After dinner, Ye Yunyi, Wang Zixiang, Zhao Yong, and Ye Yunjuan gathered together to discuss how to reclaim their home.
“There were people at our original home, but my parents are staying in the tunnel of building 38. I just went to check, and there are no signs of freezing in building 38 so it should be safe for now.”
“Zhao Biao and his group numbered more than 30. We shot and killed several of them, but there are still more than 20 left. They all have guns and are quite dangerous.”
“If they all live in Building 37, we can sneak down the mountain later in the dark and launch a surprise attack through the tunnel between Buildings 38 and 37. If they are not all in Building 37, at least we can take them home first.”
Ye Yunyi analyzed.
“We have six guns and about 100 rounds of ammunition. I’ve tried shooting before, and my accuracy is pretty good.” Zhao Yong had already counted the guns and ammunition.
“Okay, then you teach us how to use the guns. Each of us will have one gun for self-defense, and each of us will have 10 bullets. The rest will go to Zhao Yong,” Ye Yunyi decided.
"However, we will still mainly use arrows, after all, bullets are precious and hard to come by, and it hurts to waste even one," Ye Yunyi added.
“Then we’ll make some bamboo arrows later,” Wang Zixiang said.
"Yes, not bad," Zhao Yong agreed.
“Sister, stay here and take care of the family. We’ll let you know,” Ye Yunyi said to Ye Yunjuan.
"Okay." Ye Yunjuan knew that her visit wouldn't be of much use, and might even be a burden. She answered decisively.
Without further ado, they found a bamboo forest halfway up the mountain, cut down a lot of bamboo, and started making bamboo arrows. Zhao's father, being skillful, also made several bamboo baskets to carry wild vegetables and other items.
In the latter half of the night, they made several hundred bamboo arrows, and Ye Yunyi and her two companions took the weapons and crept down the mountain.
Looking down from the pavilion, the entire community was quiet. Under the cover of night, they walked along the stone steps toward the tunnel connecting Building 38 to the back mountain.
The exit was perfectly concealed at the time, so it seems my parents never came out.
They all went into the recessed area by the door, concealing their figures. Ye Yunyi took out her key and opened the door.
DouDou, who was in the passage, heard the noise and nudged Wang Xuanxuan with her head, signaling her to pay attention to the entrance of the cave behind the mountain.
Wang Xuanxuan and Dou Dou were in perfect sync. She quickly called to her grandparents, "There's some noise at the back door. Dou Dou gave us a heads-up."
As Ye's parents walked, they listened and, sure enough, they heard the sound of a key turning in a keyhole.
"Your parents are back," Ye's father said. Only Ye Yunyi and her family had the key and knew where this place was, so they must be the ones who opened the door.
Upon hearing this, Wang Xuanxuan excitedly ran towards the door, so when Ye Yunyi opened the door, she was immediately embraced by Wang Xuanxuan.
"Mom, you're finally back."
Ye Yunyi reported back and looked at her excited parents behind her, saying, "Mom and Dad, not only are we back, but look, Zhao Yong and the others are back too."
Ye Yunyi and Wang Zixiang stepped aside, and Zhao Yong walked in, calling out, "Mom and Dad."
When Ye's parents looked at Zhao Yong, tears streamed down their faces.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Where are Juanjuan and the others?"
"It's in the back mountain," Wang Zixiang replied casually as he entered the room after regaining his concealment and closing the door.
"Mom and Dad, don't worry, we're all fine," Zhao Yong reassured them.
"What's the current situation in the community?" Ye Yunyi asked.
"Li Biao and his group went to attack Boss Li's house, but they fell asleep and the whole family ran away. They found nothing, and in their anger, they looted all the supplies of the survivors in the community. They also cleared out all the zombies in the community." Mother Ye succinctly explained the situation.
"What about this side? Has it been discovered?"
“Li Biao found out this evening, but Xiao Deng took him away. At that time, your mother was picking vegetables outside and almost got caught,” Ye’s father said with lingering fear.
"Yes, but it seems they've all moved out tonight. I heard Mr. Li's house is very luxurious, and they found some supplies there. It's also safe, so they all moved out," said Mrs. Ye.
"Our house is empty?" Ye Yunyi said. "I went there in the evening and saw that our lights were on and there were people on the roof."
"I don't know," Ye's parents shook their heads.
“Boss Li lives in Xindao. The original bridge has been destroyed, and you have to take a boat to get across. It is indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack. But let’s take back our home first and bring my sister and the others back.”
Everyone agreed, and they made their way through the tunnel to Building 37. They were initially quite nervous, but when they opened the door and found the house empty except for a mess, they didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. After all, if there had been someone, they could have killed a few, but then they wouldn't have as many helpers when it came to killing others.
The vegetables in the yard were almost completely destroyed, the two little pheasants left in the chicken coop were gone, and the fishpond was a mess. The house was even worse, filled with smoke and fumes.
Ye Yunyi sighed deeply, while her mother was already furious and started scolding her.
The gate to the courtyard was slightly ajar, unlocked. Wang Zixiang locked the gate and checked the electricity; thankfully, it was working properly, so they turned on the power grid. The appliances inside the house also functioned normally.
Zixiang, you and Zhao Yong go and pick up your sister and the others. I'll pack up.
“I’ll go too,” Ye’s parents said in unison.
"Hey, old woman, it's late at night, and the roads are hard to walk on. You and Yiyi clean the house and get something to eat," said Ye's father.
"Okay, I'll go get something to eat." Ye's mother was persuaded and went to the basement to find something to eat.
Ye Yunyi and Wang Xuanxuan began tidying up the house, cleaning, and changing the sheets and blankets they had soiled. They also restored the spring water they had hidden away.
Although we lost the house temporarily, we were still very happy to have brought my sister back.
After tidying up, Ye's mother had also prepared the meal.
She stewed pig's trotters and ribs, stir-fried fresh vegetables, made twice-cooked pork, cucumber and egg soup, and also cooked sausages and braised meat. It was a lively affair, as if she wanted to cook up all the delicious food and eat it all.
Seeing how busy Ye's mother was, Ye Yunyi was also very happy. It was truly something to celebrate that her sister's family had returned safely.
Soon, they brought their sister's family back as well.
The mother and sister hugged and cried for a while, telling each other about their longing for each other and what they had seen and heard on the way.
The parents greeted Zhao's father and mother again, and then had another meal around the table.
Although everyone ate pheasant in the evening, the meal was still incredibly delicious, not only in terms of color, aroma, and taste, but also with a generous amount of various ingredients.
After dinner, Ye Yunyi told everyone to wash up. With the spring water and electric water heater, they could also enjoy a nice hot shower.
Just as they were getting ready to rest, there was a knock on the door in the courtyard.
This startled Ye Yunyi and her family.
Who is it? Knocking on the door so late at night?
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