Chapter 138 I also owe her a thank you

Qingqing only asked her that question.

Zang Lijun thought to herself.

Logically, she should have checked her husband's reaction at that moment.

But she simply couldn't take her eyes off her daughter's outstretched hand.

A dagger lay in her palm, sharp and cold, its blade gleaming with a chilling light and exuding a dangerous aura.

She had handled kitchen knives, every day, but strangely enough, she had never handled a dagger, which was similar in nature.

Perhaps it's because... this is a weapon created purely for killing, without any additional attributes.

Zang Lijun looked at the dagger in Shen Qingqing's hand with a completely novel gaze.

She was surprised to find that it seemed so docile in her daughter's hand, just like a kitchen knife in her own.

She simply couldn't imagine herself holding a dagger.

Zang Lijun hesitated, gazing at the dagger for a long time, feeling that at some point, its shape suddenly began to rapidly change and reshape itself into the shape of a key.

The key to a new world.

Taking it means leaving this place with Shen Qingqing, leaving everything behind, whether temporarily or permanently.

And give it up...

The former outcome was already unimaginable, but Zang Lijun found that the latter outcome was even more terrifying.

She took the dagger, and with a determined effort, said, "I'm willing..."

She composed herself and said, "I'll go with you."

Shen Qingqing's brows relaxed, and she suddenly smiled.

She handed another dagger to Shen Mingjiang, who was standing silently to the side. Zang Lijun noticed that he accepted the dagger much faster than she did.

Even though they lived under the same roof, ate the same food, and had similar life trajectories, she had always thought that her husband was just an ordinary and unremarkable middle-aged man, just like herself.

But when he held the dagger, it was as if it naturally belonged to him, and he didn't even glance at it twice.

Zang Lijun silently clenched her five fingers, trying to tighten them a little, but quickly found that using so much force made her movements stiff, so she quietly loosened them, looking for a comfortable grip.

Shen Qingqing took in everything. Seeing Zang Lijun struggling to adjust to the new weapon in her hands, she suppressed a smile and reminded her, "Mom, there's something I have to tell you in advance. S City will be very dangerous, and it may become even more dangerous in the future. Maybe one day you'll even find that staying in the village is the safest option."

According to Fu Qing and Tian Xuejun's plan, S City is likely to become more chaotic in the future, with devout believers gathering and official forces also flocking there.

Unlike in the village, Shen Qingqing had stockpiled goods and prepared for so long based on the standard that she might be trapped for a long time, and had already taken care of everything, so she would live very comfortably.

"Even so, would you still be willing to come with me?" she asked again to confirm.

Having made up her mind, the remaining answer became much easier to give. Zang Lijun listened attentively and nodded, "I think so."

She just wanted to go with Shen Qingqing; she didn't care where they went.

As soon as she spoke, Zang Lijun felt her movements become lighter.

Shen Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, we don't have much time. From now until sunset, we have about three hours."

"The objective is to kill three low-level zombies."

She held up three fingers, then clapped her hands and said, "Keep it up!"

The two: "..."

Three heads?

The moment they saw the weapons, they guessed that Shen Qingqing was going to lead them to kill zombies, but they didn't expect her to set such an outrageous number right from the start.

"What's wrong?" Shen Qingqing asked. "Don't worry, it'll be easy if you learn it."

Zang Lijun gritted her teeth, suppressing the tremor in her voice: "Okay, then... teach me."

“Of course.” Shen Qingqing looked at her gently. “Of course I will teach you.”

*

This was the first time in Zang Lijun's life that she had worked so hard.

The room reeked of blood, with specks of blood splattered on the walls and floor. She dared not look away, her hands trembling so much she could barely hold the knife. She could only close her eyes and try her best to regulate her breathing.

He suppressed his urge to escape and his instinctive fear of blood and corpses.

The zombie, which had been specially chosen and lured into this enclosed room, was lying on its back on the ground, with a foot pinned to its chest below its collarbone. The zombie's owner appeared relaxed, yet it held the foot firmly in place.

The virus invades the brain, and it has lost the human instinct to grasp. Its constant struggling posture is more like that of an animal, waving its limbs instinctively, while the rest of its body is unable to move.

Zang Lijun carefully observed her daughter, watching her practiced, even somewhat indifferent, demeanor as she interacted with the zombies.

The next second, Shen Qingqing turned to look at her, her tone returning to its familiar tone: "Are you done?"

"Don't look at me, look at it."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mingjiang, who was waiting in line for training, also looked at the zombie on the ground.

Shen Qingqing's voice was low and coaxing: "Is it really as scary as you imagine?"

"Is that fear coming from the zombies themselves, or from your imagination of their existence?"

