Liang Xiao disagreed again, saying, "Who said that? You're a good girl."
Hai Baihe made a face and asked, "Really? Do you like me then?"
"I like you, I like you. Hurry up and have breakfast. We should think about what to have for lunch," Liang Xiao replied.
The food they salvaged today wasn't much, but they managed to eat sparingly and not starve. The key issue was the availability of drinking water. The pipes had run dry long ago, so in order to survive, they needed to find enough drinking water.
When Hai Baihe changed her clothes and went out with Liang Xiao, she noticed that everything floating on the surface of the water on the eighth floor had already been salvaged. Among the useful items were some clothes, plastic buckets, and a small amount of food. Liu Kai and a foreign guy named Charlie were inspecting an inflatable boat, preparing to try their luck later.
As soon as Hai Baihe appeared, a plump middle-aged woman lunged at her, gnashing her teeth. Before the woman could finish her sentence, Hai Baihe tripped her with a bang and said, "Why are you getting physical?"
The commotion attracted the attention of others. The plump woman started to complain about Hai Baihe, accusing her of not only refusing to help but also kicking her. In her words, Hai Baihe was an unforgivable and heartless fox.
"Wang Auntie, is what you're saying true?" another young girl asked, looking incredulous as she stared at Hai Baihe.
"How could I lie? Ask her yourself if she refused to help at the time. Pity my daughter, who was pregnant, and if it weren't for Xiao Zhao saving us, we wouldn't let you off the hook even if we became ghosts. Pah!" the plump woman, or rather Wang Auntie, spat out these words at Hai Baihe.
This statement was supported by another middle-aged woman, who seemed to be part of the group of aunties who fought over discounted groceries. This woman, surnamed Li and known as Auntie Li, said, "Wang Jie, let me tell you, this girl is really going too far. She even said she would push me into the water. Young people nowadays have no conscience and will face retribution."
Hai Baihe rolled her eyes and said, "Oh."
"Listen, listen, she admitted it!" the two aunties got excited. They took turns recounting her misdeeds, causing Mr. Zhao and a few others to frown as they looked at her.
Hai Baihe observed the other survivors. The man named Xiao Zhao was around forty years old, more accurately called Lao Zhao, and he looked somewhat familiar. After recalling for a moment, she remembered that he used to work in the fresh meat section of the supermarket and had distinctive squinty eyes, which made her remember him quite clearly.
The three young people seemed to know each other. One man and one woman were a couple. The man had a handsome appearance, and the girl holding his arm was probably his girlfriend. She had a bun hairstyle, and her dress was a bit wrinkled but of good quality. The other girl seemed to be their friend, with her hair tied in a ponytail. The two girls were whispering to each other.
A pregnant woman who was about four or five months along advised her mother, "Mom, can you say a little less?"
"You won't let me speak anymore?" Wang Auntie replied indignantly. "I want them to see this woman's true face. I heard that everything here has been stolen. It must be her doing!"
The pregnant woman continued to persuade her, saying, "Mom, let it go. Stop talking."
"Ye Zi, how can there be such a person?" the girl with the bun hairstyle whispered to her companion, "She's so bad."
"Ahem, things aren't like that," Liang Xiao interjected, pulling Hai Baihe's wrist and standing in front of her. "At that time, it was this auntie who suddenly grabbed my girlfriend's ankle, nearly causing her to drown. She struggled a bit, and also, our abilities are limited, we couldn't save you. It's a pity, but please don't spread rumors casually."
No one said a word.
Hai Baihe found it inexplicable. She poked her head out from behind him and noticed that everyone's gaze was fixed on Liang Xiao's face. In the darkness, it was difficult to see anything, but in the bright daylight, his appearance was truly stunning.
Under this Hollywood star-like attractiveness, even the two aunties and the two high school students remained silent.
Hai Baihe thought to herself, "Appearance is justice! Handsome people have such an advantage." Although they say that there is strength in numbers, it doesn't always mean it's a good thing. At least not now.
Charlie and Liu Kai rechecked the inflatable boat, which was their only tool at this stage. Charlie said, "I'm planning to explore and see if we can salvage other things. Does anyone want to come with us?"
Hai Baihe asked, "How will we distribute the salvaged items?"
"Equally among those who participate, none for those who don't," Charlie shrugged. "Of course, that means no one."
Liang Xiao lowered his head and discussed with her, "I'll go."
Hai Baihe wasn't particularly interested in the things floating on the water's surface. She had other plans. However, being taken care of by her "boyfriend" felt quite novel. She narrowed her eyes and smiled happily, saying, "Okay."
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Li gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go too."
Upon hearing this, Bai Wenwen made up her mind as well, saying, "I'll go too."
Now that the water's surface had calmed down, it wasn't as dangerous as last night. However, the food on the water was limited, and once it was all salvaged, those who arrived later would be out of luck.
Understanding this, the others hurriedly said, "I want to go too."
Charlie and Liu Kai exchanged a glance. "Then let's go in batches."
"But what if you salvage everything before us?" Wang Auntie immediately said, "What will we eat? My daughter is pregnant!"
Zhang Li had no good impression of this auntie and retorted, "The boat is ours. We never said we would lend it to you."
"Why do you speak so rudely, young girl? Did you buy this boat?" Wang Auntie's combative nature couldn't be underestimated. She immediately put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Don't you understand the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young? I'm sixty years old this year, and my daughter is pregnant. You don't even take care of a pregnant woman. Aren't you afraid of having a son without an anus?"
Zhang Li, who was a rural girl working in the city, had encountered her fair share of street fights. She wasn't one to back down easily and replied, "Who are you cursing? You have a pregnant daughter, and you don't even teach your grandson to accumulate some virtues. You're the one who gave birth to a son without an anus!"