Chapter 26: Trade for More Cement to Build a Road

Shi Yuebai spread her hands.

They had gone out scavenging, but they hadn't found any food at all. Let alone something like expired baby formula.

Nong Yasi followed anxiously behind Shi Yuebai and the others. "What should we do then? Shall we dissolve some bread in water for her to drink?"

She had seen the food inside the Shi family’s tarp shelter: a large pile of sprouted potatoes and several hundred small bread rolls. These were the only two things they had to eat. She imagined soaking the bread in water to make a thin paste that an infant could swallow. Although Nong Yasi knew that a newborn shouldn't be fed this way, it was the only option they had.

Shi Yuebai was firm. "No."

Nong Yasi’s lips trembled. Seeing that the Second Sister-in-law remained silent, she did not dare to argue. In the Shi household, whatever Shi Yuebai said was the law. Before the wasteland, it was because the family doted on her. After the wasteland, it was because everyone else’s intelligence had diminished. Now, it was because Shi Yuebai’s personality was too overbearing—even fiercer than before. However, because of her leadership, the few remaining members of the Shi family hadn't come to any harm. Thus, the Second Sister-in-law now followed whatever Shi Yuebai commanded.

"Give Xiangrui to me."

Shi Yuebai took Shi Xiangrui, frowning as she looked at the tiny bundle in her arms. She was a mountain of flesh herself, and she knew what flesh felt like. Yet, deep inside that mountain, a rare trace of pity stirred for this little scrap of life.

"So small."

Shi Yuebai raised her thick, heavy, fan-like hand and patted Shi Xiangrui’s tiny head. She watched as the infant cried her heart out, but she could only channel a mere wisp of her fat-derived energy into the little one’s body. Shi Xiangrui soon quieted down, hiccuping through her tears before drifting off to sleep.

"How embarrassing, crying like that just for a bite to eat." And yet, the child couldn't even absorb an ounce of that energy.

Shi Yuebai muttered her disdain and returned Shi Xiangrui to the dazed Nong Yasi.

"Xiangrui... what happened to her?" Nong Yasi looked at the now-peaceful infant.

"Probably starved into a faint," Shi Yuebai said callously.

She turned her flatbed cart to look at the clothes Nong Yasi had traded for with fifty bread rolls. They were all in good condition, and many were brand new. Shi Yuebai unwrapped one of the dresses, frowned, and gave the chiffon fabric a shake. "No wonder they were willing to trade these new clothes for bread."

In the wasteland, what woman would dare to step out wearing a dress? Were they looking to be assaulted?

Nong Yasi placed the sleeping Shi Xiangrui into the shopping cart, looking as if she had done something wrong. "Yuebai, I didn't handle things well."

She had intended to carefully select clothes and daily necessities, but the resources in the wasteland were appallingly scarce. When she said she wanted to trade bread for clothes—preferably new ones—a massive crowd had swarmed her with piles of clothes like mountains. At first, she had been picky, trading one bread roll for ten garments. But eventually, she became overwhelmed. It was inevitable that some useless items had been mixed into the bundles. Moreover, so many people had crowded around, some even trying to push into the designated area...

Thinking of this, Nong Yasi opened her mouth and pointed to the small stones scattered inside and outside the tarp. "Yuebai, I discovered something strange. It seems like the people outside can't rush into the area marked by our stones."

Shi Yuebai did not answer. Her silence meant the matter was dropped; it was as if Nong Yasi had never spoken.

"Keep these pretty dresses. I can wear them later." Shi Yuebai did not blame Nong Yasi for anything. Everyone made mistakes, and besides, Nong Yasi hadn't really done anything wrong. Though Shi Yuebai was an overbearing Great Witch who had long oppressed the Wu tribe, she was also quite fond of beautiful things. She tossed the chiffon dress to Shi Yaoyao and instructed, "Fold it and put it in that yellow rosewood cabinet. Yaoyao, there’s a set of children’s clothes here. Go and change into them."

Shi Yuebai shook out a pink T-shirt and blue jeans. By the size, they would fit Shi Yaoyao perfectly. Included with the outfit was a pink butterfly headband. It was perfect for Shi Yaoyao, now that she was washed clean. A sweet-smelling little girl matched perfectly with clean, new clothes.

As Shi Yaoyao obediently went to change, Shi Yuebai rummaged through the pile again. Suddenly, her hands stopped. Her gaze landed on a few bags of cement in the corner.

Nong Yasi hurriedly explained, "When I was trading for bread this morning, someone brought over a few bags of cement. I... I thought..." She lowered her head, feeling increasingly ashamed.

She had felt that the Shi family was living quite comfortably, staying united and peaceful. Nong Yasi had let her guard down, thinking perhaps she could fix the collapsed public toilet in the rubble pile behind them. Otherwise, with the whole family eating and relieving themselves inside the tarp, it was very unhygienic. Besides, Mother Shi liked to wander around and often stepped in filth without realizing it.

Nong Yasi lowered her head, blushing as she whispered her idea. For a long time, there was no response from Shi Yuebai or the Second Sister-in-law. She looked up, feeling uneasy as she glanced at the Second Sister-in-law. The woman’s eyes were vacant, with only a faint speck of black in the vast white, and her face was turned toward Shi Yuebai. Clearly, everything depended on Shi Yuebai’s will.

Nong Yasi looked at Shi Yuebai again. She expected her to be angry, as Shi Yuebai’s brows were furrowed tightly, looking like a deep "Chuan" character carved into her forehead.

"We also need to build a path leading directly to that toilet," Shi Yuebai said.

She wasn't scolding Nong Yasi for wasting bread on cement. Instead, she looked at Nong Yasi with appreciation. "You did a good job, but you didn't trade for enough cement. Even if we fix the toilet, it only helps those of you who can walk well. What about me and Shi Yaoyao?"

She had climbed onto the rubble pile last time and seen the view on the other side. The collapsed toilet wasn't far from their tarp, but Shi Yuebai’s flatbed cart couldn't clear the rubble. Shi Yaoyao had just been fitted with a prosthetic limb and struggled to walk on level ground, let alone climb over a pile of debris every time she needed the toilet.

Nong Yasi asked, stuttering, "Then... what should we do?"

"Trade for more cement and build a road," Shi Yuebai shrugged.

Clearing the rubble and building a path from the tarp to the toilet would perfectly solve the problem of her not being able to reach the facility in her cart.

The Second Sister-in-law and Nong Yasi were startled by this.

Second Sister-in-law: "Yu... Yuebai..."

Shi Yuebai snapped her fingers, though the sound was faint. "Excellent. None of you have any objections. Starting tomorrow, we’re going to clear away that entire pile of rubble behind us."