Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 433: Chapter 423: A Happy Family

As Tang Mo expected, Xu Jinsan was overjoyed when he saw the two children.

”Alright, we’ll call them Wen Pingping and Wen An’an.” Xu Jinsan’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at the two little kids.

”Yes, those are good names,” Mrs. Xu chimed in, smiling as well.

Mrs. Xu was just as happy as Xu Jinsan. She had always loved children, and not being able to have another child of her own had been a lifelong regret.

She was naturally delighted that these two little ones seemed to have such a connection with her and her husband.

Her daughter had said the mist would last half a year at most. It was only six months. Even if they had to tighten their belts, they could manage two more little mouths to feed.

It seemed the Xu couple had agreed to take the children in. What surprised Tang Mo, however, was that even though the children were so young they wouldn’t remember, the couple insisted on keeping their surname, Wen.

They were willing to raise the two children, but they had no intention of claiming them as their own.

The children’s mother had died so they could live. No matter what wrongs she might have committed, she had been a good mother. The Xu couple had no intention of hiding the children’s origins from them.

’Truly kind people show their kindness in every little thing they do.’

”The children are so little, they probably still need milk, right? I wonder if they can eat solid food.”

After the initial joy, Mrs. Xu started to worry. They still had some food at home, but she didn’t know how far along Wen Qianli had been with feeding them complementary foods, or if they had been weaned off milk.

”Mom, I still have some food I stored in my room. It’s perfect, we can use it for them.”

Tang Mo had already taken out some milk powder, black Zhima paste, soy milk powder, and other similar things from her little stash, along with some instant noodles, crackers, and snacks.

She had seen how carefully Mrs. Xu had been rationing their supplies these past few days. Now that there were two more mouths in the house, and with only three months to go, she could afford to take out a little more from their considerable reserves.

The Xu couple knew their daughter had some food in her room, but they never expected her to have this much.

Their minds were simple. It never occurred to them to wonder why their daughter had hidden it in her room instead of telling them about it. They just thought that Xiao Yin, who was now giving it all up for the two children, was incredibly kind—truly their daughter.

Tang Mo had initially worried that the Xu couple would be suspicious if she took out so much food, but seeing their overjoyed expressions, she thought it was actually for the best.

At least this made things much easier for her.

When the two children woke up, they didn’t cry. They just blinked their big eyes, observing the unfamiliar surroundings, and called out for their mommy.

Xu Jinsan and Mrs. Xu rushed forward, each taking one child in their arms to comfort them. They gave the children a tour of the house to help them get used to their new home sooner.

Seeing this, Tang Mo slipped away. She was going to be leaving in three months, and if possible, she wanted to avoid getting too close to the children.

Otherwise, if they grew attached to her, wouldn’t her leaving just be a second trauma for them?

The two little ones were nearly two years old and were already starting to walk a little. Combined with their well-behaved nature, they weren’t tiring to look after at all.

They only missed their mother occasionally. But whenever they cried out for her, Xu Jinsan and his wife would each scoop one up and lift them high in the air, and the little ones would immediately break into smiles through their tears.

For children that young, their concept of a ”mother” was really just food and a warm embrace that made them feel safe.

With these two little ones around, Tang Mo no longer saw the Xu couple sitting idly on the sofa, staring blankly into space.

Although the children were easygoing, taking care of them was a lot of work. They had to be played with, and all the miscellaneous tasks added up, keeping the Xu couple so busy they didn’t even have time to watch TV.

The first two days, they were still getting used to it and were a bit overwhelmed; Tang Mo even had to cook the meals herself.

But being busy meant their lives were full. It was obvious that Pingping and An’an’s arrival had brought more and more smiles to the Xu couple’s faces, and Tang Mo was very glad she had made the right decision.

After all, idle hands are the devil’s workshop. When people are busy, time seems to pass much more quickly.

Since the Xu couple was busy and didn’t have much time to mind her, Tang Mo spent the next few days lazing on the sofa, watching shows and reading novels, returning to her vacation-like lifestyle.

But while life in the Xu family home became busy and fulfilling, the main group chat for the residential complex grew much quieter.

Even though everyone knew the ”Mutual Aid Homeowners” group chat had lost its practical purpose, no one left.

Occasionally, they would chat about daily life. If Zhang Laohu popped up and said something, they’d curse him out. The days passed uneventfully, and the lively atmosphere in the group seemed to be gone for good.

It wasn’t just the loss of hope for more food; it was also that they had witnessed a death for the first time.

And then there were the two children. Everyone knew as clear as day that if no one went to get them, they would surely die. But no one could bear that responsibility.

Worry, guilt, helplessness, and despair—a mixture of emotions intertwined, making people feel like giving up on these bleak days.

”Has anyone starved to death yet?”

As the days went by, the food supply dwindled. With everyone going hungry, someone finally asked in the group if anyone’s family had starved to death.

”Nope, still alive.”

”I’ve been starving for three days. I even ate my pet succulents.”

”Dude upstairs, don’t just eat random stuff like that! Some of them are poisonous.”

”Can’t worry about that now. If I get poisoned, so be it. Feels better than starving to death.”

”We can’t find a single grain of rice in our house either.”

”Looks like everyone’s still breathing, then. I guess for now it’s just that girl’s family of three that’s gone. Everyone else is okay.”

After that person’s message, no one else said anything.

Everyone knew which ”girl” he was talking about. For days, they had all been trying their best to avoid the topic.

But now that it was brought up again, it felt like a lump was caught in their throats, and no one could say a word.

[Mo]: (A video)

Seeing the oppressive atmosphere in the group, Tang Mo uploaded a video of Pingping and An’an sitting on the living room carpet, playing with toys.

[Mo]: Forgot to tell everyone, I brought the two kids back with me. They’re doing great now. They’ll be my little sisters from now on.

Tang Mo’s message caused an uproar in the group chat.

People who had been lurking without saying a word all started to pop up. Some asked about the children’s condition, while others praised Tang Mo and her family for their kindness.

Seeing that the two children were safe and sound, everyone felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their hearts. The relief was so immense that they temporarily forgot their hunger.

”Raising two extra kids must take a lot of food, right?” someone in the group asked.