“Brother Cen… it’s me…” The voice outside came in broken bursts, “The mountain flood… it collapsed…”

Cen An rushed to open the door. Wang Lie stood there, a black raincoat pulled tight over his head, raindrops pelting down. “Why did you come over? Get inside quickly!”

Wang Lie slipped inside but didn’t venture further, staying right at the doorway. “Mudslides hit several areas in the village. Many households were swept away. Sister Qu sent me to check if you’re okay.”

Cen An grabbed an animal skin to wipe the rainwater off himself. “I’m fine here. Thankfully, I was prepared.”

Wang Lie dodged his movements. “No need to wipe me down yet. I still have several households to visit. Those swept away by the flood have nowhere to stay. Sister Qu asked me to see if anyone is willing to take them in. For those who do, the brigade will provide some compensation. But the affected families must also bear part of the living costs themselves if they have the means.”

Cen An’s heart tightened. “Houses were washed away? Who was it? Anyone I know?”

Wang Lie quickly rattled off a few names. “The others are manageable, but Yu Fei is tricky. He’s been here for years, living in that shack without fixing it. Sure enough, his place was the first to collapse. Turns out he has a younger brother, too—sick, too. He’s not well-liked either. Not sure if he’ll find a place to stay…“

”Let them come to my place.” Before Wang Lie could finish, Cen An spoke up.

“Here?” Wang Lie’s eyes widened, his expression saying: Didn’t you two have a falling out before?

Cen An didn’t dwell on that. “His brother can’t stay out in the rain. Have them come to my place first. It’s just that my place is a bit small, so it won’t be very comfortable.”

Wang Lie chuckled. “Brother Cen, you… Alright, I’ll go ask them.”

He’d known Cen An for quite some time. While he wouldn’t claim to understand him deeply, he could tell Cen An disliked having people in his home.

That was perfectly normal—everyone had their preferences. But he hadn’t expected Cen An to willingly let others stay at his place simply because they had nowhere else to go…

Sometimes, he wondered where Ceng An had grown up. In the world after the Cataclysm, it seemed unlikely that someone with such a soft heart could have been raised.

Wang Lie turned and left, returning shortly with the others.

To Ceng An’s surprise, besides Yu Fei and Yu Lin, Wang Lie brought along two others—one big, one small.

Tian Yuan flashed a mouthful of pearly whites. “Brother Cen, I’m crashing at your place too—I brought my own provisions!”

Perched dramatically on his shoulder was half a deer carcass. Being a hunter, meat was never in short supply.

Cen An smiled and welcomed them, then turned his attention to the younger figure.

It was a boy of seven or eight, wearing an adult’s coat. He was thin, looking even more frail than Qu Huihui.

Wang Lie whispered, “This child’s surname is Yi. He’s an orphan. No one wants to take him in. I planned to bring him to the Ability Squad base. Whoever has time could look after him for a bit, give him a meal. Once we help him build a new house, it’ll be fine.”

An orphan…

Cen An observed the child. He kept his head bowed low, seemingly unconcerned with what others were saying or where he was being taken.

“Let him stay with me,” Cen An said.

Wang Lie was utterly stunned. “This child… staying with you too?”

To put it bluntly, in these times, no household was well-off. Most who took in others did so for the subsidies from the Ability Squad… and the gratitude of their lodgers.

But this child was an orphan, so young he couldn’t even support himself. What gratitude could he possibly offer? If something happened to him, it would only invite gossip. It was truly a situation with no upside.

Cen An mentally counted his food reserves, then nodded again. “Let him stay. I’ll take care of him.”

Wang Lie smiled for the second time today, giving Xiao Yi a push on the shoulder. “Go on over. You’ve got a place to stay now.”

Xiao Yi lifted his head quickly, glanced at Cen An, then lowered it again. Dragging his ill-fitting shoes, he shuffled slowly toward him.

