Jing An filled the RV's water tanks to the brim, the water gurgling steadily as it rushed through the intake. All he had to do was hook up a hose from the villa's deep-well supply and wait for the digital gauge to climb. The tanks were extra large, since they had to cover a whole family's needs for washing up, taking showers, provide enough drinking water, and supply the underfloor heating pipes. Anything less wouldn't cut it for a journey in this weather.
Perfect timing. Jing Shu also wanted to test the RV's upgraded floor heating. The hot-water lines held at a steady 40°C would keep the interior cozy even when the outside air turned biting, and there would be hot showers 24 hours a day. That kind of comfort was exactly what she had dreamed of when she first planned the build.
They fully charged the MAN battery pack until the indicators glowed a steady green, and she mounted the extra bio-solar panels she had bought earlier on the roof. The main goal was to test the RV's range on pure electric power. At home, the BYD Song could do about 180 kilometers on a full charge.
Wu You'ai's mentor hasn't tested an RV this big, only estimated that it could go around 150 kilometers before needing a recharge or switching power sources.
At the same time, Jing An topped off the diesel tank just in case the batteries failed or the sun stayed hidden behind the heavy clouds. Su Mali's eight big canisters of compressed natural gas were slotted into side compartments, secured with heavy-duty straps, enough to run the stove and the floor heating for a long stretch. Supposedly, that amount would last three months under normal use.
Jing An handled safety checks and all the RV systems, checking the seals and the tire pressure. Su Lanzhi loaded in freshly dried quilts, running them one more cycle through the dryer to make sure they were fluffy, then stocked the RV with daily necessities and bathroom supplies.
Jing Shu, Grandma Jing, and Wu You'ai handled the rest of the packing, their movements efficient. Everyone knew the drill by now. Thick clothes and raincoats had to come in multiples. If anything got soaked in this kind of cold, it would be miserable.
Next came food. With the RV, they didn't want to freeload at Jing Pan's place this time, so they prepped everything from breakfast to dinner. If she had brought a cow, Jing Shu would have set it in the RV and milked it every morning. That sounded pretty great, though perhaps a bit crowded.
In the end, they brought two tins of milk powder and tea instead. Mornings would mean milk tea, hot and fragrant. The RV had a fridge, so she also packed sweet fermented rice and tangyuan. Swapping in a sweet fermented rice, tangyuan, and egg soup now and then would hit the spot during a cold morning.
Grandma Jing stashed her homemade hand-grab flatbreads in the fridge. In the morning, they would fry up golden and crisp in the pan, then get wrapped with lettuce, egg, sausage, and a stripe of salad and tomato sauce. That was the real deal.
For vegetables, they settled on the dried greens Jing Shu had sun-dried, plus several jars of assorted dried goods, dried wood ear, dried shiitake, and so on. They were light to carry and perfect for soups or stir-fries.
For meat, Jing Shu picked beef jerky for snacking, and a spread of ready-to-eat dishes like braised pig ears, head meat, pork hock, and spicy dried rabbit. Fast and convenient. She also packed some steaks, strictly for her late-night cravings when the world was quiet.
Fish and shrimp in the villa pool were getting out of hand, so she scooped a whole basin of oysters and crayfish and dumped them into the indoor pool to see if they would survive there. If they did, great, they would have garlic-baked oysters and spicy crayfish on the road. Either way, Grandma Jing's cooking would make it shine.
For staples, they brought a sack of rice and a bunch of half-finished goods, since Grandma Jing wouldn't have time to knead dough. She had already made a stash anyway, mixed flavors of frozen dumplings, wontons, buns, and more.
These days, Jing Shu ate a lot. You couldn't cut corners on a single meal. After drinking Spirit Spring for so long, the whole family's appetites had grown. If a meal came up short, everyone felt off and unsatisfied.
In no time, she carried all the food into the RV's dinette and arranged it neatly in the cupboards. It felt like she was moving into a second home. The excitement and joy were hard to describe.
Before, when they hasn't formally moved in, she didn't feel much. Now, stuffing the place with supplies, her happiness just kept rising with every item tucked away.
They couldn't skimp on gear either. Safety came first on the road, especially now. Everyone got a crossbow. She also carried a handgun and grenades tucked into her gear. This time they brought body armor and gas masks, and she even packed the combat armor Yang Yang had given her. Ideally, nothing would happen. It was all just in case.
Of course there were other daily items too, like a portable dryer, medicated balm, a hair dryer, and small appliances. Jing Shu scurried back and forth like a hamster, hauling extra household goods from the villa into the RV. It was hard to tell if they were heading out to enjoy life or to help deliver a baby.
They worked through the night to get everything ready. Right before collapsing into bed, Jing Shu kept feeling like she had forgotten some routine thing.
Who knew how her parents slept, but Jing Shu, Wu You'ai, and Grandma Jing were too excited to rest. Wu You'ai was finally going to sleep in her space-pod bed, so she was over the moon. She tinkered with the settings for ages before turning in.
After a hearty breakfast, Grandma Jing nagged with love, "Don't forget to feed the chickens and ducks. You have to milk the cow every day or it will get painfully engorged. Don't forget to water the vegetable plots. Tell Zijin to take care of the silkworms. Don't forget to clean the old house."
"Got it, Mom, get going already," Jing An said.
Jing Shu stopped by the Medicinal Herb Association to file her business trip and handed work over to Wang Danai. Then she came back and they officially set out.
The moment she slid into the driver's seat and gripped the heavy steering wheel, she got giddy. None of them trusted her driving, so her grandparents and Wu You'ai all hovered by the passenger side to help keep an eye out for obstacles. Everyone wanted to tour the luxury RV again, but surprisingly, they agreed to save it for later.
"I'm not drunk, you don't have to watch me like that. Go do your thing."
"We will stick with you. If anything happens, we will all jump together," Grandpa Jing joked for once, though he didn't move from his spot.
Jing Shu stared at him. "I'm just driving an RV, you know, not a tank."
Thankfully, she had steady hands on the controls. Once she merged onto the main road, her grandparents finally relaxed. They still didn't wander off, though, just pulled out the side bed and started chatting.
The RV wasn't exactly fast; however, this run went smoothly. They reached Jing Pan's place in under two hours, and nothing happened on the way.
It felt fresher than last time, so no one noticed the slower pace of the heavy vehicle.
They arrived again at Eldest Aunt's home. This time the RV couldn't fit in the courtyard; it was way too big. They parked by the house instead. Everyone pulled on raincoats, got out, and knocked on the door.
Wei Chang answered with an umbrella in one hand and a flashlight in the other. "Who is it? Oh, Mom, it's you! Quick, come in, don't catch a cold in the rain. Let's get you some hot sweet soup. How did you get here? Didn't you drive?"
Jing Shu smiled. "We did, in an RV. It's a bit big and couldn't get in, so we left it outside."
"Oh, then hurry in. The doctor is checking her now. From the look of it, it's not great." His mind was clearly on the delivery, so he didn't even glance at the RV parked just beyond the gate.
Not great. Which meant the mother wasn't doing well.