Stock Up For Natural Disasters And Cubs Survive – CH82

Chapter 82

“I recognized that bastard the moment I saw him. He must have recognized me too, because he ran the second he spotted me. The moment I raised my gun, he ducked behind the survivors who came with him. I couldn’t risk hitting innocent people, so I could only watch him use the chaos to get away.” Yi Qi slammed his fist downward. “If there hadn’t been so many survivors crowded at the gate, I could’ve blown his head off with one shot!”

Wei Cheng’s expression changed. “He got away?”

Yi Qi was furious with himself. “He got away.”

Wei Cheng glanced at Shen Zheng and Yi Qi, then quickly climbed out of the cornfield. “Come with me.”

Seeing the three of them leave in such a hurry, Lin Xiangfeng and Zhao Bin, who were helping load the baskets, were alarmed. It was the first time they had seen the two uncles look so grave. Lin Xiangfeng hurriedly asked, “Grandpa Wang, who is this Zhang Ming? Is the farm in danger?”

Director Wang had no idea about that old history. He sighed. “Grandpa doesn’t know either.”

“But don’t worry too much.” The old man tossed the armful of corn in his arms into the basket and tried to reassure the two boys. “You boys just keep practicing with your guns and listen to the adults. No matter what happens, our family will get through it together.”

Lin Xiangfeng and Zhao Bin nodded, but they were still worried.

This was their seventh day at the farm.

Only here could they feel like real, living human beings again.

They did not have to worry about food for the next day, nor about having their throats torn open by zombies in their sleep. Every day, they could eat their fill and drink enough water, and the uncles at the farm even taught them to shoot.

No one wanted someone to shatter this peaceful, comfortable life.

Wei Cheng brought Shen Zheng and Yi Qi back to the core area. Several children were catching grasshoppers under the watchtower. They called out enthusiastically when they saw them, but the three of them had no time to respond.

As soon as they entered the cabin, Wei Cheng quickly opened the map covering the five-hundred-meter radius around the farm.

Four or five red dots were moving slowly, but one fast-moving dot shot out of the map’s range in no time and vanished completely.

Shen Zheng and Yi Qi watched as Chengcheng’s expression grew even more serious.

“He’s out of the map range.”

Yi Qi’s face darkened. He turned and snatched the rifle hanging on the wall. “We’re going after him right now!”

Wei Cheng did not stop them. He only said, “Uncles, you have to be back before dark. The mountains get cold in autumn, and you absolutely cannot spend the night outside.”

“Don’t worry.”

Shen Zheng and Yi Qi grabbed their guns and emergency packs and rushed out of the core area.

Before sunset, the two of them returned safely to the farm.

Shen Zheng collapsed into a chair, frustrated. “Chengcheng, we didn’t catch Zhang Ming.”

Director Wang brought over the food he had set aside for them. “Mr. Shen, Mr. Yi, eat first.”

They had been so focused on chasing him that they had not even stopped for compressed biscuits all day. The moment they saw the steaming cowpea buns, they grabbed them and bit down without hesitation.

Wei Cheng poured each of them a bowl of hot soup. “Uncles, don’t choke. Have some water.”

Yi Qi gulped down a mouthful of soup and said bitterly, “If I see that bastard again, I’ll skin him alive!”

It was Zhang Ming and Nuan Nuan who had driven Dayuan’s parents to their deaths. It was one thing not knowing back then, but now that they knew, of course they wanted revenge.

Director Wang finally pieced things together from their scattered words. Before leaving, he tried to comfort them. “Evil people will get what’s coming to them. Mr. Shen, Mr. Yi, don’t torment yourselves too much.”

Only after the two men had eaten most of their fill did Wei Cheng begin laying out his thoughts. “Zhang Ming ran the moment he saw Uncle Yi. Either he knows that what he and Nuan Nuan did has been exposed to us, or when he went back to the guesthouse later, he either saw or guessed that his girlfriend was already dead. So he blamed us together with Aunt Bai and Uncle Zong. Otherwise, there’s no explanation for why he’d run.”

“This man himself isn’t much of a threat. What I’m worried about is that he’ll be like that woman—using selfish motives to drag hatred toward our farm.” Yi Qi sighed. “Luckily, we have enough people now and we’re fairly well-equipped. We don’t have to fear every group that comes along.”

Wei Cheng was silent for a moment, then said, “There’s no helping it.”

His young face held a clarity far beyond his age. “Every survivor we refuse now may become an enemy in the future. This farm isn’t some secluded paradise. The moment you deal with people, someone will covet it and try to take it.”

Shen Zheng sighed. “If only there really were some hidden paradise. Somewhere our whole family could live happily together, with no zombies and no evil people to bother us.”

A hidden paradise?

The whole world was already in ruins, crawling with zombies. Where could such a peaceful refuge possibly exist?

“Uncles, get some rest early. Tomorrow we’re still getting up at dawn to practice shooting and train,” Wei Cheng said, calculating the days in his head. “At the end of the month, we’re also taking Guanguan out on a supply run.”

The sun rose as usual, but the world was still no better.

As autumn set in, the mornings and evenings grew chilly.

Everyone had switched from short sleeves and shorts into long sleeves and pants.

The six high school boys were running laps in formation across the field.

Tall, tall, tall, tall, tall, tall… round.

At the very end of the line was Guanguan, a little round dumpling.

After helping Grandpa Wang hand out breakfast, Wei Cheng saw Guanguan still huffing and puffing as he ran. From a distance, he looked less like a child and more like a football that had come to life.

Smiling, he called out, “Breakfast!”

The big boys kept running, but Guanguan, lagging behind, trotted over with his little fists pressed to his belly. “Coming! Coming!”

If you weren’t eager to eat, then there must be something wrong with your thinking!

Breakfast today was one can of eight-treasure porridge and half a bottle of pickled mustard greens for each person.

Everyone was sweating from exertion. They sat directly on the grass, too lazy to bother going back to their own cabins to eat.

Guanguan carried his warm can of porridge over and plopped down beside his brother.

He took one sip, and a ring of purple rice porridge immediately appeared around his pale little nose. “It’s sweet porridge!”

“You’ve turned into a little puppy nose.”

Smiling, Wei Cheng wiped his face clean, then opened his own porridge. A layer of beautiful, soft red beans floated on top.

He picked out the biggest red beans and dropped them into Guanguan’s bowl. “Eat up. They’re sweet.”

Guanguan set his porridge on the grass, wrapped both chubby hands around his head, and grinned so wide his little teeth showed. “Heart!”

His head was round, and his arms were too short, so his version of making a heart was basically just hugging his own head.

Wei Cheng rubbed his hair and laughed. “Eat already, or the ants are going to get into your porridge.”

“Ants, go away. Don’t eat baby’s porridge.”

Guanguan stomped his feet a couple of times, picked up his porridge, and started drinking in big gulps.

After breakfast, Uncle Yi started teaching the older boys how to use guns, while Uncle Shen continued having Mingming, Xiaotiao, and Xiaoyue practice with their crossbows.

Normally, at this time, Guanguan would play with Gray Cub and Little Apricot for a while, and then once target practice was over, he would go with his brother and the others to Grandpa Wang’s lessons to study characters and read.

But today, the child tugged on his brother’s hand. “Brother.”

Wei Cheng looked down at him. “What is it?”

Guanguan pointed toward the others. “Baby wants to play that too!”

Wei Cheng paused. “But you’re too little.”

Guanguan folded his arms and frowned. “Baby is four years old now! Very big!”

Well…

His tummy certainly was very big.

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