《Apocalypse: My Sweetie Is Tough but Cute》


 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 001 My Apocalypse Cant Be This Cute

    Chapter 1: Chapter 001 My Apocalypse Can¡¯t Be This Cute


    Day 923 of the Apocalypse.


    In City C, after nearly three years of governance, the government pulled several hundred thousand citizens back from the brink of death in the crisis of the Apocalypse.


    People began to work together, rebuilding their future life upon these ruins.


    Following the devastating ordeal of the Apocalypse, the population of City C had a reduction of nearly three-fifths. Those who survived were filled with immeasurable awe for life.


    Despite life still being incredibly hard, people¡¯s spirits were high.


    The hardest days had already passed, and as life gradually improved, Su Shu was devastated to realize¡ª


    She had been reborn!


    She was¡­ at a loss for words.


    Struggling to survive in the chaotic world and, by the way, amassing some assets¡ªwas it easy for her? She had it all planned out: as long as she could endure until the city was reconstructed, the things she¡¯d saved would at least allow her to become a new-rich beauty, wouldn¡¯t they? And from then on, she would be at the pinnacle of life.


    But now, after three years of painstakingly saving, it was all lost, back to square one¡­ Su Shu felt discouraged.


    Three days had already passed since she reborn, and there was less than two months before the catastrophe of the Apocalypse would strike. She fell into deep thought.


    In two months, sudden mutations that drastically lowered temperatures and brought three days and nights of darkness spread fear across the globe, and no government or researcher in any country knew what was happening.


    The government of City C was no different, stunned by the abrupt changes. By the time they responded, small-scale chaos had already broken out in the surrounding areas of City C. When law enforcement arrived, some of it was already beyond control. After all, no one had experienced three consecutive days of darkness, and people were unsure whether the sun would ever rise again. Even the newscasters on TV didn¡¯t seem as composed and calm as before.


    In her previous life, at this time, she remembered she was rushing to finish her last article, intending to end her serial novel and use the fee to travel to the watertown in the south for a visit and to gather inspiration for her next story.


    But plans never keep up with changes. After the anomaly, City C, a northern city known for its mountains and waters, was hit by torrential rains that led to a once-in-decades flood. The already panic-stricken citizens had hardly recovered from the darkness before facing the disaster of the floods.


    The government of City C urgently requested disaster relief manpower and supplies from higher authorities. However, City C was not the only one. From top to bottom, the nation started facing unprecedented challenges on a national scale.


    Distant aid couldn¡¯t quench immediate thirst, and City C could only rely on itself.


    As Su Shu recalled carefully, fortunately, City C had a significantly sized border defense force that was able to help the government control local chaos, preventing it from descending into unimaginable humanmade disasters like some other provinces did following the natural disasters.


    However, as someone reborn, especially for Su Shu, who had survived three years in those apocalyptic conditions, the hardest part was not the sudden weather drops, floods, or earthquakes caused by tectonic collisions. The hardest part was the ensuing food crisis after the string of disasters had wreaked havoc.


    The crops that had been sown in the fields were destroyed before the harvest. Later, people discovered that plants could no longer be cultivated on the existing land.


    That was when the severe crisis truly began.


    For Su Shu, who had struggled to escape from that crisis, just the mere thought of having to relive her past nightmare in two months robbed her of many nights¡¯ sleep.


    As it stood, no amount of thinking would change the situation. Since fate had given her a second chance, she had no choice but to face the challenges head-on.


    Thinking positively, if the Apocalypse was indeed on schedule, at least she had the experience of surviving the previous apocalypse. With this thought, her mood improved significantly.


    Su Shu was by nature an upbeat and optimistic person. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive so staunchly in the tough environment of her previous life.


    It¡¯s settled, then. If reborn, she might as well start over, and moreover, this time, she not only had the memories of the last Apocalypse but had also unexpectedly gained a mysterious space.


    Speaking of this space, Su Shu was still struggling to come to terms with the shock.


    She had always considered tales of ¡°this space¡± and ¡°that space¡± to be nothing more than fiction. Yet, she never imagined that upon rebirth, she would be so enlightened.


    Her space was in the form of a black jade ring she had picked up from the ruins in her previous life. She had liked the color of the jade, and to her surprise, the ring was still with her after rebirth.


    Especially when she discovered that the ring contained a space, the depression of having been knocked down from being a high-levelled veteran by fate finally subsided substantially.


    With two months to go until the Apocalypse and a space in her possession, Su Shu felt much more confident. If the disaster was inevitable, then she needed to prepare early and avoid the desperate situation of her last life.


    Life in the Apocalypse was simply not worth living.


    Having figured everything out while in that small house, Su Shu finally shook off the listlessness that had plagued her for days, looking bright and alert.


    In the quiet room, a phone ring suddenly broke the silence.


    Su Shu paused for a few seconds before realizing it was her cellphone ringing. Thinking back to her previous life when she hadn¡¯t used a phone for so long, the sound was quite¡­ nostalgic.


    Perhaps, rebirth wasn¡¯t such a bad thing after all.


    At least for now, she could enjoy some things that would be gone after the Apocalypse, and yes, most importantly, this time she had to stock up on supplies and food. She would reduce the hardships she had suffered in her former life as much as possible.


    Once a person changes their mindset, the transformation can be swift.


    Having accepted the reality of starting over, Su Shu answered the phone, her tone back to normal.


    ¡°Hello, may I ask who¡¯s calling?¡±


    ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Su Shu?¡±


    Su Shu was taken aback, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    Hearing her affirmative response, the person on the other end seemed relieved and quickly explained, ¡°Ms. Su, hi, I am calling from the Songshan Welfare Institute in City B.¡±


    The Welfare Institute?


    Before Su Shu could question further, the caller proceeded to state their purpose.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the situation: a few days ago, we received a five-year-old girl who had your contact information on her and claimed that you¡¯re her aunt. So, we are calling to ask if you would be able to make a trip to City B?¡±


    Clutching the phone, Su Shu was baffled¡­ When did she gain a niece?!


    No, that didn¡¯t make any sense!


    She had been completely alone in her last life from beginning to end; why was this apocalypse a bit¡­ different?

 Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 002: Helpless When the Cute Kid at Home is Too Aloof

    Chapter 2: Chapter 002: Helpless When the Cute Kid at Home is Too Aloof


    With trepidation and confusion in tow, Su Shu picked up her ¡°niece,¡± Xiao¡¯ai, from the Songshan Welfare Institute in City B.


    She had never cared for such a small child before, and felt utterly at a loss as she opened the door, inviting the tiny, adorable child inside.


    Five-year-old Xiao¡¯ai, less than the height of her legs, her hair braided into two Wi-Fi signal braids, carrying a small yellow duck backpack, hesitated before looking up at her, silently taking off her shoes, and then obediently entering the house.


    Throughout it all, Xiao¡¯ai didn¡¯t say a word.


    Before they had even begun living together, Su Shu already felt an enormous weight of pressure.


    After closing the door and taking off her own shoes, she took her bag inside. There were no slippers for children in the house, so Xiao¡¯ai had to walk around in socks. Fortunately, the floor was wooden, and the weather was still good, so walking on the floor wasn¡¯t too cold.


    All the way back from City B, she had been digesting the sudden fact that she had a relative.


    From shock to confusion, from confusion to acceptance, and from acceptance to delight, it took little effort for Su Shu to happily accept this suddenly emerged, sweet burden.


    For others, raising a child, especially one from a relative¡¯s family, might be troublesome, but for Su Shu, it was as if a huge pie had fallen from the sky, making her so happy!


    Since the death of her parents, she had been an orphan for many years. At this moment, looking at the little one sitting on the sofa, joy brimmed from the depths of her heart, an elation she could hardly conceal.


    Her happiness had come so unexpectedly that she was overwhelmed.


    And Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s silence made her unsure of what to do now as the only guardian.


    Finally¡ª


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, from today on, you and Auntie will live here together. Whatever you want, just tell Auntie,¡± she said, placing her bag to the side and sitting cross-legged on the carpet in front of Xiao¡¯ai, their gazes aligning.


    She had heard that this height made it easier for a child to accept someone.


    Novice caregiver Su Shu was swift to assume her new role.


    Xiao¡¯ai had a pair of watery, clear, and bright big eyes, quite beautiful, with long eyelashes fluttering, it made one eager to hold her close and cherish her dearly.


    The moment she went to pick Xiao¡¯ai up, she was struck by the little one¡¯s upturned gaze that first moment, looking at her.


    The natural sense of closeness brought about by blood relationship made her take an instant liking to Xiao¡¯ai.


    But¡­


    Su Shu sighed heavily in her heart, not knowing why Xiao¡¯ai refused to speak from start to finish. No matter what she asked, the child¡¯s expression seemed indifferent.


    Yet, she distinctly saw a spark of liveliness in those beautiful big eyes.


    A five-year-old cherub who was sparing with words¡­ In the future, living under the same roof, how would the two of them communicate?


    As she pondered what topics could break the awkwardness between them, the little cherub suddenly took off her yellow duck backpack, bounced off the sofa, and, barefoot, began to look around the house.


    Su Shu watched her actions with surprise.


    Xiao¡¯ai, with her small braids bouncing, opened all the doors inside the house, not even skipping the bathroom, then marched around each room, circling from inside to out before coming back.


    Watching her, Su Shu had an odd feeling, almost believing that the five-year-old Xiao¡¯ai, wandering around, looked like a little lion patrolling its territory¡­


    After completing her ¡°patrol,¡± Xiao¡¯ai came back to stand in front of her.


    The five-year-old child, about the same height as the seated Su Shu, locked eyes with her; Su Shu was puzzled, unsure of what the standing Xiao¡¯ai¡­ meant.


    Xiao¡¯ai blinked, and Su Shu, nervously, blinked back.


    Why was she so anxious¡­?

 Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 003: Apocalypse Supplies Start with Snacks

    Chapter 3: Chapter 003: Apocalypse Supplies Start with Snacks


    Central Supermarket.


    Su Shu pushed the shopping cart, in which sat a high-and-mighty cutie pie of about five years old. She couldn¡¯t remember how, before coming to the supermarket, she had read from the girl¡¯s lively eyes that she was ¡°hungry.¡±


    Anyway, she had now pushed the little girl around the snack aisle several times.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, is there anything you¡¯d like? Auntie will buy it for you,¡± she pointed at the rows of snacks on the shelves.


    Xiao¡¯ai lifted her chubby little face and tilted her head as she seriously examined the items on the shelves, looking incredibly adorable in her meticulousness.


    Except¡­ she didn¡¯t speak.


    Su Shu: ¡­¨r(¨s_¨t)¨q


    What else could she do?


    She had actually tried before to pick some snacks she thought were tasty and put them in the cart, but the next second, those items were crisply ¡°thrown¡± out by the little girl!


    Thrown¡­


    Su Shu: ¡°¡­¡±


    After being rejected a few times, Su Shu finally realized that this little girl, though small in stature, had quite the temperament; anything not to her liking was absolutely unacceptable.


    Su Shu suddenly remembered when she went to pick up Xiao¡¯ai from the Songshan Welfare Institute. After staying with Xiao¡¯ai for a while to get acquainted, she bent down to ask her if she wanted to go home with her.


    At that time, Xiao¡¯ai, wearing her little yellow duck backpack, didn¡¯t say a word either, but she suddenly took a step closer to her.


    Confused, the director of the Songshan Welfare Institute was very pleased and said, ¡°That means she agrees!¡±


    Afterward, she completed the formalities and took Xiao¡¯ai out.


    Looking at her now, choosing items from inside the cart, and recalling the tragic fate of those snacks thrown out earlier, Su Shu suddenly felt comforted.


    At least, Xiao¡¯ai hadn¡¯t rejected her like she had the snack packets.


    Oh well, if she¡¯s aloof, she¡¯s aloof; if she doesn¡¯t speak, then so be it. She¡¯s all the family I have, little as she may be, but as long as Xiao¡¯ai is healthy, that¡¯s stronger than anything.


    Thinking this way, her mood began to lift.


    If Xiao¡¯ai doesn¡¯t like what she picks, then let her choose herself. As long as it¡¯s her choice, I might as well buy more! If we can¡¯t finish, I¡¯ll just store it in the space for later when the Apocalypse comes, to satisfy Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s cravings.


    Anyway, she needed to start planning to gather supplies. Oddly enough, the planning was starting with a little girl¡¯s snacks.


    Su Shu: ¡°¡­¡±


    Why does she feel it¡¯s indescribably¡­ cute?


    In a past life, the Apocalypse was tough, a packet of cookies could cause a brawl, and many children died of hunger, their mothers, in despair, held their deceased children and wailed in agony. Each time she witnessed that, she felt as if her heart was being pricked by needles.


    Sometimes, she would be moved to give some of her hard-found food to those children.


    But the Apocalypse was harsh, and her help was often just a drop in the bucket. Sometimes her actions didn¡¯t just fail to help others, but also brought trouble upon herself because of the little food she had. In her previous life, she had hit countless walls and suffered many losses before becoming who she was today.


    She wouldn¡¯t casually offer her kindness again, nor would she easily give in to any person or setback any longer.


    Hardship accelerates growth. Reborn, she had prepared herself for a prolonged, tough battle.


    Yet she hadn¡¯t expected that Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s arrival would be like the flapping of a butterfly¡¯s wings, bringing changes she had never anticipated.


    As she was lost in thought, a little hand suddenly lifted in front of her, pointing in a direction on the shelf.


    Su Shu turned to look, quite surprised.

 Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 004 The Woman Down the Mountain is a "Tiger

    Chapter 4: Chapter 004 The Woman Down the Mountain is a ¡°Tiger


    In Su Shu¡¯s past impression, children, especially kids as small as Xiao¡¯ai, generally loved sweets; it was rare for a baby to be willing to eat something sour, and the direction Xiao¡¯ai was pointing to made even her feel sourness in her cheeks just glancing at it.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, those plums are very sour, are you sure you want those?¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s hand stayed fixed on pointing towards the sour plums, unwilling to lower it.


    Su Shu walked up, took a bag, still somewhat hesitant, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai nodded her head, her attitude resolute.


    Looking down at the item in her hand, she wondered¡­ Could children really eat this?


    Just as Su Shu hesitated, a deep, magnetic voice suddenly rang out behind her, like a bass cannon, resonating in her ears.


    ¡°She might want the toy that comes with it.¡±


    Su Shu was startled and turned around.


    Behind her stood a tall man clad in quality casual wear, handsome with distinct features. Despite his short hair, his outstanding looks couldn¡¯t be concealed¡ªespecially with the smile at the corner of his mouth, his erect posture there made him effortlessly the focus of everyone¡¯s attention.


    A natural-born leader¡¯s aura, Su Shu hadn¡¯t expected him to appear so suddenly in her line of sight, and for a moment, she stood there frozen.


    The familiar face abruptly pulled her memory back to the previous life¡¯s apocalypse, the familiar face before her had provided her much warmth in such chaotic times, had been seriously injured while protecting her, and she had no way to repay him. She had once considered offering herself to him, but he refused.


    She still remembered his words then, he had said, ¡°Su Shu, we¡¯re not suitable.¡± After that, she never broached the subject again, only trying to repay him in whatever ways she could.


    From the beginning to the end, he never explained why they were not suitable, and she had wanted to ask him¡ªif they were not suitable, why did he treat her so well? If they were not suitable, why did he strongly oppose when others proposed to her?


    All the answers she wanted to know from her previous life were forever sealed underground from the day he sacrificed himself.


    Su Shu hadn¡¯t expected that, at this moment, the person she thought she would never see again was standing alive in front of her.


    Unexpectedly, her throat choked up, and her nose felt sour.


    She suddenly felt grateful to the heavens for letting her be reborn once more.


    *


    Tang Zelin, with his hands in his pockets, stood there in a relaxed manner. He had only made a small remark, so why did the young girl in front of him seem so struck, her eyes turning red all at once?


    The heart of Senior Colonel Tang was collapsing¡­


    He shouldn¡¯t be scary enough to frighten a young lady, right? Thinking back on what he had just said, he was even more puzzled; he had simply mentioned that her daughter might want the little dinosaur toy that came with the extra purchase¡ªthere was nothing wrong with that, right?


    Facing the barrage of enemy fire had never made Tang Zelin flinch, but facing a strange woman¡¯s reddening eyes, he felt unusually embarrassed for once.


    If he had known, he would have kept his mouth shut.


    The other party¡¯s discomfort abruptly snapped Su Shu out of it, and she suddenly realized that she had lost her composure.


    The current Tang Zelin didn¡¯t recognize her yet, and he had no relationship with her; her behaving this way might scare someone.


    She turned her back to hide the mistiness in her eyes, put on a more normal-looking face, then turned back and bowed her head to say, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    This thank you was deeply emotional and meaningful, carrying the gratitude from her past life and the surprise from meeting him again in this one. Tang Zelin heard it, and inexplicably his heart skipped a beat.


    The voice of the girl was really pleasant to hear.

 Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 005: Return to this Life, Turning the Tables against All Odds

    Chapter 5: Chapter 005: Return to this Life, Turning the Tables against All Odds


    ¡°`


    On the stove, the simmering soup hissed and sputtered, filling the two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment with a delicious aroma.


    Wearing an apron, Su Shu stood in front of the kitchen counter chopping vegetables, her kitchen was open-plan, and she could see Xiao¡¯ai sitting on the living room carpet, performing a silent play with ¡°Little Dinosaur¡±.


    Tang Zelin was right, Xiao¡¯ai picked the pickled plums just for the toy that came with them.


    As soon as she entered the door, she lured away her ¡°Little Dinosaur¡± and, as always, tossed the snack bag she looked down on to her.


    Su Shu: Sigh¡­


    Just after chopping the cucumber, she looked up at Xiao¡¯ai, warmth swelling in her heart. Why did such a small figure make her feel that her usually cold and empty apartment was now filled with warmth?


    Since she was thirteen, when her parents both died in a car accident, she¡¯d been left with just this apartment. She studied, worked, and lived here alone, eating alone, sleeping alone. It had always been just her. In front of others, she never easily revealed her inner loneliness, but when she returned home, loneliness would hit her like a wave, truly making her feel sorrow from the bottom of her heart.


    Through the steam of the kitchen, she watched Xiao¡¯ai playing, and she suddenly understood why, in her previous life, she was so crazily fond of that person, even after being abandoned, refusing to let go. She was so stubborn that she would not turn back even if she hit a wall.


    Had it not been for meeting Tang Zelin later, she might have thrown her whole life away into that wild love nurtured during her youth.


    Because, she feared loneliness.


    Because, she too yearned to have someone she could worry about and care for, just like everybody else.


    Unexpectedly, after being reborn, a ¡°sister¡± she had never known in her life left Xiao¡¯ai to her. Maybe heaven had heard her wish and fulfilled it.


    The regret was that the half-sister she had never met had already left this world. How wonderful it would have been if she were still here: she, her sister, and Xiao¡¯ai, living together as a family. Even if the Apocalypse arrived, it wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªshe was confident that this time, she could protect her loved ones.


    Xiao¡¯ai seemed very absorbed in her play, and the corner of her lips curled into a slight smile.


    Half an hour later, they finished dinner.


    Xiao¡¯ai sat on the sofa watching cartoons, and not even an hour later, she was so sleepy that she fell asleep, her soft little body collapsing into Su Shu¡¯s arms, melting her heart.


    After placing Xiao¡¯ai in the bedroom, she tiptoed out, closed the door gently, then returned to her own room and opened her notebook.


    She recorded solemnly in her planner:


    59 days until the Apocalypse.


    Since being reborn, she hadn¡¯t looked into the current economic situation. All she remembered from her previous life was that she was working on a book at this time. She had already checked; the book was nearing its end. After years of Apocalypse, she had long forgotten what the original ending was, but she had a vague outline in mind. Now, pressed for time, she didn¡¯t have the luxury to write anew. She planned to pull a few all-nighters in the coming days and finish the ending based on her memory from her previous life.


    Her first plan: Finish the serial novel.


    With her job sorted, the next issue was how to truly prepare for life after the Apocalypse.


    In her previous life, she had no ¡°space¡±, so she had to scavenger most of the supplies bit by bit. Sometimes she traded with others for what she needed. Although she survived the cannibalistic Apocalypse, looking back on that way of life was unbearable.


    Even though she had Tang Zelin¡¯s assistance and her life was much better than many others¡¯, a chaotic world remains chaotic, a far cry from the current life filled with abundant resources and peacefulness.


    Before, she was lonely, one person satisfied would mean the whole household wouldn¡¯t starve, and if there was no food, enduring the hunger might just see her through.


    Now it was different, she had Xiao¡¯ai, and she didn¡¯t want Xiao¡¯ai to suffer like other children.


    Thinking it through, she solemnly added to her notebook:


    Second, start preparing supplies from tomorrow.


    After writing, she reviewed it carefully twice, closed the notebook, and went to bed.


    Before turning off the light, she made a silent vow: In this life, she would spare no effort in protecting the ones she loved! And she would never again show a shred of soft-heartedness to those who treated her like trash, who loathed her to the bone, as she had in her previous life.


    To those who treated her kindly, she would repay them a hundredfold in this life.


    To those who deceived and insulted her, she would pay them back eye for eye, tooth for tooth.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 006: Theres Always Someone Who Worries About You

    Chapter 6: Chapter 006: There¡¯s Always Someone Who Worries About You


    It took her three whole days, and besides cooking and taking care of Xiao¡¯ai, Su Shu spent an average of 15 hours a day writing. Finally, she completed the conclusion of the novel.


    While writing the postscript, she pondered for a long time. She didn¡¯t know whether to hint to her readers in the book that the Apocalypse was coming and to suggest they collect some supplies in advance just in case.


    However, during such peaceful and prosperous times, who would believe one person¡¯s ramblings?


    She feared that even if she left a hint, it would be like a stone cast into the sea, silent and without impact, not really helping anyone.


    Su Shu was no saintess; even with the Apocalypse approaching, she did not possess the grand sentiment of saving all sentient beings, but having written for many years, she had a group of readers who always supported her. They had sincerely encouraged her during her lows and congratulated her during her successes. Over the years, they had become another kind of ¡°family¡± to her.


    Separated by the screen, she couldn¡¯t see what each of them looked like, but she knew that each heart supporting her was fervently warm. Disaster was looming, and while the book could end, the companionship and support they had for each other over the years were not so easy to say goodbye to.


    What should she do?


    She was lost in thought, completely unaware that the door had been pushed open by a cute child.


    Dressed in a pink bunny pajama Su Shu had bought for her, Xiao¡¯ai stood at the doorway holding her new friend, Little Dinosaur, gazing at her contemplative Aunt Su Shu.


    Her eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, bright as the stars. She looked at Su Shu for a while, then quietly closed the door and left the room.


    Her aunt was working; she knew it.


    She glanced up at the living room clock, thought for a moment, then went back to her room, put on her coat, shouldered her little yellow-duck backpack, took her companion Little Dinosaur with her, quietly unlocked the door using a stool, and left the house alone.


    And all this went unnoticed by Su Shu, who was working inside the room, thinking Xiao¡¯ai was still asleep.


    After much thought, Su Shu felt that a mere mention might not be effective. What if she wrote a survival novel about the Apocalypse? She wondered if that would work.


    A story is always easier to remember than a mere mention, right?


    She thought that even if many people took the coming of the Apocalypse lightly, if they could finish the novel and understand even a little about how to cope with the impending disaster, it would still be good. It would be like a subtle reminder to her little angels to take good care of themselves.


    After much deliberation, Su Shu felt that this method would help more people and wouldn¡¯t expose her. Even if someone questioned it later on, she could argue that literary creativity is boundlessly imaginative, and with so many Apocalypse narratives out there, anything could happen; there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Retracting ten thousand steps, even if there were problems, she, Su Shu, could handle it!


    That settled it, Su Shu made up her mind.


    Just a few days ago, she had planned to retire after finishing this book, but for her little angels, she decided to start another one.


    Only¡­


    She, who specialized in writing ultra-sweet, dramatic romance was suddenly transitioning to writing a brutal survival Apocalypse novel, uh¡­ how would she explain this to her dear editor?


    She looked at the schedule; there were 56 days left until the Apocalypse.


    There was something more critical to do, which was to gather supplies as much as possible. Even if she wanted to write, this book couldn¡¯t possibly be written in millions of words like her previous serials. Usually, in her best condition, she could write 1,500 to 2,000 words per hour. If she wrote about the Apocalypse, something she was familiar with, assuming 2,000 words, writing one hour a day, in fifty days, she should finish 100,000 words.


    One hundred thousand words for a survival Apocalypse novel would be both a test of her writing skills and her little angels. She wondered if they, who were used to lavish million-word novels, could accept this bare-bones 100,000-word novel.


    Five minutes later, she knocked on her editor¡¯s chat window:

 Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 007: My Cute Baby Ran Away from Home

    Chapter 7: Chapter 007: My Cute Baby Ran Away from Home


    ¡°`


    Time circled back to where it all began.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that she could relive the little sweet moments of her working times, and after thinking about it, she switched to a familiar tone.


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°My lord, are you there? Your servant has urgent military intelligence to report!¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°My little cutie, what¡¯s made you so anxious and impatient?¡±


    Su Shu¡¯s face felt hot even across the screen.


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°The old story¡¯s finished, and I want to start a new book.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: (manually making a heart shape) ¡°I love your ¡®striking like lightning¡¯ diligence. What¡¯s the theme of the new story? Time travel or a big CEO? How about we write a drama this year where a cold, aloof beauty gets toppled and is lovingly spoiled in all kinds of ways?¡±


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°Er¡­ none of those.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°¡­¡±


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°I want to write an apocalypse survival¡­ pitifully blinking.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°Baby, is there something troubling you recently? A good CEO story that rakes in cash you won¡¯t write, but the apocalypse you do? Do you find money biting your hand? Don¡¯t give it to me then.¡±


    On this side of the screen.


    Su Shu felt embarrassed. When had she ever thought money bit her hand? She now wished more than anything for money, so she could buy more things to stock up.


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°No, I just read a few apocalypse-themed books recently, felt super inspired, and wanted to write a short story to satisfy that urge.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°Impulse is the devil.¡±


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°I know, I know. The old book tired me out after a year, so I just wanted to write a short one to take a break, is that okay¡­ pitifully blinking.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°¡­ Alright then, how long do you plan to make it?¡±


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°100,000 words should be fine.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: (glaring) ¡°How can you put it on the shelves with just 100,000 words?¡±


    Every day, Su Shu: ¡°Er¡­ Then let¡¯s not put it on the shelves, how about I just use it as practice to gain experience? Pitifully poking fingers.¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°Young friend Su Shu, did you take your medication before you hit me up today?¡±


    Every day, Su Shu: (hesitant) ¡°¡­ No?¡±


    Commander Chestnut: ¡°Go back and take your medicine!!!¡±


    After logging off, her imposing Commander Chestnut softened for a moment and granted her the Pass Token.


    The book, it could be written.


    Su Shu thought that probably Chestnut believed in ¡®out of sight, out of mind¡¯; since there was no new long story, he was letting her write a short one to satisfy her feelings.


    To be honest, Su Shu was grateful from the bottom of her heart. She nearly blurted out impulsively, ¡°The apocalypse is coming, editor, you¡¯d better stock up now,¡± but fortunately, she held back because if she hadn¡¯t, Commander Chestnut would definitely have made her take her medicine several more times.


    She tried to hold back, but couldn¡¯t, and ended up sending one more message.


    ¡°I heard from others that prices might go up after a while, should we stock up while it¡¯s cheap?¡±


    After some thought, she felt that wasn¡¯t enough and added another line.


    ¡°Oh, right, the urgent military intelligence I mentioned is this.¡±


    Signing off with her hands covering her head as if shielding from a pan lid, Su Shu felt that she really was¡­ speechless. How could she have given such an idiotic hint? She wondered if Chestnut got the hint between the lines.


    If he really didn¡¯t get it, then never mind, she¡¯d come up with another plan later.


    With the old book finished and the new one not yet started, Su Shu felt a wave of relief. With work problems solved, next up was the issue of gathering resources.


    In the past few years of writing, besides daily expenses and other costs, she had also saved up a considerable amount of money. Although not as much as others, she calculated that the cash in her hand and fixed deposits in the bank combined amounted to over seven hundred thousand. That was money she had saved up on her own.


    In the bank, there was also a large sum from her parents¡¯ life insurance, including compensation, which totalled more than two million. She had never touched it over the years, but this time she could withdraw it all and convert it to supplies to store in her space.


    All in all, she had nearly three million in cash at her disposal, but she had no idea how many goods she could get with it.


    Looking around her, if that wasn¡¯t enough, she still had this house she could sell for money. The house was old, and she had renovated it after earning from her job. In truth, it wouldn¡¯t sell for much; plus, this house carried many of her memories, and the thought of selling it did make her somewhat reluctant.


    Let¡¯s just wait and see, she thought.


    As she was contemplating whether to sell the house or not, suddenly, she noticed something off in the room.


    By this time of the evening, Xiao¡¯ai would usually be awake already.


    Su Shu got up and went to the next room, not expecting that as soon as she pushed the door open, her heart almost stopped!


    Where was Xiao¡¯ai?!


    ¡°`

 Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 008: Finding Xiaoai, Encountering an Old Flame

    Chapter 8: Chapter 008: Finding Xiao¡¯ai, Encountering an Old Flame


    Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s sudden disappearance threw Su Shu¡¯s thoughts into disarray, and she dashed downstairs with all her speed. In the residential area, she grabbed anyone she could to ask, ¡°Have you seen a five-year-old girl?¡±


    It was already night, and how could anyone in the residential area pay attention to such a small child? In her panic, Su Shu staggered into the police station to report the case. The officer on duty asked for detailed descriptions of the missing child, recorded every detail, and an older police officer brought Su Shu a cup of water, comforting her with the words, ¡°Take a sip and calm down. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do our best to help you search. Think carefully, before the child disappeared today, did she do anything out of the ordinary?¡±


    Su Shu looked up blankly. ¡°Out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡°Yes, any specific behavior. Think about it, you see, the child wasn¡¯t lost outside. According to what you said, she should have been sleeping, but then you found she was already gone which means the child left the house on her own initiative. Could there be any reasons that made her want to run away?¡± the police officer tried to analyze.


    Clearly, the officer¡¯s words poked at a hidden nerve of unease in Su Shu, causing her face to turn deathly pale instantly.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible,¡± she repeated.


    The middle-aged police officer said, ¡°Relax, take your time to think. Any detail you can remember might increase the chances of finding the child.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Su Shu tried to recall carefully. She described how she brought Xiao¡¯ai home from the welfare institution in B City and what their days had been like together since, even including the details of how Xiao¡¯ai disliked certain snacks when they went to the supermarket, all the while nervously wringing her hands. The two officers on duty couldn¡¯t help but sigh as they watched her sit there anxiously.


    Such a young girl, with no experience, tasked with care for a child who suffered from psychological wounds and refused to speak, it was indeed asking too much of her.


    After some consideration, given the lack of additional useful information from the reporter, they decided to look around nearby, setting a range based on the walking distance of a five-year-old and starting their search, hoping to find her as soon as possible.


    After some moments of restless panic, Su Shu gradually calmed down.


