Aunt Jing Lai, with a bruised face, helped by her older sister Jing Pan, enters the house. Wu You Ai trails behind with the luggage and a few battered apples, while Jing Dad carries the damaged cart and two broken boxes inside.
“Oh dear, what happened? Are you okay, eldest?” Jing Grandma rushes over, concerned, and after ensuring that her eldest daughter is not seriously injured, she calms down.
Jing Dad recounts the ordeal: “When we got there, the eldest was fighting over apples with some women in the corridor. When they saw us coming, they grabbed some and ran off. They were residents of that building, but we didn’t get a good look at them.”
Jing Lai, after cleaning herself off, adds, “I called the police, but they just took a report and said they’ll settle accounts in the autumn. There are too many robberies now, and they don’t have the resources to deal with incidents where no one was seriously hurt. They told us to be careful when we’re out.”
Jing Shu reflects that the initial chaos of the apocalypse likely caused the police to focus on confiscating resources rather than handling minor thefts, which might lead to more brazen robberies and murders in the coming months.
Eldest Aunt Jing Pan, a robust woman accustomed to farm work, shows some lingering fear: “If it weren’t for the fact that they were women, I would have run away sooner. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fend them all off, and the apples were scattered everywhere. I only managed to recover two boxes.”
Jing Grandma, wiping her daughter with a damp towel, comforts her, “We can mash the spoiled apples into a paste and use it to make sweet and sour fritters, which are delicious. Don’t feel bad about it. Next time, don’t act without telling us. How are things back in the countryside?”
“It’s actually worse here in the city than in our town. Each household in our town has plenty of grain and vegetables stored in cellars, and the army delivers water daily. The government has confiscated some apples, but we kept enough to last until next year. Your uncle couldn’t leave his work, so I went alone. Maybe you should come back to the countryside with us for a while. It’s dangerous here, even carrying apples can get you robbed.”
After hearing about the situation, Jing Grandma relays their own circumstances and plans to send Jing Pan back the next day after gathering some belongings from their old house. She also asks about another sister, Jing Li, wondering if Jing Pan had managed to deliver apples to her as well.
Hesitating, Jing Pan eventually confesses after a nudge from Jing Lai, “Yes, I did. They’re all fine.”
Jing Shu, sensing more to the story, pulls Wu You Ai aside to ask, “What happened to the second aunt?”
Wu You Ai, quietly reading her comics, whispers, “She got caught selling cigarettes and alcohol at high prices, had her stock confiscated, and was detained. They also bought a villa here in Wucheng but are in debt now because the property values have plummeted, losing a significant amount of money.”
Jing Shu now understands the family dynamics and the financial strains. Jing Li’s legal troubles could have serious long-term consequences, especially if they ended up on a blacklist—a situation Jing Shu hadn’t paid attention to in her previous life.
That evening, a sumptuous dinner is prepared, featuring spicy crayfish, braised pork knuckles, crispy fish, sweet and sour pork, pork rib and lotus root soup, stir-fried potatoes, and sautéed crown daisy. The main dish is fritters made from the mashed apple paste prepared by Jing Grandma.
Jing Mom, who’s been busy with work and a potential promotion, joins the family late but is hopeful about her chances as she’s been frequently visiting the crop cultivation center with a senior official, signaling her possible future responsibilities.
The family enjoys the meal together, but Jing Shu is still hungry and later snacks on seafood porridge, a whole stewed chicken, five tea eggs, and a large watermelon back at her house. All leftovers are efficiently recycled as pig feed.
With her spatial capacity nearing its limit, Jing Shu plans to intensify her efforts to level up her spatial abilities, recognizing the need for more storage as her agricultural ventures expand within the space. She’s already thinking ahead about planting more crops and producing various food items from her produce, including a natural coconut milk beverage, anticipating a long period of water scarcity.
With these plans and preparations, Jing Shu continues to navigate the challenging realities of the apocalypse, ensuring her and her family’s survival and comfort amid the chaos.
Translator thought: Thank you so much for visiting the site and reading the story. If you would like to support my translation you can buy me a cup-ontea. You can also help by shopping in our store or watch the youtube video to get more traction to the website. If you can’t wait to read the next chapter why not subscribe to our monthly plan, you will get 15 chapter every month for $35.