Chapter 252: "My Name is Zi Jing, the Zi Jing from *Qingqing Zi Jing*"

“What’s going on here? Who is this woman, and why is she stopping us?” Zhao Shupi, the head of the Aiguo Food Hall, was startled by Jing Shu’s sudden appearance. As she pulled back her raincoat, revealing a transparent hood with her long, jet-black hair cascading down and a strikingly beautiful face, Zhao was momentarily stunned.

Before Zhao Shupi could fully grasp her beauty, he was shocked by her immense strength. Not only did she snatch the electric razor from his hands, but she also yanked the long-haired woman away from the security guards, effortlessly pushing them aside. The situation quickly spiraled out of control.

"Are you going to stop or not?" Jing Shu asked calmly as she shielded the terrified Zi Jing behind her, pushing the security guards back further.

Zi Jing, though twenty-seven years old, still looked like a young girl of fifteen or sixteen. Her round face, with baby fat and a cute pout, was quite charming—if it weren’t for the tangled, red-worm-infested hair covering her head, she might have been considered rather attractive.

Zhao Shupi swallowed nervously, unsure of what to do. "I’m Zhao Shupi, the head of Aiguo Food Hall and the residential allocation officer for Banana Community. Who are you? You’re disturbing the peace here and obstructing law enforcement! There are police officers upstairs—are you looking to get shot?"

He studied Jing Shu more closely. She didn’t appear to be from a wealthy family, but her lack of reaction to his title made him suspect her family carried some weight in this post-apocalyptic world. Zhao squinted, lost in thought.

Zhao Shupi... Jing Shu recalled who he was. This was the same man who had run against Wang Qiqi for the position of distribution director, spending a fortune on steamed buns to curry favor. He even launched a raffle platform to attract votes, but ultimately lost to Wang Qiqi. The loss had hit Zhao Shupi hard, financially and otherwise.

To her surprise, he had now secured a position as head of Aiguo Food Hall. Clearly, he still had money to throw around—spending tens of thousands of virtual coins on a government position, only to lose it to Wang Qiqi and Jing Shu’s combined efforts.

More people gathered to watch, whispering among themselves while eating.

"They should’ve shaved this crazy woman’s hair a long time ago."

"Yeah, or kicked her out of the food hall. And now this busybody steps in. What’s her deal?"

"Who knows? Maybe she’s feeling charitable."

Jing Shu handed the electric razor back to Zhao Shupi. "I don’t mean any harm. My friend doesn’t want her hair shaved, so don’t force her. There’s no law requiring people to shave their heads. I’ll take her away now, and I promise she won’t disturb your food hall again."

Zhao Shupi’s small eyes scanned Jing Shu up and down, a hint of an indecipherable smile playing at his lips.

"Hold on! Who said you could leave? This woman has come to the food hall multiple times with her head full of red worms, causing serious disturbances. It’s affected the hall’s business and reputation. We must shave her head to prevent further issues for other food halls as well," Zhao said, testing to see if Jing Shu would reveal her connections or status.

Had he known it was Jing Shu who had cost him the position of distribution director, his expression would’ve been very different.

"I won’t cut my hair, even if I die! I won’t eat anymore—just let me go home!" Zi Jing clung tightly to Jing Shu, fear evident in her voice as she tried to maintain her composure.

"Alright, you won’t have to cut your hair," Jing Shu reassured her.

Fed up with Zhao Shupi’s games, Jing Shu called Li Yutian directly. "Captain Li, the head of Aiguo Food Hall is holding me up. Why don’t you come down and take a look?"

Captain Li? Zhao Shupi’s smile froze. Could it be Li Yutian, the second division captain? His mind raced, and before he could process how to handle the situation, he realized he had unintentionally stepped on a landmine.

Did I just hit a brick wall?

In her previous life, Jing Shu’s malnourished and frail appearance had ensured that no one paid her any mind. But in this life, the spirit spring had gradually transformed her, enhancing her looks and demeanor. Sensing today’s shift, Jing Shu became more vigilant.

...

"Misunderstanding! It’s all a misunderstanding! We were just trying to act in the public interest. As long as she doesn’t disturb the others while they eat, whether she cuts her hair or not doesn’t matter. Alright, everyone, disperse—nothing to see here!" Zhao Shupi personally escorted Li Yutian and Jing Shu out, sending the crowd away while internally stewing in frustration.

His curiosity about Jing Shu’s identity only grew.

Once the crowd had cleared, Li Yutian took Jing Shu to the second-floor office. As soon as he had the snake wine in his hands, he couldn’t resist taking a sip. The combination of pleasure and pain contorted his face before he finally let out a satisfied exclamation. "Good wine!"

"This is even stronger than pre-apocalypse liquor! That snake didn’t die in vain. But why does it look smaller in the bottle?" Li Yutian asked, swirling the bottle and examining the snake inside.

"The snakes laid eggs shortly after I got them, which is why it took three months to brew this batch of wine." Jing Shu glanced at Zi Jing, who sat quietly in the corner, not saying a word. Just like in her previous life, she was indifferent to everything except her fierce determination to survive.

"Great! You should make more snake wine. I’ll trade supplies for it. This cursed weather has had me wearing damp clothes for a month, and my arthritis is killing me," Li Yutian complained, limping noticeably as he walked.

"Alright, deal. I’ve got other matters to attend to, so I’ll be heading out."

After saying goodbye to Li Yutian, Jing Shu and Zi Jing made their way to the stairs. As they reached the landing, Zi Jing stopped and looked at Jing Shu, her expression filled with curiosity.

"Thank you for helping me today. My name is Zi Jing—*Qing qing Zi Jing*’s Zi Jing. I live with the second division's military families. But... do you have something else you need to do?" she asked, hesitating.

Otherwise, shouldn’t we just part ways now? Everyone else avoids me like the plague, but this person seems oddly comfortable around me. Does she not mind the red worms in my hair?

Jing Shu reflected on her memories of Zi Jing before asking, "You’re living with the military families?"

Zi Jing gave a faint smile. "Yes, I’m the widow of a soldier who died in the line of duty. I’ve lived in the military family housing for over ten years. After the flood, we moved here together." Though they had never married, Zi Jing had always considered him her one and only.

Jing Shu finally understood. "I see."

"Oh, by the way, I’m looking for someone skilled in textile work—someone who knows how to weave fabric and make silk quilts by hand. I heard there’s a woman with long hair who has these skills, and I was wondering if that might be you?"