Chapter 264: An Uneasy Meal

Lu Xin got up and peered behind the door, finding a large black vat about half-full of clear water.

A satisfied smile spread across his face. Right there in the small hut, he set up his portable aluminum pot.

He stepped outside for a look. A dilapidated wooden fence ran along the outside of the hut, offering no real protection anymore. Deciding to put it to use, he broke off a small bundle of sticks, snapped them underfoot one by one and carried them back inside.

He used his Zippo lighter to ignite the wood, then poured a large bottle of water into the pot and set it to heat slowly.

Once that was done, he retrieved the simple filter from the car, poured the old lady’s water into it and placed a bottle underneath to collect the filtered water.

Even though he was new to this, Lu Xin wasn’t foolish enough to cook directly with the water provided.

What if it was poisoned?

He would only drink water that had passed through a Qinggang-made filter.

Honestly, it didn’t matter if the water was clean or not. Even if it *was* poisoned, the filter he carried would purify it.

The special filters produced in Qinggang were far beyond anything these small settlements could comprehend.

Their levels of technology weren’t even comparable.

…

“Bubble bubble…”

The wood burned quietly, and soon the water began to bubble.

Lu Xin tore open a sealed plastic bag and dropped a compressed noodle cake into the pot. He glanced at the old lady and the strange child before adding another one.

These compressed noodle cakes were substantial; just one could make half a pot of noodles.

He stirred it with the chopsticks he carried, and the cake quickly softened into noodles.

Then Lu Xin took out a can of food and emptied its contents into the pot.

The aroma of the cooking noodles mingled with the scent of the heating canned beef, creating a rich, tempting fragrance.

…

The strange child remained huddled on the bed, his eyes fixed intently on the aluminum pot.

When Lu Xin stirred the pot again, releasing an even stronger wave of aroma, the child couldn’t hold back any longer.

He suddenly shot off the bed, moving with a surprising, heavy rush of air.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the pot, his hand shooting towards the contents.

This time, however, his hand never reached the pot. Lu Xin caught his wrist in a firm, unmoving grip.

The strange child glared fiercely at Lu Xin, baring his teeth.

Uneven teeth, constricted pupils, and deformed hands with sharp, blackened fingernails.

Up close, his expression was both frightening and grotesque.

“Brother, he’s so annoying. Why don’t we just…”

His sister whispered from the side, her eyes gleaming in the darkness.

But Lu Xin neither agreed with his sister nor released the child. He simply stared into the boy’s eyes, his expression slowly hardening.

Meeting Lu Xin’s gaze, the strange child suddenly seemed afraid. The ferocious look vanished from his face, replaced by fear.

Only then did Lu Xin speak slowly, “Go get bowls.”

As he spoke, he released the child’s wrist. The boy immediately scrambled back in fear.

Only then could Lu Xin see the boy’s legs were also deformed. One was shorter than the other, not naturally, but bent into a bizarre shape. His waist was twisted unnaturally too, just like the others outside, only worse.

Under Lu Xin’s steady gaze, the strange child backed up to the bed and fumbled around before producing a large bowl.

Lu Xin frowned. “Get two.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the old lady.

Watched by Lu Xin, the strange child seemed to take a moment to comprehend his meaning.

He reached out again and retrieved another bowl from the table.

Lu Xin gestured for the bowls, then used his chopsticks to divide the noodles and beef between them.

“Smells good, right?”

As he served, he looked at the strange child who was practically drooling, a smile touching his lips. He said:

“It tastes better cooked like this, but it’s still a bit hot. You definitely can’t eat it like you tried before… Here, take this bowl to your grandma first. You should eat together… You two can use the bowls, I’ll just eat from the pot…”

“Don’t use your hands. You need chopsticks for noodles, they go together…”

…

Faced with Lu Xin’s smile, the strange child actually seemed awkward. The ferocity vanished from his face, replaced by confusion.

With the noodles divided, Lu Xin poured some broth into each bowl, leaving the rest in the pot for himself.

Just then, a strained voice suddenly broke the silence, “Leave…”

Lu Xin paused, noodles halfway to his mouth, and looked up.

The old lady by the bed held her bowl of noodles, but her eyes were fixed on Lu Xin. In the uneven light, her expression flickered uncertainly.

“Leave the noodles. You go.”

As if thinking Lu Xin hadn’t heard clearly, she repeated herself.

“Why?”

Lu Xin lowered the pot, confused. “I just fed you, and now you want me to leave?”

