Stock Up For Natural Disasters And Cubs Survive – CH91

Chapter 91

The gunfire outside stopped far too quickly, making the people in the basement even more wary.

With Wei Cheng, Guanguan, Mingming, and Xiaotiao soothing them, the children who were about the same age as them no longer cried and screamed in panic. Gradually, they quieted down as well.

The eleven dirty little children huddled tightly against them, not daring to look up at Shen Zheng and Yi Qi.

Looking at this familiar basement, Wei Cheng could not help thinking of his past life.

The six black-robed men they had encountered in the backyard had most likely been sent to poison these children.

If they had not intercepted and killed those black-robed men in time, these children would have met the same end as the children in his previous life.

They would have died quietly in their sleep.

He lowered his head and looked at the trembling, frightened faces of the children beside him.

There was no Yuanyuan, Little Mei Teacher’s daughter.

Maybe Yuanyuan was still at Rose Garden.

The child Mingming was holding was Chen Xiaoming, so thin he no longer looked human, his eyes hollow and empty.

From what Chen Fangshun had said, Chen Xiaoming had witnessed his mother’s gruesome death with his own eyes. Traumatized, he had fled in panic and been rescued by Rose Garden.

Yi Qi noticed where Wei Cheng’s gaze had fallen and said softly, “Before his father died, he asked Rose Garden to raise Xiaoming. Once he grows up, Rose Garden will turn him out. At that point, if his character is upright, he hopes we can take him in.”

That was something to think about ten years from now.

Wei Cheng nodded. “Alright.”

A knocking sound came from the manhole cover overhead.

Yi Qi immediately pulled Wei Cheng behind him, both hands gripping his gun as he pressed himself flat against the wall.

Shen Zheng also strode over.

All the children hid within the shadow cast by the two tall men.

The cover was suddenly thrown open. Rain poured down, and the stark white beam of a flashlight shone in.

“Mr. Yi, Mr. Shen, the Doomsday Saints have all been dealt with. We’ve come to get you and the children out!”

It was Xiao Qiu, the woman beside Zhou Qing.

“These are raincoats and umbrellas!”

Some child cried out, “Mom!”

A woman with a low ponytail threw her arms around a little girl and sobbed, “Yueyue, Mommy finally found you!”

Many more women climbed down one after another.

This time, the children’s cries no longer held fear or hysteria.

Xiao Qiu noticed the corpse and said with some regret, “Your inside man is dead.”

Shen Zheng gently supported Chen Xiaoming, who had been hanging his head the whole time. “This child…”

“We’ll raise him,” Xiao Qiu said. “Your inside man did Rose Garden a great favor. We’ll treat his son well, and leave the body to us too. That way, his son will have a place to pay respects in the future.”

Another woman stepped forward and took Chen Xiaoming into her arms.

Xiao Qiu continued, “We were able to finish things off so quickly because the Thirteenth Union Canning Factory brought two truckloads of people. Do you want to go over and say hello?”

Shen Zheng and Yi Qi both looked at Wei Cheng and Guanguan.

Xiao Qiu thought to herself, Could it be that this farm is run by babies?

Wei Cheng was crouched down, rolling up the legs of Guanguan’s rain pants. The child’s calves were round and chubby, and the pant legs were too long. If they were not rolled up, he would easily trip and land on his bottom.

He did not even look up. “Uncle, let’s go home. We won’t join the excitement. There are too many injured people back at the farm right now. We can’t afford another fight.”

Yi Qi said, “Miss Qiu, the matter is settled and the trade is complete. We’ll be heading back first. If there’s ever anything, you can come to the farm to find us anytime.”

Xiao Qiu pursed her lips. “Alright.”

Just before leaving, Wei Cheng suddenly asked Xiao Qiu, “Excuse me, is Yuanyuan, the daughter of our Little Mei Teacher, at Rose Garden Base?”

“Little Mei Teacher? Ah, you mean sister Meizhen?” Xiao Qiu looked rather surprised. “sister Meizhen has a daughter? I’ve never heard that.”

Wei Cheng’s heart sank.

Rain poured down, washing across the corpses strewn all over the grass.

