Chapter 126 Anniversary
When Zuo Shan opened her eyes, she was met with a pair of red eyes that were swollen like peaches. Next to the red eyes was a panda cub pacing back and forth, extremely agitated.
"Waaaaah! Sister, if you really don't wake up, I'll go down to the underworld to keep you and baby Chen company. It's all my fault! Waaaaah!" Pan Duole murmured in a hoarse voice, her voice trembling with sobs.
Then, out of the blue, she saw her eyes open. She couldn't believe it, rubbed her eyes hard, and turned to ask the cat, "Chestnut, am I hallucinating? Why did I see my sister open her eyes?"
“You’re not hallucinating. Master has woken up and seems to be in good health,” Mao Li said in her gentlest voice.
"Silly girl, don't you get tired of crying like this?" Zuo Shan said with heartache.
"I'm not tired, I'm not tired at all. As long as you wake up, I'm willing to do anything!" Pan Duole cried tears of joy.
Xiao Bao also came over, asking for a pat on the head. He stroked its soft, thick fur with his left hand and said with a smile, "Xiao Bao, you're so big now, why do you still act like a little cub and like to act cute?"
The little boy whimpered, completely oblivious to the fact that he had grown up.
Its weight has increased from less than two kilograms to fifteen kilograms, but its size has not increased much; it has only grown from the size of a cat to the size of a teddy dog.
It can still be stuffed into a backpack, it's just a bit heavy to carry.
In her heart, Zuo Shan hoped that it would grow slowly, otherwise if it really grew to the size of its mother, the big treasure, there would be no room for it at home.
Zuo Shan doesn't want to think about this problem for the time being. She can only take it one step at a time. If she hasn't become successful by then and can't afford a big courtyard, she will find a remote place, buy a piece of land, and build a big house herself.
The left fan is fine, there are no problems at all, but Wanwan has fallen into a deep sleep. The message it conveyed before falling asleep was that it would probably sleep for a month this time, thanks to its little master's help, who absorbed at least half of the energy.
Zuo Shan was quite impressed by her baby Achen's black hole-like super absorption ability. How could a fetus be stronger than a mutated plant?
Of course, it goes without saying that she's a useless mother.
This unexpected event wasted the entire afternoon, but Zuo Shan felt that his body seemed lighter.
If she started running now, she could probably easily crush the world marathon champion. She'd be fast and wouldn't even be out of breath or working like a bellows.
Pandora was exhausted. She cried all afternoon and was physically and mentally drained, even more so than if she had been collecting materials all day.
On the way back, Zuo Shan considerately accompanied her on a slow walk, without even having to run.
And when they reached places where people were passing by, Xiao Bao was always carried on her back.
The advantage is that the giant sweet radish is stored in the space button, and the cashew pear is also in Xiao Bao's space. Only the leaves collected by Pandora are carried in a sack to avoid being seen.
Passing scavengers, seeing that their harvest consisted of only two light sacks, felt a sense of superiority, believing they had more to offer. Their gazes were filled with contempt and disdain, with only a few showing pity.
Many scavengers in District 48 have seen them. Most people are pessimistic about the two women, one pregnant and one child, believing they are unlikely to survive the next extreme cold weather.
By then, they certainly wouldn't be able to afford rent and would have to return to District 50 to eke out a living until they starve to death.
On their way home, they passed by Uncle Wu's small shop. Uncle Wu greeted them with a smile: "You're back? Do you want to take a day off tomorrow?"
"Rest? Why do we need to rest?" Pandora asked.
"Tomorrow is April 1, 308 in the Gregorian calendar. It is the 300th anniversary of the establishment of our District 48. Every year on this day, the long-time residents of District 48 will take a day off to go shopping, play games, and reunite with their families."
Even those without family will celebrate with neighbors and friends, congratulating themselves on surviving another year.
"This year marks the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the authorities will definitely set off electronic fireworks to celebrate," Uncle Wu explained.
The so-called new calendar is a calendar that was rewritten after the Great Cataclysm. District 48 was built eight years after the Great Cataclysm. From the day that officially dispatched administrators moved in, the district went from complete chaos to a state of order.
Therefore, this day was designated as the anniversary of the establishment of District 48.
After arriving in the wasteland, Zuo Shan lived in District 50, which was established several years later than District 48. It was inhabited by refugees who couldn't make a living in other districts, so there were no commemorative days there.
Zuo Shan and Pan Duole were hearing about anniversaries for the first time and found it very interesting, so they decided to splurge and give themselves a break to join in the fun.
Suddenly deciding to go shopping and join the fun, Zuo Shan felt like he had entered a civilized world from a savage world.
She decided to give everyone a makeover, starting with the whole family taking a bath and getting their hair cut.
Because of malnutrition, Pan Duole's messy yellow hair was cut so badly by her mother that it looked like a dog had chewed it. Zuo Shan then had Xiao Bao make a whole set of hair clippers for her.
Of course, the diagram of the hair clippers was found by Mao Li from the database. Xiao Bao meticulously sculpted them, making each fine tooth the same length and the spacing exactly the same.
As a result, it absorbed the remaining half of the scrap metal in the yard.
Although its rate of gold consumption is terrifying, fortunately it doesn't need to consume gold every day; it can survive on normal food.
With the hair clippers, Zuo Shan gave Pan Duole a mushroom haircut. Although the mushroom shape wasn't very formal, it looked a bit like a mushroom that had been gnawed by ants.
But this was still much better than Pandora's mother's skills. When Pandora saw her hairstyle in the mirror, she beamed with joy.
Of course, the mirror was also made by Xiaobao using a silver metal, and its surface was so smooth that a fly could slip on it.
Zuo Shan's hair was originally unkempt, so she asked Mao Li to help her cut it into a buzz cut so that she wouldn't get scratched by thorns while scavenging.
After tidying up her hair, Zuo Shan forced Pan Duole to put on the new heat-resistant suit she had bought. She had been reluctant to wear it, afraid that she would tear it when she went to collect things in the wild.
But thinking that I wouldn't be going to the countryside today, just going for a walk in the street, and that it wouldn't get torn, I gritted my teeth and put it on.
Zuo Shan laughed at her, saying, "Clothes are meant to be worn. If you don't wear them, the money is wasted. It's better to keep the money in your account; it's more reassuring."
Private account deposits in the wasteland do not accrue interest, nor do they require custody fees. There are no loans available in districts outside of District 40.
An account is just a transaction tool. You can spend money when you have it, and you can only watch helplessly when you don't. You can't get any online loans or anything like that.
The family ate steamed cassava cakes for breakfast, along with a dish of cold wild vegetables. Each person also received a roasted chestnut. They ate their fill and enjoyed the delicious food.
Pan Duole said with a pained expression, "We don't have to work today, and we're eating so well. It's such a waste!"
Zuo Shan laughed: "Today is a holiday, so we should treat ourselves well and enjoy a normal life."
Pan Duole doesn't know how a normal person should live. From childhood to now, her life has been a simple routine: collecting materials, going home, and then sometimes going hungry and sometimes full.
Uncle Wu didn't get a day off today. It's rare for everyone to have a day off, so his shop is doing exceptionally well. He can't bear to close it down.
The all-purpose supermarket on the street was also open for business, and there were several colorful balloons hanging at the entrance.
Balloons are something that even people from the 50th district, let alone Pandora, rarely see. It is said that supermarkets only hang balloons on one anniversary each year.
As Pandora passed by the supermarket arm in arm with Zuo Shan, her eyes sparkled as she stared at the balloons for a long time before finally moving on.
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