33: Official brand meat patties

“If you keep screaming, I’ll stab you to death!”

Jiang Fei put the bucket into the Supermarket warehouse, took out a short knife, and cautiously approached 2102. Through the half-open door, she observed the situation inside.

Old Mrs. Xu was sitting on the ground in disarray.

A man in a floral shirt was holding a piece of broken glass to her neck.

The man in black next to him was putting Old Mrs. Xu’s supplies into a bag.

It was the two men who had tried to exchange trash for medicine a few days ago.

Zhu Zi had said that the reason the people downstairs were so desperate for medicine was because these two were instigating them.

Jiang Fei swapped the short knife for a slingshot, aimed at the man in black who was packing supplies, and—whoosh!

The steel ball hit the man in black squarely on the mouth.

“Ah!”

“Keep it down! What if you attract others? We finally found something to eat; we absolutely cannot share it!” the floral-shirted man whispered, then noticed the man in black clutching his mouth, looking unwell:

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Something hit my mouth, it hurts so much…”

While their attention was diverted, Jiang Fei immediately rushed in and slit the floral-shirted man’s throat with one swift motion.

Before the man in black could react, Jiang Fei stabbed him in the back of the heart with a reverse grip.

Her movements were clean and precise, so much so that even Old Mrs. Xu didn’t react in time.

Jiang Fei helped Old Mrs. Xu up: “Are you hurt?”

Old Mrs. Xu, still shaken, shook her head, unable to utter a single word.

Noticing Old Mrs. Xu was trembling uncontrollably, Jiang Fei helped her to the sofa to sit and recover for a while.

Then, she opened the window and threw both bodies downstairs.

The swirling snake group in the water instantly coiled around the bodies, dragging them underwater to feed.

Jiang Fei closed the window, and Old Mrs. Xu’s emotions gradually calmed.

“Thank you, Little Jiang, you saved me again…”

“It’s my fault for being too careless. I thought it was Qian Yao coming back when someone knocked, and I opened the door without even asking.”

Jiang Fei’s eyes flickered: “Is Captain Xu out on a rescue mission?”

She wondered if he had encountered Director Ning.

“He should be. Qian Yao came back that day, stayed for a few hours, and then left. He’s only been home once since then.”

Old Mrs. Xu picked up an empty bag and handed it to Jiang Fei: “Yatou, I don’t know what you’re lacking. See if there’s anything you need here, and take it all.”

“Qian Yao sent me a lot of food and drinking water. Feel free to take it; don’t be shy with Grandma.”

Jiang Fei politely declined Old Mrs. Xu’s offer: “My supplies are sufficient; I don’t lack anything.”

“The main door at the stairwell is broken. I have an extra electric door at my place that can be installed. Although there’s no electricity now, it’s secure enough to prevent opportunistic thieves from getting in.”

She had this idea after the incident with exchanging medicine.

Instead of relying on Zhu Zi and his group to guard 24/7, installing an electric door was better.

Moreover, Ling Zhaorui also lived on the 21st floor.

Given his physical condition, encountering a home invasion would be a death sentence.

Old Mrs. Xu was so grateful she didn’t know what to say, so she directly filled two bags of food for Jiang Fei: “If you don’t accept them, you’re looking down on this old woman.”

Hearing this, Jiang Fei had no choice but to accept. She called Lu Yu down to help install the electric door, and in return, she gave him half of the supplies as payment.

After giving spare keys to Old Mrs. Xu and Ling Zhaorui, Jiang Fei found a secluded spot, took out an empty bucket, and went downstairs to catch water snakes.

There weren’t many cockroaches and centipedes left in Yulan Yuan Building A, so Jiang Fei didn’t waste her protective suit and only wore gloves.

Some people living in the corridor noticed Jiang Fei and followed her, hoping to find an opportunity to ask about exchanging medicine again.

But then they saw the young Miss expressionlessly grab a water snake, violently smash it against the wall to kill it, and throw it into the bucket.

The stalkers silently returned the way they came.

It was better not to ask; he was afraid his own head would be smashed flat.

—

Half a month passed in a flash.

The water level had receded to the 3rd floor.

The authorities sent helicopters every three days to drop supply boxes, ensuring the safety of the survivors.

Yulan Yuan Building A welcomed a long-lost peace.

As for the 22nd floor.

Xiao Chuxia focused on making medicine from snakes, Ling Zhaorui dutifully recovered from his injuries, and Lu Yu stayed home with Big Yellow.

Jiang Fei, having some free time, used it to make many cold dishes.

Spicy cold lotus root slices, wood ear mushrooms, potato slices, enoki mushrooms, and sour and spicy boneless chicken feet—all were very appetizing.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling—the doorbell rang.

