Chapter 031: The Final Plan Before the Apocalypse

There are two types of milk curds: the soft kind is cheese, and the fully dried one is called milk curd. The preparation methods are similar, requiring slow simmering over low heat.

Today, Jing Shu finally didn’t have to wash, wash, wash, or chop, chop, chop. Instead, she could quietly make milk curds on the side like a handsome gentleman. Dried milk curds can be held in hand during the apocalypse; besides licking them like lollipops, they can also be slowly gnawed on. They are very filling and are currently the most nutritious dry food.

But before making milk curds, Grandma Jing first made ten 2-liter sealed jars of milk skin. She simmered the milk over a low flame, constantly stirring to let the water slowly evaporate. The milk gradually condensed, forming a round yellow milk cake at the bottom of the pot. Once cooled, it can be packed into jars and refrigerated.

Adding some milk skin to boiled milk or milk tea gives a rich, creamy aroma, soft and delicious… so fragrant.

Sour milk curds are fermented in advance before simmering; the regular kind is simmered directly with a bit of white vinegar. After it’s done, it’s filtered through gauze, and the cheese is ready. To make it fully dry, you need to knead it into small pieces by hand and let it air dry into shape. It has a very long shelf life, lasting one or two years without changing flavor, though it will become as hard as a rock…

Dozens of pregnant women each reserved a portion of the sour milk curds. Once dry, Jing’s father would mail them out, hoping that these expectant mothers could take good care of their newborns during the apocalypse.

By December 17th, Jing Shu had finally finished pickling all the vegetables, braising all the eggs, processing all kinds of meats, and turning the milk into long-lasting milk curds. Jing Shu had been busy for over a month, not daring to stop, and could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In the evening, the five family members held a family meeting.

First, they praised and encouraged the achievement of reaching a sales volume of 500,000 yuan in nearly a month. Then they discussed how to handle the upcoming Dark Days.

“The Dark Days will have a huge impact on agriculture. These days, the news reports daily about farmers rushing to harvest the last batch of winter grains. The country’s grain reserves are sufficient, but vegetables are expected to be in short supply. Prices will definitely rise, and there will be purchase limits.”

At that time, most people thought there was enough grain, and vegetables would be snatched up. After all, the national grain reserves were enough for the whole country to eat for three years, and any doomsday theories that disturbed people’s minds would be suppressed, and those spreading them would be caught for re-education.

Even if a few naive youths stirred up a wave of doomsday theories, they lacked money, and purchasing was restricted, so it would come to nothing. Of course, there would always be a group of people who would frantically hoard grain.

But they never expected that even if they bought enough grain and stayed at home thinking they were safe, in the first year, countless foods would rot due to high temperatures. Some people died from heat, others from thirst… After finally surviving the first year, they were flooded in the second year… The grain they hoarded was wasted.

“Yes, although the country has started to stockpile vegetables and fruits early on, and even added greenhouse vegetable points in every city and town, encouraging us to grow some vegetables at home, after all, there won’t be sun for more than a month. What a disaster! It seems that the vegetables in the yard are far from enough; we still need to grow some in the conservatory.”

For once, Jing’s father and grandfather did not have a disagreement, and Jing Shu was moved to tears.

Jing’s mother nodded in agreement: “We also need to stock up on more grain, at least half a year’s worth.”

The state recommended preparing about two months’ worth of grain, but the mindset of being prepared just in case led most people to prepare for half a year. In her previous life, Jing Shu’s family had prepared a year’s worth of grain and had even shared some with Su Mei Mei and her uncle’s family.

Grandma Jing countered, “No matter how much you hoard, it will run out one day. It’s better to have a steady flow. We must grow more vegetables. Didn’t Jing Shu say there’s some kind of light that can act as the sun and replace sunlight?”

“That’s a pulse xenon lamp, a simulated sunlight lamp. Before, I was afraid there wouldn’t be enough sunlight in winter, so I installed a row by the pond. Tomorrow, we can go buy more and install them in the vegetable garden below and the conservatory. That way, during the Dark Days, you can eat fresh vegetables every day.” Jing Shu thought for a moment and shared her plan:

“In the next few days, I’ve already ordered various fruits from a friend to make fruit preserves and dried fruits. I’ve also ordered some mature fruit plants from him to transplant into the conservatory, and we’ll plant an apple tree and an apricot tree at the entrance. There are also many fungi that don’t need sunlight and can be grown in the living room.”

“Our Jing Shu has really grown up. She thinks of everything and always steps up to supplement and summarize.” Jing’s father felt that in the past two months, his considerate daughter had suddenly become a bit… too mature and meticulous in her actions, as if she had grown more than ten years older overnight.

How could she not think it through? Having lived another life, with the soul of a 32-year-old woman residing in her heart, if she hadn’t bought rice, flour, oil, and grain in advance, now they would be subject to purchase limits. With a daily limit of 500 yuan, how long would it take to buy enough grain for the coming years? Not to mention that in a month, all supplies will start to be limited.

—

“…Starting from December 18th, free vegetable seedlings will be distributed in all cities and towns. The collection methods are as follows…”

“Today, Expert Wang will teach everyone which plants can be grown during the Dark Days…”

“In the coming days, high temperatures are still expected. Several cases of heatstroke have occurred in regions like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong. We urge the public to take extra care.”

A slice of toast folded in half, with a Yuqing sausage and a fried egg sandwiched inside, layered with cheese and lettuce. Jing Shu watched the morning news and ate three such sandwiches in one go, along with a bowl of golden millet porridge, two boiled eggs, a plate of sweet and sour radish, and two pan-fried steaks…

*Burp*—it seems her appetite has increased again, but her weight is still 52 kilograms.

Grandpa Jing drank four bowls of millet porridge; his teeth hurt, so he couldn’t eat solid food. Surprisingly, Grandpa Jing was experiencing a third round of growth; his lost teeth were starting to grow back. When he went to the dentist, the doctor could only say, “Hmm, your situation is very special…”

On Sunday, December 18th, Jing’s mother rarely had a day off. After breakfast, the family went to the Aijia Supermarket. The shelves were still piled high with goods, seemingly the same amount every day.

Today, there were noticeably fewer people. Young people didn’t get up so early; those in WeChat circles claiming to snatch free instant noodles were scammers. It was mostly elderly grandpas and grandmas bringing their grandchildren to collect rice, and they left after collecting it. After all, even if they wanted to stock up on food, items with short shelf lives would be bought in a few days, and those with long shelf lives had bought enough in the past two days.

This was the fourth consecutive day Jing Shu’s family came to collect relief supplies. It was Jing’s mother’s first time. After the novelty of collecting rice, they all strolled around the supermarket. When women enter a supermarket, not even nine oxen can pull them back.

Jing’s father and grandfather each pushed two shopping carts. Grandma Jing was more reserved, but Jing’s mother and Jing Shu started a new round of shopping. Jing Shu felt that no matter how much she bought, it wasn’t enough. They didn’t go to checkout until they couldn’t carry it anymore.

At this moment, Jing’s father’s phone rang. After answering, his expression became strange. He looked at Jing Shu and said, “Old Zhu is inviting you to dinner. He insists that you must come. He’s Zhu Zhengqi’s father, my… former colleague.”

Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. One moment, her eyes were as gentle as a painting; the next, her gaze was sharp. Noticing her father’s frown, Jing Shu returned to a smile. “Sure, let’s go.”

—

Author’s Note:

You, lovely readers are really awesome with your votes. I’ve remembered your names; next time, I’ll make a big acknowledgment. Keep it up! We’ve reached 11th place, with a guaranteed minimum of two extra chapters. Let’s charge ahead!