Zhou Quchuan pushed the supplies back to the yard with the wheelbarrow and went to the river to help Zhao Lian clean the wolf skins.
However, washing the wolf skins was a meticulous and troublesome job. After a while, Zhou Quchuan became impatient and said, "We don't need this thing in winter, do we?" But inside, he was thinking about whether to go out again tonight and collect some thick winter clothes?
Zhao Lian stopped her work and smiled at him, patiently explaining, "Actually, we don't need these for ourselves. Although I originally had such plans, we found so many other things that we don't need them anymore. I'm processing these wolf skins because, next year, after the Spring Festival, we plan to go to the Xinchuan Base. We can use these wolf skins to trade for some things.
"Each base has its own rules, but the entrance fee is basically a necessity, not to mention that once we go inside, we'll need money for our food, accommodation, and other expenses. I've heard that some caravans or wealthy individuals like to collect things from mutant beasts, especially their skins and fur. By then, we can use these wolf skins to exchange for some good items. After all, when you go to a new place, you need some capital on hand.
"If you think it's troublesome, you can go back first and tidy up the things in the yard."
"No—no, I don't find it troublesome at all," Zhou Quchuan denied, but as he looked at Zhao Lian continuing to wash the wolf skin with dedication, he accepted his fate and picked up the wolf skin. To be honest, if anyone else was doing this, he would have left long ago, but Zhao Lian was different...
At this point, Zhou Quchuan suddenly became stunned. Why was Zhao Lian different?
He glanced at her and saw that she was completely oblivious, still diligently washing the fur. He thought to himself: It's not that she's different, it's just that she, a weak woman, can be patient enough to do such work. Would he lose to her?
Next, Zhou Quchuan, as if infused with chicken blood, used the knife in his hand to scrape the inside of the wolf skin. The knife wasn't particularly sharp, but in his hands, it was like an invincible weapon, effortlessly removing the difficult-to-handle meat and tendons from the wolf skin.
After he finished scraping three skins in a row, he looked up to see Zhao Lian looking at him in surprise.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You're too amazing!?" Zhao Lian picked up the other two wolf skins he had processed, admiring them as she spoke. "I'm curious about what you used to do before. There doesn't seem to be anything you can't do?"
Zhou Quchuan grinned, unabashedly saying, "Of course, there are many things I can do."
"Such as? Can you cook too? Sweet and sour fish, braised pork?" Zhao Lian asked with a smile.
"Of course, it's a piece of cake. I'll take care of lunch." Zhou Quchuan readily agreed without hesitation.
Zhao Lian's smile deepened as she stood up and said, "Then we can go back now, it's getting late."
"Oh." Zhou Quchuan put down the wolf skin in his hand and stood up, looking at her smile, feeling like he had dug a hole for himself for some reason.
In fact, Zhao Lian just wanted to tease him and have him take charge of lunch, but she didn't expect him to really be a great cook.
Although the food he made was probably lacking in flavor due to the lack of cooking oil, it was more than enough for Zhao Lian, who hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.
The two of them devoured a dish of sweet and sour fish, a dish of braised pork, accompanied by a large pot of white rice, finishing everything including the soup at the bottom of their bowls, and even disputing over the last piece of braised pork.
Unable to reach a consensus, they resorted to playing rock-paper-scissors.
In the end, Zhao Lian won, triumphantly picking up the last piece of braised pork and putting it in her mouth. Zhou Quchuan looked on helplessly, licking his lips, and could only scoop some soup from the bottom of the plate onto his rice and finish off the meal.
After their stomachs were full, they sat on the stone bench in silence, not wanting to speak.
After a short rest, Zhao Lian got up to wash the dishes. This had become their tacit understanding over the past couple of days – one person cooked, and the other person voluntarily washed the dishes.
As she washed, she chatted with Zhou Quchuan, "I thought about it again at the river this morning and felt that the names we gave to the little ones last night were not very good. They're a bit complicated and difficult to pronounce. So, let's call the cheetah ‘Ah Bao,' as you suggested."
Zhou Quchuan nodded in full agreement with her suggestion. He nonchalantly propped up one leg, lazily watching Zhao Lian's slender figure and said, "What about the two little wolves? Shall we call them Ah Da and Ah Er?"
"I haven't thought about it much." Zhao Lian frowned. She was really bad at giving names and had a bit of decision-making anxiety. "Let's just go with what you said for now. Ah Da and Ah Er actually sound quite catchy."
As they were chatting, they suddenly heard a shrill pig squeal from outside.
Zhao Lian and Zhou Quchuan looked at each other, set aside the dishes they had just washed, and went out to see what was happening.
It turned out that the cheetah had just gone out to hunt and actually brought back a huge wild boar!
The wild boar's body was even larger than the cheetah's, weighing several hundred catties. However, it was covered in wounds, especially two large bloodstains under its neck, with fresh blood constantly flowing out.
The cheetah's eyes were golden with a hint of red, looking very strange, but Zhao Lian knew that this was a phenomenon that would occur when a mutated beast used its innate abilities.
If it weren't for its abilities, an ordinary cheetah wouldn't have been able to catch such a large wild boar.
At this moment, the cheetah's teeth were deeply embedded in the back of the wild boar's neck as it dragged it into the courtyard.
Although the wild boar sounded pitiful, it was actually on the brink of death and had no strength to resist.
The two little wolf cubs, seeing such a large wild boar, were not afraid at all, immediately jumping around as if they wanted to hunt.
Zhao Lian was amazed by the size of the wild boar. Although she had seen the cheetah disappear before, knowing it had gone hunting, she hadn't expected it to bring back such a huge creature.
Seeing the two people come out, the cheetah let go of the wild boar’s head, then licked its lips and paws before slowly walking to the eaves and crouching down.
"Why isn't Ah Bao eating?" Zhao Lian asked, puzzled.
"This wild boar was caught for us. It must have eaten its fill outside," Zhou Quchuan said, laughing. "While the boar is still not dead, let's drain its blood. Pig's blood is a good thing too."
"What? Caught for us!" Zhao Lian widened her eyes and saw Zhou Quchuan walk into the kitchen, taking out a large knife and a big tub, which still had some water in it.
Watching Zhou Quchuan deftly slaughtering and draining the wild boar, Zhao Lian was amazed. Although the boar had already lost a lot of blood before, there was still more than half a tub of blood left.
Before dying, the wild boar convulsed and struggled, almost bouncing up. Zhou Quchuan caught Zhao Lian around the waist just in time and pushed her back.
The two little wolf cubs, who had been causing trouble while standing by, almost got kicked away. Scared, they retreated behind the cheetah with a howl and hid.
Zhou Quchuan glanced at Zhao Lian, who looked confused, and discreetly withdrew the hand on her waist before saying with a smile, "This pig is really fat. Now we have both pig fat and meat."
Looking at the now lifeless wild boar, Zhao Lian nodded in a daze. Without the cheetah, if they had encountered this big guy in the wild, even if they had a gun, they would probably have been done for. Its tough skin meant bullets might not damage the vital areas. They would need the precision of a sharpshooter to shoot it through the eye and into the brain.
