Chapter 12: CH 12

Looking around the small supermarket that was still filled with many things, Zhu Yuan felt a little incredulous. Unexpectedly, the items in the supermarket had not been thoroughly searched. Most of the packages have passed their expiration dates. But in extraordinary times such as these, as long as the contents are not spoiled, it can be eaten. The items in the supermarket could be considered a rather decent fortune.

“Grandpa found it,” said Bian Bian, bending down to put a dish sponge that had fallen to the floor on the shelf.

This simple sentence made Zhu Yuan understand. It was precisely because the supermarket was nearby and there was a lot of food that had not been searched, that Bian Bian’s grandfather decided to settle here. Even though he settled down, he didn’t move all the food from the supermarket to his house. If someone were to pass by, they would be able to take some.

This was also the reason why Bian Bian, who had finished all the food at home and was so hungry that she mustered up the courage to look outside, could find food immediately— She knew where the food was.Zhu Yuan found a few packs of mu er and vermicelli. He thought that he could use them to make fried vermicelli and other dishes1Mu er is a type of mushroom. Vermicelli is a type of pasta..

Bian Bian followed him every step of the way. She glanced over every time he took something. There was a lot of canned luncheon meat left on the shelves. Zhu Yuan took quite a few as it was hard to come by. Bian Bian wanted to take them yesterday, but it would’ve been useless since she couldn’t open them. The little fellow only chose things that she could eat. She had to work hard just to open a bottle of mineral water.

“Ground meat and vermicelli. This is good.” Zhu Yuan said. The little girl’s eyes brightened as she listened.

Then, Zhu Yuan noticed that the little girl gazed longingly at the only bag of potato chips left on the shelf. Bian Bian wanted to take it since yesterday, but it was placed too high up. How could she reach it with her height? She thought at that time that the auntie and uncle she met would take the bag of chips, but they didn’t, and the bag of chips was still there.

Bian Bian felt a little happy,  but she didn’t ask Zhu Yuan to help her get it. She remembered when her grandfather used to take her to this supermarket to get things.

Back when Lu Yu brought Bian Bian here to live, there were still many items in the supermarket. Occasionally, when it was confirmed that there was no danger, Lu Yu would bring Bian Bian along with him to the store. The two experienced the joys of visiting a supermarket. Back then, little Bian Bian’s favorite thing to do was picking out different kinds of snacks. She would stare eagerly at Lu Yu and wait for his approval.

Although it has already been five years since the apocalypse, that old man still stubbornly held onto a few pre-apocalyptic ways of thinking. For instance: Potato chips are junk food. It holds too many additives, so it’s not suitable for children to eat a lot. He would instill this ‘knowledge’ into Bian Bian. Since they had enough provisions, there was no need to let Bian Bian eat junk food.

If other people knew how he raised Bian Bian, they would roll their eyes and call him crazy. Who cares about these things when the world has already ended? It’s simply poor taste.

Thus, Bian Bian would seek Lu Yu’s opinion whenever she picked snacks. She didn’t beg even if Lu Yu disapproved. She just blinked her big eyes and looked at Lu Yu obediently. How could Lu Yu resist? He indulged his granddaughter time and time again.

Initially, there had been more than ten bags of potato chips. In the end, only this bag was left. All the others had entered Bian Bian’s little tummy. Back then, Bian Bian loved crunching on the potato chips. Lu Yu would use the potato chips, instant ramen, and flour to make savory pancakes. Even if it was junk food, Lu Yu used various tricks to make Bian Bian delicious food. Of course, that didn’t stop him from instilling the idea that these were all unhealthy foods.

A hand reached for the bag of potato chips and opened it. After tasting a piece and making sure that it didn’t taste strange, he handed it to Bian Bian.

“Thank you, Uncle Zhu Yuan.” Bian Bian paused before accepting, her eyes curving into a crescent shape.

Zhu Yuan’s large hand gently patted the little girl’s messy hair. Without Lu Yu braiding Bian Bian’s hair, she always tied it crookedly. Zhu Yuan noticed that although the little girl’s hair was messy, it was not dirty. Even though a child’s metabolism is different from that of an adult’s, her hair will become dirty if not washed in a couple of days. But Bian Bian’s hair was very clean and doesn’t look like it hadn’t been washed for a long time. Without electricity, Bian Bian had no way to boil water. So how did she maintain such clean hair?

Zhu Yuan asked: “Bian Bian, did you wash your hair by yourself?”

Bian Bian stuffed a piece of potato chip into her mouth. The snack’s familiar taste reminded her of her grandfather, but Bian Bian didn’t show it. She nodded her head and said: “Grandpa helped me wash it before, but I learned how to wash it by myself later.”

“How… do you wash it?”

