Chapter 127: Participating in Labor

With a soft pop, the last glimmer of light vanished, and the room was instantly swallowed by thick darkness.

Only the two people's faint breathing could be clearly heard in the silence.

In the darkness, Li Feifei kept her eyes open, listening to the person beside her breathing gradually become even and long, but her thoughts, like the wind howling outside the window, could not be calmed.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to clear her mind; resting was the only preparation she could make at that moment.

The next morning, as the sky grew faintly light, there began to be some movement inside the fortress.

Ling'er knocked on the door, gently pushed open the room where the three were staying, flipped the switch, and lit up the interior.

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan were startled by the light, slowly opening their eyes, their gazes still holding lingering confusion and alertness.

Li Jing, meanwhile, remained curled up in the corner, sleeping extremely uneasily, brows tightly furrowed, as if she were enduring enormous pressure even in her dream.

Ling'er said softly, "Time to get up; I'll take you to get familiar with the fortress."

Wang Hongmei was the first to push herself up, her movements a bit sluggish; she rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up.

Chen Xiulan also sat up, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.

Li Jing was awakened by their movement, she bolted upright, eyes full of panic; only after she saw clearly that it was Ling'er did she relax a little.

After the three quickly washed up, they followed Ling'er out of the room.

The interior of the fortress wasn't very large, but it had all kinds of facilities, complete.

As she walked, Ling'er introduced them: "This is the living area; everyone usually eats and rests nearby. Downstairs there is the storage room, where basic materials and tools—these important items—are kept; when things get busy, you might have to go in and help tidy up."

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan listened attentively, nodding from time to time.

Li Jing, meanwhile, kept her head down, closely following the two behind them, as if that could give her a sense of security.

Next, Ling'er led them to the storage room.

Entering the warehouse, they found it filled with all kinds of supplies, from basic materials to tools, from clothing to food, neatly sorted and placed.

Ling'er pointed at the things inside and said, "Everything here is important; Feifei often comes here to take items for her transactions. If you end up being responsible for organizing, you'll need to be careful and thorough."

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan looked at the supplies in the storage room, a flicker of surprise crossing their eyes; they hadn't expected that in this harsh world, the fortress could stockpile so much.

Li Jing merely glanced briefly, her gaze darting over the mountain‑piled supplies like a startled bird, finally landing on a half‑open wooden box nearest to her.

Inside the box lay neatly stacked shiny iron blocks, their cold glint stinging her eyes.

She instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes, her knuckles whitening from the force, as if those gray‑silver iron blocks were not basic materials but something that could be equated with life itself.

Ling'er did not urge her on; she simply stood patiently to the side, watching the faint spark of survival instinct awakened by the supplies in Wang Hongmei's and Chen Xiulan's eyes.

She knew that, for Li Jing and the others, the storage room's "safety" and "security" now felt like an incomprehensible alien sea, full of unknown whirlpools.

She needed time—more than the other two—to gradually understand that this sea was not entirely a devouring abyss.

"Let's go," Ling'er said, her voice softer, as if afraid to disturb something, "Let's go eat breakfast first, and then… we'll arrange some light tasks for you depending on the situation."

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan withdrew their gazes, nodded obediently, and stepped forward to follow Ling'er.

Li Jing stood frozen in place for a few seconds, then, as if pulled by an invisible thread, she shifted her feet, still pressing close to Chen Xiulan's back, trying to hide herself as much as possible in her companions' narrow shadow, as if that could shield her from the ever‑present scrutinizing or curious gazes, and from the silent oppression of the huge warehouse itself.

Her shoulder trembled almost imperceptibly as she left the relatively dim area near the warehouse door and stepped back into the fortress's less glaring but warmer lighting.

Before the four even entered the dining hall, they could smell the food from afar; upon entering the canteen, Li Qingxuan and Li Feifei were seated at the table, Huang Rong and Shuang'er were bringing dishes to the table, and Ling'er busily greeted them to go into the kitchen to help serve.

When everyone had seated themselves, Li Qingxuan turned his head to look at them; after a night's rest, his complexion had visibly improved, his gaze sweeping over Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan before settling on Li Jing, noticing that she remained tense and shrunk behind her companions, he gave a slight shake of his head.

He lifted the bowl of porridge before him, gently stirring it with a spoon; the steaming porridge aroma filled the air, "Eat first; only when you're full will you have strength. Ling'er will later assign you some simple tasks—don't be nervous, take it slow."

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan exchanged a glance, each seeing a hint of reassurance in the other's eyes.

They silently lifted their bowls and began to sip the porridge in small mouthfuls.

Li Jing also slowly reached out; when her fingertips touched the warm bowl wall, she flinched slightly, then carefully lifted the bowl to her lips and took a gentle sip.

After breakfast, Ling'er led them to a relatively spacious room, saying, "This will be your workspace from now on; today we'll first sort these fabrics."

She pointed to the several large bundles of fabric piled on the floor and said, "These are for making clothes, those are for making bedding; just separate them and lay them out."

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan immediately squatted down and began to sort the fabric. Li Jing stood where she was, hesitated a moment, then slowly squatted as well, carefully picking up a piece of fabric, her eyes fixed on it, afraid of soiling or damaging it herself.

Ling'er watched from the side, occasionally giving guidance: "Yes, just like that, sort them by type." Her voice was gentle and patient, gradually loosening Li Jing's tense nerves.

As time passed, Li Jing's movements became more skilled; she no longer had to be as careful as at the start, and could now distinguish and sort the fabric relatively easily.

Seeing her change, Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan both showed relieved smiles, and the atmosphere among the three gradually grew harmonious.

At noon, Ling'er took them to eat; on the way, Li Jing took the initiative to speak a few words with Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan—though the conversation was brief, the initial timidity and distance were gone.

Wang Hongmei and Chen Xiulan responded warmly to her, and the three walked into the canteen chatting and laughing.

In the canteen, the aroma of the food remained tempting; everyone sat together, the atmosphere more relaxed than in the morning. Seeing the three walk in side by side, Li Qingxuan and Li Feifei both wore faint smiles. Li Qingxuan gave a slight nod, acknowledging their morning performance. Li Feifei stood up, added steaming hot dishes to their plates, and said softly, "You worked hard this morning—eat a little more."

When Li Jing took the food, her finger accidentally brushed Li Feifei's hand, and her body twitched slightly, as if she had been startled.

But Li Feifei merely smiled gently, paying no heed to her reaction.

In that moment, Li Jing's tension and guard seemed to lessen a bit.

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