Travel through famine years and awaken a post-apocalyptic survival system.

"Wanqing!"

Just as the two were about to leave, someone called out from the side.

Hearing the sound, the two turned their heads to look.

They were two little girls the same age as Shen Wanqing.

One of them had short hair, and the other had two long braids. Neither of them were particularly beautiful, but they weren't ugly either.

The short-haired girl walked over, glanced at Zhao Qingsong, and then smiled at Shen Wanqing, saying, "Wanqing, aren't you at work? Why are you back at the compound?"

"Oh, something came up at the factory. Are you going back? Let's go together!"

Upon hearing this, the short-haired girl glanced at Zhao Qingsong, but seeing that Shen Wanqing didn't intend to introduce him, she didn't ask any further questions.

"Let's go!"

Shen Wanqing greeted Zhao Qingsong and then left with her entourage.

Zhao Qingsong simply nodded, watched the group leave, and then walked towards the outside of the staff compound.

……

"Hey, Wanqing, who's that? Are you two dating?"

The short-haired girl glanced back at Zhao Qingsong's retreating figure and chuckled, making a teasing remark.

Shen Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then blushed and said, "Li Yan, that's a security officer. He's here on business. Can you please stop talking nonsense?"

Seeing her expression, Li Yan chuckled.

Then, his eyes lit up, and he put his arm around her and asked, "Hey, by the way, Aijun is back. How about we go ice skating at Qunming Lake tonight?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wanqing's smile faded somewhat.

A forced smile appeared on his face.

"Forget it, we only eat until we're 80% full these days. If my family sees us, I'll get scolded. I'm not going. You guys can go if you want."

"Hey, come on! If you don't go, your brother definitely won't go either! Let's go together!"

Li Yan held her arm and swayed it there.

Seeing this, Shen Wanqing felt helpless. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "Let's talk about it later!"

……

As Zhao Qingsong left the compound, the streets were already packed with people leaving get off work.

At first glance, most of them were wearing blue work clothes.

Many people were carrying net bags containing aluminum lunchboxes, walking towards this place in twos and threes, laughing and joking.

Ignoring these people, I searched the surrounding area.

Two locations have been identified.

Since we're investigating Xu Jing, we'll definitely need to monitor her.

It's not dark yet, I estimate there's still more than half an hour, so we can't get too close. I've already decided on two good spots.

One was there before dark, and the other was there after dark.

After all, it gets dark and you can't see things that are too far away.

He turned his head to look at the courtyard behind him and walked towards the opposite side.

……

Zhao Qingsong stood in the alleyway across from the self-built houses, glanced at the gate of the staff compound, the entrance was clearly visible, and he could retreat at any time.

"Hmm, good location!"

There were too many people in the steel plant. The staff compound in that era wasn't very tall and couldn't house many people.

The vast majority are still self-built houses.

Some of the houses are historical relics; after all, before liberation, the steel plant already had 30,000 to 40,000 employees.

Some of these houses were built by the steel mill after it expanded its production and recruited workers.

He quietly took out some steamed buns and started eating them, his eyes fixed on the gate of the staff compound, afraid of missing anything.

……

Time passed by bit by bit.

"Damn it, this isn't a good job!"

Zhao Qingsong hid by the roadside, stomped his feet to make himself feel better, and straightened his collar to let in as little cold wind as possible.

Winter is just too cold.

The important thing is that he doesn't know if Xu Jing really has a problem, or if she's just a simple speculator!

Even if there are problems, he doesn't know when the other party will act.

It could be the first half of the night, or it could be the second half.

Okay, I'll keep an eye on it for a while.

He can only stay in one spot for two hours at most. Any longer and he won't be able to stand it, since he's just squatting in one place without moving.

……

Shen family!

Shen Wanqing knew her older brother was coming back, and she was reluctant to go home. She went to a friend's house for a while, and only went home when she felt it was time to leave.

Back home, the family was filled with laughter and joy at the dinner table.

"Aijun, I've been saving your dad's ration for this month, just waiting for you to come back!"

As Shen's mother watched her eldest son return, she spoke with a cheerful smile.

He picked up a piece of braised pork and handed it over.

Shen Aijun chuckled as he ate, "Mom is still the best. Although our unit is the Industrial Bureau, the benefits aren't as good as our steel plant. We haven't had any meat for three months. If I didn't come back every month, I would have starved to death."

As they were talking, their expressions changed when they saw Shen Wanqing return.

Shen's mother's smile faded.

Shen Aijun chuckled and said, "Little sister, you're back!"

"Yes, big brother's back!"

Shen Wanqing forced a smile.

"Yes, I arrived this afternoon."

Shen Aijun said something indifferently.

Mrs. Shen frowned and said sternly, "What time is it? You don't even know to come home for dinner after get off work. The food is almost gone, but there's still some broth left. It's quite oily, so I specially saved it for you."

Shen Wanqing glanced at the dining table.

He smiled but didn't say anything.

He washed his hands, sat down at the table, picked up a cornbread bun, and started eating.

Even if she comes back early, she won't get any of the meat.

While eating, Shen Aijun suddenly remembered something and asked, "Little sister, what do you think about Sun Jianguo that I told you about before? I'm waiting for your answer!"

Shen Wanqing paused in her eating.

He shook his head: "Brother, let's forget it. I just started working. Let's talk about it later!"

After saying that, she cautiously looked at her father.

The other person didn't say anything and just kept eating.

Upon hearing this, Shen's mother became displeased: "You child, your brother is doing this for your own good. The child of a leader in the Industrial Bureau is a rare opportunity that others couldn't find even with a lantern. Why are you unhappy about it?"

Shen Wanqing smiled calmly: "Yes, Aunt Liu, it's hard to find someone like that even with a lantern. My eldest sister is already 19 this year, a year older than me. If she doesn't get married, how can I get married? People will start talking. Maybe we should let her go!"

"I don't want to!"

A girl of about eighteen or nineteen years old standing next to them immediately became unhappy.

In terms of looks, Shen Wanqing was miles ahead of the other woman.

The girl ate her steamed bun with a reluctant expression: "Mom, I don't want to. That Sun Jianguo is so short and so ugly. I don't want to marry him."

After saying that, he looked at Shen Wanqing and angrily said, "Shen Wanqing, what do you mean?!"

Shen Wanqing looked at her blankly: "Ah, big sister, what do you mean! Didn't Aunt Liu say that such an opportunity is hard to find even with a lantern? How can I snatch such an opportunity! What if people gossip about me behind my back?"

"you……"

Shen Yue was furious.

She wanted to say something, but after glancing at her father beside her, she ultimately refrained from uttering any harsh words.

Shen Wanqing sneered inwardly.

Although her father wasn't much of a man, he was a proud man, and as long as she disagreed, these people couldn't do anything to her.

They wouldn't dare say anything insulting to his face.

Of course, he doesn't care about things that happen in private, and even if she complains, she'll get a scolding.