Chapter 5: Going Home
Time flowed by in a state of tension. If anything was different, it was that she was going to bed early and waking up early, and the time she spent exercising had greatly increased. It was difficult to adapt at first, especially since she was used to a nocturnal lifestyle. But the thought of being chased and torn apart by zombies was enough to make Jiang Zao grit her teeth and persevere.
Another morning dawned. Jiang Zao drew a circle on the calendar with a red pen. Days until the zombie outbreak: 30.
Her archery lessons were coming to an end.
From 30 meters, Jiang Zao could score 48 rings with five arrows.
Her coach repeatedly praised her for her talent, saying that with diligent practice, winning an amateur competition would be no problem.
Jiang Zao put down her bow. It was time.
“I won’t be coming to class tomorrow.”
Her new car was parked downstairs.
Jiang Zao planned to set off after nightfall.
With some time to spare, Jiang Zao went to the pharmacy at the entrance of her residential complex to buy some more medicine with her card.
The owner took the list she handed over and started getting the medicine. “It’s strange, the number of people buying cold medicine has gone up again recently. The ones you want are all sold out.”
Jiang Zao looked; they were for coughs and fevers.
She subconsciously pinched the N95 mask on her nose.
“Then give me antibiotics instead. And ten boxes each of calcium tablets, probiotics, and gastrointestinal medicine.”
“Alright.”
After ringing up the price, the owner quickly bagged the items for her.
Jiang Zao handed over her medical insurance card.
She went to several other pharmacies before she managed to buy all the medicine she wanted. If anyone asked, she would use the excuse that a family member was hospitalized. By the time she got home, it was already past five in the afternoon.
The house was mostly packed up. Only a few figurines were left on the shelves in the study. Over the years, she hadn’t had many other hobbies. The money she earned was either spent on outdoor gear or figurines.
Jiang Zao stared at them for a long time, ultimately unable to bear the thought of leaving them behind. She resigned herself to packing them up. As she turned her head, she saw a photo frame next to her favorite figurine.
In the photo, she and Chen Jianing were still in their graduation gowns, taken at their university commencement ceremony.
Jiang Zao placed the photo frame face down on the desk, choosing not to take it with her.
Ever since she had refused Chen Jianing’s request to borrow money, the two had not contacted each other.
It’s for the best, Jiang Zao thought. When I leave, I leave. No need for lingering attachments. But as she closed the door, standing in the dark hallway, she still let out a soft sigh.
With this departure, she was saying goodbye to a peaceful life.
The trunk was filled with medicine and her figurines.
Jiang Zao’s bow was in its case on the passenger seat, within easy reach.
Today was a Tuesday. Logically, the traffic leaving the city shouldn’t be too heavy, yet there was a long queue at the highway toll booth.
Several drones hovered overhead.
Jiang Zao noticed that besides the usual traffic police on duty, there were also several armored vehicles with “Special Police” written on them.
A driver in front rolled down his window.
“Hey, officer, what’s this all about? My wife is about to give birth, and I’m in a hurry to get home. Can you let me through quickly?”
“Sorry, we have orders from above. All vehicles leaving the city must undergo a security check. Please wait patiently.”
Several fully armed special police officers opened the trunk of the car in front and carefully searched through it.
Jiang Zao felt a twinge of nervousness and tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
Although she wasn’t carrying any contraband, she had weapons and a large amount of medicine, which was clearly sensitive during this special period. She could be held for detailed questioning.
A police officer had already walked up to her car and was waving at her.
Jiang Zao rolled down the window. “Hello.”
“Hello, routine inspection.”
The device in his hand scanned her forehead.
The machine beeped. “Temperature normal.”
“ID, vehicle registration, and driver’s license, please.”
Jiang Zao handed over her documents.
The officer checked them, confirming her identity. His gaze swept over the interior of the car. Only one person.
He nodded, handed the documents back, and his eyes fell on the case on the passenger seat.
“What’s this?”
Jiang Zao saw in her rearview mirror that two other special police officers had circled her car and were about to open the trunk.
A cold sweat broke out on her hands as she gripped the steering wheel.
Should I tell the truth or…?
“Uh… this is…”
Before she could finish, a commotion erupted from the back of the queue.
“Officer, murder! Someone’s been murdered!”
The faces of the special police officers changed, and they rushed over.
The surrounding crowd grew restless, with many people sticking their heads out of their cars to film with their phones. “Holy shit! Holy shit!”
The police officer standing by her car couldn’t be bothered to question her anymore and waved for her to go.
Jiang Zao let out a sigh of relief and stepped on the gas.
Not far away, she saw in her rearview mirror several heavily armed special police officers pinning a middle-aged man to the hood of a car. The man’s chest was covered in blood, and he was still chewing on something. A woman lay on the ground beside him, her head bleeding profusely.
Jiang Zao’s heart skipped a beat.
Could the zombie outbreak be starting early?
Because of this incident, Jiang Zao was on edge for the rest of the journey, wishing she could floor the accelerator, eager to get home.
It wasn’t until after two in the morning that she stopped at a service area. The navigation showed she still had over thirteen hundred kilometers to go.
