The early appearance of the space gave Sheng Xia an extra means of protecting herself ahead of time. She could now begin stockpiling all kinds of supplies in advance.
What surprised her even more was that her space seemed to have undergone some changes. According to the original novel, she had only unlocked about ten cubic meters of storage space, but now it had expanded to over a hundred cubic meters, more than ten times its original size.
Most importantly, right in the center of the space, there was now a patch of black soil covering roughly fifty square meters.
Spatial storage plus Spiritual farmland truly was the perfect combination for surviving the Apocalypse!
Sheng Xia felt deeply gratified.
The heavens haven’t cheated me after all!
She was already impatient to test it out.
However, today’s priority was Su Mei’s matter. The space belonged to her and wasn’t going anywhere, so she would have plenty of opportunities to experiment with it later.
She spent some time happily putting nearby objects into the space and taking them back out again.
After confirming that everything worked perfectly, Sheng Xia nodded in satisfaction and gave a thumbs-up toward the sky.
She then changed into a neat outfit and accompanied Su Mei to the Gu residence.
Inside the Gu residence’s living room.
As soon as they arrived, Su Mei began her usual cleaning routine.
Sheng Xia was responsible for sweeping and mopping the floors, while Su Mei handled the cooking and laundry. This was the division of labor the mother and daughter had maintained for years in the original story.
Ever since accepting the Gu family’s help, Su Mei had come every day to take care of Grandpa Gu’s daily needs. Whenever Sheng Xia had a day off from school, she would come along and help her mother with whatever tasks she could manage.
Today, however, Sheng Xia’s mind was elsewhere. Seeing her distracted and absent-minded, Su Mei eventually shooed her aside and told her to go play.
Grandpa Gu and Gu Ziyan were helpless against them and had gradually grown accustomed to it.
Gu Ziyan slept until nearly noon. By the time he finished washing up and left his room, the dining table was already covered with a lavish spread of dishes.
His eyes immediately lit up.
“Morning, Aunt Mei! Nothing beats your cooking. The cafeteria food is practically impossible to describe. Don’t you think so, Sheng Xia?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out to grab a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs. Before his fingers could touch it, Grandpa Gu smacked his hand away.
Meanwhile, Sheng Xia was staring fixedly at Gu Qing, completely oblivious to what Gu Ziyan had said.
Seated at the head of the table, Grandpa Gu’s white hair was combed meticulously. Though age had left wrinkles on his face, his features were still remarkably handsome.
Seeing Gu Ziyan behaving so casually, Gu Qing shot him a glare and scolded him with feigned annoyance.
“You slept until noon and still have the nerve to say good morning. Go help out!”
Gu Ziyan, however, felt that Sheng Xia seemed rather strange today.
“Ah, Old Master, there’s no need. Everything’s already done. Ziyan, sit down and eat.”
Su Mei emerged carrying a bowl of soup, while Sheng Xia followed behind with the chopsticks and bowls.
The four of them gathered around the table and enjoyed lunch together in a warm and harmonious atmosphere.
This rare moment of peace made Sheng Xia feel as though she were dreaming. Her gaze gradually became distant and vacant.
Ever since the old man had tossed her into the Shaolin Temple, she had only been allowed down the mountain once a year.
The opportunities for the whole family to sit together and share a meal had been painfully few.
After lunch, everyone moved to the sofa and chatted. As expected, Gu Qing soon steered the conversation toward the matter of seeking medical treatment in Yanjing.
“Su Mei, I’ve already made inquiries. In a few days, the nation’s leading heart specialists will be gathering in Yanjing for a medical symposium. I’ve booked plane tickets for tomorrow morning. Go home today and pack your things. Tomorrow morning, I’ll send a car to pick you up.”
Recalling Gu Qing’s status, Sheng Xia silently thought to herself that he really was every bit the leader she remembered. He always spoke directly and never left room for refusal.
“Old Master!”
“Grandpa Gu!”
