Chapter 34: The Principle of Dredging over Blocking

The sun blazed fiercely in the sky, marking the last day before the apocalypse when it could be seen. For seventeen consecutive days, the Jing family had come to Ai Family Supermarket. Starting from the day before yesterday, S-shaped barriers had been set up at the entrance, extending all the way to the parking area, which was packed with people queuing. A few people exited, and a few entered, maintaining order inside the supermarket to prevent chaos. The Jing family had been queuing for over half an hour and still hadn’t passed through the security gate. "Mom, let’s not get rice anymore. Let’s head home. It’s mid-winter and it’s already 30 degrees, the sun is scorching, and the air isn’t circulating with all these people around. Look, several elderly people have already suffered from heatstroke," said Mr. Jing as he wiped his sweat. Fortunately, his daughter had the foresight to bring two bar stools for the elderly, eliciting envious and jealous glances from those around them. "It’s the last day for free rice. Let’s hold on a bit longer, and we’ll have air conditioning once inside the supermarket," said Grandma Jing. Apart from feeling hot, her spiritual power was quite strong, which she found curious as she could feel her health improving. Mr. Jing, however, was having a lively chat with a young man in his twenties. He often mused, I can chat with anyone for five yuan’s worth, but I just can’t seem to talk to my own son. Jing Shu, with her eyes closed, was juicing pomegranates in the Magic Cube Space, holding a large cup of chilled watermelon juice, continuously sipping it through a straw. Mr. Jing remarked that she had been drinking it for half an hour and wondered how she hadn’t finished yet, which made him crave some too. Jing Shu stuck out her tongue and then passed it to Mr. Jing to finish off. After another ten minutes, the family finally passed the security check and entered the large supermarket. It was crowded inside as it was Saturday and nearly every family had arrived, including bargain hunters, idle chatters, and kids crying for snacks. If someone bumped into an acquaintance, they would stop for a chat while the supermarket’s loudspeakers blared a recording urging shoppers to move along quickly after making their purchases. People’s faces still bore relaxed smiles, thinking of buying more food to stock up on this last day. Those who had obtained free rice usually also hoisted five or six additional bags of rice. With a ration limit of 500 yuan, one could also buy six or seven 10KG bags of regular rice. This was enough for an ordinary family; considering they also had vegetables and snacks, and occasionally ate out or ordered takeaway, a single 10KG bag of rice would last them several months. Purchasing six or seven bags seemed like enough to last a year to most people. However, without side dishes, vegetables, fruits, and snacks, the grain would definitely be consumed very quickly. The supermarket’s signs confidently proclaimed, "Supply of all items is unlimited!" However, its prices were high, matching its strong assurances. Long queues filled the fresh meat section, as prices had been surging. Fearing further increases, people wanted to stock up on several more kilograms. Seafood prices had also risen significantly, as it was possible to buy live seafood and keep them for half a month, ensuring freshness whenever needed. Logically, the disappearance of sunlight for a month would affect meat and seafood minimally. But with the reduction in vegetables and the surge in their prices, demand naturally shifted to meats, seafood, and even snacks, driving up prices in these categories as well. Snack prices had increased by about 10%, and even the price of instant noodles had risen a few mao. There were even more people in the vegetable section, everyone buying by the basketful. No matter how quickly stock was taken, it was swiftly replenished. This was thanks to the government’s months of preparation and cracking down on corruption, all to prevent shortages and panic-induced market chaos when people began hoarding grain. It’s better to guide than to block. When faced with disasters, the public’s instinct is to stock up, isn’t it? So, let them stock up. Let them hoard until they feel secure, until they see that no matter how much they buy, supplies remain ample, just like normal times. This would naturally reassure everyone. There was a whole warehouse just for cabbages, with everyone buying them by the sackful. Cabbage, being hardy, long-lasting, and