Jiang Miaomiao and Lu Qiming were quite busy now.
They had to wake up at six o’clock every morning.
After getting up, they would release the chickens and ducks into the yard to roam around and not get too wilted inside the coop. Then they fetched water, poured feed, and fed the animals breakfast.
Next, Lu Qiming would prepare breakfast for both of them while Jiang Miaomiao washed clothes with well water.
After finishing their meal, they cleaned up the messy house, put on their straw hats, and grabbed their hoes before heading out.
There was a lot to do in the fields—clearing weeds, applying fertilizers, and catching bugs. After finishing work in the fields, they had to go to the orchard.
The waxberries in the orchard were almost ripe. These fruits were particularly delicate, and once they ripened, they had to be picked quickly. Otherwise, a rainstorm could cause all of them to rot on the trees.
To prevent any mishaps, they visited the slope every day to observe the waxberries’ ripening situation.
They also had to take care of the fishpond; the water plants were growing like bamboo shoots, and if they weren’t careful, they would take over the whole pond.
After finishing their tasks outside, they rushed back home to cook and feed the chickens and ducks.
After cooking, they had to wash dishes and tidy up the kitchen. It was already late at night by the time they could finally go to bed.
Every day, a pile of chores awaited them as soon as they opened their eyes. It made them wish they could just die in bed.
Fortunately, after about a month of this kind of life, their water spinach was ready to be harvested.
Neither of them liked to eat this vegetable much, so they decided to take the harvested water spinach to the city and sell it.
After staying in the countryside for so long, it was time to broaden their horizons in the city.
The new currency had already been issued. By selling vegetables, they could exchange it for money and maybe even buy some things they didn’t have at home.
There was a small three-wheeled vehicle on the farm that ran on gasoline, which was perfect for selling vegetables. However, it had been abandoned for too long and was broken.
Lu Qiming spent three nights fixing it, but then he realized they didn’t have much gasoline, and it wouldn’t make it all the way to the city since there were no gas stations along the way.
That wasn’t a problem. They made a phone call to Gu Changzhou.
The next day, he sent a young man who brought them several barrels of gasoline but refused even a sip of water and left immediately.
Now everything was ready, except for setting off.
They moved the water spinach, several large fish, and a basket of early-ripening waxberries to the cargo compartment of the three-wheeled vehicle.
Lu Qiming sat in the driver’s seat, and Jiang Miaomiao squatted beside the vegetable basket, holding Jiang Rourou.
With a cheer, the whole family, under the morning sun of early summer, left the farm and headed for the city.
It was Lu Qiming’s first time driving this type of vehicle, and he felt like he was driving a horse-drawn cart. No matter how much he pressed the gas pedal, the speed just wouldn’t go up. They were leisurely driving on the mountain road.
He was getting a bit impatient, but Jiang Miaomiao was screaming from the back.
“Ah! Too fast, slow down, slow down!”
Lu Qiming eased off the gas pedal, and the speed became even slower.
She was delighted, her teeth exposed as she smiled in the wind.
“It feels so great, like riding in a sports car!”
They were both open-topped!
Lu Qiming: “…”
He really wanted to see her silly expression, but as he turned his head, he met Jiang Rourou’s big mouth.
The wet saliva splattered all over his face, making him nauseous, and he quickly turned his face back.
The three-wheeled vehicle was slow, and it took them just over two hours to come from the city to the farm. However, going back took the entire morning.
Upon arriving in the city center, it was already noon. Many people had finished work and came out to eat, making the streets bustling with activity.
Jiang Miaomiao took a careful look around and noticed that in just one month, the city had undergone significant changes. Many shops had opened, including restaurants, clothing stores, grocery stores, bookstores, shoe stores, and small supermarkets. While it couldn’t compare to the prosperity before the apocalypse, at first glance, it resembled the atmosphere of the 1970s or 1980s.
Some pedestrians hurriedly walked, rushing to finish their meals and get back to work, while others leisurely strolled down the streets without a care in the world.
Jiang Miaomiao even saw several people pushing baby strollers with newborn babies inside. These were babies that no one was willing to have for many years in the base! But now, everything had returned to normal.