Wang Lie promptly counted out thirty-five crystal cores and handed them over. “This is the team subsidy—ten per person. Xiao Yi’s situation is special, so I’ll add five more for him.”

Cen An accepted without hesitation.

Only after they finished speaking did Yu Lin, still on his brother’s back, chime in with a smile: “Brother Cen, you didn’t even notice me. I was getting upset.”

Cen An, already familiar with his temperament, laughed in response: “How could I not see you? You’re practically blindingly obvious.”

Yu Lin nodded in agreement, “That’s true.”

Wang Lie took his leave again, leaving the others inside.

“My place isn’t big. You’ll need to sleep on the floor, but I’ve laid bamboo mats, and there’s a hearth—the ground won’t be damp.”

He led them through the cramped outer room into the inner chamber.

In such a short time, he’d already prepared a batch of bamboo mats according to his formula. They lay clean and crisp on the floor, ready for bedding and sleep.

“This is cleaner than my own bed at home!” Tian Yuan set the deer down on the floor and grinned. “Thanks, Brother Cen. You’ve gone out of your way!”

“No need to thank me,” Cen An shook his head. “You guys get settled. I’ll make dinner.”

Tian Yuan quickly offered, “I’ll come help in a bit.”

Cen An stood in the outer room, pondering for a moment before calling out, “How about we have dumplings?”

“Great!”

“What are dumplings?”

Several voices echoed from the inner room.

A smile slipped onto Cen An’s face. “You’ll see when they’re ready.”

Strangely enough, he’d never realized he enjoyed lively company.

Perhaps being with friends felt different.

He shook his head, refocusing his thoughts on the dumplings. What filling should he make? Pork was a must. He had five heads of bok choy left—why not use them all for a cabbage and pork filling?

Then he could mix shredded daikon radish with sugar and soy sauce for a side dish…

The outer room was bustling, and the inner room wasn’t quiet either.

Yu Lin couldn’t move, but his eyes were sharp. “Wow! Brother Cen, your bamboo mat is so beautiful! Could you make one for me someday?”

“And this animal-skin down quilt looks so cozy! It must be warm!”

Tian Yuan wasn’t much quieter either. “Brother Cen, this hearth is great! Once the fire’s going, the whole room warms up!”

“Whoa, what a huge Piranha plant! Hey, hey, hey… don’t bite me!”

Cen An listened, unable to suppress a smile. Just as he was about to mince the meat filling, Tian Yuan snatched the knife. “Let me do it! Let me do it! You want it minced into a paste, right?”

Cen An paused, then nodded, pulling out some bok choy.

A pale hand reached out and took the bok choy.

A hoarse voice asked, “How do I prepare it?”

“Just… chop it into tiny pieces…” Cen An demonstrated with a gesture.

Yu Fei nodded and moved to the side to chop the greens. Still clad in his water-repellent black robe, his deathly pale face made him look even more like a villain. His chopping motions resembled the dismemberment of a corpse.

Such an eerie scene…

Yu Lin sat against the wall on the floor mat, calling out, “Go, big bro!”

Cen An shook his head, took out some wheat flour, and began kneading dough.

A small hand reached out anxiously beside him. Cen An looked up to see Xiao Yi staring at him with utter terror.

The seven or eight-year-old child was so thin his cheeks were sunken, his eyes devoid of any spark.

Cen An sighed softly and smiled. “Would you like me to teach you how to knead dough?”

Xiao Yi stared blankly for a moment, then nodded vigorously at his smile.

Cen An knew the appetite of an ability user well. He brought out all the flour he’d pounded that afternoon—half for Xiao Yi and half for himself.

Cen An hadn’t suffered much hunger as a child. Thanks to the country’s subsidies, the orphans at the orphanage were always fed enough.

It was just that the food wasn’t very good.

Perhaps because he’d been deprived of good food since childhood, he always believed that delicious food possessed immense power. No matter how hard life got, a good meal could make it all pass.

If that didn’t work, then three meals a day would do.

