Chapter 72
Actually, the matter was not that complicated to explain. At the time, their truck had been stopped, and then the robbers appeared, cursing and shouting that they were going to seize the goods and drag the people out to freeze to death. The difference in numbers between the two sides was too great, so it was only normal for them to be scared.
But accidents often happened at the most unexpected moments. Some among them had already begun yelling about bringing out demolition hammers and chainsaws, when suddenly, someone turned into a zombie and instantly pounced on the companion beside him.
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
In truth, if those dozen or so people had worked together to surround and deal with the two zombies, things would not have become so terrible. But unfortunately, the moment they saw their companions turn into zombies, they scattered and fled. Once someone was left alone and pounced on, the probability of becoming a zombie increased greatly.
By the time they came back to their senses and wanted to deal with the zombies, there were no longer just one or two of them.
This matter was pure retribution. They had robbed a truck and wanted to throw the delivery workers onto the road to freeze to death, yet they themselves turned into zombies that could only wander outside. And they had not even had long to enjoy their arrogance before Fu Jingqiu mercilessly dealt with all of them. Truly, who had heaven ever spared?
Uncle would definitely tell the people at the safe station about this. Not only that, previously, he had felt it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, so he had not raised various demands. But now, it seemed that someone had to step forward to protect their safety during transportation.
Besides, the fact that the matter had been resolved so quickly and the workers had returned unharmed was entirely thanks to Jiang Qingyu and Fu Jingqiu.
They had already saved his niece and nephew’s lives before, and now another debt had been added. Auntie was even more reluctant to let the two children leave.
That night, Uncle set up two tables with the factory workers. There was barbecue, hot stir-fried dishes, and plenty of food. Surviving disaster was worth celebrating, and Fu Jingqiu and Jiang Qingyu had helped once again. It would not be right to brush it over lightly, so naturally, they had to thank them solemnly.
This time, practically everyone moved together. Some prepared ingredients, some chopped scallions and peeled garlic, some washed vegetables and marinated meat, and some were even chopping sauerkraut in preparation for making dumplings as one of the staple foods tonight.
Jiang Qingyu was drawn over by the rhythmic sound of chopping vegetables. Seeing the huge basin of sauerkraut in front of Auntie, and someone beside her pounding dough, he was startled. “All handmade?”
Auntie looked up and smiled at him. “Wrappers rolled by hand taste better!”
Food was the first necessity of the people. Speaking of these things, she was clearly very knowledgeable. “Auntie never buys dumplings from outside. Never mind how little filling they have—who knows what kind of meat they use? It’s still better to make them yourself. More filling, and clean and hygienic too!”
Jiang Qingyu smiled and agreed, “Yes, yes. Auntie is right.”
Auntie chopped sauerkraut with incredible skill, not even needing to look carefully. “This flavor is delicious. Eat more tonight, okay?”
Jiang Qingyu nodded repeatedly, then went to look at the uncle skewering meat next door. All kinds of beef, lamb, chicken wings, sausages, and seafood were skewered beautifully and plumply. Just looking at them made them seem especially appetizing. Seeing Jiang Qingyu come over, the uncle skewering meat smiled and said, “We know you and Xiao Yu don’t eat lamb, so we separated everything. We won’t grill them together.”
This really was…
Jiang Qingyu’s heart felt warm. He thanked him repeatedly. Seeing everyone busy in full swing, he found a part he could help with and joined in. Fu Jingqiu, meanwhile, was helping them set up a large iron pot. They had built a temporary stove, saying they were going to make iron-pot stew. The ribs and side dishes had all been washed and were only waiting to go into the pot.
As expected, this dinner lasted a very long time. In the previous meals, the two of them had never touched alcohol, probably because everyone had considered that they would soon say goodbye and leave. This time, the two of them drank a little and joined in the liveliness.
