novelraw Chapter 716: Is This Fishing This Time?
Chapter 716: Is This Fishing This Time?
"Let’s gift food... Minister Niu—or, we should change how we address him to Niu Jiwei now. This position deals with food; in this apocalypse, what could be more desirable? The key is, what does Director Niu Jiwei lack now?"
Mrs. Jing felt a bit stuck. For her, there truly was nothing lacking. The family’s conditions were excellent: her husband owned a breeding farm, and her daughter was in the Medicine Association. Whatever they needed, her father-in-law could produce the next day. If they desired any particular food, her mother-in-law would plant the Seeds and tenderly care for them within days. So, whether it was vegetables, meat, fruits, or anything else, they lacked nothing.
Director Niu Jiwei now managed all food-related matters. Mr. Jing, representing the breeding farm, was offering 30 eggs; the market price for one egg was 100 Virtual Coins, and they were so rare you couldn’t buy them even if you had the money. Jing Shu, representing the Medicine Association, was gifting finished Warm Ginger Pills, all processed through the public account.
Jing Shu wasn’t particularly concerned. Instead, she kept pondering Director Niu Jiwei’s objective this time. Setting this up right before the migration... Could it be a trap? Hmm, considering the personalities of those in charge, it was really hard to say.
Jing Shu quickly said, "Mom, we should be low-key this time, nothing too valuable. Don’t fuss over whether Director Niu Jiwei needs what we send. The key is to make Mrs. Niu’s precious son, Niu Yanben, happy. If Mrs. Niu is happy, then Director Niu Jiwei will be pleased. I heard Mrs. Niu complaining a while ago that Niu Yanben isn’t growing tall, and it’s been a weight on her mind."
Mrs. Jing nodded. "That is an issue. Before the apocalypse, there were growth injections and immunization shots. But now, after the apocalypse, one can only consume more calcium and drink more milk. A while ago, I had your father send over a kilogram of fresh milk, which made Mrs. Niu extremely happy. But to present fresh milk at the banquet is a bit..."
"Giving milk powder... It’s too conspicuous with so many people watching."
In this era, milk powder production had completely stopped; even the machinery had been melted down. The origin of Jing Shu’s milk powder wasn’t suitable for public knowledge. A few years ago, it was fine to claim it was a pre-apocalypse product, but now... five years into the apocalypse, it would be incredibly out of date. And if you claimed it was newly processed milk powder? My goodness, starting the machines would require at least a ton of milk. If you had that much milk, wouldn’t you be expected to contribute it and share with everyone?
Qian Duoduo had plenty of good things, undoubtedly including milk powder, but he definitely wouldn’t bring it out casually and attract envy.
The breeding farm had a good number of cows these past two years and, with careful management, produced plenty of milk. However, there were many high-ranking officials in Wu City, along with veterans, pregnant women, and the wealthy and powerful, all of whom understandably wanted some milk. Considering social obligations and connections, the output simply wasn’t enough to go around. Everyone had their eyes on the good stuff. Jin Tianci himself had received very little milk back then. Director Niu Jiwei also received some, but a supply for a few days at a time was never enough. Furthermore, with the upcoming migration, the breeding farm planned to stop distributing milk. Dealing with inconsistent visitors and the hassle of delivery was too much; everything was to be stored and made into cheese curds. On the road, there would be no milk at all.
"So..."
Jing Shu brought out various flavored nougats she had just made. "These were originally for my own dessert after meals, but now they’re perfect as a gift. Whether it’s peanut nougat, nut nougat, or strawberry nougat, they’re all made from pure milk, with honey, Butter, marshmallow, and various other nutritious ingredients. Just mention the ingredients, and Mrs. Niu will surely understand."
"On the migration route, they’re delicious and nutritious, definitely full of calcium, and could help him grow taller."
"Wrap them in paper. You can’t tell much from the outside, and it doesn’t sound overly impressive when you mention it; others will just think it’s a snack."
Jing Shu also felt that Niu Yanben, at eleven years old, was a bit short. It was rather unfortunate for such a smart boy.
Five years had swiftly passed. The child who once tricked Jing Shu into eating cashews had gradually grown up, his lively eyes now holding a hint of mischief. But in this harsh post-apocalyptic world, growth was inevitable.
West Mountain was situated high, making the roads even tougher to navigate. This was despite the efforts of Qian Duoduo’s team, who had managed to create a path. Initially, they cleared the road. However, with snow piled higher than buildings on both sides, they stopped shoveling. Instead, they began to pack down the snow, modifying rollers with grooves and assigning six workers to level the path by moving them back and forth. Due to the applied force, the resulting road was mostly flat, with only the grooved areas providing traction for vehicles to move slowly. Exhaust fumes melted the surface snow, quickly turning it into icy slush. As snow continued to fall, a new round of rolling had to be done quickly; otherwise, vehicles would slip on the ice.
West Mountain also featured a cableway, a special ice route for transporting goods. It required little electricity and used the terrain to its advantage for carrying loads. During this critical migration period, it was in constant use—a butterfly effect in motion. In a previous life, Qian Duoduo had starved to death, and the Stone Garden’s property was confiscated. In this life, however, he survived, even though he lost a significant part of his business, his second-phase development was nearly absorbed by the Township Government, and he had to support tens of thousands of people.
Today, the West Mountain banquet hall was bustling. Modified vehicles filled the spacious entrance, and there were also quite a few Hulk taxis. Compared to the Hulk buses, these taxis were much smaller, seating at most three people—even smaller than a sedan.
A line of greeters stood at the entrance, responsible for receiving the heads of various departments. They were all stomping their feet to keep warm and chatting with the department heads they knew. Don’t underestimate them; the lowest-ranking among these greeters were Directors, influential figures in their own right.
"Renting one of these things for a day costs 300 Virtual Coins, and they’re still in high demand. It’s no surprise, really; nowadays, even government units don’t get a gasoline quota."
"I hear the higher-ups are planning the migration. They’ll need to rent at least a hundred Hulk vehicles this time. They can carry goods and people, and most importantly, they’re safe and can navigate any kind of road."
"This Hulk looks different; it’s really impressive! It even has windows—so big. Oh, someone’s getting out. I wonder whose family they’re from?"
"That’s Su Lanzi, a subordinate of Niu Jiwei. Word is she’s very likely to fill the vacancy Niu Jiwei previously held."
"And who’s that man? Ah, and the young girl? Are you folks from the Ministry of Agriculture attending this banquet like it’s a pre-apocalypse feast? Did you think you had to bring your whole family?"
"Don’t talk nonsense. Her husband is the manager of the breeding farm. As for the young one, that’s probably their daughter," a middle-aged man said before immediately going to greet them. As a Director, Jiang Jiang knew he had to be careful with his words.
The family of three was ushered to the entrance of the hall, where two tables were set up. Two people sat at them: one to receive, check, and confirm gifts, and the other to record them.
Well, this is set up just like a pre-apocalypse wedding banquet. Oh, even more meticulous than a wedding.
Mr. Jing handed over the eggs he was carrying, wrote down "Breeding Farm," and then specified "30 eggs." The person checking them actually counted each one. Jing Shu then handed over the pills, noting down "Medicine Association."
When it was Mrs. Jing’s turn, Mrs. Niu approached from a distance and greeted her, "Lan Zhi, you’ve finally arrived! Was everything alright on your way here? Come inside quickly, it’s much too cold out here."
Smiling, Mrs. Jing nodded. "Indeed, it’s getting colder by the day."