The World Turned into Zombies, So I Went Back to the Countryside to Farm 58p1

Chapter 58p1: Utilization

Chen Jianing finished feeding the baby and gently placed her beside her. Looking at her, although she was thin, she still pursed her lips and sucked on her finger. She couldn’t help but smile gently, and an unprecedented sense of satisfaction filled her heart.

She looked around the simply furnished room, the drafty doors and windows, the spiderweb-covered rafters, and the mud floor.

Is this Jiang Zao’s home?

She had heard her say that her family’s conditions were very poor, but she didn’t expect it to be this bad. But it was okay. Now, as long as she had a place to shelter from the wind and rain, she was already content.

Moreover, there was hot porridge to drink.

Ever since the disaster, she hadn’t had such good food in a long time. In the past, she had disliked sweet potato congee the most.

Thinking of that bowl of hot porridge, a faint warmth rose in Chen Jianing’s heart. After thinking for a moment, she still carefully undid the stitches of her bra and took something out from inside.

On the run, she had nothing with her except for this. It was an ordinary heart-shaped locket, made of iron and not worth much, which was why it hadn’t been stolen.

Chen Jianing opened it. There were a few photos hidden inside. One was a photo of her parents, which she had cut out.

The other was a photo booth picture of her and Jiang Zao.

That was on the day of their high school graduation.

At that time, it was very popular among students to take photo booth pictures.

In high school, their living expenses were both tight. Chen Jianing had saved up for a long time to take her to take photo booth pictures as a memento before graduation. That day was also her birthday.

Jiang Zao had given her a heart-shaped locket that she had been looking at in the stationery store for a long time. “Here, happy birthday.”

“You don’t have much money. Why did you get me this?”

“I was just thinking, what if we don’t get into the same school after the results come out? China is so big, it won’t be easy to see each other in the future. Maybe this is the last time I can celebrate your birthday with you in person.”

“Pah, pah, pah! Don’t say such unlucky things! I’m going to Linhai University. I’ll try to stay in Linhai City after graduation, marry a rich man, and never come back to this poor and remote place!”

“Oh, oh, oh, you haven’t even started college yet, and you’re already thinking about rich men…”

Despite the teasing, Chen Jianing still carefully put the photo booth picture into the locket and treasured it.

“Zao’er, I will take good care of this gift.”

She had said so at that time.

Just like, treasuring our friendship.

Chen Jianing held the locket in her hand, endured the piercing pain in her legs, and slowly, little by little, got out of bed.

***

The lights were on in the main hall, but there were only two people.

“What are you going to do with Chen Jianing?”

Jiang Zao thought of what Jiang Wuni had said to her during the day. At least for now, Chen Jianing had not done anything evil this time.

When she heard her talk about those things, when she saw her, who had been a sunny girl, being tortured until she was disfigured, Jiang Zao’s heart had actually softened a little.

This was not only as a former friend, but also from the standpoint of the same gender. Chen Jianing was indeed pitiful and sad.

“Actually, I’ve already given her a chance. If she had told me the truth, but as you can see, she didn’t.”

“She’s still like this, preferring to rely on a man rather than taking her own destiny into her own hands. From the moment she didn’t tell me the truth, she was an evil spirit, no longer my friend.”

Chen Jianing stood in the courtyard. Through the half-open door, she saw them snuggling together. Wen Zhao’s eyes were so gentle, and the way her eyes were full of her, she had never seen that in Little Yu’s eyes.

Even when she, after a long separation, just wanted to get close to Jiang Zao, she would be separated by that woman with a knife, protected in front of her, unlike Little Yu, who, when he saw the covetous gaze of other men on her, would only push her out without any hesitation.

Jiang Zao had already found her happiness, and she was accompanied by her family, living a comfortable life in this apocalypse.

What about her?

Chen Jianing suddenly clenched the locket in her hand.

Only she had lost her parents and family, and had completely lost her friends and lover, and was tortured until she was neither human nor ghost, all alone.

“When this is all over, let her go with her child. No matter where she goes, as long as she doesn’t stay here, I’ve done my best for her.”

There are so many zombies outside. Where can she go? It’s just a matter of being at the mercy of others again.

