After Chapter 98 of the main text ended, everything went smoothly.
When Cheng Zhiyu sat down again to leave the base, he saw that there were already some tents in an area on the outskirts of the base.
Children were playing near the tent, and an old woman watched them with a smile.
The old woman looked much better; she was all alone and couldn't do heavy work.
I can only help look after the child.
We had previously discussed moving over to a designated area on the periphery of the base.
The old woman didn't speak, but she felt uneasy. Once they reached the outer perimeter of the base, she probably wouldn't need to take care of these children anymore, and she feared she would lose her source of income.
So she didn't want to eat the food she received while helping to look after the baby those few days, thinking that she could save it up and live a few more days.
As for going back to her old base, she never even considered it. Firstly, she couldn't go back alone, and secondly, it was a place that brought her heartache.
Her grandson never returned while on a mission.
Unexpectedly, when these people were leaving, they wanted to take her with them and ask her to help look after the children.
The old woman was taken aback: "It's perfectly safe there, why would I need to check it?"
Some people say, "Safety is one thing, but what if a kid gets naughty and runs away and can't be found?"
The old woman didn't say anything, knowing it was just an excuse. Which child who had survived the apocalypse wasn't well-behaved and sensible?
Others said, "Besides, we're busy working all day long, how can we take care of them? They can't go a whole day without eating, can they?"
The old woman agreed after hearing this.
Anyone who was young and capable of doing the work, regardless of gender, took the job, since they were paid based on the amount of work completed.
Some women are more capable than men.
Indeed, it was only the old woman who was looking after the child.
After that, the old woman came along. She saved up some food by taking care of the children, and stopped crowding into other people's homes. She rented a tent for herself.
She was grateful and took good care of the children. When one child's clothes were torn, she rented a needle and thread from the shelter and mended the clothes while watching the child.
Cheng Zhiyu stopped a short distance away, glanced at it curiously, and was surprised to see the old woman sewing again with white thread that was a completely different color from the clothes.
At first, Cheng Zhiyu wondered if the stitching would look bad.
In no time, the old woman had sewn a lifelike rabbit onto her outer garment.
If the original color of the fabric were used for the eyes, it would look even better. If the thread color weren't so stiffly white, it would be even more beautiful.
Cheng Zhiyu was astonished.
This old woman was definitely a craftswoman before the apocalypse.
As Cheng Zhiyu looked at them, he couldn't help but move closer. The old woman was startled and looked nervously at the two tall, burly men: "What are you doing here?"
Cheng Zhiyu snapped out of her daze and smiled sheepishly, "Grandma, we're from the base. We got so engrossed in watching the little rabbit you sewed."
When the old woman heard that he was from the base, she relaxed. Thinking about it, it made sense; this was the area of the Xiaohe base, and no one but people from the base could come here.
Recently, the patrol team at Xiaohe Base has been patrolling every day. Any vicious people who approach them are driven away, and those who are let in are just like them.
However, Cheng Zhiyu and Cheng Mo were dressed neatly and seemed to be in good spirits, so they were clearly not refugees.
That can only be someone from the base.
The old woman had a good impression of the people at the river base; they were all very kind and didn't have the hostility of people after the apocalypse.
She smiled and said, "It's nothing. The child was in a hurry to get dressed, so this is the only outfit he has. I even made the needle tip rough."
Cheng Zhiyu was surprised. He chatted with the old woman for a while and learned that she was an embroiderer before the apocalypse. Many people bought her works for a lot of money. However, the old woman got old and her eyesight deteriorated, so she rarely did her own work anymore and only taught apprentices.
Highly skilled professionals!
Cheng Zhiyu, shameless as ever, asked, "Grandma, do you still take on apprentices?"
The old woman looked at Cheng Zhiyu and Cheng Mo in surprise.
Uh... the boy who spoke is rather delicate-looking, but he doesn't seem like the type to be an embroiderer.
Cheng Zhiyu smiled and said, "It wasn't me, it was a girl from the base."
The old woman said, "After the apocalypse, no one cares about my skills anymore. It would be a good thing if they could be passed down."
