Otherwise, if kids go out scavenging they have to have an adult with them, and the adult will basically lose half their life.

Just when everyone thought things had calmed down and they’d slowly get used to this rhythm, those few people from the Yan Family showed up again.

By this time Father Yan had already passed away, Mrs. Yan was still alive, but her health wasn’t good either.

Yan Anhua and Shi Ye were skinny as sticks, completely haggard, clothes all ragged, pretty much no different from beggars.

Yan Zhengnan was also dressed in rags, and had become timid and cowering.

The four of them came and went straight for Anning.

After all, Mrs. Yan was Anning’s mom, and as a mother she was of course supposed to be supported by her daughter.

And Yan Zhengnan clung to Si Linna, insisting on staying and following Si Linna no matter what.

Shi Ye also clung to Si Linna.

Because Si Linna was his older sister.

Shi Ye took shamelessness and pushed it to the absolute limit.

He shouted at Si Linna at the top of his lungs: "If you don’t support me, can you face our dead parents? You raised me before, so why can’t you raise me now? Are you really going to just watch me die?"

Shi Ye relied on the fact that he was originally from Fengtai Village, and no matter how they tried to drive him away, he just wouldn’t leave.

Later he even found an empty house and moved in, and ran over to Si Linna’s place every day to make a scene.

Mrs. Yan, on the other hand, cried to Anning: "I gave birth to you and raised you, brought you up so big, and just because something didn’t go your way you cut ties with me. Is the mother–daughter relationship something you can just cut off like that? When you were little I took care of you, I never let you suffer a bit of grievance, so why won’t you take care of me now? Are you really that cruel that you’ll just watch your own mother die?"

Mr. Xiao and Mother Xiao watched Mrs. Yan carry on like this every day and started to find it unbearable.

Anning actually didn’t want to take care of Mrs. Yan.

But she couldn’t get rid of her, and she couldn’t really kill her either.

Later Anning thought it over and ended up finding an empty old house for Mrs. Yan over here in Erdaowan and let her move in.

She also told Mrs. Yan she’d give her some seeds so she could grow her own food, and that Anning would give her a small subsidy every month, but anything extra she wouldn’t take care of.

Mrs. Yan refused at first, then Anning just came out with harsh words: "If you don’t want it, then forget it. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me."

Mrs. Yan got a little scared and agreed.

Si Linna didn’t keep Yan Zhengnan; instead she told Shi Ye to take care of him.

Only Yan Anhua didn’t manage to latch onto anyone.

Si Linna was his ex‑wife, and there was no reason to freeload off your ex‑wife; Anning was indeed his younger sister, but there was no reason to make a younger sister support her older brother either. Besides, Anning threatened Mrs. Yan that if she let Yan Anhua come make trouble, Anning would cut off her supplies.

The selfish Mrs. Yan then started watching Yan Anhua carefully and wouldn’t let him stir things up.

With no one taking care of him and nothing to eat or drink, Yan Anhua started robbing.

He robbed the subsidy Anning gave Mrs. Yan, robbed Shi Ye’s subsidy, and even robbed Yan Zhengnan’s.

The once loving mother and son turned into bitter enemies.

Shi Ye and Yan Anhua had been so affectionate before, but now whenever Shi Ye saw Yan Anhua his eyes and nose twisted with loathing. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Even Yan Zhengnan started cursing at Yan Anhua.

These few people hadn’t even suffered any major hardship together yet, and they were already turning on each other with hatred.

Later, relying on still being fairly good‑looking and not too mutilated, Shi Ye found someone in the village who liked his type, and he started living a proper life with that person.

By this time, Yan Zhengnan had grown up as well.

He had all of Si Linna and Yan Anhua’s good features combined; he really did look pretty good.

He started flirting with the young girls in the village and found one from a family that was relatively well‑off, and became a live‑in son‑in‑law there.

The Yan family just kept bickering and squabbling along like this for several years.

More refugees came fleeing into the few villages under Fengtai.

Among them was a man who’d been a celebrity before the great disaster, a man who had once been the national husband, with countless fans.

His arrival made the young girls of Fengtai Village restless.

Back in the day, Yan Zhengnan’s wife had been really into this man; now that she saw him in person, she chased after him all day long.

Her family conditions were indeed very good, and she was an only daughter. On top of that, after the great disaster her constitution had improved, she was stronger than most people, a real workhorse—whether it was growing food or doing housework she was particularly capable, and she looked pretty decent too.

That man weighed his options back and forth and in the end decided to be with Yan Zhengnan’s wife.

Just like that, Yan Zhengnan’s wife kicked him out.

In her words, the two of them hadn’t gotten a marriage certificate, hadn’t held a banquet, and hadn’t even had a matchmaker; it didn’t count as a proper marriage at all, at most it was cohabitation. Now she didn’t like Yan Zhengnan anymore, her true love had arrived, and she wanted to be with her true love.

Yan Zhengnan begged the girl bitterly to let him stay and made a scene many times over it.

But the girl was determined to be with that man, and no matter how much trouble Yan Zhengnan caused, she wouldn’t change her mind.

With no other way out, Yan Zhengnan went to plead with Si Linna.

He knelt in front of Si Linna, crying and begging: "Mom, please help me, I really can’t live without Xiao Mei... Say a word to her family, tell them not to kick me out, you... they’ll listen to you. Mom, I’m begging you, help me just this once."

Si Linna turned back and reminded Shao Quan: "Don’t get too wild, and remember to come home early."

When she looked back at Yan Zhengnan, her face was ice‑cold: "How am I supposed to help you? Those two are true love. Weren’t you the one who said back then that true love is what matters most? Xiao Mei doesn’t love you anymore, why can’t you let go? Wasn’t that exactly how you talked me into it back then?"

Yan Zhengnan almost cried himself to death.

When he thought of all those cruel, heartless things he’d said back then, he regretted it so much it was unbearable. He slapped himself hard a few times, then got up and left Si Linna’s home.

Over on Yan Anhua’s side, he was also fighting over affection and getting jealous with the man Shi Ye had found later.

Less than two years later, Yan Anhua was killed by Shi Ye and that man he’d found, and afterwards it was still Yan Zhengnan who carried his corpse up the mountain.

The days went by, one after another.

More than twenty years after the great disaster, the weather gradually warmed, and the temperature slowly returned to normal.

Another five years later, the fields could already grow crops, some vegetables could also grow, and people began walking out of their houses. Many of those who had endured hardship for more than twenty years fell to their knees on the ground and wailed their hearts out.