PSW – Chapter 21

Two months had passed since the apocalypse began.

Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan still hadn’t reached Pujie.

Yu Yinan had initially planned to take the highway. Clearly, she hadn’t expected the chaos on the highway, which could almost be described as “horrifying.” There was no need to mention the tragic crash scenes; zombies roamed among piled-up bodies, and there were quite a few cars burned down to their skeletons after explosions.

Forcing their way through was an option, but it would require clearing a path by hand—moving some cars aside, clearing out the zombies on the roadside, and so on.

After some consideration, Yu Yinan repeatedly studied the map and finally decided to take a slight detour.

So, they were still on the road.

During these days, Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan had also encountered other survivors.

While searching for food in a roadside convenience store, Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan happened to run into two sisters who were also out looking for food. They were clearly startled when they saw them. Perhaps because they were all women, they didn’t show much wariness and instead acted friendly.

When they saw Zheng Yi coming out of the convenience store empty-handed, they even hesitated for a moment before proactively approaching her. They pulled a can of luncheon meat from their backpack and handed it over. “You’re out looking for food too, right? Sorry, we’ve picked this area pretty clean… but we don’t have much food left either. Here, this is for you.”

Yu Yinan never expected to meet anyone other than Zheng Yi who was so kind.

Zheng Yi didn’t refuse their kindness. Instead, she kept them for a chat and learned that their bodies had also been enhanced after the downpour, giving them some ability to protect themselves. They had lived here before the apocalypse and were very familiar with the area. Being homebodies, they had stockpiled a lot of things before the end of the world, and they continued to hoard supplies afterward, so they had just enough food and water.

They didn’t have much hope for a rescue. They just didn’t know where to go or where would be safer. In comparison, it was better for the two of them to stay at home, survive first, and then see how the world would develop.

Upon learning that Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan had come from Qiding and were heading to Pujie, the two sisters didn’t show much desire to follow. They simply smiled and wished them a safe journey. They said they still didn’t want to take the risk, as their supplies at home could last a while longer. If there was truly nowhere else to go in the future, they would consider leaving home to try their luck in Pujie.

In the end, Zheng Yi filled several large barrels with water for them and, without taking no for an answer, stuffed five or six bags of compressed biscuits into their arms before waving goodbye. Although the compressed biscuits didn’t taste as good as the luncheon meat, in terms of survival and staving off hunger, five or six bags could last them for five or six days.

That night, as Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan shared the can of luncheon meat, Zheng Yi smiled and said something along the lines of, “Helping others is helping ourselves.” The words left Yu Yinan speechless, and she had to take two extra sips of water to get them down.

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The first snow of the apocalypse came a little later than Zheng Yi had expected.

But it took less than half a day for the light flurries to accumulate into a layer of snow on the ground.

It came on suddenly and heavily, and a piercing, howling wind joined the fray, as if trying to freeze the entire world.

The transition from opening the window to catch the first snowflake in her hand to closing it, rubbing her hands for warmth, changing into a thin down jacket, and wrapping herself in a blanket took Zheng Yi less than twenty minutes.

[You can actually feel cold?] Zero One watched Zheng Yi’s cute and well-behaved appearance—her nose slightly red, her head lowered as she rubbed her hands. Even knowing that the soul of a powerhouse was hidden beneath this heart-stirring exterior, it was still deceived. [Is it really that cold? Actually, the store sells portable, concealable heating devices that won’t be discovered.]

‘Of course not.’ Zheng Yi continued to rub her hands. She looked at Yu Yinan with a pitiful expression. The moment their eyes met, Yu Yinan’s hand uncontrollably turned on the car’s heater. Then, she reached out to take Zheng Yi’s hand, trying her best to control her ability so that no flames appeared, but her palm grew warm to warm Zheng Yi up.

‘See? Even though I’m powerful, I need to have some small, normal-person weaknesses to make Yu Yinan feel protective and give her the illusion that I’m actually very fragile. That way, the next time I rush in front of her to protect her, or do something else, she’ll be more moved, the impression will be deeper, and her emotions will more strongly affirm that I’m a Saint.’ Perhaps the snow had put Zheng Yi in a good mood, or maybe the feedback from her appropriate disguise made her feel good. In any case, Zheng Yi was unusually patient and explained this to Zero One in a gentle tone.

Zero One was almost flattered. [Yes, you’re right. Next time, I’ll figure out the correct answer on my own!]

“Feeling better?” Yu Yinan asked, her gaze lowered.

“Mhm, Jiejie, you’re so nice.”

Yu Yinan let out a laugh. What kind of nice is this?

But the snow was falling harder and harder, almost completely covering the road. As the sky darkened, traveling became even more inconvenient. They couldn’t just leave the car parked in the snow; with this much snowfall, it might get stuck by morning.

Yu Yinan could now control her fire’s temperature to a certain extent, so melting the snow would be possible. It would just consume a great deal of mental energy and time.

Before it got completely dark, Yu Yinan found a barbecue stall with a huge outdoor awning. She parked the car directly under it to shelter from the heavy snow. After stopping the car, she didn’t even pull out the key. She immediately grabbed Zheng Yi, stopping her from rushing out with an axe to break down the door.

“Don’t force the door, I’ll handle it.” Yu Yinan took out the key, locked the car, and walked over to the rolling shutter door. She used her flames to melt the lock at the bottom. Once the shutter was fully raised, Yu Yinan used her flames again to melt the iron chain on the sliding glass door, opening it without causing any damage.

