Chapter 236: "New Year's Eve in the Second Year of the Apocalypse"

"Aunt, can you ask Wei Zheng to grab something from the cellar?" Aunt’s face darkened as she spoke.

Wei Zheng felt embarrassed. He glared at Qiao Lian’s family. What kind of people devour all the food the moment it’s served, leaving nothing behind?

“We don't want to trouble you. We brought plenty of food ourselves,” Jing Shu said. “We can cook something simple.”

With that, Jing Shu went to the car and brought out some dried beef and rabbit, quickly whipping up two dishes. She also served warm milk and toasted some naan. Her family sat down, eating casually and tossing scraps to the oversized chicken at their feet.

The chicken, a large and unusual presence, seemed uncomfortable in its new environment, always staying close to Jing Shu, as if afraid of being abandoned. Its massive size caught the attention of Aunt’s family, especially the children, who immediately exclaimed, "We get to eat chicken tonight!"

Grandmother glared at the kids. "That's our precious chicken. You think we’ll eat it?"

Jing Shu smiled. "Let’s eat something simple tonight, and tomorrow for New Year's Eve, we can make dumplings together."

Qiao Lian’s mother, greedily eyeing the food, muttered under her breath, "If this is ‘simple,’ I don’t even want to imagine their idea of a feast."

Suddenly, Qiao Lian’s youngest brother dashed over, reaching for the dried beef. Jing Shu didn’t hesitate. She stuck out her leg, gently tripping him, and the boy fell with a thud, not daring to cry out.

"You're still hungry? Haven’t you had enough?" Qiao Lian scolded her brother, dragging him away. "You’ve embarrassed the whole family!"

After they finished their meal, Qiao Lian’s family slinked away. They’d eaten their fill, and after the embarrassing incident, they were too ashamed to stay. Aunt’s family now had a clearer sense of Jing Shu’s family’s status—they were on another level entirely.

Meanwhile, Second Aunt’s family, who had the fortune of eating a delicious meal, couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. In the past, Second Uncle had looked down on Jing Shu’s parents, believing they were stuck with dead-end jobs and no future. Now, in the apocalypse's second year, while Second Aunt’s family struggled, Jing Shu’s family not only managed well but had also taken in and provided for extra family members. Their quality of life was clearly far superior.

Second Uncle now wondered how he could get closer to them, hoping to secure a bit of their wealth and fortune for himself. Meanwhile, Second Aunt’s son, Li Yun, kept sneaking glances at Jing Shu. Every time she caught him looking, he would duck behind something, terrified. Ever since Jing Shu had outsmarted him when they were younger, he knew she had changed. She wasn’t the naive girl he used to bully—now, she was someone to be feared.

That same day, Grandmother helped Aunt with preparations for the New Year’s Eve celebration and the upcoming wedding, including organizing the food and planning the event. Jing Shu, meanwhile, practiced her Rubik’s Cube diligently, all while keeping an eye on her magical space. The snakes in her space had grown significantly, thanks to the elixir, and in about ten days, they would be ready for use in medicine.

As part of her evening routine, Jing Shu took a walk to manage the livestock waste in her space. Without her daily intervention, the manure would pile up within days. Her family thought she simply enjoyed her walks, but this was just part of maintaining the hidden world inside her cube.

When night fell, it became clear that there were too many people for the available sleeping spaces. Second Aunt’s family ended up sleeping on the floor. Thankfully, Jing Shu’s family had brought tents. They cleared out the storage room, laid down boards and moisture-proof mats, and set up their tents, creating a cozy sleeping area.

However, the storage room reeked of mildew from over a month of relentless rain. Even after Grandmother cleaned it thoroughly, the smell persisted, so they used lime powder to dry it out and brought a dehumidifier to improve the air quality. Grandfather even dug a small earth stove to keep them warm, since the nights had grown quite cold.

Aunt and her husband were amazed at the lengths Jing Shu’s family went to for comfort. Even Qiao Lian’s mother was left speechless. While many families were scraping by in makeshift shelters, living in cramped and damp conditions, Jing Shu’s family had brought everything they needed for a comfortable stay—even wood and charcoal for warmth.

That night, after all the preparations were complete, Aunt returned to her room, and Qiao Lian hugged her husband from behind.

After a long silence, Wei Zheng finally said, “Did I marry you, or your entire family?”

Qiao Lian responded, “Didn’t your Second Aunt’s whole family come too?”

“They’ve only been here for a few days. Your family has been here much longer. Maybe we should split from my parents. I’ll give you my entire salary—100 virtual coins a month—and you can manage it however you like.”

Without Wei Zheng’s parents, his life would be very different. Qiao Lian, being clever, knew better than to argue. “After New Year's, I’ll send everyone back except for my older brother. I’ll give my parents 30 virtual coins a month—if they don’t like it, that’s their problem.”

Wei Zheng nodded.

Relieved, Qiao Lian gently slid her hand down his back. “How about I give you a little… special treatment?”

“Alright,” Wei Zheng murmured.

---

Finally, New Year’s Eve arrived. Jing Shu’s family prepared a hearty breakfast from their own supplies. Despite being invited to join, Qiao Lian’s family didn’t come. It seemed they had finally understood the boundaries. Instead, they quietly ate their own meager breakfast of porridge.

The day was packed with preparations for Wei Zheng and Qiao Lian’s wedding, which would take place the following day. They finalized the guest list and made arrangements for the simple, modest ceremony. Once the wedding tasks were completed, Grandmother turned her attention to the family’s New Year’s Eve feast.

In addition to a variety of dishes, they also planned to make dumplings.

Qiao Lian’s family had never seen so much flour used at once. They were accustomed to eating watery porridge with a sprinkle of flour. The idea of using several pounds of flour to make dumpling wrappers was unimaginable to them.

Qiao Lian’s mother couldn’t help herself. She approached the kitchen and said, “Dear in-law, why don’t I help you make the dumplings?”

Grandmother glanced at her hands, which were dirty from who knew what. “Wang, your hands aren’t clean enough for handling food. Why don’t you help with the firewood instead?”

Flustered, Qiao Lian’s mother quickly made an excuse and left.

Grandmother shook her head, and Aunt whispered, “If I had known Qiao Lian’s family was like this, I would’ve never let Wei Zheng marry her. I was just desperate because he was already 30 and still single. Now, girls are lining up to marry him.”