The meal only dispersed after a long time. After returning to the room and washing up, the alcohol slowly floated back up. Jiang Qingyu lay on the bed for a long time without moving. Seeing this, Meimei even tentatively walked around on his head twice, but Jiang Qingyu showed no reaction and remained dizzy from the alcohol.
The factory had not completely quieted down yet. Downstairs, there seemed to still be people walking around and chatting. When Uncle and the others were almost leaving the table, they said they were going to gather people to play mahjong. They had probably already started by now.
Jiang Qingyu thought hazily that once they left again, the RV would probably keep moving without stopping. If he wanted to join this kind of liveliness again, there might not be another chance.
But these past few days had been very happy. Jiang Qingyu did not regret delaying the journey a little at all.
After Fu Jingqiu finished showering and came out, he saw Jiang Qingyu lying sideways across the bed in a starfish pose. Whether it was from the steam or the alcohol, his delicate cheeks were flushed red, and his eyes were slightly narrowed. He clearly had not fallen asleep yet and was only muddled.
Fu Jingqiu wiped his hair and walked over to sit beside Jiang Qingyu. His large palm held Jiang Qingyu’s calf and quietly rubbed it once. “If you’re sleepy, get under the blanket and sleep.”
Jiang Qingyu rolled over with the motion, threw his leg over Fu Jingqiu, wrapped one arm around his waist, and buried his face against his back. Then, like a little pig, he pretended to snore.
Fu Jingqiu was immediately amused. He reached out and touched his soft hair. His cheek was warm. “Fell asleep in a second?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Mm.”
Fu Jingqiu asked, “Then who’s talking to me now?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Meimei is talking to you.”
Meimei, who was lying on Jiang Qingyu’s back, lifted her head in confusion. ?
Fu Jingqiu looked at Meimei for a few seconds, the smile in his eyes deepening. Who knew whether the child understood her dad’s nonsense? He slipped his arms under Jiang Qingyu’s body, applied a little strength, and directly pulled this fish into his arms. His palm rested against Jiang Qingyu’s lower back as he said unhurriedly, “Then does Meimei want her fur brushed?”
Jiang Qingyu kicked his leg and was held down by Fu Jingqiu. “Hm?” His palm moved downward. “Where’s the tail? Let me feel it.”
Hey, what kind of hooligan behavior was this?
Jiang Qingyu said, “I don’t have a tail. You’ve got the wrong person.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Isn’t it the wrong cat?”
It was rare to hear Fu Jingqiu flirt with him like this. For a moment, Jiang Qingyu did not know how to respond. He buried his face against Fu Jingqiu’s leg without speaking, but Fu Jingqiu clearly did not intend to let him off just like that.
Since the fish had already lain on the chopping board and was not struggling very fiercely, Fu Jingqiu naturally would not be soft-handed. No matter how the fish tail thrashed, he could hold it firmly and prevent it from slipping out of his palm.
The fish belly was soft, with an excellent feel, allowing itself to be kneaded at will. Once the outer layer was peeled away, the white flesh inside was tender and fresh. Fu Jingqiu was a good cook, and his greatest advantage was patience. It had to be carefully prepared, waiting until the tender flesh gradually turned red and warm, before he unhurriedly tasted it. The fragrance filled his mouth.
Fu Jingqiu was not the kind of person who could tie a cherry stem with his tongue, nor was his sense of taste so sensitive that he could tell what seasonings had been added, where the ingredients came from, and how fresh they were the moment he tasted a dish.
Precisely because of this, when eating something delicious, he had to savor it carefully.
The soft red pearl dotted the pile of shaved ice, slowly melting into a pool of water, soft and pliant as he tasted it, spread open completely for him to admire and savor without obstruction.
When the fish belly was pressed beneath his palm, it trembled slightly. After a few mouthfuls, it spasmed nonstop, reacting greatly, but Fu Jingqiu remained fully in control, not letting this fish jump out of his plate.
