Chapter 376: Chapter 366: A Younger Sister

But looking at her and Da Bao’s two enormous backpacks, Aunt Hua let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, with all these supplies, she wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while.

Ever since Tang Mo had forced that bag of bait on her, Aunt Hua had come to see Qiao Jin as one of her own.

What’s a little food compared to that life-saving bag?

The three Zhao brothers, thanks to their powerful builds, had also returned fully loaded. Each man was draped with several backpacks, completely unconcerned about how they’d manage on the road. After all, they were strong, so the weight didn’t matter.

Only after the food section was completely empty did everyone step aside one by one to start counting their spoils.

Only then did Tang Mo walk onto the "battlefield."

She first went to the backpack section and picked up a larger hiking pack, then unceremoniously dumped the contents of her own backpack into it.

Then, she picked up a few bottles of mineral water from the ground and put them in her pack.

The Red-eyed Meat Dragons didn’t drink water, so for the time being, humans weren’t short on it.

Besides, water was so heavy that if you packed too much, you wouldn’t have room for enough food. Everyone was rational enough not to hoard water, taking only what they needed to drink.

Tang Mo then went to the daily necessities section to find some items she needed.

Close-fitting underwear, feminine hygiene products, and some essential survival items like rope and a small knife.

Surprisingly, Tang Mo was lucky enough to find a bag of chocolate chips on the ground, kicked under a shelf.

This was great stuff—not heavy at all. Tang Mo casually tossed it into her pack.

After finishing her supply run, Tang Mo retreated to her spot by the entrance.

The bait only lasted for about twenty minutes, and with the high probability of facing other dangers, the three Zhao brothers quickly organized their things and prepared to lead everyone out.

"Are you coming with us?"

Zhao Tian kindly asked the woman at the entrance—Qiao Jin’s aunt, Qiao Xin.

He knew that in this situation, no one would pass up a supermarket, and the woman had just happened to discover it after them.

But Zhao Tian and Zhao Yu still felt a little embarrassed. After all, she had been here first.

"Hmph!"

’A bunch of bandits. Acting like good people after they’re done robbing the place.’

Qiao Xin’s expression was awful, but it was obvious the supermarket was no longer a safe place to hide. She had to take Yiyi and leave.

And to leave this place, going with this group of people was probably the best choice.

Qiao Xin had already observed them. The group had men and women, old and young, and even a baby. Their spirits seemed decent enough. It probably wouldn’t be dangerous for her and Yiyi to join.

"Qiao Jin, go to the back and bring Yiyi out for me."

Qiao Xin ordered Qiao Jin matter-of-factly.

She was carrying two large bags, making it inconvenient, so naturally she could only ask the one person she knew here to do it.

Qiao Jin didn’t feel any dissatisfaction upon hearing this. She just hadn’t expected that after so long in the apocalypse, her intellectually disabled cousin was still alive.

’Looks like this aunt of mine has some skills after all.’

Tang Mo walked to the only storeroom at the back of the supermarket. Opening the door, she saw a bed inside, and her so-called cousin was sound asleep on it.

"Wake up. We’re leaving." Tang Mo ruthlessly pulled Yiyi up by her sleeve.

This was no time for a gentle wake-up call.

"Sister?"

Yiyi was only a year younger than Qiao Jin, but because of her intellectual disability, she spoke and acted like a young child.

She woke up, rubbing her drowsy eyes, and the first thing she saw was Tang Mo.

Although she was slow, she still recognized Qiao Jin’s face.

"Let’s go."

Obviously, this was no time to catch up. Tang Mo grabbed Yiyi’s arm and headed back to the main area.

"Mama."

Seeing her mother sitting off to the side, Yiyi opened her arms and threw herself into Qiao Xin’s embrace.

Only when she saw her daughter did Qiao Xin’s expression soften, just a little.

"Let’s go."

Zhao Huan had initially felt some disgust for the woman, but seeing that she seemed to know Qiao Jin, he suppressed some of that feeling.

He didn’t even mention a fee to join the group and just prepared to lead the team on their way.

Qiao Xin had prepared two large bags of supplies. Now, with one on her back and one hanging in front, her already frail frame seemed ready to topple over.

But even so, she didn’t give a single backpack to Yiyi.

Holding Yiyi’s hand, she walked at the very back of the group.

"You know her?"

Once they were on their way, Aunt Hua quietly asked Qiao Jin.

She’d noticed the woman bore a slight resemblance to Qiao Jin, but if they knew each other, why wasn’t she walking with Qiao Jin instead of trailing at the back with her child?

"We’re relatives. Not close."

With those four words, Tang Mo perfectly summarized her relationship with Qiao Xin.

With so much bait, the group’s journey was naturally very smooth.

Along the way, Tang Mo ate whatever Aunt Hua gave her. She knew Aunt Hua had made a huge haul at the supermarket, so she wasn’t shy about accepting and basically ate whatever was offered.

Since everyone’s supplies were clearly much more abundant, their moods had also lightened considerably, and the atmosphere of the entire group became much more cheerful.

When night fell, the group, as usual, found a tall building to spend the night in.

Aunt Hua needed to nurse her baby, so she took Da Bao to an empty room nearby. Tang Mo sat alone on a sofa cushion in the corner, resting with her eyes closed.

Suddenly, she felt something hit her foot. She looked up and saw a package of cookies lying beside her feet.

"Don’t starve to death."

Qiao Xin’s expression was as sour as ever. After tossing down the cookies, she walked away without another thought for Qiao Jin.

Tang Mo picked up the cookies, tore open the package, and began to eat them piece by piece.

’Qiao Jin’s aunt really is a tsundere.’

The original Qiao Jin may have hated this aunt who never spoke to her and always wore a cold expression, unable to understand her actions.

But Tang Mo could understand.

Qiao Xin’s personality was too stubborn. That stubbornness made it impossible for her to bow her head and admit defeat. Even if the path she chose was wrong, she would pay the price of her entire life to walk it to the end.

As for why she returned to the Qiao Family but refused to accept George’s money, that was also easy to understand.

She returned to the Qiao Family entirely for Yiyi’s sake. Yiyi’s intellectual disability meant she would need someone to take care of her for her entire life.

And how long could Qiao Xin live? Could she live until the day Yiyi died?

What if something unexpected happened to her? What would become of Yiyi then?

It was for her daughter’s sake that Qiao Xin had no choice but to reconnect with the Qiao Family. She knew her brother’s character all too well; if something truly happened to her, he would definitely take good care of Yiyi.

As for why she wouldn’t accept the Qiao Family’s money, that was Qiao Xin’s last shred of stubbornness.

Something like self-respect isn’t actually worth much, but for some people, it’s the only thing they have to lean on to get through life.

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