Yi Qi carried Guanguan on his back. Wei Cheng and Shen Zheng protected Mingming and Xiaotiao as they moved.

Guanguan tugged at Uncle Yi’s raincoat. “Maaah maaah.”

Yi Qi said, “I almost forgot!”

The group quickened their pace toward the sheep pen near the wire fence.

The latch had been blasted apart by a bullet, and the wooden door hung wide open. When they shone a flashlight inside, they found a grimy old nanny goat trembling in the corner.

All the other goats had run off.

Yi Qi gritted his teeth. “An old one is still something!”

Wei Cheng smoothly took Guanguan off his back. “Uncle Yi, you take the goat.”

Guanguan patted his own shoulder and waved his little chubby arm. “Guanguan carry sheep!”

“You can’t carry it,” Wei Cheng said.

Clutching the rope, Yi Qi crept carefully into the sheep pen. He had thought he might have to battle the old goat for three hundred rounds, but to his surprise, the goat was gentle as could be.

When he looked down, he saw Guanguan and Chengcheng had followed him in.

“Maaah maaah.” Guanguan crouched down and carefully reached out to touch the old goat’s ear. “Would you like… to come live with Guanguan?”

The old goat trembled and bleated softly.

Yi Qi lightly slipped the rope around its neck, and the goat did not struggle at all. It obediently let him do it.

He was overjoyed. “Let’s go!”

At that moment, Shen Zheng had already driven the van over. From the back seat, Xiaotiao shouted anxiously, “Uncles, brothers, hurry and get in!”

The old nanny goat was not large, had no horns, and had a gentle temperament. Yi Qi could not bear to stuff it into the cramped trunk, so after some thought he put it in the spacious back seat of the van.

“It’s Mama Sheep!” the children all gathered around curiously.

Yi Qi hurried to the front passenger seat. “Go, let’s head to the gas station and get our pickup!”

The rain was coming down harder and harder, but fortunately Shen Zheng was an excellent driver, making the little van ride both steadily and quickly.

On the other side, Zhou Qing also heard that the people from the farm had already left.

“Sister Qing, all the supplies from the Doomsday Saints have been sorted out.” Several girls came over at a run.

Zhou Qing glanced at the inventory list. There were not many guns or bullets, but there was quite a lot of other supplies. “How does Uncle Qi want to divide it?”

The middle-aged man pressed the cigarette butt against the cross on the wall. “The church was taken by Rose Garden. We didn’t help much. Leave those supplies to them and raise those children well.”

Zhou Qing was not surprised by his words. After all, everyone knew the Canning Factory held an overwhelming advantage. Their supplies, guns, and ammunition were several times greater than any other base’s.

The middle-aged man pulled two cards out of his coat pocket. “Next month, on Christmas, I hope Miss Zhou can come to Wengming Mountain in Yu City and talk together with everyone about how to deal with the mutated zombies.”

The Canning Factory was located near the outskirts of Yu City.

Zhou Qing glanced at the cards. “Two?”

“For Wushan Farm,” the man said.

Hesitation stirred in Zhou Qing’s heart. Taking those people there herself was one thing. An official invitation from the Canning Factory was quite another.

She deliberately said in a mocking tone, “A little farm like that is worth inviting?”

The middle-aged man fixed her with a steady look, as if he knew everything. “You mustn’t underestimate any survivor who has managed to stay alive until now.”

Zhou Qing deliberately changed the subject. “Does the Canning Factory intend to gather all the survivors in Yu City together to live in one place?”

The man did not deny it. He only said, “You have no idea how bad things are now. Of the three major cities surrounding Yu City—Huan City, Binnan, and Lan City—all have already become cities of zombies. Even the number of survivors in the bases around Yu City keeps shrinking. Over the past year, the Canning Factory has sent out thousands of extermination hunters. As early as the beginning of the year, they discovered that the zombies from those three places were slowly moving in the same direction. This summer, after tracking and observation, they confirmed that their destination is Yu City. No one knows whether that is connected to the appearance of mutated zombies here.”

