Since it is the apocalypse and there aren't any proper medical facilities, Jing Pan pulled strings and found a gynecologist. She paid a hefty price in virtual coins and rare supplies to secure the appointment. To be safe, she also wanted Grandma Jing to help with the delivery.
Folks in Grandma Jing's generation didn't have hospitals either; they relied on old home methods and traditional knowledge to bring children into the world.
Grandma Jing actually considered asking she to give birth in Wu City because conditions are better there. But the she was already close to her due date, and the roads were a mess with heavy rain that churned the dirt into a thick, sucking mud. If something happened on the way, who would take responsibility?
So that evening, after dinner, Jing Shu's family sat around the wooden table to talk it through. It wasn't a holiday, so her parents didn't have time off from their official duties. To make it worse, after the red nematode went extinct, the cafeteria faced a serious ingredient shortage that required constant management. As the supervisor who managed the cafeteria, Jing Lai had even less time than the others.
Even though Su Lanzhi held the purse strings and Jing An always seemed a little scared of her, when it came to his side of the family, she always respected his call. She looked over at him and said, "Let's see how Jing An wants to arrange it. I will follow his lead."
Jing Shu thought this was what love looked like when it leveled up after years of marriage.
Jing An tossed the dishes into the dishwasher with a rhythmic clinking. He picked up a bowl of cherry tomatoes for dessert and said, "Here is what we will do. Lanzhi and I won't go. Jing Lai can't go either; work is too busy. The situation is not great right now. The Livestock Breeding Center has pushed hard this year, and sure, we have raised a lot of chickens and ducks. But with the red nematode gone, feed has become a headache that won't go away."
Jing Shu fed Xiao Dou a luxury mix of fish bones, eggs, assorted grains, and chopped veggie leaves. She soothed the bird while it ate, her hand moving over the skin. Not long ago, when Xiao Dou was foraging, she got unlucky and brought back a nest of flea-like bugs that curled into her feathers and wouldn't let go.
There was no choice. she shaved her clean to get rid of the pests. Xiao Dou turned into a bald chicken, her pink skin covered in goosebumps. For some reason, looking at a bird that big, every step she took made Jing Shu think of a walking roast turkey. It made her hungry, and that was just wrong.
Peh, peh, peh.
Vain as she was, Xiao Dou sulked for days. She used to strut past the water every day, checking out her glossy brown feathers with her head held high and her tail tilting up. Now and then she would brawl with Jing Shu's five-step viper to prove she still held an unshakable place in her heart.
But once she lost those feathers, she lost her swagger. Grandma Jing, her heart aching when egg production dipped, made her a little silk outfit to keep the chill off. Only then did Xiao Dou start laying a few more eggs each day. Jing Shu added another meal to Xiao Dou's daily schedule, and production finally recovered. It looked like Xiao Dou knew exactly where her greatest value lay.
"I am busy too, but I can spare three to five days. I have to hand things over at the Pharmacist Association tomorrow morning. This time, let's just take the RV. There will be too many people otherwise. The weather has dropped more than ten degrees compared to March, and I'm not sleeping in some damp warehouse with a tent again." Jing Shu spoke while she smoothed the new stubble sprouting on Xiao Dou's skin. The chicken half-closed her eyes in bliss.
Honestly, Jing Shu hadn't planned to go. Compared to someone else giving birth, she had more important things to do. The third year of the apocalypse was right on the doorstep, and she kept feeling like there was something big she hadn't finished. She opened her palm and stared at the words written there: "Practice the Rubik Cube, practice the Rubik Cube."
Right, she still had to practice the Rubik Cube.
She was sure her forgetfulness about training the Rubik's Cube Space had everything to do with the new tier of ability she had advanced to. Think it, do it. She nudged Xiao Dou aside and took out the multicolored cube to start practicing, her fingers clicking the plastic segments into place.
On top of that, she still had to prepare for the third year's disasters and events.
Truth be told, the only reason she agreed to go was to field-test every system in the RV. She wanted to spend a few days experiencing it and listing out any flaws. As long as there was time now, she could keep improving it. If they discovered problems midway through a migration, it would be a pain to fix. If not for that, she wouldn't have gone at all.
That said, she was genuinely excited to test the RV. For third-year prep, she needed to write up a checklist.
Su Lanzhi looked worried. "The RV is huge. Can you drive it alone? Is it safe? Why don't you let your dad go with you?"
"Mom, don't worry. I already walked you through the safety systems. It won't tip even at a 40-degree incline. Even if I drive into a ditch, it won't roll. The chassis is sealed against water, and I'm not driving into a river." She had already tested it a few times around the villa. She had to admit, driving a rig like this and driving a BYD Song that costs tens of thousands felt like two different worlds.
When you don't know cars, anything with four wheels is fine. Once you learn a bit, you start complaining the power is weak, the motor is lacking, and two-wheel drive isn't enough. It's just like phones. At first, even a Nokia touchscreen felt advanced. Then you use a smartphone and realize what real progress looks like.
With the BYD Song, you stomp the gas, and it gathers itself up before it finally lurches forward, clunking over a manhole cover with a loud bang. With the RV, you step on the pedal and barely feel movement. Roll over a rock and you probably won't notice from inside. The suspension is insanely good.
If they really had to migrate in the apocalypse, living in the RV would be fantastic. It's like riding a high-speed rail and watching scenery slide back without feeling a thing.
"Alright, but drive slow, watch the road, and don't go into deep water."
That settled, Jing Lai brought out the newborn gifts she had already prepared. There were ten-plus reusable cotton diapers she had sewn by taking apart old clothes.
Even Zijin had embroidered two handkerchiefs for the little one. They were for wiping faces and noses, the stitches neat and fine.
Grandpa Jing used gold Jing Shu had salvaged to make a longevity lock that gleamed in the light. Grandma Jing sewed tiny clothes and quilts from the softest scraps she had.
The whole family packed through the night, their movements quick.
"These are two lives we're talking about, so don't be careless. Jing Shu, Wu You'ai, you have both helped deliver a baby before, so you have at least got some experience. If you have got any good ideas, speak up." Grandma Jing was excited the entire night. No matter how Jing Shu arranged things, she nodded and praised her. Elders loved welcoming new life the most.
Jing Shu paused. She remembered her one delivery experience was with Zhang Bingbing. She had barely stepped into the house before she gave a mighty push and the baby popped out. Did that even count as experience?
Jing Shu and Wu You'ai exchanged a look and coughed twice.
After discussion, they decided to bring one chicken for nourishment and two crucian carp to help with milk. That was the family's gift to the newborn. Of course, Xiao Dou had to come too. As a walking egg generator, Jing Shu's breakfast depended on her.
It was the perfect timing to test how the RV's little livestock room and mini fish pond performed during a long drive.