Chapter 17: Yayayay, You Can Do It

Chapter 17: Yayayay, You Can Do It

"Go ahead and eat; I'll make two more pancakes."

Meng Ci scooped a bowl of porridge for Shen Que and handed it to him.

Shen Que took the bowl but did not leave; instead, he placed it on the counter nearby.

"No need; I'll wait for you."

Seeing that he couldn't get rid of Shen Que, Meng Ci tried his best to ignore him.

At the same time, he was secretly relieved that he hadn't put too much beef in the pot.

The tomatoes and potatoes were given by Shen Que previously, and the flour used was also from Shen Que's first delivery, so there was no fear of him noticing anything amiss.

"There's no need to ration the food. If you run out, just let me know, and I'll find a way." Shen Que suddenly spoke up.

Meng Ci didn't stop making the pancakes and refused.

"I don't eat much; this will last me a long time. There's no need for you to bring more."

However, Shen Que did not respond whether he would continue bringing food or not.

After they finished eating, Shen Que insisted on washing the dishes before leaving.

Leaning against the door, Meng Ci truly couldn't understand what Shen Que was thinking.

Could it be that he had fallen for him?

Meng Ci touched his face, indulging in self-admiration.

It wasn't impossible for someone to fall for him, after all, he was so handsome!

Shaking his head, Meng Ci dismissed these romantic thoughts and entered a bedroom.

He took out a standing punching bag from his space and placed it in the middle of the room.

Meng Ci put on a pair of boxing gloves and started pounding the bag, alternating between punches and kicks, training his physical strength.

After fifteen minutes, he took a short break, then opened a video on his tablet and began learning sanda from it.

By midday, Meng Ci heard the sound of an engine again.

Breathing heavily, he went to the window and saw that Si Chen and his group had returned, their motorboat loaded with supplies.

At this point, the water level on the first floor had risen to at least one meter, and the front door had been washed away, allowing Si Chen and his team to drive the boat directly into the building.

Many people on the second-floor staircase were watching, and some even boldly called out as they moved things.

"Brother, how much did you pay for these? I'll give you ten times the price."

"I'll give you twenty times."

Many looked pale, clearly having gone hungry for too long.

Some had fierce looks in their eyes, likely planning to snatch the supplies.

But soon, several footsteps approached from upstairs.

"Move aside!"

The crowd had to make way as three young men in their twenties descended.

"Si Chen, we're here!"

The three who had gone out to find supplies, along with the three who had just returned, made a total of six young men, each over 1.8 meters tall and well-built, intimidating just by standing there.

Those who had planned to snatch the supplies had to abandon their thoughts.

"Come help move the stuff; we'll guard here," Si Chen said.

"Alright."

The three who came down made three trips to move everything. As Si Chen was about to retract the motorboat, someone spoke up.

"Brother, can we use your motorboat?"

"We can pay any amount, or we can share the supplies we find."

Si Chen replied, "No need; you can use the motorboat for free."

"But it runs on diesel, and there's not much left. If you can find diesel, feel free to use it."

With that, Si Chen released the partially retracted motorboat and followed the others as they left.

A man in the crowd immediately grabbed the motorboat,

"I have diesel at home! I have diesel!"

"Let me use it first!"

He tried to carry the motorboat upstairs.

The others, likely without diesel at home, could only watch enviously.

"Brother, it's raining so hard. How about letting me go with you for support?"

In the crowd, a man suddenly spoke up, immediately drawing agreement from others.

The man thought carefully and decided it was indeed wise to find someone to go with him.

After all, the rain outside was so heavy, and the river was raging. Going out alone would be dangerous.

"Alright!"

The man agreed and looked around, choosing the man who had spoken first and two other men who looked strong.

These people were eyeing each other warily. If they didn't pick strong men, the food they brought back might be snatched away before it even warmed up.

The man was cautious and didn't let them enter the house. Instead, he went inside himself and found a plastic jug.

Estimating the amount of diesel needed for a round trip to the nearest supermarket, he poured in half the jug.

"Mom, Xiaoping, watch the kids at home. Don't open the door unless you hear my voice."

"Okay." The two women agreed and reminded him to be careful on his journey.

Then the man placed a table against the door, instructing them to keep it there after he left, before heading out.

The man was Wei Heng, who usually drove a forklift at a factory and sometimes smuggled some diesel back home. Now, he had stored quite a bit.

With no end to the rain in sight and a hungry baby at home, he had to be cautious not to let anyone know.

As soon as Wei Heng took out the diesel, the others quickly filled the inflatable boat, though initially, they had some trouble starting it.

But Wei Heng soon mastered the technique and smoothly steered the boat out.

"Brother, bring back more food! I'll pay ten times, no, a hundred times the price!"

"Me too!"

People gathered at windows on different floors, urging them to bring back more food.

Even residents in nearby buildings joined in the chorus.

Whether the four men on the boat heard them or not remained unknown.

Meng Ci didn't know what was happening downstairs, but seeing them take the inflatable boat, he thought the man was generous.

With no more excitement to watch, Meng Ci turned back to continue monitoring the surveillance footage.

In the footage, Li Xiaoya had put on her new dress and applied makeup, walking out under Zhang Lu's urging.

Now that Meng Ci was full and had no intention of sleeping, he wanted to watch the drama unfold but wasn't ready to reveal his presence to Li Xiaoya and the others.

Suddenly remembering something in his space, Meng Ci's eyes lit up. He entered the space, found an item, and held it in his hand. Seeing no one outside, he gently pushed the door open and walked down the stairs.

Si Chen lived on the eighth floor. As soon as Meng Ci reached the eighth-floor landing, he heard Zhang Lu's voice.

"Xiaoya, did you learn everything I taught you?"

"Mom, is this really okay?" Li Xiaoya tugged uncomfortably at the neckline of her dress, which Zhang Lu had pulled down quite low.

"Of course it is!" Zhang Lu pulled the neckline down even further.

"Men love this!"

"And you're so beautiful; any man would be moved."

Encouraged by Zhang Lu's praise, Li Xiaoya gained confidence.

"Go ahead!"

Zhang Lu stepped back and hid in a corner, urging Li Xiaoya to knock on the door.