Chapter 42
At around seven, Jiang Qingyu suddenly woke up.
Still dazed, he thought he had woken up naturally. With the continuous heavy rain over the past few days, he had not even seen the shadow of the sun. There was simply no way to judge the time by looking at the weather.
Jiang Qingyu kept his eyes closed, unwilling to get out of bed. He only felt as if he had been imprisoned by the warm blanket. The sound of rain kept pouring into his ears, making him even more drowsy.
After struggling for a while, Jiang Qingyu fumbled for his phone beside the pillow and glanced at the time.
Seven forty.
Yay! He could keep sleeping!
A smile unconsciously appeared on Jiang Qingyu’s face. He cupped the blanket with both hands and tucked it up to his chin, then happily drifted back into dreamland amid the sound of rain.
What he did not know was that during the few minutes when he had briefly woken up, someone had touched their way to the side of the RV and was circling the vehicle, examining it. They clung to the window, trying to find a gap in the corner so they could look past the privacy curtain and observe the situation inside, checking whether anyone was there.
Fu Jingqiu was woken by Tangyuan’s low growl. He instantly became alert and flipped out of bed. After looking around, he immediately checked the surveillance feed.
That person was wearing a black raincoat. The way they leaned against the window especially resembled the image of a murderer from films and TV dramas. They even looked a little sleazy.
Fu Jingqiu checked the surveillance footage and dragged it back to the moment the person had come over. Under the high-definition camera, the person’s face was hidden beneath the hood, but it was clear that they did not really look like a local. There was a high chance they were a tourist.
Fu Jingqiu watched the surveillance for a while. Seeing that the person had not brought any equipment and did not seem to have any intention of prying open the door, he guessed they might have come to “scout” the situation.
Alone, with no suitable tool in hand, they were not worth worrying about.
Once that person left, Fu Jingqiu would set off for the next destination immediately.
Whether the other party had only been curious or truly planned to bring people over later to do something, they would only find an empty spot.
One could not go without precautions against others.
And so, while Jiang Qingyu was still sleeping his second sleep, the RV was already driving on the road to Minfeng. It was more than three hundred kilometers away, and because of the heavy rain and road conditions, they might not reach their destination until evening.
After tidying up the bedding, Fu Jingqiu made a simple breakfast and fed Tangyuan along the way, then played with him in the living room for a while.
He had not expected Tangyuan’s alertness to be so high. Fu Jingqiu had not heard any movement yet, but Tangyuan had already sounded the warning first. He had to be rewarded properly.
Aside from the delicious breakfast specially made for him, Tangyuan also enjoyed a bowl of warm goat milk.
If this had been Meimei, she would probably only manage to drink one-third after a long time, crouching there and sipping in tiny mouthfuls with an elegant posture. But Tangyuan licked it until only the bottom of the bowl was left in just a few moments.
After drinking, he licked his mouth and tilted his head, looking at Fu Jingqiu especially innocently. His meaning was very obvious: it was delicious, and he still wanted more.
Fu Jingqiu raised a brow and reached out to touch his little belly. “Still want more?”
Tangyuan whined softly and placed his paw on Fu Jingqiu’s wrist, gently pawing twice.
Fu Jingqiu looked at him for more than ten seconds and was successfully defeated by those wet puppy eyes. Truly helpless, he still went to add another bowl for him in the end.
A few hours later, Jiang Qingyu finally woke up fully satisfied. With his hair sticking up messily in cowlicks, he walked out, Meimei following right behind him. She pounced lightly at Tangyuan as a way of greeting him.
Jiang Qingyu yawned and said, “When I woke up just now, I thought I was dreaming. Otherwise, why was the vehicle moving? Did something happen? Were we in a hurry to leave?”
Fu Jingqiu poured hot water for him. “Someone was clinging to the window and peering inside. I didn’t know what they wanted to do, so we simply set off early.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “They probably wanted to see whether there was anyone inside, right?” He joked, “What, did they want to rob the vehicle?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Hard to say.”
