Chapter 341: Chapter 341

Jing Shu rarely lied, so she hadn’t expected such an outcome. She admitted she had been negligent. However, since she was about to leave for at least a few months, she felt it was crucial to explain her itinerary clearly. This way, her family wouldn’t worry or have to constantly cover up lies for her.

Jing Shu talked until she was hoarse but still couldn’t get them to understand. Dejected, she messaged Yang Yang. He replied, "No worries, I’ll sort it out for you tomorrow morning."

「So, the next morning, Yang Yang arrived and took only twenty minutes to convince Jing Shu’s entire family.」

Jing Shu gave a thumbs up and asked in a low voice, "What’s the situation? How did you explain it?"

Yang Yang held up three fingers and said, "First, safety. Second, bringing glory to the country. Third, your parents mentioned you’ve been unwell recently, possibly with some illness. I assured them that you’ll get checked out in the United States, with its advanced medical facilities."

"I feigned the illness," Jing Shu said, covering her face.

"I know. You understand all this, otherwise, you wouldn’t have that kind of medicine. That medicine isn’t a family heirloom; you got it through other channels, right? Don’t worry, we only care about using it, not asking questions. As long as it works, it’s good."

Jing Shu finally exhaled in relief upon hearing Yang Yang’s words. These things really shouldn’t be scrutinized too closely. Besides, she was now at the level of vice president; not just anyone could access her information.

Jing Shu finished packing the luggage she had prepared over the past two days. Although Grandma Jing had agreed to let her travel to the distant United States, she was still deeply worried. With reluctance, she handed the fat chicken to Jing Shu, saying, "Take the chicken with you. You poor thing, going so far away. You might not even get to eat eggs. What if you get too thin from hunger?"

Jing Shu felt helpless. "Grandma, I’m going on official business, not a vacation. Who brings a chicken on a trip ?" It wasn’t that she couldn’t bring a chicken—she had heard that other members brought dogs to assist in combat—but bringing a chicken... that seemed a bit too much, didn’t it?

Jing Shu just wanted to keep a low profile and make a profitable return from the United States. Wouldn’t bringing a chicken be too conspicuous?

People would laugh themselves sick, wouldn’t they? She’d definitely be ridiculed the entire way.

Just then, Grandpa Jing put the battle armor on the fat chicken. "Jing Shu," he said, "your grandma and I have discussed this. You have a big appetite. What will you do if they don’t provide meals where you’re going? You can’t just eat any food you find outside. Besides, this chicken has steel armor, made the year before last, that bullets can’t penetrate. It’s also quite perceptive and knows to protect its owner in critical moments. If nothing else, it can guard your place and keep watch at night."

"Grandpa, the fat chicken goes to bed earlier than humans and gets up later than pigs! You’re really exaggerating with that last one," Jing Shu interrupted, unable to bear it any longer. Suggesting the fat chicken could guard the home was a stretch. This was a chicken that could doze off while laying an egg and then tumble over. Other chickens slept standing up, but this one? It slept lying down, sprawled out, even on its side.

Offended, the fat chicken, donning its steel helmet, dashed in circles and pecked at its luggage, then clattered over, clearly indicating it wanted to join the journey.

Yang Yang chuckled from the side. "Bringing a chicken is fine. At least you’ll have an egg every day. If there’s a food shortage, you can even cook a big pot of chicken. Wow, this chicken is huge! When I first came in, I thought it was a dog. This chicken could feed us for two days."

How could the fat chicken not be big? It was as hefty as a young calf, practically twice the size of a turkey. Fortunately, its brown feathers hadn’t grown out yet; otherwise, anyone would instantly recognize it as an old hen.

The fat chicken clucked angrily at Yang Yang a few times. Yang Yang slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "Haha! This chicken understands what I’m saying!"

Jing Shu couldn’t bring herself to laugh. This fat chicken is really asking for trouble, acting smarter than a dog,

The fat chicken clucked pitifully a few times.

Jing Shu always had the nagging feeling that the fat chicken understood their conversation and that she could communicate with it. Oh well, they say after Jianguo, creatures can’t become spirits anymore, she thought, deciding to let it be.

Everyone insisted on taking the fat chicken along. Grandma Jing even packed its special egg-laying nest (a pouch she had sewn to hold eggs) and two sets of chicken outfits for it to change into. The fat chicken had to carry its own luggage. Hearing it would be very cold there, Grandma Jing also included chicken-sized booties and a wool sweater she had knitted.

Yang Yang was utterly dumbfounded. Do chickens have luggage now? he wondered. He stomped his feet, feeling the cold. He still wore his perennial outfit: leather boots, a tight-fitting leather jacket, jeans, and leather gloves. This had been his winter attire before the apocalypse, but he was surprised to find it no longer offered enough warmth.

"Alright then, I’m off," Jing Shu announced.

The fat chicken, wearing its steel helmet and battle armor, trotted behind Jing Shu with a leash in its beak. It looked as pitiful as an abandoned dog chasing its owner, desperately clutching its own leash.

Jing Shu’s hands were already full. When Yang Yang saw her carrying a piece of luggage taller than herself, his jaw dropped. Then, Jing Shu pushed out a modified luggage cart, also nearly as tall as a person, and on top of that, pulled along a massive suitcase.

Yang Yang swallowed hard. "Isn’t that a bit too much?" he whispered. "We have to carry all our own luggage, sometimes trudging over mountains and rivers or relocating frequently. Won’t that be inconvenient for you? After all, we’re unlikely to stay in one place; we might even have to use guerrilla tactics." You can’t possibly fight guerrilla warfare with such huge suitcases and luggage, can you?

Jing Shu hefted the third suitcase, gauging its weight. "Aren’t weapons and equipment excluded from the count? I just have this backpack and this suitcase. It won’t affect me. I can run a few kilometers with this, no problem."

Jing Shu’s physical strength had at least doubled. She hadn’t discovered any other uses for the Spiritual Spring yet, but its enhancement of her strength was undeniable. However, the accompanying increase in her appetite was also quite terrifying.

Oh right, with her continually improving physical condition, she had also developed night vision. Many in the apocalypse hadn’t seen proper light for years and had adapted to see in the dark, but their vision couldn’t compare to hers, which was as clear as daylight. Content orıginally comes from 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥

Yang Yang was speechless for a good while. "Fine," he finally said. "But don’t expect me to help you carry anything. I have others carry my stuff. Honestly, I’m really not good at that sort of thing."

Yang Yang glanced at his watch. "We’re late. Let’s go! The plane’s waiting. By the way, are you really going to wear that?" he asked, implying there was still time to change.

Jing Shu looked at her own attire: her hair was plaited into two braids and wound into a bun on top. She wore boots made of pure sheepskin, flesh-colored thick cotton pants, and a large cotton jacket. What Yang Yang couldn’t see was that the jacket was a modified bulletproof vest that covered her knees. It scored five stars for safety, five for bulkiness, and five for sheer absurdity.