Chapter 89 Return

"We are dirty."

We won't leave for the airport until six tomorrow morning, which still leaves four or five hours. We can't all stay up like this.

Jiang Qian glanced at the two of them and noticed the dark circles under Ren Ru's eyes.

"No, you two should rest. I'll keep watch. I'm not sleepy yet."

Jiang Dong was about to refuse when he heard her say, "Don't argue, I'll take care of it. I can't sleep now anyway."

The words that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back. Jiang Dong looked at his sister who had always been very determined since the end of the world and now looked depressed. He sighed and comforted her, "Don't blame yourself too much. It's not your fault."

Jiang Qian's calm eyes flashed, "I know, you guys go to sleep first!"

Seeing this, Jiang Dong stopped trying to persuade her, knowing that she had to get over this emotion on her own.

The platform gradually quieted down, and the train car also gradually fell silent. Jiang Qian sat in her seat, looking out the window at the bright lights on the platform, her thoughts flying back to yesterday.

The train trip to City N was planned by the whole family, but although it was her father who first proposed whether to take other people on the train, only she knew that the final decision was actually hers.

Since the train came into being, her say in the family has increased visibly. Although her opinions were sought before on all matters big and small at home, her ideas did not occupy a large proportion in decision-making as they do now.

She had thought that there wouldn't be much danger along the river where most of the people had been relocated, but what happened on this trip was beyond her expectations.

Not only did they fail to find the person, but they also lost many lives.

Those people might not have had to die.

If they had not come with her today, if she had not let them get on the bus, if she had not opened this route so urgently, and if only their family had gone quietly, leaving the others to wait until the next day, perhaps after getting off the bus they would have seen a safe area that had been taken over by the rescue team, and there would not have been so many casualties.

Jiang Qian thought of the bloodstains that almost soaked the ground, and the broken limbs that were bitten by zombies and were almost unrecognizable. She felt disgusted and still felt a pang of pain.

Amidst this endless self-blame and pain, the sky gradually turned pale, and golden sunlight once again shone on the earth.

Jiang Dong was awakened by the sunlight outside the window. He opened his eyes tremblingly and was confused for a while. He gently moved his wife's head which was resting on his shoulder, supported her head with the stacked backpacks, stood up, shook his numb shoulders, and stretched.

In the back seat, Jiang Qian still had her head down. Jiang Dong patted her shoulder, and when she looked up, revealing the bloodshot eyes, he whispered, "Get some sleep! I'll keep an eye on you."

Jiang Qian had hardly any rest for a whole day and night. Although she still felt uncomfortable, she couldn't control her physiological reaction. Upon hearing this, she didn't refuse and fell asleep with her back leaning back in the chair.

After five o'clock, more and more people came to the platform, and people got on the train one after another, and the carriage gradually became noisy.

Jiang Qian was awakened by the noise, but she did not open her eyes. She continued to lean back in her seat with her eyes closed, listening to the conversations coming from various places in the carriage.

"Have all the people who went up last night returned?"

"No, I heard that when they came back the car was covered in blood, and the people who came back didn't know if they had even half the blood left!"

"Is it that serious? Is it dangerous over there?"

"My brother and sister-in-law are thinking of going over there to look for her family!"

"That's right. The family upstairs from me, both the husband and son went there, but only the son came back."

"No bodies either?"

"Oh, you must be kidding! Even if there were corpses, they would have been gnawed to pieces or turned into zombies long ago!"

"Then this means that neither the living nor the dead can be found?"

"Isn't that right?"

"But there shouldn't be that many zombies over there now. I heard that a rescue team has already secured the area, so it's safe now."

"There's a rescue team, that's good!"

"Yesterday, some people came back carrying large and small bags of supplies from there."

"Wow, so capable?"

"Are we lucky? Sigh, I don't know if we can find as many if we go again!"

"When we go there again, the shopping malls closer to the bus stop should have been taken over by the rescue team, right? Will they still let you look for things privately? Everything will be confiscated!"

