Chapter 70
The dining room was extremely lively. It seemed everyone had something to do, taking bowls, chopsticks, and cups, asking one by one what everyone wanted to drink—juice, beer, or soda. The house had everything. Otherwise, they could go to the freezer and choose for themselves.
Before Jiang Qingyu even had time to answer, Duan Cheng, who had jumped up to help get things, volunteered himself. “I’ll get it! That pomegranate juice is good!”
Pomegranate juice? Jiang Qingyu instantly looked up.
Seeing his eyes light up, Auntie guessed that he liked it and smiled. “You like that, right? Xiao Cheng, bring Xiao Yu two extra bottles!” Then she turned to Fu Jingqiu. “What would Xiao Fu like to drink?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Hot water is fine.”
Auntie immediately passed the message along. “Bring some barley tea!”
Whoever was in the kitchen answered from somewhere inside. Flames licked the bottom of the wok, and there seemed to be the sound of someone tossing the pan. Fragrance came out in waves, and all kinds of hot dishes were served one after another, making Jiang Qingyu dazzled.
It felt a little like eating at a relative’s house during a wedding banquet. Big pots, hot stoves, dishes served extremely fast. His butt had barely touched the stool before the cup in front of him was filled with soda. Jiang Qingyu’s head kept turning along with their movements. One moment, it was sweet-and-sour pork slices; the next, it was Di San Xian. The dishes were served in large bowls and porcelain basins, with exaggeratedly deep capacities. Who knew whether they could finish it all.
Auntie kept telling them to start eating, start eating. Before Jiang Qingyu could react, he was already being urged to pick up food. The turntable spun with a rumble.
As he ate sauced beef, he could not help laughing.
It was a little chaotic, but truly warm. It was much more relaxed than he had imagined being a guest at someone else’s home would be.
Aside from Duan Yu and Duan Cheng’s uncle and aunt, the other elders at the table were relatives from Auntie’s maiden family. They were uncles and aunties; he could just call them that.
Their hometown was in the northeast, so most of the dishes on the table were northeastern cuisine, all hearty, substantial dishes. In the very middle was an enormous basin of green beans, corn, and pork ribs stew. Beside it, the sauerkraut stewed with big bones was no less impressive. There was stewed pork hock, tomato and eggs, the tomatoes fried until they had turned sandy and soft. Several spoons were placed along the edge of the serving plate, and it was especially delicious spooned over rice.
There was not only northeastern cuisine. Other uncles and aunties who could cook had also contributed several dishes. In a basin on the side were washed, fresh, watery lettuce, cucumbers, scallions, and little radishes, paired with egg sauce and tofu sheets. It was simply dazzling to look at.
The staple foods were a steamer of large dumplings and another steamer of fragrant spicy beef buns gleaming with oil. Jiang Qingyu ate one beef bun and was nearly overwhelmed by how fragrant it was. The oil almost dripped onto his hand, and Fu Jingqiu quickly took a tissue to wipe it for him.
At this point, there was no time to chat. The words that appeared most frequently at the table were “Eat!” “How does it taste?” and “Turn it over to their side!” Jiang Qingyu ate while laughing. He did not even know what was so funny, but for some reason, he just found it very entertaining.
No one at the table said they wanted to propose a toast, toast anyone, or say any pretty words.
At a whole table of people, those drinking alcohol and those drinking beverages did not interfere with one another. Jiang Qingyu was drinking pomegranate green tea. It was sweet and refreshing, with a faint tea fragrance. It had originally been in the fridge, and drinking it now was just right. Putting aside everything else, Duan Cheng’s taste in food, drink, and fun was not bad at all.
When they had eaten until about half full, conversation became more frequent. But Auntie and the others did not ask this and that. They only shared.
They talked about going out to make a living, doing business, and later passing through here while traveling and buying the factory. Afterward, the profits slowly improved. Seeing that Uncle and the others were unhappy at work, Duan Yu’s parents asked if they wanted to come here and help manage the factory.