At present, the price of food in the county town had already risen, and there was no guarantee that accommodation would not rise too. If someone had money in their pocket, it was fine; they could manage for a while. But if not, they would definitely have to think of something.
Wasn’t robbing someone else the most convenient?
Jiang Qingyu held the hot water and sipped noisily while picking up his phone to look at the day’s new messages. But before he could tap into the app, he suddenly remembered something, switched to WeChat, found the group chat he had secretly created earlier, and sent a message inside.
Two very annoying words: “You there?”
Everyone who received this message was completely confused.
Speaking of which, his eldest uncle’s family had tried to contact Jiang Qingyu without success, but they had not given up yet. They planned to think of a way to bring Jiang Qingyu back after they returned from their trip.
Emotional blackmail through family ties did not work, right? Then what about using his grandparents’ graves?
If one wanted to deal with someone close to them, what trick could not be thought of?
His eldest uncle and the others had made up their minds. They planned to rest for two days, then go find Jiang Qingyu. Who would have thought that before they even recovered, zombies would suddenly appear?
There was not much food at home, and among the several people in the family, they could not even scrape together half a person who dared to go outside.
In the homeowners’ group chat, some people had begun forming teams to go out and look for supplies. Those unwilling to starve to death at home had signed up. Jiang Qingyu’s relatives hesitated and hesitated, still afraid of encountering zombies outside, and were even a little tempted to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others’ labor.
It was at this moment that Jiang Qingyu, who had almost been forgotten by them, suddenly appeared, strongly reminding them of his existence.
His eldest aunt blamed all the reasons for their recent predicament on Jiang Qingyu.
If he had been willing to come back, give money for his cousin’s wedding, then give the vehicle to his cousin as a wedding house, the marriage would have been completed by now. The gift money would be in their hands, and the cigarettes, liquor, candies, and snacks left over from the wedding banquet could be used for eating and drinking. Jiang Qingyu could also follow those people in the homeowners’ group to search for supplies. Wouldn’t that have been perfect on both sides?
It was all because he was too selfish that they had ended up in their current state!
Messages in the group instantly surged upward. Jiang Qingyu had expected this long ago. He muted his phone and tossed it aside, then stood up, rolled up his sleeves, put his hands on his hips, and said with full momentum, “What are we eating for lunch today?” He patted his chest and said boldly, “Brother will make it!”
Fu Jingqiu looked up along with his movement. “…Brother?”
Oops. He had gotten a little carried away.
Fu Jingqiu was several years older than him.
“Cough, cough, cough.” Jiang Qingyu covered his lips with his fist as if to hide it. “I mean, whatever you want to eat is fine. I’m good at everything. Just order whatever you like.”
Fu Jingqiu gave a soft laugh. In the end, he did not say anything, only telling Jiang Qingyu to decide as he liked. He was not picky.
Jiang Qingyu had long guessed this would be his answer, but he still enjoyed tirelessly asking for his opinion.
Yesterday, they had eaten big plate chicken, but he still did not feel fully satisfied. Today, he would make a chicken wing, chicken feet, and prawn pot.
The chicken wings and chicken feet were first pan-fried in oil until fragrant and golden. The prawns were prepared the same way. Potato chunks and baby corn were fried separately so the texture would be better.
For the base of the pot, onion, garlic, and ginger slices were lightly stir-fried until fragrant. Then the chicken wings and chicken feet were added, along with a secret seasoning. After everything was stir-fried evenly, a ring of rice wine was poured along the edge of the pot to enhance the aroma. Water was added until it covered the ingredients, and then it could be set aside to simmer. Half an hour later, the pot would be opened again.
After opening the pot, the prawns and side ingredients were added, then everything was simmered for another ten minutes or so. A handful of chopped scallions and cilantro sprinkled over the top, and it was ready to serve. Delicious and convenient.
The chicken feet were soft, sticky, and fell off the bone. The chicken wings and prawns were full of sauce. The potatoes were powdery and tender, and because of the variety, they were not only fragrant but also carried a faint sweetness.
There was also a dish of sour-spicy shredded potato braised with beef, tasty and perfect with rice.