"No matter what, we have to go and take a look first. The supplies distributed from above are getting less and less. Except for those who join the rescue team, everyone else has to go hungry no matter what they do. Now my beer belly has shrunk."

…

At six o'clock in the morning, the train departed on time and headed for the airport station.

Listening to the endless discussions, Jiang Qian closed her eyes and walked all the way to the airport station.

After the train stopped, everyone on board got off one by one. The three members of the Jiang family also stood up, put on their hats, covered their heads, and got off the train hiding in the crowd.

The people who got off the train scattered in all directions, and most of them went to a nearby construction site. Jiang Qian and the other two followed them for a while, found a shelter, changed their coats behind it, and then came out again and walked towards the train again.

It had been agreed in advance that if the train could return from City N on time, it would continue to travel between City A and City B according to the previous departure time, except for an additional trip to City N during the lunch break.

Aside from a longer stop at City N, the train's departure times remain unchanged, with stops at both City A and City B lasting only one hour. Consequently, many new passengers rush over shortly after getting off the train, leaving them with no time or opportunity to enter the lounge in the front section without being noticed.

So they planned to take the opportunity to change clothes at the airport before getting on the bus, and then take the bus to City N or return to the lounge at night.

When they came back, there was already a queue in front of the train. The three of them quietly lined up at the end and followed the others on board.

With the cheating device of the system, Jiang Qian found an inconspicuous spot in the corner of the carriage for the three of them.

That day, they went from City A to City B, and then to City N at around 11 o'clock.

Before the train landed on the N Market again, Jiang Qian looked out of the window in the air and saw that the safety zone guarded by the rescue team had expanded again, and roadblocks had been set up at many intersections.

There were many people gathered around each window, and everyone couldn't help but praise the speed of the rescue team.

As they watched the ground draw closer, they saw a dozen large, army-green trucks approaching from the road nearby. Then, one truck after another turned and stopped by the roadside, and spirited young men in uniforms jumped out. By the last truck, they saw a number of young men in ordinary clothes carrying backpacks.

The eyes of some people in the car rolled around, and then lit up.

"Are you hiring people for work here too?"

Over the past few days, the safe zones around City A's airport and City B's train station have been expanding, and more and more people have been rescued. With so many people needing to eat, relying solely on the government's limited food relief is clearly not enough, so more and more people are joining the ranks of those seeking work.

Huang Sanping had previously resigned from the rescue team because his family was worried about him. Although the job was dangerous, it had become a popular position because it provided a lot of food and supplies.

Although it is the end of the world now, there is still order because basically all places have made preparations, and guns are still controlled in most areas.

The rescue team didn't dare distribute weapons to ordinary people, so they could only protect the ordinary people who joined the rescue team while they were working. However, this not only divided their attention, but also limited the number of people they could take care of. Therefore, the rescue team's recruitment quota has always been limited.

Previously, because of the incidents of ordinary people being attacked and killed by zombies, fewer people wanted to work with the rescue team, but not long after, those who wanted to join the rescue team could not even squeeze in.

Many people had to go to work at construction sites because they did not join the rescue team. Although the amount of supplies provided by the construction site was not much less than that of the rescue team, the rescue team's income came from being able to keep some of the crystal cores they dug out and use them to exchange for supplies, so everyone was scrambling to go there. However, the salary at the construction site was not enough to support a family of several people.

Now that there are ordinary people in N City, those who are smart and quick-witted want to come here to work.

Anyway, there are trains connecting the three places now, so coming and going is just a matter of two crystal cores. Now that zombies are everywhere, crystal cores are not difficult to obtain.

So, after the train stopped and the doors opened, many people got off the train and walked towards the rescue team that had just stopped.

Jiang Qian, Jiang Dong and Ren Ru saw that the rescue team members were all looking at the train openly and secretly. They did not dare to go back to the lounge directly and got off the train.

