Chapter 74: The Wind Has Died Down

Sister Ling knew well that if it weren’t for her two children, she probably wouldn’t have made it this far. But finally, rescue had arrived. Now, her two children had survived—wasn’t that enough?

“Yes, better to live miserably than to die well. Don’t worry, we’ll live on…”

Her voice was soft but exceptionally firm. After enduring so many hardships and emotional ups and downs, her realization had come in an instant.

“Sister Ling, we only came by today by chance. Mianmian still has a few things to pick up. From now on, unless something urgent happens, we won’t bother you again. Just live here in peace.”

“Okay. Take whatever you need. Once the rain stops, we’ll leave. Thank you so much.”

As she spoke, she pulled her two children down to kowtow in gratitude.

The others rushed forward to help them up. Fortunately, Ye Mianmian’s supplies hadn’t been damaged. She carefully packed up her things, and Zhang Kaiyang came over to help. Whatever else could be said, at least he worked fast.

Song Yi directed everyone to open the window and throw the two corpses down. The woman didn’t hesitate—after all, her husband had been thrown out the same way. In a way, this was a form of vengeance.

“Don’t get your clothes dirty. Star, Moon, come here.”

The woman called her children, refusing Song Yi and Jiang Yuan’s help. She wanted her own children—He Xing and He Yue—to assist her.

The two kids were scared but obedient. They helped carry the two bodies to the window and toss them out. It took a lot of effort. Then they closed the window. Cold wind rushed in, and Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but shiver…

Once everything was done, Ye Mianmian and Zhang Kaiyang came out—supplies all packed up.

“Sister Ling, listen to me—don’t trust anyone in the future. Be cautious of everyone, even people who seem harmless. Star, Moon, you must remember this too, understand?”

“Mm. Thank you, Auntie. I understand. Now that Dad’s gone, I’ll take care of Mom and my sister.”

He Xing answered with conviction, as if he had grown up overnight—from a boy into a man.

Jiang Yuan was deeply moved. She realized she’d been a little too soft-hearted today. In the apocalypse, that could be fatal. But maybe this was a way of redeeming the regrets from her past life.

They helped move everything to the 20th floor, where Grandma Ye was already waiting. She was so happy to see them return.

“Grandma, go back to bed! Who let you come out without warm clothes?”

Ye Mianmian was worried she’d catch a cold. At her age, even a small illness could be serious—especially now. She quickly helped her back inside.

By then, it was already 3:20 a.m. Jiang Yuan and Song Yi said their goodbyes and went home to rest. Qin Yue stayed with Xiao Nuan. When Jiang Yuan returned, she asked a few questions, then went to her room.

Jiang Yuan tidied up and saw her daughter sleeping, curled up in a little ball. She held her tightly, kissing her over and over until Xiao Nuan stirred a little. Only then did she stop.

In her previous life, the humiliation she endured was no less than what Sister Ling had faced. That part of her past was something she never wanted to remember. It was all because of Zhou Mengmeng and Xia Chaoyang—she hated them even more now.

She would have her revenge.
She must.

The apocalypse had magnified the worst of human nature—rape, looting, cruelty—all born from desire. What she needed most now was to become strong, so she’d never be someone else’s victim again.

She also needed to extend her spatial ability’s duration to give herself and her family a way out.

With those thoughts in mind, she slowly fell asleep.

---

The next morning, Xiao Nuan woke up first, mumbling under the covers. Jiang Yuan felt warmth and tenderness in her heart, savoring a moment of parent-child closeness.

These days, she’d been sleeping less and less. In the past, her endocrine system would’ve been all out of whack by now. But the apocalypse really tempered people—many things had changed without her even noticing.

At 8:30 sharp, they had breakfast. Her mom made steamed dumplings from a batch that had been pre-made and frozen. She also steamed a couple of corn cobs and made egg drop soup. It all felt so peaceful.

“Sweetie,” her dad Jiang Xingzhi said, “I think the rain’s lighter today. Maybe the wind too—the noise isn’t as loud.”

His words caught Jiang Yuan’s attention. She grabbed a corn cob and ran to the window.

Sure enough, it was just as her dad said. The wind had died down quite a bit, and the rain tapping against the window wasn’t nearly as loud.

“It’s true!”

It looked like the storm was almost over. She’d need to monitor this closely. As soon as it was safe to go outside, she had to be among the first. She also needed to reassess their travel routes.

Back when they discussed targets with Song Yi and the others, they hadn’t included the building materials market or the horticultural supply center—but for her, those were top priorities.

“Sweetie, come eat first. You can go out and look afterward.”

“Okay!”

Jiang Yuan answered but didn’t move. The foggy weather outside was eerie. Even the outlines of buildings across the way were blurred. Something felt… off. Like she’d forgotten something important—like a piece was missing from her heart.

“Hurry up, sweetie!” Qin Yue called, worried the soup would get cold.

“Coming!”

…

After breakfast, she quickly got ready to go outside. Seeing this, Jiang Xingzhi wanted to go with her.

“Dad, I’m just going to check if the rain has really let up. I’m not going far.”

Due to the wind, their home was shielded from most of the rain. The hallway window on the opposite side of the building provided a better view. Since rain didn’t hit it directly—and even slanted away—it was perfect for checking weather.

“Still, I’m going with you. I don’t feel safe letting you go alone.”

“Alright, fine!”

Unable to refuse him, she let her dad come along. When they opened the stairwell door, Song Yi was already there.

As always, his timing was impeccable—as if he’d predicted she’d come.

“The rain’s lighter. I came to check.”

“Let’s go together,” Song Yi said, walking over to help open the window.

Cold air rushed in, and they all shivered.

Song Yi pulled out a piece of paper and stuck it outside the window.

Jiang Yuan didn’t know what he was doing, but she didn’t interrupt.

About a minute later, he let go. The soaked piece of paper drifted downward.

“The wind has weakened. The rain’s about the same.”

Jiang Yuan stretched her neck to get a better look, still puzzled.

“What was that you just did?”

“Just a quick test. I’ll explain it later.”

He turned to help Jiang Xingzhi close the window.

“With the wind down, we can start moving again.”

Jiang Yuan thought about her upgrade materials—she was more than ready to get going.