Chapter 321: Bound to the Child-Bearing System and Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 322: Natural Disaster Apocalypse Cannon Fodder (

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

After one meal, the family's emotions were mostly relieved.

Wei Minzhi returned to full health again, regaining her gift of gab, and dragged the three still-timid children off to play in the tent, leaving Wei's father and mother and Shen Yao and Wei Mingyu exchanging glances.

"Go back to sleep first. The officials said we rest for two days; we're not in a hurry to leave." Likewise, they weren't in a hurry to speak; there was plenty of time.

Wei's father interrupted, directly sending Wei Mingyu back to the erected tent.

Wei Mingyu wasn't polite either; he rubbed his eyes that he could barely open and said, "Fine. Let me rest first, then we'll talk about the journey."

No matter how difficult it was, they had endured it, and now there was even less reason to dwell on the dangerous past.

Getting up, Wei Mingyu returned to the tent, and before long, steady snoring sounds rose.

Three people remained at the dining table. Wei's mother then sent Shen Yao to wait in the car, "You've been busy for quite a while already. Leave this side to your father and me."

The two old folks couldn't exert much strength; they could only do some manageable chores to make Shen Yao and the others more relaxed. For example, Wei's mother planned to wash and put away the bowls and chopsticks from the finished meal herself.

Hearing this, Shen Yao refused. How could she be a hands-off elder? Besides, she was only a daughter-in-law, not a biological daughter.

After exchanging a few polite words, Shen Yao took over and busied herself with Wei's mother. Wei's father brought a water bucket to wash Wei Mingyu's car. After the three of them finished their tasks, the entire camp quieted down.

Those who came out more or less had resting tools. At this time, not a few were able to return. Having eaten their fill and drunk enough, and having just experienced a heart-stopping life-and-death escape, everyone's body and spirit needed rest.

Snoring sounds rose and fell endlessly, yet everyone was unaffected. It showed that humans are indeed creatures extremely capable of adapting to their environment.

Shen Yao lay on the car and slept. When she opened her eyes, the sky had already darkened.

At the temporary camp, dim lights lit up one by one.

Shen Yao shook her head, pushed open the car door, and jumped down herself to stretch her body.

Dinner was relatively simple. Wei's father and Wei's mother took some instant food and simply heated it. Neither adults nor children were picky.

After eating, Wei Minzhi planned to take a shower, plus wash her somewhat greasy and messy hair.

Wei's mother and Shen Yao were somewhat tempted, including Wei Chengning shouting along. They all kept medium-length hair, which looked flowing and beautiful when spread out, but now it clung to their scalps and even emitted a strange odor.

"There's a pond ahead. Let's go draw water. Everyone can wash up while it's evening."

Going into the water was definitely out of the question. No matter how hot, they couldn't jump into a wild pond.

After speaking, Shen Yao and Wei Mingyu carried water buckets together to line up for water. Wei Minzhi and Wei's father and mother stayed at the camp to gather firewood and boil the kettle, striving to heat the water as soon as possible for standby.

Back and forth several trips, they took out the collapsible bathing tub and placed it in the tent, starting with the three little ones, then the several adults at home took turns washing.

By the time the hot water in the tent was completely used up, the time had already reached ten o'clock in the evening.

Unlike traveling at night before, and unlike sleeping at night, now there were still many people around interacting, chatting, joking, and fooling around. The atmosphere in the camp was relaxed, with no tension at all.

"It's rare to escape death, and the road ahead is smooth." When the spirit relaxes, the body becomes much more loose.

Wei Mingyu leaned sideways against the car window, with Shen Yao beside him. They were only a few steps from the tent.

"It's almost over," Shen Yao tilted her head to look at Wei Mingyu, her tone carefree.

Wei Mingyu laughed, "Yes." They had endured countless hardships and finally successfully left Rimu City.

Wei Mingyu lightly put his arm around Shen Yao's shoulder, looking at the moon hanging in the sky, softly recounting the difficulties of this trip. Now that the light boat had passed ten thousand mountains, it seemed he could say these were nothing much.

Shen Yao laughed out loud, "Careful others hear it and blame you for being too high-profile." Being able to protect themselves didn't mean others were the same.

Along this journey, how many people they had lost, they had a vague concept in their hearts.

As the Swift Wind Monkey Group was thrown behind them, the originally vague concept gradually became clear. Approximately thirty percent of the population had lost their lives on this journey.

Thirty percent—truly a figure that made one's heart skip upon hearing it.

Shen Yao leaned on Wei Mingyu's shoulder. The two of them were filled with human voices and insect chirping in their ears. On such an evening full of the warmth of everyday life, their states of mind were soothed.