As their small three-wheeled vehicle passed by the entrance of a restaurant, they saw the familiar signboard.
—Changzhou Grand Restaurant.
The restaurant was bustling with customers, and Lu Qiming raised his chin. “Looks like your cheap dad’s business is successful. Shall we go in and have a meal?”
Jiang Miaomiao felt a bit embarrassed. “Let’s not. Let’s hurry and sell the vegetables.”
He didn’t insist, and they continued on their way. They found a few small vegetable markets and asked the vendors if they wanted to buy their produce.
Jiang Miaomiao thought that with such a small amount, they would be lucky to sell it for a few dozen yuan. However, to her surprise, the produce was in high demand, and several vendors competed to make offers. In the end, all the fish, vegetables, and waxberries were sold for a total of 500 yuan.
Five hundred yuan!
They said that the current price level was comparable to that of the early 2000s. This money would be enough for them to spend for a long time.
With the cash in hand, they returned to the three-wheeled vehicle, which now only had an empty basket and Jiang Rourou. They started to think about how to spend the money.
In the end, Jiang Miaomiao bought a new dress, Lu Qiming bought cigarettes, and Jiang Rourou got a few cans of beef as their lunch from a noodle stall.
After spending the money, they still had several hundred yuan left, which they decided to save for buying seeds or fertilizers in the future.
By now, it was already after three in the afternoon, and they needed to head back home.
On their way out of the city, they passed a small supermarket with a cold cabinet at the entrance, where ice pops were being sold.
Unable to resist, Jiang Miaomiao hopped down and bought three green bean-flavored ice pops, one for each of them. They rode the three-wheeled vehicle back home.
On the way back, a gentle mountain breeze blew, and the evening glow filled the sky. The sweet taste of the green bean ice pop melted in their mouths. Jiang Miaomiao hugged Lu Qiming’s neck from behind, leaning on his shoulder with her eyes closed, feeling wonderful.
As the sky darkened, the two of them arrived at the farm and noticed several SUVs parked inside. They became cautious.
Once they entered the gate, they saw people standing by the cars, and when they saw Jiang Miaomiao and Lu Qiming returning home, they warmly approached them.
“You finally came back! We’ve been waiting for you!”
Lu Qiming didn’t recognize these people and looked at Jiang Miaomiao with an inquiring gaze.
She was overjoyed. These were the members of the rescue team!
She was about to introduce them to Lu Qiming when two people came out from behind the small bamboo forest—Yuan Mubing and the original male lead.
Now there was no need for introductions, and Lu Qiming also understood, looking at them with confusion.
“What are you here for?”
One of the team members answered first, “We heard that Miaomiao is managing a farm, so we came to have a free meal.”
Lu Qiming replied, “…Then you came to the wrong place.”
He was even thinking about finding someone else to mooch a meal from.
Yuan Mubing cleared his throat and said seriously, “Stop kidding around. We came to bring you something.”
That was more welcome.
Lu Qiming asked, “What is it?”
Yuan Mubing opened the back compartment, and the group started unloading things.
Two sheep, one male and one female.
Two calves, one male and one female.
Two piglets, one male and one female.
There were also cats, large white geese, and more, almost completely equipping her farm.
The only thing missing was a dog.
After all, the reputation of Jiang Rourou had already spread throughout the base. Everyone knew that the plumpest white dog was her baby.
The team members drove these livestock into the shed, and Yuan Mubing said, “In the beginning, because of you, we avoided many dangers. It can be said that many team members survived thanks to your divination ability. Nowadays, we spend most of our time out on missions and can’t help much. Take these things as a token of our appreciation.”
The farm was quite large, and with only the two of them living here, it was empty. These animals would make it more lively.
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t refuse and was very grateful. She warmly invited them to stay for dinner.
However, the team members declined, saying they had work to do, and one by one, they got into their cars and left.
In the blink of an eye, there were only two people and a dog left on the farm, along with a bunch of small animals feeling uneasy in the unfamiliar environment.
Jiang Miaomiao quickly put away the things and brought out food and water to feed the animals.
