216: Jiang Fei: Your life is worthless

Inside the living room of 0-04.

To make it easier for Su Liuyuan on the sofa to eat, Ling Zhaorui and Han Yang moved the dining table over.

On the table were several bowls of hot noodle soup, plus three side dishes.

Sweet and sour shredded potatoes, garlic-smashed cucumbers, and hand-torn dried beef.

They were made from food found in Su Liuyuan's and Ling Zhaorui's homes.

"Fei Fei, Xiao Yu, as the saying goes, 'dumplings for departure, noodles for arrival.' This is to celebrate your safe return, and that we will never be separated again."

Jiang Zhengkang handed them both chopsticks.

Everyone sat down to eat.

Having already learned of Yao Damang's death from Ling Zhaorui, Jiang Zhengkang couldn't help but sigh:

"Little Jin and his father had a very good relationship. Now that Damang is gone, I don't know if that child will be able to get through this."

Jiang Fei: "That depends on whether he wants to live. No one can help him."

Ling Zhaorui, back then, also relied on himself to emerge from the shadows.

"I have something I want to ask you all." Jiang Fei looked at the three people opposite her:

"Uncle, Han Yang, Xiao Shi, I'm planning to move to Kyoto Base to open a shop. Are you willing to come with me?"

Jiang Zhengkang: "Liu Yuan and Zhao Rui have already told us."

"As long as you don't think we're a burden, wherever you go, we'll go."

Jiang Xiaoshi: "I'll listen to Dad!"

Han Yang: "I'll follow Boss Jiang's arrangements entirely."

Jiang Fei set the date: "Then we'll depart the morning after tomorrow. Everyone should get some good rest tomorrow."

No one had any objections to this.

Ling Zhaorui: "Sister Jiang, I need to say goodbye to my teacher before I leave. Can I borrow your car?"

"I also need to go to the Planting Base, so I'll drive you there tomorrow."

—

The next morning, Jiang Fei came out of her house first. Taking advantage of no one being around, she retrieved a truck from the Supermarket warehouse.

She loaded it with 30 hundred-liter barrels of fountain water, 10 boxes of fruit and vegetable seeds, 20 hundred-jin bags of rice, and 10 hundred-jin bags of various beans, then parked it at the entrance.

She then retrieved a commercial vehicle and drove to Building 2 of Mingshang Apartment Complex.

As Jiang Zhengkang and others had said, the residential building had not been damaged by the earthquake.

Jiang Fei went up and collected the gold from 203 into the Supermarket.

System: [Ding—Detected gold: 450,000 grams]

There were some remaining goods in 203, 204, and the five warehouses on the 3rd floor, and Jiang Fei collected a portion of them.

The food and bottled drinking water were untouched.

She would tell Xu Qianyao about it then, asking him to distribute them to those who needed these supplies.

After leaving a dozen boxes of fruits and vegetables, Jiang Fei went to the warehouse on West Street.

Yesterday, there were too many things, and she didn't have time to collect the gold.

The second-floor warehouse had collapsed, and a few exposed gold bars could vaguely be seen.

These things couldn't be eaten or drunk, and no one would pick them up even if they fell on the ground.

Putting on her gloves, Jiang Fei began to search for gold.

She would take as much as she could find.

After three or four hours of work, she harvested 1,100,000 grams of gold.

The large golden lucky cat given by Wu Dayong's family accounted for more than half of it.

Too lazy to search further, Jiang Fei went to the former Ping An Supermarket and secretly put the fallen signboard into the Supermarket warehouse.

This was her first shop, and she kept it as a memento.

Afterward, she got in the car and tried to call A Meng on the walkie-talkie.

All the shops in the Safety Shelter had collapsed, including Crippled Wang's General Store, and she didn't know his current situation.

Was he alive, or... "Miss Jiang!"

A Meng's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Did you return to the Safety Shelter?"

"Yes, where are you and Crippled Wang?"

A Meng: "In the residential building behind the General Store. A big earthquake happened a few days ago. Luckily, we were at home celebrating Boss's birthday and escaped, but the shop and warehouse were destroyed."

"I'll come find you."

After getting the detailed address from A Meng, Jiang Fei drove over.

Crippled Wang and his brothers lived in Building 1 of the complex.

These 16 households were all his brothers and their families, making it convenient to look after each other.

As soon as Jiang Fei got out of the car, she saw Crippled Wang, Dao Ba, A Meng, and Cao Xiuhong waiting for her at the unit entrance.

On Crippled Wang's birthday, he invited Cao Xiuhong to dinner, which unexpectedly helped her avoid the earthquake.

Therefore, Cao Xiuhong temporarily stayed in Building 1.

Crippled Wang already knew about Yao Damang's death and lowered his head in self-reproach.

"I'm sorry, Boss, I didn't protect Brother Yao well. That day he was eating with me, and the earthquake happened halfway through. He wanted to go to the shop to pick up his son. I didn't keep an eye on him and let him run out."

"I should have knocked him out then!"

"This is not your fault. What's meant to be, will be." Jiang Fei patted Crippled Wang's shoulder and told him about going to Kyoto Base.

"Why would you come to Kyoto with me?"

Crippled Wang hesitated for a moment, then refused: "Boss, you know I'm timid, and I have so many brothers with me. It's not easy for me to move, and I don't want to go through that hassle again."

