Chapter 54: The Imminent Collapse of Housing and Automobile Markets

It was just that handling these matters openly was difficult and hard to explain. As a result, during this period, Jing Shu still needed to devise a way to have her father and grandfather set up some traps around the villa. The best would be live traps: the kind that normally remain closed and are opened only when needed. She would need to consult her grandfather, who was a carpenter, and Baozi’s father. They would likely understand what she meant. Although historically, those who possessed spatial abilities might never have used such a primitive method, Jing Shu still felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Being a person should be simple, and killing people should also be simple. Don’t complicate things with unnecessary flair. If there’s a direct way to smash someone to death, there’s no need to consider other methods. Jing Shu also harbored a bit of personal calculation. During the later phases of the apocalypse, when migrating through heavy wind, snow, and extreme cold, she had no other options and had to rely on this crude method. When they needed to stop and rest during migration, she could stealthily set up a wind- and snow-blocking stone barrier and pitch a tent inside, allowing her family to sleep more comfortably. In the pervasive darkness, she could quietly erect an enclosure made of flower rock without anyone noticing. By March 2, 2023, more than a week had passed since the Black Fungus Beetle incident, and the apocalypse had entered its third month. People were panicking, anxiously waiting for the end of the Dark Day amidst uncertainty and fear. All schools in Wu City remained closed. Pharmacies had long been out of business. Electronics and digital stores were all shuttered, except for a few large malls. All small eateries and buffet restaurants were shut down. Only a few clothing stores were still hanging on. The previously mountainous stockpiles in various wholesale agricultural and other markets had vanished without a trace, making Wu City resemble a dead city. To conserve resources, all enterprises and government offices requiring operation temporarily moved to the central city tower, the only place still brightly lit. On the streets, those distributing flyers and selling real estate, shops, or cars outnumbered pedestrians. If you weren’t resolute enough as you passed by, you could easily be pulled away. The prices of properties and cars continued to plummet; prime school district homes in the city center dropped from 15,000 to 5,000 yuan and still wouldn’t sell. Cars were priced like heaps of scrap metal and could no longer find buyers. In times of prosperity, antiques flourish; in times of chaos, gold thrives. With the devaluation of cars and properties, the price of gold was soaring, all indicating that chaos was indeed imminent. As for other supplies, only a few dozen large supermarkets remained, open for just two hours a day. However, they were empty of non-staple food products, spices, fresh produce, and snacks. Even the exorbitantly priced imported foods were gone, not to mention tobacco and liquor, which had also vanished unnoticed. Daily necessities like toilet paper were visibly dwindling, yet the supermarkets were never restocked. The only items still in abundance were rice and flour, serving as the last line of psychological defense, as if to reassure everyone. However, the amount of rice and flour each person could buy daily was pitifully small. At this moment, countless people regretted one thing: why hadn’t they claimed the free rice distributed by the government last December? Despite this, the news that supermarkets were empty spread like wildfire, causing even more people to queue up daily. Everyone was terrified to discover: today, paper ran out; tomorrow, it was spices; the day after, lighters. In essence, many conveniences of life only become acutely troublesome when they are gone. Grandma Jing distinctly felt this. Living at her daughter’s place during this time was fraught with inconveniences. If she forgot to boil water, she would go without hot water for the entire day. She had to prepare the next day’s meals in the afternoon, otherwise, if the power went out, even the natural gas wouldn’t ignite. Supermarkets were even out of lighters. Not bathing for a month left her reeking. The monotonous diet lacking fresh vegetables caused constant constipation for both her and her husband. Although their son occasionally brought some food, meals were bland without essentials like scallions and ginger, among other issues. In short, living in such conditions was very troublesome. Fortunately, this trouble did not last long. Jing Shu and Mr. Jing soon came to take Grandma Jing, Mr. Jing, Third Aunt Jing Lai, and cousin Wu You’ai. They said it was for a short stay, but they actually had them bring all their food. Then, they took them to a new house and even showed the old couple the property deed. "You’re being ridiculous! How much did this house cost?" Mr. Jing pointed at Mr. Jing and almost kicked him. "Grandpa, Grandma, we bought this house for 100,000 yuan, including all these furnishings and appliances. If you don’t like it, I can just sell it. Then I’ll have the money to pay back the 200,000 yuan I owe you," Jing Shu deliberately quoted a lower price. Upon hearing it was bought for 100,000 yuan, Mr. Jing’s eyes widened. Grandma Jing quickly interjected, "There’s no rush to pay back the 200,000. I think this house is good." The key was to be with her son and granddaughter, and also to bring her divorced daughter along. Jing Shu said, "Dad and I were thinking that if you weren’t used to living in the villa all the time, you could stay here. Later, when Elder Aunt and Second Aunt visit, they can also stay here comfortably, without feeling constrained. Besides, my streaming will go on for at least a few more years, and I’ll still need your help, won’t I? I can’t bear to let you go back to the countryside, so why don’t you just stay here for now?" Mr. Jing quickly added, "Mom, I also want to take care of you in your old age. Let’s just live together from now on. I know Third Sister won’t be comfortable staying at my place since she’s used to living with you. So, you should all just stay here together. You can choose to live in whichever house you prefer, this one or the villa." "Good, good. It’s nice to live here too; fewer people and a better environment," Grandma Jing quickly agreed. She then told Third Aunt to move all her luggage over, adding, "Youai has also finished her busy period, so come over and relax. This will be our home from now on!" Third Aunt joked with a laugh, "I see you all didn’t want to live there anymore. But indeed, running up and down six floors every day after the power outages must have been really tiring. It’s far more convenient here on the first floor." Jing Shu then introduced the household amenities to the family: using a litter box with cat litter for the toilet, and a small 5-liter water tank she had installed for drinking water, which Mr. Jing would refill when empty. As for general household water, they would need to go to the villa for that. She also introduced other features one by one, and Grandma Jing became increasingly satisfied. Mr. Jing said, "Tonight, let your grandma cook a proper meal. We’ll consider ourselves officially moved in then." He still valued these formalities, and so the matter was settled. During this time of scarce resources, Jing Shu’s elder aunt, Aunt Jing Pan, spent a few hundred yuan to take a bus and delivered a large box of apples to each of the families of Grandma Jing, Mr. Jing, and Jinglai. She dragged a cart with three boxes for four or five kilometers to reach Jinglai’s home, only to find no one there. She then made a call. Grandma Jing asked Mr. Jing to hurry up and go fetch her. Grandma Jing exclaimed, "Can you believe it? That child arrives without a word! Now she’s waiting alone at Jinglai’s door, hauling all those things. In this chaos, carrying so much fruit, isn’t she afraid of being robbed! Mr. Jing, hurry up and go get her. And Jinglai," she added, "you should take this chance to move your luggage over too." It just goes to show, Grandma Jing could be a jinx. When Mr. Jing brought Elder Aunt back, they learned that she had indeed been robbed in the hallway!