The zombies of Yu City alone were enough to give them hell. Binnan and Lan City had originally been major population centers. If the zombies from all three cities attacked together, Yu City would not be able to avoid an unprecedented zombie tide.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Qing accepted the two cards. “Then has anyone predicted when this zombie tide will reach Yu City?”

The middle-aged man fell silent for a moment before saying, “When spring flowers bloom.”

—

Wei Cheng’s forehead slammed hard against the iron wall.

Ever since he had awakened from the dream of collapsing walls and a sea of corpses, the ache at his temple reminded him that he had been given a second chance at life.

The falling sensation in that dream had been too real. His heart was still pounding with lingering terror. Cold sweat prickled across his back, and even his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.

Guanguan opened his sleepy eyes in a daze. Hearing the noise, he quickly crawled over from the other end of the mat. “Does it hurt? Guanguan will blow on it.”

Since he did not know where his brother had hit himself, he just blew into the air again and again.

Swallowing against his dry throat, Wei Cheng hugged him and patted his back. “I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

The pickup truck was bumping along the muddy mountain road. Raindrops struck the metal of the truck bed with a steady thump-thump-thump.

The old goat was curled up in one corner. At the other end of the army-green sleeping mat, Xiaotiao and Mingming were fast asleep.

They still had not reached the farm yet.

Guanguan clung to his brother like a little puppy and yawned. “Brother, when will we get home?”

Wei Cheng said, “Soon. Are you hungry?”

Inside the truck bed were the children and the old goat. Earlier, after changing back into their pickup at the gas station, the children and the goat had climbed into the spacious back.

It was the children’s dinner time. Once in the truck, Wei Cheng had already taken out bread and chicken drumsticks for Guanguan and the others to eat.

“Not hungry.” Guanguan fumbled in his little pocket and pulled out half a packet of animal-shaped butter cookies. Before long, the truck bed was filled with the little chip-chip-chip sounds of a hamster nibbling biscuits.

He was not hungry, but his mouth still wanted something to do.

“Brother, eat.”

A little rabbit-shaped biscuit was offered to Wei Cheng’s lips.

Wei Cheng dodged away. “You eat it. Brother doesn’t like sweet things.”

“Okay then.” Guanguan stuffed the biscuit into his mouth and chewed with all his might. “You bad sweet biscuit, let Guanguan destroy you!”

Wei Cheng smiled and gently rubbed the child’s round little head.

Listening to Guanguan’s heartbeat, the chill in his own body gradually eased.

He had not dreamed of his previous life in a very long time.

In the fifth year of the apocalypse, the whole world would be struck by a catastrophic earthquake.

In the tenth year, Yu City would be hit by an unprecedented zombie tide—and that was exactly where and when he had died.

Ever since the apocalypse had started early, Wei Cheng knew some things might not follow the old path anymore.

Maybe the earthquake would come early. Maybe the zombie tide would come early…

If that happened, would he still die in that tide of zombies?

The rain gradually grew lighter, and at last the pickup stopped.

Outside the truck came the voices of Ying Hui and Aunt Su Min.

Guanguan patted the biscuit crumbs from his palms. “We’re home!”

He scampered over to the other end of the mat, cupped his little hands around his mouth, and shouted, “Brother Mingming, Wang Xiaotiao, wake up!”

Mingming woke up quickly.

Wang Xiaotiao, however, stubbornly refused to get up, and in the end Ying Hui had to hoist him down over his shoulder.

When Su Min saw that all the children had returned safely, joy spread all over her face. Then, hearing the sheep bleat, she looked startled. “A sheep!”

“Mutton skewers!” Zhao Bin, his arm in a sling, came over to take a look too.

“Get lost! What mutton skewers!” Yi Qi tugged proudly at his sheep’s rope. “This is our farm’s Elizabeth.”

Ying Hui muttered under his breath, “So she’s even more important than Brother Shen now, huh?”

Yi Qi instantly glared at him. “You brat!”

Ying Hui slung Wang Xiaotiao over his shoulder and ran. “I don’t know anything!”

Su Min coughed lightly and smiled. “Go inside quickly. There’s a guest at the farm.”

A guest?

As soon as Wei Cheng and the others entered the farm, they saw a large cargo truck parked in the open area.

