Chapter 177: My Profession is Zombie King 9
Author: 打字机
“Dad, look, Er-zai is feeling better!”
The husky named Erzai is the apple of the eye of Li Dong’s son, Li Shang. You can tell that from its name.
Even though Li Shang’s son’s nickname is Dazai, he decisively named the husky, Erzai, meaning that in his heart, he regards this husky as his own youngest son. Unlike his clever and intelligent son, who is similar to his grandfather, Erzai has a silly and innocent nature, making him feel that this dog is as simple and pure as himself. He loves his youngest son so much that he would have hugged Erzai to sleep on the bed if it weren’t for his wife’s disapproval.
The night before the mutation came, this Erzai had gnawed on one of the chair legs, causing Li Shang’s wife, who wasn’t paying attention, to fall off the chair and hurt her backside. As a result, Li Shang’s youngest son was locked in the doghouse in the yard. When Li Shang heard the noise outside and came out, Erzai was almost dehydrated. He quickly took Erzai to the air-conditioned room and gave him a big bowl of water before he recovered a little.
“Hmph, what’s the big deal? Sons always take after their dads.”
Li Dong really can’t stand his son and the stupid dog he raised. When his son bought the stupid dog from a dog dealer, he spent more than 800 yuan, but its health didn’t last long. After sending it to the veterinary station and then to the pet hospital, he spent more than 3,000 yuan. According to Li Dong, this amount of money is enough to buy three or four sheep.
What’s wrong with those local dogs? You can go to the neighbour’s house and pick one up for free, and they are tough and sturdy. If trained well, they can even help with household chores.
It is totally unlike this grandson, who can’t do anything and only causes trouble at home. It also has a weak stomach and can’t eat leftover food, so they have to spend money on dog food every month. It is the epitome of a money-sucking animal.
“Don’t hold him too tight. You’ll suffocate my grandson.”
Although Li Dong looks down on this dog grandson, in terms of the family’s love for Erzai, Li Dong is definitely in the top three. Otherwise, with Li’s family finance under his control, how could he allow his son to spend so much money on the dog’s medical care and food every month?
It’s like now. He could even call out “grandson” as easily as everyone else.
“Hehehe.”
Li Shang chuckled and relaxed his grip on his son a little. He saw that the dog was trying to run outside, but Jiang Liu had already gone out with Chi Dayuan, so the dog returned unsuccessfully.
“What’s wrong with Erzai? Did he get upset?”
Seeing his son becoming anxious again, Li Shang couldn’t help but hug his son’s head and comfort him in a soft voice.
“Áo’áo áo, áo wū wū——”
“Okay, okay, we’re upset. Daddy will hug you and make you feel better.”
“Áo wū wū, wū wū wū——”
Their communication was extremely smooth despite being of completely different breeds and languages.
“Alright, stop being a nuisance here and quickly bring your stuff to collect the rapeseed in the field. “
Li Dong couldn’t bear to watch anymore and kicked his stupid son’s butt, telling him to grab a hoe and sickle from the backyard.
“Good boy, grandpa will hold you. Let’s go to the air-conditioned room and be good. Don’t chew on the bed legs.”
Seeing his son go to the backyard, Li Dong quickly squatted down, picked up his fat dog grandson, and then walked towards the bedroom with a smile.
Late that night, except for the first and second grandsons staying at home, Li Dong’s thirteen-year-old granddaughter also went to help in the fields. Nobody knew what time the sun would rise again or what condition the crops in the field would be in after a few more days of exposure to the scorching sun. Hence, they decisively harvested as much as possible, which was the whole village’s consensus.
At this time, Tang Ao and Jiang Liu have already boarded Chi Dayuan’s Wuling Hongguang and are on their way to the city.
******
It was too quiet on the way, and as he drove, Chi Dayuan searched for topics to ease the heavy atmosphere.
“How have you been all these years, Liu-zi?” he asked.
“Pretty good,” Jiang Liu replied, unsure what else to say. In fact, his life had not been particularly good over the years. Although no one had abused him, he lost his father at the age of twelve. Moreover, after his mother remarried, he was sent to a boarding school and could only go home for two days a month. Living with his stepfather made him feel like a stranger, and he was always awkward there. In that family, he was an outsider, and after losing his father, he felt like he had also lost his mother.
However, if he told the truth, it would sound like he was trying to gain sympathy. Besides, Jiang Liu didn’t think he should say these things before Chi Dayuan.
“Oh, that’s good,” Chi Dayuan chuckled, then fell silent again.
Actually, he didn’t know what to talk about with Jiang Liu. Due to his younger brother, his relationship with Jiang Qu was still quite close, but when Jiang Liu left, he was still a half-grown child, and they hadn’t seen each other for five years, so their relationship had become somewhat unfamiliar.
