Great. Housing for the whole family was settled, and every functional area met Jing Shu's requirements.
Right next to the space capsule was the warm greenhouse she had requested, the interior lined with sleek light strips that cast a steady, artificial glow over five tiers of sturdy planting racks.
This was where she would farm. It was not huge, but it was not small either. With what she could grow here, plus the dried vegetables she had stored from last year, there would be more than enough to feed the family throughout the long journeys ahead.
If possible, she would add some easy, space-saving fruits to the lower tiers. That could wait. It's best to transplant what they already had at home first, moving the thriving seedlings into their new armored home.
The original solar panel area at the rear of the second floor now had a skylight, the reinforced glass reflecting the gray sky. This was the multifunction breeding zone she had asked for. During migrations, the chickens and ducks would have to come along. It's deadly cold outside, so they could only be kept in the vehicle. As for the smell, Chu Zhuohua had anticipated it; he opened a skylight to vent the air, ensuring a constant draft carried the scent of the flock away from the living quarters.
Summary of the second floor: the chickens and ducks occupied the rear; the planting zone sat in the middle alongside Wu You'ai's space capsule; a living and storage area filled the front; and Jing Shu's bedroom remained at the very front.
On the first floor: the driver's seat sat at the nose. In front was the bedroom for her grandparents with a hidden single bed for Paternal Third Aunt Jing Lai tucked beside it. The kitchen, dining area, and bathroom filled the mid-section. At the tail was her parents' double master bedroom.
That was the layout. After filing away Chu Zhuohua's manual in a drawer, she wondered about Qian Duoduo's surprise. With the RV already this complete, she truly couldn't imagine what favor he intended to return.
When a true big shot makes a move, it will not be ordinary. She felt a little excited.
Anyway, the Xishan Base was almost finished. She will find out then. She circled the colossal, truck-sized RV twice, her boots clicking against the garage floor as she got happier the more she looked. She then slipped into the driver's seat to feel what it's like to pilot the massive machine.
When the time came, Jing An would be the main driver. She was better off in her bedroom, practicing with the Rubik's Cube while enjoying the far-off view from the second-story glass.
Speaking of the Rubik's Cube, something felt off. It had been two months since the upgrade. Given how hard she trained, she would normally be practicing every time she had a free moment so that she could level up the Rubik's Cube Space before next year's trip to the United States.
At first, she had trained diligently. With a solid foundation, her progress rocketed. She quickly restored cubes with ease and was now closing in on the professional speed required by the Rubik's Cube Space.
But at some point, she kept forgetting to practice. Days would pass before she suddenly realized she hadn't touched the cube.
She even set an alarm to practice at a fixed time every day, yet every time she started, something would interrupt. Once the interruption ended, she would forget about practicing again.
She wondered if this was related to the tier-8 Cube Space ability. It's like when she challenged the illusion ability at tier 7. Early on, hallucinations plagued her every time she practiced, drastically slowing her solves. Later came the curse that forced her to practice at four in the morning.
"But now the cube keeps interrupting me, even making me forget to practice. Is the ability of this tier about causing memory loss? Normally, the Cube Space abilities help with farming and breeding. What is forgetfulness got to do with that?"
She took out the cube and began to turn it while thinking, the plastic clicking rhythmically. Not even a minute passed before her phone rang like a death bell. She sighed. See? It's exactly as expected. It's spooky.
"Jing Shu, could you come to the factory? We, well, we need to talk to you about something." The voice on the other end belonged to Wang Fang.
"Okay."
…
It's June. Whether due to the weather or constant harvesting by the Chinese people, the red nematodes were dwindling. Scientists in the United States and Australia had long warned that red nematodes would become a global catastrophe. Their prediction had come true.
Worldwide, the viscosity of red nematode masses had reached over 80 percent. They ate everything and grew on anything. Fortunately, some European countries had advanced water-purification systems, so a bit of planting was still possible.
Yet while red nematodes surged everywhere else, only in China were they decreasing. It had gone from scooping up handfuls at a time to finding barely any.
When she arrived at the Red Nematode Feed Processing Factory, workers were lounging on the ground, idle in the humid air. Half of them were sorting red nematodes, their fingers moving sluggishly through the piles.
Wang Fang paced back and forth, her boots scuffing the concrete. When she saw Jing Shu, her expression tightened. "Jing Shu, you are here. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet," Jing Shu said.
Wang Fang coughed twice. She had only been making small talk. Why is Jing Shu so direct?
"Jing Shu, I won't beat around the bush. I want to ask when we're shutting the factory down. The red nematodes are not only scarce now, but look at these batches. Half of them are dead or rotten." As she spoke, she pointed at the gray, clotted masses. "As you instructed, we've been picking those out and discarding them. The cost is brutal. We can't even collect enough in a day."
Jing Shu crouched, prodding the pile with a stick. No doubt about it. These red nematodes were carrying the zombie-deer disease from Australia.
Su Yiyang shot Wang Fang a glare, then smiled at Jing Shu. "Don't listen to your aunt-in-law's grumbling. We've invested too much to talk about shutting down. You're the big boss. Say the word, and we will do it."
"Su Yiyang, it's easy for you to talk when your back is not breaking. We've a lot of workers to feed. It's been nearly half a year. They're eating us out of house and home. If this keeps up and we pay wages for nothing, I am out," Wang Fang snapped, her hands on her hips.
Su Yiyang's face flushed. "Woman, long hair, short sense. If we follow Jing Shu, we'll make money. Even if we do not, after all the help she given us, we should follow her straight into the pit."
"I shaved my hair long ago," Wang Fang pointed a finger at him. "So now you've grown bold enough to shout at me in public?"
"Alright, Uncle, Aunt-in-law, don't fight," Jing Shu said. "It's my fault for being too busy and not checking in here. Starting today, buy red nematodes at triple the previous price. But no dead or rotten worms are allowed. Make the collectors sort their own. Your team only needs to inspect. Let's push hard for one more month. I will cover the meals this month."
"Triple?"
"Yes, triple. Think about it. Red nematodes are getting scarcer. Prices will only climb. That's all I needed to say."
Su Yiyang stepped forward, looking embarrassed. "Jing Shu, don't worry about the meals. Since we took responsibility, we'll see it through. Otherwise, we won't have the face to take dividends later."
"Alright then."
They could still collect for one more month. Jing Shu had to seize the time and make the most of it. After leaving her uncle's side, she called Eldest Aunt. Communicating with her was always simpler. Jing Shu stated the requirements, and execution began immediately.
With both sides settled for red nematodes, she still felt she was forgetting something important.
"Forget it. Let's go home and eat."