After that, the two of them continued busily working. The meat of this wild boar was definitely delicious. Such a big one, as long as they processed and preserved it properly, they wouldn't have to worry about not having meat for a long time. However, Zhao Lian was somewhat at a loss about how to handle such a large wild boar.
Seeing her in a dilemma, Zhou Quchuan said, "You go back and rest in the room, take a nap. I'll handle it."
After saying that, he lifted the knife in his hand and brought a bowl of water from the tub, starting to sharpen the knife along the edge of the tub.
After sharpening it for a while, he placed the blade in the sunlight to check its sharpness. Seeing Zhao Lian still standing there watching him, he said, "Why are you just standing there? Go back and take a nap. Aren't we going to make dumplings in the afternoon?"
Zhao Lian shook her head, "I don't have the habit of taking an afternoon nap. I'll go to the other side of the river to pick some shepherd's purse and come back to make the dough."
Saying that, she grabbed a metal basin from the kitchen and went out.
Seeing this, the cheetah stood up, stretched, and lazily followed her out.
In just over half an hour, Zhao Lian picked a large basin of shepherd's purse, and also washed it by the river before bringing it back.
However, just as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw a huge pig head suddenly emit a strange noise and charge towards her.
She was so scared that she screamed and backed out of the door, but quickly saw half of Zhou Quchuan's body under the pig head.
Zhou Quchuan took the pig head off and burst into laughter, "You got scared? Why are you so easily frightened!"
"You! You idiot Achuan!" Zhao Lian was furious, grabbed a pot of shepherd's purse and smashed it towards him, but he easily dodged it.
"Stop! Don't run!" Zhao Lian continued chasing after him in anger.
Zhou Quchuan saw that she seemed genuinely agitated and quickly threw the pig's head to the ground, catching the few shepherd's purses thrown at him, and said, "Okay okay, I was wrong, I apologize. I shouldn't have scared you. Don't throw it, don't throw it. Look, they're all so clean. It would be such a waste to throw them on the ground."
"If it gets dirty, then take it to the river to clean it! Do you know scaring people can scare them to death?" Zhao Lian coldly looked at him, took the pot and walked into the kitchen.
Zhou Quchuan followed into the kitchen, smiling and pleading, "Don't be angry, I was just trying to make you happy."
"I think you're trying to make yourself happy!" Zhao Lian retorted, then took another clean pot to fill it with flour.
"Yes, yes, I was wrong, really wrong. Look, look, I have already prepared the wild boar meat, the bones are all cleaned, and I've put a few in the pot to make bone soup. We can cook dumplings later," said Zhou Quchuan, continuing to stick to her, holding her hand and saying, "Look, look, I've already cut the pork, and the bones are all cleaned. I've also put a few in the pot to make bone soup to cook dumplings later."
Zhao Lian looked around and saw that there was indeed a lot of meat in the kitchen, and there was more outside.
"Okay, I forgive you," she finally stopped frowning, smiled, and said, "Go pick up the pig's head outside and clean it. The pork face and ears are delicious when braised."
"Okay!" Zhou Quchuan saluted to her and left.
Watching his retreating figure, Zhao Lian shook her head: This guy, once you get to know him, he's really silly and quirky. She had initially thought he was introverted, shy, and reserved.
She grabbed a pair of chopsticks and scooped up a bowl of water, ready to start making the dough. Although the flour had been left for a long time, it didn't have any strange smell, and the texture was normal.
After kneading the dough, she started to clean the pig's offal while letting the dough rest.
Because the wild boar was extremely large, there was also a substantial amount of offal. After Zhao Lian roughly cleaned it, she rubbed it with flour, salt, and white wine, blanched it, and then continued soaking it in cold saltwater.
During this time, she directed Zhou Quchuan to chop the meat, vegetables, and prepare the fillings for the dumplings, and then start rolling the dumpling skins.
Zhou Quchuan's actions were quite agile, they were clearly something he had done before.
However, soon the two of them started to argue about the appearance of the dumplings.
"What do you mean it looks good? The dumplings you made have no pleats, they can't even stand up," Zhao Lian said as she pinched the dumpling in her hand, then reached to poke the dumpling made by Zhou Quchuan, "See, it can't stand up at all."
"Hey, dumplings are meant to be eaten, why should they stand up?" Zhou Quchuan argued, "My dumplings are nearly the same size, smooth surface, and the meat filling is full. When they are cooked, my dumplings will definitely look better and taste better."
Zhao Lian chuckled and didn't bother with him.
However, Zhou Quchuan insisted on a showdown, "Let's cook four dumplings, two of yours and two of mine, and let Ada and A'er choose. Dare to bet?"
"Why not?" Zhao Lian put down the rolling pin, "What's the bet then?"
"The loser has to agree to one thing unconditionally," Zhou Quchuan proposed.
"Fine, let's do it!"
Soon, they each chose two dumplings. After they were cooked, they took them out and called the two little wolves.
Zhao Lian picked up and patted the heads of the two little wolves, saying, "Ada, A'er, don't disappoint me. If you choose my dumplings, I'll give you extra treats tonight."
"You're blatantly bribing them in front of me, so I'll do the same!" Zhou Quchuan said, trying to grab the two little wolves, but Zhao Lian evaded him.
"Okay, let's do it like this. Quickly, separate the dumplings and see who they choose," said Zhao Lian.
"You're being unfair," Zhou Quchuan grumbled, but obediently divided the dumplings into two bowls and placed them on the ground.
Zhao Lian put down the little wolves and patted their heads again, saying, "Go ahead, eat."
As soon as she let go, the two little wolves rushed to the bowl containing the dumplings made by Zhou Quchuan.
"Hey, it's the other side, the other side!" she urgently called out. She saw the two little wolves quickly finish eating the dumplings and then turn to eat the two dumplings she made as well.
"Haha, bribery didn't work!" Zhou Quchuan laughed, holding his stomach, "I won!"
"It doesn't count, they also ate mine!" Zhao Lian was not convinced.
"The one eaten first constitutes my victory!" Zhou Quchuan did not yield. "You lost, so you have to agree to something for me, but I haven't figured out what it is yet. I'll let you know in the future."
"Hmph," Zhao Lian snorted, acknowledging her defeat.
After some childish fun, the two of them returned to the kitchen to make dumplings. Zhao Lian also minced the offal and added it to the pot with the bones, starting to simmer the soup for the next morning.
After the dumplings were cooked and ready to eat, they each scooped a large bowl and devoured them despite the hot temperature.
After satisfying their hunger, they climbed back onto the roof and enjoyed the moonlight while chatting.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, it should be in two days," Zhao Lian said, looking at the nearly full moon and sighing with a smile. "I've never been fond of sweet treats since I was young, I find those traditional mooncakes completely unappetizing, I would simply take a small bite to mark the celebration...But now, I can't even have it if I want to."
"You'll definitely have it in the future," Zhou Quchuan reassured.
Zhao Lian forced a smile, "The people around me are gone, so it doesn't matter if I can have it or not."
