Chapter 32 Reunion Yes, child, I am your father. ...

I want to ask Yao Zhizhi how she feels about the word family.

She would probably say: I used to envy you, I used to yearn for you, but then... I became numb.

In the apocalypse where blood and flesh are flying everywhere, family is a luxury word.

Yao Zhizhi originally had a family at the end of the world.

It's a pity they abandoned her.

When I opened my eyes, I saw roaring zombies and fleeing humans.

She fell into a rubble, her whole body aching.

Maybe the original owner was smart and hid in the safe triangle area, so the exploding building failed to crush her body, but the flying debris and fragments still caused her serious injuries.

Fortunately, the broken walls and ruins did not block the road, leaving her a gap to escape.

She had no weapons at hand, but she had some broken steel bars and wooden boards.

The bloody smell of the wound soon attracted a zombie. It was an adult male with a distorted face, pieces of flesh hanging on his face, and only whimpering. His body was full of wounds, and it was unknown how many times he had been shot. However, he still stubbornly stretched out his evil claws towards her.

There were bits of meat in the blue-gray nails, and the blood on the fingertips had not yet coagulated. It must have been a meal just now, but he would never be satisfied.

When the zombie crawled in from the gap with its fangs bared and tried to attack her, she had not yet adapted to this terrible world.

She was stunned for a moment and almost got bitten. She came to her senses, stepped back hastily, grabbed the steel bar at her feet and stabbed it into the zombie's eyes, crushing his brains.

That was the first zombie she killed, and also the most memorable one, because that zombie was the original owner's "family" when he was alive - if a cousin who instigated her family to abandon her can be considered a family member.

After killing her former family member, she crawled out of the rubble, holding the bloody steel bar in her hand, and rushed towards the other two "family members".

One is my cousin’s father and the other is my cousin’s wife.

The original owner's father was a coward. When the disaster came, he could only cry and beg for protection.

As for the daughter who had a high fever, she was naturally a burden, so it was better to just throw her away.

Fortunately, she came through. Although she didn't remember what she did before, she wanted to survive.

He took over Yao Ruzhen's life, fought his way out during the chaotic years, and became the absolute leader of a team.

But is it really happy to be a leader?

Not really.

When the team hunted down the little zombie king, the young couples in the team would hug each other and cheer and kiss. A brother and sister would jump around in each other's arms in front of her.

An old father who was struggling with his child on his back knelt on one knee and begged her to allocate the zombie crystal core to his daughter who had a high fever. For this, he was willing to be her lackey and be loyal to her.

Even the chef who was in charge of cooking was thinking about the kittens and puppies he had just picked up.

No one thought that maybe she also wanted it, maybe she was also tired, maybe she also wanted to find someone to share the joy.

Maybe she also wants to be cared about, remembered, and cared about.

But it doesn’t matter, since it doesn’t exist, then don’t force it.

Although the tigress's reputation was unpleasant, at least she was always successful, allowing her to quickly recruit one scattered team after another and become a true overlord.

I thought things would be better after becoming the overlord, but I didn't expect it to be still the same.

Even if someone was thinking about her and presented her with crystal cores and other spoils, it was just because they wanted to get a share of power from her, nothing more.

The further you go, the deeper the loneliness.

The higher you stand, the lonelier you feel.

As a result, she became bloodthirsty and too aggressive, which led to her being ambushed.

When she opened her eyes again, she took over Yao Zhizhi's life.

Another poor little thing who is not loved by his father or mother.

At that moment, she was surrounded by deep disappointment, but she was a stubborn person who would never admit defeat. Since everyone was not good to her, she must be good to herself.

Life is precious, but self-love is more precious.

She survived the bacterial infection and endured seven days of high fever, and was finally able to take a breath. Even though she was weak and haggard, she was willing to struggle to live on in this world.

Leaving that cold home is undoubtedly the best option. As for how to leave, she has not figured it out yet and can only take it one step at a time.

I didn't expect that I would be so lucky in this life. I helped a sick person and thus gained a wonderful relationship.

To be honest, she admitted that her motives were not pure when she married this man.

But the way he grabbed the chilies with his bare hands was so sincere that she naturally wouldn't be false to him.

She has always been like this. Exchanging sincerity for sincerity should be the fairest exchange in the world.

She has been lonely and isolated for so long, why can't she try to live a life with flesh and blood?

