Chapter 373: Moving Forward with Dongyang
After speaking, Aunt Bai waved toward Shi Zijin:
“Young man, come here and let me take a look at you.”
Shi Zijin’s ghostly form froze on the spot.
Noticing the growing attention around them, Su Tao quickly intervened:
“Ms. Bai, I’m suddenly feeling a bit thirsty. Would it be okay if I came upstairs for a glass of water?”
Aunt Bai stood up from her folding stool. “You should’ve said so earlier, child. No need to be shy—come on up! Speaking of which, since Taoyang took over Western District 3, the water supply has become much more reliable. You remember my old apartment, don’t you? The faucet broke every few days, and we had to ration water by schedule…”
As she rambled on, Su Tao followed her into the elevator up to the twelfth floor.
The elevator served six apartments per floor. In the hallway, a few children were still playing together. Two of them looked familiar to Su Tao—they were Aunt Bai’s grandchildren.
Aunt Bai called out to them. When the children saw Su Tao, they froze in surprise.
“Big Sister Tao?”
Her granddaughter, unable to hide her astonishment, blurted out, “Big Sister Tao, how did you become so pretty?”
Su Tao felt a bit embarrassed.
It wasn’t that she had become prettier—she was simply healthier now. With better food and proper rest, she no longer looked gaunt and drained.
In the past, living with the Su family meant poor nutrition, constant exhaustion, and endless chores that wore her down.
Aunt Bai chuckled warmly.
“Come on in, Xiao Tao. Take a look at this apartment—if your parents had worked harder and stayed out of trouble, they wouldn’t have lost their place.”
She sighed and shook her head as she went to fetch a glass of water.
Su Tao glanced around the spacious living room, her memories blending the present with the past.
Back then, Aunt Bai’s living room had barely enough space for two tables. One was piled high with miscellaneous items—so high that things frequently fell off.
The other table was for the children to read, write, and eat. There was no room for any additional furniture.
Now, the living room was completely transformed. There was a stylish fabric sofa, a coffee table, and even two small desks near the balcony.
Taking a couple of steps further inside, Su Tao heard Aunt Bai’s voice from the kitchen:
“You know, I still can’t get used to it. Just earlier, I almost went looking for the water jug under the cabinet before realizing we can drink straight from the tap now.”
Aunt Bai handed her a glass of water.
“Here, drink up. The water in Taoyang is clean and safe—no strange taste, no scratchy throat.”
She then fetched a small dish from the kitchen, revealing two strawberries.
“Eat quickly—before those two little rascals outside see them. Life’s getting better these days. Half a year ago, where would we have found fresh fruit? Now, if you’re willing to spend a little, you can get some. I heard these strawberries are grown in Taoyang’s plantation—the other bases can’t even buy them if they want to.”
Under Aunt Bai’s affectionate gaze, Su Tao picked up a strawberry and took a bite. It tasted sweeter than any she’d had in Taoyang—sweet enough to warm her heart.
“Ms. Bai, do you like this apartment?”
“Of course! I never dreamed I’d live in a place like this. Look at the view—probably better than anything in Changjing.”
Aunt Bai pulled back the living room curtains, revealing a dazzling night sky, where every star seemed to sparkle with hope.
Su Tao smiled softly. “I’m glad you like it.”
Aunt Bai, pleased to see her eat happily, continued to chatter:
“My old place wasn’t worth much. Who would’ve thought the government would actually keep their promise to give us new apartments after the demolition? At first, I thought they were bluffing, but here we are. It’s all thanks to Taoyang’s boss—capable and generous. As Taoyang prospers, they’re still helping Dongyang move forward.”
After a pause, she asked curiously:
“Have you been in Dongyang this whole year, or did you go to another base? When I asked your mother, she wouldn’t give a straight answer—just kept telling everyone you ran off with some man and abandoned your family. I was worried you got tricked, but seeing you now, I feel much better.”
Su Tao shook her head in exasperation. “I never left Dongyang. Back then, they wanted me to join the military in place of Jiang Jinwei. I refused and moved out on my own—I definitely didn’t run off with anyone.”
Aunt Bai slapped her thigh in outrage. “I knew Li Ronglian was talking nonsense! What kind of mother slanders her own daughter like that? No wonder the neighbors misunderstood you. Honestly, her fall was well-deserved—maybe it’s karma that she’s now bedridden in the hospital, suffering like that.”
Su Tao sighed. “Let’s not talk about her, Ms. Bai. I cut ties with the Su family long ago. I’m doing really well now. Life is busy but fulfilling, especially knowing that people like you are living comfortably too…”
Aunt Bai nodded approvingly. “That’s right—cutting ties is the best thing you could’ve done. Your husband treats you well, doesn’t he? Cherish that. With the way things are going, Dongyang will only get better. In a few years, you two might even get an apartment here in Western District 3. Once life stabilizes, you could think about having a child. By the way, why didn’t he come up with you?”
Feeling a bit awkward, Su Tao explained, “He had something urgent to take care of, so he left early. Sorry, Ms. Bai, he didn’t get a chance to greet you.”
Aunt Bai waved it off. “No worries. I just wanted to meet the young man and see what he’s like.”
They continued chatting for another half hour before Su Tao finally decided to leave.
Before leaving, she mentioned that Taoyang was recruiting elementary school teachers.
Aunt Bai chuckled and shook her head. “I’m nearly sixty—why would they hire me?”
“You’re experienced—why not?” Su Tao insisted.
Taoyang’s education center was growing, and they were in desperate need of qualified teachers. If it weren’t for fear of startling Aunt Bai, she would’ve dragged her there immediately.
But Aunt Bai lacked confidence.
“At my age, I’m practically useless in the apocalypse. Taoyang could easily hire younger, more qualified teachers. Don’t worry about me—go on home. It’s late, and I’ll walk you downstairs.”
At the building entrance, Aunt Bai hesitated before saying:
“Xiao Tao, I watched you grow up—you’re like one of my own. Come visit me in Western District 3 when you have time. Not too often—just once or twice a year so I know you’re doing well.”
