The Beginning of Natural Disaster, I Won by Hoarding Tens of Billions of Supplies

Chapter 619: She Won’t Let Go of the Opportunity to Make Herself Stronger

Doudou was busy with a thorough cleaning in the yard. 

Jiang Ning’s space also had couplets and red lanterns, but she wasn’t sure when she could proudly display them. 

They had a casual lunch and continued to stay busy in the afternoon. 

The New Year’s Eve dinner was particularly early, around five o’clock, with no firecrackers or fireworks. 

Jiang Ning brought out the TV and copied over the Spring Festival Gala program. 

The table was filled with a huge spread of dishes, and with five people and ten dogs, it was lively beyond words. 

Jiang Ning poured a bit of white wine and red wine. Gu Tinglin and her son-in-law had some, while the other three drank the red wine. 

The dogs, all excited, wanted some too. “Woof.” 

Suddenly, Shu Xueqing brought up the topic of children at the dinner table. “Anning, you and Yishen are getting older. It’s about time to have a child. That way, your father can hold his grandchild.” 

Jiang Ning froze for a moment, then smiled and said, “Having a child is all about fate.” 

“Still, it’s better to have one sooner if possible.” 

Shu Xueqing was optimistic about the two of them. After all, with so many years of no health issues, having a child should be easy for them. 

Unlike other women whose bodies were seriously affected, many had lost their periods, and even after treatment, it was difficult to restore their health. The hospital had put a lot of effort into it, and there were subsidies from the base. Many women had gone to seek treatment, but only a few had managed to get their periods back. 

As for whether they could get pregnant, it was still uncertain. 

Gu Tinglin didn’t object and gently said, “You can think about it after finishing the work at sea.” 

Jiang Ning didn’t give a clear answer. “Mm, we’ll talk about it then.” 

She didn’t actually mind having children; she just didn’t want to have one during the end times. Now that the environment was stabilizing, and her relationship with Huo Yishen was strong, it wasn’t out of the question. 

But for now, her priority was to complete their tasks, and they’d talk about it later. 

After dinner, the family sat down to eat fruit and watch the evening gala. 

The dogs finished their bones, some went to sleep, and others sat lined up in front of the TV. Whenever there was an exciting scene, they’d either bark or howl. 

Rong Tingting knocked on the door outside, calling for Doudou to go watch the gala in the square. 

When the special salvage team went out to sea last time, one of the fire seed containers was filled with entertainment-related electronic devices. 

It was all equipment like TVs, KTV machines, speakers, and outdoor movie projectors, along with some video materials. The government was thrilled about it. 

They had tested everything and, with no issues, announced early that they would be screening movies in the square for the New Year. 

The two of them were around the same age and had a lot in common, so they got along closer than with the others. 

Doudou was considerate. Even though her sister-in-law had given her a lot of beautiful clothes, she still wore simple casual sportswear, thinking that Rong Tingting didn’t have the same advantages as her. 

Rong Tingting wore a new skirt, which she had earned points for and then bought fabric from the center’s mall to sew herself. 

Seeing that Doudou was wearing sportswear, she shyly said, “Doudou, it’s the Spring Festival, everyone’s trying to dress up. Why are you still wearing old clothes?” 

Doudou linked arms with her and said, “As long as I’m comfortable, that’s enough.” 

The truth was, she didn’t want to steal Tingting’s spotlight. 

Doudou wasn’t interested in men and found them annoying, like flies. She preferred to stay as low-profile as possible. 

But Rong Tingting was different. 

Although she didn’t say anything, Doudou wasn’t blind. The Rong family had their own mission. 

Tingting didn’t believe in love, or rather, in the apocalypse, even if you did, it didn’t matter. The rational approach was to maximize the benefits of marriage. 

So, even though she wasn’t yet of legal age, she didn’t mind getting close to young men who were either outstanding or had good backgrounds, but she had her own boundaries. 

