I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse-Chapter 1025 - 1024: We’re Professionals at Selling Pipe Dreams

Aunt Xie immediately understood and said, "Don’t worry, as long as I’m in the fermentation factory, I’ll never allow people like India and Ah Si to sneak in!"

Jing Shu was more satisfied with this and said that Uncle Xie could also move in conveniently, with meals only costing 3 Virtual Coins.

However, Uncle Xie was a bit hesitant. A meal for 3 Virtual Coins was somewhat expensive now, unlike when his younger brother was around and the family was well-off. He decided to eat outside where centipede sellers offer a full meal for 1 or 2 Virtual Coins, so why spend 3 Virtual Coins?

Both families settled in, and Jing Shu soon led people to the canteen.

These days marked the start of the new workers, and the canteen meals had improved a bit. At noon, each person got a small piece of synthetic meat, an egg seaweed soup that tasted salty without visible egg flowers, red worm cake as the main dish, along with chilled mushrooms as vegetables and a serving of Xuwen’s platinum pineapple, a juicy, sweet-sour fruit.

This meal, with meat, egg, vegetables, and fruit, was considered among the best workplace meals across Huaxia, especially with unlimited red worm cakes and vegetables, which would cost at least 10 Virtual Coins outside.

The canteen was buzzing with people, yet orderly, with the seasoned workers appearing calm and the new ones euphorically happy.

Nanny Xie was dazzled by the array of food, and the lunch lady who noticed she was an elder gave her some soup with egg flowers.

Uncle Xie was stunned, "The food is this good?" Spending 3 Virtual Coins suddenly seemed fine, especially since one could eat to satisfaction.

Aunt Xie also remarked, "This is way too good. Is it all free?"

Jing Shu smiled and pointed upstairs, "There’s even better food upstairs. Once your position is promoted, you can take Nanny Xie to eat upstairs, where there are free rice and steamed buns."

Jing Shu successfully saw the fire of ambition in Aunt Xie’s eyes and was pleased as she led her family upstairs, realizing she had painted quite the picture.

The elder aunt’s family was also astonished by this impressive scene, assuming this was the free meal, but there was more upstairs!

Jing Shu took the elder aunt to the second floor, which was more spacious with private rooms, but fewer people queuing for food. She explained:

"Only supervisors and above can eat for free and it’s limited. If bringing family members, each person has a 15 Virtual Coin meal allowance, and it’s also open to the public. Ordinary employees pay 15 Virtual Coins per meal here."

There was synthetic meat, giant fish meat, potatoes, rice, buns, with three meat and three vegetable dishes, offering better cost performance and flavor.

Of course, real meat was unattainable. Currently, a kilogram of pork costs thousands of Virtual Coins, likely frozen zombie meat from years ago.

Grandma Jing wasn’t impressed with the 15 Virtual Coin meal, "It’s expensive and not tasty. That synthetic meat has a weird flavor, not as good as my cooking."

The elder aunt smiled while serving soup to her granddaughter, "Only our family can often eat meat; few others outside can."

Grandma Jing suddenly asked, "What did you do with the black pigs you were rearing?"

Uncle replied, "Thankfully, Miss Jing suggested we give them to my younger brother’s livestock farm as breeding pigs. They’re kept at the livestock farm, earning us fifty thousand Virtual Coins monthly."

Grandma Jing nodded, "That’s a solution. In the apocalypse, stocking up on resources is wise, we can’t just sit and waste."

Uncle quickly nodded, "Mom’s right. We must work hard this time in the factory for our whole family."

Qiao Lian discreetly swallowed, surprised by her in-laws’ resilience. Despite having significant income, they quietly lived in government-assigned housing. It seemed she’d worried unnecessarily these past months.

However, there was something she found difficult to say.

She held her belly and, with everyone present, finally mustered the courage to speak, "Mom, Dad, Grandma, I-I might be pregnant again."

"What? Pregnant now? You just started your job and are pregnant, how will you work?" The elder aunt glared at her daughter-in-law.

Grandma Jing was slightly thrilled, "Pregnancy is a blessing, why scold the child? Our family isn’t struggling to support a pregnant lady."

Jing Shu’s cousin had been quietly eating but looked up joyfully, "Really? Pregnant again?"

Jing Shu glanced at Qiao Lian, admiring her courage after nearly dying from childbirth years ago. It was truly remarkable to become a mother.

Qiao Lian shyly nodded, "I’ve been careful these years, yet somehow this time... my belly has grown, and it’s been months since my last period, so it must be. Mom, if you disapprove, I’ll terminate it..."

The elder aunt looked towards Jing Shu with some trepidation, "...Qiao Lian is pregnant. We can’t terminate it, but she probably can’t work..."

It’s not like before the apocalypse when a pregnancy granted maternity leave.

Jing Shu suggested, "For now, work in the detergent factory. Later when the belly grows, transfer to the fermentation factory, where simply supervising will do."

Qiao Lian quickly said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Thus, the decision was made, and after eating, Jing Shu let the elder aunt take Qiao Lian to the factory’s clinic, while she went about her own business.

Soon, all the new and old employees were neatly seated in a brand-new auditorium, with a few banners displayed prominently, "Wu City Laundry Detergent Factory, Nationwide Beer Factory Press Conference!"