    Why did Xiao¡¯ai suddenly leave without saying a word? Before leaving, she noticed a stool placed next to the foyer. She suspected Xiao¡¯ai must have stood on it to open the door. Why didn¡¯t she come to find her upon waking up, or drink any milk, but instead, out of character, she left the house? Su Shu couldn¡¯t come up with any reason for Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s departure.


    Did she no longer want to live with her? Or could it be that Xiao¡¯ai¡­ didn¡¯t like her aunt?


    The thought that Xiao¡¯ai might have run away because she didn¡¯t like her own aunt pierced Su Shu¡¯s heart with a pang of pain.


    At night, the city¡¯s neon lights flickered, and the street lamps had long been lit.


    Su Shu ran through every familiar yet strange intersection nearby, anxiously and worryingly searching for a glimpse of Xiao¡¯ai.


    Crazy thoughts ran rampant in her head.


    Xiao¡¯ai, just where have you run off to?


    With every second passing, Su Shu had never felt time move so slowly or be so tormenting. She didn¡¯t know how long she searched, her anxious tears dried by the wind time and again, until finally, beneath a tree outside of a residential area, she saw a small, elongated shadow illuminated by a street light.


    Across the wide asphalt road, Su Shu could clearly hear her own heartbeat like a drum falling to the ground.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Standing under the tree, she looked down with a trembling voice at the little person.


    There was her Xiao¡¯ai, still wearing the pink bunny pajamas. Wasn¡¯t she cold in the chilly night? Su Shu hastily wrapped her own coat around Xiao¡¯ai and then embraced her tightly, as if afraid of losing her again.


    Xiao¡¯ai didn¡¯t speak or struggle, just allowed herself to be held obediently.


    ¡°You scared your aunt to death, do you know? I¡¯ve been looking for you for so long, afraid something happened to you,¡± she said, her voice trembling, clinging to speaking as a way to contain her inner excitement.


    After a while, she looked up at Xiao¡¯ai, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, your aunt wants to ask you, do you hate me?¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai, with big, watery eyes, stared at her, blinked, then shook her head.


    All the worry in Su Shu¡¯s heart dissipated. It was okay as long as she didn¡¯t hate her, as long as she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Then next time, if you want to go out for a stroll, can you tell your aunt first? I¡¯ll take you out,¡± she said.


    Xiao¡¯ai nodded.


    Su Shu breathed a sigh of relief, bent over to pick Xiao¡¯ai up with the intention of calling a taxi to go home, but just as she was about to raise her hand, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her.


    ¡°Su¡­ Shu?¡± The other person sounded uncertain.


    The voice seemed to come from the depths of a distant memory.


    Embracing Xiao¡¯ai, Su Shu turned around blankly, and a face she knew all too well appeared before her eyes.


    ¡°Shen Han?¡±


    Surprised, Su Shu could not fathom why he was here.

 Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 009: In This Life, to Simply Seek Oblivion in the Rivers and Lakes

    Chapter 9: Chapter 009: In This Life, to Simply Seek Oblivion in the Rivers and Lakes


    In the darkness of the night, only the street lamps emitted their residual cold light.


    Shen Han stood in front of Su Shu, his expression of surprise lasting only a moment before it quietly faded away. His gaze shifted from the familiar face of the girl to the little girl in her arms, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, but he suppressed it without a trace.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    His tone carried a hint of confusion and an inexplicable sense of joy.


    Su Shu wanted to explain that she was just looking for her niece and had not expected to see her ¡°ex-boyfriend¡± here, but before she could speak, a sharp and delicate voice from behind Shen Han interrupted her, swallowing all the words she had intended to say.


    ¡°Shen Han, I¡¯m so hungry. Can you make me a steak when we get home? Oh, is that¡­ Su Shu?!¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice suddenly rose in pitch, sounding quite surprised and, faintly, a bit smug.


    Heh, Jiang Meili, the one person she never wished to see again in her life!


    Su Shu¡¯s eyes darkened, and she hugged Xiao¡¯ai tighter to herself, not responding, and turned to hail a taxi on the side of the road.


    A large hand clasped her slender wrist.


    ¡°Su Shu? I have a car, where are you heading? I¡¯ll take you,¡± said Shen Han.


    Su Shu pulled her wrist from his grasp and coldly continued to hail a taxi.


    ¡°No need, President Shen.¡±


    Her tone was harsh and cold. Shen Han frowned; what was she saying? When had he become the ¡®President Shen¡¯ in her mouth? He had just come back from abroad yesterday and had been settling things at home. He had planned to look for her in the next couple of days, but had not expected to encounter his girl here.


    However, what puzzled Shen Han was the seemingly inexplicable estrangement the girl in front of him had towards his approach.


    In the darkness, the man¡¯s black eyes quietly darkened.


    Jiang Meili stood by Shen Han in high heels, the panic in her eyes flashing momentarily before she rushed forward, asking with a chirpy voice, ¡°Su Shu, long time no see! I¡¯m Meili. You¡¯re not pretending not to recognize me, are you? We¡¯re old classmates after all.¡± As she spoke, her gaze swept over the little girl in Su Shu¡¯s arms, she said ¡°enthusiastically,¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so thoughtless of you, classmate Su Shu. You got married and had children without even telling us your old classmates?¡±


    Her words were a veiled reminder to the man beside her: the girl you liked has already moved on, married and had children after you went abroad. Did you really think she was waiting for you?


    Upon hearing this, Su Shu coldly turned her head to glance at the self-satisfied Jiang Meili.


    Her icy gaze, filled with disdainful condescension, infuriated Jiang Meili on the spot.


    What a joke! Just an orphan, with nothing but a pretty face, dares to give her attitude? How naive! Jiang Meili sneered internally.


    Su Shu¡¯s silence seemed to affirm Jiang Meili¡¯s speculation.


    The expression on Shen Han¡¯s face darkened in an instant.


    He pursed his thin lips tightly, grasped Su Shu¡¯s wrist¡ªwhich was struggling to break free¡ªmore firmly, and waved away the taxi that had just stopped in front of them. He took out his phone from his pocket.


    ¡°Bring my car to the front gate.¡±


    ¡°Shen Han, are you going to take Su Shu and her daughter home?¡± Jiang Meili asked with a smile, deliberately emphasizing their status as mother and daughter.


    The more Shen Han listened, the darker his expression became, and the tighter his grasp on Su Shu¡¯s wrist.


    In Su Shu¡¯s arms, Xiao¡¯ai quietly leaned her small head against Su Shu¡¯s neck. Without saying a word, she comforted her with subtle movements, as though even the little girl could sense what was in her heart, making Su Shu feel that there was still a sliver of warmth protecting her heart in this cold night.


    ¡°Let go.¡±


    In the quiet night, Su Shu suddenly spoke out coldly.


    Shen Han frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Stop it, I¡¯m taking you home.¡±


    He deliberately avoided mentioning anything related to the child in her arms. He didn¡¯t want to discuss any topics he didn¡¯t want to hear right now. The girl in her arms, he would talk to her about it separately.


    And there was something he simply couldn¡¯t accept.


    The girl who had once loved him so deeply now seemed so distant, as if he were a person of no importance to her.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Su Shu suddenly shouted in a low voice.


    In her past life, she had had enough of loving Shen Han without self-respect. Couldn¡¯t she just keep her distance from him in this life?

 Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 010: Food is Always the Top Priority

    Chapter 10: Chapter 010: Food is Always the Top Priority


    Shen Han was a stubborn and domineering man, and he always persisted to the very end on anything he wished to do.


    From her past life to this one, Su Shu had never been his match, let alone now when she had Xiao¡¯ai in her arms. Shen Han¡¯s obstinacy persisted until he finally stopped at the foot of her apartment building.


    After she entered the house, Su Shu let out a long breath, relieved to have finally shaken off Shen Han.


    She was extremely thankful for the police officers who happened to be downstairs, as without them, she feared he would have disregarded her objections and forced his way up.


    When Shen Han had no choice but to leave, his face was terribly dark with displeasure.


    Now that Xiao¡¯ai was safely back, no matter what, she felt at ease.


    Glancing at the wall clock, it was already very late. Worried that Xiao¡¯ai might be hungry, she first warmed a cup of milk for her before turning to the kitchen to make dinner.


    With work done, she would go out to buy things tomorrow, but what about Xiao¡¯ai?


    After tonight¡¯s disappearance incident, she really dared not let Xiao¡¯ai out of her sight.


    Before long, two dishes and a soup were ready. She waved over to Xiao¡¯ai, who was holding her dinosaur toy, and the little one climbed onto the stool to eat by herself.


    As she ate, watching Xiao¡¯ai bow her head to her meal, Su Shu, not having thought of a better solution, decided to take Xiao¡¯ai out with her for now. She had only thought about the child¡¯s physical safety, but she hadn¡¯t considered that at such a young age, it was important for Xiao¡¯ai to go out and see more of the world, to interact with more people. Maybe it could even help with her reticence to speak.


    Having come to a decision, she tried to explain to Xiao¡¯ai.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, starting tomorrow, your aunt will need to go out for some errands, how about we take a walk, okay?¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai, who was eating, looked up at her.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be just like when we went to the supermarket. We¡¯ll visit a few places and buy some very useful things for our life later on. But auntie doesn¡¯t feel safe leaving you at home alone, so I want to bring you along. But once we are out, you can¡¯t run around silently like you did today. No matter where we go, you must tell your aunt first, okay?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if Xiao¡¯ai could understand her long explanation.


    The little girl¡¯s eyes blinked several times, and she seemed to seriously consider Su Shu¡¯s proposition. Watching this, Su Shu couldn¡¯t help but find it incredibly cute. Not long after, Xiao¡¯ai solemnly nodded her head.


    Su Shu extended her pinky, ¡°Shall we make a pinky promise?¡±


    A small, adorable little finger hooked around Su Shu¡¯s.


    Ah, her heart, how it melted at this.


    Children eat slowly. In her previous life, Su Shu had developed the habit of eating quickly to survive. Hesitation meant joining the ranks of those who starved to death. During that time before Tang Zelin appeared, she struggled alone to survive, pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion. The stomach pains that tortured her later, from back then, almost took her life several times.


    Yet, even so, she felt proud of herself for being one of that two-fifths of the population of C city that had managed to survive.


    Taking her notebook, she sat at the dinner table with Xiao¡¯ai, making a list of things to purchase while they ate.


    As for tonight¡¯s unexpected encounter with Shen Han, being reborn once more, that man was no longer someone who could affect her emotions.


    There were many things much more important than Shen Han.


    In the face of an apocalypse, natural disasters and human-made catastrophes were inevitable. When the time came, she could take Xiao¡¯ai to some safe places to hide. The most worrying part was the upcoming food crisis. She needed to save at least half of her money to exchange for all kinds of food to store in her space.


    And then there were medicines, weapons, clothing¡­


    As she was writing, she suddenly glanced at Xiao¡¯ai, and a strange thought flashed through her mind:


    In her previous life, didn¡¯t Shen Han return to the country a week before the apocalypse struck?

 Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 011: Last-Minute Shopping Spree Before Doomsday

    Chapter 11: Chapter 011: Last-Minute Shopping Spree Before Doomsday


    55 days until the apocalypse.


    Su Shu withdrew all her savings from the bank, her pockets full of cash, and drove Xiao¡¯ai for a shopping trip.


    Sitting in the back seat, Xiao¡¯ai gazed out of the window for the entire journey, her round eyes blinking continuously, filled with curiosity about the world.


    Occasionally, seeing her look like that through the rearview mirror, Su Shu would sigh silently in her heart. It was the age to start understanding the world, but instead, she was about to face the arrival of a cruel apocalypse, which was heartbreaking.


    Before bringing Xiao¡¯ai back, the director of Songshan Welfare Institute mentioned that when Xiao¡¯ai was brought in, in addition to being non-verbal, she seemed very curious about everything around her. The director said in an implied way, suspecting that Xiao¡¯ai had lived in a confined space for some time.


    This was said in a very subtle way, short of directly accusing her never-met sister of child abuse.


    In her heart, Su Shu also harbored doubts about Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s reluctance to speak, but based on her observations over the past few days, there was no trace on Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s body or spirit of having been abused. Her curiosity about everything seemed to be innate.


    Those eyes, no matter what they looked at, were always sparkling.


    But, she just wouldn¡¯t speak.


    She couldn¡¯t really do anything about this issue and could only hope that their relationship would slowly improve over time. Now, with time so pressing, even if she wanted to take Xiao¡¯ai to see a psychologist, there wasn¡¯t enough time, not to mention that Xiao¡¯ai didn¡¯t seem to have any serious psychological disorders.


    If she had curiosity about the world she lived in, then Su Shu thought she should take her out more before the apocalypse, to let her enjoy and try as much as possible.


    Knowing what was in her heart, Su Shu looked at the traffic lights ahead and suddenly smiled.


    The feeling of having a family member was truly wonderful.


    The feeling of being able to take care of a family member was truly wonderful.


    *


    After taking Xiao¡¯ai to the supermarket last time, she found that the little girl really enjoyed sitting in the shopping cart and picking out items.


    Therefore, without a second thought, she headed straight for the largest supermarket in the city center. The large supermarket was divided into two floors, with daily necessities and food on the upper floor, and fresh produce, fruits, vegetables, and grains on the lower floor.


    Returning to the supermarket, Xiao¡¯ai seemed very happy, her chubby little face flushed with excitement.


    Indeed, coming here was the right choice.


    To stockpile supplies for the apocalypse, one definitely couldn¡¯t buy in bulk from the supermarket. Su Shu hadn¡¯t planned on mass purchasing from the supermarket; she had her own methods. However, since she had a cute child at home, driving around made her think that many items available now might become scarce once the apocalypse arrived. So she decided to let Xiao¡¯ai pick out her favorites first, and then she would select some items that would be hard to buy or find later.


    The things that Xiao¡¯ai liked, that could be bought from the supermarket, and wouldn¡¯t raise suspicion due to large quantities, she would buy more and take home. Since she had driven there today, even if she bought more, it would be fine.


    As for those items that couldn¡¯t be bought in large quantities for the time being, she would order them online later in the evening. In short, she wanted to stockpile as much as possible for whatever Xiao¡¯ai liked.


    The primary reason for her visit this time was to check on baby formula.


    Xiao¡¯ai was still growing, and baby formula was the best nutrition for children. It wasn¡¯t wrong to be prepared.


    And so, Xiao¡¯ai, sitting in the shopping cart, happily chose products from aisle after aisle, while Su Shu noticed that whenever the little girl really wanted something, she would glance at her with intention, as if observing whether she would agree or not.


    Su Shu laughed, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re quite sharp for someone who doesn¡¯t speak much. Don¡¯t worry, your aunt has money. Whatever you want to eat, whatever you want to have, pick whatever you like, your aunt will buy it for you!¡±

 Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 012: Some Lunatics Should Take Their Medicine Before Going Out

    Chapter 12: Chapter 012: Some Lunatics Should Take Their Medicine Before Going Out


    After strolling around the upper floors, when it came time to check out, her overflowing shopping basket still managed to attract many curious looks.


    Some found it amusing, thinking it odd that someone would buy so many snacks for a child out of season, believing the parent was really spoiling the child. They couldn¡¯t help but give her an extra glance or two, and whenever their gazes met Su Shu¡¯s, they would smile politely. Su Shu usually responded with a polite smile of her own.


    However, not everyone shared this view.


    Waiting in line is already a test of patience for the average person. Some have more patience, some are slightly more irritable. Already annoyed by waiting, upon seeing the mountainous purchases in Su Shu¡¯s cart and not knowing when their turn would come, they couldn¡¯t help but make sarcastic comments.


    ¡°The stomachs of children today are so weak, nothing like how robust we were in our day, especially since it¡¯s a little girl. All children have sweet tooths and want everything, but parents shouldn¡¯t indulge them like this. Snacks are no good, all sugar and fried foods, how can eating so much of that be healthy?¡± After speaking, they even sighed and concluded, ¡°These young parents today know how to have kids but not how to raise them. Children aren¡¯t pets, you can¡¯t just spoil them like that, right?¡±


    Not content with just their own thoughts, they even tried to involve the elderly lady standing in line next to them.


    The woman standing behind her, although she also disapproved of Su Shu buying so many snacks for her child, upheld the principle of not meddling in others¡¯ affairs and quietly waited in line.


    Unexpectedly, she was suddenly dragged into the ¡°trouble,¡± much to her dismay, and she pursed her lips without joining in the previous speaker¡¯s complaints.


    An old woman like her wouldn¡¯t interfere in young people¡¯s business, but you, neither young nor old wife, why are you so troublesome? Speaking of ¡°our time,¡± who shares your time? I was born during the war against Japan.


    Meeting a cold shoulder, the young woman glanced unhappily at the old lady before turning back to stare at the cart of goods that seemed to take forever to check out.


    ¡°Mommy, I want to eat that too!¡±


    Suddenly, the son standing next to the woman pointed at a set of nut gift boxes in the cashier¡¯s hand and expressed his longing.


    ¡°Eat, eat, eat! Eat your farts! That stuff is dirty and ridiculously expensive, what¡¯s it gonna do, make you smarter or taller? Always wanting to eat crap, why don¡¯t you focus on studying, try to get me a few more points on your tests!¡± She wasn¡¯t satisfied with just words and even twisted the boy¡¯s ear a couple of times.


    This made many people around frown slightly.


    The woman murmured behind them, not too loudly or softly. If it were someone else, they might have turned around and snapped back at her. Not only did the people around covertly watch Su Shu¡¯s reaction, but even the cashier scanning items was sneaking glances at her.


    As for Su Shu, she remained completely unruffled, like nothing was happening, ignoring the noise behind her, her expression calm as she took out the items from her basket one by one.


    Occasionally, she would ask Xiao¡¯ai, ¡°Do you want this too?¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s attention seemed to be drawn by the woman behind them, tilting her head slightly and gazing back with shining eyes.


    After mocking for a while and seeing no reaction from the concerned party, the woman turned around and met Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s gaze, and for some reason, she suddenly flared up in anger. A little kid dared look at her with that kind of eyes, huh.


    ¡°What are you looking at! The junk food¡¯s made you stupid,¡± she snapped coldly.


    Ignoring her, the child dared to look down on her too, what nerve!


    Buy, buy, buy, buying so much, not afraid of stuffing yourself to death!


    Just when everyone thought Su Shu was too meek to tangle with the shrewish woman, a bag of potato chips smacked the woman¡¯s face with a ¡°smack,¡± loud enough to quiet everyone within a few meters.


    The cashier holding the barcode scanner froze too, uh, should they still ring her up?

 Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 013: Like to Tear? Alright, Ill Indulge You

    Chapter 13: Chapter 013: Like to Tear? Alright, I¡¯ll Indulge You


    The woman was hit in the face and was stunned for three seconds before she reacted, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you¡­ Ah!¡±


    Before the obscenities could escape her lips, her cheek was met with a harsh slap, and her whole body staggered several steps to the side.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that the seemingly frail girl would strike with a force stronger than a man¡¯s, stronger than when her own man raised his hand, so all her anger and fear were unleashed by Su Shu in that moment.


    Under the watchful eyes of the public, and unwilling to back down against a young girl, suddenly, Su Shu, standing there radiating an aura of coldness, inexplicably struck her with fear.


    Su Shu said, ¡°Considering you have a child with you, I feared it would negatively affect him, I have been extremely patient with you. Yet, you continue to create a scene, not even sparing a five-year-old child from your tirade, spewing whatever comes to your mouth. Is fighting with people really what you enjoy? Fine, have it your way.¡±


    ¡°What are you, daring to hit me? I will kill you, let you see who¡¯s tough!¡±


    The woman, crazed, leaped up from the ground and charged over, completely ignoring her child beside her who was terrified and screaming.


    A shrew, before the Apocalypse, Su Shu had not encountered many people like this, as she mostly spent her time either writing or shopping in malls, and would avoid such encounters whenever possible with her past personality.


    After the Apocalypse arrived, people who disregarded decency to selfishly trouble others were everywhere, and sometimes she couldn¡¯t avoid them.


    In times of severe resource scarcity when survival itself was a question, the darker aspects of human nature unabashedly played out across the land.


    For trivial issues like this, Su Shu had already experienced countless times. Later, she adopted the principle of not offending if she was not offended. She was no longer the meek bunny of the pre-apocalypse days. She lost her temper when that woman spoke of Xiao¡¯ai and finally exploded.


    Telling her off was one thing, she could keep the peace, but insult Xiao¡¯ai? Ha!


    *


    At the police station.


    Su Shu held Xiao¡¯ai, covering her ears, quietly sitting on one side, listening to the officer¡¯s lecture.


    Conversely, the woman was crying and wailing, struggling with the officers, ranting about how ill-mannered Su Shu was, how violently she had hit her, the resentment so intense she wished the police would handcuff Su Shu on the spot.


    The middle-aged officer¡¯s surname was Yang.


    Officer Yang, holding his tea cup, appeared somewhat helpless. The young girl before him looked to be about twenty, seemingly gentle and quiet, yet beneath that docile facade lay a fiery temper.


    The woman¡¯s reddened cheek claimed to have been struck by a slap. Tsk, if indeed this girl had done it, she certainly didn¡¯t lack strength.


    One night she was out looking for her niece, the next, she was assaulting someone. Who knew what might happen tomorrow?


    Seeing her attitude was not bad, Officer Yang, who she had previously acquainted herself with, frowned slightly less sternly.


    ¡®Do you realize what you did wrong?¡±


    Su Shu said, ¡°I know.¡±


    Officer Yang, ¡°Where did you go wrong?¡±


    Su Shu, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have resorted to physical violence in public.¡±


    Officer Yang¡­¡±


    What, as if it¡¯s acceptable to get physical in private?


    He coughed twice, glanced at the troublesome woman, then back at the calm and educated girl, his expression softening, ¡°Young lady, try not to be so hot-tempered, huh? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if everyone just got along?¡±


    Su Shu nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    There, that¡¯s a better attitude.


    Thanks to the officers¡¯ mediation, the unwilling woman finally stopped yelling. She turned to Su Shu with a sneer, ¡°Want to settle this? Fine, I¡¯m not unreasonable. You started it, right? If you want me not to pursue this further, alright! Pay me five thousand for my emotional distress, and I¡¯ll give you a chance to redeem yourself!¡±


    As she spoke, everyone at the station¡¯s faces turned dark.


    Su Shu glanced at Officer Yang holding his tea cup, her eyes questioning, can I hit her to make her more brain-damaged?


    Officer Yang averted his gaze indifferently.


    Su Shu sneered, about to turn away, but her eyes then caught the always silent and embarrassed boy standing in the corner, his nervous and awkward expression, and blushing cheeks. Su Shu¡¯s mind buzzed, and she swallowed all the words she was about to say.


    After a moment of reflection, she reversed her previous attitude and agreed.


    ¡°Alright, it was I who acted first, that was wrong.¡±


    After speaking, she glanced unintentionally again at the boy¡¯s face, his tension seemed much relieved.


    Forget it, it¡¯s just five thousand; she could afford it.


    Officer Yang squinted at Su Shu, clearly perceiving that her attitude had just shifted. Glancing once more at the distant boy, he seemed to understand something, and his curiosity about Su Shu piqued.


    She was an interesting girl, indeed young, yet she often exuded a sense of maturity that didn¡¯t fit her age.

 Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 014 Senior Colonel Tang Seeks Help Reluctantly to Hasten Marriage

    Chapter 14: Chapter 014 Senior Colonel Tang Seeks Help Reluctantly to Hasten Marriage


    Five thousand yuan, Su Shu didn¡¯t give it to the woman but walked over to the boy, knelt on one knee, took the little boy¡¯s hand, and placed the money in his palm.


    ¡°Keep this money, Auntie was wrong, and she shouldn¡¯t have hit someone,¡± she said.


    The little boy was stunned and fearfully pushed the money back to Su Shu.


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want it, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s my mom who¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Su Shu sighed inwardly, thinking the child was so much stronger than his mother, placed the money back in the boy¡¯s hand, smiled, turned around, and picked up Xiao¡¯ai.


    Behind her, the boy still tried to return the money to her, but the five thousand yuan in his hand was snatched away by his mother, who snorted arrogantly through her nostrils, ¡°Pretending to be the good guy, huh? It was your fault to begin with, giving compensation is getting off cheap!¡± After that, she poked her son hard with her finger and scolded, ¡°This is mine, what are you returning for!¡±


    The boy shrank back, following the woman out of the police station with his head lowered.


    Before leaving, he glanced back at Su Shu, with the woman berating him harshly as he hurried to catch up with her.


    Five thousand yuan for a slap, sympathy for Su Shu filled the room, while others shook their heads and sighed, questioning what kind of a mother would behave like that.


    Officer Yang still held his teacup, pensively watching Su Shu leave with Xiao¡¯ai in her arms.


    ¡°Uncle Yang, what are you looking at so intently?¡± A tall, young man entered, pushing the door open.


    ¡°Watching a girl get swindled out of five thousand yuan.¡±


    Upon seeing the newcomer, Yang Shusheng frowned involuntarily and turned to pour water, ¡°Finally taking a break, and you don¡¯t go home to see your old man, always running to me ¡ª what¡¯s that about?¡±


    Zelin¡¯s disregard was met with amusement as he followed Yang Shusheng into the office, smiling.


    Yang Shusheng put down his teacup and said, ¡°Alright, out with it. Whenever you show up, I know there¡¯s no good news!¡±


    ¡°How can that be, Uncle Yang, you¡¯re joking. Oh, does it have to mean I have an issue to come to see you? Can¡¯t I just miss you and want to check in?¡± Zelin replied, laughing.


    ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Did he not know this rascal was sly from head to toe?


    In front of an old fox, there¡¯s no point in showing off, so Zelin took a big stride over and sat down on the chair opposite Yang Shusheng¡¯s desk, ready to reveal his purpose.


    ¡°Uncle Yang, the team is going to go through intensive training soon, and I might need to lead them into the mountains,¡± he stated.


    Yang Shusheng heard this and furrowed his brows, ¡°What¡¯s up, border troubles?¡±


    ¡°Not really, there¡¯s a bit of unrest, but it¡¯s nothing serious. Mainly, the tri-service exercise isn¡¯t too far off, and the higher-ups want to train this batch of soldiers. It¡¯s a good opportunity to prepare for combat readiness well in advance,¡± Zelin said earnestly.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve come to me because¡­¡± Yang Shusheng looked at him with a smile.


    ¡°Could you put in a good word for me with my dad? You know how stubborn he can be, and only you can manage him. You¡¯re his former commandant; he wouldn¡¯t dare refute you, right?¡±


    ¡°Enough with buttering me up, I know my own weight, no need for your flattery.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ does that mean you agree?¡±


    ¡°Agree my foot!¡± Yang Shusheng glared at him, ¡°Speak the truth!¡±


    Zelin sighed, revealing a broad grin, ¡°Alright, no beating around the bush with someone who can see through me ¡ª I really need your help, Uncle. Without you, I¡¯d be without options, completely stuck.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Yang Shusheng said, picking up his teacup, ready to listen clearly.


    ¡°My dad wants me to go home for a blind date so I can give him a grandson.¡±


    Pfft¡ª


    Yang Shusheng spat out his tea!


    Zelin sat upright in his chair, his handsome and spirited face shining with sincerity: ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡±

 Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 015: I Heard Matchmaking Can Help You Meet a Distinguished Person

    Chapter 15: Chapter 015: I Heard Matchmaking Can Help You Meet a Distinguished Person


    Yang Shusheng pulled out a piece of paper to wipe the tea from the corner of his mouth, digesting the news he had just heard, then looked up at Tang Zelin with a puzzled gaze.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re not exactly of a ripe old age this year, right? A young man in the prime of his life should be building a career, not chasing love¡ªdoesn¡¯t that delay your future prospects?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the point I¡¯ve been making to my dad, but he just won¡¯t listen!¡±


    Yang Shusheng clicked his tongue disdainfully and added, ¡°That said, marrying first and then making a career is also reasonable. After all, you¡¯re not getting any younger. Spending all day in a monk¡¯s temple¡ªwhere are you going to find a wife? I think Old Tang¡¯s idea isn¡¯t bad. Since you still have a few days before rejoining the ranks, it¡¯s a good thing to solve personal problems in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Yang, ah!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play the victim with me. You¡¯ve got more tricks up your sleeve than anyone. There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t handle. You¡¯re just looking for a shield because you find your dad too whiny, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yang Shusheng grunted without mincing words.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is there a hidden story?¡±


    Tang Zelin said, ¡°My old man is quite stubborn, as you know. But it¡¯s never been as bad as this time. A while back, when I was still in the military, the old man went to Mount Wudang with some friends. Who knows which valley he met some able person. The guy tells my father that I¡¯m not long for this world. Uncle Yang, if this charlatan stood in front of me, let¡¯s see if he¡¯d dare repeat those words. But as you also know, during last year¡¯s operation abroad to capture troublemakers, I almost lost my life. The old man was stupefied when he heard and thought about how he¡¯s fought his whole life, and all he¡¯s got left, aside from injuries, is me, his only child. He became restless and easily got manipulated by that charlatan.¡±


    Yang Shusheng laughed, ¡°How exactly did he get swindled? Do share, for a good laugh.¡±


    Tang Zelin said, ¡°Alright. That person told my dad, ¡®Don¡¯t think the world is at peace now and prospering¡ªit¡¯s more like the calm before the storm. Disasters are imminent, yet everyone is living in a dream, only thinking about enjoying the present without a care for tomorrow¡¯s pile of bones.''¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sounds partially reasonable. Then what?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my father thought, too. The guy then goes on to say, ¡®Your son¡¯s name is already on the pile of bones. If no influential person helps, he¡¯ll probably be unable to escape his fate. Just see how bothersome that is,¡± Tang Zelin said.


    ¡°Annoying indeed. Did Old Tang believe that?¡±


    At this point, Tang Zelin sighed helplessly.


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t believe it, would he have faked illness so my superiors would let me take leave? I had a ton of things to deal with back there, and my superiors were all but kicking me out. As soon as I get home, there¡¯s nothing wrong, and he¡¯s hell-bent on getting me to go on blind dates. Just this morning I had three, and with a dizzy head, I came straight to you, Uncle. On my mother¡¯s behalf, could you please, please persuade my old man to stop his madness?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, let me get this straight.¡±


    Yang Shusheng thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°So that man talks about a looming calamity, then says you can¡¯t escape it unless some noble person helps, and next thing, Old Tang is sending you on blind dates? Figures, did he think you¡¯d find a life-saving noble through matchmaking?¡±


    ¡°Who knows what¡¯s going through Old Tang¡¯s head. A man who¡¯s weathered many storms yet believes this stuff¡ªif not for his using my redeployment as a threat, I wouldn¡¯t even dream of those blind dates. Uncle, please, convince him, make him stop this insanity.¡± Tang Zelin came asking for help, truly at his wit¡¯s end.


    Old Tang¡¯s stubbornness was legendary; he respected few and was disgruntled with many, save for the former squad leader Yang Shusheng, who had once risked his life for him.


    If Yang Shusheng could speak up, there was a good chance Old Tang would cut Zelin some slack.


