Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 33

Yu Xi had already gathered from Leng Mian’s brief words about Zhao Zheng, his team, and his girlfriend’s issues. She clicked her tongue and said, “Do you even know where I’m going? You just say you want to follow me and abandon the team you worked so hard to form?”
“You’re taking your parents along, so you can’t be going to a dangerous place. You managed to get an RV from here, but you clearly have no intention of staying at the campsite. This means the place you’re heading to is at least better than this campsite and safer,” Zhao Zheng replied.
Yu Xi looked at him, slightly surprised. It seemed he wasn’t entirely foolish.
“As for the team… I never intended to form any team. Back then, I just thought we should band together to survive. Who knew things would turn out like this? I’m sick of it. All these damn problems… I just want to kill zombies and fight to stay alive!” Zhao Zheng looked down at the machete wrapped in leather in his hand. “Maybe I’m too stupid to understand why, even in the apocalypse, people still scheme against each other, apart from dealing with zombies.”
“Have you ever killed someone?” Yu Xi’s cold voice broke the silence.
“No.” Zhao Zheng looked up at her. “The worst was when someone in our team pushed me towards a zombie horde, hoping I’d shield him. I cut off his hand for that.”
Leng Mian knew about this incident. In such times, a person losing a hand would find it very hard to survive. Zhao Zheng realized, for the first time when he was pushed towards the zombies, how close he was to death. After surviving, he sought revenge and indeed wanted to kill that person on the spot. But in the end, he couldn’t do it. Even though others had lost their humanity, he still had his, no matter how little was left. He didn’t want to extinguish the last bit of his humanity for a scumbag.
Yu Xi glanced at Leng Mian again and said, “You decide whether to let him come along.”
“Me?” Leng Mian was surprised.
“Yes, since you’ll be sharing the car with him, you decide.”
Leng Mian looked at Zhao Zheng. He tried to appear calm but couldn’t hide his nervousness.
Leng Mian didn’t want to trouble Yu Xi, but learning to drive on her own was a big problem. She feared she might not manage it and end up being a burden. After thinking it over, she said, “If it’s just you, I think it’s fine. But is it really just you?”
Zhao Zheng was overjoyed. “Yes, it’s just me!”
Seeing they had reached an agreement, Yu Xi said to Zhao Zheng, “Alright, but just to be clear, you’ll only be following us on the way. You’ll have to handle your own food and water. If there’s any danger, my parents’ safety comes first. If you get into trouble, don’t expect me to rescue you specifically. Of course, I won’t interfere with your supplies or decisions. We’re just traveling companions until we reach the next official shelter. Is that okay?”
“Of course, that’s fine!” This was exactly what he wanted, so he agreed immediately.
“Alright then, it’s lunchtime now. I’ll be here for an hour,” Yu Xi said.
Zhao Zheng understood this was the time she was giving him to gather his things. He discussed with Leng Mian and decided she didn’t need to go back with him. He could bring both their shares of supplies.
They went to the sporting goods store nearby. With the zombies cleared out by Yu Xi, the area was very safe. Nonetheless, they were cautious, checking the store thoroughly to ensure no zombies were inside before taking out the mountain bikes.
One mountain bike was secured on top of the Jeep, and another was placed in the trunk of the car they had originally driven. Zhao Zheng knew if he tried to take that car, it would likely cause conflicts, and the others might deduct his supplies. Now, with the Jeep available, it made more sense to leave the car and focus on gathering supplies.
The mountain bike would help him navigate the longer route back, which had quite a few zombies. Walking wouldn’t be practical.
After Zhao Zheng left, Yu Xi, liking the mountain bike, took another from the store and also collected a bunch of repair tools and sportswear, storing them in her Star House storage.
She hung the mountain bike on the back of the RV, looked down at her workout shirt covered in zombie blood, and then got into the RV to wash her hair and take a quick shower, changing into clean clothes afterward. The RV’s roof had a water tank, and since the RV hadn’t been tampered with or contaminated since the apocalypse started, the tank was still mostly full. Once they used up this water, she would use the stored water from her storage.
Daily showers were out of the question, but quick washes were still manageable. The family of three felt very happy transitioning from the Jeep to the RV with its kitchen, seating area, table, and more room to move around.
So for lunch, Yu Xi decided to have a feast. She brought out a box of cumin-fried chicken thigh meat, a box of Portuguese curry chicken cheese pizza, a serving of stir-fried bok choy, a portion of slow-cooked sushi, and a serving of thinly sliced salmon. There were also three cups of brown sugar pearl milk tea with ice.
Except for the stir-fried bok choy, Yu Xi’s parents hadn’t prepared any of this. But they were now so calm that they didn’t question the source, and could even chat and evaluate the food while eating.
“Honey, this salmon is really delicious. I used to think it was raw and might taste fishy, but it’s great with soy sauce,” said her mother.
Instantly, a serving of sea urchin sashimi appeared on the table, with four portions. These were fresh sea urchins, not the frozen kind, bought from a restaurant she frequented. They were soft and melted in your mouth when wrapped in seaweed and dipped in soy sauce.
