Being with him

After Tian Tian returned to Huaicheng with me, my dad fell ill. His blood pressure spiked to 200, and he experienced dizziness, headaches, tinnitus, and numbness in his hands. Grandpa Tang said this was due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, a precursor to a stroke.

He had always been healthy, with a strong voice and plenty of energy; no one expected him to suddenly collapse. My mother and I took care of him tirelessly for two weeks. He was able to get out of bed and walk around, but his mental state remained poor.

My father was a simple man his whole life, sincere and trustworthy, with clear likes and dislikes, and especially deep affection for his family. I know he was devastated by the passing of my third uncle and aunt. Even when they couldn't find each other, he could still hold onto hope; but when they found each other, it was devastating news, and it's only natural that he couldn't accept it.

After an illness, my father carved three memorial tablets himself, placing the portraits of my second aunt, third uncle, and third aunt alongside those of my grandparents. He then had Tian Tian kowtow to them several times. From then on, he transferred all his love, grief, and longing for his younger brother onto his little niece. This manifested in his forcing her to eat five meals a day.

The reconstruction work for veterans has entered its final stages, including applying a waterproof coating and installing water and electricity. Although water is supplied by wells and electricity by burning oil, both of which are resource-intensive and cannot guarantee daily supply, the pipelines must be laid properly. In case we one day realize our dream of restarting Huaicheng and returning to a modern life.

The road clearing never stopped, and every street and alley in the city was restored to the survivors. Driving around, you can see piles of ruins in Huaicheng... but not all of them are ruins. Some buildings, like the old Qi family's house, escaped the bombing and stand alone on the sea of ​​bricks, with a touch of post-apocalyptic romanticism.

Zombies still exist, and their numbers are still considerable. They may have wandered into Huai City from all directions after the bombing. When there are no people around, they just wander aimlessly in the streets. If they sense living people, they will still scream and bar their teeth and claws.

I've observed them for a while now, and aside from their increasingly inhuman appearance and utterly uninformed intelligence, their speed is slowly increasing. A year ago they could jog, now they could probably keep up with a car traveling at less than 20 kilometers per hour. This speed isn't a major concern, but we can't let them continue to mutate. We no longer kill them only when we're on a job and spare those we pass by on our way home; now we kill them on sight, eliminating anyone within our line of sight.

Can the survivors wipe out a billion zombies? Let's try our best.

In December, the helicopter made its final flight over Huai City, bringing good news of a major victory on the northern front. The zombie horde failed to advance even a kilometer south, being intercepted by Commander Yu's forces north of the Sanshui River. Hundreds of thousands of zombies were wiped out, the siege of six cities was lifted, and 513 survivors were rescued.

Although every time we heard news of survivors from other provinces being rescued, a feeling of resentment welled up inside us, thinking, "Our province A is indeed treated like an unwanted stepchild," everyone knew it was a good thing. Besides, we had received so much compensation, so we could just mutter a few curses about the capital in private and let it go.

The helicopter pilot completed his "glorious" mission and was heading back to transport soldiers and equipment to Beijing; he wouldn't be coming back. I was quite pleased. It was good he wasn't coming; Li Tonggu's surveillance of my every need could finally end. That greasy uncle would probably come running back after his triumphant return, wouldn't he?

When the new year's New Year's Day arrived, Yu Zhongjian didn't come back, but instead sent Binbin to Huaicheng for the New Year. This time there was no airdrop; instead, a large truck was assigned to carry a full load of supplies, and Binbin was also given a ride, all of which were sent to the veterans' compound.

I guess he must have relinquished his military power and could no longer freely deploy bombers, yet he couldn't suppress his desire to flaunt his wealth—General Shen was quite unlucky to have encountered such a disloyal fellow, and with what we had previously robbed, most of his private treasury had ended up in Huaicheng's pocket.

Binbin and Tiantian are close in age and have a deeper bond than with me. Whenever they meet, they inevitably hug each other and cry. One cries out, "My dad and mom are gone." The other cries, "My dad is in a vegetative state." They cry their hearts out, their grief unbearable. Then my mom joins in, then I join in, and my dad sighs and holds his head on the side. The whole family is crying together.