    ¡°Let me think about it. You know, despite Old Tang¡¯s tough exterior, he¡¯s been both father and mother to you. It wasn¡¯t easy raising you, and then you go off risking your life. Which father wouldn¡¯t worry? Let¡¯s not talk about calamities for the moment; honestly, if you manage to find a wife and have a couple of kids through the matchmaking, that wouldn¡¯t be so bad either. You should try to understand him,¡± Yang Shusheng said sensibly, and Tang Zelin nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Alright. Once I finish this mountain training, I¡¯ll definitely find a good daughter-in-law for Old Tang, I promise to make him a grandfather within three years! Add some joy for both of you elders.¡±


    Yang Shusheng¡¯s eyes widened as he half-laughed, half-scolded, ¡°Buzz off, you rascal!¡±


    Such nonsense, who would believe that!


    As Tang Zelin was leaving, he earnestly repeated his plea, ¡°Uncle Yang, whether or not I can get assigned to this mountain training depends on your help!¡±

 Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 016: The First Batch of Supplies Has Been Ordered

    Chapter 16: Chapter 016: The First Batch of Supplies Has Been Ordered


    The supermarket mishap was just an episode, and once it passed, Su Shu didn¡¯t dwell on it and purchased what was needed.


    In the back of the car, she loaded up everything she had chosen, along with the items selected by Xiao¡¯ai, and brought them all home. Once home, she sorted everything into different categories and took her laptop to the living room coffee table. Next to her, Xiao¡¯ai was engrossed in video games as she ordered items one by one online.


    Among all the items, Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s snacks appeared numerous, but in reality they accounted for only a quarter of the total. Most were food items she had picked herself, especially canned goods with a long shelf life and storage capability. She carefully selected many varieties, taking a box of each.


    As for the milk powder she needed, originally, she only considered Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s needs. However, as she shopped, she noticed other mothers selecting various types of milk powder and baby foods. It occurred to her that such items would be difficult to produce in the future, so it might be wise to stock up more, potentially for future use.


    Thus, from upstairs to downstairs, she chose between fifty and sixty different types of items, selecting up to two boxes of each, nearly one per item.


    On the online shopping page, there were numerous products available, including some that couldn¡¯t be found in the local market. Su Shu directly ordered such items by the case online, while for those available locally, she made a separate list, planning to visit the farmer¡¯s market the next day.


    Initially, her plan was to order everything online, but she later realized that this was too risky.


    Suddenly storing such a large quantity of goods and leaving a record online could potentially cause problems in the future. So, after some thought, she decided it was safer to directly purchase from the farmer¡¯s market, or if she had enough time, perhaps even buy directly from the countryside, though she was unsure about the feasibility.


    Su Shu was very methodical in her approach; she categorized all items into three groups: those that could be purchased online, those that could be bought locally, and those she planned to explore in the countryside when she had time.


    After an hour, she had placed all orders for the items that could be bought online, and in a few days, she would just have to wait for their delivery.


    The list for the market was also hand-written and ready; she planned to go there first thing the next morning. As for the countryside, she would put that aside for now.


    Xiao¡¯ai, tired from playing, crawled up on the sofa and fell asleep.


    Having finished her tasks, Su Shu stretched lazily and turned to look at the sleeping Xiao¡¯ai with a gentle gaze.


    Even if the apocalypse arrived, she would strive to prevent Xiao¡¯ai and herself from enduring hardships.


    In the online orders, one-third consisted of various types of instant noodles, along with some military rations. She had looked up reviews for military rations online and selected the three best-rated types, initially ordering ten cases of each.


    As for the instant noodles, she typically ate flavors like braised or spicy, and she initially ordered ten cases of each. Other flavors, added together, amounted to about four or five cases.


    The first batch of long shelf-life items was ordered in such quantities. Su Shu planned to buy small quantities but more frequently.


    There were also some spices and food items that were difficult to find locally, along with Japanese general goods, all of which she managed to secure online.


    All the items were prepared with the necessities for survival in the apocalypse in mind. In times of frequent disasters and calamities, many items become crucial, such as consumables that cannot be produced. The more they are used, the less remains, so she planned to stock more of these.


    However, items that could potentially be bartered later on were not stocked as heavily. She had checked her storage space; aside from the bedroom where she slept, the two storage rooms next door were each only about sixty square meters and not very large. She figured one for storing food, and the other for self-defense and tools.

 Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 017 Apocalypse Survival Diary is now online

    Chapter 17: Chapter 017 Apocalypse Survival Diary is now online


    As for the medium-sized yard, she wanted to buy some seeds and plant fresh vegetables there; the small pond on the left side of the house, she planned to go to the countryside to find someone selling fish fry, buy some to raise, and get some poultry. The space, once cleaned up, should be able to hold supplies for a few years.


    Then there were clothes and medicines, also very important items. It was necessary to prepare early for moisture-resistant and warm materials. Clothes were easy to obtain from stores and online shopping, but for medicines, buying too many might attract attention from some regulatory agencies.


    She put several question marks on the medicine item, leaving it for further research later to see if there were any good solutions.


    That same evening, after dinner, once Xiao¡¯ai had gone to bed, Su Shu began to write her new novel ¡°Apocalypse Survival Diary.¡± As soon as she published the first chapter, the readers¡¯ group exploded.


    wuli Su, why aren¡¯t you writing cute, sweet Mary Sue stories anymore?


    Author, please show your face!


    Old man here, I¡¯ve calculated that there¡¯s something going on with Su!


    Rolling my face on the keyboard, baby doesn¡¯t listen, baby doesn¡¯t listen, baby wants candy!


    Huh?


    Hey you above, what¡¯s with the huh?


    @The one above, Su¡¯s new book, ¡°Apocalypse Diary,¡± mentioned Rao Mountain, um¡­ Could it be that Su is from C City?


    ¡­


    The chat in the group was lively, focusing not so much on Su Shu¡¯s new novel ¡°Apocalypse Survival Diary¡± as on whether or not Su Shu was actually from C City. As the discussion continued, three or four readers from C City emerged, doing a technical analysis summary on whether the Rao Mountain mentioned in the beginning of her novel was indeed their hometown¡¯s Rao Mountain.


    After comparing the city status described in the beginning and the specific location and simple descriptions of Rao Mountain, they felt the accuracy was about eighty percent.


    After updating her novel, Su Shu went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she returned, wiping her hair and checking the 99+ messages, she was stunned.


    Her ¡°beloved¡± little angels were like gods!


    Just from her short 5000-word description, someone had managed to pinpoint that the location described was likely near the Rao Mountain area in East City.


    Su Shu: ¡­


    Only the word ¡°admiration¡± could express her feelings.


    *


    The phone lay on the bed, suddenly ringing.


    Su Shu turned around, reached for the phone, and saw an unfamiliar number. She hesitated for a second before swiping to answer.


    ¡°Hello, may I ask who¡¯s speaking?¡±


    There was no sound from the other end. Su Shu asked again, thinking to hang up if there was no response.


    Just as she was about to disconnect, she finally heard the other party¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Su Shu.¡±


    Su Shu frowned, recognizing the voice on the phone. She knew who it was.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Shen Han stood in the hotel suite on the twenty-seventh floor, looking over the city¡¯s nightscape, including the dark river in the distance, his dark eyes mysterious in the night.


    The voice on the phone, so familiar, yet Shen Han did not know what was wrong with Su Shu. Before his return, even though they were separated by oceans, whenever the girl spoke to him, her voice was nervous and excited, and that was just half a month ago.


    But why, since his return to the country, had her attitude done a 180¡ã turn? Su Shu had changed so quickly that he wondered if the woman he saw that day was really the one who had spent countless difficult nights with him during a tough autumn semester.


    And that girl in her arms¡­


    After returning that day, Shen Han had a sleepless night, the image of Su Shu carefully holding the child haunting him.


    So careful, as if treasuring a gem, wasn¡¯t that sense of being cherished supposed to belong to him?


    Five years ago, he had crossed the ocean, and they had reluctantly broken up. But after the breakup, neither sought others, and neither mentioned the past. She had silently accompanied him through countless difficult nights, he had become accustomed to her gentle companionship, and even more used to being dominant in her world.


    But, in less than a month, while he was busy with work transitions and returning to the country, they hadn¡¯t spoken once. Could she just turn her back on him without a word?


    The voice on the phone sounded very strange, especially grating to Shen Han.


    After a moment of silence, he spoke, ¡°Su Shu, I want to see you.¡±


    Su Shu clutched the phone, a rush of emotions flooding her.


    Suddenly, she remembered a previous life, when she stood shocked at Shen Han¡¯s lavish wedding venue, and what he had said then.


    Shen Han had said, ¡°Su Shu, thank you for coming to my wedding.¡±


    At that time, Su Shu¡¯s heart felt cold. The man who always said ¡°Su Shu, I want to see you¡± had become someone else¡¯s groom upon his return.


    Time had passed, and after her rebirth.


    She could still hear him say, ¡°Su Shu, I want to see you.¡±


    Su Shu laughed, replying coolly, ¡°I¡¯m not free.¡±

 Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 019 Who Complains About Too Much Food

    Chapter 19: Chapter 019 Who Complains About Too Much Food


    But afterwards, as Su Shu watched the events she had experienced after her rebirth, she felt uncertain. In this life, too many things were different from before, such as having a child by her side, and meeting Tang Zelin and Shen Han earlier. Even the novel she had serialized before the Apocalypse to prompt readers to prepare had all made her feel subtly uneasy due to the differences from her previous life.


    On a larger scale, whether it was changes in the weather or national and city policies and activities, they were no different from her previous life. But the dissatisfaction with the small details had already begun to show some changes.


    Su Shu was a bit worried. She wondered if, after the Apocalypse, it would be like the last life¡ªwhether she and Xiao¡¯ai would be in danger, whether they would have enough food.


    People fear thinking too much, and once Su Shu started to overthink, she planned to allocate two-thirds of her budget to stockpiling grains.


    She thought, more is always better than less. In the hellish days of the Apocalypse, who would complain about having too much food?


    With a plan in her mind, she became much more stable in her actions. She didn¡¯t have abundant money, but to prepare more thoroughly, she also needed to spend carefully, comparing as she went along, until she set her sights on one store.


    Although the grains were good in every store, she was drawn to this store¡¯s grains for their plump kernels and smooth, sleek appearance. Touching a handful and rolling it in her hand, she felt the desire to buy it.


    However, the price was a bit more expensive per catty than at other stores.


    Early in the morning, the business at every store was booming. This store was no exception, only it was not as bustling as the others.


    The store owner sat by the doorway on a chair, sipping a small drink while watching others prosper, occasionally glancing at Su Shu and her daughter in her arms picking out grains, finding it amusing.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s my first time seeing someone bring a child to buy grains early in the morning.¡±


    Su Shu looked up, pointed at the rice in front of her, ¡°Is it cheaper?¡±


    The owner was straightforward, ¡°How cheap do you want it? If you buy just a little, it¡¯s this price. I can give a discount on a bigger quantity, but let me put it straight, see those people? If you want their prices from my shop, I can¡¯t do it. If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here drinking to ease my boredom this early.¡±


    Su Shu nodded. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t push it down to that price, but your prices really aren¡¯t cheap.¡±


    The owner, previously indifferent, scrutinized Su Shu more closely and realized this girl really seemed to want to buy his grains, and it looked like she might buy a lot. His entire demeanor brightened, and he eagerly came forward, no longer drinking his liquor.


    ¡°Miss, how much would you like to buy?¡±


    Su Shu looked around, comparing the rice on the left and the right. It was obvious to anyone, the rice on the left was more expensive, and the rice on the right probably had a similar price to that of other stores. After thinking, she pointed to the left, the clearly more refined and expensive rice.


    ¡°This depends on how reasonable the price you offer is.¡±


    She then pointed to the right.


    ¡°This rice seems of similar quality to others¡¯, a wholesale price same as theirs is fine. Start with one thousand kilograms for me. Of course, if you can make the price more reasonable here, I can save some money and buy more of this,¡± Su Shu smiled, gesturing again to the finer rice on the left.


    The owner, an experienced merchant, understood immediately. Securing an order of one thousand kilograms of grain, which was only from the ordinary rice on the left¡ªhaving seen her standing by the finer rice for a long time¡ªhe quickly calculated the deal in his mind.


    Smiling, he asked, ¡°Besides grains, is there anything else you need, miss?¡±


    Su Shu looked up and instantly grasped his intent, smiled back, ¡°If it¡¯s convenient for you, I¡¯ll take a look at other things here too, to save the hassle.¡±

 Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 019 Who Complains About Too Much Food

    Chapter 19: Chapter 019 Who Complains About Too Much Food


    But afterwards, as Su Shu watched the events she had experienced after her rebirth, she felt uncertain. In this life, too many things were different from before, such as having a child by her side, and meeting Tang Zelin and Shen Han earlier. Even the novel she had serialized before the Apocalypse to prompt readers to prepare had all made her feel subtly uneasy due to the differences from her previous life.


    On a larger scale, whether it was changes in the weather or national and city policies and activities, they were no different from her previous life. But the dissatisfaction with the small details had already begun to show some changes.


    Su Shu was a bit worried. She wondered if, after the Apocalypse, it would be like the last life¡ªwhether she and Xiao¡¯ai would be in danger, whether they would have enough food.


    People fear thinking too much, and once Su Shu started to overthink, she planned to allocate two-thirds of her budget to stockpiling grains.


    She thought, more is always better than less. In the hellish days of the Apocalypse, who would complain about having too much food?


    With a plan in her mind, she became much more stable in her actions. She didn¡¯t have abundant money, but to prepare more thoroughly, she also needed to spend carefully, comparing as she went along, until she set her sights on one store.


    Although the grains were good in every store, she was drawn to this store¡¯s grains for their plump kernels and smooth, sleek appearance. Touching a handful and rolling it in her hand, she felt the desire to buy it.


    However, the price was a bit more expensive per catty than at other stores.


    Early in the morning, the business at every store was booming. This store was no exception, only it was not as bustling as the others.


    The store owner sat by the doorway on a chair, sipping a small drink while watching others prosper, occasionally glancing at Su Shu and her daughter in her arms picking out grains, finding it amusing.


    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s my first time seeing someone bring a child to buy grains early in the morning.¡±


    Su Shu looked up, pointed at the rice in front of her, ¡°Is it cheaper?¡±


    The owner was straightforward, ¡°How cheap do you want it? If you buy just a little, it¡¯s this price. I can give a discount on a bigger quantity, but let me put it straight, see those people? If you want their prices from my shop, I can¡¯t do it. If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here drinking to ease my boredom this early.¡±


    Su Shu nodded. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t push it down to that price, but your prices really aren¡¯t cheap.¡±


    The owner, previously indifferent, scrutinized Su Shu more closely and realized this girl really seemed to want to buy his grains, and it looked like she might buy a lot. His entire demeanor brightened, and he eagerly came forward, no longer drinking his liquor.


    ¡°Miss, how much would you like to buy?¡±


    Su Shu looked around, comparing the rice on the left and the right. It was obvious to anyone, the rice on the left was more expensive, and the rice on the right probably had a similar price to that of other stores. After thinking, she pointed to the left, the clearly more refined and expensive rice.


    ¡°This depends on how reasonable the price you offer is.¡±


    She then pointed to the right.


    ¡°This rice seems of similar quality to others¡¯, a wholesale price same as theirs is fine. Start with one thousand kilograms for me. Of course, if you can make the price more reasonable here, I can save some money and buy more of this,¡± Su Shu smiled, gesturing again to the finer rice on the left.


    The owner, an experienced merchant, understood immediately. Securing an order of one thousand kilograms of grain, which was only from the ordinary rice on the left¡ªhaving seen her standing by the finer rice for a long time¡ªhe quickly calculated the deal in his mind.


    Smiling, he asked, ¡°Besides grains, is there anything else you need, miss?¡±


    Su Shu looked up and instantly grasped his intent, smiled back, ¡°If it¡¯s convenient for you, I¡¯ll take a look at other things here too, to save the hassle.¡±

 Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 020 There is a Reason for Being Expensive

    Chapter 20: Chapter 020 There is a Reason for Being Expensive


    ¡°Ouch, the boss is happy,¡± he said repeatedly, ¡°What¡¯s the issue of convenience or not? I can give you a fair price for these grains and groceries. If you¡¯re sincere in buying, what¡¯s there to say? I run an open shop with absolutely fair prices.¡±


    The shop owner cheerfully picked up his little account book to jot down the sale of a thousand kilograms of goods and warmly invited Su Shu in, making room for a young errand boy who had just returned from delivery to pour her a cup of hot tea in a paper cup.


    ¡°Come on, have some tea. It¡¯s cold early in the morning, and it¡¯s only a paper cup, don¡¯t mind.¡±


    As Su Shu sipped the hot tea and specially reheated milk brought over, she looked at the shop owner¡¯s chubby face and keen eyes, voicing the question that was in her heart.


    ¡°Boss, I see that you also sell the same polished rice as other stores, so why is this so much more expensive? With such good stuff sitting here, how can the rice on that side sell?¡± she asked, pointing to the right.


    It wasn¡¯t that the rice on that side was bad¡ªshe had looked closely, and its quality was similar to the good rice from other shops, and the price was also comparable. But it¡¯s always like that; if you place a good product on its own, it stands out. However, if you place it next to an even better one, the difference becomes evident¡ªa comparison renders the lesser one unable to discount their price, and the better one becomes too expensive, leaving people hesitating to buy.


    On hearing this, the boss let out a bitter laugh, ¡°You¡¯re pretty observant, little girl, to notice such things; I won¡¯t hide the truth from you. My little shop used to do quite well, but ever since this Lake Rice started selling here, I¡¯d say business has dropped by almost half, if not more. You see, the rice is good, but sadly, there¡¯s no market for it.¡±


    Su Shu, sipping her hot tea, looked at the so-called Lake Rice and disagreed.


    ¡°Economic conditions have improved now; people have money. Fake rice is mixed into the market, and the common folks can¡¯t tell them apart. If your Lake Rice is good, why not target the high-end market? Then you¡¯d have a market.¡±


    ¡°Not so easy,¡± the boss said truthfully. ¡°You could wander around this whole market, and if you can find rice like mine, I¡¯d give it to you. To target the high-end market, you need scale and distribution channels. This Lake Rice comes from my mother-in-law¡¯s village; nestled by mountains and water, in the past the villagers grew crops just to feed the family for a year. You get that kind on the right¡ªselling it just about scrapes together enough for food and drink for the year, and there¡¯s no hope for more. The village isn¡¯t wealthy either.¡±


    Su Shu listened with interest. The boss probably didn¡¯t have much business early in the morning, plus a pretty, pretty young lady sitting across from him, with an even smaller and cuter one in her arms, so he felt inclined to chat.


    ¡°When I went down to the countryside, there was an accident near that village. If it weren¡¯t for my wife, I would have lost my life there. After we got married, my wife came to the city to help manage the business. Over the years we¡¯ve accumulated some assets, but since the villagers from my wife¡¯s village started planting this Lake Rice a few years ago, my business has¡­sigh!¡±


    The boss sighed deeply, the look on his face speaking volumes.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°That village is by the mountains and the water, right? I heard, they say that one night, amidst thunder and lightning, a huge bolt struck down and woke up everyone in the whole village. The next morning when they got up, they discovered a spring had suddenly appeared in the mountain behind Lake Village. Those who drank it said the water was especially sweet. We haven¡¯t tasted it, so how would we know, right?¡± he said.


    Su Shu: ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The boss continued, ¡°After that, some knowledgeable folks in the village¡ªyou know, in those rural places, there are always a few peculiar characters within a hundred miles.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±

 Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 021: Only by Letting Go of the Child Can You Trap the Wolf

    Chapter 21: Chapter 021: Only by Letting Go of the Child Can You Trap the Wolf


    ¡°Yes, just that kind of person. Then, out of nowhere, this guy shows up with a Compass and spends some time in the mountains. He comes out and says the mountain spring is God¡¯s gift to their village. If they want to get rich, they should use that spring water for farming. The food grown with it would definitely sell at a high price, and eventually, their whole village would prosper because of the rice. Maybe it would even spare them from disasters. Can you believe that nonsense! But there¡¯s no helping it, they believed him. Then, they found out I have a distribution point in the city. My wife grew up eating the village¡¯s communal rice and wanted to repay that kindness, so she took on the job. Even you would hesitate at the price; other people just ask and leave. The price was set by them, and we can¡¯t change it. We¡¯ve been putting our own money into it for the past two years, just as a way of paying them back indirectly. But if we keep going like this, I suspect I¡¯ll end up investing all my wealth into it. What do you think of that?¡±


    Su Shu: ¡°¡­¡±


    How was she supposed to respond to that?


    The boss took a sip of his drink and suddenly asked, ¡°Miss, are you really planning to buy or not?¡±


    Su Shu, embarrassed, wasn¡¯t she here to buy, or had she come to listen to his stories instead?


    She nodded slightly. ¡°It does seem quite appealing,¡±- that meant she was considering buying it.


    The boss said, ¡°How about we do this? I¡¯ll be honest with you about the rice price; it truly isn¡¯t negotiable. But seeing as you¡¯re buying so much from me, I¡¯ll give you a couple of pounds. Try cooking it at home and see how it tastes. If you like it, come back for more. If you think it¡¯s no different from regular Polished Rice, then don¡¯t waste your money.¡± After saying this, he personally weighed out a few pounds for her and placed them beside her.


    Su Shu thought to herself, businessmen surely know their tricks; he had effectively blocked her every possible argument. In his mind, a girl buying a thousand kilograms must have given him hope.


    She thought about the previous years when she made sales at a loss. Perhaps this year she might turn over a new leaf and would not need to worry, and the store owner was indeed putting his efforts in, gambling for a turnaround with his child.


    However, Lake Rice was indeed somewhat expensive, and with that money, she could buy several truckloads of other stuff. Thinking it over, she felt that although the store owner had his calculations, his intentions were good. She would first try the rice, and if it was good, she would come back; if it was just average, she would opt for more regular Polished Rice.


    So, they set a delivery time, exchanged mobile numbers, and Su Shu left the grain wholesale market with Xiao¡¯ai.


    She couldn¡¯t arrange the shipment of a thousand kilograms of Polished Rice in just a couple of days. While buying, Su Shu suddenly remembered where she would store so much stock. She urgently needed to find a storage warehouse, as she couldn¡¯t just bring it to her small house. So, she conveniently postponed the shipment for two days under the pretext of trying the Lake Rice before revisiting the other items.


    The boss also hoped that she would kickstart sales of Lake Rice this year, and he was all smiles about it. He also courteously mentioned that he needed two days to arrange the supply from the factory.


    With half of the grain issue resolved, Su Shu quickly found a warehouse the same day, paid the rent, and signed the contract.


    Thinking the contract would be useless in two months, Su Shu didn¡¯t take it too seriously and casually threw it in a drawer at home.


    With a warehouse in place, Su Shu felt no hesitation in placing more orders. She kept her computer in the kitchen, within easy reach, and scrolled through the options while cooking, ordering clothing and some tools she wanted last century but couldn¡¯t find.


    As for medication, she hadn¡¯t yet made a move; she was still contemplating ways to bulk buy common medications.


    All actions online are controlled by big data, and she didn¡¯t want to appear as if she had a ruinous, spendthrift death wish, attracting ¡°attention¡± from relevant authorities.


    As for clothes, buying too many wasn¡¯t a concern. Why not buy extra and donate them if necessary?


    As the fragrance of food began to waft through the small apartment, the doorbell suddenly rang!


    Su Shu¡¯s head lifted from the screen, puzzled, wondering who it could be at this hour?

 Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 022 For You I Once Gave My All

    Chapter 22: Chapter 022 For You I Once Gave My All


    The hot water was scalding as she steeped a pot of fresh tea.


    Shen Han sat on the sofa, his eyes flickering slightly as he watched her place the teacup down and then deliberately choose a seat a bit farther away from him.


    ¡°Afraid I¡¯ll eat you?¡± Shen Han asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just used to sitting here.¡±


    Shen Han was noncommittal, took a sip of tea, and looked around her small apartment¡ªa tidy two-bedroom and one-living-room layout of ninety square meters. The complex seemed old from the outside, but inside it was clean and comfortable, much like her¡ªquiet and easy to be around.


    However, Su Shu had been giving him a bit of a headache lately.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t had dinner yet?¡±


    Su Shu nodded, thinking to herself, isn¡¯t that a silly question? Can¡¯t you see the soup still cooking in the kitchen? Can¡¯t you smell the aroma filling the house?


    Shen Han¡¯s indifferent gaze subtly swept toward the firmly closed bedroom door, and Su Shu, with her keen eyes, noticed.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai is still asleep.¡±


    Shen Han grunted, showing no sign of embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed. Looking into Su Shu¡¯s eyes, he said, ¡°After many years, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d keep it a secret for so long.¡±


    Jiang Meili said the child was Su Shu¡¯s, but he didn¡¯t believe it at all. His displeasure arose from facing Jiang Meili¡¯s accusations, and the fact that Su Shu showed no intention of rebutting them. What was the child¡¯s relationship to her, then?


    Regardless of the relationship, Shen Han wasn¡¯t foolish. He was aware that Su Shu liked him and how much she cared about his opinion of her. Yet, that night, she seemed indifferent to whether or not she appeared dignified in his eyes, which made Shen Han feel that something was off.


    When had it started, and what had provoked it? When did Su Shu begin not to care about maintaining her image in front of him?


    Tonight, his sudden visit here was something even he couldn¡¯t explain.


    After social obligations, he found himself driving, and inexplicably ended up at her apartment building. Seeing the orange-yellow light shining from her window, he felt an urge and came up.


    Sitting here, in her presence, watching her constantly look down and rub her hands, Shen Han finally confirmed something¡ªSu Shu had stopped revolving her world around him. Her life seemed to be heading in a direction beyond his control, and he was not comfortable with it.


    Su Shu truly didn¡¯t know how to face Shen Han.


    All she wished for in this life was to never meet him again, but ironically, the more she wished to avoid someone, the more they appeared before her¡ªa tangled mess impossible to escape.


    When Shen Han spoke of many years without seeing each other, it was sarcasm on his part. If calculated by the time since her rebirth, yes, it had been many years since they had seen each other geographically, but they had never lost touch over video calls or mobile phones in the past few years. How could it have been many years? Yet, from her perspective, spanning from her previous life to now, they truly hadn¡¯t seen each other for many years.


    So much so, that the unexpected sight of Shen Han appearing in her home left her at a loss on how to treat him.


    In her previous life, she had waited for him to come back, even though he never gave her a single promise. But everything he did fueled her hope, as if they could be together again the day he returned.


    For Su Shu, who had harbored feelings for him for many years, nothing was more important than this waiting¡ªshe waited and waited until the news of his marriage alliance with Jiang Corporation flooded the news, and that was when she understood that to Shen Han, an orphan like her was utterly worthless.


    The wedding of her dreams would never be granted by him.


    In her past life, she wasn¡¯t like she is now. Back then, she was young, unable to withstand the blow, and unable to let go of him. With no dignity left in her world of emotions, she endured all the pain and humiliation to stay by his side as a secret lover shamed into hiding.


    All because he said, ¡°Su Shu, having you by my side makes me truly happy.¡±


    Yes, for his happiness, she sacrificed all of her own.

 Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 023: What You Want, I Can No Longer Give

    Chapter 23: Chapter 023: What You Want, I Can No Longer Give


    ¡°`


    Later, when life became so difficult that he was too overwhelmed to care for her, she finally realized that her existence was just like the dolls Xiao¡¯ai placed on the bedside.


    When she liked them, she would pick them up for a hug, but when no longer needed, they could be put back again.


    Sometimes, she envied the Little Dinosaur that Xiao¡¯ai held in her arms every day. At least Xiao¡¯ai, who didn¡¯t speak, always wanted to carry it with her.


    As for Su Shu, in her past life, in order to keep Shen Han, she broke her own bottom line and became his underground mistress that he couldn¡¯t be seen with.


    Those three months were the most painful time of her life. She would ask herself every day what she was living for. When you love someone, sometimes you don¡¯t think straight. She had loved Shen Han for so many, many years. After her parents passed away, her world only had room for Shen Han. Whatever he wanted, she was willing to give.


    He said, ¡°Su Shu, do you want to be my girlfriend?¡± And she, brimming with joy, thought she had gained the whole world.


    He said, ¡°Su Shu, I want to go abroad to further my studies,¡± and she, nodding with tears in her eyes, sent him off, not wanting to hinder his education.


    He said, ¡°Su Shu, I miss you,¡± and she would count the time difference every day, drinking coffee and fighting sleepiness to talk to him.


    ¡­


    As long as he said it, she had it, she was willing.


    But in the end, what he wanted was a family with a distinguished background that could help him soar in his career¡ªa matrimonial family that Su Shu truly did not have.


    Su Shu¡¯s entire family consisted only of herself.


    All she owned was the few million she had scrimped and saved, but what was that to him? it wasn¡¯t even worth one of his cars.


    It was really at that moment, for the first time, Su Shu grew up. She understood for the first time what it meant to be well-matched in social and economic status.


    When Shen Han¡¯s mother scorned her in the past, saying she wasn¡¯t suitable for the Shen Family, Shen Han would reply, ¡°What I like is what¡¯s suitable.¡±


    She, the fool, believed it¡ªall of it. To her, Shen Han was her sky. Whatever the sky said, she took as truth.


    But in the end, she saw clearly that indeed what Shen Han liked was what was suitable, because he liked what was suitable for him.


    Jiang Meili¡¯s family background was suitable for him, so he was able to make himself like it.


    In fact, any bystander could see these things clearly and plainly, but she was so deeply immersed that she couldn¡¯t see anything clearly, leading to her being abandoned in the wasteland to fend for herself.


    Memories, laced with hurtful stabs, weren¡¯t something Su Shu wanted to think about. When she was abandoned by the Shen family, why didn¡¯t he appear? Was it because he was afraid to face the guilt in his heart, or was it because in the end, he didn¡¯t want to see her at all?


    The heart of a maiden in love is always tender. The affections of those days dried up bit by bit in the barren nights of the wasteland.


    Su Shu thought that day was her last in this world. Thinking of her parents in heaven, she wasn¡¯t scared; it just felt as if her heart had been hollowed out. Emptiness filled with cold air, and her body shivered from cold.


    When she lost consciousness, she thought death might be a relief, for a dead heart no longer hurts.


    She had given up hope then, yet it was precisely in a muddled daze that she heard a deep voice near her ears, which sounded really pleasant in retrospect.


    ¡°Here, give her some water to drink, then put her on my back.¡±


    Remembering the past, Su Shu became distracted unconsciously. Shen Han had noticed long ago, but he didn¡¯t interrupt. He was extremely surprised as he had never seen such a world-weary expression in Su Shu¡¯s eyes, nor had he ever seen such a relaxed and satisfied look in them.


    He didn¡¯t know what she was reminiscing about, yet had a strange and somewhat uncomfortable intuition.


    The memories that made Su Shu feel relaxed and content, it seems¡­ were not because of him.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 024: Each Follows Their Own Path Under the Heavens

    Chapter 24: Chapter 024: Each Follows Their Own Path Under the Heavens


    ¡°Have you been well lately?¡±


    Suddenly, the man¡¯s voice pulled Su Shu¡¯s drifting thoughts back to reality.