Jiang Zao bought a cup of instant noodles from the store, added hot water, and finished it in a few bites in her car before preparing to sleep for a while and set off again at dawn.
Perhaps it was the cramped space in the car, or perhaps the scene at the toll booth had stimulated her again.
Jiang Zao did not sleep well that night. When she woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
She was covered in a thin layer of sweat, feeling sticky.
Jiang Zao rolled down the window. The fresh mountain air mixed with the cold wind rushed in, clearing her head considerably.
The number of people and cars around her gradually increased.
The large pots selling porridge and hot corn at the entrance of the store were steaming.
Jiang Zao felt a glimmer of relief. Thank goodness, I didn’t wake up to find myself the only living person in the world again.
She quickly washed up in the service area’s restroom, bought a hot corn, finished it, and continued on her journey.
By the afternoon, she was almost at Cangchuan City, the place she could reach by high-speed rail to get home. Apart from leaving Linhai City, she hadn’t encountered any more inspections along the way.
Jiang Wuni called. “Hello, have you arrived yet?”
“I’m in Cangchuan.”
“Then what do you want to eat for dinner tonight?”
“I’ll just grab something to eat in Cangchuan. I’ll be back late at night. You should go to bed early, don’t wait up for me.”
Jiang Zao had just gotten off the highway. There wasn’t much to eat here. The highway exit was not far from the train station, where there were several large shopping malls.
She turned the steering wheel and headed towards the city center.
Unlike an international metropolis like Linhai City, Cangchuan was just a fourth- or fifth-tier prefecture-level city. Because of its proximity to a nature reserve, the air was fresh and the scenery was pleasant, making it a tourist city. The city itself was not large, with only three districts.
The city center was near the train station. Jiang Zao parked her car on the side of the road. As she was looking for a place to eat, she saw a store specializing in outdoor equipment through a shop window.
She paused her search for food and dived in.
The moment the wind chime at the entrance rang, a black shadow shot out and lunged at her.
Jiang Zao subconsciously grabbed a nearby trekking pole, the hair on her body standing on end. Just as she was about to swing, a shout came from behind the counter.
“Kele, come back!”
She looked down to see a large German Shepherd tilting its head, staring at her with big, dark eyes, its tail wagging gently behind it.
The owner looked like he had just been napping, his eyes drowsy. He came out from behind the counter with a cattail leaf fan and slippers to greet her.
“Sorry about that. Kele is my dog. He gets excited when he hears the doorbell. What are you looking for?”
Jiang Zao nodded to show it was okay. Seeing that both the man and the dog were still staring at her, she felt a little awkward holding the trekking pole and quickly put it down. She pointed to an ice axe hanging on a pegboard.
“I want to buy that.”
She had spotted that ice axe from outside.
It had a adze-style design, black and gold all over, with a special curved handle for a better grip. The serrated pick gleamed with a cold light. It could probably break ice with ease, so a human skull should be no problem either.
How could she have forgotten about this wonderful thing before?
The owner scratched his head, hesitating. “Ah… this… this… how about I recommend something else for you…”
Jiang Zao said seriously, “I like this one. Just give me a price.”
“Sigh… it’s not that I don’t want to sell it… I had a friend bring this back from Europe for me. It’s a genuine original import, the only one I have. I keep it in the store as a treasure. You have good taste…”
Jiang Zao smiled. “You’ve had it here for so long and no one has bought it. I saw it as soon as I came in. It’s just sitting here. Let’s consider it a good deed. You can name your price, as long as I can afford it.”
Even though she said this, the owner still shook his head. “No, no, I really only have this one! Look at something else, I’ll sell it to you cheap.”
Jiang Zao was helpless and turned to leave, but her eyes were drawn back to the ice axe hanging on the wall. She really liked it.
She gritted her teeth and took out her phone. “Boss, look, this is my social media account. I’m also into the outdoors. Although I’m not a professional ice climber, I’m planning to learn. A craftsman must first sharpen his tools. I really like this ice axe. Please sell it to me. Let it fulfill its purpose, it’s more meaningful than hanging on a wall.”
When he saw her ID, the owner’s eyes widened. “You’re ‘Little Zao Who Loves to Hike’?!”
Being called out by her internet nickname in person, Jiang Zao felt a little embarrassed, especially since she had chosen this name in a fit of pique after countless artistic, pretentious, and high-end names had failed to gain any traction.
“Um… yes, that’s me.”
The owner looked her up and down and slapped his thigh. “My goodness! Why didn’t you say you were ‘Little Zao Who Loves to Hike’ earlier! I’ve been a fan for three years!”
Jiang Zao’s toes curled in embarrassment. Okay, that’s enough! Stop saying my ID!
The owner chuckled as he took the ice axe down from the wall for her. “I’ve watched every one of your videos over and over again. The one where you filmed Mount Everest with a drone is a classic, so hardcore! I thought you were an old outdoor enthusiast my age from the videos, I didn’t expect you to be so young! Amazing, amazing!”
Jiang Zao thought to herself: Of course it’s hardcore, I almost died on that mountain.
“I had just started getting some followers back then. To film that video, the drone I spent a fortune on was left on the mountain forever.”
