Chapter 510: Chapter 510

The originally cramped villa courtyard became even smaller, barely allowing passage. Every bit of usable space was utilized, making every inch of it as precious as land in Hong Kong during its peak.

Now it truly couldn’t fit anything more, yet Jing Shu still wanted to acquire more items.

With the villa so crowded, Jing Shu had no choice but to pray that she could trade Insect Cakes for a huge mobile luxury villa and place it on the newly purchased land. Then she would be able to spread out, planting vegetables and fruits freely—but that was still a distant dream, of course.

Besides, ordinary people outside were living more than ten to a room, so cramped that if one person farted, everyone in the room could smell it. It was hard to get used to at first, but now everyone was accustomed to it. As the weather grew colder, people even preferred to huddle together for warmth. Entire families sleeping in a single parking space had also become a common sight.

At least Jingshu’s villa was filled not with people but with various supplies and food, which gave Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing a great sense of security, a feeling particularly precious in the apocalypse.

The Jing Family was exceptionally quick in executing plans. Once everyone had agreed, they immediately started working. Mr. Jing, having considerable authority in the Old Zhuang Family, assigned everyone their tasks.

"We’re short on time," he instructed. "We won’t trade the beans and rice—it’s too conspicuous. Virtual Coins have low purchasing power, so let’s quickly trade some Insect Cakes from Jing Shu’s factory for materials. No more delays."

"Don’t worry, Dad," Mr. Jing assured before he went to gather cement, racks, and various other materials. "With the current food shortage, only a fool would trade rice for things."

Meanwhile, Grandma Jing quickly started planting different seeds, preparing to grow a new batch of vegetables. Fortunately, the cotton they planted earlier had already been harvested, which provided cotton for everyone’s padded winter clothes—otherwise, Grandma Jing would have been heartbroken.

Another stroke of luck amidst the misfortune was that the apple and apricot trees at home were still alive. These were Mrs. Jing’s dearest treasures, as the small apricot kernels were their usual special treat. Consequently, Jing Shu added even more spiritual spring water for them. However, for safety, she decided to rearrange the fruit trees as well.

Third Aunt began to sort out what could be eaten, discarding anything with rotten roots, anything spoiled, or anything underdeveloped.

Throwing these away was out of the question, as wasting resources was a punishable offense. So, they were fed to the Dinosaur Chickens and fat chickens. Being genetically modified, these birds could stomach anything without digestive issues.

"Such unfussy, good chickens," Third Aunt laughed as she watched the Dinosaur Chickens eat joyfully. These were not only Grandma Jing’s beloved pets but also treasures to the whole family. Selling each chicken brought solid income to the family, with Jing An even earning a commission from the sales.

The only drawback was their tricky breeding.

Though materials were hard to come by in the apocalypse, thanks to Jing Shu’s Insect Cakes and her parents’ connections, they managed to acquire the various materials needed to build a vegetable greenhouse.

Jing Shu’s task was to dig up the fruit trees and then clear out all the soil from the vegetable plot, digging deeper to create more space for growing vegetables. If the backyard hadn’t been fully occupied, it would have also been a great place for gardening.

As wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of soil was transported out and dumped into the collapsed, abandoned building Jing Shu had bought, the deeper she dug, the stickier the soil became, almost as if it were mixed with glue. Mr. Jing dug for a while before tiring and becoming short of breath.

Who else but Jing Shu—strong, capable, kind-hearted, and beautiful—could take on the toughest job of digging the pits for the greenhouse? In no more than half a day, a perfectly square area for the vegetable garden had been excavated into a pit a person’s depth.

"Alright," Mr. Jing waved his hand, signaling Jing Shu to take a rest. "Once we get the cement and apply putty to waterproof it, we can set up the frame. That will ensure no moisture seeps up from below. We also need to replant the fruit trees." Follow current novels on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽

Jing Shu left the subsequent tasks to others. As a busy person, she couldn’t always focus on a mere vegetable greenhouse.

Moreover, the vegetables in Jing Shu’s Magic Cube Space ripened even faster. Not only did they need to be picked and processed promptly, but she also had to patrol her space for various domestic poultry. This included collecting chicken and duck eggs, occasionally assisting with the births of calves and lambs, and checking on the plumpness of the piglets every few days.

As the Magic Cube Space grew more crowded, Jing Shu also had to find time to practice with the Magic Cube, hoping to upgrade the space soon. The fourth year of the apocalypse has arrived; can the fifth be far behind?

Thinking that she might not be able to fit more food in the Magic Cube Space or enjoy more delicacies in the future saddened Jing Shu greatly.

The piles of raw and frozen meat in the space no longer seemed so appealing.

So, Jing Shu secretly made a new plan for herself. While conditions were still favorable, she wanted to prepare more snacks and ready-to-eat treats so any future migration or long journey wouldn’t be too dull. The boxes of snacks she’d bought before the apocalypse were almost gone after years of careful rationing.

What Jing Shu now looked forward to most was sitting in a 270-degree panoramic RV, watching the snowy world outside while enjoying a cup of cappuccino and some afternoon tea snacks.

How could she manage without cake and tea? How could she do without soft fries and macarons?

"Chips and fries are easy to make; just fry some potatoes until they’re crispy. Ah, and I need to make some cornflakes too... Can’t forget about the cookies either. There are still plenty of eggs, so I can definitely make more for everyone. I also need to make a lot of pastries, not to mention cakes and muffins, plus my favorite donuts."

She truly had too many favorites to count; Jing Shu couldn’t even keep track of them all.

Thinking about it made Jing Shu realize how busy she was going to be. At the start of the apocalypse, she had been content simply with having enough food to eat her fill.

But isn’t there a saying? Satiety begets desire... ahem, once I’m full, I start craving all sorts of snacks and pastries. It feels as if a worm of gluttony were writhing in my stomach.

Jing Shu wasn’t one to deny herself. She immediately drafted a precise action plan and began to execute it diligently. Even the fields in her Magic Cube Space were being prepared to satisfy her upcoming cravings.

The eggs at home were piled up like a small mountain, and the eggs in Jing Shu’s Magic Cube Space were the same. So, for the next few days, the constant, drill-like whir of an electric mixer could be heard from the villa’s kitchen; it was Jing Shu, tirelessly beating eggs.

Two electric mixers operated in turns, transforming egg whites into fluffy, cloud-like meringue every few minutes, while the yolks were separated and piled up in bowls, quickly filling them.

"My dear granddaughter, even if we have a lot of eggs, you shouldn’t use them all up , eh? We can’t finish them all at once, and they can’t be stored like pickled eggs in the fridge..."

"Oh my, you’re throwing that sugar in like it costs nothing! What exactly are you planning to make?"

Looking at the mountain of eggshells, Grandma Jing felt incredibly pained. If Jing Shu hadn’t been her own dear granddaughter, she would have given her a harsh scolding long ago.