Chapter 70 p2: Assembly
The unpleasant morning ended with this little incident. The patrol soldiers brought the food. Unlike the usual steamed buns and tree bark porridge, they could eat steamed buns in the school.
Sometimes there would also be white rice. Although it was not new rice, but a little yellowed old rice, to be able to eat rice was a great happiness for everyone in the apocalypse.
Teacher Meng served her a bowl of rice and said, “You’re just in time. You’ve just arrived and you’ve already encountered a rest day. This kind of food is only available on rest days. There will also be meat in the evening.”
Jiang Zao looked at the braised cabbage on the rice and couldn’t help but swallow. She took the bowl and began to eat with relish.
After dinner, she saw that Teacher Meng was about to take the bucket away and quickly helped her. “Where is this going?”
Teacher Meng pointed in a direction. “To the canteen over there.”
She took the bucket. “I’ll go.”
Jiang Zao carried the two buckets alone and walked out of the patrol soldiers’ line of sight. She quickly took out a plastic bag from her pocket.
She scooped up the little bit of rice and vegetable soup left at the bottom of the bucket, poured it in, and prepared to pack it back for Wen Zhao to eat.
She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw a patrol soldier walking over. Jiang Zao quickly put the plastic bag away and continued to walk forward with the bucket.
When she reached the canteen, the people who were getting food had almost all dispersed. Only an old grandmother was busy wiping the tables.
Jiang Zao recognized her as the old grandmother who had given them food that day. She put the bucket on the ground and walked over.
“Grandma, let me help you.”
“It’s you. No need, no need.”
The old grandmother recognized her, but seeing that she was wearing a plaid skirt, she did not dare to let her have the rag in her hand and quickly lowered her head.
“You’re a teacher at the school, right? You can just leave the bucket here. Go back quickly.”
The canteen was almost empty. Only a few patrol soldiers were eating, talking and laughing as they ate. They were also eating rice and big white steamed buns, which was a sharp contrast to the steamed buns and tree bark porridge in the other buckets next to them.
Jiang Zao looked back every three steps. After the few soldiers had left, the old grandmother wiped the table clean, then carefully took out a wrinkled food ticket from her pocket, exchanged it for a steamed bun from the church attendant, and sat on the ground to eat.
When Jiang Zao returned to the school, the children had already started their lunch break. Only then did she know that taking care of the children’s lunch break and their daily life was also part of the teachers’ work.
“From eight in the morning to eight at night, doesn’t that mean working 12 hours a day?”
Teacher Meng nodded, a hint of relief in her eyes.
“Isn’t this great? At least you don’t have to stand guard or fight zombies. Everyone in the camp lives like this.”
Jiang Zao glanced at the packed heads on the small beds in the wooden house. Her head started to hurt again. She felt that it would be better to let her go and fight zombies.
The grueling day was finally coming to an end. Just like on Fridays before, when she had no mood for work, the atmosphere of the upcoming rest day also filled the school. In the afternoon, the children did not want to have class. Teacher Meng, as the school’s person in charge, gave them a holiday. At this moment, they were all gathered on the playground in groups of three or five, playing.
It was the same in other places. Even the atmosphere in the engineering department was much more relaxed than usual.
“This bit of fortification is finally about to be finished. After so many days of hard work, we can finally have a good meal.”
People were whispering to each other, all looking forward to the upcoming rest day. No one noticed that something had slipped over from the edge of the forest.
A few workers were standing outside the fortification, twisting the wire. Wen Zhao was one of them. Her long-term combat intuition made her alarm bells go off when she heard a rustling sound in the grass.
She picked up the wrench in her hand and swung it hard at the head of the black shadow that was pouncing on her.
The foreman not far away was not so lucky and was pinned to the ground by a pouncing zombie.
“It’s a zombie! The zombies are here! Run!”
People fled in all directions.
The screams alerted the nearby patrol soldiers.
The patrol soldiers quickly ran over and surrounded the foreman, who was being pinned down by a zombie, but they did not open fire.
“Why aren’t you shooting?! Save him!”
“Save… save me… save me…”
Seeing that they were not moving, Wen Zhao rushed over and raised the wrench in her hand, smashing it hard on the zombie’s head.
The moment the skin and flesh were broken, she heard a gunshot from her ear.
The zombie twitched a couple of times and fell on the foreman, motionless.
The foreman also stared blankly, motionless. There was a large hole in his temple, and blood was gushing out.
Wen Zhao stopped her movements, a little in disbelief.
The person who had been talking to her just yesterday had died in front of her just like that.
“Take her away.”
The leading soldier waved his hand, and a few soldiers came forward and grabbed her shoulders. “The infected will be executed immediately. The close contacts will be quarantined.”
Wen Zhao looked back. The foreman was still staring at the sky with his eyes open. Someone behind her was whispering.
“He must have offended someone from the church. Otherwise, why would a woman like her be sent here?”
“The engineering department has the highest death rate.”
“This forest not only has wild beasts but also zombies. It’s fine if you’re injured by a wild beast, but if you’re bitten by a zombie, you’ll only die.”
A living person had died just like that. For the others, it was just another topic of conversation after a meal.