Little Mei Teacher was helping Director Wang walk over, and behind her were four women from Rose Garden.

“Little Mei Teacher!” Wang Xiaotiao instantly stopped feeling sleepy. Together with Guanguan and Mingming, he rushed over and threw himself at her.

Little Mei Teacher crouched down and pulled all three children into a fierce hug.

Heavy rain had fallen in the night, and the mountain roads were slippery. Since the farm was also far from Sunlight World Amusement Park, Director Wang, being kind-hearted, persuaded the women from Rose Garden to spend the night outside the core zone.

“Brother, Baby has to hurry and take a bath!”

Guanguan ran about wearing a little elephant bath towel with floppy ears. “Little Mei Teacher is going to tell stories!”

Wei Cheng tested the bathwater with his hand and beckoned. “Come on.”

Guanguan stepped into the tub with his bare little bottom. The moment he sat down, warm water sloshed out over the edge, and the little yellow duck family floating on the surface seemed to have gone through a tsunami.

“Where are you running, little ducks?”

Guanguan gathered up a few of the ducks and rubbed his cheeks against them affectionately. “Little ducks, Guanguan’s Little Mei Teacher is back!”

As he poured warm water over the child, Wei Cheng asked with a smile, “Do you want to sleep with Little Mei Teacher tonight?”

Guanguan shook his head at once. “After the story, Guanguan will come back! You have to come pick up your Guanguan!”

“And what if you fall asleep?”

“Even if I fall asleep, you still have to come get me!” Guanguan slapped the water with his little hands and wrinkled his nose solemnly. “Brother will get scared sleeping all alone!”

Wei Cheng deliberately teased him. “I’m brave. I won’t get scared.”

Guanguan threw the little ducks aside and hugged his brother’s arm tightly. “Guanguan will be scared! Brother has to transport Guanguan back home to sleep!”

“Alright, alright. Even if you fall asleep, I’ll still come get you.” Wei Cheng set the fallen duck back to the side and tossed several more little ducks wearing shower caps into the tub. “Close your eyes. Time for bubbles.”

Guanguan loved the lathering stage the most. He obediently shut his eyes, hugging his own plump little body in anticipation.

After bathing him, drying his hair, and changing him into a fuzzy set of pajamas, Wei Cheng also took a quick bath himself before carrying him over to the spare cabin.

Zhao Bin and the others had already gone back to their own cabin to recover. Uncle Yi had generously given up his cabin to Little Mei Teacher instead.

Little Mei Teacher had been stunned.

That room was clean and tidy; it only needed a fresh set of bedding to be ready for sleep.

When they arrived, Mingming and Xiaotiao were rolling around on the bed.

“Teacher.”

Wei Cheng set Guanguan down on the bed. Just as he was about to leave, Little Mei Teacher gestured to him. “Chengcheng.”

Wei Cheng walked over.

Little Mei Teacher patted his arm, her eyes full of quiet warmth. “You’ve grown taller.”

Wei Cheng sat down in the chair beside them. “Teacher has gotten a lot thinner.”

Little Mei Teacher smiled bitterly. “Too much has happened these past two years.”

“Teacher, Teacher.” Wang Xiaotiao threw himself onto Little Mei Teacher’s back. “Tell us a story!”

Little Mei Teacher rubbed his cheek. “Xiaotiao, you’ve really gotten plumper and plumper.”

“Mingming and Guanguan, stop butting heads. Come lie down here, all of you. Teacher will tell you a story.” Then she looked at Wei Cheng and smiled gently. “Chengcheng, you lie down too.”

Wei Cheng was still hesitating when Guanguan came at him with a little headbutt, tilting up his rosy peach-shaped face. “Brother! Don’t leave. Listen to the story with your Guanguan, okay?”

Little Mei Teacher lay with Guanguan on one side and Mingming on the other, while Wei Cheng lay down behind Guanguan.

She opened a storybook and flipped a few pages. “We already told the story of The Little Chick Looking for the Sun back at the welfare home. Do you still want to hear it?”

All the little heads nodded in unison. “We do! We do!”

“Alright, then today we’ll tell it one more time.”

