The World Turned into Zombies, So I Went Back to the Countryside to Farm 14

Chapter 14: Helping Hand

In the blink of an eye, the sky that had been filled with crimson clouds during dinner in the afternoon had now turned dark. The sun had set, and thunder rumbled as dark clouds rolled in, one after another. The cumulonimbus clouds had finally formed.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the distant mountain peak, illuminating the night sky as if it were day. Something seemed to have hit her forehead.

Was it rain?

Jiang Zao reached up to touch it. It was a soybean-sized hailstone.

Jiang Wuni beside her had already cried out, “Zao’er, it’s hailing!”

The abnormal weather caused the sunset to shorten rapidly. The zombies that had been hiding in the buildings also rushed out, roaring and crashing around like headless flies.

Wen Zhao, who had just lain down to rest, was also startled by the thunder. She subconsciously reached for her gun, but her hand came up empty.

She slowly got out of bed, walked to the window with her crutch, and saw Jiang Zao and Jiang Wuni covering the vegetable patch in the courtyard with a tarp.

“This batch of lettuce has just sprouted. We can’t let the hail get to it. Zao’er, quick, cover that side too!”

The two of them were setting up the tarp in the pouring rain. The wind was strong, blowing the locust tree branches back and forth. The rope tying the tarp was blown apart, and the rocks they used to hold it down were overturned by the strong wind.

Both of them were soaked to the bone. The rain poured down on them, and Jiang Zao’s vision began to blur.

The soybean-sized hailstones had now become as large as goose eggs, hitting her face with a stinging pain. Her right eye was burning. The tarp in Jiang Zao’s hand suddenly loosened, and she took a few steps back. Someone supported her from behind. When she looked up again, Wen Zhao was standing behind her, holding an umbrella that was being blown back and forth by the wind.

Jiang Zao’s first reaction was to grab her by the collar and question her.

“How did you get out?!”

Didn’t she lock the door?!

“The rain is too heavy. I wanted to come and help you!”

The wind was howling, and Wen Zhao had to raise her voice. “I’ll help you set up the vegetable patch first, then you can deal with me slowly!”

“Go back! Who needs you…”

Just as Jiang Zao finished speaking, a loud bang came from outside the gate. Perhaps a wandering zombie had crashed into it.

Jiang Wuni was so scared that she stumbled and fell to the ground. The tarp in her hand was also overturned by the wind and wrapped around her.

Jiang Zao’s eyes showed a hint of anxiety. She pushed her away and rushed over.

“Jiang Wuni!”

Wen Zhao threw away her crutch and quickly walked over to help Jiang Zao lift the tarp that was wrapped around her and help her up. Seeing the vegetable patch in tatters from the hail.

Jiang Wuni couldn’t help but cry out, “Aiyo! Aiyo! My heavens! Look at the mess you’ve made!”

Jiang Zao forcefully pulled up the tarp on the ground and couldn’t help but shout at Wen Zhao, “Since you’re here, then help!”

The three of them buried their heads in their work. Although Jiang Wuni was complaining, her hands and feet were very nimble. They quickly set up the tarp and weighed it down with large rocks. Jiang Zao ran back into the house and brought out the tent pegs she used to set up her tent to secure the tarp.

Although the wind showed no signs of abating, at least the tarp couldn’t be overturned anymore. The three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as they got back inside, Wen Zhao let out a loud sneeze.

The sudden extreme weather had caused the temperature to drop sharply, and all of them were soaked. Jiang Zao looked at Jiang Wuni, worried that she might catch a cold. She brought some firewood from the kitchen and prepared to start a fire in the living room. Fortunately, the stove was ready, and there was still some coal left from last winter.

As she was stuffing old newspapers into the stove, she turned back and said, “You go change into some clean clothes first. Wen—”

Before she could finish, Wen Zhao, as if she knew she had done something wrong, had already ducked into the small room where she was being held and was about to close the door. Who knew that the lock she had opened with her skills would fall right in the middle of the door crack. She silently stuck out a foot and kicked it in.

Although Jiang Zao was busy starting the fire, she had seen her little action and gritted her teeth.

“Gentle on the outside, dark on the inside, huh? I’ll deal with you later.”

…

“Are you okay from that fall just now?” Jiang Wuni had just changed into clean clothes when Jiang Zao came in with some safflower oil.

Jiang Wuni waved her hand, sat on the bed drying her hair with a towel, and clicked her tongue. “I’m fine. What can happen from falling in the field? Why did you come in without knocking?”