The meal did not last too long. After wiping him clean with a warm towel, Jiang Qingyu, face red, kept pushing him to go rinse his mouth. Fu Jingqiu reluctantly got up and went to the bathroom. Behind him was the person rolling around on the bed in shame and anger. Yet in the blink of an eye, when he came back out, Jiang Qingyu had already burrowed under the blanket, lying completely still and pretending to be asleep.
Fu Jingqiu said softly, “Little Fish?”
Jiang Qingyu did not answer and secretly buried his head deeper under the blanket. This tiny movement could not escape Fu Jingqiu’s eyes at all. He immediately laughed, first turning off the lights before walking over to peel the person out from under the blanket. His tone was intimate. “You’ll get stuffy if you stay buried in there.”
The surroundings were pitch-black, so Jiang Qingyu became slightly braver. He lifted his eyes to glare at Fu Jingqiu’s blurry outline. “You’re way too much!”
Fu Jingqiu knowingly asked, “Too much how?”
Because he used his mouth…!
Jiang Qingyu was too embarrassed to say it directly. His body moved unconsciously and brushed against Fu Jingqiu. Instantly, he fell silent again. After a short while, he stammered, “Then—then you…”
Heavens. He did not know how. What should he do?
If the corner of his mouth broke, would he still be able to eat tomorrow?
But courtesy demanded reciprocity…
Fu Jingqiu bent down and kissed his cheek. “I’m fine. It’ll pass in a while.”
That was what you said last time too!
This little fish was an obedient child who, after being helped, would keep thinking about returning the favor. Although Fu Jingqiu said it did not matter, Jiang Qingyu still reached out and gently, carefully helped him.
Practice made perfect. Mm… That really did make some sense.
Fu Jingqiu’s alcohol tolerance could not be called particularly good, but he did not become dizzy as quickly as Jiang Qingyu. Only now did he faintly feel the drunkenness. After washing up again, he returned and pulled Jiang Qingyu into his arms from behind. Their two bodies fit together perfectly, sharing body heat and breath.
Instinctively, he leaned over to be intimate with the other man, his lips lightly kissing Jiang Qingyu’s ear and jaw, worshipping his slender neck inch by inch.
Jiang Qingyu was already so sleepy that he could barely stand it. How would he have any strength left to push him away? His palm covered the large hand holding his waist and abdomen, his words sticky, his voice soft. “Sleep.”
Fu Jingqiu kissed his earlobe again. “Mm. Good night.”
As expected, everyone in the factory woke up late.
When Jiang Qingyu and Fu Jingqiu got up, it was already almost noon. Auntie had woken slightly earlier. Knowing the two children were leaving, she began packing things for them to take along: food, drinks, sausages, braised beef, melons, fruits, snacks, homemade raisins and dried apples, the pomegranate green tea Jiang Qingyu liked, and several vacuum-packed portions of the spicy shrimp Fu Jingqiu liked. In any case, their vehicle now had the appearance of a heavy truck, so there was no need to worry about not fitting everything.
Jiang Qingyu was shocked when he saw the pile of things stacked like a small mountain. He said in disbelief, “These are all for us?”
Auntie was wiping her hands on her apron. “Yes. The journey is long, and there probably aren’t any restaurants open now. You can only cook for yourselves. You two children probably didn’t buy much to stock up before, right? Taking these things along is perfect!”
No. We bought a lot! We don’t have to worry about food and drink at all!
Duan Yu, who was helping Auntie move braised duck, could roughly guess what Jiang Qingyu was thinking from his expression. She smiled and advised, “Anyway, nothing will spoil in this weather. It’s also their kind intention. Later, Xiao Cheng and I will move the things into your vehicle. Just eat them on the road.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “But… this is way too much.”
“Not much, not much!” Auntie waved her hand. “We don’t lack food and drink here. We have plenty of things. It’s easy for us to buy more too. When we stored winter grain, even cabbage was bought by the ton. And those meats, potatoes, and vegetables—we have fields to grow them. Our factory even has a small vegetable garden!”