The dough was kneaded, the filling chopped. How to put it? As expected of a professional with a knife, Tian Yuan chopped the filling so evenly and finely that it was almost a paste.

As for the bok choy Yu Fei chopped… well, it was pretty good too—finely shredded.

Cen An seasoned the filling and began teaching them how to wrap dumplings.

The task was light enough for Yu Lin to handle, so he simply moved the filling and dough bowl into the inner room, letting Yu Lin join in.

As it turned out, aside from Cen An, none of them knew how to wrap dumplings.

Each of them was quite dexterous at other crafts—especially Yu Lin, who could weave grass rabbits quickly and beautifully—but when it came to wrapping dumplings, their fingers practically tied themselves in knots.

Watching him tear three holes in a single wrapper, Cen An couldn’t bear to look any longer. “You should take a break. Don’t waste my filling.”

Yu Lin’s lips turned down. “Brother Cen thinks I’m hopeless…”

Over there, Tian Yuan didn’t dare utter a word. His hands were even clumsier; he’d been shooed away from the table earlier.

As for Yu Fei… His face was deathly pale, staring at five exposed, gaping dumplings lying before him. They looked even more terrifying than he did.

Cen An thought to himself, What on earth is going on here? 

He was just considering making the dumplings himself when a small hand reached over, holding a perfectly formed dumpling in its palm.

He turned around to see Xiao Yi looking at him cautiously.

Cen An paused, then smiled. “Did you make this? Xiao Yi, you’re so talented! Would you like to make some with me?”

Xiao Yi studied his expression carefully before nodding eagerly. He deftly picked up a dumpling wrapper and, sure enough, made another one.

With no one to distract them, Cen An and Xiao Yi soon filled several large plates with dumplings.

The steamer and iron pot were placed on the stove together. As the water came to a rolling boil, the plump dumplings were dropped in.

Once their bellies swelled and they floated to the surface, they were ready to eat.

Steam filled the small, dilapidated room, the aroma of food wafting everywhere. For a moment, no one spoke.

Tian Yuan sat against the wall on the floor mat, one leg bent, his wrist resting on his knee. He watched silently, lost in thought as he observed the blurred figures moving within the mist of white steam.

Yu Fei, who had been meditating with eyes closed, opened them and froze at the sight.

Yu Lin, propping his chin on his hand, suddenly smiled softly. “Hard to believe this is life in this world, isn’t it?”

No one spoke.

Until Cen An called out, “Dinner’s ready!”

The room instantly came alive as everyone stood.

Two steaming platters of dumplings were placed on the table. None of the others present, except Cen An, had ever tasted this dish before.

Yu Lin couldn’t contain himself for the longest. He picked one up and popped it into his mouth, his eyes widening instantly. “Wow! So delicious!”

Tian Yuan followed suit, taking a bite. “Holy crap! Who knew wheat flour wrapped around meat could taste like this! Cen, you’re amazing!”

Though Yu Fei remained silent, his chopsticks moved swiftly, devouring dumpling after dumpling without pause.

Cen An shook his head, took a small bowl, and placed several dumplings in it for Xiao Yi. The child seemed like some precocious little animal, afraid that causing even the slightest inconvenience would get him kicked out.

The richly fragrant wheat dumpling wrapper broke easily with a light bite, releasing its savory broth inside. The aroma of pork and bok choy blended together, scalding their mouths and making them cry out, yet they stubbornly refused to spit it out…

After devouring two entire pots of dumplings, Cen An wouldn’t tolerate waste. He cooked the skinned, leaky dumplings too, stuffing them into their bellies.

Their stomachs bulging, Cen An served each a bowl of dumpling broth—the perfect remedy for their feast.

The steaming broth carried a hint of saltiness and the fragrance of wheat flour. Yu Lin took a sip and immediately demanded, “I want this tomorrow morning! This is delicious!”

Cen An looked at him sympathetically. What kind of life had this man led before? Had he never even tasted wheat flour soup?