The shredded potatoes were soaked in water beforehand so they would taste crisp.
A layer of potatoes was spread on the bottom first. Then the pre-marinated beef was evenly arranged over the shredded potatoes, followed by shredded green and red chilies. Sauce and water were poured in, and everything was lightly simmered for a few minutes. After mixing it slightly, it could be eaten.
Both the shredded potatoes and beef were very flavorful, super, super good with rice.
In addition, there was a dish of garlic chives and bean sprouts stir-fried with dried tofu, and a pot of egg, pea shoot, and three-delicacy soup. Beautiful and delicious.
As if performing magic, Jiang Qingyu pulled out a heat-preserving warming tray from somewhere and placed the three dishes and one soup on the table, then took out his phone and snapped a photo.
After that, he sent this photo to the family group with his eldest uncle’s family and added the caption: “Family, have you eaten lunch?”
Before they could react, Jiang Qingyu could already imagine their expressions at this moment. Holding his phone, he laughed so hard he rocked back and forth.
Fu Jingqiu returned with bowls and chopsticks. Seeing him like this, he asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Qingyu handed him the phone.
Fu Jingqiu did not rush to look at his phone. He first handed Jiang Qingyu a spoon and chopsticks, served him rice, and only then sat down while looking at the screen.
It just so happened to be the peak time when his eldest uncle’s family was replying to the messages. The phone kept vibrating in Fu Jingqiu’s hand. Fu Jingqiu’s brows furrowed accordingly. “These people are all?”
Jiang Qingyu picked up a chicken wing and said indifferently, “Everyone in the group is my relative.”
Were there relatives who acted like this?
Leaving aside coercion and temptation, what were these filthy words?
In a few simple sentences, Jiang Qingyu explained his family’s situation clearly. His emotions seemed completely unaffected as he cheerfully said, “I’m in that homeowners’ group. When people were forming teams to go out and look for supplies, they refused. Instead, they acted pitiful in the group, saying there were two elderly people at home and asking everyone to help spare them some food.”
In the past, they might not have looked highly upon this table of dishes. But times were different now. Seeing Jiang Qingyu so relaxed and comfortable now, they were probably going to hate him to death.
Among the messages Fu Jingqiu saw, some were pretending to pull him back in, some were using moral blackmail, and some were reminiscing about how happy and harmonious it had been when his grandparents and the whole family were together.
Only when Jiang Qingyu did not respond for a long time did the impatient ones curse with the first dirty word. Immediately after, accusations and curses surged in like a tide.
Fu Jingqiu’s brows tightened more and more as he scrolled through the screen. “Their words are far too ugly.”
Jiang Qingyu shrugged. “As long as I achieve my goal, it doesn’t matter what they reply to me. Don’t look either. Just look at the messages I sent.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “It seems someone left the group.”
Jiang Qingyu asked, “Who?”
Fu Jingqiu read out an ID. Jiang Qingyu had an impression of it. It was his cousin’s wife.
“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter even if they leave. A few nights ago, I created several groups. In a couple of days, I’ll send messages to them again.” Jiang Qingyu hehe-laughed twice. “I have plenty of time and energy.”
He had not forgotten how long ago, during New Year’s, they had gone traveling and deliberately posted photos and videos in the family group.
It was nothing if they did not come to his grandparents’ home. After getting married, taking care of their own side was not exactly something he could criticize.
Not paying New Year visits, not making phone calls, and having his cousin send WeChat messages asking for red envelopes without even saying thank you.
Fine, that was one thing.
What Jiang Qingyu could not tolerate the most was that in the video they posted in the family group, his eldest uncle and his wife, as the background voices in the video, were actually speaking badly about his grandparents.
Those words had sounded incomparably vicious even to the young Jiang Qingyu at the time.
It was not that they did not know how to use electronic devices. His cousin, as their grandson, had been loved by them just the same.
His grandparents had finally learned how to send red envelopes and make video calls, but what they received in return was treatment like that.
Now, how could simply letting them see a few photos of him living well be enough?
Jiang Qingyu still had follow-up moves.