The moment Su Mei opened her mouth, Sheng Xia interrupted her. She gently pressed down on her mother’s hand.
“Grandpa Gu, are you serious? If my mother goes to Yanjing with you, can her illness really be cured?”
Sheng Xia did her best to appear surprised and delighted as she looked at Gu Qing with her wide, dark eyes.
Turning toward her, Gu Qing spoke kindly.
“Don’t worry, Sheng Xia. Yanjing has the finest doctors in the country. They’ll definitely be able to treat your mother’s illness. As long as you’re willing to entrust her to Grandpa Gu, I promise that within a year I’ll return a healthy and energetic mother to you. How does that sound?”
The moment Sheng Xia heard those words, her eyes reddened.
She stood up and gave Gu Qing a solemn, respectful bow.
“Grandpa Gu, thank you!”
Following her lead, Su Mei rose as well and offered her thanks.
Su Mei was somewhat bewildered.
She couldn’t understand why her daughter, who had always depended on her, had suddenly made the decision on her behalf and was actively pushing her toward Yanjing.
She knew the reality of her illness. It was difficult to treat and expensive. She didn’t want to burden her daughter.
Before this, she had even considered ending her own life, but she could never bring herself to leave behind her daughter, who had only just entered high school.
Only after meeting Grandpa Gu and Gu Ziyan, these two benefactors from the Gu family, had their lives finally become somewhat normal again.
Over the past three years, she had done her best to care for Grandpa Gu, serving the household wholeheartedly simply to repay their kindness.
She had never imagined that Grandpa Gu would personally seek out doctors for her and even take her all the way to Yanjing for treatment.
That was an enormous act of kindness.
Who would willingly choose death when they still had the chance to live?
More than anything, she wanted to watch Sheng Xia grow up, meet someone worthy of her affection, get married, and have children. By then, if Sheng Xia didn’t mind, she could help take care of her grandchildren and cook meals for the family.
Just imagining such a future filled her heart with warmth.
That was why she had hesitated when Sheng Xia interrupted her. Yet after Sheng Xia pulled her into offering thanks, she suddenly wondered whether she had been selfish.
Sheng Xia would only turn eighteen next month. Was it really right to leave her behind and let her live alone?
After thanking Gu Qing, Sheng Xia noticed the hesitation in Su Mei’s expression and immediately felt alarmed.
Su Mei was wavering.
She needed one final push.
“Mom, I know you’re worried about leaving me home alone. How about this? While you’re away, I’ll move into the Gu residence and stay with the Class Monitor. Then you’ll have nothing to worry about, right?”
After forcing out the words with a flushed face, Sheng Xia hurriedly poked Gu Ziyan and looked at him pleadingly.
Gu Ziyan still had a mouthful of tea and nearly sprayed it everywhere when he heard her proposal.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Gu immediately began applauding and cheering her on.
“Sheng Xia is absolutely right. Moving in and staying with Ziyan would be good. The two of you can look out for each other.”
Gu Ziyan rolled his eyes at the old man.
He sized up the girl before him while his mind worked rapidly.
He had never expected the normally quiet and shy little rabbit to be so bold.
Not only was she daring, but she was full of unexpected ideas. She truly lived up to the saying: either remain silent or astonish everyone with a single move.
She was still a girl, after all.
Was she really that comfortable living with a grown man like him?
Still, Aunt Mei’s condition could no longer be delayed.
Although her health had been carefully managed these past two years, the illness remained a hidden danger.
What surprised him most was how far his grandfather was willing to go for Sheng Xia and her mother.
There had to be some secret he didn’t know about.
As far as he knew, the old man was not usually this warm-hearted.
His grandfather had always been a man who never changed his mind once he had made a decision, and he certainly never sought anyone else’s opinion.
Looking into Sheng Xia’s earnest, pleading eyes, Gu Ziyan felt his resolve soften.
This was the first time she had ever asked him for anything…