Chapter 6: Growing Stronger

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Staring at the calendar, she marked a bold line across it. Then she turned to her mother, who bore dark circles under her eyes and wore a face full of grievance, startling her into retreating step by step.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

Anxian asked with a serious expression, “You just came back from the apocalypse, right? After going through such upheaval, how could you possibly sleep like a log?”

Qin Xiaoyu: ...

Maybe it’s a matter of biological rhythm?

Anxian said softly, “When I woke you up this morning, you didn’t even respond, and when I patted your butt, you still didn’t wake up.”

Twenty-eight? At most 2 plus 8, can’t be more than that.

Qin Xiaoyu thought for a moment and said, “Maybe it’s because it was so hard for me to come back, and my spirit was drained. Plus, my body is still that of a child now, so I just fell into a deep sleep?”

Anxian: ...

That doesn’t explain your robust figure.

She remembered that when she first heard about the apocalypse, she couldn’t sleep the entire night, busy with this and that. When she got tired and wanted to rest, she simply couldn’t fall asleep.

The apocalypse—it’s terrifying just to think about it. How could anyone possibly fall asleep?

At that moment, the phone rang. Anxian glanced at it and answered, her voice weak. After a few sentences, she hung up.

“Your father and your eldest uncle have booked plane tickets, but they have to make several transfers. Including travel time, they won’t be home until the day after tomorrow.”

Anxian paused, then added, “Your aunt and your two cousins are also on their way back.”

A flicker of confusion crossed Qin Xiaoyu’s eyes. Everything about her eldest uncle’s family felt so unfamiliar; she couldn’t recall their faces at all.

Her eldest uncle and his wife worked in the neighboring city, and the two cousins studied there as well. They only came home during holidays.

She tried hard to remember but couldn’t.

“Mom, what are my cousins’ names, and how old are they?”

“Your eldest cousin is Qin Hao, ten years older than you, in his senior year of high school, about to take the college entrance exam. Your second cousin, Qin Ran, is seven years older, in junior high, also preparing for exams.”

Both were at critical stages in their lives; taking time off wasn’t easy, but they managed to get Monday off.

But if the apocalypse really is coming, the whole family naturally wants to be together.

Qin Xiaoyu uttered an “oh” and peeked outside. Seeing the sun was scorching today, she found a straw hat to wear.

“Will you give me some money?” Qin Xiaoyu asked.

“Stocking up on supplies?”

Anxian stood up, “I’ll go with you. Otherwise, with your short arms and legs, you won’t be able to carry much.”

She looked suddenly suspicious, eyes probing, “Or did you get the legendary spatial golden finger?”

Qin Xiaoyu: ...

With a blank face, Qin Xiaoyu said, “Mom, haven’t you even slept yet and you’re already dreaming?”

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After speaking, she no longer asked for money. With her short arms and legs and young age, it would indeed be troublesome to buy supplies.

She wrote a shopping list, putting down everything she could think of, then slapped it on the table.

“Roll it up, adult style!”

She adjusted her straw hat and scampered out energetically.

Patrolling the village!

[Want some gossip?]

Just as she stepped out the door, she suddenly heard a faint voice. She stopped abruptly and looked around. At the end of the village, Old Wu, in his sixties, was walking his dog along the road.

He was muttering curses, apparently because the dog had peed on his pant leg.

Recalling the faint voice just now, it was soft and gentle, nothing like Old Wu’s loud grumbling.

She turned to inspect the papaya tree and gave it a few sharp knocks. The tree shook, and two ripe papayas fell, nearly hitting her on the head.

Looking at her hand, she felt her strength had increased quite a bit.

She knocked a few more times, but the papaya tree remained silent.

Looks like she was imagining things.

She picked up the fallen papayas and put them in the storage room, then continued running. Passing by the peace lily plants, she glanced at them and saw they had wilted.

[Help.]

She faintly heard the voice again but dismissed it as a trick of the mind.

After wandering around the village, she went to the community square before lunch. There stood a banyan tree said to be thousands of years old, with a crown spreading over a thousand square meters.

Outside, the sun was harsh and scorching, but under the tree’s shade, it was cool and dark, giving an eerie sensation.

[The girl is really well-fed, so fair and plump.]

Qin Xiaoyu looked around again, not just at the ground but also the sky. She was indeed alone here.

“Old banyan tree, are you the one speaking?” Qin Xiaoyu tried cautiously.

“Grandpa Banyan Tree?”

“God of the land?”

“Uncle Banyan Tree?”

“Brother Banyan Tree?”

“Old Immortal?”

She called out for a long time, but there was no response.

Qin Xiaoyu slapped her own face but forgot her newfound strength. The pain made her gasp sharply.

At the same time, she confirmed one thing: her mind was very clear, not like she was hallucinating.

But once or twice is one thing; several times over is quite another.

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On the way back, Qin Xiaoyu casually plucked wildflowers and grass by the roadside, kicked a tree with a mischievous foot, and listened carefully.

But there was nothing.

(⊙o⊙)…

At noon, Anxian didn’t cook but bought wonton noodles in town. She ate a bowl to fullness, and the two kids each ate two bowls, also fully satisfied.

Watching the two children drink every drop of soup, she couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of her mouth.

They really can eat!

Having not slept all night, she was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, so she went straight to her room to sleep.

She woke only when the sun had set, prepared dinner, and after eating, looked up at the sky, wondering if the “black moon” would shrink or vanish.

But what a surprise, what an astonishing sight.

Not only did it not shrink or vanish, it grew several times larger. Previously, it was about the same size as the moon; now it was more than a hundred moons in size. The Big Dipper constellation was completely covered, and many stars disappeared along with it.

It looked even more terrifying, sending chills all over her body.

Suddenly, Qin Xiaoyu had an impulse. Carrying the big shrimp on her back, she ran laps in the yard. Not only was it effortless, but her speed increased, making the shrimp cry out loudly.

“Slow down! I’m about to throw up!”

Anxian slapped her forehead. Great, now she’d have to prepare a midnight snack.

Qin Xiaoyu ran until she reached the stone bench, bent down, and lifted it up, walking around the stone table once before putting it back.

Anxian twitched her eyelids. That stone bench was homemade and weighed a solid hundred pounds.

Qin Xiaoyu was carrying someone on her back as well.

Inside, she was deeply shocked. She realized her strength grew bit by bit as she used it—the harder she exerted herself, the faster it increased. At first, carrying the big shrimp was quite strenuous, but after a while, it became easy, so she switched to running.

Running became effortless.

She tried lifting the stone bench again and actually managed it, though it felt slippery and hard to hold, afraid she might drop it on her foot.

She looked around, her gaze landing on the yellow-skinned fruit tree by the chicken coop, about as thick as a bowl.

Immediately, she threw the big shrimp aside and dashed over to pull it up.

“Ha! Watch me, Lin Daiyu, uproot the weeping willow!”

Up! Again, keep going!

It seemed she couldn’t pull it out; her strength wasn’t enough.

Anxian: ...

What kind of nonsense is this at night? Did you catch it from the dog?