Chapter 167: The Epic Love and Hate in the Shopping Cart

Directly across from the Shi family’s camp were a few tents set up by Zhang Xueyao and those two women.

Over the past couple of days, Zhang Xueyao had managed to bring in a few more women who were decent-looking.

If you followed the direction of Zhang Xueyao’s tents and kept heading toward the city, you’d reach the three tents belonging to Xiao Lingye and his crew.

The riverbed here was fairly wide; from this side, you couldn’t really make out the details of the other side.

So Xu Xuejiao didn’t mind Zhang Xueyao and her group pitching their tents here anymore.

But a few days ago, some elderly folks had come and set up their tent too close to the Shi family.

They’d pitched it right in the middle of the riverbed.

Xu Xuejiao went over to ask what was going on.

Well, since Xu Xuejiao had things to do, Shi Yuebai couldn’t really force her to come back and babysit.

Nong Yasi had left.

Shi Yuebai turned her attention to Second Sister-in-law Shi.

“Second Sister-in-law, since your eyes are better now…”

Second Sister-in-law Shi walked forward and, with a loud “thud,” kicked a box that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the path.

She fell to the ground and cursed loudly,

“Who’s so inconsiderate? Just leaving boxes lying around—do you have any manners?”

No one knew if the box had been delivered by the mercenaries or by Ying Ruoying.

Shi Yuebai made a mental note: from now on, they’d have to write names on the supplies when they were delivered.

But seeing how Second Sister-in-law Shi couldn’t even take care of herself, Shi Yuebai knew she couldn’t count on her to look after the two kids.

Shi Yuebai started scanning the area, wondering if anyone else was free to babysit.

Everyone was swamped.

Except for her, standing there scribbling away, looking like she had nothing better to do.

So annoying. Did she look like a nanny or something?

She grabbed a sheet of A4 paper and tore it in half.

As she ripped the paper, she shot a cold look at Shi Xiangrui and Shi Fuze, who were sitting in the shopping cart.

Shi Xiangrui was six months old and had already learned how to roll over.

Right now, she was lying on her side in the shopping cart, her chubby little fingers gripping the wire mesh, her big dark eyes staring intently at Shi Yuebai.

She babbled and drooled, as if inviting Shi Yuebai to play with her.

Yeah, right! Shi Yuebai hated kids—especially ones this small.

She tore two little paper figures from the white paper and tossed them on the ground.

Shi Yuebai pressed her fingers together and touched her brow.

A beautiful blood-red rune glowed at her brow.

The two paper figures, which had floated lightly to the ground, suddenly climbed to their feet.

Number One stretched lazily, looked up at the shopping cart, and exploded,

“Oh my god, it’s so high! How am I supposed to climb up there? Shi Yuebai, are you even human?”

“Would it kill you to give me a hand?”

Number Two was more resigned,

“Stop complaining, let’s just get up there. If those two little gold-eating beasts start crying, we’re both doomed.”

The two paper figures huffed and puffed their way to the shopping cart’s wheels, helping each other up.

After a lot of effort, they finally made it up onto the wire mesh of the shopping cart.

Number One looked at chubby-faced Xiangrui and said,

“Xiangrui the Gold-Eater, hello, I’m your Playmate Number One.”

Number Two crawled over to the slightly smaller Fuze, who had just yawned, and started singing a lullaby softly,

“The great river flows eastward, when injustice is seen, a roar will be heard, hey ya, hey ya ya, hey ya hey ya hey ya ya…”

Shi Fuze pouted and immediately started wailing.

Number One quickly scrambled over from Xiangrui and slapped Number Two on the face,

“What did you do to make her cry? Shi Yuebai will tear you to pieces!”

Xiangrui, meanwhile, managed to twist herself upright in the shopping cart.

Her bright black eyes followed Number One and Number Two wherever they went.

Shi Yuebai ignored all this, leaving the two kids to the paper figures and busying herself with drawing her protective array.

Before long, Number Two, feeling wronged, started arguing with Number One.

“Do you think babysitting is easy? What am I supposed to do if she cries?”

“Oh heavens, I’m so busy. From the moment I open my eyes, it’s all about the kids. I have no self, no freedom, no friends. One day I’m going to get depressed.”

Crying, Number Two grabbed Xiangrui’s drool bib and wiped its own eyes.

If it even had eyes.

Number One, furious, somehow found a toothpick and started waving it like a sword at Number Two,

“You still won’t admit your mistake? Taste my Huashan Sword Technique!”

Number Two got poked, leaving a hole in its body. It looked down at itself,

“Oh no, I’m torn.”

“There’s no love left in this world. We’re mortal enemies now, irreconcilable.”

Number Two started fighting Number One, who was wielding the toothpick.

“Hey, ha! Dragon Subduing Palm!”

“Jade Maiden Swordplay!”

“Pretty Punch!”

“Quanzhen Sword Technique!”

Just moments ago, these two paper figures had been helping each other up the shopping cart, sharing hardship and camaraderie.

Now, they were locked in a fierce battle inside the cart.

Xiangrui was delighted, giggling away.

When Shi Yuebai finished her array and came over to check the cart, she found Fuze already asleep.

Xiangrui was still awake, sitting in the cart and trying to grab Playmate Number One.

Number Two, full of holes, was lying behind a milk bottle.

Number One did a backflip and landed on the bottle.

Kneeling on one knee, using the toothpick as a staff, it declared passionately,

“A gentleman can be killed, but not humiliated!”

“Number Two, hang in there! Don’t die—I’ll save you!”

Number Two clutched its torn chest and coughed,

“Don’t worry about me. We’re mortal enemies—why pretend to care now?”

Number One: “No, I won’t leave you.”

Number Two: “Go! Just go!!”

Xiangrui was having a blast, reaching out her little hands again.

Number One: “Shi Yuebai, hurry up and save us! If we die, no one will babysit for you!”

Shi Yuebai walked away expressionlessly and entered the Shi family’s compound.

After a while, she came back with a roll of clear tape, picked up the battered Number Two from behind the milk bottle, and patched up its holes.

Number Two covered its face with its hands, “Why would you do this to me? Now I look even uglier.”

Ugly or not, who cared about two paper figures?

Shi Yuebai tossed Number Two back into the cart.

She threw the tape in as well,

“If you get torn again, patch yourself up.”

She was exhausted—she’d been on her feet all day and her knees were killing her.

Inside the shopping cart, the epic saga of love and hate continued.

Shi Yuebai shuffled over to her mattress and collapsed into sleep.

She still weighed 683.9 jin.

From across the ditch came Da Jiao’s shout,

“Dinner’s ready!”

Da Jiao had taken over cooking for the group.

Luckily, it wasn’t too difficult.

Everyone gradually finished up their work. The team led by Pang Zhenggong, who had gone out scavenging, also returned inside the second wall.

No one noticed—

Inside the shopping cart, Number One and Number Two sat side by side on the handle.

They quietly watched the two little gold-eating beasts, who had fallen asleep after playing.

Number One’s toothpick was slung across its back.

Number Two’s head gently leaned on Number One’s shoulder.

---

I’ve seen a lot of you messaging me about cognitive barriers.

Turns out so many of you are just like me.

Actually, if you don’t want to spend money on a therapist, just read books.

Every book is a new cognitive framework. The more frameworks you understand, the easier it is to overcome cognitive barriers.

If you have kids at home and can’t get them to read self-help books, let them read novels or watch movies—let them experience other people’s love and hate.

Life is a journey of self-cultivation. I hope all of us, lost in the sea of suffering, can cross our barriers and reach the other shore."