Although she said that, on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, she made a few not-so-pretty mooncakes with flour, sugar, lean meat, and lard, and ate them with Zhou Quchuan in the courtyard while admiring the moon.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather became progressively cooler.
Zhao Lian made a nest for the two little wolves using wolf fur and taught them how to relieve themselves in the designated spot and perform simple actions.
Perhaps it was because their mother was a mutant wolf king, the two little wolves behaved very cleverly and learned after just a few times of teaching.
During this time, the cheetah would go out hunting every day, occasionally staying outside for two or three days before returning, but it always brought back some meat.
Although the game wasn't as big as the wild boar, it was varied and abundant, including deer, wild rabbits, pheasants, badgers, and some strange animals whose names Zhao Lian and Zhou Quchuan couldn't even identify.
Because of this, their meat consumption was rich and varied. Zhao Lian also tried to preserve the skins and antlers to exchange for some good things once they reached the New Chuan Base next year.
As the days passed, no humans came to this area, not even a single wandering zombie. It was as if this place was a forgotten paradise by the outside world.
With an ample supply of food, Zhao Lian only felt that this kind of life was unprecedented in terms of comfort and ease since the apocalypse. If it weren't for the fact that she had to make a trip to the Xinchuan base next year, she would have wanted to start trying to raise some small animals.
However, let's wait a bit longer. If the Xinchuan base also fails to satisfy her...
So, as winter approached, around mid-December, the farm welcomed its first heavy snowfall.
When she woke up, Zhao Lian saw a white layer of snow on the windowsill.
She quickly jumped out of bed and shivered, hurriedly putting on the military coat that had already been washed and dried by the bedside, and putting on the cotton boots that were already prepared. She called out to Zhou Quchuan, who was still lying in bed: "Achuan, it's snowing! Quickly, come out and have a look!"
Zhou Quchuan had known about the snow since it started falling in the middle of the night. He sluggishly got up, put on his coat, and shoes, and walked out, only to see Zhao Lian stomping her feet and rubbing her hands, scooping up the snow from the steps, her face quickly turning bright red from the cold.
"Why are you so excited? Haven't you seen snow before?" Zhou Quchuan asked lazily, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, looking at her.
"Yes... no, I mean, I've never seen such heavy snow!" Zhao Lian was somewhat excited and thrilled. She threw the snow back to the ground, blew on it, and watched the breath turn into white smoke and float into the air before running into the middle of the courtyard.
It had been snowing heavily all night, and there was already at least a foot of snow on the ground. The boots made a "crunchy" sound as they trampled on it.
"Let's have a snowball fight and build a snowman, okay?" She turned back, smiling at Achuan. It was understandable that she, a person who had grown up in a southern city where it rarely snowed, displayed some naivety when encountering such heavy snow as described in elementary school textbooks.
Seeing Zhou Quchuan yawn after hearing her words, he turned and went back inside, seemingly uninterested in her proposal.
Zhao Lian shrugged, seeing Achuan and A'er, the two wolf cubs, happily rolling around in the snow. She bent down and made a snowball, then suddenly threw it at A'bao under the eaves, hitting its body directly.
"Haha, A'bao, don't sleep all day, come and play with us."
The leopard raised its eyelids slightly, sluggishly got up, and just when Zhao Lian thought it was going to come over, it stretched out in a long lazy yawn, then changed its position and went back to sleep.
Just then, Zhou Quchuan came out again, wearing a wolf fur hat, and holding another one in his hand.
He walked over to Zhao Lian, put the hat on her head, and said, "Put on the hat, don't catch a cold, the snow is going to continue falling, and in a couple of days, you will be tired of it."
The hat was sewn and cut by Zhao Lian herself, although it was a bit crooked and even a little ugly, but it worked well in keeping warm.
She cheerfully put on the hat and grabbed Zhou Quchuan's hand, saying, "Let's have a snowball fight!"
"No!" Zhou Quchuan refused outright, "Only kids like to play with these."
"Come on, just play with me for a while, it was my childhood dream." Zhao Lian begged, shaking his hand.
Zhou Quchuan looked at her, seeing her bright eyes and flushed face, and her pleading voice was exceptionally soft and charming. Involuntarily, he said, "Alright."
Zhao Lian's eyes brightened, and she took a few steps back, picked up a handful of snow, and threw it at him.
After throwing it, she laughed and called, "Come on, come and retaliate!"
However, after running a few steps, he didn't see him move. Zhao Lian stopped and said, "What's wrong, don't you want to play?"
"It's not that, just wait a minute." Zhou Quchuan went up, lifted Zhao Lian, and walked towards the kitchen, "On such a cold day, you'll freeze your skin. Come with me."
Led by him into the kitchen, she watched him open a can of lard and said, "Put some of this on your face, don't let your skin crack from the cold."
"Huh, you even know about this?" Zhao Lian was surprised. In fact, she had wanted to use lard as a skin protectant in winter a long time ago, but she had been so excited by the snow she had just seen that she had forgotten about it.
She picked up a small piece of already-frozen white lard, spread it evenly on her face, lips, and the back of her hand, and when she saw Zhou Quchuan about to cover it, she grabbed his hand.
"Wait, you haven't put it on yet." She picked another small piece and put it in front of Zhou Quchuan.
Zhou Quchuan looked at the lard in front of him and frowned with some disdain. "Greasy, I am a grown man; I don't need to use these things."
"Even big men are still human," Zhao Lian said, "If you don't like it, then don't move, I'll help you apply it!"
Hearing her offer to help him apply, Zhou Quchuan still had a resistant look, but he leaned his face forward slightly.
Zhao Lian helped him dab lard in a few places, then slowly massaged it all over, and then rubbed the back of his hand.
"Why is your breathing so loud? Do you have a stuffy nose?" Zhao Lian looked up at him.
"Do I?" Zhou Quchuan subconsciously held his breath, "Probably because the air in the kitchen isn't very good."
"Okay!" Zhao Lian satisfiedly let go of his hand, covered the lard, and lit a fire in the stove to prepare some hot water for washing up later.
After completing all of this, she pulled Zhou Quchuan back to the courtyard and started playing the "childish" snowball fight game.
Zhou Quchuan had previously said it was a game for children, but ended up playing crazier than anyone else. In the end, even A'bao, who was lying under the eaves taking a nap, was dragged into the game. The playfulness and laughter filled the air around the courtyard and resonated across the open farm.
As the "snowball fight" game was nearing its end, Zhao Lian was already looking bedraggled. After A'bao was out of the game, she formed a temporary alliance with Zhou Quchuan and together they faced the fierce "tail snow sweeping" of the other side. As for A'da and A'er, the two little troublemakers were just standing on the side, causing chaos.
At this moment, seeing A'bao roll up an extraordinarily large snowball with its tail, preparing to aim it at the more aggressive Zhou Quchuan, Zhao Lian shouted, "Achuan, watch out!" She reached out to pull him to her side, but slipped, causing Zhou Quchuan to try to help her, but ended up being hit by the large snowball. Their balance was thrown off, and they both fell to the ground.