Jiang Zao put the safflower oil on the table. “That’s strange. You’ve never knocked when you came into my room either. Why are you so fussy now that you’re older? Dry your hair before you sleep, I’m afraid you’ll get a headache.”

“I know, I know. Why are you more long-winded than an old woman like me? It’s raining so heavily tonight, you should stop your watch and go to bed.”

After much persuasion, Jiang Wuni finally sent Jiang Zao away. She went to close the door, then slowly walked back and bent down to take a medicine box from the drawer of the bedside table.

This was the blood pressure medication she usually took. There was only one blister pack left. She took three pills at a time, so it would last for four days at most.

Jiang Wuni took out a pair of scissors and, under the dim light of the night light, squeezed out a pill into her palm, then carefully cut it in half.

…

Wen Zhao was wringing the water from the hem of her clothes, trying to take off her wet clothes. However, her left hand was still in a bandage, making it very inconvenient. The wound on her abdomen also throbbed with a stinging pain from being wet. Just as she was gritting her teeth and enduring it, there was a noise at the door.

She quickly said, “I… I’m changing!”

Before she could finish, Jiang Zao had already strode in, ready to interrogate her.

“You… why didn’t you knock?”

Jiang Zao glanced at her in surprise. “This is my house.”

Wen Zhao knew she was in the wrong and touched her nose. Seeing that Jiang Zao was holding the broken lock, she took the initiative to explain.

“I… I really just wanted to help you. The rain was too heavy, and it was hailing. It would be a pity if those vegetables were ruined…”

Jiang Zao didn’t waste any time with her and cut straight to the chase.

“So you were perfectly capable of getting out on your own, yet you stayed in this small room for so many days. What is your purpose?”

This question stumped Wen Zhao. She was stunned for a few seconds before she came to her senses. “Purpose? What purpose? I just feel that you saved me, so my life is yours. I should respect any decision you make. Besides, I can tell that you are not bad people.”

What ill-intentioned person would drag her out of a pile of zombies, waste precious medicine to treat her, and provide her with good food and drink? Although Jiang Zao had taken her gun, was cold to her, and kept her in solitary confinement, in an apocalypse where everyone was in danger, she could understand that this caution was based on considerations for her own safety, and she had never blamed her.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

In the dim light, Jiang Zao’s expression was unreadable.

“You’ve learned lock-picking?”

Wen Zhao nodded. “It’s one of the required courses in our special operations training.”

“What did you use to open it?”

Wen Zhao opened her right hand, and a small black hair clip lay in her palm. “I found it on the floor. Maybe you dropped it by accident…”

She carefully glanced at the slightly messy strands of hair by Jiang Zao’s cheek.

Jiang Zao: “…”

Seeing that she was silent, her chest just heaving.

Wen Zhao quickly said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person either. I won’t bother you for too long. I just want… want to get better and then leave for the Dongyuan City survivor base.”

“Do you have the specific coordinates of the survivor base?”

Wen Zhao shook her head. “The situation was urgent at the time. When I received the mission, I didn’t even have time to go home and change. I just went to the armory to get my gun and then gathered to set off. We only knew the destination. Only the higher-ups know the specific coordinates.”

“It’s over one thousand seven hundred kilometers from here to Dongyuan City. There are zombies everywhere outside. How are you going to get there?”

Wen Zhao was silent for a moment, then continued, “I don’t know… find a car… or walk slowly… I’ll get there eventually.”

Jiang Zao saw her lower lip tighten, and her eyes shift from confusion to determination. “My family is there. I have a reason to go.”

Jiang Zao didn’t say anything. She turned and went out, and soon came back from upstairs with clean clothes and threw them to her. “Change into these.”

“Thank you.” Wen Zhao took them and held them in her arms, looking a little embarrassed. “Uh… can you go out for a moment?”

Before she could finish, Jiang Zao had already walked straight towards her.

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing…”

Amidst Wen Zhao’s protests, Jiang Zao had already moved in close, one knee between her legs. She lifted her broken arm and pulled the wet clothes off her.

From Wen Zhao’s perspective, she could only see her sharp chin and the curve of her chest. For some reason, she forgot to struggle and forgot the pain in her arm.

Only her ears were burning.

Wen Zhao looked away and saw a dagger tucked into her waist, its cold light glinting like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she had said something wrong just now, would this dagger have been used on her?

Fortunately, this close contact only lasted for a moment.

Jiang Zao quickly backed away and pointed to the iodophor and medicine on the table.

“Disinfect it, don’t get infected.”

Wen Zhao nodded.

Before Jiang Zao left, she added another sentence.

“In this house, you can only go to this room and the latrine. Understand?”

