280: Plant withering

Jiang Fei walked to the door.

The flowers and plants in the yard had all withered at some point.

The maple tree, which had been lush green, had once again shed all its leaves, returning to its initial bare state, with fallen leaves piled on the ground.

The vegetables she had planted in the ground were also completely dead.

The mutated plants had begun to wither.

Cao Xiuhong looked at all this with worry: “When we arrived, the plants in the yard were fine, but why have they withered now? Is it because the polar day is coming soon?”

Jiang Zhengkang: “If that’s the case, then I only hope that life during the polar day will be easier, not like the previous heatwave where the temperature rose to over sixty degrees Celsius.”

“I can tolerate forty-five degrees Celsius.”

They no longer hoped for the apocalypse to end, only that the new natural disaster wouldn’t be too difficult to endure.

Ling Zhaorui comforted everyone: “No matter what effects the polar day brings, the base will not let its residents go hungry.”

“The food stockpiled in the Cultivation Park is enough for the residents of the capital to eat for a year.”

Niu Er, in his simple way, spoke: “What if a big flood washes all the grain away?”

Yao Jin raised his hand and tapped Niu Er’s forehead: “Shut your crow’s mouth, say something good.”

Knowing he had said the wrong thing, Niu Er honestly stopped speaking.

Worrying couldn't change anything, so Jiang Zhengkang and the others simply went home to sleep.

Meanwhile, Jiang Fei, Lu Yu, Xiao Chuxia, Ling Zhaorui, and Su Liuyuan returned to the living room.

“Miss, what do you need us for?”

Jiang Fei: “I want you to help me build a pavilion in the garden; I can’t do it by myself.”

It was time to tell Xiao Hua Lao about the Gold Swallowing Supermarket.

Otherwise, only taking the three of them—Lu Yu, Ling Zhaorui, and Su Liuyuan—each time would make it seem like Xiao Hua Lao was being excluded.

“Where are the tools?”

Thinking Jiang Fei was referring to the outside yard, Xiao Chuxia rolled up her sleeves, ready to work, when Jiang Fei slipped a gold-colored card into her hand.

“Hold onto it, don’t throw it away.”

Jiang Fei gave the other two membership cards to Ling Zhaorui and Su Liuyuan.

Lu Yu’s membership card was permanently bound, so there was no need to give him another.

Xiao Chuxia was still wondering about the card’s purpose when the scene before her suddenly changed.

She stood on unfamiliar ground.

In front was a large expanse of lush green grass and colorful flowers.

To the left was a vast plantation and fruit and vegetable garden.

To the right was a large Supermarket whose top floor could not be seen.

The faint sounds of chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep reached her ears, making Xiao Chuxia’s head buzz.

“It’s over… I died suddenly and went to heaven…”

“And it’s a farm-style one…”

“This is my Supermarket,” Jiang Fei said, leading Xiao Chuxia on a tour and introducing it.

Lu Yu, Su Liuyuan, and Ling Zhaorui followed behind the entire time, acting as background.

It took Xiao Chuxia over half an hour to calm down and process the news.

She asked Jiang Fei curiously:

“Miss, is the time here the same as outside?”

Jiang Fei nodded: “But the sky in the Supermarket is always blue; there is no night.”

“Doesn’t that mean it’s no different from the polar day… Wait! Lu Yu, Liu Yuan, Zhao Rui, why aren’t you surprised at all?”

Su Liuyuan chuckled: “We knew before you did.”

Xiao Chuxia immediately clutched her chest, feigning injury and leaning on Jiang Fei’s shoulder: “You’ve been hiding it from me all this time! I don’t care, Miss must sleep with me tonight to compensate me.”

“My bed is very big, and my mother can sleep with us too.”

“You lie in the middle, and the three of us can chat.”

Jiang Fei mercilessly pushed Xiao Chuxia away: “No.”

She didn’t want to hear the stereo surround sound of flies.

“Miss is the best~” Xiao Chuxia whined, trying to get Jiang Fei to agree, when she suddenly realized a problem.

“Besides us, who else knows about the Gold Swallowing Supermarket?”

Jiang Fei: “Only the five of us in the team. I won’t tell anyone else in the future.”

“The fewer people who know about this, the better.”

Xiao Chuxia felt relieved.

The Supermarket’s allure was too great; she was afraid someone might harm Miss.

“By the way, you just mentioned some Loyalty Pill. Can I have one?”

“I want to put an extra layer of insurance on my mouth.”

Lu Yu: “Give me one too.”

“That way, we can ensure we won’t leak the secret until we die.”