"Ouch." Zhao Lian was smiling, but when Zhou Quchuan ended up pressing her down, she cried out with a hint of pain.
Gasping for air and smiling, she opened her eyes, only to see Zhou Quchuan with his hands propped on both sides, his face extremely close to hers, which took her aback.
The two of them lay on the ground, facing each other, and in that moment, it seemed like only the other's breath filled the space between heaven and earth.
For some reason, Zhao Lian suddenly felt hot all over, as if her heart was about to leap out. She couldn't help but shout, "Achuan, you... you need to get up! You're so heavy, you would crush me!"
Zhou Quchuan suddenly snapped out of it, quickly shifted to the side, stood up, and said, "I... I'll go brush my teeth and wash my face first!"
Lying there, looking at the misty sky, panting heavily, she thought: if she hadn't said anything just now, would Achuan have wanted to...
No, no, this was definitely impossible. She sat up, seeing A'bao walking over to her, looking remorseful. She couldn't help but laugh, patting its big head, saying, "It's okay, we're just playing. But that's it for today, it's time for breakfast."
Zhao Lian walked into the kitchen and saw Zhou Quchuan holding the lid of a pot, staring at the not-yet-boiling water in a daze. His face seemed to be red, whether from being steamed by the water vapor or from being cold, she didn't know.
Seeing her come in, he quickly covered the pot and said, "The water temperature is enough. It's just right for brushing teeth and washing face." As he spoke, he turned to find his own basin, toothbrush, and other items, seemingly not thinking much about what had just happened.
Zhao Lian was a bit embarrassed at first, but seeing him act this way, she tried to relax and act natural. She knew that the best way to deal with embarrassment was to pretend that nothing had happened. The more natural you acted, the less embarrassed you would be.
Sure enough, by breakfast time, the two had restored their previous cheerful atmosphere.
"Let's check the time. Winter solstice should be almost here. Why don't we have dumplings today?" Zhao Lian slurped down a mouthful of instant noodles, drank some soup, and then said to Zhou Quchuan.
The instant noodles were found in the cellar before, still in their original packaging, untouched. They were reluctant to eat them and only occasionally used them for breakfast.
"Sure," Zhou Quchuan, who loved eating dumplings, immediately agreed upon hearing that. "Is there anything you need me to do today?"
"I'll go to the other side of the river to pick some shepherd's purse. You can go to the woods and gather some pine twigs and needles. The dry grass we use for kindling seems to be not enough," Zhao Lian said.
After breakfast, the two of them divided their tasks. Zhao Lian locked the two young wolf cubs, along with the wolf's den, in an unoccupied room, while Zhou Quchuan led the ewes, preparing to take them to the woods to graze.
Once outside the yard, the two went their separate ways, with the cheetah following behind Zhao Lian. She held a shiny sickle sharpened by Zhou Quchuan in one hand and a bag in the other, walking towards the river.
During this time of year, the river was almost impossible to fish in, and the surface was frozen. Unless they wanted to break through the ice and put out a fishing net, it was too much trouble. Plus, they had a lot of dried fish from before, and with no shortage of food, it wasn't necessary.
Looking at the sparkling river, although Zhao Lian felt an itch, she didn't dare to take the risk. Instead, she obediently walked along the riverbank for over a hundred meters, crossing over to the opposite side through a small forest.
She was very familiar with the environment in this forest. Many wild vegetables were almost non-existent at this time of year, except for the shepherd's purse, which still managed to survive.
She picked the seemingly tender shepherd's purse and put it in her bag, while slowly walking deeper into the woods.
Since she had been very regular in her behavior when coming to this side of the river during this period of time, the cheetah usually found a comfortable place to rest and sometimes even left to hunt for food.
So when the cheetah left this time, Zhao Lian didn't find it strange. She just continued to search for the tender shepherd's purse.
When she had picked enough, she stood up and stretched her neck and waist. Suddenly, she heard a sound coming from not far away in the woods. She thought it was the cheetah returning and called out in that direction, "Ah Bao, is that you? It's time for us to go back."
Her words had just fallen, and the sound immediately quickened, accompanied by a familiar but spine-chilling howl that hadn't been heard for a long time.
It was a zombie!
And not just one!
Zhao Lian looked at the two zombies that suddenly appeared, feeling shocked. She turned around to run away, but after just a few steps, she heard "puff puff," and the zombies behind her suddenly fell silent.
Subconsciously, she turned back and saw that one zombie was already decapitated, and the other had been pierced through by a young man with a long knife.
The man stepped on the zombie, forcefully pushing it down, and it fell to the ground, dead.
Although this man had killed two zombies, effectively helping her, Zhao Lian's first reaction was still to be cautious, because his skills looked too good.
The man wiped the blade of the knife on the snow, turned to Zhao Lian, and suddenly showed a big smile, standing up and saying, "Hey, hello there."
Zhao Lian showed no intention of getting closer, just nodded at him and said, "Thank you," before turning to leave.
"Hey, miss?" the young man called out and caught up to her. "I mean no harm. I just got lost in this forest. Can I ask you for directions?"
Zhao Lian stopped and glanced at him, only then realizing that he was quite young, probably around seventeen or eighteen, and looked like he had been wandering outside for a long time.
"If you keep walking to the southeast after leaving the front of this farm, within ten miles you will see a highway. Heading east leads to the 'Harvest Base'," she blandly said before turning to leave.
"Wait! Miss, do you have food?" the young man stopped her, looking somewhat embarrassed.
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Lian took out a small packet of jerky from her pocket and threw it in front of him. It was her snack, in case she got hungry.
"Thank you!" the young man said with surprise, then picked up the small package and hastily tore it open, wolfing down the contents.
"It's so lucky that you have jerky to eat, miss..." the young man, named Ji Siyuan, spoke with his mouth full in a somewhat ambiguous tone. "I'm Ji Siyuan. You can call me Ayuan..."
Before he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed and he drew his knife and lunged at Zhao Lian.
Shocked, Zhao Lian tried to move away, but he was too fast. In a blink of an eye, he had grabbed her shoulder and pulled her behind him.
A threatening growl suddenly came from the front, signaling the cheetah's presence. Zhao Lian was unsettled, but she saw that Ji Siyuan had blocked her and was facing the cheetah with the knife.
"It's probably a second-stage mutant beast. Slowly step back and run when you're far enough. Don't look back!" he said, surprising Zhao Lian. She never expected him, a stranger, to go to such an extent for her.
"Wait, don't be impulsive," she quickly interjected, coming out from behind him. "It's called Ah Bao. It's my friend."
"Friend?" Ji Siyuan seemed somewhat incredulous. He glanced at Zhao Lian and then at the cheetah, seeing that it wasn't showing any signs of attack, he put down the knife.
"You're friends with this mutant beast? It's hard to tame. Miss, you are really amazing!" Ji Siyuan said with disbelief. "It was just a coincidence," Zhao Lian replied, saying no more. She felt relieved with Ah Bao there and led the way, telling Ji Siyuan to follow her.