“It’s really easy.” The little girl looked a bit proud. She was proud that she could wash her hair by herself. “I turned on the faucet, filled the basin with water, poured shampoo, rubbed/kneaded until there were bubbles, and then rinsed it out. Then I dried my hair with a clean towel to finish.”

She thoughtfully and meticulously explained her process without missing a step.

“It’s a little cold, but I’m already used to it.”

The water was cold. Although it was still summer, it was still cold; but she gritted her teeth and got used to it. Bian Bian learned how to ‘endure’ a lot in a short amount of time.

“Grandpa taught Bian Bian to be clean. I can’t not wash my hair because grandpa isn’t here.”

Zhu Yuan’s heart felt conflicted, but thankful at the same time. Fortunately, the little girl was an ability user, meaning that her body was stronger than an average person’s. Otherwise, based on what she said, she would’ve gotten sick a long time ago. During the apocalypse, even a small cold can lead to death.

Using the ingredients brought back from the supermarket, Zhu Yuan made mu er with fried meat, ground meat vermicelli, and a bowl of white rice. The ingredients were limited. Thankfully, Zhu Yuan knew how to cook even before the apocalypse, and his skills were not that bad. After the two dishes and the soup were cooked, the sweet aroma made Bian Bian’s stomach rumble. Zhu Yuan fed the young girl several pieces of luncheon meat. Seeing her eat like a small hamster made him feel satisfied.

This child is so skinny. She doesn’t even look like a five-year-old. He thought.

By the time the dishes were done and placed on the table, the sky was already dark. Bian Bian had already lit a few small candles. To get more light, she lit a few more. The young girl felt a little distressed. Usually, she only lit one. One candle could be used for a very long time. Zhu Yuan saw through the little girl’s thoughts and patted her head. comforting her, He said: “Uncle is here. We can go look for more when we run out of them.”

Bian Bian felt relieved and smiled happily.

Zhu Yuan’s food was as delicious as her grandpa’s in the little girl’s heart. He must also be as amazing as grandpa, so she did not need to worry about finding candles.

“We can eat now,” said Zhu Yuan. He knew that little Bian Bian must be hungry.

Bian Bian took out an empty bowl and said: “For grandpa.”

She had not forgotten what she had said before. She will serve the food to her grandpa. Zhu Yuan was silent. He knew that this was Bian Bian’s filial piety towards her grandfather, but how can he explain to the little girl that giving him food to him would be dangerous? That aside, even if the rice was given, ordinary food was of no use to zombies. Zombies didn’t know how to eat. What zombies needed to eat was flesh and blood.

Fresh flesh and blood.

“Uncle Zhu Yuan?” Bian Bian was extremely bright. Thinking about how Zhu Yuan had gone downstairs with light and gentle movements, she immediately understood and obediently said, “I’m not scared. I brought grandpa food and water yesterday. I’ll just put the meal on top. Grandpa will get it by himself if he’s hungry.”

Hearing the little girl’s innocent words, Zhu Yuan sighed and scorned the cowardice in his own heart. Even if Bian Bian’s grandfather was a high-level zombie, there was still a metal wall.

“Give your grandpa some more meat.” Zhu Yuan took the empty bowl and piled the bowl high with food under Bian Bian’s shining gaze.

Bian Bian held the candle while Zhu Yuan held the bowl, and together they walked to the corridor. The area was eerily silent. There was only the dim light emitted by the candle. Zhu Yuan did his best to ignore the horrific pressure that seemed to pierce through his bones. He listened carefully but there was no sound coming from upstairs. For Zhu Yuan, just taking a few steps felt like walking on a knife’s edge. However, Bian Bian was not affected at all.

If she were alone, then she probably would have been a little scared. However, there was someone by her side, and Hui Hui was also with her, so she was not afraid. She had wanted to carry the bowl by herself, but Zhu Yuan was worried that she’d drop it. Furthermore, how could he just watch as little Bian Bian went by herself?

The bowl filled with food happened to fit perfectly in the small hole.

The sound of footsteps could be heard, further amplified by the silence. When Zhu Yuan heard this sound, his scalp went numb. There was no time to think. As soon as he heard the horrific sound , he picked up Bian Bian and sped back to the room. Even from outside the door, the impact could be heard. Thankfully, after a while, the noises ceased.

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When his heartbeat calmed down, he noticed Bian Bian’s silence.  Zhu Yuan hurriedly said, “Okay, since we’ve brought grandpa his meal, we should eat too. “

“M’kay.” Bian Bian nodded her head. The candle in her hand had gone out. Zhu Yuan did not see the little girl secretly wiping her eyes.

Children’s emotions come and go quickly. The two enjoyed a rare, hearty meal together. Bian Bian ate two bowls, stopping after she was satisfied and her stomach was round. The rest was finished by Zhu Yuan. Perhaps they ate too well, as the duo forgot about the existence of the large apple tree.

