There were two types of milk curds. The soft ones were cheese, while the dry ones were milk curds. The preparation was similar for both, requiring slow cooking over low heat.
Today, Jing Shu finally did not have to wash endlessly or chop endlessly. Instead, she could calmly make milk curds on the side, looking like a refined young man while working. Dry milk curds could be held in hand anytime during the apocalypse. Beyond licking them like lollipops, they could be slowly gnawed, extremely durable, and currently the most nutritious dry food available.
Before making the milk curds, Grandma Jing first prepared ten 2-liter sealed jars of milk skin. The milk was cooked over low heat, stirred constantly to evaporate water slowly. The milk condensed at the bottom of the pot into a round yellow milk cake. Once cooled, it was jarred and refrigerated.
When poured into cooked milk or milk tea, with a bit of milk skin, it gave a rich creamy flavor, soft and aromatic.
Yogurt curds were pre-fermented before cooking. Ordinary curds were made by adding a bit of white vinegar, then filtering through cheesecloth. Soft curds were ready to eat, while dry ones had to be hand-pressed into pieces and left to dry. They could last one or two years without losing flavor, though they would become as hard as stone.
Dozens of pregnant women pre-ordered yogurt curds. Once dried, Jing An would mail them, hoping those mothers could take good care of their babies during the apocalypse.
By December 17, Jing Shu had finally finished pickling all the vegetables, marinating all the eggs, processing all the meats, and turning the milk into long-term milk curds. She had been busy for over a month without a break, and now she could finally breathe.
That evening, the family of five held a family meeting.
First, they praised and encouraged her for achieving sales of 500,000 yuan over the past month. Then they discussed the upcoming Dark Days and how everyone should prepare.
"The Dark Days will have a huge impact on agriculture. Recently, the news has been reporting farmers scrambling to harvest the last batch of winter crops. The national grain supply is sufficient, but vegetables will likely be in short supply. Prices will rise, and limits will be imposed."
Most people thought grain was enough, but vegetables would be hoarded. The national reserve could feed the country for three years, and any apocalyptic rumors were immediately suppressed.
Even if a few impulsive youths tried to stir panic, limited money and restricted purchases would put an end to it. Of course, there would always be some who frantically stockpiled food.
What they could not anticipate was that even those who bought enough grain and stayed home thinking they were safe would face high heat in the first year, rotting countless foods, some dying from heat or thirst. Surviving the first year, they would then face floods the second year. All grain stockpiles could be wasted.
"Yes, although the government has started reserving vegetables and fruits, and even added greenhouses in urban and rural areas, encouraging us to grow some at home, a month without sun is disastrous. The little vegetables in the yard won't be enough, so the greenhouse must grow more."
For the first time, Jing An and Grandpa Jing had no disagreements, which moved Jing Shu to tears.
Su Lanzhi nodded approvingly. "We need to prepare more grain, at least six months' worth."
The government suggested preparing two months' worth, but Chinese people believed in preparing more to be safe. In her previous life, Jing Shu's family prepared a year's supply, sharing some with Su Meimei and her elder uncle's family.
Grandma Jing countered, "No matter how much you stockpile, there will be a day it runs out. Flowing water lasts longer. We must grow enough vegetables. Jing Shu mentioned that some kind of light can replace sunlight?"
"That's a pulsed xenon lamp, simulating sunlight. I installed a row by the pond before winter, worried about low sunlight. Tomorrow we can buy more to install over the vegetable garden and greenhouse. During the Dark Days, you can eat fresh vegetables every day." Jing Shu shared her plan:
"In the coming days, I've ordered various fruits from a friend to make canned fruits and dried fruits. I also got mature saplings to transplant into the greenhouse, including an apple tree and an apricot tree planted by the entrance. Many mushrooms do not need sunlight and can be grown in the living room."
"Our Jing Shu has really grown up. She thinks of everything, always coming up with summaries and plans." Jing An felt that in the past two months, his thoughtful daughter had suddenly matured too quickly, becoming meticulous, as if she had grown a decade in a short time.
It was hard not to think ahead. Reborn into a second life, Jing Shu carried the soul of a 32-year-old woman. If she had not prepared rice, flour, oil, and grain in advance, with purchase limits of 500 yuan daily, it would have taken ages to buy enough supplies for the next few years. Within a month, all goods began to be rationed.
…
"From December 18, free vegetable seedlings will be distributed in urban and rural areas. Collection method as follows."
"Expert Wang teaches which plants can be grown during the Dark Days."
"The coming days will still have high temperatures. Regions such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong have already seen heatstroke cases. People are urged to take care."
Jing Shu ate breakfast while watching the morning news: three folded slices of toast with a young sausage and fried egg, layered with cheese and lettuce, a bowl of golden millet porridge, two boiled eggs, a dish of sweet-and-sour radish, and two pieces of fried steak.
Burp~ She felt her appetite had grown, yet her weight remained 104 jin (52 kilograms).
Grandpa Jing drank four bowls of millet porridge. His toothache made eating difficult. Surprisingly, Grandpa Jing's teeth had started regrowing. At the dentist, the doctor could only say, "Hmm, your case is special."
On Sunday, December 18, Su Lanzhi had a rare day off. The family went to Ai Jia Supermarket after breakfast. The shelves were still piled high with goods, seeming like they were always this full.
Fewer young people came early. In WeChat groups, scammers claimed to grab Kang Shifu instant noodles. Mostly, elderly grandparents with grandchildren came to collect rice and left immediately. Even when stockpiling, perishable foods had to wait, while longer shelf-life items were bought first.
Jing Shu's family had come for four consecutive days to claim aid. It was Su Lanzhi's first time, and she curiously collected rice. They browsed the store, splurging. Once a woman entered, no one could hold her back.
Jing An and Grandpa Jing each pushed two carts. Grandma Jing was more restrained, while Su Lanzhi and Jing Shu started another round of shopping. Jing Shu felt they could never buy enough and only stopped when they could carry no more.
At that moment, Jing An's phone rang. After answering, his expression turned strange. He looked at Jing Shu. "Lao Zhu invited you to dinner. You must go. He is Zhu Zhengqi's father and my former colleague."
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. One moment her expression was gentle, the next her gaze was sharp. Realizing Jing An frowned, she smiled again. "Sure, I'll go."