The woman nursing her child recoiled in fright as she pulled the infant closer to her chest. She shouted into the dim room, her voice echoing off the concrete walls. "You have scared me half to death. So it's you under all that plastic. What is with that expensive getup? You have finally struck it rich, haven't you?"
Zijin replied calmly, her voice steady despite the accusation. "If you don't do guilty deeds, you won't fear ghosts knocking at your door at midnight. Auntie Zhang, please stop calling me the hairy monster from now on."
Auntie Zhang forced a hollow laugh while squeezing her shriveled chest to try and draw out more milk for the fussing baby. "I just like giving people nicknames to pass the time. I have been calling that man over there Wang Pockmark every single day and he's never once got mad. One ought to be broad-minded in these times."
Jing Shu noticed that Zijin's bed was positioned right in the center of the floor, with no other bunk beds within three meters of it. Clearly, the presence of the woman's long hair was seen as too dangerous for the other residents. After all, sometimes a small red nematode dropped from the ceiling and could be eaten as a salty snack; but if a python-sized, thrashing red nematode landed on a person in their sleep, no one would take it lightly.
"You have finally cut your hair? That's great, now I don't have to bring you food every day," a voice called out from the shadows. In the dim room, only silhouettes were visible against the gray light of the windows. Xiao Mei had only seen that the snake-like mass of hair was gone from the woman's back.
It was five in the afternoon, the temperature about to drop as the sun began to set. Everyone who went out to work in the factories or scavenge in the ruins had to return before the damp cold set in; or they would risk catching a fatal illness. Most of the families on the thirty-first floor were heading home for the night, some already back from the communal cafeteria with their metal containers of steaming meals.
"I didn't cut it. I washed it with salt, coiled it tight, and tucked it under my waterproof hood. That problem won't happen again. I have troubled everyone here enough before. Once I have some virtual coins from my new job, I will compensate those around me for the bother," Zijin stated.
Auntie Zhang shook her baby while staring at Zijin with narrowed eyes. "Oh, so you even washed your hair with salt water? And you're wearing this fancy outfit too. You must be doing very well for yourself. Since you admit you have caused us trouble, if you're really going to compensate us; then at least give each of us a bowl of white rice."
"What I use to compensate, and who I choose to compensate, is up to me," Zijin answered coolly. Her life's carefully budgeted down to the last grain. There's no way she would get careless or wasteful just because she earned four virtual coins a day now.
But the moment the other residents heard the word "compensation," they gathered eagerly around the bunk bed.
"Zijin, that day one of your red nematodes fell all over my clean shirt. I didn't even get a chance to tell you about the mess it made."
"Zijin, I'm only ten meters (approximately ten meters) from your bunk, but your red nematodes keep hopping over to my blankets at night. You owe me for the lack of sleep."
"I don't care about the others; me and my baby both deserve double shares of whatever you're giving out," Auntie Zhang demanded shamelessly, her voice rising above the rest.
Still smiling serenely, Zijin said, "There are only so many things to go around. I will hand them to the people closest to me and let them divide the goods among themselves. I won't interfere in the process. If anyone's still dissatisfied, I will just take the items back."
The clamor died down into a frustrated murmur. After all, even if she had compensation to give out, how could it satisfy everyone unless they all got exactly the same thing?
The spectacle ended before it even truly began, leaving Jing Shu slightly disappointed by the lack of conflict. She nearly forgot the primary purpose of her visit: to upgrade Zijin's living space and ensure she stayed clean.
But this place seemed beyond saving. There were simply too many red nematodes in the building, hopping around the floor like fleas. Jing Shu even saw idle people lying on their bunks picking the worms off one another to eat like grooming primates. It's worse than in her past life's home.
Since people constantly brought more of the parasites in from outside on their raincoats, there's no stopping the infestation. Jing Shu could only make Zijin clean her bunk bed thoroughly with a salt solution, wash every piece of bedding in salt water, and then cover the entire bunk space with an integrated PVC plastic shell to isolate it from the room. At night, Zijin was told not to remove her enclosed raincoat and to wipe every surface down daily with a damp cloth. That's the best temporary solution until Zijin could be moved somewhere else.
