CHAPTER 89: ENTERING HUAXIA, NO REGRETS IN THIS LIFETIME

Could it really be so?

Jing Shu shook her head. The group that had just robbed food was still euphoric. They hadn’t finished their spoils yet. Having tasted the thrill of easily acquiring food, especially after choking down the barely ingestible government rations, they would soon resume their old ways, shifting their focus to more vulnerable targets—like her, a "fat sheep."

There were also those like Jing Pan who had hoarded a lot of food, and even some youths, influenced by too many apocalypse novels, who had stockpiled supplies. They weren’t short of food yet, and their situation hadn’t reached a desperate point.

This meant robbers could consistently find something to steal. Coupled with manipulation from various factions, some groups even killed merely for sport, plunging Wu City into deeper chaos!

Regardless, for Wu City, which had endured half a month of chaos, this news was undoubtedly uplifting, immediately sparking heated discussions in the group chats.

Luo Zhu No.9: "I heard that once they start distributing cooked food, the water ration per person will be even smaller. With how hot it is during the day, I wonder if it’ll be enough to drink."

Fat Girl No.25: "My relative is with the government. I heard they’ll start getting daily supplies of fresh vegetables from tomorrow. I just don’t know what we ordinary people will get."

Zhu Fan No.7: "Who cares what it is? Just having something to eat is a blessing! I’m so sick of eating tree bark. To think I used to turn my nose up at plain white rice! This Dark Day has already dragged on for half a year. When will the sun ever return?"

Wang Cuihua sent a voice message: "Our family is planning to bike to Ai Family Supermarket at 3 AM tonight. Anyone want to come with us?"

Wind No.3: "Auntie, can I go with you?"

Wang Cuihua replied, "How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t call me Auntie! I acknowledge grandsons, not nephews."

Wind, rebuffed yet again, was left speechless. Wang Cuihua had effectively ended the group chat.

At 4:30 AM the next day, Jing Shu’s family set out. They first dropped Mrs. Jing off at work. Then, the two elders, Mr. Jing, Jing Shu, and Wu You’ai—five people in total—continued by car to Ai Family Supermarket. At that moment, she felt fortunate to have bought the seven-seater BYD Song Max. Its space was generous.

The streets of Wu City were pitch-black along the way; even the dedicated bus lines had recently stopped running. Fortunately, the falling ash was unknowingly lessening, allowing their energy vehicle to navigate by following the curb.

Mr. Jing had patched the energy vehicle’s shattered windshield using old panes of glass he had previously set aside. Jing Shu considered where to get some bulletproof glass and how to raise the vehicle’s chassis. The roads would only get rougher, she mused; an off-road vehicle would really be better.

Third Aunt Jing Lai had started waking up at 3 AM every day to take the government’s special bus line to work. She had been especially busy recently, having been assigned to Ai Family Supermarket to prepare cooked food.

Jing Shu herself hadn’t expected that, through her connections, Third Aunt Jing Lai had secured a position within the "system"—a job Jing Shu had considered very good in her previous life.

Wu You’ai, sporting dark circles under his eyes, absolutely refused to get up from bed, insisting:

"I’d rather not eat or drink; just let me sleep at home."

Ultimately, a bowl of sweet dumplings from Grandma Jing defeated him. Surprisingly, Wu You’ai actually liked sweet dumplings... Jing Shu ate three bowls herself but still didn’t find them particularly tasty.

Jing Shu understood Wu You’ai’s feelings perfectly. She too had once loved to sleep in. But ever since drinking the Spiritual Spring water, she never felt drowsy anymore. She could no longer experience the pleasure of a truly satisfying sleep.

She would fall asleep the instant she closed her eyes and wake up the moment she opened them. She didn’t even dream anymore; her sleep offered no real rest or good experience.

At 5:00 AM sharp on Monday, May 22nd, after dropping Mrs. Jing off at work, Jing Shu’s family arrived at Ai Family Supermarket.

