Chapter 58
The red medium-duty cargo truck with stake sides was parked on a deserted road.
In the back seat, the three children slept soundly with their heads leaning against one another.
Guanguan kept holding both children’s hands, as if afraid that when he woke up, they would be gone again.
Wei Cheng asked softly, “Grandpa Director, do you mean that after you sent Teacher Xiaomei back to downtown Huan City, you and the two children never saw Teacher Xiaomei’s family again?”
Director Wang sighed and nodded.
“I remember Uncle Zhong said there was also a young couple…” Yi Qi said, puzzled.
Shen Zheng coughed lightly, signaling Yi Qi not to ask about that topic.
He had already asked when they rescued them. Sigh.
The old man said numbly, “It was my grandson and his fiancée… After they were taken away, they never came back.”
Yi Qi was startled to hear that. He had originally thought that since that young couple were not Guanguan’s teacher, maybe they were just survivors escaping together. He hadn’t expected them to be this old man’s grandson and future granddaughter-in-law.
No one said anything more.
Shen Zheng quietly started the truck.
Back in Huan City, the first one to mutate had been Director Wang’s son, and then the son bit his fiancée.
To protect the children, the old man had personally killed his mutated son.
Later, when the food ran out and zombies surrounded the apartment complex, the old-fashioned radio he had kept tucked away finally became useful. He heard that Yu City and Bei City had bases taking in survivors.
That gave them hope, so they took their improvised weapons made from kitchen tools and headed for Yu City to survive.
Over the past two months, they had endured snowstorms and zombie pursuits, finally reaching Yu City, only to fail against the malice and cruelty of human nature.
He had outlived the younger generation and watched one loved one after another leave him.
No one could bear that piercing pain in his place.
Wei Cheng gently placed a tissue on Director Wang’s knee. “Grandpa, let’s take Guanguan and Mingming and the others home.”
Director Wang clutched the tissue tightly, tears streaming down his old face.
The red cargo truck accelerated away in the opposite direction from Wuqing City.
Wei Cheng looked at the road signs disappearing behind them, his mood heavy as well.
But no matter what, this otherwise ordinary trip for supplies had still gone fairly smoothly.
They had found important supplies and rescued important people.
The blood and tears would not be shed in vain. One day, there would be a full reckoning.
—
On the way back, Wei Cheng had already opened the base map and checked it carefully, only to find not a single red dot.
That meant there were no zombies and no outside survivors at the ranch.
Only then did he let out a breath.
His body was still too young, with limited stamina. After just going through a fierce battle and an escape, if danger had still been waiting ahead, he truly would not have been able to bear it.
When the sun was high in the sky, the truck finally drove into a remote mountain road, and they could vaguely make out the ranch gate ahead.
After parking, Wei Cheng noticed that Director Wang and Mingming and Xiaotiao were in bad shape.
Yi Qi quickly said, “After they were locked up, they probably didn’t eat a single full meal. It’s normal that they’re weak and drained now. The fact that they could walk out of that basement was only because they were holding on with sheer willpower. But they can’t eat yet. I’ll set up IV drips for them first.”
Then he asked Wei Cheng whether he had several specific medicines.
Holding the half-asleep Guanguan in his arms, Wei Cheng thought back and said, “I should. I’ll go look right away.”
Shen Zheng supported Grandpa Director, while Yi Qi, being strong, carried the two skinny children without any effort at all.
Considering that the other wooden cabins still hadn’t been tidied up, Wei Cheng said, “Uncle Yi, Uncle Shen, why don’t you take Mingming and Xiaotiao to our cabin?”
Yi Qi strode forward in big steps. “No need. My cabin has two beds, which is just right for two children and the old man.”
Shen Zheng also said, “It’s fine, Chengcheng. Let the old man and the children rest first. We can clean up another room in a while. Hurry back and look for the medicine with Guanguan.”
Hearing both uncles say that, he didn’t argue further. Once back at the cabin, he took Guanguan straight into the safehouse.
He stripped off Guanguan’s grimy clothes and tucked him directly into bed.
