The problem with all this was that it was difficult to explain and hard to cover up. For now, Jing Shu still needed to think of a way to have her father and Grandpa Jing set up some traps around the villa.
Ideally, they would be live traps. Normally closed, only to be triggered when needed. This was something she would have to ask Grandpa Jing, who worked with carpentry, and Baozi's father to help with. They should understand what she meant.
Although people who had Cube Space throughout history would probably never use such a clumsy method, Jing Shu still felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Life should be simple, and so should killing. No need for flashy tricks. If you have a method that can directly smash people to death, why bother thinking about anything else?
Jing Shu also had a bit of her own selfishness in this. During the later stages of the apocalypse, migration would become necessary. The wind would be strong, the snow heavy, and the cold unbearable. When no better option came to mind, she could only resort to such crude measures.
When migrating and needing to camp, she could secretly put up a stone barrier to block the wind and snow, then set a tent inside it. That way, her family could sleep more comfortably. After all, with darkness everywhere, no one would notice if she quietly placed a granite wall around them.
March 2, 2023. More than a week had passed since the black beetle outbreak. The apocalypse had now entered its third month. At this stage, people were panicking, anxiously waiting in fear and uncertainty for Earth's Dark Days to end.
All schools in Wu City remained suspended. Pharmacies had long been shut down. Electronics and digital stores were all closed except for a few large malls. Every snack shop, restaurant, and buffet had stopped operating. Clothing malls had only a handful left trying to stay open. Wholesale markets, once piled high with goods, had emptied out without anyone knowing where all that stock had gone. Wu City now felt like a dead city.
To save resources, all government and business offices that still operated had moved into the skyscrapers in the city center. Only there were the lights still shining.
But on the streets, there were more people handing out flyers to sell houses, shops, and cars than actual pedestrians. If you walked by without a firm refusal, you might be pulled away by someone insisting you look. Prices for houses and cars fell lower and lower. Even the once-coveted school district apartments in the city center had dropped from 15,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan per square meter and still couldn't sell.
Cars had become worthless, selling at prices equivalent to scrap iron, yet still no one would buy.
In times of prosperity, antiques thrive. In times of chaos, gold is king. With houses and cars plummeting in value, gold prices soared higher and higher. Everything pointed to the world sliding deeper into turmoil.
As for daily life, only a few dozen large supermarkets still opened for two hours a day. Yet inside, shelves for processed foods were bare, seasoning shelves empty, fresh food gone, snacks gone, even the ridiculously expensive imported goods were gone. Cigarettes and alcohol had vanished without anyone noticing when.
Daily necessities like toilet paper were dwindling at a visibly alarming rate, but supermarkets never restocked.
The only thing piled high was rice and flour, the final line of defense to comfort the public, as though reassuring them. But the truth was, each person was allowed to buy only a pitifully small amount per day. At this moment, countless people regretted one thing: why hadn't they gone to collect the free rice the government distributed last December?
Even so, the empty shelves spread like wildfire, sending more people rushing to supermarkets every day. Everyone realized with horror that today lighters were gone, tomorrow it would be seasonings, and the day after that, fire starters.
It was only when daily conveniences disappeared that people realized just how troublesome life could become.
Grandma Jing felt this acutely. During the time she had stayed at her daughter's place, she faced countless inconveniences. Forgetting to boil water meant she went without hot water for a whole day. She had to cook all meals for the following day in the afternoon because once the power went out, even the gas stove could not be lit, and supermarkets no longer sold lighters.
She had not bathed for a month, her body reeking. The diet was monotonous and lacking fresh vegetables, causing both her and Grandpa Jing to suffer from constant constipation. Although her son occasionally brought things over, without scallions and ginger, every dish tasted bland. The list of problems went on and on.
In short, life in such an environment was unbearably troublesome.
Fortunately, the hardship did not last long. Jing Shu and Jing An soon came to fetch Grandma Jing, Grandpa Jing, Third Aunt Jing Lai, and cousin Wu You'ai, saying they were going to stay for a while. In reality, they had them bring all their food supplies and took them to the new house, even showing the property certificate to the elderly couple.
"You are out of your minds! How much did this house cost?" Grandpa Jing pointed at Jing An, nearly raising his foot to kick him.
"Grandpa, Grandma, this house cost only 100,000 yuan, including all the furniture and appliances. If you don't like it, I'll just sell it and use the money to pay back the 200,000 yuan we owe you," Jing Shu deliberately understated the price.
When Grandpa Jing heard it cost just 100,000 yuan, his eyes nearly popped out. Grandma Jing quickly cut in, "No need to rush paying back that 200,000. I think this house is good." The key was being with her son and granddaughter, and also bringing along her divorced daughter.
"I was thinking that since you're not used to living in the villa every day, you could stay here instead. When First Aunt or Second Aunt visit, they can also stay here without feeling constrained. And my livestreaming will last at least a few more years, so I'll need your support. I cannot bear to see you return to the countryside. Why not live here for now?"
At this moment, Jing An quickly added, "Mom, I want to take care of you in your old age. Let's all live together. I know Third Aunt wouldn't feel comfortable living with me, since she's used to staying with you. So you can live together, and you'll have both houses to choose from."
"Good, good. Living here is nice. Fewer people, better environment," Grandma Jing accepted right away, and told Third Aunt Jing Lai to move her things in as well. "Wu You'ai is done with her busy work, so she should stay here and relax. From now on, this will be our home!"
Third Aunt Jing Lai teased with a laugh, "Looks like you've long wanted to leave the old place. After the power outages, running up and down six flights of stairs every day really was exhausting. Here on the first floor, it's so much more convenient."
Jing Shu then introduced the house to the family. For toilets, they would use a composting bucket lined with cat litter. For drinking water, she had installed a small 5L water tank, which Jing An would refill when empty. As for water for daily use, they would still need to get it from the villa. She went over all the other features one by one. The more Grandma Jing heard, the more satisfied she became.
"Tonight, let your grandma cook our first meal here. That way, we can officially move in," Grandpa Jing said, still particular about ceremony. With that, the matter was settled.
At such a time when resources were scarce, Jing Shu's eldest aunt, Jing Pan, spent several hundred yuan to get a seat on a bus, bringing a large box of apples each for Grandma Jing, Jing An, and Jing Lai's families.
Dragging a cart with three heavy boxes, she walked four or five kilometers to reach Jing Lai's place, only to find no one home. She then made a call, and Grandma Jing told Jing An to pick her up quickly.
"Can you believe this child? Coming all the way here without saying a word. Now she's standing alone in front of your door with so much fruit. In times like this, is she not afraid someone will rob her? Hurry and fetch her. And Old Third, while you're at it, bring over the rest of the luggage."
As if cursed by Grandma Jing's crow's mouth, when Jing An brought Eldest Aunt Jing Pan back, they learned she had indeed been robbed in the stairwell.