Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies
Chapter 219: Reunion

Chapter 219: Reunion

Elena and Ethan quickly noticed how lively the building had become.

Many residents had set up their own stalls, selling anything useful in these difficult times.

Military patrols and volunteer residents were also present, helping to keep the place safe.

Of course, Jetro provided them with food in exchange for their services.

This kind of mutual benefit helped create a more peaceful and orderly atmosphere, attracting more customers to visit the building.

Aside from that, Paradise Shop branch was thriving—doing even better than their main shop.

People came and went constantly, buying all kinds of supplies.

Elena looked at the busy scene and smiled.

’There goes my jade and antiques,’ she thought proudly.

As they browsed the stalls, they saw that the most popular items were thick clothing, followed by dried firewood, then ready-to-eat food like noodles, soup, and other quick meals.

"This floor is doing really well. There are a lot of stalls selling different items," Elena said, watching people haggle and chat as they shopped.

"Indeed. The residents probably saw an opportunity to earn, especially with so many people coming and going to the Paradise Shop," Ethan replied, glancing at the nearby food stalls.

"Let’s try some of the food they’re selling," he added with interest, then held his wife’s hand as they walked toward the food stalls.

Elena nodded, curious about what the stalls had to offer.

As they approached, the stall owner greeted them with enthusiasm.

"Hello, customers! Welcome! Please, have a seat," he said, handing them the menu.

Ethan pulled out an improvised chair for Elena and helped her sit comfortably before sitting beside her.

The menu featured noodles, fish soup, rice, and bread.

They also offered stick coffee and tea, though the prices were double that of the Paradise Shop.

The stall owner explained that the high prices were due not only to the effort involved in preparing the food and the quality of the ingredients, but also to the materials used to create the dishes themselves.

Elena chuckled softly, admitting to herself that the stall owner had a point.

Water, firewood, and other essentials had to be bought now—they were no longer free.

But just as she was about to place her order, a familiar voice called out from a distance, filled with urgency and reproach.

"Elena? Is that you?"

She turned and saw the Smith family approaching, their eyes gleaming with a mix of greed and determination.

"Niece, thank God we finally found you," Uncle William said, eyeing Elena’s healthy cheeks with a strange, almost sinister look.

According to Vivian, she was living comfortably and hadn’t suffered during the disaster.

That was enough reason for them to try clinging to her—whether to ask for supplies or simply take advantage.

Or perhaps he could fetch a good price by selling her.

The thought of having another supply maker at their disposal excited him.

After all, as her uncle, he believed it was only right for Elena to help them.

Facing the Smith family once again, Elena struggled to hold back her emotions.

A wave of anger surged within her, and for a moment, she wanted to lash out.

But as she took in their haggard, unkempt appearance, she stopped herself.

A faint smirk played on her lips at the sight of their suffering.

This was one of the reasons she hadn’t visited them—or finished them off.

She wanted them to experience hardship, just like they had made her suffer in her past life.

According to Marc, they were now struggling so badly that they had even sold their own daughter for supplies.

The fact that they were still alive likely meant that dirty business was somewhat ’successful.’

In her past life, after their attempt to rob her failed—even after hiring thugs to do it—they quickly fled from City A.

For some reason, they reappeared in City D during the Ice Age, where they somehow became key figures in the military.

Elena had never figured out how they pulled it off, but they kept targeting her, making her life miserable.

They had even tried to sell her off to high-ranking military officers, but she had always been saved in time thanks to Ethan’s constant vigilance.

Though Grandpa Caldwell had risen to a powerful position in Military D, the relentless harassment from the Smith family had taken a toll on them.

Worse, some military officials even supported the Smiths in their bullying.

This situation made Elena reflect on how the Smiths had ended up in City D during the Ice Age.

Back then, it was Grandpa Caldwell who had arranged their relocation, using his military connections to bring them over from City A.

However, for the Smith family—especially her Uncle William—to manage and gain such support in the first place made her wonder how they had done it.

’Who were their backers in City D, and why was the military there hostile to them back then?’

She wondered, her mind swirling with questions as she looked at the very people who had once caused her pain.

She let out a quiet sigh, silently admitting her helplessness—she had been too weak in her past life.

