"No need, no need, I'll handle it. I brought food and fuel with me, enough for us to get by comfortably. Don't worry about saving it, there'll be more supplies coming down soon."
Jing Shu said that to ease everyone's minds. These people had worked hard for so long, they deserved a proper meal. This was her way of rewarding them.
Li Dayou asked, "Should we have Auntie Wang help you out?"
Jing Shu frowned slightly. If someone stood next to her, it'd be hard for her to sneak anything out of the Cube Space. And honestly, she didn't like people watching her cook. Too easy to expose what she had.
She was just about to refuse when a crowd came trudging over. There must've been around forty of them, all looking miserable—worse than beggars. Mostly men, a few women, and just two kids.
Li Dayou's expression darkened. "What's going on? Why's everyone here? Didn't I say we'd all eat together tonight?"
Someone in the group shouted, "We want compressed biscuits! We're not eating those soggy ones soaked in water!"
Another yelled, "We saw the rescue team just now! They brought tons of food, we even picked some up! There's enough for all of us!"
And another hollered, "We want that hen! You guys planning to hog it all for yourselves?"
Xiao Dou trembled and hid behind Jing Shu's leg, drawing more attention.
One man in the crowd stepped forward, waving his hand for silence. His disheveled hair and ragged look gave him the air of a beggar gang's elder. "Captain Li, that's not very kind of you," he said. "Rescue teams are here, but you didn't even tell us? We from Gashan Village deserve some proper hospitality too! Oh, right, I'm the village head and secretary of Gashan. Nice to meet you. We came here for an important discussion."
Just one glance and Jing Shu could already guess what they were after. If they weren't here for food, she'd eat her own foot.
And they even wanted her chicken.
Her eyes cooled. "I think you're mistaken. I'm not part of any rescue team, and I don't work for the government. I'm just an ordinary person."
In the apocalypse, who could look that well put together and still be "ordinary"?
The village head feigned surprise. He pointed at her, then at Xiao Dou. "If you're not with the rescue team, why'd you risk your life coming down here? And with all those supplies? You mean you're not here to save us?"
"I'm the owner of these seeds," Jing Shu replied evenly. "I came to check on their condition, that's all. Everything else is none of my concern.
As for the supplies, they're mine. How I use them is my business. If you have problems, wait a couple more days. The rescue team will arrive soon. Tell them, not me."
Jing Shu had zero interest in playing the selfless savior. The food she brought out in the open was barely enough for her convoy. If she fed these people too, no one would get more than a bite.
The village head frowned. "But those chickens and compressed biscuits that came down the first time, those were from the rescue team, weren't they? Look at us, so many people—old folks, weak ones, trapped here for so long without a single scrap of food. Shouldn't the government save us? They can't just let us starve!"
"How unfortunate," Jing Shu said lightly, "the hen's mine. As for those biscuits, the rescue team gave them to the convoy, not for other refugees. The refugees are under government management, not ours. If we shared privately, that'd count as forming a faction. You understand what that means, don't you?"
The villagers were stunned. That completely wrecked their plans. They'd even rehearsed a few sob stories to get extra food, and now—what the hell was this?
The village head was quick, though. He sighed heavily and said, "To tell you the truth, young lady, your seed ship only survived because of us. If it weren't for the houses in our village blocking the waves, your seeds would've been crushed to dust. And now you'd really let your saviors starve?"
Jing Shu raised her brows. "As I recall, Captain Li already broke protocol and gave you seeds to eat, didn't he? One life for one life. I haven't even held you accountable for eating them. Do you know what kind of seeds those were? They were the nation's last reserve. You ate a first-class protected species. Before the apocalypse, that was a death sentence. If the higher-ups investigate—"
Wang Dan's eyes widened. He clenched his fists. He'd been worried Jing Shu would cave in like Captain Li, handing everything over after some noise. But in just a few sentences, she'd flipped the tables. The villagers couldn't even argue back.
The crowd started murmuring nervously.
The village head rolled his eyes and suddenly dropped to his knees. After signaling his people, he began to wail, "We've already eaten it, there's no fixing that! Who knows if we'll even make it out alive? Are we supposed to starve to death here? Look at us, all poor souls! We're not even asking for that hen, just a few biscuits, so we can die with full stomachs!"
"Yeah, we're starving!"
"Please, give us something to eat!"
In moments, dozens of people fell to their knees. For a starving bunch, they sure had the strength to yell.
Li Dayou sighed. "Maybe we should—"
Jing Shu cut him off with a sharp wave. "No. If you keep crying, I'll stop caring altogether."
The place went dead quiet.
The village head's face lit up. "So you'll help us? You'll give us food?"
"I didn't say that," Jing Shu replied coldly. "These supplies are for the convoy. If they're willing to share, I won't stop them."
"They'll share, of course they will! We already agreed!"
Jing Shu's lips curved slightly. "Not for free. Things outside aren't much better than here. From now on, the convoy will hire you to work. Follow their arrangements. Only those who do their jobs properly will get food each day. No work, no food. Doesn't matter if you're old, young, man, or woman."
The crowd erupted in protest again, whining about unfairness and restrictions.
Jing Shu sneered. "We've only got so many biscuits left. The rescue team won't be here for a few days. Anyone willing to work, have Wang Dan write down your names. Start now. If you wait too long, there won't be any food left."
A few quick-witted ones ran to Wang Dan right away. The village head kept kneeling and wailing. This wasn't what he'd planned at all. His authority was being stripped away before his eyes.
"Which one of you is Auntie Wang?" Jing Shu called out.
A thin, tall middle-aged woman stepped forward.