Chapter 399: Hardship
Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Hardship
"Yep, a Category 88 super typhoon." Xie Ning gave a playful smile, repeating what that guy Li Xiang had said. "The sandstorm is especially bad. No one should go out for the next few days."
"But what about the zombie tide outside the base?"
"Let them fight it out among themselves." Xie Ning pulled Su Xiyue over and had her grandmother and the others sit down to talk.
"We used a potion that Xiao Yu made on the battlefield, and the effect was quite good. Now the entire zombie tide is in chaos, infighting. We’re just letting them fight each other."
"Once they’re done slaughtering each other, the zombie tide will be completely over."
"Oh, that’s wonderful!" Grandma looked up at Yu Tianfeng happily. "Xiao Yu, you’re really amazing."
This made Yu Tianfeng absolutely beam, and he couldn’t stop grinning. "Grandma, does this mean we should add a few extra dishes tonight to celebrate?"
"Yes, yes, yes! We absolutely must!" Grandma’s eyes crinkled into slits as she smiled.
"Xiao Gu, you should stay and eat with us too. And what about Xiao Lu and Er Bai? I don’t see them. Have them come eat with us."
"Grandma." Gu Chen put on a pained expression. "I still have a lot to do today, so I don’t have time for a meal. I can only have Ningning pack me a few rice balls for the road. I have to leave right now; there are still many people to settle in."
"And later, I have to go check on Zone B and Zone C."
"Ah." Grandma gave him a sympathetic look and patted the Guy’s arm. "Then have Ningning give you some more rice balls and zongzi."
Xie Ning rolled her eyes. Looking at Gu Chen acting all pitiful, she was both amused and annoyed.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I’m off then. I’ll have Ningning see me to the door." The young man’s request for Ningning to see him out struck Song You’ai as hilarious.
Everyone shook their heads with a smile as they watched him go.
Gu Chen pulled Xie Ning to the electronic access gate and murmured to her, "Some staff will be by later to register you and Aunt Song for the iris scan lock."
"The situation outside is pretty bad. Have Grandma and the others stay here for the next two days. Don’t go anywhere."
"Okay." Xie Ning nodded. "Is there a separate kitchen here?"
"There is. The suite you’re staying in should be pretty well-equipped. Are you planning to..."
Before Gu Chen could finish, Xie Ning pulled out two large plastic bags of steaming hot food.
Inside were rice balls, buns, zongzi, boxed meals—you name it.
"You guys eat something before your shift."
"This is so much, I..."
"It’s not just for you. Aren’t Xiao Lu, Er Bai, and Fengzi around too?"
Gu Chen’s handsome face stiffened. He suddenly felt his teammates were a bit... in the way.
"If we eat all of this, then what about you guys later..."
"We’ll just make more cooked food over the next two days. Don’t be stingy. Let your buddies eat more. You can only keep up with your shifts on a full stomach. Alright, scram. I need to go take a shower."
’I feel so smelly!’
’It’s all sand and dust mixed with the stench of zombies!’
Gu Chen was ruthlessly shooed away by his girlfriend. But before leaving, he audaciously stole a kiss on the top of her head.
"Ptooey!" A mouthful of sand.
Xie Ning almost fainted from laughter.
’This idiot... I’m dying of laughter.’
A smile lingering on her lips, Xie Ning slowly ambled back to the circular sofa. "Auntie, which room am I in?"
"Come on, I’ll take you there. The rooms are all arranged. It’s just a little crowded; there’ll be three or four people to a room." Song Youxuan stood up and led them toward the corridor.
"This is already very good." Song You’ai shook her head with a smile. "The people on the surface have it much harder."
"Yueyue was clamoring to stay with her two big sisters. I was just thinking... Yueyue is so noisy. I’m worried she might disturb Ningning and Kexin’s rest."
"Then let’s all stay together." Xie Ning cheerfully scooped up Su Xiyue and ran ahead. "Yueyue, which room is ours?"
Little Su Xiyue giggled happily. "It’s just up ahead."
"Big Sister, your face is covered in sand!"
"Of course it is! Rub, rub, rub! HAHAHA."
"HAHAHAHA."
Song You’ai’s eyes curved with laughter.
’It’s so nice to see my daughter being this cheerful and lively for a change.’
Song Kexin quickly hurried after them. "Wait for me."
Zhu Yong turned his head and saw his son, little Zhu Nanxing, staring with a forlorn expression at the figures of his playmates running away.
Instead of sympathizing with his son, the father almost burst out laughing. "Son, are you regretting really hard right now that you weren’t born a girl?"
HAHAHAHAHA...
’Look how much fun the girls are having together. A boy can’t even get a word in!’
Xie Ning and the other two "sisters" were staying in a suite with two private bathrooms and a small, simple kitchen.
Song You’ai was right; compared to the conditions on the surface, this was quite good.
Xie Ning ran out of the bathroom, drying her hair, feeling like a whole new person.
’Finally washed off all that grime. Life is shining brightly once again!’
Song Kexin leaned in, sniffing her suspiciously from top to bottom. "Sis, did you sneak off to a spa to shower? You were in there for so long."
Xie Ning raised an eyebrow and patted Song Kexin on the head. "What’s up with you and that Dork?"
’The atmosphere feels weird.’
It had felt strange ever since Xie Ning first saw them.
It was probably because the two of them used to always stick together, but now, the young Miss Song Kexin was constantly giving him the back of her head.
"Don’t even mention it." Song Kexin pouted. "I don’t want to talk about it."
Su Xiyue, sitting on the soft little bed, grinned. "Big Sister and Brother Ji had a fight."
A fight?
’How rare.’
’With that Dork’s personality, who could even get into a fight with him?’
"Tonight, you sleep on the inner bed. Yueyue and I will sleep here." Song Kexin hopped onto the other bed, patting the fresh, dry bedding beneath her.
As it happened, the inner room had a double bed, while the outer one was a standard twin room.
For the three "sisters" to rest here for a few nights, the conditions were more than acceptable.
"Big Sister, Big Sister, Nanxing can make sand come out of his hands, just like Uncle Yong!"
"Huh?" Song Kexin’s jaw dropped. "Since when? Are you sure you saw that right?"
"It started a few days ago. Nanxing showed me."
Xie Ning’s interest was suddenly piqued. "Just like Uncle Yong?"
"Mhm." Su Xiyue thought for a moment. "It seems a little different. What flows from Nanxing’s hands looks like handfuls of sand, whereas Uncle Yong’s is more like... dust?"
Half an hour later, everyone had gathered in Zhu Yong’s room, staring in amazement at the center of the floor.
The Dork was struggling desperately in a pile of quicksand, his face a mask of terror as he reached out a hand in a dramatic plea. "Xinxin! Xinxin, save me, Xinxin!"
Song Kexin stood at the edge of the quicksand pit, rolling her eyes. She extended a finger and poked him downward. "You really can’t get up?"
"Xinxin, I’m sinking! My feet are completely stuck! I can’t get out, I can’t get out!"
Little Zhu Nanxing hopped off the sofa, a look of amazement on his face. "Uncle Dork, you’re not trying to trick me, are you?"
The Dork, Ji Taixian, trapped in the quicksand pit: ...
"What are you talking about? Who are you calling ’Uncle’?" Ji Taixian gritted his teeth. "I’m your big brother!"