Chapter 24: Shi Yuebai Still Weighs Seven Hundred and Thirty Pounds Today

Long Yasi and Second Sister-in-law Shi could hardly contain their excitement. The possession of firearms meant they finally held a degree of deterrent power. Any survivors looking to bully them would now have to think twice, wondering if the bullets in their hands might just find a target.

Seeing that it was quite late, Shi Yuebai rested for a while and took a moment to introspect on her current body weight. After a period of activity, combined with the fact that she had taken advantage of everyone’s distraction to inject a pound of fat energy into each of their bodies, her own weight had fluctuated. She now weighed 730 pounds.

Shi Yaoyao was busy scribbling away, writing the character "Heaven" one hundred times. To prevent her from straining her eyes, Shi Yuebai had given her a solar lamp they had scavenged from the ruins. While others saw it as useless trash, Shi Yuebai found it quite novel. When not in use, the lamp could be placed in a sunny spot to accumulate energy, and one simply had to flip the switch to turn it on. Although the light didn't last long, it was more than enough for Shi Yaoyao to finish her writing.

Second Sister-in-law Shi was tidying up the tarp, placing a filthy cushion into the shopping cart they had acquired from Guai Guai. From now on, this cart would serve as Shi Xiangrui’s stroller. While Long Yasi was busy tending to the baby and Mother Shi, Shi Yuebai used her Water Conjuration spell to fill a large wooden basin with water.

"Yaoyao, come here."

As it happened, Shi Yaoyao had just finished her hundredth character. She stood up from her chair, looking somewhat awkward, and seemed inclined to drop to the ground and crawl.

"Yaoyao, walk over here!" Shi Yuebai’s tone was stern. "You must get used to it as quickly as possible, because no one will have the spare time to teach you."

Shi Yaoyao looked at her aunt in a panic, terrified of upsetting her. She straightened her body from her crouch and, step by step, made her difficult way toward Shi Yuebai. Second Sister-in-law Shi, busy with the cart, listened tensely to the sound of Yaoyao’s footsteps. Long Yasi, cradling baby Xiangrui, also stood up anxiously, ready to assist if needed.

"Yuebai, she only just got her prosthetic limbs," Long Yasi ventured, feeling that Shi Yuebai’s demands were harsh. Many people spent a long time recovering before they could even learn to stand with prosthetics. For Yaoyao to stand and balance already was quite an achievement.

Shi Yuebai, sitting on the flatbed cart, glanced at Long Yasi. "We don't have time."

She didn't have the time to coddle her. Second Sister-in-law was already overwhelmed, and Long Yasi had to care for both the baby and the mother. Yaoyao was Shi Yuebai’s responsibility, and she was not a patient person. This was simply how she managed things.

Fortunately, Shi Yaoyao was obedient. She tottered along, her prosthetic legs clicking as she moved toward her aunt. Several times she nearly fell, making Second Sister-in-law’s heart leap into her throat. But the girl steadied her footing and, despite the close calls, finally reached Shi Yuebai.

Both women let out a sigh of relief. But then, the sound of splashing water followed. They realized that the basin by the pier had somehow been filled to the brim again. Shi Yuebai had insisted that Yaoyao take a bath, and they had assumed she was just speaking idly. It turned out she was serious. Given Shi Yuebai’s unwavering nature, neither woman dared to protest, despite their heartache over using so much precious clean water.

When Shi Yaoyao emerged from the basin of black, filthy water, she looked like a completely different person—reminding Shi Yuebai of a wide-eyed cartoon doll. She actually looked quite endearing.

"Good. Go to sleep now." Shi Yuebai patted Yaoyao’s head, watching her totter toward the mattress and carefully lie down beside Mother Shi.

Long Yasi sat with the baby, her brow furrowed in worry. Seeing Shi Yuebai resting her eyes against a pile of rubble on the cart, she approached her with Xiangrui in her arms. "What are we going to do about the baby?" As the one who had delivered him, her sense of responsibility made her deeply anxious about his future.

Shi Yuebai, covered in grime and with her heavy chin resting on her chest, looked at her blankly. "What do you mean, what are we going to do?" *The child is born, you just raise him. What else is there to do?*

Long Yasi sighed, sitting down beside her. "I checked your mother’s health; she is too old and has no milk." This meant the baby needed formula, but where would they find that in the wasteland? Even the last remaining expired supplies had long been scavenged and sold to the wealthy in the big cities.

As if to punctuate her words, the small bundle in her arms, already hungry, began to purse its lips and prepare to wail. Even though Mother Shi was exhausted and asleep, she stirred uneasily at the sound.

Shi Yuebai reached out with her thick, fleshy hand and stroked the baby’s head. She drew a thin thread of fat energy from her own body and infused it into the infant. The baby, about to cry from hunger, slowly calmed down.

Long Yasi, thinking the baby was just tired, said worriedly, "His cry doesn't sound right." A weak cry meant the child might not survive. In the wasteland, that essentially meant he wouldn't last a few days.

Shi Yuebai remained silent. "You go to sleep with Xiangrui. We have endless work tomorrow."

Long Yasi’s heart sank. *Endless work... how many men would each of them have to serve?* Yet, she felt a strange sense of security; the Shi family was the best option she had left.

She sat on the edge of the mattress, but after an hour, the baby began to fuss again. Shi Yuebai barely slept the whole night. Every time the baby whimpered, she infused a little more fat energy into his tiny body, careful not to give too much lest his fragile system couldn't handle it.

After a sleepless night, Long Yasi had barely woken up when Shi Yuebai assigned her task: "You! Fifty of them."

Long Yasi’s face went pale. "Fifty?"

"We still have 500 small loaves of bread," Shi Yuebai continued. "Take fifty of them out and see if you can trade them for clean clothes or daily necessities."