After Binbin finished crying, he remembered something else unimportant. He rummaged through his bag for a while and pulled out a crumpled letter, handing it to me. He said in an extremely angry tone, "Do you know that guy surnamed Yu has ulterior motives towards you? He asked me to deliver this letter to you and even made me call him brother-in-law. I almost got into a fight with him!"

I took the letter: "What do you mean 'almost'? You showed mercy to this scoundrel who coveted your sister?"

Binbin swallowed hard: "I just thought about it again... It seems like you rarely have a suitor. What if I chase him away and you can't get married?"

I gave a stiff smile: "You're such a good brother."

At six months, Liu Meili was just a petite young woman with a slightly protruding belly. Unexpectedly, in the following two months, her belly grew as if inflated. Her whole appearance changed every day; her head, face, hands, and feet became swollen, her facial features became distorted, and she needed to use the toilet frequently. By the time she was nine months pregnant, she couldn't get up once she lay down.

One day in mid-January, Liu Meili's water broke, and she was about to give birth. The delivery room was set up in the bedroom downstairs where her second uncle used to live. A month earlier, Liu Meili had trained several nurses from the medical team, and all kinds of midwifery equipment were readily available. At the same time, Grandpa Tang was on standby, ready to perform surgery in case of difficulties during natural childbirth.

The team did nothing that day; over a hundred people squatted outside Lao Qi's house, waiting to welcome the new life. Xiao Hei's nervousness was palpable. He didn't eat or drink, staying outside the delivery room with Liu Meili from morning till night, listening to her cries of pain from inside, not daring to utter a single word. At 8:08, a loud cry broke the silence outside; Zheng Yingjun and Liu Meili's 7.3-pound baby boy was born.

When I saw Liu Meili's sweat-dampened hairline and tired face, when I saw Xiao Hei holding her hand tightly against his forehead, and when I saw that tiny baby whose face was smaller than my fist, I wanted to cry again.

The apocalypse cannot stop people from loving each other, and life continues. Young man, born in this extraordinary time, you live in a place where time changes every day, where water and electricity are scarce, there are no amusement parks, no cartoons. But you can play on the vast ruins, ride in a flying car through the city, shoot zombies in the eyes with a slingshot, and become the world's youngest sharpshooter. All adults are your teachers; you will learn many survival skills. One day you will grow into a clever and brave man, taking the knife, gun, axe, and shovel from your elders, continuing to defend Huaicheng and build your hometown!

I gently touched the baby's cheek with my finger, watching his little mouth move twice, and I was filled with affection. A sense of anticipation welled up inside me; if my godson was so brave and intelligent, wouldn't my biological son have to achieve something even greater to live up to all the good qualities I'd passed on to him?

Absolutely, I can't be worse than Liu Meili's son! But the problem is I started late, when will my son be born?

Ten days before the Lunar New Year, the new Veterans Hospital, covering nearly twenty acres, was fully completed. The inpatient building rose from the ground, brand new and spacious, with a huge Red Cross sign on the roof, even more eye-catching than before; the terrazzo-paved square no longer bore the traces of cremations, and an asphalt road led directly to the newly renovated electronic gate; cold-resistant and drought-resistant pines, cypresses, and Chinese scholar trees were planted along the roadside, and in time, they would surely grow lush and verdant.

The outpatient department reopened its pharmacy and examination channels, and all the large medical equipment was put in place; the administration building was converted into a dormitory and a large number of assembled furniture were brought in; a new generator was placed in the power distribution room, and the existing fuel was enough to last for three to five years without any need to panic; the warehouse was restored to its original state, and the compensation materials had a place to be stored; the canteen reopened, with tables and chairs fully equipped and the stoves shining.

Groundwater was found in pits one, two, and three before, and it lived up to expectations again today; the lawns, trees, and pavilions in the back garden are just as they were before, the smell of paint and plants mixed together, refreshing the senses; the vegetable garden and livestock area have been redesigned, with greenhouses and poultry sheds built in a very professional manner; the artificial lake shimmered... but there was none, the artificial lake was just for show, there was no water, only pits.

We all agreed to move in on the 29th of the lunar year and have our New Year's Eve dinner in the dining hall, celebrating both the New Year and Xiao Hei's son's one-month birthday. Liu Meili didn't want to move, saying that the new Rongjun apartment was full of formaldehyde, and she wanted to stay at Lao Qi's place for three years until we removed all the formaldehyde before moving in with her child.

