After hanging up the call, Wang Fang pinched her husband's arm hard in excitement. "Su Long, you have got one minute to get dressed and pack all your clothes and daily stuff. Don't forget the garlic and scallions you planted in those plastic tubs. We are going to stay at your Paternal Eldest Aunt's place for a few days!"
"Got it!" the boy shouted, already scrambling to gather his things.
Her husband sighed helplessly, though he began folding a heavy blanket. "If we are going to trouble them, we should at least bring some proper gifts."
"Of course! But seriously, your brother-in-law's chickens are the real deal. Too bad I have given up on getting any from that side of the family. That old lady guards them like her life depends on it. During New Year, I offered to buy one at a price higher than the market rate, and she snapped at me. I am counting on your brother-in-law to pull some strings and get two licensed hens.
am not touching the black market ones. Who knows what zombie disease they have got? I heard the eggs they lay hatch into chicks covered in meat lumps. Eat those and you will catch the zombie virus for sure."
It was already the third year after the apocalypse, and nobody said things like 'Give me a chicken' anymore. It was the same as never asking someone to gift you a Mercedes before the apocalypse. Though, some rich folks still showed off by gifting hens as wedding presents to display their immense wealth.
Just recently, Wang Congsi's friend got married, and he was the best man. His wedding gift? A cow worth as much as a Rolls-Royce, and it was a female one too. The photo went viral on the local networks, drawing waves of envy online. The entire ceremony was extravagantly over-the-top.
The main hall was filled with symbolic gifts: four live hens for good fortune, a pair of turtles for everlasting love, and a pair of black pigs for perfect harmony. Even the cheapest gift was a sack of Daoxiang Village rice. Nobody used virtual coins for major gifts anymore—those were as good as fake money when compared to livestock.
Whew.
Jing Shu let out a breath of relief as she looked out the window. It was a good thing she made it in time. She couldn't remember exactly which day her Maternal Eldest Uncle's family got buried alive in the last life, but it was right around this time. It might have been today. Anyway, once their house collapsed, she would let them go back to their own lives. As for whether they would start dreaming about living in her RV again... she would crush that thought right in the cradle.
She could finally let go of one regret from her previous life. Most importantly, she didn't want her mother to suffer the same heartbreak again. Thinking of her family reunion, she couldn't help but smile.
The weather in Wu City was much colder than in America. The ground was frozen solid into a grey crust, and most living things were dead. After months of earthquakes and Thunderflashes, the city was in ruins. The city center was practically gone. Buildings either got sucked into underground tornadoes or collapsed into jagged sinkholes. Housing had become more precious than gold in this devastated landscape.
What Jing Shu didn't expect was that, upon hearing she was coming home, her father drove their German MAN RV with the whole family inside. They had waited three days at the old, shabby airfield where she would be landing from the capital.
She was so touched she nearly cried on the spot as she stepped onto the cracked asphalt.
"You have gotten taller," her mother gasped, covering her mouth with a gloved hand.
"And a bit chubbier," her father said proudly, looking her up and down.
"Finally grew some feather!" her grandmother cried as she rushed over, calling out, "My sweet baby, Grandma has missed you so much!"
"Huh? The first two sounded normal... but 'grew some feather'? 'Sweet baby'?" Jing Shu looked down mechanically—only to see Xiao Dou flapping her wings like crazy, sprinting toward Grandma with two fluffy chicks in tow. The hen landed squarely in Grandma's arms. The old woman hugged her like a priceless treasure, stroking the hen's now fully regrown, glossy feathers.
"...Wait, what?" Jing Shu stood frozen.
"Look at this," her mother said, pointing at the two little black chicks chirping at their feet. "Those are from Xiao Dou! With these, we have got rare new breeds now. We can even apply for national first-class protection status and get licenses for them."
Grandma laughed so hard her eyes turned into narrow slits. "Yes, yes, we absolutely should! Oh, look, two more following behind—are those geese?"
Her father measured Xiao Dou with his hands, checking the bird's weight. "If she has gotten this big, she is probably laying more eggs now."
"The bigger, the better," Grandma said firmly. "Looks like our girl didn't have it bad in America after all."
Everyone finally turned to look at Jing Shu, who was standing there, her hair blown by the biting wind, completely lost in the confusion of the moment.
"Snowflakes drifting, cold winds whistling... the world is so bleak and gray..." she muttered under her breath, watching her family dote on the poultry.
"It must be because they missed me too much. They just couldn't control the overwhelming power inside, so they poured all their love onto the hen instead," she thought, trying to rationalize the scene.
Sure enough, the moment she stepped inside the warmth of the RV, their true colors were revealed.
Before she could even sit down properly on the cushioned bench, the table was already full of all her favorite dishes, the steam rising in the small space.
"Sweetheart, these braised pig trotters are from your mom. I know you like them soft, so I cooked them until they practically melt in your mouth."
"Grandma made you pork ribs and bean noodles. Eat those after the trotters; they will keep you full for a long time. There's also your favorite crucian carp soup simmering in the pot."
Her grandfather didn't say a word. He just quietly handed her a bowl already piled high with fresh, white crab meat. The empty shells piled on the side meant he had peeled dozens of crabs just for her arrival.
Jing Shu picked up a big chunk of meat, dipped it in a ginger-vinegar sauce, and took a bite. The tender leg meat and the rich crab roe were incredibly fresh, fragrant, and juicy. The taste was heavenly. And honestly, having someone peel your shrimp and crab meat for you was even more satisfying than eating the food itself.
Her father then pulled a golden roasted duck from the clay stove. He sliced cucumbers and scallions into thin strips, then laid out the sweet bean paste and Grandma's thin, handmade pancakes. Jing Shu made her own wraps, dipping them in sauce and biting in. Savory oil dripped down her chin as she devoured them one after another.
"This trip wasn't just for treatment," she said between bites, her voice muffled by the food. "I brought back tons of stuff you have never even seen before. American tech really is advanced. My headaches disappeared in days. Then we started scavenging all over the States and found so many amazing things. Yeah, I sent them to Li Yutian's place for processing.
We will go pick them up in a few days and stash them safely in our cellar. I also brought back a bunch of guns—just ones we picked up off the ground, don't worry! Once we get them registered at Li Yutian's office, you can carry them with you for protection. Oh, and have you ever seen a crab the size of a millstone?
I heard it tastes incredible! Don't worry, I brought back plenty of live seafood. We will raise and breed them in the tanks. And tuna, you know, the kind that weighs over a ton? It's basically super-grade salmon. Those are all dead, but still good to eat.
Tuna is almost extinct now, so save them for festivals or guests. And caviar! The real deal, tens of thousands of dollars a spoonful. I had never eaten it before either, but this time, we are all going to try it together."
She grinned at her family. "Of course I brought gifts for everyone! I can guarantee you have never seen these things before. What? Oh, the geese? Right, those two are rented from the base. And they are special ones, let me tell you..."
The happiest moments were always like this—watching Jing Shu eat her fill while surrounded by her family, listening to her ramble about her adventures in America, the treasures she found, and the ridiculous stories behind each one.
As for danger? There was not a chance of that. Sure, others might have run into trouble out there, but Jing Shu? She had always been perfectly safe. No one dared mess with her, and she had never been hurt, let alone faced death during her travels.