The old lady showed no trace of guilt at Lu Xin’s words.

“Leave.”

Her face remained grim, flickering in the lamplight, her voice strange.

“If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to.”

…

Lu Xin hesitated for a beat, then picked up his pot again with a smile. “I think I’ll manage.”

Finished speaking, he started eating seriously. Glancing up, he saw his sister dangling boredly from a nearby beam and gestured to her. She looked down at the few noodles left in his pot and pouted. Lu Xin chuckled helplessly, pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, and offered it up to her. “How about this instead?”

A happy expression lit up his sister’s face as she haughtily accepted the candy.

A brief silence fell over the room.

The old lady and the strange child watched as Lu Xin took out a piece of candy, smiled, reached towards empty air while saying something cheerful, then seemingly put the candy back in his pocket before contentedly picking up his pot to eat.

In the softly lit, silent room, the action seemed utterly bizarre.

The old lady on the bed suddenly fell silent. The strange child trembled slightly.

…

“Eat up, before it gets cold.”

While eating, Lu Xin chatted amiably with the old lady and the strange child. “Your settlement is the safest one around, that’s why I chose to stop here. But I saw you have fields planted outside. Shouldn’t the harvest be enough to eat? Why does it seem like you can barely get a meal? You both look like you haven’t eaten in days.”

“If things are really tough, you could go to Qinggang. We haven’t had anyone starve to death there in years.”

…

The old lady stared hard at Lu Xin, trying to read something in his expression.

But Lu Xin’s face showed only friendliness, gentleness, and warmth. She couldn’t find what she was looking for.

So she slowly began to speak, “It’s only the two of us who go hungry. *They* eat their fill…”

“Can’t you smell it? They’re stewing meat out back right now. Everyone’s waiting to eat.”

“I told you to leave, but you wouldn’t.”

“So what do you think they’ll do to you once they’ve had their fill?”

…

Lu Xin listened, realization dawning. “So that’s why you wanted me to leave quickly?”

The old lady merely watched Lu Xin coolly, offering no reply.

Lu Xin smiled. “Leaving quickly wouldn’t have helped anyway. They’ve already blocked the roads in both directions. How could I get out?”

The old lady’s pupils constricted slightly. “You know?”

“Of course. I noticed.”

Lu Xin answered honestly, “But it doesn’t matter. I’m just here on business, visiting relatives, and thought I’d check out the local scene too. My family always says traveling, getting out, and seeing different places puts you in a better mood.”

The old lady understood every word he said, but something still felt deeply wrong.

Unsure how to respond, she hugged the strange child tighter, trying to pull his bowl away.

She felt uneasy letting the child eat this man’s food…

But the taste of the noodles and beef was too tempting. The child simply wouldn’t let go. When she pulled urgently, he bit down hard on her palm. Immediately, a row of teeth marks appeared on her palm. After a while, a trickle of dark blood slowly seeped out.

…

Lu Xin had finished his noodles by now. Sitting on the small stool, he pulled out a cigarette.

“Ma’am, there seems to be something wrong with this child.”

He spoke casually, as if just making small talk while he smoked.

The old lady hugged the child tighter, her lips pressed thin, refusing to answer.

“So, is that why those people haven’t… eaten him? Because there’s something wrong with him?”

Lu Xin glanced curiously at the strange child. “Afraid he might be poisonous?”

…

*Whoosh!*

Hearing Lu Xin’s words, the old lady shivered, her gaze turning chillingly sharp as it landed on his face.

“Just kidding.”

Lu Xin offered an apologetic smile. “It’s just awkward when you don’t say anything.”

“Who would dare eat my little grandson?!”

The old lady’s expression twisted, her body trembling uncontrollably. Suddenly, she rasped hoarsely:

“I used to have four sons! Four! Who dared bully my family then?”

“But all four sons are dead! How’s a widow and orphan supposed to survive? Not enough food, people trying to rob us… you tell me, how are we supposed to live?”

“Just you wait…”

She alternated between shrill cries and rambling curses. “I’m just waiting for my little grandson to get better…”

“When he gets better, when he grows up, he’ll be stronger than his father! Those people… they’ll all pay…”

…

Lu Xin detected a strange madness in her voice.

He glanced at the strange child and shook his head. “He won’t get better.”

The old lady snapped her head towards him, her eyes blazing with hatred, teeth grinding audibly.

Lu Xin met her gaze and said earnestly, “Please believe me. I’m a professional.”