’s family ran a jade shop in the Antique City, specializing in carved jade ornaments.
The shop was set up front and lived-in at the back, where they lived with his grandparents.
Over the past couple of years, they had earned some money and decided to buy a villa here, though they didn’t usually live in it.
It was during the school break that the kids insisted on coming to play, and since business at the shop was slow, the grandparents allowed the three of them to stay here, leaving the grandparents at the shop.
No one expected that just a few days after arriving, an earthquake would hit.
Xiao Yu’s mother cried bitterly, worried both about the grandparents and the goods in the shop.
After all, jade is extremely fragile and cannot withstand the slightest bump.
If anything happens, that’s the family’s entire livelihood at stake!
Hearing Xiao Yu’s mother speak like this, the Shen family couldn’t help but sigh in sympathy.
Gu Zhengchu thought of his own sister and nephew, taking out his phone to repeatedly dial their numbers.
Once Xiao Yu’s mother had calmed down a little, Shen Cong suggested, “From what you just said, you’re planning to stay here long-term, right?”
Xiao Yu’s mother nodded. “Yes. It’s more open here, and given the current situation, it’s safer than the city. My husband will come back to bring his parents here as well.”
“Have you prepared your supplies? Rice, flour, grains, oil, do you have enough? Since you didn’t live here before, I imagine your stockpile isn’t much.”
These days, Cheng Ru couldn’t stop thinking about stockpiling; her concern for food had become second nature. Hearing Xiao Yu’s mother speak, her first thought was to ask about supplies.
“We haven’t prepared anything,” Xiao Yu’s mother said, ashamed.
“We just came to rest for a few days. When we arrived, we brought a small bag of rice, only five pounds, and some snacks and a little bit of vegetables.
Who would have thought we wouldn’t be able to go back? Yesterday I suggested buying some instant noodles, but Xiao Yu’s father disagreed, saying we’d go back when the rain let up. Then the earthquake happened.
I did tell Xiao Yu’s father to bring some rice and flour from home when he comes back.”
“That will never be enough!” Cheng Ru immediately panicked.
“You don’t even know what’s happening at your shop! Let’s be frank, if your parents-in-law get hurt, your husband will have to take care of them first. Do you think he’ll remember to bring food for you?
You’d better go buy some yourself. You can’t rely entirely on a man. What if he doesn’t bring it back? Then what will you eat?!”
Shen Cong’s expression grew serious as well.
They were neighbors, and the children got along well.
But if this family ran out of food—
And came asking for help, would they be willing or not?
To avoid adding trouble for themselves, she pointed directly at the front door. “Go buy it now. Do you have a car? If not, I can lend you one. Hurry and buy it, having food in hand will calm your mind.”
Xiao Yu’s mother hadn’t been thinking so seriously before, but the “lesson” from the Shen mother and daughter immediately made her panic.
She nodded repeatedly, then picked up her child and started walking back. “Alright, alright, I’ll go now. Thank you so much. When Xiao Yu’s father gets back, we’ll come together to properly thank you.”
Shen Cong didn’t need their thanks, she only hoped they could support themselves, at least long enough to survive without causing trouble for others.
After Xiao Yu’s mother left, the Shen family sat down again and continued making buns.
At that moment, Gu Kai’s phone suddenly rang.
He immediately stood up.
The whole family stopped what they were doing and looked at him.
Shen Cong quickly asked, “Is that Jiashu calling?”
Gu Kai nodded, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
He switched the phone to speaker and placed it in front of his father.
Then he called out loudly, “Jiashu, where are you right now? Are you and Aunt okay?”