Chapter 468: Chapter 468
The lingering smoke arose because Hao San’er, staring dumbfounded, had left his hand on the stove until the scorching became a drilling pain. He only then began yelping while clutching his hand, yet still watched in disbelief as Hao Yunlai leaped out from under the covers—or rather, like a Devil clawing his way up from the Eighteen Levels of Hell!
And there was more... Standing beside him were his mother, who had died giving birth to him; his second brother, who had choked to death; his eldest brother, who had died from holding his urine; his third sister, who had drowned in a manure pit; his father, crushed to death by a cow... They were all there. They had returned, staring viciously at Hao San’er!
Yelping, Hao San’er scuttled back and collapsed to the ground in terror. They had all returned; the whole family had come back together!
Hao Yunlai clutched his head, kicking violently as blood seeped from the stitched areas on his body. He seemed to be undergoing some excruciating punishment. Yang Yang tried to hold him down but was sent flying.
Jing Shu slammed a box onto Hao Yunlai’s head. The whole world went quiet as blood slowly trickled out. She then tore off a piece of a Black Pill and stuck it on the wound.
He’d just barely woken up, and now he’s knocked out again, Yang Yang thought, bewildered. What in the world is happening?
"It’s fine. It seems my method is very effective. He’ll be better after a few days of rest," Jing Shu said in good spirits, stitching up the reopened wound on her shoulder.
"Really?" Yang Yang was skeptical.
"If nothing unexpected happens," Jing Shu confirmed. His body will likely experience the same conditions as mine did, she thought. The pain he suffered before dying will last a long time. In that case, it’d be better to sleep through it.
Hao Yunlai’s house was too gloomy. Jing Shu always felt an eerie sensation, as if many people were staring at her. Therefore, after leaving a few Black Pills for Hao Yunlai, she and Yang Yang quickly left, not bothering with Hao San’er, who had suddenly become terrified in the room. Yang Yang even looked several times in the direction Hao San’er was pointing. Is there something in the direction he’s pointing? he wondered.
"Maybe Hao Yunlai’s entire family came up," Jing Shu joked.
「 」 ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥
Originally planning to check out the construction site she had marked, Jing Shu returned home, her thoughts consumed by the Spiritual Spring. She couldn’t wait to shut herself in and experiment to see the effects of the Spiritual Spring converted through the red crystal.
Meanwhile, Jing Shu soaked her only converter, the withered tree, back into the red liquid. This is the only method I know, so of course, I have to cherish it, she thought.
The slightly red-hued Spiritual Spring was only about the size of a fist, estimated to weigh just a few hundred grams—very precious and rare. To avoid wasting it, Jing Shu diluted it into five different concentrations, naming them Blood Series 1 through 5; as usual, number 1 was the most concentrated.
The five test subjects were seaweed, red earthworms, newly planted oranges in the field, and a rooster. The fifth test subject had yet to be found; Jing Shu planned to wait until Hao Yunlai woke up to try it on him.
Just as with her previous experiments on the Spiritual Spring, the focus was on observing the effects and special functions of the Blood-colored Spiritual Spring at different dilutions on various organisms. She would then compare these results with her earlier experiments. This would help her understand exactly how this new Spiritual Spring functioned.
Having completed the charts, she waited to observe the effects of the Spiritual Spring. Jing Shu stretched lazily. Having resolved most of Hao Yunlai’s issues, she swiftly ticked off the sixth item on her plan.
I need to make time to visit Stone Garden soon and collect my recent dividends, Jing Shu thought. Stone Garden is developing rapidly, so I need to stay updated on the latest progress and information. This will help me prepare for the tyrant’s predation in a year and a half.
If I’m already thinking about how to save Stone Garden, Qian Duoduo can’t just be idling by. Plus, there’s the matter of the ZS10 synthetic meat. Jing Shu pondered for a moment, deciding to speak with Qian Duoduo first. Currently, the affluent Qian Duoduo has the ability to produce synthetic meat. The Government probably has no intention of handling it, given that sustaining the remaining three million people in Wu City is already a huge challenge.
Of course, I have another reason to approach Qian Duoduo. Everyone knows that Stone Garden was built with large stones. After being polished and processed, these stones are ideal for construction. For the mudslide prevention in the fourth year, I intend to secure a batch of high-specification special stones to prepare for what’s coming.
Jing Shu made a new mental note: 11. Go to Stone Garden, collect benefits, and discuss the synthetic meat and stone matters with Qian Duoduo.
With a rumbling stomach, Jing Shu went downstairs in search of food. Fat Chicken seemed to be teaching the two Little Blacks where not to defecate.
In the villa, Grandma Jing was busy processing the various food ingredients Jing Shu had brought back, pickling various preserved vegetables, and drying some to store as dried vegetables.
They also had to preserve the meats that could not be kept for long by smoking, brining, or air-drying, tirelessly stockpiling plenty of food during this age of disasters.
Having drunk from the Spiritual Spring for three years, the elderly couple seemed more and more lively, their complexions rosy. Although the wrinkles on their faces remained, they seemed to be frozen in time.
It seems the Spiritual Spring can’t reverse aging, but it can maintain one’s current physical state, Jing Shu mused. Jing Shu and her mother, Mrs. Jing, also seemed to have stopped aging from the time they started drinking the Spring. However, due to improved physical conditions, with finer pores and smoother skin, they did indeed look younger.
Jing Shu popped freshly made octopus balls into her mouth, one after another, enveloped by an immense sense of bliss with each bite. The savory cabbage and octopus were mixed and encased in golden-brown dough, then sprinkled with nori and bonito flakes. Despite the joy, I feel a pang of distress. The octopus is frozen stock—each use means there’s less of it. Before the apocalypse, I never thought of farming live octopus. If I get a chance in the future, I’ll have to consider breeding every type of creature.
In the backyard of the villa, the German MAN truck was quietly parked in the safest spot, positioned so that it would remain unaffected even if the surroundings collapsed during a major earthquake. Meanwhile, Mr. Jing was busily tidying up the large yard, getting ready to start building an enclosed backyard once the planning was complete.
The back of the villa and the yard were mostly rocky. If they wished to grow vegetables, they would need to till the soil. However, Mr. Jing wasn’t planning on cultivating the land just yet. For once, grandfather and granddaughter found themselves in agreement: they decided to raise more chickens in the backyard.
As Jing Shu chewed on the octopus balls, she felt the occasional tremors of an earthquake and heard the distant sound of thunder. How can I reinforce the backyard? she contemplated. Especially since after the fourth year, the Government’s food stocks will be depleted. Everyone will be eating only once every one or two days. People’s eyes will turn green at the sight of food, and if they start eyeing our villa’s backyard, there’ll be trouble.
But just then, a massive flash of white light swept across, momentarily blinding everyone.
Jing Shu’s heart pounded violently. This is the harbinger of a major earthquake!