Xu An then opened a can of Old Godmother, which had a strong aroma. The pungent, spicy smell spread instantly. Even Zhou Haimei felt a slight buzz.
"Damn, An'an, you have this stuff?" Zhou Haimei's eyes lit up. Who knew how long it had been since she'd seen something as good as Old Godmother.
Xu An generously handed over the dry rations from her bag to Zhou Haimei. "We'll just wait here. I don't believe this smell won't attract big fish."
With that, the two of them unceremoniously sat down by the convenience store entrance and ate their dry rations dipped in Old Godmother. The taste was indescribably delicious.
While Xu An and Zhou Haimei were eating heartily, the people inside the convenience store were not faring as well. Yueyue, as if her appetite had been whetted by the aroma, smacked her lips. Her cute little face was full of longing, yet she turned her head away, pretending not to care.
"Auntie, I'm not craving it," she said.
Xu Yan couldn't help but pinch Yueyue's cheek, her face filled with doting affection as she looked at the well-behaved child. "Wait, when we get out, Auntie will make you something even tastier than Old Godmother."
Yueyue smiled innocently, "Is it as good as sponge cake?"
Xu Yan's life had not been easy. Although she had a son who worked in a laboratory, relying on his meager salary to support three people, cover Yueyue's tuition, and rent, it was incredibly tight. The best life they could provide for Yueyue was a steaming bowl of egg custard. That bowl of egg custard was the best food Yueyue could have.
Xu Yan affectionately rubbed Yueyue's head. "Yes, even better than egg custard."
Yueyue clapped her two fair and tender hands together happily. "Great!"
While no one was looking, Xu Yan secretly slipped a hidden milk candy into Yueyue's mouth and whispered in her ear, "Keep it a secret, okay?"
Yueyue, feeling the sweetness in her mouth, nodded cautiously and carefully.
Unlike the peaceful interlude with Xu An, others were not so fortunate. Even on the lighthouse, not everyone had the ability to buy whatever they wanted to eat. Especially these pre-apocalypse bestsellers, which were things that money couldn't even buy. Many people's expressions changed, and they swallowed hard.
"Should we let those two at the door in?"
Someone rolled their eyes. "You don't want them to come in, do you? You're just craving the food in the little girl's hands."
The person who spoke felt a little embarrassed when they were retorted. "After being bitten by a zombie, they usually turn within fifteen minutes. But look, those two little girls outside are fine. They probably weren't bitten by a zombie. We should let the girls in."
"It's so dangerous outside now. If there are still wandering zombies nearby, aren't they just waiting to die at the door?"
These words, spoken with such high-sounding rhetoric, were understood by anyone with discerning eyes. It was nothing more than an attempt to get their hands on the food the girls had. Yet, no one present objected. Even the thin, monkey-like man holding a dagger didn't have any strong reaction to their words.
Even that peculiar mother and son pair came forward familiarly. "Oh my, what a sin! How could you bear to abandon such beautiful little girls outside? Hurry and let them in."
After speaking, her eyes darted around. "If you're still not at ease, once the two girls come in, we can just tie them up. We can release them when everything is alright."
One had to admit, this old woman's heart was truly vicious. If Xu An had been timid enough to cooperate and be tied up, wouldn't all her belongings become ownerless items, to be taken at will? The gazes of everyone turned more meaningful as they looked at the old woman. However, because of Xu An's appearance, she had become a target for everyone.
At this moment, not a single dissenting opinion was raised; in fact, they even found the method proposed by this woman to be quite reasonable.
Xu Yan had not participated in the discussion at all. However, seeing the calculating looks on these people's faces, she knew they were brewing some malicious plans. When she learned that everyone had decided to let Xu An and Zhou Haimei in but to tie them up, Xu Yan's face changed.
"No!" Xu Yan finally couldn't hold back. As the words left her mouth, she realized, in response to everyone's questioning gazes, that she might have done something wrong.
The people who were discussing looked at Xu Yan, staring directly into her eyes. "Why are you so agitated? Could it be that you know the people outside?"
Upon seeing the malicious curiosity in their eyes, Xu Yan finally understood why Xu An wanted to pretend not to know them. If Xu An had directly come to find her, these people inside would have likely tied all three of them up. Sometimes, human nature was like this. In the face of survival, even if they had to fight tooth and nail, they would still rush forward.
Xu Yan quickly adjusted her emotions and put on a indifferent expression. "What you people want is the food that girl has, right? And if you so rashly suggest tying up the girls, they might be timid, but they're not fools. How could they obediently give you their things and be confined by you?"
"Didn't that girl just say she wanted to share the food with us? I think we don't need to be so petty. What if she comes in and shares everything with everyone?" Xu Yan tried her best to keep her voice calm.
The suspicion in everyone's eyes gradually dissipated. "Yeah, this elder sister makes sense. Those two young girls being able to get here must mean they have some skills. If we act like this, we'll definitely be rejected."
After a brief discussion, a look of difficulty appeared on several faces. Xu Yan wasn't afraid of these people using force, as she knew her own daughter's skills better than anyone. She was just afraid that these people would play dirty, and if they launched a sneak attack from behind, it would be impossible to guard against.
Just as everyone was arguing. The man holding the dagger stepped forward again. Without even commanding anyone else, he walked directly to the door and placed his hand on the doorknob. Seeing this, the people around quickly stepped forward to stop him.
"What are you doing? Don't open the door yet."
"Yeah, if you just open the door like that, what about everyone's safety?"
"Exactly, why are you so selfish? You're not discussing with so many of us, and you're acting on your own accord."