The sky was just beginning to brighten when the entire Jin Valley Village became bustling with activity.
Jian Yi had originally planned to sleep in, but she was awakened by Zheng Lanxin's noisy activity in the kitchen at around four in the morning. She had already prepared enough rice cakes and dry rations the previous night, but she wanted her son to have something warm before he left, so she woke up early to cook.
Jian Yi, annoyed by the noise, decided to get up as well. She and her family lived in the guest rooms on the second floor, avoiding the master bedroom. There were four rooms on the second floor in total. Tongtong slept with Zheng Lanxin, leaving one room for each of the remaining family members.
Jian Yi, having woken up, went to the room next door, where Chen Junsheng slept. Across the hall was Zheng Lanxin's room. The three rooms were located at one end of the second floor, and on the other side, through the living room, was Zhang Ming's room.
Jian Yi woke up Tongtong, who was sleeping like a little pig, and helped her put on her thick clothes and boots. She then led her downstairs for a quick wash.
Zhang Ming and Chen Junsheng were already awake. After a brief discussion the previous night, they had decided to take the off-road vehicle and leave the motorhome behind.
Zhang Ming was checking his bow and arrows, while Chen Junsheng brought up two buckets of gasoline to refuel the vehicle, keeping the excess in the trunk as a reserve.
"Sis, while we're not at home these few days, you shouldn't go up the mountain," Chen Junsheng advised as he finished refueling and entered the kitchen. He looked at Jian Yi with concern.
Zheng Lanxin called her son to breakfast, especially making a sweet egg soup for him. Tongtong shared a portion, but it was split between her and Zhang Ming. As for Jian Yi, she didn't eat much usually, so what harm was there in eating a little less?
Moreover, there were only a few eggs left in the house, and they might not have the chance to enjoy this taste again in the future.
Chen Junsheng didn't even glance at the sweet egg soup his mother offered him. Instead, he brought it over to Jian Yi and wore a worried expression, gazing at her intently. "Sis?"
Jian Yi gave him an exasperated look, but he continued to stare at her with concern. It was as if he wouldn't leave until she agreed.
"Alright, go ahead and eat," she said, pushing the bowl of sweet egg soup back towards him.
Chen Junsheng's eyes brightened slightly, and he seemed to savor each bite as if he didn't want to finish it too quickly.
Jian Yi, after feeding Tongtong, looked up to see that Chen Junsheng had only finished half of his sweet egg soup, eating slowly as if savoring each bite. She coldly reminded him, "Time is running out; don't dawdle."
Chen Junsheng hesitated for a moment, then quickly finished the contents of his bowl, heaving a sigh of relief when he saw that Jian Yi didn't seem displeased.
"Let's go," Chen Junsheng said, reaching out to hold Tongtong's hand.
Tongtong obediently took his hand, her small round body bundled up in warm clothing. Zheng Lanxin looked at them with worry and repeatedly reminded her son to protect her.
Chen Junsheng agreed and then, along with Zhang Ming, left the house.
Before leaving, he once again reminded Jian Yi not to go out on her own while they were away. He also asked Zheng Lanxin to keep an eye on her and ensure her safety. Then he followed the village convoy and headed east with the faint light of dawn.
Zheng Lanxin stood at the doorway and watched the convoy until it disappeared from sight. Then, she withdrew her worried gaze and decided to call Jian Yi to help her split firewood in the backyard.
In the Wu family's villa, there was a wood chopping machine, but it required electricity to operate, and they were reluctant to use the generator for it. So, they had to resort to chopping wood manually with axes and machetes.
This was a laborious task, and Zheng Lanxin usually asked Zhang Ming to do it. One chopping session would provide enough wood for two to three days. Unfortunately, this morning she had burned the last of their wood, and since Zhang Ming wasn't at home, she had no choice but to do it herself.
Zheng Lanxin brought out two machetes and was about to find Jian Yi to help when, to her shock, she saw that Jian Yi had already shouldered a basket and was holding a bow and arrow, standing at the iron gate.
"What are you doing?" Zheng Lanxin shouted angrily.
Jian Yi opened the iron gate and walked out without looking back. "I'm going to the mountains for a while. I'll be back before noon."
Zheng Lanxin was dumbfounded, her mouth gaping open. She almost choked on her own words. Did she really think she would follow Jian Yi?
Jian Yi stopped for a moment at the corner of the mountain path to make sure Zheng Lanxin hadn't followed her. Then, she raised the sharp machete in her hand, swept it across the overgrown weeds in front of her, and continued into the forest.
The speed of the car was indeed fast, but in terms of practicality, the oldest mode of transportation was more reliable in this post-apocalyptic world.
Jian Yi remembered seeing a 500-strong cavalry unit on horseback just before she was expelled from the base. The horses they rode were domesticated mutant horses. These mutant horses had speeds comparable to cars, and some of them could even run faster than mutant zombies.
At that time, Jian Yi had envied them, feeling that her heavy armored vehicle was no longer as appealing.
Unfortunately, she hadn't had the opportunity to acquire such a mount before her reincarnation.
With a mix of excitement and anticipation, Jian Yi followed her memories and ventured deep into the forest.
There were countless mutant plants along the way, occasionally entangling her, but she had prepared enough bait in her backpack. She would occasionally toss a piece of mutant animal meat to the creatures, quickly shaking them off.
As for newly mutated animals, Jian Yi wasn't afraid either. The bow and arrow in her hand were equipped with potent tranquilizers, ensuring her safety.
In the distance, she could see a blurry figure surrounded by a group of mutant creatures. It darted left and right, easily evading their attacks. The speed it displayed was something Chen Junsheng had never witnessed before.
Only when she was alone did Jian Yi dare to expose her abilities so openly.
She reached the grassy clearing she had seen before. Upon setting foot on it, Jian Yi heard the snorts of two healthy chestnut-colored steeds. They had shiny coats and strong limbs.
Jian Yi couldn't help but smile, feeling as if she had won the lottery. Suppressing her excitement, she cautiously approached the two horses.