The place had changed dramatically. Mr. Jing parked the energy vehicle by the roadside. The family, armed with clubs and carrying their four-liter water bottles, joined the throng of people heading inside.

Due to the robbery incidents, everyone clutched weapons alongside their bowls and chopsticks—a comical sight. In contrast, Jing Shu’s family looked more like they were out for a casual stroll.

High walls now surrounded the supermarket, with staggered entrance and exit channels designed to prevent a repeat of the previous attack. Bright floodlights illuminated the long queue at the entrance.

A line of Armed Police and shield-bearing security guards stood at the entrance, conducting thorough security searches. Anyone with weapons had to deposit them on the other side. Jing Shu’s family had to turn back and return their weapons to the car.

At 5:00 AM, 2°C felt very cold.

Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing were both wearing cotton-padded jackets and trousers. Jing Shu wore her coral fleece pajamas with a one-piece suit over them but still felt a bit chilled. Even after drinking the Spiritual Spring water for nearly half a year, she still wasn’t resistant to cold or heat. She wished she had brought a hand warmer. Of course, this was nothing compared to the -40°C temperatures to come.

The people queuing around them were also dressed in dirty, tattered, thick clothing. Their hair was a tangled mess, with visible clumps of dirt and sweat matted into it.

From Jing Shu’s experience, they hadn’t washed their hair in at least six months. In her previous life, she had simply shaved her head to avoid becoming a haven for lice.

Each person clutched a bowl in one hand and a stick in the other, resembling members of the Beggar Gang. Yet, hope still flickered in their eyes—a stark contrast to the numbness and indifference that would prevail ten years later. Everyone fantasized that the advent of the Artificial Sun would solve the energy crisis.

They quickly passed through the security check. The supermarket’s former parking lot had been converted into a temporary barracks for the Armed Police.

Just then, the national anthem began to play slowly. A team of flag-bearers in military uniforms marched with neat steps and started raising the national flag. Everyone instinctively paused and stood at attention, showing their respect.

In the dim light of the dark night, watching the national flag slowly ascend, Jing Shu felt a surge of pride. No matter what, in the ten years of the apocalypse, Huaxia had achieved the highest and best survival rates. There were many villains, yes, but there were also many who dedicated themselves to the country.

If she had to sum it up in one sentence, it would be: "I have no regrets being born in Huaxia in this lifetime."

"...there is no sunlight, but we still raise the national flag every Monday. Every day, starting at five in the morning, free food will be distributed until the Artificial Sun is completed.

"The nation will not stand by and watch everyone starve. Everything will improve! We will severely punish criminal offenders. Those with records of robbery or murder will not receive food. We also urge everyone to think carefully before acting..." the loudspeaker blared repeatedly.

This was Huaxia’s lenient policy during the Initial Stage of the Apocalypse, an attempt to reduce robberies and murders. However, it ultimately failed, as people tend not to cherish things they get for free.

Jing Shu knew this free food distribution wouldn’t last long before another policy change. Want food? Fine. Then work for it, or trade something for it.

The once large supermarket had been emptied and was now divided into two sections. One section was the water collection area.

The other section had ten former checkout counters converted into food distribution windows. Everyone snaked through an S-shaped queue. Each person received one large ladleful of food and moved on. Those with bowls used them; those without used their hands or cupped their clothing to carry it.

"What kind of food is it?" Grandma Jing asked, peering curiously.

"Oyster mushroom boiled rice," Jing Shu replied, a look of profound dismay on her face.

The sight of the unwashed oyster mushrooms mixed with rice, cooked into a blackish-green sludge that exuded a musty odor throughout the entire supermarket, made her stomach churn. She had eaten this for ten years in her previous life and was utterly sick of it.

Some people were already in a corner, wolfing it down, clearly famished.

Others took a couple of bites and then threw the rest away. Jing Shu could only sneer inwardly at those wasting food. Today’s meal is actually decent. Soon enough, you’ll be eating maggots, with no rice at all. Let’s see if you regret this then!