Because there was no one else from the Shi family to corroborate it, at first Yang Zengyue had rather believed Meng Chuyang’s words—right up until he showed his fox’s tail [1]revealed his true, treacherous nature jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2946421_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2946421_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
She guessed that the direct line of the Shi family must all have perished at Meng Yunchong’s hands, otherwise Meng Chuyang couldn’t have gotten hold of the Shi family’s token.
It was a piece of ancient jade that looked priceless just at a glance, her master Jiuxiao had one of the same material, only with a different pattern.
Once the Shi family members arrived, she’d have to draw them out properly. And if need be, she’d strangle Meng Yunchong and Meng Chuyang in the cradle.
Chen Jia’er took a sip of tea. Ah well, their captain was still the same ruthless character.
This Meng Chuyang really shouldn’t be allowed to go on living in this world, he was far too disgusting.
Since they’d run into each other in both this life and the last, then better to take his life early and be done with it.
Yang Zengyue had meant to ask about some of the other Nanyuan clans, but seeing that the night was already deep and knowing her master was getting on in years and needed to sleep early.
She told Jiuxiao to go rest first.
She and Chen Jia’er went back to her room, where two computers began a frenzy of shopping
, all of it winter necessities: goose down, feather down, goose-down quilts, wilderness survival gear.
Yang Zengyue even bought a whole pile of magnesium fire-starter rods for lighting fires in the wild.
It left Chen Jia’er goggle-eyed,
sighing inwardly at how shallow her own attainments still were.
Boohoo~
She still had so much to learn from the big shot!
Yang Zengyue and Chen Jia’er shopped like mad all night, and when they were done still felt something was missing, so they drew up another list, planning to buy the rest tomorrow while in the city picking up their guest.
Afterward the two of them lay on the bed, bodies and minds at ease. Eyes closed, Chen Jia’er said, “Sister Zengyue, tomorrow, should we buy some meat at the market to store up?”
Although there was no shortage of meat in the apocalypse, Chen Jia’er really had eaten her fill of it.
After the apocalypse many animals could no longer be eaten, and the meat of the ones you could was so coarse it was hard to swallow.
But to survive you had to eat it anyway.
Now that they were back, Chen Jia’er felt they ought to improve their future dining conditions.
Yang Zengyue stared at the ceiling, who knew thinking of what. “We can only buy in batches. We can’t buy too much at once, either.”
Chen Jia’er understood that much.
But Yang Zengyue clearly had other plans. “Once we’re through this busy stretch, let’s go to the village next to Sikun Mountain and buy back a few head of cattle and pigs, that village has a farm.”
And then slaughter them ourselves for storage.
Food in the apocalypse really was monotonous,
and there was little you could eat.
They’d have to raise some animals of their own, otherwise, going on eating mutant-beast meat, Yang Zengyue felt sick just thinking about it.
Talking and talking, the two of them drifted into dreamland, and in it there were a thousand acres of fine fields, and countless cattle and sheep, peaceful and far away.
The next morning the two of them were up right on time at half past four. After deftly packing their things, they set off jogging around Sikun Mountain for exercise.
By the time they finished, the sky had lightened somewhat.
Once the villagers at the foot of the mountain began to stir, Yang Zengyue called Fan Jinggang’s second uncle.
She handed the fieldwork over to Second Uncle Fan, asking him to do the work and then paying him wages. Second Uncle Fan was one of the village’s best farmers, and she couldn’t feel more at ease.
She’d asked him earlier and learned that his second-season crop was cash corn, already planted, so he had plenty of time to look after her fields.
She also asked him to help hire workers.
There weren’t enough machines in the Sikun Mountain village, so machines would have to be brought in from other villages
, but the big machines could work the land quickly.
With this settled with Second Uncle Fan, Yang Zengyue could go out today with an easy mind.
Just before setting off, Yang Zengyue called Fan Jinggang to ask what he wanted her to bring.
Fan Jinggang didn’t need anything, he only told her to stay safe and not stir up trouble.
Yang Zengyue was a little baffled, she hadn’t “stirred up any trouble” since the time she’d beaten him, had she?
From this whole string of Yang Zengyue’s actions since her return, Fan Jinggang had faintly sensed something off.
And her gaze had changed.
No longer the aloof, above-it-all look of before, now, if anyone dared speak ill of her, she would absolutely, absolutely strike back.
A beautiful girl who runs into trouble out in the world can easily land in real danger if her temper is fierce and she also knows martial arts.
And as luck would have it, Yang Zengyue had both, which was why he’d added that word of caution.
Fan Jinggang said with a smile, “You know your own business. Anyway, finish what you’re doing and come straight back. Don’t bother with anything else.”
He was like an elder brother telling a mischievous little sister to get home early.
Yang Zengyue was in good spirits. “Don’t worry. I probably understand the rules of this society better than you do.”
Fan Jinggang neither agreed nor disagreed.
Being fussed over like this, Yang Zengyue felt a bit warmed.
In her past life, when she’d come back, she’d never found Fan Jinggang, he had disappeared along with her master, Jiuxiao.
During the time she’d gone to another school on exchange, it had been Fan Jinggang who helped care for Jiuxiao.
So she suspected he’d left Sikun Mountain together with her master
, or that the two of them had been killed together by those people with sinister motives.
Only the enemy’s methods had been too masterful, she’d never managed to find their bodies.
After breakfast, Yang Zengyue set off in her black pickup.
Chen Jia’er navigated with her phone. This world was wonderful, but to the two of them it had already become terribly unfamiliar.
Yang Zengyue didn’t know the roads either.
Following the navigation’s guidance, the two got on the highway. Shi Rongchuan’s flight would land in Nandian at twelve-thirty, doing the math, they decided to hit a supermarket first.
From Sikun Mountain to Nandian was an hour and a half all by highway, plus the road to the airport made two hours.
They’d left at six-thirty and could reach Nandian by eight, giving them four hours to shop.
Inside the supermarket, the two went straight for the meat section, but took only a week’s worth of beef and pork. Hearing that the two of them lived in a town, the supermarket thoughtfully packed it on ice, or else in this weather the meat would have spoiled before they got home.
The two said nothing, ice was fine.
Chickens, ducks, and geese they’d buy in the town near Sikun Mountain, cheaper and better value.
Whatever they didn’t finish they could keep and raise.
They also bought some seasonings, daily necessities, and kitchenware, filling the whole cargo bed.
After finishing at the supermarket, Yang Zengyue took Chen Jia’er around Nandian’s seed market. The seeds they’d bought before weren’t enough, and she planned to stock up several years’ worth, worried that her own seed production might run into problems, which would be disastrous.
Better safe than sorry.
Checking the time, it was already past eleven, and the two headed straight for the airport.
By the time Yang Zengyue had parked, the timing was just right. Chen Jia’er was greatly impressed by her driving. “As expected of my big shot Zengyue, your timing is spot-on!”
Yang Zengyue smiled. “It’s nothing.”
Driving fast had become a habit on missions in the past, since coming back she tried to obey all the traffic rules, just a hair faster than the rules, was all.
Chen Jia’er glanced at the arrivals gate, not many people about. “It’s not delayed, is it?”
Yang Zengyue took out her phone, saw no message, and only then remembered her master probably hadn’t given the other party her number.
The two waited at the gate for ten minutes. Yang Zengyue figured by now the plane should have landed, so she dialed the number.
As Shi Rongchuan walked out of the airport, his phone began to ring.
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