Greasy weird uncle
I only told Han Bo about going to the northern route. I'll tell my parents when they come looking for me, otherwise I won't be able to leave and will face endless questioning and nagging.
The helicopter pilot, leaning against the fuselage smoking, was an acquaintance. Although he wore sunglasses and covered his face with a triangular scarf, resembling a masked bandit, I could still tell from a hairy black mole near his ear that he was the young co-pilot from the western rescue mission. He waved and greeted me warmly.
I exchanged a few pleasantries with him, then pretended not to know the situation and asked, "Xiao Li didn't explain clearly when he went back. How did Commander Yu collapse? Is he sick?"
"Fallen? No," the thief in the passenger seat turned to Li Tonggu, his sunglasses concealing his surprise. "Didn't Xiao Li say? Commander Yu personally led a team into the city to rescue a group of survivors, including a girl. Hmm... Commander Yu took good care of her."
"Oh." I gave a cool smile. "This is none of my business. Why did you come all this way to tell me?"
"It was Commander Yu who asked me to convey this message. He said he would like you to go and take a look."
I'm speechless. Is the passenger in the front seat a complete liability? Yu Zhongjian came up with a dirty trick to provoke me, and he just revealed his intentions like that? If he dared to invite me over, then his so-called "care" was definitely not genuine. The passenger should have said that Yu Zhongjian was injured, sick, or dead, tricked me into going there, and then suddenly witnessed the faces of a couple having an affair—that would have been much more stimulating!
What a brain-dead teammate! They can't even make up a story! But why was I provoked?
Of course, there's also the possibility that the female survivor was harassing Yu Zhongjian one-sidedly, wanting to repay his life-saving debt with her body. He was so annoyed that he wanted me to come and help him get rid of her? That's unlikely. Yu Zhongjian doesn't have that much patience and tolerance for women. If he was really annoyed, he would have already driven her away or sent her to the rear. Keeping her around must be part of a conspiracy.
With mixed feelings of amusement and excitement at uncovering Yu Zhongjian's conspiracy, I boarded the helicopter. We flew at over 200 kilometers per hour, taking nearly four hours in a straight line before stopping for refueling, and then another three hours to reach the north.
The thought of this man flying thousands of kilometers every week, taking seven or eight hours to reach Huaicheng, just to bring back news of me to his extravagant and wasteful commander, makes me feel a little sorry for him. Was he sent out to do this because he's mentally challenged? Otherwise, a pilot like him should be on the front lines, where he's most needed, conducting rescue operations.
During the seven-hour flight, we flew over cities, plains, mountains, and rivers. Little Li and I kept looking at the scenery, gradually letting go of our excitement, and were quite deeply moved.
In the past, when writing essays to describe our motherland, I always liked to use the phrase "vast and beautiful rivers and mountains," because it truly lived up to its name. Magnificent and beautiful, dignified and majestic, with people living in peace and contentment, and the country developing rapidly. But now, the rivers and mountains are still rivers and mountains, but the people are gone, the land is barren, and everything is gray and gloomy. Cities and villages are constantly becoming stagnant, abandoned, and heading towards extinction. It can no longer be described as "vast and beautiful."
The zombies will be eliminated, and a vaccine can be developed, but how long will it take to restore our land to its former state? I think my generation won't live to see it. The world is slowly moving towards a zero state. All we can do is maintain this zero state and push forward, even if it's just 0.1%, to prevent it from turning negative.
Whether talented or useless, every survivor bears a responsibility. The talented contribute their talents, the strong contribute their strength, and the weak must learn to survive, learn to cling to powerful figures—in short, don't die. To live, to preserve the flame of humanity, is already a contribution.
Having gained a sense of national responsibility and concern for the people, when I saw Yu Zhongjian braving the hurricane to pick me up from the airport, I lost all interest in immediately confronting him. I thought to myself that I should broaden my horizons and think more deeply; there are many things I can do, and I shouldn't create unnecessary trouble for myself by getting involved in romantic relationships. Since I'm here, I'll fight for a few days, kill a few more zombies, and whether his relationship with the female survivor is real or not, I don't care anymore.
“I timed it; the helicopter returned as soon as it landed in Huaicheng. You came pretty fast,” he said loudly as he helped me unbuckle my seatbelt.
