Speaking of the RV modifications, Chu Zhuohua is the very picture of an inspiration-driven tinkerer, his workshop often smelling of heavy grease, burnt solder, and cold iron. He is the kind of person who works best when a vision strikes him, his eyes glazing over as he stares at a blueprint or a pile of parts.
At first, he worked with blazing energy, the sound of his tools echoing late into the night. After finishing his favorite part, which was the major overhaul of the hybrid power system to ensure it could handle the harshest environments, he fell into a slump. No inspiration came to him, or rather, only bad inspiration that he immediately discarded, leaving his performance way off from his usual brilliant standards.
The RV's power system is now fully rebuilt and operational, a marvel of engineering hidden beneath the floorboards. He is crawling along at a turtle's pace on the first-floor interior, meticulously measuring cabinets and checking the fit of the insulation.
Most mysterious of all, he seems to be plotting a brand new custom vehicle in the back of the garage and won't let Jing Shu see it, keeping it draped under a heavy, dust-covered tarp. He said she can pay once it's done, which only added to the mystery. Fine. It's just a modded car, after all, and she has plenty of other things to focus on.
Back at home, Jing Lai hasn't been idle either, her sewing machine whirring constantly throughout the day. She had spent her days sewing a brand new crimson wedding quilt set, the heavy fabric a deep, vibrant red that felt thick and luxurious to the touch. She also made new clothes for every member of the Jing family living under one roof: Grandma and Grandpa Jing, Jing Shu, her parents Su Lanzhi and Jing An, and Wu You'ai.
She has nearly used up all the cotton yardage and loose cotton they had at home to finish the task. Jing Shu can't help thinking that once the Rubik's Cube Space upgrades and the planting area expands further, she should plant a batch of cotton. With the weather growing colder by the day, cotton is literally life-saving material.
"There's an idea. Starting this year, we can raise silkworms properly. Let us produce more silk to prepare for the harsh weather ahead," Jing Shu thought, considering the utility of silk padding.
Last year, Wu You'ai's mentor gave them some Indian silkworms, tiny and translucent at first. Jing Shu raised them in the second-floor conservatory without breeding them further, keeping them in a small, mesh-covered box. They only produced a few dozen larvae last year, which wasn't much to work with. At that rate, raising enough cocoons for even one silk duvet is a distant dream that will take time to realize. While there's still rain and food in abundance this year to support the silkworms' appetite, they should raise more and stockpile those materials. It would also give Grandma Jing something productive to do with her time. Boiling and reeling silk are no light chores, requiring patience and steady hands.
It's only the second year of the apocalypse. People still have clothes left over from the old world, and daytime temperatures are not too cold yet, so no one takes the threat of freezing seriously yet. In a few years, when it grows much colder and everyone longs for extra clothing and thick bedding, everything will already be gone from the shelves.
Besides food, shelter, and clothing, Grandpa Jing, as an elder who honors tradition, carefully brushed a few Spring Festival couplets and the "Fu" (福) character onto bright red paper. The smell of fresh ink filled the room as he worked. They will paste them on the door before leaving to usher in good luck for the new year, a small act of defiance against the chaos outside.
Since the family will be away for at least three days, the chickens, ducks, cow, and pigs must be fed and watered. Jing An DIY-ed an automatic feeder based on those viral contraptions he had seen online, using PVC pipes and large containers to ensure the poultry have water and grain while they are gone.
The vegetables in the ground and the fruits in the second-floor conservatory also needed a full watering to keep the soil moist.
As for whether Xiao Dou should come along on the trip, the family was unanimous. Xiao Dou is coming.
"She's a reliable hen who lays eggs every day. We can eat them on the way," Jing An noted.
"If she stays here alone, she'll ruin my apricot tree with her pecking, and by the time we return, the pond will be empty of fish because of her hunting," Grandpa Jing added, shaking his head.
"If she stays, I'll have to sacrifice those few hens at my unit to keep her satisfied," Jing Lai said, thinking of the bird's massive appetite.
Fine. Xiao Dou's quite proud of herself as she watches them pack.
Fed daily with No. 1 Spirit Spring, Xiao Dou has grown as sturdy as a calf, her feathers glossy and thick, and she has broken the 50 jin (roughly 25 kilograms) mark. Since her eye evolution occurred last time, there's been no further movement or changes in her abilities. Jing Shu figures she needs a new trigger to push her growth further.
Xiao Dou is smarter now than she used to be. She knows she's going on a trip, so she starts packing in her own way. First, she eats all the snacks she hoarded in her nest, her favorite vegetable roots, old bones, and hard nut shells, clearing out her stores. Next, she patrols the coop with a stern look, clucking loudly as she warns the other chickens not to dream of toppling her status while she is away. Finally, since finery makes the monk and clothes make the person, Xiao Dou puts on the floral sweater Jing Lai knitted for her. It's a bit tight around her middle, but the owner said it's for postnatal shaping to help her maintain her figure.
To finish her preparations, she plays cute and well-behaved, a righteous little hen who never starts trouble and looks irresistibly adorable with her head tilted to one side.
The whole family rushes to clear their workload before the holiday begins. There are no weekends or holidays anymore in this world. They spin like tops for several days, completing tasks and securing the villa.
The busiest person is Wu You'ai. She has been assigned several more residential buildings to manage, plus over seventy original residents under her care. People die every day from various causes. She has to verify identities, file detailed reports, and tally the ever-changing population for the government records.
