Huff…We finally led the large convoy out of Anji City! The moment we passed through the northern gate, I could hear my own heart pounding like a drum!
We drove less than two kilometers north when I spotted Lao Deng's military off-road vehicle parked by the roadside. They had safely emerged from the village path, their wheels caked in mud. They were waiting anxiously inside the vehicle.
I flashed the headlights a few times to signal advance. Lao Deng immediately took the lead, and we sped nonstop for twenty minutes before gradually slowing to a halt.
The moment the vehicles stopped, I grabbed the walkie-talkie: "Jianan, are you with us?"
That's my husband! I had no idea if he'd made it out safely!
"Duo, we're at the very back. Hold on, we're driving up now!" It was Jianan's voice! I exhaled in exhilaration, feeling tears instantly stream down my face.
So strange—from the moment Jianan and the others decided to risk luring the zombies, to me watching their perilous journey from the watchtower, all the way until we escaped Anji City, I hadn't shed a single tear. But now, tears fell uncontrollably. Was it delayed fear? No, it felt more like overwhelming emotion…
Tch, how embarrassing if anyone saw!Before anyone noticed, I quickly wiped my eyes dry.
Yan Quan's military off-road vehicle pulled steadily to the front of the convoy. Seeing my husband's weary face, I forced a casual smile and gave them a thumbs-up.
Jianan got out of Yan Quan's vehicle and came over to mine. Watching him return to my side safe and sound, I instantly felt a surge of energy!
Chen Hao's trio also drove up. The three jumped out and ran to Lao Deng, saluting and reporting loudly, "Captain Deng! Mission accomplished!"
Lao Deng looked them over proudly, patted their shoulders, cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, no need for such formal reports from now on. Low profile, low profile!"
De Yi grinned at Lao Deng: "Captain, we were so worried when you three went to lure the zombies! Glad you're safe, hehe…"
Lao Deng punched his chest playfully: "You three did great too! I heard from Duoduo that some zombies you guys lured away were ones I missed! Not bad!"
Just then, Qin Goodluck's group arrived with the rescued survivors! They'd taken four vehicles to fetch people, and all four had now rejoined the main convoy.
We didn't want to waste time checking who the new survivors were—that could wait until we reached the farm!
"Let's keep moving! If the road is clear, we can reach Golden Bull Farm tonight and rest there! Assuming the farm isn't overrun by zombies." Jianan didn't want to delay. Once the decision was made, everyone set off again!
Inside Anji City, Northern Gate Area
"Ha! This is getting more interesting! Momo, look—their 'lure the tiger away from the mountain' trick works every time. They refuse to fight to the death! These cunning humans! Hmph, next time, I'll have Sen use the flute to lure the horde back. Let's see how they handle that!" West stood behind the floor-to-ceiling window of a small building inside the northern gate, watching coldly as the group successfully fled the city, extremely displeased.
"West, enough playing around. Do you really want to trap all those elders and children to their deaths?" Momo seemed uninterested in the nearby drama, boredly playing with her fingers.
"West, Momo… actually, aren't we human too?" Xiao Sen thought silently behind them. "Even if… we're a little different… But what does that have to do with me? Let them do as they please."
"They're like tenacious wild rabbits, always finding an escape route! And the places they choose to stay overnight are always so secure. It's really asking too much for those dumb zombies to attack… But because of that, the game is more fun, isn't it? If we actually killed them, finding such a large group of humans again would be really hard!" Momo watched the human convoy gradually disappear into the distance, speaking lightly.
"Momo, you're right! Slow and steady wins the race. Watching them struggle is a good way to pass the time. We can't wipe them out completely. Fine, forget them. What do you want for dinner tonight? Steak? And open a bottle of '82 Lafite? Who knew there was such a great winery here? Thankfully those filthy things didn't ruin it. Let's enjoy ourselves here for a while!" West pulled Momo back to the large dining table behind them.
This was Anji City's largest French winery. Upstairs was a private dining room for members to taste wine and dishes. Several fine bottles from the winery were placed on the table.
