Chapter 138: Everyone Has to Eat Two Bowls of Baby Cabbage

Shi Yaoyao fussed for a while, then fell asleep in Shi Yuebai’s arms.

With what Shi Yuebai had said earlier, Second Sister-in-law Shi finally felt at ease.

She relaxed completely.

As dawn gradually broke, the elderly, pregnant women, children, and others outside the second wall began to gather to go scavenging.

Although Pang Zhenggong had said there would be two shifts, hardly anyone actually wanted to scavenge for a day and then rest for a day.

Everyone felt that after a day’s work, they could come back, enter the second wall, and have two meals, then rest for a night.

They all had plenty of energy.

Ever since they’d started eating communal meals inside the second wall, everyone was eating their fill and sleeping better.

Their spirits were much improved—everyone looked lively and energetic.

You Zhizhen, as usual, carried her broom, planning to clean the toilets after scavenging.

Cleaning as punishment was extra; if she wanted to eat her fill, she still had to scavenge.

She glanced around the group.

Zhang Xueyao and two other women had already returned.

Before dawn, the three of them had stumbled back, supporting each other.

Judging by the looks of them, they’d done pretty well.

From a distance, Zhang Xueyao met You Zhizhen’s gaze, her eyes full of deep disdain.

At noon, You Zhizhen hurried into the public restroom to clean.

But there really wasn’t much to clean.

Everyone knew You Zhizhen had been punished with a week of toilet duty, so they were all extra careful.

After using the toilet, everyone remembered to flush.

Some of the old men and women were especially diligent and cautious, afraid of leaving even a speck of dirt behind.

They would even mop up their own muddy footprints in the public restroom.

The mop had been found earlier in the tool room next to the restroom.

There were also rubber gloves, air freshener, toilet cleaner, and so on.

Later, the elderly scavenger group also found some cleaning supplies in the underground shopping street.

They piled everything up in the tool room.

That’s how it is with cleaning—the more you do, the cleaner it gets.

So after using the toilet, everyone would just tidy up a bit as a matter of course.

You Zhizhen came to clean, but all she really did was mop over an already spotless floor.

In just over ten minutes, she could finish cleaning the whole restroom.

When she slung her broom over her shoulder and hurried down from the trash heap to catch mealtime—

Zhang Xueyao suddenly stepped out and blocked her path.

“Tell me, what do you get out of hanging around with those old useless people?”

To attract more customers, Zhang Xueyao had found a pack of wet wipes and wiped the dirt off her face.

The three of them shared one wipe, so it didn’t really get them very clean.

But You Zhizhen had washed her face at the restroom sink, so her face looked very clean.

Zhang Xueyao had an idea.

“You’re actually not bad-looking. If you come with the three of us to the main city gate, there are all sorts of capable people coming and going there.”

“You just help us bring in customers, and if we stick together, we’ll definitely live better than we do now.”

You Zhizhen opened her mouth, looking at Zhang Xueyao.

She suddenly wanted to ask: does Zhang Xueyao really think the three of them are living well now?

Zhang Xueyao said smugly,

“Our business is pretty good, we never have to worry about food. Aren’t you starving by now?”

“But we’re all eating our fill.”

You Zhizhen lowered her head. “Actually… you don’t have to do this.”

If Zhang Xueyao had tried the right path from the start, tried joining the old folks’ group to see if she could find something to eat—

She would have discovered a whole new world.

It would have completely overturned everything she thought she knew.

But You Zhizhen would never tell Zhang Xueyao that.

She thought the same way as the old folks: Shi Yuebai was a domineering person.

If she said the wrong thing and brought trouble to Shi Yuebai, and Shi Yuebai got upset—

No one would get to eat.

Another important reason was that You Zhizhen was still under surveillance.

She might look free, but in reality, many eyes were watching her behind the scenes.

Just like now, all the old folks, pregnant women, and even children were afraid she’d say something to Zhang Xueyao.

So they were all secretly watching from behind the second wall, ears pricked, listening to every word.

And all of this was spontaneous.

Shi Yuebai hadn’t ordered it, but everyone was more anxious about their own interests than Shi Yuebai herself.

You Zhizhen had a feeling that if she said anything about the restroom or what happened behind the second wall—

She’d be finished.

Zhang Xueyao looked at You Zhizhen’s hesitant expression and sneered,

“Can’t you ever figure things out?”

“Scavenging is such a waste of time. Besides, you can’t even find food scavenging anymore.”

“We women have to learn to use our natural advantages.”

She thought she really understood how things worked in this wasteland.

Women had no way out—if they wanted to survive, they had to rely on men.

When her man was alive, she relied on him.

After he died, Xiao Lingye handed her over to a group of men.

She’d been through hell, but she got food and survived.

Now that she’d left Xiao Lingye’s group, she could still trade her body for food.

Easy, free.

“As a woman, when it’s time to go all out, you go all out.”

Zhang Xueyao said proudly,

“Who cares about dignity? Survival is what matters.”

You Zhizhen lowered her head and mumbled, “If that’s what you think, what can I say?”

Changing someone’s mind is hard, and persuasion rarely works.

Zhang Xueyao wouldn’t even try, so You Zhizhen could only let her be.

Zhang Xueyao asked, “So are you coming with us to the main city gate later?”

“No, I still want to go scavenging,” You Zhizhen refused.

Zhang Xueyao’s face fell instantly. She looked at You Zhizhen with contempt.

“Suit yourself. But if you end up starving, don’t come begging to me.”

“I won’t give you a single bite.”

With that, Zhang Xueyao turned and left.

She didn’t see You Zhizhen sigh, her face full of regret.

Regret, because Zhang Xueyao would never know—

Right behind the second wall, a huge iron pot was being set up.

There was no soup today.

Da Jiao and Xu Xuejiao were stir-frying baby cabbage, and they’d even added salt.

Oh my god, what a delicacy!

You Zhizhen’s face was full of excitement as she rounded the second wall.

Everyone was already lined up, each holding a can of snow pear with white fungus, and a set of disposable bowls and chopsticks.

Da Jiao was keeping order:

“Listen up, everyone! Today we’re using large disposable bowls—everyone has to eat two bowls of baby cabbage.”

“No wasting food.”

“Auntie says there won’t be any more canned food from now on. From now on, it’s only vegetables.”

I’ve been having diarrhea all day.

Aaaahhh."