Uncle had courage. He directly brought his whole family to Xinjiang to work hard. Later, Duan Yu’s parents transferred shares to them, and it suddenly became their own family business, making them even more motivated. In the end, they had more or less settled here.
As the saying went, birds of a feather flock together. Although it could not be generalized, most of the time, this saying still made a lot of sense.
Just from hearing these things, one could tell what kind of family environment and atmosphere Duan Yu and her brother had grown up in.
Duan Yu’s face was now full of smiles too, completely different from the tense state she had been in when they first met. She even leaned against Auntie’s shoulder and acted spoiled at one point, clearly something she was used to doing.
As for Jiang Qingyu and Fu Jingqiu, one had never seen his parents since childhood, while the other had lost his father early and had a biased mother. The former was luckier; at least he had grandparents who loved him. Fu Jingqiu had grown up almost entirely in the role of caregiver, so naturally, he had never had the chance to experience this kind of family atmosphere.
It was strange. They had not had it at home before, but after coming out, not only had they met each other, they had also experienced a great deal of warmth.
The meal was harmonious and joyful. It lasted almost two hours before ending. They ate and chatted at the same time. When the dishes were cleared away to be tidied up, Auntie brought over a huge platter, neatly arranged with freshly cut melons and fruits. The pieces were thick, watery, and fresh. One glance was enough to tell they had just been cut.
What else was there to say? Eat!
After finishing this round of fruit, there really was no space left in his stomach to stuff anything else.
The battlefield then shifted to the living room. Auntie thoughtfully turned on the television and put on some light variety show, then prepared sunflower seeds, snacks, and hot tea, staying with them to rest and chat.
Speaking of which, it was quite coincidental. Uncle and Auntie’s son had gone to visit and stay with Duan Yu’s parents right before the zombie outbreak began, while Duan Yu and her brother had come to Xinjiang to spend the winter. They had been in contact all this time. Fortunately, nothing unexpected had happened, and their family was safe.
As for Duan Yu’s misjudgment, no one mentioned it again. It was treated like a small interlude. Even though it had been a life-and-death matter, no one brought it up in front of the whole family to criticize her. It was simply brushed over lightly.
Chestnuts were roasting on the smokeless stove. Jiang Qingyu ate two. They were dense, fragrant, and sweet. He peeled a few more for Fu Jingqiu to try, then slowly drank hot tea to clear his mouth.
The room was warm and cozy. People got up one after another to fetch things or go outside for a smoke. This place seemed to have become one big family. Everyone could do whatever they wanted, and when they returned, they would still be accepted just the same.
Time suddenly passed very quickly like this. In the middle, Jiang Qingyu did not seem to touch his phone at all. Auntie and the others did not talk too much about family matters, perhaps to avoid making it hard for them to blend in. They also talked about their factory. Recently, they had been processing the tens of thousands of tons of cotton they had purchased earlier and shipping the goods to the shelters.
In addition, the distributors under them also wanted goods. Seeing that this low temperature would last for a long time, down jackets had a market, and the demand for cotton was also considerable. During this period, they had not had much free time. The machines had been working continuously, busy processing and manufacturing.
Jiang Qingyu was quite interested and suggested going to the workshop tomorrow to take a look.
How could they not agree to such a small matter? Auntie even wanted them to stay here for New Year.
But they had traveled a long way and rushed all the way back home. They must be tired now. Seeing Jiang Qingyu unconsciously yawn, she took the initiative to say they should call it a night. Anything else could be discussed tomorrow. The rooms upstairs had already been prepared for them. The large bedroom came with an independent bathroom, so doing anything would be quite convenient.
Since they had come as guests, eaten the meal, and the rooms were already prepared, refusing and going back to the vehicle to sleep seemed a little impolite. But Jiang Qingyu still hesitated a little: Meimei and Tangyuan were still in the vehicle, and he was not very reassured.
Duan Cheng naturally had not forgotten that majestic and beautiful border collie either. Rarely, he was smart for once. Seeing that Jiang Qingyu did not answer, he quietly said to his sister, “Is Brother Xiao Jiang worried about his dog?”