Beside him, Xiao Yi sipped the steaming broth, then glanced up at Cen An.

His belly was full, his body warm. Outside, the rain poured down relentlessly, yet he wasn’t getting wet. He could even warm himself indoors… This was the first person who had ever treated him so kindly.

Even if it was only a temporary stay, it was enough.

The little boy thought calmly: Once the rain stopped, he’d go up the mountain to chop wood and build a house. If no one helped, he could make himself a shelter. When he could go up the mountain, he’d dig wild vegetables to bring him…

“Don’t you like the dumpling soup?” A gentle, clear voice roused him. “Are you full?”

“I’m full…” Xiao Yi lowered his eyes, steam stinging them. “I’m… very full.” He couldn’t recall ever feeling this full before…

Cen An ruffled the child’s hair.

Outside, darkness had fallen, and suddenly the wind picked up. The howling wind mingled with the relentless patter of rain—just listening was enough to imagine how terrible the conditions were.

Inside the small, ramshackle hut, however, warmth enveloped them like spring. The fire in the hearth never flickered out, steadily sending out dry, warm air.

Friends gathered around the table, sipping dumpling soup and exchanging casual conversation—simple yet beautiful.

Tian Yuan stretched lazily, stood up, pulled over his ever-present animal-skin pouch, took out a few tools, and walked to the window, beginning to hammer and tap.

Cen An froze, “What are you doing?”

Tian Yuan shrugged indifferently. “Fixing your window for you, Cen. It’s well-made, but poorly installed. The pane and frame don’t align properly, leaving gaps that let in the wind noise.”

Cen An gave a light cough. Indeed—the window was crafted from a recipe, but he’d installed it himself…

The clanging and banging sounds were almost hypnotic, and Cen An couldn’t help but yawn.

Tian Yuan said, “Brother Cen, you guys go ahead and sleep. I’ll fix it and then turn in too.”

Since the fire pits couldn’t be extinguished, both the inner and outer rooms were equally bright, so Cen An simply nodded.

Everyone insisted he sleep on the small bamboo cot, and Cen An accepted without protest. He slipped under the covers while the others found their own spots.

Xiao Yi had brought his own tattered mattress and curled up in front of the bamboo cot. Cen An reminded himself repeatedly not to step on the child when he got up to use the restroom.

Amidst the tinkling sounds, they all drifted off peacefully.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In the mountains.

Su Rui had encountered several intruding mutant beasts on his way home last night, which was why he was only returning now.

Yin Xiang, whose nose was sharper than a dog’s, immediately sniffed closer. “Bro, did you sneak off to scrounge food from humans?”

Su Rui looked at him, reached into his robe, and pulled out a withered leaf under his expectant gaze. “I’ve eaten. This is for you to smell.”

“Aaaah!” Yin Xiang nearly lost his mind. “How could you! Am I still your beloved little brother?”

Su Rui rolled his eyes. “How’s that investigation I asked you to look into?”

Yin Xiang snorted heavily, regaining his composure. “There are indeed some traces in the mountains, but they’re not targeting us. It looks like they’re surrounding Yongning Village instead.“

Su Rui nodded. ”I figured.“

Yin Xiang leaned closer. ”Bro, you think someone’s targeting Yongning Village? But there are no other humans living around here besides them. Are they attacking themselves?”

“Who said humans all stick together?” Su Rui snorted coldly. “Beast Tides, flash floods… this person’s got some serious skills.”

Yin Xiang leaned closer again. “This is dangerous! Should we snatch that human? We could protect him! He’d be much safer here than in the village… Ouch! You kicked me again!”

Sure enough, Su Rui booted him flying. “Go investigate again. Find out when that human did this. If you don’t uncover it, you won’t be eating tonight.”

Yin Xiang landed with a tumble. Suddenly, a mound of earth bulged up, catching him securely. “Tsk, stingy.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Cen An woke again in the dead of night.

Only a faint, flickering glow remained in the fire pit, casting the room in darkness. The temperature had dropped again tonight, colder than last night.

