Rebirth: Leading Families to Survive in the Apocalypse

Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Marrow Cleansing Pill

Mr. Su and Mrs. Su certainly found a large grain and oil store; calling it a shop would be an understatement — it was more like a warehouse. It was filled with tall shelves, each layer brimming with stock, and the shelves themselves were covered with dust and rust. Su Jin just collected the items on the shelves into the Space, leaving behind the tables, chairs, and racks inside the store.

“Lu Hao, about Guo Yang, how do you plan to handle that?”

As Su Jin collected the items, she inquired. Guo Yang had helped them a lot, but she was unsure of what Lu Hao had in mind.

“I have a friend who’s awakened the Wind Element and is currently with Guo Yang.”

Lu Hao thought of Xue Wanyi, who should already be with Guo Yang by now. With him by Guo Yang’s side, he would be relatively safe for the time being.

“What? He’s awakened already?”

Su Jin was surprised, even pausing in her collection efforts.

“Yeah, do you remember the online post you made about climbing Mount M? The only person who survived is my friend, and he’s of the Wind Element.”

“My god, how could it be such a miraculous coincidence, he was just in Y Province a few days ago.”

Su Jin felt this person was fated to meet Lu Hao.

Lu Hao shared the story of Big Beard Xue Wanyi with Su Jin, who couldn’t help but marvel at his experiences. Big Beard seemed to be not only lucky but also had quite the tenacity. Moreover, Su Jin could tell that Lu Hao’s friend was a reliable person.

After they finished collecting from the three stores, they drove back. On the way, Su Jin sneaked into the Space to move the newly acquired goods to the appropriate areas.

So Nie Qing, still in the Pill Room, saw bags of rice and flour flying through the air towards the warehouse outside his door.

What a miraculous sight… Nie Qing mused.

Seeing as his apprentices had also finished collecting from the stores, he followed Su Jin out of the Space.

As they approached their home, not even inside the courtyard yet, they were greeted by the delicious aromas wafting through the air. Upon entering, they found the living room bustling with activity.

The table and coffee table were laden with freshly steamed buns and dumplings. Aunt Lin Tianzhen and Mrs. Su Lin Tianhui were busy making dumplings, while Mao Qiqi was diligently rolling out dough like her mother. Grandma Li Xiuying was placing a steamer full of buns into a basket, and Grandpa Lin Yunguo and Aunt Huang Yunxiang were busy kneading dough, their hands covered in flour…

“Mom, you guys are so fast,” Su Jin and Lu Hao said as they were about to head into the kitchen to wash their hands and help out.

“Xiao Jin, you told us about times when people would fight to the death over a bun. You can never be too prepared,” Mrs. Su Lin Tianhui said as she continued to wrap dumplings.

“That’s right, Xiao Jin. Grandma and Grandpa have lived through famines. We know how severe it can be. It’s always good to have extra,” added Li Xiuying.

Even though Li Xiuying and Lin Yunguo had only heard about the horrors of the Apocalypse from Su Jin, they had firsthand experience with famine. They knew that when a person is starving, they don’t have the strength to do anything, let alone defend against monsters, so they insisted on making as much food as possible while they could.

“Yes, yes, I agree, but your speed is beyond my imagination,” Su Jin said.

Ever since being honest with her family, Su Jin felt that her decision was extremely wise. Preparing food was a major endeavor; every time she and Lu Hao cooked a meal, it would take them all day, and that was just for the two of them, let alone enough for many people.

“Of course we have to be fast, you and Lu Hao are the quick ones. Without us noticing, you’ve already prepared so much, and all big items too,” Lin Tianzhen said while rolling dumpling wrappers.

“Aunt, those were just ready-made items we bought with money, they can’t compare to this,” Lu Hao had already taken a seat, watching Mao Qiqi roll out small pieces of dumpling wrappers with her chubby hands covered in flour, looking like little glutinous rice balls.

In the midst of their conversation, several men returned home. As soon as Lin Cheng entered and shut the door, he exclaimed excitedly, “Xiao Jin, those 30 motorcycles you bought are so cool. We took them for a spin; they are absolutely stunning!”

Lu Guanhai and Su Xiangzhe were also very happy. A motorcycle, ah! The coolest thing they wanted in their youth, and now there were so many of them. Xiao Jin, that girl, really knew how to shop.

As Su Jin was storing the freshly steamed buns in her space, she said, “After the Apocalypse, all regional transport had collapsed. Some places were simply inaccessible by car. In case of emergencies, motorcycles can still be useful.”