Once Duan Yu heard this, she thoughtfully suggested, “You can bring the puppy in. Whether it goes to the bedroom with you or stays downstairs, either is fine. Anyway, the heating is on throughout the whole building. It won’t freeze.”
That… worked?
So Fu Jingqiu went out once, stuffed Meimei into his clothes, while Tangyuan, panting with its tongue out and looking very excited, followed beside him. The moment they entered the living room, a wave of delighted praise immediately sounded.
“Aiya, this border collie is really beautiful! You can see how clever it is just by looking! How old is it?” This was clearly an auntie who doted on children.
“The facial markings are so proper! So spirited. Tomorrow, we’ll bring over the border collie from our factory and see if this little darling is willing to make friends with it!” This was an uncle who loved finding friends for dogs.
Tangyuan seemed to enjoy being praised by others very much. It happily pounced around, allowing this person to pet it and that person to rub its head. Its tail wagged wildly, so happy it could not stand it.
Jiang Qingyu laughed at the side for a while, taking photos and videos. Only then did he let Tangyuan excitedly stay downstairs and play with the uncles and aunties, while Duan Yu took him upstairs to settle Meimei first.
Fu Jingqiu said, “When I went to the vehicle just now, I was still hesitating whether to bring Meimei, but the moment she saw me, she kept meowing, clung to my leg, and jumped into my arms, so I brought her over.”
Jiang Qingyu touched Meimei’s head. She had already familiarly jumped to the foot of the bed and raised her head to rub against his hand, her tail lifted high. He laughed. “So clingy, are you?”
Originally, he had been afraid she would not be used to it or would be wary of strangers, so he had planned to let her stay in the RV. In any case, heating, water, and food had all been prepared in abundance, so there would be no problem. But unexpectedly, Meimei had taken the initiative to follow over.
Jiang Qingyu hugged the little cat and inhaled her fiercely for a while. Only then did he go downstairs to check on Tangyuan. Most of the people in the living room had already scattered. Only Duan Cheng was still full of energy, while Tangyuan lay on the sofa beside him, focused on watching a horror movie. Seeing Jiang Qingyu come over, it wagged its tail and whined twice, but did not immediately run over.
Jiang Qingyu immediately understood. “You like watching this?”
Duan Cheng said, “Tangyuan seems to understand it. He’s so focused. If you’re tired, go sleep. It’s fine for him to stay in the living room anyway. He can sleep on the carpet or sofa.”
Jiang Qingyu thought about it and decided to respect the child’s wishes. Leaning against the railing, he asked, “Tangyuan, do you want to go back with me and sleep?”
Usually, Tangyuan could understand words like “go out to play,” “sleep,” and “eat,” and responded very enthusiastically. But this time, it seemed a little hesitant. It looked at Jiang Qingyu, then at the television, standing on the sofa without moving.
Jiang Qingyu understood at once. He laughed. “I didn’t expect you to like watching this. All right, you can watch downstairs. Be good.”
Tangyuan’s tail immediately started wagging.
Once they returned to the room, Fu Jingqiu was tidying Meimei’s disposable litter box, cat bowl, and water bowl. Before he could even turn around, he heard Jiang Qingyu excitedly share, “Brother! I only just found out Tangyuan actually likes watching suspense films!”
Fu Jingqiu: ?
Jiang Qingyu stuck to his back and lay over him. “I went downstairs to call him just now, and he was watching TV with Duan Cheng. He was so serious. When I called him, he was even a little unwilling. I didn’t expect him to like this. We should find more for him later.”
Fu Jingqiu bent down slightly and casually hooked his hands under Jiang Qingyu’s knees, carrying him on his back as he straightened.
Jiang Qingyu just lazily clung to him and rested his head on Fu Jingqiu’s shoulder. “Speaking of which, when we stopped at the inn before, we always stayed in the RV. This is the first time we’re staying outside.”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “Can you get used to it?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “It’s not like I’m picky about beds. What’s there to get used to? As long as it’s not one room for each of us, I’m fine.”
