Chapter 42.1

There are too many abandoned houses in the world today.

In big cities where zombies roam the streets and alleys, even in places with fewer zombies, you can’t stay for long. You never know when a zombie will pop up from a corner. No matter how strong a person is, they can’t stay vigilant all the time.

So, the best option is to look outside the big cities.

Wen Jiuze first suggested: “How about a big villa?”

Xue Ling firmly refused. A big villa may look good, but it’s useless!

She had lived in one before. During the three years she spent wandering, she lived in many different houses. Whenever she found a beautiful house, she would go in and take a look, staying for a few days to experience it.

She remembered a big villa that was built like a palace. It was extremely large, had countless rooms, a pond, and a garden.

But it wasn’t comfortable to live in at all—it was flashy and impractical!

The stairs made it difficult for zombies to move around, and the ceilings were so high that the house felt empty. Except for the areas they frequently used, the rest of the house was covered in dust.

It was grand, but the comfort level was zero.

At this time, if you want to live there long-term, it’s best to choose a roadside county town or a small village where zombies have been cleared and the population is sparse.

It’s better if the surrounding terrain is open so that if people or zombies appear, they can be spotted right away.

There should also be a base within half a day’s drive from the house, so Wen Jiuze can go there regularly to exchange for human necessities. In the opposite direction, there should be a base leading to a big city where not many people dare to scavenge, making it convenient for Xue Ling to go buy goods.

It would be even better if there was a vegetable patch around the house, so they could grow their own food.

A nearby river would be a plus, so they could fish for food.

It would be ideal to have running water, but many places no longer have access to it.

On the other hand, some remote rural areas still have access to mountain spring water through water pipes, as long as the water tower on the mountain isn’t dry.

The house doesn’t need to be too large, but it’s better if it’s newer. It shouldn’t be too dirty or messy, and it should have basic furniture.

A separate kitchen with an earthen stove would be ideal, as there isn’t enough electricity for boiling water or cooking, and there’s no gas. It seems that we can only burn firewood, and an earthen stove is more convenient.

There must also be a forest nearby so we can chop wood…

Wen Jiuze stopped her before she could continue. If she went on, they wouldn’t be able to find a suitable place before the snow started falling.

After ten days of careful searching, they finally found a place that almost perfectly met Xue Ling’s requirements. The only issue was the lack of running water, but the pressurized well in the yard made up for this.

Wen Jiuze thought of it as just a temporary place, but Xue Ling was as excited as if they had moved into a new house.

She urged Wen Jiuze to clean the house, move all the things from the car into the house and kitchen.

Xue Ling had been living in the car for months. It was getting more cramped with all their belongings, and there was barely enough space for her to lie down. The roof was almost full.

Wen Jiuze had spent three years driving around, and his car didn’t have much stuff.

Now, after packing up, they had moved several times together.

Wen Jiuze helped Xue Ling carry her books and clothes, while Xue Ling happily followed him with her daily necessities, a flat comb, and a small mirror.

They decided to live in a bedroom on the first floor. Wen Jiuze had cleared out the room, leaving only a bed, wardrobe, and table.

They placed the things from the car in the room, but it still felt a little empty.

Xue Ling looked around and felt something was missing.

First, they were missing quilts. Wen Jiuze had been using a blanket and a large cotton-padded jacket in the car, but with winter coming, they definitely needed a quilt.

They also lacked bedding and clothes, especially Wen Jiuze, who needed both.

Not only did he need clothes, but he also needed shoes.

Wen Jiuze wore his shoes very hard. His sturdy leather boots and high-quality sneakers wore out quickly.

He walked into the room with a battery box, and Xue Ling looked down at his shoes.

He had been wearing this pair for two months, and they were covered in dust and stains. The creases on the uppers weren’t pretty, and the soles were about to crack.

These shoes were relatively good. He had worn his last pair until the soles were completely gone, and the shoelaces were made from rope.

Wen Jiuze still wore clothes and shoes with holes. He didn’t care about them unless someone pointed it out. When he didn’t care, he really looked like a homeless person.

How could someone live such a rough life and still be so handsome?

Men who are often exposed to wind and sun tend to have rough skin and can look older.

Wen Jiuze was a bit rough, but the more rough he seemed, the more interesting he was—like someone who could be recognized at a glance as “very capable.”

Like rough tree scars or hard earth, or like his car, which had many dents and scratches but could still drive into the wilderness and cross rivers.

Wen Jiuze noticed her staring at his shoes and casually put down the things he was holding. “Are you dissatisfied with my old shoes again? If you don’t like them, just stop looking at them.”

He wore large shoes, making it difficult to find a pair that fit.

Xue Ling suddenly clenched her fists. Wen Jiuze instinctively stepped aside, thinking she was about to hit someone again. But instead, Xue Ling was just getting herself ready, preparing to roll up her sleeves and get to work.

She soon announced that she was going scavenging, planning a large-scale zero-cost shopping trip in the city to gather things for their new home.

Living on the road, anything could be done, but once you settle down, you realize you’re missing everything.

That night, a small lamp was on above the bed.

Xue Ling lay on the hard bed, thinking about what she needed. She wrote one thing on the writing board, and Wen Jiuze recorded it on paper with a pen.

“I forgot, we also need laundry detergent for washing clothes,” Xue Ling added. “But it’s heavy and runs out quickly, so soap would be more economical.”

Wen Jiuze leaned against the bed and added soap to the shopping list.

