The balcony carried a musty smell—the result of being unventilated for too long.
It wasn't just Yang Mei's home; Lin Dong's place had the same damp odor.
After so long without sunlight, the humidity was overwhelming, and many things had begun to mold.
Clothes hung on the drying rack, and as Lin Dong glanced over them, his brow lifted slightly.
Most of them were women's undergarments, and judging by the size, they likely belonged to Sister Mei.
The cups were so large they could fit both of Lin Dong's fists inside.
He couldn't help but marvel—even half a year into the Great Flood, Sister Mei was still diligent enough to do laundry.
In contrast, Li Zhiqiang was truly slovenly. These clothes had probably been hung out by Yang Mei before she was driven out, yet they remained untouched for so long.
Lin Dong moved quietly into the living room, where a sour stench immediately assaulted his senses.
He instinctively covered his nose—it was the smell of sweat.
The couch was piled with clothes, and in the middle of the living room, half-burned garments lay scattered, likely from Li Zhiqiang using them as fuel for cooking.
But he clearly hadn't bothered to clean up, leaving the place filthy and chaotic.
Lin Dong listened carefully for a moment, faintly detecting the sound of snoring coming from the master bedroom.
He walked to the bedroom door and gently turned the handle.
But Li Zhiqiang was more cautious than Lin Dong had expected—the door was locked from the inside.
Lin Dong scoffed and turned toward the kitchen instead.
Opening the fridge, he found it empty, save for a foul odor.
The stench was probably from thawed frozen meat after the power had been cut.
He shook his head—he should've guessed there'd be no food left.
If Li Zhiqiang had anything to eat, he wouldn't have sold out his own wife for supplies.
Lin Dong walked to the front door, stepped outside, and into the hallway.
Downstairs, Ding Yan had been watching this whole time.
The moment she saw Lin Dong emerge, her face lit up, and she hurried up the steps.
"That was fast! How did you manage it?"
Lin Dong grinned and lowered his voice. "Li Zhiqiang's asleep in the master bedroom—door's locked. Keep it down for now. Go call Brother Cai and Brother Ma over. We'll get everyone settled first."
Ding Yan nodded quickly. "I'll go get them."
With that, she rushed downstairs.
Just then, the door to Lin Dong's apartment opened.
"Little brother!"
Yang Mei's eyes were slightly red as she hurried out, her face alight with joy.
Without hesitation, Lin Dong pulled her into an embrace and planted a firm kiss on her lips.
The sudden attack left Yang Mei flustered, her face flushing crimson as she fumbled awkwardly, unsure where to put her hands.
Her reaction was so endearing, like it was her first kiss.
She clearly hadn't expected Lin Dong to kiss her right then.
After a deep kiss, Lin Dong grinned. "Sister Mei, you did well."
Yang Mei's face was still burning, but she blinked in confusion. "I… didn't do anything?"
Lin Dong's smile deepened meaningfully. "Exactly. That's why I said you did well."
Yang Mei wasn't stupid—her heart skipped a beat as realization dawned. She quickly said, "Little brother, I already told you—from now on, I'm yours. I won't waver."
Lin Dong chuckled. "I believe you. Go back inside for now. There's still some business to take care of here, and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
Yang Mei glanced at her old home, hesitating for a moment as if she wanted to plead for Li Zhiqiang's life.
But then she closed her mouth.
Li Zhiqiang… was already part of the past.
The younger brother was a man with his own ideas; it would be best not to say such things and upset him. She whispered softly, "I'll cook at home and wait for you to come back for dinner."
Lin Dong smiled again, growing even more satisfied with Yang Mei.
Had Yang Mei begged him to spare Li Zhiqiang, he would certainly have felt displeased.
But she hadn't made such a request, which pleased him greatly.
Watching Yang Mei return inside, Lin Dong suddenly murmured, "Don't throw away those stockings—wear them tonight."
Yang Mei froze for a moment, then her delicate face flushed crimson. With a coquettish glance, she gave an almost imperceptible nod before hurriedly shutting the door.
Lin Dong couldn't help but smirk, his mood lifting considerably.
Just then, noise came from downstairs, followed by Cai Zhi and Ma Guocai climbing up excitedly with large backpacks.
Ding Yan and another middle-aged woman were supporting a woman in her fifties behind them.
Beside the middle-aged woman was a little girl, so thin she was practically skin and bones.
"Brother Lin, you're amazing! Did Li Zhiqiang agree?" Cai Zhi couldn't contain his excitement as soon as he reached the top.
Ma Guocai quickly added, "Young brother, I'm Ma Guocai. I'm really so grateful to you."
Lin Dong nodded at them both before replying, "Of course Li Zhiqiang wouldn't agree. He doesn't even know the door's been unlocked yet—he's still asleep in the master bedroom. We'll talk to him later. Come in first."
The group quickly gathered their belongings and moved into Unit 3202.
Only after everything was moved inside and the door locked did Cai Zhi and Ma Guocai finally let out a sigh of relief.
"This place is huge! Dad, can we live here from now on?" the skeletal little girl couldn't help but ask, her eyes filled with hope.
Cai Zhi picked her up and said, "Yes, you and Mom will live here from now on!"
He then pulled the middle-aged woman beside him forward and introduced her to Lin Dong. "Brother Lin, this is my wife, Wu Qian, and my daughter, Cai Yao."
Wu Qian immediately smiled at Lin Dong, her face full of gratitude. "Brother Lin, thank you. I... I really don't know how to thank you enough..."
Lin Dong waved his hand dismissively. "We're all just trying to survive. No need for formalities."
"Big brother, is this your home? Are you taking us in?" Cai Yao looked up at Lin Dong.
The innocence in her eyes gave Lin Dong a slight jolt.
Six months into the Great Flood, he had nearly forgotten what such pure, kind eyes looked like.
Something soft in Lin Dong's heart seemed to stir. He crouched down, pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket, and handed it to her. "Cai Yao, right? From now on, this is your home. I live right across the hall—you're welcome to visit anytime."
At the sight of the chocolate, Cai Yao's eyes widened in delight. "Chocolate? Is... is this for me?"
Lin Dong nodded with a smile.
But Cai Yao didn't dare take it immediately. Instead, she swallowed hard and glanced at her parents.
Cai Zhi hesitated. "Brother, food is scarce now. This chocolate is too precious—you should keep it for yourself."
Wu Qian quickly agreed. "Yes, yes, it's too valuable. Yao Yao can't accept it."
Lin Dong said nothing more and simply pressed the chocolate into Cai Yao's hand. "It's for the child, not you two. No need for such talk."
Without giving them a chance to speak, he turned to the middle-aged woman beside Ma Guocai and asked, "Lao Ma, is this your wife?"
Ma Guocai had witnessed the earlier scene and felt gratified in his heart.
He could sense Lin Dong's kindness—this was a good young man whose morals hadn't been corrupted.
Hearing Lin Dong's question, he quickly replied, "Yes, this is my wife, Li Lanhua. Old Li, this is Lin Dong."
Li Lanhua's face was somewhat sallow, but she smiled and said, "Hello, Xiao Lin. We really appreciate your help."
Lin Dong waved his hand. "No problem. The house is big enough—there are four rooms. You can divide them among yourselves. As for Li Zhiqiang... we'll need to discuss how to handle that."
At these words, everyone turned their gaze toward the master bedroom.
The sound of intermittent snoring could still be heard from inside.
Li Zhiqiang hadn't even woken up yet.
(End of chapter)