Chapter 29
“…Heavenly punishment has descended, and it is a natural disaster. This is a cleansing, but also a punishment.”
Song Xun’s heart ached, but in reality, this was a disaster brought upon by humanity itself.
For every action, there is a consequence. There was nothing to complain about.
But…
“When the heavenly punishment is over, will humanity… still exist?”
“I don’t know.”
The small ball of light bounced on the stone monument, its answer calm and direct. “But that is why I exist.”
“And the meaning of the White Light Stone’s existence… is just that.”
“I will assist you in preserving the kindling of human reproduction amidst the great cleansing of the self-defense system.”
Song Xun didn’t say anything.
Instead, she furrowed her brow. “Preserving the kindling?”
“Saving human reproduction?”
“Don’t joke. Such a grand plan doesn’t suit me at all.”
Song Xun was not impressed.
And the responsibility of being a “savior” was not something she wanted to bear.
“But you want to live, right?”
Song Xun closed her eyes, silent.
“…Instead of just getting by without a goal, you might as well take a gamble.”
It was right. Although she had made many preparations, and even had memories of the past seven years, in reality, Song Xun… still had no certainty at all.
Natural disasters were hard, and man-made ones were even harder.
Her previous plan had been to do her best to live, but to take it one day at a time.
A road with no end in sight, no matter how you walked it, you were still lost.
But now this small ball of light was telling her that the apocalypse could be overcome. After the cleansing, those who survived could live on forever and continue human reproduction.
It sounded very tempting. Not as a savior, but simply to live.
With her lover, family, and friends.
But…
“Why was I chosen?”
Song Xun was puzzled. She had never thought of herself as anything special.
But the small ball of light told her, “Because you were the only one who unlocked the secret of the White Light Stone.”
“What secret?” she narrowed her eyes.
“To die and be reborn. Isn’t that the secret?”
Song Xun didn’t answer, but the small ball of light didn’t seem to mind. “Heavenly punishment is the second phase of the cleansing plan. It has now officially begun. The path to the future can only be found through redemption in the heavenly punishment.”
It repeated, “I will assist you.”
Song Xun still didn’t speak. She turned to look at the White Light Stone space, and after a long moment, she said, “Can the land be planted now?”
“Yes, you can control it with your thoughts. However, since your mental strength is not strong, it is not recommended to use this method before you advance. You can come in and plant.”
But, she didn’t know how to farm.
“Can I bring others in?”
“At the current level, no.”
The small ball of light answered quickly. “You can continue to absorb spiritual energy. Perhaps you can after the next evolution.”
Tsk!
So it’s already started with the empty promises.
But Song Xun rubbed her temples, unconcerned. “So, you’re saying that for now, I have to do everything myself?”
“Yes.”
The small ball of light answered without hesitation. “But you can continue to absorb spiritual energy, as long as…”
“Stop, stop, stop.”
Song Xun’s head ached. “Don’t give me any more empty promises.”
The small ball of light didn’t deny it, nor did it seem to mind her disdain. “So, do you agree?”
Song Xun smiled. “Fine, I agree.”
“Such a good deal, of course I agree.”
Song Xun wasn’t interested in anything else. She just wanted to… live.
—
She had to use her mental strength sparingly, but at least she could physically enter now. Song Xun didn’t prepare much. She just found some nylon rope netting among her hoarded supplies and simply fenced in the animals that had come to life and were running around.
She separated them by size, with the cows, pigs, and sheep in one enclosure, and the chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits in another. She couldn’t put them all together; even she, with no farming experience, knew that.
She had only stored two pairs of each for breeding. If they were crushed to death, it would be over. She would cry her eyes out.
It was a good thing there weren’t many. If there had been more, it would have been difficult to fence them in.
And, now that they were alive, she hadn’t bought any feed. How was she supposed to feed them?
As for farming, she would have to ask a professional.
And, how do you even start reclaiming land?
She had no idea.
There were many problems when the White Light Stone hadn’t evolved, and now that it had, there were still many problems. It seemed her plans would have to change.
