Stock Up For Natural Disasters And Cubs Survive – CH2

Chapter 2

The welfare home’s cafeteria was on the third floor, on the same level as the children’s dormitories.

Tonight’s dinner was mushroom meat buns and mung bean soup, and each child could also get one box of yogurt drink.

The serving window was still too high for Guanguan. He had to stand on tiptoe just to steady his little stainless-steel bowl.

Thunk. A plump, white bun dropped into the bowl.

Guanguan gave a little “wah,” then shakily lifted the bowl higher again. “Auntie, Guanguan wants one more bun-bun, okay?”

The middle-aged woman serving food said impatiently, “Come back for more after you finish eating!”

Behind him, Wang Xiaotiao stood with his bowl balanced on his head and said anxiously, “Auntie, Guanguan eats slowly. If he waits until he finishes, there won’t be anything left!”

The middle-aged woman snapped in dialect, “Move along, don’t make trouble. Such a tiny child, how could he possibly eat two buns!”

At the end of the line, Wei Cheng narrowed his eyes. He had just started to step forward when he saw Teacher Xiaomei, who had been ladling out soup at the wooden table, hurry over.

“Sister Yun, Sister Yun, please don’t get angry with a child.”

Teacher Xiaomei was clearly a little afraid of this middle-aged woman. She brushed aside the short hair covering half her face, her tone somewhat ingratiating and humble. “Sister Yun, look, you just got here, so you don’t know yet. Guanguan may look small, but he can really eat. Director Wang even took him to get checked, and the doctor said this child was simply born with a big appetite. With buns this size, he needs to eat two or three in one meal, otherwise he’ll cry from hunger at night…”

The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes and, rather unwillingly, tossed another bun into the bowl. “Fine. Even if he can eat, we can’t let him hog everything for himself. If he’s still hungry, let him drink two more bowls of soup. The children may not understand the welfare home’s situation, but don’t tell me you don’t. Besides, there are still several older kids in line behind him! Next one, hurry up!”

Teacher Xiaomei opened her mouth, but in the end said nothing. Lowering her head, she helped Guanguan away by the shoulder.

Guanguan held his little bowl and looked up at Teacher Xiaomei. “Teacher, Guanguan eats two bun-buns, tummy full-full, won’t cry at night.”

“Mm, good boy. Teacher will get you some soup.”

Teacher Xiaomei sighed. Ever since the last kitchen auntie had gotten sick and left, Director Wang’s daughter-in-law had taken over. Purchasing food for the cafeteria and cooking had both fallen into that woman’s hands, and ever since then, meals in the cafeteria had been rationed down to the last bite.

Teacher Xiaomei wanted to report this to the director, but she was afraid of losing this hard-won job. Given her circumstances, being able to find such a stable job was already quite good.

Teacher Xiaomei helped Guanguan carry his soup, while Guanguan trotted along happily, holding his two bun-buns and one little bottle of yogurt drink.

Wang Xiaotiao came running over with a bun in his mouth. “Guanguan, what flavor is your yogurt?”

Guanguan generously showed it off. “Stawbewwy flavor!”

Wang Xiaotiao said, “Wow! Mine is yellow peach flavor. After we finish drinking them, how about we swap and lick each other’s cartons?”

The moment she heard that, Teacher Xiaomei hurriedly said, “No. That’s not hygienic. Drink your own. Wang Xiaotiao, you are not allowed to secretly pick up other people’s yogurt cartons and lick them anymore!”

This kind of yogurt drink actually had little nutritional value and wasn’t very good for children’s bodies. It also left a fake sweetness in the mouth after drinking. It was only meant to satisfy the children’s cravings a little. These had all been donated by kindhearted people. The welfare home had limited conditions, so of course they drank whatever they had.

The moment Teacher Xiaomei left, Wang Xiaotiao started itching to pick up other people’s yogurt cartons again.

Guanguan stuffed his face with big mouthfuls of bun, his cheeks bulging full, and wagged one short, chubby finger. “Teacher said no licking!”

“The cartons are already licked clean. Even if I pick them up, there’s nothing left to lick!” Wang Xiaotiao whispered. “While you were gone these past few days, Mingming and I already collected lots of yogurt cartons! Then we’ll sell them to the junk-collecting grandpa! We can make lots of money! Then buy lots of ice cream!”

The moment he heard “ice cream,” Guanguan’s eyes lit up. “Guanguan wants to collect junk!”