"Do you live nearby? Is there a survivor camp here?" he asked, very familiarly, as he walked alongside Zhao Lian.
"There's no camp. I live far from here. I just came here to find something to eat," Zhao Lian denied his assumption.
"Is that so?" Ji Siyuan looked at the bulging bag of shepherd's purse in her hand and had a somewhat aggrieved expression. "Miss, do I look repulsive? Or do you think I'm a bad person?"
"Huh? No, why would you say that?" Zhao Lian smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed. In fact, she had a good impression of this big boy and thought he was a good person. But with the display of his fighting ability and the fact that he was just passing through, even if he was a good person, she had no intention of getting too involved.
Often, getting too involved with someone would only invite trouble—of course, Achuan was an exception, not applicable to any other cases.
"Lost for so long, I just wanted to find a place to rest for a bit," Ji Siyuan sighed. "But you seem to be wary of me and deceived me."
Seeing him easily see through her lie, Zhao Lian felt even more awkward, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Ji Siyuan looked at her and moved closer, and gently pleaded, "Miss, can you take me in for two days? Just two days, I can help with hunting, and I can cook. Once I've rested enough, I'll leave immediately, I won't bother you for sure."
"This..." Zhao Lian hesitated, thinking about whether to go back and ask Zhouchuanchuan for his opinion.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew by, and she was grabbed by the arm and pulled behind someone.
"Zhouchuanchuan? When did you arrive?" Zhao Lian looked at the familiar figure that appeared in front of her, and called out in confusion.
Zhouchuanchuan stood in front of Zhao Lian, since she couldn't see his facial expression, he didn't bother to conceal the coldness on his face, and even looked at Ji Siyuan with a murderous intent, who barely escaped a blow from him, revealing a very punchable look on his face.
- His cousin, the little demon that outsiders refer to as a big headache, hmm, he's the big demon.
"What are you up to?" Zhouchuanchuan said in a deep voice.
He had just finished his work and was preparing to find Zhao Lian to return together, only to see her accompanied by Ji Siyuan, that little rascal, and furthermore, Ji Siyuan had the audacity to get so close to her!
For some reason, seeing that scene made him lose his sanity for a moment, even forgot about the danger of exposing his strength and rushed over.
"Brother!" Ji Siyuan pointed at him, showing a big smile, finding it extremely amusing that Zhouchuanchuan was so concerned about a woman.
But seeing Zhao Lian poking her head out in bewilderment, he didn't reveal anything on his face, instead showing the kind of surprise a young boy would show upon suddenly seeing a relative.
"You've been away for so long, turns out you came here to hide! Why didn't you find a way to inform the family? Do you know how worried we were!?" Zhao Lian stepped forward, standing next to Zhouchuanchuan, and asked, "He is your cousin? Do you even remember him?"
Seeing him shake his head, Zhao Lian told Ji Siyuan, "He had a head injury before, and doesn't remember anything from before."
"Amnesia!?" Ji Siyuan raised his voice, looking towards Zhouchuanchuan, only to see him looking at himself with cold eyes, and immediately guessed what was going on.
Evidently, his beloved cousin was pretending to have amnesia just to deceive the girl.
He never thought that he, Ji Siyuan, would be the only one able to do such an immature and shameless thing, only to find out that Zhouchuanchuan, the big demon, would also have such a shameless day!
When he saw the two little wolves released by Zhao Lian, he was even more surprised - both leopard and wolf, they have quite a few ferocious animals here.
Seeing Zhao Lian walking into the kitchen to put things, he poked Zhou Quchuan and joked in a low voice, "Hey, brother, you're living a pretty good life here."
The next moment, he was dragged in front of Zhou Quchuan by his collar.
"What are you doing here!?" Zhou Quchuan looked at him coldly.
"I was just worried since you haven't gone back for so long," Ji Siyuan shrugged, indicating that he won't resist and has no ill intentions.
"Tell the truth!"
"What are you doing?" Zhao Lian's voice came from the kitchen doorway.
Zhou Quchuan, who had his back to her, immediately changed his expression, releasing Ji Siyuan's collar and patting him on the shoulder, "Gently" asking, "Little cousin, won't you be cold in such light clothing?"
Ji Siyuan glanced at Zhao Lian and deliberately said loudly, "Yes! Brother, you are too kind. How can I let you take off your coat to give to me?"
Maintaining a smile, Zhou Quchuan bit his teeth secretly, "It's fine, brother is not cold. I will take it off immediately to give to you." As he spoke, he was about to take off his military coat, but was stopped by Zhao Lian.
"Achuan, don't take off yours, you might catch a cold. Isn't there another down jacket in the room? Go fetch it and let your cousin wear it," Zhao Lian suggested.
Zhao Lian didn't expect that in such a short time, the two brothers had become so intimate, is this the legendary "blood" relationship?
Ji Siyuan immediately said, "Thank you, Sister Zhao Lian! You can call me Ayuan, Sister. Brother, look how good Sister Zhao Lian is to you."
"I'll get it for you." With a "gentle" smile on his face, Zhou Quchuan patted his shoulder and turned to leave.
Suddenly, a sharp pain came from his shoulder, causing Ji Siyuan's face to change color. He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, thinking in his heart: Damn! It was just a joke, but he actually went so hard!
"Are you okay?" Zhao Lian asked somewhat strangely.
"I-I'm fine, just too moved!" Ji Siyuan gritted his teeth and wiped his eyes, then quickly followed Zhao Lian into the kitchen.
Zhao Lian was scooping warm water from the pot to wash shepherd's purse, and there was a large bowl of lamb and a bag of flour on the table.
The lamb was caught by Bao last night, very fresh, perfect for making dumpling filling.
Seeing him come in, Zhao Lian said, "Do you want to wash your face? The water is warm. There is your brother's washbasin and towel." She pointed to the items placed in the corner.
"Okay, thank you, Sister Zhao Lian." Ji Siyuan took the basin to fill it with water, and as he turned, he asked with bright eyes, "Are we going to make dumplings?"
"Yes, lamb and shepherd's purse dumplings."
"Great, I love eating dumplings!" After cheering, Ji Siyuan started to wash his face without any awareness of being an "outsider."
"Really? Then your taste is the same as your cousin's." Zhao Lian smiled.
"Cousin? Did he tell you he loves eating dumplings?" Ji Siyuan wiped his face randomly, then cleaned his hands and leaned in to ask Zhao Lian, and seeing her "yes," couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
My goodness, after relying on each other for so many years, he still didn't know what his cousin's favorite food was, they had eaten plenty of dumplings, but he didn't see him particularly liking them.
You could say this guy seemed to have no particular favorite things from childhood to adulthood, except fighting.
Yes, Zhou Quchuan is a fighting maniac!
And he actually told this young lady that he loves dumplings? This is like waiting for rain on a sunny day!
"Sister Zhao Lian," Ji Siyuan tentatively asked, "How did you and my brother meet?"
"A while back, he was injured by someone, floated down the river, and I picked him up," Zhao Lian answered truthfully, this wasn't some secret.