In the space of one night and half a day, the nearby streets had been largely cleared. Not only were there no zombies, but even the larger dead branches and rotten leaves were gone.

The rescue team members stopped in their tracks when they saw them approaching. A moment later, a figure who was clearly a team leader ran out of a nearby building.

"Where are you going?"

The people who were called stopped and asked, "We are here to look for relatives. Leader, what is the situation here now?"

The team leader who ran out straightened his hat and pointed to this street. "From here, three intersections to the north, three intersections to the south, and two intersections to the east are all safe, but we have checked and there is no one here. If you want to look for someone in this area, we have already searched it once, and you will not find them. If you are sure that your relatives have evacuated, we will post the resettlement points of each community after the relocation. If you have time, you can take a look. If the person you are looking for is outside the safe area, you are not prohibited from going, but be careful, there are many zombies in this city."

"Thank you, leader." Someone came over and continued, "We want to come here to find some supplies, but we're unfamiliar with the area. We'd like to ask where we can go."

The team leader looked up and said, "As long as you can find it, you can go anywhere nearby. But one thing is, you can't look in the residential buildings in the community. The residents there may be relocated after a while."

"I know, I know. That's someone else's house, so we definitely won't go there. We'll just look in the storefront downstairs on the street. Thank you!"

The person asking the question nodded gratefully. It was already good that they didn't stop them from looking for things in the safe zone after taking over. Besides, City N had been trapped for so long by the heavy rain, and there wouldn't be much left in the residential buildings. How could they compare to the various shops downstairs?

After saying this, he thought of the person who just got off the car and asked, "Leader, are we hiring here?"

The team leader was surprised, "Why? Are you interested?"

The man blushed and smiled innocently, "It's not that finding supplies won't last long, and I have a big family to support, so I'd rather find a stable job and feel at ease."

The team leader thought for a moment and said, "Wait a minute, I'll go in and ask."

"Oh, oh, okay."

After being left there for five minutes, with sweat oozing from their foreheads and their skin burning in the sun, the group saw the team leader running out again.

"I've asked, and it's indeed possible. We don't need anyone today. Starting tomorrow morning, we'll need a maximum of fifty people to carry, burn, and clear the roads. The salary is the same as in City A and City B. Is that acceptable?"

Others didn't expect to actually get work here, so they signed up one after another. "I'll do it, I'll go home and tell my family today. Can I come in to work at this time tomorrow at noon?"

The team leader thought about the time he had seen on the station sign before, and thought that if he followed the train departure time, he could only stay here for a maximum of five hours every day if he went back and forth, which was indeed difficult to arrange.

He went to consult with his leader again and came back saying, "We'll arrange accommodation for you guys later. If you're willing, it's best to stay and work all day."

He was afraid of being misunderstood, so he explained, "Because if you were to do it, you would definitely have to leave early in the morning. It's safer to follow the rescue team than to go there on your own halfway."

The people who heard it nodded in understanding, "Yeah, we know that, thank you!"

"Can we sign up now?"

"Any time is fine! Even now is fine. If you want to register, just give your name and ID number."

Some people followed immediately, while others planned to go back and discuss it with their families today.

Soon after, the crowd dispersed into small groups and walked towards the convenience stores downstairs in different communities.

Jiang Qian and the other two thought that they couldn't go back to the car or hang around on the streets, as that would be too obvious, so they went to find an empty store to look for supplies.

The first floor here has been completely flooded since the heavy rain. Most of the things in the store have been soaked and there is not much to eat.

They rummaged through the piles of things for a long time before finding dozens of sealed bags of snacks.

After finding one, they go to another.

They spent the entire afternoon searching for things on this street. Little by little, they accumulated so much that by the time they got back on the bus, they had a huge bag full.

Not only them, everyone who got on the bus was carrying a lot of things in their hands and on their backs. It can be said that they returned with a full load this time.

The train headed north, its body bathed in the golden sunset. At eight o'clock, it turned a corner at the airport and returned to the train station.