Lu Qiming parked the three-wheeled vehicle properly and started cooking dinner. The next day, he repaired the shed and the feed trough, officially entering the days of having pigs and sheep.
But as the days passed, the two of them, being lazy by nature, started to slack off despite the enriched life.
In order to have more rest time, they decided to make a work plan. They would wake up at 7:30 in the morning, spend half an hour washing up and having breakfast, start work at 8 o’clock, and finish before 5 o’clock in the evening. After that, the rest of the time could be freely allocated.
As a result, whenever they worked, they had to be as fast as flying, or they wouldn’t finish at all.
Before long, the waxberries were about to ripen, and they were faced with over a hundred trees full of fruit.
What they saw wasn’t a big income, but the torment of exhaustion.
“I’m so tired.”
After finishing work in the evening, Jiang Miaomiao slumped in the chair and didn’t want to move a single finger.
Lu Qiming was in a similar state, languidly saying, “Let’s not bother making dinner; we’ll just have instant noodles.”
“But Meatball can’t eat instant noodles. Huh? Where has Meatball gone these days? I rarely see it.”
Thinking of her beloved Meatball, Jiang Miaomiao struggled to get up and walked to the door, calling out for it loudly.
Usually, at mealtimes, as long as she called, no matter what Meatball was doing, it would appear in front of her within three seconds.
But today was different. Jiang Miaomiao shouted until her voice cracked, but there was no sign of it.
Lu Qiming noticed something was wrong and walked over with tired steps.
“Haven’t found it yet?”
She didn’t say anything, feeling very worried.
Although animals were also eaten by zombies during the apocalypse, so much time had passed, and there was no guarantee that wild beasts like jackals, wolves, or tigers wouldn’t reappear.
They were next to the mountains. In case there were wild animals hiding there, Meatball might just become their next meal.
Both of them were worried, so they grabbed flashlights and searched around.
After almost an hour, Lu Qiming found a familiar figure in the orchard.
“Miaomiao, it’s here!”
Jiang Miaomiao hurriedly ran over and saw Meatball licking a black dog under the moonlight.
The black dog looked wild and very cautious. It would leave when it saw strangers.
She immediately pulled Lu Qiming to squat down and made a harmless gesture.
The black dog paused and stopped in its tracks.
Meatball immediately wagged its tail and approached, wishing to bring the other dog home.
Lu Qiming was speechless. “Good little fatty, it turns out it sneaked out to chase after girls.”
Jiang Miaomiao could understand.
Meatball was already four years old, equivalent to being in its thirties in human years.
In the past, it didn’t have the opportunity due to the busy work. Now, it ate and slept all day, so of course, it would take the chance to find a mate.
This new friend of its was really beautiful, with sleek and shiny fur, gleaming black, a lean and sturdy body, and a tail like a whip, exuding powerful explosive force.
In comparison, Meatball, who was full and lazy all day, was just a dead fat nerd, and only its cute face was somewhat lovable.
The other dog didn’t seem to be interested in it. As a caring mother, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
“Go.” Jiang Miaomiao quietly directed Lu Qiming. “Go home and get a can of dog food.”
“Now?”
“Yes, or it will leave.”
Lu Qiming got up and walked towards home, mumbling to himself.
He quickly returned, and Jiang Miaomiao opened the can of dog food and placed it on the ground.
Meatball smelled the familiar scent and immediately ran over to eat.
Suddenly, it thought of the new friend and reluctantly moved back a bit, obviously wanting to share with the other dog.
The black dog remained cautious, even though the scent of the food made it eager, it still hesitated because the two people were not approaching.
Jiang Miaomiao pulled Lu Qiming back a little, and after observing them for a long time and sensing no hostility, the black dog suddenly rushed over and quickly devoured the canned food.
Meatball, who hadn’t even taken a bite, looked on helplessly. “…”
Beautiful indeed, and fierce too.
Jiang Miaomiao tried to be friendly and even reached out her hand to touch the black dog.
Lu Qiming reminded her, “Be careful, it might bite you.”
“Hush.”