A shadowy figure flickered before his eyes, startling him. Only then did he remember someone was staying at the house tonight.

He squinted to make out the silhouette and tentatively asked, “Yu Fei?”

The figure gestured for silence.

Cen An instinctively fell quiet, yet his ears caught an odd sound… Not water, not wind, not even the rumble of today’s mudslide…

It was the sound of something crawling across the ground—scales scraping against the rain-soaked earth, muddy and reeking…

Cen An suddenly realized: snakes. Snakes!

Right. The mudslide raged down the mountain—were the villagers the only victims? No. What about the animals and mutant beasts living on the slopes?

Deprived of food, they would naturally descend, coming down in droves…

He bolted upright. Was the house already surrounded by snakes? If Yu Fei and the others hadn’t come to stay tonight, would he only realize it when the snakes slithered inside?

Thud, thud, thud—firewood dropped into the hearth. Flames leapt up, warming the room a little more.

Yu Fei adjusted his timeless black cloak, his hoarse voice murmuring, “Go back to sleep.”

With that, he opened the door and stepped outside.

Cen An froze, sitting on the bed, unable to process it.

Suddenly, a second voice came from the floor, “Don’t worry, Brother Cen. Leave it to me.”

“Exactly. After all, he’s a Level Five ability user.” Tian Yuan chimed in. “Even if he is restricted.”

Cen An froze again. So none of them had slept? And what was this about a Level Five ability user? Restricted?

Yu Lin heard this and shot Tian Yuan a look. “You know quite a lot, don’t you?”

Tian Yuan grinned, baring his teeth. “I just didn’t want Brother Cen to worry.”

Yu Lin snorted.

Tian Yuan’s repaired doors and windows proved effective. The howling wind had vanished, and not a sound reached from outside—not a whisper of battle.

Cen An rose and walked to the doorway, peering through the crack…

Amidst the torrential downpour, the ground was swarming with dense, black shadows…

The rain mist carried a pungent, fishy stench that nearly knocked one off balance.

The sea of black snakes made his scalp crawl. Suddenly, two crimson beams shot toward him. Cen An instinctively looked up, only to feel a buzzing in his head… followed by dizziness!

It was a snake half a man’s height, its head bulging with a sac-like swelling, resembling the skin of a toad… Those two red lights were its eyes!

A dark shadow suddenly appeared before him—Yu Fei had walked to the doorway, blocking the crack.

“Go inside.”

Cen An responded with a nod and quickly shut the door.

Outside, silence fell once more.

The Red-Eyed Snake was a psychic-type mutant beast, and Yu Fei was a psychic-type ability user. Neither held an advantage… Could Yu Fei win?

Recalling the dense swarm of snakes covering the ground, Cen An couldn’t sit still. He rose, tossed several logs into the fire pit, and once the flames roared, boiled a pot of hot water.

Yu Lin watched his bustling silhouette, snorted softly, and lowered his voice. “I glanced at it when we arrived. Your house wouldn’t be toppled by a mudslide… I suspect you brought it down yourself. What’s your purpose? As another restricted… Level 4 psychic?“

Tian Yuan laughed. ”And what’s your purpose? A Level 5 psychic and a Level 4 wood-type ability user—couldn’t you dodge a mere mudslide?”

The two men locked eyes, their gazes probing. After a moment, they seemed to reach some understanding. 

Yu Lin spoke first, “Yongning Village hasn’t been peaceful this year. This mudslide feels suspicious. Plus, my brother said he encountered a small beast tide in the mountains. The Gloomy Rain Period, a beast tide… Hmph.”

Tian Yuan frowned. “A beast tide… and he just happened to run into it? That’s quite a coincidence.”

Yu Lin cut straight to the point, unwilling to waste words: “What did you discover?”

“Someone was tailing him.” Tian Yuan didn’t beat around the bush. “Only once, very discreetly. They followed him for a short stretch just as he was leaving and entering the mountains.”

