Ai Bing was almost driven mad with anger!
How dare they make her live in a tool shed?
"I said we don't keep freeloaders," Zhou Lin sneered. "Tomorrow, my mom will teach you how to take care of these animals, and Xiao Li will show you how to maintain the planting pipes."
Ai Bing's chest heaved with anger, words of refusal on the tip of her tongue. But she ultimately swallowed them.
Zhou Lin pointed outside. "If you're not willing, you can leave. It's minus fifteen degrees outside, and it's only going to get colder."
Minus fifteen degrees was a temperature Ai Bing had never experienced and had no desire to.
The tool shed, though simple and shabby with an unpleasant odor, was sturdy and warm. The boiler in the corner kept the room at a cozy twenty degrees, a stark contrast to the freezing outside.
"I... I need food."
Facing reality, Ai Bing chose to endure. She still didn't believe the darkness and cold would last. She had already decided that once social order was restored, she would ruin Zhou Lin, making sure he had no place to die.
Ironically, Zhou Lin had similar thoughts about her.
"Why keep that woman and give her food? Aren't you afraid she'll cause trouble in the tool shed?"
In the small living room on the second floor, Wu Xue was treating Zhou Caijun's wound while Cheng Yali, dissatisfied with Zhou Lin's arrangement, voiced her concerns.
"Don't worry, Xiao Xue. That woman has nothing to do with him. There's a reason for keeping her."
Wu Xue nodded, then shook her head, her mask making it hard to speak. Perhaps she didn't know what to say either.
Zhou Caijun's wound was deep, exposing his skull. Wu Xue suspected a minor fracture but no deformation, which meant it didn't need a special cast. As long as he avoided further injury for the next few months, he should be fine. Fortunately, there were no signs of a concussion or other brain damage. The main concern was disinfection and suturing.
As a clinical doctor, Wu Xue handled these tasks adeptly. She had been assisting her mentor in clinical practice since her final year of undergraduate studies. Her choice of the finest thread for suturing demonstrated her skill.
Without anesthesia, the seemingly frail Zhou Caijun remained still throughout the procedure, earning Wu Xue's admiration.
After about ten minutes, Wu Xue finished suturing, disinfected the wound, and removed her mask.
Her forehead was lightly sweating, and her nose was moist, showing her tension in treating Zhou Caijun's wound.
But Zhou Lin and Cheng Yali were satisfied with her work. The wound no longer bled, and after cleaning with alcohol, there were no skin folds. Aside from the wound itself, everything looked as it did before.
"I did my best," Wu Xue sighed with relief and began to clean up. Zhou Caijun, having endured the pain, was drenched in sweat and just wanted a hot shower and a good sleep.
Reminded by Zhou Li, they realized they hadn't had dinner.
Gathered around the dinner table, they ate a simple meal, reflecting on the day's events and the outside world's harsh reality.
"I'll take some food up to her," Zhou Lin said after they finished.
Seeing the bowl in Zhou Lin's hand, Ai Bing eagerly grabbed it and started eating without a word.
"Eat well and remember to work. If you're obedient, I won't let you starve."
Zhou Lin then inspected the tool shed, ensuring all equipment operated correctly and checking the animals' condition.
Strictly speaking, Zhou Lin wasn't short of poultry or meat. The freezer on the Laifu was stocked with enough to last even with Wu Xue. Raising these animals was more about holding onto memories of better times and hoping for the future.
After Ai Bing finished eating, Zhou Lin warned her not to cause any trouble in the tool shed, or she would be locked outside. The thought of minus thirty degrees on the rooftop made Ai Bing shiver.
While she still had her phone, she had tried calling the police, but couldn't get through. And even if she did, what would they do? Zhou Lin hadn't used force or violence. He simply showed her the warmth and food supply.
Darkness and cold weren't unique to Bashu. Ai Bing's hometown, closer to the equator, was now colder than Bashu. Rivers were frozen, and over ninety-nine percent of plants had died. Food was scarce, and even tree bark was hard to find.
So, Ai Bing resigned herself to her fate.
She wanted to survive, not freeze or starve to death.
But she wouldn't give up her hatred for Zhou Lin. If given a chance, she vowed to exact revenge.
Before leaving, Zhou Lin gave Ai Bing a sleeping bag, an outdoor one. "Be careful with it. If it gets dirty or damaged, there's no replacement."
"Got it, Zhou Lin. Do you think we..." Ai Bing clutched the sleeping bag, looking pitiful.
But Zhou Lin didn't even glance back. He opened the door and left.
"Damn it!" Ai Bing stomped her foot, silently venting her anger at the door. Unbeknownst to her, Zhou Li saw everything and recorded it. With her intelligence, she wouldn't trust a stranger, especially an enemy, with the tool shed.
Zhou Li had installed several surveillance cameras in the shed.
Originally meant to monitor the growth of plants and the operation of equipment, they now served a new purpose.
"Bro, look at this woman. She doesn't know how lucky she is!"
"True, but if it were you, you'd be even more upset," Zhou Lin said, watching the video.
"Impossible!" Zhou Li muttered, switching camera views and plotting various escape plans that would leave a mess behind.
Zhou Lin thought to himself that not everyone was on the same wavelength. If Ai Bing had Zhou Li's intelligence, she wouldn't be in this situation.
But Zhou Lin couldn't foresee that there were people even less sensible than Ai Bing.