Chapter 336: The Worried Granny Yu
Su Tao raised an eyebrow and said to Granny Yu, “Do you have some misunderstanding about Taoyang?”
Granny Yu snorted, vaguely feeling she might have misunderstood something, and her expression became slightly awkward.
Seeing this, Su Tao quickly changed the topic:
“But it’s true that Taoyang lacks manpower and weapons—you didn’t get that part wrong.”
It’s important to maintain the dignity of the elderly, after all. She respects the old and cares for the young.
Granny Yu’s expression softened. She figured Taoyang must have stumbled upon some great fortune, which explained the abundance of supplies and their relaxed attitude toward food and drink.
“You should still be frugal. Supplies will run out eventually,” she couldn’t help but advise.
Su Tao nodded seriously, but as soon as they resumed their journey, she handed out a cup of chilled, fruit-flavored yogurt to everyone.
Xiao Yu thanked her and gulped his down in no time.
Granny Yu’s hand trembled slightly as she held the yogurt cup, while her other hand clenched into a fist to resist the urge to smack her grandson.
She glanced around and noticed that the Qian mother and daughter weren’t surprised in the slightest. They ate as if such luxuries were completely normal.
Qian Rongrong didn’t even glance at her yogurt. She was busy writing and calculating—probably doing the accounting.
Granny Yu felt a rising sense of unease.
What kind of fortune could give Taoyang this much? They didn’t seem to lack energy either—after all, the air conditioning in the vehicle was running full blast without anyone worrying about fuel consumption.
The more she thought about it, the more worried she became.
Having such abundant resources without the necessary military strength for protection would eventually attract unwanted attention.
She pulled out her notebook and started brainstorming suitable weapons for Taoyang, already planning future designs.
Taoyang’s people were carefree, but she couldn’t afford to be. For the right benefits, people would travel thousands of miles to attack—even the most remote places weren’t safe.
And Taoyang was sitting on a goldmine of supplies.
Oh, and that reckless girl Su Tao—still hopping around after getting shot. She needed to make her an invisible cane for support.
Su Tao had no idea that one cup of yogurt had sent Granny Yu into overdrive, heightening her sense of danger and pushing her to start inventing again.
At that moment, Su Tao was chatting with Minister Xu, asking about Granny Yu’s past.
Minister Xu sighed, “I’ve known her since before the apocalypse. Back then, she worked at the National Weapons Science Research Institute as an outstanding weapons development expert. But fate played a cruel joke on her.
“After the apocalypse, she was lucky to awaken a metal-based ability called ‘Forging,’ which, combined with her prior experience, allowed her to create many crystal-powered weapons early on.
“By the way, the crystal energy gun that Changjing developed half a year ago was based on her designs. It’s the most widely used weapon now.”
“But that very talent also caused her a lot of trouble. She was later tricked and imprisoned by the Chu family for years. She even experienced the heartbreak of losing her loved ones.”
Su Tao felt a deep sense of empathy. Compared to most people in the apocalypse, she was lucky—her powerful system gave her immense advantages and protection.
But Granny Yu was like a lone boat in a storm. No matter how skilled she was, she couldn’t fight against the overwhelming tide and was eventually dragged under.
The next morning, as the convoy stopped to rest, Su Tao hopped out of the car on one leg, preparing to send Lingyu and Black Sesame to scout ahead.
The two creatures had been working well together lately, making the return journey smooth and incident-free. At this pace, they would arrive in Dongyang by early morning two days later.
Ling Yu flapped his wings and soared into the sky while Black Sesame darted away excitedly.
Granny Yu squinted at Black Sesame, then turned to Su Tao.
“Last time, I saw a white cat. Why is it black now?”
Su Tao rubbed her forehead. “Granny, those are two different cats. The white one is a girl—she’s napping in my car. The black one is her boyfriend.”
Granny Yu lifted her eyelids and said dryly, “Even the cats have partners, but you don’t.”
Su Tao: “…”
Granny Yu, still unimpressed, tossed an object to Su Tao.
“Here, little limper—try this on your ankle.”
Su Tao scrambled to catch it and realized it was a soft, bracelet-like item.
“For me?”
Granny Yu snorted. “Who else here is limping? Just put it on.”
Overjoyed, Su Tao sat down and slipped it over her injured ankle.
The soft material hardened slightly to support her ankle securely. When she stood up, the pain was still there but much more manageable—like having a built-in cane, but more comfortable.
“Is it working?”
Su Tao nodded enthusiastically. “It’s amazing! My hands are free now—thank you, Granny!”
Granny Yu lifted her chin slightly. “Get back in the car and rest. Stop hopping around aimlessly.”
Just then, Chen Yang and Zheng Xing ran over, shouting:
“Sister Tao, that human trafficker is convulsing and foaming at the mouth!”
Before Su Tao could react, Jiang Yu bolted toward the car.
The human trafficker was the only person who knew the exact location where his sister Jiang Tong’s body was buried. If she died, that information would be lost forever.
When they opened the trunk and dragged her out, the woman was already rolling her eyes back, her body twitching uncontrollably.
Even Qian Rongrong, usually calm, looked a bit frightened.
Watching the scene, Xiao Wenyu remarked, “It’s epilepsy. She needs medication.”
But where would they find that now?
Jiang Yu, struggling to remain calm, quickly searched the woman’s pockets. Sure enough, he found a small bottle of pills.
Without checking the dosage, he poured several into his hand and shoved them into her mouth.
After a while, the convulsions stopped, and the woman seemed to stabilize.
Su Tao let out a breath of relief.
Jiang Yu, his expression tense, hoisted the woman back into the trunk.
Weakly, the woman pleaded, “Please… let me out. I won’t run away. You can tie me up—I just don’t want to stay in there. I’m sorry… Please spare me…”
Jiang Yu shut the trunk without a word.
His sister had probably begged for mercy too—but did anyone show her kindness? No. All she received was torture.
He spared the trafficker’s life only because she still had a purpose.
The incident clearly weighed on Jiang Yu. As the journey continued, Su Tao noticed him becoming more distracted, even when she called him multiple times.
Feeling his anxiety, Su Tao eventually said, “Why don’t you take two people and a car and head out this afternoon? You don’t need to return to Taoyang first.”