"Injured!?" Ji Siyuan was almost choked by his own saliva! My goodness, who could injure that monster? "Is that also when he lost his memory?"
Before Zhao Lian could answer, a cold voice said, "Why do you talk so much? If you want to eat, you should work. Come and make the dough."
Ji Siyuan turned his head, and a coat flew at him.
He took the coat, put it on with a grin, of course, he wasn't cold. Most people at his level of ability have unlocked points for resisting heat and cold, but since his cousin handed it to him personally, he dared not not wear it. After putting it on, he obediently started making the dough.
The kitchen was not large, and with the sudden presence of two tall men, it seemed a bit cramped, so after Ji Siyuan kneaded the dough, they moved all the stuff to the main room, and started making the dumplings inside.
They could have gone to the adjacent empty room, but it wasn't cleaned up, dirty and messy, so it was better to stay in the main room, and moreover, Zhou Quchuan had repaired the doors and windows in the main room, making it more resistant to wind and cold than the other rooms.
Carrying the basin into the room, Ji Siyuan saw two beds in the room, which was tidy and spotless.
He pretended to be naive and asked, "Huh? Are you two sleeping in the same room?"
Zhao Lian's face immediately turned red, and she quickly explained, "It's just that when I first rescued Achuan, he was seriously injured, and I was afraid that something might happen in the middle of the night, so we slept in the same room for convenience and care. Later... it was also because, I was afraid of danger in the middle of the night, if the two of us were separated, it wouldn't be easy to escape." She didn't know why, she felt that the situation was getting more and more chaotic, but she had to explain.
She glanced at Zhou Quchuan who was wiping the table, and saw his indifferent look, as if it didn't matter whether she explained or not, which made her feel a bit down, so she simply kept quiet.
"Sister Zhao Lian, you don't need to explain. I know you are a good person, and you two don't have anything," Ji Siyuan said with a smile. "Since you take care of my brother in this way, he should thank you well. Alas, my brother is at an age where the family wants him to find a wife soon. If anything happens between you two, I don't know how happy everyone would be."
As he listened to his elder tone, Zhao Lian's face became even redder.
Zhou Quchuan shrugged off the cloth onto the table and looked at Ji Siyuan, then glanced at him with cold eyes when the latter immediately made a gesture of a zipper at his mouth. He said, "Okay, let's get ready to make dumplings."
The three of them gathered around the table and began to work together.
Seeing the remaining blush on Zhao Lian's face, Zhou Quchuan lightly coughed and said to her, "Don't mind him, this kid loves to talk nonsense."
Ji Siyuan immediately widened his eyes and looked at Zhou Quchuan, but after Zhou Quchuan's cold glance, he swallowed back what he wanted to say. Forget it, his elder cousin had been provoked too many times today, the fact that he hadn't exploded yet was already a miracle, he should take it easy, and not suffer too much when the time comes.
Seeing Zhao Lian shake her head to indicate that everything's okay, Zhou Quchuan stared at Ji Siyuan, smiled and said, "You said you had something to do before. Let's hit the road tomorrow."
"I don't, I don't have anything! It took me so long to find you, cousin, I can't leave so soon. I need to see your condition improve!" Ji Siyuan immediately retorted, then looked at Zhao Lian in a somewhat aggrieved manner, almost shedding tears, "Miss, can you not ask me to leave, can I stay a few more days? I've been wandering outside for so long, often hungry."
Zhao Lian knew he was pretending to be pitiful, and looked at Zhou Quchuan helplessly. She had thought they had a good relationship as cousins, why was Achuan already driving people away?
"Achuan, these days the weather looks like it's going to snow heavily. Since the weather is so harsh, let your cousin stay with us for a few days, at least until the weather clears up." She mainly spoke up for Ji Siyuan, because Achuan has lost his memory and can't even remember his own family. If Ji Siyuan were to leave now, and something were to happen, he might resent her once he regains his memory.
"Sure, if you want to stay, you can stay." Zhou Quchuan smiled and agreed with Zhao Lian, then looked at Ji Siyuan, with a warning in his eyes.
However, Ji Siyuan pretended not to see his expression, and happily said, "Thank you, Sister Zhao Lian! Thank you, cousin!" Then he started rolling the dough for noodles. With Sister Zhao Lian around, he didn't believe that his cousin could do anything to him.
In winter, the sky darkened early, and the three of them went to bed early after dinner.
Although Ji Siyuan wanted to stay and play gooseberry, he wouldn't dare to share a bed with Zhou Quchuan even if he were given two hundred times the courage. So he took the bedding to the next room to sleep, accompanied by A Bao, A Da, A Er, and a ewe, as it was too cold, and Zhao Lian had already let the little ones inside to sleep.
After locking eyes with A Bao's green glowing eyes in the darkness for a few seconds and seeing the two wolf cubs, who were not sleeping well and were playing with his hair, Ji Siyuan "hmphed" and, amidst the wolves' pained howls, picked them up and threw them in the direction of the leopard.
"Keep an eye on your cubs!" Ji Siyuan said with a menacing tone, "Stare at me again and I'll gouge out your eyes!" A Bao stood up and roared at him.
Not long after, Zhao Lian's voice was heard from outside, "What's wrong? Are you guys alright? Ji Siyuan, do you want to change sleeping places?"
It was Zhou Quchuan's suggestion for Ji Siyuan to sleep with the animals. Although Zhao Lian felt somewhat uneasy about it, since Ji Siyuan didn't object, she didn't say much.
"It's okay, Sister Zhao Lian, we were just playing. I'm fine sleeping here, I feel safe." Ji Siyuan immediately replied with a cheerful and smiling voice.
"Okay, just call us if you need anything," Zhao Lian said and then went back to her room.
As Zhao Lian's footsteps gradually faded, Ji Siyuan looked at the leopard, still emitting a snoring threat, and the two little wolf cubs, and impatiently said, "Stop bothering me while I'm trying to sleep!" Then he pulled the blanket over himself and went to bed.
He had been struggling to survive with his cousin in the post-apocalyptic world since he was twelve. He had endured all kinds of hardships. Even in such an environment, he could sleep, even if there were zombies surrounding him!
Heh heh, if his cousin thought this would drive him away, he was sorely mistaken!
Zhou Quchuan, the leader of the Xinchuan Base, the world's number one supernatural ability user, and the fierce big boss in the eyes of outsiders, was actually willing to stay in this remote place for a woman. This news would definitely shock everyone if it got out, quickly becoming the hot topic of this era.
And now, he was the first witness!
Ji Siyuan's mouth curled slightly, involuntarily thinking of the woman who made his cousin willing to stay—Zhao Lian.
What was her charm that could make his arrogant cousin willingly stay here and put on an act?
From his observation today, Zhou Quchuan's behavior in front of Zhao Lian was similar to that of a younger... no, more like a son!
That obedient appearance, tut, this trip was not wasted since he got to see his cousin behaving this way.
So, where did the woman's charm lie?
In the darkness, Ji Siyuan squinted his eyes and, thinking back to the few hours of contact from noon to evening, he couldn't help but consider that the woman had a decent appearance and a gentle personality. From the way she "saved" Zhou Quchuan from the river, it was clear that she was a very kind person.