After eating, Zhu Yuan went to Lu Yu’s room and took out the iron box filled with crystals: “Bian Bian, you need to hold on to this. You can’t randomly take it out, understand?”

Bian Bian seemed doubtful. Borrowing the light of the candle, she picked out a wind-type crystal and said: “Uncle Zhu Yuan, you don’t want this blue-green stone?”

Zhu Yuan did not know how to explain. Of course, he needed a crystal with the same element. Not only could it be used for practice, these crystals had become the currency during the apocalypse. The money used before the apocalypse had become nothing more than scraps of paper.

But this was Bian Bian’s. He was a healthy man with hands and feet. Even if he was deeply moved by this large amount of wealth, he could not just take it like that. Otherwise, there would be no difference between him and Du Mingyu.

“Bian Bian.” Zhu Yuan said, “Do you know what these stones are?”

Bian Bian nodded.

“These stones are very precious. You cannot just give them to other people. These are yours, and you must hold on to them.”

Bian Bian did not seem to understand, but she has always been obedient. Zhu Yuan told her to keep them safe, so she put the lid back onto the box. When Uncle Zhu Yuan needed them, she would give them to him then. That was what the little girl thought.

Tonight, because Zhu Yuan was here, Bian Bian finally took a nice, hot bath. Zhu Yuan boiled water for Bian Bian, filled a large basin with water, and arranged everything else. To make it brighter, he placed three candles in the bathroom. Even if it wasn’t as bright as it was during the day, there were no problems seeing.

“Bian Bian, just call uncle if there are any problems,” said Zhu Yuan. Naturally, he would not be helping the little girl bathe. He exited the bathroom and closed the door.

Thinking back to the little girl’s look of surprise at seeing the hot water, his heart ached. He sat on the sofa and began thinking about future plans. Getting to the base is a must.

His eyes flashed with cold murderous intent at the thought of Du Mingyu. He was not a saint. Du Mingyu had treated him like that, and even after  he had managed to survive that calamity. It was not in his nature to forget this hatred. Bian Bian saved him, and he owes her a great favor. He couldn’t leave a little girl behind in a place like this. He should bring Bian Bian along with him to the base.

Except…

Zhu Yuan frowned. Once Bian Bian’s psychic abilities are revealed, the upper levels of the base will definitely take her away. —In order to consolidate their strength, the major bases will recruit the strong from outside, while also cultivating special abilities within the base. Perhaps Bian Bian would be able to receive better care.

However, there was a larger possibility that she would be forced to train and to infinitely explore her potential. There was also a possibility of… Zhu Yuan squashed that idea down.

He also thought of the high-level zombie upstairs that Bian Bian’s grandfather had mutated into. He learned from Bian Bian that she didn’t know what the base was. It was obvious that Bian Bian’s grandfather had never taken her to live at the base. Even though he could, Bian Bian’s grandfather did not want Bian Bian to go to the base. This was so he could hide Bian Bian’s unique abilities.

This was all for Bian Bian’s sake.

If he didn’t bring Bian Bian, she would just continue living alone. But having seen how the little girl lived, how could Zhu Yuan bear to leave her by herself? He could bring Bian Bian to the base, but he was only a C ranked ability user. The base was strong like the clouds, how would he be able to protect Bian Bian? But he had to go to the base.

Zhu Yuan rubbed his forehead, unsure of what to do.

“Uncle Zhu Yuan, I’m done washing.” The bathroom door opened. Bian Bian walked out while hugging her bear. Zhu Yuan quickly put aside all his thoughts and led the little girl into the bedroom. Seeing her get into bed obediently, he could not help but smile.

“Do you want to keep the candles?”

Bian Bian shook her head, yawning sleepily. Zhu Yuan did not say anymore, merely blowing out the candle before walking out of the bedroom.

“Good night, Uncle Zhu Yuan.” The little girl’s soft voice came from behind.

“Good night, Bian Bian.” Zhu Yuan replied gently.

He came to a decision. After his wound healed, he will take Bian Bian with him to the base. Although his strength will not allow him to protect her for long, he’ll do his best for as long as he can. It was better than her living alone at such a young age in a freezing house.

After hearing the door close, Bian Bian pulled the bear to her face in the darkness and whispered: “Hui Hui, Uncle Zhu Yuan is a good person.”

“……”

Xiu Jin, who freed some time in order to enter the game, heard Bian Bian’s evaluation of Zhu Yuan. He stared at his -45 affection/intimacy points, and bit on his handkerchief gloomily!

One was a good person.

One was a bad person.   

It was a sharp contrast.

Darling, aren’t you too biased?!

At that moment, a system notification popped up on the screen: [Warning! A level three corpse beast has appeared outside of Bian Bian’s bedroom window! Danger level is three stars!!!]

“Corpse beast? What is that?”

[A monster mutated from a zombie.]    

“???”

You’re letting a fucking monster harass my little girl?!

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