Perhaps the child was having some beautiful dream. The corners of his mouth curved upward, and both little hands were raised high above his head with his fists together, as though in his dream he were swearing a steamed-bun brotherhood pact with someone.
Wei Cheng smiled softly and tucked the blanket more securely around him.
The moment he went downstairs, the little black dog, hearing movement, came trotting over.
Perhaps smelling the strange scent on Brother, the puppy raised its thick little paws and pounced at Brother’s feet, wagging its tail and pretending to bite.
Sturdy-headed and adorable.
Wei Cheng took a moment to rub the dog’s head. “Be good. You can play with Guanguan later when he wakes up.”
He quickly browsed through the mall for the medicines and IV fluids Uncle Yi had mentioned. After buying three of each, he hurried to find them.
Yi Qi took the medicine from his hands, checked them one by one, and smiled. “That’s right. These are exactly it.”
Wei Cheng let out a breath. “Then I’ll leave them to Uncle Yi.”
“Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”
There was still a whole pile of things outside that needed taking care of, so neither Wei Cheng nor Shen Zheng had time to sit idle.
“We need to find somewhere to store the steel pipes and cement from the safehouse.”
If such a huge amount of building materials just appeared out of thin air, Director Wang would definitely become suspicious sooner or later.
As for sharing the secret of the safehouse with Grandpa Director and Mingming and the others…
At the moment, that clearly wasn’t possible.
Last time, the system had given them a mission to bind two contract partners because the Twisty Car could happen to carry four people escaping together. But now, counting Mingming and the others, the base had seven people.
The Twisty Car needed to reach 2000 points in upgrade level before it could support ten people escaping, and they were still a long way from that goal.
This trip had cost them a total of 4200 coins for shelves and guns, and the Twisty Car’s upgrade level was still not even at 400 points.
“Chengcheng, what are you thinking about?” Shen Zheng pointed toward the grassy slope above. “How about we store the cement and mortar in those two big sheds? Yu City gets a lot of rain. If this stuff gets wet, it’ll be useless.”
Wei Cheng nodded. “All right, then let’s stack the steel pipes and wood around the fences as much as possible. That way, when we use them later, we won’t have to keep hauling them back and forth.”
Shen Zheng gave him a thumbs-up. “Great idea!”
The two of them put together a simple little wooden platform under the shed, then spread a thick sheet of plastic over it before they started moving the cement and mortar outside.
After working for almost two hours, Wei Cheng had only moved about one-third of the building materials off the warehouse shelves. Shen Zheng, meanwhile, wedged gray bricks behind the steel pipes so they wouldn’t roll and smash the existing wooden fencing.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Wei Cheng asked, “Uncle Shen, this should be enough, right?”
“Enough, enough. No need to move any more out.” Shen Zheng straightened up, supporting his aching lower back.
At that moment, a bright voice suddenly rang out from not far away: “Brother! Brother!”
A fluffy-haired little chubby child came charging across the pasture in a wonderfully messy run, with a floppy-eared black dog following behind.
Wei Cheng quickly spread his arms and caught the child who came flying at him.
Guanguan hugged Brother’s neck and wouldn’t let go. “Bro, Guanguan woke up and couldn’t see you!”
“Brother was working.”
Wei Cheng looked over the mismatched coat and pants the child was wearing and laughed. “Not bad. At least you knew to find thick clothes to wear. But these shoes…”
They were two furry little boots of completely different colors and styles.
Shen Zheng was beside them holding back laughter. “Fashion icon Guanguan!”
Guanguan tilted his head. “Brother, what does fashionable cow mean? Does it mean baby is as pretty as a little cow?”
Whatever it meant, it definitely had to be connected to being pretty.
Shen Zheng burst out laughing. “Yes, yes, that’s exactly what it means. When Guanguan grows up, you’ll be the number one baby model of Full-Belly Farm!”
Then he explained again, “You can’t just be a baby model whenever you want. Only a beautiful baby like Guanguan can do it!”
