Chapter 8: Survive

Seeing this, the old lady finally let go of her hand. The old man took the book and handed it to Mu Yu. "Take it back and put it away. This book isn't anything good right now; if someone sees it, it'll bring trouble."

Mu Yu naturally understood. Although she hadn't experienced such an era, she had learned about it from history. Setting aside these treasures left by the ancestors, many things during this time were the primary sources of disaster.

"Okay, I'll go hide it right away. No one will find it." After saying this, she carried the book into her room, and after making some noise, she stowed the book into her space.

Only the space inside her own mind was truly safe.

Returning to the dining table, Mu Yu showed no sign of disdain toward the simple meal and ate quite heartily.

If one were to ask what she missed most about the apocalypse, it would naturally be gourmet food.

Unfortunately, back then, even getting enough to eat was a problem for humanity; who would care about the flavor of a dish? As long as it was edible, that was enough.

Looking at the way her sister was eating, Mu Jie's eyes were filled with worry. "Sis, if you don't want to eat, don't force it. I'll go steam an egg for you." Thinking of his sister's picky eating habits in normal times, Mu Jie said with a hint of heartache.

Hearing this, Mu Yu looked bewildered. "It's actually quite delicious, hurry up and eat. Who knows what kind of trouble is waiting for us today." One needs to be full to have the strength to fight.

Currently, their whole family couldn't leave that main gate, and they had no idea what the situation was like outside; they could only wait at home.

Mu Jie's eyes were red. How had his sister ever suffered like this before? Now, it felt as if all the pressure was being pressed onto her shoulders.

"Okay."

After breakfast, things outside became lively.

The gates of the Mu family courtyard were pushed open from the outside. Zhang Gouzi, the one who had caused trouble yesterday, walked in arrogantly leading a group of men.

"Yo, just eating, I see." Looking at the empty bowls on the table, Zhang Gouzi reached out to pick one up and inspect it. Seeing the significant amount of oil residue in the bowl, he felt an intense surge of envy.

Many people in this courtyard envied the Mu family; they had good conditions, and all four family members earned money outside, with each of their salaries being higher than the average person's.

Their food and housing could also be considered the best in the courtyard.

"Look at this wasteful lifestyle. You didn't skimp on the oil, did you? For a normal family, this much oil would probably last for an entire day of cooking."

Zhang Gouzi said sourly; naturally, he was envious.

"What are you doing here?" Mu Yu helped her grandparents sit down on the sofa, then stood there with Xiao Jie, glaring at Zhang Gouzi.

Zhang Gouzi turned back to look at the siblings. "Nothing much, just coming to see if you guys had run away."

"Our Mu family acts upright and does things properly; we have no need to run," Mu Jie retorted loudly. "Unlike you, staring at the bottom of people's bowls. You must have done plenty of things to harm other families in the past."

Since yesterday, Mu Jie had been filled with hatred for this Zhang Gouzi, not to mention that he had harmed his own kin.

"Little brat, you've got quite a hard mouth. I'll see how long you can keep it up." When Zhang Gouzi had reported to his unit this morning, he had heard some rumors. No rush; he had plenty of opportunities to deal with these people.

"You've seen enough, and everyone is here. You can leave now." Mu Yu knew there was no point in wasting words with such a person; once he was done looking, she just wanted him to get lost so she could pack some things at home.

No matter what, she didn't plan on letting anyone benefit at their expense.

Uncharacteristically, Zhang Gouzi did not get angry, but instead gave Mu Yu a smiling look.

This Mu family girl was the most outstanding beauty in the courtyard. He was wondering if he might have a chance to...

Seeing Zhang Gouzi's lecherous gaze, Mu Jie immediately stepped in front of his sister, blocking that disgusting look.

"Heh, we'll see," Zhang Gouzi said, leading his men out.

Mu Jie, who had followed them to the door, slammed it shut with a loud *bang* once they were out.

Standing outside the door, Zhang Gouzi heard the sound and turned back to look at the tall doorframe once more.

A look of absolute certainty flashed in his eyes.

"Boss, why bother being polite with them? Just raid them directly." A lackey suggested, feeling very dissatisfied on behalf of his boss.

"What do you know, you idiot?" Zhang Gouzi reached out and slapped the man on the head. "Keep a good watch. You won't be lacking benefits when the time comes. The Mu family has quite a lot of good stuff."

With that, he strode away from the courtyard gate.

Meanwhile, neighbors and people living in the communal courtyard poked their heads out, whispering among themselves about the besieged Mu family.

In the past, the people in that courtyard were beyond their reach. Now, it seemed they were even lower than them.

However, nothing was certain, and no one dared to be the first to stick their neck out; after all, everyone cared about their reputation.

At the Mu house.

Mu Yu had her grandmother bring out all the family's money and valuables; she wanted to hide them in three separate sets.

One set she would keep, one for her grandparents, and one for Mu Jie. This was just in case.

There was indeed quite a lot of money in the house. After Grandma Mu brought it out, she watched Mu Yu dividing it. She didn't speak, but from her expression, it was clear she was fearful and worried.

There was a total of over three thousand yuan. It looked like a lot, but in reality, this money had been accumulated by the three elders working for over ten years.

The eldest brother of the Mu family hadn't been working for long, and all the money he brought home each month was used to buy things for his younger siblings, so there was nothing left.

There were also some coupons. Without these, life would be impossible even with money alone.

Regarding the coupons, she hid more on her grandparents and Mu Jie.

She knew that even if the money was taken, as long as these coupons were preserved, they could endure; they wouldn't starve to death.

"Grandma, Xiao Jie, in a moment, give me some of your older, worn-out clothes. I'll help you sew the money and coupons into them." After finishing the division, Mu Yu spoke to the people watching her from the side.

Mu Jie naturally agreed and immediately got up to find some old clothes.

Grandma Mu thought for a moment and said, "Sew some into your grandfather's clothes as well." This matter certainly wouldn't end peacefully, so she had to prepare a backup plan.

Mu Yu agreed without a second thought. "Okay."

She took two thousand six hundred yuan for herself. She would sew the remaining large bills into the three people's clothes, and as for the small change and small-denomination coupons, she didn't plan to hide them but would keep them in the house to avoid suspicion.

Hearing Mu Yu's agreement, Grandma Mu got up to get the clothes.

Grandpa Mu looked at his granddaughter, his eyes filled with relief. "Yu'er, you've grown up. Grandpa asks for nothing, only that you all stay safe and sound. If you hear any bad news, do not act impulsively, and do not think about revenge. Just survive. Just surviving is enough."

As Grandpa Mu spoke, his voice began to choke up.

Mu Yu understood his meaning. "Grandpa, don't worry. We will all survive. No matter how hard it gets, you must hold on. Wait for us to come find you." Grandpa was likely prepared for the worst.

"Okay. Everyone, survive."

The calls to his son and daughter-in-law wouldn't go through. Since things were like this here, their lives were likely difficult as well.

He just wondered, how was Mu Bin doing now?

(End of Chapter)