Chapter 24: Extreme Heat, Solar Flare

The entire family was shocked by the intensity of the solar radiation.

Shen Baoying anxiously asked, “Will we get skin cancer from this?”

Jiang Si shook her head. “No, as long as we don’t go outside and avoid direct sunlight, we’re safe.”

Everyone breathed a small sigh of relief but still lamented, “Who knows when this will end?”

The village was eerily quiet—likely, only a few people remained.

Jiang Si comforted them, “It’s alright. We have plenty of supplies, and we can keep growing food. Even if we never go outside again, we’ll be fine.”

They did have enough supplies, and crops could be grown, but… what if it never rained again?

Without water, what would Si Si do in the future? No one voiced it, but everyone was silently worried.

The heat was unbearable. No one could go ten days or half a month without bathing or even wiping down.

Jiang Si soaked in the bathtub, using a natural, eco-friendly soap. Even the used water could be recycled to water the vegetable garden.

Wrapped in a towel, her hair fluffy and damp, she stepped out of the bathroom feeling several pounds lighter.

Nothing beat a proper bath.

The nanny gave Xiaohei and Dahei a bath in a basin. The two dogs shook off the water and happily rubbed against her, their short, thick fur carrying a pleasant scent.

Jiang Si reached out and rubbed their heads. “Come on, time to eat.”

The brief moment of calm allowed Shen Baoying to make a full table of hearty dishes.

Braised pork ribs with radish, mapo tofu, candied sweet potatoes, eggplant with minced meat, spicy chicken bites, cucumber salad, tomato egg soup, and a steaming pot of fresh buns.

They hadn’t had a peaceful meal in days. Everyone dug in eagerly, grabbing buns like they were gold.

Shen Baoying’s cooking was top-notch. Jiang Si devoured the food happily, her lips glistening with oil. Xiaohei’s belly bulged after just one bun, but it still looked up at her with round, glistening eyes full of longing.

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

Xiaohei’s airplane-like ears perked up, and its little tail wagged like a propeller, as if it was ready to take off from pure joy.

Jiang Si couldn’t help herself and patted its perfectly round head. “No one’s gonna steal it. Take your time.”

Dahei, equally spoiled by Grandma, had already been fed several large buns and barely touched its regular dog food.

After the satisfying meal, Jiang Si let everyone rest while she climbed up to the attic to survey the surroundings.

The village was dead silent—shattered windows, dark interiors. It was hard to tell if anyone had survived.

Suddenly, smoke rose from the Qin family’s house next door.

His house looked like a honeycomb, full of holes—yet he was still alive. The man was ridiculously resilient.

Jiang Si adjusted the zoom on her binoculars and peeked inside the Qin home.

And then—bam!—a half-naked Qin Shen filled her entire view.

Startled, Jiang Si instinctively shifted her gaze—then froze, wide-eyed.

Sure, he had a great body, but wasn’t it a bit much to be strutting around completely naked at home?

Had the rats shredded all his clothes?

But then… his flawless collarbones, butterfly-shaped back muscles… not a scratch on him.

Could it be… he had some sort of special preference?

Almost as if sensing her stare, Qin Shen suddenly turned his head.

Those dark eyes locked onto hers like a beast seizing its prey.

Jiang Si felt a chill run down her spine.

What an intense sense of awareness.

Qin Shen casually picked up a wooden board to cover himself, then stared straight at her.

Only then did Jiang Si realize—with horror—that she looked like some perverted voyeur holding a pair of binoculars.

She’d witnessed all sorts of situations in her past life, but this still made her feel awkward. She quickly hid the binoculars.

She’d just wanted to check whether he still had all his limbs—how could she have known he wasn’t wearing anything?

Jiang Linhai came upstairs and saw her standing with her back to the window, her expression flustered. He looked at her suspiciously.
“Why is your face so red? Are you running a fever?”

Jiang Si, flustered, shook her head. “Just hot.”

Jiang Linhai didn’t buy it. He reached out and touched her forehead, then frowned deeply. “You do feel warm. Got a thermometer? Let’s take your temperature.”

Jiang Si was sure she wasn’t sick, but Jiang Linhai insisted.

When the thermometer beeped, it read 38.8°C (101.8°F)—she really was running a fever.

Jiang Linhai panicked and rushed her downstairs, making her lie down in bed.

Soon, the whole family gathered—some with medicine, others with hot water, fans, and tomatoes.

Shen Baoying handed Jiang Si her pills and asked worriedly, “How did you get a fever out of nowhere? Could it be the plague?”

“If only we had a doctor in the house…”

Jiang Si put on a mask and reassured them,
“It’s not the plague—just exhaustion and weakness. The fever isn’t too high. Once I recover, my immune system will improve. The body adapts to survive in the apocalypse, so there’s no need to worry.”

Still, they all blamed themselves for overworking her.

Shen Baoying said guiltily, “You rest well. We’ll take care of the house.”

Jiang Si nodded. “And be careful yourselves. If anyone else starts feeling weak or sore, take medicine right away. Don’t delay.”

“Okay.”

Everyone quietly left the room and closed the door.

Jiang Si lay in bed, planning to nap for a bit. When she woke up again, it was already dark outside.

Shen Baoying came in with a bowl of millet porridge.
“Si Si, feeling any better?”

Jiang Si nodded and pulled out the thermometer from under her arm.
“38°C. The fever’s gone down.”

Shen Baoying let out a sigh of relief.
“Just a couple more doses, and you’ll be fine.”
She glanced out the window and added happily,
“At night, we’re safe from the solar radiation. If we need to leave this place, nighttime’s our window.”

Jiang Si, knowing they were all secretly worried about water, pointed southeast.
“Thirty-five li from here, there’s an underground water source. Dad found it in our previous life. Once I’m better, I’ll go check. If it’s still there, we’ll settle. If it’s dried up, we’ll prepare to relocate and search for a new water source.”

Shen Baoying’s eyes lit up, then dimmed.
“But it’s too dangerous for you to go alone.”

Jiang Si smiled.
“If I run into danger, I can always hide in my space. If you all come with me and the sun rises suddenly, that would be much worse.”

Shen Baoying sighed.
“We’re such a burden to you.”

Jiang Si shook her head.
“Not a burden. This—this is the happiness I begged for in my past life and never got.”

Shen Baoying’s eyes turned misty.
“Yes… it is happiness.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Suddenly, Dahei barked.

Jiang Si shot up and looked out the window.

In the dark, a flickering torch approached their house.

Before long, Lu Zhifeng appeared, carrying Niuniu on his back. He knocked on the door.
“Jiang Linhai? Are you there?”

Everyone looked to Jiang Si.

“He’s probably here for supplies. Go ahead and let him in.”

Creak—

The door opened. Jiang Linhai stepped out.

Seeing he was still alive, Lu Zhifeng breathed a sigh of relief.
“I came to collect the rest of the supplies… and was hoping to trade for some water. Is that okay?”