Chapter 394: Daily life 4.

Bai Li fixed things.

She repaired broken hinges, replaced loose screws, reinforced shelves,

cleaned filters, checked electrical connections, sharpened tools, and

even improved the seals around the windows. She had started keeping a

small toolbox near the living room because she had discovered that if

something went wrong, walking to the storage room for a tool was

apparently too much effort.

Yan Cijin had begun calling the toolbox "Bai Li’s second child."

Bai Li objected every time.

That did not stop her from carrying it everywhere.

By noon, the apartment was warm from sunlight. The river outside

reflected so much light upward that the walls near the windows glowed

softly. Somewhere below, a child shouted. Another voice answered. A few

people were moving furniture in one of the lower apartments. Life inside

Building 9 had developed its own rhythm.

There were watches at the entrances. There were people assigned to water

collection, food preparation, and basic cleaning. Several floors had

small communal storage areas. The survivors had stopped behaving like

strangers and started behaving more like neighbors. They shared

information, traded small amounts of food, warned each other about

strange noises, and helped repair things when someone knew how.

It was not safe.

It was never going to be completely safe.

But it was becoming organized.

That was why Bai Li cared so much about the building.

Not because she believed she could protect every person inside forever.

She knew better than that. But because a secure building meant fewer

interruptions, fewer emergency rescues, and fewer dangerous surprises

every time she went outside. It was simple self-interest mixed with

something she would never call kindness.

If the building stayed clean, she could come and go more easily.

If the lower floors were secure, she did not have to worry about

returning from a supply run and finding something waiting in the

stairwell.

If the survivors were able to defend themselves, she would not have to

spend time rescuing them every few days.

In her mind, all of this was practical.

Yan Cijin knew there was more to it.

She never said so.

Lunch was another simple affair. Mother Yan made rice porridge with

vegetables and a little dried meat. Lili tried to sneak two pieces of

meat before everyone sat down. Yan Cijin caught her again.

"You are terrible at stealing."

Lili looked serious. "I’m practicing."

Bai Li leaned back. "She’ll get better."

Yan Cijin looked at Bai Li. "Do not encourage her."

"I’m supporting her education."

Mother Yan laughed. "Then you can teach her how to wash the dishes too."

Bai Li immediately went quiet.

Yan Cijin grinned. "Caught."

"That was unfair."

"You started it."

Lili looked at Bai Li. "You have to wash dishes?"

Bai Li sighed. "Apparently."

Lili smiled. "I can help."

Yan Cijin looked at her daughter. "You’re enjoying this too much."

"A little."

After lunch, Bai Li kept her promise. She washed dishes while Lili dried

them. Yan Cijin stood nearby, pretending to inspect the cleanliness of

every bowl just so she could annoy Bai Li.

"This one has a spot."

Bai Li looked at the bowl. "No, it doesn’t."

"There."

"That’s light."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Yan Cijin smiled. "I think I’ll inspect again."

Bai Li flicked a little water toward her.

Yan Cijin jumped back. "Hey."

Bai Li smiled innocently. "Sorry."

"You’re not sorry."

"Not really."

Lili burst out laughing.

Mother Yan, sitting at the table with a cup of tea, shook her head. "You

two sound like schoolchildren."

Neither woman answered.

Mostly because neither could think of a good answer.

Their teasing had become a normal part of life. It showed up everywhere.

In the kitchen. On the balcony. In the hallway. While fixing tools.

While checking food. While cleaning weapons. Even when they sat quietly

by the window.

Sometimes Bai Li flirted without realizing it.

Sometimes Yan Cijin did it on purpose and then immediately regretted it.

The worst part was that neither woman knew whether the other considered

it serious.

One afternoon, for example, Yan Cijin had asked Bai Li to help tie her

hair because she had injured two fingers while sorting supplies. Bai Li

had stood behind her, slowly gathering her hair and tying it back.

"Too tight?" Bai Li asked.

"No."

"Too loose?"

"No."

"Then?"

Yan Cijin looked at her through the mirror. "It looks nice."

Bai Li smiled. "I have good hands."

Yan Cijin immediately regretted the sentence she had started.

"That sounds suspicious."

"It wasn’t."

"You said it like it was."

"Maybe you have a suspicious mind."

Yan Cijin turned to face her. "Maybe you enjoy making me embarrassed."

Bai Li considered it. "A little."

Yan Cijin stared at her.

Bai Li smiled.

That was all.

Nothing happened beyond that.

But Mother Yan, passing the doorway with folded laundry, had to turn

around because she was suddenly very interested in something happening

in the opposite hallway.

It was not that the two women were openly romantic. They were not.

Neither had confessed. Neither had asked for anything from the other.

They simply had an increasing number of little moments that made the

apartment feel warmer than it should have.

Lili made those moments even stranger.

She had developed a habit of climbing onto the sofa between them

whenever both women were sitting together. She would bring a toy, a cup,

a book, or some small object and somehow end up leaning against one

woman while kicking the foot of the other.

One evening, she brought a little plastic boat from the window shelf.

"Bai Li."

"Hmm?"

"Make it go fast."

Bai Li looked at the toy. "It’s a boat."

"I know."

"It doesn’t have an engine."

Lili looked at Yan Cijin. "She can make engines."

Yan Cijin nodded. "Unfortunately, she probably can."

Bai Li held up the boat. "I can make it better."

"No," Yan Cijin said immediately.

Bai Li looked at her. "Why?"

"Because the last time Lili asked you to make a toy better, you put a

tiny motor in it and it hit the wall."

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TO BE CONTINUED.