“Boss, one small bowl of Ban Noodles! Add an egg, meatballs, tofu skin, and another braised duck leg!” Mi Beibei stood in front of the steaming food stall, her cheerful voice unable to hide her excitement for the delicious meal.
When the heavy takeout container was placed into her hands, she gently squeezed it through the thick plastic bag. Her fingertips felt the firm texture of the braised duck leg, and the corners of her mouth lifted unconsciously as she happily walked home.
The moment she pushed open the door, Mi Beibei eagerly tore open the packaging.
The red chili oil shimmered with an amber glow on the surface of the noodles. Thick, flavorful braising sauce coated every springy strand. A soft-boiled egg rested in the center, while wrinkled tofu skin soaked up the rich broth, glistening with oil. Chewy meatballs were scattered throughout, and the rising steam carried an irresistible spicy aroma straight into her nose.
She grabbed her chopsticks, picked up a huge mouthful of noodles, and immediately stuffed them into her mouth.
The salty, spicy flavors exploded across her tongue. The satisfying warmth traveled down her throat and into her stomach. In the end, she even drank every last drop of the soup.
Mi Beibei collapsed onto the soft sofa, the empty takeout container in front of her still carrying the rich aroma of chili oil.
She let out a contented burp that still carried the fragrance of the braised dish. Her hands unconsciously rested on her slightly rounded stomach, her cheeks flushed with satisfaction.
The joy of enjoying such a hearty meal still lingered. The spicy, savory, and fragrant flavors remained on her tongue, and every cell in her body seemed to be celebrating.
“This is just too delicious!”
she murmured happily, her voice filled with delight as her eyes curved into crescents.
“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to make up for all the delicious food I’ve missed over the years!”
…
After calming down a little, Mi Beibei curled up on the sofa, absentmindedly rubbing the edge of her phone with her fingertips.
Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the screen and opened her online loan app.
During the few seconds it took the page to load, memories of every monthly repayment date flooded back—the pressure of loans about to become overdue, the fear of damaging her credit…
But all of that disappeared the instant the notification appeared:
Repayment Successful.
She quickly navigated to the account closure page, paid off the remaining balance, and canceled the account.
When the screen displayed Account Successfully Closed, it felt as though a heavy set of shackles had finally been removed.
She let out a long sigh, releasing the burden that had weighed on her for so long.
…
After settling her debts, she accidentally opened her photo album.
The first picture she saw was a family photo her parents had taken the previous year.
Biting her lip, Mi Beibei opened WeChat’s transfer page and sent 5,000 yuan to each of her parents.
As soon as the transfer was completed, her mother’s video call appeared on the screen.
In the video, a few more strands of white hair had appeared at her mother’s temples. Behind her came the delicious aroma of stir-frying from the kitchen.
“Beibei, why did you suddenly send me money?”
Her mother walked toward the living room while holding her phone. Her apron was dusted with flour.
“You should keep it for yourself! We don’t need money here. You’re living on your own—you have to pay for food and daily expenses, and you’re still paying your mortgage…”
Mi Beibei’s throat suddenly tightened, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
She quickly turned her face away and blinked several times before forcing a bright smile.
“Mom! You and Dad should just spend it without worrying! I recently found a really easy job, and my salary has increased several times over! From now on, I’m going to take both of you out for big meals!”
She deliberately exaggerated her tone, trying to sound cheerful.
“My mortgage is almost paid off too. Your daughter is practically a little rich woman now!”
On the other end of the call, her mother narrowed her eyes suspiciously, though she couldn’t help smiling as well.
“Really? You’re not just saying that to make me happy?”
“Of course it’s true!”
Mi Beibei made a victory sign toward the camera.
“When I get my next paycheck, I’ll buy both of you new clothes too!”
Outside, evening gradually settled in.
Inside the warmly lit room, the laughter of mother and daughter mixed with their familiar hometown accents, gently smoothing away every trace of uneasiness.
…
Long after the phone screen had gone dark, Mi Beibei was still immersed in the warmth left behind by the conversation.
The corners of her lips remained lifted in a smile.
Wearing her slippers, she walked briskly across the floor toward the storage room.
Opening the window, she stood on tiptoe and looked outside, hoping a customer might happen to pass by and notice the goods inside.
But she quickly remembered something.
Her brand-new shop sign was still being made at the advertising shop. It would take at least a few more days.
Waiting around like this would simply waste time.
