24. Derivatives

Xiao Linfang's high fever came on suddenly and intensely, her forehead burning hot. Fu Yunong and Shi Dong immediately sprang into action. Fu Yunong carefully fed her fever-reducing medicine, while Shi Dong skillfully administered intravenous nutrition.

Afterwards, Fu Yunong moved the generator, which was almost out of power, into the room and connected it to a small heater to keep her warm.

Like Lin Songsong, Xiao Linfang was thin due to long-term starvation, with prominent cheekbones and arms as thin as sticks.

Lin Songsong watched the two busy and wanted to lend a hand, but Fu Yunong gently persuaded her not to, "This room is small, you can't turn around here, no need to trouble yourself." Seeing that she was a little disappointed, Fu Yunong thought for a moment, "Why don't you go downstairs and lock up all the bodies? But please be careful."

Although Lin Songsong didn't understand why he had to do this, he still obediently went downstairs.

After a whole morning of struggling, Xiao Linfang's temperature not only didn't drop, but actually soared to 40 degrees Celsius. She lay in bed, her face flushed red, her expression somewhat ferocious. Despite the freezing weather outside the window, sweat poured down her forehead like rain, soaking her clothes completely, making her look incredibly weak.

Fu Yunong frowned and turned to look at Shi Dong, "This can't go on. Do you have any other ideas?"

Shi Dong carefully examined Xiao Linfang's body. Apart from the knife wound on her back, there were no other wounds. After a moment, she raised her head, her eyes filled with uncertainty, and slowly said, "Things aren't that simple. Her reaction seems like a sign of her superpowers awakening."

These words startled Fu Yunong. Recalling when Shi Dong awakened his superpowers, he seemed to have had a similar reaction.

Before she could think it through, a soft rustling sound suddenly came from inside the room.

She turned her head and was instantly speechless at the sight before her: centered on Xiao Linfang, tiny buds sprouted from the bed and the ground. In no time, the buds grew into shrubs half a foot tall, with flower buds brewing on the branches. The tender green leaves swayed gently, exuding vibrant life, and the area was constantly expanding outwards.

Fu Yunong even smelled a faint fragrance of grass and trees in the air.

“Shi, Shi Dong…” Fu Yunong’s voice stammered.

Shi Dong and Lin Songsong were also stunned by the vibrant life that filled the room.

The vines slowly extended along the edge of the bed, and the flower buds gradually unfurled their petals under everyone's gaze, with small red, pink, and white flowers blooming one by one. Just as the last flower was fully open, Xiao Linfang suddenly opened her eyes, a faint blue tinge flashing across her pupils before her eyes regained their clarity.

The high fever subsided, and the wound on her back miraculously healed. But before Xiao Linfang could even rejoice, she learned of Chen Yin's death. Her eyes instantly reddened, she covered her face, tears welling up between her fingers, her voice choked with sobs, "It's all my fault... I'm the one who killed her..."

Fu Yunong patted her back to comfort her, and Lin Songsong also gently advised her. After a while, Xiao Linfang slowly calmed down. As for the corpse on the eighth floor, no one mentioned it again. In the apocalypse, not asking about the corpses seemed to be an unspoken agreement, a final respect for the dead.

After calming down, Xiao Linfang stretched her arms and legs, a hint of surprise on her face. "I feel more energetic, and my bones feel so much lighter! It's just..." She touched her stomach and lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.

Fu Yunong understands!

Those with superpowers expend a lot of energy! They eat a lot!

With tears in her eyes, she poured rice into the pot. Good heavens, she now has to support four people!

For dinner, I cooked a porridge with mushrooms, vegetables, and lean pork, and also made a big pot of scallion pancakes. It was affordable and filling.

At first, Xiao Linfang was quite reserved, only taking a small portion of porridge before trying to put it down. Seeing this, Fu Yunong snatched the bowl from her, added a large spoonful of porridge, and gave her two flatbreads, saying, "Eat! Plenty!"

Looking at the bowl full of food and smelling the aroma of the porridge and pancakes, Xiao Linfang could no longer resist and began to eat heartily. In the end, the four of them finished off the entire pot of porridge and pancakes.

Fu Yunong stared blankly at the empty pot for a long while, silently thinking to herself: I should cook more next time.

After they finished eating, Shi Dong asked Xiao Linfang about her special ability. When she mentioned this, Xiao Linfang finally smiled genuinely, her voice filled with excitement. She said that she had awakened a wood-type ability, which allowed her to manipulate plants for defense and attack, sense their emotions, and even heal some minor injuries.

But her joy didn't last long; her smile faded slightly. "But now it's hard to even find a blade of grass, so my powers are completely useless..."

“There definitely is,” Fu Yunong immediately reassured her. “If there isn’t, where would we get the oxygen we breathe from?” As she spoke, she took out two crystal cores and handed them to her. “Try absorbing this.”

Xiao Linfang took the crystal core and began to absorb it using the method that had suddenly appeared in her mind.

A pale blue light emanated from her palm, and faint shadowy figures of flowers, plants, and trees flickered around her, exuding vitality. After absorbing the energy, Xiao Linfang rubbed her temples, looking slightly tired. "I need to digest this properly for a while."

"Take it slow, let's build a solid foundation first," Fu Yunong said with a smile.

As darkness fell, Fu Yunong, who had stocked up on a lot of warm clothing, gave Xiao Linfang two thick quilts, and then the group went to rest.

Outside, the wind and snow continued to howl, but inside it was quiet, with only suppressed, intermittent sobs drifting softly through the night...

The next day, as dawn broke, the group got up one after another.