Cheng Zhiyu understood what the other party meant and said with a smile, "I won't let you teach me for nothing. Would you like to join the base?"
The old woman's fingers trembled upon hearing this: "This...aren't you not accepting people now?"
“You’re a talented individual, so your treatment will definitely be different,” Cheng Zhiyu smiled. “Before the apocalypse, many cities had talent recruitment policies.”
The old woman was of course willing. She was very excited, but she also looked at the little children not far away with reluctance: "It's just that... I have to keep an eye on these children."
Cheng Zhiyu said, "You can watch from here, or you can go inside the base."
The old woman immediately nodded: "Okay, okay, I agree."
Afterwards, Cheng Zhiyu arranged for someone to register the old woman. The base would naturally pay her for teaching apprentices, and the pay would be quite high.
Among those who became apprentices were individuals with special abilities; their focus, eyesight, and hand steadiness were exceptional, making them even more adept at embroidery.
The old woman was also overjoyed. Before the apocalypse, she had taken on apprentices to pass on her skills, but alas...
Now it can finally be passed down.
During the day, she looked after the children while instructing her apprentices. The apprentices were very diligent. When the old woman wanted to cook for the children, the apprentices would tell her to rest and they would do it.
When it got dark, the child's parents returned, and the apprentices took the old woman to the base.
“Our base has a night market at night, it’s very lively,” the apprentice said.
The old woman said that an old woman like her shouldn't be going to the night market, but she had a smile on her face.
She has come to regard these apprentices as her own children.
After a while, the old lady's mental state changed; she seemed much younger and more energetic.
Later, the earliest batch of workers also joined the Xiaohe base one after another, and no longer needed to live in tents outside.
However, new people moved into those tents, and their numbers kept increasing.
The first batch of buildings at the base has been completed, and the flow of people at the Xiaohe base is increasing. A commercial street has even developed on the outskirts of the territory. Even people who are not coming to join the base will come here to browse around. Some people even buy goods from here and then sell them to their own base.
Three years later, the Xiaohe base had grown to 50,000 people, making it a medium-sized base.
During this period, the Chaoyang base purged the research institute and new researchers took office. They used Vaccine 2.0 to modify the Chaoyang vaccine, which was effective for three months after administration.
However, six months later, the Xiaohe base developed version 3.0, which was effective for a full year, causing a sensation once again.
The reputation of Xiahe Base is already well-known.
The various bases exchange mutated seeds here. In the past three years, they have achieved large-scale planting and can now ensure that everyone has enough to eat.
The residents of the base also saw a significant improvement in their living conditions, and they finally reached a point where they needed ordinary laborers.
As a result, some bases discovered that, wow, they simply didn't have enough manpower; many had unknowingly left.
They used to look down on these people and didn't care at all when they left, but now they find that they are short-staffed and have started recruiting again.
However, some people would rather rent houses on the outskirts of the Xiaohe base and wait for the day when the Xiaohe base recruits than go to these bases.
Anyway, even if they don't join the Xiaohe Base, they still have something to do. They can run a small business here, and there will be plenty of people from other bases to buy from them.
Why bother going to those recruitment centers and working yourself to the bone?
The area around Xiaohe Base is now safe. I heard there's a guardian beast there, and the nearby monsters don't dare to come near.
Not to mention zombies, people aren't afraid of them anymore. In fact, their eyes light up when they see one because the crystal core in its head is money!
Once you find a crystal core, you'll have some start-up capital, and you might just make a fortune at the Xiaohe Base.
The zombie probably never imagined it would end up like this.
With fewer and fewer zombies remaining, and most of the high-level zombies already killed, it has become even more difficult for low-level zombies to advance.
Therefore, high-level zombies are now rarely seen.
The group saw the zombie together and stared at it menacingly.
In the end, one of them pocketed the zombie crystal core.
The others glared at the man and said, "You're so cunning. It should have been mine."
The person who obtained the crystal core was somewhat smug: "We each relied on our own abilities, so how did I become the treacherous one? If you don't have the ability, don't try to put on a show."
Others: "Are you looking for a beating?!"
The person with the crystal core said, "You think I'm asking for a beating? You think I'm afraid of you? Come on, let's fight!"
