Chapter 147: The Artificial Sun Officially Starts

There were no stars or moon in the sky, just a vast blackness, like a dark cloth covering the heavens, blocking out any sunlight. A faint blood-red glow seeped through the darkness, creating an eerie atmosphere.

This time, Jing Shu’s aunt had learned her lesson. She hadn’t invited anyone from her family, and upon entering the villa, she felt instantly surrounded by warmth, once again catching the distinct scent of Fengyoujing oil.

“How much Fengyoujing does this family have? Does Jing Shu have a particular fondness for it?” Auntie muttered quietly, holding onto Su Long tightly as they stepped through the dark into the villa.

The green eyes in the darkness had made Su Long's legs tremble. This time, they obediently entered the villa, sat quietly, and waited for dinner. They didn’t dare wander around, feeling as if they had just walked through a life-and-death experience. Those green eyes were terrifying.

The table was filled with delicious food, and Jing Shu handed out gloves and shoe covers to everyone. “Since we’re so short on water, let’s skip washing our hands and use disposable gloves.”

The last time they had visited was during the Dragon Boat Festival in June. Auntie had thought the feast back then was just because they had more food at the time. But now it was October, and the water shortage was more severe than ever, yet the family was still drinking homemade red bean milk tea, even having milk!

The soup was pork knuckle stew with soybeans, and the dishes were the usual dried goods: stir-fried black fungus with eggs, steamed egg custard, fried eggs, egg pancakes, and steamed fish…

Oh, right. Auntie realized, working at the livestock farm, Jing Shu’s family would have all the eggs and milk they wanted. Auntie felt a twinge of jealousy, regretting that she hadn’t sought work at the farm herself.

Jing Shu’s grandmother smiled warmly. “Try the mooncakes I made. They might not be as good as the ones from the store.”

Auntie gingerly picked up a mooncake and took a bite. The soft, sticky sweetness filled her mouth, with the rich flavors of nuts and a salted egg yolk in the center. It was delicious!

Moved, Auntie was on the verge of tears.

Jing Shu herself devoured over a dozen mooncakes. The flaky mooncake crust was just too irresistible! Her large appetite continued to shock everyone. To survive in this famine-stricken world with such an appetite was truly impressive.

After dinner, they chatted for a while, eventually discussing the artificial sun. Auntie suddenly slapped her thigh and exclaimed:

“A friend just introduced me to a solar distiller that collects water, and now the news says the artificial sun is launching. People in our group chat were saying the artificial sun might not be reliable, but the distiller is. If it works well, I’ll introduce it to you all too.”

The whole family was speechless.

“Auntie, how many did you buy?” Jing Shu covered her face. It seemed that, in both her past and current lives, they were destined to fall for this scheme.

“We just bought one. This whole model is a pyramid scheme. The money is in recruiting people early. I just wanted to earn some work points and get a bit of extra water,” Auntie said, proudly.

It was the exact same situation as in her previous life... Even though Auntie knew it was a scam, she still wanted to try it. Whether or not she recommended it, the outcome was the same.

There’s a saying: *It’s the good swimmers who drown.*

This time, Auntie had fallen into the trap, but with her current resources, 20 work points wasn’t a crippling loss. Jing Shu couldn’t very well predict the future and spoil the ending for her, right?

“So, do you want to buy a distiller too?”

“The artificial sun will be activated in a couple of days, so we don’t need one,” Jing Shu quickly declined.

“Alright, I figured you wouldn’t need it.” Auntie looked a bit disappointed. She glanced around the villa—it had electricity, water, and a consistent temperature, clean and odorless. How had Jing Shu’s family managed to live so well during such hard times?

…

On Mid-Autumn Festival, Jing Shu’s grandmother sent more than twenty mooncakes to her eldest daughter’s family. When they returned, they brought back a car full of gifts as a token of respect for the elderly couple. Grandmother beamed with joy; her eldest daughter was so thoughtful.

They also learned that the sow at Auntie’s place had given birth to several piglets, which had earned them a transfer to the livestock farm, where they were now doing quite well. Wei Zheng had also brought his fiancée home, and they planned to hold a wedding next year once things stabilized. Grandmother was over the moon with happiness.

Jing Shu’s success had truly benefited the whole family, and they were all thriving.

At 10 AM on October 1st, as was customary, the National Day military parade began. This year, the whole country was granted electricity during the event so that every citizen could witness this historic day.

Although the parade was simplified due to the circumstances, the soldiers’ spirit was still on full display. The government also introduced new foods and technologies developed during the dark times, giving everyone hope for a better future.

The subsequent speech brought many to tears, touching everyone deeply.

On this day, the start of a new era was officially declared—the *post-apocalyptic survival era*. The government also established that January 1, 2023, would be recognized as the first day of the apocalypse, and that the end of the apocalypse would be declared once sunlight returned to the Earth.

“I hope the apocalypse lasts only a year, or even less, but we will not fear how long it might continue. As long as we stand united and work together, no matter how long it takes, the people of China will continue to live strong and unwavering!”

At that moment, the national anthem began to play, and the flag slowly rose. Although it wasn’t accompanied by the sun, the flag still fluttered proudly in the wind!

Jing Shu’s family stood before the television, and without realizing it, they all stood at attention and sang the national anthem. No matter how many times Jing Shu heard it, she couldn’t help but feel emotional. China, with all its flaws, was still her homeland—the nation that had helped her survive the apocalypse for ten long years.

To celebrate National Day, all supermarkets in Wucheng would offer three days of unlimited insect buffets, with everyone also receiving a serving of white rice.

This news spread like wildfire, and people celebrated wildly. Who could have imagined that a simple meal of white rice could bring such excitement?

The artificial sun had been activated, but there was still no water, and more people succumbed to dehydration. At this point, they would drink anything, no matter how foul-tasting!

Despair began to set in for many, but finally, on October 8th, the artificial sun completed the purification of the contaminated freshwater lakes!

The people of Wucheng finally had clean water to drink!

Wang Qiqi excitedly shared in the chat: “@everyone, amazing news! We finally have water! From now on, water trucks will deliver water to every neighborhood. Civil servants will get 5 liters per day, other workers 4 liters, and ordinary citizens 3 liters! All 20 water trucks in Wucheng have been dispatched! Our hard times are over!”

Feiniu responded: “Oh my gosh, is this real? We’re actually getting 3 kilos of water! I’m so happy I can finally wipe my body down!”

Chouchou added: “I’ll make sure to drink every last drop of my 3 kilos of water!”

Today was destined to be a day of excitement. Not long after, the water trucks really did arrive. Everyone had already lined up and registered, and even Wu Youai, who had been recovering for the past four months, came out to oversee the operation in person.

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*Side Note:*

Thanks to *Night Dreams Not Grey*, *Smile Again*, and *System 250* for the support!