**
They were doing well over here, as there was no disaster, and the others seemed quite satisfied as well. There was no extra hoarding of grain; after all, most families had enough food to last for several months with just a simple purchase. At most, they needed to go out every few days to buy vegetables, so things remained peaceful.
Shen Zhao had initially felt anxious, but after understanding the situation, he was somewhat reassured.
With the concern of his grandparents, Shen Zhao and his mother had a hearty meal, then cleaned up and went to bed peacefully.
He slept deeply and felt very content.
Early in the morning, after getting cleaned up, he was greeted by the rich aroma of sweet potato porridge. On the table, there were steaming buns, some side dishes, and chopsticks ready to be used.
In the kitchen, only his grandmother was busy. Shen Zhao was about to ask where Grandpa and Comrade Li Li were when he heard the sound of a key unlocking the door.
Old Li and Li Li came in carrying a load of meat and vegetables. Their hats were still dripped with small beads of water, clearly indicating they had gone shopping outside.
“Grandpa, Mom, you went out to buy vegetables so early?”
Old Li nodded, appearing to revert to his usual reserved demeanor, a hint of a smile on his face: “Your mom and I rode out to the suburbs early this morning. There’s a slaughterhouse there for pigs, and they have chickens, ducks, and geese too. The nearby greenhouses have fresh vegetables, so we thought we’d buy a bit more and store it in the fridge.”
“You don’t know; the prices of vegetables and meat in the city have skyrocketed!” Li Li complained as she stuffed the fridge full of meat while laughing. “Freshly slaughtered pigs are the best! I’ll make some pork ribs soup later; I was worn out for the past few days.”
“Perfect! I’ll knead the dough to make some dumplings as well, so we can stash some in the fridge. The New Year is coming; we might as well prepare ahead of the busy season!” Grandmother smiled, bringing out the porridge to care for them as they had breakfast.
After breakfast, Shen Zhao went out to find Zhang Zixin. They had agreed to meet today to look at houses. They planned to rent a place here since it was quite inconvenient to live in the temporary settlement.
They had bank cards and a decent amount of cash, so renting wouldn’t be a problem.
Before leaving, Shen Zhao asked Old Li, and he confirmed that there were units available for rent in their community. So, Shen Zhao contacted the landlord and arranged to go see the property.
Old Li’s area, being an older community, mostly housed elderly men and women, making it a joyful retreat for retirees.
Downstairs, the trees were lush. There was a stone table under a large tree for playing chess, and there were many exercise facilities for entertainment, as well as a senior activity center.
Well—there’s also a mahjong room.
Zhang Zixin and his parents explored the rental house, nodded in approval, and were ready to rent the place.
“With this, we can be neighbors!” Zhang Zixin teased Shen Zhao, suddenly recalling something. He pulled out a bar of chocolate from his pocket and handed it to Shen Zhao.
“I got this from the settlement today—here you go.” Shen Zhao was taken aback for a moment but smiled and tucked it away in his pocket.
Shen Zhao loved chocolate. The last time they went to the billiard hall, whoever lost to Shen Zhao had to give him a bar of chocolate.
“Let’s go to the nearby billiard hall in a few days; this chocolate will count as your loser’s tribute.”
“I’m going to…” Zhang Zixin trailed off, realizing he indeed lost every time.
After discussing with some elders and the landlord, they paid the deposit and returned to the temporary settlement to prepare for bringing their seniors and household supplies over.
Shen Zhao bid them farewell and returned home to make dumplings with his family. After finishing, it was lunchtime. They cleaned up and went back to their rooms.
Old Li went downstairs for a walk, Grandma headed to the senior activity center, Li Li organized her room, and Shen Zhao lay on his bed, browsing his phone.
The next second, the ground shook violently, and his phone hit him in the face with a thud. Shen Zhao was dazed for a second but quickly reacted, jumping out of bed without even putting on his shoes, rushing toward the living room, where Li Li also appeared frightened from her bedroom.
The house shook violently, making it difficult for people to stay upright, and various items fell to the ground with loud crashes; the refrigerator and cabinets toppled over.
There was no time to escape downstairs!
Shen Zhao watched as the house swayed dangerously, his mind clear enough to understand the seriousness of the situation.
He pulled Li Li and took her to the corner of the room, intending to protect her, but instead, the swift Li Li embraced him tightly.
A series of rumbling sounds echoed—!!
In an instant, the high buildings of the entire city collapsed, turning all structures into ruins.
Trees on the street were uprooted; signal towers and utility poles crumbled as well, electric wires burst into sparks, and distant mountains shed huge boulders, filling the air with dust.
A sharp pain struck, and Shen Zhao lost consciousness in an instant.
The once lively and peaceful city turned eerily silent in that moment. After a long while, survivors who were not trapped emerged from various corners, looking bewildered and grieving.
Staring at the apocalyptic ruins around them, everyone involuntarily trembled.
“…Dad? Mom?”
“…Son, my son!!! Help! Help them! There must be a way to save them! Anyone!”
“Wife!! Where are you?!”
“Dad!!”
“Mom!! Someone help! My mom is buried inside! Please, help us!!”
The survivors were in deep anguish and despair, facing the buried loved ones while desperately clinging to a glimmer of hope that they might still be alive and could hold on until rescue arrived.
“Tick-tock—tick-tock—”
In the darkness, Shen Zhao’s eyelids fluttered. He opened his eyes, confused, feeling something wet around his neck, as if something was dripping down on him. It felt like water, but there was also a rusty smell.
Fully awakening, Shen Zhao recalled the scene before he lost consciousness, and his pupils constricted sharply.
He moved his lips, letting out a hoarse cry: “…Mom.”
There was no response.
Shen Zhao tried to raise his hand; his left hand was painful but still functional. However, as soon as he moved his right hand, a surge of severe pain shot through him. Both legs had gone numb; he couldn’t tell if they were just pinned and numb or broken and painful to the point of numbness.