Even if she is just a sickly girl, at least he respects her and is willing to ask for her hand in marriage despite his sick body, isn't that right?

This is probably why she no longer resists getting pregnant and having children.

Your own children should be your closest blood relatives and true family members, right?

She was looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, the child is still young and can only cry for food. By the way, she got a handful of gold.

She was not impatient. She had just been in confinement for a month and wanted to go out for some fresh air.

Who would have thought that as soon as she came back, there would be a large group of unfamiliar faces in her house, looking at her with no calculation of interests, no disgust or alienation in their eyes.

There is only excitement and anticipation, only emotion and joy.

She is not a fool, she can tell whether it is false or not.

After a brief moment of excitement, some memories seemed to emerge from her mind.

Is it the little bit of memory fragment left by the original owner?

Or... was she originally Yao Zhizhi?

She didn't know, but she knew it didn't matter.

In their eyes, she is Yao Zhizhi, and in her own eyes, she has already become Yao Zhizhi.

She also gave birth to a new life, and she and Yao Zhizhi were no longer separate.

Qi Changxiao's voice came from his ears: "They are your family, don't be nervous, I will introduce them to you."

Yao Zhizhi was not nervous, not at all. She was just surprised and happy.

It turns out that Yao Zhizhi's miserable life ended long after that high fever. It turns out that Yao Zhizhi has a family who truly loves her.

She smiled and walked into the yard, coming to the woman who looked most like her.

"This is my second sister, Yao Miaomiao."

Yao Zhizhi smiled and called her sister.

He turned around and looked at the little old man holding the child. He was about 1.8 meters tall and stood with the defiance of frost and pine. Even in casual clothes, he could be seen as a soldier.

Yao Zhizhi didn't wait for Qi Changxiao to introduce her. She walked over, took the child, handed him to the man behind her, and quietly hugged the little old man: "You are my father."

It is an affirmative sentence, not a question.

Yao Jingzong burst into tears: "Yes, child, I am your father."

Yao Zhizhi stood on tiptoe and took out a handkerchief to wipe his face. "Don't cry, don't cry, I'm living well, right? I was wondering, why are there six families of veterans moving into this alley all of a sudden? Did you arrange this?"

"Yeah." Yao Jingzong clutched his handkerchief, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and rubbed his daughter's head, "You've suffered, child."

"It's all over." Yao Zhizhi was very open-minded and turned to look at the old woman with tears in her eyes.

"Mom." Yao Zhizhi also hugged her, "No wonder my cheap brother always likes to cry, it's a good tradition."

Xie Chunxing burst into laughter and said, "He's not like that when he's at home. Maybe he feels bad for you."

"Yeah, I know." Yao Zhizhi let go of her, turned around again, and looked at the unfamiliar man.

Although she didn't recognize him, he looked very much like Yao Jingzong. She walked over and hugged his shoulders lightly: "Brother."

"Oh, it's my brother, big brother." Yao Weiguo also cried. This was probably a good tradition in their family.

Yao Zhizhi had no handkerchief left, so she wiped him with her sleeve: "Is this my sister-in-law at the door?"

"Yes, your sister-in-law." Yao Weiguo waved his hand.

Cui Wen walked over with a smile, pulled Yao Zhizhi over, and hugged her tightly: "Little sister, welcome home."

"Thank you, sister-in-law." After saying hello, Yao Zhizhi finally had time to look at her adopted brother.

She turned around and walked straight towards him. Yao Weihua wiped away his tears and waited for his sister to give him a hug.

However……

What he got was a roll of his eyes: "You are so patient. It's been a year and you didn't tell me? Am I a very naive person? What big secrets are you hiding from me until now?"

Yao Weihua's tears had not yet dried, and he was stunned.

This is wrong!

Others received touching scripts about family reunions, but he received a funny script about being scolded by his sister.

He was a little depressed, and just as he was about to explain, his sister pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly: "Silly brother, if you have anything in the future, you can tell me directly. I'm not that fragile."

Yao Weihua breathed a sigh of relief. He thought she was going to have a quarrel with him, but it turned out she was just bluffing.

He smiled and patted his sister's shoulder: "You are going to strangle me."

"Promising." Yao Zhizhi let go of him and turned into the room.

She changed into clean clothes and came out, grabbing a tray of candies and sunflower seeds. She squatted at the door, looking at the four children from her brother and sister's homes, and smiled: "Super beautiful, come and have some candy with your auntie."