She maintained her friendly posture, and the black dog pondered for a while before walking over and nuzzling her palm with its head.
The next day, they brought some fish.
The third day, it was egg fried rice.
The fourth day, it was noodles.
On the fifth day, Meatball successfully brought the new friend home and let it stay in its doghouse.
The farm added another member, and Jiang Miaomiao felt both pain and happiness.
The pain was due to the overwhelming amount of work, but the happiness was that if she didn’t have to work, this life would be like a fairy tale come true.
Lu Qiming finished showering and came in wearing an old shirt. He saw her sitting on the bed in a daze and pounced on her like a tiger, planting a kiss on her face.
“What are you thinking about?”
Jiang Miaomiao said, “Will we really live like this for the rest of our lives?”
“You’re tired of it? If you’re tired, we can leave tomorrow. Sell the farm, take the money, and I’ll accompany you no matter what kind of life you want.”
Lu Qiming said without any hesitation.
She shook her head.
“I’m not tired of it, it’s just that we’re too busy. I haven’t rested for many days.”
He thought for a moment and suggested, “How about this? Once all the Yangmei fruits are sold, we take the money and hire some workers to help us with the work. What do you think?”
“Can we find anyone to hire?”
“Job opportunities are in high demand now, and you’re worried about this? Just wait, next month I’ll bring some people here for you.”
Jiang Miaomiao imagined the days ahead and sighed with anticipation.
“So, in the future, we won’t have to do anything?”
Fishing, walking the dog, and feeding the chickens every day.
After the internet and electricity are restored, they can watch TV and play games. If they get bored, they can drive to the city to buy things and eat at fancy restaurants.
What a wonderful life it would be.
Lu Qiming lay on the bed with one hand supporting his head.
“Probably, unless our farm is managed so poorly that we can’t pay their salaries, then they’ll definitely run away.”
Jiang Miaomiao glanced at him with a playful smile.
“You definitely won’t let us lose money, right?”
He pretended not to hear and scratched his head, yawning.
“So tired, it’s strange. Why am I so tired today? Let’s go to sleep…”
Jiang Miaomiao pouted, looking out the window and remembered something.
“My period is coming in two days.”
Lu Qiming perked up, “Really?”
“Yeah, there should be sanitary pads, but I hope it doesn’t coincide with the time for picking Yangmei, otherwise, I won’t be able to do anything.”
He brushed aside her hair, wrapped his arm around her waist, and kissed her from her shoulder down.
“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it.”
“You’ll take care of it? With over a hundred trees to pick, aren’t you afraid of being exhausted?”
“I’ll get exhausted from this? Don’t underestimate me.”
He circled around to her front, kissed her face as if he were a dog seeking affection.
“I want it.”
“…Weren’t you just complaining about being tired?”
“I was tired, but you had to talk about this, so now I’m not tired anymore.”
Lu Qiming rubbed against her neck, his hair and stubble tickling her and making her itchy.
Jiang Miaomiao was indeed very tired and was about to refuse.
But then, accidentally, her fingers brushed against his now more defined abs from the past few days. Unable to resist, she embraced him.
The next morning, Lu Qiming lay on the bed, expressing his indignation, “We should have separate beds!”
Tired during the day and even more exhausted at night, it was obvious they were trying to wear him out.
Jiang Miaomiao finished brushing her teeth and kicked his butt as she said, “Go make breakfast.”
Lu Qiming put on his boxers and went to cook with a dejected expression.
With the Yangmei fruits about to ripen, both of them were very careful. The first thing they did every morning was to observe the weather, fearing that heavy rain might ruin the Yangmei.
However, in such circumstances, Jiang Miaomiao suddenly developed a low fever, feeling dizzy and weak, with no appetite to eat.
Her period, which should have arrived, didn’t come.
As it was scorching during the day, both of them thought it was heatstroke combined with exhaustion. So, Lu Qiming took on all the farm work, while she rested at home.
A few days later, when Gu Changzhou came to visit them and learned about the situation, he immediately took Jiang Miaomiao to the hospital in the city for a check-up.
The test results came out the same day, confirming that she was already two weeks pregnant.
