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as translator, proofreader and editor!
Fu Lin handed Fu Yue a beef bun. As she took a small bite, the steam from the bun rose in the cold air, carrying with it the aroma of the food.
At that moment, the meaning of happiness seemed to condense into a tangible form.
The chatter in the carriage seemed to quiet down as everyone began to eat heartily, filling their bellies until they were both full and warm.
“So this is how people in C City live. How blissful.”
Since they were quite far from C City—almost halfway across the country—despite the fact that they had rarely met any survivors who had personally been to Gourmet City, they had still heard many stories about the place.
They had originally expected the journey to take several days, but to their surprise, they arrived within C City’s borders just a few hours later.
As soon as they entered C City, they sensed a different kind of atmosphere compared to other cities; it felt livelier than any other place they had been to. From the moment they entered the city, they began to see survivors here and there, and the number of people boarding at these stations was significantly higher than at previous stops.
The train quickly became lively. Seeing that Fu Yue and her group were new faces, some people warmly approached them, asking where they had come from.
When they heard that the snow in the north could be as tall as a person, the survivors who had always lived in the south were left with their mouths gaping.
Seeing their reactions, Fu Yue and her brother, Fu Lin, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Soon, the train arrived at its final destination, Gourmet City. Here, there were even more survivors. As they stepped out of the station, they were greeted by a bustling scene reminiscent of a pre-apocalypse market.
The buildings and shops before them were sights unseen since the apocalypse, and the base on the other side looked as beautiful as a newly built community.
Fu Yue felt as if her eyes were almost overwhelmed with the sight before her.
“Look at how tall that building is,” said Fu Lin, who despite being usually composed, now seemed like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden1, gazing up at the towering building, unable to close his mouth for a long time.
“A hotel? There’s even a hotel here,” another one of the survivors exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, passing survivors even stopped to comment, “The outside might not look the best, but the inside is definitely still luxurious. I stayed there before, and wow, it was so comfortable. When I returned to my own base, it felt like a doghouse in comparison!”
Fu Yue and the others couldn’t help but laugh. The atmosphere here was so relaxed and joyful that Fu Yue had lost count of how many times she had laughed since arriving.
They had wanted to ask Jiang Ci if they could join the base but were informed that she wasn’t currently at Gourmet City and would only return the next day.
Fu Yue and Fu Lin looked at the building before them, both feeling tempted. They exchanged glances and said, “How about we stay at the hotel for a night?”
The siblings quickly agreed and went to ask other survivors in the base. Some decided to join them for a night at the hotel, while others chose to stay at different bases for the night.
Uncertain about the hotel’s pricing, the siblings first checked the number of crystal cores in their bags before heading over.
As soon as they entered Gourmet City, the aroma of various foods wafted over, making Fu Yue swallow hard.
Seeing his sister’s reaction, Fu Lin chuckled, “We’ll grab something to eat later. I saw that there was beer and barbecue somewhere—I haven’t had that in almost ten years.”
Fu Yue nodded eagerly. After just spending a short time here, she had already started to exhibit some of her original liveliness that had existed before the apocalypse.
The group made their way through the bustling crowd and soon arrived at the hotel.
The luxurious and grand decor immediately struck them, and Fu Yue couldn’t help but gasp in awe.
They glanced down at their animal hide clothing and suddenly felt too self-conscious to step onto the gleaming floor.
At that moment, a uniformed survivor emerged from the hotel and greeted them, “Welcome, are you here to stay?”
Fu Yue nodded, “Yes, we’d like to stay.”
The employee noticed their hesitation and their constant glancing between the floor and their clothes, but his expression remained unchanged. He smiled warmly and said, “Please come in. You can check in at the front desk.”
Having walked through the snow, they left a trail of footprints as they entered the hotel, making them feel a bit embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it. We have staff to clean up,” the employee reassured them.
With the employee’s gentle encouragement, Fu Yue, Fu Lin, and the others didn’t feel looked down upon. Instead, they genuinely felt a sense of being welcomed.
The hotel lobby downstairs was spacious, and the crystal chandelier made the entire area bright and warm. Standing there made it seem as if the survivors could forget about the apocalypse, the monsters outside, and the deaths they had witnessed.
Fu Yue looked up, feeling slightly disorientated. For a moment, she couldn’t tell where she was.
As she and her brother approached the front desk, a beautiful girl behind the counter smiled at them and asked, “What type of room would you like? We currently have family rooms, single rooms, and double rooms. Here’s the price list. The hotel just opened, so there’s a discount for staying a month.”
Fu Yue checked the price list and was surprised to find that the rates were much lower than they had expected. The most expensive family room cost only three third-level crystal cores, and staying for a month required just six fourth-level crystal cores. Given the exchange rates here, it was indeed very affordable.
“Does anyone book for a month?” Fu Lin asked curiously.
“Quite a few people do,” the staff member said with a smile. “Everyone wants to take advantage of the discounts during this opening month, so the remaining rooms and room types are already limited.”
