Ye Yunyi and the others parked their car in the yard. Apart from being more dilapidated, the house itself hadn't changed much.
My brother's car is no longer in the yard, and the old earthen wall still has large cracks. The once clean yard is now covered with fallen leaves and overgrown with weeds because no one cleans it.
There was only a little water in the water tank by the kitchen door; the usually hardworking Mr. and Mrs. Wang would never have allowed this to happen. In contrast, the fields in front of the house were a lush green expanse of wheat, rapeseed, soybeans, and various vegetables, a stark contrast to their dilapidated and messy home.
The door was also locked. Hearing the noise outside, the door was pried open, revealing a crack. Four-year-old nephew Wang Junjun peeked out from the crack, his face half-revealed. Seeing that it was Wang Zixiang, he called out, "Uncle, Uncle."
Wang Zixiang rushed over and called out, "Junjun, don't be afraid, your uncle is here, your uncle is here."
Only after receiving a response did Wang Junjun burst into tears. Her cries broke the hearts of everyone present.
Decades ago, adults were unable to care for their children, so they would lock them at home. Yet, this kind of thing is happening again now.
Ye Yunyi took out a pancake and handed it to Wang Junjun, saying, "Junjun, be good, eat it. Your uncle and aunt will protect you."
The child stopped crying, picked up the biscuit, and began to gnaw on it in large bites.
“They must be out working, but I haven’t seen them along the way. They must have gone up the mountain,” Wang Zixiang muttered to himself.
It took Ye Yunyi and the others two hours to get here, and it's about 11:40 now, so they should be back soon.
Wang Ke said that their work was like going to work. They would get up before dawn to work, stop work at noon to go home and get food, and then go back to work promptly at 2 pm, working until 8 pm before going home. They worked more than 10 hours a day, with only 4 hours for meals and rest.
Sure enough, a little while later, Wang's parents and younger brother returned, carrying hoes and covered in dirt. The elderly neighbor followed behind them.
Upon seeing Wang Zixiang and Ye Yunyi, Wang's parents seemed quite surprised. They ran a few steps quickly, with Wang's father holding Wang Zixiang's hand and Wang's mother holding Ye Yunyi's hand, tears streaming down their faces before they could even speak.
"Mom, don't cry, it's alright, we've come to take you upstairs," Ye Yunyi said, wiping away Wang Ma's tears.
“Yiyi, you shouldn’t have come back. Now that you’re back, you can’t leave,” said Wang Ma.
As he spoke, Wang's father opened the door, and Wang Junjun ran over, hugged Ye Yunyi, and shouted, "Auntie, hug me!"
Ye Yunyi held Wang Junjun in her arms, touching his little hands that were red from the cold, and felt very sad.
The younger brother, Wang Zichao, who used to be chubby, was now skin and bones. His eyes looked much more weathered. After greeting Ye Yunyi and the others, he went to greet the people that Ye Yunyi and the others had brought.
They had nothing left in the house; no cigarettes, alcohol, or fruit, only some cooled boiled water. Mr. and Mrs. Wang were about to prepare a meal when so many people suddenly arrived, making them feel quite uneasy. They simply couldn't come up with anything decent to cook.
Wang Zixiang quickly took out the things that Ye's parents had prepared from the car and heated or cooked them for them to have a simple meal.
"Hey, Zichao, you have guests?" A loud voice rang out from outside.
Upon hearing this voice, Wang Zichao visibly flinched.
"Who?" Wang Zixiang asked.
“Wu Bohu. He’s the boss here. He comes every time a new guy comes. Brother, sister-in-law, you really shouldn’t have come back,” Wang Zichao said anxiously. “They kill without blinking an eye. Grandma Liu next door was paralyzed and couldn’t get up to work, so he killed her with a knife. And Grandpa Er was too old to work, so he was beaten to death.”
As Wang Zichao spoke rapidly, he walked out while quickly adjusting his expression.
"Brother Tiger, you've arrived! Come in, please come inside and have a seat," Wang Zichao said with a fawning smile.
Wang Zixiang, Ye Yunyi, and others also came out of the house.
This Wu Bohu, despite having such a good name as Bohu, doesn't resemble Tang Bohu at all. He looks more like a gangster, with a thuggish air about him. He has medium-length hair, and it's rare that he would dye it green in the apocalypse, making him look like a parrot.
He was smoking a cigarette, wearing a thick gold chain around his neck, and a nearly new gray down jacket and black leather shoes. But in the countryside, they were inevitably covered in dust and dirt, which made him look less imposing.
He swaggered over, followed by about ten people, each holding a gun, looking menacing.
Behind them was an old acquaintance, whom Ye Yunyi spotted at a glance: Shi Zhancai, the man who conspired with Boss Zhong to cheat Wang Zixiang into doing engineering work. Boss Zhong's entire family was wiped out, and Shi Zhancai, who was inseparable from Boss Zhong, had somehow managed to get his hands on this place.
Damn it, these scumbags not only bullied Wang Zixiang, but now they're bullying his parents too. Since they've been caught in this mess, it's like God has delivered them to his doorstep.
Wu Bohu walked up the steps, went into the house, and sat down in the main seat.
"Let me introduce myself." He looked disdainful, not even glancing at Wang Zichao, but Wang Zichao knew that these words were directed at him.
He didn't exchange more than a few words with Wang Zixiang and the others. He didn't know why his brother and sister-in-law had come back, so he could only cautiously reply, "Brother Hu, this is my brother and sister-in-law." He introduced them, pointing to Wang Zixiang and Ye Yunyi.
Then, pointing to the five people who came with Ye Yunyi, he said, "They are..." Wang Zichao didn't know what to say.
“Our friends came back with us,” Wang Zixiang added.
This was Wang Zixiang's hometown, so Ye Yunyi didn't say much and left everything to Wang Zixiang to handle. However, in a few glances, Wang Zixiang and Ye Yunyi had already reached a consensus: "First outsmart them, then launch a full-scale attack."
"Living long-term or short-term?" Wu Bohu asked, echoing the innkeeper's line. Ye Yunyi, holding Wang Junjun, almost burst out laughing.
“Brother Tiger, Mom and Dad are here, so we’re definitely staying here long-term. It’s too dangerous outside, and we’ve finally made it back here. I wonder if there are any rules here?” Wang Zixiang asked.
"Good, kid, you're getting the hang of it," Wu Bohu thought to himself, but his face remained arrogant. "Shi Zhancai, you go and explain our local customs to Zichao's brother, sister-in-law, and his friends."
Shi Zhancai stepped forward. He had actually recognized Wang Zixiang and Ye Yunyi long ago, but he pretended not to know them. But Wang Zixiang wouldn't let him pretend. As soon as he stepped forward, Wang Zixiang said, "Zhancai, it's you! It's great to see you here."
Shi Zhancai smiled awkwardly: "I didn't expect this to be your hometown, Zixiang."
When Wang Zichao realized they knew each other, his eyes darkened. This Shi Zhancai had a history of bullying others by abusing his power, and had even whipped Wang's parents.
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