Jiang Qian and the other two were the last to arrive. After the car door closed and they were sure that they could no longer see anyone outside and there was no one else around, they left the car and entered the lounge in front.

Jiang Weimin was still in the driver's seat, but Huang Liping had already been waiting at the door with her little grandson.

As soon as the child saw his parents, he struggled out of his grandmother's arms and rushed over, running and jumping, but was stopped by a pair of big hands not far away and was not allowed to get close.

"We are dirty."

Although the three men changed their coats and washed their hands, their pants and shoes were still splashed with blood from fighting zombies. After a day and a night, the blood, which was not fresh to begin with, had turned dark black and emitted an unpleasant smell.

Huang Liping heard this and quickly pulled her grandson aside. "Let your parents take a shower first. I'll hold her later."

The three of them took turns going into the bathroom, soaking their clothes and taking a shower. When Jiang Qian came out of the shower last, she saw that the curtain in the cubicle where Jiang Dong lived had been drawn.

Jiang Qian came out while wiping her hair and saw her mother sitting there waiting for her. There was a bowl of noodle soup on the table next to her.

She saw her father coming from the side, his footsteps were a little heavier, and her mother glared at him.

Huang Liping saw Jiang Qian's puzzled look, nodded over there, and whispered, "The three of us are tired. We just ate and are all sleeping!"

As she spoke, she frowned, then relaxed again after a while. "Maybe he was scared last night. Even though I covered Chenchen's eyes at the time, he couldn't fall asleep last night, and even after falling asleep, he kept waking up. Just now, he held Dongzi and Xiaoru's hands tightly, so he fell asleep quickly today."

After that, she put aside the matter of her grandson, looked at her daughter, and took the towel from her hand, "You eat first, I'll blow it for you."

Jiang Qian shook her head. "Let them sleep. They finally got a good night's sleep. Don't wake them up again. I can just dry them with a towel."

"Then sit down and eat first, I'll wipe it for you."

After saying that, he pushed Jiang Qian onto the stool.

The noodles in front of her were emitting bursts of fragrance. Jiang Qian hadn't eaten properly for almost two days. The smell aroused her appetite, so she picked up the noodles and took a big bite.

The hot thin soup noodles are soft and smooth, and they make you feel so comfortable from mouth to stomach.

The depressed mood of the whole day seemed to be soothed. Jiang Qian couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth, and her appetite became better.

Jiang Qian's bowl of noodles was gradually finished, but Huang Liping was wiping her hair behind her, her expression becoming more and more solemn.

She reached out and pulled back the fabric behind her daughter's neck, and saw a lot of small red bumps on her round and smooth shoulders.

She reached out and touched it. It was still soft, probably just grown out.

Jiang Qian felt it, half turned her head and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Huang Liping forced a smile. "Eat first, we'll talk later."

"oh."

Jiang Qian answered and continued eating noodles.

After she finished her noodles, Huang Liping handed the bowl to her husband and took her daughter to the empty cab.

After she closed the cab door and made sure no one could hear, she said, "What's troubling you?"

Jiang Qian was startled and laughed awkwardly, "What's bothering you? No?"

Huang Liping tapped her back and said, "I don't know you yet. When you were a kid, you'd get a rash on your body whenever you were unhappy. You could hide it from me, but this rash won't lie. Tell me, what's wrong?"

Jiang Qian lowered her head in silence, rubbing her fingers together, and remained silent.

"Do you regret taking someone else with you?"

Jiang Qian looked up in shock and met her mother's eyes.

Huang Liping also pulled a chair and sat down. "Don't worry, your father is not here. He blamed himself yesterday." As she said that, she sighed.

"You two, father and daughter, are the same! Your emotions are written all over your face and body. It's so easy to understand!"

【Author’s words】

The next chapter will be updated the day after tomorrow, so today can barely be considered a double update!

This week's list of 15,000+ is completed!

There will be no ranking list next week, it will be updated every other day.

Thank you for your support!