Around them, the neighbors munched on today's cafeteria meal of mushrooms boiled with bug eggs and rice mixed with a thick paste; all while watching the commotion with hungry eyes. Unable to stomach the sight of the nauseating mushrooms that made her want to vomit, Jing Shu slipped away quickly toward the stairs.
Xiao Mei asked curiously, "Zijin, who was that woman just now?"
"My boss."
Auntie Zhang couldn't help but probe, "Then why is she so good to you, giving you all that gear and plastic?"
"I start work tomorrow morning. Where I will be working, not a single red nematode can appear. You know how rich people are; they can't stand seeing these things on their property. That's why I need to tidy everything up here."
An older man nearby looked on with an envious gaze. "What kind of work is it? Can I do it too?"
"Making handmade clothes for someone. The requirements for the stitching are strict. You all know this is the only skill I have got," she answered, not mentioning the silkworms or the silk production.
Auntie Zhang rocked her baby to sleep before adding, "Zijin, you're about to rise up in the world. Don't forget about us when you have plenty."
The only reply was the sudden sound of heavy snores echoing through the cramped, humid space of the dormitory.
Even the most poorly off people on the thirty-first floor were living better than the people stuck in the Banana Community's underground parking lot. Jing Shu felt comforted by the sight. Whatever their personalities or lack of manners, these people had family members who had risked their lives for the nation, fighting on the front lines of the various crises. They deserved better treatment than most. Although the military's casualty rate's low, there were still many who had died in service during the floods.
The benefits in the family quarters weren't bad: each household got a kettle of hot water daily for washing; meals could include a thick paste; bunks were provided for every member; and housing and furniture were distributed based on military rank.
"Maybe I should check out Li Yuetian's place later. I heard he's got a 40-year-old dominatrix wife. A 30-something man like him actually went for an older woman. That's pretty curious," Jing Shu thought as she left the mall.
The next morning, Zijin showed up at the villa gates in the same outfit as the day before. Carefully soaking off all the red nematodes in the saltwater pool at the entrance, she then discovered that a four-square-meter shack had already been built under the villa's awning; it's stocked with all the wooden tools she needed for the silk.
It's a touching sight for her.
Unfortunately, it's Grandma Jing who had arranged the workspace. Zijin learned that Jing Shu had gone out early on business.
A tiny twinge of disappointment stirred in Zijin's heart at the news.
"It must be your blessing that I found such a good job, right? Don't worry, I will work hard and live well in this apocalypse until the day we meet again," Zijin whispered to the air, thinking of her beloved.
By late March, Jing Shu's second batch of blood mushrooms had matured in the dark soil of her space. She originally wanted to wait a little longer before harvesting. Blood mushrooms were so valuable they never lacked desperate buyers; but she couldn't afford to take too many out at once and flood the market. Su Mali, however, told her that a major client planned to buy up the entire crop at a private auction.
"They're not paying in virtual coins, but in high-grade petroleum," Su Mali said smugly, adjusting the fabric of her outfit. "How about this yellow open-shoulder dress on me? Does it look official?"
"You look good in anything you put on," Jing Shu said with a wide yawn, eating the spring roll egg pancakes Grandma Jing had fried that morning; they were stuffed with savory sausage and fresh vegetables. "So you have dragged me out here at four in the morning just to watch you try on dresses? It's just a business deal. Did you really have to dress so formally, and so early in the day?"
Jing Shu had only gone to bed at two in the morning the night before, rolling cigarettes from her first tobacco harvest.
Four in the morning; when had this cursed timing ever end? The Rubik's Cube Space felt less and less ordinary to her, steeped in a strange, unfolding mystery.
"But the buyer's Qian Duoduo, our group's top competitor in the market. Of course I have to project momentum and status. The main road to Xishan's blocked by a landslide, so we will have to take a long detour through the hills."
"Qian Duoduo? That's impossible. I have worked with him several times before. If he knew I was the seller, he would come directly to me instead of paying a middleman's fee. And this is such a small deal compared to his usual volume; I doubt he would even bother with it," Jing Shu said with a raised brow. Something didn't feel right about the arrangement.