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After everyone had settled into the farm, Jiang Ci went to visit the “daycare.” The number of children in the open area had increased significantly. Jiang Ci immediately spotted Zhao Ping’s eight children, with even the youngest one holding a plastic bag and filling it with vegetables.
Jiang Ci walked over to greet them, speaking softly before leaving to visit the food processing factory.
The three new products she had previously launched were already on sale, and every time they were released for sale, they would sell out in seconds.
Someone who was very familiar with Jiang Ci secretly told her that it was because the food in her store had a slight effect in restoring the energy of survivors, so they would bring the instant food bought here on missions. Not only did it fill their stomachs, but when they were tired, taking a bite would make their bodies feel as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring.
Although Jiang Ci had always known about the food’s energy-restoring effect, she had never admitted it. When asked directly, she would just play dumb, “Huh? Really? I didn’t know that. You must be imagining it.”
She couldn’t outright state the effect so definitively. What if someone shamelessly tried to accuse her, saying there was no such effect, and insisted on causing trouble? She wasn’t afraid of the trouble, but it would still be annoying. So, she simply refused to admit it.
Since Jiang Ci didn’t talk about it, the survivors merely treated it as an open secret.
However, seeing the instant food sell well and her points steadily increasing, Jiang Ci felt quite pleased.
The employees at the food processing factory were now all very experienced. Even without supervision, they didn’t slack off at all.
Jiang Ci checked on the computer in the main control room. Many more items had been unlocked, and there were now more combinations available.
“Do you have any favorite flavors?” Jiang Ci, who struggled with choices, turned to Song Jinchuan behind her for advice.
He thought seriously for a moment before replying, “Not particularly. As long as it’s meat, it’s fine.”
This answer didn’t satisfy Jiang Ci. She pursed her lips but still opened the meat section, selecting a few meatballs with flavors that paired well together. Then she chose some meat slices and combined them with noodles to make another instant food combination.
She also made some instant foods that were purely vegan.
Jiang Ci also brought in some fresh vegetables, asking the employees to try making dried vegetables.
The potatoes, which were the most abundant, were sent over to be made into several flavors of potato chips, which could later be sold in the convenience store.
After such a busy day, the sky outside had gradually darkened without her noticing.
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pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
Zhao Ping was so immersed in his work at the farm that he only realized it was time to leave when someone beside him reminded him that the sky had darkened.
Thinking of his eight children, he quickly took off his apron and left the farm. He was the last one out, making sure to lock the door before leaving through the main gate.
By the time he arrived at the open space outside the employee dormitory, the streetlights had already been switched on, illuminating the entire area.
His eight children were sitting in a circle, listening to a survivor named Jiang Meng tell them stories.
Of course, Jiang Ci wouldn’t let the children continue working all the time. In fact, their working hours weren’t actually that long. During the rest of their time there, she had the patient survivor Jiang Meng tell them stories, sing songs, or teach them some new words.
As the number of children increased, she really began to consider whether to open up a school so these children could learn what they would from compulsory education.
Jiang Meng’s gentle voice carried through the night breeze. Zhao Ping immediately spotted his eight children, who had propped their chins in their hands, listening intently to Jiang Meng as she spoke.
His steps naturally slowed down, and his heart felt an unprecedented sense of ease. This time when he returned home, he didn’t see any of his children being bullied, no disdainful glances from neighbors, and no filthy or stinking living environment. Everything was gradually improving for the better.
“Your parents are here to pick you up. Everyone, head home now.” Seeing the parents who had just finished work gradually gathering around, Jiang Meng clapped her hands and ended today’s storytelling session.
Before the apocalypse, she had been a student at a teacher training college. But before she could step onto the teaching podium, the apocalypse suddenly erupted. So, having been able to grasp this opportunity now made her very happy, as being with the children brought her a special kind of relaxation.
Zhao Ping took his children to the cafeteria. It was his first time going there, and he found it much cleaner and brighter than he had imagined it would be.
It was mealtime, so the cafeteria was quite crowded. A kind-hearted employee even taught Zhao Ping how to order and pick up his food.
After thanking the employee, Zhao Ping turned his attention to the menu.
The cafeteria’s menu had become increasingly diverse, and the array of dishes before him almost dazzled his eyes.
Zhao Ping wasn’t sure how much meal allowance was on his card yet, so although all the dishes seemed affordable, he still only ordered the three with the largest portions.
When he swiped his card on the machine, he was surprised to find that the balance on his card was unexpectedly high, with more than enough for him and his eight children to eat heartily for the entire month.
He had heard other survivors talk about the meal allowances provided by Boss Jiang, but none of them had mentioned it being this generous.
Looking at his eight hungry children, Zhao Ping felt a warmth threaten to seep out of his eyes. He adjusted the brim of his hat and said to the children, “Let’s add two more dishes.”
The children let out a soft cheer, then glanced around nervously, afraid they might be scolded. It had already become a conditioned reflex for them.
