The elderly couple asked Zuo Ling's family where they had been all these years.

After cutting off the beginning and the end, Zuo Ling picked out what she could say.

The elderly couple were very shrewd; they knew they couldn't tell the truth to them, so they didn't ask any further questions.

The house was too small, and after a short while, the three little ones started to fuss about leaving, so the three siblings had no choice but to say goodbye and depart.

Professor Jin was very embarrassed:

"You've come to my house and spent so much money, but I haven't even been able to offer you a sip of water."

Zuo Ling casually placed the large bag she brought on the ground, without saying what it contained, as if she hadn't brought it at all.

The elderly couple thanked Zuo Ling for her thoughtfulness and meticulousness. They had worked hard all these years and truly needed her, so they didn't stand on ceremony with Zuo Ling.

"We're already so familiar with each other, there's no need to be so polite. Alright, don't bother seeing me off."

As Xiao Hao walked away, he kept turning back and said, "Grandma Tang, I'll come see you another day."

"well."

Upon receiving news of his son, Researcher Tang's condition visibly improved.

Professor Jin saw the person to the main gate.

"You can go back now, don't bother seeing me off, just go back."

Professor Jin hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Knowing what he wanted to ask, Zuo Ling hesitated whether she should tell the truth.

"Has something happened to my eldest son's wife and my eldest grandson?"

The photo only showed the eldest and third sons; their daughter-in-law and grandson were nowhere to be seen, and the elderly couple knew something was wrong.

One was worried that the old man couldn't handle it, and the other was worried that his wife's health wasn't good and she couldn't take the shock. Everyone just talked about the happy things and no one asked any more questions.

Once outside the room, Professor Jin couldn't help but finally ask the question.

Xiao Hao looked at the old man with a pained expression.

After much hesitation, Zuo Ling said:

"Yes, Jin Yan is also... not coming back. The photo was taken before the accident."

Jin Yu and his group will return to the base sooner or later, so it's good for the old man to be mentally prepared in advance.

Professor Jin's head buzzed. He remembered his daughter-in-law and grandson's accident, but he never expected that his eldest son would also be gone.

His feet wobbled, and Zuo Ling quickly helped him up, using her supernatural power to protect his heart meridian.

Xiao Hao was worried about whether Grandpa Jin could handle it, so the siblings helped the old man sit down in an open space.

After a long while, the old man's pale lips regained some color, and he forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Thank you for telling me the truth. I was prepared, but I still held onto a sliver of hope."

The old man sighed heavily, "Don't tell your aunt, let her be happy for a while longer."

He struggled to his feet and staggered back, waving his hand weakly.

Watching the old man walk away, he stopped when he was almost at his doorstep. He wiped his face a few times, straightened his back, and stepped into his house. His heavy steps suddenly became lighter.

"Sister, can Grandpa Jin handle it?"

"Yes, it's definitely possible."

The old man is worldly-wise and stronger than they imagined; without a strong heart, he wouldn't have lived this long.

The family of six strolled leisurely home, their journey a scenic one in itself.

Snowy nights and waterfalls are commonplace for them; when they're happy, they even greet people.

Seeing animals after the apocalypse is rare enough, but seeing them all plump and chubby is even rarer.

Given that Zuo Ling's family's appearance is so stunning that it surpasses 99.99% of others, people are speculating about their background and identity.

Some exclaimed how cute it was, some drooled, and some even had mischievous ideas...

Envy, jealousy, hunger, cold, psychological distortion, hatred of a family swaggering around—these are just some of the many emotions that arise.

Ah Si was very nervous the whole way. Whenever someone approached, he would move to his left leg, his hair standing on end, and he would make warning noises.

Zuo Ling didn't try to comfort it. Ah Si is a wolf, and it's good that it's wary.

They saw two people standing at their door from afar, and one of them ran towards them.

"Sister Zuo, where have you been? We've been waiting for you for ages."

The other person greeted him with a smile.

"You should know this person, Qian Yu, the current company commander of the planting company."

He Guiqi explained.

"Hello, welcome back."

Qian Yu smiled and shook hands with Zuo Ling's family. Being the company commander of the planting company was not an easy job.

It's been several years since the apocalypse, and it's not just the weather that's preventing us from growing food and vegetables.

Most importantly, with repeated losses, seeds are becoming increasingly scarce, and even if seeds are available, the survival rate is not high.

In this vicious cycle, a single seed can fetch the astronomical price of 20 grams of gold.

Everywhere he went, people were asking him for vegetables and grains. The leaders didn't care about the process, they only cared about the result, but he was like a skilled cook without rice.

Hearing that Zuo Ling had returned was like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

Zuo Ling didn't stay at the base for long, but those days were the most triumphant time for the planting company.

Qian Yu couldn't wait to invite Zuo Ling, this amazing person, to take a tour of the plantation.

"Hello."

Zuo Ling is aloof and deliberately keeps her distance from people. She recognizes most of the people in the planting company by their faces, but she can't recall their names.

"Sister Zuo, each of your identity cards has an initial 20 contribution points."

In a typical person's card, there are only 5 initial contribution points. The contribution points are not many, but they can help newcomers get through the difficult times temporarily.

The card issued to Zuo Ling's family was specially approved according to the treatment given to experts.

On the island, everyone needs to contribute points to obtain supplies such as water, food, and biogas.

"Thank you," Zuo Ling said with a smile.

Pointing to the two small bags of grain, two bags of coal briquettes, and a small coal stove by the door, He Guiqi added:

"It was specially approved by the leader. Look how good the leader is to you. Sister Zuo, you can't leave again."

Coal stoves are worthless; grain and coal briquettes are precious.

Needless to say, food supplies were scarce. The mountains had collapsed, the coal mines had crumbled, and mining coal was extremely difficult. Transporting coal back to the base would cost astronomical sums, so only the most powerful people could afford to use coal briquettes at home.

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