It looks like they really must not be careless next time—they have to observe more carefully before acting.
“Stir-fried chili with pork—that’s the most fragrant!”
“Chili scrambled eggs also work, simple and convenient!”
“There’s also tiger skin chili, stuffed chili with meat, chili-braised eggplant…”
“You guys are talking about green chilies. These ones are all red…”
“If you ask me, chili sauce is best—add scallions, ginger, garlic, fry until fragrant, then season with salt and sugar. It’s an absolute rice killer…”
“Stop it, I’m at work right now and I’m already drooling…”
…
Qin Sui Ning watched carefully and silently memorized everything.
After all, most of the ingredients mentioned in the comments existed in her space—she could try making them later.
She told Zhou Shi about it. Thinking of the burning pain from earlier, Zhou Shi hesitated but still agreed.
After resting for a while, they went back to tending the vegetable garden.
They harvested so much produce that all baskets and baskets were completely filled, with the remaining piled on the grass nearby.
Following the comments’ guidance, they only picked the mature vegetables and fruits, leaving the roots and vines intact.
Zhou Shi loosened the soil with a hoe, while Qin Sui Ning fetched water from the river to irrigate.
After nearly an hour, the vegetable garden was finally cleaned up and looked much tidier.
Next to it was a large orchard—yellow pears, red apples, and orange-like fruits hanging like lanterns.
There were also many other fruits they didn’t recognize.
It was a scene of abundance, filling them with joy and satisfaction.
The floating comments also reacted excitedly.
“Wow wow wow… those apples are so big and red, I want to eat them…”
“I want them too, but fruit is so expensive now, I haven’t bought any in ages…”
“It’s useless to want them, the space belongs to her. We can only watch…”
“I’ve been thinking of going back to the countryside to grow fruit…”
“Forget it, you won’t make that kind of money…”
The comments were full of laughter, and Qin Sui Ning couldn’t help but smile too.
If possible, she would’ve shared some fruit with them. After all, these people had warned and helped her—otherwise she and her mother would have died in the Qin household long ago.
There was so much fruit anyway. They couldn’t eat it all, and they couldn’t sell it either, so it could only hang on the trees for now.
Zhou Shi picked an apple. It felt heavy in her hand.
“It hasn’t even been eaten yet, but it already smells so fragrant. It makes my mind feel clear somehow…”
She shook her head, thinking that sounded a bit exaggerated.
She cut the apple in half, and the mother and daughter sat at the edge of the orchard eating happily.
“We shouldn’t just eat for free. We should weed the orchard and water it later…”
Zhou Shi felt slightly guilty.
Qin Sui Ning naturally agreed, though the orchard was quite large and couldn’t be finished quickly.
While they worked peacefully inside the space, the outside world had already turned into devastation.
A dense swarm of locusts covered the sky. They devoured everything—crops, weeds, even forest leaves.
Wherever they passed, nothing edible remained.
Farmers could only wave brooms desperately, their arms aching, but they couldn’t stop it.
The locusts they killed were quickly replaced by endless waves behind them.
Unripe crops were stripped down to bare stalks. Grasslands turned to yellow wasteland. Even tree bark was gnawed away.
When there was nothing left, the swarm finally moved on.
Farmers stood on the ridges, crying in despair.
“It’s over… everything is over…”
Inside the space, Qin Sui Ning suddenly heard noises from outside—the cave had new visitors.
Zhou Shi couldn’t hear anything, but when her daughter told her, she immediately held her breath.
“Quick, there’s a cave ahead!”
“Let’s hide here for the night and leave early tomorrow!”
“Move faster, bring the carriage in too!”
A group had entered the cave—seven or eight people by the sound of it.
They were likely merchants. Qin Sui Ning didn’t pay them much attention, since they had no intention of leaving the space anyway.
“They should be safe now. Xiao Lin, get everyone out to breathe some air…”
“It’s so hot. Don’t let the goods get ruined—we’ll lose too much money…”
“Give everyone a little water. Food is limited, save it for ourselves…”
A rough male voice seemed to be in charge.
Soon, children’s cries echoed through the cave.
“Water… I want water…”
“Let me go! I want my mom!”
“Mom… I want my mom…”
Then came harsh shouts.
“If you want water, behave yourself—or just starve and die!”