Chapter Fourteen: A Hearty Meal

Despite surviving a dangerous ordeal and a shortage of ammunition, the barrel of rice that Xu Qiang hauled back, filled with gleaming white grains, was enough to stir excitement among everyone. At that moment, none of them cared about their exhaustion. They drove the minibus around the town and stopped on a deserted stretch of road to prepare a meal. Usually, such tasks were assigned to the three elders and three children, while those with fighting ability maintained a vigilant watch around the perimeter to guard against any unexpected threats.

The prospect of food revitalized the three elders, whose faces had been pale and wan. Their division of labor was clear: one gathered stones to build a stove, another took a shovel from the minibus and dug feverishly in the field to create a water pit, while the third led the three children in collecting dried grass and branches for fuel.

Xu Qiang, clutching his automatic rifle, stood guard atop the minibus. Chu Tianhe was also occupied; his 40-type pistol still had half a magazine left, and despite his wounded leg, he was scanning the surroundings from a nearby stone. Xie Han lay half-reclined in the grass by the roadside, squinting up at the sun climbing silently into the sky. If not for the apocalypse, this would have been a nostalgic outing.

Qi Feiwu approached openly, sitting beside Xie Han and saying, "Thank you for earlier!" Xie Han smiled and replied, "Captain, you're too polite. We're all part of the same team—I was only doing my part." Thinking about the pit the elders were digging in the field, Xie Han was puzzled. "The river water is clear and perfectly drinkable. Why go to such lengths to dig for water?"

Qi Feiwu was taken aback by the question. By now, she was used to Xie Han's peculiarities—his questions always seemed naive, and she often wondered how he had survived this long in the apocalypse. Still, she answered, "The XR virus infects more than just humans—many animals have been affected, including fish in the river. They've undergone mutations, and anything approaching the river becomes their target. The water may look clear, but it's deadly."

Xie Han hadn't realized the XR virus was so powerful, infecting even river fish. He shook his head. "It seems humanity has been truly isolated by this virus." Qi Feiwu lay down in imitation of him and said, "A couple of years ago, many radio stations were still functional, and rescue bases could occasionally communicate. But as the attacks by the zombies increased, bases fell one by one, and news from other regions became scarce. Last year, I heard from a coastal base that most marine life had mutated as well—a single shark could tear apart a frigate. I don't know if that's true."

Qi Feiwu didn't have much information, but what she shared was enough to make Xie Han uneasy. If even the oceans were infected, things were more complicated. The diversity of marine life far exceeded that of land, and countless deep-sea trenches remained unexplored by humans, possibly hiding ancient unknown creatures. If those were infected, humanity might truly be banished from the seas.

Of course, these concerns were not Xie Han's immediate problem. After all, Wangtian Province was inland, unlikely to cross paths with ferocious marine mutants. Thinking of his empty handgun, Xie Han sensed the seriousness of their situation. "How much ammunition does the team have left?" Qi Feiwu's expression grew solemn. "Chu Tianhe has half a magazine for his pistol. We're better off with the automatic rifles—five magazines remain. But that's not enough against the zombies; even with perfect aim, we could only kill about a hundred, no more."

Xie Han frowned. In this apocalypse, zombies roamed everywhere, and at the slightest whiff of fresh meat, they'd attack relentlessly. Without enough ammunition, there was no way to hold them off; once they got close, the team would be finished. Bullets are not like food—in this world, even with money, you can't easily buy them on the black market without connections. This ruled out Xie Han's hopes of acquiring ammunition for now.

He recalled the map of Wangtian Province. Before the XR virus outbreak, the roads were well-developed, and many routes bypassed cities entirely. This was perhaps the team's only advantage. With limited ammo, they would need to avoid densely populated areas and reduce the number of food-foraging trips.

Xie Han sighed. "We'll have to see if we can find more bullets later. If we ration this barrel of rice, it should last us until we reach the provincial base." Qi Feiwu clearly agreed, nodding in approval. Thinking of the barrel of gleaming rice, she felt a burst of joy. If she hadn't brought Xie Han into the team out of compassion, they might still be starving. To eat white rice in this apocalypse was unimaginable just days ago.

"Thank you, Xie Han," Qi Feiwu said from the heart, making Xie Han pause for a moment before chuckling and waving it off.

Soon, the aroma of cooked rice wafted through the air. For Xie Han, it was nothing extraordinary, but for people who hadn't eaten in days—or tasted rice in over a year—the scent was irresistible. Qi Feiwu, catching the aroma, disregarded her image and, mouth agape, let a droplet of saliva fall as she eagerly dashed toward the food, leaving Xie Han behind.

The others were no less eager; even Xu Qiang and those on guard abandoned their posts to crowd around the pot, neglecting vigilance. Xie Han cursed these "starved ghosts" and reluctantly climbed onto the minibus roof to keep watch.

The nine of them gathered around the pot, heedless of the hot rice, grabbing handfuls and stuffing them into their mouths. Only after wolfing down half a meal did they remember the even more enticing dried radish, and so they ate both together, forgetting everything in their hunger. Even with Xie Han missing from the scramble, no one noticed.

When the nine were finally full and only a scrap of burnt rice remained at the bottom of the pot, Qi Feiwu remembered something. She glanced back at Xie Han, still on guard atop the minibus, then at the pitiful bit of scorched rice left. Her face flushed with embarrassment; she wished she could disappear. After all, it was Xie Han who had brought the food, and yet they'd not only failed to invite him, they'd left not a single grain for him. This... was hard to justify.

The others, too, realized the awkwardness of the situation, faces reddening in embarrassment.

"Should we cook another batch for him?" The suggestion came from the elder who had prepared the meal; it was the only solution he could offer. But Xu Qiang and the others saw the issue as more than a simple matter of cooking another pot. It was a question of the warmth or chill in a person's heart.

Qi Feiwu quietly scraped the remaining burnt rice into a bowl. She blamed no one, but looked at Xu Qiang and Chu Tianhe, saying, "I think the team needs a rule. Even for meals, there should be an order or timing." Xu Qiang and Chu Tianhe nodded quickly; even without Qi Feiwu’s prompting, they would have discussed a solution. In the apocalypse, a team without rules cannot survive.

Knowing the fault lay with her side, Qi Feiwu hesitated, then climbed onto the minibus roof and handed the bowl to Xie Han, stammering, "Xie... Xie Han, I hope you don't mind. We lost control of ourselves because of hunger, which led to what happened today. But I promise this won’t happen again in the team. Really, you must believe me."

After saying this, Qi Feiwu watched Xie Han anxiously, wondering if this moment of calm was merely the lull before the storm.