CHAPTER 146: POVERTY LIMITED MY IMAGINATION

After a long period of recuperation and daily rich nourishment, akin to fattening a prized pig, Jing Shu even brought some nourishing meat soup for Wu You’ai to give him a significant boost. The several holes in his leg had almost healed over, likely due to the application of Spiritual Spring. The scars were not very noticeable but remained indented, and it was uncertain if they would ever fully heal.

As for the Sky Covering Gang, Shangguan Jun, and Code Zero, there had been no news, and Jing Shu could only wait for messages from Officer Yang Yang.

However, Wu You’ai had noticeably gained some weight, looking fleshier than before.

To avoid wasting time and to allow the water truck to distribute water to other places more quickly, each household designated a representative to come out with a large bucket and report their family’s population and allotted liters. Phone in hand, Wu You’ai checked and registered the details, "Jing Shu’s family, 29 liters; Wang Qiqi’s family, 10 liters; Wang Cuihua’s family, 12 liters; Wang Xue Mei, 3 liters. Zhang Bingbing, pregnant, receives a double amount, so 12 liters for her family..."

Jing Shu then took her bucket and stood first in line. She also had a privilege: in the future, she wouldn’t have to queue for anything.

"Did you hear? Jing Shu’s family gets 29 liters!"

"Why does her family get so much? Could our visiting specialist be playing favorites?"

"Her whole family are civil servants, and they have two seniors at home. Of course, their water share would be larger."

"Look at her! Even with the water shortage, she looks so clean. I heard they even keep frogs at home. She’s clearly not someone lacking water. No wonder she lives in a villa. Even in the apocalypse, people like her have their ways."

Jing Shu listened to this idle gossip with a faint smile.

The water truck arrived, laden with the source of life. The Armed Police raced against time, speedily distributing water amid cheers, and then hurried off to the next stop. The neighbors in the community, having just received their water, cared for little else. They eagerly lifted their buckets and gulped it down.

"Such refreshing water!"

"So sweet, just like Farmer’s Spring!"

"Truly satisfying!"

It had been over half a year since they’d had such a gratifying drink of water!

Many people began to weep, regretting their past complaints about the muddy water and the meager ration of one bucket per household. We were so ungrateful! Old Wang next door died from the hardship, yet I’m still alive! It hasn’t been easy! BOO HOO!

Wails and cries echoed again as neighbors sat on the ground, drinking water and chatting, most of them overcome with emotion.

Jing Shu carried her bucket home, sighing for some reason. To produce this water, the government had exhausted an unknown amount of manpower and financial resources. Though it had only operated for a few days, the resources needed to power the Artificial Sun were astronomical—tens of thousands of coins per second. Imagine how much was spent in just these past few days!

This operation of the Artificial Sun had nearly depleted resources from all over Huaxia. This led to an increasing scarcity of non-renewable materials. Compounded by the lack of sunlight—the ultimate killer—the apocalypse edged ever closer to true doomsday.

But as Jing Shu had pointed out, if these resources weren’t utilized, with no telling when rain might come, many more people would have died of thirst. The Huaxia Government didn’t dare risk waiting for the rain.

The invested resources had yielded returns, at least: not just sweet water, but the government had also used the Artificial Sun to cultivate vegetables and generate the purest forms of energy.

The government allocated this batch of energy to new research projects.

The cultivated vegetables were then supplied to all residents of Wu City once a week. Wu You’ai announced in the group chat, "@everyone, starting tomorrow, all major supermarkets will supply vegetables once a week, 1 Virtual Coin per portion. Popsicles will be 0.1 Virtual Coin each. Limited to one portion per person."

Hearing that popsicles were also available, the people in the community were ecstatic. Eating something cold in this super-high temperature—how wonderful would that be!

Whether they were happy or not, Jing Shu didn’t know. Jing Shu only knew that the landlord’s silly son was very happy, enjoying ice cream exchanged for diesel every day.

However, from this day on, diesel might not be exchanged by the ton anymore. The oil tycoon Qian Duoduo’s family had probably lost at least half of their fortune this time, even reducing their number of bodyguards by half.

Luckily, a few days prior, Jing Shu had already made spicy strip flavored ice cream for the landlord’s silly son, exchanging enough diesel to meet her ideal requirements.

Notably, Jing Shu finally met the landlord’s silly son this time. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant encounter, but thinking of the hefty fee his father paid, I managed to suppress my anger. Of course, a good thrashing was unavoidable.

Although they say the customer is king...

After much thought and analysis, Jing Shu concluded that the silly son must like the flavor of spicy strips. So, she extracted the liquid from the spicy strips and blended it into the ice cream... AHEM. To put it plainly, she just poured the liquid in which the spicy strips had been soaked into the ice cream and stirred it. The now-flavorless spicy strips weren’t wasted either; they were all mixed into the ice cream.

Jing Shu tasted it. TSK, TSK. Sweet, salty, and spicy... Quite the flavor combination...

With a nervous heart, Jing Shu delivered the experimental product to the landlord’s son for him to taste. The next day, she was informed that she was required to "bring her tools of the trade" and make a trip over. So, Jing Shu quickly grabbed the thermal box and the ice cream, then sat in a luxury car that took her to the West Mountain Villa District.

Even though the sky was dim, Jing Shu could still see with her night vision. The car passed her Uncle’s house and gradually left the bustling city behind, venturing into increasingly remote areas. It began to ascend winding mountain roads, making wide loops, and Jing Shu could still see clouds capping the distant peaks.

Before the apocalypse, the scenery in these deep old-growth forests must have been stunning. Unfortunately, all the trees on the mountains had been felled and were now stacked in piles.

Jing Shu was suddenly reminded of the West Mountain dismemberment case... Ugh.

After another seven or eight minutes of driving, circling one mountain and crossing a bridge, the car continued along even wider, winding mountain roads. Jing Shu also saw a cableway. In her combined thirty-plus years of existence across two lives, how had she never visited this part of Wu City?

"Excuse me, haven’t we arrived yet?" Jing Shu couldn’t help but ask.

The driver said, "We’re already here."

Jing Shu: "???"

Are you kidding me? There’s a house out here in this desolate wilderness, miles from anywhere?

Seeing Jing Shu’s expression, the driver wore a look that seemed to say, ’I had the same reaction back in the day.’ Remembering that this was the fourth time he had chauffeured the woman before him, and that she must be an honored guest, he then said, "From the start of that winding road, we entered private territory. All these mountains belong to Mr. Qian. We just passed an old sightseeing mountain, where you can watch the sunrise, ride the cableway, and ski in winter. We just passed Mr. Qian’s golf course, and this area here is the staff compound. Further ahead is the fruit orchard, though it’s mostly dead now. On the other side is the livestock farm, where the young master keeps his favorite animals. I hear there’s even a leopard. The area we’re driving through now is the guest villa complex. We’ll be there soon."

Jing Shu’s jaw slowly dropped. It turns out poverty truly does limit one’s imagination!