The owner gently placed the ice axe on the counter and blew off the dust. “Alright, give me an autograph, and I’ll sell you this ice axe for twenty thousand. How about that? It cost me forty thousand to get it.”
Jiang Zao readily took out her phone and scanned the QR code.
“No problem. Where do I sign?”
“Here, on the wall behind you.”
Jiang Zao turned around. The white wall was covered in colorful graffiti: “XXX was here!”
“Li Zhuo will love Zhang Ting forever.”
“Happy 18th birthday to me!”
“Rui Rui must live a long life! (Rui Rui is my cat)”
“But Mom, life is a wilderness, not a track.” [1]
…
“These are all signatures left by people who bought gear here. After a while, I just let it be.”
Jiang Zao smiled slightly, picked up the marker pen next to her, and neatly signed: “I will never let my life submit to the will of others.” [2]
She gently signed her name below.
“Are you here to climb the mountain too?” the owner asked with a smile as he watched her write.
Jiang Zao paused. “Yes…”
“Does that mean we’ll see a new video from you soon? I own this shop, but I’ve never climbed Chongming Snow Mountain once. I really want to see the sunrise on the snow mountain with my own eyes.”
“Why not go? It’s so close to the nature reserve.”
Her hometown, Yuanxi Village, was at the foot of Chongming Snow Mountain, a world-renowned 6,000-meter technical peak, famous for its precipitousness and beautiful scenery.
The owner smiled and changed the subject.
“No chance. Wait a minute, I’ll maintain it for you.”
As he spoke, the owner laid the ice axe flat on the workbench, carefully wiped the dust off with a flannel cloth, applied a layer of maintenance oil, and began to wax it. Jiang Zao watched him.
“Does it need to be this troublesome after every use?”
“No, this thing is like a car. If you don’t drive it for a long time, you have to maintain it, right?”
As they chatted idly, the German Shepherd came over again, sniffing around her, its warm breath on the back of her hand.
This guy was huge, standing up almost to her waist. Jiang Zao was a little scared and instinctively shrank back, but the big dog seemed to understand and stood still, just grinning, its tongue hanging out, looking at her expectantly and wagging its tail.
As if to say, “Pet me, pet me now.”
Jiang Zao had always loved small animals. Many small animals appeared in her works, and she even carried some freeze-dried cat treats with her on every hike. In her early years, her income was unstable, and she moved frequently, so she couldn’t have a pet. Just when her income had improved, before she had a chance to get one, the zombies came.
Jiang Zao tentatively opened her palm.
Kele gave her a big lick and rubbed its head against her leg. It was a little itchy, but surprisingly, not unpleasant.
Jiang Zao smiled slightly.
The owner handed over the maintained ice axe.
“Here, it’s done.”
Jiang Zao quickly withdrew her hand, cleared her throat, and took it. She caressed the deadly weapon. Just a light flick of her finger on the pick, and a bead of blood immediately oozed out.
The owner quickly stopped her. “Hey, this is much sharper than ordinary knives. Don’t touch the blade with your hand. Let me find a box for you.”
A single touch draws blood.
Jiang Zao was very satisfied. But judging from the owner’s conversation, he was probably into extreme sports, and this shop was purely a hobby.
“So professional. Are you an ice climber?”
The owner turned around and smiled, taking off his gloves. Only then did Jiang Zao see that his right thumb was severed at the middle, leaving only four fingers. No wonder he said, “No chance to climb the mountain anymore.”
“I was on the mountaineering team before I enlisted. Then I served as a border guard for four years. After I came back, I couldn’t ice climb anymore.”
As Jiang Zao left the shop with her things, she gave the owner a slight nod.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make good use of it.”
Besides the ice axe, she also bought some protective gear, partly to protect against zombie bites, and partly as a small gesture of appreciation to the owner. After stuffing everything into the back seat, she went to a nearby place for a quick bite.
***
Night had just fallen.
The maglev train slowly pulled into Cangchuan Station.
A gentle announcement sounded over the broadcast:
“Dear passengers, please note that the train from Linhai East Station to Cangchuan Station has arrived…”
The crowd of passengers poured out of the station. Suddenly, someone collapsed to the ground.
“Honey, honey, what’s wrong?! Wake up! Don’t scare me…”
Several station staff reacted quickly. By the time they ran over, the person on the ground was already unconscious, shivering, their eyes rolled back, making “he” “he” sounds.
The onlookers curiously peered in.
“Stop looking, stop looking, call 120!”
As Jiang Zao was paying for her meal, an ambulance sped past on the street, its siren wailing.
Translator’s Notes
[1] “But Mom, life is a wilderness, not a track.” (可是妈妈人生是旷野，不是轨道。) – This is a quote from a popular Chinese song “The Wilderness” (旷野) by Chen Li. It’s a line that resonates with many young people in China, expressing a desire for freedom and to live life on one’s own terms, rather than following a prescribed path.
[2] “I will never let my life submit to the will of others.” (我绝不使我的生命屈服于他人的意志。) – This is a quote from the French writer Romain Rolland’s novel “Jean-Christophe.”
