Du Chun and a dozen of his companions learned that someone from the Peace Base had come to ask them if they wanted to go back, and that they had heard that they had no worries about food and drink and that the conditions there were very good, so they naturally wanted to go back. Then a helicopter took them all back.
But they could never have imagined that after being away for more than half a year, Dayan Mountain had completely changed.
Tall, sturdy walls, soldiers on patrol, vast expanses of grain drying in the sun, greenhouses and crops covering the mountain, neatly arranged concrete houses divided into zones, people wearing winter clothes, complete and warm boots on their feet, and the happy, satisfied smiles on the faces of the elderly and children...
The place they had once escaped from like an abyss, a place with almost no grass and desolate ground, has become almost a paradise. They felt as if they were in another world when they walked in it.
The newcomers, already well-integrated into Dayan Mountain, looked at the dozen or so people, treating them as mere new refugees. The young man in charge of guiding them explained the basics, then smiled and said proudly, "You'll understand once you've been here long enough. Our base is the best. The conditions are good, and the supervision is relaxed. As long as you're honest and hardworking, it'll be easy to live a good life."
Du Chun and the others hesitated, and some of them tried several times to say that they were from here before, but for some reason, they just couldn't say it.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in front of him. Du Qiu called out, "Gangzi."
Zheng Gang and Du Chun and Du Qiu are siblings and are related. It is because of this relationship that they were able to have relatively good jobs in the more than ten years after becoming disabled. However, Zheng Gang is very different now. He is still missing a hand and has a broken leg, but he wears brand new thick clothes. His only leg is also covered with fitting cotton trousers, and he wears handsome and beautiful hard leather boots on his feet.
He was leaning on a cane that looked quite well-made, wearing a windproof hat, carrying a package on his back, and a brand-new military canteen around his neck. They had seen a similar canteen in the possession of a high-ranking person at the Nanming base, who treasured it very much and said it had excellent heat preservation effect, but that canteen was older and not as good-looking as this one.
He looked much younger and more energetic than before, and his complexion and temperament were completely different. However, compared with half a year ago, they looked much more haggard and older.
Zheng Gang looked at these people in silence. The young man happily called out "Uncle Zheng". Zheng Gang said to him, "Okay, leave the rest to me."
The young man hesitated: "But I haven't explained everything to them yet, nor have I taken them to their accommodation." He had finally won the job of guiding refugees. There had been no new people for several days, and with so many people coming today, he could earn a lot of points.
"It's okay. Go register with your captain and tell him I told you to do it. I'll do the rest and you can collect the points."
The child then left happily.
Zheng Gang and Du Chun said, "Come with me. Newcomers like you have designated accommodations. While the conditions aren't as good as those of regular members, they're not bad either. We all have kangs (kangs), so you'll have no problem staying warm. However, beyond the basic daily supply of firewood, any extra fuel will require points, so it's best for you all to live together for now. This will also save you some firewood."
I walked silently all the way to my residence. It was a two-room newly built house, both made of cement. It was flat and solid, and could not be blown away by the wind, no matter how strong it was. Except for some gaps in the doors and windows, there was no other place for the wind to enter.
There were two elderly people cleaning inside. They were both acquaintances. When they saw them come in, they greeted Zheng Gang. Du Chun couldn't help but call out "Old He and Old Niu". The two elderly people looked at him and sighed: "We have cleaned the room for you. This is the last thing we can do for you. Live a good life from now on."
These two were among the first to follow Du Chun to establish the base. They had no special abilities and would have died long ago if it weren't for Du Chun. However, Du Chun's departure with a group of young and strong men, leaving these old and disabled people behind, was indeed quite disheartening.
Understanding is one thing, acceptance is another. If they hadn't held on in the days that followed, they would have died countless times. So when they looked at Du Chun again, they felt indifferent.
They understood Du Chun's approach at first, and now, Du Chun also understands that they cannot and do not want to help them more.
After the two old men finished speaking, they left with a sigh.
Du Chun felt quite unhappy, and Zheng Gang had no intention of comforting him. He said, "Send someone to get basic quilts and winter clothes later. Xiao Song just told you about it, right? Also, get some film wallpaper to plug the gaps between the doors and windows, and to cover the walls. These are all produced at the base and are currently provided free of charge. Then go get some food. Once you've recovered, ask if there's any work you can do. Xiao Song is in charge of this area for you. He's very attentive and responsible, and he'll come every day to see if you're adapting well. You can ask him if you have any questions."
Zheng Gang took the bag off his back and placed it on the empty kang. "These are some food and utensils that the remaining three hundred of us have gathered for you. They should be enough for you to get through this most difficult time. This is a way to repay you, Chief Du, for your protection. This kettle is a personal gift from me to repay you for taking care of a useless person like me over the years."
He calculated everything clearly. Du Chun couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes and called out, "Gangzi."