The others: "Come on, let's fight! I'll beat you to death!"
A group of people argued back and forth, spitting as they spoke, but they didn't actually fight. In the end, they glared at each other angrily and then parted on bad terms.
The onlookers were used to this. It wasn't that they didn't want to fight, but fighting wasn't allowed on the territory of the Little River Base. They were all holding back, deliberately provoking each other, hoping to trick the other into making a move and driving them out of the Little River Base's territory.
Not only is fighting forbidden at the Little River Base, but the guardian beast mentioned earlier also fights with anyone it dislikes. If anyone fights, it will immediately appear, throw the person who started the fight out of its territory, and the person who started the fight will never be able to enter the Little River Base's territory again.
Although everyone felt that the rules were too strict, they had no choice but to abide by them since they wanted to come here.
However, for people who dislike arguing with others, this is undoubtedly a good place.
As it has developed, the Little River Base now looks almost exactly like a pre-apocalyptic city.
——
Cheng Zhiyu signed his name on the last document and then stretched.
"Is it over?" Cheng Mo leaned over and handed him a glass of water.
Cheng Zhiyu did feel a bit thirsty, so he drank half a cup and felt much better. He nodded and said, "Okay, that's it."
Cheng Mo felt sorry for him: "You've been so busy lately, working overtime every day."
Cheng Zhiyu said helplessly, "There's nothing I can do. I have to arrange everything in advance before I can go to your hometown with peace of mind."
Cheng Mo smiled and said, "Well, we agreed to have a wedding before I leave. How about I make the arrangements?"
Cheng Zhiyu really didn't have the energy to arrange these things, so he nodded.
Cheng Mo held his hand, and the two of them strolled leisurely along the roads of the base, not in a hurry to go home.
It's already past ten o'clock, but the roads around the base are still bustling with people, all with smiles on their faces. The gloom of the apocalypse seems to have disappeared.
Today, base stations have been established between the various bases, and ordinary people can now communicate with people at other bases.
The internet was restored, and the first thing everyone did after that was to look for their relatives.
To this end, the authorities have set up a special forum where people searching for their relatives can post photos of their loved ones.
Believe it or not, this forum has actually helped quite a few people find their relatives.
Lately, everywhere you hear the joyful laughter of people finding their loved ones.
After returning home, Cheng Mo actively told his parents about the wedding.
Cheng Zhiyu said, "Mom and Dad, Cheng Mo doesn't understand our local customs. You can help him out later."
He and Cheng Zhiyu had already discussed it and agreed that they would follow the local customs here, and then follow the customs of each other's hometowns when they arrived.
Yes, it needs to be done twice.
Regarding the need to do it twice, Cheng Mo had a lot to say: "Of course we have to do it twice, both sides, so that people on both sides will know about our relationship."
Cheng Zhiyu actually felt it didn't matter whether others knew or not, as long as they were happy.
But Cheng Mo doesn't think so: "I want everyone to know that you are mine."
Cheng Zhiyu looked at him.
Cheng Mo: "I'm yours too."
Since Cheng Mo thinks it's necessary, then let's do it.
Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Cheng have come to accept their relationship. Of course, it was mainly Mr. Cheng who accepted it; Mrs. Cheng never objected.
So when they said they wanted to have a wedding, their families naturally supported them.
The older generation believes that holding a wedding is very necessary.
Cheng's mother said happily, "That's a good thing. Don't worry, your father and I will definitely help you handle it well."
After that, Cheng Mo made arrangements for this matter.
He discovered that the preparations needed here seemed to be much more complex than those on his end.
Why do I say "seems"? Because he had only attended weddings before, never hosted one.
First, we need to find a venue for the wedding, which is usually arranged at an official hotel.
Then there's the wedding dress.
Cheng's mother said, "You guys don't have any experience with this. Originally, the dress had to be ordered in advance, but now the situation is urgent, so buying a ready-made one is fine."
The base also sells ready-made items. Previously, Cheng Zhiyu arranged for someone to learn from the old woman, and they have already graduated. They opened a shop selling embroidery products, including clothes.
Cheng Zhiyu quite liked the clothes here; they were very unique, and each piece was haute couture, because each one was one-of-a-kind.