He thought back to when they had lived together before, discussing what to buy for their home and making a shopping list.

“By the way, we also need solar lights, ones that don’t need electricity!” Xue Ling added casually.

Wen Jiuze wrote it on the list in bold letters and asked, “Do you know where to find solar lights?”

“There’s no supermarket nearby?” Xue Ling asked.

“Supermarket? I haven’t seen them there. You might have to go to a hardware store. If you do, bring me some tools so I can fix things,” Wen Jiuze explained.

“What tools? A screwdriver?”

…

They chatted until midnight. Wen Jiuze fell asleep, but Xue Ling was still wondering what they might be missing.

To make it easier for her, the small light above the bed stayed on. Wen Jiuze could sleep with the light on, anyway.

After checking the shopping list, Xue Ling turned over in boredom, grabbed Wen Jiuze’s hand, and held it up to the light.

His palms were broad, his fingers long with thick knuckles. His hands, which often used a knife, were slightly crooked and deformed. There were scars and thick calluses, making his hands rougher than before, and his index finger nail was a bit split.

After studying his hands for a while, Xue Ling opened the shopping list again and decided to add hand cream.

It was only when the white light of dawn appeared outside the window that Xue Ling turned off the small light.

After waking up early and cleaning the house, Wen Jiuze drove Xue Ling to the city, now full of zombies, to gather supplies.

This wasn’t the first time Xue Ling had done something like this, and Wen Jiuze was familiar with it. He found a place to wait for her.

With the shopping list in hand, Xue Ling set off.

Wen Jiuze sat on the car roof, the cold wind blowing his coat, which Xue Ling had forced him to wear.

Feeling a little hot, Wen Jiuze took off the blue woolen hat.

This hat had originally been worn by Xue Ling, but after Wen Jiuze had gotten sick, Xue Ling insisted he wear it.

Holding a book that Xue Ling had casually placed on the car, Wen Jiuze occasionally flipped through the pages to pass the time. Every now and then, he would use a telescope to scan for Xue Ling’s figure and check if any other scavenging teams were approaching.

He had his gun and knife with him, but it had been a while since he had absentmindedly played with the knife while waiting.

He was no longer as anxious as he had been a few months ago, because he knew Xue Ling would return soon.

Xue Ling came back pushing an oversized shopping cart full of goods from the supermarket.

Wen Jiuze put his hat back on and stood up to take it. Xue Ling said there was more, turned around, and left again, pushing in three large shopping carts full of items, along with several bags of brand-new quilts.

Wen Jiuze also saw two fishing rods, which were not on their list.

There were plenty of other things not on the list but that Xue Ling had taken anyway, such as a kettle, a vegetable basket, a mop, and various oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and condiments—all daily necessities.

“Although it’s expired, it might still taste good. Let’s try it!” Xue Ling said, getting especially excited every time she bought something for free.

Wen Jiuze had no objections—just move everything back.

The items belonging to Wen Jiuze filled an entire shopping cart.

His clothes, shoes, scarves, socks, shaving gel and razor—all of it was there, along with the repair toolbox he had wanted.

He couldn’t help but feel like he was living off his girlfriend.

But Wen Jiuze didn’t mind. He had a good appetite.

As he sorted through all the miscellaneous things, he came across more than a dozen bags of vegetable seeds.

He had thought Xue Ling was just talking about growing vegetables, but he didn’t expect her to be serious about it.

That night, the hard wooden bed was covered with a mattress, quilt, and a duvet on top.

The temperature outside had just dropped, and the night wind howled past the windows. Even though Xue Ling no longer felt cold, being wrapped in a soft quilt brought a comforting sense of warmth.

Meanwhile, Wen Jiuze felt too hot and had most of his body exposed to the cool air.

On the bedside table, there was a thermos cup filled with hot water, and next to it was an old tea cake.

Xue Ling loved drinking all kinds of beverages, including scented tea and fruit tea. She drank different teas depending on the season. In winter, she always soaked chrysanthemums and red dates in her thermos. Refreshing, strong tea was a must before every exam.

But Wen Jiuze was more accustomed to drinking plain water, and he preferred it without anything added.

So, it would be more accurate to say that the old tea cake was brought for Xue Ling to look at because she wanted to drink it but couldn’t.

In the early morning, the nearby mountains and distant roads were shrouded in a thin layer of mist, and the bedroom had a faintly cool atmosphere.

Wen Jiuze woke up when he heard Xue Ling getting out of bed and putting on her shoes. He sat up and grabbed his hair.

His hair was a little long, messy, and slightly curly, covering his eyes, so he pushed it back.

“What are you doing, getting up so early?”

Xue Ling suggested with great enthusiasm, “Let’s do some farming today!”

Wen Jiuze: “…”

She quickly returned with the vegetable seeds and asked Wen Jiuze which one he wanted to plant.

Wen Jiuze didn’t respond immediately, instead taking the packets of seeds and examining them carefully.

“Although I have no experience in growing vegetables, it says here the planting season is May. Isn’t it winter right now?”

Xue Ling suddenly remembered this. She had no experience in farming and couldn’t even tell the difference between many vegetables. She had once made a fool of herself by thinking that peanuts grow on branches.

But today’s young people, who are lazy and ignorant about farming and live in a concrete jungle, all have a pastoral dream.

At one point, short videos about returning to rural life were especially popular online. Many bloggers built houses and grew vegetables in the countryside. Whether real or not, the life presented on camera looked incredibly peaceful and beautiful.