It was so beautiful, like a happy little magpie. It came with a cheer, moved its short legs, shook its two pigtails, and buried its head in my aunt's arms.

I knocked all the candies out of my aunt's hands.

Yao Zhizhi happily hugged this little darling. This time she was not afraid of being abrupt or presumptuous. This was her own baby, so she gave him two big kisses.

Chaomei was so happy that after her aunt kissed her little face, she hugged her aunt's neck and kissed her face: "Auntie, have some candy."

Yao Zhizhi picked up the little guy and saw Chaoying pouting and looking unhappy.

I had no choice but to hand Chaomei to Cui Wen who was beside me, and leaned over with open arms: "Xiaoguai, what's your name? Auntie, hold me?"

Chaoying was jealous. The last time he came, his aunt only hugged his younger sister, and this time it was the same.

Fortunately, my aunt saw him.

He threw himself into his aunt's arms with a sour face, turned his back to everyone, and secretly raised the corners of his mouth.

Hehe, finally.

Yao Zhizhi also kissed this little darling.

Xiaoguaiguai touched his cheeks shyly and introduced himself: "Auntie, I'm Chaoying."

Yao Zhizhi quickly praised him: "Chaoying, you are really ambitious!"

To show that she treated everyone equally, she called the other two children over, kissed them on the cheek, held them in her arms to weigh them, and finally gave each of them a handful of candy, and everyone was happy.

The yard soon became busy with people talking and laughing, it was very lively.

Those who had gold on them quickly changed their clothes, while those who were not dirty helped to prepare lunch.

The laundry job was contracted to her second sister, so Yao Zhizhi called her mother-in-law and went to the neighbor's house to borrow a table and benches.

With the situation today, there is no room for one table.

Including the six veterans, they should all be invited, just as if it were the baby’s full moon party.

The alley soon became lively.

Aunt Mao heard the noise and came over to take a look: "Hey, Ah Feng, there are so many guests at home?"

"Yes, Lao Mao, these are all my daughter-in-law's family members." Tang Fengyuan is happy today, even happier than during the Chinese New Year.

The fact that the in-laws can come over means that everything is fine and the storm is over.

And they definitely came here not only to see Zhizhi, but also for the court session.

This has been delayed for more than half a year, it's time to resolve it.

He quickly pulled Lao Mao aside and introduced them one by one.

Aunt Mao was shocked: "Isn't your daughter-in-law from the countryside?"

"Oh, it's a long story, it's like a cat replacing a prince." Tang Fengyuan grabbed the old sister's hand and quickly went to borrow some more stools.

Talking while walking on the road.

Aunt Mao was a little worried: "Her father is so capable, will he ask her to go to Northeast China?"

"I don't care. As long as the three of them are together, they can go anywhere." Tang Fengyuan is very open-minded. Her in-laws are powerful. If they really want their children to go to the Northeast, she certainly can't stop them.

Aunt Mao thought about it and agreed: "It's hard for you to stay here alone. Anyway, that guy probably won't come back, so why don't I help you find a companion. You're only in your early forties, maybe you can have another child."

"Oh, is this a joke? If I have another child, will I have to compete with my grandson for food? No, no. Even if I really want to find a child, I won't have another one. I'm in my forties and it's time to enjoy life." Tang Fengyuan had no plans to have another child at all, and who should she find to have one?

Don't let people laugh you to death.

Besides, is it an honorable thing for a mother-in-law to compete with her daughter-in-law for the confinement period? Wouldn't others say she is disrespectful to her elders?

No, no, absolutely not.

As for the person Sister Mao mentioned...

"Don't mention it anymore." She knew that her older sisters were worried about her, but she would rather live alone.

After borrowing back the tables, chairs, and benches, Tang Fengyuan hurriedly rode his bike to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative to see if there was any leftover meat.

There was no way. Her in-laws didn't tell her in advance that they were coming, so she was completely unprepared.

Of course, she also understood that her in-laws were probably afraid that she would say it directly, so it would be better for her to go to their house in person to give the child a surprise.

Hurry up and see if there is anything else to buy.

Because of all this trouble, lunch wasn't ready until one in the afternoon.

Li Wu and his friends still had to go to work in the afternoon, so they went to He Xiangyang's house for a quick meal and would come back in the evening.

