Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Urgent Dispatch Order
Li Xiang was turning her head to watch the commotion when Li Dawei suddenly roared, "Xiang, get inside, quick! Close the door! Block the windows!"
What was she still looking at? The rats were already in the house next door!
"You brought the rice back?" Zhao Yingying walked toward the two of them, her face all smiles, as she reached out for the large bags of rice.
Li Xiang shoved her away, her eyes filled with disgust. "What are you doing? These are the rations for my brother and me. None for you. A woman your age who can’t even cook a meal, what good are you?"
"Dawei," Zhao Yingying said, looking wronged as she turned to Li Dawei. "I’m not used to that earthen stove of yours."
This time, Li Dawei didn’t indulge her like he had the past two days. He frowned and said, "She has a point. Xiang is right. You’re a grown woman and you can’t even cook."
"If you knew how to cook, we wouldn’t have had to hire Zhu Huizhen to do it. Wasting all that food every time."
"Exactly! And those vampires across the hall are even worse! Do you know how much they charged us for a processing fee today? Fifty-five pounds of flour! Tell me, if you could even make a few flatbreads, would we have had to give away fifty-five pounds of flour?" Li Xiang was heartbroken over the loss.
Zhao Yingying tugged at Li Dawei’s sleeve aggrievedly. "Dawei, I’m a woman, and so is Xiang. If I can’t cook, you think she can? Look at her. She just can’t stand me, that’s all."
Li Dawei, however, was quite protective of his sister. "How old is Xiang? You’re five or six years older than her. Xiang is still a child."
Seeing her big brother side with her, Li Xiang grew even more smug, lifting her head and pouting at Zhao Yingying.
Zhao Yingying was furious. She flung Li Dawei’s hand away. "Fine, fine, fine! So now you two are ganging up on me, the outsider, begrudging me a few bites of food? Then I’ll leave!"
She turned and stormed toward the door.
Seeing she was actually leaving, Li Dawei got anxious and followed her, calling out, "Yingying, what are you doing? Why are you getting so worked up over a little girl?"
Zhao Yingying was practically fuming. For the past two days, she’d had enough of Li Xiang’s constant digs and sarcastic remarks.
’Did they think she wanted to stay in this broken-down hovel with no water, no electricity, and no gas? If Li Dawei hadn’t begged and pleaded with her to move in with him, she never would have come.’
’She would have been better off living the high life in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment.’
Twisting the doorknob, Zhao Yingying was about to step out when she saw two fat rats with small, faintly glowing red eyes scurrying rapidly toward her feet.
"AHHH!" Zhao Yingying shrieked.
"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK." A group of seven or eight large rats, which had been heading straight down the path, abruptly changed direction at the sound of her scream and charged toward the Li family’s home.
"Close the door!" Li Dawei felt like he could die of anger at this stupid woman. He grabbed a nearby coffee table and hurled it, smashing it down on the two large rats at the door.
Each rat was at least half the size of a kitten. Their sharp claws scraped against the ground, leaving behind several gleaming scratch marks.
Zhao Yingying’s legs went soft with fear, and she collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Li Xiang wasn’t much better off, but at least she could drag her trembling legs and crawl upstairs.
Li Dawei roared, "If you can still breathe, then crawl upstairs! Are you just going to lie there and serve yourself up on a platter?"
Li Dawei hacked two fat rats to death with a kitchen cleaver. He tried to close the door but found the small coffee table was blocking it.
Seven or eight large rats leaped through the crack in the door. Li Dawei was very strong; standing guard at the entrance, he killed them one by one with his cleaver.
The situation quickly stabilized, but then a blood-curdling scream erupted from building 86 next door.
Tears streaming down her face, Zhao Yingying couldn’t even walk. She could only curl up and slowly crawl up the stairs.
Afraid the rats would ruin the rice on the sofa, Li Dawei slammed the door shut, then quickly grabbed the rice and ran upstairs.