It was all about playing the long game—catching the big fish and slowly raising it in the pond. 

Of course, marriage was just the icing on the cake; the most important thing was to work hard on her own. 

She wouldn’t let go of any opportunity to make herself stronger. 

Compared to Rong Tingting, Doudou was very fortunate to have the best brother and sister-in-law in the world. 

If it were her, she probably wouldn’t do as well as Rong Tingting. 

So, Doudou didn’t mind Rong Tingting’s actions. In fact, sometimes she admired her. 

Perhaps she truly considered her a friend. 

Late at night, letting two young girls go out, Shu Xueqing couldn’t help but worry a little, “Isn’t it dangerous?” 

But Jiang Ning casually replied, “Don’t worry, Doudou can handle it.” 

With the age difference, Doudou had her own circle of friends. She couldn’t be cooped up at home forever. 

Since Rong Tingting dared to go out, she believed Rong Sanshao must’ve taught her some basic self-defense moves. 

The location of the Chief’s house was good, not too far from the city center, and the sound of cheerful music echoed from the distant loudspeakers. 

Fengcheng had brilliant fireworks, but they only sparkled on the movie screen. 

At 8:00, He Tianming gave his New Year’s speech, outlining his government’s plans for the coming year. 

He mixed in some motivational words with lots of hope. 

Thanks to his efforts, the military had fewer problems, especially for Gu Tinglin. 

Jiang Ning was a bit moved and wanted to visit him. 

Huo Yishen suggested, “Let’s visit Chief Ling too. They’ve done a lot for Fengcheng.” 

So, the two of them said goodbye to Gu Tinglin and Shu Xueqing and grabbed two gift boxes for the New Year. 

The streets were eerily quiet. Everyone had gathered in the square to watch the movie. 

The road was a bit dark, so Huo Yishen gently held her hand as they walked quietly. 

As they stepped out of the alley, there were police officers stationed on the main road not far away. 

Gu Tinglin’s decisions were right. The base strictly controlled firearms. With expanding police forces and more people’s basic needs being met, public security had improved a lot. 

The same was true for Fengcheng, which was rapidly growing. 

Gu Tinglin hadn’t announced it officially yet, but with Rong Sanshao around, there was nothing Jiang Ning didn’t know. 

There were copper mines 300 kilometers away from Fengcheng and iron mines 500 kilometers away. 

The exploration teams were still searching for more, and the resources found were only going to increase. 

For the base to grow, they needed to accelerate resource development. Without advanced equipment for smelting and refining, they’d have to rely on traditional methods. 

Step by step, they were taking it slow. 

To develop, someone had to take charge. 

Who would be willing to leave the comfortable life in Fengcheng to be stationed in a desolate, barren land? 

But development was inevitable, and someone had to take the lead. 

Gu Tinglin opened the map. He planned to expand six cities from Fengcheng as the center. 

Not only would people move, but resources too. 

Fengcheng would become the capital, with the six cities as directly governed municipalities, working together for coordinated development. 

It was a bold move. 

If done right, a new nation would be born; if done wrong, the existing powers would crumble. 

But it was also the inevitable path for national revival. 

The heads of the directly governed cities were personally chosen by Gu Tinglin, and without exception, all were military big shots. The specific city assignments would be drawn by lottery. 

If anyone refused, he wouldn’t force them but would assign someone else. 

The specific management model could either replicate Fengcheng or be decided independently. 

For those who chose to replicate Fengcheng, the government team could be trained in advance. 

Among the six city leaders, Commander Xiao was prominently listed. 

According to Rong Sanshao, Commander Xiao looked displeased, as if he had a chicken bone stuck in his throat. 

Jiang Ning understood; this choice truly put him in a difficult position. 

If he refused, the military’s duty was to obey orders. Since the other commanders had agreed, if he didn’t, even if he stayed at headquarters, his troops would be reassigned, which would essentially sideline him. 

If he accepted, it would mean starting all over again.