    She paused, then nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve been quite good.¡±


    Shen Han frowned slightly, seemingly unsatisfied with her reply, but at the same moment he couldn¡¯t articulate what made him discontented.


    Years had passed since they last met, and now seeing him again, Su Shu was genuinely a bit restrained, even though facing Shen Han, she knew her heart no longer raced as intensely as before. Yet his existence had spanned her entire adolescence, that most naive time when he was her whole world.


    Hate him?


    Su Shu didn¡¯t know herself, the memories of the past had been mostly diluted by the tough life that followed. Besides, in the life that ensued, there was such a domineering man who forcefully intruded into her life, making her past with Shen Han feel like a dream from a lifetime ago. Meeting him now felt like revisiting a dream from her girlhood.


    It was a dream, not life, and once awake, she was awake.


    Yet to say she didn¡¯t hate him, Su Shu couldn¡¯t manage that.


    Was she so kind-hearted that after having her sincere love crushed to pieces, she could still say, ¡°I still love you, and bear no grudges for what happened¡±?


    Was she a fool?


    When she loved someone, of course, she sought reciprocation and hoped that after giving her all, the other person would like her back. As for what she had given, she could let go; she could take a loss¡ªit was nothing as long as she was alive. She, Su Shu, could afford to lose.


    But having fallen into a pit once, couldn¡¯t she wish to walk around it the next time she saw it?


    Shen Han was her abyss. In her past life, she¡¯d almost failed to climb out of it. This life, upon seeing him, her first instinct was to avoid him, it would be best if you¡¯d just pretend you don¡¯t know me, and I will do the same.


    In this life, you take your broad avenue, and I¡¯ll cross my single-log bridge. Let¡¯s not cross paths. We¡¯ll each return to our own homes, to our own mothers. Isn¡¯t that much better?


    Yet, Shen Han came uninvited.


    At that moment, Su Shu felt like laughing, a bitter kind of laughter.


    In all the years she had known Shen Han, she had begged him countless times in her past life to come to this little apartment to keep her company, to no avail.


    And now, his tall and majestic frame was actually sitting on her ordinary fabric sofa. Reborn, nothing felt right anymore, Su Shu thought.


    Seeing that her every response was minimal, the delicate features of her pretty face clearly read: I¡¯m not comfortable.


    Did his presence put pressure on her?


    Shen Han¡¯s eyebrows quirked slightly as he undid the button of his suit at the chest, leaning back against the sofa with one long leg casually draped over the other knee. Already a man of exceptional demeanor, he now exuded a different kind of languid elegance, not showing the slightest discomfort in the small apartment, as if it were his own even on the first visit.


    Just as in his eyes, Su Shu was still his.


    After returning to the country, his most pressing concern was dealing with the leadership of Shen Group. He planned to look for Su Shu after sorting out his work. However, the memory of her cold and distant gaze that night couldn¡¯t be erased from his mind. When he was working, her face and that of the little child kept floating before his eyes.


    Shen Han immensely disliked this feeling of losing control.


    Furthermore, the sense of rejection from Su Shu, the unwillingness for him to be in her apartment tonight, he disliked it equally. His mood was somber, his dark eyes became deep and obscure.


    He needed to know, exactly where things had gone wrong.


    Such that within a month of not seeing her, this girl not only had a five-year-old little girl but also harbored thoughts of leaving him.


    Leave him?


    The thought that a girl who had liked him for more than ten years could entertain such an idea made Shen Han¡¯s eyes darken profoundly.

 Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 025 Its easy to invite gods, but hard to send them away, she

    Chapter 25: Chapter 025 It¡¯s easy to invite gods, but hard to send them away, she


    Shen Han was the kind of man whose mere presence could lower the atmospheric pressure around him by several degrees.


    Su Shu sighed inwardly, trying to think of some reason to get this huge idol out of her small apartment. Just as she was racking her brains, suddenly the rice cooker beeped.


    The rice was ready!


    Su Shu, still dazed, lifted her head. Shen Han had been observing her reaction all along. Seeing her stupefied moment, he suddenly regained the feeling of their past interactions and his lips softened unconsciously.


    Su Shu suddenly thought of a good excuse!


    She stood up, slightly apologetic, and said, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s late, and I haven¡¯t really prepared anything, maybe another time¡­¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡± Shen Han suddenly looked up, interrupting her excuse.


    Su Shu froze for a moment, ¡°Uh¡­ no, not yet.¡±


    Shen Han nodded slightly, indicating he understood. Then he stood up from the sofa. Su Shu was relieved, thinking he was finally leaving¡­ but the next second, Shen Han simply took off his jacket, unbuttoned the cuffs, rolled up his sleeves, and walked past the coffee table to the kitchen.


    ¡°I just got off work, and I haven¡¯t eaten either, let¡¯s eat together.¡±


    Su Shu stood behind him, speechless.


    From behind the door, a timid little head peeked out.


    Resigned, Su Shu turned around, walked over, and picked up Xiao¡¯ai, who was rubbing her eyes sleepily. She looked back at Shen Han, who was making himself at home in the kitchen, took a deep breath, and without saying a word, took Xiao¡¯ai to the bathroom to wipe the sweat from her face caused by sleeping.


    It¡¯s easy to invite a deity, but hard to send one away, especially one she never wanted to invite in the first place.


    As soon as the bathroom door was closed, Shen Han put down what he was holding, leaned both hands on the kitchen counter, and looked deeply in the direction of the bathroom.


    Su Shu, she had changed.


    Never had he felt this reality more acutely than now.


    He was curious about what could have happened in the past month that changed her so completely. She was no longer the rabbit-like Su Shu he knew. Instead, she exuded an inexplicable and mysterious aura.


    How could a person change so drastically and rapidly?


    Suddenly, his gaze fell on the computer screen beside the kitchen counter.


    On the screen was the shopping interface Su Shu was using before his arrival.


    Almost as if possessed, he scrolled up and down to see what she had been buying. After a while, he grew puzzled. It was the cusp of spring and summer, so if she was buying clothes, shouldn¡¯t she be buying light summer wear? Why then had this girl ordered a bunch of winter clothes?


    A flicker of confusion crossed his mind, but Shen Han dismissed it the next moment, thinking Su Shu might be buying off-season.


    However, Su Shu¡¯s shopping list was too long, and as he scrolled further down, his concerns deepened.


    What was she buying all these things for if she was living a normal life?


    Some daily necessities like toilet paper, towels, soap, and similar items were normal, though buying them by the box was a bit odd ¨Cperhaps that¡¯s just how women shopped. Next on the list was outdoor gear, and from his recollection, she was not someone fond of outdoor activities like hiking or diving, yet she had purchased comprehensive equipment.


    Could it be that she was planning a trip recently?


    He scrolled further, and any sense of ease on his face quietly evaporated. His cold gaze settled on the men¡¯s outdoor gear, and his mouse lingered without moving.


    A heavy hammer seemed to suddenly strike his chest.


    Shen Han frowned, as if reluctant to admit something, and stubbornly continued to scroll down.


    The more he scrolled, the darker his expression became. Below were tools Su Shu had previously ordered¡ªaxes, hammers, saws, pliers, nails, conduits, screwdrivers¡­ What did she need all these tools for?


    Further down, Shen Han felt a chill down his spine.


    A full set of men¡¯s underwear for various styles and seasons.


    The sizes¡­ clearly weren¡¯t his.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Su Shu, who was in the bathroom washing Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s face, was startled by a loud noise from the direction of the main door and pushed the door open to look.


    In the small apartment, Shen Han was nowhere to be seen.


    Su Shu: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 026 The One Xiaoai Likes Likes Her Too

    Chapter 26: Chapter 026 The One Xiao¡¯ai Likes Likes Her Too


    Shen Han was unpredictable, but Su Shu didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    All her attention was captured by the Lake Rice she had just cooked. She never imagined that mere rice could give her a taste of happiness.


    It was certainly an eye-opening experience for her today.


    She picked up a piece with her chopsticks, scrutinizing it from left to right, wondering what made this rice so delicious.


    Could it really be because the villagers used spring water for farming? She had always thought that was just a marketing ploy to sell at a high price, but it was only when she actually tasted it that she could distinctly feel how different it was from ordinary rice.


    Perhaps she was too distracted while eating, because Xiaosu, who had been very focused on her food, looked at her with a small spoon and then scooped up a small spoonful of white rice to examine it just like her.


    Seeing this made Su Shu laugh uncontrollably, and she couldn¡¯t help but reach out and ruffle the little one¡¯s head. She was so adorable it almost hurt¡­


    This Lake Rice was so good, she really wanted to buy more, but it was much more expensive. If she purchased it, she would definitely have less stored food. Besides, she wanted to buy some other things too. Should she really spend so much money on this incredibly tasty Lake Rice?


    Su Shu found herself in a dilemma.


    However, it wasn¡¯t long before she stopped feeling conflicted.


    Because she noticed that Xiaosu had unusually eaten two small bowls and seemed very happy, holding her dish and enjoying her dinner immensely tonight.


    After having Xiaosu, she felt she was no longer as ¡°strong¡± as before, capable of making do with any lifestyle. Instead, she wanted to create a good living environment for Xiaosu. Whenever Xiaosu showed interest in something, she treated it like a new discovery, buying everything related to bring home.


    Lake Rice was expensive, but not more valuable than Xiaosu¡¯s place in her heart.


    She lowered her body and asked with a smile, ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, do you like this rice?¡±


    Xiaosu looked at her, then at her bowl of rice, and nodded.


    ¡°If you like it, should your aunt buy more of this rice?¡±


    She nodded again.


    That settled it! Su Shu thought.


    Xiaosu liked it, and she was willing to spend any amount of money for it.


    That night, after washing the dishes, she went inside to calculate the order volume and called the grain store owner while it was still not too late, ordering another thousand kilograms of Lake Rice.


    The other end was enjoying dinner with friends when they heard her order a thousand kilograms of Lake Rice and exclaimed joyfully, ¡°Xiaosu, are you really ordering this much?¡±


    Su Shu smiled, ¡°Why, aren¡¯t you selling?¡±


    ¡°Selling! Selling! Selling!¡± the voice hurriedly answered, ¡°Oh my goodness, you¡¯re really helping me out a lot, I¡¯ll go and arrange the goods for you right now!¡±


    ¡°Great, if it¡¯s convenient for you, deliver the goods within a week.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    After hanging up, Su Shu noted in her notebook: one thousand kilograms of Lake Rice (main grain), one thousand kilograms of Polished Rice (reserve grain).


    She had decided. Xiaosu was growing up, and since Lake Rice was so good, it would be their staple food in the future, while the thousand kilograms of Polished Rice would serve as a decoy or be used in small portions for bartering. It might even come in handy during emergencies.


    ¡°Apocalypse Survival Diary¡± was currently going live, and that night¡¯s update included a new twist in her story¡ªthe female protagonist overheard neighbors mentioning that prices were about to increase. Being young and naive, she followed the crowd and placed an online order for sixty kilograms of rice to keep at home but accidentally added an extra zero. When thirty bags of rice were delivered, she regretted not noticing and canceling the order sooner. But when the apocalypse suddenly hit, her mistake turned into foresight, giving her a slight edge over others in those critical moments.


    She clicked upload, breathed out a sigh, and silently prayed that someone else might also be ¡°foolish¡± this one time.

 Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 027 My Cute Kid is Going to be the Death of Me

    Chapter 27: Chapter 027 My Cute Kid is Going to be the Death of Me


    ¡°`


    Time slipped through the fingers like sand, hurrying by.


    In the blink of an eye, amidst the hustle and bustle, a few days had passed unnoticed. These past days, she had been busy receiving various parcels. As each item arrived, she would organize it a second time and then store it in the space.


    She had kept the existence of the space a secret from Xiao¡¯ai, who was unaware. When Su Shu stashed away the items, she either did it after Xiao¡¯ai had fallen asleep or out of the little one¡¯s sight.


    As a result, Xiao¡¯ai, who went in and out these past two days, constantly turned her beautiful wide eyes on her aunt, a five-year-old furrowing her delicate brows in confusion now and then, looking adorably perplexed.


    Su Shu could roughly guess what the child was thinking.


    Every day, so many parcels were delivered, but they all seemed to vanish after she slept.


    Where did the items go?


    It was either the sight of the child¡¯s rare helpless look that tickled Su Shu or that their interactions had finally grown less rigid. Su Shu later even deliberately signed for deliveries while Xiao¡¯ai was playing games in the living room, and when the kid would take a stroll and come back, everything was gone!


    The amazed twirling of her wide, watery eyes as they scanned around the living room nearly had Su Shu rolling with laughter!


    Sometimes, out of mischief, she wondered if, after a few more days, Xiao¡¯ai would break her silence and speak to her out of sheer bafflement.


    Unfortunately, she was too optimistic.


    Xiao¡¯ai, who had been turning things over in her mind for days without figuring out what was going on, subsequently developed a new skill.


    A 24/7 surveillance strategy, clutching her dinosaur plushie, she followed Su Shu everywhere. When her aunt signed for parcels, Xiao¡¯ai stood at the door with her dinosaur, gazing intently at the delivery guys, her commanding little eyes already baffling several couriers.


    When she unpacked items, Xiao¡¯ai would sit on the living room sofa with her dinosaur, watching.


    Sleep?


    She wouldn¡¯t sleep! She¡¯d rather nod off clutching her dinosaur than stop watching her aunt to see where all those items disappeared.


    After a few days of laughter, Su Shu couldn¡¯t bear to see Xiao¡¯ai drowsily tagging along all day, so she carried her back to the room and cooed softly, ¡°Alright, no need to keep watching. I promise that when you wake up, those items will still be in the living room, okay?¡±


    The little cutie seemed to hum through her nose lightly and, with a turn, clutched her dinosaur and fell sound asleep.


    Su Shu sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her head helplessly.


    If they weren¡¯t to be put away, so be it; she had already finished stashing what needed to be hidden. The items she had just signed for in the living room were new clothes for Xiao¡¯ai.


    She flipped through her planner, noting there were 49 days left.


    Meaning, she could only enjoy this peaceful, secure, and abundant life for another forty-something days. After that¡­ she didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    This morning she woke up to a light drizzle outside which meant she didn¡¯t go anywhere today. She finished the update in the morning and wrote two extra chapters to backlog on the platform.


    Glancing at the calendar on the wall, she saw that in ten days it would be Children¡¯s Day.


    It had been many years since she celebrated Children¡¯s Day. Looking back at Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s room, she thought that before the apocalypse, this would be the only Children¡¯s Day Xiao¡¯ai could celebrate. All these days she had been leading Xiao¡¯ai to gather materials, without truly letting her enjoy the colorful life of today, which made her feel a bit guilty.


    She bit off the cap of the red signing pen and drew a big circle on the calendar she leaned on.


    This Children¡¯s Day, she was going to make sure Xiao¡¯ai had a great time!


    ¡°Ding ding¡ª¡±


    A notification came through her work computer. She put down the pen to check; it was from her editor.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 028 Really Want to Revive Every Day

    Chapter 28: Chapter 028 Really Want to Revive Every Day


    Seal Jiang Dalu: Su Shu, little buddy, come out here!


    Su Shu was confused, sitting in front of the computer.


    Day by day Su: Boss.


    Seal Jiang Dalu: (frantically pounding the floor) Confess to me, did you install a monitor around me?


    Day by day Su: (innocent face) No way!


    Seal Jiang Dalu: Then why did you put my embarrassing moments in your new book¡­ My image¡­ Ahhh


    Su Shu was bewildered¡­


    One second later.


    Day by day Su: Boss¡­ did you buy too much rice???


    Seal Jiang Dalu: (throws a basket of bombs) Blaming you! Blaming you! Last time you said the food prices were going to rise, and I was tricked by you, my brain malfunctioned, I made a mistake while drunk, woo woo woo, I¡¯m bankrupt!


    Day by day Su: (a row of clapping emojis)


    Seal Jiang Dalu: ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r Hmph!


    Su Shu: ¡°Hahahahahaha¡±


    Looking at the screen, she laughed until tears came out, typing excitedly while laughing: Keep it! Keep it! Keep it! Can eat for a long time!


    Seal Jiang Dalu: I curse your trickery! (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß


    Day by day Su: I¡¯m relieved.


    After a few back-and-forths between the two, Su Shu logged off, closed the chat box, and her mood soared, that inexplicable feel of quietly helping someone felt so good!


    Suddenly, she clasped her hands together and prayed silently: My little angels, may you also receive the signal I¡¯m sending! Store more food and supplies, the Apocalypse is really coming soon! I hope you can all be safe and hold on until a brand new life arrives.


    Maybe because she was in a good mood, even the drizzling rain outside didn¡¯t feel oppressive anymore, instead, in this chilly weather, it seemed vaguely romantic.


    On a whim, Su Shu poured herself a glass of red wine, moved a chair, and leaned on the windowsill, sipping wine while watching the rain.


    From her perspective, there were no obstructions in front, giving her a broad view, immediately seeing cars moving back and forth distantly in the hazy mist. With each sip of wine and each glance at the scenery, the cool air brought by the rain hit her face like a spray, extremely comforting.


    In her previous life, before the Apocalypse arrived, she had never enjoyed such pleasant moments.


    What was she busy with back then?


    Such beautiful scenery, such a wonderful life, all within her easy reach, everything around was peaceful and quiet, bringing a sense of contentment to her heart.


    If only the Apocalypse hadn¡¯t come, how great would that have been!


    She knew it was a luxury to think so, but at that moment, she relished the present so much, devoid of worries about food and clothing, having family, beautiful scenery, and yes, fine wine too!


    Tomorrow, after she collected all the grains from the warehouse, she planned to make a trip to the countryside, to collect some poultry eggs, and getting some fish fry would be even better. She just didn¡¯t know if she could transplant fruit trees into her space, in her previous life, fruits were a rare commodity. She had heard that later only the upper class could afford them, for ordinary people struggling at the bottom level like them, they were simply unobtainable, priceless indeed.


    She thought Xiao¡¯ai really liked fruits, it would be nice if she could get a few varieties.


    The wonderful time passed slowly in the wine-red-colored rain.


    Xiao¡¯ai had a long afternoon nap, waking up to find everything still there, her aunty hadn¡¯t lied to her, and her little face lit up with joy, the dinosaur in her arms seemed to smile too.


    That evening, Su Shu suddenly didn¡¯t feel like cooking, feeling unusually happy today; she changed her clothes, grabbed her purse and car keys, planning to take the little one to a leisurely shopping mall nearby to watch a movie.


    Recently, there was a Disney animated film being screened, it was still early, just enough time for them to grab something to eat, watch a movie, and then head home to sleep.


    Xiao¡¯ai, somewhat unsure what ¡°watching a movie¡± entailed, cluelessly held Su Shu¡¯s finger and followed her out.


    The shopping mall, a place combining leisure, entertainment, and shopping, was only a short ten-minute drive from their home.


    No sooner had the car stopped and she not yet turned off the engine, through the car window, she saw a familiar tall figure rushing towards the bustling main road!


    Tang Zelin, be careful!!!

 Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29: You are the Sand in the Palm of My Hand from a Past Life

    Chapter 29: Chapter 29: You are the Sand in the Palm of My Hand from a Past Life


    Su Shu, almost scared out of her wits by the scene before her eyes, hurriedly stumbled down from the car.


    Xiao¡¯ai, not knowing why, only saw her aunt run past the front of the car as if she were flying, shifting her small body from the left to the right side of the back seat to press against the car window.


    Through the car window, in the distance, she saw her aunt throwing herself onto a tall and big uncle.


    Huh?


    Just as Tang Zelin managed to steady himself, handing the little boy he had rescued into the anxious mother¡¯s arms, he sighed with relief. Thank goodness his reaction was quick; otherwise, the child might have been hit by a car.


    The mother hugged her child tightly, ceaselessly thanking Tang Zelin with gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just doing my duty. Keep an eye on your child. There are lots of cars on the road now; don¡¯t let him get bumped or knocked.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± The parent couldn¡¯t thank him enough.


    Having trained soldiers under a stern face all the time, Tang Zelin couldn¡¯t stand such a melodramatic scene and, after offering a few words of comfort, planned to leave.


    However, as he turned around, he was suddenly embraced full-on by a girl!


    Staggering back two steps under the force of inertia, supporting the weight of them both, Tang Zelin was a bit stunned.


    Because of the fright, Su Shu had forgotten the fact that they were now strangers to each other.


    ¡°Tang Zelin! Are you alright?!¡±


    The man¡¯s name burst out so unexpectedly that his dark eyes flickered slightly.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, Su Shu thought he might have been injured somewhere. She started feeling up his arms and body, checking for injuries, which made Senior Colonel Tang¡¯s complexion look somewhat abnormal.


    Grabbing her wrist, if she continued touching him like this, what would it look like!


    After all, he was a man.


    Su Shu thought he just didn¡¯t want her to worry. He had been like this in her previous life, nearly losing his life for her yet brushing it off lightly so as not to worry her. When she later found out that incident had nearly taken his life, she didn¡¯t know how much she regretted it. Now, frantic with anxiety, she could hardly care about anything else.


    When he avoided her, she thought he was the same strong, uncomplaining Tang Zelin from her last life.


    ¡°Say something! Where did you get hurt? Why are you always like this? Is there any pain?¡± She was incoherent, her little face deathly pale.


    In this life, it was not easy to meet you again. How could I allow myself to miss out.


    With her shouting so fiercely, the parent holding the child also stopped, looking at Tang Zelin with concerned eyes, fearing he might have been injured while saving their child.


    Tang Zelin was surprised for a second, then quickly snapped out of it, first shaking his head to the parent, saying, ¡°I¡¯m really fine,¡± and dismissed the mother and child who were slightly hesitant to leave.


    He realized that this girl who had suddenly appeared and called out his name correctly was the most difficult to deal with.


    The Soldier King born from the special forces, Tang Zelin, took a good look at Su Shu and couldn¡¯t help but be amused.


    Wasn¡¯t this girl the one who got all turned around by his little girl in the supermarket the other day?


    He smiled a little, his teeth white, his smile broad and sunny, just like his natural easy-going and hearty disposition.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m really fine. There¡¯s no need to worry.¡±


    ¡°How can you be fine? That huge truck raced past!¡± Su Shu cried out, her voice trembling.


    Tang Zelin¡¯s dark pupils shimmered. The girl¡¯s eyes were clear and transparent, filled with genuine concern. Such intense feelings rushed towards him, so full of worry for him, that somehow, he found himself unable to voice the teased comment that was on the tip of his tongue.


    The perennially unflowered iron tree in his heart suddenly throbbed quietly within his chest.


    Caught off guard, Su Shu went to check on him again, scaring Tang Zelin into quickly stepping back and widening the distance between their hands.

 Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Because I Happened to Meet You in This Life

    Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Because I Happened to Meet You in This Life


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m truly fine. I come from a military background, so handling a little thing like that just now is easy for me.¡± Tang Zelin had no choice but to explain his identity.


    Su Shu didn¡¯t buy his explanation; in her previous life, he always used that excuse to fool her around, claiming that as a soldier, such trivial matters were not a challenge for him. She had been foolish back then, taking his word for it every time, holding him in her eyes as an invincible godlike figure. But what happened in the end?


    In the end, he, the mighty one, had fallen right before her very eyes, lifelessly.


    Protecting his country and defending his homeland was his dream, and she didn¡¯t stand in his way, but in this lifetime, she never wanted to go through the ordeal of carrying his ashes under the five-starred red flag again, while under countless salutes of respect, she didn¡¯t even have the courage to quietly ask in her heart whether he ever liked her or not.


    He once said that the best ending for him was to serve his country with loyalty and sacrifice his life for his people.


    He did leave this world draped in the five-starred red flag, obtaining the martyrdom he sought.


    But she just couldn¡¯t accept it! No matter how noble the honor was, she was just an ordinary person, and no glittering honor could compare to having him alive. She just wanted him to be alive, as before, with hardships and difficulties never able to extinguish his passionate blood and hearty smile.


    Su Shu¡¯s eyes were naturally beautiful, and at that moment, they shimmered with emotion, looking at him with feelings so intense they seemed impossible to clear away, as if a massive whirlpool was sucking Tang Zelin¡¯s heart into it.


    The emotions in the depth of her eyes even affected him.


    When he realized what was happening, Tang Zelin broke out in a cold sweat, taking an involuntary step back.


    He thought to himself, this girl is too formidable. He, a tough guy hardened by countless trials and never yielding, nearly stumbled under the gaze of this young girl. If his comrades knew about this, they would surely tease him endlessly.


    A senior colonel, a tough as nails Eagle of the Skies, nearly taken down by a little girl; just thinking about it made his face burn with embarrassment.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m really fine, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He said affirmatively again.


    Miss?


    Didn¡¯t he used to call her Shushu?


    Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she stared blankly at Tang Zelin.


    Tang Zelin also slightly raised his brows, not understanding why, thinking to himself that her expression was unexpectedly amusing.


    Damn it!


    Upon realizing her overreaction, Su Shu suddenly became aware that she and he had not yet met!


    My¡­ Goodness!?


    How embarrassing!


    Her sparkling eyes suddenly blinked a few times.


    Tang Zelin¡¯s brows arched even higher. Huh? What does that mean?


    Su Shu stood rigid before him, and after three seconds, she suddenly turned around and walked away quickly, feigning recognition of the wrong person, her lips pressed tightly together, without uttering a sound. After a few steps, she broke into a run.


    Left standing there, quite bamboozled, the senior colonel: ¡°¡­¡±


    What just happened?


    He was a bit distressed. Why did this home leave feel like every kind of pressure was just so immense?


    Retrieving the car keys, picking up Xiao¡¯ai, closing the car door, and ignoring Tang Zelin, who was looking at her from the roadside, Su Shu quickly dashed into the shopping mall with her niece in tow.


    It wasn¡¯t until she passed through the revolving door and came inside that she finally stood still, surrounded by the shopping crowd. Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief.


    Looking like this, Tang Zelin would definitely think she had a mental problem.


    Inside, she felt both relieved and frustrated. After finally encountering him again, she had wanted to get to know him properly, but why was it that every time she was in front of him, she managed to make a fool of herself, either acting dumb or like a lunatic.


    Ahhhhhhh¡­


    After entering the mall, Xiao¡¯ai had been set down on the floor. She stood next to Su Shu¡¯s legs, looking up at her aunt.


    No one noticed the little one give a helpless shake of her head and sigh lightly, as if resigned.


    Outside the mall, Tang Zelin had watched her run into the mall carrying the child as if she were being chased by wolves. It amused him greatly; she really was an interesting girl. Feeling in a better mood, he took a lighter out of his pocket, lit the cigarette between his fingers, and drew on it with a smile on his lips.


    Why couldn¡¯t the match his grandfather arranged for him be as interesting as the young mother he had just encountered, who brought such amusement every time they met?


    Across the bustling road lay a black luxury car that had been parked there for some time.


    In the driver¡¯s seat, there was a man with a cigarette between his fingers, the car filled with swirling smoke. His gaze crossed the busy road to a figure before the mall, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

 Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 031 If I Meet You Again, I Will Miss You

    Chapter 31: Chapter 031 If I Meet You Again, I Will Miss You


    ¡°`


    After watching the movie and heading home, stars were already dotting the sky above.


    Su Shu, carrying Xiao¡¯ai, followed the crowd out of the mall. By chance, they passed a cake shop with a rich, tantalizing aroma. Standing in front of the display, they ended up buying seven or eight different flavors of cake. By the time they got home, the car was filled with the sweet scent of cakes.


    Occasionally hitting a red light, she turned around to see Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s eyes glued to the cakes, unable to look away, and she smiled knowingly.


    In the car, she picked out a new song she recently liked. Under the glow of the streetlights, she drove home at a steady pace.


    The melodious music was surrounding her, and holding the steering wheel with rhythm, she lightly tapped her fingers to the beat.


    Life after rebirth had not changed significantly overall, but it was already out of control in its small ways. She could feel it in her heart, shifting from anxiety to acceptance.


    Facing difficulties wasn¡¯t scary, she thought; this time, no matter what challenges fate threw at her, she would rise to the occasion. After all, she had the experience now!


    Just thinking about seeing Tang Zelin today made her lips curl up involuntarily.


    He was still the same, shining like the sun wherever he appeared, exuding warmth and a special sense of security. Yes, there was also his habit of meddling and serving the people as a soldier, just as he had in the past life.


    Initially, when they first met, she was somewhat afraid of him.


    She always thought that a man with such sharp eyes and a smile that seemed to carry a cold, speculative scrutiny was intimidating.


    After getting to know him more, it turned out that no matter how she struggled, she could never turn things around in the palm of his hand.


    Somehow, he managed to make the area within a hundred meters of her off-limits to others.


    The only person who had the Pass Token to come and go as he pleased was him.


    An enigmatic man, from head to toe he sparked confusion and curiosity.


    Not sure if it was the recollection of the scant happiness from her past life, Su Shu drove the whole way in a good mood.


    That man, he could deal with anyone, from white-haired grandmothers in their seventies or eighties to babbling toddlers, always seeming to face no difficulty he couldn¡¯t overcome with a smile.


    To outsiders, he might have seemed very approachable. Yet, during training, the soldiers under his command complained endlessly every day, unreservedly dubbing him ¡®Iron-Faced Yama¡¯ and grumbling about him behind his back following each session.


    Such a contradictory personality perfectly, unpredictably switched within one person, making her afraid of Tang Zelin back then.


    It always felt like a wolf draped in sheep¡¯s skin, patrolling his territory with ease, was dangerous no matter how you looked at it.


    Plus, she had asked him why he loved being a soldier, and his answer was particularly thought-provoking.


    With his hands in his pockets, he chuckled, ¡°Because I can fight with people in a legitimate way.¡±


    Su Shu asked again, ¡°Just for that reason?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let me think about it¡­ I can also pull a bunch of people together for a group fight every so often.¡±


    Su Shu: ¡°¡­¡±


    She always thought he was an untamed eagle. Later, she realized that even if he was an eagle, he was not haughty and untamed. Every time he soared in the sky, it was to better protect the land and people he dearly loved.


    All his jokes were said with utter seriousness.


    But the truly serious words were said in jest.


    Like before he was deployed, he said, ¡°Hey, protecting the country is not some lofty dream of mine. I¡¯ll just take a quick stroll and be back to take you hunting.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 032 What She Wanted Most Was Still Him

    Chapter 32: Chapter 032 What She Wanted Most Was Still Him


    She really believed it.


    She thought that in the Apocalypse, with human hearts shattered and morality crumbled, how many could remain as innocent as a child, maintaining their original intentions? Even she was no longer that girl who would soften at the sight of someone else¡¯s tears.


    Yet, the man who seemed like a millennia-old Fox, always getting the better end of the deal in front of her every day, was the very same person who, on the true battlefield, did not hesitate to shed his blood on the land he saw as his faith.


    She was left alone, standing in place, waiting for someone who would never come back to smile at her again.


    When he left, he kissed her for the first time, his lips touching hers so lightly that even that was enough to make her heart flutter.


    The crisis at the front line haunted her already fragile nerves daily, with reports of dead soldiers and civilians arriving every day. The list of military martyrdom filled her with dread, and she had to muster her greatest courage to look at it; only finding his name absent could she breathe a sigh of relief.