Zang Lijun was stunned.

She forced herself to look at the zombie again, took a deep breath, and said, "I...I'm okay now, let's try again."

Shen Qingqing withdrew her foot and took a few steps back. The zombie struggled to get up from the ground and soon pounced tirelessly on Zang Lijun, who was closest to it.

Zang Lijun held her breath in fear, and the knife in her hand missed its mark, falling a few centimeters and getting stuck on her brow bone.

The shock made her hands go numb.

A gaping maw hurtled straight at her face. Zang Lijun's limbs and neck were well-protected, but her face was poorly protected, and she couldn't help but let out a scream.

The rapidly approaching, rotting face twisted in an instant as it was kicked hard from the side against the opposite wall with a loud bang, sending dust and debris flying. Zang Lijun and Shen Mingjiang, who was watching from the side, were still in shock.

Without giving Zang Lijun a chance to feel annoyed, Shen Qingqing's voice rang out again in the empty room, steady and without a trace of emotion.

“It’s okay, let’s try again,” she said.

*

Similar training sessions were repeated time and time again. As the sun began to set, Zang Lijun and Shen Mingjiang finally finished the "homework" assigned by Shen Qingqing.

My body was exhausted, but the joy of victory overwhelmed everything.

Zang Lijun stared at the corpse lying in the pool of blood for a long time.

The physical excitement and the trembling of the soul were still there, but it wasn't as unbelievable as the first time.

Three successful kills are enough to bring about a huge change.

She was now absolutely certain that she had truly defeated a zombie.

This was not because she was talented. On the contrary, throughout the process, Zang Lijun felt despair and even gave up on herself countless times.

If Shen Qingqing showed even the slightest impatience or disdain, she would probably feel ashamed and immediately choose to give up.

But she didn't.

Shen Qingqing gave her ten thousand chances to try and fail, and every time she succeeded, she promptly applauded and praised her without reservation.

...Zang Lijun couldn't help but recall whether she had given similar feedback to Shen Qingqing during her upbringing.

Back then, I was exhausted from housework, childbirth, and family life. Did I really praise every bit of her progress and patiently accompany her as she grew up?

The answer is, of course, no.

Throughout the afternoon, countless failures failed to completely defeat her, but Zang Lijun felt immense guilt at that moment.

She didn't know how to express herself; her lips trembled, and she managed to utter a barely audible "thank you."

But Shen Qingqing heard it.

Looking at her mother's apologetic expression, she smiled gently: "You're welcome."

"If you want to express your gratitude, once you get to school, I can take you to meet someone more suitable... I also owe her a thank you."

When that person was mentioned, Shen Qingqing's expression became incredibly gentle.

Whether it's the devilish, relentless training methods, the timely affirmation of every bit of progress, or the unwavering gaze upon you throughout the arduous training process.

She simply taught the two of them exactly what she had learned from that person.

*

Three zombies in an afternoon might not be enough to develop pure killing skills, but it's enough to dispel the deep-seated fear of zombies in your heart.

They are not invincible; a dagger, some caution, and a bit of courage are enough.

In the apocalypse, this is more important than anything else.

Zang Lijun and Shen Mingjiang got carried away and refused to put down the daggers, practicing for another hour until it was completely dark before the three of them started their journey home.

Shen Mingjiang already knew that his wife and daughter were leaving, and he knew that he couldn't stop them. He was always tongue-tied and didn't know how to express himself, so he offered to drive them home, but Shen Qingqing refused.

"It's not good to turn on the headlights at night, it might attract zombies, I'll do it."

With no electricity and all the streetlights out, turning on your car headlights in the city might allow you to outrun the zombies with your speed, but on the way back to the village, no one knows which corner might be hiding zombies. If they are attracted by the lights and change their direction of travel, gradually approaching the village, no one will notice.

Shen Qingqing didn't dare take the risk, so she drove herself, turned off the headlights, and relied on her eyesight and familiarity with the road and vehicle conditions to drive back.

Shen Mingjiang remained silent, only repeatedly gripping the dagger, which had already been wiped clean, through his pocket, his fingers tightening again and again.

Zang Lijun didn't know what to say.

The moment she successfully killed the zombie, she felt a different kind of fear dissipate in her heart.

Qingqing is right. Perhaps the fear of the unknown is just a product of our own imagination.

A dagger isn't so scary; if used properly, it can become an asset.

Looking out at the dark, uneven road, Zang Lijun adjusted her posture as the journey continued, a growing sense of determination rising within her.

She was no longer embarrassed by the silence, but let it continue.

As the vehicle sped towards the village, a feeling rose in Zang Lijun's heart.

She felt herself drifting further and further away from it.