RHRPAW Ch 108

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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But this was the norm in some bases. The apocalypse had amplified all of the survivors’ innate desires, turning those who once appeared righteous on the surface into the greedy individuals they really were.

Jiang Ci watched as survivors poked their heads out of their houses upon hearing the commotion. They seemed to be suffering greatly from the harsh winter, their faces already turning blue from the cold.

Soon, they arrived at the place where Zhao Mengqi and her family lived.

Since her family consisted of two old and weak individuals with limited mobility and combat ability, she had spent a large number of crystal cores to rent a single room. Even though it was just a single room, it was just one of several partitioned spaces within a small house.

As soon as Jiang Ci stepped inside, she heard the sounds of various voices. This place had absolutely no soundproofing at all.

Zhao Mengqi walked to one of the rooms, unlocked the door with a key, and through the light streaming in from outside, a small but well-organized space could be seen inside.

“Little Qi?” A weak female voice came from inside the room.

“Sister, you’re back!” As this voice rang out, a child rushed to the door.

“Mom, I’m back,” Zhao Mengqi picked up the little girl and called out into the room, “I’ve brought guests.”

Jiang Ci could sense the sudden tension in the air and quickly spoke up, “Auntie, I’m Jiang Ci, the owner of the C City’s Gourmet City. I heard you’re not feeling well, so I came to take a look at you.”

“Boss… Boss Jiang, hello. I’m not in good health, so I apologize for not being able to greet you properly,” Mother Zhao stammered.

“It’s alright, just lie down. I’ll come over to you.” The single room was so small that it felt cramped with just two people inside. Jiang Ci had to ask Song Jinchuan to wait for her outside.

After just a couple of steps, she reached the bed. Once the door was closed, the room was plunged into pitch black darkness, with no visibility at all. Jiang Ci took out a lighting tool from her space and placed it on a nearby table. Instantly, the room was filled with a warm, soft yellow light that wasn’t harsh on the eyes but provided just enough light to see everything clearly.

It was only then that Jiang Ci got a clear look at the frail little girl in Zhao Mengqi’s arms as well as the emaciated woman lying on the bed.

Everything inside the room was clearly visible in the light. Though it was a small space, it had been well-organized, with the bedroom separated with a curtain. Despite the extremely limited area, the entire space had been utilized efficiently.

Mother Zhao looked uneasy and tried to sit up, but her body was too weak to support her. She barely managed to lift herself a little before collapsing back down again.

“It’s alright, don’t move. Just rest,” Jiang Ci said quickly, startled by the sight.

She walked over to the bedside. The woman before her was so thin that her cheeks were sunken, her complexion sallow, and her breathing was extremely faint.

“Boss Jiang, can my mother be cured?” Zhao Mengqi asked nervously, then added hastily, “I still have some crystal cores with me. Should I pay you first?”

Jiang Ci shook her head. “No rush.”

As she spoke, she extended her hand, and a white light began to swirl at her fingertips. Jiang Ci slowly closed her eyes.

That familiar scene appeared before her once again. Perhaps because she had used her healing ability several times recently, Jiang Ci noticed that the vision in front of her had become clearer. She could even seem to hear the sound of blood flowing through her veins.

Mother Zhao’s body was indeed severely depleted. Toxins had been accumulating in her system over the years, making her internal condition quite dire.

Jiang Ci increased the intensity of the white light. Under its soothing effect, she could see the withered and decayed parts of her body gradually improving.

After a while, Jiang Ci opened her eyes, a bead of sweat forming at her temple.

She hadn’t expected that it would still consume so much of her energy despite her healing ability having evolved. Mother Zhao’s condition wasn’t like those who had just been poisoned recently. In her case, the toxin had already completely attached itself to her internal organs, making the healing process extensive. This couldn’t be cured in just one session.

“How is it, Boss Jiang?” Zhao Mengqi asked anxiously and expectantly as Jiang Ci withdrew her hand.

“It can be cured,” Jiang Ci’s first words instantly lifted Zhao Mengqi’s spirits. “But it might take more than one session. I can’t stay here for long. Take your mom to Gourmet City. We’ll take my vehicle. I’ve just completed the first round of treatment, so she should be able to hold on until we get there.”

Zhao Mengqi was momentarily stunned by the latter part of the sentence. She had previously considered taking her mom to Gourmet City for treatment, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

“Honestly, if you ask me, moving to my base is also an option. The people here clearly don’t care about your wellbeing, and they’ve made your living conditions even harsher. There’s honestly no point in staying,” Jiang Ci said.

Since Xie Ling and the others had moved to Jiang Ci’s base, Jiang Ci had experienced the benefits of having her own subsidiary base. First, there were more people available. Although Jiang Ci hadn’t set strict rules, the survivors would still voluntarily hand over a small portion of their crystal cores. Second, was their loyalty. With such favorable conditions being so rare in the apocalypse, the survivors treaded with caution, fearing they might ruin the hard-earned life they now had. They were deeply loyal and grateful to Jiang Ci, who had provided them with this lifestyle.

So now, she wasn’t opposed to recruiting more people into her base.

Zhao Mengqi thought of Xie Ling, whom she had met earlier. The smile on Xie Ling’s face and her rosy cheeks seemed like genuine proof of her better life. Moreover, when Zhao Mengqi was out buying her supplies, Xie Ling had mentioned that life at the base was good, much better than before.