You think I arrived too quickly? My lofty thoughts vanished instantly, and I said sourly, "So what if I arrived quickly? Did it bother you?"
He looked at me, puzzled, and asked, "What are you talking about?"
The driver wasn't out of his mind. Yu Zhongjian had clearly instructed me to come, but there was no hard and fast rule. He just said it was up to me, and if I was too busy with my own work, it was fine if I didn't come. I was a little confused about what he meant. It was definitely true that he rescued the survivors, and it was definitely true that there was a woman involved, but judging from his calm and collected demeanor, he didn't seem like he had done anything wrong.
That being said, whether he feels guilty or not is none of my business; I'm here to fight.
This is the outskirts of Taocheng, the former site of the airport, now the main base. It was already late, and the familiar roar of artillery fire still echoed in the distance. I followed Yu Zhongjian in a jeep to the garrison.
There was a driver and Little Li in the car, but we didn't talk. However, he held my hand the whole way. When I pulled away, he grabbed it again without saying a word. After a couple of times, I felt it was childish and just let him be.
Passing by rows of tents, we arrived at the airport terminal command center. He led me into an office, turned on the emergency light, closed the door, turned around, put his hand on my shoulder, looked me over carefully, and said, "You haven't gained weight. Li Tonggu said you're eating from a basin now, is that right?"
"Cough cough." I pushed his arm away. "Don't touch me. You even care what I eat? You're so nosy!"
He stared at me intently: "I didn't care before, but now I want to know everything you do."
Those on the front lines can't maintain a clean and tidy appearance. His fleeting handsomeness in the capital had vanished; he was unshaven, his lips chapped, and his uniform was unkempt, making him look like a black market dealer again. I looked away uncomfortably. "You've always been a bit greasy, but you're getting greasy even more. Don't disgust me. Just tell me, why did you call me here?"
"I told you you might have to go back soon, so wait a bit." He pulled me into his arms with both hands.
I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard that. Could it be that a woman was really doing something to him? I hurriedly blocked the chest that was getting closer and closer: "If you keep doing that, I'll hit you! I haven't even settled the score with you for that stolen kiss last time!"
"I want to kiss you one more time."
"......"
Yu Zhongjian had changed. His aloof demeanor was gone; he no longer bothered with his pretense and became like a rogue, clinging to me. He wasn't using much force, but I couldn't break free from his arms. Footsteps paced back and forth outside the door, and the sounds of voices and radio broadcasts rose and fell. I felt it would be improper to fight him at this moment, so I could only silently resist.
The result of the contest... well, I am a woman after all, and I am ultimately slightly inferior in terms of strength.
Of course, he didn't do anything particularly heinous. He just held me, rested his head against my ear, and didn't say a word or move, just like the time he was poisoned by the gas. I thought to myself, this isn't the first time. He looked exhausted from fighting, so I decided to show him some love.
After hugging for a while, he let out a soft sigh and whispered in my ear in an extremely alluring and ambiguous tone, "Are you hungry?"
I got goosebumps: "I'm not hungry."
"I'm hungry, come eat with me."
"Let's get down to business first. What's going on? Why did you call me here?"
"I called you here because I wanted to see you."
I used my shoulders to push off, my arms suddenly spreading outwards to break free of his grip. Then, I bent my elbows and raised my palms to attack his chin, while simultaneously raising my knees, intending to deliver a powerful blow three inches below his navel.
I thought I was quick, but this person reacted even faster. He tilted his head to avoid the palm strike, pressed down on my knee with one hand, grabbed me around the waist with the other, and gently kicked my calf with his heel. I lost my balance and fell backward.
He held me tightly around the waist, leaned down to look at my panicked face, and laughed, "That's a good trick; you can use it when you encounter a pervert."
I was furious: "You're a pervert!"
He grinned, revealing his white teeth: "Then you'll have to admit defeat. You can't beat me."
My technique was incredibly skillful, but the problem still lay in my lack of strength. I thought to myself, unconvinced, that when I got back I would replace my rice bowl with a rice cooker, and do an extra 300 dumbbell presses every morning. I'd try it again in six months.
Yu Zhongjian, being the commander, was allowed to eat alone, but he led me to a special dining area. In a tent on the airport road, a soldier was distributing compressed biscuits and small bottles of clean water to a group of men and women dressed in various clothes. Most of them were young, but there were also a few middle-aged and elderly people. They were all dirty and thin, and when they received the food, they bowed to the soldier to thank him, but their faces showed a sorrowful expression.