    He was still alive¡­ nothing was more important than that.


    She kept waiting for him to come back, wanting to ask him what that kiss meant before he left.


    But all she received were his ashes, sacrificed without even a last word. He had finally fulfilled his lifelong wish, to protect his country with honor, fighting until the last drop of his blood was spilt.


    He had finally become the truly free eagle, soaring in the azure sky he had longed for.


    And her?


    How could he bear to leave her on this ravaged land?


    She didn¡¯t know if he thought of her before his sacrifice, or if he considered how she would be without him.


    During those days of despair, she cried herself to sleep every night. When loneliness overwhelmed her in the dead of night, she¡¯d think to just die and follow him. But come dawn, she¡¯d scold herself for betraying his years of dedication to her. She was a life he had snatched back from King Yama, bite by bite, and she didn¡¯t even have the right to die.


    If she went to see him without a fight, she knew he¡¯d give her a mouthful, she was sure of it.


    She had survived the toughest days; how could she lack spirit on this very land he had fought for so fiercely, laying down his life in the process?


    Waking up one night, she gathered her spirits and forced herself to live, pouring both her and his passion for life into the reconstruction work of the new city.


    When she finally received the medal of honor from the mayor, she wished he could stand beside her, proud of her.


    Looking at the other honored citizens embracing their loved ones happily, she could only quietly step back in envy and bring a bouquet of paper flowers to his grave.


    She wanted to tell him that she hadn¡¯t let him down, that he had given his life for the country and the people, and although she couldn¡¯t do the same, she could still contribute her modest efforts to the country he loved.


    But what she wanted most was still him¡­


    Tears unknowingly trailed down her cheeks.


    Suddenly, a small hand reached out, offering her a tissue.


    Su Shu came to her senses, hesitated before accepting the tissue and wiping her face casually. She smiled at Xiao¡¯ai, turned off the engine, and took Xiao¡¯ai home.


    As the elevator numbers climbed, Su Shu suddenly laughed in the confined space.


    In her past life, he had kept her reeling with his antics; this time, she was the gold-gleaming, reborn individual. Let¡¯s see how he¡¯d fool her now, his old tricks were useless against her! She lifted the corners of her lips, her eyes brimming with tears and laughter.

 Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 037 I Have a Capricious Space

    Chapter 37: Chapter 037 I Have a Capricious Space


    After dinner, she gave Xiao¡¯ai a fragrant bath, dried her off, and then tucked her into bed.


    Perhaps exhausted from playing all day, Xiao¡¯ai fell asleep shortly after hitting the bed. Su Shu tiptoed to turn off the light and close the door before returning to her own room, planning to check the space inside the Ink Jade Ring.


    The ring had long been linked to her consciousness, which was the only reason it had reincarnated with her. However, Su Shu had thought hard but couldn¡¯t remember when this connection was established. Thinking too much gave her a headache, so she set it aside, knowing that the space inside the Ink Jade Ring was hers to use was enough.


    The last time she entered, she only took a rough look.


    When collecting goods, she only focused on storing the food in the warehouse she had previously selected, without giving much thought to anything else. Upon entering, she discovered that the sacks of rice and flour she had collected were neatly and orderly arranged layer by layer in the warehouse.


    Su Shu stood at the doorway of the warehouse, amazed, and what surprised her even more was another feature. There was a crossroad inside the doorway, just wide enough for one person to pass, seemingly designed to facilitate the movement of goods. The crossroads were paved with rectangular stone bricks. Whether it was an illusion or not, she always felt that the warehouse seemed a bit larger than before.


    After checking the stocks of rice and flour, Su Shu stepped out of the warehouse and stood in the yard, feeling very secure as she looked at the small courtyard.


    With this space, if she and Xiao¡¯ai ever faced insurmountable difficulties, they could hide here for temporary safety. However, hiding from the world was not a solution. The sudden crisis of the Apocalypse would one day pass. She had never considered running away from what she needed to face.


    It took two to three hours to organize everything she had previously brought in. Fortunately, she


    examined the main living quarter and two side rooms but found no modern items, suggesting the space also had been around for some time. The master bedroom had two brocade quilts, the surfaces exquisitely embroidered, so fine that even someone like her, who knew little about such things, could tell they were of high quality. Touching them, she felt they were indeed fine items.


    After a full circle, Su Shu felt that the previous owner of this space must have been someone indifferent to fame and wealth, someone whose temperament persisted modesty yet elegantly from inside and out. It was clear from the surroundings that the owner had a fondness for nature and revered the natural way of being.


    Regardless, she had looked everywhere and found no rare treasures of any kind.


    In a corner of the yard was a well. Feeling tired, she drew some cool well water and sat at the stone table in the yard to drink and rest.


    The nature inside the space seemed to operate as its own ecosystem, no different from the outside. There were breezes and sunshine. However, Su Shu noticed something different still.


    Last time she entered, the sky was grey and murky, and the water in the pond beside the house was as still as dead water without a ripple. But this time, for some reason, she found the sky seemed much brighter than before, and the color was bluer. Occasionally when the wind blew, it stirred up ripples on the surface of the pond beside the house.


    Everything around seemed to have gained a bit of vitality.


    Su Shu drank some water and thought, could it be because she was moving things into the space, or because she started using the space more frequently?


    For the moment, she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly caused the space to burst with life. However, she could think of those two reasons. If that was the case, she planned to continue adding things inside and would frequently use it. If indeed that was the reason, then she was truly looking forward to seeing what this small world would eventually become.


    She wondered what it would slowly turn into in the future.

 Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 034 I Refuse to Believe I Cant Cure You

    Chapter 34: Chapter 034 I Refuse to Believe I Can¡¯t Cure You


    After parting with his good friend, Tang Zelin climbed the stairs with his car keys in hand.


    Upon opening the door, he happened to encounter his father¡¯s subordinate coming out with a briefcase, smiling and greeting him, ¡°It¡¯s noon, won¡¯t you stay for lunch?¡±


    Chen Cheng did not expect that upon opening the door, he would encounter the young group captain of the Tang Family, whose reputation preceded him. Startled for a second, he smiled and extended his hand, ¡°Chen Cheng, just transferred to the staff office.¡±


    ¡°Tang Zelin.¡± He shook hands openly. ¡°How¡¯s the chief¡¯s mood today?¡±


    Chen Cheng replied, ¡°Seems not too good.¡±


    Tang Zelin nodded in understanding, ¡°Need a ride?¡±


    ¡°No need, I drove,¡± he said, pointing to a military vehicle beside him.


    ¡°Then take care, I won¡¯t see you out.¡±


    After exchanging greetings, Tang Zelin went inside, and as Chen Cheng descended the steps and walked a few paces, he suddenly stopped, turned back to glance at the spot where Tang Zelin had disappeared, and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Two strangers who had never seen each other before managed to chat so much upon their first meeting; this illustrious military scion wasn¡¯t as unyielding and aloof as the rumors suggested. However, his demeanor was remarkable, commanding an innate control over everything around him. In just a brief encounter, he had dealt with his new subordinate from the B Military Region¡¯s father so comfortably, not causing any awkwardness¡ªdefinitely not an ordinary man.


    Chen Cheng gradually developed a rather good impression of Group Captain Tang, who was said to always be on duty at the border defense forces in C city.


    On his way here, the slight doubts about his future unknowingly faded somewhat due to this little interlude. He couldn¡¯t quite make sense of it yet, but his mood had certainly brightened.


    As soon as he entered the house, Tang Zelin smelled the aroma of top-grade Dahongpao tea.


    It seemed his old man was somewhat irritable; every time his mood deteriorated, he would calm his thoughts with Dahongpao tea.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    A curt, cold grunt.


    Tang Zelin pocketed his keys, changed into a pair of slippers, and walked over to the sofa next to his father, Tang Husheng, and sat down.


    ¡°The mood¡¯s quite good, eh? The tea¡¯s nice; I could smell its fragrance the moment I entered.¡±


    Tang Husheng, now in his fifties, had a stalwart appearance and a resolute face. Without speaking a word, his stern look was commanding, even though time had marked him with age, you could still see the handsome and valiant demeanor from his youth. Father and son sitting together, they resembled each other by about seventy to eighty percent.


    The remaining twenty to thirty percent of Zelin was inherited from his late mother, who hailed from a scholarly family, bringing a refined and genteel air to his presence.


    Therefore, Tang Husheng was extremely proud to have such an outstanding son in his life.


    But!


    A son grown can¡¯t be kept by his father¡¯s side!


    He¡¯d carried a gun and artillery for the country all his life, his body riddled with bullet holes over the years. Having reached middle age, with only two bachelors in the family, his son continued in his footsteps, always heading into danger.


    At his age, all the other old men in the compound had little grandchildren hopping around and calling them grandpa.


    Except him!


    He spent every day with his heart in his throat, worrying about his son.


    He wanted him to take a break, come home, arrange a proper marriage, find a wife to settle down with and have children. Why was that so difficult?


    Old Yuan said he had introduced him to more than a dozen suitable girls; upon inquiry, not a single one was willing. On the rare occasion one agreed to give it a try, they couldn¡¯t even find where he was.


    Tang Husheng slammed his teacup onto the table with a thud and said in a deep voice, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Tang Zelin picked up two peanuts and looked up, puzzled, ¡°Speak about what?¡±


    ¡°What kind of girl do you want? Age, looks, figure, personality, hobbies, family background¡­ Detail everything. I don¡¯t care about whether it¡¯s a suitable match anymore. Before you go back to the troops, you must find me a daughter-in-law. I know what you want to do when you go back¡ªlead the team into the mountains for training, right? Fine, I am not unreasonable. Want to lead the team? Fine, but once a daughter-in-law comes through the door, you can roll back to the mountains. Without a daughter-in-law, you¡¯re going to stay and continue these blind dates!¡±

 Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 039: Whats Mine Is Mine Forever

    Chapter 39: Chapter 039: What¡¯s Mine Is Mine Forever


    The next day, dawn was just breaking.


    Su Shu got up early to cook, and to her surprise, Xiao¡¯ai also rose very early.


    The little one rubbed her eyes, pushed open the door, and upon seeing Su Shu, paused for two seconds, seemingly recalling the events of the previous night. She studied Su Shu intently for a while, her little eyes whirring around twice before she turned to go to the bathroom to wash her face.


    Su Shu followed her but brought up neither the previous day¡¯s matters nor any explanations; she simply relayed the day¡¯s agenda.


    She secretly watched Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s expression and noticed that when she mentioned leaving the city for the countryside, Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled.


    The car traveled from the city center to the highway entrance, and by the time it was daybreak, just before entering the highway, she called the grain store owner to confirm Peng Village¡¯s location once more before departing from City C toward Peng Village.


    Xiao¡¯ai, dressed in a simple and cute pair of overalls with her hair in two braids, sat quietly in the back seat, gazing out at the scenery through the window, the clear black of her pupils reflecting the outside view.


    *


    Yuanteng Group¡¯s City C headquarters.


    In front of the bright and clean floor-to-ceiling windows, a pair of deep black eyes looked out faintly, overlooking the city from above, as all that was familiar came back into his view.


    Shen Han stood for a long time, as if immersed in memories unique to him, to the extent that the secretary who came to deliver documents in the midst of it didn¡¯t dare disturb him, quietly placing the documents down before quickly leaving.


    After a while, the man frowned.


    He still couldn¡¯t understand how someone he knew so well could have changed so much, so suddenly.


    Turning around, a black and solemn desk lay before him, on which rested a manila envelope. He had already reviewed its contents¡ªthe information he had someone gather about Su Shu. Everything about her recent life was detailed therein. He had gone through it, and if he hadn¡¯t seen Su Shu with his own eyes, hadn¡¯t personally encountered the person she had become, he would believe his Su Shu hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    The woman in the documents was still the girl from his memories.


    But the real her felt strangely distant to him.


    Damn this feeling!


    Shen Han¡¯s expression darkened. Seeing the documents on the desk, a flash of impatience crossed his eyes. The people below were becoming increasingly careless in their work, not only failing to uncover anything useful about Su Shu but also unable to determine if there were any men with a special relationship within her life sphere.


    Feeling gloomy, he casually lit a cigarette.


    Who was that man across from the mall that day? From his angle, he could clearly see the look on her face as she threw herself at that man. It was only at times like this that Shen Han hated his excellent vision; if it weren¡¯t for that, he wouldn¡¯t have seen the look Su Shu gave that man.


    Having known Su Shu for so many years, he was all too familiar with her. After she lost her parents in her teenage years, she rarely opened her heart to others, and he had once wondered what about him made her fall for him at first sight.


    So while others might not understand, he could see what was in her eyes.


    It was an incredibly strong emotion, and he felt that in facing that man, Su Shu¡¯s reactions were even more excited and dependent than when she faced him.


    Dependent?


    Shen Han frowned, wondering why that word came to his mind, irritating him.


    The burning ember of the cigarette wasn¡¯t far from the end, and after extinguishing the cigarette in his hand, Shen Han processed the documents that needed his signature with efficiency, grabbed his coat from the hanger, and left the office.


    When something started to spiral out of control, he preferred to take active measures rather than wait passively, to keep the potential chaos firmly within his grasp.

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 041 Suddenly Someone from the City Arrived in the Village

    Chapter 41: Chapter 041 Suddenly Someone from the City Arrived in the Village


    An endless stream of orders flew in; Peng Chunlai really couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that their village¡¯s rice wasn¡¯t for sale anymore.


    Many people in the village relied on this money to get married, have children, and send their kids to school. Who could just stop selling like that? Although one had to listen to the elders, Peng Chunlai figured that if things became untenable, he could at least sell this batch first to see how things went.


    After leaving the Village Chief¡¯s home, Elder Peng walked back to his house, hands clasped behind his back, nodding his head in greeting as numerous villagers said hello along the way.


    As he was about to reach his front door, a gaggle of bare-bottomed boys came rushing towards him, chattering excitedly.


    ¡°Elder Peng, Elder Peng! A big Jeep has come to your house!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been here before!¡±


    Elder Peng squinted and looked forward for a while, then patted the heads of the young lads, ¡°Go on and play, I have guests.¡±


    The children scattered, and standing next to the Jeep were two energetic young men. It was none other than Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao. They stood on either side of the rear of the vehicle; upon seeing Elder Peng approach, Tang Zelin walked up to greet him with a smile.


    ¡°Elder Peng.¡±


    Elder Peng looked up, ¡°You lad, why have you come again?¡±


    Although his words seemed somewhat annoyed, his facial expression didn¡¯t quite match his words. Being a junior, Tang Zelin knew that whatever the elder said was to be respected; he called over his friend to introduce him: ¡°Elder Peng, this is my brother, Yuan Xiao.¡±


    Yuan Xiao, always lively and cheerful, stepped forward to greet him.


    ¡°Yuan Xiao pays his respects to Elder Peng!¡±


    ¡°Good, good, a fine young man. Dark and sturdy at a glance,¡± Elder Peng said.


    Yuan Xiao looked at his friend with tears like waterfalls;¡­


    He wasn¡¯t naturally dark. It was a tan! A tan!


    The village was small; news spread fast. The arrival of a big Jeep became known to everyone within moments, and it was said that they were the military leaders of a Peng family member from years ago. Curiosity brought many villagers quietly to Elder Peng¡¯s house to join in the commotion.


    The villagers all knew, how could the Village Chief, Peng Chunlai, not know? He hadn¡¯t finished a packet of cigarettes when he caught wind of it and grabbed two bottles from a relative¡¯s small supermarket and headed over.


    It was said that in his youth, Elder Peng had fought in wars; although what wars were not specifically known. Nowadays, it was rare to see such sprightly octogenarians in the village. Moreover, a few years ago, the Peng family¡¯s grandson had died honorably in the service, and his medal of valor was sent home. Despite the fact that the Peng Family¡¯s economic condition wasn¡¯t the best, everyone held them in high regard; even the Village Chief, Peng Chunlai, greeted Elder Peng with utmost respect upon seeing him.


    When Peng Chunlai entered, Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao were sitting cross-legged on the ¡®kang¡¯ bed, chatting with Elder Peng. Seeing him carry in two bottles of liquor, Elder Peng raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Elder Peng, I heard some of the army folks were here. I knew you¡¯d enjoy these; I brought two bottles for you to sip while you chat,¡± Peng Chunlai said with a smile.


    After speaking, he looked towards the others. He recognized Tang Zelin who had visited before but not the slightly tanned young man beside him.


    Yuan Xiao introduced himself, ¡°Hello Village Chief, my name is Yuan Xiao. I used to serve in the army too, then I left and went into business.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good, good, please sit, your visit to see Elder Peng is much appreciated.¡± Turning to Elder Peng he said, ¡°My wife is preparing some snack dishes to bring over later. Here¡¯s some salted peanuts for now, Elder Peng; shall we start with these?¡±


    ¡°Put them down,¡± Elder Peng said.

 Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 037 I Have a Capricious Space

    Chapter 37: Chapter 037 I Have a Capricious Space


    After dinner, she gave Xiao¡¯ai a fragrant bath, dried her off, and then tucked her into bed.


    Perhaps exhausted from playing all day, Xiao¡¯ai fell asleep shortly after hitting the bed. Su Shu tiptoed to turn off the light and close the door before returning to her own room, planning to check the space inside the Ink Jade Ring.


    The ring had long been linked to her consciousness, which was the only reason it had reincarnated with her. However, Su Shu had thought hard but couldn¡¯t remember when this connection was established. Thinking too much gave her a headache, so she set it aside, knowing that the space inside the Ink Jade Ring was hers to use was enough.


    The last time she entered, she only took a rough look.


    When collecting goods, she only focused on storing the food in the warehouse she had previously selected, without giving much thought to anything else. Upon entering, she discovered that the sacks of rice and flour she had collected were neatly and orderly arranged layer by layer in the warehouse.


    Su Shu stood at the doorway of the warehouse, amazed, and what surprised her even more was another feature. There was a crossroad inside the doorway, just wide enough for one person to pass, seemingly designed to facilitate the movement of goods. The crossroads were paved with rectangular stone bricks. Whether it was an illusion or not, she always felt that the warehouse seemed a bit larger than before.


    After checking the stocks of rice and flour, Su Shu stepped out of the warehouse and stood in the yard, feeling very secure as she looked at the small courtyard.


    With this space, if she and Xiao¡¯ai ever faced insurmountable difficulties, they could hide here for temporary safety. However, hiding from the world was not a solution. The sudden crisis of the Apocalypse would one day pass. She had never considered running away from what she needed to face.


    It took two to three hours to organize everything she had previously brought in. Fortunately, she


    examined the main living quarter and two side rooms but found no modern items, suggesting the space also had been around for some time. The master bedroom had two brocade quilts, the surfaces exquisitely embroidered, so fine that even someone like her, who knew little about such things, could tell they were of high quality. Touching them, she felt they were indeed fine items.


    After a full circle, Su Shu felt that the previous owner of this space must have been someone indifferent to fame and wealth, someone whose temperament persisted modesty yet elegantly from inside and out. It was clear from the surroundings that the owner had a fondness for nature and revered the natural way of being.


    Regardless, she had looked everywhere and found no rare treasures of any kind.


    In a corner of the yard was a well. Feeling tired, she drew some cool well water and sat at the stone table in the yard to drink and rest.


    The nature inside the space seemed to operate as its own ecosystem, no different from the outside. There were breezes and sunshine. However, Su Shu noticed something different still.


    Last time she entered, the sky was grey and murky, and the water in the pond beside the house was as still as dead water without a ripple. But this time, for some reason, she found the sky seemed much brighter than before, and the color was bluer. Occasionally when the wind blew, it stirred up ripples on the surface of the pond beside the house.


    Everything around seemed to have gained a bit of vitality.


    Su Shu drank some water and thought, could it be because she was moving things into the space, or because she started using the space more frequently?


    For the moment, she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly caused the space to burst with life. However, she could think of those two reasons. If that was the case, she planned to continue adding things inside and would frequently use it. If indeed that was the reason, then she was truly looking forward to seeing what this small world would eventually become.


    She wondered what it would slowly turn into in the future.

 Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 038: Awesome, My Genius Cute Kid

    Chapter 38: Chapter 038: Awesome, My Genius Cute Kid


    After resting in the space for a while, Su Shu decided to go out.


    But as soon as she stepped out, her soul almost flew out of her body in fright!


    At the door, the Dinosaur toy was squatting on the floor with an apple in its embrace, like a door deity, staring at her¡­


    Patting her chest to calm her racing heart, she looked around and did not find Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s figure, but¡­ if it wasn¡¯t Xiao¡¯ai, how did the Dinosaur toy get here?


    She bent down to pick up the apple and touched it; it was washed.


    Was it Xiao¡¯ai who washed it?


    Hadn¡¯t she gone to sleep?


    Su Shu¡¯s brain went blank for a moment as if she suddenly realized something. After she went into the space, Xiao¡¯ai couldn¡¯t have woken up and come looking for her, could she?


    If the apple was from Xiao¡¯ai, what would she think finding no auntie in the bedroom? For a moment, Su Shu stood there, looking at the apple in her hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.


    Crunch, she took a bite of the apple.


    This little girl of hers, silent all day, who knows what goes on inside that little head of hers. It seems she still hasn¡¯t let go of the matters that she can¡¯t understand. Now, what must she be thinking when she wakes up to find her auntie not in the house?


    However, Su Shu soon felt puzzled again. Since Xiao¡¯ai knew she wasn¡¯t in the room, how did Xiao¡¯ai decide to leave the apple here? Could she have the ability to foresee events?


    Thinking hard but unable to figure it out, Su Shu picked up the Dinosaur toy from the floor, bit into the apple, and left through the door. After all the fuss, she felt a little peckish and wanted to find something to eat for a midnight snack.


    But¡­


    Right in front of the bedroom, a pair of big black eyes were staring straight at her from the couch.


    Biting into the apple, Su Shu froze at the doorway, still holding the Dinosaur toy¡­


    Su Shu: ¡­Has this child been waiting here the whole time?


    Xiao¡¯ai wrapped her arms around her chest, her delicate little eyebrows suddenly raised, her dark, shiny eyes twinkled as if she had found a breakthrough in a problem that had puzzled her for a long time. Suddenly, she flipped over, slid off the couch, and ran toward Su Shu, tiptoeing to reach for the ¡°little friend¡± in Su Shu¡¯s hand.


    Su Shu came back to her senses and quickly returned the Dinosaur toy to her, feeling slightly embarrassed, ¡°Well¡­ Xiao¡¯ai¡­¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai took back the Dinosaur toy without any reaction and went around Su Shu to take a look into her bedroom, though it was unclear what she was looking for. Then she turned and went back to her own room.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai?¡± Su Shu wanted to go over and explain, although she didn¡¯t know exactly what to explain.


    The bedroom door slammed shut right in front of her nose.


    Standing outside the door, Su Shu touched her nose, well, it seemed her status had plummeted, almost as much as Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s snack stash.


    Even a fool could understand Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s series of actions.


    Su Shu sat on the couch, looking at Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s tightly closed door. When she went into the space, Xiao¡¯ai must have woken up and not found her, then began to doubt. The little girl was just as she expected, not at all dumb; not to mention her careful observance. Just the other day, the child started to puzzle over something, her perseverance showing as she followed alongside her every day with the determination to understand, no matter how sleepy or tired. Su Shu had to admire that.


    The little girl was only five years old!


    It seemed the doubts of the past few days and today¡¯s apple might all be the reasons this little girl wanted to figure things out.


    Su Shu had never taken care of children before, so she didn¡¯t know how much comprehension a five-year-old girl could have about the events happening around her. But when she came out, there was Xiao¡¯ai, sitting at the couch, watching and waiting the whole time. What was she waiting for?


    Was she waiting for her to come out? Su Shu thought.


    Could it be that this little girl wanted to see if she would come out of the seemingly empty bedroom?


    If she came back from outside the front door, that would be normal, perhaps she had gone out. But if she came out from the bedroom, that would mean the auntie was a ghost¡­ uh?


    Could a five-year-old child consider such complex causes and effects with such a high level of intelligence?


    Su Shu looked toward Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s room, suddenly feeling a little uneasy. Xiao¡¯ai was young. How would a child interpret these sudden disappearances and appearances?


    Good heavens! She, a grown person who had faced all kinds of big storms, had been reborn and had inadvertently stumbled in front of a little tot?


    Such a careless mistake!

 Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 039: Whats Mine Is Mine Forever

    Chapter 39: Chapter 039: What¡¯s Mine Is Mine Forever


    The next day, dawn was just breaking.


    Su Shu got up early to cook, and to her surprise, Xiao¡¯ai also rose very early.


    The little one rubbed her eyes, pushed open the door, and upon seeing Su Shu, paused for two seconds, seemingly recalling the events of the previous night. She studied Su Shu intently for a while, her little eyes whirring around twice before she turned to go to the bathroom to wash her face.


    Su Shu followed her but brought up neither the previous day¡¯s matters nor any explanations; she simply relayed the day¡¯s agenda.


    She secretly watched Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s expression and noticed that when she mentioned leaving the city for the countryside, Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled.


    The car traveled from the city center to the highway entrance, and by the time it was daybreak, just before entering the highway, she called the grain store owner to confirm Peng Village¡¯s location once more before departing from City C toward Peng Village.


    Xiao¡¯ai, dressed in a simple and cute pair of overalls with her hair in two braids, sat quietly in the back seat, gazing out at the scenery through the window, the clear black of her pupils reflecting the outside view.


    *


    Yuanteng Group¡¯s City C headquarters.


    In front of the bright and clean floor-to-ceiling windows, a pair of deep black eyes looked out faintly, overlooking the city from above, as all that was familiar came back into his view.


    Shen Han stood for a long time, as if immersed in memories unique to him, to the extent that the secretary who came to deliver documents in the midst of it didn¡¯t dare disturb him, quietly placing the documents down before quickly leaving.


    After a while, the man frowned.


    He still couldn¡¯t understand how someone he knew so well could have changed so much, so suddenly.


    Turning around, a black and solemn desk lay before him, on which rested a manila envelope. He had already reviewed its contents¡ªthe information he had someone gather about Su Shu. Everything about her recent life was detailed therein. He had gone through it, and if he hadn¡¯t seen Su Shu with his own eyes, hadn¡¯t personally encountered the person she had become, he would believe his Su Shu hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    The woman in the documents was still the girl from his memories.


    But the real her felt strangely distant to him.


    Damn this feeling!


    Shen Han¡¯s expression darkened. Seeing the documents on the desk, a flash of impatience crossed his eyes. The people below were becoming increasingly careless in their work, not only failing to uncover anything useful about Su Shu but also unable to determine if there were any men with a special relationship within her life sphere.


    Feeling gloomy, he casually lit a cigarette.


    Who was that man across from the mall that day? From his angle, he could clearly see the look on her face as she threw herself at that man. It was only at times like this that Shen Han hated his excellent vision; if it weren¡¯t for that, he wouldn¡¯t have seen the look Su Shu gave that man.


    Having known Su Shu for so many years, he was all too familiar with her. After she lost her parents in her teenage years, she rarely opened her heart to others, and he had once wondered what about him made her fall for him at first sight.


    So while others might not understand, he could see what was in her eyes.


    It was an incredibly strong emotion, and he felt that in facing that man, Su Shu¡¯s reactions were even more excited and dependent than when she faced him.


    Dependent?


    Shen Han frowned, wondering why that word came to his mind, irritating him.


    The burning ember of the cigarette wasn¡¯t far from the end, and after extinguishing the cigarette in his hand, Shen Han processed the documents that needed his signature with efficiency, grabbed his coat from the hanger, and left the office.


    When something started to spiral out of control, he preferred to take active measures rather than wait passively, to keep the potential chaos firmly within his grasp.

 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 045: Going Hunting in the Mountains Tomorrow, Will You Join?

    Chapter 45: Chapter 045: Going Hunting in the Mountains Tomorrow, Will You Join?


    Tang Zelin sat for a while in front of his comrade¡¯s grave. When he was descending the mountain, he happened to bump into Peng Sanye, who had just finished his errands.


    ¡°Grandpa Sanye.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you went out?¡± Peng Sanye saw him coming from the direction of the mountain and hesitated before asking, ¡°Did you go to see Xiaojun?¡±


    Tang Zelin nodded, ¡°Yeah, had some drinks with him.¡±


    Peng Sanye sighed and said nothing. Some things didn¡¯t need to be voiced; they were understood in the heart.


    Walking with Tang Zelin a few steps inside, he suddenly said, ¡°Just went to Old Gangtou¡¯s house. People in the village want to go hunting in the mountains, possibly in the next few days. You staying here for a few days, lad? Interested in joining them for a look?¡±


    ¡°Into the mountains to hunt?¡± Tang Zelin showed a pleased expression.


    ¡°Yep, someone came back from the mountains and saw something good, thinking about fresh meat. A bunch of rascals, young but with gluttonous mouths, all beseeched at the door of the old hunter¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, I love it.¡±


    He too was someone who enjoyed venturing into the mountains. This vacation had left him feeling hairy all over. If people from Peng Village were going hunting, of course, he wanted to go, and maybe he would even drag Yuan Xiao along to let the pampered child of privilege also experience what local customs were like.


    Once inside, Peng Sanye mentioned the hunting plan to Peng Chunlai, who jumped up excitedly, slapping Peng Sanye¡¯s hand repeatedly in praise.


    ¡°That hunter Zhang can only be summoned by you, Grandpa Sanye. So, it¡¯s settled then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled. Go arrange it,¡± Peng Sanye nodded in agreement.


    Upon hearing this good news, Village Chief Peng Chunlai no longer lingered with his drink. After speaking with Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao, he hurried off to make arrangements. Going into the mountains to hunt was a risky affair; they had been preparing for some time, as Hunter Zhang from East Mountain had been silent, but unexpectedly, it cleared up today, a rare occurrence indeed.


    After his departure, Yuan Xiao was puzzled.


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the situation here? I was just chatting with Uncle about modernizing rural reforms!¡±


    Tang Zelin patted his shoulder, laughing, ¡°Still talking about pilot projects? Wondering if you can scrape together anything dry to do all day.¡±


    ¡°What I scrape together isn¡¯t dry?¡± Yuan Xiao patted his belly, ¡°I¡¯ve got a belly full of strategies for getting rich just waiting to be showcased!¡±


    ¡°Go show off somewhere else,¡± Tang Zelin retorted with a laugh.


    Yuan Xiao leaned in and asked, ¡°I saw you whispering with Grandpa Sanye as you came in, all smiles. What were you guys chatting about?¡±


    ¡°People in the village are going into the mountains to hunt tomorrow, want to join?¡±


    ¡°Holy crap!!! Really?¡± Yuan Xiao¡¯s excitement rose.


    Tang Zelin gave him a look, ¡°Are you going or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going! You don¡¯t know me too well; I love this stuff!¡± Leaning closely, he asked, ¡°What are we hunting? Can we handle it?¡±


    Tang Zelin thought for a moment, ¡°Don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask Grandpa Sanye later. Are your skills up to it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®up to it,¡¯ it¡¯s a must!¡±


    Yuan Xiao squinted his eyes, tilting his head in a manner suggesting you underestimate me.


