These sand crabs were only about the size of a business card, some even the size of a coin. There wasn't nearly enough to feed so many people; they were just enough to stave off hunger.
What angered the others even more was that, because Chen Xiao was injured, Zhang Xiaotao argued with those people and finally managed to get four sand crabs for Chen Xiao alone.
Although the others were dissatisfied, Chen Xiao had indeed saved everyone, and his influence still lingered. However, Chen Xiao could tell from their increasingly resentful expressions that it wouldn't be long before they forgot all about such things…
That night, several women in the cave were crying in the middle of the night. Chen Xiao could hear them clearly. He listened to the women crying and didn't know what to feel.
Is human nature good or evil?
He turned his head—unable to turn over, he could only barely turn his head, only to see Zhang Xiaotao right beside him, leaning against the cave wall, not asleep, but just staring at him quietly with her big eyes open…
The next morning, Chen Xiao woke up to find Zhang Xiaotao angrily arguing with someone. Inside the cave, the sharp shouts of several women made Chen Xiao sense an unusual atmosphere.
Zhang Xiaotao was furious, her face flushed red, but she finally walked back, feeling wronged. She kicked the rock next to her hard, her eyes red and tears welling up in them, and said aggrievedly, "They... they have no conscience! They only know how to bully people!"
"What's wrong?" Chen Xiao opened his lips, which were chapped from dehydration, and felt as if there was a fire in his throat.
“They…” Zhang Xiaotao said, tears streaming down her face, while angrily looking into the cave.
It turns out that the four young women who slept in the cave last night probably discussed something and announced a "decision" this morning:
All resources on the island, including fresh water and food, must be distributed fairly according to the number of people! No one shall receive special treatment. Things like Chen Xiao washing himself with fresh water are absolutely forbidden.
Food must be distributed according to contribution. Although Zhang Xiaotao and Yan Hua contributed to last night's sand crab harvest, Chen Xiao was a seriously injured person who couldn't move, so some of the sand crabs dug up by others were used for dinner.
"What fair distribution! They might as well wish you didn't exist! If it weren't for you, they would have fallen into the sea and fed to the fish long ago! Heartless bastards!" Zhang Xiaotao cried angrily.
Chen Xiao simply smiled, lying there with a calm expression.
"Aren't you angry?" Zhang Xiaotao bent down and wiped Chen Xiao's lips... Ironically, the thing she used to wipe Chen Xiao's body yesterday was Zhang Xiaotao's personal underwear. There really wasn't anything clean on the island, and the only thing that was still usable was a young lady's personal underwear.
Watching Zhang Xiaotao use the cotton gauze torn from her bra to wipe her mouth with water, Chen Xiao seemed to smile. A hint of mockery appeared in his eyes, but his words carried a trace of indifference.
"Human relationships and social interactions...it's always been like this. I'm used to it."
In fact, Chen Xiao was quite open-minded about it.
Humans are inherently selfish.
After his parents died, he was all alone. After his family property, house, and car were all taken away, his relatives all avoided him like the plague.
As for the current situation, it's just a human reaction.
Under such circumstances, the word "noble" seems too abstract.
Even blood relatives can be indifferent to you. How much more so can these complete strangers?
Even if I saved them before, so what? In the face of life and death, how many people can be selfless?
Thinking of this, Chen Xiao suddenly had an idea and looked at Zhang Xiaotao in front of him.
This girl... she's still treating me so well now, but what if, in a couple of days, when food and fresh water become even scarcer, she changes her attitude towards me?
Chen Xiao suddenly didn't want to think about it anymore.
The fireworks, like a bystander, remained indifferent, watching from the sidelines.
Whether Zhang Xiaotao was arguing or reasoning with the people inside, she just watched quietly, just watched...
That day, Zhang Xiaotao and Yan Hua searched desperately for food on the beach. Poor girl from the big city of Shanghai, her originally delicate fingers were all worn raw from digging for sand crabs on the beach. Blood was flowing from her fingertips.
When she returned at noon, she forced a smile and tossed five or six sand crabs next to Chen Xiao. They had already been washed clean with seawater. She smiled as she peeled them open; the crab meat, roasted over a fire, was white and tender, and because it had been soaked in seawater, it had a slightly salty taste and was quite delicious.
Chen Xiao noticed the abrasions on Zhang Xiaotao's fingertips and his heart tightened. He looked up at the tear stains in Zhang Xiaotao's eyes and frowned, asking, "What's wrong? Are you crying again?"
Zhang Xiaotao turned her back and wiped her eyes: "No!"
"What's wrong?" Chen Xiao coughed twice.
"They...they're bullying us so much!" Zhang Xiaotao finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears, throwing herself next to Chen Xiao and resting her head on his shoulder.
It turned out that while searching for food on the beach, the women came up with another idea of "dividing up territory".
The beach wasn't very big to begin with, so how many sand crabs could there be? The women actually divided up the area, designating Zhang Xiaotao and Yan Hua to dig only at the very edge. That spot was close to the cover, and the sand was coarse, clearly unsuitable for sand crabs.
When people reach this point, they really won't care about saving face in order to fight for even one more bite of food.
Although Zhang Xiaotao wanted to argue with the other party, there were four of them, while her side only consisted of her and Yan Hua.
Moreover... Fireworks remained silent the entire time, not even when Zhang Xiaotao was arguing with someone. This left Zhang Xiaotao with a hidden sense of dissatisfaction.
Although she was a bit fiery, she was outnumbered by four opponents and ended up in a physical altercation with Sang Sang.
"It's alright, it's nothing." Chen Xiao gave a wry smile, raised his hand, and gently placed it on Zhang Xiaotao's shoulder. Although this action aggravated his wound, causing him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain, he still tried his best to put on a gentle smile.
Chen Xiao could feel his weakness, and after a night's rest, his body had not improved at all; in fact, he felt even weaker. Lying here, sometimes he could hardly breathe.
During the meal, Zhang Xiaotao's haul for the day wasn't enough, but the elderly couple next to her quietly handed her two roasted sand crabs, which moved Zhang Xiaotao to tears again.
That evening, Chen Xiao only ate two bites before refusing to eat anything more. No matter how much Zhang Xiaotao pleaded or threatened him, Chen Xiao wouldn't open his mouth again.
Fireworks' words convinced Zhang Xiaotao to obediently finish the rest of the food.
"If you don't eat, and you starve, who will take care of him?" This sentence was indeed more effective than anything else. Although Zhang Xiaotao still looked indignant, she had no choice but to eat the food that Chen Xiao had saved, bite by bite.
On the third day, in the morning, Zhang Xiaotao anxiously discovered that Chen Xiao had started to have a fever again.
His wound finally became infected; the muscles around the gunshot wound in his chest began to ulcerate!