Most importantly, being around her made people feel very comfortable, the kind of comfort that allowed one to completely relax...
Perhaps it was because of this reason?
As he pondered, Ji Siyuan closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep.
He didn't know how long he had slept when he was suddenly awakened by a sense of palpitations, feeling that someone was coming towards him. He tried to dodge, but before he could, the other person grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground and flying out of the window in an instant.
The chilling wind whistled past him as he flew, caused by his own speed.
Ji Siyuan and the other person fought hundreds of times in the air within a short period of time. Because the sound was too fast and dense, if there were ordinary people nearby, all they would hear would be successive sounds of what seemed like faraway firecrackers, definitely unable to imagine that these sounds were from the collision of fists and feet.
Ji Siyuan's attack angles were extremely cunning and treacherous, aiming for the other person's eyes, throat, and lower abdomen, and his moves were ruthless. It was completely different from the innocent and sunny image he had shown in front of Zhao Lian during the day.
However, the opponent's strength was higher than his. One hand firmly grasped his collar while the other easily deflected his fierce attacks.
After a few minutes, the two of them moved away from the farm and arrived at a wasteland.
With a loud bang, the person accelerated in the air and slammed Ji Siyuan onto the ground, creating a large pit.
"Cough cough..." In the midst of swirling dust, Ji Siyuan felt blood and energy churning, as if his internal organs were about to shift position, and he couldn't tell if his ribs were broken. In short, it was extremely painful.
He coughed violently, his face turning red, and angrily rebuked the person holding him down near the throat, "Zhou Quchuan, have you gone mad!?"
Indeed, the person who had attacked him in the middle of the night was none other than his beloved cousin Zhou Quchuan!
From a commanding position, Zhou Quchuan looked down at Ji Siyuan coldly.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, devoid of any emotion in his tone.
"Cough, what else can I be here for? You've been missing for so long, I was worried about you, so I came to see what you were doing here!" Ji Siyuan retorted.
"Speak the truth!"
"I came to see if you were critically injured and dead! I also wanted to go find the body of that big dinosaur!" Ji Siyuan shouted in anger.
"Then you've seen it now, I'm not dead." Zhou Quchuan released his grip, and then stood on the ground to the side, "You know the location of the tyrannosaurus' lair, and everything on it, except for the crystal core, reverse scales, and most importantly a rib, is still intact in the magma. If you want it, go and get it yourself."
"Heh heh... cough!" Ji Siyuan sat up, rattled his bones, and found that he was in pain, but fortunately nothing was broken. He wanted to laugh, but the movement stirred the injury to his chest. After a few coughs, he said, "So you want me to leave quickly? Am I disturbing you and your little miss's lovey-dovey time here?"
"Don't call her that!" Zhou Quchuan shot him a cold glance, "Just get lost!"
"Hey, can we talk this over logically, dear cousin?" Ji Siyuan stood up, "If I can't call her that, then what can I call her? Zhao Zhao? Lian Lian? Little Lianer?" For the latter few titles he purposely used a sickeningly sweet tone.
"Shut up!" Not long after Zhou Quchuan's firm tone, a terrible killing intent rushed toward Ji Siyuan.
"Oh sh*t!?" Ji Siyuan immediately rolled backwards, and in the blink of an eye, he had retreated fifty or sixty meters.
Wherever Zhou Quchuan's killing intent passed, the grass withered, insects perished, smaller stones shattered, and larger ones were riddled with countless cracks, presenting a chilling scene.
Oh my god...Ji Siyuan felt cold sweat on his forehead as he stared at Zhou Quchuan in disbelief—a mere address, was it necessary?
However, the expression on Zhou Quchuan's face told him—yes, it was very necessary!
This immediately made him realize that his wish to stay and watch the show, to enjoy his cousin's embarrassing state, would be impossible to achieve. If he didn't leave now, this crazy Zhou Quchuan would probably make it impossible for him to leave forever.
"Okay, okay, I'm leaving, can't I?" Ji Siyuan raised his hands, making a gesture of "surrender" in his heart, thinking that after finding the body of the lava dinosaur, he must go into seclusion and cultivate his strength. Until he surpassed Zhou Quchuan, he would not leave seclusion!
Today, I'll just consider myself being bitten by a dog! I will definitely seek revenge in the future!
Ji Siyuan thought to himself angrily, then headed in the direction of the farm.
Seeing Zhou Quchuan blocking his way, Ji Siyuan angrily said, "I'm going back to get my weapon and luggage. I haven't even taken my things!"
As soon as he said this, Zhou Quchuan waved his hand, and with a loud clang, a long knife and a small bag suddenly flew out from the darkness nearby, landing at his feet.
"Your things are here, now scram," Zhou Quchuan said coldly.
This...is this really necessary? Ji Siyuan was dumbfounded, not expecting that Zhou Quchuan had already prepared his luggage. He could actually be so thorough in his "favoritism"!
Approaching his luggage, he picked up the long knife and the package with his foot, and as he was about to turn around, he suddenly stopped.
He said, "Since you like the young lady, tell her the truth, pursue her openly, marry her, why deceive her? Aren't you afraid of how she might react when she finds out the truth in the future?"
"It's none of your business," Zhou Quchuan said coldly.
"Okay, okay, consider me nosy. But I quite like Miss Zhao Lian, if you don't want to pursue her, how about giving her to me?" After saying this, Ji Siyuan had already slipped away, leaving his words at a distance.
Zhou Quchuan's momentum turned cold, and he heard Ji Siyuan, who was already a mile away, saying, "I know why you're afraid of me staying, because I'm better looking than you! You're afraid that Miss Zhao Lian might like me more, right? Hahaha!"
Zhou Quchuan: "..."
He really should have just killed this kid earlier, right?
...
The next morning, Zhao Lian got up and prepared to go to the kitchen to boil water. She casually glanced at the room next door and saw that the door was half open, and the bed facing the door was empty, with no sign of Ji Siyuan.
She felt a bit strange, but she thought that Ji Siyuan had gotten up early and might be in the kitchen. However, when she entered the kitchen, she didn't see anyone.
After boiling the water, Zhou Quchuan also came out. She said, "A'chuan, there's no one in the room next door, I don't know where your cousin went." This big guy couldn't just disappear into thin air, with such bad weather, would he go jogging?
Upon hearing her words, Zhou Quchuan's face showed a bewildered expression. He put down the water bucket and quickly walked over to check the empty room, and said anxiously, "Huh, where is he? How come he's gone?"
He walked into the room and checked the place where Ji Siyuan had slept last night, then beckoned to Zhao Lian, "Come and take a look."
Zhao Lian walked over and saw a line of words carved with a knife next to Ji Siyuan's bed: I have urgent matters to attend to, I have left, don't worry.
Although it was a bit strange, since he left these words, it proved that Ji Siyuan had left on his own, probably with some urgent matter.
