"Alright, we’re okay." Xie Ning reached out and patted her cousin’s shoulder. "No matter how hard the world gets, we just have to work together."
"Mhm." Song Kexin lifted her head slightly, her voice thick and nasal. "We’ll work hard together!"
Xie Ning looked at her cousin’s face, streaked with dirt like a little urchin’s, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Song Kexin felt a little embarrassed herself and quickly pulled so tissues from her pocket to wipe her face.
Xie Ning went around to the back of the sedan, opened the trunk, and scrounged up so useful tools.
There were also a few unopened bags of snacks in the car, which she took along as well.
She turned to Song Kexin and tilted her head. "Let’s go."
The two of them climbed into the RV, and Xie Ning promptly sent her mother, Song You’ai, to the booth seating in the back to rest.
Song Kexin had just gone through quite an ordeal and felt ntally and physically exhausted, so she didn’t object when Xie Ning told her to get so sleep.
The aunt and niece had only intended to rest their eyes for a mont, but they ended up falling fast asleep.
Xie Ning drove the RV along a desolate, unfinished stretch of highway.
Not far ahead, a pitch-black stray cat, seemingly startled by the sound of the wheels, let out a "OW" and leaped into the nearby patch of grass.
As Xie Ning drove past, her gaze fell upon a crimson patch on the ground.
It was a dead bird, ripped open and disemboweled. Half of its head had already been eaten.
A heavy weight settled in Xie Ning’s heart.
’The animals shouldn’t have mutated this quickly,’ she thought, ’but I can’t let my guard down.’
The heavy wheels rumbled over the bumpy, uneven road as she slowed down on the approach to the village.
Song Family Pavilion was situated in the southwest of Beizhen. It bordered Xiang Mountain to the south and was adjacent to Weigang Town to the west.
To the east, it was surrounded by water, offering convenient access by both land and water routes.
Within the village, a long, winding pronade stretched out over a lake, flanked by lush greenery and exquisitely designed pavilions.
Now, however, the picturesque village’s serene beauty was shattered by the two or three rotting corpses aimlessly wandering about.
Back when Xie Ning used to stay with her grandmother, she would often co to the cultural park near the pronade to take a walk and get so fresh air.
But now, before even entering the village, she could already see the desolate scene within.
A few zombies wandering by the water’s edge sensed the sound of the engine. One by one, they turned their heads, their unfocused eyes staring in their direction.
"Sis, what are we waiting for?" Song Kexin’s hushed voice ca from behind.
Xie Ning pursed her lips. "Sothing’s not right."
"What’s not right?"
"Song Family Pavilion has over three hundred households, which is at least a thousand people. But listen... isn’t it too quiet?"
"Maybe everyone’s hiding in their hos?"
Xie Ning focused on driving into the village. "Wake up Mom."
After being shaken a couple of tis by Song Kexin, Song You’ai quickly sat up straight. "Was I asleep?"
She glanced out the window at the familiar waterside pavilions. "Are we here?"
"Sis, should I call my dad and ask what the situation is inside? He ca to the village yesterday, said he was sorting out so land certificate for Grandpa and Grandma." Song Kexin pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen. "I’ve still got two bars. The call should go through."
"Right, right," Song You’ai nodded eagerly. "Ask Xiao Zhi. Find out where he is right now."
With a grim expression, Xie Ning quickly shook her head to stop them. "Don’t call. What if Uncle is hiding from zombies? Your call could give away his position."
"We’ll go in and check first. You two, get your weapons. Be ready to fight."
Song Kexin nodded nervously, then suddenly noticed two "@all" ssages in their "Loving Family" group chat.
"My dad’s at the Village Committee office." The color drained from the young woman’s face.
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