"I'll tell him then."
After Zhu Zhengqi's father insisted on having lunch at noon, Jing An took the family to the medical supply wholesale center to pick up the health insurance card.
Last month, Jing Shu had bought medicines, but visits from her elder uncle's family and younger aunt's family had delayed the explanation. She had later mentioned that the medicines were for their rural neighbors. At the time, she was short on money and needed to withdraw from the health insurance card. Jing An had promised to deliver the medicines to the rural neighbors as soon as possible. But now, since this had been delayed, Jing Shu no longer lacked money.
"Anyway, take the medicines to all your aunts as soon as possible. You little spendthrift, buying so much of everything. Look at all the clothes you bought during Double Twelve. Do you plan to eat clothes?"
Su Lanzhi had been worried recently. Previously, her daughter was like a hopeless mess. Now, her daughter clung to everything like glue, and she still worried.
Jing Shu had developed some inexplicable habit of buying entire rooms full of items, treating money as nothing. She never stopped until all the money was spent.
They had thought the craziness ended after Double Eleven, but during Double Twelve, dozens of packages arrived every day. Jing Shu had bought all the family's underwear, outerwear, down jackets, and cotton pants and coats rated for minus 40 degrees Celsius (-40°C) to keep warm.
Su Lanzhi asked her, "Why are you buying such thick clothes? Are you planning to take the entire family, young and old, sick and healthy, on a trip to Russia?"
"Wasn't it buy one, get one free? Rich second-generation kids must have a room full of good clothes. That day someone even said our walk-in closet was empty. Clearly, they are a fake rich kid."
Su Lanzhi was speechless.
"My biological daughter, my biological daughter, my biological daughter!" Su Lanzhi silently repeated three times, and looking at her daughter again, she finally felt satisfied.
Jing Shu had emptied the health insurance card, happily making up for a regret from her previous life.
Seeing some time left, the family went to buy more simulated sunlight lamps. Many people were buying them, and tech channels reported on these lamps daily, encouraging citizens to grow vegetables with artificial lighting. Prices had risen by 30 percent.
Jing Shu secretly ordered 10 sets of UBC's bacterial solar lights, which had also increased by 20 percent. They even released new small handheld versions and medium portable versions. Jing Shu bought 20 sets in total, spending 250,000 yuan, to be delivered when Su Lanzhi returned to work the next day.
Now, buying anything had to be done without Su Lanzhi knowing. Explaining it later in the apocalypse would require countless lies.
Freezers and refrigerators in the mall were sold out. They were cheap, had large capacity, and were ideal for storing items during the Dark Days. Only commercial refrigerators were left, and many people were buying them. Everyone wanted to stock up on fresh vegetables, fruits, and perishable foods before the Dark Days. One home refrigerator was far from enough.
It had to be said that at the start of the apocalypse, everyone had prepared well. Unfortunately, less than a month in, electricity usage began to be restricted. Six months later, daily power supply was reduced to two hours, killing many from heat. After a year, it was down to just half an hour.
Jing Shu sighed and went to the banquet with Jing An, while Su Lanzhi drove with the elders to collect bean sprout seedlings, chive seedlings, crown daisy seedlings, lettuce seedlings, spinach seedlings. All could grow without sunlight.
The government now distributed them for free. Everyone used facial recognition to pick up seedlings and grow them at home, reducing unnecessary expenses. Vegetables grown indoors with lights cost more, and prices would rise during the Dark Days.
…
The dimly lit private room smelled of alcohol. When Jing An led Jing Shu in, a large-bellied bald man greeted them with an awkward smile. "Brother Jing, Jing Shu is here. Please sit!"
Jing Shu had prepared a kitchen knife in her Cube Space, always ready.
A month ago, Zhu Zhengqi had been confident and handsome. Now, he was emaciated, huddled in a corner of the room drinking beer while obsessively checking comments online.
He would suddenly cry out, then shake his head in denial. Scrolling through comment after comment like possessed, he finally looked up with hatred when Jing An and Jing Shu arrived. He shouted, "Are you satisfied? You're all satisfied? This is the result you wanted? Why didn't you say it sooner when you had the ability? Why?"
Jing An instinctively stepped in front of Jing Shu. "Lao Zhu, what's going on?"
"It's just children's matters. Jing Shu, Zhu Zhengqi is begging you. Please spare him, stop what's happening in Hebei. He has depression, and whenever he relapses he takes stimulants. Taking too much can kill him. Jing Shu, save him!
He really can't handle all the criticism! Every day someone calls him, texts him, leaves messages in his social circles insulting him. He has nearly attempted suicide several times!"
Jing Shu snorted. "If he can't handle it, how can I? Besides, can't he hire hundreds of thousands of online trolls? Let him hire them to whitewash himself."
Lao Zhu twitched. "Hiring trolls doesn't help. Jing Shu, tell us, how can he be forgiven?"
Jing Shu exhaled through her nose. "First, he must issue a public apology for all his actions, apologize for defaming people, for hiring trolls to attack others, everything. Second, when asking for forgiveness, he must show humility."
Lao Zhu pulled Zhu Zhengqi over, slapped him, and gritted his teeth. "No problem, hurry, beg Jing Shu to forgive you."
"Dad!" Zhu Zhengqi protested.
"Hurry!" Lao Zhu slapped him again.
Zhu Zhengqi glared at Jing Shu, eyes red. After a long moment, he hoarsely said, "Jing Shu, please forgive me."
"I can't hear you." Jing Shu pursed her lips, eyeing him critically.
Sure enough, Zhu Zhengqi's eyes blazed with fury again, hatred fixed on Jing Shu. His father hit him once more, forcing him to shout, "Jing Shu, please forgive me!"
"Good. Your eyes are perfect, I like them. Remember, do not impose on others what you do not want for yourself." Jing Shu smiled. She loved seeing her enemies powerless and frustrated.
For a moment, Jing Shu wondered if she was a villain, since she kept doing things villains liked to do.
Lunch was naturally skipped. Jing An held his tongue, only asking later after the families separated what had really happened, and how Zhu Zhengqi had been "bullied."
"Bullied? He was clearly bullying me." Jing Shu blinked.
"Judging by his miserable look, doesn't seem like it." Jing An shook his head, his expression darkening. "Forget it, I don't want any ties with my former colleagues anymore."