Sure, that's what they said, but Jing Shu knew there was no way it was those people that Lao Shi was going to pick up.
After all, picking up the whole family of her Paternal Eldest Aunt, then taking another route to get her Paternal Second Aunt's family? That trip alone would take a day and a half, maybe more.
And what about those who didn't even have transportation? Were they supposed to walk here? It was over a hundred kilometers in this freezing snow. How long would that take?
Jing Shu shook her head as she popped another piece of homemade popcorn into her mouth. "Guess I really should've added more cocoa powder," she muttered.
The moment she opened the door, a wave of stench hit her square in the face. Standing outside was a group of people dressed in patched-up cotton coats, their clothes crudely sewn together. Some faces looked vaguely familiar, but she didn't recognize any of them.
A few flashlight beams cut through the dim winter air.
A single popcorn kernel slipped from Jing Shu's frozen lips and hit the ground. Before it could even bounce, someone bent down and snatched it up.
The group began whispering among themselves.
"Are you sure this is the in-laws' house? Look at that villa, it's so fancy." An old woman in a mismatched coat stared greedily at the house, her flashlight trembling slightly.
"Must be. My wife said her mom's side is living pretty good these days," another man said.
Jing Shu frowned and glanced at the security guard from the community standing nearby with a flashlight. So he was the one who brought them here. The community was strict about outsiders, and plenty of people tried sneaking into this place.
The guard noticed her face darken and immediately jumped in to shoo them off.
"Alright, move along, move along. I knew it, you lot don't look like you have relatives living here. Look at you, not one of you looks like you belong in a villa."
A skinny young man and a bulky middle-aged man pushed their way to the front.
"Wait, wait, it's a misunderstanding! Jing Shu, it's me, Li Yun! Grandma, Grandpa, it's me! Please, let us in!" Li Yun's voice was hoarse and weak.
"I'm your Paternal Second Uncle," the middle-aged man added quickly, his eyes going wide when he saw her. He hadn't seen his niece in years, and now, she looked even prettier than before. In this frozen apocalypse, she was clean, holding a snack in her hand, and clearly living comfortably.
He couldn't help but think of how miserable his own family was, eating dirt and bugs to survive. No wonder, he thought bitterly. He'd heard long ago from Jing Zhao that her younger brother's family was doing better and better after the apocalypse. Those two old bastards must've handed everything over to their precious son.
Jing Shu studied them more closely.
So this was Li Yun, her Paternal Second Aunt's son? And that man was her Paternal Second Uncle, Li Zhuang? No wonder she hadn't recognized them at first glance. They were so thin it was scary. She almost didn't believe it was them.
She remembered how she'd once sworn she'd recognize Li Yun even if he turned to ashes, after all those years he'd mocked and bullied her. Guess "turning to ashes" wasn't a vow to take lightly—he'd only lost a bit of weight and she'd already failed.
Clicking her tongue, she pointed at the seven or eight people standing behind them. "And who're they supposed to be? What are you all doing here? Where's my Paternal Second Aunt? She didn't come?" So what was the point of this visit?
When the group realized this really was Li Yun's grandparents' home, their expressions changed. They didn't look at the villa anymore—they looked at it like it was theirs.
Li Zhuang was still lost in shock, so Li Yun braced himself and spoke.
"This is my grandma and grandpa. That's my Paternal Eldest Uncle's family, and that's my Paternal Youngest Aunt's family. We all came to—"
An old woman rushed forward and cut him off.
"Oh, look at that, such a pretty girl! You must be Jing Zhao's niece, right? Don't be shy, we're all family here. Your Paternal Second Aunt invited us to spend New Year together. We wouldn't have walked all this way for nothing, would we? It was tough, sure, but it's worth it to catch up with family. Come on now, let us in first so we can eat something warm. We're exhausted! Da Zhuang, hurry up! You're back at your mother-in-law's house, aren't you? What're you waiting for?"
She started herding the group toward the villa like they already lived there.
Li Zhuang finally snapped out of it and laughed. "Right, right, your grandparents' house is like our own. Don't be shy, everyone. Come on, let's go in and eat something hot. You've no idea, before we came, my mother-in-law said we'd get to eat all the white rice we wanted for New Year. White rice! Do you know how rare that is now? My mother-in-law's family is something else, huh? I sure married well."
Jing Shu quietly closed the door in front of them and smiled sweetly. Her gaze swept over the group, calm and sharp.
"Hold on. Let's get one thing straight first. Li Yun, Paternal Second Uncle, I remember we said this very clearly before. We only invited your family of three. My Paternal Second Aunt didn't come, so why're there so many of you here? What's your plan? Eat, drink, and freeload?"
Li Yun shivered in the cold, and a child started crying somewhere in the crowd. Li Zhuang rubbed his hands awkwardly.
"Now, now, Jing Shu, let us in first to warm up and get a bite to eat. You can't treat guests like this. The kid's been suffering the whole way here. We can talk inside. Besides, your Paternal Second Aunt and Paternal Eldest Aunt are right behind us. They'll be here soon. You can ask them yourself."
Jing Shu dragged a chair to the doorway and sat down, munching popcorn one piece at a time. The child's crying grew louder, mixed with the sound of someone swallowing hard. The security guard wisely stepped closer to her, his radio flashing yellow as he got ready to call for backup at the first sign of trouble.
"Oh, no rush then," she said casually. "We'll wait until they get here."
Li Zhuang's face darkened. "What's this nonsense? We're all family, especially now in the apocalypse. We should stick together. Didn't we say you'd come pick us up? To save you some gas, we walked here ourselves—three, four days on foot! And now you're blocking the door, won't even let your uncle inside? What's wrong with you? At least let Li Yun in to warm up. Don't tell me you can stand to see your own cousin covered in sores?"
She could.
Jing Shu didn't even blink. In fact, she was calmly harvesting potatoes inside her Cube Space at the same time.
Her cold indifference made Li Zhuang scowl. He couldn't hit her, of course.
"Da Zhuang, call out the in-laws," the old woman urged. "Why waste time talking to a kid? We've got important things to discuss with her grandparents."
"Exactly," muttered the younger aunt. "It's not even her house. She's not the one in charge. Who does she think she is, blocking us from coming in? No manners at all."