He’d spotted it the very day he delivered fish to Cen An. He hadn’t intended to get involved—he had his own reasons for coming to the village… but that wind-cold fruit wouldn’t let it rest. So when he sensed something amiss with the mudslide, he immediately engineered the house collapse. Yu Lin scoffed. Who could argue? Trading a straw rabbit for a wind-cold fruit? It was the most lousy deal he’d ever seen.

He’d put on such a cold, distant front—who would have guessed…Yu Lin lowered his gaze expressionlessly, deep in thought. Stalking, beast swarms, mudslides… Who would go to such lengths against someone who’d been in Yongning Village less than a month?

Was it those vegetables that soothed supernatural abilities, or those medicines… What was the other party planning during this Gloomy Rain Period? From the outer room, Cen An’s warm voice drifted out. “I’ve brewed some Sparrow Tongue Bud tea. Would you like some?”

Yu Lin’s expression changed instantly, his face breaking into a sunny smile. “I’ll have some, thanks, Brother Cen.”

Tian Yuan scrambled to his feet. “Brother Cen, let me help you carry it.”

Cen An: “Alright, be careful—it’s hot.”

Beside the bamboo mat, Xiao Yi curled up in his tattered quilt, eyes wide open yet utterly still…The sweet taste of Sparrow Tongue Buds earned unanimous praise from Tian Yuan and Yu Lin.

After two rounds of tea, the tightly shut door finally creaked open. Yu Fei stepped inside, reeking of blood and rain. He flung a handful of blood-stained crystal cores onto the table, along with the corpse of the red-eyed snake. Cen An shot to his feet. 

Yu Fei paused, his brow furrowing slightly. “Scared?”

“Of course not,” Cen An replied flatly. “I was asking if you’re hurt. If you’re okay, I’ve heated water. You can wash up and feel better.”

Yu Fei’s movement toward the inner room steadied, and he gave a low, quiet “Okay.” He turned and walked to the wooden basin filled with hot water. 

After he finished washing, Cen An handed him a soft animal hide. Yu Lin, propping his chin on his hand, watched the scene unfold. He smiled and sighed, “I wish Brother Cen would take care of me, too. My brother just can’t look after me properly.”

Cen An shot him a helpless glance. “Go to sleep already. Dawn won’t be long.”

The group tidied up once more and settled down to sleep.—The next morning, Cen An quietly opened his eyes. Before him, the system screen displayed a bold message: 【Congratulations! Your white radish has matured!】No storm could disrupt the system’s rhythm; the radish ripened right on schedule. 

He rose quietly, seeing the others still asleep. Carefully slipping past them, he donned his straw cloak and conical hat before stepping outside. The biting cold sent a shiver through him. A thin layer of frost had formed on the ground. 

He suspected the rain would soon turn to snow… and that would be even harder to endure. The farm’s reality protection system had never been turned off. Even if he farmed in front of everyone, no one would suspect a thing. 

He swiftly harvested an entire patch of white radishes.【Congratulations! Experience Points x750】

He opened the seed purchase interface again. Baby bok choy, white radish, sweet asparagus, colorful tomatoes…He currently holds 254 crystal cores—some from before, some given by the dog owner that day, and the rest earned by Yu Fei from monster hunting yesterday. 

Cen An hadn’t wanted them, but Yu Lin insisted it was rent for staying… In the end, Cen An couldn’t argue and accepted them. Over two hundred crystal cores could buy even the most expensive, colorful tomato seeds. Instead, Cen An bought a packet of bok choy seeds. Fifty crystal cores were immediately deducted, leaving him with 204.

He calculated it clearly: the bok choy would mature in three days. By the time it was ready, the Gloomy Rain Period had passed, and he could plant the colorful tomatoes next.

He was already quite skilled at planting bok choy. It didn’t take long to finish the task. The seeds took root, sprouting into seedlings one after another, earning him another 750 experience points.