After installing the electric door on the 21st floor, Lu Yu had reinstalled the doorbell on the 22nd floor.

Jiang Fei went out to check.

Xu Qianyao was holding two items wrapped in kraft paper, still wearing his protective suit which he hadn’t had time to change out of.

“Miss Jiang, Grandma told me what happened a few days ago. Thank you for saving her. I brought some meat patties for you.”

Noticing Lu Yu coming out of 2203, Xu Qianyao lowered his voice: “Actually, these are new official food items. They’re very filling, have a long shelf life, and are highly nutritious.”

“It’s hard to find supplies now. Keep these for a rainy day.”

Jiang Fei opened the kraft paper and glanced inside.

They were palm-sized round patties, without any outer packaging.

They looked very much like the beef patties in hamburgers, but the ingredients used were insects and rats.

In her previous life, she was lucky enough to get a few pieces.

They were dry and bland, without any seasoning, and sometimes you could even find insect legs or rat tails in them.

At first, no one knew, but later, when the authorities couldn’t hide it anymore, they told everyone the truth.

It seemed that supplies outside were indeed very tight, and the official brand meat patties had already appeared ahead of schedule.

“Miss Jiang, about that novel you mentioned last time, do you still have it with you?”

Xu Qianyao asked nervously.

He had chatted with Director Ning not long ago and brought up the topic of apocalypse novels, treating it as a joke. Who knew that on that very day, experts predicted abnormal weather.

In the coming days, temperatures would get lower and lower.

Director Ning had even reported it to his superiors and planned to establish Safety Shelters.

Jiang Fei lied without batting an eye: “I can’t find it anymore. That novel was something I read at school a long time ago.”

Xu Qianyao looked disappointed and changed the subject: “The authorities have been moving around frequently outside recently. If there’s any loud noise, it probably won’t escape their ears.”

“I heard that someone in the neighboring community was secretly hoarding a hunting rifle and even used it openly, and they were caught by the authorities.”

His implication was for Jiang Fei to hide her gun and not use it again.

Only because Jiang Fei was Grandma’s Benefactor, he could turn a blind eye.

Understanding Xu Qianyao’s meaning, Jiang Fei replied “Okay” and closed the electric door.

Lu Yu, who was in the corridor, seeing no danger, was about to go home when Jiang Fei called out to him.

“These are meat patties Captain Xu sent. Try them.”

She wanted Lu Yu to adapt in advance.

Jiang Fei picked out the largest one for Lu Yu.

Lu Yu took the meat patty doubtfully.

Why did he feel like his neighbor had ill intentions?

He took a bite of the meat patty in his hand; it was dry and fishy. Lu Yu frowned slightly, then suddenly saw a piece of foreign matter sticking out from where he had just bitten.

He pulled it out to examine it.

It looked like a small leg of some animal.

It was exactly the same as the rat leg he had eaten at the media company that day.

Jiang Fei was very surprised.

She hadn’t expected Lu Yu to “win the lottery” on his first try.

Lu Yu’s mood was subtle: “This is…”

Before he could say the words “rat patty,” click—

Xiao Chuxia opened her door and came out.

Lu Yu quickly hid the rat leg in his palm, pretending nothing had happened.

“No wonder you didn’t answer when I knocked just now, Miss. You were outside.”

“I’ve finished making the medicine. There are 10 bottles in total. With Grandma Xu, that’s exactly two bottles for each of us.”

Saying this, Xiao Chuxia distributed the medicine bottles to Lu Yu and Jiang Fei:

“Oh? What are you holding, Miss?”

“Meat patties from downstairs. Try one.” Jiang Fei used the same trick, coaxing Xiao Chuxia to take a bite of the meat patty.

Xiao Chuxia’s face was full of disgust: “It’s so bad. The meat isn’t delicate at all, and the texture is gritty.”

“Did Grandma Xu send it?”

Seeing Jiang Fei and Lu Yu’s expressions, which were the same as when they watched her eat a rat last time, Xiao Chuxia swallowed the dry meat patty with difficulty, her voice hesitant: “This isn’t made from snake meat, is it…”

Jiang Fei shook her head: “It’s insects.”

Lu Yu opened his palm: “And rats.”

Xiao Chuxia: “…”

There are bad people among the masses!!!

In the end, Xiao Chuxia forced herself to finish the meat patty despite her nausea.

It was food, after all; it couldn’t be wasted!

Lu Yu also ate the meat patty in his hand and went home to calm down.

Xiao Chuxia went downstairs to deliver medicine to Ling Zhaorui and Old Mrs. Xu.

Jiang Fei also asked her to take a meat patty down for Ling Zhaorui to try. Just as she was about to return to 2202, she suddenly heard a faint buzzing sound.