nutritious, was of course popular. "This is just heartless! A single cabbage selling for 12 yuan, when it used to be only 2 yuan," complained Grandma Jing, who couldn’t read words but at least recognized numbers. "Didn’t they say price gouging wasn’t allowed?" Mr. Jing asked, having heard on the news every day that such matters should be reported. Mr. Jing shook his head. "Vegetable prices have climbed over these past ten days. The daily increase is within the normal range, rising a few mao to a yuan every day, and that’s how they’ve gone up. Watch, in a few days, they’ll be even more expensive." Twelve yuan is truly cheap. In a few months, it’ll be hard to find one even for 1,000 yuan, Jing Shu thought. After collecting the rice, they wandered around the supermarket. However, it was too crowded, meaning checkout would take a long time. Besides, they found there wasn’t much else they needed to buy. So, Jing Shu’s family went home to pack some things for Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing, as the elderly couple were going to stay at Third Aunt Jing Lai’s place for a few days. In reality, it was to keep Mr. Jing and Mr. Jing apart for a while... The older generation, having experienced years of famine, had called the three aunts a few days ago, urging them to store up on grains and to grow more vegetables themselves, to prevent future problems. If it didn’t snow in winter, the next year’s harvest would surely be bad, and grain prices would rise even more. Aunt Jing Pan said that she was in town and had some vegetables growing at her house. She had traded apples for grains recently and asked Grandma Jing when she would be coming home so she could send some grains over. Jing Zhao, the second aunt, said she also wanted to stock up more but was short on funds. With the speakerphone on, Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing felt extremely awkward as Jing Shu’s whole family was there. After hanging up, Mr. Jing told Jing Shu to transfer 100,000 yuan. He had no choice, as Jing Shu had borrowed the money he got from selling his shares to hoard gasoline and other supplies. Third Aunt Jing Lai and her daughter were temporarily living in a two-bedroom apartment in Wu City and had been shopping heavily these past few days. She said she’d bought portions for Grandma Jing and Mr. Jing too, so the elderly could come and stay. "Grandpa and Grandma, you should come back after staying there for a while," Jing Shu said. "Alright, alright. After the Dark Day ends, we still need to help you with your live streams. We’ve stayed here long enough. We should also visit your Third Aunt and your cousin Wu You’ai." The elderly couple packed simple luggage, including several jars of pickles and canned goods. Mr. Jing sent over some spicy beef jerky. Jing Shu also packed some Gui Ling Gao mixed with diluted Spiritual Spring for the elderly, telling them to consume a little daily. In this lifetime, I’m close to them, and with the Spiritual Spring to help improve their bodies, Grandma and Grandpa definitely won’t die again, she resolved. The spacious villa was left with only Jing Shu swinging alone on a lounge chair in front of the fishpond. Her father had set up a parasol. Jing Shu, sipping on shaved ice yogurt and soaking up the sun, occasionally tossed down fish feed, watching the fierce fish scramble for food. Truly blissful, she thought. Perhaps this really is the last time I’ll see the sun in this lifetime. Jing Shu felt somewhat disheartened. She lay there until the sun set, then completely sealed the toughened glass cover to prevent dirt from falling in that night and took numerous photos as keepsakes before going to cook dinner. Dinner consisted of chicken stewed with shiitake mushrooms, braised kelp with black pork chops, and stir-fried celtuce. The portions were generous, and the family devoured everything. Mrs. Jing had been feeling quite down these days and went to sleep early. It must be that Yu Caini at work is making things difficult for Mom again, Jing Shu thought. Mr. Jing then freed his hands, putting pots and pans into the automatic dishwasher. He praised Jing Shu’s thoughtfulness every day; otherwise, all these chores would have been his responsibility. After a final check of the water, food, and Domestic Poultry, Jing Shu started practicing with the Magic Cube Space all night. She was unable to sleep. In this life, she was determined to witness the arrival of the apocalypse. Later, people would mark January 1, 2023, the day sunlight was lost, as the first day of the apocalypse.