Turbulent Times (4)

The result was different from what he had imagined. The body felt very heavy, and he couldn't swim at all. After choking on some water, he desperately called for help, "Help... help me... ah..."

People on the balcony quickly shouted, "Someone fell into the water, help! Someone, come quickly!"

Fortunately, a middle-aged man swam over and rescued him. The man frowned and said, "If you can't swim, don't go into the water easily. This is no joke."

With this lesson learned, those who couldn't swim immediately abandoned the idea of trying to swim.

Half an hour later, a person with an inflatable boat brought back a large amount of supplies. The boat was almost full.

People watching from upstairs couldn't help but envy, their eyes turning red.

The man with the inflatable boat paddled to the location of the second-floor stairs, where his family had been waiting for a long time.

Onlookers crowded around, asking, "Is the flooding deep outside? Are people selling things out there?"

The man answered their questions one by one, "I didn't go far, but the nearby areas are all flooded. These supplies weren't bought; there are all kinds of things floating around the location of the gym. Many people are picking things up there."

Tables, chairs, clothes, kitchenware, snacks, small appliances, and more floated on the water surface. Quite a crowd had gathered near the gym.

"Big brother, can I borrow your inflatable boat?" A young woman approached the man with a pleading look in her lively eyes.

Others also asked to borrow the inflatable boat. The man hesitated; it was his only boat. What if he lent it out, and they didn't return it or damaged it?

The woman, with a great figure, directly held the man's hand in front of everyone, pleading, "Big brother, please."

Just then, the man's family pushed the woman aside, speaking harshly, "Talk properly. Why get so close?"

"You can borrow the inflatable boat, but you have to share half of what you bring back with us," the man's mother said firmly.

"This..." The people who wanted to borrow the inflatable boat felt awkward.

However, some people reacted quickly, "Alright, I agree to share half."

Only fools hesitated; without an inflatable boat, they couldn't even find food. With the boat, even if they shared half, they would still have the other half. Besides, it was normal to pay a bit of 'rent' for using someone else's belongings.

The man's mother agreed to lend the inflatable boat to the agreed person, "Don't damage it, or else everyone will go hungry in the future. As long as the inflatable boat is still here, everyone can take turns borrowing it."

Hearing that they could borrow it, others immediately took action, "I also agree to contribute half of the supplies. It's my turn next."

"Then I'm next."

"I'll be after him."

"..."

The man happily registered their order; this deal was much more profitable than going out to find supplies on his own.

Outside, the heavy rain made it uncomfortable and increased the risk of illness. Unfortunately, there was only one inflatable boat at home. If they had a few more, the family wouldn't have to worry about food and essentials.

In the next few days, people using the inflatable boat could bring back a considerable amount of food. After contributing half, the remaining supplies could last for ten days or even half a month if they were frugal.

To store more supplies, those going out almost stuffed the inflatable boat to its limits. Some even used ropes to tie items to the back of the boat and drag them back.

Allen family watched from the balcony every day. As soon as someone returned, cheers echoed from downstairs.

The inflatable boat went out five or six times every day, with a different person each trip. After a while, everyone in the building had enough supplies for survival.

Residents of other buildings in the same community could only watch in envy. Some with good craftsmanship made simple inflatable boats themselves, but they couldn't carry as much as the original.

...

Half a month later, the heavy rain turned into a light drizzle. After observing, someone noticed that, except for 1601, every household had borrowed the inflatable boat.

Many people in the building harbored resentment towards Allen family and complained to the owner of the inflatable boat, "The family in 1601 is ruthless and malicious. Never lend the inflatable boat to them."

"Yeah, when we went to buy food from them before, they not only refused to sell but also used harsh language."

"My mother was angered by them and is still lying in bed. They wouldn't accept her at the hospital, saying the medical facilities haven't recovered."

"If 1601 comes begging, let them give 80% of the supplies."

"Don't lend it to them. Let them taste the bitterness of hunger. Then, we can mock them and let them experience what we went through."

"..."

The owner of the inflatable boat now relied on the supplies they contributed for a living. He naturally agreed to this request and assured everyone, "Rest assured, I won't lend it."

As the crowd finished speaking, they suddenly noticed something and looked towards the stairs. Alice and Arnold were standing there, and no one knew how long they had been listening.

Unfazed, they mockingly asked, "What, couldn't endure hunger and came to borrow the inflatable boat?"

"We heard everything you just said. We definitely won't lend it to you."

"Regretting now, huh? We advised you from the beginning to be friendly neighbors, to help each other. Now, look at what's happened."

"How you treated us before is how we'll treat you now. There's no cure for regret; you reap what you sow."

"If you kneel down and beg for forgiveness from those you hurt, maybe we'll consider lending it to you once."

At these words, Alice's mouth twitched slightly. She turned to Arnold and said, "Big brother, do they have an imagination disorder?"

Arnold raised his attractive peach blossom eyes and gently replied, "They might still be immersed in their own dreams."

Crowd: "..."

Are these siblings not normal in the head? Instead of quickly trying to appease them and sincerely apologize, they are talking about other things.

Alice: "Let's not shatter their illusions; after all, just being alive is already difficult."

As the siblings continued down, they only then noticed that Arnold was dragging something in his hand.

When Arnold turned the corner and walked out, they saw that it was an inflatable boat.

"Make way," Alice frowned at the people blocking the path.

Several people subconsciously stepped aside, oblivious even when stepping on others' feet.

Alice placed the inflatable boat on the water surface, and Arnold took charge of rowing.

The outside sky remained dark, but fortunately, it was only drizzling now. They each put on a hat to deal with the rain.

"Big brother, let's go check out the nearby shopping malls," Alice suggested.

This time, they brought water ladles to prevent rainwater from accumulating in the inflatable boat.

Looking around, the water was murky. Some risked swimming out, while others paddled inflatable boats. All the floating items were picked up and examined; useful ones were taken.

Many returned with a full load, including buckets of water and instant noodles. Arnold speculated from their return positions, "They probably swept through the office buildings in the financial district."

The office buildings were dozens of floors high, and many things were still usable and edible on the upper floors. Many people were heading in the direction of the office buildings. Alice dismissed the idea of going there; there probably wouldn't be much left by now.