“Right,” Duan Yu said. “I happen to have something I want to discuss with you.”
Jiang Qingyu asked, “What is it?”
Duan Yu said, “I heard you’re going to Altay. Duan Cheng and I bought a house over there. Every winter, if convenient, we go stay there for a week or half a month. We want to go there first and wait for you. When the time comes, you’ll have another place to settle.”
Bought? A house? Just because they went there to stay for a few days every winter?
Jiang Qingyu said silently, “Is it that kind of little wooden cabin that costs an absurd amount per night to rent out?”
Duan Cheng, wearing pajamas and helping pack bags beside them, looked up when he heard this. “It’s okay. Two or three thousand during peak season. Cheaper during off-season.”
Jiang Qingyu: “…”
Duan Yu secretly pinched her younger brother and changed the subject. “We also want to go to Altay for a few days. On the way back, we’ll visit another factory belonging to Uncle’s family.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “Can the house you have in Altay fit us? Will we be disturbing you? After all, we also have Tangyuan and Meimei.”
Duan Cheng said, “Not at all. There’s a wooden cabin guesthouse over there that’s ours. It has dining and lodging. There are plenty of cabins. You can choose one yourselves.”
Jiang Qingyu: “…………”
Friend, why are you so rich?
Duan Yu meant that they would stay here for a few more days first. Knowing Jiang Qingyu would not head straight to Altay and would still detour to other places along the way, they might as well wait until things here were stable, then drive directly to Altay to meet them. That would count as playing together again.
Jiang Qingyu was a little tempted as he listened.
A little wooden cabin.
He had seen them online. In photos and videos from travel guides, whether during good weather or at night, the snowy village scenery was very beautiful.
Fu Jingqiu was still outside walking Tangyuan. Jiang Qingyu thought about it and agreed first. “All right. Then we’ll see each other in Altay.” He smiled. “We’ll be benefiting from you again.”
What did he have in his space that he could give back to them? Ahhhhh!! Useless brain, think!
They did not lack food or drink. As for cold-weather clothing, they had warehouses full of it here. Besides that… uh, money? This—surely they did not lack that either.
After thinking it over and still having no clue, Fu Jingqiu happened to return with Tangyuan. Jiang Qingyu secretly pulled him aside and whispered for a while. Unexpectedly, this problem also stumped Fu Jingqiu. After going through the inventory for quite a while, they indeed could not find anything suitable to give the other party.
In the end, Jiang Qingyu decided to give them an identical set of the RV’s surveillance system. Ashamed to say, he originally had not known this was possible. It was the system that could not bear watching anymore and reminded him, saying he could spend some points to make it happen, and the effect would be just as good as the one on the RV.
This counted as a very practical return gift. After all, because of the extreme cold, many surveillance devices had already broken down. Jiang Qingyu had asked Uncle, and aside from the indoor surveillance, all the outdoor cameras in the factory were broken. This would perfectly make up for that, and could also prevent people from targeting them and secretly doing bad things.
The alarm system attached to the surveillance system was extremely useful.
When Jiang Qingyu told them about this, Uncle was naturally pleasantly surprised. That afternoon, Fu Jingqiu installed the whole system, then explained how to operate it. If the power went out, it also had a backup circuit that could last a long time, so there was no need to worry about someone tampering with it.
Only then could it be considered truly a happy outcome for everyone.
But installing the surveillance, testing it, and teaching them how to operate and maintain it naturally took quite a bit of time. Seeing the sky darken, Auntie kept them for another night, saying it was unsafe to drive at night.
Jiang Qingyu could not exactly say they did not need to drive themselves. But in any case, they had already stayed for a week. Staying one more night to reassure the elders was fine too.
As expected, that night brought another lavish dinner. They ate and drank until midnight, and Jiang Qingyu was even pulled over to play mahjong.