This is good. There is more time in the evening, so we can eat slowly and chat slowly.

Nine adults squeezed together at one table, five children, four of whom sat at the small round table, and a baby was busy sucking his fingers in the crib.

Before dinner started, Yao Zhizhi asked her parents if there were any other relatives.

In short, both grandparents have passed away, and of the Yao family that went to the Northeast, only Yao Jingzong's lineage is left.

As for my mother's family, her grandparents are no longer with us, leaving only an uncle and an aunt. My mother also had an uncle who was separated from her in the war, and his whereabouts are still unknown.

Yao Zhizhi felt quite sad. War is ruthless and being alive is a blessing.

Soon, Tang Fengyuan bought a bottle of white wine and came back. No matter what, he had to toast his in-laws today.

Yao Jingzong did not refuse and raised his glass: "First, let me toast to Old Qi. Without his sacrifice, there would be no peace today."

Tang Fengyuan's eyes instantly turned red. Yes, without Lao Qi, there would be no today.

Everyone raised their glasses and poured the wine onto the ground.

Refill your glasses, stand up, and clink glasses together.

"Thank you Aunt Tang for taking such good care of my sister."

"Thank you, your parents, for giving birth to such a wonderful daughter to be my daughter-in-law."

Yao Miaomiao and Tang Fengyuan complimented each other.

The rest of the people were similar, each with their own words. After all the thanks, the ones who deserved the most thanks were the couple who fell in love with each other.

Otherwise, how could we have this reunion today?

Qi Changxiao can't drink much, but he was happy today and drank a little.

Only Yao Zhizhi drank tea instead of wine, as a token of her appreciation, after all, she still had to breastfeed.

After dinner, Cui Wen and Tang Fengyuan went to wash the dishes and pots, and the rest of the family surrounded Yao Zhizhi and her family of three, asking about their well-being.

Yao Zhizhi still hadn't figured out what was going on, so she took the opportunity to ask.

The moment she learned the truth, the smile on her face froze.

She had just thought about this problem. If the two families accidentally took the wrong baby, she could let it go.

If it was a malicious swap, I'm sorry, she won't let it go!

She looked at everyone seriously and confirmed, "Did you do it on purpose? Did Yao Jingye know about it?"

"It's not just him, Yao Jingjing herself also knows about it." Yao Miaomiao was afraid that she would get angry and hurt herself, so she quickly held her hand and comforted her, "But it doesn't matter. She's already been sentenced to five years, and her mental illness case is fake. And because she was involved with Director Xing, she has been unable to be under residential surveillance. She even gave birth to her child in prison."

"I want her to die, I want Yao Erdan and Wang Fang to die!" Yao Zhizhi was furious.

No wonder Yao Erdan and Wang Fang had such a conversation in the only fragment of memory that emerged.

I've been hoping she'll die.

Damn it's obviously them!

"As for Yao Jingye, I can only say that his crime doesn't deserve death, but we can't let him off easily!" Yao Zhizhi stood up. "I have to go back to Yaowang Manor. I have to find out whether my sisters at home know about this."

If she knew, wouldn't her schemes for them during this period of time be a huge joke?

"What if you didn't know? Do you still want to recognize them?" Yao Miaomiao quickly stopped her. "Zhizhi, isn't it enough that you have me and my two brothers? Don't get involved with this family anymore. When the court comes, you'll be suing their parents. Even if there was any sisterhood in the past, it will be meaningless. They will hate you because you want to live a good life while they are still struggling in the countryside, and you sent their parents to jail. Your so-called sisterhood is not worth mentioning in the face of their blood relationship."

Yao Weiguo also advised, "Yes, little sister, don't go. Yao Jingjing is born bad, how can her sister be any better? Stay calm and wait for the court to start. We took leave and came here just to seek justice for you, so don't be impulsive."

But Yao Zhizhi wanted to go, so she had to figure it out, otherwise she would really look like a clown, a complete joke.

Just as the situation was at a stalemate, Yao Jingzong spoke up, "Then go ahead. Let's go tomorrow, together. Let's rest tonight and think of a plan. My daughter, you must listen to my advice. Plan everything carefully before you act. A little impatience can ruin a big plan. Be obedient."

Yao Zhizhi was silent.

He clenched his fists, couldn't stop shaking, and was angry.

Finally, it was the cry of her child that made her make the decision: "Okay, let's go tomorrow."