Zheng Yi obediently followed by Yu Yinan’s side, carrying a fire axe. She cut down two zombies that had been drawn by the sound of the shutter opening, skillfully chanting a mantra for the dead as she did.

Even if the system was unwilling to count it, a physical salvation still required some basic sincerity.

The barbecue shop was very clean. In the freezer, there were some frozen lamb-flavored skewers and chicken strips. Other than that, there were no fresh vegetables at all. However, they had basic barbecue seasonings and some cooking oil. On the shelf behind the cash register were some baijiu and erguotou, and under the shelf were several unopened cases of beer. The beverage cooler still had some glass-bottled sodas, drinks, beer, and mineral water.

It was clear no one had been here. Perhaps on that chaotic night, the owner had closed up and never came back to open the shop again.

The power to the freezer was out, and all the frozen meat skewers had spoiled. Fortunately, the drinks were still good, and the seasonings and cooking oil were usable.

Zheng Yi did a quick sweep of the shop, found a large table, and used her ability to clean the table and chairs. Then she went into the back kitchen and found one of those small stoves that are heated by an alcohol lamp.

“Let’s eat something a little better today, shall we?” Zheng Yi rummaged through her backpack and, like a magician, pulled out a can of beef hot pot. It was a large 1500g tin can. Inside, there wasn’t just beef, but also kelp, quail eggs, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and meatballs—quite a rich assortment. Most importantly, it was spicy.

For someone who had been subsisting on sweet foods like biscuits and bread, getting to eat a spicy, hot hot pot was an absolutely heavenly experience.

“I have a can of luncheon meat here, too. We can slice it up and add it in, along with a pack of instant noodles,” Zheng Yi said. “It’s so cold, it won’t spoil. We can add some dried noodles tomorrow morning and have another meal.”

Yu Yinan initially thought this was too extravagant. But when she saw Zheng Yi’s eyes light up and her extremely expectant expression as she spoke, she felt even more embarrassed and lowered her gaze. “This is all your stuff. I’ve been eating your food all this time…”

“Jiejie, what are you talking about? I need you to start the fire.” Zheng Yi raised her voice slightly, interrupting Yu Yinan. “Besides, it’s so cold tonight, I’ll have to rely on Jiejie to keep me warm.” The blankets should be warm enough, but the only place to sleep… was probably the floor. There weren’t many wooden chairs here, mostly plastic stools, which wouldn’t be comfortable to sleep on.

Zheng Yi didn’t want to sleep on the large round table either.

“Jiejie, just eat and don’t worry~ I loved hoarding all sorts of strange canned goods before the apocalypse.” As she spoke, Zheng Yi struggled to pull out two cans of dace with salted black beans from her bag. “See? I had them hidden at the very bottom.”

“…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Since I hoarded them and brought them along, they’re meant to be eaten.” Zheng Yi’s smile was radiant, as if no hardship could truly hold her back. “The first winter of the apocalypse, the first heavy snow… getting to eat a hot hot pot with Jiejie, that’s the happiest thing of all.” Her dark eyes, filled with a smile, looked at Yu Yinan with utmost sincerity.

The first… happiest thing? Yu Yinan fidgeted with her fingers, feeling a little awkward. Zheng Yi always seemed to touch the softest part of her heart, moving her.

Yu Yinan couldn’t even remember when she had become unable to be cold to Zheng Yi. To meet a little sister like Zheng Yi in such a chaotic apocalypse… was her good fortune.

The flames lit the solid alcohol fuel in the shop, heating up the small hot pot. The entire can of beef hot pot was poured in. Zheng Yi didn’t even spare the red oil clinging to the sides; she manipulated a stream of water, making it vibrate slightly to dissolve all the oil, then poured the water into the pot as well.

The solidified red beef tallow melted, and its aroma quickly filled the entire room. The glass door fogged up with steam, and the small pot began to bubble, “gulu gulu,” revealing the tender, flavorful chunks of beef inside.

Once it came to a boil, Zheng Yi opened the instant noodle packet, took out the seasoning packet and put it away, then carefully placed the noodle cake into the pot. She watched as the red oil submerged the noodles. The surface of the soup calmed for a moment before it quickly started bubbling again, “gulu,” carrying the noodle cake with it.

The quail eggs were thoroughly seasoned, taking on a braised color. The bamboo shoots were crisp but not tough, and the beef came in large chunks, though the meatballs weren’t very springy and tasted a bit mealy.

After the pot was ready, taking a bite of the salty, spicy instant noodles that had soaked up all the broth was the ultimate indulgence.

This was the first heavy snow day of the apocalypse. Amidst the freezing, snow-covered landscape, Yu Yinan sat in this abandoned barbecue shop, lit only by candles, with Zheng Yi across from her, heartily eating hot pot.

Steam rose from the hot pot between them, and the aroma of the beef tallow hot pot seemed to cling to her entire body. She tightened her grip on her chopsticks and put a piece of beef into her mouth. The slightly hot, tender beef practically melted on her tongue, and the long-lost savory flavor of meat fat instantly awakened all her appetite.

“Jiejie, eat some meat.” Zheng Yi stood up, placed a large piece of beef in her bowl, and then quickly sat back down to continue eating.

She lowered her head, picked up the piece of meat, and ate it. The rising steam reddened her eyes, making it almost impossible for her to see Zheng Yi’s face. As if to hide it, she buried her head and began to eat heartily.

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