She bit her lower lip and lightly tapped the windowsill with her fingers before her eyes suddenly lit up.
“That’s right! I’ll just make a temporary sign! Even if it’s simple, at least people passing by will know there’s a shop here.”
She searched around the house until she found an old cardboard shipping box.
After flattening it out, she picked up a marker and carefully wrote four large characters:
Food for Sale
After thinking for a moment, she added another line underneath in smaller letters:
Gold and Valuable Items Accepted
Satisfied with the simple sign, she nodded and hung it outside the window.
…
Leaning against the windowsill, Mi Beibei casually browsed shopping apps on her phone.
At first, she had no particular goal and simply scrolled absentmindedly through the listings.
Then colorful clothing filled the screen.
Her fingers suddenly stopped.
The few faded, worn-out clothes hanging in her wardrobe immediately came to mind.
Biting her lip, she found herself searching for the latest seasonal clothing.
The more she browsed, the faster her fingers moved.
Flowing spring dresses…
Simple knitted sweaters…
Every piece seemed to be calling out to her.
The five-figure balance in her bank account felt almost warm, reminding her that she could finally afford to buy herself a few decent outfits.
Still, years of frugal living had become second nature.
Whenever she saw designer clothes priced at over a thousand yuan, she instinctively skipped past them.
Instead, her attention focused on practical clothing in the hundred-yuan price range.
She carefully compared fabrics, size charts, and product details, imagining how each outfit would look on her.
She even made sure to check the box for shipping insurance.
“If they don’t fit, it’ll be easier to return them,” she muttered to herself with a smile.
“Mi Beibei, you’re really good at managing money.”
After carefully comparing countless options, she finally selected several outfits with clean, simple designs and excellent quality.
…
Suddenly another idea came to her.
Daily necessities like tissues and wet wipes would be much cheaper and more convenient to buy online in bulk.
Immediately energized, her fingers flew across the screen.
She carefully selected bulk packages of facial tissues, wet wipes, and toilet paper.
Then she thought about travel convenience and added disposable underwear, disposable razors, and lighters to her shopping cart as well.
After paying for everything, the screen displayed:
Payment Successful.
Mi Beibei let out a long breath, slipped her phone into her pocket, and slowly walked around the room.
Her eyes moved from the corners of the room to beneath the tables as she mentally planned where stacks of cardboard boxes could be placed and how to create the largest possible trading space.
Every so often, she glanced outside the window, hoping someone would notice the temporary sign.
However, until dusk arrived, the street remained empty except for wandering zombies.
…
During this time, Mi Beibei also discovered something strange.
No matter how ferociously the zombies clawed at the window, even when their rotten faces nearly pressed against the glass, the instant their cloudy eyes met hers, they acted as though she simply didn’t exist.
Their empty eyes never reflected her figure.
Instead, they slowly turned their heads and mechanically wandered away.
This impossible indifference both confused and relieved her.
That seemingly fragile window had somehow become a natural barrier separating her from all danger.
The wildly beating heart in her chest gradually calmed once she confirmed that the zombies couldn’t detect her.
As time passed, her tense nerves slowly relaxed.
The swaying, growling zombies outside no longer felt like terrifying monsters.
Their empty gazes and broken bodies gradually became nothing more than ordinary scenery—like dead trees abandoned along the roadside, incapable of stirring even the slightest fear within her.
…
As darkness gradually fell, more and more zombies filled the streets.
Their once-sluggish movements became strangely agile.
The sound of rotting flesh scraping across the pavement mixed with their hollow growls, constantly striking against her ears.
Mi Beibei firmly shut the window.
The metallic click of the lock echoed through the room, cutting off the connection between the two worlds.
The moment she turned toward the kitchen, completely different sounds drifted in from outside.
Children laughed and chased each other.
Office workers hurried home after work.
Those lively, familiar sounds quietly drove away the heavy feeling in her heart.
Only then did Mi Beibei truly realize how suffocatingly cold and cruel the apocalypse was.
Only the real world within reach still possessed genuine warmth.
…
Opening the refrigerator, Mi Beibei looked at the shelves packed full of meat.
She slapped her forehead in frustration.
“I forgot to buy vegetables again!”
Staring at all the delicious but rather greasy meat dishes, she hesitated.
Then she remembered the five-figure balance in her bank account.
Without another thought, Mi Beibei grabbed her phone.
The keys jingled crisply as she twirled them around her fingers.
With light, cheerful steps, she opened the door and headed outside.