“Mom, try this. It’s also very good,” Yu Xi urged.
“There’s too much. I can’t eat it all. Save some for later,” her mother replied.
Yu Xi glanced at the stack of various sashimi dishes in her space, now piled up because of all the other items she’d stored: “Mom, just eat it. Help me reduce my inventory.”
Mother Yu: …
Her daughter was increasingly resembling Doraemon.
While the three of them were eating, Mother Yu cautiously pulled down the curtains beside the RV’s seating area. So, it wasn’t until they finished lunch and Yu Xi put the leftovers into the fridge that she noticed, through the kitchen window, Leng Mian cleaning the Jeep with some old clothes they had discarded.
Leng Mian was seriously wiping off the blood and bits of flesh from the Jeep, cleaning it thoroughly.
Yu Xi thought for a moment, then took out a box of vegetable sausage fried rice, a box of cooked cabbage and pork dumplings, and a set of disposable chopsticks and a spoon. She called out, “Come here.”
Leng Mian dropped the dirty clothes and ran over. “What’s up, Yu Xi?”
Yu Xi handed her a clean set of workout clothes and a T-shirt, pointing to the RV’s bathroom: “Take a shower and change into clean clothes.”
“Me? No need, no need. I’ve gotten used to it, and besides, I’ll just get dirty again after killing zombies.”
“I won’t be responsible after this. Today is special.”
Leng Mian didn’t truly want to refuse the shower. Since leaving the villa area, she had only been able to wipe down key areas to stay clean and avoid getting sick, using the limited water resources sparingly.
Water was precious; drinking water was already scarce, so how could she justify using it for a shower?
“This RV has its own water supply, just this once,” Yu Xi said, leading her into the bathroom and placing the clean clothes on the rack. “In the future, you won’t have this chance.”
Leng Mian felt a lump in her throat, like it was stuffed with cotton. The colder Yu Xi’s attitude, the more she wanted to cry—not out of sadness, but happiness.
Fearing she’d dirty the RV, she took off her shoes and walked barefoot into the bathroom. As the warm water flowed over her, Leng Mian was still a bit dazed, feeling mainly heartache for wasting such clean water for a shower.
She quickly finished her shower, not even feeling the sting when the water hit her wounds. The shower had shampoo and body wash. She had cut her long hair into a rough, uneven short style, which made washing easier.
Five minutes later, Leng Mian, now clean and smelling fresh, emerged wearing the clean clothes. She found Yu Xi sitting at the table, waiting for her, with a small medical kit beside her.
Yu Xi patted the medical kit and said, “Come here. Let’s treat your wounds.”
Ten minutes later, all of Leng Mian’s injuries had been disinfected and treated. Then, Yu Xi pushed a box of fried rice and a box of dumplings towards her. “You can take this back to eat. No need to return the disposable containers.”
“But you said to Zhao Zheng…”
“He’s not a girl. Boys should be self-reliant.”
“I can be too!” Leng Mian was anxious, worried this was a test from Yu Xi.
“I know. Anyway, this is a one-time thing. There won’t be a next time,” Yu Xi replied, her voice dry and expressionless.
Leng Mian looked at her. She didn’t know then that this expression and tone from Yu Xi would become a regular sight in the days to come.
Each time, she was very aloof, first distancing herself, then offering help. Sometimes it was a hot meal, sometimes a bottle of water, sometimes sweet candies…
When Leng Mian was enduring menstrual pain, Yu Xi handed her a bottle of homemade brown sugar ginger tea, corrected her weapon stance, and even regularly taught her various martial arts skills…
Occasionally, Yu Xi would say things that Leng Mian couldn’t understand, like: “Actually, I’m not as good as you,” or “If this were my real world, I wouldn’t awaken and become clear-headed faster than you.”
Leng Mian often didn’t understand these words, but she always liked watching Yu Xi’s expression when she spoke—calm and indifferent, with a hint of deliberate detachment, yet it made her feel secure.
Many years later, when Leng Mian joined the military and gradually reclaimed the city from zombies with her team, when she stood on the cleared streets watching the streetlights light up one by one, when she walked into her own house and looked out at the battered but slowly recovering city from her worn-out balcony, she would always think of Yu Xi’s expression at that time.
She was very grateful that during the darkest period of her life, someone had helped her in this way. That youthful yet cold face became a source of calm for her heart after every dangerous battle. It was like an ever-present serene harbor that she could see whenever she closed her eyes.
xxx
One day later, a silver RV and a Jeep turned onto an inconspicuous side road off the national highway. The road wound for quite a while before reaching its end. At the end were a few farmhouse buildings, surrounded by vast fields and no signs of human activity.
Without the navigation app on Yu Xi’s phone, it would have been impossible to find out that this winding side road led to such an open area. The place was spacious and provided a clear view. Yu Xi decided to use this location as their accommodation for the night. After today, they would reach the wetland park.
The black Jeep stopped not far behind the RV. The passenger door opened, and Zhao Zheng got out holding a machete, heading towards the farmhouse to check and clear it. Leng Mian also got out of the driver’s seat, closed the door, and took her sashimi knife to help Zhao Zheng clean up the farmhouse.