Zhao Lian shook her head and sighed, "Why couldn't he wait even just for one night? He could have taken some dried meat with him on the road." Ji Siyuan was not very old, and he was cheerful and outgoing. She had a pretty good impression of him.
Zhou Quchuan glanced at her and suddenly walked out without saying a word.
Zhao Lian didn't notice his expression, she was just petting the two little wolf cubs that were constantly whining and arching by her side, and she hugged them asking, "What's wrong with you two? You weren't obedient last night, bothering Ah Bao?"
Ah Bao came to her and let out a loud breath through his nose, then growled a few times, accusing her of the "crimes" of the human from last night. Although that human wasn't as scary as his owner, he was still stronger, and was brought by his master, so although he was dissatisfied, he couldn't do anything about it.
But Zhao Lian couldn't understand the animals' language, so she thought Ah Bao was complaining about the two little cubs making noise, so she reached out and patted his head, saying, "Sorry, tonight I'll find a plank to separate the two little guys, so they won't bother you again."
Ah Bao, who was patted on the head, squinted his eyes and let out a soft growl.
The fur on his head was short, and if you rubbed it in the opposite direction, it felt a bit prickly, but in the same direction, it felt very smooth.
As she continued to pet it, Zhao Lian seemed to get a bit addicted, starting to scratch from the head to the ears, chin, and cheeks of the cheetah.
As she scratched, she thought to herself: This is the pleasure of petting a cat! It's just that this "cat" in front of her is much larger.
Ah Bao squinted his eyes and lowered his head, then lay down, making a loud purring sound in his throat, and his large head kept rubbing against Zhao Lian's hand.
Seeing that it liked it, Zhao Lian simply sat down on the ground and expanded her scratching area.
When her hand reached the cheetah's chest, its golden eyes suddenly widened, and it half raised its head, but feeling the comfortable sensation brought by her hands, it lay back down, and voluntarily spread its two front paws apart, increasing the loud purring in its throat.
On the other side, Zhou Quchuan filled the pot with water in the kitchen and started heating it on the stove.
After the fire started, he didn't see Zhao Lian coming over, and he felt a little upset. He also wondered, what was she doing? Why hadn't she come over yet? Didn't she realize that he was already angry?
And also, that little Ji Siyuan left, and she couldn't bear it like this?
However, they had only met and spent a short half-day together, why would she be so considerate of the little guy? Scared that he would go out in this weather and get cold, and even give him the dried meat? Those dried meat were all painstakingly prepared and dried by him and her, and she's giving it to that stinky little guy? Let him go!
So she's so kind to everyone, would she still be this gentle to others even if she had saved someone else at the time?
Zhou Quchuan was holding a stick of wood, and when he thought about it, he lost his focus and accidentally exerted a little force, turning the end of the stick into sawdust.
Coming back to his senses, he quickly gathered the scattered sawdust and threw it into the fire, then added a few more sticks to the stove. After that, he stood up and walked out, wanting to see what Zhao Lian was doing.
He didn't expect her to be "playing with the cat."
Watching her squatting on the ground, smiling as she rubbed Ah Bao's chest and abdomen, and seeing Ah Bao with a shamelessly dumbfounded look, Zhou Quchuan couldn't help but feel the urge to give it a good beating!
As a result, as soon as Zhao Lian looked up and saw him standing at the door, she immediately called out to him, "Achuan, come over here and touch Ah Bao's belly, it's soft and fun."
"Do you want me to scratch this silly cat?" Zhou Quchuan glanced at Ah Bao, who suddenly shuddered, and without answering Zhao Lian's question, he stood up and walked out the door in just a few steps.
"What's wrong? You were fine just now." Zhao Lian stood up, patted herself where Ah Bao's hair had fallen, relieved that Ah Bao's hair was short and a little stiff, making it easy to clean up.
Then she tidied up Ji Siyuan's bedding and put it back in the main house, then walked to the kitchen with Zhou Quchuan to start brushing their teeth and washing their faces.
Zhou Quchuan watched her calmly scoop up water to wash, and he couldn't bring himself to ask the questions he wanted to ask. Eventually, after they finished breakfast and returned to the house, Zhao Lian never mentioned Ji Siyuan at all. Seeing this, Zhou Quchuan felt secretly pleased and decided not to bring it up either, for fear of reminding her.
Actually, he was overthinking it. Zhao Lian wasn't that kind-hearted to care so much about a young man she had only known for half a day.
To her, if Ji Siyuan wasn't Achuan's cousin, she wouldn't have brought him back yesterday, let alone let him stay.
But when she saw Ji Siyuan leave this morning, she was not only surprised, but also a little angry.
Because Ji Siyuan clearly said he would stay until Achuan recovered his memory or his condition improved before leaving, but now he left without a word. This indicated that in his heart, Achuan, as his cousin, apparently wasn't that important.
The reason Zhao Lian didn't bring up his name again was also because she was afraid that Achuan would be upset and worried that he would become indifferent in the future after recovering his memory.
In her heart, after spending this time together, Achuan had become a trusted friend and partner to her, and even though Ji Siyuan's personality was likeable, he couldn't compare to Achuan.
It was nearly noon when the snow started falling again. With plenty of food in the house, the two naturally didn't need to go out and work hard, so they stayed in the house, chatting idly.
Zhao Lian had wanted to make a small stove in the house for warmth, but she gave up after a previous attempt produced too much smoke. To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, she decided against it.
Luckily, the house had been modified by Zhou Quchuan with clever improvements, and she didn't know what he had done, but the temperature inside the house was much warmer than outside. Although it wasn't as exaggerated as radiant floor heating, it was enough for Zhao Lian.
After lunch, neither of them felt sleepy, so they sat on Zhou Quchuan's bed and started playing cards.
The cards were also handmade by Zhou Quchuan. He knew they would often stay in the house due to the weather, so he made many small toys, including various card games, and they even taught each other how to play some games they had never seen before.
This time, they were playing "Three-Six-Nine," a game mainly based on luck, and Zhao Lian won several rounds in a row, looking very happy.
Watching her smile, Zhou Quchuan, while shuffling the cards, casually asked, "You said you hate being lied to. Why is that? Have you been deceived before?"
Frowning slightly, Zhao Lian looked at him as she finished shuffling the cards, then said, "It's betrayal. My two best friends—although, I thought they were best friends only from my perspective, they were actually lying to me, and after gaining my trust, they didn't hesitate to push me into a pit of fire."
Although there was no sign of excitement on Zhao Lian's face, those few words contained a lot of information.
Zhou Quchuan's gentle expression softened as he said, "Do you remember what you told me before? The past is in the past, and the important thing is how to live well in the future."
"Okay!" Zhao Lian nodded. "Don't worry about me. I've been fine for a long time. But I still hate being deceived. Achuan, don't lie to me in the future. Whatever happens, we can always find a solution if we discuss it together."
"..." Zhou Quchuan wanted to casually say "okay." After all, speaking without sincerity was an art he had mastered when facing enemies or subordinates. But for the first time in his life, faced with an ordinary person, a weak woman, he couldn't bring himself to say a word that contradicted his thoughts.