If it hadn’t been for Grandpa Caldwell and Ethan shielding her, her fate might have been worse than death.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Uncle William’s constant acting.

"Niece, why aren’t you talking to us? We were so worried about you," he said, looking pitiful and pretending to care.

Seeing how healthy Elena looked, Mrs. Smith couldn’t hide the envy in her eyes.

She wondered how Elena could still thrive in the middle of a disaster.

She stepped forward, her voice coated in fake sweetness.

"My dear, we’ve been looking for you. Now that we’ve finally found you, why not come with us to the Government Evacuation Centre? That way, we can help each other through this crisis. By the way, how have you been?"

As she reached out to hold Elena’s hand, Elena quickly slapped it away, creating a sharp silence.

She watched their dramatic act with a snort, clearly unimpressed by their award-winning performance.

She hid her disgust and replied, "Sigh... Aunt, Uncle. We are also struggling. But we’ve managed to survive, thanks to Ethan’s emergency stash. Auntie, do you have any supplies? Maybe you could lend us some?"

She spoke first, taking control of the conversation and not giving the shameless couple any chance to make demands.

"What? He’s still alive? What a shame—oh, I mean, that’s good," Mrs. Smith said, her smile twitching as disappointment flashed across her face.

With someone protecting Elena, it would be harder to sway her later.

Elena sneered, looking at Mrs. Smith like she was some kind of clown.

’Did this old hag just wish my husband dead?’

she thought, a sinister smile slowly curling on her lips as she began thinking of ways to make them suffer.

Mrs. Smith, unaware of Elena’s darkening expression, believed she was lying—probably hoarding supplies and too greedy to help them.

She kept going, "We don’t have any supplies either. Sigh... your sister Vivian has been working nonstop just to support us. My dear, please spare some for us if you have even a little."

’Yeah, selling her body while the rest of you enjoy the benefits’, Elena scoffed in her mind, sneering at her aunt’s pitiful act.

"Oh, you can trade jade and antiques for supplies. That shop sells everything you need," she said casually, pointing toward Paradise Shop like it was no big deal.

But the couple seemed completely deaf to her suggestion, still clinging to the hope that Elena would give them something.

"But we don’t have any jade with us! How are we supposed to survive this disaster? Maybe dying is the only way out," Mrs. Smith cried out dramatically.

"Don’t say that! We’ll definitely make it through this," Uncle William quickly added, his voice full of fake encouragement.

"William, thank you for staying with me and doing your best, even when things are hard," Mrs. Smith said with a voice so sugary it could rot teeth.

"As long as we’re together, I’ll always make sure you have something to eat," Uncle William replied, his face set with fake determination—more like a poor performance on a theatre stage.

Elena and Ethan couldn’t help but scoff at the Smiths’ over-the-top performance.

Their one-sided drama was simply too ridiculous for Elena’s taste.

Since she had promised to bleed them mentally, she kept playing along.

"Then I wish you luck for your determination, Uncle. As the man of the family, you truly live up to your role. Vi...vian must be so proud of you as a father," she said, deliberately dragging out Vivian’s name mockingly.

Then she turned her back on them and focused on Ethan.

"Husband, what do you want to eat?" she asked gently.

"Let’s have two noodles and some meat. Oh, and since they have orange juice, let’s get two servings," Ethan replied with a chuckle, already sensing what his wife was up to.

"Alright," Elena said with a smile, calling over the stall owner to place their order.

Uncle William clenched his jaw at Elena’s calm and dismissive attitude.

It felt like his niece no longer cared about them at all.

"Niece, thank you for buying us food?" he asked carefully, trying to elicit sympathy from her.

"Eh? Uncle, this wasn’t for you," she said, her voice blunt.

"And to be honest, with Grandpa’s inheritance, I’m sure you have more than enough to survive this disaster."

The moment she mentioned the missing inheritance—full of jade and antiques—Uncle William’s expression twisted in anger.

He still had no idea who had stolen the collection, and the loss gnawed at him day and night.

What he didn’t realise was that the thief was sitting right in front of him, watching his sour expression with quiet amusement.

’It’s nice to see them mentally bleed,’ Elena thought, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.