The Jeep was an automatic, and with Zhao Zheng’s guidance yesterday, Leng Mian learned to drive it by herself in just half an hour. Zhao Zheng didn’t talk much along the way, always focusing on tasks. Whenever a car blocked the road, he would get out to clear the zombies, siphon gasoline, find supplies, and then either push the car out of the way with help or use the Jeep and a tow rope to move it.
Yesterday, Zhao Zheng quickly returned to the campground to return the car and get supplies. By the time Leng Mian had only eaten two dumplings, he was already back on the mountain bike. He showed Leng Mian her share of the supplies before putting them in the Jeep’s trunk. However, when placing his own supplies, Leng Mian noticed that the quantity was significantly less.
When she asked, he said nothing. There wasn’t much to say. Wu Tianqi and his group had left, and Zhao Zheng thought that the people guarding the supplies were his brothers from the villa area. Even if they didn’t give him more, they should at least give him and Leng Mian their fair share.
But there was a problem. The others questioned where he had gone when he left the group. When he didn’t answer, they suspected he was hiding something good and didn’t want to share the supplies.
Zhao Zheng got angry, saying they constantly threatened to take care of their own supplies, so why couldn’t he take his share now? Eventually, he managed to get his share, but there was an issue with Leng Mian’s share. They said she joined the group too late and, as a girl, would only get a little bit.
Zhao Zheng knew very well that most of the supplies in the team were found through the cooperation of the two groups initially, and Leng Mian had never shied away from contributing. So what if she was a girl?
Their argument led to no result. Zhao Zheng, exasperated, eventually took one large and one small portion of supplies and left without further entanglement. They could deduct Leng Mian’s share; he would just give her his portion. It was his own fault for misjudging people. Taking the smaller share would teach him a lesson.
Yu Xi didn’t ask much. Seeing that they had finished storing their supplies, she simply instructed them to drive away. The two cars, the Jeep in front and the RV behind, drove out. As they passed the gate of the camping ground, a car blocked the road.
Wu Tianqi got out of the car, and Zhao Zheng also got out. The two exchanged words, their expressions turning sour, and Wu Tianqi grabbed Zhao Zheng by the collar, nearly starting a fight.
Then, Wu Meiling also got out of the car, her eyes red as she looked at Zhao Zheng, questioning if he was really going to leave her and if he had been with Leng Mian all along behind her back.
This time, her tears did not soften Zhao Zheng’s heart at all: “I am just leaving on my own, not abandoning you. You have your brother, your mother, your brother’s friends, and those people who get food from you every day. And, you can think whatever you want about me, but don’t wrong Leng Mian. She’s just my teammate. The world is already like this; everyone is struggling to survive. We should set aside petty emotions if we can, as nothing is more important than staying alive.”
Wu Tianqi held his sister, looking at Zhao Zheng coldly, “I hope you don’t regret your choice today.”
Leng Mian feared that Yu Xi might get impatient waiting, so she got out of the car and walked to the RV to ask her to wait for five minutes while she urged Zhao Zheng to hurry.
Yu Xi glanced at the car blocking the road. Several men got out one after another, likely to stand guard, as wandering zombies occasionally approached. They lit cigarettes, casting covetous and admiring glances at her RV, whispering among themselves as if planning something.
Yu Xi acknowledged Leng Mian’s request and, after she walked away, had her mother hand her a transparent raincoat with sleeves and a front button. She put on the raincoat, donned a hat and mask, and took her Tang sword to clear the zombies trailing behind the car.
Her method was somewhat excessive: decapitating the zombies first, then kicking the headless bodies away before stepping forward to drive the sword into the zombies’ heads, finally flicking the sword to let the heads roll away freely.
The onlookers: …
The men who had been eyeing her RV stood stunned, watching as a zombie head rolled to their feet, their hands trembling, nearly dropping their cigarettes.
“Damn! So brutal!”
Warning given and zombies cleared, Yu Xi took off the raincoat, folded it neatly, and got back into the RV. The weather was scorching hot, and all the windows of the RV were closed, with a bit of air conditioning running inside to keep it cooler than outside. For now, she had enough fuel and didn’t need to conserve it.
Mother Yu placed sliced watermelon in an ice bowl on the dining table, lifting the half-partitioning curtain between the driver’s seat and the cabin to pass it to her. By the time Yu Xi was on her fourth piece of watermelon, the car blocking the road had moved.
As she drove the RV past the group, Wu Meiling covered her mouth, looking at her in disbelief, clearly recognizing her only at that moment. She lowered her hand and said something to her through the car window, her expression sad, shaking her head with tears welling up in her eyes, seemingly pleading for something.
Unfortunately, inside the RV, Yu Xi had connected her tablet to the car’s television, which was currently playing a drama series chosen by her parents to pass the time during the long drive. The TV volume was quite loud, and coupled with the closed car windows, Yu Xi couldn’t hear a thing.
She merely glanced at Wu Meiling indifferently before stepping on the gas and leaving them behind.