"Hey, Old Wang, your abacus is really something!"
In the dim light, Zhang Su showed a sly smile and said, "Yogurt is tasty, but itâs not that valuable. You can choose between a pack of noodles and ten cigarettes or two packs of noodles!"
Wang Guangjun hesitated for a while, then said, "Letâs go with a pack of noodles and ten cigarettes, and perhaps you could throw in a lighter? I donât have one..."
Zhang Su shook his head with a hint of exasperation. They had plenty of lighters, so he didnât haggle further.
After dinner, Wang Guangjun lit a cigarette with great care, sitting by the window and gazing pensively in the direction of Environmental University, with thoughts lingering in his heart.
Zhang Su then began training with Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan, a routine that was essential every day.
"Wow, you two ladies are impressive..."
Hearing the sounds, Wang Guangjun approached. The strong breeze from Zheng Xinyuâs swing with the baseball bat made his face twitch involuntarily.
One could imagine what it would feel like to get hit in the head with that swing.
It wouldnât just buzz; the brain would pop out!
In the darkness, the huffing sounds went on, seemingly warming the cold room through their exercise.
Some things donât need to be reminded, as Wang Guangjun, after living half his life working hard to support his family, couldnât afford to be lazy. He started training by emulating them.
Seeing him poking around with a homemade wooden spear, Zhang Su, considering safety, guided him, teaching that only by attacking a zombieâs head could it be incapacitated.
At night, Wang Guangjun fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed, entirely unguarded. The constant tension had left him utterly exhausted.
"Starting today, weâll take turns on night watch!"
Lying in the middle, Zhang Su spoke with great seriousness.
"I think Uncle Wang is quite honest, is it really necessary?"
Zheng Xinyu, lying down exhausted, asked weakly. The earlier exercise had drained her energy, leaving her too tired to do anything.
Zhang Su shook his head, "Knowing someoneâs face doesnât mean knowing their heart. Besides, night watches are not just because of Wang Guangjun. Once we leave the community, unless itâs a real official safe zone, we must take turns on night watch wherever we are!"
Guard against zombies, but even more so against people!
Truth be told, guarding against zombies only requires a simple alarm device, but guarding against people isnât that easy!
"Alright, so how do we schedule it?" Zheng Xinyu asked weakly, thinking about how their sleep time would be shortened, feeling unhappy.
Zhang Su thought for a moment and said, "Xinyu, you like staying up late, so you take the first watch. Iâll relieve you at midnight, and Xiaoshan, you get up early and relieve me!"
The dead of night is the hardest time to stay awake, and Zhang Su, taking multiple factors into account, decided to stand guard personally.
Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan both had no objections to this arrangement. The three of them were in this together, closely bonded and dependent on each other, so deceit or slack wasnât an option.
The first night after leaving home passed safely under their rotational night watches. According to Zhang Su, being vigilant in times of peace never leads to mistakes.
The next day, the sky was overcast, which kept the temperature bearable and not uncomfortably cold.
After breakfast in the morning, Zhang Su took a key from his bag and handed it to Zhong Xiaoshan.
"Brother Su, whatâs this?"
Zhong Xiaoshan, somewhat surprised, took the car keys, which were for the Haranda she had traded to Zhang Su.
"My old van doesnât have the power. If everything goes smoothly, youâll take them in the Haranda!"
Zhang Su said decisively. His van was packed with supplies, lacking power, and he didnât want Wang Guangjun to see it.
"What..." Zhong Xiaoshan didnât expect Zhang Su to trust her so much.
"I... I..." Zheng Xinyu wanted to argue, but in the end, she just pursed her lips and said nothing.
As for Wang Guangjun, he had no objections and completely complied with the arrangement.
"So... Brother Su, where are we heading? Tell me in advance, so I know the direction."
Zhong Xiaoshan tightly gripped the car keys, palms sweating.
"Look at the map, after we leave the community, turn right. The road conditions are unclear ahead, so adapt, whether itâs side roads, sidewalks, or green beltsâgo wherever you can. At the first intersection, turn left heading south. Thereâs a gas station on the right, thatâs our first stop!"
Zhang Su opened his phoneâs navigation app; even in offline mode, it provided a rough guide.
The gas station has a convenience store, a rare supply post, and a place to refuel the car, achieving two goals with one stop!
Even if someone had ransacked it beforehand, itâs impossible to take everything. Taking a step back, if there was time to haul away all supplies, then the area around the gas station is likely safer, making it a proper waypoint to their destination store.
Zhong Xiaoshan looked at the map and nodded, "The gas station is easy to recognize, should be no problem. With you leading, we definitely wonât get lost!"
"Alright, and remember, when you get in the car, donât slam the door shut immediately. Itâs loud. Donât rush to start the car either. Wait until I flash the headlights three times, then start it and close the door. Donât forget the seat belts. In case of an accident, they can save lives..."
Zhang Su detailed each necessary precaution.
Zheng Xinyu and the others kept nodding, committing everything to memory.
Even Wang Guangjun, who had lived over half a lifetime, couldnât help but admire. Some things arenât understood just by living a long life. Acting like a know-it-all would be foolish. He humbly followed Zhang Suâs lead, learning various small skills.