    ¡°Buddy, have I not streaked through the jungles of Africa, shooting arrows and wooing girls? Hunting is nothing hard.¡±


    Tang Zelin crossed his arms, thinking, let¡¯s just see you showing off quietly¡­


    In the evening, after dinner, Tang Zelin accompanied Peng Sanye for a digestive stroll outside. During their walk, Peng Sanye suddenly said, ¡°When you get up early tomorrow, pick something suitable from the storeroom. Once we are in the mountains, remember to be cautious.¡±


    Tang Zelin laughed: ¡°Grandpa Sanye, do you really need to worry about me?¡± He was practically a native of the mountains.

 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 041 Suddenly Someone from the City Arrived in the Village

    Chapter 41: Chapter 041 Suddenly Someone from the City Arrived in the Village


    An endless stream of orders flew in; Peng Chunlai really couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that their village¡¯s rice wasn¡¯t for sale anymore.


    Many people in the village relied on this money to get married, have children, and send their kids to school. Who could just stop selling like that? Although one had to listen to the elders, Peng Chunlai figured that if things became untenable, he could at least sell this batch first to see how things went.


    After leaving the Village Chief¡¯s home, Elder Peng walked back to his house, hands clasped behind his back, nodding his head in greeting as numerous villagers said hello along the way.


    As he was about to reach his front door, a gaggle of bare-bottomed boys came rushing towards him, chattering excitedly.


    ¡°Elder Peng, Elder Peng! A big Jeep has come to your house!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been here before!¡±


    Elder Peng squinted and looked forward for a while, then patted the heads of the young lads, ¡°Go on and play, I have guests.¡±


    The children scattered, and standing next to the Jeep were two energetic young men. It was none other than Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao. They stood on either side of the rear of the vehicle; upon seeing Elder Peng approach, Tang Zelin walked up to greet him with a smile.


    ¡°Elder Peng.¡±


    Elder Peng looked up, ¡°You lad, why have you come again?¡±


    Although his words seemed somewhat annoyed, his facial expression didn¡¯t quite match his words. Being a junior, Tang Zelin knew that whatever the elder said was to be respected; he called over his friend to introduce him: ¡°Elder Peng, this is my brother, Yuan Xiao.¡±


    Yuan Xiao, always lively and cheerful, stepped forward to greet him.


    ¡°Yuan Xiao pays his respects to Elder Peng!¡±


    ¡°Good, good, a fine young man. Dark and sturdy at a glance,¡± Elder Peng said.


    Yuan Xiao looked at his friend with tears like waterfalls;¡­


    He wasn¡¯t naturally dark. It was a tan! A tan!


    The village was small; news spread fast. The arrival of a big Jeep became known to everyone within moments, and it was said that they were the military leaders of a Peng family member from years ago. Curiosity brought many villagers quietly to Elder Peng¡¯s house to join in the commotion.


    The villagers all knew, how could the Village Chief, Peng Chunlai, not know? He hadn¡¯t finished a packet of cigarettes when he caught wind of it and grabbed two bottles from a relative¡¯s small supermarket and headed over.


    It was said that in his youth, Elder Peng had fought in wars; although what wars were not specifically known. Nowadays, it was rare to see such sprightly octogenarians in the village. Moreover, a few years ago, the Peng family¡¯s grandson had died honorably in the service, and his medal of valor was sent home. Despite the fact that the Peng Family¡¯s economic condition wasn¡¯t the best, everyone held them in high regard; even the Village Chief, Peng Chunlai, greeted Elder Peng with utmost respect upon seeing him.


    When Peng Chunlai entered, Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao were sitting cross-legged on the ¡®kang¡¯ bed, chatting with Elder Peng. Seeing him carry in two bottles of liquor, Elder Peng raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Elder Peng, I heard some of the army folks were here. I knew you¡¯d enjoy these; I brought two bottles for you to sip while you chat,¡± Peng Chunlai said with a smile.


    After speaking, he looked towards the others. He recognized Tang Zelin who had visited before but not the slightly tanned young man beside him.


    Yuan Xiao introduced himself, ¡°Hello Village Chief, my name is Yuan Xiao. I used to serve in the army too, then I left and went into business.¡±


    ¡°Ah, good, good, please sit, your visit to see Elder Peng is much appreciated.¡± Turning to Elder Peng he said, ¡°My wife is preparing some snack dishes to bring over later. Here¡¯s some salted peanuts for now, Elder Peng; shall we start with these?¡±


    ¡°Put them down,¡± Elder Peng said.

 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 042: My Grandson Came to Me in a Dream

    Chapter 42: Chapter 042: My Grandson Came to Me in a Dream


    ¡°Ah!¡± Peng Chunlai, delighted, placed two bottles of wine on the table and took a seat beside Grandpa Peng¡¯s bed-stove.


    Grandpa Peng glanced at him, said nothing, and then turned to ask Tang Zelin.


    ¡°How¡¯s the chief¡¯s health?¡±


    Tang Zelin smiled, ¡°Great, he¡¯s still training me every day.¡±


    ¡°You always come all this way to see this old man, it must interfere with your work.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m on leave. I can¡¯t stand sitting around at home, it¡¯s comforting to chat with you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Grandpa Peng felt gratified. Tang Zelin was a good lad; anything he said sounded pleasant. His heavy expression from when he first arrived had also cleared up a lot.


    Tang Zelin was a cunning one. In his own father Tang Husheng¡¯s words, he was sharper than a monkey covered in fur since he was young, had more tricks up his sleeve than a wasp¡¯s nest, with a keen eye and quick hands. If it weren¡¯t for his exceptionally straight moral compass, Tang Husheng really wouldn¡¯t have known what to do with him.


    He was both relieved and worried when he joined the army.


    From the moment Village Chief Peng Chunlai entered the room, Tang Zelin sensed the tension between him and Grandpa Peng. He made a mental note of it, planning to ask when the time was right.


    Seeing Tang Zelin¡¯s gaze circling between him and the Village Chief, Grandpa Peng knew the young man must have sensed something. Rather than wait for him to ask, it was better to take the initiative.


    ¡°Did you come from C-city?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Nothing much going on in the city these days?¡±


    Tang Zelin glanced at Yuan Xiao, momentarily at a loss for words, ¡°Grandpa, why do you ask that?¡±


    Seeing his reaction, Grandpa Peng had his answer and waved his hand, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The more he said that, the more Tang Zelin felt something was up and asked a few more questions. The Village Chief then spoke up, explaining the recent issue with selling Lake Rice in the village, and in conclusion, sought the opinion of the two young men from the city about whether the village¡¯s development and reforms were in the right direction.


    Tang Zelin, a soldier, gave a slight smile and casually directed the Village Chief¡¯s question to Yuan Xiao, his brother-in-arms who ¡°did business.¡±


    But he himself distinctly noticed that the issue was much deeper than it appeared from Grandpa Peng¡¯s expression.


    Yuan Xiao found the question perfectly suited for him and eagerly discussed the village¡¯s modernized development with the Village Chief at length.


    Meanwhile, Tang Zelin saw Grandpa Peng sigh inadvertently, prompting him to ask with concern.


    Grandpa Peng looked at his dry pipe, exhaled a couple of times, and said, ¡°Xiaotang.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Grandpa, speak your mind without hesitation. If there¡¯s anything I can do, I will make sure to take care of it for you.¡±


    Grandpa Peng¡¯s grandson was named Peng Xiaojun. He had a simple and honest face and was sincere, down-to-earth, and honorable. He had been Tang Zelin¡¯s comrade in the Special Combat Team. When Peng Xiaojun was a new recruit, Tang Zelin found him interesting¡ªstubborn, yet incredibly patient. Having grown up in the military district where everyone could make waves, Tang Zelin was genuinely challenged training the straightforward Peng Xiaojun.


    From the initial skepticism to finally emerging as an Outstanding Member of the Special Combat Team, Peng Xiaojun had truly won Tang Zelin¡¯s admiration.


    After many battles side by side, Tang Zelin especially liked this comrade. But in one attack against the enemy, Peng Xiaojun had fallen to the enemy bullets while giving his teammates hope to live.


    Tang Zelin still remembered, when he returned the medal to the martyr¡¯s family, how Grandpa Peng had caressed his grandson¡¯s medal with his withered, old hands and said faintly,


    ¡°As a soldier, to die on the battlefield is a great honor for my grandson!¡±


    Sometimes, people are like that, no matter how tough on the outside, a single sentence can pierce right through the heart.


    Back then, Tang Zelin hadn¡¯t said a word. But ever since, whenever he was on leave, no matter the length, as long as time allowed, he would make sure to visit Grandpa Peng and look after Peng Xiaogang for him.


    Grandpa Peng tapped the ashes from his pipe and said, ¡°A few days ago, Xiaogang came to me in a dream.¡±


    Huh?


    Tang Zelin: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 043: Frequent Warnings from Old Friends in Dreams of Peng Mountain

    Chapter 43: Chapter 043: Frequent Warnings from Old Friends in Dreams of Peng Mountain


    Peng Sanye had a rare dream, and when he woke up, his memory was crystal clear.


    In the dream, he saw his grandson who had fallen in battle, walking towards him in an olive-green military uniform, yet not saying a word, no matter how many times he called out. Peng Xiaojun stayed silent, and the old man wept profusely in the dream¡ªit¡¯s said that it¡¯s not good for the deceased to speak to the living in dreams. Peng Sanye thought his Xiaojun, who had reached the Underworld, was still considering his old man¡¯s feelings, his heart aching in the dream.


    It was night in the dream, and he stood at the door of his house, Xiaojun looked at him for a while, then turned and pointed towards the mountains behind the village.


    Peng Sanye did not understand what his grandson Xiaojun meant, only to see Xiaojun continuously pointing towards the murky sky, refusing to lower his arm. He walked up to his grandson, wishing to get closer to the child but was unexpectedly shoved aside by Xiaojun, nearly tumbling to the ground.


    Just as he was about to speak, countless crows flew in from the murky sky. The innumerable flock of birds obscured the sun, covering the entire sky in an instant.


    Boom!


    The mountains and the earth beneath his feet were shaking. Peng Sanye couldn¡¯t even stand, amidst the quaking world, he heard his grandson Xiaojun yell, ¡°Grandpa, the earth is going to be destroyed, run!¡±


    The familiar voice in the dream urged him over and over to escape. Startled in the dream, Peng Sanye staggered, attempting to drag his grandson along to flee, but before he could reach Xiaojun¡¯s hand, Xiaojun¡¯s figure was already engulfed by the black smoke that rolled across the sky.


    Peng Sanye awoke from the dream with a loud shout, in the dead of night, his face drenched in sweat.


    The old man sat disoriented on his own kang bed, draped in an overcoat and smoking throughout the night, his brows knitted with worry.


    When day broke, he strolled alone at the foot of the mountain, blowing off the curiosity of the villagers who wondered what he was up to, and made his way back home after a solo round.


    The scene in the dream was too vivid, so real that even now Peng Sanye felt as if the scenario from the dream could happen at any moment.


    Talking about relatives sending messages through dreams was too mystical. The old man hadn¡¯t figured it out himself and did not want to discuss it with others. But what he didn¡¯t expect was that night, not only he had dreamed of a departed loved one, but many of the older villagers had also experienced various dreams to different extents.


    Although the scenes in their dreams were not exactly the same, the fact that so many people dreamed of their deceased relatives at the same time had the older villagers, who pondered more deeply, worried after discussing among themselves.


    They couldn¡¯t help but feel that something about the sky was about to change, what could it be?


    The younger people in Peng Village were full of drive, and the elders did not have the heart to dampen their spirits. Peng Village had been poor for many years, and every household longed for better days. With the old folks full of apprehension and the young ones bustling with enthusiasm, the atmosphere in Peng Village became strangely eerie these days.


    The elders weren¡¯t sleeping well for several days, all feeling that the situation couldn¡¯t continue this way, so led by Peng Sanye, they went to seek out the Village Chief, Peng Chunlai.


    But even Peng Chunlai was in a fix! When Peng Sanye returned, he was still pondering over what could possibly be done about this situation.


    Whether it was because he was old and wise or because their departed loved ones truly did come to warn them, Peng Sanye had a nagging feeling that trouble was brewing for Peng Village, and if it really came, it might not be minor.


    When Tang Zelin suddenly visited, Peng Sanye was curious for a moment, wanting to ask about the situation in other places. After listening to the entire story from Tang Zelin, he did not immediately express his opinion.

 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 044 Brothers with Wine Walk through Life Together

    Chapter 44: Chapter 044 Brothers with Wine Walk through Life Together


    If Tang Zelin didn¡¯t understand Grandpa Peng¡¯s temperament, he might have taken his words as idle chatter over tea and leftovers. But he knew all too well that the stubborn old man despised all things frivolous and superficial. Since the issue gave Grandpa Peng such trouble, even if it sounded a bit superstitious, Tang Zelin didn¡¯t think it was nonsense.


    Where he served, next to vast forests rarefied with human presence, those ancient woods held many unsolved mysteries. Not every legend had an answer, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be called secrets.


    Grandpa Peng said Xiaojun had come back to see him and had even issued a warning of imminent danger. It was difficult to say whether it was right or wrong. What he was more curious about was what catalyst could have caused all the village elders to dream of their deceased loved ones simultaneously?


    Just this event alone was bizarre enough. Peng Mountain Village, remote and lost amongst the surrounding mountains, was quaint and serene, truly a wondrous place.


    Grandpa Peng didn¡¯t necessarily want Tang Zelin to offer any opinions. He just felt that talking to this younger man was like talking to his own grandson. In letters Xiaojun sent back in those days, he respected and admired him as his captain. Now Tang Zelin was a group captain, but in Grandpa Peng¡¯s eyes, he was still his grandson¡¯s old captain.


    After chatting with Grandpa Peng for a bit, a villager came over to ask Grandpa Peng for help. Grandpa Peng instructed, ¡°Chunlai, take good care of things. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Grandpa. I¡¯ll be right here,¡± Peng Chunlai said with a smile.


    Yuan Xiao and Peng Chunlai were having a spirited conversation, so there naturally wasn¡¯t any issue. In the middle of it, Tang Zelin interjected, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Xiaojun.¡±


    So, seizing the moment while Grandpa Peng was away, he carried a bottle of liquor and walked towards the back mountain.


    Xiaojun¡¯s grave was not far from the foot of the mountain, yet it was buried in the best feng shui spot in Peng Village. The people of Peng Village believed that those who sacrificed themselves for the country and the public were great. The naive young Peng Xiaojun deserved to rest in the finest spot in Peng Village.


    Using his teeth, Tang Zelin pried off the bottle cap, poured two full glasses of liquor, placed one in front of Xiaojun¡¯s gravestone, and threw back the other.


    ¡°My good brother, brother is late this time. Don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    Midway up the mountain, a gentle breeze carried a lingering chill.


    He sat cross-legged in front of his comrade, drinking and talking to himself, sharing some heartfelt thoughts. Looking down from midway up the mountain, the entire Peng Village unfolded before his eyes. In the evening, smoke curled from each household, the sunset glowed like fire, the tired sun had already settled down, and the moon eagerly awaited the new day.


    Gazing at the peaceful and beautiful little village before him, he took a sip of liquor and suddenly gave a faint smile.


    ¡°You little rascal, not bothering us with dreams to chat with your grandpa, but instead, scaring him. Peng Village is so much better than the polluted cities. If such a good place faces difficulties, how can other places survive? Brother came to see you today, I¡¯ll be staying at your house tonight, sleeping in your bed, eating your food. If you miss your brother, come see me tonight just like you visit Grandpa. Hear me? Otherwise, it¡¯ll be a waste of the booze I brought for you.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care if anyone behind him heard his words. There was scenery, there was liquor, there were friends.


    Isn¡¯t this just what Tang Zelin loved the most?


    Through wind, through rain, through barrages of bullets, what¡¯s it all for?


    Heh, for nothing at all!


    As long as he could see a peaceful and serene scenery like the one before him every time he returned on leave, he felt that no hardship or weariness mattered!


    Even if standing guard with a rifle for a lifetime was his fate, he felt it was damn well worth it!

 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 045: Going Hunting in the Mountains Tomorrow, Will You Join?

    Chapter 45: Chapter 045: Going Hunting in the Mountains Tomorrow, Will You Join?


    Tang Zelin sat for a while in front of his comrade¡¯s grave. When he was descending the mountain, he happened to bump into Peng Sanye, who had just finished his errands.


    ¡°Grandpa Sanye.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you went out?¡± Peng Sanye saw him coming from the direction of the mountain and hesitated before asking, ¡°Did you go to see Xiaojun?¡±


    Tang Zelin nodded, ¡°Yeah, had some drinks with him.¡±


    Peng Sanye sighed and said nothing. Some things didn¡¯t need to be voiced; they were understood in the heart.


    Walking with Tang Zelin a few steps inside, he suddenly said, ¡°Just went to Old Gangtou¡¯s house. People in the village want to go hunting in the mountains, possibly in the next few days. You staying here for a few days, lad? Interested in joining them for a look?¡±


    ¡°Into the mountains to hunt?¡± Tang Zelin showed a pleased expression.


    ¡°Yep, someone came back from the mountains and saw something good, thinking about fresh meat. A bunch of rascals, young but with gluttonous mouths, all beseeched at the door of the old hunter¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, I love it.¡±


    He too was someone who enjoyed venturing into the mountains. This vacation had left him feeling hairy all over. If people from Peng Village were going hunting, of course, he wanted to go, and maybe he would even drag Yuan Xiao along to let the pampered child of privilege also experience what local customs were like.


    Once inside, Peng Sanye mentioned the hunting plan to Peng Chunlai, who jumped up excitedly, slapping Peng Sanye¡¯s hand repeatedly in praise.


    ¡°That hunter Zhang can only be summoned by you, Grandpa Sanye. So, it¡¯s settled then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled. Go arrange it,¡± Peng Sanye nodded in agreement.


    Upon hearing this good news, Village Chief Peng Chunlai no longer lingered with his drink. After speaking with Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao, he hurried off to make arrangements. Going into the mountains to hunt was a risky affair; they had been preparing for some time, as Hunter Zhang from East Mountain had been silent, but unexpectedly, it cleared up today, a rare occurrence indeed.


    After his departure, Yuan Xiao was puzzled.


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the situation here? I was just chatting with Uncle about modernizing rural reforms!¡±


    Tang Zelin patted his shoulder, laughing, ¡°Still talking about pilot projects? Wondering if you can scrape together anything dry to do all day.¡±


    ¡°What I scrape together isn¡¯t dry?¡± Yuan Xiao patted his belly, ¡°I¡¯ve got a belly full of strategies for getting rich just waiting to be showcased!¡±


    ¡°Go show off somewhere else,¡± Tang Zelin retorted with a laugh.


    Yuan Xiao leaned in and asked, ¡°I saw you whispering with Grandpa Sanye as you came in, all smiles. What were you guys chatting about?¡±


    ¡°People in the village are going into the mountains to hunt tomorrow, want to join?¡±


    ¡°Holy crap!!! Really?¡± Yuan Xiao¡¯s excitement rose.


    Tang Zelin gave him a look, ¡°Are you going or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going! You don¡¯t know me too well; I love this stuff!¡± Leaning closely, he asked, ¡°What are we hunting? Can we handle it?¡±


    Tang Zelin thought for a moment, ¡°Don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask Grandpa Sanye later. Are your skills up to it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®up to it,¡¯ it¡¯s a must!¡±


    Yuan Xiao squinted his eyes, tilting his head in a manner suggesting you underestimate me.


    ¡°Buddy, have I not streaked through the jungles of Africa, shooting arrows and wooing girls? Hunting is nothing hard.¡±


    Tang Zelin crossed his arms, thinking, let¡¯s just see you showing off quietly¡­


    In the evening, after dinner, Tang Zelin accompanied Peng Sanye for a digestive stroll outside. During their walk, Peng Sanye suddenly said, ¡°When you get up early tomorrow, pick something suitable from the storeroom. Once we are in the mountains, remember to be cautious.¡±


    Tang Zelin laughed: ¡°Grandpa Sanye, do you really need to worry about me?¡± He was practically a native of the mountains.

 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 046: Midnight Dream - Group Captain Tang Gets Possessed

    Chapter 46: Chapter 046: Midnight Dream ¨C Group Captain Tang Gets Possessed


    Peng Grandpa: ¡°Caution is the parent of safety.¡±


    ¡°Yes, okay.¡± Tang Zelin obediently agreed.


    ¡°Originally, this hunter Zhang wasn¡¯t planning to go into the mountain, but today he suddenly agreed to lead the team there. It is said that he noticed the wildlife in the mountain has recently increased. He thought about it a lot and couldn¡¯t figure out why. He figured since there¡¯s more game, it would be good to go hunt some; otherwise, if things in the mountains became too excessive, it wouldn¡¯t be good,¡± Peng Grandpa said as he walked.


    Tang Zelin said, ¡°Grandpa, I see you¡¯ve been preoccupied. Are you worried that something¡¯s not right in the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Peng Grandpa sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t really say. The times are too peaceful, who would complain that the days are too good, but when things go too smoothly, it always makes one feel uneasy.¡±


    He straightened his back and looked at the distant rice fields, saying, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m old, and I¡¯ve become less courageous, not like you young ones who dare to take risks.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you shouldn¡¯t say that. You¡¯re in your eighties and still able to chop wood every day. Truly, that¡¯s growing old with vigor.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, you monkey are just trying to cheer up this old man.¡±


    Tang Zelin laughed heartily, and the grandfather and grandson strolled around Peng Village for a bit before returning home to sleep.


    That night, Yuan Xiao slept soundly, snoring like thunder. Tang Zelin was woken up by his snoring in the middle of the night, and, having no choice, he put on his clothes and went outside to cool off.


    The bright moon was in the sky, the stars twinkled, the lights in the village were out, and it was silent, with just an occasional bark of a dog that wasn¡¯t disturbing.


    He turned to gaze at the mountains behind him. The lush woods from the daytime were now a dark mass. A cool breeze passed, and the sound of rustling leaves filled the air.


    The silent mountain, the tranquil village, the air filled with a faint smell of earth and a slight fragrance of grass and trees¡ªall of it gradually calmed Tang Zelin¡¯s mind.


    Standing on the boundary between ancient tradition and modern civilization in Peng Village, there was an indescribable beauty.


    Suddenly¡­ A familiar voice sounded from behind.


    ¡°Tang Captain, you better leave.¡±


    Tang Zelin was suddenly startled, turning around only to see a familiar face behind him, Peng Xiaojun.


    Still in the familiar olive green, the same honest face, Peng Xiaojun had just suddenly appeared before him, and Tang Zelin was momentarily frozen.


    ¡°Peng Xiaojun?¡±


    ¡°Tang Captain, leave quickly!¡±


    Tang Zelin snapped back to reality, emotional, he took two big steps forward, but Peng Xiaojun stepped back.


    ¡°Tang Captain, you better leave!¡±


    ¡°Peng Xiaojun! You come here!¡± Tang Zelin shouted loudly; he still had a lot to talk to him about.


    When Peng Xiaojun finally disappeared, he shouted loudly, ¡°Tang Captain, leave quickly!¡±


    ¡°Peng Xiaojun!!!¡±


    With a loud shout, Tang Zelin suddenly sat up in bed, and when he regained his senses, he realized it had all been a dream.


    Just lifting his head, he saw a pair of dark eyes staring back at him.


    Yuan Xiao, wearing only a shirt and pants, was squatting on the kang, hugging his legs and staring at him, ¡°Boss, are you possessed or something?¡±


    Tang Zelin threw a pillow at him, Damn it, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s possessed!


    Yuan Xiao moved closer, sat cross-legged next to him, and casually pulled up the lamp by the wall, curiously asking, ¡°Boss, do you know the nonsense you were spouting in your dream?¡±


    Tang Zelin took out a cigarette from the pocket next to him and lit it.


    ¡°Like what.¡±


    Yuan Xiao blinked his big eyes and pursed his lips, saying, ¡°You promised us two hot chicks.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Tang Zelin cursed.


    ¡°Hehe, actually no, you were yelling for Peng Xiaojun the whole time in your dream, brother, are you like the people in this village, cursed in your dreams?¡±

 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 047 I Have a Secret to Tell You

    Chapter 47: Chapter 047 I Have a Secret to Tell You


    Tang Zelin didn¡¯t respond but took a harsh drag on his cigarette and slowly exhaled, then suddenly turned to stare at Yuan Xiao.


    Yuan Xiao tingled with nervousness at his gaze, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t look at me like that, it¡¯s freaky in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Erfat, let me ask you, do you believe in all that supernatural mumbo jumbo?¡±


    ¡°No way! Born in the new China, raised under the red flag, descendant of the red army, my belief is in communism, and my ideal is to strive for the rise of the motherland using Renminbi!¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to sleep in this room?¡± he glared threateningly with narrowed eyes.


    Yuan Xiao honestly said, ¡°You¡¯re allowed to bear arms and stand guard for the country, but you won¡¯t allow Comrade Xiao Yuan to contribute to the GDP of the country? That¡¯s dictatorial!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious here.¡±


    Yuan Xiao seriously replied, ¡°I don¡¯t believe.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Tang Zelin frowned.


    In his dream, Peng Xiaojun kept telling him to hurry up. Why he urged him to hurry up, which related to the dream Peng Laosa had¡ªdifferent words but similar meanings¡ªconfused Tang Zelin in the dead of the night.


    Yuan Xiao also took a cigarette from his pack and said beside him, ¡°Although I don¡¯t believe, after wandering around for a few years and coming back, I¡¯ve had a profound thought.¡±


    Tang Zelin looked up at him lightly, signaling him to continue.


    Inspired, Yuan Xiao expressed his opinion, ¡°My thought is, the more a place leans towards a primitive lifestyle, the more room there is for such things to exist and develop. Like us, living in cities saturated with modern technology, such phenomena lack the space to exist and grow, and if they do, it¡¯s minimal. That¡¯s why many of us don¡¯t believe. Look, a village like Peng Village that can still largely sustain itself is honestly rare nowadays, with every household having electricity and internet. Keeping ancient customs in a village today? It¡¯s too hard.¡±


    ¡°But today, I talked with the Village Chief of Peng Village for most of the day, and I noticed something really strange.¡±


    Tang Zelin took a drag on his cigarette and pointed to a can of beer by the side of the Kang bed. Understanding his cue, Yuan Xiao picked it up, opened it, and handed it to him. Tang Zelin drank as Yuan Xiao continued.


    ¡°I heard from the Village Chief that Peng Village didn¡¯t have roads for vehicles to enter the mountains before. Your car, had it been four or five years ago, couldn¡¯t have made it in at all. To enter the mountains, one had to climb and cross ridges, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he had walked the mountain paths when he came to visit Grandpa Peng some years ago.


    Seeing no reaction from him, Yuan Xiao felt disappointed when his big reveal didn¡¯t get the expected response and continued, ¡°There¡¯s a mountain spring in the back mountains, did you know?¡±


    ¡°I knew.¡±


    Yuan Xiao was internally devastated: ¡­


    How could he continue this conversation when he thought he had new information?


    After finishing the beer and flicking cigarette ash into the empty can, Tang Zelin said, ¡°I know every plant and tree in these mountains better than you do with my eyes closed. Cut the nonsense and get to the point.¡±


    Yuan Xiao said, ¡°When you went up the mountain in the evening to see your comrade-in-arms, I heard something particularly interesting from the Village Chief, something that has happened recently. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Just as Yuan Xiao was about to speak, a sudden noise outside startled him, ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll go check it out.¡±


    Without a second thought, he hopped off the Kang, shuffled in his slippers to the window, listened for a while, still uncertain, and then stealthily pushed open the door to check outside. Tang Zelin sat on the Kang, watching his brother¡¯s superstitious antics, curious yet he didn¡¯t call out to him.


    Only when a cat¡¯s meow came from outside did he hear Yuan Xiao come back in, shivering and breathing heavily, and he climbed back under the covers to warm up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a cat on a midnight walk. Anyway, where did I leave off?¡±


    ¡°You said you heard something interesting.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right! I remember now, continuing on, after you left, I had a casual chat with the Village Chief. As the conversation unfolded, we touched upon the locally grown rice in Peng Village that¡¯s currently in high demand, apparently, they¡¯ve taken on quite a few large orders recently.¡±


    Tang Zelin frowned, ¡°What¡¯s so peculiar about that?¡±


    ¡°The peculiar part is, after the first large order was made, the elderly in Peng Village began to have the same dream. Now, isn¡¯t that strange?¡±

 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 048 Peng Village People Assemble to Hunt in the Mountains

    Chapter 48: Chapter 048 Peng Village People Assemble to Hunt in the Mountains


    Yuan Xiao¡¯s expression, coupled with the tone of his voice, made the late-night conversation seem all too real.


    Tang Zelin pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°What you mean is, there¡¯s something wrong with the village?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just a guess. Whether it is or it isn¡¯t, I really couldn¡¯t say,¡± Yuan Xiao paused, smacking his lips before continuing, ¡°But, when you think about it, if these two things really are connected, bro, doesn¡¯t it give you the creeps?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve done nothing guilty, you¡¯ve got nothing to fear from ghosts knocking on your door. What should I be afraid of? Is it you who¡¯s scared?¡± Tang Zelin laughed and flicked off some ash from his cigarette.


    Yuan Xiao nodded. ¡°You said it. I wasn¡¯t feeling anything off, but just now in the dead of night, even you had a nightmare. Honestly, I¡¯m feeling a bit shaky myself.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t dream about anything?¡±


    Yuan Xiao shook his head: ¡°Nope, when I was born, my grandma had someone look at me, said I was so full of yang energy I was almost smoking, and that even ghosts would piss themselves and flee at the sight of me. I don¡¯t attract that kind of stuff.¡±


    Looking at the watch, it was already past 3 a.m.; they could hardly sleep much longer with dawn approaching, so Tang Zelin asked Yuan Xiao if he was going back to sleep. Yuan Xiao had been woken up by Tang Zelin¡¯s sleep-talking in the middle of the night, and after their stimulating conversation, his sleepiness had faded. They figured there was no point lying down for just a little bit longer.


    Tang Zelin suggested going for a run?


    The moment Yuan Xiao heard this, he flopped back down, pulled the blanket over his face, and cried out, ¡°Bro, spare me, please. Running around in the dead of night, people in the village will think a madman¡¯s been let loose. I¡¯d rather get some sleep.¡±


    Tang Zelin kicked him and cursed: ¡°You coward, did you get discharged from the military just so you could avoid running?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Yuan Xiao didn¡¯t have the nerve to respond.


    While Yuan Xiao tried to catch up on his sleep, Tang Zelin, wide awake now, stepped outside and began exercising in the courtyard beneath the night sky.


    At the crack of dawn, the rooster crowed.


    Peng Chunlai got up early and smiled faintly upon seeing the neat pile of freshly chopped firewood in the corner of the courtyard. His sleep was light, yet he wondered how he hadn¡¯t heard Xiaotang chopping wood.


    In the morning, after everyone had breakfast, those who were preparing to go on the hunting expedition gathered at Peng Chunlai¡¯s place.


    Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao, being visitors, stood aside and didn¡¯t interject. The Village Chief, Peng Chunlai, was directing on-site, and the hunting leader was the veteran hunter, Hunter Zhang. He was in his forties or fifties, lean and taciturn, sitting off to the side on a wooden stump and smoking, waiting to depart.