Yu Zhongjian didn't go in. Standing at the door, he said to me, "This batch are survivors from Taocheng. They were surrounded by the zombie horde in the small base for more than two months. They were only rescued a few days ago and haven't had time to be sent back to the rear yet. If you don't want to come today, I was planning to have a helicopter send them to Huaicheng next week."
I looked at the thirty or forty people, young and old: "You plan to settle them in Huaicheng?" It's not that it's impossible, but they can't be settled in Huaicheng for the time being, and they'll have to suffer for a while.
Yu Zhongjian mysteriously raised the corners of his mouth: "It's not a group, it's just one person. Go in and see if there's anyone you know."
How could I know the survivors of Taocheng? But Yu Zhongjian wouldn't say such a thing for no reason. Seeing the smile he couldn't hide in his eyes, which seemed to carry a hint of expectation, I walked into the tent with a puzzled look.
Perhaps because they had been besieged by zombies for too long, or perhaps because they were in a military camp, everyone ate in silence, not talking to each other, just eating their own food with their heads down. When they saw me walk in, they all looked up at me, but only glanced at me.
I looked them over one by one, trying to discern any familiar faces beneath their grimy appearance, but to no avail. After a few minutes, I stepped out of the tent: "No one I know here? I've never been to Taocheng before, and none of my friends or classmates are from this place."
He took a piece of paper out of his pocket, looked at it by the light in the tent, pointed to a name and asked, "Who is Qi Aitian?"
My heart pounded, and I snatched the paper away: "Where is it? Where is it?"
When I rushed back into the tent, shouting, "Sweetie, Sweetie, where are you! It's Sister Dafeng, Sister Dafeng from Huaicheng!" a thin, thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl finally stood up from the corner.
"Sister Big Wind?"
I pulled her under the light and looked her over for a long time. She had a long face, a pointed chin, and thick eyebrows and eyes—it was definitely my family's genes. But wait a minute, Tian Tian... she's a chubby little ball of a ball! How did she get so thin? No wonder I didn't recognize her.
"Sweetie, your uncle has been searching frantically for you all in the capital. Where's your dad? Where's your mom? Why are you all alone?"
The chubby little boy I hadn't seen for over three years had transformed into a graceful young woman, pitifully thin and filthy, bearing no resemblance to her former lively and adorable self. After confirming several times that I was indeed her cousin, she threw herself into my arms and burst into tears.
As he led her out, Yu Zhongjian smiled and asked, "Is she your sister?"
"Um."
As soon as Tian Tian saw him, she quickly hid behind me, not daring to raise her head. She was so frightened that she trembled all over and kept whispering, "Go, sister, go quickly."
I wondered what was going on. He was a soldier who had saved people from dire straits, the most trustworthy person, so why was Tian Tian acting like a mouse around a cat when she saw him?
I talked to her alone for a long time in the waiting area office. Although I had a premonition, I still hugged my sister and cried when I heard that my third uncle and aunt had been infected at the beginning of the outbreak.
I thought the Qi family had special genes, but it turns out only my second uncle was special.
When the zombies first appeared, the situation in the capital was worse than in the surrounding provinces and cities due to the dense population. Citizens panicked and fled in droves. After her parents mutated, Tian Tian was rescued by a young couple who lived next door and fled with them to her hometown, Taocheng. She knew she still had relatives in Huaicheng, but as the virus spread and the number of zombies increased daily, no one was willing to take her out into the world again.
She lived like a little beggar, moving from one precarious survivor group to another with her neighbors. Earlier this year, a base was established in a residential area of Taocheng. Just when they thought they could finally live a more stable life, the zombie horde arrived.
The base's armed personnel, without thinking, tried to fight the zombies head-on, and the result was predictable. Those who left the base never returned, and those who remained dared not step out of the neighborhood again.
With food running low, some people started plotting, withholding food from the children and trying to starve them. No one dared to think about what would happen after they died of starvation. Thankfully, Sweetie's neighbors, a couple, saved her life by saving her just a bite each day.
I was extremely grateful: "My sister will definitely repay them."
When Tian Tian saw me, it was like she had found her pillar of support. After crying several times, she gradually calmed down and said while wiping away her tears, "I want to go find my uncle and aunt."