Heavens knew that he did not know how to play at all. But once he sat at the table, he could not escape the phrase “I’ll teach you.” Even a complete beginner, if taught hand by hand, would probably learn seventy to eighty percent.
Not only that, Jiang Qingyu also had a beginner’s buff. Several rounds in a row, his tiles were shockingly good. When Duan Cheng passed behind him and saw them, he could not help exclaiming, “Your tiles are so good!”
As soon as his words fell, four gazes glared at him at the same time. Duan Cheng shrank his neck. “Sorry. I got a little excited. Sorry, sorry.”
A pure one-suit hand!
Fu Jingqiu did not play either, but it was not good to leave two beginners at the table, so he sat beside Jiang Qingyu and watched him play. He understood even faster. Seeing that Jiang Qingyu had drawn a pure one-suit hand, with one tile in hand and about to self-draw after a kong, his luck was truly astonishing.
This really was a little koi fish.
Later, under these repeated self-draw wins, Jiang Qingyu felt immense joy and even became a little addicted.
Unfortunately, because his luck was too good, the people at the mahjong table jointly protested and swapped him out, letting “Xiao Fu” take his place.
Fu Jingqiu had watched for so long from the side that he had more or less understood all the rules. After agreeing that he would absolutely not play for money, he calmly began washing and drawing tiles.
At first, the others were worried that he would also have the beginner’s buff and keep drawing good tiles like Jiang Qingyu, so they observed him for a while. But seeing that Fu Jingqiu played quite normally, steady and proper, the atmosphere became lively again.
But Fu Jingqiu took another route. Not only did he play steadily, he could also remember tiles. It looked as if he did not have any particularly stunning hands, but every time, he could win first.
After several rounds, someone finally discovered that he was “quietly making a fortune.” Auntie refused to believe it and insisted on letting Fu Jingqiu play a few more rounds. As a result, not only did he play well, his luck also became better. How could they keep playing like this!
In the end, both members of this young couple were driven away from the mahjong table and could only watch from the side.
Jiang Qingyu laughed so hard he could not stand it, only feeling that these elders were incredibly cute. But he also did not insist on getting back to the table. He obediently stayed beside them to chat and watch the game.
But another problem appeared: it seemed that whoever Jiang Qingyu sat behind would have better luck.
After several rounds, someone mentioned this unintentionally, and everyone immediately looked over in unison, demanding an on-site experiment.
The consequence of the experiment was: not only were the young couple driven away from the mahjong table, they were also driven out of the mahjong room.
Helpless, they could only go play games. They were indeed not sleepy, so staying up a little was nothing.
Duan Cheng was just right to be dragged over to play with them. In the sunken living room, the giant screen laser projector was lowered, and several people connected online and started playing. They became so immersed that they all ended up falling asleep on the sofas in the living room.
Duan Cheng slept all crooked and twisted, while Duan Yu obediently lay in a single-person sofa on one side. Though it was called a single-person sofa, it was long enough for her to stretch out and roll around.
Jiang Qingyu himself had even forgotten how he fell asleep. When he woke up, he was lying in Fu Jingqiu’s arms, covered with a thick cashmere blanket, warm and cozy.
Their last night at Uncle and Auntie’s house passed like this.
No matter how reluctant they were, the time to part eventually arrived. Uncle and Auntie really liked these two children and told them several times to come back and visit when they had time. Duan Cheng even practically wanted to jump into their vehicle and leave with them, but fortunately, his sister stopped him.
After playing wildly for more than a week, returning to the RV made Jiang Qingyu feel somewhat unused to it, though saying that was a little asking for a beating.
After setting the RV to automatic driving, it continued toward their destination. On the road, zombies occasionally heard the movement and turned back, swaying as they chased after them, but they were quickly left behind by the vehicle.
Jiang Qingyu sorted through the things Auntie had given them again and put them into his space one by one. Later, whenever they craved them, they could take them out and eat.
Next, they had to speed up. Since they had been delayed, they had to make up for the lost time. At night, the RV would also be set to alert mode, so if anything happened, it would immediately warn them.
