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