But she wasn’t in a hurry for now. As she left, she reluctantly threw in some vegetables for them to eat.
Wasn’t this a waste?
She had to get some feed as soon as possible.
If only this space could grow grass, then she wouldn’t have to worry.
As if knowing what she was thinking, the small ball of light flew around her, comforting her. “After the White Light Stone evolves again, anything is possible…”
“…” Song Xun.
Yeah, right.
6 AM on July 1st.
With a clap of thunder that shook the heavens, the apocalyptic disasters officially began. The wind and rain before had just been a prelude.
But how many people had seized the opportunity?
Although the result was not entirely what she had hoped for, overall, Song Xun was quite satisfied.
She hadn’t slept all night, but she was still very energetic.
Knowing that everyone had gone to bed late, especially Ji Tang, she didn’t move so early.
7:30 AM
The rain was still falling, and the wind was still blowing. It hadn’t stopped, and in fact, the tornadoes were getting stronger.
She took out her binoculars, pulled back the curtains, and looked outside. Under the gloomy sky, water had spread to every corner of her vision, completely covering the streets.
The wind blew, creating waves.
But the start time here in Jingbei City was earlier than in Xifeng City. So, unless something unexpected happened, the end time would probably be earlier too.
So, the tornadoes would probably stop in the next few days.
The tornadoes would stop for half a night, and then the next morning, it would be over a month, almost two months, of torrential rain.
And that time would be their opportunity.
With the interruption from the White Light Stone space, her plans would probably have to change.
Saving the Earth… wasn’t that a bit too difficult?
Song Xun sighed and put down the binoculars.
She didn’t trust Wang Qingyao very much yet, and she didn’t want to reveal her space in front of her. After thinking about it, she decided to cook something herself.
Just to make it look like she was.
A simple meal for the adults, and for the children, hmm, after thinking about it, she decided on steamed egg custard.
A little before 8 AM.
The two children woke up first. After a full meal and a night in a soft, warm bed, they were full of energy.
When they opened their eyes, the unfamiliar ceiling made them a bit dazed at first, and then they remembered what had happened.
They turned their heads and saw Ji Tang lying next to them.
Although she was still asleep, it was enough to put the two children at ease. In an unfamiliar environment, having their mother by their side was the best sense of security.
But the two children were chattering, mainly Ji Jinyu.
“Sister, I saw Mommy.”
“Did you see Mommy?”
“Mommy even fed me. Did she feed you?”
Ji Jinning glanced at her and didn’t say anything.
Ji Jinyu was lively and active. She was used to her sister’s coolness. After speaking, she wriggled out of the quilt.
But this bed wasn’t like the one at home, with a special little ladder for them to climb up and down. But Ji Jinyu was smart. She took her little pillow, threw it on the floor, and then, little by little, slid down.
It was a good thing the bed wasn’t too high.
She wobbled down and landed on the pillow with a plop. She herself was fine, but her series of actions had stunned Ji Jinning.
Afraid of waking her mother, neither of the children made a sound.
“Where are you going?” Ji Jinning also climbed up.
“I’m going to find Mommy.”
Ji Jinyu walked out with her bare feet. Ji Jinning looked back at her mother, and with no other choice, she also slowly slid down.
But she was obviously a bit too anxious about her sister. When she slid down, she hit her head on the bed. It was a good thing the bed was soft and didn’t hurt much, but even so, the bump on her head made her little face scrunch up in pain.
She got up and followed her sister with her bare feet.
But she couldn’t open the doorknob. Ji Jinyu turned back and looked at her sister pitifully.
Ji Jinning: “…”
She hadn’t wanted to get involved, but in the end, she couldn’t resist her sister. Alright, she actually wanted to go out too.
There was a small chair in the room, one that Song Xun had specially prepared for the two children. Now, it had become their tool for escape.
Song Xun herself probably never imagined it.
The two little girls, barefoot, left the room one after the other. But they couldn’t close the door, only leaving it ajar as much as possible.
Everyone had gone to bed late and wasn’t up yet, so the living room was empty and quiet.