…

Back in her room, Jiang Zao put the dagger under her pillow. Perhaps it had been a while since she had slept at night. It was difficult for Jiang Zao to adjust her sleep schedule. She tossed and turned in bed, listening to the pattering of the rain.

In the middle of the night, the tablet that was charging by her bed suddenly lit up. Jiang Zao picked it up and saw that the charging icon was not displayed.

She unplugged and replugged it, but there was still no response.

Jiang Zao realized that the power might be out. This day would come sooner or later, and she was not surprised at all.

However, these public utilities like water, electricity, and internet were usually the government’s priority to protect. Communication had been cut off a few days after the zombie outbreak. This power outage might also mean that the situation was getting more and more out of control.

Fortunately, her house had already been equipped with solar panels. The electricity stored a while ago was enough to keep the refrigerator running. It should also be enough to charge a few tablets, mobile phones, and outdoor lights in rotation, although she didn’t know what use her phone was now.

Jiang Zao got out of bed and went down to the first floor to flip the main switch. The solar panels were on a separate circuit.

The green light at the back of the freezer in the living room lit up again in the darkness, and the machine started humming.

The rain lasted for five whole days, and it didn’t look like it would clear up.

The locust flowers in the courtyard were scattered all over the ground.

The wheat fields below the dirt road outside the gate were flooded.

Not to mention the small plot of land in the courtyard.

Even the zombies didn’t come out.

When she was stockpiling before, considering the load-bearing capacity of the floorboards, Jiang Zao had put some of the heavier grains like rice, soybeans, corn, and sweet potatoes in the cellar. Although she had installed drainage and ventilation in the cellar when she renovated the courtyard, after several days of heavy rain, the water in the cellar had still risen above her ankles.

Jiang Zao was worried that the grain would get damp and moldy. Fortunately, she had also stockpiled some waterproof bags. The two of them spent a day moving things around in the cellar and finally managed to put all the grain in waterproof bags, thus avoiding a disaster.

Even with gloves on, after a day of labor, her palms inevitably developed blisters. When Jiang Wuni used a red-hot needle to pop them for her, Jiang Zao winced in pain, which earned her a round of sarcastic remarks.

“You’ve really become a city person after staying in the city for a few years, huh? Your skin is so delicate. I’ve been farming my whole life and I’ve never gotten blisters on my hands!”

While the two of them were busy outside, Wen Zhao had wanted to help, but Jiang Zao wouldn’t let her out of the room. Jiang Wuni also felt a little sorry for her with her one good hand and declined her offer.

At this moment, the two of them were talking in the living room.

Wen Zhao gently pushed the door open. “I’ll make dinner. What do you want to eat?”

“Forget it, forget it, I’ll do it. It’s not convenient for you with one hand,” Jiang Wuni said, shaking her head.

“Let me help with something. I can’t just do nothing and eat and drink for free here. I feel bad.”

Wen Zhao cast a questioning look at Jiang Zao.

“If you’re not at ease, you can watch me in the kitchen.”

Jiang Zao looked at her, then at Jiang Wuni. She went upstairs and brought down a few bags of instant noodles and two cans of food. “Let’s eat this first.”

Wen Zhao took them and went to the kitchen in the rain.

Jiang Zao said to Jiang Wuni, “You rest. I’ll go start the fire.”

She could also watch her in the kitchen.

Jiang Zao didn’t expect that Wen Zhao, a person who worked and lived in the city, would also know how to use a rural wood-fired stove. When she followed her to the kitchen, Wen Zhao had already started the fire. She was leaning over the stove opening, blowing on the fire to make it stronger. She looked up and said.

“You just make sure the fire doesn’t go out. Where’s the water?”

“In the large vat behind the door.”

Wen Zhao ladled water into the pot, then used one hand and her teeth to tear open the instant noodle package. She skillfully put the noodles in, sprinkled the seasoning, stirred them, and took the cutting board and knife hanging on the hook next to her. She pried open the can, and with a few clangs, the luncheon meat was sliced into even thicknesses. Before Jiang Zao could speak, she saw that there were still some leftovers from yesterday on the stove and poured them in as well.

When the bowl was served, the simple braised beef noodles were mixed with the sauce from yesterday’s leftovers, and the luncheon meat lay on top. With vegetables and meat, it looked very appetizing.

“Alright, you guys eat up.” Wen Zhao handed them the chopsticks.

Jiang Wuni took the chopsticks and began to eat with relish.

Jiang Zao took a bite first, then held the bowl and started drinking the soup.

Wen Zhao looked at her and smiled slightly.