Their main job were to keep people away and prevent public urination/defecation, among other things. The community was now crowded with all sorts of people, and petty theft was not uncommon.
Jing Shu took these measures not out of distrust toward others, but because it wouldn't be appropriate to accidentally kill someone during the New Year celebrations. She was genuinely concerned for others' safety.
She did not release the poison bees, only some ordinary bees, just in case.
By now, everyone was familiar with the routine of heading out. They had grown experienced. But outside was the apocalypse, after all. What if they encountered wanted bandits while driving a vehicle loaded with supplies? So, all necessary equipment had to be brought along: Jing Shu brought several pistols, every family member carried their crossbows. She even packed her true spiked club.
Jing Shu drove ahead in the amphibious shark submarine to scout, while Jing An followed with the rest in the energy car at an easy pace. They had never taken this route after the flood. If it was submerged, they would have to find another route, which was also why the family had set out so early.
Wu City was pitch black in the morning, without even a moon, and the weather was still very cold. Jing Shu certainly wasn't going to save fuel by not turning on the air conditioning. Inside the submarine, she ate nuts and drank mango-papaya milk, feeling quite cheerful.
Outside, rain hammered down. Many roads around Wu City were gone. Jing Shu hadn't been driving long before she found the road ahead flooded. Helpless, she could only say to Father Jing over the shared WeChat location: "The national highway is impassable. Take the side road; follow me."
She detoured only to find the side road in an even worse state—also flooded. She had initially considered branching off via the hills along the side road, but the energy vehicle couldn't handle it. With such heavy rain now, apart from the main roads, most areas were mud pits where vehicles would get stuck immediately.
"Keep detouring!"
Just like that, a journey that should have taken one hour ended up taking three. Wuxian County was also mostly flooded. Fortunately, Auntie's family grew apples on the mountain, so they had built their home on the mountainside and thus avoided the flooding.
Now, most of the county's population was crowded at the foot of the mountain.
When Jing Shu arrived in the shark submarine, she found the scene here truly devastating.
In the city, people slept in basements and garages. Cramped, yes, but out of the wind and rain. How could Wuxian compare? They had directly set up rows of simple prefab shacks with large communal beds. It had been raining more than a month without a break. Every day they had to divert water and prevent secondary flooding.
Most important of all, they had to bail water inside the shacks daily or the shacks themselves would drown.
The foothills were packed with prefab huts, row after row. When the amphibious shark submarine and the energy vehicle rolled by, they drew a lot of stares.
At eight thirty in the morning, the family finally reached Eldest Aunt Jing Pan's home. They had done a simple remodel, pouring cement and adding a roofed built to protect against the heavy rain.
Eldest Uncle opened the door. Seeing them, he brightened. "Dad, Mom, you are here. Come in, quick, out of the rain."
The yard was big, same as last year. They drove both the energy truck and the amphibious shark submarine inside.
"You have not had breakfast, right. Come have some hot porridge."
Eldest Uncle ushered them into the main room, which was already packed. Good grief, so many people.
Jing Shu swept her gaze around. At least a dozen. Some crowded the table. Some sat on the couch, all cradling bowls of steaming porridge.
So many arriving at once drew plenty of curious looks.
"Dad, Mom, you are here." Eldest Aunt Jing Pan was delighted. She looked her parents up and down first, saw their complexions were good, and relaxed. "Hey, Third Sister, Little Brother, Sister in Law, Jing Shu, Wu You'ai, you all came."
Second Aunt Jing Zhao was there too, sitting with her family of three on the sofa with porridge bowls. When she saw her parents, she stood at once. "Mom, you sit."
Grandma Jing frowned a little. "Why are you here so early. When did you arrive."
Second Aunt had slimmed down a lot, but still looked haggard. "Thought we would get here early to see if we could help. We came two days ago."
Grandma Jing shot Jing Zhao a look; she was probably here to freeload again.
Eldest Aunt pointed to the head table. "Come, let me introduce everyone. This is my daughter in law Qiao Lian. She's now over two months pregnant."
She then gestured to a group and said, "These are my in-laws. My parents, my younger brother's family, and my third sister's family all came to spend the New Year and attend your wedding."
"Hello, Grandma. Hello, Grandpa," Qiao Lian said sweetly.
Grandma Jing clasped Qiao Lian's hands and praised her nonstop. Qiao Lian wore an oilcloth over her hair. Her thin frame looked delicate. Her features were proper, but the big dark mole under her lip pulled down the overall impression.
Eldest Aunt pointed to five others. "These are Qiao Lian's parents and her three younger brothers. They said they came because they were worried her pregnancy would not hold and wanted to take care of her."
The eldest brother looked over twenty. The youngest about ten. Who would be taking care of whom was anyone's guess.
No one said when they had arrived.
Everyone exchanged polite greetings.
Eldest Aunt slapped her forehead. "Look at me, I forgot. Come, I will ladle you some hot porridge."
Qiao Lian sipped at hers. Her mother muttered beside her, "See? Another big family coming to freeload. If it were not us, others would come anyway. Better our own kin benefit."
Qiao Lian nudged her mother with a sharp kick. "Eat. Let the food stop your mouth."
Jing Shu frowned lightly and took it all in. Eldest Aunt's house had plenty of freeloaders, it seemed. Then again, a pot of porridge in these times was first-rate food. Just like the potatoes Jing Shu grew in her Rubik's Cube Space in her previous life, which were considered unimaginable luxuries.
Seeing the pot was running low, Grandma Jing quickly said, "You eat. We ate on the way."
"How can that be? You must have a little. You came a long way from the city, and plenty of roads are flooded, right?" Eldest Uncle said warmly. "Wei Zheng, bring out more pickles, and take the frozen pears from the cellar. Jing Shu likes them. She only has her eye on the few things our family has. I specially got them for you. And for You'ai, your uncle did not forget either, I found the puffed rice you loved as a child."
Qiao Lian's mother whispered, "Which one is Jing Shu? Why is your father in law so warm to her? He's more willing to give her everything than he is to his own son or mother. He will bring out anything for her, but nothing for us."
Qiao Lian shook her head. "My little uncle's daughter. I heard it was thanks to the pig she gave that our family has the good life we do now." Her mother's eyes began searching the room for Jing Shu.
The youngest of Qiao Lian's brothers clapped and shouted, "We have pears! We have pears! I want to eat pears!"
Qiao Lian rapped him with her chopsticks, leaving two red marks. "Quiet. Eat, eat, eat. Who said there is any for you. You are giving me a headache."