He glanced at the Raindrop Essence Cup, noting it was nearly full. Then he turned his attention to the piles of snake skins and meat stacked under the eaves.

These were last night’s snakes.

After dealing with the snakes, Yu Fei had even processed the carcasses. The snake skins and meat were neatly stacked into two piles, one on each side of the doorway, resembling some strange ritual.

Cen An paused briefly before gathering the hides and meat.

Snake skin could be used for many things—clothing, pouches, umbrellas, and other everyday items. This pile would last him a long time.

He stepped lightly into the house, poked the fire pit, and prepared to start breakfast.

Only when the sound of water began to fill the air did Yu Lin, who had long since opened his eyes in the inner room, ask with a smile, “Brother Cen, what’s for breakfast?”

“Mixed grain porridge,” Cen An replied in his usual gentle tone. “Whoever’s up, help me sort the beans.”

“I’ll do it!” Tian Yuan sprang up with a dramatic leap, yawning exaggeratedly, though his face showed no trace of sleepiness.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yi had already begun tidying the quilts, while Yu Fei sat silently with eyes closed in meditation.

The sorted beans went into the pot to simmer over low heat. Cen An added rice and wheat.

The gentle bubbling soon gave way to a rolling boil, releasing the pure, comforting aroma of grains.

Cen An timed it perfectly, peeling three large cassava roots and adding them to the pot.

He hadn’t eaten cassava in his previous life, but here it was sweet and soft, similar in taste to yams but larger, filling, and delicious.

The aroma in the air grew richer, making everyone’s stomachs rumble early in the morning.

Tian Yuan wandered over to the pot. “Brother Cen, when will it be ready?”

Cen An had been asked this three times already that morning. Exasperated, he replied, “Another half hour. If you’re free, help me prepare the fish.”

It was still the large fish Tian Yuan had delivered. Cen An examined it today and found it looked leaner, so he decided to make grilled fish for lunch.

The prepared fish was scored with a knife, marinated in seasonings, and the congee in the pot finally bubbled up with rice flowers.

After a long wait, the call, “It’s ready, let’s eat,” finally rang out. Everyone immediately rushed over.

Even Yu Lin was in good spirits today, walking over to the table and sitting down by himself.

Bowl after bowl of thick multigrain porridge was served. The rice aroma was rich, the assorted beans stewed until tender, and large chunks of cassava broke apart easily with chopsticks, revealing their sandy-textured insides… …

The small, dilapidated hut fell silent for a moment, filled only by the sounds of slurping porridge.

After finishing two bowls, Tian Yuan exclaimed, “I suspect even plain water cooked by Brother Cen would taste delicious.”

Cen An chuckled, “That might be a slight exaggeration.”

After breakfast, the restless Tian Yuan found himself a task of pounding noodles, while Cen An led the others in sorting beans to pass the time.

Yu Fei suddenly pricked up his ears. “Someone’s coming.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Not everyone enjoyed the same comfort as those in the small, dilapidated hut.

The sudden drop in temperature overnight and this morning has brought high fevers and wind-chill to many.

Those living in their own homes fared better. They had stored some firewood and dry grass, and with the wind-cold fruit exchanged from Cen An, they could endure it somehow.

The real hardship fell on those who’d lost their homes the day before.

Though Qu Yue and the others tried their best to find shelter for everyone, some simply couldn’t tolerate strangers in their homes.

Besides, the sheer number of victims was so great that even if other villagers were willing, they couldn’t possibly accommodate them all.

With no other option, the Ability Squad divided the remaining people into two groups and found two empty houses in the village to house them.

Qu Yue and Shi Long each took charge of one house, their responsibilities overlapping but not conflicting.

Yet after last night’s sharp drop in temperature, many fell ill by morning.

They had Wind-Cold Fruit too. But most families had only exchanged for one, meant for their elderly or children.

But yesterday’s rain combined with today’s chill had even the young and strong succumbing to illness. What good was a single wind-cold fruit? Who should get it?

