"Who is this woman? I've never seen her before."
"She seems to be from the President's building. She usually stays home and never comes out. Before the heavy snow, she was out early and came back late, but I don't know what she was doing."
"Tch, she didn't show up when we were digging the tunnel, but she comes out after we've worked so hard to finish it."
"She has points, so she doesn't need to come out and earn them like we do!"
"She's out early and back late every day, and we don't even know where her points come from. Maybe... hehe."
"You all should say less. Her parents left her several properties, so she receives official compensation points. It's not as bad as you make it sound."
"Anyway, I'm just not convinced. Why should she be able to leave when we have to work so hard to dig the tunnel?"
"Don't you get points for digging the tunnel?"
"Exactly. If she comes out to dig the tunnel, won't our share of points be less?"
"Come on, she's a woman, how many meters can she dig?"
...
Tang Li walked through the underground parking lot, ignoring the various discussions coming from her surroundings.
Tang Li knew that this time, the points for digging the snow tunnel weren't given based on days, but on the length excavated.
In her previous life, although Tang Li had enough points, she even provided points to people in the "Self-Help Union" in exchange for supplies, but she still participated in the collective activity of digging the snow tunnel.
However, because she lacked strength, no one was willing to team up with her.
In the end, Zhang Yan arranged for a group of women to form a team and go digging together.
The points she received daily were only 2 points, not enough for three meals a day. Compared to the points she provided to the "Self-Help Union" in exchange for supplies, it was a drop in the bucket.
At that time, Tang Li felt that this was a collective effort of the entire "Self-Help Union," and she didn't work to earn points. She was busy every day, her body aching, but she felt fulfilled and could temporarily forget the sad things.
And those people in the "Self-Help Union," despite eating food obtained with her points and having firewood for roasting bought with her points, mocked her for being useless.
At that time, Tang Li heard these words and didn't feel that those people were wrong. Instead, she dug the snow even harder, eventually exhausting herself to the point of falling seriously ill.
In this life, although Tang Li has great strength and won't get sick so easily, she neither wants to expose her strength, nor be ridiculed by these people again, nor have too much contact with the "Self-Help Union." Therefore, she did not participate in the excavation of the snow tunnel.
At this moment, hearing the discussions from her surroundings, she naturally didn't take them to heart.
Just then, Zhang Yan walked over, reprimanded them a few words, and then came to Tang Li.
Tang Li exchanged pleasantries with him before leaving the underground parking lot.
But even after walking a long distance, she could still hear the discussions from behind:
"President, this little girl isn't part of our 'Self-Help Union,' why are you so concerned about her? She needs to stumble and suffer a bit before she understands the principle of sticking together for warmth."
"Exactly. In the entire residential complex, she's the only one who hasn't joined our 'Self-Help Union.' She's so unconventional and aloof. You shouldn't have bothered with her!"
"We're all neighbors. Whether she's joined our 'Self-Help Union' or not, we should help each other. How can we be so exclusive?"
In the months following the receding of the flood, especially since the last heavy snow, the "Self-Help Union" had expanded beyond Tang Li's building to the entire residential complex.
By now, almost everyone in this area had joined Zhang Yan's "Self-Help Union."
At the same time, Zhang Yan had become the "official partner" for Tang Li's residential complex.
However, Zhang Yan didn't have a supermarket, nor did he sell other things. He only recruited personnel from the area to assist the officials in distributing and exchanging supplies.
Many people in Tang Li's residential complex had used universal coupons to purchase goods at Tang Li's supermarket, but no one knew that the supermarket was owned by Tang Li.
Tang Li had also never exchanged supplies at the store managed by Zhang Yan, and she had not even accepted the rescue supplies that were occasionally distributed.
Her reason to Zhang Yan and the others was that she had exchanged enough supplies herself at the exchange and stockpiled them at home, which was enough for her own needs, so she wouldn't trouble the officials.
However, even so, because of Zhang Yan's apparent care for Tang Li, coupled with their jealousy of Tang Li, many people in the "Self-Help Union" had a lot of opinions about Tang Li.
But Tang Li couldn't be bothered with them anymore.
After all, she would only be staying here for another two months, and a few words from them wouldn't cause her any loss. As long as they didn't confront her directly.
After leaving the underground parking lot, Tang Li entered the snow tunnel.