Chapter 253: Chapter 253
The woman feeding the baby recoiled in horror and shouted, "You scared me to death! So it’s you. What’s with the get-up? Did you strike it rich?"
"If you’ve done nothing guilty, you won’t fear a ghost knocking at your door, Aunt Zhang. From now on, stop calling me the long-haired monster," Zijin said indifferently.
Aunt Zhang, while forcefully squeezing her shriveled breast to get more milk, chuckled sheepishly. "I just like to give people nicknames. I call Wang Erma that to his face every day, and he doesn’t get mad. People should be more magnanimous."
Jing Shu also noticed that only Zijin’s bed was in the center, with no other beds within a three-meter radius. It seemed her deterrent effect was still quite strong. After all, while an occasional falling red earthworm might be eaten as a snack, if a writhing mass of them, as lively as pythons, fell on you and startled you from your dreams, probably no one would be pleased.
"You finally cut your hair? That’s great! No need to bring you meals anymore." In the dimly lit room, only silhouettes were visible, and Xiao Mei could only see that the ’python’ had disappeared.
It was now five in the afternoon, and the temperature would soon drop. Whether working outside or salvaging, everyone had to return to their homes before it got cold; otherwise, they could catch a cold or get sick in minutes. That’s why most of the dependents living on the 31st floor were heading back, and some had already fetched their meals from the cafeteria.
"I didn’t cut it. I just washed it, coiled it up, and tucked it into a waterproof rain hat. It won’t be like before. I’ve caused everyone trouble in the past. When I have Virtual Coin, I’ll compensate those around me."
Aunt Zhang, still nursing and rocking the baby in her arms, fixed her eyes on Zijin. "Oh, you have saltwater to wash your hair now? And this gear! You must have struck it rich, huh? You said you’d compensate everyone; you should at least give us all a bowl of white rice."
"What to compensate with and who gets compensated is for me to decide." Zijin’s frugal lifestyle wasn’t going to be swayed just because she was earning 4 Virtual Coins a day.
When the surrounding people heard there was compensation, they crowded around, becoming overly enthusiastic.
"Oh, Zijin, the other day your red earthworms fell all over me, and I didn’t even get a chance to tell you!" Follow current novᴇls on novel-fire.net
"Zijin, I’m only ten meters away from you! Your red earthworms keep jumping over to my spot at night. You’ve got to compensate me too."
"I don’t care. My baby and I should definitely get a double share," Aunt Zhang said shamelessly.
Zijin maintained her serene smile. "There’s only so much to go around. Those around me can divide it among themselves; I won’t get involved. If everyone is still not satisfied, then I’ll take it all back."
The surrounding voices gradually subsided. Forget about what Zijin could offer as compensation; to satisfy several people at once, wouldn’t everyone have to receive the same thing?
The drama ended before it even truly began. This made Jing Shu feel a bit regretful; she had nearly forgotten why she was there—to help Zijin upgrade her living space!
But Jing Shu felt this place was beyond saving. There were too many red earthworms. They were constantly popping up from somewhere, just like fleas. Jing Shu even saw people idly picking red earthworms off each other on their beds to eat! There were even more here than in her home in her previous life.
People coming and going would bring in even more. Helpless, Jing Shu could only ask Zijin to first clean the bunk bed area thoroughly and wash it with saltwater. After that, Jing Shu covered it with a single-piece PVC plastic sheet, completely isolating Zijin’s living space. At night, Zijin was instructed not to take off her sealed raincoat and to wipe it down every day. This would have to do for now. She would help her upgrade to a different place later.
The onlookers, munching on the day’s cafeteria meal of Blood Mushroom and insect egg stew thickened with a welfare flour paste, watched the commotion. Jing Shu, unable to stomach the nauseating Blood Mushrooms, quickly slipped away.
Xiao Mei asked curiously, "Zijin, who was that person just now?"
Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but ask, "Then why is she so good to you? Giving you all these things."
"I start work tomorrow. The place I’ll be working at doesn’t allow a single red earthworm. You know how it is with rich people these days; they can’t stand such things. That’s why it needs to be spotless, with no red earthworms."
A man nearby was incredibly envious. "What kind of job is it? Can I do it too?"
"I’ll be making handmade clothes. The standards are high. You all know this is pretty much the only skill I have." Zijin didn’t mention breeding silkworms.
After Aunt Zhang lulled the child to sleep, she said, "Zijin, ah, it looks like you’re about to make it big. Don’t forget us when you do."
The only response she received was snoring from the small room.
Even the residents of the 31st floor in the dependents’ quarter, who had the toughest lives, were still doing better than the people in the Banana District’s basement at that very moment. Jing Shu felt greatly relieved. Regardless of their personal character or conduct, these people had relatives serving the country and its people, braving dangers at the forefront. They deserved such treatment. While the military’s death rate in the apocalypse was low, many still died in the line of duty.
The welfare in the dependents’ quarter was also decent. Every day they received a pot of boiled water, could add flour paste to their rice, had beds in their living quarters, and were allocated housing and household goods according to rank, among other things.
Perhaps I can go take a look at Li Yuetian’s house. I’ve heard he has a shrewish wife in her forties, while Li Yuetian himself, in his thirties, is having a May-December romance with an older woman. How intriguing.
Early the next morning, Zijin arrived, wearing the same clothes as the day before. She carefully soaked herself in the saltwater pool by the door to get rid of any red earthworms. Only then did she realize a small, four-square-meter room had been built under the villa’s awning, already equipped with all the tools she would need. How thoughtful.
Unfortunately, it was Grandma Jing who came out to give her instructions. Zijin then found out that Jing Shu had left early in the morning.
Zijin felt a little disappointed.
It must be you watching over me, helping me find such a good job, right? Don’t worry. I’ll work hard and keep surviving in this apocalypse until the day I see you again.
By the end of March, Jing Shu’s second batch of Blood Mushrooms had matured. She had initially wanted to wait a bit longer. Blood Mushrooms were a hot commodity and easy to sell, but she couldn’t release too many at once. However, Su Malie mentioned a major client who wanted to buy out all the Blood Mushrooms at an auction.
"They aren’t paying with Virtual Coin, but with oil," Su Malie said, a hint of pride in her voice. "How do I look in this yellow halter dress?"
"You look great in anything," Jing Shu yawned, munching on a spring roll egg pancake that Grandma Jing had fried that morning, filled with sausage and various vegetables. "So this is why you dragged me over at four in the morning? Just to watch you try on clothes? It’s only a business meeting. Is there really a need to dress so formally, and get ready this early?"
Jing Shu had been up making cigarettes until two o’clock just the night before, mind you. Four in the morning... When will this blasted ’four a.m.’ curse ever be broken? The Magic Cube Space feels more and more extraordinary; there’s something truly eerie about this whole affair.
"We’re dealing with Qian Duoduo, our group’s biggest competitor! Naturally, we need to make an impression. The road to West Mountain is blocked, so we have to take a detour," Su Malie explained.
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow, a sense of unease creeping in. Qian Duoduo? Really? I’ve worked with him several times. If he knew I was the seller, he’d contact me directly, wouldn’t he? Why would he go through a middleman and let them take a cut? Besides, I doubt he’d even bother with such a small order.