Chapter 233: "Look, Another Family Here for a Free Meal"

The hired guards' main duties were to keep people away from the villa and prevent any unsanitary activities, such as public defecation. With so many people living in the area now, including thieves and petty criminals, keeping security tight was essential.

Jing Shu wasn’t worried about people breaking in. She just didn’t want any unnecessary deaths happening on her property during the New Year. She cared about everyone’s safety, after all.

She didn't release her poisonous bees, opting for regular bees instead, just as a precaution.

The family had become quite experienced at traveling in the apocalypse. They knew to bring all the necessary gear. In a world like this, driving a vehicle packed with supplies could easily attract robbers. Jing Shu had her handguns, and the whole family brought their crossbows. Even Jing Shu's real spiked bat made the trip.

Jing Shu led the way in the shark submarine, scouting ahead, while her father followed behind in the energy truck with the rest of the family. Many roads were now submerged after the heavy rains, so they were prepared to adjust their route if needed, which was why they left early.

Wucheng’s mornings were pitch-black; not even the moon was visible. The cold weather didn’t bother Jing Shu, though—she wasn’t one to sacrifice comfort to save fuel. Cozy in the submarine, she snacked on nuts and sipped mango-papaya milk, feeling quite content.

Outside, the rain was pouring down. Jing Shu soon found that the main road was completely flooded, forcing her to contact her father via the shared GPS location: “The highway’s flooded. We’ll have to take a side road. Follow me.”

After a detour, she realized the side roads were just as bad. They had also been submerged, and while she thought they might be able to skirt around the flooded areas via the hillside, the energy truck wouldn’t make it through the mud. The rain had turned everything into a swamp, trapping vehicles that ventured off the main roads.

“Let’s keep circling!” Jing Shu said.

What should have been an hour’s drive ended up taking three. By the time they arrived, half of Wuxian was underwater. Luckily, Aunt Jing Pan’s house was up in the hills, where she and her family grew apples, so their home had been spared.

Now, most of the county’s residents were packed together at the foot of the mountain.

When Jing Shu finally arrived in her shark submarine, the scene was dismal. Unlike the city, where people at least had cramped basements or garages to sleep in, the people of Wuxian were living in makeshift shelters—rows of temporary houses. The rain had been relentless for over a month, and every day was a struggle against floods. They had to constantly drain water from the shelters, or they would be submerged too.

The mountain's base was a sea of tents and shelters. Rows and rows of them stretched out, a pitiful sight. As the shark submarine and energy truck passed by, they drew curious stares from the masses.

By 8:30 a.m., the family finally arrived at Aunt Jing Pan’s house. The house had been slightly renovated with a concrete shed to protect it from the rain.

Uncle opened the door, a look of surprise and joy spreading across his face. "Mom, Dad! You're here! Quick, come in before you get soaked in this rain."

Aunt’s house had a spacious yard, just like last year, so they parked both the energy truck and the shark submarine inside.

“You must not have had breakfast yet. Come in and have some warm porridge,” Uncle said, ushering everyone inside.

But as soon as they stepped into the large living room, they were met with quite the crowd—at least a dozen people were already inside, sitting around the table or on the sofa, all sipping hot porridge.

Jing Shu glanced around, taking in the sight of these strangers, all of whom seemed curious about her family’s arrival.

“Mom, Dad! You’re here!” Aunt Jing Pan was thrilled, giving her parents a once-over to make sure they were in good health before turning her attention to her siblings. “Third Sister, Little Brother, Sister-in-Law, Jing Shu, Youai—you’re all here!”

Even Second Aunt Jing Zhao was there, sitting on the couch with her husband and son, eating porridge. She quickly stood up when she saw her parents. “Mom, Dad, take a seat.”

Grandma Jing frowned slightly. “Why are you here so early? When did you arrive?”

Second Aunt Jing Zhao, who had lost a significant amount of weight, looked a bit disheveled as she replied, “I thought I’d come early to see if I could help out. I’ve been here for a couple of days.”

Grandma Jing shot her a sharp look, clearly suspecting her second daughter had come to mooch off their hospitality again.

Aunt Jing Pan introduced the family gathered around the main table. “Let me introduce you all. This is my daughter-in-law, Qiao Lian. She’s two months pregnant now.”

She then gestured to Qiao Lian’s family. “These are her parents and three younger brothers. They came to help take care of her, worried that the pregnancy might be a bit unstable.”

Qiao Lian’s youngest brother looked to be around ten years old, while the eldest seemed to be in his twenties. Honestly, it wasn’t clear who was taking care of whom.

After the polite introductions, Aunt Jing Pan slapped her forehead, remembering something. “Oh, I forgot! Let me get you all some warm porridge.”

Qiao Lian sipped her porridge quietly while her mother whispered to her, “Look at that—another family here for free meals. It’s always someone. If it wasn’t them, it’d be someone else. Better that it’s our family.”

Qiao Lian gave her mother a subtle kick under the table. “Can’t you keep your mouth shut?”

Jing Shu frowned slightly, taking in the situation. It seemed Aunt Jing Pan’s house had quite a few freeloaders. In times like these, even a simple meal like porridge was considered valuable. It reminded Jing Shu of the potatoes she grew in her space during the last life—such treasures were hard to come by.

Noticing the dwindling porridge in the pot, Grandma Jing quickly said, “You all eat. We had breakfast before we came.”

“Are you sure? You came all the way from the city. I bet a lot of roads are flooded by now,” Uncle insisted, eager to make sure everyone was fed.

“Wei Zheng,” Uncle called out to his son. “Go get some more side dishes for your grandparents, and bring out the frozen pears from the cellar. Jing Shu likes them. This was specially set aside for you, Jing Shu, and we didn’t forget about you either, Youai. Your uncle got some of that puffed rice you liked when you were little.”

Qiao Lian’s mother whispered again, “Who’s Jing Shu? Why is your father-in-law treating her so well, better than he treats his own son and mother?”

Qiao Lian shook her head slightly. “She’s Little Uncle’s daughter. It’s thanks to her that we’re able to live as comfortably as we do now. She gave us the pig that started everything.”

Her mother’s eyes scanned the room, trying to spot Jing Shu.

Meanwhile, Qiao Lian’s youngest brother, excited at the mention of pears, clapped his hands. “Yay, pears! I want some pears!”

Qiao Lian quickly silenced him with a smack, leaving two red marks on his hand. “Shut up! Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you do. You’re giving me a headache.”