Chapter 257: The Time Hourglass and Return
The only inconvenience was that Fang Zhi’s space couldn’t store electrical appliances, making it difficult to bring a large quantity of perishable foods like refrigerated bento meals.
Master Qin, knowing they were going on a long trip, wanted to prepare and freeze some dishes for them, so they could simply heat them up in hot water on the road.
Su Tao had no choice but to reluctantly decline.
Her car did have a refrigerator, but it was too small to fit much.
If only she could get her hands on an A-class RV from before the apocalypse—those had large spaces and complete facilities, even fitting a double-door fridge wouldn’t be a problem.
But it had already been twenty years since the apocalypse, and such high-end RVs had long since stopped production, making them nearly impossible to find.
Still, holding on to a sliver of hope, Su Tao asked Zhuang Wan to post a vehicle purchase request on Taoyang’s official website.
However, after several days, while many people viewed the listing, no one responded.
With no leads, Su Tao had to set aside the idea of buying an RV for now.
Unexpectedly, while she didn’t manage to buy an RV, Ding Heyu—who had something to ask of her—helped solve her food storage problem instead.
It had been a while since she last saw him, and Ding Heyu had changed drastically—his face was haggard, and his eye sockets were sunken.
Su Tao was startled and glanced at the young woman beside him, who looked equally exhausted.
With bloodshot eyes, Ding Heyu introduced her:
“Boss Su, this is my wife, Qiu Yin. Sorry for the sudden visit. I need a favor—I want to temporarily settle her in Taoyang for a while.”
Su Tao didn’t answer directly but instead asked, “Is Wutai in trouble?”
Ding Heyu’s bloodshot eyes deepened.
“Crawlers have been invading Wutai’s borders repeatedly. Every night, they scale the walls and kill people. We hunt them day and night but can’t even catch a glimpse of them. We’ve had no choice but to keep shrinking our defense line. I’m afraid that one day, those things will climb up my building and crawl through the windows.”
Su Tao’s heart sank. “They’re that hard to catch?”
Ding Heyu nodded grimly. “There aren’t many of them, but they’re impossible to capture or defend against. It’s not a total disaster yet, but with this happening every night… No one in Wutai has had a peaceful night’s sleep.”
Beside him, Qiu Yin, with heavy dark circles under her eyes, nodded weakly.
She was already drowsy. Now that she had arrived in Taoyang and finally felt safe, sitting in a comfortable office with warm milk in hand, her whole body relaxed, and sleepiness took over.
It felt so nice…
Su Tao, however, was far from relaxed.
If these crawlers were so difficult to handle, would Shi Zijin and the others be able to complete their mission smoothly?
Would she be able to see him return before they set off?
Seeing her expression drop, Ding Heyu quickly added,
“I’m not asking for a free favor, Boss Su. As payment, I can ‘share’ some of my ability with you.”
Su Tao was stunned. “Share your ability with me?”
What did that even mean?
Ding Heyu handed her two crystal-clear hourglasses.
Strangely, the sand inside them remained completely still, no matter how she turned them.
Su Tao’s eyes widened.
Ding Heyu explained,
“Smash one of these within the target area, and for the next half-month, everything within five meters will be frozen in time. Water and food won’t spoil, and objects and people won’t move.”
“Boss Su, I only have these two, but they should be enough for your trip to Xindu and back.”
Su Tao was speechless, utterly tempted.
With these, who needed a fridge?
And if she ever found herself in trouble, she could just toss one behind her while running away—by the time her enemies ‘unfroze,’ she would have already been gone for half a month.
Still, she curiously asked, “Was this crafted by someone, or did you develop this after leveling up?”
Ding Heyu was straightforward,
“It was made by a specialist who sealed my ability inside. If he hadn’t said extracting too much at once would be harmful, I would’ve prepared more for you.”
Su Tao knew he was offering goodwill—hoping she’d take care of his wife so she wouldn’t have to live in fear anymore.
Glancing at Qiu Yin, who was dozing off with her head tilted, Su Tao said,
“You two must have a great relationship.”
Ding Heyu chuckled and gently took the empty milk cup from his wife’s hand.
Qiu Yin, completely exhausted, leaned against him and fell into a deep sleep.
Su Tao, feeling like she had just been fed a mouthful of dog food, waved her hand dismissively.
“Alright, let her sleep in my office for now. Once she wakes up, I’ll arrange a place for her. By the way, are you staying with her?”
Ding Heyu shook his head. “Wutai is in chaos. I have to go back. I’m leaving early tomorrow morning. Sorry to trouble you, Boss Su.”
Before leaving, Ding Heyu wanted to purchase another batch of supplies. When he heard Su Tao had temporarily suspended sales, he looked a little disappointed.
After a moment of thought, he asked, “Will you be selling medicine later? Wutai has suffered heavy casualties. We need a large supply of medical supplies, but our local production can’t keep up. We even have to send people north to Changjing to buy more.”
Su Tao’s eyes lit up. “Maybe next month. I’ll contact you then.”
She did a quick mental calculation—if everything went well on this trip to Xindu, leveling up again next month wouldn’t be a problem!
Ding Heyu was stunned. He had only asked casually, with no real expectations.
He never imagined she would actually have medicine for sale?!
He gave Su Tao a long, scrutinizing look, his eyes filled with shock and intrigue.
Just what kind of powerful backing did Taoyang have, to be so well-stocked?
Qiu Yin slept soundly, deeply, and comfortably, reluctant to wake up.
When she finally did wake up, she learned that her husband had already left for Wutai.
At first, she felt a little lost, but her new temporary home quickly captured all her attention—completely distracting her from missing him.
Su Tao had arranged a one-bedroom apartment for her, built overnight using the replication-and-paste method.
Qiu Yin absolutely loved it and quickly settled in, even calling her brother to brag about it.
“Mm-hmm, I’ve successfully moved in. It’s cool and breezy everywhere I go. I have an entire one-bedroom apartment all to myself—newly renovated, too…”
Director Qiu felt a sharp pang of jealousy. As soon as he hung up the phone, he noticed his wife giving him a long, meaningful look.
“Old Qiu, why don’t you just resign? Look at Little Ding—he went through all that trouble to get Xiao Yin into Taoyang, while you, a small-time director in Dongyang, are still busy with work, leaving me and the kids to suffer.”
Director Qiu disappeared on the spot.
Qiu Yin, thrilled with her new home, didn’t care about her brother’s fate at all.
Meanwhile, Su Tao, who had just received the two hourglasses, was just as delighted. She went to find Master Qin again, asking him to prepare extra dishes the day before their departure so she could freeze and take them along.
Over the next few days, as they gathered supplies, Lin Fangzhi’s storage space gradually filled up.
Looking at it gave Su Tao a strong sense of security.
Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to wait for Shi Zijin’s return, not only did he come back—he was in one piece, without a missing arm or leg.
And he even brought back a live, wriggling crawler!
Inside a massive iron cage, the creature thrashed about, baring its sharp teeth. Its jet-black tail was lined with barbs, and its humanoid face was twisted into a grotesque snarl, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp fangs.