That casual intimacy softened Fu Jingqiu’s heart. He turned his face and touched Jiang Qingyu’s cheek with his lips, saying in a low voice, “So good.”
Jiang Qingyu rolled his eyes right in front of him. “So cheesy.”
Fu Jingqiu laughed twice in a low, muffled voice. “You don’t like it? Then I won’t say it next time.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “…It’s still okay.”
The guest room Auntie had prepared was very large, with its own bathroom. It felt like staying in a high-end hotel.
When Fu Jingqiu had gone to bring Tangyuan and Meimei over, he had also brought a storage bag containing pajamas and a change of clothes.
It really was late now. Jiang Qingyu was so sleepy he kept yawning, and Fu Jingqiu pushed him into the bathroom first. All the washing and bathing products had been prepared. When Jiang Qingyu was almost done, Fu Jingqiu suddenly slipped in.
The originally spacious shower room instantly became cramped. He had the advantage in height and build. As soon as he came in, it was as if he were about to force Jiang Qingyu into the corner, making Jiang Qingyu, who had been drowsy under the hot water, instantly wake up quite a bit.
He instinctively wanted to turn his back and hide from Fu Jingqiu. But just as he turned around, he felt something was not quite right and was about to turn back again when Fu Jingqiu covered him from behind. One hand wrapped around his waist, the palm pressing against his lower abdomen, pulling him closer into his arms.
Jiang Qingyu’s nape tingled. The temperature of the other man’s palm was actually even hotter than the hot water pouring over his head. His body trembled uncontrollably. Behind his ear, someone leaned close and kissed him. The hot water made him almost unable to open his eyes.
He was very sleepy, but Fu Jingqiu was especially energetic. Only, he did not seem to intend to bother Jiang Qingyu. Aside from that one kiss, he was almost completely proper.
Jiang Qingyu stood there for a short while, but in the end, his own heart was not calm. He could not help turning around to help.
Once he helped, quite a bit of time was spent again. When they finally came out, his body had been steamed hot by the heat, his cheeks flushed, and his wrist was sore too, unable to exert much strength.
After getting under the blanket, Jiang Qingyu found a comfortable position to lie down. Once he closed his eyes, he had no intention of moving again. Fu Jingqiu was not in a hurry to sleep. He held Jiang Qingyu’s wrist and slowly rubbed it. The pressure was not heavy, but very comfortable.
Jiang Qingyu’s first night sleeping outside passed peacefully like this. Meimei slept in the little cat nest at the foot of the bed. Duan Cheng watched suspense films downstairs until he fell asleep, while Tangyuan stayed up all night, watching the entire automatically playing season of suspense films. Only then, in the gray morning light, did it curl itself into a ball and fall asleep contentedly on the sofa.
The whole little western-style building was quiet. Everyone had fallen into sweet dreams.
The guest room’s mattress was especially soft, and the quality of the quilt and bedding was very good too, making Jiang Qingyu’s tendency to stay in bed even worse. One leg was draped over Fu Jingqiu, trapping him in bed as well.
Fu Jingqiu did want to get up, but being held and hugged by Jiang Qingyu like this, with that warm body temperature nestled against him, after time stretched a little longer, he unexpectedly felt drowsy again.
So he went back to sleep.
This sleep lasted until the sun was high. By the time Fu Jingqiu and Jiang Qingyu got up, downstairs had already become lively again with preparations. They went downstairs in slippers, and the energetic Auntie greeted them with a spatula in hand. “Children! Xiao Yu, Xiao Fu! Hurry and wash your hands and freshen up. It’s almost time to eat!”
Jiang Qingyu looked at Fu Jingqiu in confusion. Eat? Didn’t they sleep after eating? Why were they eating again?
Fu Jingqiu took out his phone and looked at the time. “…It’s eleven.”
Jiang Qingyu scratched his face. “We slept that long?” While answering, “Okay, Auntie. We’ll come right away.”
