Chapter 24: Extreme Heat, Blazing Sun

The whole family was shocked by the power of the solar radiation.

Shen Baoying anxiously asked, "Does that mean we’ll get skin cancer?"

Jiang Si shook her head. "We won’t. As long as we stay inside and avoid sunlight, we’ll be safe."

Everyone relaxed slightly, then sighed. ’I wonder when this will ever end.’

The village was deathly quiet; there probably weren’t many people left.

Jiang Si reassured them, "It’s alright. We have plenty of supplies, and we can keep growing food. It wouldn’t be a problem if we never went outside again."

They had plenty of supplies, and they could grow their own food, but what if it never rained again?

Without water, what would Sisi do? No one said a word, but they were all worried sick.

The weather was scorching. Nobody could stand going ten days, let alone half a month, without a bath or at least a sponge bath.

Jiang Si soaked in the bathtub, making sure to use a natural, non-polluting soap. The leftover water could be used for the vegetable garden.

Jiang Si emerged from the bathroom with her hair loose and fluffy, feeling several pounds lighter.

’Taking a bath felt absolutely amazing.’

The nanny was giving Big Black and Little Black a bath in a basin. They shook themselves dry, then trotted over to rub against her, wagging their tails. Their short, thick fur even smelled nice.

Jiang Si reached out and ruffled the fur on their heads. "Come on, let’s go eat."

The momentary peace allowed Shen Baoying to relax and cook a table full of hearty dishes.

Braised pork ribs with radish, mapo tofu, candied potatoes, eggplant with minced pork, spicy chicken, cold-dressed cucumber, tomato and egg drop soup, and a pot of steaming hot buns.

They hadn’t had a proper, peaceful meal in days. Everyone’s appetite was huge, and they grabbed the buns and started to dig in.

Shen Baoying’s cooking was impeccable. Jiang Si ate until she was stuffed and satisfied. Little Black had already devoured a whole bun, its belly round and full, but now it was staring up at her with its big, sparkling, pitiful eyes.

Jiang Si broke off a small piece of her bun and dropped it by its paws.

Little Black’s ears flattened back like airplane wings, its little tail spun like a propeller, so happy it looked like it was about to take off right where it stood.

Jiang Si couldn’t help but pat its perfectly round, soft head. "No one’s going to steal it from you. Eat slowly."

Big Black was also being spoiled by Shen Baoying, who fed it several whole buns. The dog barely touched its own food.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Jiang Si told them to rest while she went up to the attic to survey the surroundings.

The village was deathly still. Through the broken windows, the interiors of the houses were pitch-black; it was impossible to tell if there were any survivors.

Suddenly, a wisp of smoke rose from her neighbor Qin Shen’s house.

’His house is riddled with holes, yet he’s still alive. He’s incredibly tenacious.’

Jiang Si adjusted the magnification on her binoculars and peered into Qin Shen’s house.

She was caught completely off guard when a bare-chested Qin Shen walked right into her line of sight.

Jiang Si’s gaze instinctively slid downwards, and she froze, dumbfounded.

’He has a great body, sure, but does that mean he has to walk around at home completely naked?!’

’Did the rats chew up all his clothes?’

’But his Venus dimples, his butterfly back... how come he doesn’t have any wounds?’

’Don’t tell me he has some kind of weird fetish.’

As if sensing her gaze, Qin Shen suddenly spun around. His dark, deep-set eyes locked onto her, fierce as a predator’s.

A chill shot down Jiang Si’s spine.

’His senses are frighteningly sharp.’

Qin Shen grabbed a wooden board to cover himself and stared straight at her. Only then did it belatedly dawn on Jiang Si that she was the one who looked like a perverted peeping tom, holding a pair of binoculars.

Even for someone like her, who had seen it all, the situation was undeniably awkward. She quickly hid the binoculars.

’I had just wanted to see if Qin Shen was still in one piece; how was I supposed to know he wouldn’t be wearing any clothes?’

Jiang Linhai came up from downstairs. Seeing her standing with her back to the window, a strange expression on her face, he asked, "Why is your face so red? Are you running a fever?"

Jiang Si shook her head, feeling flustered. "It’s just hot."

Unconvinced, Jiang Linhai touched her forehead, his brow immediately furrowing. "You’re a bit warm. Do we have a thermometer? Go get one."

Jiang Si didn’t think she could possibly have a fever, but she couldn’t argue with Jiang Linhai’s insistence.

One check with the thermometer showed her temperature was 101.8 degrees. She really was running a fever.

Jiang Linhai reacted as if it were a major crisis. He quickly led Jiang Si downstairs and made her lie down in bed.

A moment later, the whole family appeared, each carrying something—medicine, hot water, a fan, and even a tomato.

Shen Baoying handed the medicine to Jiang Si, her face etched with worry. "How did you suddenly come down with a fever? Could it be the plague? If only we had a doctor in the family."

Jiang Si put on a mask before reassuring them. "It’s not the plague, just weakness from overexertion. My temperature isn’t even that high. Once I recover, my immunity will be stronger. To survive the apocalypse, our bodies have to constantly adapt. There’s no need to worry."

’But it was their fault Jiang Si was so exhausted,’ they thought.

Shen Baoying said, her heart aching, "Then you just focus on getting some rest. We’ll be sure to hold down the fort."

"Okay. Since I have a fever, everyone should be careful not to get infected. If you start feeling sore or weak, make sure to take some medicine right away."

"Alright."

They quietly closed the door behind them. Jiang Si lay in bed, intending to just take a short nap, but when she woke up, it was already dark outside.

Shen Baoying came in with a bowl of millet porridge. "Sisi, are you feeling any better?"

Jiang Si nodded and pulled the thermometer from under her arm. "100.4 degrees. It’s coming down."

Shen Baoying let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Then you’ll probably be all better after another dose or two of medicine." She glanced out the window and added happily, "The solar radiation isn’t a problem at night. If we decide to leave, we can set out after dark."

Jiang Si knew they were constantly worried about their water supply. She pointed toward the forest. "About ten miles to the southeast, there’s an underground spring. Dad found it in my past life. Once I’m better, I’ll go check on it. If it hasn’t dried up in this life, we’ll stay here. If it has, we’ll prepare to leave and find a new place to settle with a water source."

Shen Baoying’s eyes lit up, but then she shook her head. "It’s too dangerous for you to go alone!"

Jiang Si smiled. "If I run into trouble, I can enter my space anytime. But if you come with me and dawn breaks suddenly, you’ll be in danger."

Shen Baoying sighed. "We’re just holding you back."

Jiang Si shook her head. "You’re not holding me back. This... this is the happiness I prayed for in my last life but could never have."

Shen Baoying’s eyes welled up. "Yes," she sniffled. "It is happiness."

"WOOF WOOF WOOF—"

Big Black suddenly started barking.

Jiang Si shot to her feet and looked out the window.

In the darkness, a flicker of firelight was gradually approaching their house.

A moment later, Lu Zhifeng appeared in their line of sight, carrying Niu Niu on his back. He knocked on the door. "Jiang Linhai, are you in there?"

Everyone turned to look at Jiang Si.

"He’s probably here for his things," she said. "Let him in."

CREAK~

The outer door opened, and Jiang Linhai appeared. Seeing that he was still alive, Lu Zhifeng breathed a long sigh of relief. "I’ve come for the rest of my supplies. I was also hoping to trade for some water, if that’s alright."