Chapter 159: Chapter 158: An Apocalyptic Life from Scratch (32)
Although the tents outside were independent from one another, none could provide the comfort of living in the badminton hall, where families with elderly, young, and women were housed. People like Li Xiaoxia, who had difficulty walking and two children, were the reason why a strong man like Luo Gang was allowed to enter. With the cold weather outside, wouldnât moving out be even more dangerous?
Yet, having lived together for a few days, Li Xiaoxia had rarely met someone whose personality and temper matched hers so well. When Su Shu decided to leave, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to move out with her.
Luo Gang was concerned about her legs, and whether the cold would further affect her recovery.
Li Xiaoxia gave a bitter smile, âForget it, itâs been so long. If I could stand up, I would have done so already.â
In her tone, there seemed to be a hint of giving up.
Luo Gang held her evasive face and said seriously, word by word, âEven if you cannot stand, Iâll be your legs. But before that happens, you canât give up.â
âAlright, alright, I wonât give up.â
Li Xiaoxia couldnât handle such a severe topic from a man and turned to ask Su Shu, âItâs easy for us to leave now, but it will be hard to come back later. Do you really think itâs better outside?â
âYes,â Su Shu said.
The night was still spreading indefinitely, and she wasnât sure this time would be just three days.
Maybe five days, or seven days⊠or even never endingâwho knows.
Although it was comfortable inside the hall, as she had been walking around outside lately, she realized it wasnât as comfortable as inside. However, each tent still offered a bit of private space. Even if some families had to live together, it was much better than lying together with hundreds of others inside.
She had space, and there were things within that space; it was really inconvenient inside the hall.
There would be more freedom outside, and since so many people were living outside, she could too.
If they waited any longer and all the spaces outside were taken, it would not be easy to make adjustments when the time came. Once the refugees who were already well settled outside were in place, moving them wouldnât be simple.
By then, if the cityâs power and communication systems collapsed, the hall would have neither air conditioning nor electricity. How could one live there? It would be suffocating.
The trouble would be even greater by that time. It would be better to suffer a bit now than to struggle later.
Having made up her mind while others were still worried about why the sky wasnât bright and fearing another disaster, Su Shu took Xiaoâai and the Luo family to find a staff member to switch their living quarters.
The staffer in charge of residential management at the shelter was taken aback when he saw people from inside wanting to move outside and remarked with surprise.
âHave you thought this through? Living in tents outside is cold enough, and itâs even colder now that the sun hasnât risen. Who knows what will happen in the future.â
Su Shu appreciated the staff memberâs concern but still persisted in moving out.
Seeing that their minds were made up, the staff member didnât say much more, only expressing pity in his tone, âAlthough many have come to us wanting to move inside the hall, with your familiesâ conditions, you certainly would not have been the first we approached. Itâs a shame to leave a place that shelters you from the wind and keeps you warm for the outside where you might suffer.â
While speaking, he checked his notebook to see where he could arrange for them to stay.
As Su Shu and the Luos looked at each other, it seemed the commotion outside that morning was due to dissatisfaction among those living in the tents.
Indeed, as stuffy as it was inside the hall, it was warm.
You see people desperate to get inside but not ones like them, moving from inside to outside.
After a while, the staffer found a suitable tent.
âThis one is fine. I see you have many women and children, living with people of bad temper might invite bullying, which isnât good. This tent has just two families, and with yours it will make four, neither too many nor too few, just right. The other two families arenât the quarrelsome type either, suitable. You have no objections, right?â
âNo objections,â both families said at once.
âThen letâs settle for this. Itâs good because this area is not far from the army headquarters. There are plenty of soldiers standing guard there. If anything happens, you can go seek help from them.â
While speaking, the staff member took their blue registration cards, noted down their names in his notebook, stamped a red seal on the cards of both families, and handed them back.
âIâll take you there in a moment. After you get settled, Iâll have someone add more beds and blankets for you. Weâre short on blankets right now, so I can only issue one to each of your families. If it gets cold, youâll have to share and bear with it a little,â he added.
âOkay,â Su Shu answered.
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