My mom was the first to agree. She said the child's health was important, so she and my dad didn't want to move here anymore. They planned to bring Tian Tian to live at home, cook, grow vegetables, and help Liu Meili take care of the child.

It's infuriating. She's so eager to help others take care of their kids, but I don't have any kids for her to take care of, so there's no point in getting angry.

Despite her good intentions, my mother still felt a heavy weight on her mind. Ever since she found out that several young men with hidden illnesses had found partners, she not only gave me the cold shoulder, but she also seemed to be throwing a tantrum every day.

Until one day I saw her pulling Zhao Zhuobao, who looked terrified, and asking, "Little Zhao, after all the calculations, you're the only one who's the right age. What do you think? Give Auntie a straight answer." I was thunderstruck and thought to myself that things couldn't be dragged on like this any longer.

But that person, I haven't heard from him since.

In the letter Binbin delivered on New Year's Day, he said he would come back to celebrate the New Year with me after finishing the handover matters in the capital. In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed, and he has vanished without a trace.

I waited and waited, until the new sign for "Huaicheng Veterans Hospital Survivor Base" was hung up on the 29th, until the New Year's Eve banquet was held in the canteen, until the plump and healthy Liu Meili made a grand entrance with her son, received a large number of gifts, and went home smiling, until Han Bo shouted with a red face, "Fourth round, fourth round, whoever doesn't finish drinking is a grandson!", but that person still didn't come.

Liar! Last year during Chinese New Year, he quietly sent me a box of cold dumplings, but this year he made a big promise and didn't keep it. Liar! It's already 10 o'clock, even if he comes, I won't pay any attention to him!

I took a swig of liquor, glanced up, and cursed inwardly. My brain told me not to keep staring at the cafeteria entrance, but my eyes said: No. I took another swig, glanced again, and cursed again.

I don't know how much I drank, but it was definitely more than I usually can. Just as I was feeling dizzy and lightheaded, the half-open door was pulled open, and a green figure walked in. I slammed down my enamel mug and hurriedly turned around. He's here! Thank goodness, it wasn't past midnight, so I didn't have a chance to break things off with him.

The men behind him started shouting. Wang Lianshan, drunk, laughed loudly and said, "Doctor Qi, Doctor Qi, look who's here!"

I turned around casually: "Who is it, coming to eat leftovers so late?"

The man was as clear as the moon and as pure as a jade tree, with a gentle smile on his handsome face. He parted his thin lips slightly and called my name: "Aifeng".

Han Bo nudged my arm, and my heart sank, but my expression remained unchanged. I nodded politely and said, "Gao Chen, welcome back for the New Year."

Ten minutes later, we left the cafeteria together and walked casually along the road in front of it. Ignoring the strange looks from more than a hundred pairs of eyes, he directly said that he wanted to talk to me alone, and I couldn't very well refuse him in public.

After walking for a while, he didn't say anything. A cold wind blew, and I felt a bit cold. The alcohol was still a bit strong, so I took the initiative to speak: "So you're back. Where's Xiao Zhang?"

"He went to participate in post-war training."

"oh."

"The veterans are back to normal, even better than before."

"yes."

After a couple of sentences, we couldn't continue the conversation. I suddenly realized that after not seeing him for half a year, I couldn't find anything to talk about anymore. Anything I said now felt awkward, and I didn't feel comfortable at all.

I've walked around the front yard once, and I'm getting colder and colder. Seeing that he's still silent, I couldn't stand it anymore: "What do you want to tell me? If there's nothing else, let's go inside and eat?"

He stopped beside a small pine tree, turned to look at me, and said, "I thought you were going to beat me up or stab me."

"What are you talking about! Why would I stab you?"

"Back then, saying goodbye meant drawing a sword."

"You actually believe what I said in anger?" I crossed my arms and shrank my neck, laughing, "Oh, you've been silent for so long because you're waiting for me to draw my sword? Fine, let's arrange a fight sometime, but let's not do that today, on New Year's Eve."

He forced a smile: "I know you were just saying that in anger. Are you still angry?"

