Chapter 49: Dongyang TV Station’s Media Is Simply Deliberately Smearing!
After work, Qi Yunlan carried two bento boxes and two bottles of milk back home.
Her husband widened his eyes when he saw what she was holding: “Did you strike it rich? You bought so much from Taoyang? How much did all this cost?”
He felt both heartache over the expense and an eagerness to take the food.
Their seventeen-year-old daughter had also just come home from work. She hadn’t eaten lunch, and her hunger had left her feeling a bit dizzy. When she saw the steaming white rice and stir-fried meat, she was stunned, and her mouth began to water uncontrollably.
But being a considerate child since she was young, she only said with teary eyes:
“Mom, I know you feel for Dad and me, and you wanted to bring us something nice from Taoyang to try, but there’s no need to buy so much.”
Before she could finish, she noticed the two bottles of milk and then heard her own stomach growl.
Qi Yunlan’s heart ached. She pulled her daughter and husband to sit down, opened the bento boxes for them, and said with a moved expression:
“Go ahead and eat. I already had lunch at Taoyang. These were given to us by Boss Su, they didn’t cost a penny.”
Father and daughter both paused in disbelief.
Qi Yunlan still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock and excitement before getting off work. She rubbed her reddened eyes and said, “Our…our family’s life will only get better from now on…”
She recounted the events of the day in simple terms.
Even though her words were plain and straightforward, without much embellishment, the father and daughter were still as if hearing a fairytale.
Her daughter’s mouth opened slightly: “Eight thousand federal credits? Per month?”
Qi Yunlan nodded.
Her daughter screamed internally, Oh my god! In Dongyang, you could hire a full-time cleaner for four to five thousand federal credits. Eight thousand could even get you a literate office clerk!
Her illiterate mother was working as a cleaner and earning eight thousand a month, with two meals included, plus drinks.
The people who said Taoyang was a scam for money and rent must have had rocks in their heads!
The generosity towards even cleaning staff proved that they didn’t care about such petty rent at all.
Dongyang TV station’s media was clearly just smearing them on purpose!
Qi Yunlan said, “I didn’t expect it either. At first, I thought she was just a kind-hearted tenant. Turns out, she’s a kind-hearted boss.”
She suddenly smiled: “Starting next month, we won’t have to live so tightly anymore. I can even get you a new dress. Summer is coming. Before the apocalypse, young girls all wore chiffon dresses. My girl has never worn one. And for your dad, since he’ll soon be helping with the construction of the west district’s city wall—hard labor needs good nutrition.”
Qi Yunlan felt that life was getting better and better. Happiness and contentment seemed to overflow from her chest. At this moment, she truly believed that living honestly and working hard would indeed bring rewards.
Her husband let out a long sigh, took her hand, and said, “Thank you, Yunlan. I was wrong to stop you when you wanted to go to Taoyang.”
Qi Yunlan shook her head: “It’s all in the past. Tomorrow, I’d like to visit the farm before work, use some contribution points to exchange for some pork to bring to Boss Su. She might not need it, but it’s a little gesture of gratitude. We can’t just take so many bento boxes and milk for nothing.”
Her husband nodded quickly: “That’s right, that’s right. Also, tell Boss Su that if anything like appliances or pipes need fixing at Taoyang, she can call me. I’ll help whenever I have time, free of charge. If I took money, I’d lose face.”
*
The next day, Su Tao still got up late in the morning. Last night, she finished building the small backyard of the office building, adding three rows of bookshelves and four display boards, along with tables and chairs in the yard.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t plant any greenery. Otherwise, according to Old Mei’s vision, they could have enjoyed the shade under the trees.
She also expanded the first floor of the office building with a small public restroom, just two stalls, mainly for Old Mei’s convenience.
After upgrading to level 4 and unlocking the facilities store, she could not only build swimming pools, ponds, and fountains but also pavilions, bridges, and other public amenities.
According to Old Mei’s plan, the first step was to construct a large fountain in the central park.
However, after working for half the night, Su Tao only managed to lay the foundation, mark out the fountain area, and tile it. She planned to continue refining the details tonight.
But even just an outline was enough to astonish the tenants.
As soon as they stepped out of the apartment building, many tenants were gathered around the bare pool area. Fan Chuanhui ran over with his camera, asking excitedly, “Boss Su, are you building a fountain here?”
“…You could tell just by looking?” Su Tao couldn’t help but laugh.
Fan Chuanhui snapped two quick photos of her, then apologized sheepishly:
“You have a beautiful smile. The unfinished fountain in the background complements it perfectly. You wouldn’t mind if I print this photo and hang it on our display board, would you?”
Su Tao didn’t mind at all—in fact, she encouraged him:
“That’s great! I’ve unlocked access to the office area for you today. The display area is all yours. I hope it will eventually reflect every step of Taoyang’s journey. Make sure to sign your name, so everyone who visits in the future will know we have a great photographer here named Fan Chuanhui.”
Fan Chuanhui’s eyes turned misty:
“Boss Su… You’re the first person to ever call me a photographer. My family has always been against me pursuing this. They say it’s not like the peaceful times before the apocalypse. What’s there to photograph in this broken world? It doesn’t make money, it doesn’t feed you, and in dangerous times, it won’t save your life. But I don’t think so. I believe whether it’s beauty or darkness, it all deserves to be documented.”
He handed his camera to Su Tao, showing her the photo. The frame captured the unfinished fountain, her bright smile, and, in the distance, the desolate world of the apocalypse.
The composition and lighting were both excellent.
Su Tao smiled, “You’re absolutely right, Master Photographer Fan.”
*
As soon as she reached the office, Zhuang Wan came to find her, holding a slab of pork.
Su Tao was startled. She had never seen such a bare chunk of raw pork before.
“It’s from Aunt Qi. She was waiting downstairs before dawn. I think she waited over an hour. I tried to turn her down, but she said she wouldn’t leave unless you accepted it. I had no choice but to bring it to you. If you really don’t want it, you’ll have to return it to her yourself. But, you know, it’s a heartfelt gesture. Fresh pork is so hard to come by these days. You need contribution points to buy it, and even then, it’s not guaranteed…”
Before Zhuang Wan could finish, two little furballs suddenly darted out from behind Su Tao. One of them bit into the end of the pork and tore off a small chunk.
The two little meat thieves meowed twice and quickly swallowed it down.
Zhuang Wan and Su Tao: “……” What just happened?
They moved so fast—now it would be awkward to return the meat.
Su Tao covered her forehead with her hand, pulled the two little rascals out, and scolded them, “No eating anything without my permission! Got it? If you do this again, I won’t take you outside anymore.”
The kittens, acting as if they truly understood, flattened their ears and stayed completely still.
Zhuang Wan asked, “Are they at the age where they can eat meat? But I remember that before the apocalypse, kittens had to be around two months old to handle this kind of food.”
Su Tao pried open White Sesame’s mouth and saw a set of sharp little teeth. She felt a bit helpless, “Looks like they’re ready. They act like I’ve been starving them.”
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