Next is Su Lanzhi. Ever since Jing Shu filtered out the red nematodes from the water supply, her performance at work has surged. She even shared the method with other departments, earning praise and commendations from her superiors. After the government installed similar filters on a larger scale, the Planting Industry R&D Management Department in Wu City can finally grow something viable. Ordinary folks, besides eating mushroom eggs, can at least sprinkle some fresh, chopped scallions on their food now.
Jing Shu had planned to swing by the Medicinal Herb Association to check on her crops, but the snakes in the Rubik's Cube Space unexpectedly laid eggs. She was over the moon with the news. She is counting on the snakes to hatch quickly so she can use them to make medicinal wine.
To raise them well, Jing Shu studied the details of snake husbandry carefully. With daily doses of No. 5 Spirit Spring, if they still didn't lay, she would suspect infertility in the pair.
She tended the snake eggs carefully at home, ensuring the conditions were perfect. With the Spirit Spring boosting their development, they would hatch quickly. Snake eggs need a constant temperature to develop properly, so Jing Shu placed them inside the Rubik's Cube Space and set up a comfortable nest, following the instructions in her manuals.
A five-step viper usually lays around thirty eggs, but hers aren't ordinary by any means. This time they laid seventy eggs, clearly thanks to the Spirit Spring's influence on their vitality.
Another point worth noting is the lack of communication with the two five-step vipers. There's been no progress yet in taming them. It seems, like with the bees she kept back then, they need at least half a year of domestication before they'll respond to her commands.
Using snakes as an attack method will take another half year to realize fully. The time cost is too high for her liking. Jing Shu decides with some pain to keep a bit over thirty young snakes to train as hidden weapons for her own protection. The rest can be made into medicinal wine or cooked for food.
She has heard Dragon and Phoenix Soup is famed for its nourishment and longevity. Slurp. The thought made her mouth water.
On the day the family departs, the snake eggs finally hatch. The Rubik's Cube Space fills with little flower-patterned snakes, all newly hatched and very active, coiling and writhing together in a mass of scales. They look delicious. Ahem. Getting old and surviving an apocalypse makes everything look edible if you squint.
Jing Shu separates the adults from the juveniles to prevent any accidents. The newborns don't need feeding for the first few days of their lives. She gives them only water mixed with No. 8 Spirit Spring to strengthen them.
After their first shed in a few days, she'll start feeding them small scraps.
She plans to fast-track a batch so that when they return after the New Year, she can brew a powerful medicinal wine.
It's 4 a.m. on February 8, 2024. After a hearty breakfast of warm porridge and bread, the family makes their final checks before setting out into the dark morning.
The day before leaving, Jing Shu added several scavenged pinhole surveillance cameras around the villa's perimeter, and even installed a few in Building No. 25. That's for keeping tabs on the man named Lin Yi and making sure he doesn't try anything while they're away.
Jing An checked everything else in the vehicle and the generator. Su Lanzhi verified that all doors and windows were locked tight. Grandpa Jing examined every trap around the garden. Once the family was sure nothing had been missed, Jing An drove the energy truck and Jing Shu drove the amphibious shark submarine. They departed the villa, the engines humming softly in the pre-dawn quiet.
For the villa's defenses, beyond activating every mechanical trap, Jing Shu installed an electrified grid behind the main gate, notified Li Yuetian to help watch the property from his vantage point, and hired four security guards from Su Mali's household. Each guard costs 4 virtual coins per day."
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The Tradition of 贴福字 (Tiē Fú Zì - Pasting the Fu Character)
Pasting the 福 (fú) character, especially during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), is one of the most widespread and important customs in Chinese culture.
1. Meaning of 福 (Fú):
The character 福 (fú) itself is rich with meaning. It represents good fortune, blessing, happiness, and prosperity. It is a wish for all that is good in the coming year.
The character is often deconstructed:
The left radical 示 (shì) signifies "spirit" or "to show," relating to divine matters.
The right side 畐 (fú) represents "a full vessel," symbolizing abundance and fulfillment.
So, literally, it means the spiritual manifestation of abundance.
2. How It's Done:
Timing: The couplets (春联, chūnlián) and the 福 character are traditionally pasted on the door on New Year's Eve, after cleaning the house and before the family reunion dinner. This act seals in the good luck for the incoming year.
Placement: The 福 is pasted on doors (main door, room doors), windows, and walls around the home.
3. The Inversion - Upside Down Fu (福倒了 - Fú Dào Le):
The Most Important Detail: You will very often see the 福 character pasted upside down.
Why? This is a deliberate and cherished pun. The word for "upside down" or "to arrive" is 倒 (dào).
Punning Meaning: So, 福倒了 (Fú dào le) sounds identical to 福到了 (Fú dào le), which means "Good fortune has arrived." or "Blessings are upon us."
Context: In your story, the fact that Grandpa Jing is doing this before leaving on a migration is incredibly poignant. It's a powerful act of hope—a way to literally usher in and invoke good luck for a dangerous and uncertain journey ahead. They are taking their blessings with them in spirit.
4. Connection to Spring Festival Couplets (春联 - Chūnlián):
The 福 character is closely related to the couplets (春联). The couplets are poetic lines written on red paper, placed vertically on either side of the door. They express hopes for prosperity, health, and happiness in the new year. A horizontal scroll, often with a phrase like 吉祥如意 (Jíxiáng rúyì - "Good luck according to your wishes"), is placed above the doorframe. The 福 character is often pasted in the center of the door or on windows to complete the display.