I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 618: Chicken is still okay

Jing Shu had never expected that Old Zhou and Jin Tianci would both come to pick her up from the airport.

Speaking of picking her up, why did they bring so many people? There were two whole rows for a welcoming party, holding signs in the middle of winter.

Low-key, low-key, please.

To tell the truth, when she disembarked from the plane and saw this scene, she was moved to tears. At that moment, she felt a strong sense of belonging.

Of course, everyone was wearing cotton-padded jackets of various colors and carrying large and small, oddly-shaped packages. They were no longer sleek and glamorous without the lights of Sleepless City. What remained was only muddy terrain, simple clothes, and outdated equipment...

The apocalypse, though it had arrived, had not entirely destroyed the human race. Although life was tough and many people were merely living numbly, at least they were alive. Nothing was more important than being alive.

Taking a deep breath, Jing Shu, as the vice president of the Wu City Medicine Association and the representative for this mission, shook hands with Jin Tianci. A phone snapshot captured this precious moment. "You’ve all worked hard." She believed today’s news in Wu City would be all about this event.

Jing Shu was still dressed in a warm, padded jacket that wrapped her up tightly. She guessed that even people who knew her might not recognize her in this attire. However, from a distance, she saw an old, rickety car parked in a corner. A man stood in front of it, carefully smoking a cigarette. Upon noticing the commotion, he became so excited that he forgot to continue smoking.

It was Mr. Jing, here to pick her up! From afar, she could see the man’s figure, slightly plumper due to better nutrition over the years, and his still youthful face. In this life, Mr. Jing looked much more handsome.

Winning the competition in the Imperial Capital had been unexpected. The benefits received and the ’cake’ to be divided were probably detailed the moment the results were announced.

But this time, for some reason, Jing Shu suddenly lost interest. She just wanted to go home. Yes, after being away for over a month, all she wanted was to go home, enjoy a good meal, and be with her family.

"Master, I won’t attend the award ceremony later. By the way, after we settle the accounts, I’ll need to use the Medicine Association’s vehicle to haul all my things home."

"Miss Jing, are you sure you want to pass on such a great opportunity?" Old Zhou’s smile never left his face; the surprise Jing Shu had given him was too great. He looked her up and down. The girl hadn’t changed a bit. His glance paused on Jing Shu’s hand for just a second before he complimented, "New gloves, huh? They look really nice—glossy black, almost transparent. Things from the Imperial Capital are indeed exceptional."

"Heh... I really like these new gloves too." Jing Shu glanced at her own hands, at the Blood-sucking Leeches. When their black color became somewhat transparent, it meant the pair was mating. Within several meters around her, countless Seeds of Blood-sucking Leeches had already been sown.

Whenever there was danger or an unusual situation, the Blood-sucking Leeches could instantly transfer there and... completely hunt down any intruders.

Who could have imagined that these two creatures’ constant mating, especially after consuming the Spiritual Spring, would enhance their ability so much? And who could have thought this would become their advantage? Because of their relentless mating and the resulting invisible emissions—imperceptible to the naked eye—they formed an invisible shield. Within this range, Jing Shu’s safety and her ability to strike first were thoroughly guaranteed.

After using the Spiritual Spring, this range was still expanding, meaning Jing Shu’s protective and preemptive capabilities would only grow stronger.

"Alright, Master, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m going home now... Look, my dad has come to pick me up." Jing Shu smiled at the cameras while subtly speaking, occasionally answering some of Jin Tianci’s questions.

"Was it tough? Was the trip smooth? Did you encounter any problems? How were they resolved? You all did very well this time, securing resources for Wu City..." Jin Tianci was amiable beyond measure.

Jing Shu knew this was a skill every leader possessed—to always appear so approachable.

"Okay, okay, is one transport vehicle enough? Let them start by moving your things first," Old Zhou asked.

"Err... maybe, perhaps, at least three transport vehicles?" Jing Shu said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Miss Jing," Big Yellow Teeth exclaimed, his expression one of shock, "did you go to the Imperial Capital and bring the whole city back with you?"

"The chicken is still okay, right?"

The heartbreaking part was, after confirming Jing Shu was unharmed, the very first thing her father asked about was the chicken. Could a living person really be less important than a chicken?

The fat chicken strutted out from behind Jing Shu, acting all high and mighty. It held its head high and puffed out its chest, as if to say, "Hmph, if you don’t want me, plenty of others do!" The fat chicken even shook its plump, feathery body. And believe it or not, after the old hen had molted, the new feathers that grew in were much lighter in color, but every single one was top-quality—extremely durable in this apocalypse.

Mr. Jing nodded in relief. His tasks for the day were complete: his daughter was safe and sound, and his parents’ precious fat chicken was also fine. That was good enough. "We’ve prepared some of... your favorite food at home. Let’s go."

Just as he was speaking, a small head peeked out from behind Jing Shu. It was Wanzi. She was short and stooped, making her hard to spot. Blinking her large eyes, she couldn’t stop scratching herself.

"This... this is..."

Before he could finish, an even smaller head popped out—Little Gua Gua. It quacked a couple of times and pecked at Mr. Jing’s shoes, as if trying to bite off something to eat. After a few unsuccessful attempts, it took a few mouthfuls of dirt and, under Mr. Jing’s astonished gaze, tilted its head back and swallowed.

"These... what are these?" Mr. Jing couldn’t help but look bewildered. However, his bewilderment quickly transformed as his mouth slowly fell open and his eyes widened in disbelief.

This was because the movers were bringing item after item, loading them onto the transport vehicles until all three were full.

"This... this..."

Today, Mr. Jing seemed incapable of saying anything else.

Actually, the supplies she had acquired from the United States were even more plentiful. However, most of them were directly stowed in her storage space, with a portion secretly placed in the basement. Only the remainder was presented for her family to see, making it ’official.’

This time, however, the items from the Imperial Capital hadn’t been looted; they were all legitimately obtained. So, there was no need to hide them. What’s more, for her family’s happiness, Jing Shu had even secretly taken out some things from her storage space to add to the pile, just to make them ’official’ too.

"Alright, alright, let’s head home quickly. These are all things from the Imperial Capital; it’s not much, really," Jing Shu said.

The movers from the Medicine Association nearly rolled their eyes out of their sockets. They had loaded three full transport vehicles until their backs ached, legs throbbed, and necks cramped, and she said it wasn’t much? Besides, most of it didn’t seem to be food, but rather rolls of paper and various pieces of equipment.

If it had been food, it would have been incredibly valuable. Wu City was having a terrible year.

Of course, Jing Shu wouldn’t let the food be seen. She had repackaged everything and wrapped it all securely.

The temperature in Wu City had dropped considerably again. Sitting in the BYD car, Jing Shu looked at Wanzi, a slight headache forming. How should she arrange for Wanzi?