The two were like Su Liuyuan and Ling Zhaorui back then, insisting on the Loyalty Pill.

Xiao Chuxia even gave up on sleeping with Jiang Fei.

Not having to be forced to chat, Jiang Fei immediately went to the Supermarket warehouse and retrieved the only two remaining Loyalty Pills.

This would ensure Xiao Chuxia and Lu Yu could never reveal the existence of the Gold Swallowing Supermarket.

Incidentally, she permanently bound the membership cards to Xiao Chuxia, Ling Zhaorui, and Su Liuyuan, so she wouldn’t have to issue cards individually every time they came.

After taking the Loyalty Pills, the five went to the small garden to build a pavilion.

The Supermarket had materials and tools such as wood, flooring, pillars, cement, and electric saws.

Jiang Fei was responsible for directing and assisting.

Lu Yu and Su Liuyuan were responsible for digging holes in the ground for the pillars.

Ling Zhaorui and Xiao Chuxia were responsible for sawing wood.

After inserting the pillars into the corresponding holes and filling them with cement, Lu Yu and Su Liuyuan used ladders to go up and install the beams.

Once the beams were fixed, wooden boards were placed on top, and wooden flooring was laid on the ground, completing the simple outdoor pavilion.

Although there was no sun in the Supermarket, for aesthetic purposes, Lu Yu also installed white gauze curtains on all four sides of the pavilion.

They were tied with same-colored hemp ropes and placed on either side of the pillars.

Tables and chairs were readily available, so Su Liuyuan and Ling Zhaorui moved a set and placed them in the pavilion.

Jiang Fei, meanwhile, brewed a pot of flower tea and shared it with her teammates.

The five sat in the pavilion, drinking tea and admiring the surrounding vibrant sea of flowers.

Xiao Chuxia looked thoroughly satisfied: “I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time.”

Ling Zhaorui: “This seems to be our team’s first gathering since coming to the capital.”

“We usually spend time with Uncle Jiang and the others.”

Su Liuyuan: “No choice, either you guys are busy with work, or we’re busy at the small mall. Our free time usually doesn’t overlap.”

The chatterbox trio chatted animatedly.

Lu Yu and Jiang Fei listened quietly.

After finishing a pot of tea, Lu Yu and the other three also had to go home.

After all, they had to work tomorrow.

Before leaving, Ling Zhaorui went to the sheep pen to check the ewe’s health.

“Xiao Yue’s health is very good. Sister Jiang, continue to care for her in the same way as before.”

“Xiao Yue is expected to give birth in about two months.”

“Okay.” Jiang Fei led them out of the Supermarket.

The four went their separate ways, and Jiang Fei also locked the door and went to sleep.

News of the plants’ decay spread throughout the base the next day.

Residents woke up to find their crops dead.

The flowers, plants, and trees on the roadside outside had all withered and died.

Overnight, the base returned to its initial desolation, causing people to wonder.

The lush green grass of a while ago felt like a dream.

The authorities had not publicly announced the polar day, leading to widespread panic.

“My right eyelid has been twitching since I woke up this morning. Do you think a new natural disaster is about to happen?”

“God really won’t stop until he kills us. How long has the gray fog been gone, and now he’s causing trouble again?”

“I only envy those who have died now; they went to enjoy blessings below early, unlike us, who want to die but dare not, and cannot afford to live.”

“What’s the point of saying all that? The urgent task is to get more food and hoard it, and wait for the base’s announcement.”

“That makes sense. I don’t want to experience hunger and the feeling of not finding food again.”

“With grain in hand, the heart is not flustered.”

Residents were unclear about the cause of the plants’ wilting, but they all sensed that something bad was about to happen and rushed to hoard supplies, causing the foot traffic in Ping An to surge instantly.

Su Liuyuan and the others were overwhelmed, so Jiang Fei had to help, canceling the tasting station on the first floor of the mall, as well as the willow catkins exchange point.

Firstly, it took up space, and secondly, after the plants withered, the willow catkins disappeared.

Jiang Fei placed the contribution card given by Cheng Pingwei in the cashier’s drawer, intending to return it to him when he came later.

To prevent customers from not queuing in an orderly fashion, Jiang Fei released Little Black from the storeroom and tied him to the cashier’s desk.

No one wanted to be bitten by a large black dog and spend contribution points to see a doctor, so no matter how anxious people were, they obediently queued to check out.

With Little Black maintaining order, Jiang Fei took a moment to restock the warehouse.

Just as she finished restocking and was about to close the door and leave, thump, thump, thump—

A knock sounded on the back door of the warehouse.