Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 400 The Weight of Being Alive

The place to be relocated is the row of vacant shops on the east side of the resort.

Although it's called a shop, it's really just a row of two-story buildings.

"Number 1, number 2, number 3..." Wang Rui led the group forward, muttering to himself, "Number 4 is occupied, number 5 is empty, number 6 is also empty... Since there are many of you, numbers 5 and 6 are yours. You should be able to squeeze in."

He stopped in front of Gate 5, took a key out of his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned it, and with a "click," the door opened.

Come in and have a look.

The group of people stood at the door, none of them daring to go in.

Wang Rui didn't urge him and went in first.

Inside the door was a small room, about twenty square meters. The floor was grayish-white cement, smooth and even, and the walls were painted white. Although some parts were yellowed and peeling, it was like another world to these people who were used to living in drafty, leaky thatched huts.

Several bunk beds were placed against the wall, covered with straw mats and several thin quilts. In the corner was a square table with a few stools, on which sat a ceramic teapot and several overturned bowls. The window was large, fitted with clear glass, through which the afternoon sun streamed in, cutting bright patches of light on the floor.

The group of people stood at the door, and none of them dared to go in.

The man carrying the child put the baby down, took a step forward, then shrank back. He looked down at his straw sandals with exposed toes, then at the spotless floor of the house, so smooth it reflected his image, and suddenly felt a little lost.

"Come on in," Wang Rui called from inside. "Don't worry, the floor won't break."

The man then mustered his courage and cautiously stepped one foot in. The rough sole of his straw sandal landed on the cement floor with a very soft "shh" sound. He paused for a moment, as if to make sure the ground hadn't collapsed, before stepping in with his other foot.

The group of people behind them then followed one after another.

The young man went straight to the window as soon as he entered, reached out, and gently touched the transparent glass with his fingers. The cold touch made him shudder, and he withdrew his hand, but then couldn't resist leaning closer, pressing his face against the glass to look outside.

"This...this is glass?" He turned around, his eyes wide with surprise. "Such a big piece of glass?"

Wang Rui smiled but didn't explain.

The children were already climbing up and down, exploring the bunk beds. One little girl climbed onto the top bunk, lay on the straw mat, looked at the ceiling, and suddenly giggled.

"Mom! This bed is shaking!"

Her mother turned pale with fright and quickly went over to take the child off the bed, afraid that she would break the bed.

Zhou Da did not enter the house.

He stood outside the door, leaning against the door frame, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the room.

The neatly made beds, the square table, the teapot, the few clear glass windows... He remembered the house he used to live in: mud walls, a thatched roof, drafty in winter, and leaky in summer. The windows were wooden lattice covered with paper; on rainy days, they had to be covered with oilcloth, otherwise they would rot overnight.

And here...

He lowered his eyes, untied the short knife from his waist, and leaned it against the door.

"Brother Zhou, aren't you coming in?" Wang Rui asked from inside the house.

Zhou shook his head: "It's cool outside."

Wang Rui didn't try to persuade him any further. He pointed to the room next door: "Number 6 is yours too, the layout is the same. You can divide it up yourselves and see who will stay in which room. If you don't have enough bedding, I'll go to the warehouse and get a few more later."

The man carrying the child suddenly knelt down with a thud.

The group of people behind him—the elderly, women, and teenagers—also knelt down in unison.

"Immortal Master... Immortal Master's great kindness..."

Wang Rui was stunned for a moment, then quickly stepped forward to help him up: "No, no, no! Get up quickly!"

The man didn't get up; he just pressed his forehead to the ground, his shoulders trembling violently.

Wang Rui couldn't lift him up, so he squatted down to look him in the eye: "Brother, we don't kneel here. It's the rule of the Cloud Hidden Sect that you don't have to kneel before anyone. Get up, get up and let's talk."

The man finally raised his head, his cloudy eyes filled with tears.

"Immortal Master, are you serious? You really don't need to kneel?"

"Really." Wang Rui nodded seriously.

The man stared at him blankly, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.

Wang Rui helped him up and then called the others to get up as well.

The group of people then stood up shakily, but dared not sit down. They just stood there, looking at each other helplessly.

Seeing this, Wang Rui said, "You guys pack up and rest for a bit. I'll take you to Xian Shan Fang for dinner before sunset. It's still early, you can wash your faces first." He pointed outside the door, "That tap we just passed, remember? There's water there."

After speaking, he turned to leave.

The young man suddenly called out to him, "Immortal Master..."

Wang Rui turned around.

The young man blushed, and after a long pause, he finally managed to stammer, "That water... can we really use it freely?"

Wang Rui laughed: "Use it as much as you want.

The young man was stunned.

Then Wang Rui disappeared outside the door.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Then, as if a seal had been broken, the group of people suddenly came to life. The young men were the first to rush out the door, heading straight for the water tap. Several children followed behind, running and shouting "Water! Water! Water!" The women looked at each other and then timidly followed.

Zhou Da stood there, watching the group of people crowding around the faucet, pushing and shoving each other to turn on that magical switch. Water gushed out, splashing onto the young man's face. Instead of dodging, he stuck out his tongue to catch it, then grinned foolishly.

"It's sweet!" he exclaimed. "The water is sweet!"

It's actually just an ordinary mountain spring.

But Zhou Da didn't expose it.

He leaned against the doorframe, gazing at the group of people and the shimmering water under the sunlight. Suddenly, he remembered a long time ago, when he had just returned alive from a war, looking exactly like this. Everything was new and exciting; everything felt like a bonus.

Alive.

Being alive is a bonus.

The sun gradually began to set in the west.

Wang Rui returned as promised and led the group to Xian Shan Fang.

This time, the group walked even slower, not because they were tired, but because they couldn't take it all in. They looked around, finding everything new and exciting. The young man walked at the very back, turning back every few steps, as if he wanted to memorize every single building.

We've arrived at Xian Shan Fang.

This was a single-story house larger than the surrounding houses, with several large pots set up at the entrance, steaming hot. The aroma wafting from the pots lured the group of people to their feet.

After Wang Rui led the group of newly arrived refugees to settle down at Xian Shan Fang, he couldn't help but smile as he watched them carefully drink the hot porridge.

Fatty Li came out of the kitchen, stood beside him, and looked at the group of people.

"Which batch is it?" Fatty Li asked.

"Including this batch, there are four villages, two groups of hunters, and a few scattered escapees," Wang Rui said. "In total, there are more than a hundred people."

Fatty Li nodded without saying a word.