Chapter 71 From Small Watches to Large Aircraft Carriers
Xu Zhili could no longer hold back. She squatted down and pressed her cheeks even closer to her grandmother's rough palms, holding her grandmother's cold fingers tightly, as if trying to transfer her life force to her.
She raised her head, her gaze sweeping over her grandparents' withered yet loving faces, and spoke each word as if it were a vow etched into her very bones: "Grandpa, Grandma, Lili is back. I won't go anywhere else from now on. I will stay with you and protect you. Our family will definitely get through this! Things will definitely get better!"
Xu Nuoyan felt both gratified and heartbroken as she watched her daughter suppress her grief and try her best to comfort the elderly.
She keenly caught the suppressed ferocity surging deep in her daughter's eyes, a ferocity born from the suffering of her loved ones.
She gently tugged at Xu Zhili's hand and said softly, "Dad, Mom, Lili and I are going out to talk for a while. We'll be back soon. It's late, so you should get some rest. Don't wait for me."
Grandma Zhou Xiulan nodded quickly, her eyes following Xu Zhili with reluctance: "Okay, okay, it's windy outside, wrap your scarf tighter, don't let my little Lili get cold."
The mother and daughter stepped out of the low cowshed, and the cold night wind immediately swept over them, carrying bits of grass.
Xu Nuoyan pulled Xu Zhili behind a haystack that was sheltered from the wind.
It's not far from the cowshed; you can vaguely hear what's going on inside, yet it's relatively secluded.
“Lili,” Xu Nuoyan’s voice was very low, her sharp eyes sweeping across the surrounding darkness, “You… do you still have psychic abilities? Release them, Mom has something to tell you, and no one can hear us.”
Xu Zhili did not hesitate at all, her mind slightly stirred.
An invisible barrier, carrying faint spiritual energy fluctuations, instantly spread out from her center, enveloping the mother and daughter.
This is not an offensive force, but a sophisticated "mental shield" that effectively isolates the propagation and detection of sound.
"Okay, Mom, we're safe now," Xu Zhili said softly, her eyes questioning.
Xu Nuoyan took a deep breath, her face showing a mixture of excitement, confusion, and disbelief. She leaned close to her daughter's ear, her voice carrying a hint of mystery.
“Lili, Mom has a huge secret to tell you. Just as you appeared near Xiangyang Brigade, something suddenly… bound to my mind.”
Xu Zhili's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, filled with surprise: "Bound to something? What is it?"
"It calls itself the 'All Things Exchange System'," Xu Nuoyan's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "As long as I can collect certain wild plants and animals, I can exchange them for things, from a watch or a bag of flour to..."
She paused, her voice lower and filled with shock, "From blueprints for airplanes and tanks, even... even complete blueprints for aircraft carriers!"
Xu Zhili's pupils suddenly contracted!
Her experience of surviving the apocalypse made her instantly aware of the terrifying power and potential risks behind this "system".
But she didn't question it immediately; she just watched her mother quietly.
Seeing her daughter's instantly serious expression, Xu Nuoyan added with a wry smile, "But... Lili, my dear, I'm just a demoted person now. Let alone submitting blueprints, I know absolutely nothing about them. How could I possibly understand those complicated mechanical drawings? I have a treasure trove of knowledge but don't know how to use it. It's driving me crazy."
Xu Zhili remained silent for a moment.
The night breeze ruffled her hair, revealing her eyes that gleamed with a calm light in the darkness.
Her mind was racing, analyzing the situation based on her post-apocalyptic experience.
“Mom,” her voice was steady and clear, with an undeniable determination, “this system is an opportunity, but also a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. We must be extremely cautious.”
Xu Zhili analyzed logically: "We are now being sent down to the cowshed to undergo reform labor. Taking out anything beyond our status and capabilities could lead to our annihilation."
Aircraft carrier blueprints? Forget about the channels for handing them over; just explaining their origin would be enough to ruin us.
"The most urgent task is not to think about how to make great contributions to the country in one step, but to let our family survive and live a better life, so that my grandparents can suffer less."
"You're right, Mom was just being impatient."
“It’s okay, Mom. Can the system be used to exchange for seeds, tools, and medicine?” Seeing her mother nod, Xu Zhili’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. “That’s good! We’ll use it to ‘subtly influence things’.”
"First, we'll exchange some fine grains, nutritional supplements, and common medicines to secretly nourish my grandparents. Then we'll try to get some thick cotton clothes and quilts so they won't get cold in the winter."
"Exchange for high-yield, disease-resistant seeds! When spring comes, try to 'accidentally discover' or 'ask someone to bring them from outside' and hand them over to the brigade. With increased grain production, the villagers will benefit and naturally remember our kindness, and our situation in the village will gradually improve."
"Exchange for some simple and practical tool blueprints, such as improved farm implements, labor-saving waterwheels, or traditional remedies for treating common livestock diseases. These things are effective, tangible, and allow the villagers to truly feel the benefits, gradually building our reputation and influence."
"As for those top-tier design drawings..."
Xu Zhili's lips curled into a cold, madman-like smile. "Mom, don't forget, your daughter here has disassembled and reassembled countless mechanical wrecks in the apocalypse, making them usable. Mechanical principles, blueprints... are not unfamiliar to me."
Her eyes were cold and sharp as knives. “Give me time. I can ‘learn’ to understand them. Once we’ve established ourselves in the Xiangyang Brigade, once the time is right, once we find a safe and powerful enough ‘backer’… those blueprints will naturally find their place. The debt Lin Jianguo owes us will also come to an end.”
As Xu Nuoyan listened to her daughter's meticulous and bold plan, and saw the complex light in her eyes that blended wisdom, ruthlessness, and protection, a surge of immense pride and a sense of security welled up within her.
She gripped her daughter's hand tightly, as if grasping the most solid support in the darkness, her voice choked with emotion yet incredibly firm.
“Okay, my little Lili! Mommy will listen to you. Whatever you say, Mommy will do! We're of one mind. In this life, Mommy will be with you. We'll not only live well, but we'll also live a fulfilling life. We'll trample all those who bullied us and wronged us under our feet.”
Even the cold wind seemed to soften a little at this moment.
Inside the mental shield, the mother and daughter huddled together tightly.
Remembering something, Xu Nuoyan tenderly stroked Xu Zhili's cheek, her voice trembling with lingering fear: "Baby, tell Mommy... after Mommy... was... attacked by zombies... how did you... get through it all by yourself? How much suffering did you endure?"
She couldn't imagine how much her daughter must have suffered for forty years struggling to survive alone in the apocalypse.
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