After returning home, Tang Mo shut the supermarket’s front door, sat down on the sofa chair behind the cashier counter, and began calculating her little stash of savings.
That entire afternoon alone, she had spent more than 8,000 yuan.
Replacing the cord for the jade pendant, buying medicine, and purchasing several sets of equipment from a sporting goods store—just these three items had already cost her nearly half of her savings. Yet she felt no regret whatsoever. After the apocalypse arrived, nothing would be more life-saving than these things.
She had never doubted whether the apocalypse would come. The fact that the jade pendant’s space had activated ahead of time, along with the faintly surging spiritual power inside her body that felt ready to burst forth, was the strongest proof.
There was not much money left. She had to plan carefully and make sure every last cent was spent where it mattered most.
Tang Mo opened her phone and checked the date. There were only seven days left until the apocalypse. She would also need to return to school on the final day, so for her, time was extremely precious and could not be wasted at all.
In her previous life, she had spent half a year at school. Although those days had been difficult, they were not without gains.
Places shrouded in mist were all feng shui treasure lands—this was a conclusion scientists in her previous life had reached through analysis. And treasure lands were the most likely to produce rare and extraordinary items.
In her previous life, students searching for supplies had discovered such treasures in the school’s pond, on the lawns, and on the back hill. Tang Mo herself had once found a mushroom that added five points to spiritual attributes. Unfortunately, at the time she did not think spiritual points were useful, so she traded it to someone else for a whole loaf of bread to fill her stomach.
It was only after she left the school later that she realized how priceless that mushroom had been. Treasures that could enhance attributes were extremely rare. Even an item that increased just one attribute point would cause a frenzy if it appeared on the market.
After that, she never encountered another treasure again, and her overall attribute values remained mediocre.
So, this time, she absolutely had to go back. She could not give up the treasures at the school.
Compared with the outside world, the school’s survival environment was much better. In her previous life, she had managed to survive there for half a year with nothing at all. In this life, with the jade pendant as her reliance and with thorough preparation, she had even less reason to retreat.
As for her mother…
Tang Mo lowered her gaze slightly. If she remembered correctly, her mother would talk to her about that matter tonight.
By late summer, the weather had already turned a little cool. At this time last year, short sleeves were still fine, but now even a light jacket felt chilly.
In the evening, as the sun gradually set, Tang Mo calculated the timing and went to the market to buy a lot of vegetables. Watching the uncles and aunties in the market bargain fiercely with vendors over a few cents, her eyes gradually reddened.
Nothing was more beautiful than the warmth of everyday life—but such warmth would not last much longer.
Half a month after the apocalypse began, the government released a large number of 5D virtual ID watches to bind personal identities and disseminate information. Before the apocalypse, the country had never made 5D technology public. Clearly, preparations had been made long ago. Perhaps they had already sensed what was coming many years earlier and had begun preparing.
Having seen the coldness of human nature in the apocalypse, Tang Mo was no saint, nor did she want to be a savior.
From childhood to adulthood, she had always been cheerful and outgoing. Although she had consistently been the top student in her grade, she was not a bookworm despite her intelligence.
In others’ eyes, she was simply a girl who loved to smile, was sensible, and did not talk much. But she understood many things more clearly than anyone else.
Her abilities were limited, and what she could do was even more limited. Living her own life well and protecting her mother already required all her strength. As for everything else—let fate decide.
After returning from the market, Tang Mo went into the kitchen and busied herself for quite some time. She eventually brought out four dishes and a soup, waiting for her mother to come home to eat together.
When Lin Yi hurried home and was just about to enter the kitchen to cook, she saw the scene on the dining table and was genuinely surprised. A feeling of “my daughter has finally grown up” instantly welled up in her heart.
The two of them sat at the table, eating and chatting warmly about everyday matters.
Looking at her mother, still as beautiful as ever, Tang Mo’s hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.
She missed her mother too much. In the apocalypse, she had thought countless times that she would give everything—her life included—just to see her mother one more time, yet her wish had never been fulfilled.
Now her mother was sitting right in front of her. If she were not afraid of startling her, Tang Mo really wanted to rush over and hug her tightly, never letting go.
“Mo-mo, Mom wants to talk to you about something.”
Near the end of dinner, Lin Yi put down her bowl and chopsticks and looked at Tang Mo somewhat nervously.
Here it comes. She remembered correctly—it was today.
Tang Mo knew what Lin Yi was about to say. She put down her chopsticks and looked at her mother seriously.
“Well… while you were in college, Mom… Mom started dating someone. I was afraid it would affect your studies, so I didn’t tell you. Now you’re about to start your senior-year internship, so I was thinking—should I let you meet Uncle Wen and have a meal together? If you don’t object, Mom would like to register the marriage with him. What do you think?”
After saying this, Lin Yi looked at her daughter nervously. Mo-mo’s father had passed away over ten years ago. Although Mo-mo had been very young at the time, she had deep feelings for her father. Lin Yi really did not know how her daughter would react.
But she and Wen Jianshu had been together for two years. If she continued to refuse marriage, it would truly be unfair to Jianshu…
Lin Yi had already thought it through. Her daughter was about to start working; it was time to bring this up. But if Mo-mo truly disagreed, then she would have no choice but to break up with Jianshu. After all, the two of them had depended on each other for over ten years—they were the closest people in the world to each other, without exception.
Seeing her mother’s nervous, almost guilty expression, Tang Mo suddenly burst out laughing.