“If it wasn’t for…”
Chen Dayuan wanted to mention the car accident at first, but then he felt it might touch Jiang Liu’s scar, so he changed the topic: “By the way, you haven’t seen Ruoyu since you came back. She has changed a lot since five years ago. The chubby little girl has grown into a beautiful girl, but she still loves to eat as she did as a child. Although she has grown taller, her face is still round. When you see her, don’t ever call her fat. That little girl has a temper. If you call her fat, she will get mad at you.”
After thinking it over, talking about the two nieces was better. Chen Dayuan remembered that Jiang Liu had a good relationship with his younger niece. When they were in kindergarten, they used to hold hands to go to school, and no one could pull them apart. When they played house, one would always be the father and the other the mother. When his younger brother was still alive, he even joked about marrying into the Jiang family because both families knew each other very well, so his daughter wouldn’t be bullied if she married into the Jiang family.
But who knows which will come first, tomorrow or an unexpected accident? The younger brother and his wife, Jiang Qu, have passed away. Jiang Qu’s wife has remarried, and the once close pair of children have lost contact. It’s unknown if their relationship can be restored to what it was before.
“By the way, Liu Zi, you should be in your second year of high school. Have you considered transferring your student status to the nearest school in town?”
As Chi Dayuan spoke, he suddenly realized that Jiang Liu and his niece were the same age. His niece was still in school, so Jiang Liu should also be there.
“I know someone who teaches at No.2 High School in the city. He is also Ruo Yu’s homeroom teacher. I don’t know if he can help transfer your student status here.”
“Dad, there are three suns in the sky now. What school would still be having normal classes?”
Chi Shengli muttered aside. Chi Dayuan and Li Mei had struggled to have children. When Chi Ruoyu was two years old, Chi Shengli was finally born. Therefore, when he was very young, Chi Shengli was a follower of his older sisters and was often jealous that his younger cousin was closer to Jiang Liu than him.
Now the troublemaker is back, and from his father’s words, he wants to put the troublemaker in his sister’s class. Chi Shengli immediately became unhappy.
“Nonsense. The leader has already said that the country will find a solution. Our country is so powerful now. One day, scientists may figure out how to eliminate the two extra suns in the sky. You guys still have to go to school, then.”
Chi Dayuan has great faith in the party and government and is confident in his country’s strength.
“In the past, there was no atomic bomb. Yet, Hou Yi could shoot down the sun with just a bow and arrow. Now science is much more advanced. It should be easy to eliminate the extra suns in the sky.”
Chi Dayuan spoke confidently, whether to comfort himself or honestly believe it, “Don’t think you don’t have to study just because school is suspended. You’re in your third year of junior high now, and you must study hard at home with those books and homework. If you can’t get into high school, you’d better tighten your skin for me.”
No matter when parents will never miss the opportunity to educate their children to study hard.
“Dad–“
Chi Shengli dragged out his tone, feeling slightly embarrassed by his father’s words. How did this mythological story relate to reality? Besides, Tang Ao, a stranger, was sitting in the car with them. Although he seemed expressionless now, he might secretly laugh at their ignorance.
Teenagers’ self-esteem comes and goes quickly. When the car reached Fengting, everyone inside could not sit still.
Fengting was the centre of Minjiang County, and the road to the city passed through it. As they approached Fengting, they found that a crowd blocked the road ahead.
Not far away, flames were leaping into the sky, and the air was filled with screams, cries, and the blaring of ambulance sirens. Fire trucks drove into the burning residential area, and traffic police came to evacuate pedestrians and vehicles.
Although it was now evening, the temperature was no less than midsummer noon. Combined with the nearby fire, the heat was unbearable. Through the car window, they could see sweat pouring down the faces of the traffic police, their uniform wholly stuck to their bodies. But they still dutifully carried out their tasks without the slightest negligence.
“What’s going on?”
Tang Ao followed along to get some external news, and this fire naturally caught his attention.
“Let’s get off the car and take a look.”
Chi Dayuan felt a tightness in his heart. He didn’t know if this fire had anything to do with the three suns that appeared during the day. He wasn’t in a hurry to pick up his two nieces, but the three suns and the lives of every one were closely related.
He didn’t even turn off the engine, leading his people out of the car.
“Young man, what happened?”
Chi Dayuan tried to talk with the working traffic police officer to inquire about the situation in the neighbourhood.
“It’s a fire caused by ageing electrical wiring.”
This was no secret, and the traffic police officer did not hide it. “This weather is just too hot. It’s impossible to get by without air conditioning. Who would dare to save those two yuan at a time like this? But every household is running its air conditioning at the lowest setting. The power is too high for most communities to bear. The Garden Mansion is the oldest welfare housing in Fenting, and the electrical wiring is repaired yearly. Still, it’s just a temporary fix and not a permanent solution every time.”
The expression on the traffic police officer’s face was severe. This was not just a problem in the Garden Mansion community. Ageing electrical wiring was a common problem in many old neighbourhoods, and many self-built houses had this safety hazard.
