Aunt Jing Lai, with a bruised face, helped by her eldest sister Jing Pan, entered the house. Wu You Ai dragged her suitcase, clutching a few rotten apples, while Jing Dad pushed the broken cart and carried two damaged boxes inside.
“Oh dear, what happened? Are you alright, eldest?” Jing Grandma hurried over, concerned, and after making sure her eldest daughter was not seriously injured, she finally relaxed.
Jing Dad explained, “When we got there, the eldest was fighting over apples with some women in the corridor. When they saw us coming with help, they grabbed some and scattered. They were residents of that building, but we couldn’t get a good look at them.”
Jing Lai, after cleaning the dirt off her body with a damp towel, added, “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 handle incidents where no one was seriously hurt. They told us to be careful when we’re out.”
Jing Shu reflected that during the early stages of the apocalypse, the police were likely preoccupied with confiscating resources rather than dealing with petty thefts, which might lead to increasingly brazen robberies and murders in the coming months.
The eldest Aunt Jing Pan, a sturdy woman accustomed to farm work, showed signs of 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 Jing Pan with a damp towel, told her, “We can mash the spoiled apples into a paste and 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?”
Jing Pan replied, “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.”
Jing Grandma shared their own circumstances and plans to send Jing Pan back the next day after gathering some belongings from their old house. She also inquired about another sister, Jing Li, wondering if Jing Pan had managed to deliver apples to her as well.
After hesitating for a few seconds and being nudged by Jing Lai, Jing Pan confessed, “Yes, I did. They’re all fine.”
Jing Shu, sensing more to the story, pulled Wu You Ai aside to ask, “What happened to the second aunt?”
Wu You Ai, quietly reading her comics, whispered, “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 now in debt because 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 block list—a situation Jing Shu hadn’t paid attention to in her previous life.
That evening, a sumptuous dinner was 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 was fritters made from the mashed apple paste prepared by Jing Grandma.
Jing Mom, who had been busy with work and a potential promotion, joined the family late but was hopeful about her chances as she had been frequently visiting the crop cultivation center with a senior official, signaling her possible future responsibilities managing the cultivation projects.
The family enjoyed the meal together, but Jing Shu was still hungry and later snacked on seafood porridge, a whole stewed chicken, five tea eggs, and a large watermelon back at her house. All leftovers were efficiently recycled as pig feed.
With her spatial capacity nearing its limit, Jing Shu planned to intensify her efforts to level up her spatial abilities, recognizing the need for more storage as her agricultural ventures expanded within the space. She was 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.
Jing Shu realized that the space in her magical cube was nearly full, prompting her to plan for an upgrade to accommodate more food production. She had already spent two months mastering the fifth tier of her spatial cube and was practicing the sixth tier, hoping to achieve proficiency soon.
Every day, besides tending to her chickens, managing waste, collecting water, and cooking, Jing Shu also worked on crafting her soybean-based delicacies. She transformed soybeans into various forms of tofu and other products, ensuring a diverse food supply despite the scarcity of other ingredients.
—
Author’s Note:
Thank you, zw7774 and chen33, for your generous support! Mwah! O(∩_∩)O
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.