Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Extreme Heat, Sandstorm

Luckily, Jiang Si had the foresight to directly lay out her conditions with Kuang Jiaying for keeping the house.

Otherwise, who knew how much trouble would come from living with this crowd.

The people outside grew louder and more aggressive. If the village wasn’t under some form of control, they likely would have already stormed in and driven Jiang Si and her family out.

"You don’t even help dig the water channels! Why should you leech off our hard work? We’re supposed to provide you with free water, food, and shelter, while we’re stuck in places worse than dog kennels!"

"That’s right! Your family is taking advantage, so you should at least contribute something! You give nothing and only take! Have some decency, have a conscience! We’re in the middle of a national disaster, so don’t be so selfish. If the rest of us had a decent place to live, we wouldn’t be giving you such a hard time!"

The water was provided for free, hauled back from the mountains by Kuang Jiaying and his team with great difficulty. As for food, everyone except for minors had to participate in assigned labor to earn points, which they could then exchange for rations.

However, Jiang Si’s family had yet to fetch any water themselves; officially, they were trading for it with Mo Hua.

Kuang Jiaying had promised them a year’s worth of grain, but so far, he had only given them a single bag of white flour.

All in all, they weren’t taking advantage of anyone.

Jiang Linhai looked both angry and worried. "You don’t think Kuang Jiaying is deliberately stirring up this trouble just to let those people move in, do you?"

Jiang Si shook her head. "He’s not that idle. Our house is big, but it could only squeeze in a few dozen more people. Instead of wasting energy on such trivialities, he’d be better off getting everyone to speed up building new houses."

Zhang Qingfang frowned. "Maybe we’re drawing too much attention by not participating in the labor details. We really stand out right now. We don’t work, so people must assume we have a ton of supplies. They’re jealous and envious, and that’s why they’re stirring up trouble behind our backs."

Jiang Si said, "Even if we did go to work, people would still be resentful that we have a house all to ourselves. Trouble is unavoidable."

"So what do we do now?" Jiang Linhai asked.

Jiang Si glanced at the incensed crowd outside. "Kuang Jiaying agreed to our terms, so he has to honor them. We won’t open the door. Let them cause a scene outside. I refuse to believe his people won’t hear the commotion."

"If he decides public outrage is irreversible and insists we give up the house, then there’s no point in staying. Living with that many people, we’d constantly be under scrutiny. We’d be better off finding another place to settle down."

"Besides, the giant mushrooms in my space have already grown. We have an escape plan ready at all times."

Shen Baoying asked worriedly, "Let’s say Kuang Jiaying’s people keep them out. Should we start working for points after this? If we don’t, won’t people eventually figure out our secret?"

Even if Kuang Jiaying gave them all the food he promised, it would still raise suspicions. People would wonder what gave them the audacity to not work, as if they were set for life with food and drink.

Jiang Si looked at the thermometer on the wall and said to the others, "The temperature has dropped a few degrees over the past couple of days. I have a feeling it might rain soon."

"They probably won’t have time to bother with us."

Since Jiang Si had a plan, everyone else felt at ease.

Outside, an enraged Lin Zu pounded on their iron gate. "Don’t think you’re safe just because you’re hiding inside! Get the hell out here now!"

He’d already found out that all of Jiang Si’s family’s firearms had been confiscated. They wouldn’t dare to make a move against the crowd.

Others chimed in, yelling, "Come out! We’re reassigning the houses!"

Jiang Si’s house was far superior to the other makeshift, patched-up shelters. Rumor also had it that they possessed several thousand pounds of grain. People who hadn’t even been summoned by Lin Zu flocked to the house upon hearing the news, shouting more fervently than anyone else.

Kuang Jiaying was away in South City reporting on the state of the Longquan Village camp, and Song Hui had taken a team to dig water channels. Jiao Weisong was now the highest authority in the camp. He brought a few men over to assess the situation, only to be cornered by the crowd demanding an explanation.

His explanation was infuriating. "They’re skilled enough to impress our Camp Commander, so they’ve earned the right to live in a big house all by themselves!"

People who had initially just gathered to watch the spectacle were enraged by Jiao Weisong’s inflammatory remarks.

Mistakenly assuming Jiang Si had seduced Kuang Jiaying to gain special privileges, they began to pound on the door with even more frenzy.

Jiao Weisong and the few men with him were shoved aside, where he continued to put on a show, shouting, "What do you think you’re doing?! Stop! They’ve performed a great service for the camp!"

But saying it now was useless, especially since he muttered it so quietly that almost no one could hear.

The door and windows were being hammered on with a loud THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. Some people were trying with all their might to pry open the door and smash the windows.

Shen Baoying watched the chaos outside, her voice fraught with anxiety. "Sisi, what will we do if they break in?"

Their firearms had been confiscated, but they could still defend themselves with the crossbow and nail gun. The real question was, if they injured someone, would they be punished for it?

Jiang Si’s expression hardened. "We’ll wait five more minutes. If no one stops them by then, we’re leaving this place immediately!"

Shen Baoying’s brow knitted tightly. "But where can we go?"

The words had barely left her mouth when the torches outside were simultaneously extinguished. The restless crowd fell silent. In that same instant, Jiang Si felt the temperature drop precipitously.

A howling gale roared in everyone’s ears like a furious dragon.

Everyone cried out in pleasant surprise, "Is it going to rain?"

"WHOOSH—"

The second-floor windows rattled and banged in the wind, making the crowd even more excited.

"It’s going to rain! It’s going to rain!"

Listening to the howling wind, Jiang Si didn’t think the rain would come that quickly.

’Based on what happened in my past life, there will be a long sandstorm before it suddenly rains.’

’In my past life, the sandstorm tore the roof right off our house, leaving us with no choice but to leave.’

’I reinforced the roof in this life, so that shouldn’t happen again.’

The thought had barely crossed Jiang Si’s mind when the excited shouts from outside turned into panicked screams for help.

The wind tore across the earth, which had been baked and cracked by months of extreme heat, mercilessly whipping up dust and grit and hurling it violently at everyone.

Lighter individuals couldn’t keep their footing and were nearly blown off their feet.

The sandstorm made the air feel thin in an instant.

Every breath filled their sinuses with dust, causing a suffocating, burning pain in their chests.

"AHH—"

Someone was lifted by the wind and slammed heavily against the remnants of Jiang Si’s courtyard wall.

"CRACK—"

The wall collapsed. In the dim moonlight, a shadowy figure could be seen tumbling away like a tumbleweed before crashing hard into a tree stump, followed by another agonizing scream for help.

Sensing the danger, Lin Zu and Lin Chenghua clung desperately to Jiang Si’s iron gate. "Open the door! Help us! Open the door!"

Jiang Si peeked through a peephole. It wasn’t just Lin Zu and Lin Chenghua clinging to the gate; many other people were trying to force their way in.

’If I let them in now, with this wind howling,’ she thought, ’I’ll never be able to get them to leave.’

Jiang Si ignored them, instead telling her family to quickly check that all the doors and windows were securely sealed. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Lin Zu, feeling as if he was about to be blown away, grew desperate and hammered on the gate. "You’re leaving us to die! You’ll get what’s coming to you for this! You’ll go to hell! Open the door! You animals! You cold-blooded monsters! You’re worse than pigs or dogs! Worse than beasts!"