CH 12

Lian Ru Ning woke up in the midst of shaking, opened her eyes and looked out the car window, only to see an endless field. In a daze, she thought she had returned to Hao Jian’s village, and remembering the bumpy mountain road almost made her throw up.

“Where are we?” She looked at Hao Jian,

“You’re awake? I don’t know where we are.”

Lian Ru Ning couldn’t believe it, “So why did you go here?”

“The main road was completely paralyzed and the highway was blocked, so I made a slight detour. However, without directions, I got lost.” Hao Jian took it confidently, without any embarassment.

Lian Ru Ning’s eyes widened in surprise, she was speechless for a while, “So, where are we going now?”

“When I came in, I saw a signboard that says ‘Nongjiale’ on it, so I came in for some dinner!”

Lian Ru Ning rolled down the car window and saw the sunset glowing red and the ground steaming hot from the residual heat. She was able to sleep for more than two hours as she didn’t rest much last night. They encountered so many zombies during the day so she slept for so long due to exhaustion.

On the other hand, Hao Jian seemed to have never rested. She thought that they should also find a place to rest when the night falls so Hao Jian didn’t object the idea of it.

The car followed a simple billboard into the mountains and forests/ On the road, one could see houses in twos and threes, but they weren’t the size of the village. After passing by a fish pond, the car reached a house made of pure wood. The house looked rather crude, as if the house would collapse if the car hits it.

“Is there anyone there?” Lian Ru Ning looked around cautiously, she wouldn’t get out of the car until she was sure it was safe.

‘Beep beep—” Hao Jian pressed the car horn.

Isn’t she afraid of zombies?

Lian Ru Ning thought while looking at Hao Jian’s actions. But she wouldn’t question Hao Jian, their experience these days proved that Hao Jian doesn’t do any reckless actions after all.

Someone from the house poked out his head cautiously. Hao Jian opened the door and got out of the car and asked, “Are you still in business?”

“Where did you come from?” The man walked out, but with a hatchet at hand.

“After passing through the country road, I came here when I saw the signboard. You’re still doing business, right?”

The man thought for a while then glanced at Lian Ru Ning then back at her before saying, “Are you here to eat? There’s food.”

Hao Jian walked over, the man also turned around and put down his hatchet, looking at her carefully and secretly thanking her that she was a living person. Seeing the man’s actions, Hao Jian asked, “We aren’t sick at all. We were just planning to have a meal then leave. You can be rest assured.”

A middle-aged woman greeted them from the inside and asked, “Are they safe?”

“It’s okay, they’re only here to eat.” The man replied.

Lian Ru Ning had gotten out of the car. She saw such a simple environment and asked, “Do you guys live here?”

“You can tell? I usually do business here. Don’t mind the simple house. Many people just like this environment, so a lot of people come by usually. The man said and pointed a table for them.

There is an empty window behind the table and one can directly see the fish pond. There is a wooden bridge over the fish pond, on which one can fish. Lian Ru Ning also likes this kind of leisure time, no wonder there is business in such a remote place.

“But why didn’t you eat in a hotel or restaurant outside?” Asked the middle-aged woman curiously.

Hao Jian smiled and replied, “Haven’t you heard of the mess that’s going on outside? All the restaurants are closed.”

The two of them thought about it for a while and became more confused, “Then how do you know we aren’t closed?”

“I guessed, I just came here to try my luck. I didn’t expect that it would happen.”

The man laughed and said, “I’m telling you, I originally planned to close the door and go home to guard, but when I thought that there were still so many dishes and fish left to deal with, I couldn’t leave them. No, I planned to go back to the fish market, and pick out some vegetables too, or else they’ll get spoiled if left.”

“Yeah, when we heard the sound of a car, we were terrified. We hid for a while before we dared to come out.” The middle-aged woman also added.

“At this time, food is the most important thing, isn’t it? Why are you willing to let us eat?” Lian Ru Ning asked.

The two of them were taken aback and laughed before responding, “These things can’t be stored for a long time. They are either ruined or spoiled if they’re left. If someone needs them, why won’t we take them out and eat them?”

Lian Ru Ning had almost given up on humanity for some time now, but she seemed to see the kindness in them once again. She turned to share this feeling with Hao Jian, but she neatly placed her ordered dishes, “Trouble”

When the couple left, Lian Ru Ning said, “They’re really kind, but. . . did you really just try your luck when you came here?”

Hao Jian thought for a while and whispered, “How can that be?”

Lian Ru Ning looked at her in surprise, “That-“

“I just got lost while avoiding the paralyzed road and accidentally came to a small town in a neighboring city, and remembered that one of my friends’ hometown was here. According to him, his family opened a farmhouse. I detoured a little bit and eventually found it here.”

Lian Ru Ning also wondered, “We were lucky to come here, but is your friend away?”

“It seems that he’s still in Pearl City and it’s not clear whether he’s alive or dead.”

“Then were they, his parents?”

“They should be. I always hear him brag about how nice his parents were and I can see it with my own eyes. If there’s a chance to see him, then I will go to him at once!

“Then are you not going to tell them that you’re friends with their child?”

Hao Jian raised her eyebrows and smiled again, “I can’t do anything. Since I can’t help reunite their family, why should I tell them that their child is still in the chaotic Pearl City?”