Outside the window, there was the sound of rain, the turning of pages, and Little Mei Teacher’s gentle voice—so soothing and so hypnotic.

Before long, the children who had been asking one question after another were all fast asleep.

Little Mei Teacher quietly closed the book and gently touched Guanguan’s hair, then Mingming’s sleeping little face.

How wonderful. These children were still alive.

But where was her Yuanyuan?

—

After the storm passed, the air was fresh and the sky was clear.

Guanguan felt something itchy against his foot.

The moment he opened his eyes, he found Wang Xiaotiao hugging his foot, eyes still shut, mumbling something about pig’s trotters.

Guanguan yanked his foot back, rolled over, and pushed his plump little body upright.

That was so scary! Xiaotiao wanted to treat his little foot like pig’s trotter and eat it!

“Brother! Little Mei Teacher!”

Hearing the commotion, Wei Cheng came in from outside. “You’re awake, Guanguan?”

Guanguan gestured frantically with his little hands. “Xiaotiao wants to eat Guanguan’s pig trotter!”

Wang Xiaotiao sat up blankly. “Huh? What’s going on?”

“He was dreaming.” Wei Cheng picked him up and touched his foot. “It’s okay. He didn’t bite you.”

Guanguan shook his head furiously. “Baby is never sleeping with Xiaotiao again!”

Mingming also sat up rubbing his eyes. “Brother Chengcheng, where is Little Mei Teacher?”

Wei Cheng said softly, “She went back to Rose Garden Base.”

“Huh?” All three children instantly looked miserable.

“She said when she has time in the future, she’ll come visit us.” Wei Cheng coaxed them. “She also said she’ll bring you delicious things.”

Actually, when Wei Cheng had woken up, Little Mei Teacher was already gone.

He had later learned from Director Wang that Little Mei Teacher and the others had driven away from the farm at four in the morning.

He had also learned from Director Wang about what had happened to Little Mei Teacher’s husband and daughter.

Because they had enough supplies, her family had managed to stay in central Huan City for over half a year.

But when they finally ran out of food and everything else, they decided to head north, toward Bei City, which they had heard about on the radio…

Little Mei Teacher had said she would not remain at Rose Garden Base forever. After some time, she would continue north in search of her missing daughter and husband.

As long as she could not find her daughter, there was no way she could ever settle into a peaceful life.

Hearing what his brother said, Guanguan and the others no longer fixated on Little Mei Teacher’s leaving without saying goodbye. Just then Xiaoyue came looking for them, and the group of children slipped on their shoes and scampered off with her.

Outside the core zone, supplies were piled high.

Su Min and Shen Zheng had already been going over the inventory all morning.

Wei Cheng asked, “How is it?”

“Just the right amount of gasoline, rice, and flour.”

Su Min pointed at more than ten large boxes. “These are all milk powder and nutritional supplements. They gave us a hundred more than agreed, plus five extra boxes of snacks.”

“Exactly twenty quilts, and enough winter clothes, regular clothes, and shoes for everyone to have three sets each. There are also some hats and gloves.”

Wei Cheng said, “Winter is coming, and it won’t be easy for everyone to keep going back and forth. Uncle Shen, Aunt Su Min, help divide these up. Give more of the supplements to the injured, especially Uncle Dali and the others. Don’t set any aside for me or Guanguan.”

Su Min understood that the reason the farm had traded away bullets for so many nutritional supplements was to help Sun Dali, who was the most seriously injured.

She said gratefully, “Thank you.”

“What are you thanking us for? We’re family,” Shen Zheng said with a smile.

Wei Cheng looked around. “Where’s Uncle Yi?”

Shen Zheng smiled helplessly. “Fixing a sheep pen for his Elizabeth.”

As he walked up the slope, Wei Cheng could hear Gray Cub’s bright barking from far away.

Now that the farm had a sheep, Gray Cub’s herding dog bloodline had clearly been activated.

There were two cattle sheds on the slope. They had previously been used to store building materials, but now that the wood and steel had all gone into reinforcing the farm’s walls, the sheds were empty.

