CHAPTER 160: AH! THE FLOODS ARE HERE! (ADD MORE WITH A MONTHLY TICKET)

Jing Shu was speechless. For Heng Jin, a professional in logistics specifically responsible for transportation by sea, land, and air, to actually get lost—she was beyond exasperated.

"What, can the road teleport now?"

Go on, keep making things up, she thought.

Heng Jin then sent a photo of the highway intersection. In the light of the headlights, one could clearly see that the first few meters were still a normal highway, but the next few meters turned abruptly into huge, pitch-black mountains covered in dried-up trees.

Just like that, the giant mountains blocked the way. Because they couldn’t be crossed due to the trees, one had to either detour or turn back.

"You might not believe it, but I suspect this mountain really does move..."

"So, it really is the road’s fault then."

Jing Shu saw the picture and narrowed her eyes. Isn’t this just tectonic plate displacement? I hadn’t expected tectonic activity to start so early; I always thought it wouldn’t begin until the third year of the apocalypse.

In the third year of the apocalypse, scientists analyzed that the major earthquakes were partly caused by the expansion of the seabed, leading to frequent tectonic plate movements. These movements were inseparably linked to this year’s torrential rains and rising sea levels.

So, it was possible that some plates had already started moving. Next year, this movement would likely become more frequent, leading to a chaotic new world map. It would be as if someone had taken a complete map, deliberately removed a section, and then haphazardly pieced together a new Earth...

This led to the situation a few years later during migrations where roads wouldn’t be roads and mountains wouldn’t be mountains anymore.

Seeing that Jing Shu hadn’t responded, Heng Jin sent his current location and said, "Believe it or not, we’re now bypassing this mountain range and preparing to go straight ahead."

Jing Shu opened the map and pondered for a while. With the whole world seemingly about to flood, she needed to ensure her RV wouldn’t get submerged. She could only give Heng Jin some guidance:

"I suggest you guys take the mountain road. Although it’s difficult to navigate, it’s safer. Don’t go straight, as it’s easy to run into this kind of situation again and have to detour. Moreover, the recent surge in rainfall could likely cause floods. It’s always right to take the higher ground."

So, every day, Jing Shu had to confirm Heng Jin’s location. If his RV unfortunately got caught in a flood, then Jing Shu would have to retrieve it herself.

Thus, Jing Shu had to prepare for her family to sleep in the mountains. Otherwise, it would be like her past life: hurrying off without bringing anything and sleeping in cold caves for days and nights. When thirsty, she’d just stick her head out to drink; hungry, she’d do the same to eat; tired, she’d just curl up and close her eyes...

She remembered the stewed meat cans the visiting specialist’s child ate back then. Everyone in the entire cave was salivating.

At night, it was so cold they shivered, and the wind howled continuously.

The damp wood on the mountain wouldn’t burn. When they finally found some dry firewood in the cave, they could only stare at it helplessly. Without lighters or matches, they had to resort to drilling wood for fire. Such tools had long been out of production, and in the year leading up to that, no one had used them anymore, especially since even cigarettes were gone.

Several grown men drilled for two hours just to get a fire started. Drilling wood for fire is indeed a physically demanding job, no arguments there.

So, this life, Jing Shu had bought enough matches. This was all a result of her own bitter history.

By the way, never roast red earthworms to eat, because it gives off a burnt hair-like charred smell that scratches the throat, and the charred taste is extremely unpleasant—as if roasting durian.

This life, if anyone dares to roast red earthworms in front of me... I’ll definitely beat them to a pulp.

Speaking of which, the outdoor gear Jing Shu had purchased last year was proving to be perfectly useful now. She went upstairs to organize the necessary items so she could grab them quickly when it was time to leave: seven military tents that were waterproof, windproof, yet breathable, with a one-push, idiot-proof setup; down sleeping bags; moisture-proof pads specifically bought for the flood; and essential insulated waterproof boots.

Meanwhile, Jing Shu planned to bind extra wooden boards from the villa’s backyard to the roof of her car to take with them. They could serve as screens to block the wind and shield her privacy from others.

The boards could also be placed under the tents. Not even the most waterproof tents could withstand the accumulation of rainwater from several days of downpour, which could leave water ankle-deep inside caves.

Thus, Jing Shu needed to ensure her sleeping environment was adequate. Without prior preparation, she might end up sleeping in a cold, damp pool mixed with red earthworms—an absolutely miserable experience.

She would also bring portable outdoor cooking gear and a multifunctional kettle to make brown sugar ginger soup to help ward off the cold and keep warm. A few buckets of mineral water would suffice.

As for food, enough for three days would do. She would avoid food with strong, distinctive scents to prevent attracting too much animosity.

Jing Shu had just prepared some easily carried and reheated food, which she would ’incidentally’ bring along.

「 」

On January 2, 2024, due to the New Year’s holiday, the supermarket held a self-service buffet for three consecutive days, which kept Jinglai very busy.

The reason for the extended three-day opening was the introduction of a new food source: red earthworms. After an emergency meeting by the higher-ups concluded, today, being the first day, public reaction was crucial.

The day before yesterday, the director, leaning on his desk, had asked, "What do you think about getting the public to accept red earthworms? Based on the recent test you all tasted, it’s not as good as the Five Grain Worm. It gets stuck in your teeth, has a fishy taste, and the texture is extremely poor. When stir-fried, it’s just like eating rubber bands."

"Let’s run the self-service buffet during the holiday, so people can get used to the taste," one person suggested.

"It’s best to boil them in water to remove the fishy taste, then mix them with rice and Five Grain Worms. I believe if they’re mixed with staples, everyone will surely be willing to eat them," another offered.

"How about organizing a raffle? Those who eat red earthworms continuously for ten days can participate. The winners will get a chance to work in our supermarket," a third proposed.

The director waved his hand decisively. "Let’s do it this way. Jinglai, you manage the event; it’s all yours tomorrow."

It was Jinglai’s first time managing such a significant responsibility, so she was nervous. She started checking the ingredients and confirming all the details early in the morning. Fortunately, she managed to prepare everything successfully and get the event started.

Watching the orderly cafeteria, Jinglai slowly let out a sigh of relief.

"I hope there are no more surprises today," Jinglai said, adjusting the rain hat Jing Shu had given her. She couldn’t help but reflect on the previous day’s events. If it weren’t for that hat, her own embarrassment would have been a minor issue; delaying important matters would have been far worse.

Looking at the new life jacket in her right hand, Jinglai decided that from now on, she would properly wear whatever Jing Shu gave her; you never knew when you might need it.

As she was lost in thought, a panicked voice suddenly came from outside, "There’s a flood! It’s coming this way, it’s flooding! AHH!"

The alarm outside started blaring loudly, followed by the sound of rushing water.

Jinglai looked at the automatic life jacket in her hands, and her expression firmed up significantly. Then she picked up a megaphone and announced loudly, "Everybody stay calm to avoid a stampede! Follow the staff and run to the fourth floor of the shopping mall to wait for rescue! I repeat..."