“Alright, alright, stop talking. Anyone who offends the church will definitely not get the Prophet’s protection. It’s what they deserve to be bitten to death.”
“The rest day is about to start. Let’s go.”
***
Evening came.
A bonfire was set up in the place where the pyre had been held just this morning, and a few large pots were set up.
A thick meat soup was boiling in the pot, and steamed buns were also served.
“Let us thank the Prophet!”
“Thank the Prophet!”
As usual, they had to pray before the meal. The crowd all bowed down, pressed their right hands to their chests, and shouted in unison.
Jiang Zao also reluctantly bent down. When it was her turn to get soup, she saw the church attendant scoop out a large spoonful from the pot. She didn’t know which part of the meat it was. It fell into the bowl, perhaps a claw, curled up tightly.
A strong fishy smell rushed towards her.
Jiang Zao frowned. She had also eaten game before. Generally, the game from the mountains would at most be fishy when cooked, not smelly.
She looked at the white meat soup that was bubbling in the pot again. Maybe it was because they hadn’t added any seasoning. Jiang Wuni would at least add some scallions, ginger, and garlic to remove the fishy smell.
“Hurry up and go after you’re done!”
Under the church attendant’s urging, she didn’t have time to take a few more glances. She had to take a steamed bun and go to the side to sit down.
Although she hadn’t had meat in a long time, Jiang Zao was obviously still a little concerned about the overly strong fishy smell.
She picked it with her chopsticks and found that besides that one charred claw, it was all minced meat. Just as she was about to take a bite with a frown, a transparent nail cap floated up from the frothy soup. She picked it up with her chopsticks and looked at it.
Suddenly, a strong wave of nausea rushed up to her lungs. The soup in Jiang Zao’s hand spilled on the ground, and the black claw also fell out.
After realizing what it was, she began to vomit uncontrollably.
But the people around her were chewing with relish.
She looked up, then bent down again, and even threw up the steamed bun she had eaten this morning, until she couldn’t throw up anything else.
Teacher Meng saw that she was very uncomfortable and came over with the bowl of soup. “Are you okay? Do you want me to take you to the Red Cross to see?”
Smelling the fishy smell, Jiang Zao’s stomach churned again. She pushed her hand away and ran out.
“No, no need. I’ll go by myself.”
She was looking for Wen Zhao’s shadow in the square, wanting her not to drink this meat soup. Who knew that after looking around a few times, she couldn’t see her. She casually grabbed a soldier.
“Doesn’t the engineering department participate in the rest day?”
“The engineering department? The engineering department hasn’t come back yet.”
Jiang Zao let go of him and was slightly relieved. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw that the people from the church were carrying a bucket towards the Red Cross.
The bucket was filled with the meat soup from the pot.
Little Mi… Little Mi is still there!
Her pupils shrank, and she chased after them.
Today was a rest day. The streets were empty along the way. Only the tent of the Red Cross was still lit.
It was quiet all around.
Yan Zhen didn’t go to the square either. She asked the church attendant to put the bucket at the door and then turned and went into the tent.
Jiang Zao hid in a corner and watched as the people from the church walked away. Only then did she quietly slip in. What was she doing here instead of at the assembly?
Jiang Zao glanced at the bucket on the ground, bypassed it, and gently lifted a crack in the door curtain.
Yan Zhen was preparing medicine, drawing the transparent liquid from an ampoule with a syringe. She picked it up, looked at the sharp needle, and slowly pushed out the air. She slowly walked to the side of the sleeping Little Mi’s bed and picked up the indwelling needle that was connected to her hand.
The moment the needle pierced in, for some reason, Jiang Zao’s heart suddenly tightened. She subconsciously rushed over, grabbed her arm, and pinned her on the bed.
“What are you doing?!”
Yan Zhen cried out in pain, and the syringe in her hand fell to the ground.
“Giving an injection… can’t you see?!”
“I’m asking you what medicine you’re injecting?! Why are you secretly giving Little Mi an injection when no one is around?!”
Jiang Zao’s grip on her wrist tightened. She had originally wanted to teach her a lesson, but who knew that Yan Zhen would take a sharp breath, and her expression suddenly became extremely painful.
Jiang Zao subconsciously loosened her grip. Her gaze fell on the wrist that was exposed from her sleeve, which was covered with a few red marks.
“Don’t—”
Yan Zhen noticed her gaze. Before she could finish her plea, Jiang Zao had already pulled up her sleeve, revealing a large area of dense whip marks.
The whip was not like the one used for punishment by the church. The marks were thin and deep. Her fair skin was already slightly red and swollen.
“Have you seen enough?!”
“You… I’m sorry.”
Jiang Zao let go of her hand, lowered her eyes, and picked up the syringe from the ground and placed it on the table. She also picked up the empty ampoule.
It was written with common anti-inflammatory drugs.
Jiang Zao was a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry… I was a little overstimulated.”
Yan Zhen had already stood up, as if nothing had happened. She rolled down her sleeves, tidied up her somewhat messy hair, and even the hint of moisture in her eyes had disappeared without a trace.
“If there’s nothing else, go out. I still have work to do.”
Jiang Zao turned around and looked into her eyes.
“Let me apply some medicine for you.”