Wang Xiaotiao had just been about to explain his grand junk-collecting plan when he suddenly paused, then lowered his head and gulped down his soup while covertly guarding both his own yogurt and Guanguan’s.

Wei Cheng walked over carrying his tray and glanced at the seat beside Guanguan. “Can I sit here and eat?”

Guanguan tilted up his little face and obediently said, “Yes, big brother.”

Wei Cheng glanced at the thriving little curls on top of Guanguan’s head. He really was like a plump little lamb.

He had already noticed Wang Xiaotiao’s protective movement over the yogurt, so he placed his own yogurt between the two children.

“You two can share it. I don’t like drinking it.”

Wang Xiaotiao forgot all about being scared of older kids and stared with wide eyes. “It’s strawberry flavor too! You don’t like yogurt? How can anyone not like yogurt?”

Guanguan reached out his little fleshy hand and pushed the yogurt back. “Big brother drink. Drinking milk makes you grow tall-tall!”

Wei Cheng’s heart warmed. He tore open the yogurt and placed it in front of them. “Big brother is already very tall. You two share it.”

Wang Xiaotiao swallowed hard with greed. “That’s so embarrassing…”

“Drink it. It’s fine.” Wei Cheng finished two buns in a few bites, then drank all his mung bean soup, returned the empty tray to its place, and left the cafeteria.

Wang Xiaotiao looked at Wei Cheng’s back. “He’s so cool. Even cooler than Mingming!”

Guanguan thought in a daze, then why did cool big brother have rain falling from his eyes?

—

After dinner at six in the evening, the children would be taken out into the yard to walk around and exercise.

The whole courtyard was cement, with only one weathered children’s slide whose paint had long peeled away. It had already been occupied by several bigger kids aged eight or nine. Little children like Guanguan and Wang Xiaotiao never got a turn and could only gather together to kick around a faded watermelon ball.

Wei Cheng watched the scene from afar.

It was July, summer vacation. This welfare home had originally had around twenty children. More than ten of them had come of age this year. Some had gotten into vocational colleges and gone off to work near their schools to earn money. Those who had not gotten into university had simply left the welfare home and entered society to make a living. Now only about ten children remained. The oldest was in fourth grade, while the youngest, like Guanguan, had not even started kindergarten yet.

Aside from Guanguan, Mingming, Wang Xiaotiao, and the only girl, Qiqi, who were true orphans, the remaining six older children included several who were temporarily placed in the welfare home because of family circumstances, and one who was staying there as a de facto unsupported child.

Wei Cheng touched his pants pocket.

Right now, he had a total of one thousand yuan.

This was the pocket money his grandmother used to give him, which he had saved bit by bit.

After his grandmother died, that distant cousin-uncle was technically his only relative. Not wanting to raise a burden with no property attached was human nature. But secretly pocketing the gold jewelry his grandmother and deceased mother had left him—that was moral rot.

In his previous life, when his grandmother had received a critical illness notice, Wei Cheng had been struck with panic and grief and fainted on the spot. That cousin-uncle’s family had been the last ones to see his grandmother. As soon as she was buried, feverish Wei Cheng was mercilessly dumped at this welfare home.

After his grandmother fell ill, she had told him that in the courtyard of their old rural home, she and his mother had buried things they were leaving for him. She had lived a whole lifetime and knew that no one could really be relied on. She was afraid that little Wei Cheng wouldn’t be able to hold on to those things. If the cousin-uncle’s family was willing to raise him, then a portion could be given to them. If they were unwilling, then he should wait until he was older before digging them up.

But man proposes and heaven disposes. Back then, Wei Cheng’s illness dragged on and on without getting better. By the time he had recovered enough to secretly return to their rural home, he discovered it had long since been ransacked, dug up from top to bottom.

It turned out that in her dying moments, his grandmother had still been unable to let go of him. In her confused rambling, she had revealed something this important.

It was also a case of heavenly justice coming full circle. After he grew up, he ran into that cousin-uncle, who had managed to become a minor leader in one of the bases. Wei Cheng beat him badly, looted his belongings for good measure, and then left the base. Not long after, he heard that the cousin-uncle’s family had tried to run away with most of the base’s supplies, and in the end, the whole family had become zombie food.

In this life, Wei Cheng had not given those people the chance to get close to his grandmother, so the secret of the rural home was still known to him alone.

