Chapter 228: Chapter 228
The elder aunt’s family’s life had also improved. Initially, they had lent Jing Shu’s family 100,000 coins, and after the apocalypse, Jing Shu paid them back with a pregnant sow. The elder aunt’s family knew how to run a business. They immediately started raising pigs at a livestock farm, and their life got better and better.
In addition to contributing piglets to the ’public farm,’ the elder aunt’s family also had the old sow given by Jing Shu and the four piglets they had raised. Now, food wasn’t considered scarce. With feed mixed with red earthworms, they could raise many more pigs—a stark contrast to last year when rations were non-existent, making it difficult to keep people alive, let alone pigs.
However, Jing Shu still reminded Uncle that this year they could raise more pigs and collect more red earthworms to be processed into feed at a workshop and stored. If in future years there were poor harvests and a lack of red earthworms, raising pigs would become difficult again.
This time, taking advantage of the New Year celebrations, they were planning to slaughter a pig to celebrate the New Year while also holding a wedding banquet. It seemed that the elder aunt’s son’s wife was pregnant, and she felt that not having had a wedding was a lasting regret. The family had the means, so after discussing it, they decided to go ahead with it. The wedding was set for February 10, 2024, the first day of the Lunar New Year, while New Year’s Eve was on February 9.
Upon hearing the news, Grandma Jing’s ailments seemed to vanish, her eyes crinkling into a line with a smile. She was genuinely enthusiastic about the arrival of a new great-grandchild.
The dinner that evening was naturally ’made’ by Jing Shu. Soon, Jing Shu took out her private stash from the space: preserved egg and lean pork porridge, spicy crayfish, Nangkeng Meat, spicy beef Rousi, golden fried tofu, steamed sea bass, a couple of plates of pickled vegetables, and she even personally made a stack of freshly baked flatbread.
"My daughter’s cooking skills have improved again." That was Mr. Jing’s relieved expression; as long as his mother was fine, everything he ate tasted great. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novｅlfire.net
Jing Shu planned to finish her private stash quickly and then prepare more portable, inconspicuous items. She probably wouldn’t have time to cook next year. The raw materials like Dried Vegetables and dried fruits had already been prepared. It was still going to be a year of being a ’hamster’ and stockpiling finished products. She would spend most of her time away from the villa, and cooking would then become a hassle.
Having dinner while watching the news had become a habit at Jingshu’s house. Today’s international news reported on the situation a month after various island nations were flooded. Drones circled in the sky, beaming strong lights over an expanse of sea where the once-bustling cities had now become part of the Underwater World, with no chance of receding in the upcoming years.
The report mentioned that presently, only 10% of Japan’s population remained, huddled around Mount Fuji. These survivors were the segment of society who could afford private planes, possessed abundant resources, and carried advanced technology, representing the last hope of Japan.
In the United States, the struggle for power continued, and now there were three presidents.
A new type of ’zombie virus’ had emerged in Australia. It infected herds of cattle, pushing the global cattle industry—a vital link in civilization’s supply chain—to the brink of extinction. The virus had jumped from zombie deer to cattle and then spread to red earthworms...
If Jing Shu remembered correctly, it was this virus that spread from Australia to the world in the early stages, followed by the species’ invasion and the emergence of newly evolved life forms.
Domestically, the news was still harmonious. Some regions had already announced their New Year welfare plans.
And so they talked about New Year’s and the elder aunt’s son’s wedding. "This year for New Year’s, why don’t we go over to Jing Pan’s place?" Grandma Jing remarked. "Since Wei Zheng’s wedding is on the first day of the Lunar New Year, we should go early to help out." She hadn’t seen her eldest and second daughters for a good half a year and missed them both dearly.
Mr. Jing then turned to Mrs. Jing. "We need to see what Lan Zhi thinks about this, and what her older brother says." He always valued his wife’s opinion.
Mrs. Jing said, "In the past, we always gathered on the second day of the New Year. Let’s do the same this year and meet with my brother’s family then."
"Well, let’s go over early and see if we can help with anything. It’s the New Year, and it’ll be good for the whole family to get together for a reunion meal!" Grandma Jing said with a beaming smile.
Third Aunt Jing Lai worried, "Wei Zheng is getting married. What should we give him? Before the apocalypse, it was customary to give a 3,000 yuan red envelope, but what can we give now in this apocalypse?"
"How about Virtual Coins?" Mr. Jing suggested after some thought. "Package up 200 Virtual Coins each, and when the baby is born and it’s their first full moon, give another 66, along with some chicken and duck eggs."
Grandma Jing directed the others, "Alright, you guys give the money. We old folks don’t have any either. I just called and they happened to need wedding clothes, so I’ll make them a set."
"I’ll make a set of furniture and a baby crib."
"Then let’s add a set of wedding bedding!"
That very night, the whole family sprang into action, starting preparations for going to the elder aunt’s house for the New Year.
Mrs. Jing called Uncle to let him know they’d gather on the second day of the New Year. In the background, Jing Shu could hear Aunt’s voice expressing regret. Recently, their jobs had become incredibly difficult as over a hundred thousand people had flooded into West Mountain. The city was already in disrepair, and now, with so many more people crammed in, any place without a leaking roof was considered a home. To save space, the government had even salvaged and collected various cars, then simply converted them into ’snail houses.’ Living conditions in these were even more challenging than in basements; daytime was bearable due to the heat, but at night it was bitterly cold, as if ice chips were falling. Uncle and Aunt were busier than ever, overwhelmed with countless tasks.
After hanging up, Mrs. Jing began packing the things they’d need to bring. Since the whole family was going to someone else’s place to eat and stay, it was impossible not to bring food, right? Even if the elder aunt’s household was well off, it couldn’t withstand so many people eating. Furthermore, Mrs. Jing was also worried they might not be accustomed to the food at the elder aunt’s home; regardless, she was determined to bring enough provisions for her own family.
This was where Jing Shu’s foresight truly showed. Mrs. Jing packed two cans of milk powder, enough to make drinks every day, as the family was now used to drinking milk, milk tea, or soy milk in the morning—they simply had to have something to drink. She also included a selection of various Dried Vegetables and dry goods like Black Fungus and soybeans to complement the meals; the soybeans, once soaked, could be ground into soy milk. A jar of pickled vegetables, pickled cucumbers, and pickled beans was added for side dishes. Home-cured pig’s ears, pig’s head meat, and chicken feet were packed for cold dishes, along with ready-to-eat canned spicy diced rabbit and beef jerky. Finally, she added enough sausages, cured meat, and preserved duck for one meal. Mrs. Jing quickly sorted these items to one side, prompting Jing Shu to give a thumbs up.
After some thought, Jing Shu decided to bring a military tent, various daily necessities, and bedding, loading them all into the energy car, which wasn’t too much of an effort. She dreaded the idea of not having a place to sleep before the wedding due to the crowd or having to share the floor with others—she wouldn’t like that. Better to bring these items just to be safe.
It’s a pity the RV wasn’t remodeled yet; otherwise, driving it there would be ideal. There’d be no need to bring so much stuff, though driving an RV might be a bit too ostentatious...