Chapter 114: "Aunt’s Feelings of Inferiority":

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Jing Shu’s mother frowned.

Jing Shu’s head started to ache. Even though they had installed doors in the villa’s kitchen and other areas, and the dining room had been remodeled as an independent hall with no view of the other parts of the house, the chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits, and cows in the yard would still be visible.

Not to mention the pond full of fish and the water itself.

To outsiders, seeing all this could be dangerous, even though Jing Shu’s aunt’s brother seemed like a respectable man. But wealth can tempt people, and it’s unwise to test human nature. What if they started coveting what they saw?

“Oh dear, why is that cow mooing so loudly every day? Isn’t it time to slaughter it and eat the meat?”

“And those fish are such a nuisance, always splashing water everywhere. Maybe we should use the pond water once we run out.”

Jing Shu’s mother was still trying to think of a way to politely decline without hurting anyone’s feelings, but Jing Shu’s exaggerated comments made her shiver. The thought of all the things in their house and the fact that Aunt’s brother worked for a government agency was worrisome. What if…?

The risk of a dinner was minor, but the villa’s secrets were significant. Jing Shu’s mother realized she needed to have a serious conversation with her brother to make sure his wife stayed in line.

“Give me the phone. I’ll talk to her.”

Jing Shu’s father passed the phone over. “Lanzhi…”

“Sister-in-law, we have a lot of people over today, and there’s no room for your brother’s family. Please let him know, and we’ll visit another day to apologize.”

There was a long pause before a hesitant reply came from the other end, “Alright.”

Jing Shu’s mother took a deep breath after hanging up the phone. She felt a sudden rush of relief.

Jing Shu gave her mom a thumbs-up. Finally, her mother didn’t hesitate to refuse, unlike in their previous life when she couldn’t say no, always feeling like she had to make sacrifices because they were family. It seemed that Jing Shu’s teachings were working—her mother was learning.

Jing Shu’s philosophy was simple: if someone respects her, she will return the favor tenfold. But if someone tries to take advantage of her, she will make them pay dearly. Of course, Jing Shu’s aunt might not have been trying to take advantage, especially since she did bring a gift when she came.

Before they even entered the villa, the sight of the dark, shadowy structure didn’t seem particularly impressive. But once they stepped inside, even though the lights were off, her aunt’s family was still shocked by the scene.

“Wow, it’s so cool in here! And it smells like mosquito repellent,” Su Long exclaimed. The courtyard was much cooler than outside, like stepping from a sauna into air conditioning.

“What is this place? I think I heard a cow mooing.”

“And look, cucumbers! Oh my gosh, real cucumbers! Dad, I *really* want to eat cucumbers!”

“Hey, why is that area covered with cloth? What’s underneath it?” Su Long wandered around, just like an excited tourist discovering everything. Suddenly, a large, green-eyed creature charged toward him. With a swift jump, it pecked him on the head and then started pecking him all over.

Su Long burst into tears, crying as he hid behind his mother. “What kind of place is this?!”

“The Fat Chicken, get back!” Jing Shu shouted from a distance. Only then did the oversized chicken strut back to its coop, puffing its chest proudly. Jing Shu explained, “This chicken eats anything that looks like a bug. It probably found some on Su Long. It’s a good thing it did.”

“Serves you right for running around!” Her aunt checked to make sure Su Long was okay. Relieved, though still startled, she couldn’t believe what had just happened. Was that really a chicken? It was huge!

The family finally entered the brightly lit villa.

The entrance opened into a small foyer where they changed shoes. Then, they moved into the remodeled dining room, which was already set up with various dishes. Despite having just cried, Su Long now found himself drooling over the food.

“There’s electricity and air conditioning! It feels so nice in here.” Her aunt exhaled slowly, but the feeling of comfort quickly gave way to feelings of inferiority. The floor was cleaner than their clothes, and removing their shoes would only reveal their dirty, blackened feet, possibly dirtier than the shoes themselves.

“Wash up for dinner,” Jing Shu’s mother said, inviting everyone to wash their hands before sitting at the round table. Although her aunt’s family tried to clean up, their hands were still stained after washing in the now-blackened basin of water.

Jing Shu’s mother introduced everyone, “This is Jing Shu’s grandmother and grandfather. That’s her third aunt. Jing Shu’s cousin is working on a research project and couldn’t make it.”

Her aunt took out a box of *zongzi* (rice dumplings) as a gift.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly. My brother had something come up at work today and couldn’t make it, but he sent these for everyone. They’re proper meat *zongzi* from when the government seized frozen foods at the start of the apocalypse.” At least they hadn’t come empty-handed.

Under the lights, her aunt’s fingernails were ringed with black, the dirt unable to be washed away.

Jing Shu’s mother accepted the gift with both hands and thanked her, saying they would visit to express their gratitude another day. “We made our own *zongzi* today, so let’s have those first.”

Her aunt looked at their hands, comparing hers to Su Lanzhi’s clean, soft, white hands. Without makeup, Su Lanzhi looked more beautiful than ever, while her own hands, rough and dirty, made her feel older. Before the apocalypse, their family had been doing better financially, but now…everything had changed.

While most families couldn’t even afford electricity or air conditioning, Su Lanzhi’s home was lit up and cool. They had managed to cook an entire feast despite the lack of fuel, and even in the midst of a water shortage, their floors were spotless, and everyone’s hands were clean.

"Jing Shu’s family has really made it," her aunt thought to herself, observing how much better off they were compared to her brother’s family. Word had it that Jing Shu had earned most of her wealth by raising pigs and frogs and trading them for resources. And before the apocalypse, as a food blogger, she had stockpiled a lot of food.

“All the vegetables are grown in our courtyard, so please enjoy them,” Jing Shu added. She had prepared most of the meal from her space’s stored food.

“Oh, Jing Shu, you’re really something. You even cook so well. I wish you were my daughter,” her aunt continued to praise her.

Everyone raised their glasses of milk, signaling the start of the meal. There weren’t many dishes, but the portions were large, and the food was delicious. The main course was the *zongzi* Jing Shu’s family had made, wrapped in fragrant lotus leaves, offering a variety of flavors.

As her aunt ate, she felt more and more ashamed. The 12 *zongzi* she had brought probably wouldn’t even be enough to satisfy Jing Shu’s appetite—Jing Shu alone had already eaten over twenty large *zongzi*. Her aunt couldn’t help but think, “We can’t afford to keep up with this.”

At first, her aunt’s family tried to be reserved, but the speed at which Jing Shu’s family ate was astonishing. Before they knew it, an entire plate of food was gone. Her aunt gave up trying to hold back and joined in. In the end, it was a satisfying meal, with Su Long happily drinking several bowls of milk.

After dinner, her aunt wanted to explore the villa, but everywhere she looked, there were closed doors. She couldn’t see any other part of the house. Even when they left, she didn’t get a chance to see the rest of the villa, which became one of her biggest regrets.

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*Author’s note*: It’s been 60 days since the book started, and there hasn’t been a single day without an update. Please give me some praise!