…………

Early the next morning, the camp, which had been quiet for a long time, began to come alive.

Shen Yao rarely slept well. When she woke up in the morning, the sky was not yet bright.

Carrying a water bucket, she ran to the pond not far away and drew several buckets of water back for grooming and cleaning. Shen Yao then changed into a clean sports outfit, covering herself from head to toe except for her eyes.

Wei Mingyu was sitting in the car organizing supplies, while also checking the condition of the two vehicles, including engine, tires, and other issues. What could be repaired, he and Wei's father did by hand. What couldn't be repaired for now, they found things to alleviate, to prevent the car from breaking down or stalling on the road, forcing them to abandon the vehicle and leave.

Wei's mother and Wei Minzhi were cooking. They took out newly opened bags of rice, paired with ham, eggs, and dried vegetables, and cooked a large pot of rice with their heads down.

The smell of rice made people nostalgic—the kind that feels enough when eaten often, but is missed when not eaten.

The side dishes were several bottles of sealed pickled vegetables. Wei's mother also showed off her skills by mixing a plate of cold dishes. The family sat together to fill their bellies, directly clearing a full table of food.

"Eat something good for lunch. We're traveling tomorrow. After resting again, it'll be time to get on the National Highway."

At other times, they would most likely simply stop on the road, saving everything to hurry and reach their destination.

Wei Mingyu understood the situation from the officials and discussed it with Shen Yao. At the same time, they decided that this time they must closely follow behind the official car fleet and not fall behind.

"The later it gets, the more the situation improves, the less we can relax." Some people just watch for this moment to cause trouble. Anyway, once people die, they can't come back to life. Even if the enemies don't end well in the end, what can it do? You won't be around anymore.

Shen Yao had them take out the weapons they had prepared, not for anything else, just for self-defense.

Knives, spears, clubs, and also axes and sledgehammers. Not only Shen Yao's family, but others also had several cold, sharp weapons tucked at their waists or behind their backs, used to intimidate those with impure intentions.

Shen Yao played with the dagger in her hand. It was very small, but the dagger was sharp. A light stroke could cut the skin, causing blood to flow freely.

She currently had nothing to do. The officials had already organized management personnel to count the number of arrivals. They would depart at six o'clock tomorrow morning.

They were located in the front half of the line. Around them were mostly officials or young and strong forces. A configuration like their family of several people was relatively rare.

Nowadays, when people met, they didn't talk much. At most, they nodded as a greeting.

Those with intentions would say a couple of words to probe each other's bottom line. Those without intentions would seize the opportunity to collect supplies around them, to prevent lacking clothes and food and starving themselves on the road.

Shen Yao and Wei Mingyu's side lacked nothing. Food and water resources were sufficient. Plus, there were three children, so it was inconvenient to leave for too long. Therefore, they only walked around the camp.

But even so, Wei Mingyu still brought back two plump rabbits and some wild chickens.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao couldn't figure out why wild chickens and rabbits still appeared at this time. No, on such a hot day, why not hide in a hole and instead run out with effort? What were they after?

"Just deal with them directly, stew them tonight to eat; these things will spoil if kept too long," Wei Mingyu handed them to Shen Yao, and the two went to the water bucket, then each took a knife and cleanly disposed of the rabbits and wild chickens.

"Add some dried vegetables and some seasoning; for tonight's and tomorrow morning's two meals, we can finish all of this."

While the wild became primitive and hard to survive in, it also gave animals a chance to grow. Whether wild chickens, wild rabbits, or larger wild beasts, they were all much bigger than before the natural disaster struck, and their aggressiveness had increased significantly.

Like the wild chicken and wild rabbit in Shen Yao's hands, just the meat together weighed over ten jin, and this was only during summer when they don't fatten up.

If it were autumn, with no lack of grain, wild rabbits and wild chickens would grow even fatter; just a layer of fat could render quite a bit of oil.

When Shen Yao was in Rimu City, she had eaten plenty of domesticated wild rabbits and wild boars; the taste naturally couldn't compare to chickens, ducks, and pigs, but it was still decent.

Now looking at the meat in her hands, hmm, tonight she'd make braised everything and eat it all up.

A large basin of braised pork and spicy stir-fried meat chunks covered the entire table; Wei's mother showed off her excellent craftsmanship and successfully made the whole family eat until stuffed.

Shen Yao touched her round, full belly and rubbed her bloated waist.

Huff.

Not to mention anything else, just this satisfaction of being full made her feel somewhat lightheaded and blissful.

No wonder they say good food heals the heart; no matter when, eating a delicious meal can temporarily make people forget their pain.

Because they were hitting the road tomorrow, no one kept watch tonight; everyone tacitly went to sleep, striving not to fall behind tomorrow and to reach their destination in one go.

