Chapter 231: "Preparing to Spend New Year at Aunt's House"

Aunt’s family was doing well now. Back in the day, Jing Shu had borrowed 100,000 yuan from them, but after the apocalypse hit, she repaid the debt with a pregnant sow. Aunt’s family, being business-savvy, immediately entered the livestock industry, raising pigs, and their life had been improving ever since.

Aside from contributing piglets to the public, Aunt’s family also had the original sow and four piglets they had raised.

Food was not as scarce as it had been the previous year. They mixed feed with red worms, allowing them to raise plenty of pigs. Unlike last year, when even finding enough food for people was hard, let alone raising livestock.

Jing Shu thought she should remind her uncle to raise more pigs this year and to stock up on red worms. They could process them into feed at the factory and store it for the future. There would be tough years ahead when even red worms would be in short supply, making it hard to raise pigs then.

This time, they planned to slaughter a pig for the New Year, both to celebrate and for a wedding banquet. Aunt’s daughter-in-law was pregnant, and she felt that not having a proper wedding was a regret. Since the family was now in a good place, they decided to host the wedding.

The wedding was set for February 10, 2024, which was the first day of the Lunar New Year, while New Year’s Eve fell on February 9.

When Grandma Jing heard the news, all her worries vanished, and she smiled ear to ear. She was overjoyed at the thought of her great-grandchild arriving soon.

Dinner that night was naturally prepared by Jing Shu, who pulled some of her hidden stash from her storage space: century egg and lean pork congee, spicy crayfish, roasted lamb, spicy beef strips, pan-fried golden tofu, steamed sea bass, and a couple of pickled vegetables. She also made a stack of freshly cooked pancakes.

"My daughter's cooking has improved again," Jing Shu’s father commented with relief, clearly enjoying his meal now that Grandma was fine.

Jing Shu wanted to finish off her stash quickly so she could prepare more portable, inconspicuous foods. Next year, she figured she wouldn't have much time to cook, and she had already dried vegetables and fruits for storage. It was time to be like a hamster and stockpile finished goods. Since they wouldn’t be staying at the villa much, cooking could become a hassle.

After dinner, watching the news had become a family routine. International news covered the situation a month after various island nations had been submerged. Drones equipped with strong lights flew over the ocean, illuminating what used to be bustling cities, now sunken into the sea. It was predicted that the water wouldn’t recede for years.

One report mentioned that 10% of the population of one island was surviving on Mount Fuji. These were the wealthy elite, with their private planes and abundant supplies, representing the last hope for the island nation.

In the United States, the power struggle continued, and now there were three competing presidents.

Australia was facing a new "zombie virus" that had infected cattle, threatening the entire global beef industry. The virus had spread from zombie deer to cows and was now moving onto red worms.

If Jing Shu remembered correctly, this virus was the one that spread worldwide early in the apocalypse, leading to species invasions and the emergence of new, evolved creatures.

In contrast, domestic news painted a much more peaceful picture, with certain regions already listing their New Year’s benefits.

That’s when the family discussion about New Year’s plans came up.

"This year, why don’t we celebrate the New Year at Aunt Jing Pan’s house? Since Wei Zheng’s wedding is on the first day, we could go early and help out," Grandma Jing suggested, her face lighting up at the thought of seeing her eldest and second daughters. It had been over half a year since she’d seen them, and she missed them dearly.

Jing Shu’s father turned to her mother and asked, "We should check with your brother first. What does Lan Zhi think?"

Jing Shu’s mother replied, "We usually meet with my brother’s family on the second day of the New Year. Let’s stick to that plan this year."

"Great! Let’s head over early then. We can help out and have a nice family reunion!" Grandma Jing beamed with joy.

Third Aunt Jing Lai, however, seemed worried. "What should we give for Wei Zheng’s wedding? Before the apocalypse, it was customary to give a 3,000-yuan red envelope. But now, what can we give?"

"How about giving virtual currency instead? We could each give 200 virtual coins and then give 66 more when the baby is born, along with some eggs and chickens," Jing Shu’s father suggested after some thought.

Grandma Jing added, "That sounds good. You all can give money, but we don’t have much to spare, so I’ll make them a wedding outfit. I’ll sew one set of traditional clothes myself."

"I’ll make them some furniture and a crib."

"Let’s also make a set of wedding bedding!"

That night, the entire family got busy preparing for the trip to Aunt’s house for the New Year celebration.

Jing Shu’s mother called her brother to let him know that they would gather on the second day of the New Year. Jing Shu overheard her aunt on the phone, expressing disappointment. Work had been tough lately because of the influx of tens of thousands of people into Xishan. The city, already in bad shape, was now overcrowded, and any space that wasn’t leaking had been turned into makeshift homes.

To save space, the government had even salvaged old cars and converted them into tiny living spaces. It was even worse than living in a basement, especially at night, when the cold was unbearable, as if ice shards were raining down.

Jing Shu’s uncle and aunt had been incredibly busy with all these issues, barely able to catch their breath.

After the call, Jing Shu’s mother began packing for the trip. Going to someone else’s home for food and shelter, they couldn’t show up empty-handed. Even though Aunt’s family was doing well, hosting so many people would strain their resources.

Also, Jing Shu’s mother didn’t want to risk not enjoying Aunt’s cooking, so she decided to pack enough food for the family.

This was where Jing Shu’s foresight came in handy.

They packed two cans of milk powder, since the family had grown accustomed to having milk, tea, or soy milk in the mornings.

Various dried vegetables and goods like black fungus and soybeans were included for cooking, along with a jar of pickled vegetables, such as salted cucumbers and sour beans, to accompany meals.

They also brought jars of their homemade marinated pork ears, pig head meat, braised chicken feet, spicy rabbit bits, and beef jerky, all ready to be served as cold dishes. Canned sausages, cured meat, and preserved ducks were packed for meals.

In no time, Jing Shu’s mother had everything organized and ready to go, earning a thumbs-up from Jing Shu.

Jing Shu decided to pack additional items, like a military-grade tent, various supplies, and bedding. It didn’t take up much space in the energy car, and it was better to be safe than sorry in case there weren’t enough places to sleep at the wedding. She wasn’t about to sleep on the floor with a crowd of people.

Bringing the tent would guarantee some comfort.

It was a pity the RV hadn’t been fully modified yet. Otherwise, they could have just driven the RV over, avoiding the need to pack so much. But driving an RV might have been too flashy anyway…

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*Side note: One of our lovely readers surpassed my vote count, so here comes another 10,000-word update! Let me take a few days to catch my breath.*