Elizabeth was lying on the ground peacefully chewing grass, while the fluffy little gray dog ran circles around her. If the black wolf dog were not there to keep him in check, the little gray one would probably have climbed onto Elizabeth’s neck and started showing off.

Taking advantage of the black dog’s momentary distraction, Gray Cub sneaked up and bumped the sheep’s rear—only to be bounced clear back.

Elizabeth remained completely oblivious and continued munching away. Grass was delicious. Munch munch munch.

The black dog hurried over to console the whining Gray Cub.

And Gray Cub’s owner was no better.

Uncle Yi was hammering boards into place, and Guanguan was jumping back and forth through the narrow gaps between the boards.

Children always believed they were very small. Any little gap looked like an invitation to crawl through and explore.

Before long, Guanguan got stuck.

Not his belly—his head.

Seeing his brother, Guanguan waved helplessly. “Brother, help.”

Yi Qi looked up, laughing so hard he nearly doubled over. “Guanguan, when did you even crawl in there?”

Wei Cheng hurried over and held his cheeks. “Come on, tuck your neck in and slowly back out.”

Guanguan tucked in his neck and backed out little by little. Once free, he scampered over and grabbed his brother’s hand. “Brother, look at Meeeh’s new home!”

Wei Cheng rubbed the faint red marks on his face. “Uncle Yi did a great job.”

The renovated shed really was suitable for Elizabeth. Even the feeding trough had been scrubbed so clean and shiny by Yi Qi that it reflected the blue sky.

Guanguan folded his little hands and asked curiously, “Uncle, why doesn’t Meeeh grow fluffy wool? If she gets cold in winter, Guanguan can lend her his fluffy sweater!”

Yi Qi laughed. “It’s alright, she won’t get cold. Elizabeth is a dairy goat, not a sheep, so she doesn’t have long wool like that.”

He wiped the sawdust from his hands. “She’s still a little thin. In a few days, I’ll take her up the mountain for a walk and cut a lot more black rye grass to store up. After a while, she should be producing milk again.”

“Can Guanguan go too?” Guanguan raised his little hand, applying to become the farm’s sheep-herding Guanguan.

Yi Qi folded his arms and grinned. “Sure. From now on, you’re the farm’s Head Sheep-Herding Director!”

Guanguan blinked blankly. “What’s that?”

Yi Qi solemnly deceived the child. “It means you’ve got an official post. A very high one!”

Wei Cheng found this shameless use of child labor highly disgraceful and deliberately said, “Won’t Uncle Shen be going with you?”

Yi Qi’s eyes lit up at once.

No, seriously—how does a nine-year-old even think of things like that?

Wei Cheng couldn’t help laughing. “Aren’t Uncle Yi and Uncle Shen good friends? Wouldn’t it be nice to herd sheep together? The scenery in the mountains in autumn must be beautiful.”

Yi Qi’s eyes sparkled. “Thank you for the reminder. That is an excellent suggestion. I’ve decided to revoke Little Guanguan’s official post.”

Director Guanguan only held office for one second.

Guanguan panicked. “No! Absolutely not!”

Wei Cheng picked him up and smiled. “You can still go, but only if Brother goes with you.”

To Guanguan, the outside of the farm was still very dangerous.

Guanguan swung his feet and brightened immediately. “Then Guanguan is still a big official!”

Wei Cheng said, “Mm. This whole farm belongs to you, so how could you not be a big official?”

As soon as the brothers walked away, Gray Cub and the black dog, who had been play-biting each other, also ran down the slope after them.

Back at the cabin, a lot of rice, flour, and cardboard boxes were stacked outside the door.

Shen Zheng came over pushing an empty cart from the distance. “Chengcheng, I already put the gasoline into your cabin. Later on, when you…” He left the rest unsaid.

Wei Cheng understood what he meant. “Don’t worry.”

Shen Zheng still had more supplies to deliver to the others, so after teasing Guanguan a little, he hurried off again.

Guanguan opened one of the cardboard boxes and let out a delighted gasp. “So many little biscuits! How is Guanguan supposed to eat all these!”

Just then, that familiar voice rang out in their minds.

The reward for completing the task had finally arrived.

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