Guanguan got praised for being pretty again, and threw himself into Brother’s arms, bouncing up and down. Then he thought of something and lifted his little chubby face. “Then can Guanguan’s brother be a baby model too? Guanguan’s brother is very pretty too!”
“Of course he can. Why not? You’re a baby model, and your brother is already a handsome little guy. Later he’ll definitely be a super clothes-rack male model!” Shen Zheng said with a grin.
The child happily simplified Uncle Shen’s words and said with complete seriousness, “Brother, when you grow up you’ll be a male model!”
Wei Cheng couldn’t help laughing. He picked the child up and said, “All right, the work is done. Let’s go back and rest.”
When they were almost back at the wooden cabin, Guanguan finally stopped repeating that Brother would become a male model.
He cupped his little hand by Brother’s ear and said mysteriously, “Guanguan had a dream.”
Wei Cheng made a soft sound of acknowledgment. “What dream?”
Guanguan’s little belly relaxed, and he sighed in disappointment. “Baby dreamed about Mingming, Xiaotiao, and Grandpa Director. But when I opened my eyes, they were gone. Even though I had grabbed their hands!”
Wei Cheng and Shen Zheng exchanged a look and both smiled.
Shen Zheng said, “Then after you woke up, didn’t you go and look for them?”
Guanguan looked blank. “Uncle, where would Guanguan go look?”
Shen Zheng pointed toward a nearby wooden cabin. “Go look in Uncle Yi’s cabin. See whether your grandpa and your little friends are there.”
Guanguan blinked. “Uncle, Guanguan was dreaming!”
Just then, the wooden cabin door opened from the inside.
Seeing them, Yi Qi smiled and said, “I could hear Guanguan’s loud voice from way off.”
“How are they doing?”
“The old man and the children are all doing pretty well. There’s still half a bottle of IV fluid left to finish.” Yi Qi opened the door wider. “Guanguan, your little friends have been looking for you. Hurry in and see them.”
Guanguan’s little face stayed dazed, not understanding.
Wei Cheng chuckled. “Guanguan, you weren’t dreaming. We rescued Mingming, Xiaotiao, and Grandpa Director. You’re still little and were too tired, so after you woke up, you forgot.”
Then he told him a little about what had happened in the auto repair building.
“It wasn’t a dream! It’s really Mingming and Xiaotiao!”
Guanguan ran into the room in excitement, shouting, “Mingming! Xiaotiao! Grandpa!”
Wang Xiaotiao was getting an IV and didn’t dare move, so he could only express his excitement with his thick eyebrows. “Guanguan! Guanguan! Look at my eyebrows!”
Mingming’s eyes were red, and he clenched his little fists tightly.
“Guanguan, come here.” Director Wang waved to him from the bed.
Guanguan quickly ran to the bedside, his little face full of concern. “Grandpa, are your hands sick?”
Director Wang smiled faintly. “They aren’t sick. Mister Yi gave us something to make our bodies better. Once we get this put in us, Grandpa and the brothers will have enough energy to talk to Guanguan.”
“Does it hurt?”
Wang Xiaotiao shouted, “No! It doesn’t hurt at all!”
Guanguan asked again, “Then is it fun?”
Wang Xiaotiao shouted again, “It’s fun! Super fun!”
Guanguan folded his little hands and hesitated for a while. “Xiaotiao, then Guanguan doesn’t want to play this with you anymore.”
Yi Qi laughed. He was almost tempted to tease Guanguan with an IV needle. This child really was quite smart.
Then Guanguan ran to stand between his two little friends and said happily, “Guanguan can play other things with you! Guanguan knows lots and lots of games now!”
Wang Xiaotiao waved his little black hand and frowned seriously. “Guanguan, you can’t. We can’t run around or move too much. If we do, we’ll get very, very hungry!”
“You won’t get hungry!”
Guanguan patted his little belly, lifted his chest high, and declared, “This is Full-Belly Farm. Once children come here, they’ll never have empty tummies again!”
Author’s Note:
Guanguan knocking on his little bowl: My brother is a male model, I’m a baby model, and all the auntie big sisters reading our story are the world’s top supermodels! [dog holding a rose in its mouth]
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