As for the idea of renting a house first to secure a spot, that was completely out of the question.
This area would eventually be taken over by the government. When the floods submerged half of Wu City, countless homeless people would need resettlement.
Aside from homeowners who held full property rights, everything else would be arranged by the government. After half a year of riots, no one dared disobey. If you refused to comply, you would have no food and might even be dragged away for forced labor reform.
This included rented properties, which would all be reassigned. If you had connections, maybe you could get more people squeezed in. If not, you would be assigned to a marked parking spot in the underground garage. Those who had unpaid mortgages would still need to hand over a portion of food every month as repayment. After all, loans were from banks, and banks belonged to the state.
And how would the government know whether you bought property or whether it was mortgaged or paid in full? Since 2018, with the rise of big data, a simple ID scan could reveal everything about you, down to what day and hour in December 2022 you collected relief rations.
Once something was recorded in your ID profile, it was permanent. Every offense and every merit. During the apocalypse, collecting relief food required both face recognition and ID scanning. If you had a record of wrongdoing, you were immediately blacklisted.
So, in the apocalypse, no one could afford to be idle. To survive, you had to create value.
Her thoughts drifted far, but when Jing Shu snapped back to attention, several more messages had already appeared.
For Sale, Building 25: "Big Sister, I bought this house for 250,000 yuan, and then spent another 100,000 on renovations, furniture, and appliances. All brand new, all included for free! Originally, I just wanted a weekend retreat, but now I'm selling at a loss!"
Wang Cuihua sent a voice message: "You'd better ask someone else. Who doesn't have a house now? Buying property or cars now is foolish."
For Sale, Building 25: "…" Big Sister, even if you don't want to buy, you don't need to ruin my chances.
Jing Shu added the seller as a friend and sent a message: "I'll take it for 130,000 yuan, cash upfront. I'm only buying to hoard property. If the price rises in a few years, good. If not, I won't risk more, especially with the possibility of a crash looming."
The man hesitated for over ten minutes. He had been slashing prices everywhere with no luck. The moment people heard the house was outside Wu City, they refused, no matter how cheap. And with cars practically useless now, even bargain hunters wanted only locations with potential.
"Better to sell than hold and lose everything. If she's living in a villa and buying just to hoard, then she probably doesn't care. With the money, I can buy a batch of food—cabbage alone costs over 100 yuan and still isn't enough."
Finally, the seller agreed: "Fine. Let's meet tomorrow morning at 5 to finalize the paperwork."
The next day, Jing Shu did something rare: she accompanied Jing An to drop off Su Lanzhi at work and even packed Su Lanzhi's lunch.
Sweet and sour radish, stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms, kimchi mixed with rice, two marinated eggs, and a bowl of chilled milk.
She dared not pack anything too extravagant or fresh fruit, since vegetables were far too scarce. Even this meal Su Lanzhi would have to eat in secret, as her appetite had grown so much recently that it was barely enough.
The latest policy changes had bottom-rank workers like Su Lanzhi working constant overtime. Just like in Jing Shu's previous life. But this time, Jing Shu knew Su Lanzhi's opportunity was just around the corner. This time, she had to seize it.
After dropping off the food, Jing Shu and Jing An brought the elderly couple's IDs and went to the Real Estate Bureau with the seller. One eager to sell, the other eager to buy, the transfer was completed smoothly.
When they received the keys and arrived at Building 25, just 100 meters across from their villa, Jing An was dumbfounded.
"So why exactly did you buy another house for your grandparents? This place is so remote. I was planning that once our finances improved in a few years, we'd buy another place back in the city.
It's too quiet here. Transportation is inconvenient, shopping is inconvenient. Going out feels just like traveling from the countryside into the city," Jing An grumbled. His recent supermarket lines and trips to send Su Lanzhi to work had left him with deep impressions.
Jing Shu led him around for a look. She was satisfied. Three bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms. Furniture and appliances, even beds, all included. No air conditioning, but aside from needing bedding and daily necessities, it was ready for move-in.
"The renovations are cheap, all low-end materials," Jing An said.
"We owe Grandpa Jing and Grandma Jing 200,000 yuan, remember? They'll never take the money back. Better to buy them a house. With their names on the deed, it won't matter whether it's the third or the first or second aunt comes to stay. Living in Grandpa Jing and Grandma Jing's home will feel like their own too. And we'll still be here for years ourselves, won't we?"
Jing Shu explained her reasoning and added: "When you and Grandpa Jing aren't fighting, you can all live together. If you quarrel, they can come back here for a few days. If they want to stay in the countryside, fine. If they want to stay long-term here, fine. After all, it's their house."
Jing An's eyes gradually lit up. He had always wanted to live with his parents, but every time they stayed together, arguments with Grandpa Jing led to heart attacks. Now, that problem seemed solved.
For the next few days, Jing An and Jing Shu busied themselves preparing the new place as a surprise for the grandparents.
Since the first floor had no space for UBC solar panels, they skipped air conditioning. Instead, Jing Shu contacted the manager from last time to install six layers of various water filters. With the frequent water shortages, these items had plummeted in price and few people were buying. Installation was quick.
They also moved in bedding, daily supplies, and some of the grandparents' clothes.
Jing Shu spent her days juggling countless chores. While cooking, she stored extra prepared foods. At night, she still inspected the Cube Space poultry. The quails had already multiplied to over six hundred, just waiting to be roasted and stored. Several harvests of soybeans were ready too. Once Grandma Jing came, they could start making tofu together.
In February, universities announced extended closures. The reopening date was pending further notice. Even high school seniors were given breaks, as schools lost their special electricity privileges.
Wu City's power supply was cut again, now only from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.—just three and a half hours per day. This caused major disruptions for daily life.
People needed extra power banks to keep phones charged, had to boil water in advance, and fridges barely kept food for so short a window. Frozen goods spoiled fast and had to be consumed quickly.
Home gardeners who relied on artificial sunlight saw their efforts wasted; no vegetables would grow.
Life's inconveniences could still be endured, but physical strain was harder. With just three and a half hours of air conditioning, masses suffered heatstroke. Hospitals were overloaded, medicine production had stopped, and supply had completely dried up.
Even pharmacies, despite rationing, were emptied out. Then the government announced medical insurance cards were suspended, and all pharmacies were shut down. Their stockpiles were seized by the state.
Just like Jing Shu remembered, once medical cards stopped working, it marked the beginning of the government forcibly requisitioning all resources. And now, incredibly, some food factories were hoarding supplies.