This was the first time the two children had seen this large living room, but they were soon drawn to the sounds coming from the kitchen.
They peeked in through the door.
Song Xun was stir-frying. She had just finished. With a sizzle, she put down the wok, and then, sensing something, she turned her head.
Their eyes met. The two little heads at the kitchen door slowly retreated.
Song Xun was also taken aback for a moment, but she washed her hands and quickly went out. Ji Jinyu, on the other hand, hid behind her sister.
Despite her cheerful calls in the room, when she actually faced Song Xun, she was still a bit timid.
Song Xun’s eyes softened, and she squatted down in front of the two children. “Are Little Ning and Little Yu’er awake already? Good girls. The floor is cold, how about Mommy holds you?”
Ji Jinning didn’t speak. Ji Jinyu cautiously peeked out and whispered, “Mommy…”
Song Xun smiled and nodded. “I’m here. Mommy’s here.”
Ji Jinyu’s eyes lit up, and she finally smiled again, revealing a few small white teeth. She happily pounced into Song Xun’s arms.
“Mommy…”
Song Xun couldn’t help but laugh. This child.
She half-squatted and picked up Ji Jinyu, then reached out to Ji Jinning. “Little Ning, come here.”
Watching her sister cooing and bouncing in Song Xun’s arms, Ji Jinning was actually envious, but she didn’t seem to be able to do the same.
As she hesitated, seeing Song Xun reach out to her again and smile, Ji Jinning’s eyes lit up. After a moment’s hesitation, she walked over and was pulled into Song Xun’s embrace.
She obediently hugged Song Xun’s neck, her voice small. “Mommy.”
Song Xun was taken aback for a moment, then her heart softened. “Mommy’s here.”
Ji Jinning wasn’t very talkative, just like her. Other than that time on the stairs, this was the first time the child had called her that.
Song Xun beamed, her heart full of joy, and she leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Ji Jinning’s little face immediately turned red, and she shyly hid her face in her shoulder.
Ji Jinyu was not happy. She reached out and turned Song Xun’s face. “Mommy, kiss.”
This jealous little girl.
Song Xun turned her head and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Only then was Ji Jinyu happy and satisfied.
She took the two children to her room to use the bathroom, then took out small shoes from her space and put them on them. Then she carried the little girls out and placed them on the heated kang.
Although it was called that, the kang was covered with a soft blanket. It wasn’t as soft as a bed, but it wasn’t hard either. The two dogs were still sleeping soundly on one side.
There was no sign of them waking up, but since everything seemed normal, she didn’t bother them.
“Mommy, dog.”
“The doggies are sleeping. When they wake up later, Mommy will let them play with you.”
Song Xun set the two children down and ruffled their hair. They had just woken up, and their hair was a bit messy, but she decided to wait for Ji Tang to wake up and do it.
She didn’t know how to comb hair either.
“Mama is still sleeping, and your aunties and uncles are also sleeping. Let’s eat a little later, okay?”
She brought over a pile of snacks and placed them in front of the two children. There were jellies, potato chips, candies, and other things. But after hesitating, she took a lot of them away, leaving only a few candies, cheese sticks, and small cakes.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of them eating, but that she was afraid they would eat too much and not be hungry for their meal later.
She also took one of the tablets from the pile on the kang, one with “Animation” written on it, turned it on, and started a video, placing it a little farther away.
As she was leaving, she didn’t forget to entrust the responsible older sister, Ji Jinning.
“Little Ning, watch your sister, okay? Don’t sit too close, and don’t eat too much. Mommy is going to cook some fish.”
Ji Jinning obediently nodded.
As for Ji Jinyu…
Her eyes were still sparkling, almost glued to the sheep and wolf on the tablet. But when she heard Song Xun, she immediately became unhappy and emphasized, “Mommy, Little Yu’er is a good girl.”
Ji Jinning glanced at her.
Ji Jinyu’s hackles rose. “Hey! What’s with that look?”
“Good girls don’t inch forward…”
“I’m not inching. It’s moving by itself.”
“…”
Song Xun was at a loss for what to do.