Clearly, their bodies were awake, but their minds were not fully awake yet. When they were once again seated at the dining table, they were still a little slow to react. They had actually slept that long?
Auntie looked at their dazed faces and laughed. “Xiao Yu and Xiao Cheng were like this when they first got up too. Xiao Cheng’s face was swollen from sleep, and his eyelids were almost unable to open.”
Hearing this, Duan Cheng, sitting opposite them, protested, “Where?” He pulled at his own eyes. “Look, aren’t they open very wide?”
Duan Yu drank orange juice and said lightly, “Stop making faces. Put your hands down.”
Duan Cheng listened to his sister the most. Hearing this, he said “Oh” and obediently put his hands down, then turned to Jiang Qingyu. “Brother Xiao Jiang, your Tangyuan is really a little expert at staying up late. Last night, even I couldn’t hold on anymore, but he was still watching. And do you know? I said I was going back to the bedroom to sleep, but he wouldn’t let me. He came over and bit my pant leg, insisting someone stay with him.”
Jiang Qingyu subconsciously turned his head and looked at Tangyuan—the dog was still lying on the sofa catching up on sleep. Earlier, when Fu Jingqiu came downstairs, he had gone over to pat its butt and ask if it wanted to go out for a walk, but it had ignored him completely.
This puppy really had too much self-awareness.
Jiang Qingyu said, “So you stayed with him?”
“Yeah.” Duan Cheng said as a matter of course, “I’m not the kind of person who would make a puppy sad.”
Jiang Qingyu joked, “Then you walk him later?”
“…” Duan Cheng said, “I’m catching up on sleep this afternoon. Catching up on sleep. Um, I slept too late yesterday and didn’t sleep well.”
Today’s lunch was another table full of hearty dishes, but the dishes had all changed. Almost none of them had appeared on yesterday’s table. The portions were abundant, and everything looked, smelled, and tasted wonderful. Jiang Qingyu held his chopsticks and ate a couple of bites, then suddenly realized they seemed to be living a life where clothes were brought to them and food was served to their mouths.
Incredible. They had also latched onto rich people.
Probably because he was not fully awake yet, Jiang Qingyu did not eat quickly at first, only tasting the flavors. But later, when the sauerkraut potato beef turned to him, Jiang Qingyu took two bites, and his taste buds were instantly awakened. Only then did he belatedly feel the emptiness in his stomach, and hunger finally arrived late.
Auntie only urged them to eat and did not take the initiative to pick up food for them, probably afraid she might give them something they did not like and make them awkward. She was truly very considerate.
She had even noticed last night that Fu Jingqiu had taken a few more bites of one spicy shrimp dish, so today, there was an additional dish of yuanbao shrimp. The shrimp were huge, and they tasted sweet and sour, very addictive.
These four young people, already adults for a long time, still looked like children in her eyes. Xiao Fu was steady. Xiao Yu was obedient, not only handsome, but also fond of smiling, which made him even more likable.
Heavens knew that when she had received her niece’s WeChat message saying they might not make it back, her soul had nearly flown away. She had been so anxious she could die, searching everywhere for vehicles and people, checking routes and maps, thinking that even if she had to risk her life, she would bring the two children back.
But in her heart, she also knew that once the fuel ran out and the backup power in the vehicle was used up, no matter how expensive the vehicle was, it would just become a lump of iron. What use would it have? This weather could freeze people to death.
Even if someone passed by, who would be willing to spare fuel? With vehicles on the road, fuel was equivalent to gold.
But unexpectedly, heaven really had favored them, allowing Xiao Yu and the others to meet these two young men.
They would not even accept payment and only took one melon.
Good children. Truly good children.
Selfishly, she wanted them to stay here for a while longer. When it came to food and drink, she put in full effort and refused to be perfunctory in the slightest.
Unsurprisingly, Jiang Qingyu once again ate until he was stuffed.