Speaking of which, it was strange. During the days they had stayed at Uncle and Auntie’s house, not a single day had snowed, and there had been no wind either. Although the weather was cold, they could still go out and play a little as long as they took proper precautions against the cold and shortened their time outdoors.
But they had only just set off, and it actually began to grow windy and snowy outside. It was clearly not time yet, but the sky darkened early, gray and gloomy. Looking at it for too long even made one feel depressed.
Jiang Qingyu quickly pulled all the RV curtains shut, turned on all the lights in the vehicle, took the vacuum cleaner, and began vacuuming the sofa. He organized the things in the RV, and the robot vacuum also set off, carrying Meimei on its back as it cleaned the room methodically according to its route.
Since it was snowing, they could make a pot of clear stewed chicken soup. They only needed to process the ingredients a little and put them in the pot, then let it simmer slowly.
After not cooking for a long time, seeing all his pots, bowls, pans, and tableware again made Jiang Qingyu miss them quite a bit. He skillfully put on his apron and rolled up his sleeves. “Brother, what do you want to eat tonight?”
After saying this, he immediately made a pause gesture himself. “I’m guessing you’re probably going to say anything is fine. If you don’t have anything you want, I’ll think of something myself.”
Fu Jingqiu was cut off by him, but smiled slightly. “You understand me too well.”
Jiang Qingyu hummed. “We’ve eaten so many meals together. I’ve asked this question countless times without thinking. How could I not know what answer you’ll give?”
Fu Jingqiu helped straighten his collar. “Then, little chef, what do you plan to make today?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “You can eat lamb, right? Auntie gave us some, so I’ll make you stir-fried lamb with scallions. You’ll definitely like that.”
Then he would make black pepper turbot, kung pao shrimp, stir-fried eggs with sauce, and simply add a dish of stir-fried pork with chili.
Once decided, they got to work. The ingredients were quickly taken out, and Fu Jingqiu came to the kitchen to help. Their division of labor was clear. This kind of scene had already repeated countless times, and they had long since developed full tacit understanding. There was no need to ask each other how to do things or how far to prepare something.
Tangyuan had been active quite a lot these past few days, playing with people, playing with dogs, going out for walks with Fu Jingqiu, and even going to the sheepfold to steal work from its kind. Now that it had suddenly returned to the RV, it immediately relaxed. Seeing the two fathers go into the kitchen to cook, it was too lazy to come watch them and ask for “scraps.” It went straight into its little nest to catch up on sleep.
Jiang Qingyu was very skilled at making scrambled eggs. Every time, he could fry the eggs into large, fluffy chunks. They tasted fragrant with oil. Add a little side dish for garnish, then pour in a homemade sauce and stir-fry evenly, and this bowl of saucy scrambled eggs would reach a super perfect state. It would even be enough just to mix with rice.
After the dishes were done, the clear stewed chicken soup was also about ready to drink. The whole RV was filled with the fragrance of chicken soup. This chicken had also been given to him by Auntie, who had said not to stir-fry it, because it was perfect for soup. There was no thick, sticky layer of yellow fat either. Only pale golden, light oil droplets floated on top of the soup. A little salt for seasoning was enough. Nothing else needed to be added, and it was already so fragrant that Tangyuan kept twitching its nose in its sleep.
The food was placed on the table. Sitting face-to-face again felt nostalgic. Previously, at Uncle’s house, they had always sat side by side. Now it was back to just the two of them, one dog, and one cat.
That was nice too.
Jiang Qingyu rolled up a section of the curtain beside the dining table. The snow outside was much heavier than before they started cooking, tossed everywhere by the wind. Flakes smashed against trees and rocks, and mist gradually condensed on the inside of the vehicle window before Jiang Qingyu casually wiped it away.
With this comparison, the brightly lit interior of the vehicle seemed even warmer.
Their journey was continuing.
