5 Days Before the Apocalypse
The sky outside had only just begun to lighten, carrying a hint of early winter chill. Cheng Lin had already stepped out into the morning light. The countdown to the apocalypse was like a tightly drawn string wrapped around her heart—every minute and every second could not be wasted.
Her first stop was an old breakfast shop that had been open for over a decade. Steam rose in soft, swirling clouds from the bamboo steamers at the entrance, mingling with the fragrance of dough and fillings, making one’s stomach stir with hunger. The owner was skillfully rolling out dough skins. When he saw Cheng Lin enter, he greeted her familiarly, “Xiao Cheng, the usual today?”
“Uncle Wang, I need to prepare more today.” Cheng Lin walked up to the counter, speaking rapidly. “Vegetable buns, three-delicacy buns, shepherd’s purse buns—two thousand of each; plain steamed buns, milk-flavored buns, brown sugar buns, bean paste buns, red date buns—two thousand of each as well; and flower rolls, two thousand.”
Boss Wang paused mid-motion with his rolling pin, his eyes widening in shock. “Two thousand? Xiao Cheng, are you opening a canteen?”
“Company team-building, a lot of people,” Cheng Lin replied casually, making up an excuse, then added, “Please deliver them to Warehouse No. 3 in the western part of the city at six this afternoon.” She handed over a thick stack of deposit money. The weight of it immediately smoothed out Boss Wang’s frown, and he agreed eagerly, “No problem! Guaranteed to be delivered on time, not a single one missing!”
After settling the breakfast order, Cheng Lin hurried without pause to the auto shop.
The owner of the auto shop was a shrewd middle-aged man. Seeing Cheng Lin enter, he greeted her with a wide smile. “Miss, renting a car again? What model do you need?”
“Two of the largest box trucks, with drivers,” Cheng Lin said concisely. “The vehicles must be in good condition, and the drivers must be experienced—preferably familiar with suburban routes.” She paused, then added, “Money is not an issue, but I have one requirement. Set off immediately, drive to the entrance of Lijia Village in the southern suburbs, and wait for my instructions.”
Seeing how generous she was, the owner wasted no time. He immediately called in two seasoned drivers, signed the contracts, and gave a few reminders. Cheng Lin watched as the two trucks drove out of the auto shop in a grand procession. Only then did she let out a small sigh of relief before getting into her car and heading straight for Lijia Village in the southern suburbs, following the navigation.
Lijia Village lay at the foot of the mountains. The villagers were simple and honest, and most of them cultivated fruit trees and miscellaneous grains. Cheng Lin had searched for information online the day before and knew that the produce here was genuinely green and natural, far superior to the preserved goods sold in markets. Two days ago, she had only purchased a small amount at the market to avoid drawing attention. Today, she intended to stockpile as much as possible.
Under the large locust tree at the village entrance, several elderly men and women were basking in the sun and chatting. When they saw Cheng Lin approach, the sharp-eyed Auntie Zhang spoke first, “Miss, do you need something?”
Cheng Lin smiled and walked over, taking out cigarettes and candies she had prepared in advance and handing them out. “My company is holding an agricultural product exhibition recently. I’d like to purchase some of your fruit tree seedlings, as well as potatoes and sweet potatoes. If you have ready fruits or grains, I’ll take those too. The price is negotiable—ten percent higher than the market price.”
“Ten percent higher?” The moment those words were spoken, the elderly villagers’ eyes lit up. Their crops often struggled to find buyers, so who wouldn’t be happy to sell at a good price? Immediately, people began calling out:
“My backyard has dozens of apple saplings, just sprouted and very sturdy!”
“I still have five thousand jin of potatoes in my cellar—none have sprouted, all good quality!”
“My house is full of dried corn cobs—can be stored for years!”
Cheng Lin placed orders one by one and arranged for everything to be transported to the trucks at the village entrance. While the villagers went home to prepare the goods, she noticed bamboo baskets stacked in a corner. Her eyes lit up. “Aunties, uncles, does anyone here make bamboo baskets? I want a batch—the bigger and sturdier the better, and as many as possible.”
“What a coincidence!” Grandpa Li slapped his thigh. “Old Man Chen at the west end of the village has been weaving bamboo ware his whole life. His baskets can hold over a hundred jin of grain without deforming!”
Cheng Lin quickly asked Grandpa Li to help make contact. She stood at the village entrance waiting for the villagers to prepare the goods. The winter sun shone warmly, making one feel comfortable all over. Just then, a soft, faint whimper reached her ears.
Following the sound, she looked down and saw a tiny black puppy curled up beside a haystack under the locust tree. Its fur was messy, like a dusty black fluff ball. Its round eyes were moist as it looked at her pitifully, occasionally sticking out its small tongue to lick its reddened paws.
At that moment, something gently struck Cheng Lin’s heart, softening it completely.
Before transmigrating into this book, she had been overwhelmed by work every day. Her salary had barely been enough to get by, and even taking care of herself had been difficult, let alone raising a pet. Back then, she had longed to have a dog of her own—one that would pounce on her when she returned home from work, nuzzle her hand, and warm her feet with its small, warm body. But that wish had never come true before her unexpected transmigration.
As if sensing her gaze, the puppy gathered a bit of courage. Trembling, it crawled out from beside the haystack, wobbling forward on its short legs. It stumbled its way to her feet, rubbing its tiny head against her pant leg, its whimper growing even softer.
Cheng Lin crouched down and carefully reached out to touch its little head. Not only did the puppy not avoid her, it even closed its eyes in comfort, its tiny tail wagging like a little motor.
“So cute…” Cheng Lin murmured softly. Her fingertips brushed through its soft fur, and the anxiety that had been tightening her heart due to the approaching apocalypse seemed to be soothed in an instant.
At that moment, Auntie Zhang, who had just come over carrying potatoes, saw the scene and said with a smile, “That’s Old Wang’s puppy. The mother dog was hit by a car a few days ago. No one’s taking care of this little one, so it’s starving and has become this thin.”
Cheng Lin’s heart tightened. She looked up and asked, “Auntie, can I buy this puppy? I’ll pay any price.”
Auntie Zhang waved her hand and laughed heartily. “It’s just a stray little dog—what’s it worth? If you like it, just take it! Old Wang’s family is worried no one wants it. They couldn’t bear to throw it away either.”
Such unexpected good fortune left Cheng Lin momentarily stunned, then overjoyed. She quickly expressed her thanks and, without minding how dirty the puppy was, carefully picked it up in her arms. The little one’s body was warm and soft, carrying a faint milky scent. Nestled in her embrace, it was unbelievably well-behaved.
The villagers worked quickly. Before long, the two trucks were filled to the brim—fruit tree saplings neatly bundled on one side; potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and wheat packed into sacks and stacked high; and piles of brand-new bamboo baskets and trays, emitting the fresh scent of bamboo.
After instructing the drivers to move the trucks to the roadside of an industrial park in the suburbs, Cheng Lin checked the time. It was already three in the afternoon. She walked up to the two drivers and handed each of them several crisp hundred-yuan bills. “Thank you for your hard work. There’s a farmhouse restaurant not far ahead—go have something to eat and rest. Come back at seven on time and drive the trucks back.”
The drivers looked at the money in their hands, thanked her repeatedly, and left happily.
Only after their figures had completely disappeared at the end of the road did Cheng Lin softly say in her mind, “收】.”
In the next second, the fully loaded cargo in the two trucks vanished as if into thin air, instantly stored within her space.
After finishing everything, she held the little black puppy in her arms, got into her SUV parked not far away, and drove straight toward the temperature-controlled warehouse in the western part of the city.