Nanxing pushed open the door, and a tall figure instantly lunged at him. He dodged to the side, and the figure stumbled, almost falling to the ground: "Hey bro, don't hide! I'm Han Biao, not a bad guy!"
Nanxing quickly helped Han Biao up and excitedly asked, "Brother Biao, what are you doing at the S City base?"
Han Biao laughed and patted Nanxing on the shoulder. Looking at his face, which was almost unchanged from when they parted, a complex emotion flashed through his heart: "It's all thanks to you. How are you and Banxia? Is she feeling better?"
He was among the first to apply to join the base. Initially, he was assigned to the M City base next door. Later, he had some unpleasant experiences with the people at the base and, through his connection with Nanxing, eventually joined the S City base.
Upon hearing the name "Banxia," Nanxing's eyes softened involuntarily: "Alright, how are you, your uncle, aunt, sister-in-law, and nephew?"
A hint of sadness flashed in Han Biao's eyes. He didn't answer the question but changed the subject, saying, "Nanxing, let me introduce you to someone."
Nanxing had already spotted the other figure at the door. He initially thought it was Han Biao's friend, but judging from his solemn tone, the person's status seemed extraordinary.
"Hello," Yan Ning said, stepping forward and extending her right hand to greet Nan Xing after the two finished exchanging pleasantries. "My name is Yan Ning, and I am Han Biao's superior."
Yan Ning?!
Nanxing's pupils contracted slightly, and he reached out to shake her hand: "Hello, Commander Yan, I'm Nanxing."
Yan Ning wasn't surprised that Nan Xing knew her identity, and said with emotion, "I've finally met you in person."
She had a great fondness for the Nanxing couple who risked their lives to send back news about the zombies and who had been doing charity work for many years. She once took the initiative to ask her superiors to assign the two of them to her base, but who knew that they had not applied at all. It was a pity that she missed out on such a talented person.
Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn, and the other party actually came to her door. As soon as she heard her subordinate's report, she immediately brought her old friend Han Biao over.
Seeing that Nanxing seemed puzzled, she explained, "The base has taken in many children from orphanages. They always say that they survived the early stages of the apocalypse thanks to the supplies donated by you and your husband, and they are very grateful. They hope to thank you in person someday."
Nanxing was taken aback. He and Banxia donated supplies mainly to cover up the true destination of the supplies under the guise of charity. Who knew that the people they unintentionally helped would keep this matter in mind and never forget it, and even the leaders of the base knew about it.
He was so conflicted that he didn't know what to say for a moment, so he simply skipped it and invited the two of them inside: "It's cold outside, Chief Yan, Brother Biao, come in and sit down."
"Brother Xing," Han Biao asked excitedly, "Are Brother Yuan and Brother Xuan here too?"
“Hmm,” Nanxing closed the door. “Everyone’s here. Do you have time tonight? If so, let’s catch up.”
Han Biao glanced at Yan Ning subconsciously, and seeing the other party nod with a smile, he quickly said, "Okay, I have a lot to say to you!"
Nanxing led the two into the house: "Look who's here!"
Banxia and the others looked up from the pot and asked, "Han Biao?"
Cai Yuan excitedly went up to him: "What are you doing here, kid?"
"Brother Yuan," Han Biao hugged Cai Yuan, "Long time no see!"
After Nanxing and the other two finished greeting each other, they introduced Yan Ning and Banxia to the others, and then invited the two to have dinner together.
Han Biao was a little embarrassed, but Yan Ning readily agreed.
Nanxing and the others had plump skin and bright eyes. Even the pets' food table was piled high with food, so it was clear that they didn't need their food and there was no need to push it back and forth.
"This flavor is perfect," Yan Ning took a deep breath. "Did you make the broth yourself?"
"Okay," Banxia handed her the new bowl and chopsticks, "Please don't be shy, Chief Yan."
Yan Ning laughed heartily, "Don't worry, I just don't know how to spell the word 'polite.' Don't be so polite, just call me Sister Ning in private."
"Okay, Sister Ning."
Banxia sat down with mixed feelings. Nanxing gently squeezed her hand and helped her pick up some food.
Nanxing and the others had many questions for Han Biao, but they hesitated to speak because of the stranger Yan Ning. Instead, they kept urging the two to eat, and the meal was finished in half an hour.
Yan Ning noticed the discomfort among the others and promptly took her leave after finishing her meal.
As soon as she left, Nanxing and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
“Brother Biao,” Nanxing pulled Han Biao to sit down on the sofa that had just been brought out, “How have you been these past year or so?”
Han Biao tightened his grip on the water glass, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes. He smiled bitterly and said, "Not the best, but not the worst either."
He took a deep breath and slowly recounted what he had experienced over the past year.
Because of ample supplies and the couple's good abilities, they found decent jobs within two days of arriving at the base. He joined the guard team, while his wife continued working as a teacher. With a stable income, the family, while not wealthy, was at least able to make ends meet.
But the Rabbit Kingdom is a society based on personal connections, and when they set off, they were accompanied by a large group of relatives. These relatives were not as capable as the couple, and could only do manual labor such as building houses, carrying bricks, hoeing the ground, and farming. After a couple of days, they couldn't keep up.
So some people set their sights on their family, coming to their door to borrow grain and points. The elderly in the family were shy, and since they were all real relatives, they had no choice but to lend them the money.
Once one person successfully borrowed money, others, like leeches smelling blood, flocked to ask for help. Since they were all relatives, it wasn't good to show favoritism, so the loan continued to be extended.
The family consisted of seven people, four of whom were elderly and one was a child. None of them were able to work, so only the couple did the work. They quickly ran out of money.
Seeing that they couldn't squeeze any money out of them, the once kind and gentle relatives suddenly changed their tune, turning to swearing and accusing them of neglecting their poor relatives now that they were successful.
The family, after much agonizing reflection, resolved to sever all ties with these relatives. However, just then, their two-year-old son, Kang Kang, fell seriously ill, requiring extensive medical treatment. Left with no other option, they turned to their relatives to collect the debt.
No one wants to spit out food once it's in their mouth, and a fierce conflict ensued. He used force to subdue his son, snatch back the unfinished food, pay for his son's medical treatment, and barely save his life.
Unexpectedly, the relatives were not satisfied and went to his and his wife's workplace to make trouble, falsely accusing them of robbing others and causing them to lose face. They were even kicked out of the base.
The family wandered for three months. During that time, the parents and in-laws died of thirst in order to save water for the couple and their grandson.
Nanxing opened her mouth, but didn't know how to comfort her. After a long while, she managed to say, "I'm sorry, I..."
Han Biao interrupted, saying, "Brother Xing, you don't need to apologize. If it weren't for you, my wife, my son, and Kang Kang would have died long ago."
Seeing that Nanxing was puzzled, he explained, "When my family of three was desperate, we were rescued by the base's mission team. All the team members came from orphanages."
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