He silently raised his head and looked at the sky, dyed into a magnificent canvas by the evening glow. In his ears rang the children’s laughter and happy voices. No one knew that in three months, such beautiful scenery would vanish completely from this world.

A boundless sense of urgency and sorrow rose in his heart.

Smack. An old watermelon ball landed at Wei Cheng’s feet.

He lifted his eyes and saw Guanguan standing not far away, clasping his little hands awkwardly.

Wang Xiaotiao and Qiqi were also looking at him nervously, as if afraid he would kick the little ball flying away with one foot.

It seemed that those older children had bullied them plenty.

Wei Cheng stiffly lifted the corners of his mouth. After ten years in the apocalypse, he had long forgotten how to smile.

He carefully controlled his strength and kicked the little ball back to Guanguan.

The smile on Guanguan’s face widened. Before the ball had even fully rolled to a stop, he kicked it again toward Qiqi.

Wang Xiaotiao shouted, “Kick it to me, kick it to me!”

The children played more and more happily, drawing frequent glances even from the older kids occupying the slide.

At that moment, a whistle blew.

Teacher Xiaomei stood on the first floor and shouted, “Hurry back, time to bathe, wash up, and sleep! Time to bathe, wash up, and sleep!”

“Bath! Bath!” Guanguan especially loved bathing. The moment he heard the word, he hugged the watermelon ball and rushed toward the building.

Teacher Xiaomei shouted again, “Guanguan, leave the watermelon ball on the playground, don’t bring it over!”

Guanguan obediently listened, placing the watermelon ball by the sand pile, and the whole group of children ran back into the building.

Wei Cheng lagged behind by two steps, and heard a nine-year-old boy named Zhou Zihao whisper to his companion, “That ugly woman bosses us around every day. When is Director Wang going to replace her with a prettier teacher? I heard her real name is Liu Meizhen. Pfft. With a birthmark that big on her face and she’s still called ‘beautiful’? Every time I hear those little brats calling her Teacher Xiaomei, I feel like puking…”

Before he could finish, it was as if someone tripped him, and he fell flat on his face.

“Zhou Zihao, Sun Xiaoqiang, stop fooling around. Hurry back and wash up for bed!”

Zhou Zihao clutched his knee and fake-cried, “Teacher, my leg really hurts…”

Teacher Xiaomei kept a stern face. “Stop pretending. Go take a bath.”

Wei Cheng gave him a flat glance and quickly left the first floor.

Some children were born bad seeds. They were not worth pity or saving.

Summer weather was hot. One room held a total of four little beds. In winter, when heating was limited, it was not unusual for more than ten children to sleep in one room.

Room 302 housed Guanguan, Mingming, and Wang Xiaotiao. The other empty bed frame was piled high with assorted odds and ends.

While blow-drying the nearly dozing Guanguan’s hair, Teacher Xiaomei said, “Wei Cheng, tonight you can squeeze in with Guanguan. Tomorrow Director Wang will go buy you a quilt.”

Wei Cheng had short hair, so it dried after just a few wipes with a towel. “Okay, Teacher Xiaomei.”

Teacher Xiaomei smiled, then said, “Teacher saw you give your yogurt to Wang Xiaotiao and Guanguan, and later play with them too. You’re a good child. Now that you’ve come here, don’t keep thinking about your old life. Even though our welfare home in this small town can’t compare with the ones in big cities, there are fewer children here, so the teachers can devote all their attention to you. In the future, don’t be so withdrawn. Treat this place as your home. Treat good children like Guanguan, Wang Xiaotiao, and Mingming as your family.”

Wei Cheng looked at Teacher Xiaomei, and bloody, cruel images flashed through his mind. He opened his mouth. “Teacher, you… you…”

“Shh.” Teacher Xiaomei put down the hairdryer and laid the chubby child, dressed in a faded little bear pajama set, onto the bed.

Then she asked softly, “What is it?”

Wei Cheng shook his head. “Nothing.”

“All right, then get into bed and sleep.”

Teacher Xiaomei watched Wei Cheng lie down before turning off the light.

The room fell into darkness, filled only with Wang Xiaotiao’s snoring.

Wei Cheng gently held Guanguan’s soft, tiny body, his throat aching.

He had to make Guanguan trust him as soon as possible, then take him away from the welfare home and flee to the countryside. In this life, even if it meant death, he was going to die together with his little brother. As for kind Teacher Xiaomei and the other children…

Would anyone believe the words of an eight-year-old child?

That night, a sudden rain fell.

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