Chapter 57: Celebration Feast
Before long, Bao and the others downstairs caught the scent of hot pot, and with a shout of excitement, they dropped their cleaning cloths and rushed upstairs.
"Uncle Wang, are we having hot pot again today?" they asked Wang Bin with smiles as soon as they reached the top.
"Yes, do you want some?"
"Yes!"
"Then go wash your hands properly, and we'll start eating soon!"
"Yes, sir!"
Bao and Little Nan saluted Wang Bin excitedly before running off to wash their hands.
"These little rascals!" Wang Bin couldn't help but laugh and scold as he watched their excitement.
Soon, Sister Liu and the others finished preparing the hot pot, and Guan Xiaoyue helped bring it to the living room, where everyone began to dig in.
As soon as the tender lamb entered his mouth, Li Dazhu's eyes welled up with tears.
"Dazhu, is it too spicy?" Wang Bin asked, thinking Li Dazhu couldn't handle the heat.
"Yes, it's a bit spicy!" Li Dazhu quickly wiped his tears, pretending it was the spiciness.
He hadn't had hot pot in years, and the sudden taste was indeed a bit overwhelming. But that wasn't why he cried. The taste reminded him of the years spent fleeing with his sister. It was the first time in so long they had such delicious hot pot, and he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
"Oh, if you're not used to it, Sister Liu, maybe next time use less chili!" Wang Bin suggested to Sister Liu.
"No, no! I like it spicy. It's just that I haven't had such spicy hot pot in years, so it's a bit unfamiliar!" Li Dazhu quickly interjected. He used to love hot pot, always ordering extra spicy with friends. It would be a shame if Wang Bin misunderstood and thought he couldn't handle spice.
"Uh, okay, if it's really too much, we can make a mild broth, or next time I'll make a split pot so those who can't handle spice can still enjoy hot pot!" Wang Bin thought aloud.
He noticed that everyone seemed to react this way upon their first taste of hot pot. But when he suggested a milder version, they all insisted they could handle it. Truly a unique group.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Officer Miao and the others understood Li Dazhu's feelings and knew why he cried. They had been through similar experiences and wanted to preserve each other's dignity, so they didn't mention it.
"Come on, let's toast to a better future!" Wang Bin stood up with a beer after a few bites.
"Cheers, to a better future!" Everyone echoed, raising their glasses, while Bao and Little Nan had soft drinks.
The hot pot feast was joyful and satisfying for everyone.
As Sister Liu and the others took the dishes to the kitchen for cleaning, Wang Bin and Officer Miao began to discuss plans.
"I'm leaving tomorrow night. We're too close to Boss Jin's territory here. I think it's best we find a new place to stay. Once I return, we can hit the road again. What do you think?"
"Leaving? Wang Bin, where are you going?" Li Dazhu, unaware of Wang Bin's ability to disappear suddenly, grew anxious at the news.
He enjoyed their current life and feared that without Wang Bin, they would return to their previous struggle for survival.
"Don't worry, I'm just going to exchange some food and will be back soon. While I'm gone, can you help protect everyone?"
"Rest assured, as long as I'm alive, they won't be harmed!"
"Good, I trust you!"
"Let's rest for a bit, and in an hour, we'll prepare to head east!"
"Okay!"
An hour later, they packed up, and Officer Miao drove them eastward.
Even though Boss Jin was dead, his influence remained. Captain Zhang would likely investigate once he consolidated Boss Jin's power. Wang Bin didn't want anything to happen to Officer Miao and the others in his absence.
Moreover, the zombies in the North Side of the City were too numerous. Since their disturbance yesterday, the zombies had started spreading. If Officer Miao and the others stayed to wait for him and got surrounded, it would be troublesome. So Wang Bin decided to move them away from this dangerous place.
That night, they didn't rest in a house but found a flat area in the mountains to set up tents. Whenever he had a moment, Wang Bin practiced his "Crossing the River on a Reed" lightness skill and Tai Chi. He had hoped to reach the second level of the lightness skill before returning to reality, but many interruptions delayed his progress, leaving him with a small regret.
The next day, they continued their journey. Officer Miao found a small village, but after checking the surroundings, they found no villagers, only over a hundred zombies, which Wang Bin eliminated to upgrade his Shooting Specialization and Diamond Palm.
During dinner, Wang Bin gave the rifle with the night vision scope to Officer Miao, as it was of no use to him back in reality. He then tossed the car keys to Guan Xiaoyue.
"Xiaoyue, didn't you want to learn how to drive? Let Officer Miao teach you these days."
"Ah! Thank you, but gasoline is precious!"
"Don't worry, we haven't used much fuel, and there's a barrel in the trunk. Besides, I'll bring back another barrel next time, so you don't have to worry about running out. Just be safe!"
"Okay, thank you!"
As the time to return approached, Wang Bin bid farewell to everyone and went to the house to wait quietly.
When the time came, he returned to the real world.
Back in reality, Wang Bin's phone immediately showed numerous missed calls and messages. As expected, they were from You Hongfei and Li Xingping.
Smiling, Wang Bin quickly returned their calls.
You Hongfei reported that he had found a renovation company, and they were starting to design the style, with construction set to begin in a few days.
Li Xingping also had good news: he had contacted two master craftsmen, and one had agreed to come.
Hearing their updates, Wang Bin felt very pleased, and with the system upgrade nearing completion, he was eager to see the new features.
Having not enjoyed a hot bath in days, Wang Bin quickly filled the bathtub with hot water and lay in it.
The hot water relaxed his muscles, making him feel completely at ease.
After soaking for half an hour, until the water cooled, he got out of the tub.
Dressed and seated in the living room, he turned on the TV and snacked on peanuts while watching a drama.
Most TV shows were youth idol dramas and variety shows, which he used to find fake. But after returning from the apocalypse, everything seemed enjoyable.
Though the dramas seemed even more unrealistic now, they were more entertaining, especially watching the characters overreact to trivial matters, which he found amusing.
Such comedic joy was absent in the apocalypse, so he felt a strange connection to it now. The more dramatic the idol drama, the more he enjoyed it.
As he watched, Wang Bin suddenly felt he should find a girlfriend. But then he remembered he had just broken up with Zhao Qian not long ago. After pondering, he realized it was the long time spent in the apocalypse that made him feel like time had passed differently.
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