She wasn't shy at all. She wiped her mouth and walked over to the host. She looked around with a smile in her eyes and slowly said:
"Thank you, Hongxia, for giving me this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone. A year has passed in the blink of an eye. In this year, we have experienced a lot. We have lost loved ones, lost our homes, gone hungry, been injured, gotten sick, been bullied, and fought back. But we have made it through, and things are getting better and better. The future will be even better."
As soon as she finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted in the room. After the applause subsided, Ye Yunyi continued:
"It hasn't been easy for us to get to where we are today; it's the result of everyone's joint efforts. Originally, I wasn't planning to say anything today, hoping everyone could have a happy New Year. But since I'm here, I'll say a few words. First, I want to thank Wang Zixiang. He worked tirelessly, day and night, to establish a system for us, giving us rules to follow, preventing chaos, ensuring the greatest fairness and justice, and making sure everyone gets what they pay for, so that every bit of effort is visible. Let's give him the warmest applause."
Wang Zixiang was suddenly called upon, and he smiled shyly.
"I want to thank Zhao Yong again. Although he was not originally a resident of our villa area, he participated in the defense of the villa area as soon as he arrived. He wiped out Song Ming and Li Biao's gang without bloodshed. Later, he diligently trained a top-notch guard and protection team for us. They not only protected our homes, but also brought back so many supplies for us, ensuring that we survived and thrived."
Zhao Yong was called out, his back straightened, and the guards and personal guards cheered.
"Thank you, Dr. Shen and Elder Xu. Although Dr. Shen has only been in our villa area for a short time, you saved us from danger. Elder Xu, you were our whistleblower. If it weren't for your reminder, we would probably have become half-dead by now. Thank you both." Ye Yunyi finished speaking and bowed deeply to them.
Dr. Shen waved his hand with a smile, but Old Xu wiped the moisture from the corner of his eyes.
"Thank you to Professor Shen, Ye Yunjuan, and Xu Qianqian for founding the school. With children and schools, there is hope. This is the inheritance; the human flame will not be extinguished, but will be passed on from generation to generation."
These words resonated with everyone. In the apocalypse, people may be content with just surviving, but in the long run, it is essential to ensure the continuation of human civilization, preventing it from regressing or failing.
"Thank you, Mr. An, Mr. Ye Xiong, Mr. Zhao Cai, and everyone here. It is you who have turned our villa area into fertile fields and grown the food we depend on for survival. You are our providers. You may think that you are just working to earn some work points, but it is because of you that our villa area has hope for development."
"Thank you to my brothers in the guard and escort team. Every departure is fraught with danger, and we are always prepared for a one-way trip, but you have never backed down. You cooperate well and never abandon any teammate. You follow orders, coordinate effectively, and act flexibly. You are not afraid of hardship or fatigue and train hard. You are our most steadfast support."
"And Liu Qingguo, Uncle Liu, Xiao Fang, Chen Yu, Gao Fei, our community staff, volunteers, and sanitation workers, because of your hard work in the community, we have a stable, warm, clean, and orderly environment."
"Today is our first Lunar New Year's Eve, and we've also witnessed the first wedding in our villa community. I'm truly happy. I'm very grateful that everyone is willing to work together with us. Zixiang, Zhao Yong, and I will work even harder to give everyone a better life. Thank you all."
At this moment, everyone's eyes were brimming with tears, and they unconsciously clapped, as if only in this way could they express their heartfelt recognition and gratitude. They were also silently thinking to themselves, "We must work even harder in the future; this is our home." The sense of unity reached its peak at this moment.
The Li family, sitting in the crowd, seemed somewhat forlorn. They weren't really part of the community; they hadn't participated in the resistance, the construction, or even intended to integrate after returning. Yet, the Li family had cured their patient, and the New Year's Eve banquet hadn't forgotten them. Should they join in, truly integrate?
At this moment, Duan Yuxin curled her lips and said sarcastically, "Look at them, it's almost as if everyone has forgotten that they were all peasants." She then looked disdainfully at the little dog Dou Dou, who was running around happily. "Truly, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."
"Shut up," Li Huaqiang growled. Why was his wife so troublesome?
Li Huaqiang looked around. Luckily, everyone at the table was his family, and a few others were elderly and hard of hearing. It wouldn't be good if this got back to Ye Yunyi's family.
Next came the variety show, featuring a diverse array of programs. There were song and dance performances by children, skits and dances by young adults, sword dancing by the guards, dances by seniors, and performances by those with special talents, including painting and riddle-solving. This immersive performance offered a much more enjoyable experience than watching television; everyone had put their heart into preparing for it.
A roaring bonfire, a steaming hot pot, and a variety of exciting programs. Thinking back to last year's Lunar New Year's Eve, when the neighboring resettlement community's fireworks led to a zombie invasion, this Lunar New Year's Eve was truly warm and safe.
The commotion in the villa area was neither too loud nor too quiet. The zombies outside would occasionally let out a few low growls. The zombies they had seen at the city hospital had mutated, so they had been observing them closely since they returned. There were changes here too, but none of them had developed intelligence, so they hadn't had time to deal with or study them.
After the New Year, I plan to have Dr. Shen take a look.
In the neighboring Happiness Community, some residents still survived. After the zombie invasion, some clever and skilled neighbors protected themselves well and united to turn their rooftops into a safe haven. They planted crops and stored water, but the zombies still roamed the community and between buildings, and they couldn't eliminate them all in one go. They also couldn't go out to find supplies. Fortunately, the community was large and populated, and they survived by scavenging for supplies within the community, barely managing to stay alive.
They heard or saw the commotion in the villa area and were filled with envy. Some even harbored ill intentions, thinking how wonderful it would be if it were their own.
Hong Huier and Yang Jing returned the gifts to everyone one by one, all of which were homemade candies wrapped in red paper.
Previously, everyone gave gifts according to their own feelings; some gave food coupons, some gave toiletries, some gave grain, some gave eggs, some gave clothes—all kinds of gifts, all expressing goodwill. They didn't accept any of them. The villa community had hosted their wedding, so how could they accept any more gifts?
On New Year's Eve, everyone stayed up late to welcome the new year. The children were a treasure, going from one person to another in the crowd to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Everyone smiled and gave them red envelopes. Ye Yunyi, Wang Zixiang, and Zhao Yong had also prepared quite a few. Seeing the children receiving big red envelopes, some mischievous guards and Xiao Fang also ran over with smiles to wish everyone a Happy New Year and ask for red envelopes. Ye Yunyi, Wang Zixiang, and Zhao Yong also gave them to them with smiles.
They played until after 3 a.m., when some of the elderly and children, unable to stay awake any longer, were sent back to rest. The rest of the group, finally able to relax, chatted about everything under the sun, reminiscing about the past, joking around, and dreaming about the future.
Perhaps no matter what the future holds, this will be the most unforgettable New Year's Eve for everyone present.
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