Volume One: The Apocalypse Descends Chapter 27: Preparing to Leave the City, the Husband Raised from Childhood

At that moment, Wei Wei’s parents also arrived at the door. Just as He Jie had said, their entire family was quite stout. Especially Wei Wei’s father—tall, hefty, and robust, standing well over six feet. Though his face appeared somewhat stern, he was incredibly kind-hearted.

Upon learning that Xiang Chenguang was the benefactor who had saved his son the day before, he immediately turned and grabbed a hefty rack of pork ribs weighing over ten pounds and a piece of beef shank from the refrigerated display, insisting on handing them over to Xiang Chenguang no matter what.

Before long, Xiang Dongliang and two others emerged from the seed store carrying a large cardboard box filled with various crop seeds.

Xiang Dongliang and his wife exchanged pleasantries with the Wei butcher couple, then the group began scouring the market for fruits and vegetables that had not yet spoiled.

During the initial chaos at the dawn of the apocalypse, many vendors at the market had perished, and some shops stood open with melons, fruits, and vegetables strewn across the ground.

In the sweltering summer heat, many fresh fruits and vegetables had begun to rot.

However, certain varieties with longer shelf lives—such as potatoes and apples—remained intact, as did some unopened boxes of tomatoes and cucumbers.

All in all, the trip to the market yielded a bountiful harvest.

Even the families of He Jie and Wei Wei carried back a sizable haul of fruits and vegetables.

Though they had previously dared not venture outside, relying on their advantageous terrain to ambush mutant insects, the sight of fresh produce so close yet unreachable left them craving more than just meat and staples.

During their scavenging, a spider-like monster appeared near the western end of the market street.

Xiang Xiaoxiao, who was idly on guard nearby, immediately took aim with her crossbow the moment the creature appeared, firing a steel bolt that punched a perfect hole through its head.

The entire action was swift, fluid, and remarkably graceful.

He Jie immediately showered her with praise, “Truly worthy of the title ‘Little School Goddess.’ Before the apocalypse, she was an outstanding student; afterward, a valiant warrior. No matter how the world changes, excellence remains constant.

Only such an extraordinary woman deserves our leader, Xiang.”

His earlier compliments pleased Xiang Xiaoxiao, but upon hearing the latter part, her expression soured instantly, and she nearly aimed her crossbow to silence him for his audacity.

Sensing this, He Jie quickly covered his mouth with both hands and joined the others in gathering fruits and vegetables.

On the way back, Xiang Xiaoxiao maintained a stern face the entire time, deliberately keeping her distance from Xiang Chenguang, as if their briefly improved relationship over the past few days had reverted to the pre-apocalypse coldness.

Yet sharp-eyed Xiang Chenguang could clearly see that despite her indifferent expression, both of her ears were flushed a deep red.

By the time they returned home, it was past five in the afternoon, and their outing had taken nearly three hours.

After a brief rest, He Wan first took a shower before preparing their first true feast since the apocalypse began.

Xiang Chenguang and Xiang Dongliang then took the keys to the van and the convenience store and headed downstairs once more.

Their task was to inspect the van and load it with essential food supplies and daily necessities from the store.

Though they planned to leave the city and head to the militia training camp the day after tomorrow, preparations needed to be made well in advance in case of a sudden attack by a gigantic army of marching ants, which would force them to depart earlier than planned.

The van was parked by the roadside not far from the community entrance.

Their aging neighborhood had never been designed with parking in mind, so residents, including those from the nearby Fuqian Street, parked along both sides of the road.

This had effectively turned the two-way, two-lane Fuqian Street into a two-way, single-lane road.

The van appeared about seventy percent new, with more than two-thirds of its fuel tank still full. As Xiang Chenguang had learned earlier, the previous owner had removed the rear seats to increase cargo capacity for hauling goods.

Thus, Xiang Chenguang and Xiang Dongliang filled the cargo area with large quantities of rice, flour, cooking oil, and other food supplies, as well as essential toiletries like toilet paper and hygiene products.

When they finished and returned home, a faint aroma of meat greeted them in the stairwell. Opening the door released a rich fragrance of cooked dishes.

After a quick freshen-up, the family of four gathered around the dining table, which held a pot of potato beef stew, braised pork ribs, a cucumber salad, and tomato egg soup.

This three-dish, one-soup meal would have been commonplace before the apocalypse—not something they could have every day, but certainly regular home cooking.

Yet in this post-apocalyptic world, such a spread was considered quite a luxury, whetting Xiang Chenguang’s appetite after a long day.

After the hearty dinner, Xiang Dongliang spoke up, “The militia training camp is quite spacious. For just the four of us, it might feel too empty. Also, if we want to grow vegetables and grains, it would be hard to manage alone.

Even with He Jie and Wei Wei’s families joining us, the manpower would still be insufficient.

I think tomorrow we should announce our relocation plan to the neighbors in our community and invite them to move with us to the militia training camp so we can build a new home together in this apocalypse.”

He Wan replied, “Our community has 213 households, totaling 537 people including us. If everyone moves, the camp won’t be able to accommodate them all, right?”

Xiang Chenguang answered, “Relocating nearly five kilometers away to the militia camp amid a world overrun by monsters is no easy feat. Not everyone will have the courage to move.

From what I can see, staying in the community is relatively safe for now, so probably only a hundred or two at most will be willing to relocate with us. We don’t need to worry about overcrowding at the camp.”

Xiang Dongliang found his son’s estimate pessimistic but, recalling his own aborted plan for a joint defense force, sighed softly and said, “In any case, we will notify the neighbors tomorrow about our move. Those willing to join us at the militia camp, we will do our best to ensure their safety. Those who prefer to stay won’t be forced.”

Xiang Chenguang nodded, “I have no objections.”

After all, humans are social creatures. To survive the apocalypse alone as a family of four would be unbearably lonely.

Though He Jie’s grand vision of carving out an empire in the apocalypse was somewhat naive, within his limits, Xiang Chenguang was willing to protect a group of people.

Of course, they would have to prove their worth; he wasn’t going to support freeloaders—his idealism had its limits.

With the plan settled, Xiang Dongliang helped clear the table while He Wan went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Xiang Chenguang, having eaten a bit too much, sat on the sofa lost in thought when Xiang Xiaoxiao suddenly asked, “Little School Goddess, what’s this thing about a child bridegroom?”

Startled from her daze, Xiang Xiaoxiao’s face turned bright red as she stammered, “Wha—what child bridegroom? Don’t listen to that skinny monkey spouting nonsense!”

Xiang Chenguang looked incredulous, “Really? You almost wanted to kill someone to keep it a secret.”

Xiang Xiaoxiao evaded his probing gaze, “What killing? Don’t talk nonsense. I’m going to shower now.”

With that, she jumped up and ran barefoot toward the bathroom.

Xiang Chenguang chuckled, “Could it be that someone at school claimed I’m her child bridegroom?”

Xiang Xiaoxiao stumbled slightly, nearly falling, her cheeks flushed as she shouted, “What... what are you talking about?”