Memories from her past life flashed through her mind like lightning. Suddenly, Jing Shu remembered something. In the Banana Community villas, aside from the major quake that hit the back mountain on the first day of the great earthquake, there was another disaster. That one time, just one, when two or three buildings were swallowed whole by a tornado-quake combination.
That's it. It had to be this moment.
Sure enough, after a few seconds of flickering lights, a deafening rumble shook the air. The ground trembled violently. The entire back mountain erupted in screams, but by now everyone was used to quakes. They knew the pattern, they knew this one was going to be a big one.
"Grandma, hurry, get out to the backyard!"
"Grandpa, stop what you're doing, get in the RV!"
Everyone else in the family was already out at work.
Xiao Dou, the fat hen, grabbed her two chicks and bolted. The moment the German MAN's door opened, she dashed right in. Grandma Jing and Grandpa Jing followed quickly, climbing aboard with practiced speed.
Under Jing Shu's control, the German MAN deployed its memory steel supports, spreading like sharp claws into the ground. More than ten reinforced beams jutted out at an angle, anchoring the RV firmly to withstand the incoming quake.
Rumble!
The earth shook with terrifying force. The buildings in Banana Community swayed left and right, cracks began spreading across the ground, but thankfully the houses were all built with grade-8 earthquake resistance. None had collapsed—yet.
It's here. It's here again! The big quake!
From the back mountain came endless shouts, cries, and the blaring sirens of the Second Squad. The "woo-woo" of alarms echoed across the hills.
This earthquake was far worse than any before. Jing Shu could even hear the loudspeakers in the back mountain instructing everyone to stay calm, crouch down, cover their heads, and hold position—it was already the safest place around.
But even so, the sound of massive buildings crashing down chilled everyone's hearts. It's over. The houses are gone. The Banana Community buildings have collapsed!
The German MAN RV rocked violently, tilting side to side. Every jolt drove its reinforced steel legs deep into the soil. The whole vehicle leaned nearly forty-five degrees, yet those support beams held firm.
After a few disasters with broken dishes, shattered thermoses, and cracked bowls, Grandpa Jing had finally learned his lesson. While Jing Shu was away, he'd secured everything inside the RV with fishline nets and bubble wrap. As long as everything was put back in its spot after use, nothing would break even in a quake.
Compared to the first earthquake—when Grandma and Grandpa Jing had been thrown around and injured, and the RV was a mess—this time, things were far calmer. Jing Shu couldn't help giving Grandpa Jing a silent thumbs-up. He'd done even better than she expected.
Having elders at home really was like having a treasure. With Grandma and Grandpa around, meals were cooked, land was tended, chores were done—and if you tried to stop them, they'd just insist harder. Life was truly easier with them. Jing Shu felt a deep sense of happiness. In an apocalypse, just being able to live safely as a family was a blessing.
Xiao Dou had her chicks huddled safely in a corner. Her plump body sat steady as a rock no matter how much the quake shook.
Grandma Jing frowned. "That cow, Da Niu, she's pregnant now, isn't she? What if something happens to her?"
"Don't worry, I've got her wrapped in a soft net. She's even got her own room."
"Old man, you think the buildings across the street will collapse? This quake's way too strong. If they go down, what about our Da Niu, Er Hua, and San Mao? They're the pillars of the Jing family!"
"Um, excuse me? Since when am I not the pillar of this family?!"
Da Niu was the cow Jing Shu bought three years ago from the Livestock Breeding Center. Thanks to the Spirit Spring's nourishment, she could produce over fifty kilograms of milk a day and had given birth several times already.
Er Hua... Jing Shu thought about it. Was Grandma talking about that old sow who'd had more than twenty piglets in a year? Yeah, Grandma doted on her too.
Oh right, speaking of that, she'd helped her Paternal Eldest Aunt's family last year. Around the end of the year, Jing Shu slaughtered most of their pigs, kept a few breeders, and this year started selling piglets exclusively. She even sent their piglets and her own extras to Su Mali for auction.
Her aunt's sows had only birthed once in half a year—two pigs, seven piglets total, because of poor nutrition. But Jing Shu's sow had birthed more than twenty piglets in one go. They only kept three and sold the rest at auction.
Even so, the piglets fetched sky-high prices, enough for her aunt's family to live comfortably. The proceeds from Jing Shu's own piglets all went to Grandma Jing, of course. After all, it was Grandma and Grandpa who had worked so hard raising the pigs and cows. They deserved to have some virtual currency and savings of their own.
As for San Mao... Jing Shu honestly had no idea what that was supposed to be.
The quake lasted about two minutes before gradually subsiding, followed by smaller aftershocks every few minutes.
"It's safe now!"
Jing Shu immediately called her parents to confirm they were fine, then went with Grandma Jing to check on Da Niu. Once they confirmed she was fine too, they went to tidy up the villa. Outside, the place was already in chaos.
When the three of them went over to Building No. 25 across from the villa, everything inside was dusty and toppled but otherwise fine—until Grandma Jing let out a horrified cry.
"Good heavens, where are the buildings next door and across the street?!"
Grandpa Jing came over, took one look, and plopped straight onto the sofa. Too terrifying. Several buildings around them were gone! If their side had been the one swallowed, they'd have never made it out.
Jing Shu squinted at the scene. The government's floodlights had lit everything up. Buildings No. 26, No. 27, and the one in front had vanished completely, swallowed by a massive hole in the ground.
Even the aftershocks made rubble from the surrounding ruins tumble down now and then.
"Oh my god, we can't stay here. Let's go, forget cleaning up. Those people have lost their minds, digging for corpses in there," Grandma Jing said in panic. The quake had already taken several buildings; what if another hit?
Jing Shu almost laughed at her reaction but held it in. She nodded seriously. "You're right. Let's go."
They returned to the villa, too scared to go anywhere else. From a distance, Jing Shu watched as more and more people gathered around the collapsed area. Some had hooks, ropes, and other tools, fishing for bodies or salvageable materials.
Some merchants had even rigged electric hooks powered by batteries to control the direction and reach of their grabs. Others tied ropes from far away and climbed down themselves.
People wept in front of the massive pit, crying that their homes were gone and wondering where they'd live now. Others begged the "corpse retrievers" to find their loved ones. Some shouted in disbelief, "It was just a nap, why did there have to be a quake?" But most faces were blank, numb, mechanically searching for anything useful.
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. "Next year's mudslide can be diverted through this pit. Looks like I'll have to buy this land soon."