Chapter 132 Grandparents

"I'm hungry." Lin Yan rubbed her stomach.

Ruan Ning walked to the kitchen area—where there was only a cement stove and an empty cupboard. She flipped her hand and took out a few items from her spatial storage: a piece of mutated beast meat, a few potatoes, a bunch of greens, a bag of rice, and a few eggs. The seasonings were simple: salt, a small bottle of oil, and a little dried chili.

"Let's cook." She placed the food on the cleaned stove. Zhou Min rolled up her sleeves: "I'll do it." She was quite a good cook even before the apocalypse. Lin Yan helped wash the vegetables.

Zhou Min worked quickly and efficiently. She sliced ​​the meat thinly, peeled and diced the potatoes, heated oil in a pan, stir-fried the meat first, then added the potatoes and peppers and stir-fried again, adding water to simmer. Meanwhile, she cooked rice in another pot. Finally, she used the remaining oil to stir-fry some greens and fried three eggs.

The aroma of food quickly filled the air, dispelling the unfamiliarity of the new environment and the fatigue of the day.

Once the food was ready, the three of them sat around a makeshift "table" pieced together from boxes. Since there were no chairs, they simply sat cross-legged on the floor.

A simple meal of braised pork with potatoes, stir-fried vegetables, fried eggs, and white rice. After a long journey, such a hot meal is a rare treat.

The three ate quietly, without saying a word; the only sounds were the soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks and the chewing of food.

Faint voices could be heard outside, along with the distant footsteps of a patrol and the sounds of arguing from somewhere. This was nighttime outside the Northwest Base.

After dinner, Zhou Min and Lin Yan cleaned up. Ruan Ning went to the second-floor terrace.

Night had completely fallen. The lights in the inner city were noticeably denser and brighter, and the outlines of some tall buildings could even be seen. The outer city, however, was mostly shrouded in darkness, with only scattered points of light, like fireflies in the wilderness.

She touched the necklace around her neck. Tomorrow, she would be going to the inner city. Her mother's background, the secret of the necklace, Qin Li's maternal grandparents... the answers might lie there.

"Take a rest," Ruan Ning said to the two people downstairs. "We have things to do tomorrow."

They spread out their sleeping bags on the cleaned room floor. A large fire stood guard at the door.

In the darkness, Ruan Ning kept her eyes open, listening to the faint sounds outside, her fingers unconsciously stroking the necklace pendant.

A new chapter begins at the Northwest Base.

The next morning, Ruan Ning asked Zhou Min and Lin Yan to exchange for some necessary furniture, such as mattresses, tables and chairs, and to take the opportunity to visit the mission hall and the exchange to find out more about the base's power, mission trends, and prices.

"Be careful," Ruan Ning instructed.

"I understand. Be careful yourself too," Lin Yan said.

Zhou Min nodded: "We will listen and observe more."

Ruan Ning carried the fire towards the inner city.

The checks at the inner city entrance were much stricter than those at the outer city. The guards checked her identification card and then carefully examined Da Huo's control collar and registration information.

"Non-inner-city residents require an inner-city resident's guarantee or special permission to enter. What's the reason?" the guard asked.

“I’m visiting Major Qin in the Third District of the Inner City. Major Qin returned to base yesterday and should have made arrangements,” Ruan Ning replied.

The guard verified the information via communicator. A moment later, he put down the communicator: "Verification successful. Major Qin has filed the record. You may enter, but the mutated dogs must be on leashes and may only roam the outer perimeter area, not the core residential area. Please abide by the inner city regulations."

Ruan Ning took the temporary pass and a tow rope from the guard and tied them to the fire.

The environment of the inner city is vastly different from that of the outer city. The roads are smooth and clean, with simple greenery, and the houses are mostly four- or five-story apartment buildings or detached houses with small courtyards, which look sturdy and well-maintained.

The pedestrians were simply dressed, but their complexions were rosy, and they walked with a leisurely pace. Occasionally, vehicles would drive by, mostly military vehicles or modified energy vehicles.

Following the road signs and the guards' directions, Ruan Ning quickly found the third district. "Songtao Residence" was one of the houses in a relatively quiet row of small courtyards in the district. The courtyard was not large, and some drought-resistant plants were planted there. There was a simple doorplate at the entrance.

She rang the doorbell. A moment later, the door opened. It was Qin Li who opened the door.

He had changed into casual clothes and looked slightly more relaxed than when he was outside, but his eyes remained sharp. "You're here. Come in."

Ruan Ning led the large fire into the courtyard and then into the house. The living room was small, simply but neatly furnished.

Two elderly people sat on the sofa. The old man had gray hair, a thin build, a very straight back, and sharp eyes, exuding the air of a scholar.

The old woman also had gray hair and a kind face, but her eyes held a deep weariness and a suppressed excitement. The moment Ruan Ning entered, both of their gazes were fixed on her face, especially the old woman, whose lips trembled slightly.

Qin Li closed the door and introduced, "Grandpa, Grandma, this is Ruan Ning."

The old woman suddenly stood up, took two steps forward, her eyes fixed on Ruan Ning's face, her voice choked with emotion: "So alike...so alike...especially the eyes..."

The old man also stood up, controlling his emotions, but his gaze was equally focused: "Child, sit down."

Ruan Ning sat down in the chair opposite the two elderly people. The fire lay quietly at her feet.

Qin Li poured a few glasses of water and placed them on the coffee table.

“Child…” the old woman began urgently, but then hesitated, unsure of where to begin, “Your mother… she…”

“My mother’s name is Ji Wan,” Ruan Ning said calmly. “My maternal grandmother said that she was rescued from human traffickers when she was four years old. She was so frightened when she was rescued that she only remembered her nickname as ‘Xiao Wan’ and did not remember her parents or where her home was. Later, she took her maternal grandmother’s surname, ‘Ji’, so she is called Ji Wan.”

"Xiao Wan... Xiao Wan..." The old lady kept repeating the name, tears streaming down her face. "It's my Xiao Wan... my daughter..." She covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably.

The old man's eyes also reddened. He grasped the old woman's hand, took a deep breath, looked at Ruan Ning, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Your mother...when did she...leave? How did she die?"

"I died of illness when I was ten years old." Ruan Ning's voice remained steady, but her fingers curled slightly.

A profound grief flashed across the faces of both elderly people. The old woman cried even harder, and the old man tilted his head back and blinked hard.

Qin Li sat silently to the side, his brows furrowed.

"The necklace..." The old man looked at Ruan Ning's neck, "Can we take a look at it?"

Ruan Ning pulled the necklace out of her collar, took it off, and handed it to them. It was an antique silver chain with a small, teardrop-shaped jade pendant.

"These were given to the two sisters by their family when they were born. A pair."

He looked at Ruan Ning, then at Qin Li, and slowly said, "Now that you're here, and Qin Li is here too, there are some things I should tell you. About your mother, about these necklaces, about why they were separated, and about that 'accident' that changed so many things."