Upon hearing the news, Jiang Miaomiao was utterly bewildered.
On the way back, Gu Changzhou bought her many fruits and nutritional supplements, comforting her while driving.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here. He won’t dare to force you into anything. If you want to keep the baby, keep it; if you want to abort, I’ll fully support your decision. If he turns hostile, you can come with me. If you want to work, I’ll arrange it for you; if you don’t want to, I’ll support you. Before I retire, I’ll make enough money for both of us to spend.”
Jiang Miaomiao was stunned, “No… I don’t plan to abort.”
“Do you want to keep the baby?”
Gu Changzhou looked at her youthful face, and it was hard to imagine her as a mother.
She nodded firmly, “Yes, of course, I want to keep it.”
As early as when they first started dating, she had imagined having children together.
In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed. They had gone through ups and downs together, and the fact that they had legally become a couple and were capable of supporting themselves, why wouldn’t they have a child?
She was looking forward to welcoming their baby.
Gu Changzhou caught a glimpse of her excited expression through the rearview mirror and hurriedly stepped on the brake.
“Wait, don’t be impulsive!”
“I’m not being impulsive.”
“Having a child is not the same as being in a romantic relationship. You need to think carefully. Once you have a child, breaking up with him won’t be as easy as it is now. Even if you separate, it will be emotionally taxing.”
Jiang Miaomiao laughed and cried, “What romantic relationship? We’ve been married for several years.”
…That was true.
Gu Changzhou didn’t know what to say. He felt uneasy, perhaps because of his own experiences, which made him apprehensive about having children.
After pondering for a while, he made a suggestion.
“How about this, let’s test him. If he passes the test and proves trustworthy, then we can tell him about the pregnancy.”
“How do we test him?”
Gu Changzhou explained his plan, and Jiang Miaomiao frowned upon hearing it.
“No, no, this is too devious. I can’t deceive him like that.”
“It’s settled, trust me.”
Gu Changzhou firmly decided and stepped on the gas pedal.
When they returned, it was already evening. Lu Qiming had no interest in working and was pacing back and forth near the entrance of the farm, waiting for them. As soon as he saw their car approaching, he hurried over.
“How did it go? Did you get the test results?”
Jiang Miaomiao was about to speak but was pinched by Gu Changzhou, who put on a grave and solemn expression.
“We got the results.”
Seeing his demeanor, Lu Qiming’s heart jumped to his throat.
“What illness is it?”
“Late-stage stomach cancer.”
Jiang Miaomiao: “…”
Lu Qiming’s eyebrows furrowed deeply, and he asked with keen awareness, “They got the results so quickly for late-stage cancer? I don’t believe it. Show me the medical report.”
Lu Qiming was cautious, and Gu Changzhou was cautious too, unwilling to be caught in a trap. He immediately thought of an excuse.
“The report is with the doctor, and we have to go for a follow-up check in a few days. However, the error rate is below ten percent.”
He paused for a moment, observing Lu Qiming’s expression, and continued, “The doctor said she has at most three months to live, and during that time, she needs continuous treatment to maintain a normal life. The social security system is not yet restored, so the treatment requires self-payment, which is a significant expense. If you can’t afford it, I will take her in. The income from the restaurant is good, and I should be able to cover the expenses.”
Lu Qiming remained silent all this time, and Gu Changzhou thought he had won, so he gave Jiang Miaomiao a knowing look.
Jiang Miaomiao stared at him without moving, and suddenly Lu Qiming raised his head and motioned for Gu Changzhou to get out.
“Get out!”
“What are you doing? Be reasonable, don’t get violent. I’m not afraid of you even if you hit me!”
Lu Qiming took the driver’s seat, started the car, and said, “We’re going to find Chen Hong. He’s been wanting me to cooperate on another research project, and he would definitely be willing to pay for this.”
Unable to keep up the act, Jiang Miaomiao quickly said, “He’s lying to you!”
He stopped and turned back.
“I don’t have cancer, I’m perfectly healthy.”
“Then your reactions these past few days…”
She smiled with her lips pressed together, cheeks blushing.
