Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 363: Chapter 353: The Qiao Family Factory

To Tang Mo, these mutant beasts were hardly a threat. Her first destination was the Qiao Family’s plant.

In Qiao Jin’s memory, the Qiao Family was in the food processing business. They had a food processing plant and a set of warehouses. Her father almost never went there, but on the rare occasions he went for an inspection, he would bring back many premium, gourmet snacks for Qiao Jin that weren’t yet available on the market.

Although Qiao Jin didn’t know the name of the food processing plant, much less where it was, Tang Mo figured that in an apocalypse like this, a food processing plant would certainly be a place where people gathered.

With food so scarce, it was highly likely that Qiao Jin’s parents had gone there. That was why Tang Mo made the plant her first destination.

Given the Qiao Family’s financial standing, the food plant had to be one of the largest businesses in the city. So, as long as Tang Mo asked around, she was bound to find it.

Walking openly down the street, Tang Mo was desperate to find someone—anyone—alive to ask for directions.

Qiao Jin had been a homebody for over a decade and knew surprisingly little about the city she’d grown up in.

Even though Tang Mo had a destination in mind, with no one to ask for directions, she was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

”Young lady, quick, get in here!”

The door of a hardware store on the side of the road cracked open, and a voice from inside called out to Tang Mo.

Even though the voice was faint and from a distance, Tang Mo’s sharp senses caught it. She looked toward the sound and saw a woman in her forties peeking her head out of the doorway, looking at her.

’Finally, a living person!’

Elated, Tang Mo walked right over.

”Ma’am, were you calling for me?”

”What are you dawdling for! You’ll get yourself killed! Hurry up and get in!”

As Tang Mo drew near, the woman shot out a hand, grabbed her arm, and yanked her inside.

Tang Mo didn’t resist, letting the woman pull her into the shop as the door slammed shut behind them with a THUD.

It was a dilapidated hardware store. The air reeked of rust, mold, and gasoline. It was a foul combination.

Tang Mo scanned her surroundings, wondering why the woman had pulled her inside.

’Is she trying to rob me? Do I look like I have any food?’

Tang Mo watched the woman, puzzled, waiting to see what she would do.

”Who are your folks? Where’s your mom and dad? Why are you wandering the streets all by yourself? Don’t you know how dangerous it is out there? You look like such a good, sensible kid, so why are you being so reckless!”

Before Tang Mo could figure out what was going on, the woman had already launched into a rapid-fire tirade.

The sudden lecture left Tang Mo completely bewildered. ’What’s going on? Does this woman know Qiao Jin?’

”Ma’am, do you know me?”

Tang Mo asked cautiously while frantically combing through what was left of Qiao Jin’s memories, trying to place the woman.

But she came up with nothing.

”No, I don’t know you. I just saw a young girl like you outside all alone, and it’s dangerous! Did you even know that a red-eyed Meat Dragon was right beside you just now? It was just inches away! Goodness, it scared me half to death.”

The woman clutched her chest. She had clearly been badly frightened.

’So she doesn’t know me...’

It was the first time in this apocalypse that Tang Mo had met such a ”warm-hearted” person. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react and could only lower her head and silently endure the scolding.

When the woman finally ran out of steam, her thoughts turned elsewhere.

”What’s your name? Where are your folks?” Qiao Jin had a frail build and looked younger than her age, so in the woman’s eyes, she was nothing more than a child.

”My name is Qiao Jin. I got separated from my family. When I returned home, my parents were gone, so I came out to look for them.”

”Oh, so you got separated from your family. No wonder.” The woman’s gaze immediately softened with pity.

”You poor thing. You can call me Aunt Hua. Are you hungry?”

”I’m not hungry.” Tang Mo shook her head. She really wasn’t. Before leaving the Qiao Family home, she had used the remaining fuel to cook two packs of instant noodles with three sausages, and her stomach was still stuffed.

”Oh, this child... How could you not be hungry? Look at that thin little face of yours, you’re nothing but skin and bones. Don’t try to fool your Auntie.”

Aunt Hua assumed Tang Mo was just being polite and pretending not to be hungry. Her heart went out to her even more, and she reached out to pinch Tang Mo’s gaunt little cheek.

Qiao Jin’s body was indeed weak, and with her small features, she looked as frail as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

Tang Mo was stunned by the pinch. This Aunt Hua was awfully forward. It had been a long time since anyone had treated her like a child.

”Alright, alright, don’t put on an act for me. I’ve got a little something to eat here. You have some.”

With that, Aunt Hua carefully took something out of her pocket.

Tang Mo rubbed her cheek and looked over. It was a bag of instant noodles, already crushed with the seasoning packet mixed in.

Aunt Hua carefully undid the rubber band tied around the noodle packet.

”Hold out your hand.”

Tang Mo obediently held out her hand.

Then, Aunt Hua poured some of the crushed noodles into Tang Mo’s palm.

There wasn’t much left in the bag to begin with, and after Aunt Hua poured out a third of it, the amount that remained was even more pitiful.

Once she was done, Aunt Hua carefully sealed the bag again and tucked it into an inner pocket close to her body.

”Go on, eat.”

Aunt Hua gestured with her hand, urging Tang Mo to eat.

Tang Mo was stunned. ’What is happening?’ She looked at the noodle dust in her palm, which was crushed beyond recognition. After a moment’s thought, she gently lowered her head and took a small lick.

The noodles had gone stale and hard from the humidity; the package had clearly been open for a long time.

Tang Mo cupped the crushed noodles in one hand and used the other to pull a piece of paper from her backpack. She carefully wrapped the noodles in it and tucked the small package away.

”I’ll save it for when I’m hungrier.”

It wasn’t that Tang Mo was being picky; she was genuinely so full she felt like she might burst. She couldn’t manage another bite.

Seeing the girl being so thrifty and planning for the future made Aunt Hua’s heart ache for her even more, so she didn’t press the issue.

With food so scarce these days, it was a good thing for a child to know how to save some for later.

”Mama, I want some too.”

A little boy’s voice suddenly piped up from a corner of the room.

’What was that sound?’

Tang Mo turned to see a boy of about six or seven holding a toddler of one or two. He was staring at her with wide, expectant eyes.

”Xiao Jin, let me introduce you. This is my son, Da Bao. The little one in his arms is my daughter, Er Bao. Come on, Da Bao, say hi to your big sister.”

Aunt Hua beckoned her son over to introduce him to Tang Mo.