“Mom, go ahead and get married without worries. I trust that my mom’s judgment of people will never be wrong.” As she finished speaking, Tang Mo mischievously winked at Lin Yi.
“You child—so improper.” Seeing Tang Mo’s attitude, Lin Yi finally relaxed. After dinner, she called Wen Jianshu to discuss the time for their meal together.
Before going to bed that night, Lin Yi blushed as she pushed open Tang Mo’s bedroom door and told her that the meal had been scheduled for the next day.
Tang Mo smiled and nodded. With the timing so tight, Uncle Wen must have been urging to settle it quickly. It seemed that in her previous life, the care and love Wen Jianshu had shown toward Lin Yi was genuine.
Tang Mo had some understanding of Wen Jianshu from her previous life.
The Wen family was a reclusive family that only stepped into the public eye after the apocalypse, working with several other major families to maintain order in the post-apocalyptic world. They had made enormous contributions to humanity’s survival and later, after those in power collapsed, joined other major forces to form the Alliance Government.
Wen Jianshu was the second son of the Wen family’s direct line. In his forties, he had never married. His career, however, was built through his own efforts rather than relying on the family, and it was quite successful—leaving little to criticize.
Tang Mo remembered often seeing reports about Wen Jianshu in the Alliance Star News later on. He was a man of great achievement. Entrusting her mother to him for the time being put her at ease.
The next day, Wen Jianshu arrived early at Tang Mo’s home to pick up the mother and daughter. After they reached the restaurant, he even tried a little too hard to please Tang Mo, serving her food and asking about her studies and daily life.
Tang Mo nodded inwardly. This man looked even younger than the last time she had seen him, with much less weariness about him. Although Tang Mo had never been in a relationship, she could tell that he was sincere toward her mother.
After returning home, Tang Mo told Lin Yi that Uncle Wen was a good person, and that if he proposed, she should accept.
On this side, Tang Mo had just finished speaking with her mother; on the other side, Wen Jianshu moved even faster. The very next day after dinner, he brought the household registration booklet and took Lin Yi straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Although the Wen family was a prominent clan, Wen Jianshu was not some spoiled rich kid in his twenties living off his family. A man in his forties still had a certain degree of freedom when it came to marriage.
Moreover, the Wen family had long since given up expecting the second son to marry at all. They had almost tacitly assumed that his sexual orientation might be…
They never expected him to get married so suddenly. Everyone was pleasantly surprised.
Lin Yi might not be wealthy and was a remarried woman with a child, but her background was clean, and her looks and temperament were outstanding.
Having a woman at all was already good enough—they could not ask for more. They were very satisfied. That was the most genuine thought shared by all members of the Wen family.
When the two of them returned together, Tang Mo had just woken up and was still a little slow to react. Her new stepfather’s speed was truly impressive. She could not help but find it amusing—it was almost as if he feared she might change her mind if he waited another day.
“Mo-mo, this is just a small token of Uncle’s goodwill. Originally, I wanted to give your mother a grand wedding, but she refused no matter what, so I followed her wishes. I also didn’t give you any proper gift when we met yesterday, so today Uncle is making up for it.”
Wen Jianshu placed a bank card on the table. Lin Yi, sitting beside him, said nothing—clearly, Wen Jianshu had already persuaded her on the way back.
Although he had married Lin Yi, Tang Mo was already grown. It would be awkward for her to change how she addressed him, so this had been discussed with Lin Yi long ago—she would simply call him “Uncle,” which made everyone more comfortable.
Tang Mo looked at the card but did not reach out to take it. Though she was young, she understood social nuances better than many adults.
The Wen family was wealthy, and Wen Jianshu himself was rich. Precisely because of this, she worried even more that her mother might be looked down upon by the Wen family. How could she accept Wen Jianshu’s money now?
“Uncle Wen, I can’t accept this. I only hope that you treat my mom well and keep what you promised me yesterday—to love her, protect her, and never abandon her no matter what happens in the future. That’s enough for me.” Tang Mo pushed the card back.
“Even if you hadn’t said it, anything I promise is something I will naturally do.” Wen Jianshu tightened his grip on Lin Yi’s hand.
“As for the money, don’t overthink it. After getting married, I plan to bring your mother to live at my place. It’s a villa—very spacious—and a room has already been prepared for you. In the future, the three of us will live together as a family. This card is for you, just in case of emergencies. I was afraid you and your mother might feel insecure. Uncle simply wants to treat you both as well as possible.”
It had to be said—Wen Jianshu was very thoughtful.
Over the past two years of dating him, Lin Yi had still been working desperately, never accepting a single cent from him no matter how much he tried to persuade her. Now that they were married, Wen Jianshu naturally could not bear to see his wife work so hard. This money was also meant to put Lin Yi’s mind at ease.
Hearing the words “a family of three,” Tang Mo’s heart softened by half.
“Uncle, I still can’t take the money. If you insist on giving it, then give it to Mom instead. However, I do have two favors I’d like to ask you.”
Tang Mo of course knew how important money was to her right now. Refusing it was not a matter of false pride—she had other plans. Because of her mother, she and Wen Jianshu were destined to remain connected.
She could not be completely sure what kind of person he truly was. If she accepted this money, and after the apocalypse he became greedy for the supplies in her possession…
Tang Mo did not want any entanglements of interest with anyone at this stage. Although the man in front of her seemed decent, she still had to remain cautious.