“I’m pregnant.”
Lu Qiming’s eyebrows furrowed even tighter.
“Don’t joke around!”
“It’s true, don’t believe me? Take a look.”
She took out the medical report and explained it to him.
Lu Qiming read it repeatedly several times, finally confirming that he was going to be a father.
“Happy, right?” Jiang Miaomiao’s eyes curved with joy.
He hugged her tightly while holding the report, and kissed her cheek passionately.
“This is wonderful!”
Gu Changzhou was forgotten outside and felt a bit awkward.
Lu Qiming released Jiang Miaomiao, got out of the car, and punched Gu Changzhou, knocking him to the ground.
“You bastard, trying to mess with our relationship!”
Gu Changzhou was momentarily stunned, then reacted and tripped him with his foot.
“Are you even worthy of saying that? You didn’t even know your own wife was pregnant. Is there any man in the world more unreliable than you?”
“I was planning to take her to the hospital, who asked you to butt in?”
“She’s my daughter!”
The two of them almost got into a fight, and Jiang Miaomiao desperately tried to intervene. They were both afraid of hurting her, so they immediately separated.
Gu Changzhou felt a little dejected and prepared to leave.
Lu Qiming suddenly said, “Wait,” walked into the shed, and came out with a chicken that he threw at Gu Changzhou.
“Take this, you’ve done a lot of work.”
Gu Changzhou: “… This chicken was for you guys.”
“If it’s for me, then just take it. Stop talking nonsense.”
“…”
Afraid that they might start fighting again, Jiang Miaomiao quickly put the chicken in the trunk and urged Gu Changzhou to leave, saying they could hang out another day.
The car disappeared into the night.
Lu Qiming gazed at the overlapping mountains, his expression not very pleasant.
She asked cautiously, “Are you angry? It was just a joke.”
He said, “When you joke with me, I don’t mind how you do it. Falling for the deception and being fooled, that’s on me for being stupid. But teaming up with someone else to deceive me, I can’t accept that.”
Although he didn’t use a single foul word and his voice lacked anger, Jiang Miaomiao felt her ears burning, deeply regretting it.
“I’m sorry.”
He looked at her coldly, unwilling to accept her apology.
Jiang Miaomiao touched her belly. “I’m so hungry. I was hungry on the way here. I want to eat grilled fish made by the most talented, handsome, and thoughtful man in the world.”
Lu Qiming was utterly helpless and surrendered, and he went to catch fish for her in the dark.
In the following days, Jiang Miaomiao lived a life fit for an empress.
She slept until she naturally woke up in the morning, and there was food waiting for her as soon as she woke up. She didn’t have to do anything all day; when she was thirsty or hungry, she just had to call out, and whatever she wanted would be delivered to her quickly.
She knew there was so much work to do on the farm and felt embarrassed to be so idle.
But Lu Qiming would not agree to let her work. He only wanted her to eat well, drink well, and have fun.
Soon, the Yangmei fruit ripened and needed help urgently.
Lu Qiming only had a few hundred yuan left from the last fish and vegetable sales, barely enough to buy two sets of clothes. He somehow managed to come back with three or four workers after going out for a drive.
Everyone worked together for over half a month, and they picked all the Yangmei fruits from the orchard and sold them at the wholesale market in the city.
After deducting the workers’ wages and the cost of renting the car, Lu Qiming had a little over twenty thousand yuan left. He opened a bank account and deposited the money into it, then handed the card over to Jiang Miaomiao.
Jiang Miaomiao was pleasantly surprised. “I don’t know how to handle money. If you give it to me, I won’t know where to put it.”
She felt it was like holding a hot potato; it was too troublesome.
Lu Qiming insisted firmly, “Our family’s money should be managed by you. If you can’t handle it, you’ll learn to manage it. There will be a day when you learn. If you lose it, we’ll earn it back. We can just drink plain porridge for a few months. What’s there to be afraid of?”
She couldn’t argue with him, so she took on the responsibility.
She felt unsafe no matter where she put the money, so she wrapped it in layers of clothes and stuffed it at the bottom of the wardrobe.
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