Returning Fully Loaded

Two tall off-road vehicles drove into the familiar neighborhood. Their trunks could no longer close, high piles were stacked on their roofs, and the rear seats—hidden from outside view—were packed to the brim.

This trip could truly be described as returning with a full harvest.

Along the way, Rong Xianxian felt as though she could sense the eager gazes of people hiding inside various buildings.

This time, the vehicles drove directly into the underground garage, pulling up near their lodging area. The bloody scent of fresh meat lured the monsters in the dark into restless movement. After beating back a few waves of attacks, they quickly reached their destination.

Rong Xianxian looked gratefully at the four large glass jars beside her, which held the flame-bright vermilion fruits. The glass jars not only kept them fresh but also sealed in the fruits' sweet and alluring fragrance.

Rong Xianxian checked the sound-transmission talisman in her hand; it showed no anomalies. She sent Wang Lin back into the villa first to inspect the doors, windows, and every room to ensure everything was secure, and after having Xiao Luo and Xuanxuan return to the villa, they began moving the items inside.

Rong Xianxian, Cui Lie, and Xia Kai stood guard to resist the restless monsters in the dark, while Jiang Jie and Wang Quirui passed items upward from below.

By the time they finished moving all their loot into the villa, they found that it had taken about an hour.

Looking at the floors covered in various wild vegetables, medicinal herbs, and fresh meat, their overwhelming exhaustion transformed into deep, boundless joy.

Rong Xianxian secretly reflected that there is strength in numbers. In her past life, she had survived the harsh winter solely by quietly gathering, drying, and storing wild vegetables and fruits along her flight for survival.

During the winter, thick white snow had fallen for nearly a whole month, and the dried vegetables, candied fruits, and dried fruits within the safety zone had commanded astonishing prices.

The day of the world's transformation was April 21st. More than a month had passed, and it was now barely the beginning of June.

From noon until six or seven in the afternoon, the temperature on the balcony was scorching hot. Drying all the surplus wild vegetables into dried greens took only two or three days at most.

From the first floor to the third, although the light on the first-floor balcony was somewhat poorer, the temperature was not much lower. Most of the wild vegetables were moved to the balcony to dry, while the brightly colored poisonous mushrooms were placed in a deep basket and dried separately on the rooftop to keep them away from the children.

The gathered medicinal herbs were washed clean, then separated and arranged properly depending on whether they needed sun-drying, air-drying, shade-drying, or baking.

On the way back, Rong Xianxian had tested the toxicity of these wild mushrooms on a monster; a single small mushroom had poisoned a monster over two meters tall.

Judging by the monster's reaction, these mushrooms possessed a certain hallucinogenic effect.

Their usage and dosage, however, still required further exploration.

By the time the items scattered across the floor were cleared away, it was time for dinner. Rong Xianxian fired up two stoves and one barbecue grill simultaneously. One stove was used to cook wild vegetable dough-drop soup, the other to steam wild vegetable buns, while the barbecue grill slow-roasted large, marinated chunks of meat.

As usual, they chatted while eating.

"We ventured outside the city today too. Does anyone have any thoughts?" Rong Xianxian asked first.

"The roads outside seem wrong. We clearly followed the path leading to the Xichong Expressway, but why didn't we see the expressway once we left the city?" Xia Kai asked, looking preoccupied.

"Could it be that we took the wrong turn?" Wang Quirui said.

"That road used to be the flattest and widest, running straight through. Logically speaking, we shouldn't have made a mistake. Besides, with so many of us, one person might misremember, but could all of us have remembered wrongly?" Wang Lin shook his feet—no, shook his head.

"Did you recognize those flowers, grasses, and trees we saw outside the city today? Why do I feel like I've never seen many of those plants before?" Jiang Jie asked with a puzzled expression.

"What's so strange about that? Didn't you also fail to recognize the monsters outside? Could these unfamiliar things have descended along with the monsters?" Wang Quirui guessed.

"Monsters are one thing, but some trees were as thick as my waist. How developed must their root systems be? If they fell from the sky, could they possibly root themselves? Shouldn't it be that the original plants were struck by spiritual energy and mutated?" Xia Kai retorted.

Listening to their conversation, Rong Xianxian involuntarily thought of Shang Yuege's theory of a primordial Earth.

Spiritual energy revives, the primordial Earth is reborn, and the land available for human survival is expanding.

Could this really be true?

"Judging by the condition of the roads today, cars can't even get through. If we want to head north, we'll have to find another route," Rong Xianxian said, frowning.

"Goodness, this is a huge trouble. If the original roads can't be used, do we have to carve through mountains and pave new roads ourselves?" Wang Lin seemed to realize something, his eyes widening.

Wang Lin, Jiang Jie, and the others were all retired soldiers who had frequently participated in disaster relief and rescue missions while in the military.

They knew what a lack of roads implied.

"No wonder Sister Rong said the vanguard troops sent out by the military haven't sent any news back. If they have to clear roads before they can pass, this amount of time really isn't that long after all." Wang Quirui glanced at Rong Xianxian and said.

"The bones we saw today, could they be..." Wang Lin said, as if thinking of something.

"No, those bones should belong to private civilian squads trying to return to Binyang." Rong Xianxian interrupted Wang Lin's conjecture. The military had a large force; even if some soldiers were harmed by monsters, their comrades would not have left their remains behind.

"We only saw bones, but no vehicles?" Xia Kai asked doubtfully.

"The cars must have been driven away by survivors, though it's unclear whether they returned to the base or took a different route," Rong Xianxian speculated.

"Then should we still go out of the city? Or should we go to the safety zone to scout for news first?" Jiang Jie asked.

Everyone looked toward Rong Xianxian.

"For the sake of these meals, I'll still have to go out a few more times," Rong Xianxian said with a smile. Failing to eat green leafy vegetables for a long time would definitely lead to a vitamin deficiency; she felt that if she didn't eat some greens soon, she would get mouth ulcers.

The fragrant, tender wild vegetable buns, paired with a dipping sauce made from mashed garlic, sesame paste, and vinegar—sour, spicy, fresh, and aromatic—made people unable to stop after just a single bite.

"Then shall we go out tomorrow? Or continue exploring in the direction we took today?" Jiang Jie asked, just as he swallowed a mouthful of soup and set down his bowl.

"Things like this are everywhere. The area we explored today showed no signs of paths being cleared. I think we should look for the routes the military has traveled," Wang Lin voiced his opinion.

"The army that left the city hasn't returned. The path they took might not necessarily be safe, but vehicles should be able to pass through. The military should be clearing a path toward the capital. If we leave the city, we can look for the paths the army has traversed. However, we are only scouting right now; we cannot spend the night in the wilderness, and we must return before dark." Rong Xianxian agreed with Wang Lin's view.

"Will there be any new news from the safety zone?" Jiang Jie asked, considering that the information Rong Xianxian had received was from several days ago.

If new news came in, they could save some effort and avoid taking unnecessary detours.