"Go, it's too late today. Stay with your sister for the night, and we'll go home first thing tomorrow morning."
After sobbing for a while, Tian Tian finally asked, "Sister, do you know that uncle?"
"Which one?" I looked at her thin, sharp face; no matter how I tried to comfort her, the fear seemed etched in her eyes and wouldn't go away. After thinking for a moment, I said, "You mean the soldier at the door just now? That's my sister's good friend; he's the one who saved you."
Sweetie whispered, "I'm afraid of him. He always brings me food, and he even calls me out alone to ask my name and how old I am."
So it turns out that the female survivor Yu Zhongjian was specially taking care of was Tian Tian. He must have discovered the connection while checking the registration. Qi Aifeng and Qi Aitian, even if they didn't know each other, they were from the same generation. He used this as an excuse to call me over to ease his own lovesickness... Ugh!
"What are you afraid of? He knows you're my sister, that's why he's taking special care of you. Your sister and he have a good relationship, so don't be afraid."
"Oh," Tian Tian breathed a sigh of relief, looking relieved. "I thought he was a bad guy. Brother Zhang and Sister Liu both told me not to eat anything he gave me and not to go out with him. There are a lot of bad guys these days. I met one at the base last time. He tried to take off my pants, but luckily Brother Zhang chased him away."
I was speechless for a long time, my heart aching as if being cut by a knife. After a long while, I finally said, "Where is this person? Is he in the tent?"
"He's dead. He was beaten to death for stealing someone's things."
You're lucky you died quickly, you beast! Otherwise, I would have let you taste the bitterness of wishing for death!
I hugged Tian Tian and patted her back gently: "Your uncle, aunt, second uncle, and brother Binbin are all waiting for you. No one will bully you anymore."
Yu Zhongjian gave up his dormitory room to us sisters. After coaxing Tian Tian to sleep, I quietly left the room, and sure enough, he was still waiting outside.
"You're going to wait here all night if I don't come out?"
He laughed, "I went to sleep as soon as I heard you snoring."
I glared at him: "I don't snore at all. I was going to thank you, but you're slandering me. I'm not saying anything more."
"Don't mention it," he said shamelessly, as if I had already said it, "We're all family."
I scoffed: "Who's family with you? You don't look like a good person at all. My sister is terrified of you. She's scared whenever she sees you."
He shrugged nonchalantly: "We'll get used to it if we keep in touch."
Looking into his wolf-like, gleaming eyes, I couldn't help but smile slightly and soften my voice, saying, "Thank you for saving my sister. Although my third uncle and aunt are gone, my father will be very happy to find her. You are now a benefactor to our Qi family."
"Can you use this to get something in return from your father?"
Only a few small emergency lights were on in the waiting hall, making the lighting dim, and the doorway to our office was shrouded in shadow. I didn't speak, and he took my hand again.
"Let him give me a chance to take care of you."
I didn't shake him off, letting him hold me, feeling the warmth in my palm. "Didn't you tell my dad last time that you would take care of our whole family? Now you're only taking care of me, that's a huge reduction, I don't think he'll agree."
He suddenly pulled me closer, one hand around my waist, the other pinching my chin: "It's good that you agree."
I finally got goosebumps all over my body after a few attempts to get them up. I looked at them with disgust. "No wonder Tian Tian is afraid of you. Kids are really good at judging people. You're a complete greasy weirdo now."
The next morning, after having breakfast, Tian Tian and I prepared to board the plane and leave, taking the young couple with us. They knew about Tian Tian and my relationship, and after hearing my story about the capital and Huaicheng, they decided to come back with us. I was naturally very happy; they were true benefactors, kind-hearted and of good character. Huaicheng welcomes people like them.
Yu Zhongjian came to see me off at the airport. As the helicopter rotor started to turn on, he gave me a few more words of advice, nothing more than to eat more, sleep more, and take good care of my health. He then nodded kindly to Tian Tian.
Sweetie still didn't dare to look him in the eye, and said with her head down, "Thank you, Uncle. Goodbye, Uncle."
I chuckled, but Yu Zhongjian didn't frown. He just corrected me, "Call me brother-in-law when we meet in the future."
Sweetie looked at me in surprise, and I pulled her away, saying, "Just call him 'uncle,' you're so old, why don't you have any shame?"
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