Jing Shu picked up a few pieces of meat and handed them to Auntie Wang. "Sorry, there aren't any bowls. Just eat a little for now. It's gonna be a tough few days for you."
Auntie Wang didn't hesitate. She took the meat and started thanking Jing Shu over and over, as if words didn't cost a thing. But instead of eating it, she carefully slipped the meat into her pocket, covering it protectively with her hand. No one could see this. She was saving it for her daughter.
After checking the flatbreads they'd made, Jing Shu shook her head. "They're too big and too thick. Feels like chewing dirt. They should be about the size of a palm and a bit thinner, so they turn crisp and easier to bite. When you eat it, it'll taste just like scorched rice. Oh, and remember to pinch the edges downward like this, so you can stack them and carry them easier."
"Got it." Auntie Wang nodded, full of admiration. She never thought someone who still got to eat well in this apocalyptic mess could also know so much about survival. And in just a few hours since they arrived in this hopeless place, Jing Shu had already earned everyone's respect. Auntie Wang felt sure she'd picked the right person to follow—someone who could keep her alive. Before leaving, she promised she'd finish the task perfectly.
Wang Dan gave Jing Shu a thumbs-up. "Damn, how do you even know all this?"
Jing Shu smiled faintly. "Guess I've just lived long enough."
"You're too young to talk like that! Haha!"
She chuckled lightly but didn't reply. The meal wasn't that big. Normally, one pot like this wouldn't be enough for ten grown adults, but after two bowls of milk tea and a flatbread, everyone was pretty full. They kept passing the meat and vegetables around, insisting others eat first, until each dish was left with just one last piece. In the end, everyone said they were full, but the soup was scraped clean.
Jing Shu smiled helplessly and handed the last bit from the pot to Li Dayou. "The others still have soil in their stomachs that hasn't digested. You should eat more, there's still a lot of work waiting for you."
Li Dayou originally wanted to refuse, but when she said there was still more work to do, he hesitated. Then he finished the rest of the food, patted his stomach, and let out a satisfied burp. For the first time in a long while, he actually felt good to be alive.
After dinner, everyone looked a lot better. Their strength was coming back, their faces weren't so pale and thin anymore. They started counting supplies and cleaning up, preparing to move everything once rescue arrived.
Everyone was busy again. This wasn't like before, when they just sat on the ship waiting to die.
Jing Shu handed Li Dayou an important task—to watch over Xiao Dou and guard her luggage.
"Huh? This is the big job? And there's a lot of it?" Li Dayou looked confused. He felt like she was just being nice to him because he was weak.
But Jing Shu's tone turned serious. "That luggage is my family's entire lifeline. Everything we eat these days comes from it. What if someone with bad intentions tries to steal it? And you've seen that chicken, right? Do you have any idea how many people out there are drooling over it? What if someone tries to take it? Taking care of Xiao Dou isn't easy, you know." She gave him a look that said, "I'm trusting you the most right now."
"Alright," Li Dayou said earnestly. He accepted the important mission and glanced toward the nesting chicken. Xiao Dou was squatting comfortably in her nest, eyes half closed, laying eggs without a care in the world. She looked so relaxed that he immediately felt the weight of his duty. Yeah, someone might really try to mess with her. He'd better keep an eye out.
Once Jing Shu made sure everything was fine, she followed Wang Dan to check on the seeds.
Inside the ship's cargo hold, a cold wind blew through. Rows of large boxes were neatly stacked, just like the ones they'd seen back in America. To keep the seeds from molding or sprouting, Wang Dan and her group worked hard every day maintaining temperature and humidity.
Still, no matter how careful they were, there had been some losses over time. Wang Dan was giving a report on the damage—some seeds were fine, but others had been badly reduced.
Jing Shu's heart ached as she looked at the dwindling numbers. Thankfully, as long as a few seeds were still left, she could use her Rubik's Cube Space to grow them again, breed them, and restock. These were all from the American seed bank—the best of the best.
"There aren't any types that went completely extinct, right?" she asked carefully.
Wang Dan scratched her head, looking embarrassed. "Well… there are three. One's wheat, one's corn."
Jing Shu exhaled in relief after checking the English labels. She had those already. She'd collected more than a hundred varieties of corn herself—sweet corn, glutinous corn, even milk corn from the northeast. Losing a few didn't matter.
Wang Dan continued, "And one more, looks like a type of rice. We hit a reef in the canal and one big box got soaked. Even after drying it out, it got moldy, so we ate it. It tasted awful though. Probably not a good kind anyway. It was all dark, kinda like black rice."
Wang Dan's voice faltered a little.
Jing Shu frowned and checked the English label. Her head buzzed the moment she saw the name—it was wild rice! A famous variety, dark grayish-black, long and slender, one of the rarest and most delicious types in the world.
She'd always wanted to try it, to see what the fuss was about. How good could it really be?
Never thought she'd jinx herself so perfectly. Now, she might never get the chance.
Out of hundreds of thousands of seed types, the one she actually wanted most just happened to be the one completely wiped out. What were the odds? It felt like buying a lottery ticket and actually hitting the worst luck possible.
Her face darkened. "Not even a single grain left?"
Wang Dan whispered, "None. All moldy."
"Alright," Jing Shu said, taking a deep breath. "Guess life needs a little regret in it. I should be grateful I still have plenty of other rice types."
Just as she was still sulking over it, a sudden scream echoed from outside.
"What's going on? Let's go check!" Wang Dan shouted, spinning around. Jing Shu followed immediately, already feeling a bad hunch rise in her chest.
The screaming got louder. It wasn't just one person now, but several—cries for help, terrified wails. The workers outside and the villagers nearby all rushed over. Some came to help, others just wanted to see what was happening.
By the time Jing Shu and Wang Dan arrived, the crowd was already thick. Jing Shu pushed through the people, frowning as an uneasy feeling crept up her spine.
"It's the village chief and Er Ga!" someone shouted.
"They didn't help with the work, so they didn't get food, right? Bet they tried to steal something!"
"Look, something's wrong in there! Why are they screaming like that?"
"Don't shove me, I can't see a thing!"
When the sailors arrived with torches and the light finally hit the scene, the noise died instantly. The air turned cold. People started backing away in panic, eyes wide with fear.
Li Dayou spotted Jing Shu and stammered, "Y-you're here! T-this… this chicken… it, it…"