"Your dad went to the slaughterhouse. He'll be back in the evening."
Cheng Yali led Zhou Lin and Ai Bing into the house, with Hei Zi obediently squatting at the door.
Zhou Lin's room was on the second floor, and Cheng Yali placed Ai Bing in the room next to Zhou Lin's. If it weren't for Zhou Lin's whispers, she would have said the guest room wasn't ready, suggesting Ai Bing share with her son.
Once inside, Ai Bing realized Zhou Lin's family was quite well-off. The house, though simple on the outside, was equipped with modern decor and appliances, comparable to any city home. This reignited her interest—maybe Zhou Lin was worth reconsidering, especially if he didn't have that sister.
"What's going on? Tell me properly," Cheng Yali asked, closing the door.
"Mom, it's a long story..."
"Then make it short!" Cheng Yali glared.
"Mom, do you understand rebirth?" Zhou Lin rubbed his temples. He decided to tell the truth, knowing it would be hard to get his parents' unconditional support otherwise. Conveniently, Ai Bing wanted to take a bath, giving mother and son plenty of time to talk.
"So... you've actually died once?" Cheng Yali didn't care about apocalypses or natural disasters. She only knew that Zhou Lin had died once, and it was because Ai Bing and others had pushed him off a cliff!
"Mom, what are you doing?" Zhou Lin grabbed Cheng Yali.
"What do you think? I'm going to kill that little...!" Cheng Yali, eyes red with anger, dragged Zhou Lin towards the door.
"Mom, listen to me!" Zhou Lin blocked the door, "Though the disaster has begun, society won't collapse immediately. It'd cause too much trouble if people found out. Besides, killing her now would be too easy."
"Then what do you suggest? I can't just swallow this anger!" Cheng Yali panted.
"That's a minor issue. The key is that we need to move."
"Move?"
"Yes!" Zhou Lin nodded. In his past life, though he couldn't return to Shudu, the first month of cooling saw continuous snowfall globally. Snow piled up to bury anything below three floors, and their valley home would be buried in days. The lower layers of snow would turn to ice under cold and weight, leaving no way out if they stayed.
As for the Laifu, Zhou Lin didn't plan to reveal it until society completely collapsed and hadn't even told Cheng Yali.
"We need to wait for your dad to come back and discuss this. How many days until it cools?"
"Six days, Mom. And not just cooling, but darkness too." Even after experiencing it once, Zhou Lin shivered at the thought. For humans, a world without sunlight was terrifying.
Cheng Yali nodded, "I'll call your dad and have him come back immediately."
"Good, but don't let anything slip in front of her."
When they opened the door, Ai Bing was still in the bath, giving Cheng Yali time to collect herself.
By noon, Zhou Caijun returned. Unaware, he was pleased to see Ai Bing and suggested having a drink, but one look from Cheng Yali shut him up. He quietly complained to Zhou Lin about his diminishing authority at home.
Ai Bing sensed nothing, and after lunch, Zhou Lin took her to a nearby farm.
The 20,000-square-meter farm, filled with pigs and chickens, impressed Ai Bing, making her see Zhou Lin's family in a new light. She looked at him with glowing admiration.
"How much are all these worth?"
"Hard to say. Wealth isn't counted until it's sold. A disease outbreak could ruin a year's work."
"Really..." Ai Bing pouted, thinking Zhou Lin was downplaying it. The farm workers alone must cost millions annually, so the family's profits had to exceed the wages.
"Let's go back."
Zhou Lin received a message from Cheng Yali and didn't want to waste time. Once home, Zhou Caijun pulled Zhou Lin into the study.
Despite Cheng Yali's imposing figure and assertive demeanor, the real decision-maker was the small, submissive Zhou Caijun.
"Is what you told your mom true?"
Zhou Caijun became serious as soon as the door closed.
"Dad, would I joke about this? Both Mount St. Helens and Yellowstone have erupted!"
"I know." Zhou Caijun frowned, giving Zhou Lin a cigarette. "We have over a thousand pigs and two thousand half-grown chickens. If we rush to sell, it might cause suspicion."
"We can't worry about that. We need to liquidate quickly and buy supplies!" Zhou Lin insisted.
Zhou Caijun pondered, letting the cigarette burn to the filter before crushing it. It wasn't that he was indecisive—rebirth and the apocalypse sounded far-fetched. If not for global volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, he would've sent Zhou Lin for a mental checkup.
"Six days?"
"Six days, then no more sun." Zhou Lin shook his head. "We need to move. Didn't you buy a top-floor apartment in Lanshan? It'll be safest there for the next three months. As for here... we'll see if it's buried after three months."
City supplies would be depleted in three months. Even with government aid, resources would be scarce, driving some to desperation. Living in densely populated areas would be dangerous.
"Alright. I'll handle the farm. You and your mom handle supplies. Use the pickup for now. What about that woman?"
"She doesn't like the countryside. When we go to the city, we'll leave her at Lanshan to clean. Make use of her."
"You don't plan to keep her forever?"
"Dad, I'm not that foolish. But I won't let her off easily. We'll keep her as a maid for now."
Having experienced the apocalypse, Zhou Lin was thorough. He wouldn't let Ai Bing go without extracting all her worth. For example, he planned to get the money from her bank account for their use.
The method was simple. He told Ai Bing that not only did Zhou Caijun and Cheng Yali see her as a future daughter-in-law, but they also planned to put the Lanshan apartment in their names, though they'd need to cover the remaining balance and fees.
"I didn't agree," Zhou Lin said.
"Why not?" Ai Bing asked urgently.
"We don't have the money. The balance and fees total 700,000-800,000 yuan. I can't ask my parents for it!"
"You don't have it, but I do!" Ai Bing exclaimed. "I can lend it to you."
Lend?
Zhou Lin couldn't help but laugh.