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Just as they finished talking, Huang Mao looked up and saw their usually cold and reserved team captain walking toward them.
Moments later, a stack of highly sought-after amusement park tickets appeared on their table.
Song Jinchuan, who was usually a man of few words, sat down in front of them and casually said, “My girlfriend gave these to me and insisted I pass them on to my friends.”
“She’s really too thoughtful, even to my friends, so take these and use them. Don’t thank me—thank my girlfriend. And make sure to spend more at Gourmet City in the future.”
The members of the Cheetah Squad stared at Song Jinchuan, whose lips were curling into an uncontrollable smile, with expressions of utter disbelief.
This wasn’t his usual style, was it? Normally, he’d speak to them with a stern face, almost as if they owed him money—and it was especially the case during the time when Jiang Ci was absent. Back then, he’d barely utter a word to them, just exuding an icy demeanour, like he was a walking refrigerator.
Huang Mao wanted to throw the tickets back in his face and angrily say to him, “Having a girlfriend doesn’t make you special!” But he chickened out in the end, muttering a “Thanks, Captain,” and took the tickets meekly.
“Alright, I’ve delivered the goods. I’ve got to go now. My girlfriend will start worrying if she doesn’t see me soon,” Song Jinchuan said before gracefully leaving.
Huang Mao watched his retreating figure and clicked his tongue several times. “Did you guys see the captain? He’s like a peacock showing off his feathers. What happened to the cool guy he used to be? Did a dog eat him or something?”
“You’re holding the tickets he gave you, and now you’re badmouthing him? That’s like biting the hand that feeds you,” said the current captain of the Cheetah Squad, who was also Song Jinchuan’s comrade before the apocalypse. “I actually think he’s better now—more human. Before, he was like a machine that only knew how to fight.”
Unaware of the discussions that followed his departure, Song Jinchuan had told the others that Jiang Ci would start to worry if she couldn’t find him, but the truth was, he actually couldn’t bear to be apart from her for even a second. He felt anxious if he didn’t see her for even a moment.
He realized he was completely smitten, utterly poisoned by someone named Jiang Ci.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ci was at the farm, inspecting the growth of the latest batch of fruits. As the weather warmed up, she had started cultivating various fruits, and now they had all ripened, hanging heavily from the branches or lying in the fields.
She plucked a strawberry the size of her palm and popped it into her mouth. The pure sweetness of the strawberry was accompanied by a hint of creamy fragrance, the exact texture Jiang Ci loved.
The watermelon field nearby was thriving as well, each fruit round and plump with juice. With just a light tap of her fingertip, she could hear the crisp sound of the rind breaking.
The flesh inside was a vibrant red and was completely seedless. Jiang Ci picked up half a watermelon and started digging in. The crisp, sweet flesh turned into juice the moment it touched her tongue.
When Song Jinchuan arrived, he found Jiang Ci happily munching on a watermelon.
Seeing him, Jiang Ci immediately scooped up a spoonful of watermelon and stuffed it into his mouth.
It had been ten years since the apocalypse began, and Song Jinchuan couldn’t remember the last time he had tasted such fresh and sweet fruit. For a moment, he was stunned, but soon, memories buried deep within him came flooding back.
This batch of fruit was the first to ripen. The survivors had no idea what Jiang Ci was up to, nor did they know that a huge surprise awaited them.
The farm workers spent several days harvesting all kinds of fruit. Jiang Ci kept some for herself and her parents, then took the rest to the farmers’ market to sell.
When the survivors entered the farmers’ market, before they could even check out the fresh meat available that day, their eyes were drawn to the neatly arranged, vibrant, and plump fruits on display.
The survivors were beyond thrilled. As they approached, the mouth-watering aroma of the fruit enveloped them.
Regardless of the season, whether they were tropical or common fruits, they were all beautifully displayed before their eyes.
Before they could fully process what they were seeing, the piles of fruit in front of them began to dwindle one by one. Realizing this, the survivors quickly rushed over, scrambling to grab as much as they could, afraid that if they were too slow, there would be nothing left.
And that truly was the case, as the fruit was quickly snatched up. By the time other survivors heard the news and rushed over, the fruit section was already empty.
Those who wanted to buy fruit would have to wait until the next day when the stock was replenished.
The growth cycle of fruit was longer than that of vegetables, but the farm had recently hired more workers, including some special ability users brought back from the village and several researchers from various bases.
The research institute specialized in agriculture and had developed cultivable soil in their labs. However, the cost of producing it was high, making mass production impossible, so when they saw Jiang Ci’s farm, their eyes practically lit up with excitement.
With their help, the farm’s output increased dramatically.
Early the next morning, the survivors gathered at the farmers’ market, eagerly waiting. Through the glass windows, they could see the workers carrying baskets of fresh fruit to restock the shelves.
The survivors pressed their faces against the glass, gazing longingly at the fruit inside.
As soon as the doors opened, the survivors rushed in, and the fruit section was instantly packed with people.
The fruit’s popularity was no surprise to Jiang Ci. Its recent buzz was almost on par with the newly opened amusement park.