Lian Ru Ning thought for a while, and that was indeed the case. Similar to Southern City, Pearl City is more chaotic and more susceptible to infection than here. If they stay here, they may not be in danger and they can wait for their child to come back. But once they learn about the relationship between Hao Jian and their child, they will either go to Pearl City to look for their child, or become more anxious and sad while waiting.

The dishes were soon served and Hao Jian looked at them in confusion after noticing the extra dishes.

“There aren’t that many people to eat, so you should eat more. No overcharge.” The middle-aged woman explained.

“In the next few days, there may be a shortage of food. You should think of a way to dry or pickle these vegetables and turn them into preserved food, save it.” Hao Jian responded.

“This is also a good way.” The middle-aged woman smiled.

Lian Ru Ning asked tentatively, “Are you the only ones here?”

“Oh yeah, it’s usually just me and my husband and a relative. But she went home after the accident.”

“It looks a bit remote here, do you know something that happened outside?”

“We heard about it when we went to the market to buy ingredients, but it was my son who contacted me before and told me something, so we watched TV and found out that it was really dangerous!”

“Oh, thank goodness. When we came, we saw many people who were killed without knowing what’s happening outside. However, you said your son, then he. . .”

“He’s not here. he’s in Pearl City. After hearing that Pearl City also had an accident, the government evacuated the city immediately. He followed to take refuge. As long as he has the opportunity, he will be able to return.”

Lian Ru Ning looked at Hao Jian happily who pushed food un front of her, “Aren’t you hungry? The food is going to get cold.”

Lian Ru Ning muttered in her heart how Hao Jian heard the news but she didn’t look happy about the safety of her friend. When the middle-aged woman left, Hao Jian asked her first, “Along the way, you listened to the radio and heard everything, do you know where is the emergency evacuation?”

Lian Ru Ning opened her mouth, dumbly “Looks like there’s none.”

“No one knows which of the people who took refuge carries the zombie virus. This so-called refuge is simply a joke.”

Lian Ru Ning understood what Hao Jian meant, “He said this to make his parents feel at ease?!”

After eating, the couple took out two disposable lunch boxes and gave them to Hao Jian, “Let me see where you’re going. You might be hungry at night, so take these with you to eat on the road.”

Hao Jian was silent for a moment, took the lunch boxes and passed them to Lian Ru Ning. She then went back to the car and took out the backpack. Lian Ru Ning was a little confused when she saw Hao Jian pulled out three bags of things from her backpack. Wasn’t there no food in her previous backpack? Where did these things come from?

Inside are two bags of jerky, one back of compressed biscuits, and two bottled of lemon tea that Lian Ru Ning moved from the gas station convenience store. Hao Jian handed the things to the couple, “This is a gift in return. Save it to eat when times become difficult, these last longer.”

She didn’t plan to use the privilege the system said she had when she became level 1 – the ability to buy food in their mall (only three servings per day). She took advantage of it because, not only are they in the couple’s favor, but also for You Xiaoxiao’s sake. Hao Jian wanted to help as much as she can.

A bag or a catty of dried meat costs 20 points, while compressed biscuits only require 5 points. Even if Hao Jian spent more than half of her accumulated points, she didn’t feel bad about it.

“We have something to eat, keep them for yourself!” Father and mother You naturally refused to accept the gifts.

Hao Jian then returned the lunch box they were given. Seeing that she was really stubborn, father You treated it as an exchange of food and accepted it.

Lian Ru Ning ran to the driver’s seat and smiled slightly, “It’s my turn to drive. You can rest for a while.”

Hao Jian didn’t say much. Before sitting down in the passenger’s seat, she said to the couple, “Uncle You, Auntie, goodbye.”

When the car left, the couple looked at each other, “Did you tell them my last name?”

Hao Jian put the lunch box on the front dashboard and closed her eyes as she rests her back on the chair. Seeing that she closed her eyes, Lian Ru Ning didn’t bother her. What she didn’t expect was that Hao Jian was actually dealing with the system.

“Doesn’t the host plan not to use the convenience store provided by the system?” The system is a little arrogant.

“Well, because I don’t think it’s necessary.” She can find a way to search for food, and she used the privilege provided by the system to exchange food, but she doesn’t know whether the system had set any traps.

“But you still used it.”

Hao Jian decided to ignore the system. She heard a sudden exclamation and the car slowly came to a halt. Hao Jian hurriedly opened her eyes and straightened up, “What’s the matter?”

Lian Ru Ning was delighted and quickly took out her mobile phone and showed it to Hao Jian, “I have thought of a way to navigate!”

“You mean using a map? There’s no Internet.”

Lian Ru Ning took the phone back and clicked on the map, “I almost forgot, because I often have to go to remote places without Internet, I usually get a good map offline. I have maps for the entire province, and some offline maps of cities you’ve traveled to!”

“But there’s no navigation, isn’t it?”

When Lian Ru Ning discovered that Hao Jian seemed to experience brain failures occasionally, she smiled and found a compass in her backpack and then handed her mobile phone to Hao Jian, “I can only trouble you to compare the map and the compass. Show me the way.”

This time, Hao Jian was the one who was stunned. Although she had a good sense of direction, she felt that staring at the map and compass was more tiring than driving.

Lain Ru Ning looked at Hao Jian with expectant eyes. Hao Jian looked at the objects in her hand and sighed, “Let’s drive. . .”