Indeed, no matter the era, people tend to feel a sense of urgency upon hearing such words.
“My sister and I will take a family room,” Fu Lin quickly placed the crystal cores on the table. “For two nights.”
The staff member nodded and began processing their check-in by scanning their faces. Survivors who hadn’t registered for identity cards at the base could still check in at the hotel using facial recognition. Jiang Ci found this system very convenient, but the system informed her that this was a technology already phased out on their planet.
After the two had settled their room, the lobby gradually filled with more survivors—some checking in, others coming down from their rooms.
After bidding farewell to their companions from the base, they took the elevator up to their rooms.
Fu Yue and Fu Lin’s room was on the 23rd floor. One side of the elevator was made of glass, offering a clear view of the outside scenery.
Fu Yue pressed her face against the window, watching as the landscape below shrank until the survivors on the ground appeared as small as ants.
She had only seen such a sight before the apocalypse. Having not witnessed it for years, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia.
Soon, the elevator arrived at the 23rd floor. As the doors opened, they were greeted by a carpeted floor that looked both luxurious and soft, with warm yellow ceiling lights overhead.
Their room number was 2308. Walking down the corridor, their room was on the right side. Since the family rooms were spacious, there weren’t many rooms on this floor.
Upon opening the door, they were met with a spacious living room, complete with a sofa, TV, and everything one could need. Adjacent to it was a large bathroom with a bathtub.
There were two bedrooms, one larger and one smaller, located at the north and south ends of the suite. Fu Lin gave the larger bedroom to his sister, as it had its own ensuite bathroom, making it more convenient for her.
Fu Yue wandered around the living room before returning to her bedroom. Inside, there was a large bed and floor-to-ceiling windows. Standing by the window, she could see the snowflakes drifting down.
After spending some time in the room, the siblings went downstairs to eat. The Gourmet City offered an overwhelming variety of options, and recently, even a dessert cart had been added, specializing in warm, sweet treats that were perfect for the winter.
Fu Yue hadn’t had anything so sweet in a long time. Before the apocalypse, she used to love going out for desserts with her friends during her student days. Desserts always had a way of lifting her spirits.
She bought a cup of osmanthus sweet wine, while Fu Lin, as usual, opted for something less sweet and went to the neighboring barbecue stall for skewers and beer.
After getting their favorite foods, they joined the queue at the hotpot restaurant for a hearty meal.
The two of them ate until their stomachs were round and ended up walking out of the hotpot restaurant while supporting their waists.
Fu Yue looked up, snowflakes falling between her brows, her heart calm yet somewhat moved.
*
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:
Jiang Ci rushed back to Gourmet City early the next morning. She had gone out to complete a mission, and the system had said that as long as this mission was completed, the formula for the detoxification pill could be unlocked.
Most survivors in this world had some level of toxins in their bodies, and as a result of this, their lives naturally wouldn’t be as long as they could’ve been. She had heard that by the age of forty, their bodies would begin to deteriorate. When Jiang Ci had previously helped Auntie Zhao clear the remaining toxins from her body, she had also checked Zhao Mengqi and Zhao Mengtian. Sure enough, they also had varying levels of toxins in their bodies. Just as this thought occurred to Jiang Ci, the system issued a mission.
When she saw the mission reward, Jiang Ci truly felt as if the system understood her. So, she went out with Song Jinchuan overnight to complete the mission, and only after finishing it did she rush back to Gourmet City.
The moment she got the formula, Jiang Ci handed it over to Lu Dongmei.
When Lu Dongmei saw the ingredients, her eyes lit up. The combination was incredibly ingenious, with excellent detoxification effects and no side effects.
“You’ll have to work hard. For now, focus on producing these detoxification pills. I’ll spread the word and have the survivors come here to buy them.”
Lu Dongmei nodded, her eyes slightly red with emotion. “Thank you, Boss Jiang, for your contribution to us.”
Jiang Ci waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. But with the increase in people catching colds lately, you’ll have to work even harder.”
“It’s not hard. Although everyone is busy, they’re happy. After the apocalypse, our hands haven’t even been able to touch medicinal herbs. Instead, we picked up weapons to kill those monsters. To the point where we’ve almost forgotten the vows we made when we entered this profession. Now, it’s you who has helped us find meaning in life again,” Lu Dongmei said sincerely.
Jiang Ci scratched her cheek. “You’re flattering me too much. Alright, alright, I’ll leave this list to you.”
With that, she hurriedly left, unable to bear such heavy praise.
As soon as she stepped out, Xie Ling came looking for her, saying that some survivors from another base had recently come, wanting to join their base.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
- From Dream of the Red Chamber. Describes the character Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time and is used to mock her as a country bumpkin. Used in modern Chinese to describe someone, usually a simple unsophisticated person, who is overwhelmed by new experiences and luxurious surroundings. ↩︎