Jing Shu sputtered out a mouthful of beef, choking in the process. The fat chicken, always on the lookout for a chance to scavenge beneath the dining table, seized its opportunity. It fluttered up swiftly and snatched a large piece of beef. Twisting its plump rump, it dashed off to the RV’s doorway like it had wings, clearly aware it had done sothing wrong.
"Forget it. Considering the fat chicken’s feathers haven’t fully grown in yet, I’ll let it have this for nourishnt." Jing Shu watched the fat chicken in the corner. It occasionally shot her sidelong glances, as if testing her reaction and wondering if it could get away with it again if she ignored it.
In response, Jing Shu showed it a threatening fist. This frightened the fat chicken so much that it snatched the beef and ran under Grandma Jing’s feet, CLUCKING to curry favor. The fat chicken was crafty. It knew Grandma Jing was the only one in the house who wouldn’t hit it—provided, of course, that it laid a few extra eggs daily.
"Eat slowly, child. Should Mom cut you so more spiced beef?"
Jing Shu hadn’t been feeling well these past few days, which had worried Mr. and Mrs. Jing sick. Jing Shu herself no longer clamored about having work to deal with; instead, her parents devoted themselves entirely to taking care of her.
"Cut more, and add so spiced eggs and quail eggs. If we don’t eat them soon, they’ll go bad."
"Okay." Mrs. Jing set aside the shelf she was tidying and went to cut the beef.
Jing Shu sucked the at juice from her fingers, her thoughts involuntarily drifting to Liang Xin from her previous life. He was a typical hypocrite who enjoyed putting others on a pedestal, praising everyone he t, and egging others on when issues arose. He liked to complint people behind their backs and then indirectly let them find out, which greatly increased their favorable impression of him. Of course, he had a knack for tailoring his words to his audience, saying one thing to one person and sothing else to another. However, when it ca to his own interests, he couldn’t help revealing his true colors.
Jing Shu found it almost amusing; so things just had to be said to feel a sense of relief. Moreover, she still harbored so resentnt about leaving the chat group. This was because her decision not to purchase the ’Solar Water Collector’ in her previous life had affected the interests of so people.
"Liang Xin, do we share so profoundly close, age-transcending relationship, or did we have a pure and deep friendship in high school? If I were in trouble now, stuck in a pit, would you co to rescue or not? And one last question: I am rich, and these things are quite easy for , but what’s it to you? What does it have to do with you? Mr. Ma might have a lot of money, but it’s not yours, and it has nothing to do with you."
This was the first ti Jing Shu had ever spoken so bluntly in the group chat.
She had always been reserved, preferring to observe silently without voicing her opinions. She wasn’t adept at chatting with people and was even worse at currying favor with influential figures. If she had clung tightly to Su Malie’s coattails in her previous life, she probably would have fared very well. While everyone in the apocalypse was clinging to Su Malie, she remained silent, her inner world a mix of pride and self-importance.
Little did she expect that in this life, she would beco the one others relied on.
The group chat fell silent for a mont. Jing Shu didn’t know what others were thinking, but after speaking her mind, she felt much more relieved. Sotis, there’s no point in mincing words; one’s own comfort is what matters most.
What Jing Shu didn’t realize was that she had already beco a formidable presence among her high school classmates in the group chat. She was no longer the inconspicuous figure from before the apocalypse. After these recent incidents, anyone with discernnt could see Jing Shu’s influence, an influence that at tis might even surpass Su Malie’s.
Liang Xin seed to realize that Jing Shu was not Su Malie. He blad himself for not understanding Jing Shu better. Jing Shu hardly ever spoke and was always seen with Su Malie. This led him to assu she was as easygoing as Su Malie, only for him to be publicly rebuked by her.
Jing Shu, I’m so disappointed in you! Liang Xin hesitated for a mont, then sent a ssage: "It really has nothing to do with , but there are so many other classmates. Surely so of them are close, right? We could all benefit a little."
Jing Shu replied, "Not really."
That was awkward.
If the Jing Shu of her previous life had said such a thing, a crowd might have erged to ridicule and condemn her. But in this life, no one spoke up.
For the first ti, Liang Xin realized that Jing Shu, who rarely spoke, could verbally corner soone with her words once she chose to, taphorically slapping his face repeatedly. Seeing the lively chat group fall instantly silent, Liang Xin’s face burned with embarrassnt. Feeling trapped, he couldn’t help but ask:
"Then, what about Su Malie?"
Su Malie: "Please, we are old classmates, it’s true, and I help when I can. But I’m not your chauffeur, nor am I responsible for feeding you all."
Just when it seed they had reached a deadlock, Wang Chao erged, offering a turning point. Jing Shu rembered him. He had followed Zhang Lingling to sell cakes and had eaten Zombie-poisoned cakes for a few days. Surprisingly, he had suffered no ill effects upon returning ho. She’d heard he was desperate to earn money because he now had a child.
Wang Chao: "@Jing Shu, I need to ask you a favor. Although the governnt provided subsidies after my child was born, his mother doesn’t have any milk. It’s okay for us adults to go hungry, but it breaks my heart to see my child starve. He’s almost one year old and, while not yet critically malnourished, he can only crawl. Hearing that you’re the manager at Stone Garden, I truly saw a glimr of hope. I just want a chance, an opportunity for a trial job. I want to provide for my child and his mother. If the place is at West Mountain, I can definitely walk the two hours to get there; I don’t need any car."
Another person chid in: " neither, I don’t need a car. My elderly parents at ho eat red worm cakes every day. They’re malnourished and can’t digest them well. I don’t know how much longer they can hold on. As long as you can give a job and so other food, I’ll do anything, no matter how hard or tiring."
Jing Shu had lived in the apocalypse for a long ti. What kind of life and death hadn’t she witnessed? At least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people had died before her eyes, and in every imaginable way. In this life, she herself had already killed a considerable number of people. She truly didn’t harbor much sentint for her high school classmates.
But Jing Shu had a soft spot; she couldn’t bear to hear about children suffering. In the apocalypse, children represented the only hope. In all those post-apocalyptic movies, if everyone else perished, a child would invariably survive. Oh, usually it would be two children, a boy and a girl. After all, the filmmakers knew that a single child couldn’t ensure the continuation of the human race.
Jing Shu said, "Alright. There are no cars. For those who want to work at Xishan Base, it’s too late today. So, here’s the plan: et at Xishan Base at 10 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Everyone should think carefully about their skills and what they can contribute. Whether you get to stay or not will depend on yourselves."
"Thank you so much!"
Liang Xin: "Then... are we still having this class reunion?"
Su Malie: "Those who want to work should follow Jing Shu’s advice for the day after tomorrow. eting up at Xishan Base can count as our reunion, right? By the way, I need all kinds of live insects. I’ll exchange so food for them. If you’re interested, bring them to at the gathering the day after tomorrow. However, I only accept live ones, preferably mutated, though ordinary ones are fine too. The more varieties, the better. I’ll only accept each type of insect once, so it’s best if you can find several different kinds."
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