Families pushed and pulled, but in the end, it went to the sickest member. The others had to tough it out. If they could endure it, fine. If not…

“Honestly, we should go back to that vendor. He must still have wind-cold fruit left.”

This remark surfaced from the crowd.

The other villagers froze. Someone spoke up: “We’ve lost our homes! Even if he has wind-cold fruit, what could I possibly trade for it?”

The others realized the truth too, sighing and nodding in agreement. “Yeah…”

“If only I’d traded for one more that day. But I just couldn’t bring myself to part with it…”

“Think you’re the only one suffering? Last year, no one in my family got sick, so I didn’t trade…”

The voice continued, “If we have nothing to trade, can’t we at least get credit? We’re all suffering this badly. We’re all from the same village—could he really watch us die over a little grain? It’s just a fruit. Could it possibly be more important than life?”

Immediately, others chimed in: “Exactly! It’s just a fruit. Could it really be more important than life?”

“Exactly! If it comes to it, we’ll just take it by force! Can a living person really die from holding their pee?”

Seeing the situation turn sour, the on-duty member of the Ability Squad quickly sent someone to fetch Qu Yue and Wang Lie.

Moments later, Qu Yue—who had been asleep for less than two hours—stormed in, her face flushed with fury. “Who the hell wants to go get that wind-cold fruit?”

A man with a shifty, thieving look about him shifted his eyes nervously, bowing and scraping. “Sis Qu, please don’t be angry. Look at us—sick people, feverish people. Cen An has so many Wind-Cold Fruits. Who wouldn’t want something that can save lives? You agree, right?”

Scattered murmurs of agreement echoed from the crowd.

Qu Yue snorted coldly. She recognized this man—Diao Qi. Instead of working to earn crystal cores and supplies, he spent his days stealing chickens and dogs in the village.

Suppressing her anger, she asked, “Is that so? Anyone else?”

Diao Qi’s eyes darted around, glancing back discreetly, only to have his gaze met with avoidance.

“Very well. No one else.” Qu Yue snorted coldly. Her palm shot upward, and a vine as thick as a wrist shot from the ground, lashing hard against the earth. The flying gravel pelted Diao Qi’s face, making him yelp in fright.

Qu Yue declared, “I’ll make it clear today! No one is to bother Cen An! If anyone dares to force him to hand over the wind-cold fruit under the pretense of saving lives, I’ll grind them into fertilizer!”

Diao Qi’s screams abruptly stopped. The room fell silent.

One villager suddenly spoke up: “I don’t know all the ins and outs, but I just feel… he didn’t try to charge us more because he had the Wind-Cold Fruit. I couldn’t bring myself to force him to give it up.”

“That’s exactly it,” another old woman nodded. “Three portions of grain for one wind-cold fruit? Even this old woman thinks that’s cheap. That young man is a good soul. Seeing how hard my old bones have it, he even asked for less.”

“Exactly! Besides, what’s wrong with him keeping a few wind-cold fruits for himself? Why must we force him to hand them over?”

“It is a bit odd. Just now, it seemed like he… and he was the first to speak up…”

“He chimed in, too! I heard it!”

“What nonsense are you talking about! I didn’t…”

Qu Yue turned her head, signaling her squad members to take away the few people the villagers had pointed out.

Though she had been angry earlier, her reason remained intact. This matter felt strange. It was understandable that Diao Qi wanted the wind-cold fruit, but how did he know Cen An’s name? Aside from the members of the Ability Squad, the dark-faced man who ran the stall with him, and that Yu Fei, Cen An had no other connections.

Diao Qi, someone completely unrelated to these people, how could he have known his name so precisely?

The squad members led Diao Qi and his supporters away. In the crowd, someone closed their eyes in frustration, as if lamenting wasted potential.

Just then, Wang Lie rushed in with news: “Sister Qu, it’s bad! Squad Leader Shi is heading to Brother Cen’s place with his men!”