The camp late at night was peaceful, until the unbearable sound of insects chirping rose, and only then did this camp filled with human presence come to life.

Busily preparing breakfast, eating and drinking their fill, then hurrying onto the vehicles to follow along, until the scenery on both sides changed, and they suddenly realized they had really made it out.

Wei Minzhi sat in the front passenger seat, with Shen Yao still driving; the back seat held Wei Chengning and Wei's mother, while Wei's father was in Wei Mingyu's car, and the two took turns driving.

The car drove on the road, occasionally bumping twice due to uneven roads; most of the time it was smooth, with not a single dangerous creature appearing.

Indeed, just as the officials said, once they were out of the Jifeng Monkey Group, the surrounding danger level dropped rapidly; next was taking the National Highway to Hope City, with difficulty comparable to ordinary children playing house.

Wei Minzhi called out "Sister-in-law," then took out her backpack to get snacks.

Shen Yao ate several bites through Wei Minzhi's hand, then said her backpack also had food, which could be taken out to share with others in the car.

"Eat a little less; your sister-in-law is busy driving, help more by keeping an eye on the situation."

Wei's mother disliked that her own daughter lacked awareness, was useless at everything, and never had enough to eat; if she was still like this when they reached Hope City, it would be worrisome.

Wei Minzhi cheerfully shared the things in her hand with those handed to Wei's mother, and also gave the largest and tastiest one to Wei Chengning.

"It's very safe outside; there are official car fleets scouting ahead," even so, if something happened, it could only be said they were jinxed and unfit to go out.

Wei Minzhi was carefree, making Wei's mother's heart ache with anger; the mother and daughter bickered back and forth in the car, giving Shen Yao a chance to listen to crosstalk.

Shen Yao:...

To be honest, it was quite refreshing and invigorating, especially since these two spoke in a bizarre way, their voices constantly drilling into her head, truly impossible to stop.

After driving for a day, they stopped at night to set up camp; the car fleet remained safe and sound.

Perhaps it was truly that after extreme misfortune comes good fortune; from this day until they finished the National Highway, they walked about five or six days in between, encountering no trouble at all.

Not only that, they could occasionally hunt along the way to satisfy their cravings, eating some fresh meat to supplement nutrition.

Shen Yao:... truly amazing.

Shen Yao, who found it amazing, shook her head; she was now sitting in the front passenger seat, watching Wei Minzhi grip the steering wheel without moving.

"The National Highway is flat, relax," don't be afraid, it's not some bomb, why is your body so tense.

Wei Minzhi looked embarrassed, "Sister-in-law, I'm just afraid inside," when driving before, the Jifeng Monkey Group left a deep impression on her, so much so that Wei Minzhi was nervous every time she drove afterward.

This was an involuntary reaction of the body; Wei Minzhi didn't want to be like this, but she couldn't control it.

Whenever she thought of that bloody night, Wei Minzhi inevitably trembled; now the trembling habit was slowly under control, but the fear had not yet improved.

Shen Yao also wanted Wei Minzhi to adapt, which was why she let the other drive after they got on the National Highway.

"Once you get used to it, we'll soon reach Hope City," Shen Yao tilted her head, feeling that Wei Minzhi's temperament was more suited to doing some small business herself.

By then they would cooperate with Wei's father and Wei's mother to open a small Animal Husbandry Garden, raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs, cows, sheep, and other livestock, which could both make money and improve daily life.

However, this matter still needed careful consideration; they were currently here in the name of support, and once settled they could enter the unit to work.

This was a job that guaranteed harvest regardless of drought or flood; quitting would make it hard to find another, so they had to ensure the fallback plan was problem-free, otherwise they couldn't resign lightly.

Shen Yao pondered the arrangements after entering Hope City, especially since their family had both old and young, unlike others who had no worries.

That evening, the car fleet stopped again; with the management personnel's notification, the team atmosphere was especially lively.

Who wouldn't be happy? They were about to reach Hope City, which also meant they bid farewell to a month of travel and finally awaited a good result.

Every household took out their treasures kept at the bottom of the box; especially some people, to celebrate the hardships of this journey, also ate their stored food and cured meat.

Shen Yao's family was no exception; Wei's mother used her skills to make a full table, although there were many dishes and little meat, it didn't taste any worse than pure meat.

Wei's mother even guaranteed that once they entered the city tomorrow, they would eat a good meal.

Hope City was an emerging city; the buildings inside were grander than Rimu City, including food, clothing, and daily necessities; as long as you spent money, anything could be bought.

Coincidentally, their family did not lack external possessions; the proposal to have a good feast upon entering the city won the agreement of everyone at home.