"I'm not angry anymore."

"Could you please listen to me for a few words?"

"Sure, go ahead."

“I’ve already made things clear with Xiao Qing. I have someone I like, and I won’t be close to her anymore, nor will I consider her my sister. From now on, we’ll only maintain a pure, or even more distant, comrade-in-arms relationship. If she needs my help, I will ask for the consent of the person I like. Not only her, but I will be cautious and keep my distance from any woman in the future, and I won’t do anything that could cause misunderstandings. I’ve thought a lot about this over the past few months, and the key to the problem lies with me. I’ve oversimplified matters of the heart and haven’t realized that how I handled my previous relationship would cause trouble for the person I like. I’m sorry, I will correct myself, and I will listen carefully to your advice, Aifeng. Please give me another chance.”

He finished speaking in one breath as if afraid I would interrupt him, and then stared at me intently, breathing a little rapidly.

I didn't know what to say. Gao Chen had done his best. He was a workaholic who, according to Xiao Qing, only talked about work and not about love. It was already quite remarkable that he would say such things for me.

He really likes me, doesn't he? After regaining his memories and becoming a complete Gao Chen, he confessed to me, apologized, and asked me to give him another chance. He really likes me, doesn't he?

Actually, he didn't commit any unforgivable mistakes; he's far inferior to Wu Bainian. His sense of responsibility towards his ex-girlfriend makes me uncomfortable, but as long as he's honest and sincere towards me, I believe that with my forceful intervention, Xiao Qing won't cause any trouble. Now that he's willing to offend Xiao Lu to clarify his stance with his ex-girlfriend for my sake, he's done quite a bit. In any case, he's a rare and exceptional man; someone I've secretly loved for over a year.

In my mom's words, what am I, a 28-year-old spinster, supposed to be picky about? She even wanted to set me up with Zhao Zhuobao... What's most infuriating is that Zhao Zhuobao doesn't want me! That shows how undesirable I am!

That guy doesn't look like he's coming. If he's not coming, he can get lost. What a joke! But someone's come begging to me, right? Should I just agree?

Alcohol made me impulsive. Seeing that Gao Chen's bright eyes only reflected my image, my vanity was greatly satisfied, and I blurted out, "Since you've said so, I can't refuse you, so..."

"To tell you the truth, Qi Aifeng is taken!"

A figure in an old training uniform walked from the direction of the administration building carrying an emergency light. He was slouching, one hand in his pocket, swaying around aimlessly. He had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, and his buzz cut was extremely short. He looked like a convict... no, a released convict... no, like a black market middleman.

He walked up to us, casually put his arm around my shoulder, and raised his chin at Gao Chen: "You little rascal, if you want to poach my girlfriend, you'll have to ask me first."

I was shocked. How did he end up coming out of the administration building? I had no idea when the veterans arrived!

Gao Chen wasn't surprised, as if he had expected him to appear. He simply said sternly, "Commander Yu, I think we should respect Ai Feng's opinion in this matter. You said she's taken, but who is it? Does she even know?"

Yu Zhongjian smiled nonchalantly: "First, stop calling me Commander Yu. I've stepped down. You're the new commander. You should go back and lead the troops."

I quickly looked up and asked, "What do you mean by stepping down? You're not going back to the capital?"

He put his arm around my hand and gently stroked my nose: "I'm not going back. The agreement with General Shen is finalized. I'll retire and enjoy my old age in Huaicheng."

I knew there was something going on between him and General Shen, but I didn't want to ask at the moment. I tried my best to suppress my emotions, but the joy was still reflected in my alcohol-controlled features—I chuckled foolishly.

"Secondly, Qi Aifeng's man is me. This was with the consent of her parents."

Gao Chen's face turned pale and then flushed. I asked, puzzled, "Huh? Who agreed?"

Yu Zhongjian snapped his fingers and then flicked my nose: "Of course it's your parents. I've been talking to them for two hours, and I've submitted all the necessary documents. But they don't seem to care. They just keep asking when we're getting married."

My cheeks were burning. No wonder my parents disappeared towards the end of the meal. I thought they had gone to sleep. Turns out they were talking to him... trying to sell me an old maid?

"Third, ask Qi Aifeng."

