Aside from the supplies belonging to Zhao Na and her son, Jian Yi took everything else from the store. Consequently, at three o'clock in the afternoon, to the astonished gazes of the mother and son, Jian Yi's family started the RV and, along with Zhang Ming's off-road vehicle, left the service area. Seizing the remaining daylight, they exited the highway and headed onto a national road, parting ways with the others.
Zhao Na was left dumbfounded. When she eventually reacted, she looked at the empty store and listened to the distant cries from both sides. Under the slowly fading twilight, an inexplicable mix of loneliness and regret welled up in her heart. Perhaps she should have continued to follow Jian Yi's family. However, as soon as this thought surfaced, Zhao Na dispelled it herself. Everyone had already left, and there was no way to catch up. Thinking about it was futile. It was better to endure this night and wait for the main group to arrive tomorrow. Observing her mother's busy figure, Long Xiaohu decided to inspect the doors on both sides to ensure they were sturdy enough, preventing any need for reinforcement.
This way, he could avoid constantly thinking about the expectant eyes of the girls inviting him to join them. Meanwhile, Zhao Na and her son were busy fortifying doors and windows in an attempt to safely pass the night.
On the other side, Jian Yi had already hit the national road. They continued non-stop, passing through several silent villages, until they finally found a relatively safe open area to spend the night. Chen Junsheng opened an electronic map to check the road conditions, while Zhang Ming fiddled with the radio in the off-road vehicle, hoping to catch some news from the outside world. Zheng Lanxin, as usual, took on the tasks of cooking and taking care of the children, preparing dinner in front of the RV.
It seemed that there was no need for Jian Yi to make special arrangements or explanations. Everyone had already found their suitable roles within the group. As for Jian Yi, she simply needed to sit in front of the campfire and slowly articulate her thoughts and future plans. Chen Junsheng wouldn't argue with her; instead, he would help fill in some details she might have missed.
With Chen Junsheng on her side, Zheng Lanxin's support was effectively secured. As for Zhang Ming, although Jian Yi didn't know why he chose to follow, she could sense a desire to please and an underlying fear in his gaze when he looked at Chen Junsheng. As for Tongtong, whatever her sister said was right, and she followed her sister's lead without question.
No one knew where Jian Yi was headed. The vehicle continued along the national road, driving continuously for three days until they reached a valley where Jian Yi finally called for a stop.
This was a village, and at the entrance, the village's name, "Gold Valley Village," was displayed. The village was surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a small river dividing the valley into two parts. To the north was a residential area built against the mountain, to the south were extensive rice fields, to the east was the direction Jian Yi and the others had come from, and to the west was the source of the river.
Currently, the living conditions in every household were decent. All the houses in the village had been converted into brick structures. Houses on gently sloping terrain were single-story with five rooms, each with a high surrounding wall, while those on slightly steeper terrain were two to three stories tall.
Initially, Zhang Ming didn't understand why Jian Yi had chosen this place, but when he saw the rising smoke from the houses, he suddenly felt that this village was extraordinary. Along their journey, they had passed by many villages and even swept through a county town. They had also found several good bows and crossbows in a riding and archery club. However, without exception, these places were either overrun by silence, becoming a haven for zombies, or echoed with cries for help.
But this village was different. It was peaceful and tranquil, and despite the apocalypse, people were still cooking in their homes, as if the cataclysm had never occurred.
"There's a pile of ashes over there," Chen Junsheng, who had gotten out to inspect, pointed to a field on the opposite side of the river.
Everyone followed his gaze, and indeed saw a circular black ash pile with a diameter of nearly four meters in the open rice field. Based on its condition, it seemed to have been left behind two or three days ago.
"What did they burn? Why is the ash pile so big?" Zhang Ming asked in confusion.
Zheng Lanxin, who had worked in the countryside before, couldn't help but speculate, "Could it be the burning of rice straw? But the resulting charcoal seems too coarse. Rice straw would turn to ash when burned..."
However, Chen Junsheng had already walked more than three meters and over two meters wide onto the bridge, coming to the pile of ashes. After a brief examination, he turned back to Zhang Ming and smiled, "They were burning people."
Zhang Ming's expression immediately froze, and Jian Yi chuckled, "They are clever, united, and led by someone with a sharp mind." She liked such intelligent people.
Zhang Ming finally grasped Jian Yi's meaning and asked in astonishment, "They burned the zombies, right?"
Chen Junsheng nodded, and after a moment, the RV started moving again. Zhang Ming thought Jian Yi might not be satisfied and planned to go elsewhere, but the vehicle stopped about five hundred meters ahead of the village.
This area was another small valley with a three-and-a-half-meter-wide concrete road branching off from the main road. Following this road uphill, a villa came into view.
The surrounding hills were not very high, and there were no trees on them. This terrain was suitable for avoiding the invasion of zombies and mutant creatures. Additionally, the 3.5-meter-wide concrete road next to the villa seemed to lead deeper into the forest, providing an escape route in case of trouble.
For most people, the forest filled with wildlife was more dangerous, but for Jian Yi, who had previously led the "Lick Dog" squad to hide in the mountains, it was like a fish in water. Furthermore, the villa was separated from the village but not entirely isolated, making it suitable for someone like her who didn't enjoy crowds.
"So, this will be our new home from now on," Jian Yi said with a smile.
The large villa was built in the middle of the hill, with a tall surrounding wall. However, the upper half of the wall was made of metal grating, allowing them to see the inside vaguely. The ornate black iron gate was tightly closed, and through the gaps in the grating, two emaciated figures could be seen moving inside. Their hair had turned white, but as they turned around, their pale faces, protruding dead fish-like eyes, bulging veins on their necks and cheeks, and the two hungry roars that followed all indicated that they were not human.
"It's zombies!" Tongtong exclaimed from inside the vehicle, her excitement appearing strangely eerie.
Jian Yi understood her meaning. When they had passed through a certain county town earlier, they had obtained a batch of refined bows and crossbows, including five bows, a long crossbow, an arm crossbow, and a wrist crossbow, along with over a hundred steel arrows. These weapons were even better than guns. They could not only kill zombies from a distance but also do so without attracting more of them.