Zhao Mengqi didn’t hesitate much before nodding. “Alright, Boss Jiang. My family and I will move to the base. We’ll be in your care from now on.”

Jiang Ci nodded, stood up, and walked outside. Song Jinchuan was waiting at the door for her. She told him about Zhao Mengqi’s plan to move to Gourmet City. Song Jinchuan nodded, and the two of them waited outside for Zhao Mengqi to finish packing her things.

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:

“Get out!” A sharp voice suddenly rang out, drawing their attention.

In the direction of the sound, they saw a thin, poorly dressed girl kneeling at the door, shivering. She occasionally slapped the door with her palm, her voice trembling from the cold, barely able to form a complete sentence, “Mom, please, I’m cold, let me in.”

Seeing this, Jiang Ci frowned deeply. She took a few steps forward and wrapped the shivering girl in a down jacket she had taken out from her space.

“I told you to get out, you jinx! You can’t even hold your brother properly! Oh, don’t cry, sweetie, it’s all that worthless girl’s fault. Should mommy beat her to death?” The tone of the woman’s voice inside the house was completely different in her first half of the sentence compared to the second half. The first half was harsh and bitter, as if the person standing outside was her enemy rather than her own daughter, yet the second half seemed to be dripping with tenderness.

Words like “beat her to death” came out of her mouth so easily, and even though they were meant to soothe the little boy inside, it still sent chills down people’s spines.

The girl in Jiang Ci’s arms had tears welling up in her eyes, her face filled with sorrow and a hint of confusion, as if she didn’t know what she had done wrong to be so hated.

Jiang Ci stepped forward and knocked on the door loudly. The sound was clearly not something a child could make, so the door soon opened from the inside, revealing an impatient face.

“Who are you?” the woman asked rudely.

“Your daughter is wearing so little despite being outside. Are you trying to freeze her to death?” Jiang Ci’s tone was equally harsh.

“What’s it to you?!” the woman’s voice was sharp. “She’s my child, I gave birth to her, so I can do whatever I want with her. Who are you to meddle in my business?”

Seeing the little girl in Jiang Ci’s arms, the woman’s face twisted with anger, “You little brat, get over here!”

Hearing this, the girl shrank back, the light in her eyes slowly dimming. She slipped out of Jiang Ci’s arms and handed the jacket back to her, “Thank you, sister, I… I have to go back now.”

As she walked back to her mother, the woman didn’t hesitate to pinch her arm harshly, “You little brat, I’ve raised you in vain! Are you going to leave with anyone who holds you? Why don’t you just go and die outside then!”

The girl lowered her head, her expression unreadable. Whether from the cold or pain, her body trembled even more violently.

Jiang Ci couldn’t stand it anymore. She grabbed the girl and wrapped her in the jacket, then kicked the woman.

Jiang Ci’s body had been enhanced, and after drinking the well water for so long, her strength had increased significantly. Her unrestrained kick sent the woman stumbling back several steps, crashing into something with a loud clatter.

Hearing her cries of pain and the child’s sobbing coming from inside, Jiang Ci paid them no mind. She simply squatted beside the little girl and asked earnestly, “Do you want to go back with your mother, or do you want to come with me?”

The little girl barely hesitated, taking a step toward Jiang Ci. “Can… can I go with you?”

Jiang Ci smiled. If the little girl had said she wanted to stay with her mother, Jiang Ci would have left without a second thought and never looked back.

“You can’t leave! You hurt someone and now you think you can just walk away like this?!” The woman’s voice was filled with venom, this time laced with a hint of pain. It seemed she had been hurt in the collision this time.

“Everyone, come and see! There’s a human trafficker here! She’s trying to kidnap my child!” The woman’s shrill voice echoed throughout the base once more.

Hearing the commotion, the survivors poked their heads out of their homes to see what was happening. When they realized it was this particular family again, some rolled their eyes and slammed their doors shut again. However, a few kind-hearted souls came over to inquire about the situation.

The woman seized the opportunity, accusing Jiang Ci of hitting her and trying to steal her daughter.

One of the survivors cautiously tugged at Jiang Ci’s sleeve. “Don’t bother with them. This family is just like this. If you get involved, she’ll just turn around and scold you.”

Jiang Ci looked down at the little girl clinging to her as if she were her last lifeline and shook her head. “I have to take this child with me no matter what.”

“If you want to take her away, then fine. Give me food, give me crystal cores, and I’ll sell her to you,” the woman pushed through the crowd, her eyes gleaming with greed.

“In your dreams,” Jiang Ci scoffed. “Look at how you’ve treated this child. In the middle of winter, you threw her out in such a thin shirt. It’s clear you didn’t want her in the first place.”

Although the survivors knew the woman often beat her child, they hadn’t realized she could be so cruel. A wave of murmurs and gasps rippled through the crowd.

They say even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs, but clearly, not all mothers love their children.

The woman’s eyes darted around, and she seemed be on the verge of retorting again when Song Jinchuan stepped forward. His tall frame blocked the light coming from outside, and a ball of orange flames flickered to life in his palm. The crowd fell silent instantly.

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merry christmas eve everyone! i’ll be on hiatus until the first week of 2026 jan so happy new years to u all in advance ◡̈