Everyone nodded in understanding. In the kitchen, Huang Yunxiang had already begun boiling dumplings, calling everyone to get ready for dinner. The evening meal was dumplings, with a filling made by Lin Yunguo, and everyone ate their fill with great satisfaction.

After dinner, Su Jin gathered everyone in the space and took out a bottle containing Marrow Cleansing Pills from the Pill Room. She explained the purpose of the pills and warned that they would cause unbearable pain for half an hour. As she spoke, she distributed one pill to each person.

“Uncle Nie, these Marrow Cleansing Pills have a huge effect. Can Grandpa, Grandma, and Qiqi take them directly?”

She was worried that Grandpa, Grandma, and Qiqi wouldn’t be able to endure the pain after taking them.

Nie Qing looked at little Mao Qiqi and said with a smile, “The younger one is when taking the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the better it works. Qiqi can certainly take it. As for the elderly over fifty, after taking it, they’ll only experience the effects of unblocking meridians and prolonging life, similar to the effects of the Foundation Building Pill. Therefore, I suggest you directly give the Foundation Building Pill to the elders. Moreover, there are no discomforts with the Foundation Building Pill.”

So that’s how it was. It was a relief she hadn’t directly given the Marrow Cleansing Pill to Grandpa and Grandma. Elderly people might not withstand the intense medicinal effects. If the effects were similar, then it would be better for Grandpa and Grandma to use the Foundation Building Pill.

Having distributed the Marrow Cleansing Pills to those in need, Su Jin had not finished speaking when Lin Xiuyuan suddenly shouted out loud. He had popped the pill into his mouth as soon as he received it and then felt as if each of his bones were being broken one by one, causing him to roll on the ground in agony.

Why was it so painful? Why didn’t that girl Su Jin say something earlier? Lin Xiuyuan’s painful expression terrified Lin Cheng and Huang Yunxiang.

“Xiao Jin, this…” Huang Yunxiang wasn’t doubting Su Jin, but Lin Xiuyuan’s appearance was just too distressing for her.

Su Jin held her forehead. What a fool.

She originally wanted Lin Cheng to take Lin Xiuyuan to soak in the creek, but seeing the impurities and stench seeping out of Lin Xiuyuan’s body, she decided to use her thoughts to place him in the creek instead.

“It’s okay, Auntie. Everyone will feel bad for a while after taking this medicine, but it’ll be fine afterward. It’s just that Lin Xiuyuan swallowed it too quickly and didn’t listen to me finish speaking,” Su Jin shook her head and said.

She then instructed the family to take the Marrow Cleansing Pills one by one. There were several purification rooms in the Lu Residence, which Lu Hao had already converted into shower rooms at her request. Each shower room was equipped with a wooden tub for soaking and the used water flowed out through the original purification room’s drainage pipes.

With four such purification rooms available, the family divided into groups of four to take the baths and consume the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

Su Jin sent Lin Cheng, Mao Zhihang, Nie Qing, and Lu Guanhai in first to take their pills. For hygienic purposes, she also lined each tub with a disposable plastic liner for soaking to avoid discomfort for the next people going in.

Lin Tianzhen gave Su Jin a thumbs-up after hearing the arrangement. Su Jin’s thoughtfulness truly impressed her, and then she heard the screams coming from each purification room…

The remaining ladies turned pale as they listened. The screams seemed even louder than when they were giving birth…

Yet they were not worried, for they had seen the effects of the medicine. No matter the pain, they would have to endure.

After overcoming the agony in the tub, Lu Guanhai doubted his life choices. If only the four of them could have soaked in the same room; they could have chatted to distract themselves from the pain. But after the pain subsided, he didn’t feel that way anymore. The stench was too intense. If all four had been in one room, they probably would have passed out from each other’s smell.

It was the same with Lin Cheng, Su Xiangzhe, and Nie Qing. They looked disdainfully at the tubs they had dirtied, and after cleaning themselves, they tossed the used disposable soaking bags into the sealed bags Su Jin had prepared beforehand, before bathing with peace of mind.

When the four men came out looking refreshed, the ladies’ eyes lit up. Lin Tianhui’s heart raced as she watched Su Xiangzhe; could her husband really be this handsome…?

Mao Qiqi spun around, holding her father Mao Zhihang’s hand, proud that her daddy was the most handsome in the world!

Huang Yunxiang blushed as she looked at Lin Cheng walking out; it was as if she had gone back to the first time she had met him.

At this moment, from the distant creek, came Lin Xiuyuan’s plaintive voice: Could someone bring him some clothes, or at least a towel…?