    Yuan Xiao, with his alert eyes, looked around the gathering a few times before whispering to Tang Zelin, ¡°My word, dozens of people have shown up to hunt rabbits in the mountain?¡±


    Tang Zelin lowered his voice and said, ¡°There may be something good to hunt today.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Cut it out, you¡¯re keeping secrets now?¡±


    Meanwhile, the Village Chief Peng Chunlai was discussing the final arrangements with Chunlai. At first, Chunlai simply nodded in agreement, but later, something the Village Chief said clearly offended him, causing Chunlai to abruptly rebuke him.


    Tang Zelin noticed that when Chunlai scolded the Village Chief, the latter¡¯s expression was somewhat strange. Years of professional instinct made Tang Zelin suspect that this hunting trip to the mountain might not be as straightforward as it seemed.


    Yuan Xiao, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t thinking that far ahead. He was more concerned about what good things they might catch hunting in the mountain today. What could there be in the mountains nowadays? Maybe rabbits, roe deer, or wild boars, right? Surely they weren¡¯t going to hunt wolves.

 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 049: There are Rules to Hunting as Well

    Chapter 49: Chapter 049: There are Rules to Hunting as Well


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve got a question for you,¡± he suddenly nudged Tang Zelin with his elbow.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do people in the village hunt wolves?¡±


    ¡°We generally don¡¯t mess with wolves.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± After a pause, he asked again, ¡°So when do they hunt wolves?¡±


    ¡°When the wolf packs come down the mountain and start causing trouble for people.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Yuan Xiao sounded a bit disappointed.


    Tang Zelin chuckled softly, ¡°You¡¯re quite wild at heart, eh? You even want to hunt wolves. If you go into the mountains now and find me a few wolves, I¡¯ll be impressed.¡±


    Yuan Xiao nodded, ¡°True, in this day and age, wolves, tigers, they¡¯re all nearly extinct. Bro, I just like excitement, it¡¯s not often I get to venture deep into the primeval forest, so I just thought a bit more, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Tang Zelin suddenly warned him seriously, ¡°After we enter the mountains, don¡¯t wander off aimlessly. I haven¡¯t been in these woods either, so I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there. You see the preparation they have; even regular hunters who aren¡¯t used to the mountains wouldn¡¯t dare to go in deep. We are outsiders here, let¡¯s not cause trouble for the local villagers.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    While the brothers were chatting softly, the face of Peng Village¡¯s Third Grandpa had already relaxed. Finally, everybody checked the tools they were carrying. At Peng Chunlai¡¯s command, dozens of people, led by the hunter Zhang and the Village Chief, entered the mountain.


    When Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao left, each pulled something handy from Third Grandpa¡¯s storeroom. Tang Zelin took an old bow and arrows, which Third Grandpa had used when he was young. He had handled it before and was familiar with it. He also tucked a dagger into his waistband, just in case, and then set out.


    Yuan Xiao had played with archery before, but that was the sporting kind. As for the village¡¯s simple, brutally practical attack bows, he had never touched them. After some thought, he decided to abandon the idea, lest he injured himself, which was bad enough, but hurting someone else would be even worse. So he grabbed a lightweight and sharp sickle instead.


    Seeing the tool he chose, Tang Zelin gave him an approving thumbs up with a chuckle.


    Yuan Xiao tilted his chin up, all of a sudden feeling like he had the strength to lift mountains and the spirit to cover the world.


    After the hunting party left, only the elderly, women, and children remained in the village. Third Grandpa was too old to enter the mountains, so he organized a group of old fellows to prepare the evening meal, waiting for the hunters¡¯ return; the whole village would then gather to enjoy the Pork Dish feast.


    Such a grand event hadn¡¯t occurred since the beginning of the year, and everyone felt that, regardless of the outcome, it was an opportunity for the entire village to come together.


    The good harvest alone this year was a cause for celebration.


    The mountain range where Peng Village was located was complex and crisscrossed. The mountains in the front were not very high, yet there were numerous peaks. To truly navigate them, one would have to climb every single peak, one after another. Perhaps because it was closer to human habitation, signs of villagers having passed through were often visible in the mountains in front. Along the way, plenty of wild vegetables and fruits could be seen as well.


    Yuan Xiao and Tang Zelin followed at the back of the group, admiring the mountain forest scenery as they walked.


    Others were there for the game, but Yuan Xiao had come purely for the joy of sightseeing. As such, even Tang Zelin found his constant exclamations and noisiness along the way unbearable.


    ¡°Whining in the mountains; with the way you act, who would believe you¡¯ve been to the African jungle?¡± Tang Zelin had just reached out to steady a young man who nearly tripped over a vine.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The young man blushed and hurried forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Tang Zelin said with a slight smile.


    Yuan Xiao retorted, ¡°You can¡¯t compare the two. When I went there, it was for sightseeing, and besides, the jungle there is nothing like ours here. Their woods aren¡¯t as elegant as ours. Over there, come nightfall, even the damn mosquitoes are this big!¡± He circled his thumb and forefinger around his chest exaggeratedly and said, ¡°Believe it or not, I could catch three of them and stir-fry a dish!¡±

 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 050: Arriving at the Destination after Much Hardship

    Chapter 50: Chapter 050: Arriving at the Destination after Much Hardship


    Tang Zelin didn¡¯t laugh, but a few villagers walking ahead of them did.


    Some turned around and asked, ¡°Are the mosquitoes there really that big?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Yuan Xiao had found his loyal audience who didn¡¯t require any drafts for boasting. He began vividly telling the neighboring villagers about his adventurous experiences in the primeval jungle in Africa.


    Seeing that the crowd around him was listening intently to his stories, Tang Zelin helplessly shook his head and stepped aside, ¡°I¡¯m going to check upfront.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead, I¡¯ll chat with the locals,¡± Yuan Xiao replied.


    Hunter Zhang was a mature and steady hunter. As Tang Zelin walked with him for a while, he had made up his mind about him.


    As he approached, Hunter Zhang turned his head and looked at him twice. The look in his eyes was indiscernible, but Tang Zelin intuitively felt that Hunter Zhang wasn¡¯t rejecting him.


    Because at the front of the squad, apart from Hunter Zhang not being talkative, people like the Village Chief and a few other villagers who knew him would engage him in brief conversations.


    While Tang Zelin was talking and laughing with everyone, he also casually picked up bits of information from the villagers¡¯ talks like how challenging the mountain roads were, what they could hunt, heard that the village had developed well recently, and whether everyone¡¯s crops were thriving, among other topics.


    The people of Peng Village were quite familiar with him and had a good impression of him. Although he was a high-ranking official from a big city, he had visited their village several times, always amiable without any airs, and the villagers were willing to get close to him.


    As he chatted, Tang Zelin actually got to know what he wanted from the villagers¡¯ conversations.


    It turned out that the college kid wasn¡¯t merely making wild guesses; the people in Peng Village had indeed begun dreaming of deceased relatives quite frequently, and it seemed to have started recently right after the first batch of large orders.


    Tang Zelin curiously asked, ¡°How big was that first booming order?¡±


    ¡°A thousand kilograms,¡± a villager happily said.


    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s not small, right? I heard the client is a young woman doing business with her friends from the south. Since then, our Lake Rice has been selling well, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right after that order, the head of the Chunhao family said that this year¡¯s business had taken off. Don¡¯t look at her as just a young woman; she is also a boss and a wealthy god of fortune bringing us luck,¡± another villager exclaimed happily.


    Suddenly, a villager slapped the Village Chief on the shoulder, ¡°Village Chief, I heard from my wife that the Chunhao family said that the female client might come to Peng Village?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Peng Chunlai slapped his forehead, ¡°How could I forget this? I¡¯ve been so preoccupied with going hunting. Right, did your wife mention when she might come?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. It should be in the next couple of days, I think. I¡¯ll ask her later and let you know,¡± the villager said.


    Tang Zelin was somewhat surprised, ¡°What, the village¡¯s rice is so popular this year that people are coming here to stock up?¡±


    Peng Chunlai said, ¡°I¡¯d welcome anyone with money to come here and buy our grains. But setting that aside, to come all the way from C city to our little place, she must surely be sincere about her survey. We can¡¯t neglect her, and we don¡¯t even know when she will arrive, it¡¯d be bad if she came today making it seem like we¡¯re unwelcoming.¡±


    Tang Zelin laughed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t there still people in the village?¡±


    ¡°True, let¡¯s keep going. I was telling you, Hunter Zhang is in good form today, I reckon we might really catch something nice.¡±


    ¡°That would be great.¡±


    A team of people marched mightily into the deep mountains.


    Before long, under the blazing sun, abundant sunshine pierced through the glass, warming Su Shu¡¯s face intensely.


    In such heat, even the sun visor was ineffective. The car had traveled all the way from C city to the entrance of Peng Village and finally stopped.


    Staring at the winding, interminable mountain road, unsure if she was on the right path, she parked the car and got out just as a bullock cart approached from the distance. She hurriedly went up to stop it.


    ¡°Sir, may I ask if this road leads to Peng Village?¡±


    The elderly cart driver chuckled, ¡°Are you heading to Peng Village?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re on the right road. This is the one and only road to Peng Village, but do take care driving through the mountains, young lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, sir!¡±


    After the bullock cart had left, Su Shu got back into the driver¡¯s seat, relieved she hadn¡¯t taken a wrong turn, and started the car, then turned to Xiao¡¯ai behind her.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, sit tight, we¡¯re heading into the mountains.¡±


    Xiao¡¯ai, holding her dinosaur toy, turned her face from looking out the window to look at Su Shu speaking, then nodded. Afterward, Su Shu noticed the little girl was actually waving at the window.


    Waving?


    Was she saying goodbye to someone?

 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 051 Su Shus Unfortunate Timing for Entering the Village

    Chapter 51: Chapter 051 Su Shu¡¯s Unfortunate Timing for Entering the Village


    Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s strange behavior didn¡¯t much bother Su Shu, who simply suppressed her confusion in her heart.


    It was not unusual for a quiet child to have some odd behaviors, so she didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    After a twenty-minute drive along the winding mountain roads, the car finally entered Peng Village. A few children playing at the entrance of the village saw another car entering the village after just one day and, driven by curiosity, one with quick feet took a shortcut to report back to the village.


    This was Su Shu¡¯s first visit to such an isolated village, and she would have never found it without asking for directions along the way.


    It wasn¡¯t long before she saw the adults from the village coming out to meet her.


    ¡°Miss, I heard you were introduced by the owner of Chunhua, the one who sells grains at your C city grain wholesale market?¡±


    Su Shu paused, thinking, Chunhua, summer flowers, what?


    The Village Chief¡¯s wife laughed and said, ¡°Look at me asking¡ªShe¡¯s the one who sells grains in your C city food wholesale market!¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, right, I am the person introduced by Boss Yu,¡± Su Shu quickly replied with a smile.


    Feng Hua looked Su Shu up and down, secretly admiring her appearance, thinking to herself just how refreshing the young lady looked. Being from the big city, would her skin be as supple as it seemed?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to park your car on the side, let¡¯s go inside the house,¡± Feng Hua said with a smile. Her gaze then moved to a little girl standing next to Su Shu, and her eyes brightened. ¡°Wow, this little girl is so pretty! Is she yours?¡±


    Such a young girl and already with a child? But Feng Hua held back from asking that question aloud.


    Xiao¡¯ai appeared a bit ¡°shy¡±, retreating behind Su Shu, who bent down to pick her up and said to the Village Chief¡¯s wife with a smile, ¡°She¡¯s my niece, only five years old this year, called Xiao¡¯ai.¡±


    That made sense. Feng Hua suddenly understood, as did the aunts and ladies next to them, who all seemed to have an ah-of-realization.


    Su Shu felt her scalp tighten; she really wasn¡¯t used to facing so many women alone.


    The place prepared to receive Su Shu was the village committee.


    As soon as Su Shu entered, she suddenly felt as if she had traveled back to the eighties or nineties. The hand-drawn charts on the walls, file folders, the office desk covered with a greenish tablecloth, and the time-stamped enamel jar on the desk certainly added to the atmosphere.


    If there was also a megaphone used for broadcasting announcements, wouldn¡¯t it really feel like returning to the last century?


    Seeing her distracted, Feng Hua poured her a cup of warm boiled water and placed it by her hand as she just sat down.


    ¡°What is your honorable surname?¡±


    ¡°My name is Su, Su Shu. Sister, you can just call me Su Shu.¡±


    ¡°Alright, my maiden name is Feng, so you can call me Sister Feng,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Sister Feng,¡± Su Shu called out politely.


    ¡°Aiya,¡± Feng Hua felt a natural fondness for the young lady with fine eyebrows and bright eyes in front of her.


    Furthermore, she had already heard from her husband that this young lady had come to explore whether they could collaborate with Peng Village on grain production. This made her like Su Shu even more¡ªwho doesn¡¯t appreciate capable young people?


    Sitting opposite her, Feng Hua said, ¡°Miss Su, our place is out of the way, and we don¡¯t have anything fancy to offer you; I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Su Shu replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked someone to fetch Elder Peng from our village. My husband is the Village Chief, but you¡¯ve come at an inconvenient time today. The men and young lads from our village went hunting early this morning and won¡¯t be back for a while. Just the elderly, women, and children are left. So, the only one who can talk business with you is Elder Peng. Whatever personal needs you have, you can come to me, but if it¡¯s work-related, you ask Elder Peng. He can surely take care of things for you,¡± Feng Hua explained.

 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 052: Discovering the Intent, Third Master is Very Happy

    Chapter 52: Chapter 052: Discovering the Intent, Third Master is Very Happy


    Feng Hua had a silver tongue that made her an important figure among the women in Peng Village, even in the presence of the Village Chief.


    Su Shu nodded, smiling, ¡°Sorry to bother you, it was inconsiderate of me. I had only asked Boss Yu for the location of Peng Village before coming here, and I neglected to greet you all first. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Feng Hua waved her hand dismissively, laughing, ¡°Not at all, why would we? It¡¯s not every day we have such a beautiful young lady pay us a visit. Look, in just a little while, see how many people have gathered outside? Today, the village¡¯s young men aren¡¯t around, otherwise, I guarantee they would have surrounded the village council building!¡±


    Su Shu awkwardly laughed, not quite sure how to respond to that.


    Just when she felt a bit embarrassed, someone outside shouted, ¡°Grandpa San!¡±


    Feng Hua stood up. ¡°Grandpa San is here.¡±


    On hearing ¡°Grandpa San,¡± Su Shu knew it must be an elder. She quickly put Xiao¡¯ai down on the ground and stood up as well.


    Soon, the door to the village committee room opened and Grandpa San of Peng Village stepped in, wearing his coat.


    Feng Hua greeted with a smile, ¡°Grandpa San, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Grandpa San grunted in acknowledgment, looking up at Su Shu.


    Su Shu, quick to respond with a slight smile, said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Grandpa San nodded his head and took a seat on a chair that Chunlai¡¯s wife had brought over. He inquired, ¡°Did you come from C City, young lady?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. I left C City early this morning. I wasn¡¯t very clear about the route and took some detours, arriving only in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re quite fortunate. Just yesterday, our village had two visitors from your province.¡±


    Su Shu responded brightly, ¡°Really? That is quite a coincidence.¡±


    What else could she do but go along with the conversation?


    Grandpa San asked, ¡°What¡¯s your honorable family name?¡±


    Before Su Shu could open her mouth, Feng Hua had already spoken for her, ¡°Her family name is Su, called Su Shu.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let the young lady speak for herself?¡± Grandpa San frowned and asked Su Shu, ¡°Have you eaten lunch?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡± Su Shu smiled.


    In truth, she hadn¡¯t eaten. She had only given Xiao¡¯ai some milk and a sandwich.


    Grandpa San instructed Feng Hua, ¡°Chunlai¡¯s wife, prepare some food for our guest.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After Feng Hua left, Grandpa San¡¯s gaze shifted towards Xiao¡¯ai, who was leaning against Su Shu¡¯s legs. A warm smile broke through the sternness of his old face.


    ¡°Your daughter?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s my niece. I¡¯m taking care of her.¡±


    Grandpa San nodded his head, not pursuing the matter further. ¡°Before you arrived, Chunhua, our head of household, mentioned it. I¡¯m curious what you came to see, Miss Su?¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Su Shu had become ¡°Miss Su¡± in Grandpa San¡¯s reference, but he was an elder, and she a junior, so there was nothing amiss with being called a young girl (Miss).


    Su Shu replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to see the Lake Rice seeds and to look at some quality poultry and mountain goods.¡±


    Grandpa San chuckled, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve come to the right place then. Our Peng Village might lack other things, but when it comes to mountain goods, we¡¯ve got plenty. The young men went up the mountain for a hunt today. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, Miss Su, why don¡¯t you stay for a couple of days and join us for a village meal?¡±


    ¡°A village meal?¡± Su Shu was momentarily stunned.


    ¡°That¡¯s when the whole village comes together to enjoy a Pork Dish.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    A Pork Dish, alright, she had indeed never tried that before.


    The arrival of Su Shu was like a beacon of hope flickering above Peng Village. Everyone in the village knew that the young lady who drove in with a nice car might bring them a good sum of money, and the bumper harvest from last autumn could fetch a good price.


    While some were delighted, naturally others were anxious, just like the elders such as Grandpa San, who didn¡¯t much agree with the idea of selling grain, especially for some families considering selling their food rations.


    However, after probing Su Shu¡¯s intentions, he discovered she wasn¡¯t planning to purchase a large amount of grain. Instead, her interest was stronger in seeds and mountain goods like poultry. This relieved a lot of the pressure on Grandpa San¡¯s shoulders. Poultry was raised in every household¡ªchickens, ducks, geese, dogs¡ªyou name it, and if the price was right, there were plenty in Peng Village willing to sell. As for mountain goods, Peng Village was not short on mountains; they lived off the mountains and there was an abundance of mountain produce. Such good deals that could bring income to the villagers were hard to come by. After the chat with Su Shu, even the wrinkles on Grandpa San¡¯s face seemed to glow.

 Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Having either a boy or a girl is good fortune

    Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Having either a boy or a girl is good fortune


    Su Shu had never been to a village like Peng Mountain Village before. She lived in an extremely convenient modern city and, when she was young, she followed her parents to the rural countryside.


    But the impression from back then compared to what she saw now, there were many differences.


    The difference with Peng Village was that, if it wasn¡¯t for the newly built road that led out of the village, the entire village was actually in a state of seclusion. Peng Sanye suggested she take a walk on her own to get a feel for things, so Su Shu really did take Xiao¡¯ai for a walk in the middle of the village without venturing further inside.


    One reason was that it would be impolite, the other was that she was unfamiliar with the place.


    Towards unfamiliar environments, she always had a sense of caution, a shadow and habit left behind from the hard life in her previous existence.


    She led Xiao¡¯ai, who was clutching Dinosaur Jun. Wherever the two of them went, they became an extremely ¡°eye-catching¡± focus. Originally, she thought Xiao¡¯ai would find it very difficult to adapt, but to her surprise, the little girl¡¯s adaptability was even better than hers. After walking with her for a while, Xiao¡¯ai was attracted by the grass-woven crickets in the hands of the surrounding children, wriggled out of her hand, and very naturally followed the local customs.


    Perhaps because Xiao¡¯ai was too pretty, her fair and tender complexion standing out from the village children who spent their days climbing mountains to catch birds and fishing in the rivers. Even though she didn¡¯t talk much, she was quite likable.


    Before long, they all formed one group, and seeing this, Su Shu didn¡¯t interrupt but watched the scenery from not too far away.


    The air in Peng Village was truly good, carrying the distinctive scent of grass and trees from the mountains and forests; the fatigue from the drive there had vanished without a trace.


    When the Village Chief¡¯s wife, Feng Hua, came over to call her for dinner, Su Shu found that the usually quiet Xiao¡¯ai had made several new friends.


    ¡°Oh my, you bunch of little monkeys, how could you take Xiao¡¯ai to roll around in the grass, just look at all the dirt on her pants.¡± Having said that, she quickly went to pat the loose grass off Xiao¡¯ai.


    Xiao¡¯ai shied away, not used to it.


    Feng Hua felt a bit awkward. Seeing this, Su Shu hurriedly apologized with embarrassment, ¡°She¡¯s a bit shy around new faces, Sister Feng, please don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°How could I? I just forgot for a moment.¡± Feng Hua laughed off the embarrassment, ¡°You city folks surely don¡¯t do things like we do here, letting the kids run wild. I see Xiao¡¯ai seems quite happy playing with them.¡±


    Being adept in social situations among women, Feng Hua quickly steered the conversation away from the slight awkwardness. Although there was a tiny bit of discomfort in her heart, could she as an adult really stoop to the level of a child?


    However, Feng Hua didn¡¯t expect her thoughts to change so soon.


    Xiao¡¯ai must have been truly clever. Although she avoided Feng Hua, she pulled out two White Rabbit Creamy Candies from her pocket and put them into the talking Su Shu¡¯s hand.


    Su Shu was puzzled, and upon looking at her, she noticed the timid little girl glancing over at Feng Hua who was speaking nonstop, and she felt a small realization dawn on her.


    Placing the two candies on the table in front of Feng Hua, she smiled warmly, ¡°Sister Feng, the little girl must have been too embarrassed earlier. She¡¯s apologizing to you.¡±


    Feng Hua was taken aback and looked at the candies, then at Xiao¡¯ai standing by Su Shu¡¯s leg. Her heart instantly melted.


    She chuckled, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not jealous, but where did you get such a lovely girl who¡¯s so easy to adore? Tell me too, and I¡¯ll go pray for one. I¡¯m not fated to have daughters; my boys drive me crazy every day.¡±


    Su Shu laughed, ¡°Sister Feng, both boys and girls are blessings. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t think I¡¯m young, I understand that in the village, having more sons makes things easier.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Feng Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking that although the girl looked delicate, she really had some Spiritual Energy about her. Changing the subject, she sighed.

 Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 054: Xiaoais Snack-Fueled Surge in Popularity

    Chapter 54: Chapter 054: Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s Snack-Fueled Surge in Popularity


    ¡°It really is different in the village, if you don¡¯t have a couple of strong men in the house, it¡¯s just not manageable, unlike in the city, where you all live in small buildings, right? Once you close your front door at home, you don¡¯t have to worry about anyone else¡¯s business. But in the village, it¡¯s impossible to ignore all the aunties and uncles living around you. Sigh, there¡¯s never a peaceful day.¡±


    Peng Sanye hadn¡¯t returned from explaining to the villagers why Su Shu was here to collect things, when Feng Hua started chatting with Su Shu about various matters of the village. Just as they were talking about how early in the morning people from the village had gone hunting in the mountains, they heard thump thump thump as three or four kids ran inside from the door.


    The one leading them, Su Shu estimated to be around eight or nine years old, had a dark face with particularly bright eyes. He bounced in with his backpack on, and immediately spotted the milk candy on the table. Feng Hua didn¡¯t have a chance to say a word before her own son had swiped the candy.


    Feng Hua cursed, ¡°You little monkey, you¡¯ve got sharp eyes, don¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you see we have guests? Can¡¯t you greet people?¡±


    The little boy looked up, glanced at Shushu and then at Xiao¡¯ai who was a head shorter than him, and grinned, ¡°Hello auntie, hello little sister!¡±


    Su Shu laughed, he seemed quite cheerful, ¡°Hello.¡±


    As for Xiao¡¯ai, of course, she continued to remain silent. (?)


    The little boy was quick-handed and in no time had thrown a piece of milk candy into his mouth, while he effortlessly passed the remaining piece to his chubby good buddy, ¡°Here you go!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, bro!¡± Little Fatty was pleasantly surprised.


    Feng Hua pointed at her younger son¡¯s back and scolded, ¡°This little rascal, his craving for sweets is terrible! Sorry for the scene, miss.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, all kids are like that.¡±


    No sooner had she finished speaking than the two boys returned, and not only had they come back, but they were followed by a string of little tykes, all staring intently at Su Shu.


    Su Shu didn¡¯t understand and looked at Feng Hua for an explanation.


    Feng Hua didn¡¯t understand either, ¡°Douzi, what now?¡±


    Douzi grinned and turned to Su Shu, ¡°Auntie, the milk candy just now was so delicious. Do you have any more?¡±


    Su Shu was taken aback and didn¡¯t quite catch on at first.


    Feng Hua cursed loudly, ¡°You greedy little thing, I¡¯m going to beat you, is this how you ask for stuff from a guest?¡±


    Douzi ran off shouting, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for it, I have pocket money, I want to buy it from the auntie from the city!¡±


    At this point, Su Shu finally realized what was happening, could it be that the two pieces of candy Xiao¡¯ai had triggered the village children¡¯s cravings? Watching Douzi run while still pulling pocket money from his pocket, she couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh.


    Looking at the dozen or so kids standing nearby, she thought that maybe Douzi liked the taste and wanted to buy some from her to share with his buddies, huh?


    That¡¯s quite noble of him.


    Su Shu whispered something to Xiao¡¯ai, who hesitated for a moment and then nodded her head after some thought.


    So, Su Shu stood up and stopped Feng Hua, ¡°Sister Feng, don¡¯t hurt the child, it¡¯s just a few pieces of candy. I still have plenty in my car, you know, snacks, all kids like them. It¡¯s not easy to buy them here; I do have a few good ones. Wait here, I¡¯ll go get them.¡±


    Feng Hua, feeling embarrassed, hurried to stop her, but Su Shu cheerfully said it was no big deal and headed out to the car to get the ¡°snacks¡±.


    Fortunately, the villagers were no longer as curious about her car as they had been when she first arrived. She opened the trunk, which was usually empty, certainly not filled with snacks. She looked around to make sure no one was watching, then bent over as if reaching for something from the car.


    In reality, she was taking out some of Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s snacks from the space.


    Looking at the sudden appearance of two or three big bags of snacks in the trunk, not just milk candy, but also all sorts of flavored candies and snacks hard to find in this area, she took out quite a lot.


    She had brought many high-calorie foods from the city to Peng Village ¨C some snacks that might even have been grabbed unintentionally or on purpose. While grabbing other items, Su Shu also took out a box of compressed biscuits.


    The Apocalypse was coming soon, and keeping some extraordinary items that wouldn¡¯t seem too out of place might just come in handy at a critical moment.

 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 55: What Happened to the Bulk Purchase?

    Chapter 55: Chapter 55: What Happened to the Bulk Purchase?


    ¡°`


    Snacks, they¡¯re absolutely the hard currency in the world of children!


    Before long, Su Shu and Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s image towered in the eyes of the children of Peng Village, even higher than the mountains behind the village.


    As for the adults of Peng Village, the sentiment was naturally, ¡°Treat my child well, and I¡¯ll treat you well in return.¡±


    So, what followed, even Su Shu herself hadn¡¯t anticipated, was the unprecedented warmth and hospitality she received when Old Third Peng and the Village Chief¡¯s wife, Feng Hua, took her to choose chickens and ducks from the villagers¡¯ homes.


    Su Shu felt deeply moved, realizing that heartfelt sincerity was indeed reciprocated between people. Her unintentional actions had actually paved the way for a good start in collecting her goods.


    After the children received their snacks, they didn¡¯t eat them all by themselves, but took most of them home to share with their families. In homes where there were more than one or two children, the adults could not help but inquire when they saw their children suddenly bringing something home. After asking around, and hearing affirmative responses from others, everyone had their calculations.


    Watching their own children eat happily, and sometimes being offered a few bites of things they had never tasted before in their lives, the adults felt not only the sweetness on their tongues but also a sweetness in their hearts like honey.


    The children only cared whether the snacks were tasty, but the adults could gauge how expensive they were.


    Moreover, some people from the village, who had dealings with the townships and cities, would state during conversations that such snacks could cost several tens of yuan in the big cities, and the generous guest would hand out several bags at a time. ¡°For the several children in your house,¡± they would say, ¡°each could easily consume the worth of a chicken.¡±


    Some parents almost choked on the tasty morsels, asking cautiously, ¡°Are they that expensive?¡±


    ¡°Certainly! That¡¯s chocolate, high in calories, sweet. We don¡¯t consider it a treasure, it¡¯s impractical, but city folk really love it. They give it to each other on occasions like Valentine¡¯s Day¡ªan inexpensive one costs a few yuan, pricey ones go for tens, and the even more expensive ones can reach hundreds or thousands. That lady boss gave out ten big boxes for our kids to share, she¡¯s wealthy! I see you raise a good number of chickens and ducks, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to sell her a couple more, she definitely won¡¯t mind the cost.¡± The girl who had gained worldly experience from working out of town said, grinning, as she finished her own piece and headed back to the house across the way.


    The Liu family, a household of nine, stood beside their vegetable garden, dumbfounded.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    Oh dear, too expensive! Too expensive! The old couple hesitated to swallow anymore, and then they looked beside them at their brood of five sons and two daughters, each with cheeks puffed, eyeing the snack.


    Should we swallow¡­ or swallow?


    There were several other families with similar experiences, but Su Shu was unaware of all this. She only knew that when Old Third Peng and Sister Feng took her to see the poultry, people offered not just freshly boiled eggs or freshly baked sweet potatoes, but an abundance of fruits, crisp pastries, and sugar confections.


    It was an enthusiasm that almost overwhelmed her.


    Old Third Peng roared, ¡°She¡¯s here to look at your chickens and ducks, what are you trying to do, stuff the girl to death with food? Everyone, take it easy. If you¡¯re that eager, go to your coops and bring out some of the better specimens for us to see.¡±


    Su Shu couldn¡¯t help but clap inside, thinking that one is truly as strong as when one is young!


    At his shout, everyone promptly became much more reasonable and led her smilingly to see their birds.


    Su Shu had already made up her mind for this visit. Although she didn¡¯t know what her space would be like in the future, at present it wasn¡¯t very large. If she were to raise poultry, she couldn¡¯t have too many, or else it would be overcrowded. Furthermore, she really had no experience with raising these things and didn¡¯t know if she could do it well, so she planned to buy just a few.


    After asking Old Third Peng, she said to everyone, ¡°I¡¯d like to have 10 hens and 50 roosters, and the same numbers for ducks.¡±


    Ah?! Everyone was stunned. Huh?


    What happened to the large purchase they were expecting? Just¡­ just over a hundred?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Do You Take Things More Valuable Than Gold?

    Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Do You Take Things More Valuable Than Gold?


    Su Shu stared at the numerous disheartened gazes and nodded with difficulty.


    ¡°I only need so many live poultry for now.¡±


    Hmm?


    Old Master Peng had thought she would want more, so he made the rounds, hoping to help the villagers earn some extra money. Who would have thought the young girl only wanted about a hundred? In a village like theirs, that really wasn¡¯t much, and just a few families could provide enough. He had felt a bit dissatisfied initially.


    Suddenly hearing her mention ¡°live poultry,¡± the old man, with keen ears and sharp eyes, quickly realized and turned to ask Su Shu.