The two found some time to try on clothes and finally decided on one black and one white; Cheng Mo wore black, and Cheng Zhiyu wore white.
The embroidery on them is beautiful, and the two pieces complement each other perfectly; they look like a pair.
After trying it out, the two of them fell in love with it.
Cheng Zhiyu looked in the mirror: "These two sets will do then."
Cheng Mo: "Mm."
Cheng Zhiyu nudged him and whispered, "Why are you standing so close?"
Cheng Mo: "Zhiyu, you're so handsome."
Cheng Zhiyu couldn't suppress the urge to smile, so he coughed lightly and said, "Okay, be serious."
Cheng Mo didn't understand what "being serious" meant, so he leaned closer to Cheng Zhiyu and gently kissed him on the lips.
Cheng Zhiyu's ears immediately turned red, extremely embarrassed: "We're outside, you..."
Cheng Mo said, "It's okay, they didn't see it."
The shop assistants, pretending to be very busy: "..."
Cheng Zhiyu glared at Cheng Mo, who toned it down a bit, but then whispered, "Zhiyu, you look good even when you glare at people."
Cheng Zhiyu: "..." Someone come and drag this pervert away!
After choosing the clothes, it's time to take photos.
Unfortunately, there are no shops that specialize in taking wedding photos right now. Although people's lives are slowly returning to normal, many things are still being kept simple.
Cheng Zhiyu said, "How about we don't film it?"
But when Cheng Mo heard that there was a step involved in taking wedding photos, he insisted on doing so, arguing, "When we're old, we can look back at the photos together."
Cheng Zhiyu was speechless. If an ordinary person said this, he would find it rather romantic, but Cheng Mo said it…
Well, who knows how many thousands of years from now, when they get old...
Is it really necessary?
“Precisely because we live long, we forget about the present while we’re alive,” Cheng Mo said. “When we get old, we’ll have long forgotten about the present, so we should film even more.”
After hearing what he said, Cheng Zhiyu actually felt that there was some truth to it.
After thinking for a moment, I said, "I'll take pictures of my family and friends too."
"Family members are one thing, but friends... we'll still have to think about them when we get old," Cheng Mo said sourly.
Cheng Zhiyu patted his head: "Be good."
Cheng Mo: "...Oh."
In the end, Cheng Mo actually found a camera and someone who knew how to use it.
The two of them took many photos first, then their family and friends, and finally, everyone took a group photo together.
Cheng Zhiyu took a photo and put it into his spatial storage, feeling somewhat wistful. Because he shared a lifespan with Cheng Mo, he knew that when he grew old, his family and friends...
Cheng Mo said, "I'm here for you."
Cheng Zhiyu smiled and said, "Yeah, it's good that you're here."
Zhou Min, who was standing to the side, pulled Han Ping and said, "Come on, let's take some pictures together."
Han Ping glanced at the others apologetically, then posed for a photo with Zhou Min.
Han Tingting: She was right after all.
After taking wedding photos, we sent out invitations to our relatives and friends.
But there weren't enough people. With a little bit of selfishness in mind, Cheng Zhiyu announced that he was getting married and said that he would select a few people to attend his wedding.
The person who draws the lottery doesn't need to prepare anything; they just need to attend the wedding.
Although the residents of the base had vaguely heard about this, they didn't have any definite information. Now that they heard about it, they weren't surprised; instead, they felt a sense of relief.
People left comments on the post saying, "Pick me! Pick me! I can go on stage and perform."
"[Forwarding a lucky koi fish] Please, pick me!"
"Aww, I want to go too! I wonder how much delicious food Captain Cheng will have at his wedding, haha."
"Upstairs, are we still short of food?"
"What do you know? It's definitely different."
"I'm so unlucky, please let me be lucky just once more!"
"Captain Cheng and Mr. Cheng Mo are a match made in heaven, may their love last forever!"
"Captain Cheng and Mr. Cheng Mo will be happily together forever!"
"Captain Cheng and Mr. Cheng Mo..."
Why is everyone posting this?