"Hmph, what steak? It's just canned beef, sickening! When will we get to eat fresh foie gras again? And authentic Japanese sashimi, with wasabi and soy sauce! That taste…" Momo's eyes grew distant, as if the luxurious life of the past had reappeared before her. The high-end dishes she'd grown tired of in the past had now become legends of memory!
"Alright, don't fret. You win some, you lose some. If the world hadn't suddenly gone to hell, how could the three of us have escaped from there? Why were they pampering us with good food and drink before? I'd rather eat canned food every day!" West became irritable again, smashing an expensive crystal wine glass against the wall. The poor glass shattered into pieces.
Momo smiled wryly: "I was just talking to satisfy my cravings, no need to lose your temper! I'm tired from all the playing lately too. How about we stay in Anji City for a while and enjoy some undisturbed peace?"
West finally smiled: "Good, good. Let's ignore those people for now. There are plenty of survivors! We'll find others to play with when we're bored. If you like it here, we stay. If you get tired of it, we'll change cities."
"Come, let's not waste the good stuff. We should at least finish these fine wines. The good days ahead are long." Momo handed West a bottle of '82 Lafite. The two shared a smile.
Xiao Sen stood lonely by the window. She rarely joined their conversations. She had no interest in the games the other two played. What did any of it have to do with her? Their life or death meant nothing to her. Since birth, she felt: In this world, she was her only true companion.
"Xiao Sen, go prepare dinner. Check the kitchen facilities in this winery. There should be gas canisters. Let's have a proper meal tonight!" West commanded naturally, as if it was理所当然 (a given) for Xiao Sen to serve them.
Momo's lips moved, but she truly wasn't skilled at household chores, so she could only watch as Xiao Sen entered the kitchen alone.
Xiao Sen didn't mind. She had lived with the two for a long time. Though she didn't know why, her treatment was completely different from theirs, even though the three of them were the same kind of existence.
She was accustomed to obedience. In truth, her duties were few now—aside from occasionally leading zombies to specified locations, her daily routine mostly involved preparing meals. They didn't even need to wash clothes; the malls were filled with new garments they could take freely. Thanks to their unique constitutions, they could walk through zombie hordes as if traversing unpopulated lands.
The apocalypse, so perilous for humans, was the complete opposite for these three.
Nightfall, Approaching Golden Bull Farm
As night fell, we reached Golden Bull Farm, the last stop before Peach Spring Farm.
The farm entrance had a golden plowing ox statue, massive—even bigger than our bus!
The first time I passed this statue on the way to my husband's home, I specifically got out, climbed near its rear, and leaned against its tail for a photo. Such a silly move!
From this farm inward, it was only half a day's journey to Peach Spring Farm.
Our plan was to check Golden Bull Farm. If safe, we'd stay the night. If not, we'd press on, reaching Peach Spring before midnight.
We'd avoid night travel if possible.
On the road out of Anji City, zombies were scarce. Vast fields stretched before us, overgrown with weeds. Normally, it should be spring plowing season.
The few zombies we encountered looked like farmers. No one got out to deal with them, but if they staggered into the road, they were inevitably struck by the vehicles.
Farms in the north were different from the past. Before, farms were only slightly better than villages, still mired in rural poverty. Houses were rows of single-story buildings, scattered haphazardly. Now, farm residents were consolidated, living under centralized management. Farms resembled small towns, with smooth asphalt roads from the entrance, neat and clean low-rise buildings lined up orderly, straight poplar trees flanking the roads. In spring and summer, leaves rustled in the wind. Sparsely populated, the main street was often empty. It was so quiet! And clean!
In the surrounding fields, planting and harvesting were done by machines, no longer relying on manpower. So, farms were now much wealthier, even more prosperous and comfortable than city dwellers.
Golden Bull Farm was larger than Peach Spring Farm, but it wasn't remote enough. We were headed to the northernmost Peach Spring Farm—Jianan's home!
But tonight, we planned to stay at Golden Bull Farm.