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:
With everything gradually falling into place, Jiang Ci decided it was time to visit her parents. She planned to bring some fruit home for them, and this time, she wanted to take Song Jinchuan along with her too.
Upon hearing the news, Song Jinchuan, for the first time, didn’t cling to Jiang Ci and went out on his own for two days. He returned with several sets of jewelry and a few bottles of aged fine wine that looked like they had been around for quite some time.
It was unclear where he had gotten them from, as the exterior of the products still looked quite new. The older the wine, the better it becomes, and after ten years, it would’ve been even more mellow and fragrant.
He also used his points to buy a suit from the clothing store, making the occasion seem particularly formal.
Jiang Ci found his nervousness amusing, “You don’t need to be so tense, my parents are very nice.”
Although Song Jinchuan nodded in acknowledgement, his expression still remained as serious as if he were facing some major event.
This was the first time Jiang Ci was taking someone through time and space. She even packed Hui Hui and her family in her backpack. Hearing that Jiang Ci was taking them out to play, even the usually laidback Hui Hui seemed a bit excited.
After making all the preparations, Jiang Ci held Song Jinchuan’s hand and told the system they were ready. After a flash of white light, they opened their eyes to find themselves in the small apartment Jiang Ci had bought.
She had bought this place specifically for situations like this, and now it seemed her decision had been correct, as it was very convenient for her to travel like this.
This was Song Jinchuan’s first time traveling through time and space in this manner. He stood still for a while to let the dizziness in his head subside.
As Song Jinchuan regained his senses, he heard the long-unheard noises of bustling activity and car horns, which took him a while to process.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jiang Ci asked, holding his hand with concern.
Song Jinchuan shook his head, squeezing Jiang Ci’s hand back and giving her a reassuring smile.
Jiang Ci led Song Jinchuan to the floor-to-ceiling window of the apartment. Outside, the sun was shining, trees were lush, and there were tall buildings and noisy streets everywhere. This was a scene he hadn’t seen in almost ten years.
“Is this… the world you live in?” Song Jinchuan’s voice was soft, with a hint of underlying worry as he held Jiang Ci’s hand even tighter.
“Yes, this is the world I’ve lived in since I was a child. I wanted to bring you here to see it,” Jiang Ci nodded, looking around. She had bought this apartment the last time she was here, a fully furnished one, though she hadn’t really looked at it closely. The transportation around here was quite convenient, with a subway station right downstairs and a tranquil park with a shimmering lake across the street.
The two stood on the balcony for a while. It was already dusk, and since they hadn’t informed her parents about their return, a sudden visit might only burden them with inadequate preparations. Plus, Song Jinchuan needed some time to adjust first, so Jiang Ci decided they would return early the next morning.
It had been less than a week since she last left the real world, so the place was still clean, and they only needed to change the bed sheets and covers.
While it was still early, Jiang Ci took Song Jinchuan for a walk downstairs. There were many small eateries, and they chose one at random for dinner.
Song Jinchuan thought the food wasn’t as good as the shops Jiang Ci had, but the relaxed atmosphere still caused him to be immersed in the flow of this world.
After dinner, they walked around the park before heading home.
Once home, Jiang Ci gave Song Jinchuan his various identification documents, which the system had helped to arrange for him.
Song Jinchuan looked at his identification card, which bore his current face. It was just a small piece of identification, but he turned it over and over, examining it several times.
Many questions he had about Jiang Ci that had previously been unclear to him gradually became clear after entering Jiang Ci’s world. For instance, why Jiang Ci seemed somewhat naive about situations that many post-apocalyptic survivors were well aware of, and why she always harbored a sense of compassion for the survivors of the apocalypse.
At night, Song Jinchuan lay in bed, gazing at Jiang Ci’s sleeping face beside him. His anxious heart slowly calmed down.
After resting for the night, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan took the subway to the hotpot restaurant early the next morning.
In the alley behind the hotpot restaurant, she also bought various types of breakfast.
Song Jinchuan carried bags of various sizes, following behind her. Due to the contractual relationship between Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, Song Jinchuan’s points could also be used in this world. He usually ate and lived with Jiang Ci, so he didn’t need to spend many points, so over the past two years, he had actually saved up quite a sum.
With Jiang Ci’s help, he had exchanged some points for cash the day before and bought a bunch of nutritional products, tea, and skincare items.
However, he still couldn’t control his nerves, and his expression grew increasingly tense.
Jiang Ci had already called her parents the night before to say she was coming back and bringing her boyfriend with her. So, early in the morning, Father and Mother Jiang had tidied up the house and were waiting in the yard.
Mother Jiang had even dug out her cheongsam, while Father Jiang wore a suit, showing just how much they valued this prospective son-in-law.
To Jiang Ci’s parents, their daughter had only been away for a week, but to Jiang Ci, it had been over half a year since she last saw them.
“Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Song Jinchuan,” Jiang Ci introduced him to her parents after hugging them, with Song Jinchuan still holding gifts behind her.
“Uncle, Auntie, these are a few gifts I bought for you,” Song Jinchuan appeared outwardly calm, but Jiang Ci, who could be said to know him inside-out, could tell his voice was slightly tense and trembling.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