The two of them were not allowed into the kitchen at all, let alone help tidy up, wash dishes, or wipe the table. The elders did not even need to speak. Duan Cheng very naturally pulled them over to the sofa in the living room. “Aiya, you’ve been on the road this whole time, driving for so long. Isn’t it good to rest more? Why are you rushing to work?”
Jiang Qingyu guiltily scratched his hair. Several silly strands had been slept into sticking up on his head, and he could not smooth them down.
They… could be said to have hardly touched the steering wheel.
Duan Cheng lay on the sofa like an old master, crossing one leg over the other. “In the afternoon, let’s go to the factory. Uncle and the others have to watch the production line. Tomorrow, they have to deliver goods too.”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “Have zombies appeared around here?”
Uncle, who had put on reading glasses and was looking at his phone nearby, said, “Yes, but not very close to us. Everyone has experience now. If there are signs of mutation, there will definitely be a fever first. So when people enter or leave, we take their temperature and check their physical condition.”
“I heard that full-body testing equipment will be available soon. Previously, someone in a shelter secretly took fever reducers to hide their condition. They weren’t discovered until they fainted from fever. If they had been found just one step later, they might have mutated directly inside the shelter.”
“If they were unlucky, the whole shelter could have been wiped out.”
Auntie brought fruit over. “In our factory, only a fixed few people go out. Every time they leave or come back, they undergo checks. So you can be assured it’s safe.”
Duan Cheng said, “That cautious?”
Uncle pushed up his glasses. “Of course. So many people here are relying on us for food. How could we be careless?”
Auntie said thoughtfully, “Xiao Yu, Xiao Fu, there’s no rush to visit the factory. If you’re tired, take an afternoon nap first. Later, Xiao Cheng can take you over. Anyway, our machines are running constantly. We’re rushing production.”
Jiang Qingyu felt a little embarrassed. “This… We just woke up and only ate a meal…”
Auntie said, “It’s fine to get sleepy after eating carbs! Who doesn’t take an afternoon nap now? Anyway, you’re in your own home. No one will say anything. Sleep if you want to sleep, eat when you’re hungry, and say whatever you want. Don’t be embarrassed!”
This really was like visiting relatives. Even at actual relatives’ homes, one might not necessarily receive this kind of treatment.
At least that was how it was on Jiang Qingyu’s side.
In the afternoon, they did eventually go to the factory to take a look. Uncle had built the small building directly inside the factory for convenience, so they could just walk over.
Of course, that had been before. Now that it was this cold, it was better not to make things difficult for themselves. The group took a small vehicle over. Usually, it was parked in the underground garage and could still be driven short distances as a transport vehicle.
Before the heavy rain, it had just been cotton harvest season. A cotton harvesting vehicle cost several million, and renting one was quite cost-effective. It could harvest seven or eight hundred mu in a day, which was astonishingly efficient.
After mechanization, many things had become convenient. Processing cotton, then pressing it into thin sheets of cotton, stacking them layer by layer, made it fluffy, breathable, and soft. It was warm and especially comfortable to sleep under.
Having quilts made locally on-site was not too expensive either. A little labor fee, a little material cost, and for just over a hundred yuan, one could sleep under a comfortable cotton quilt.
Under the extreme cold, cotton factories were also in demand, but Uncle did not really want to take the opportunity to raise prices and make more money. The goods supplied to the shelters were almost all at the original price. Other channels would see a slight increase, while the workers’ wages had all been raised, and by more than double.
They had originally lived in the factory too, in a row of single-story houses nearby. Water, electricity, and heating were all free, and the factory also issued rice and flour every month. They had worked here for many years and were basically family.
It was not that Jiang Qingyu had never seen profiteers taking the opportunity to make dirty money. Negative news appeared online every day. Perhaps natural disasters had given those people opportunities. Even at a time like this, they still had time to scam people. With society no longer as strictly managed as it had been in peacetime, they became even more unscrupulous in doing illegal things.
But at a time like this, there were still people holding fast to their conscience, doing their best within their ability to help others through hardship.
This world, in the end, had not become rotten to the core.
