I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 684: Wu You’ai Goes to the Imperial Capital

At the end of the day, in this apocalypse, it’s not like you can keep having fun just by being happy yourself. In his past life, Qian Duoduo had lived with comforts exceeding even those of the pre-apocalyptic era. The entire West Mountain was his, with 600 bodyguards at his command, and an endless supply of rare delicacies and luxury goods for his indulgence. He had so many luxury cars, he could have driven a different one every day for years and still not run out.

To make a joke, if Qian Duoduo’s silly son said, "I got lost at home," it wouldn’t be a boast, but an actual fact.

Qian Duoduo himself was a famous philanthropist who donated substantial amounts of food and materials every year. Yet, what fate did he meet? Everyone understands the principle that without lips, the teeth will feel cold.

So, if you want to live a better, more comfortable, and more satisfying life in the apocalypse, there are some things you just have to do.

"So, I agree with my cousin going to the Imperial Capital," Jing Shu raised her hand to vote.

"Go? What for? Youai isn’t like you, you wild girl! You’re strong and skilled with guns. Anyone who messes with you is truly courting death, no discussion needed. Youai is weaker than a fat chicken, and she’s so single-minded. She can’t compare to you, who’s been traveling all over since you were little. The farthest she’s ever been is Xinlan City. The Imperial Capital is so far. What if she gets bullied?" Grandma Jing strongly disagreed.

Mr. Jing, hearing his mother evaluate his daughter like that, nodded in agreement. He knew his daughter well, and that was why he was at ease with her ’roaming the jianghu.’

Wu You’ai was physically too weak, and staying at home was best for her; once outdoors, she couldn’t even tell her east from her west. In this dog-eat-dog apocalypse, it was safer to stay put.

Third Aunt was very conflicted. But seeing Youai finally taking interest in something specific, though she was reluctant for her daughter to travel so far, she asked, "Youai, what do you think? Do you really want to go to the Imperial Capital? You know that transportation is difficult now, and a long journey... has its consequences."

What Third Aunt didn’t say was that just a few days ago, she had seen Mr. Jing and Mrs. Jing crying with worry for Jing Shu; they couldn’t eat or sleep properly, truly restless day and night. It pained her to watch, and she hadn’t expected it to be her turn so soon.

Wu You’ai said calmly, "This research is about to yield results. My mentor and I have poured all our efforts into it these past few years. If I don’t go... it would be a lifelong regret. Actually, whether I go or not just depends on completing the final rounds of calculations. But ultimately... I also want to witness the miracle myself, so the main cafeteria doesn’t have to serve these things anymore. If we have that synthetic meat, it can be made into delicious beef patties, chicken patties, and other flavored items."

"If that’s the case, then go. Take good care of yourself..." Third Aunt didn’t say anything more. After all, Youai would be traveling with her mentor. Her safety should be somewhat assured, right?

Third Aunt then remembered that young man she’d seen a few times—quiet and composed, with long, straight hair hanging down, who smiled quietly. His whole presence gave off a sense of security and reliability.

Since Third Aunt had agreed, Grandma Jing could only relent. She turned to prepare food for Youai’s journey. Even if she couldn’t provide anything high-quality at the moment, milk curds with black sesame were still something she could make.

Mr. Jing even asked, "Should I pack some of Jing Shu’s things for you as well?"

Wu You’ai quickly shook her head; she remembered the things Jing Shu had taken with her... They were just too bizarre, like things for relieving oneself on the go, even a portable seat...

Jing Shu was also very happy to hear that the promotion of synthetic meat was practically confirmed. She hoped to gather more food before the next migration to ensure people had full bellies and to prevent so many from starving.

Before Wu You’ai left, Jing Shu arranged for her to deliver some local specialty gifts to friends in the Imperial Capital, as promised. These included gifts for Tan Ke, Zhen Nantian, and their group, the people guarding her grain, and also the old-timers at the Medicine Association. This was partly to maintain these connections and partly to give Wu You’ai some leverage, so she could seek help from these people if she encountered difficulties.

Wu You’ai never knew that Jing Shu had unknowingly made so many friends and established such a network in the Imperial Capital. Because of this, even Grandma Jing and Third Aunt didn’t feel bad about the gifts being sent; after all, they served as a safety net for Wu You’ai.

Despite paring down her luggage, Wu You’ai still had several boxes that were quite difficult for her to carry. Luckily, her mentor, as flamboyant as Yang Yang from back then, wore only a flashy winter outfit, dressing like a character out of a comic book and bringing hardly anything, so she was able to help Wu You’ai with her luggage.

Her mentor even boasted shamelessly, "Thank goodness I know how troublesome you women can be with all the things you carry." After a while, she asked Wu You’ai, "Did you bring some food cooked by your grandmother? Your family’s food is truly unforgettable once you’ve tasted it. When I return from this assignment, you must invite me for another meal."

Wu You’ai replied contentedly, "They know I love sweet dumplings, so they packed a lot of frozen ones for me, along with some dark, pitch-black food, all mixed with black sesame seeds."

The food looked unappetizing—all dark lumps, and it was hard to tell what they were—but it tasted delicious. To keep a low profile, the Jing family had resorted to all sorts of methods. Who would dare to openly bring out food?

After Wu You’ai left, Jing Shu remained busy, and the Jing family became even busier as time moved into November and December. Soon it would be the end of the year again, only this year was even tougher than the last. The weather had become colder, and food even scarcer.

Temperatures were now plummeting past thirty degrees below zero and would soon approach forty degrees below.

Before the apocalypse, Wu City had never experienced such bitter cold—the kind of cold that could frostbite ears. Even though Jing Shu wore layer upon layer of clothing, bundling herself up tightly, she still felt the cold, let alone ordinary people.

There were now people in Wu City who had frozen to death. Since there hadn’t been many starvations this time around, people freezing to death became big news.

Jing Shu realized she had been too careless, forgetting this point. She had always focused on getting more food to prevent starvation and hadn’t thought that the extreme cold would also be a major problem.

"How can we get materials for warmth? They can’t just appear out of thin air," Jing Shu sighed, feeling helpless. Growing cotton or raising silkworms on a large scale simply wasn’t feasible.

Not the entire country was this cold. It was mainly due to Wu City’s latitude that it was so frigid. In the South, temperatures were only around twenty degrees below zero at this time, and it was said that the hottest regions even reached temperatures in the teens.

Jing Shu was determined not to go out anymore. She handled her work for the Medicine Association remotely, and the Insect Cake Factory’s operations were on the right track. The only things requiring her attention were the building renovations and the digging by the rotten mermaids. The cold certainly affected the excavation, slowing the rotten mermaids down considerably, but that was the extent of it. This digging was an unshakeable priority; the tunnels had to be spacious and sturdy, and they would dig as far as they could.

Oh, right. The first month’s dividends from the eight factories had been allocated and were now in transit. Jing Shu eagerly awaited their arrival, wondering what good things might be included.