In addition, the temperature was low now. Once a fire started, it was impossible to stop it. Perhaps the Garden Mansion was just the beginning, and there would be a series of fires like this in the future.
“Sir, please be careful when you’re at home. Don’t be careless if you find any sparks.”
The traffic police officer reminded Chi Dayuan and returned to evacuate the vehicles and crowds.
“What should we do? All of our possessions are inside the house.”
“There’s no way out. Three suns appeared in the sky, and our home was burned down. I might as well just be burned to death.”
Next to them were community residents, some wearing pyjamas and grieving, others looking at the fire with no expression. For them, this day was a double blow. With the arrival of the abnormal phenomenon, they lost their homes, and was there anything more despairing than that?
Chi Dayuan felt a pang in his heart. He couldn’t help but think of his house, which had been renovated three years ago. All the electrical and plumbing systems had been redone, which was no different from rebuilding. The voltage should be able to withstand the electrical load of the air conditioning. His nieces’ old house, built more than twenty years ago, had ageing electrical wiring, and there might be short circuit problems.
It seemed that he had to let his nieces stay at his house.
Chi Dayuan looked at the raging fire, which showed no sign of being extinguished. He made up his mind and decided that he wouldn’t compromise no matter what his wife said this time.
Perhaps because of this incident, the atmosphere inside the car became quieter and more silent on the way, and no one spoke.
Tang Ao and Jiang Liu seemed more adaptable and carefully observed their surroundings along the way.
The patrol in the city became even tighter. Almost every time the car travelled a distance, they could see police cars and officers. Chi Dayuan’s car was even stopped and questioned by traffic police. It turned out that a gang was preparing to rob a gold shop and was caught by the patrolling police. One of the five-member gang escaped, and the whole city was put under martial law.
In times of chaos, heavy punishment is used. The current situation is not much different from that of a chaotic world. The sentences of the robbers will probably not be light, and the government will set an example and crack down on those ready to take advantage of the mutation.
Currently, it seems that the government’s series of measures are effective. Except for the pair of robbers who targeted the gold shop, no other criminal incidents have occurred for the time being. With the deterrent power of the patrolling police, those who had the same idea may have temporarily given up.
However, it is still the early stage of the mutation, and no one knows how long the government’s deterrent power will last. Jiang Liu doesn’t know if the government will introduce other policies later.
*******
After more than an hour, Chi Dayuan finally arrived at the small community where his two nieces were located and saw the two nieces who had packed their luggage.
“Uncle.”
Chi Ruojin opened the door and hid her excitement at seeing her uncle intact. She calmly looked at Jiang Liu and Tang Ao, who came with Chi Dayuan.
“Chi Ruojin, did you remember him? It’s Jiang Liu, who played house with Ruoyu as a child. He played the dad while Ruoyu played the mom. He’s the son of your Uncle Jiang Qu.”
“And this is Tang Ao, who moved to our Hou’an village a while ago. He’s about the same age as you.”
“Hello.”
At the sight of Chi Ruojin, Tang Ao couldn’t help but tense his body, a special sensation that only people who have experienced the zombie mode would have.
On Chi Ruojin, he saw the shadow of those end-of-the-world zombie slayers. No matter how well-dressed and approachable she was, the murderous and sinister aura on her body could not be concealed.
Chi Ruojin had just returned from the end of the world to the peaceful era not long ago, and her sharp edge was not so easy to hide. For eight whole years, she had been living in fear in that world, never daring to completely close her eyes when she slept for fear that the zombies would attack the city while she was asleep. Just a few months of peaceful living couldn’t erase the habits she had formed in those eight years.
Tang Ao subconsciously tensed his body because he realized the woman before him might have a similar experience.
Although he had always wanted to meet someone who had a similar experience, when he saw someone who seemed to be a reincarnated person, Tang Ao couldn’t help but be cautious and guarded. He did not have any plans to sit down and have a long conversation with Chi Ruojin to share their experiences from their past lives, at least not until he understood her character and personality.
Chi Ruojin also sensed Tang Ao’s abnormality.
“Hurry up and move all the packed stuff downstairs. It’s almost one o’clock, and we must return before those damn suns come out. After that, the car might not be able to start because the heat would burn out the engine,” Chi Dayuan urged a few times.
Chi Ruojin nodded and led them into the house to move their belongings.
“Jiang Liu, it’s you, Jiang Liu.”
While sealing up big boxes with tape inside the house, Chi Ruoyu turned around and saw Jiang Liu, who had come in with his cousin.
This thief!
Chi Ruoyu’s teeth gritted as she rushed over and hugged Jiang Liu tightly.
“Why did you only come back now?”
What came out of her mouth was not a stern accusation but rather a child-like complaint.
Twelve years of companionship was enough to dilute five years of separation. When this sentence came out, Chi Ruoyu realized that she had never forgotten her childhood friend, who had left without a word, even though the first thing he did upon returning after five years was to steal her roasted chicken.
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