"I heard that Mr. Cheng Mo especially likes to listen to these kinds of things. If you keep refreshing, you might get picked by him."
"I see. I'll give it a try then."
Cheng Mo scoffed at the content, thinking, "Pshaw, I wouldn't..." and then silently added the people who had just started posting these to his invitation list.
Cheng Zhiyu was completely unaware of this.
He was looking at the reports; the number of zombies had hit a new low.
Moreover, thanks to the promotion of mutant seeds, most arable land is now suitable for planting mutant seeds.
People's lives and production are gradually moving closer to the end times.
The end times are coming to an end.
Cheng Zhiyu smiled; he still missed life before the apocalypse.
Now, all the bases have sent people to clear out the zombies. Before long, the zombies will be wiped out, and the apocalypse will become history.
——
The Xiahe base was unusually lively today, and some people asked curiously, "What's going on today? Why is it so lively?"
The person being questioned glanced at the other person and asked, "You're not from the Xiahe Base, are you?"
The other person scratched their head: "Yeah, how did you know?"
"Because you didn't even know that Captain Cheng was getting married." The man laughed. "Everyone knows now, and many people have been invited to the wedding, but unfortunately I wasn't chosen."
The other person suddenly realized, "I see! Then I'll have to watch the show."
The wedding definitely won't follow the pre-apocalyptic procedures, and Cheng Zhiyu also thinks that would be awkward.
She just needed to say a few words and announce her marriage to Cheng Mo.
Although everything was kept simple, everyone was in high spirits, and Cheng Zhiyu and Cheng Mo distributed wedding candies to everyone.
Then the banquet began.
Cheng Mo: "...It smells so good."
Cheng Zhiyu chuckled, "Why do you love to eat so much?"
Cheng Mo denied it: "No, I was just expressing my feelings."
Cheng Zhiyu: "Let's go eat."
Cheng Mo: "Aren't we not allowed to eat it?"
Cheng Zhiyu asked, puzzled, "Why can't we eat it?"
Cheng Mo: "I heard that newlyweds don't even get to eat at the banquet on their wedding day."
Cheng Zhiyu then realized, "That's because we're busy toasting, so let's skip this step and go eat."
Cheng Mo was delighted: "Let's go to that table."
Chen Zhiyu: "A separate table."
He had everything arranged; otherwise, whichever table Cheng Mo sat at, the other people at that table wouldn't be able to get a full meal.
——
After the wedding, the base was filled with joy for a while, and several other couples also held their own small ceremonies.
Cheng Zhiyu has also contributed to the increase in the base's marriage rate.
They did not leave immediately after the wedding.
He continued to work on the base's affairs, and over the years he had also trained many capable people, all of whom were quite competent.
During this period, Cheng Zhiyu needs to arrange all the matters that need to be handled for these people.
The current focus remains on planting trees and crops to improve everyone's production and lives.
In particular, we should encourage everyone to start businesses, and the base can offer preferential policies, etc.
Furthermore, we have strengthened cooperation with other bases, and now other bases can also freely obtain mutant seeds, so they no longer need to buy them from the Xiaohe base.
Cheng Zhiyu didn't feel disappointed; on the contrary, he thought it was a good thing.
The food issue is inherently about self-sufficiency; relying on a single base in the long term is abnormal.
Shortly afterward, officials announced that the apocalypse was over as the zombies were cleared away.
Excited cheers echoed everywhere that day.
Next, various laws and regulations were promulgated to prevent the vicious struggles that occurred during the previous apocalypse.
Then, the major bases were no longer called bases, but were divided into regions, each with its own manager who had to be elected.
Cheng Zhiyu did not participate in the election; he was originally the manager of this base, but at the time, there was no other way.
Moreover, after this, he might have to travel back and forth between Cheng Mo's hometown and here, and won't be able to stay here for long.
Finally, the manager of Xiahe District was chosen from among people whom Cheng Zhiyu had been grooming. These people share similar ideas with Cheng Zhiyu, and there will not be any major changes in the development of Xiahe Base afterward.
Once outside the walled area, it was no longer as deserted as before, but filled with laughter and joy.
They overcame the difficulties together, and their future will be peaceful and smooth.
—End of text—
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