Chen Jianing didn’t know how she got back to her room. She was in a daze until she saw the child in the swaddling clothes, and her eyes regained their sparkle.

She held the child in her arms, rocking her little by little, coaxing her, and singing her a nursery rhyme. A smile even appeared on her face.

Since her only friend now was so ruthless to her, and was going to use her and squeeze the last bit of value from her, then she couldn’t be blamed for turning her back on her.

She looked around the small room with satisfaction again, as if she were already looking forward to living here in the future.

“Jiang Zao, this time I’ll show you what it means to truly take your destiny into your own hands.”

***

Li Mi woke up in the morning, rubbing her eyes, and slowly walked downstairs. “Why are there always pigeons flying around lately? They were cooing so much last night that I couldn’t sleep well.”

Jiang Zao was practicing boxing in the courtyard. She looked up and saw the wild geese flying south in a single line again. “Maybe spring is coming.”

Jiang Wuni came out of the kitchen with a small bowl in her hand.

“Little Mi, the steamed buns are ready. You can take them to the big sister next door.”

“Eh.” Li Mi acknowledged and quickly washed her face before going next door.

For the past few days, it was always this little girl who came to deliver the food. Chen Jianing knew that Jiang Zao didn’t like her, so she didn’t ask. Instead, this little girl, whom she had met once, would occasionally say a few words to her.

Chen Jianing was surprised by the birth of this child. She had never thought that she could give birth to the child alive. So, when the baby in her arms choked on milk, she was a little at a loss, until Li Mi reached out and took her. “Let me do it. It’s normal for a child to choke on milk when they drink too fast. You can gently turn her over like this and slowly pat her back. It’ll be fine when she spits it out.”

Li Mi demonstrated as she spoke.

Chen Jianing looked at her skilled technique.

“Have you taken care of a child before?”

Li Mi smiled. “Mom had to do farm work. I’ve been taking care of my brother since he was born.”

Chen Jianing remembered that Jiang Zao had threatened her before, saying that she would not kill her if she saved her sister. So, she asked nonchalantly.

“Then where is your mother? I’ve never heard Zao’er mention that she has a younger sister and brother.”

Seeing that the child’s face had improved, Li Mi handed the swaddling clothes back to her. “My mother and brother are no longer here. It was big sister who saved my life, so I’ve been following her.”

Chen Jianing looked at Li Mi’s thick black hair, her rosy cheeks, and her bright eyes. She spoke with grace and propriety. It was clear that she had received a good education and had eaten well, otherwise she would not have such a spirit.

She couldn’t help but think darkly in her heart:

Jiang Zao, you are so good to a stranger with no blood relation, but you don’t even look at me.

The long-term mental humiliation and physical torture had taught her to hide her true thoughts. Even though Chen Jianing’s heart was full of resentment, her face was still harmless.

“The weather is so nice today. I… I want to take the child out to get some sun. Can you give me a hand?”

Li Mi remembered Jiang Zao’s instructions. She hadn’t said that she couldn’t let her out, so she nodded.

“Grandma said that a woman who has just given birth can’t be in the wind. You can just sit in the courtyard.”

Li Mi brought a chair and helped her sit down in the small courtyard.

Chen Jianing looked around the small courtyard. The brick house, the pigsty, the dry toilet, and a well in the courtyard were all the same as her impression of the countryside.

Although the conditions were a bit poor, at least there were mountains and water, and they could be self-sufficient. It was a good place.

Seeing that the courtyard was empty, she asked.

“Where are Zao’er and the others? Don’t they live here?”

“Big sisters live next door. Because the place is small and can’t accommodate you, they’ve placed you here. But there are only a few of us in this whole village, so you can live wherever you want.”

Li Mi packed up the bowls she had eaten from and was about to leave.

“Then big sister, you can sit here. I’ll go back first.”

Chen Jianing nodded with a smile.

“Alright. Thank you for bringing me food every day.”

After she left, Chen Jianing stood up with the child and wandered around the courtyard with a limp, craning her neck to look at the house next door through the surrounding wall.

A five-story small western-style house, so grand.

So this was Jiang Zao’s real home. Pah, what did she say, the place was small? How could so many rooms not be enough? It was clear that she despised her and didn’t want to live with her.

But it was okay. Soon, this small western-style house would be hers.

***