Chapter 12: Still 738 Jin Left

The new wasteland section designated by the city authorities was a bit of a distance from the survivor settlement where Shi Yuebai and her family lived.

Because of this, the team had to gather and set out before dawn every day.

By the time they reached the wasteland and started scavenging, the sun was already up.

At night, mutant animals roamed the area, so everyone had to make sure they were back in the safe zone before sunset.

Just going back and forth took two hours on the road alone.

And the Shi family’s situation was even more complicated: Second Sister-in-law Shi, who was blind, had to push Shi Yuebai in a cart, with little Shi Yaoyao strapped to her back.

That meant they needed even more time.

So at four in the morning, Shi Yuebai opened her eyes and woke Second Sister-in-law and Yaoyao.

They had to get ready ahead of the others and set out even earlier.

Second Sister-in-law Shi hurried out of the tarp shelter. As soon as her hand reached the flatbed cart parked outside, she sensed something was off.

Maybe because she was blind and her world was pitch black, her other senses had become especially sharp.

“Yuebai, are the wheels on this cart taller than before?”

She pushed the cart back under the tarp.

Shi Yuebai was holding onto Yaoyao, channeling some fat energy into the child’s body.

When she heard Second Sister-in-law’s question, she turned to look.

Sure enough, the flatbed cart had been fitted with four big new wheels overnight.

Not only were they large, they were swivel casters, raising the whole cart higher off the ground.

Now, when Shi Yuebai sat on it, her fat wouldn’t drag along the dirt.

There was only one person who could have done this—the oddball neighbor next door.

“If we find any food today, let’s give some to the neighbor,” Shi Yuebai said, bracing herself on the ground and scooting over to the cart.

She hadn’t eaten a bite of food in days, not even drunk any water.

She was surviving solely by converting her body fat into energy to keep her body functioning.

At the same time, she was also channeling fat energy into Second Sister-in-law and Yaoyao.

But even so, Shi Yuebai still weighed 738 jin.

Not eating had at least stopped her weight from going up, but it was coming off painfully slowly.

Trying to lose weight by starving yourself on the wasteland was a hopeless endeavor.

Yaoyao had a backpack stuffed with small potatoes.

All three of the Shi family were leaving the tarp shelter, which meant it would be empty while they were gone.

There was no doubt someone would come to loot it as soon as they left.

So Second Sister-in-law decided to have Yaoyao carry their most valuable possessions—the potatoes—on her back.

Shi Yuebai thought it was unnecessary; after all, she’d set up a dizzying array in the shelter.

Anyone who entered without her permission would pass out from the formation.

But she didn’t know how to explain this to Second Sister-in-law, so she just let her fuss over it.

Before dawn, the rest of the team was starting to stir.

Second Sister-in-law pushed Shi Yuebai, with Yaoyao on her back, and they set off.

The cart’s new swivel wheels worked great.

Aside from Shi Yuebai’s weight, they didn’t encounter any obstacles they couldn’t get past.

“Other than all this trash, there’s probably nothing edible here,” Shi Yuebai said, looking at the desolate scenery in the early light.

Her memories told her that this had once been a highly civilized world.

Technology had been incredibly advanced.

But after an apocalyptic disaster, this civilization had been reduced to wasteland.

The road beneath their feet had once been paved with concrete.

Now the concrete was cracked, exposing the yellow earth beneath.

The wind whipped up clouds of dust—there wasn’t a single blade of grass.

Both sides of the road were piled with garbage.

There were buildings nearby too, but it was impossible to tell what they’d been—most had collapsed.

Anything inside had long since weathered away, completely unusable.

And anything that could be used had probably already been scavenged.

Second Sister-in-law pushed Shi Yuebai with all her strength. Hearing her words, she sped up, pushing onward.

“Just ahead is the edge of the old safe zone. Beyond that is the new wasteland,” Shi Yuebai said, looking at the flimsy wire fence marking the boundary.

The safe zone wasn’t fixed. Every month, the city authorities would redraw the boundaries.

They based it on how far their hired mercenaries could drive the mutant beasts.

If the mercenaries did a good job and drove them far away, the safe zone would be larger.

If they slacked off, everything outside the city would be dangerous.

This month, the mercenaries had clearly done well.

Not only had they held the old safe zone, they’d pushed the boundaries out, creating new land to scavenge.

Shi Yuebai used her stick to lift the wire. Second Sister-in-law, without hesitation and sweating all over, led the three of them into the new wasteland.

Don’t ask how a blind woman had so much courage.

All the men in the family were dead. If they wanted to survive, they had to fight for it.

“Looks like there’s something over there,” Shi Yuebai said, pointing with her stick at something glittering ahead.

The sun was just rising, and its rays flashed off the shiny object, dazzling their eyes.

Second Sister-in-law stopped, climbed over the rubble with Yaoyao on her back, and, following Shi Yuebai’s directions, found a mirror.

“It looks like it’s still intact.”

Great Witch Shi Yuebai had never seen such a bright mirror before.

She took the small, unbroken mirror from Second Sister-in-law, glanced at her own reflection, and almost threw it away.

Back in the witch tribe, she’d never cared about her looks—only about strength.

But now, her appearance was just too ugly.

A big, dark, greasy face with a massive double chin.

The little mirror couldn’t even fit her whole face.

Shi Yuebai quickly handed the mirror to Yaoyao.

“Here, play with this. Don’t break it—it can be traded for points.”

Yaoyao was delighted. She’d been bored, tied to her mother’s back.

Now, with a little mirror in her hands, she found a new playmate inside.

Yaoyao had found a friend.

She didn’t feel lonely anymore.

“Second Sister-in-law, look, there’s a washbasin here,” Shi Yuebai said, sitting on the cart and poking at the dirt with her stick.

Clearly, there was nothing edible in this new wasteland—no plants or fruit.

Before the apocalypse, this area had probably been part of the city.

Now it was just ruins.

And all scavengers could find here were household items.

Second Sister-in-law dug through the rubble and found a washbasin.

It was big enough for an adult to sit in.

She couldn’t hide her disappointment.

But Shi Yuebai just laughed. “I think it’s great—a good haul.”

“When we get back, we can finally wash up.”

Did you miss me?"