Bai Youwei tilted the barrel slightly and said: “Go clean the room.”

Ning Yao lowered the bow dejectedly. “Oh…”

Looking utterly crestfallen, she and Youyou walked away together.

……

Bai Youwei put the gun away and turned to Yi Zichu beside her. He was stir-frying the greens with a perfectly composed expression. She asked: “Aren’t you scared?”

Yi Zichu didn’t look up. “That’s a toy gun, isn’t it?”

Bai Youwei was mildly surprised. “Huh, you actually noticed?”

“Because items like that are classified as prohibited goods. There’s no way to purchase them.” Yi Zichu said, transferring the finished garlic napa cabbage onto a plate. “Yaoyao and the others are still young. They haven’t visited the service station enough times to know… There, give it a taste.”

Bai Youwei picked up her chopsticks, pinched a piece of the greens, and put it in her mouth.

Slightly hot. The fragrance of garlic and the gentle sweetness of the cabbage bloomed together on her tongue — a warm, homey flavor. But…

Bai Youwei set down her chopsticks and delicately dabbed the corner of her mouth. “Now I believe you were an apprentice, and not some master chef’s successor.”

Yi Zichu: “…”

Bai Youwei said: “Do your best with the rest of the dishes.”

Yi Zichu: “…………”

……

In all fairness, for someone Yi Zichu’s age to produce the five dishes Bai Youwei had requested was already a remarkable achievement. To ask for exceptional flavor on top of that was truly pushing it.

Before all this, Yi Zichu and the children had been surviving on instant noodles and crackers. It was impossible to refine cooking skills to the level of color, aroma, and taste in a single day.

Of the four dishes, Bai Youwei ate only a little of each. When Yi Zichu finally set a large bowl of milky-white fish broth on the table — fragrant and piping hot — she barely touched it, clearly very particular.

Ning Yao, Youyou, and Diandian sat at the edge of the table, practically drooling.

Finally, Bai Youwei set down her chopsticks and asked them: “Is the hot water ready?”

Youyou nodded eagerly: “It’s ready! One bucket of hot, one bucket of cold, and the bathtub is all cleaned.”

Bai Youwei was quite satisfied. She rose and prepared to leave the cafeteria. “The rest is yours to eat.”

The group of children nearly erupted in cheers, and struggled to hold it in — their expressions twisting into all sorts of shapes in the effort.

Bai Youwei paused at the doorway. “Oh, right… I almost forgot.”

She pulled out a ring of keys and set them lightly on the small table near the cafeteria entrance. Then she walked out.

Ning Yao looked at Bai Youwei’s retreating figure, then looked at the four dishes and one soup on the table. Barely containing her excitement, she asked Yi Zichu: “Brother Zichu, can we really eat this?”

Yi Zichu smiled gently. “Yes. Go bring Jiujiu over. Let’s all eat together.”

“This is amazing!!!”

This time, they cheered out loud for real.

……

Bai Youwei could hear their voices from far away. She smiled, indifferently, and lifted her eyes toward the sky.

【(-灬-) The louder the laughter, the louder the crying will be!】

【Those idiots got burned and then pepper-sprayed — there’s no way they’re just going to let that go. I’m waiting for the real show~】

【This time she’ll probably have to hide. Ahhh, the streamer has such good looks — I can’t bear to watch what that group might do to her if they catch her. (>_<)】

【Following now~ Come on, streamer! Can’t wait to see how this develops~】

【(‘v’) Checking in with full energy today as always——】

……

Bai Youwei closed the livestream and went inside to bathe.

Conditions being what they were, a lovely bubble bath was out of the question. No body wash, no shampoo — she could only wipe down with plain water.

Someone had left a little rubber duck in the cartoon-print washtub.

Bai Youwei suspected it was these children finding small joys in a hard life.

She picked up the little duck, and couldn’t help but smile.

……

—