Gao Chen couldn't hide his disappointment: "Aifeng, is that so? You and Yu... senior?"

"I......"

I couldn't bear to see him disappointed, but I also couldn't deceive myself. From the moment Yu Zhongjian appeared, my heart soared. I had spent the whole night feeling depressed, cursing his ancestors and imagining countless scenes of a complete break, but from the moment he appeared before me, all those feelings vanished, leaving only joy.

When I heard him say he wouldn't leave again, and that he had submitted all the necessary documents, I instantly forgave his long absence. He must have been in the capital handling all these matters—going to resign, getting his credentials checked, waiting for the results, and collecting the written documents—all so he could return to Huaicheng as soon as possible to spend the New Year with me. I can only imagine how busy he must have been this past month!

Gao Chen, I'm so sorry. That guy surnamed Yu has done so much for me, he's a benefactor to my family, but the worst part is he's sick and a psychopath. Finding a partner isn't easy for him. If I hurt him, he really might destroy the world! Anyway, I've already rejected you once, so just bear with it. You have a healthy mindset and excellent character. If you treat your future girlfriend the way you said before, you'll find happiness too. As for the world, for humanity, I have to sacrifice myself.

"Yes, I'm sorry Gao Chen, I'm with Yu Zhongjian now. He's my boyfriend and will be my husband in the future. Let's wish each other well." I said firmly.

No sooner had I finished speaking than a loud bang exploded above my head, illuminating half the sky as if it were daytime. I looked up in alarm and saw a dazzling firework blooming in the sky above the hospital ward.

"Ah, fireworks!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

A few seconds later, loud bangs rang out from the four directions of the courtyard, and golden, white, red, and yellow fireworks filled the night sky, dazzling and colorful, a sight to behold.

Several teenagers, along with Tian Tian and Xiao Meng, rushed to the small square, each holding a sparkler. They circled around, drawing waves, and shouted with laughter, "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!"

Han Bo stuck his head out from the roof of the administration building and shouted, "Strong wind! Was the fireworks beautiful?"

I cupped my hands around a megaphone and shouted back, "Great!"

"Okay, Jinling! I love you!"

WTF? Is this idiot drunk? But no sooner had he shouted than another familiar voice rang out: "Mali! I love you!"

Where is Ma Li? Is she pretending to be deaf and dumb?

"Beautiful, I love you, son, I love you!"

She was giving a flirtatious look to a blind man; Liu Meili had already taken Fatty home to sleep, so he couldn't hear her at all!

The veterans' home was bustling with activity. People stopped eating and sleeping, and everyone came out to watch the fireworks with great joy, exchanging New Year's greetings.

Several drunk men were jumping and shouting in the open space, muttering incoherently; Old Lin looked up at the sky, his face no longer showing bitterness, only longing; young girls held hands and sang a song, a cheesy pop song that had been popular a few years ago, but now sounded quite pleasant; my parents leaned against the steps of the administration building, smiling at me, their smiles full of satisfaction.

With my parents overseeing things, I feel I can put aside all my dissatisfaction and doubts about Yu Zhongjian. Before, he and I were from two different worlds; it was the apocalypse that brought us together. The apocalypse, a synonym for madness, saw us living and fighting madly, breaking rules, crossing boundaries, doing things we couldn't or dared not do before. So let it be bad, let it be crazy. The world has gone mad, why can't I be with a madman?

Gao Chen left sometime during the night, without us even saying goodbye. I rubbed my eyes and said to the person next to me, "Look at the mess we've made, we've attracted zombies in no time."

He said, "After we release them, let's go out and kill a bunch of enemies."

"Okay, so you set off the fireworks?"

Do you like it?

I honestly replied, "I love it, I love it so much."

"This is the only time. If we want to release it next year, we'll have to go and snatch up the base again."

I laughed and said, "You liar, you've emptied Old Shen's pockets, haven't you? You lied to him and to me! Tell me! When did you get back?"

A warm breath brushed against my ear, a cool kiss landed on my cheek: "I came for you, Happy New Year."

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

The story is complete. Any unclear points will be addressed in a side story. Thank you all for staying with me through these past two months. May you all have a peaceful and prosperous life. A new story will be released at the end of the month; please come and read it.