Zheng Gang sighed. In fact, their relationship had already ended during their conversation the night before Du Chun left.
Because of Zheng Gang's disability, Du Chun never even thought of taking him with him. He probably thought that Zheng Gang would soon die in the mountains. He also knew that the world outside was dangerous and difficult, and he didn't know how far he could go, so he agreed at that time that this farewell would be forever.
Only those who have no worries can face life and death calmly.
So according to what they agreed, they were already strangers.
Zheng Gang waved his hand and left. Du Chun and others watched his departing back, just like Zheng Gang watched the big truck they drove away and the dust raised behind it.
"By the way," Zheng Gang paused and continued, "Our current base is still called the Peace Base, but it's not the same as before. Our current leader is Lin Man. Everything in the base, everyone's brand new life, is due to her."
Du Chun was slightly surprised, but also somewhat expected it. Lin Man had saved them that day, and with the abilities he displayed, it seemed that he had no problem becoming the leader of a base.
…
Zheng Gang thought about it and went to find Lin Man.
Lin Man was squatting in an open space where soybeans were drying in the sun, holding a jade dagger in one hand and a round soybean in the other, wondering what he was thinking about.
Seeing Zheng Gang coming over, he looked up and said, "It's inconvenient for you to walk, so don't walk around all the time. If you have anything to say, just ask someone to pass on a message."
Every time Lin Man saw Zheng Gang walking with a limp, he was always worried that he would fall.
How about getting Zheng Gang a car? Even better would be getting him a prosthetic limb.
Lin Man looked at his broken leg and thought, for Zheng Gang, the person who had gone through the most difficult times with her, Lin Man naturally felt very different. In the beginning, she relied on him a lot. The two of them worked diligently to take care of the food and drink for 300 people, and came to where they are today step by step.
Zheng Gang smiled and said, "It's okay. I'm used to walking. It'll be fine."
Lin Man stopped trying to persuade him: "Are you settled?"
"Um."
"If you feel bad, give them some help from time to time."
Zheng Gang shook his head. "There's nothing to feel bad about. There were so many people at the base back then, at least several thousand. It was those top leaders who held meetings one after another and finally announced they were disbanding the base and leaving. That's how the entire base fell apart, leaving only a few hundred people alive. If they could hold out a little longer, until Dayan Mountain recovered and life revived, maybe we could all have survived. I actually hate them quite a bit."
Lin Man complained in his heart, "Brother, Dayan Mountain is revitalized because of me. If those people don't leave, it would be useless if I don't appear in the space."
However, this was the first time she had heard Zheng Gang's inner monologue.
"So now our situation has completely turned around. On the one hand, I'm very emotional, but on the other hand, I feel relieved. Others feel the same way," Zheng Gang said. "Besides, no matter how bad their situation is now, it's better than starving to death in the Nanming base, so there's really nothing to feel bad about."
Zheng Gang spoke his mind and exhaled a breath of turbid air. Finally, he said it out. He felt relieved and asked Lin Man: "What are you looking at?"
"Look at the soybeans. I'm wondering if I can make some soybean oil. You know, there are a lot of people living in the mountains right now, and many of them can't find jobs. We need to develop a few more industries this winter."
Zheng Gang looked at the small patch of soybeans on the ground. What kind of industry is this? Does all this produce a sack of beans? Instead of pressing soybean oil, it's better to grind soy milk to make tofu or sprout beans. Both are fresh foods, and the yield is larger.
Lin Man asked, "So, do you want to eat tofu and bean sprouts, or do you want oil? Do you want to eat oily stir-fried dishes?"
Zheng Gang swallowed his saliva: "Oil, stir-fry."
"That's it?" Lin Man sighed. "But you're right, we don't have enough soybeans. This isn't enough to try. Let's forget about it this year and save them for seeds."
Lin Man almost wanted to beat her chest and stamp her feet. She had only recently learned that soybeans could not only be used to develop many foods, but also to press soybean oil. Soybeans were also the raw material for making soy sauce, and soybeans could also be used to make paste. Soybeans had so many uses, and she didn't plant more in the space. What was the point of planting corn and sweet potatoes?
Well, it seems that corn can also be used to extract corn oil. I will look for talents in this field someday.
She stood up and looked into the distance. There was a group of extremely hardworking people who were always eager to work and rushed to work. Dayan Mountain was still changing day by day. This winter seemed to be full of vitality.
But she was thriving here and had no idea what was going on in the north. She was worried that her father was busy, so she hadn't told him what Zhuang Xuzhi had said.
But according to what her father told her, they were making preparations and wanted to wait until the weather got colder before taking action. Because the zombies' flexibility and combat effectiveness would be greatly reduced in cold weather, and they also needed to give people time to get used to the tactical knives.
Lin Man continued to produce knives non-stop. If he couldn't help in other ways, he could just provide some equipment support.
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