Chapter 160: All Those Smooth Shiny Egg Heads

The people in the group chat had become much more immune to the idea of eating bugs. Recently, the supply of maggots had sharply decreased, driving the price of a single serving of maggots up to 0.3 virtual coins. People could no longer casually go out and grab handfuls of them like before.

Just when the government was getting worried about what to feed the public next, the rain came, and with it, the red worms.

The torrential rain wasn’t just in Wucheng but across the whole country. The central government immediately ordered research on the red worms, and within an hour, they had results: edible, but hard to digest.

That’s it. The decision was made. The future meals were going to consist of red worms. The new name was announced, and the instructions went out on the government’s data network.

From the discovery of the red worms to the government’s decision to make them a staple of the food supply, it took just one hour and two minutes.

Fat Girl complained because she had no choice but to join the others in the basement and let Wu Youai shave her head.

“Everyone, gather your hair, take it to exchange for work credits, and feel free to collect worms while you’re at it. We don’t know how long this rain will last, and the worms might be gone once it stops. Take advantage of this chance to earn more credits. Oh, and these worms don’t bite—they’re harmless,” Wu Youai said in her usual devilish tone.

So, after all that, these vicious worms didn’t bite? They were just like maggots, waiting to be harvested?

Well, even if I lose my hair, at least I can earn a few credits from these kilos of red worms, Fat Girl thought. It’s a fair trade.

Cutting off thousands of strands of hair seemed to be the solution. No more worries now.

Ah, the smooth sensation of rain and red worms on those shiny, egg-like heads—so silky and soft. Bounce, bounce, bounce... Goodbye wrinkles! Wait, wrong script.

Anyway, the entire neighborhood, regardless of age, had become bald, egg-headed, and focused on cleaning their blankets and clothes. Following Wu Youai’s advice, they set about collecting red worms.

Oh, all those shiny egg-heads glistened in the rain, catching everyone’s eye.

At 37°C, it felt just like taking a warm shower in the downpour.

“Look, what’s on the ground?”

“That’s work credits, dancing work credits!”

Now everyone understood the value of food and work credits. So, when word spread that the red worms could be exchanged for credits, people eagerly went out to collect them.

The newly bald residents had wised up. They used their bedsheets to scoop up worms, collecting entire sheets full. Everyone followed suit.

In the second year, the red worms were plentiful only in the first few months. Later on, their numbers dwindled sharply, partly because so many were harvested for food. It was nothing like Australia, where the country was nearly defeated, not by floods but by the overwhelming infestation of red worms.

Australia was a grim example of what happened when red worms were allowed to reproduce unchecked.

While the neighborhood scrambled to gather worms, Jing Shu circled the villa, inspecting the four massive rainwater tanks. Each was already a quarter full. It seemed that every day, she would need to harvest the red worms from the tanks and drain some water.

The worms accumulating in Jing Shu’s rain tanks alone would be enough to match what the entire neighborhood collected in a day.

That’s what happens when you see things from a higher perspective—everything you do is on another level.

Back at the villa, Jing Shu didn’t relax. She called Jing Ye to help her build a small stone basin at the entrance of the courtyard using large rocks from the nearby hills.

“What’s this for?” Jing Ye asked, still confused after they’d finished.

“You’ll see when Aunt Jing Lai gets home,” Jing Shu replied, keeping the surprise to herself.

...

“Oh, I told my husband not to come pick me up, but he insisted, saying there were too many red worms. He’s not good for much, but he sure loves me.” Weiwei extended her ring finger, showing off a one-carat diamond ring.

“Oh, your husband treats you so well,” Jing Lai said, standing at the entrance of the supermarket, directing people to pack up for the day.

“Oh, here I am bringing up your sad situation again. Why don’t we head home together later? If you ride your bike back, you’ll be soaked and covered in worms.”

“No worries, my niece Jing Shu packed me a raincoat,” Jing Lai responded, her cheeks flushing with pride. That niece of hers—so thoughtful and caring.

At that moment, Weiwei’s phone rang. “Hey, honey?... What? You can’t come?... You’re leaving me to go home alone?” Weiwei’s face darkened. “Jing Lai, let’s head back together. My husband can’t make it after all.”

“Sure.”

Weiwei assumed Jing Lai’s raincoat would be an ordinary one. But when Jing Lai stepped into her full-body, sealed raincoat, everyone around her shot envious glances. Weiwei’s eyes brimmed with jealousy.

“Class Monitor Jing really came prepared.”

“With this raincoat, she can go anywhere.”

Jing Lai smiled modestly. “My family prepared it for me. Let’s go.” Inside, she felt a surge of pride—how lucky she was to have such a wonderful family!

“Oh, sure,” Weiwei muttered, wrapping her head in a towel and covering herself in plastic bags before following Jing Lai on her bike ride home from the supermarket.

The raincoat looked bulky, but it shielded Jing Lai from the rain and red worms. As raindrops splashed onto her face, red worms bounced off it. Weiwei suddenly longed for a family like Jing Lai’s—and a raincoat like that—instead of a husband who made promises but didn’t follow through. Tears streamed down her face.

When Jing Lai returned to the villa, she found Jing Shu and her dad filling up the stone basin at the entrance with water. Curious, she asked, “What’s this for?”

Jing Shu tossed a few bags of salt into the basin and filled it halfway with water. “Auntie, step in and take a spin.”

Still wearing her raincoat, Jing Lai stepped into the basin, did a little twirl, and when she stepped out, all the red worms clinging to her raincoat had curled up and fallen into the saltwater.

Jing Ye gave Jing Shu a big thumbs-up.

The red worms, which couldn’t be shaken off the raincoat before, were now easily removed. And the saltwater could last for a year without waste—perfect for feeding the chickens later on.

That evening, the news reported torrential rain and red worm infestations across the country. Even places as dry as Africa were seeing unusual downpours accompanied by red worms.

Governments around the world were still studying the worms. Only China had issued a clear order: eat them!

The family continued their lamb hotpot for dinner. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, and they warmed themselves with bowls of lamb soup. Jing Shu upheld the family’s tradition by cleaning out the pot and drinking the last of the broth.

The rain outside continued to pour, and as Jing Shu practiced her Rubik’s cube in her room, the group chat came alive again, with people unable to sleep from sheer discomfort.

“All my blankets are soaked—I can’t sleep.”

“It’s freezing. I’ve got no other blankets or clothes.”

“I really miss my stinky, moldy blanket.”

Jing Shu shook her head, focusing on her Rubik’s cube while planting a new batch of fruits and vegetables in her space. The weather was no longer hot, so there was no need to dry them out. She planned to grow crops that would be essential in the second year of the apocalypse.

The chaotic events of the first day of the second year in the apocalypse had left everyone reeling. No one anticipated the floods that were soon to come, but the floodwaters were now dangerously close.

It was time to start preparing for the floods.

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Side Note:

This chapter is a special addition for *zw7774*, our #1 fan for January!