novelraw Chapter 723: The Preparations Made by the Jing Family
Chapter 723: The Preparations Made by the Jing Family
Then Jing Shu also provided benefits for the employees, such as renting or selling Hulk at half-price. Most of the factory workers were quite wealthy and could completely afford it, while those with less money would just have to work overtime before the relocation to earn some extra cash. The Insect Cake Factory never kept idle hands.
As for the Medicine Association, they were basically all moving, but their situation was much more complicated than that of the Insect Cake Factory. Besides the regular staff, there were many probationary and temporary workers, and the personnel were of varying qualities, a mixed bag. After all, it was a system that combined the previous private, aristocratic, and public sectors into one.
When there were no interests involved, everyone was easy to talk to, but once interests came into play, things could become unpredictable. So, Jing Shu only managed what she needed to manage. Renting Hulk to transport medicinal materials, of course, meant offering a friendly 11.2% discount, but it had to go through the official accounts; no credit was accepted.
It was only after Jing Shu had taken care of both sides that she had time to make the final arrangements with her family.
When Zijin entered the villa, she was stunned for a moment. In her memory, the villa was packed with various things and seemed very crowded, but now, it felt unusually empty. Even speaking loudly echoed back.
"Zijin, how did you end up looking like such a mess? And why did you cut your hair?" Jing Shu could see from a distance that Zijin looked rather disheveled. Her long hair, which she hadn’t been willing to cut even during the red earthworm outbreak, was now chopped off. Why would she cut it when she was out supporting and helping others?
It wasn’t very short; it was a hairstyle similar to a bob, which made Zijin look both well-behaved and pitiable.
After gulping down a cup of hot water, Zijin finally smiled and said, "So many things have happened over these past few years, and I’ve come to see many people clearly. I was too naive back then... always thinking that with my passion, I could do something for this world." If he could see me now, he would have been even more pleased.
Jing Shu, somewhat understanding, asked, "Zijin, what exactly happened?"
Zijin shook her head and said, "What you predicted came true... But I don’t regret it, Jing Shu, you were right. To like someone, you don’t necessarily have to imitate their preferences. He sacrificed himself to save others; he is a hero, he did nothing wrong. Those who are alive should live well. No one else did anything wrong, I didn’t do anything wrong, it’s only the world... it’s wrong."
"In the future, I want to do the things I like." Zijin lowered her head. She knew that no matter what she did, he would be by her side; he would approve, just as she approved of him.
"What? You want to stay? That won’t do! Haven’t you heard how dangerous it is to stay? It’s deathly cold outside, how can you stand it!" Grandma Jing clung to Zijin’s hand, unwilling to let go.
Zijin earnestly said, "Jing Shu, you left me a message before, saying you had kept the position of clothing factory manager for me. Does that still stand?"
Jing Shu nodded.
"Then let me stay as the manager... I’m very interested in this factory, and I’ve heard from the rescue team that a group of people are going to remain in the Underground City. I don’t want to leave; I don’t want to leave this place."
This land... just one glance at a familiar place would remind her that he had once walked here, that over there was where he had lingered. His Shadow could be seen everywhere, allowing her to talk to him.
"Have you really decided for sure that you want to stay?"
"Mhm."
"Alright, I trust you to take care of the factory. Just remember, Zijin, if you run into any trouble or danger, call me immediately. If I’m out of signal, go to the manager who stayed behind in Wu City."
Jing Shu seemed melancholic. Her initial plan was to bring Zijin along, but the change in the migration path had made the Zijin of her former life obediently relocate. In this life, however, Zijin was particularly assertive. Well, that confidence was all thanks to me.
Jing Shu, worried about Zijin, gave numerous instructions and provided some yogurt balls and Compressed Biscuits, canned beef jerky, and other long-lasting foods, as well as clothing and supplies. These were all an advance on her wage.
"You can count on me, Jing Shu. I’m not who I was three years ago." Zijin pulled out a blackwood gun and expertly stashed it away again, leaving Jing Shu utterly astonished. Zijin, you’ve picked up some bad habits!
The Hulk was indisputably the most practical creature under Jing Shu’s command, especially during this critical juncture of migration. It could carry an incredible amount of goods.
Mr. Jing had been working tirelessly day and night to create specialized farming racks for the Hulk, and the fish breeding tanks that were intended for the second floor of the RV didn’t need to be that complicated anymore.
After all, if there were strong jolts or impacts during the move, the fish would be doomed. Now it was just a matter of stuffing the sealed containers into the Hulk’s belly, although it was a bit more troublesome since they had to pump oxygen into them daily.
The seafood in the tanks had been entirely cleared out over the past two days. They had kept some fry and pregnant fish, shrimp, and crabs, while the rest had been turned into various kinds of frozen food. Not much was left, which was regrettable. After years of achievement, it was sad to see a reduction of seventy to eighty percent, leaving just a little... Grandma Jing, while lamenting, continued to cook delicious meals.
Jing Shu didn’t understand the relocation of crops, so it was all up to Mr. Jing to figure out. A few tomato plants had died recently, which deeply saddened the old man. Jing Shu, belatedly realizing the issue, added some Spiritual Spring water, ensuring at least that the transplanted crops must survive—they had to!
Mr. Jing had said that such relocations might not necessarily succeed, especially on the road, but he still fitted the racks with a complete set: heaters, generators, etc., to ensure they maintained the proper temperature and humidity.
Jing Shu wasn’t idle either. She continued to prepare her own food daily. The household meals were all managed by Grandma Jing, who made a variety each day and froze them in portions. For example, Grandma Jing recently made Jing Shu’s favorite spicy crawfish—a whole half-tank full, pot by pot.
The whole family spent an entire day peeling shrimp!
Yes, you read that right. They were peeling shrimp, not eating them. They froze the peeled shrimp, the heads with roe, and a bit of soup base separately in portions. Only two pots of shrimp meat were produced from half a tank of shrimp.
And what did the family eat? They simply boiled noodles, dipped them in the soup base, slurped the roe from the shrimp heads, and picked at the imperfectly peeled shrimp meat. It was a makeshift meal.
The remaining shrimp shells weren’t wasted either. They were all fed to the livestock. What the livestock didn’t eat, the fat chickens polished off cleanly. The leftover soup base could even be diluted with water to have a hot pot meal one more time. Waste simply wasn’t a thing in the Jing Family.
Oh, and these days, Jing Shu had been preparing and cleaning out weapons and equipment.
She had TNT explosives stored in the Township Government’s reserve warehouse, clearly marked in West Mountain. She intended to bring half of the stockpile with them on the road, just in case... you never knew what could happen, right? And regarding ammunition replenishment, those supplies had to be full.