Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Extreme Heat, A Precautionary Warning

Kuang Jiaying didn’t consider it a difficult task and readily agreed. "Fine! I promise. But besides that group, what other dangers in the forest make you so wary?"

Evidently, Kuang Jiaying had encountered his share of trouble in the city to be this cautious.

Jiang Si glanced at Qin Shen, who looked like he couldn’t be bothered to speak.

She explained the dangers they had encountered in the forest, adding with emphasis, "And those aren’t the only dangers. Just be careful."

Kuang Jiaying took note, left a few men to watch them, and then led the rest into the forest.

Back inside, the room was empty and pitifully bare.

Niu Niu’s stomach started to GRUMBLE. Shen Baoying went to the kitchen and cooked a pot of noodles for everyone. As Jiang Si went to get bowls, Shen Baoying glanced at the human posts standing guard in the living room and asked in a hushed voice, "Should we give them some?"

Jiang Si shook her head. "Food is too precious right now. They’re special forces. I doubt they’re desperate for a bite of our food."

To avoid raising suspicion, Shen Baoying didn’t even dare add scallions or egg to the noodles. But her cooking was so good that even a simple broth made with dried shrimp and mushrooms was enough to make their mouths water.

Niu Niu licked her bowl clean and smiled sweetly. "Aunt Shen, your noodles are so good! Way better than Daddy’s."

Shen Baoying started to say, ’If you want more, just tell Auntie,’ but she swallowed the words. Instead, she turned to Lu Zhifeng. "It’s not that hard. I can teach your dad how to make it for you."

Niu Niu clapped her little hands, her face beaming with joy.

Having silently eaten two large bowls, Qin Shen stood up and helped Jiang Si clear the dishes, his polite and measured actions making him look just like a model son-in-law trying to make a good first impression.

The others exchanged subtle glances and broke into knowing smiles.

There were only a few bowls. Jiang Si’s hand brushed against his, their well-defined fingers touching for a fleeting moment before pulling apart.

Qin Shen said bluntly, "Sorry."

Jiang Si gave him a sidelong glance. "It’s fine. I can handle it."

Qin Shen handed the bowl to her. As Jiang Si walked into the kitchen, she heard one of their guards ask Qin Shen, "Where are you going?"

Qin Shen replied, "Home."

The soldiers looked surprised; they had thought Qin Shen was part of the family.

Qin Shen was tailed to the house next door. He returned carrying a red plastic bag.

He handed it to Jiang Si, his expression perfectly composed. "For the meal."

With this clear gesture of drawing a boundary, Jiang Si instantly dismissed any suspicion that he might be interested in her.

She took the plastic bag and saw it was filled with hazelnuts, probably a couple of pounds’ worth.

Hazelnuts were nutritious and filling. No matter how you looked at it, they were getting the better end of the deal.

Jiang Si took just a handful and smiled. "This is more than enough."

Niu Niu quickly tugged on Lu Zhifeng’s sleeve. "Daddy, we have to give something too."

Lu Zhifeng addressed Shen Baoying. "Aunt Shen, I’ll bring over some preserved vegetables for you later. I hope you won’t mind." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Ordinarily, Shen Baoying would have waved it off, saying there was no need for payment for a simple bowl of noodles.

But since Qin Shen had already offered something, it would be awkward to refuse Lu Zhifeng’s offer.

Shen Baoying smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. With the wild boar meat Xiao Shen gave us before, we can make pork belly with preserved greens."

The special forces soldiers clutched the coarse grain biscuits in their pockets. Listening to the talk of savory mushroom noodles, hazelnuts, and pork belly with preserved greens, a flicker of longing passed through their eyes. ’These people are living pretty well,’ they thought.

’This house is cooler than other places, too.’

The layout of traps inside, the reinforced railings, and the sheet-metal windows all told them this family was not to be underestimated.

Everyone sat in the living room, dozing off. Dawn was breaking, but Kuang Jiaying and his men still hadn’t returned.

Anxiety began to show on the faces of the special forces soldiers guarding them.

So many men had gone into the forest. If they failed to find the mushrooms that could block radiation, they would be in grave danger.

Ren Jishan was their most capable soldier. If his men didn’t come out soon, he was prepared to go in after them.

Before leaving, Kuang Jiaying had specifically left him a shriveled, radiation-blocking mushroom.

He looked over at Jiang Si, who was resting comfortably on Jiang Linhai’s shoulder, and suddenly asked, "On the way back, are there any places to shelter from the solar radiation?"

Jiang Si opened her eyes and shook her head. "We certainly didn’t find any."

Ren Jishan’s expression grew grimmer. Just then, the lookout upstairs shouted good news: "Brother Ren, they’re back! They’re all back!"

Everyone rushed to the window. Kuang Jiaying was holding a giant red mushroom like an umbrella. The others behind him also held up mushrooms of various brilliant colors. Even the wounded on stretchers were completely covered, so thoroughly shielded that it looked like an army of mushroom spirits chattering and clamoring their way into the village.

Now that the men were back, they needed a place to stay.

Kuang Jiaying had promised Jiang Si he wouldn’t let his men occupy their home.

So he had the others take shelter in the village’s vacant, relatively undamaged houses for the time being.

As he stepped into the house, a wave of cool air washed over him. He paused for a moment, then made his promise to Jiang Si. "Once everyone is settled, I’ll have the food supplies delivered to you personally."

Jiang Si asked, "Did you catch that group from the forest?"

Kuang Jiaying glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk. "A few got away, but it doesn’t matter. We’ll be standing guard here. They won’t dare to come back and retaliate."

Jiang Si wasn’t worried about that. She just nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Commander."

Her words were a clear dismissal, but Kuang Jiaying acted as if he hadn’t heard. He glanced around the house and remarked meaningfully, "Your home is rather cool."

Jiang Si replied nonchalantly, "Yes. We put up a sunshade, and it just so happens to work well."

’What kind of sunshade is this effective? And what a coincidence.’

Kuang Jiaying’s gaze deepened, and he changed the subject. "We’ve found a water source. If you need water, just let me know."

’He’s being that kind?’

Jiang Si asked skeptically, "And we don’t need to trade anything for it?"

Kuang Jiaying shook his head. "Our purpose is to serve the people. As long as you haven’t committed a crime, you are good citizens. It is our duty."

Jiang Si decided to take him at his word, for now. "Alright. If we need to, we’ll come find you. Or we can just get water ourselves."

’Such a bold claim, that they can get it themselves.’ His own men had nearly died getting to the forest.

Kuang Jiaying’s gaze lingered on her face for a long moment.

Suddenly, Qin Shen stepped forward, blocking their line of sight. Kuang Jiaying shot him a glance, an amused smile playing on his lips, then turned and left.

Lu Zhifeng said cheerfully, "The authorities are getting water for us, and they’ll protect this place and keep order. If we can figure out how to build temperature-controlled greenhouses for crops, things might actually start to turn around."

But Jiang Si, who had lived through this once before, thought his vision was far too optimistic.

Although she wished it were true, she knew that months of such high temperatures would inevitably be followed by torrential downpours. It was better to give him a dose of reality.

Jiang Si said worriedly, "After months of nonstop high temperatures, if a sudden, violent storm hits, the whole world could be torn apart. It’s better to be prepared."