Chapter 23: They Have Guns Now

Shi Yuebai remained silent, sensing Nong Yasi’s gaze.

After Nong Yasi finished cleaning the baby, she licked her parched lips, looking at Shi Yuebai with unconcealed longing.

"Yaoyao, give Dr. Nong some water."

At Shi Yuebai’s command, Shi Yaoyao immediately took a small bottle of water from her backpack. Just as Nong Yasi reached out, trembling with excitement, Shi Yuebai raised her long staff and pressed it firmly onto Nong Yasi’s hand.

Shi Yuebai’s eyes were cold as she said in a flat tone, "From now on, you are with me. Do you understand what can be said and what cannot?"

She possessed the means to protect herself; even if people discovered the water inside the Shi family’s tarp, she could still manage to escape unscathed. However, she would make sure to kill any wretch who dared to leak word of it before she left.

Nong Yasi nodded urgently. She was a clever woman. Having seen how Shi Yuebai had nearly beaten Chen Huaihai to death, she knew exactly who to follow to stay alive.

Shi Yuebai retracted the staff, watching with satisfaction as Nong Yasi took the bottle and drank greedily. "Rest assured, as long as you do your job well, there will be plenty of food and drink."

Nong Yasi paused, harboring secret doubts about the origin of the Shi family’s purified water. She thought of the second sister-in-law’s beauty, the mother’s bulging belly, and the fact that the tent was filled only with women. In the wasteland, it was no secret what women without men to rely on often had to resort to. It was not hard to guess.

Nong Yasi kept her head down, gnawing on her small piece of bread while she drank. Her eyes were numb. She had accepted her fate; no matter what lay ahead, she would not leave the Shi family. Staying here was far better than being killed by men out there, left without even a scrap of food or water.

Shi Yuebai, unaware of Nong Yasi’s thoughts, looked at the mother, who had collapsed from exhaustion. She patted Shi Yaoyao’s head and whispered, "Go practice your writing. Practice the character I just taught you one hundred times."

Shi Yaoyao obediently crawled over to the makeshift desk. Shi Yuebai then instructed the second sister-in-law and Nong Yasi, "Go to the neighbor, Guaiguai, and have him craft a crib for..." She paused, tilting her head to ask, "What is the baby’s name?"

The second sister-in-law, cradling the clean baby, stammered, "We hadn't named her yet."

Life had been so harsh that every member of the Shi family struggled just to survive the day. Who had the energy to care about the child in the mother’s womb?

Shi Yuebai thought for a moment. "Fine, then let’s call her Shi Xiangrui."

This infant was her own blood-related sister. Having lived for so long, this was the first time Shi Yuebai had so many kin, and now, a little sister. She held the child in high regard.

She had the second sister-in-law bring the baby over. Shi Yuebai, whose body was as heavy as a mountain of flesh, formed a seal with her hands above her head. As the seal formed, a faint glow appeared around her fingers. She pressed the light onto the baby’s forehead.

"In the name of the Great Shaman, I bestow upon you this name. May your life be filled with auspiciousness and favor; may water flow your way, and the wind be at your back. Where you walk, paths shall open; where you enter mist, the clouds shall disperse."

Shi Xiangrui opened her bright, glistening eyes and let out a soft coo at Shi Yuebai.

"Take her away. Get back to work."

Nong Yasi blinked in shock. She couldn't help but feel that the sleight-of-hand movement Shi Yuebai had just performed resembled some kind of ancient ritual. Could Shi Yuebai… be an Esper?

She shook her head as she helped the second sister-in-law walk out. Espers existed in the wasteland, but they were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, living only in legends. They were the elite of the wasteland, the pinnacle of the pyramid. If Shi Yuebai were truly an Esper, she wouldn't be living in such a hellhole with the rest of the family; the best resources in the wasteland belonged to the Espers.

Dismissing her suspicions, Nong Yasi and Shi Yaoyao successfully retrieved a shopping cart from Guaiguai next door. Guaiguai never collected useless household items; his tarp was piled high with nothing but mechanical parts. If he had any household goods, it was only because he had scavenged them to strip for parts. Along with the cart, Nong Yasi carried two small prosthetic limbs. "Guaiguai gave these to me, saying they’re for Yaoyao."

Whenever the family went scavenging, the second sister-in-law had to carry Shi Yaoyao on her back. It was exhausting for her, and uncomfortable for the child. Shi Yuebai was delighted and immediately urged Nong Yasi to fit them for the girl. "That Guaiguai is actually somewhat useful."

She was very satisfied, immediately ordering the excited second sister-in-law to send ten bottles of water to the neighbor.

Nong Yasi and the second sister-in-law exchanged a look. The second sister-in-law frowned, "Yuebai, do we even have ten bottles of water?" She really wanted to ask if they had that much water in total. They had just used a whole pot to wash the baby, and according to Shi Yuebai’s plan, they were supposed to bathe Shi Yaoyao later. How could they afford to give ten bottles away?

Shi Yuebai was impatient. "We have enough. Just go and deliver them. Isn't your daughter being able to stand and run around worth ten bottles of water?"

The bottles were scavenged and cost nothing; the tent was already overflowing with them. Shi Yuebai found them to be a nuisance.

The second sister-in-law said no more. She fumbled her way over and took the bag of ten water bottles from Shi Yuebai. There was no doubt; this water didn't even need testing—it was undoubtedly zero-radiation, purified water worth its weight in gold. She even had the fleeting illusion that everything coming from Shi Yuebai’s hands was free of radiation.

Guaiguai accepted the water without a word, not even a thank you. He clutched the bag and retreated into his tarp. Just as the family thought that was the end of it, Guaiguai suddenly rushed out and tossed something into their tent. He seemed afraid of being seen and darted back into his nest as fast as he could.

Shi Yuebai picked up the object, her eyes widening. A gun?! It looked homemade. Damn, what kind of creature was Guaiguai? He could build something like this?

"Yuebai, what is it?" The second sister-in-law approached anxiously.

Shi Yuebai handed the crude, homemade pistol to her. "A gift in return from Guaiguai. Take it."

Inside the tent, Nong Yasi, who was helping Shi Yaoyao stand up, was also filled with excitement. They had a gun. My god, they actually had a gun! Although it looked ancient and couldn't compare to the laser rifles used by mercenaries, and used old-fashioned bullets, it was still far better than a stick. Many people struggling in the wasteland didn't even own an old-fashioned pistol.