Fu Yunong took out a brand new set of dental tools from her spatial storage and handed it to Xiao Linfang, "Use this, it's new."

Xiao Linfang quickly accepted the thanks and, after washing up, took the initiative to tidy up the clutter in the room. Seeing that Fu Yunong was preparing to cook, she stepped forward and said, "Miss Fu, let me do it." Afraid that Fu Yunong would overthink it, she added, "You decide what to eat and how much to put in. I'll take care of it. It'll be of some help."

Fu Yunong was initially afraid of troubling her, but seeing the earnestness in Xiao Linfang's eyes, she was afraid of disappointing her, so she nodded and agreed, "Alright, you can do whatever you want."

Speaking of the rice and noodles, it was Xiao Linfang who initially gave the message, and now she's the one cooking them. It's a testament to the fickle nature of fate.

Soon, a rich aroma wafted from the pot. Fu Yunong took a bite, and her eyes lit up instantly. Using the same ingredients, Xiao Linfang's meat porridge was smooth and flavorful, the minced meat was stewed until tender, and the aroma of scallions and meat blended perfectly; the scallion pancakes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, bursting with fragrance with every bite, much better than what she had made before!

She slurped her porridge, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Huahua squatting at her feet, licking the porridge from her bowl. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but Huahua seemed to be eating more heartily than usual.

Fu Yunong sighed inwardly, "As expected, hard work is nothing compared to talent."

After finishing their meal, Fu Yunong approached Xiao Linfang with a sweet smile, "Sister Lin, your cooking skills are amazing! Could you please cook more often when you have time?" Shi Dong and Lin Songsong didn't say anything, but their eyes were full of expectation, clearly sharing the same thought as Fu Yunong.

Seeing the hopeful looks on the three people's faces, Xiao Linfang felt a warmth in her heart and nodded with a smile, "Okay, I'll do it from now on!"

Afterwards, Fu Yunong and the other two started exercising separately. Seeing this, Xiao Linfang asked them for guidance.

Shi Dong stopped what he was doing, looked her up and down, and then devised a training plan specifically for her.

Xiao Linfang thanked them repeatedly, secretly vowing to work hard and never let everyone down!

Before they knew it, it was mealtime again. Fu Yunong, Shi Dong, and Lin Songsong sat obediently, their eyes fixed on Xiao Linfang's every move. Fu Yunong had never felt so hungry before.

Xiao Linfang was busy at work. She cut the pork belly into thin slices, fried them in a pot to render the fat, then added ginger slices and scallion segments to stir-fry until fragrant. After adding water and bringing it to a boil, she added the soft tofu cut into cubes. Finally, she lined the sides of the iron pot with a ring of kneaded dough, covered the pot, and simmered it.

Fu Yunong had tried making steamed buns before, but the buns were undercooked, dry, and hard to swallow, making them unpalatable.

Soon, the pot started bubbling, and a delicious aroma wafted out from under the lid. Xiao Linfang lifted the lid, added the chopped cabbage, sprinkled in some salt, simmered it for another two minutes, and then it was time to eat!

The tofu soaks up the aroma of the meat, and each bite is tender and flavorful; the cabbage is crisp and sweet, balancing the greasiness of the meat; the pork belly is stewed until tender and melts in your mouth; the flatbread stuck to the side of the pot is absolutely amazing, with a slightly charred exterior and a soft, chewy interior that gets more fragrant the more you chew!

The group ate so much they were too busy eating to even talk, constantly scooping large spoons into the pot.

Xiao Linfang smiled with satisfaction, not only because her cooking skills were recognized, but also because she no longer had to go hungry and cold, and could finally enjoy such good food.

After the meal, the four of them sat around the fire pit, chatting and enjoying the warmth.

Fu Yunong and Shi Dong were quite familiar with both of them, but Xiao Linfang and Lin Songsong hadn't talked much. Looking at Lin Songsong's tall stature, Xiao Linfang couldn't help but exclaim, "How old are you this year?"

"I'm 24," Lin Songsong answered honestly.

"Goodness, I'm a whole cycle older than you!" Xiao Linfang exclaimed in surprise.

Fu Yunong immediately called out playfully, "Sister Lin," and Lin Songsong obediently followed suit. After they finished speaking, they both looked at Shi Dong. Shi Dong silently picked up her teacup, took a sip, and glanced to the side, pretending not to have seen anything.

Hua Hua was exceptionally clingy to Xiao Linfang. Despite it being their first formal encounter, she wasn't shy at all. She lay on Xiao Linfang's lap and slept soundly, one of her little paws dangling in the air, looking incredibly cute.

The group chatted casually, and the conversation eventually turned to crystal cores. Fu Yunong casually remarked that she wondered where there were many crystal cores and desperately wanted some!

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Songsong, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up. Her voice was not loud but very clear, "I know where it is."

Lin Songsong lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling slightly, "Before... we passed a lake, it was huge, and the entire lake was frozen solid..."

Lin Songsong said that Rao Zhenrong forced her to crawl on her knees. Before she even reached the center of the lake, she made eye contact with something under the ice. It was a zombie, frozen to the bottom, with gray eyes, just staring straight at her.

She was so scared she almost screamed, but before she could react, she saw a second one, a third one... The ice was teeming with zombies!

“A deep abyss of hidden currents,” Shi Dong suddenly spoke, his voice low and deep.

She said that the Dark Abyss is a well-known dangerous place in the wasteland.

Disaster struck; the floodwaters raged, killing and injuring countless people. After the flood receded, the turbid waters carrying corpses gathered in the low-lying areas, forming a lake. The lake surface appeared calm, but beneath, undercurrents surged.

This is the abyss of hidden currents.