"I don't want to experience the life of running from Lincheng to the Safety Shelter a second time."

Jiang Fei didn't insist: "I brought a few truckloads of supplies back this time. I'll send one over to you in a bit."

After all, he helped her earn so much gold, so consider it Crippled Wang's salary.

Crippled Wang's eyes were slightly red.

What he lacked most now were supplies.

Boss Jiang always managed to help him at crucial moments.

Calming his excited emotions, Crippled Wang solemnly said: "No matter what happens in the future, even if you ask for my life, Boss, I'll give it to you!"

"Your life isn't worth much."

Crippled Wang: "..."

Boss Jiang could still make him shut up with just one sentence.

Suddenly, with a thud, Cao Xiuhong knelt before Jiang Fei.

"Boss Jiang, I want to go to Kyoto Base with you!"

"I can earn gold for you."

Cao Xiuhong was trustworthy, and she was indeed capable of doing business, so Jiang Fei nodded in agreement: "I'm preparing to leave tomorrow. You can get in my car and stay at my place tonight."

"What about your daughter?"

At these words, Crippled Wang and the others' expressions changed.

Cao Xiuhong, however, stood up, straightened her back, and proudly replied: "My daughter died saving survivors."

Jiang Fei was stunned.

This earthquake had taken away too many people's loved ones.

"You get in the car and wait for me. I'll go get the vehicle."

"Okay, Boss Jiang." Cao Xiuhong opened the door and sat in the passenger seat of the commercial vehicle.

The moment she closed the door, tears streamed down her face.

"I'm not sad. My daughter died honorably."

As if speaking to herself, Cao Xiuhong's voice was extremely low.

"Boss, do you need my help?"

"No, the vehicle with my supplies is parked not far away."

With that, Jiang Fei walked out of Nantong Avenue, found an empty street, and retrieved a military truck.

She filled the truck bed with instant food, drinking water, rice, flour, and cooking oil, then drove back downstairs to the complex and handed the keys to Crippled Wang.

"You can keep the truck. See you when we have a chance."

"Have a safe journey." Crippled Wang watched Jiang Fei drive away in the commercial vehicle, praying in his heart—

He hoped Boss Jiang would arrive safely at Kyoto Base; he was willing to live ten years less.

—

Jiang Fei returned to Dongyang District and handed the key to 0-03 to Cao Xiuhong.

"You can use the food and drinking water in the house, but don't touch anything else."

04 was full of men, so it was inconvenient for Cao Xiuhong to stay there. Only Xiao Hua Lao's house was empty.

"Thank you, Boss Jiang."

Cao Xiuhong took the key and got out of the car. Jiang Fei switched to the truck and contacted Ling Zhaorui on the walkie-talkie to come out.

Soon, Ling Zhaorui arrived with a bag of steamed buns: "Sister Jiang, what's in your car?"

"Supplies for the Planting Base. Where did you get the buns?"

Ling Zhaorui: "Uncle Jiang steamed them. He wanted to make more food for us to eat on the road tomorrow. He asked me to bring you a few to try."

"Then you drive." Jiang Fei got into the passenger seat of the truck and ate a bun.

Jiang Zhengkang had only recently learned to cook, and his meat filling was mediocre, but in the apocalypse, it was a rare delicacy.

Jiang Fei ate two in one go, saving the rest for dinner.

Upon reaching the Planting Base, Jiang Fei saw that several bungalows in the dormitory area had collapsed.

The greenhouses hadn't collapsed, but like the fields, the ground had cracks of varying sizes, resulting in the loss of some crops.

Several poultry and livestock in the breeding area had died, including the two ducks Ling Zhaorui had raised.

He had previously brought the ducks to the Planting Base dormitory to care for them, never expecting to cause the death of the two young ones.

The remaining animals were only startled, which was a blessing in disguise.

Jiang Fei followed Ling Zhaorui to Kang Ansheng's office.

Director Ning was also there.

He was discussing expanding the Planting Base with Kang Ansheng.

Seeing Jiang Fei enter, Director Ning was stunned, thinking he was seeing things.

"Little Jiang, when did you come back?"

"Yesterday. I came to deliver things to the Planting Base and to say goodbye." Jiang Fei mentioned her departure.

Director Ning and Kang Ansheng immediately showed reluctance.

Not only because they all liked Little Jiang, but also because she had Mo Yanan backing her.

Little Jiang being in the Safety Shelter could help them resolve many crises.

However, where she went was Little Jiang's freedom.

They couldn't forcibly keep her for their own selfish desires.

"Have you set a date for your departure?" Director Ning asked.

"The day after tomorrow." Jiang Fei handed the supply list to Kang Ansheng:

"This is a gratuitous donation from my Boss to the Planting Base. The special potion written on it can be diluted a thousandfold and used for planting."

"It not only has the effect of ripening crops but also protects them for healthy growth."

The fountain water was hard to explain, so she just wrote "special potion."

"You, girl, have truly given the Planting Base a great gift!"

Kang Ansheng stood up impatiently: "Xiao Rui, quickly help me move the special potion to the laboratory. I want to test it!"

But in the next instant, Kang Ansheng grabbed Ling Zhaorui, who was about to comply: "You don't need to go. I'll find other staff members to do it later."

"You and Little Jiang are going to Kyoto soon. We don't know when we'll see each other again, so I have something to give you both."