Chapter 5: Waiting for the Apocalypse

“Jiang Yuan, do you know where my credit card is?”

So, Boss Xia had finally discovered his credit card was missing. Too bad for him—he still didn’t know she had already maxed it out.

“If your credit card’s gone, go get a replacement. Why are you asking me?”

After saying that, Jiang Yuan shut off her phone and dipped the shrimp paste Qin Yue gave her into the sauce—delicious!

To replace a credit card, you need an ID. And getting a new ID takes at least half a month. Xia Chaoyang probably wouldn’t get to use any of his credit cards ever again in this lifetime.

That night was another battle—but large water jugs were much lighter than bags of rice and flour. It only took a little over half an hour to move them all upstairs.

The most important things left were weapons and medicine. Although she had picked up a few at the outdoor store, she still felt it wasn’t enough.

As for medicine, regular over-the-counter stuff wasn’t an issue, and she’d managed to get her hands on a good amount of specialized drugs too.

So she once again turned to her phone and the almighty world of online shopping. As expected—there was nothing you couldn’t buy if you could think of it.

Fever reducers, cold medicine, painkillers, anti-itch cream, insecticide, mosquito repellent, alcohol, cotton swabs, gauze, penicillin, syringes—anything that seemed remotely useful, she ordered.

There were still over 7 days left. Plenty of time for delivery. She also used her parents’ phones to place similar orders, repeating the process. By now, she had pretty much everything she needed.

Jiang Yuan ended up buying three large ceramic vats for her mom—two for pickling sauerkraut, and one for pickling salted vegetables.

They were massive—the kind that could pickle over 200 jin (100 kg) of cabbage each.

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September 8th – 7 Days Until the Apocalypse

The weather had been getting hotter by the day. Even early in the morning, it was already around 33°C, and by noon, it was hitting 38°C. Many people on social media were complaining about the so-called “autumn tiger” heatwave.

The meat delivery arrived on schedule. After helping move it all upstairs, Jiang Yuan took Xiao Nuan out for a trip.

With this much stuff coming in, Qin Yue couldn’t handle it alone, so Jiang Xingzhi stayed behind to help at home.

The meat, bones, and everything else had to be washed, cut, vacuum-sealed, and frozen—not an easy task.

For her mom, Jiang Yuan bought a full set of vegetable seeds, including herbs, and all the tools needed for balcony gardening: soil, rooting powder, stackable planting racks, everything.

She also went to the supermarket and told the manager she was preparing employee benefits for October 1st, asking for bulk pricing.

She bought ten boxes each of laundry detergent and laundry powder, ten boxes of various drinks—juice, cola, Sprite, and also toilet paper, tissues, instant noodles, sausages, canned fruits, canned meat, Lao Gan Ma sauce, pickled vegetables, and so on.

She had already bought a ton online, and now with these extra supplies, they’d likely have enough to last ten years.

Of course, her minivan couldn’t fit it all, so she rented an extra four-meter truck.

The security guard at the gate was starting to get suspicious. Jiang Yuan’s family had been buying a lot lately.

She casually explained that the stuff was originally meant to be shipped to a rural area, but their company was short-staffed, so they had to store it at home for now.

She handed the guard a pack of cigarettes, and he let it slide easily.

Still, Jiang Yuan was uneasy. Their frantic buying had drawn attention. She understood well: “An innocent man gets in trouble if he possesses treasure.” So she immediately told her parents to be cautious for the next few days.

By now, they had almost everything they needed. After a quick meal, Jiang Yuan headed out again.

Since Xiao Nuan was napping, she left her with her parents. It was easier to move around alone anyway.

This time, she went to a village-in-the-city in the western suburbs. She found the place on a shady online forum.

She spent a fortune to buy three Tang swords, two heavy mountain-splitting axes, and a red-tasseled spear.

She wore a hat and mask during the whole transaction. The atmosphere was terrifying. Even after getting back to the car, her legs were still shaking.

Then she hit up a shopping mall again—buying anything that caught her eye:

Stylish clothes, skincare products, storage boxes, a treadmill that generates electricity, badminton rackets, basketballs, footballs, home dumbbells, jump ropes, combs, thermal mugs—you name it. She filled up half a van.

Passing by a farmers’ market, she grabbed bags of soybeans and mung beans, along with potatoes, onions, and carrots—two bags of each.

At home, there was literally no space left to step. The living room, dining room—even the bedrooms—were packed with supplies.

Her parents were still busy in the kitchen. Jiang Yuan picked the largest boxes and carried them up to the attic, arranging them on shelves and labeling them.

They worked until 9 p.m. before stopping. Dinner was takeout from her favorite spicy fish restaurant.

“The biggest problem now is fresh vegetables and fruits,” said Qin Yue, clearly worn out. “Leafy greens we can grow ourselves, but fruits… not so easy.”

“I’ve stocked up on dried fruits and vegetables, and canned goods too. We’ll freeze as much as we can for now. That’s all we can do.”

“Some veggies we can turn into pickles, and fruits into jam…” Qin Yue added.

That gave Jiang Yuan another long to-do list. Sigh!

In apocalypse novels, the reborn protagonist always has some magical preservation space.

Jiang Yuan fiddled with all her bracelets and necklaces. No reaction. Nothing. No space. No magic. She had no choice but to accept it.

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September 9th – 6 Days Until the Apocalypse

Life had become routine.

Every morning, her dad and mom went to the wet market to buy everything they could. Besides fresh veggies and eggs, they bought 1,000 jin (500 kg) of cured sausage and bacon.

Once they returned, Jiang Yuan would take Xiao Nuan out shopping again: malls, supermarkets, bookstores, baby stores, pharmacies—every day she came back with bags full.

She also cleaned out the deli shops near the West Market—buying roast chicken, roast duck, spiced beef, pig trotters, and chicken feet. Everything was vacuum-sealed and tossed into the freezers.

In the afternoons, no one went out. They stayed home and organized supplies.

Dinner was always eaten out, choosing dishes they liked, then going for a walk in the community to get familiar with the neighborhood layout.

Qin Yue, ever meticulous, removed all the tags from new clothes, washed and dried everything, then folded and stored them neatly in the closets.

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September 14th – 1 Day Until the Apocalypse

That morning, Jiang Yuan’s parents went out and bought one last batch of fresh produce.

After they returned, Jiang Yuan left Xiao Nuan at home and went out alone.

She had 1.3 million yuan left. She went to the bank and converted 1 million into gold bars, withdrawing the remaining 300,000 yuan in cash.

Then she filled up the car’s gas tank, and took one last look at the bustling city.

In two months, it would no longer be prosperous—only decay and despair would remain.

At home, every space except the two bedrooms was filled with supplies.

That night, the whole family sat down together and quietly ate dumplings, savoring the final moment of peace.

As long as they stayed safe, this stash would last them at least 8–10 years.

In the end, she felt calm—not scared, not excited.

After dinner, they all washed up and went to bed early—waiting for tomorrow to come.