    ¡°Su girl, do you mean you only want this amount of live poultry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Grandpa Peng, I only want a little over a hundred live poultry, but I will probably want more of the other goods.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean you don¡¯t just want this little bit this time, but you¡¯ll also buy other things, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Su Shu smiled, ¡°Since live poultry is not very convenient to transport, I¡¯ll just buy a bit for now. Because the poultry here is fed with homegrown grain, which is very nutritious, I like it a lot. If the situation allows after I return, I might come back again. Other than live poultry, I actually also want to buy some of your village¡¯s smoked meat, and of course, as many chicken and duck eggs as I can get.¡±


    As soon as Su Shu finished speaking, the previously discouraged crowd suddenly had their eyes light up!


    Grandpa Peng laughed heartily, ¡°You little girl, you know to buy our village¡¯s smoked meat?¡±


    ¡°Of course, before coming here, Boss Yu even mentioned that our village is actually not famous for Lake Rice, but for our century-old smoked meat craft. Am I right?¡± Su Shu also smiled lightly.


    Some villagers chimed in with laughter, ¡°Grandpa Peng, you better ask Su Boss more about what she wants. It would be good for us to know, eh? Besides smoked meat, do you need any cured pork, salted fish, dried vegetables or anything else?¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Exactly, exactly! If the price is right, I have quite a lot at home, perfect to sell and get some money to add to my daughter¡¯s dowry,¡± a woman joined in the commotion.


    ¡°Ah, has your daughter¡¯s marriage been settled?¡±


    ¡°Settled, settled, it¡¯s next month!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Within a few exchanges, the two women had started discussing their daughters¡¯ weddings. Su Shu listened with a smile, finding it exceedingly interesting. She had never seen such a lively and warm village. Wasn¡¯t it said that villages with many aunts and uncles are full of trouble? Yet, as she saw Peng Village, it was boisterously alive, with everyone warmly watching out for each other.


    Grandpa Peng cleared his throat with a cough and barked, ¡°Save the chit-chat for your kang at home, we¡¯re talking business here!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandpa Peng, we hear you!¡± A wave of collective laughter followed.


    Grandpa Peng asked Su Shu, ¡°Girl, you heard them. What about the things he just mentioned? Do you need any?¡±


    Su Shu thought for a moment, hesitant. Boss Yu had said that Peng Village¡¯s smoked meat was delicious and had a long shelf life. After the road was built, the village often sent goods to the town and even to restaurants in the city. It was initially intended as an economic pillar for the village, but due to the mountain roads not being fully developed and outside investments not yet secured, it couldn¡¯t scale up, so the village produced the meat in small workshops and then collectively sold it.


    The smoked meat was made from fresh chicken and didn¡¯t last as long as cured meat, but it was tastier and kept longer than what was available in the city. It was Peng Village¡¯s heritage craft. As she walked around, she realized that Peng Village, perhaps due to being surrounded by mountains and naturally suitable for chicken farming, had a lot of live animals in every home. In just over a month, if the Apocalypse came, she didn¡¯t know how many of these domestic animals would survive. So she thought, using her purchase as an excuse, she could encourage the village to produce more long-lasting food and keep fewer live animals. She would take less for herself and leave most for them, or set a time after the Apocalypse to pick up more produce. Once the Apocalypse broke out, even if she wanted a second batch, she felt that the people of Peng Village wouldn¡¯t sell to her anymore.


    Yet, for cured meat, salted fish, dried vegetables, these things that could be more precious than gold in the Apocalypse, she didn¡¯t know whether she should take them.


    C

 Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 057: Set to Procure, Hiring Villagers to Enter the Mountain

    Chapter 57: Chapter 057: Set to Procure, Hiring Villagers to Enter the Mountain


    She looked around, and all eyes were tense due to her hesitation, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to voice her thoughts. With Peng Village¡¯s location, how crucial food would become once the Apocalypse arrived, they didn¡¯t understand, but she did.


    Peng Sanye asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, girl? Those are good products from our village, all naturally grown, much better than those chemical-laden and farmed products in the city. We¡¯re not asking for much, think about it?¡±


    Seeing Peng Sanye staring at her with a hopeful expression, Su Shu¡¯s lips moved slightly, unsure how to respond. She could keep it from them that the Apocalypse was coming since even if she told them, they might not believe her; however, she couldn¡¯t, knowing what she did, take away so much of what might be crucial to their survival in the future.


    Feng Jie, standing nearby, also chimed in, ¡°Miss Su, are you worried about buying too much to carry? No worries, my nephew can drive, and we can find someone to deliver your goods to the town, so you don¡¯t need to feel burdened.¡±


    Su Shu said, ¡°Sanye, Feng Jie, that¡¯s not the issue.¡±


    That¡¯s not it? Well, that¡¯s a relief.


    ¡°I feel that these dried vegetables and cured meats weren¡¯t easy to make, and I think you initially made them not to sell, but to store for your own use. If I bought them, it would disrupt your original plans. I¡¯ve thought about it, and it doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± Su Shu sincerely said.


    Hearing this, an old lady laughed and said, ¡°Not at all, farm folks live by the principle of eating more when there¡¯s plenty and eating less when there¡¯s not. As long as we¡¯re not starving, that¡¯s fine. Besides, when you buy, you¡¯re not taking it for free, right? You¡¯re paying for it with money. Our products are definitely better than those from outside, and everyone is just hoping to earn some money to pay off the debts (from previous famines) and save for weddings. Doesn¡¯t that also require money?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, nowadays, wedding ceremonies and dowries cost a lot. Just the other day, someone¡¯s wedding expenses reached thirty thousand; think about it, in a place like ours, where do we get thirty thousand a year, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, previous years didn¡¯t have this, but this year the Village Chief said if the Lake Rice sells well, everyone could get a good share.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s smiles, hopeful for better days, brightened even more.


    Su Shu stood still for a moment, a bit troubled.


    Should she buy?


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    Honestly, she would have loved to buy everything!


    But she couldn¡¯t do that; she only needed to gather enough supplies to sustain herself and Xiao¡¯ai through the Apocalypse.


    She had not spoken yet, and everyone was looking at each other, unsure if she was going to buy. Since spring, every household had gathered numerous wild vegetables from the mountains, and what couldn¡¯t be consumed was dried as preserved vegetables¡ªa regular practice in their village, not abundant in every household, but sufficient for each.


    These products aren¡¯t valuable in the countryside, but they had heard that wild vegetables from the mountains fetched a high price in the cities. What a great opportunity this was to make some money!


    Just as there was a deadlock between the two sides, someone in the crowd said,


    ¡°Does the young lady want them fresh? There are fresh wild vegetables in the mountains right now; how about we pick some for you to see?¡±


    That¡¯s right! Just go and pick them now. This season, the mountain has plenty of wild vegetables and fruits.


    With everyone¡¯s gaze suddenly focused on Su Shu, her eyes brightened. That was a great idea!


    Seeing the smile on her face, everyone knew she liked the suggestion, so Peng Sanye took the lead in discussing with her what kind of mountain goods she wanted.

 Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 058: Insisting on Going Despite the Dangers Ahead

    Chapter 58: Chapter 058: Insisting on Going Despite the Dangers Ahead


    The villagers originally had dried vegetables and cured meat, and if some families didn¡¯t have enough hands to go into the mountains, she could buy a little from them, while other families who could devote labor to harvesting wild vegetables in the mountains while working in the fields, she would purchase at preset prices.


    Like this, Su Shu made an initial purchase agreement of one hundred thousand yuan with the villagers, which included seasonal wild vegetables, mountain produce, and labor costs for airing and drying goods by the villagers, among other things.


    For amounts exceeding the agreement, she would also pay in cash, which is to say, as long as the villagers of Peng Village had the capacity to harvest, she would pay every penny.


    Old Peng had done a great service for the villagers and felt very happy, urging his neighbors with a rare smile on his face.


    ¡°There¡¯s money-making work now, everyone better be alert and work hard!¡±


    ¡°Haha, rest assured, old man, just watch!¡± the crowd roared with laughter.


    After much effort and finalizing the arrangements, Su Shu felt much lighter on her shoulders. The kids were playing together in a group, and the adults gathered in another, laughing and brimming with joy as they discussed where they might find which wild vegetables on the mountains the next day. In their happiness, they teased each other about whether their old arms and legs could still manage climbing, which was always met with playful retorts like ¡°Psh, I still don¡¯t know if you¡¯re up to it, old-timer!¡±


    Su Shu sat next to Old Peng on a stone bench in the courtyard of the village committee.


    Suddenly, Su Shu remembered she had wanted to see if she could buy a couple of fruit trees for Xiao¡¯ai, so she asked Old Peng about it.


    ¡°Grandpa Peng, I want to ask, does anyone in our village grow fruit trees?¡±


    Old Peng said, ¡°Fruit trees?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, we really don¡¯t have those. Even if we did, they¡¯d be very old ones planted by families a long time ago. Fruit trees are cash crops, they need to be sold when in season. You¡¯ve seen our location, it¡¯s not convenient to come and go, so people don¡¯t grow them. Why, Xiaosu, are you thinking of buying fruits too?¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that, my niece really loves fruits, so I was thinking about buying some from the villagers in the next couple of days.¡± Since there were no fruit trees, she didn¡¯t say much more. The villagers¡¯ own trees would at best yield one or two per household, how could she buy them?


    Thinking it over, Old Peng suddenly shouted at a round-faced woman in the crowd: ¡°Hey, the wife of the Second Virtue, didn¡¯t your eldest lad go to Fairy Spring in the mountains a while ago?¡±


    On the other side, the wife of the Second Virtue stopped laughing and turned around with a smile: ¡°Yes, Old Peng, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Are the orchards by Fairy Spring still there?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Still there, quite a few, my eldest said they¡¯ve already set young fruits, might turn red in a few days. The young ones are always hanging around there, saying they¡¯ll call us over to pick them when they¡¯re red.¡±


    Old Peng turned to Su Shu and said, ¡°We have an orchard behind the mountains by Fairy Spring. It grows wild peaches. If you¡¯re interested, I could have someone take you to see tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Wild peaches? Are they sour?¡± Su Shu asked.


    Normally wild peaches are sour and not very tasty, right?


    ¡°Haha, they are not sour. They might be a bit sour in other places, but those by the spring are not sour at all, they¡¯re quite tasty,¡± he reassured her.


    ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll go take a look tomorrow.¡±


    In the evening, smoke rose from the chimneys, and the village was serene and peaceful under the rosy sunset.


    Xiao¡¯ai had been playing so hard, suddenly having so many enthusiastic playmates to introduce her to all sorts of new rural games, she was glowing with joy.


    Su Shu just sat nearby, watching Xiao¡¯ai¡¯s happiness and waiting for the supposedly lively pig slaughter feast in the evening.


    However, as the sun set and the afterglow vanished, and the darkening sky gradually enveloped the earth, the bonfire in the central square of the village remained unlit.


    Sudden urgent footsteps came from behind, and out of curiosity Su Shu turned around, only to see a villager rush into the courtyard of the village committee.


    She stood up and blinked, hearing two sets of footsteps walking briskly outwards.


    Old Peng¡¯s expression was grave, ¡°What¡¯s going on? We told him not to go there when he left, why does he never listen? We old folks might as well talk to the wind. Once they get a bit of confidence, they think they can do what they want, but if they anger the mountain god, we¡¯ll be the ones to suffer!¡±

 Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 059: Do You Want to Kill Everyone?

    Chapter 59: Chapter 059: Do You Want to Kill Everyone?


    The sky gradually darkened, and the woods became quieter and quieter.


    The hunting team from Peng Village had been circling in the mountain hollow of Liangjia Peak for three rounds, unable to find their way out.


    Some members of the team, who were more impatient, began to grumble quietly; though their voices were not loud, the situation still affected the emotions of those around them, making the crowd grow restless.


    Even Hunter Zhang, who had just returned from inspecting the fork in the road ahead, had a dark expression on his face.


    Clearly, the results of his exploration were not good.


    The Village Chief, Peng Chunlai, sounded a bit anxious, ¡°Uncle Zhang, how did it go?¡±


    Hunter Zhang made a gesture with his hand, pressing down twice, signaling everyone to rest in place. After Peng Chunlai relayed the message to the people behind him, the villagers collectively sat down to rest, opening their provision of dry food and water to replenish their strength.


    Hunter Zhang was discussing with Peng Chunlai and three other leading villagers about what to do next.


    Meanwhile, Tang Zelin and Yuan Xiao, who were positioned midway to the back, received the instruction to rest and found a flat patch of brush to sit cross-legged and rest.


    Tang Zelin handed a water flask to Yuan Xiao, who was desperately thirsty, gulping down two big mouthfuls before wiping his mouth, glancing ahead, and then turning to his brother.


    ¡°Boss, do you think this old hunter is reliable? We¡¯ve been wandering around this broken mountain for most of the day, and yet there¡¯s still no sign of an exit.¡±


    Tang Zelin handed him half a biscuit, ¡°Talk less, do more.¡±


    Yuan Xiao took it, biting into it, ¡°Hey bro, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something eerie going on in these mountains? How come we just set traps and caught some pheasants and hares, and now we¡¯re trapped here? I haven¡¯t even grabbed a feather yet.¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    Tang Zelin kept his gaze fixed ahead while listening to Yuan Xiao ramble, noticing that Hunter Zhang and the Village Chief seemed to have a disagreement, as if the villagers were at fault, relentlessly trying to placate the old hunter¡¯s temper.


    Tang Zelin narrowed his eyes in thought and whispered to Yuan Xiao, ¡°Before we set off, I saw Peng Sanye arguing with the Village Chief. Now, the old hunter is also having a dispute with them. This trip into the mountains might not be just about hunting.¡±


    Upon hearing that the matter was not that simple, Yuan Xiao¡¯s radar-like gossipy ears instantly perked up.


    ¡°Spill it.¡±


    Their position was still a few meters away from the nearest villager; the two of them spoke in hushed tones, and others nearby could only hear vaguely.


    Tang Zelin shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the heck is going on.¡±


    Yuan Xiao¡¯s burning curiosity was immediately extinguished, he moaned lowly, ¡°Bro, I thought you had some top-secret info. Turns out you don¡¯t know either?¡±


    ¡°But I guess it¡¯s not a highly secret matter.¡±


    Yuan Xiao rolled his eyes, understanding, ¡°Right, if it were really critical, they wouldn¡¯t let us outsiders tag along, right?¡±


    Tang Zelin hummed in agreement, his attention still on the scene unfolding ahead. Perhaps it was the bizarre dream from last night affecting him, or perhaps it was because wandering around in the woods had yielded no results, but he opted for a static instead of active approach, quietly waiting for the villagers to finish their discussion.


    Yuan Xiao said, ¡°Bro, when you came to this village before, was it ever like this?¡±


    Tang Zelin knew what Yuan Xiao meant: had something this strange ever happened in the village before? Honestly, it had not.


    He shook his head.


    Yuan Xiao arched his eyebrows, his mouth curling slightly, ¡°So did we hit the jackpot this time?¡±


    As they whispered, they suddenly heard Hunter Zhang upfront cursing in fury, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a hunting trip? You said you wanted to hunt wild animals, which is why I agreed to lead the team. But Village Chief, you bringing things you shouldn¡¯t have brought, do you want to get everyone killed?!¡±

 Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 060: Eating Potatoes and Listening to Stories at Night

    Chapter 60: Chapter 060: Eating Potatoes and Listening to Stories at Night


    The bonfire in Peng Village never ended up being lit that evening; not only was it not lit, Su Shu faintly sensed that the atmosphere in the village had become somewhat heavy.


    Peng Sanye and some of the elders headed toward the foot of the mountain as if they had some urgent matters to handle.


    Standing at the entrance of the village community center, she gently stopped the village chief¡¯s wife who was just about to enter, ¡°Sister Feng, is it because I¡¯ve come¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, knowing in her heart that perhaps the issue wasn¡¯t related to her. Yet she said it as a mere courtesy.


    Feng Hua patted her on the arm and said, ¡°Sister Su, don¡¯t worry too much, it has nothing to do with you. Wait for me a moment, I¡¯ll take you home soon, you just stay put and think of nothing. When morning comes and it¡¯s bright, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to collect and ship your goods.¡±


    ¡°Okay, no rush.¡± She pointed toward the foot of the mountain, ¡°I just saw Peng Sanye and the others heading up the mountain. Is it safe this late?¡±


    ¡°They are not really going into the mountain, just to the base to check things out and then they¡¯ll come back. No one from the village who went into the mountain has returned or sent any signals yet, so Sanye and the others are a bit worried, but it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    With that said, if she still couldn¡¯t understand, then she would be too foolish.


    The other party didn¡¯t want to divulge too much. She wisely didn¡¯t ask further and called Xiao¡¯ai, who was still reluctantly lingering under the starlight, to come back. Feng Hua went inside for some unknown reason and soon came back out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading home.¡±


    Thus, Su Shu and Xiao¡¯ai went to stay at Sister Feng¡¯s house.


    After eating an authentic rural meal at Feng Hua¡¯s home, Feng Hua said there was some unfinished business and left. Su Shu and Xiao¡¯ai played a children¡¯s version of a card game on the warm kang in the side room.


    Soon, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Aunt Su, it¡¯s me, Dongzi.¡±


    Su Shu put down the cards and hurriedly went to open the door, only to see Dongzi enter with a small basin, lowering his head under her armpit and heading straight for Xiao¡¯ai.


    ¡°Xiao¡¯ai, look, what¡¯s this?¡±


    Su Shu closed the door and came back, laughing when she saw what Dongzi was holding, ¡°Did you bake these?¡±


    ¡°Ah, while my mom was cooking dinner I used the remaining heat to bake a few, they¡¯re really fragrant. Aunt Su, you and Xiao¡¯ai have a taste?¡±


    Su Shu smiled, pulled up a small dining table by the side, and patted it, upon which Dongzi placed a small basin of baked potatoes.


    The three gathered around the small table and started eating. Remembering that Feng Hua hadn¡¯t returned yet, curiosity struck her as she peeled the hot potato skins and asked.


    ¡°Dongzi, I see there are so many mountains here, much more than in our City C. Do people from the village often go hunting in the mountains?¡±


    Clutching the steaming hot potato, Dongzi wiped his mouth and said, ¡°No, there are rules for hunting in the mountains. Usually, people only forage for wild vegetables or set traps to catch a rabbit or two by the foothills. Not many dare to go deep into the mountains now.


    ¡°Oh, I noticed Peng Grandpa and the others didn¡¯t look so good today.¡± Su Shu took a bite, which was scalding hot.


    Dongzi said, ¡°There were many people who went this time, they had to camp in the mountain. Recently, something¡¯s not right in the village, so Grandpa Peng and the others didn¡¯t let my dad and them venture too far into the deep mountain. They were supposed to send a signal after setting up camp at night, but it seems like there has been no movement; something might have gone wrong, maybe.¡±


    Su Shu was slightly shocked and looked up to say, ¡°Something went wrong?¡±


    Dongzi is but a child, no matter how clever, it¡¯s hard to keep things concealed, especially since Su Shu had given them so many treats during the day, Dongzi didn¡¯t treat her as an outsider and just said what was on his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself as the adults don¡¯t let us kids go into the mountains to play, always scaring us with tales of monsters that eat children. But I know, there are none.¡± Dongzi lifted his head, thought for a moment, and added, ¡°However, I once heard my dad and mom mention that there¡¯s something like a ¡®Mesmerizing Array¡¯ in the mountains, quite dangerous.¡±

 Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 061 Everything is Thoughtfully Considered for Her

    Chapter 61: Chapter 061 Everything is Thoughtfully Considered for Her


    After speaking, he even nodded emphatically and said, ¡°It seems really quite formidable. Before, anyone from our village who wanted to go there never came back.¡±


    ¡°Never came back, as in¡­ they died?¡± Su Shu asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Anyway, they just never came back. When daylight came and they went to look for them there, they couldn¡¯t find anyone,¡± Douzi said.


    Listening to Douzi, Su Shu felt as if she were hearing a fantasy. Such strange and supernatural occurrences made her uncomfortable late at night, so she shifted the conversation away from the affairs of the mountain and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    Xiao¡¯ai was still young and had just had her meal, so she couldn¡¯t eat much. Su Shu used a spoon to scrape off the fragrant outer layer and fed it to her, leaving the slightly astringent part for herself. Douzi laughed at the sight, saying his mother used to feed him the same way.


    Su Shu said, then your mother must really love you. Douzi smiled simply and said nothing.


    Late at night, Xiao¡¯ai was already sound asleep. Just as Su Shu was falling asleep, she heard footsteps outside the window, followed by the neighboring door closing in response.


    Oh, it must be Sister Feng returning. Reassured, Su Shu closed her eyes and went to sleep.


    The next day, early in the morning, the roosters in the village crowed one after another.


    When Su Shu opened her eyes, she felt sore all over, having driven for half the day and then busying herself for quite a while, feeling as if she were weighted down with lead.


    The moment she opened her eyes, Xiao¡¯ai also rubbed her eyes and got up. Outside, the roosters were crowing, and Xiao¡¯ai listened with fascination, lying on her stomach in the bed, perking up her little ears and listening intently. Su Shu found her adorable early in the morning.


    After washing up, getting dressed, and having her breakfast of Xiaomi porridge and pancakes, Sister Feng indeed came with two trucks, delighted to find Su Shu.


    When Su Shu saw the two trucks in the village square, she was quite surprised. She had thought Feng Hua was just saying she would find someone to help transport the goods, but she hadn¡¯t expected to find two large trucks waiting.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Sister Feng, this¡­¡±


    Feng Hua smiled and said, ¡°Look, you bought so much stuff from us, and it¡¯s not easy for a girl to take it all back home. Since Chunhua¡¯s husband recommended you come here, we¡¯ll help you send it to City C. This truck, one is used by the village for hauling, and the other I had someone borrow from next door yesterday. We used to deliver Lake Rice the same way; don¡¯t feel burdened.¡±


    Su Shu wanted to say, she felt no burden at all! She was very grateful!


    Last night, before going to bed, she had kept thinking about how she had bought too much and how she was going to take it all back. Ultimately, she would have had to store it in the ¡°space,¡± but she couldn¡¯t exactly collect things in front of people so openly.


    Luckily, she had a warehouse in City C. She had planned to ask Feng Hua to arrange for a few trucks in the morning, but she hadn¡¯t expected that they had already taken care of everything for her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a growing fondness for Feng Hua and Peng Village.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no need to be polite. Today, you just take care of receiving the goods. I¡¯ve also found a few people to help you sort them. You just give an address, and let them deliver it directly to your home, so you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Feng Hua said.


    Su Shu left the address, and Sister Feng gave it to the truck drivers.


    Now that they had goods and trucks, after everyone had breakfast, they started selling their merchandise on the square in front of the village committee.


    Su Shu, carrying a waistbag, placed the money she took out from the ¡°space¡± inside it, in bundles that made the villagers delivering the goods happy, showing that she really wanted to buy.


    Money exchanged hands for goods, and it wasn¡¯t long before she had enough chickens and ducks. As for the other merchandise, Su Shu would also buy depending on the situation. Feng Hua kept a watchful eye, and the two of them could tell that this girl was sincere. She offered fair prices, neither too high nor too low, which made the villagers happy to come and sell and satisfied as they left. Feng Hua, assisting by her side, was also pleased.

 Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 062 What a dazzling beauty of the Yaochi scenery

    Chapter 62: Chapter 062 What a dazzling beauty of the Yaochi scenery


    ¡°`


    While chatting and laughing with the villagers who came to sell their goods, she was meticulous about checking the quality for Su Shu. She wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone trying to trick the young lady with inferior products pretending they were better; that just wouldn¡¯t do. She had heard from her man that Chunhua, the head of the household back in City C, was hoping to do long-term business with this girl, and they couldn¡¯t afford to leave a bad impression.


    Like this, in just half a day, everything from poultry with cages to a pile of various acquired items filled up a cart.


    Feng Hua took a moment to ask Su Shu, ¡°Sister, how would you like to handle it? Should we send off a full cart for you now, or wait for the folks from the mountains to return so you can select some fresh game and send two carts together?¡±


    After talking for a long time, Su Shu felt her mouth dry and drank a sip of mineral water before she looked up at the sun.


    ¡°Let¡¯s send off one cart first.¡±


    Since she had made a purchase, earlier arrival was better. However, she decided to change the delivery address on the fly, making a morning call to Boss Yu, a grain seller in City C, to see if he could receive the goods first and help with taking them in.


    The person on the other end readily agreed.


    When Su Shu was receiving goods, she paid particular attention to the village affairs and noticed that most of those who came to sell were women from the village, with fewer men than she had seen the day before.


    It was just about lunchtime for a break, so she mentioned her suspicions to Feng Hua.


    Feng Hua replied, ¡°Old San and his group went into the mountains early this morning.¡±


    ¡°Into the mountains? Isn¡¯t it dangerous for Old San at his age?¡±


    ¡°No problem, his generation, when they were young, they used to run deep into the mountains all the time. They won¡¯t go far in; they¡¯ll just accomplish some tasks and return.¡±


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    Although Feng Hua was explaining to her the whereabouts of Old San and his group with each sentence, he didn¡¯t directly state what the matter was, so Su Shu understood she shouldn¡¯t inquire too deeply.


    After filling one truck in the morning and sending it on its way, which happened to be the one Feng Hua borrowed from a neighboring village, it disappeared from view after half a day¡¯s trip to City C.


    Feng Hua made another call to Boss Yu in City C on behalf of Peng Village to confirm the rough time schedule, officially considering the matter settled.


    With most goods sold by the afternoon and only a few leftover, Su Shu thought of the orchard by the Fairy Spring and told Feng Hua she wanted to check it out. Feng Hua was efficient and, without any fuss, found a big sister to help receive the goods of the villagers who were still coming to sell their bits and pieces, noting the accounts to settle later upon return.


    When the sun was less intense, the younger son from Er De¡¯s family, having heard the news, hurried over to lead Su Shu into the mountains¡­


    Su Shu never inquired about Feng Hua¡¯s whereabouts again from beginning to end. She had an inkling that something major might have indeed happened to Peng Village.


    The path into the mountains was wide and easy to travel, different from what she had imagined before her arrival.


    Leaning on a stick she had found, Su Shu climbed and commented incidentally, ¡°Seeing this path, it¡¯s clear that it¡¯s been used a lot, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    The young man leading the way was originally called Liangliang, a little shy by nature but not introverted. However, he didn¡¯t like being called Liangliang; when Su Shu asked why, he said it felt too girlish for him. He preferred to be called Liangzi, like Douzi behind him, feeling that adding ¡®zi¡¯ gave a bit more of a heroic touch.


    Su Shu quite liked the young man, thinking to herself that he was so considerate about his name¡ªthat, actually, Liangliang suited him well.


    Instead of joining the Hunting Team into the mountains, Liangzi had been guarding Fairy Spring¡¯s side with several other boys his age. The road was easy because the villagers had been using water from Fairy Spring for farming in the past two years.


    There are no paths in this world until they are trodden by many feet, and then paths are made.


    Without meaning to, Su Shu remembered this saying. Liangzi, with a basket on his back, was leading Su Shu deeper into the mountains, with Douzi, who also carried a basket and planned to gather something, following behind them.


    After walking for half a day, Su Shu finally saw a white misty expanse through a gap shielded by a forest in the distance.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Liangzi said.


    Following behind, Su Shu dodged a tree branch, followed Liangzi out of the woods, and was met with an open vista. She finally saw that pond of Fairy Spring hidden amidst the mountain valley.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 063 What a pity not to take photos of such beautiful scenery

    Chapter 63: Chapter 063 What a pity not to take photos of such beautiful scenery


    Gazing at the breathtaking scene in front of her, Su Shu couldn¡¯t believe that such a Heavenly Spring was created by a lightning strike; it was too delightful.


    Especially situated among these mountain forests, there was a Fairy Spring, misty with spiritual energy, where the integration of mountains and water formed a unique delicacy that no ordinary words could describe, let alone the patches of Peach Grove surrounding the spring.


    Su Shu felt that her eyes weren¡¯t enough to take it all in, so she couldn¡¯t help but take out her phone from her pocket and snapped several photos continuously.


    It was beautiful!


    Liangzi took a few big steps, turned around, and saw Su Shu standing still taking photos. He silently stepped aside, afraid of blocking her view.


    Behind them, Douzi didn¡¯t think as much; he swung his head, humming a mountain tune while carrying a basket on his back and rushed forward, shouting as he went, ¡°Aunt Su, come on! There¡¯s something fun ahead!¡±


    Su Shu quickly took a few more panoramic shots, put away her phone, and followed them.


    From a distance, the Fairy Spring and Peach Grove seemed close at hand, but actually walking from the edge of the forest to it still took some steps.


    Liangzi remained by Su Shu¡¯s side the whole time, occasionally advising her, ¡°Ever since the Fairy Spring suddenly appeared in these mountains, the birds and beasts often come here to drink, so be careful.¡±


    Su Shu looked down at the path and asked, ¡°This place is so close to the village nearby, do wild animals also come here?¡±


    ¡°Usually, they don¡¯t come often, but it¡¯s scary when you occasionally encounter one or two confused ones. This spot is often frequented by birds from the sky for brief rests,¡± Liangzi explained.


    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Su Shu said.


    Before long, they reached the edge of the Fairy Spring. Liangzi secured the sickle from his basket onto his waist, cautiously scanned the surroundings for a while, then took out a cup from his basket to scoop some spring water and handed it to Su Shu.


    Go to ????????????????????.co


    ¡°Try it, it¡¯s very sweet.¡±


    Su Shu smiled as she took it, sipped a few mouthfuls from the edge of the cup¡ªupon tasting it for the first time, her eyes lit up, and she was totally amazed!


    ¡°It¡¯s really delicious!¡±


    Hearing this, Liangzi¡¯s face flushed with pride, ¡°Right? The spring water from our mountains is really tasty; that¡¯s why Lake Rice is so good.¡±


    Su Shu nodded repeatedly, taking several more big gulps to quench her thirst. She wasn¡¯t lying at all; this water was unlike any other she had tasted before¡ªtruly delicious.


    After finishing her drink, she gently wiped her mouth, turned around, and looked around. Pointing at the Peach Grove near the spring, the peaches hanging on the branches were not fully ripe, but were plump and enticing, promising an irresistible taste once they matured.


    ¡°Is that Peach Grove planted by your villagers?¡±


    Liangzi shook his head, ¡°No, after the Fairy Spring appeared, they somehow just grew here.¡±


    Su Shu clicked her tongue in amazement, put down her cup, and couldn¡¯t help but walk up and stood under a peach tree to look up and closely inspect each peach.


    Delicious!


    She thought that once these peaches matured, they would definitely taste wonderful, recalling what she heard yesterday from Grandpa Peng asking the villagers¡ªthat it indeed takes a decisive amount of time for these peaches to ripen, which made her feel a bit regretful.


    Unfortunately, she could not stay for two more days; otherwise, she really wanted to taste what next to the Fairy Spring would turn out like.


    She came to see the Fairy Spring out of curiosity and also for the fruit trees. Now that she had seen the very delightful peach trees, she was itching to try and see if she could transplant a live plant into her ¡°space¡±.


    Before Liangzi and Douzi arrived, Feng Hua had already instructed that if they saw any early ripe peaches in the Peach Grove, they should pick a few for Su Shu to try.


    Thus, the two began wandering through the Peach Grove, searching for any ripe fruits.