"It's not like that. If we block them like this, it looks like we're threatening them. So I thought maybe I could go alone tonight to ask to borrow the kayaks. If that really doesn't work, they can't eat all that food in one day anyway. Then we can break the lock later. There's no need to ruin the relationship right from the start."
Su Han's words made sense. They all lived in the same building and saw each other every day. If relationships became too tense, it would be hard to get along. Even if they didn't know Lan Jin well, they had some idea about Huang Jinghe's background. And there was also Lao Gao and Ling Jiang, who both looked fierce.
A young man in the crowd said, "I think Brother Su's suggestion is good. Also, I want to remind you not to provoke the man with the beard and the tall woman. They're boxers and very strong."
The bearded man was Lao Gao. The tall woman was Ling Jiang. Ling Jiang was 175 cm tall without shoes, at least 177 or 178 cm with shoes. Since she was a boxer, she had a strong build, making her look hard to bully.
Out of the four, Lan Jin really looked the easiest to talk to.
But that wasn't the point.
Some people sneered at the young man, "How strong can they be? They can't fight the whole building alone. We have dozens of people here."
The young man explained, "That woman fights underground boxing matches. Every move is deadly, even more skilled than the bearded man. If you don't believe me, go try it. But don't blame me if you get hurt."
Some people were doubtful. "You must be mistaking them for someone else. People like that wouldn't live here."
The young man shook his head. "No, I'm sure it's them."
He was confident because Ling Jiang's appearance and figure were very distinctive.
Also, the fighters in those matches were all skilled. Ordinary people like them didn't stand a chance.
In short, for safety's sake, don't provoke them.
As for the boxing gym...
That place used to be a gym, but whether Lao Gao and Ling Jiang ran it, no one really knew.
...
The four left the neighborhood, paddling toward the boxing gym. They took out their backpacks and large bags, stuffing all the supplies inside.
They didn't waste time and quickly headed back to the window exit. After coming out, Lan Jin sighed again, "No need to wait until tomorrow. The water level will flood in soon."
"Exactly. Let's hurry back," Huang Jinghe said. After organizing the supplies, he quickly paddled back toward the neighborhood with Lao Gao.
Those residents who hadn't left were even less willing to go now.
Watching the four bring back so many supplies, their hearts burned with jealousy and resentment. Just as they were about to cause trouble, Lan Jin and Lao Gao raised their knives again, scaring the residents back.
No one dared to assume those knives were just for show.
What if they really struck?
If someone got hurt or killed, and there was no place to treat them, it would be a disaster. More importantly, no one wanted to sacrifice themselves to benefit others. So all the talk was just talk; no one dared to act.
Therefore, the second trip to move supplies went smoothly and the four made it upstairs again.
After rushing up, they returned to Lao Gao's door.
Lao Gao checked the lock carefully for any signs of tampering and said, "Luckily these people are smart. Otherwise, I don't know what could have happened."
Once inside, they piled the supplies in the living room and finally let out a breath of relief. The four exchanged smiles. The day's work was finally done. But no amount of supplies could hide how miserable they all looked. Soaking wet from head to toe, they couldn't start sorting supplies in their wet clothes.
Lao Gao said, "Why don't you go home and change? The supplies are safe at my place. No one can get them. We've all been freezing all day. Let's avoid catching a cold. It's 5:37 now. Change clothes and fix your hair, then meet back here at 6."
Lan Jin agreed. She said, "Okay. I have some banlangen (herbal medicine) at home. I'll boil hot water to make some tea for everyone. You have cups, right?"
"Yeah, but you have this stuff too."
"I have kids, so these are just common medicines at home, though not in large quantities. Let's hurry and get ready."
Lan Jin got up, and the others followed.
Huang Jinghe's home was next door, so he just stepped outside. Ling Jiang and Lan Jin had to go downstairs again.
At the door, Ling Jiang asked, "Do you have a lot of banlangen? Can I trade some supplies for a pack? The temperature changes a lot lately. I worry about my grandmother's health. If not, it's okay. No pressure."
"Sure, I have kids, so these are common here. I have a few packs. After changing clothes, I'll bring you one."
"Thanks."
...
Lan Jin went home, locked the door, then entered her space.
After drinking the spirit spring water, her body was in good condition. Even after being soaked in the rain all day, she didn't feel unwell.
Still, she hadn't seen the child or the dog all day. She had to check on them first. As she appeared in the space, little Lan Qiaoqiao, who was playing nearby, ran over excitedly.
"Mama," Qiao Qiao said. A long time apart from Lan Jin made her miss her badly.
But when Qiao Qiao hugged Lan Jin, she noticed her mother was soaking wet.
Qiao Qiao stepped back two steps and asked, "Mama, you wet."
"That's right. Mama went out with big brother and sister to look for food. Didn't I tell you this morning? But it was raining outside, so I got wet," Lan Jin explained gently.
"Find food?" Qiao Qiao looked around. Usually when Lan Jin found supplies, she'd put them inside the space first. This time, Qiao Qiao didn't see any.
She looked at Lan Jin, confused.
Lan Jin smiled. "It's at Brother Gao's house. Mama just came to see you. I'll change into dry clothes and then go to Brother Gao's to sort supplies. Mama will go out again soon. You stay here, okay?"