They still remembered a woman in their base who would scream and curse at them whenever they spoke, accusing them of being noisy, even though they had only whispered a few words—far quieter than her shouting.
Now, even the little sister that was five years old knew not to speak loudly, or better yet, not to speak at all.
“It’s okay. Here, you can talk, as long as you don’t make too much noise and disturb others,” Zhao Ping said, noticing the children’s cautious expressions.
The children immediately smiled, and the youngest little girl tugged shyly at Zhao Ping’s sleeve. “Dad, I really like it here.”
Several large plates of food were placed on the table, with each child also holding a bowl of gleaming white rice. This was the most luxurious meal they had eaten in all the years since the apocalypse.
Among the dishes on the table, one was vegetables, while the rest were meat.
Although the children were drooling over the food, they still waited obediently for Zhao Ping to start the meal. Only after he said they could eat did they pick up their chopsticks and start eating.
Having not used chopsticks for years, with some never having used them at all, they were all a bit clumsy at first.
But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the food was incredibly delicious—so delicious that they couldn’t stop eating.
Just as Zhao Ping’s family was gradually adapting to life in the dining city, it was finally time for Jiang Ci to go pick up Lu Dongmei.
When Jiang Ci rode her electric scooter to the Sunrise Base, she noticed that the atmosphere there had undergone a complete transformation.
As soon as the base leader heard that Jiang Ci had arrived, he immediately put down his busy tasks and came out to greet her.
“Doctor Lu is still in the quarantine zone. She’s really worked hard these past few days, and all the patients that had been infected by the virus have now fully recovered,” the base leader said as he walked alongside Jiang Ci. “It’s a rare chance for our base to have such a skilled doctor here, so many survivors have been lining up to see Doctor Lu for a consultation, but I was worried she might get too exhausted, so I turned away those with less severe conditions and only let her see those that were the most urgent.”
Seeing Jiang Ci’s gaze, the base leader added, “Of course, they all paid with crystal cores. I obviously wouldn’t let Doctor Lu suffer any losses.”
Jiang Ci nodded, finally satisfied.
When Jiang Ci and the base leader arrived at the quarantine area, they noticed significant changes compared to when Jiang Ci had first arrived. The place had been tidied up, the buildings renovated, and the living conditions had improved considerably. It was much cleaner, with Jiang Ci even able to pick up the smell of disinfectant.
There were still a few survivors waiting in line in front of Lu Dongmei’s desk, all hoping to get a consultation while the doctor was still there.
One of the patients turned out to be someone who had once traveled thousands of miles with their family in search of treatment. Jiang Ci could clearly see Lu Dongmei’s eyes light up at the sight of them.
Upon hearing that the patient’s family member had passed away, Lu Dongmei’s eyes welled up with tears, lamenting at the unpredictability of life.
Jiang Ci approached her when her consultation finally came to an end. Although Lu Dongmei looked tired, it was clear that her work brought her genuine joy.
“Boss Jiang,” Lu Dongmei smiled when she saw Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci set down the set meal she was carrying. “You must not have eaten well these past few days. I brought you some food from the shop, quick, eat it while it’s hot.”
Lu Dongmei didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the set meal and opened it to find her favorite beef with scrambled eggs over rice. The nearly fifty year old Lu Dongmei smiled like a little girl who had just received candy. “Thank you, I’ve been craving this for a while.”
“Have you got everything with you?” After eating, the two began packing up. There wasn’t much to pack, just the medicine Lu Dongmei had brought with her and some personal items Jiang Ci had left for her.
Lu Dongmei glanced back. “Yes, that’s everything. Let’s go.”
As they left, the base leader, the newly rotated base executives, as well as many survivors who had benefited from Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei’s help came out to see them off.
In the crowd, Jiang Ci spotted Tan Ziyi and his parents. Somehow, they had found out that Jiang Ci had a preference for jewelry and had gathered a few more exquisite pieces, stuffing them into a bag and handing it to her.
When Jiang Ci returned and opened the bag, she was stunned to find a necklace with a dazzling blue sapphire the size of a pigeon’s egg. It was so conspicuous that Jiang Ci didn’t even dare to wear it outside. A necklace of this grandeur seemed more suited to a celebrity dressed for a red carpet event. Wearing it out would simply be too extravagant.
She stored all these items in her space, finding the corner that she specifically used for storing the gold and silver. Her collection had already grown to a substantial size by now.
On the way back, Lu Dongmei wanted to had the crystal cores she had earned back to Jiang Ci, but Jiang Ci refused, telling her to keep them herself, “These are what you earned with your own skills. Why give them to me? Consider it your bonus for going on this mission.”
Lu Dongmei wanted to say more, but Jiang Ci had already changed the subject, so she had no choice but to let the topic go.
When they returned to the clinic, Lu Dongmei felt as if she had finally returned home. Although she hadn’t been here for long, this place already gave her a deep sense of belonging.
Huang Yue was just as overjoyed, her big eyes nearly welling up with tears. She and Doctor Lu had never been apart for so long before.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
