Apocalyptic Rebirth

73.A scheming mother

"Sister, I know you have a kind heart, which is why I dare to make such a request."

"Please, for the sake of our baby, and also for the sake of Uncle You's face, let our baby stay with you for some time!"

When the conversation had reached this point, Xie Limei was also trying to get Uncle You involved.

Generally, when making a big request, it's a good strategy to ask for a smaller one first. Once the smaller request is granted, it becomes awkward to refuse the bigger one.

This woman was clearly not simple.

Xie Limei intentionally hadn't discussed her plan with Uncle You beforehand. She waited until Zhang Yi had given them the medicine before suggesting that the baby stay at Zhang Yi's place.

However, she underestimated how resolute Zhang Yi was.

Zhang Yi stood by the door with his arms crossed. "Xie, if it were before the apocalypse, I'd agree to your request. But now, you know, everyone in this building wants my house, and some even want my life."

"I'm truly terrified and can't let strangers inside. I believe you can understand my position, right? Uncle You, you should understand too."

Uncle You nodded repeatedly. He was in a very awkward position at the moment but felt grateful to Zhang Yi.

"Right, Zhang Yi has been more than kind enough to us! Who else would be willing to give us medicine? Do you know how hard it is to find medicine nowadays?"

Xie Limei bit her lip and didn't argue with Uncle You, presenting a pitiful look with teary eyes.

"But didn't he let Zhou Ker stay in their home?" Xie Limei said with a frown.

Zhang Yi gave a scornful smile and replied, "Zhou Ker is my girlfriend. Any issues with that?"

Zhou Ker, hearing these words, knew that Zhang Yi was merely humoring the woman, but she couldn't help a faint smile.

Women are more interested in sweet words from men than the truth. Even if they know it's false, they might delude themselves into believing it's true.

Xie Limei frowned as if contemplating her response. However, Uncle You's face wasn't as thick as hers.

After all, Zhang Yi had helped him on numerous occasions. He couldn't let his male pride down.

He pulled Xie Limei and, with a somewhat serious expression, said, "Let's go. Don't cause any trouble for others. Zhang Yi has already been very kind to us; let's not overstep our bounds."

Seeing that Uncle You was genuinely annoyed, Xie Limei immediately put on a look of grievance.

"I know, I don't want to do this either. It's all for the sake of the baby."

Uncle You apologized to Zhang Yi. "Sorry, Zhang Yi. Don't mind her too much. We appreciate what you've done this time."

Zhang Yi responded, "No worries, we all understand the situation. Let's support each other!"

Through the surveillance, Zhang Yi saw Uncle You and Xie Limei leave the building with the child.

He returned to the dining table and said to Zhou Ker, "This woman might be trouble."

Zhou Ker shrugged, not too concerned. "Aren't there plenty of people like her?"

Zhang Yi raised his shoulders. "You're right. But I have a good relationship with Uncle You. I'm worried she might interfere with our relationship."

Uncle You was the ideal assistant chosen by Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi didn't want this Uncle You to have a woman by his side whispering sinister thoughts into his ear.

Zhang Yi became a bit more wary of Xie Limei. At the very least, he knew she harbored some covetousness for his house and supplies.

Uncle You returned home with Xie Limei and the child.

After closing the door, he looked displeased and said, "What were you saying just now? How could you ask someone to take care of the baby for us?"

"Nowadays, it's so chaotic out there; no one knows if people are trustworthy or not. The fact that he provided medicine means he's a trustworthy person. Why do you push the boundaries like this?"

Xie Limei sat on the bed, holding the child and feeding him the medicine while unbuttoning her shirt. She used her milk to help him swallow it.

She didn't argue with Uncle You but spoke softly, "It's all for the sake of our child. You know, he's my sole motivation for living right now. If anything happens to him, what's the point of my existence?"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Uncle You's expression softened, and he spoke more gently. "I understand what you mean, but in life, we should at least know how to show gratitude."

Thinking about how Zhang Yi had helped him out multiple times, Uncle You slapped his thigh and sighed, "If it weren't for Zhang Yi, I wouldn't have even considered stocking up on supplies. I wouldn't have made it this far!"

"Such great kindness and grace, I, You Jiguang, must find an opportunity to repay!"

At this moment, he heard Xie Limei's soft voice.

"Actually, I don't think you need to be so grateful to Zhang Yi. At least he's wary of you, isn't he?"

Uncle You was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

Xie Limei looked helpless. "Think about it, if he genuinely trusted you, wouldn't he have opened the door and invited us in when we came over? He wouldn't just throw the medicine through the window without showing his face. It's because he's still cautious about you."

Uncle You was displeased. "Don't speak nonsense! He's just a kind-hearted person; why do you twist his words?"

Unruffled, Xie Limei continued to speak softly. "I'm not talking nonsense. I think he might have done you a favor, but he didn't suffer much. Perhaps he's doing this to earn your goodwill so that someday you can help him out."

"If he were truly a good person, would he resort to such ruthless tactics and kill over dozens of his neighbors?"

"Unless he's willing to let us live in his home, then I might believe he's a good person. Besides, his house is spacious enough for the three of us. What's so..."

Before Xie Limei could continue, a loud shout interrupted her.

"That's enough!"

Uncle You's face turned red, and he glared at her angrily, startling Xie Limei.

The baby in her arms started crying loudly.

Xie Limei quickly embraced the baby, speaking gently, "I'm sorry; I was wrong. What I said was for your sake. In times like these, it's always best to be cautious!"

Uncle You said coldly, "Don't say things like that again in the future! I, You Jiguang, can still tell right from wrong."

Uncle You was good-hearted and straightforward, but being straightforward didn't mean he was foolish.

Yes, even if Zhang Yi helped him with a purpose, so what? In this world, there are no random acts of kindness.

He had lived for over 40 years and worked as a security guard for over a decade. He had seen it all and understood this truth very well.