Inside the Song Family Manor, rats of all sizes, in groups of a few to more than a dozen, scurried along the roads in packs.
A few mindlessly slammed into the iron gate of Xie Ning’s home and were immediately impaled on the metal spikes, where they struggled and squeaked.
Those that tried to climb the wall of Xie Ning’s courtyard met an even worse fate. Every single one was hit by an electric current, SIZZLING as they were roasted crispy on the outside and tender on the inside before falling off the wall.
But Xie Ning had no time to worry about any of that now.
Song You’ai’s temperature registered at 39.8 degrees. She had already drifted into a heavy, lethargic sleep.
The whole family gathered around Song You’ai on the sofa, worrying helplessly.
Xie Ning was one of the calmer ones. She pulled a bottle of purified water from her backpack, twisted open the cap, and poured a few mouthfuls into her mother’s mouth.
Then she took out a small towel, wet it with the purified water, and placed it on her mother’s forehead.
"All of you, go back to your rooms now. I can watch over her by myself."
"Ms. Ning, let me stay here with you," Xiao Huang Mao offered.
Xie Ning considered for a moment, then nodded. "Everyone, go back to your rooms. It’s fine."
Old Mrs. Song, holding back tears, was helped into a room by Song Yaoguo. Song Youzhi followed them in to comfort the elderly couple.
Although the old couple had been very happy these past few days, deep down they were still worried about their youngest daughter, who was out wandering somewhere.
Song Youzhi knew that his parents just didn’t mention it, but in their hearts, they were worried sick.
Now, with their eldest daughter running a high fever that wouldn’t break and the situation uncertain, the old couple’s hearts were surely tied in knots.
Song Kexin was in no mood to study now. She sat in Song Shijun’s room, holding her phone and staring down at the numerous messages in the group chat.
Building 96, Trickling Stream, posted a crying face: Oh god, the rats chewed through the bags of rice in the cellar.
Building 79, Justice Uncle: Chen Juan, is everyone okay?
Building 96, Trickling Stream: We’re all fine, everyone’s fine, but what about the rice? Is it contaminated and inedible now?
Building 79, Yanzi Feifei: Aunt Chen, you should probably throw out the rice from the torn bag. If there’s a virus in it, it’ll be a disaster if you eat it.
Building 96, Trickling Stream, posted a sobbing emoji: But it’s twenty-two pounds... o(╥﹏╥)o
Building 83, Miss Jia Wen: I’m telling you all, everyone needs to block their doors and windows properly. Rats got into the house across from us in building 86! Someone definitely got bitten!
Building 79, Justice Uncle: Thanks for the warning. We’ve even sealed our toilet.
Building 53, He Shufen from He Village: Two rats climbed in through the pipes, they were as big as cats!
Building 97, Happy in Old Age: Yaoguo, we’re about to run out of food at home. Have Xiao Ning and Xinxin send over some steamed buns or bread. Anything will do.
Just then, the group admin suddenly posted a message: Per an urgent dispatch order from our superiors, we must depart for Lanshan Tower Lake immediately. All residents who wish to evacuate with the military, please assemble at the west gate within half an hour.
The group chat went silent for a moment, then exploded.
Building 97, Happy in Old Age: We’re leaving now? We haven’t even finished packing!
Building 97, Song Fu: Grandpa, just leave that stuff behind.
Building 97, Happy in Old Age: No way! Those are all my treasures, I can’t leave a single one behind. Asking the group admin, can we delay for an hour?
Building 79, Justice Uncle: Song Dagong, are you serious? So unreliable! This is an urgent military order, and you think they’ll delay for an hour just for you?
Building 53, He Shufen from He Village: He Shuping, is your family going or not? If you’re not going, give us your car! @Building 85 Xinxin Cutie-pie, go ask your aunt and uncle.
Song Kexin, already in a foul mood, saw this and her anger flared.
Building 85, Xinxin Cutie-pie: Who do you think you’re @’ing? Get lost!
