Chapter 21: Waiting for You for a Long Time

Chapter 21: Waiting for You for a Long Time

Guan Yuanfeng had no legs, and keeping his back straight for long periods was exhausting. This was especially true given the lingering illness that had plagued him before.

But he never let others see his weakness. He always kept his shoulders square, chest upright, and back straight, as steady as a mountain. But now, it seemed even that effort was too much, and he was hunched over slightly.

Zhou Yun watched his back in silence, then lightly knocked on the door:

"Guan? Are you feeling better? It’s dinner time, and we haven’t seen you around. If you’re still not feeling great, I can give you some acupuncture. It’s been really hot, so you might be at risk of heatstroke."

Guan Yuanfeng turned to face Zhou Yun, caught off guard. His deep-set eyes were still a little red, his gaze solemn and quiet, but his voice was calm: "I just took a call and didn’t notice the time. I’m much better now, thank you."

Zhou Yun asked in surprise, "Was there a signal?" while searching his body for his phone.

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Military signal, not very good, and it’s already disconnected." He slowly lowered himself into the wheelchair, using the handrails for support.

Zhou Yun nodded, "The signal tower probably needs maintenance. Hopefully, we can defeat the zombies soon and return to a normal life."

He walked to the back of Guan Yuanfeng’s wheelchair and pushed him up to the rooftop.

But the human elite were about to evacuate Blue Star, and they were left behind.

Guan Yuanfeng was silent for a moment, not wanting to shatter his hope, and only said, "Probably."

He didn’t plan to mention the Mars ship.

He originally thought he could transfer the spot to Zhou Yun, but since it wasn’t possible, mentioning it would just seem like asking for verbal favor without any real meaning.

If he were still in service, with all his limbs intact, with his past merits and influence, he might have been able to secure a military doctor spot for Zhou Yun.

But then he wouldn’t have retired and returned to his hometown, let alone met Zhou Yun.

All those merits were in the past, and the future path for humanity was unknown.

He was now a useless person, and he wouldn’t contribute anything to humanity’s development on the Mars bases.

This opportunity was likely secured by his captain, who probably took on a lot of responsibility. It wouldn’t be right for him to make any more requests.

Lost in thought, he was suddenly presented with a fresh, purple-red flower. The petals were thin and translucent, blooming layer by layer on top of an ice cream cup.

Zhou Yun placed it in his hand, "Here, try it."

Guan Yuanfeng took the cup of ice cream and only realized up close that the ice cream was carved from a radish.

He plucked a radish petal and popped it into his mouth—it was crisp and fresh.

He asked, "Where did you get the radish?"

Zhou Yun explained, "I found this Xinli Mei radish in the restaurant. It was probably used for decoration. I couldn’t resist trying my knife skills. The ice cream was also from their freezer, and it looked quite expensive."

Guan Yuanfeng praised him, "Not bad, chef-level skill."

The bit of melancholy and sorrow from the apocalypse in his heart faded. He asked Zhou Yun, "Looks like you made quite a haul in the restaurant?"

Mentioning this, Zhou Yun perked up, "A treasure trove of high-quality food. Besides the ice cream you just ate, there were many fruits like durian, strawberries, mangoes, and apples. Two full freezers of seafood, and there were still many fresh vegetables in the fridge. Unfortunately, we can’t eat them all before they go bad. I’m thinking of trying to plant some, and maybe preserve or dry some to keep them longer."

He opened his phone and showed Guan Yuanfeng the pictures, his expression filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest, "Look, there are also common dry goods—oil, rice, flour, salt, and various seasonings in the warehouse. The inventory is well-kept."

"As for equipment, besides the fish tank oxygen supply, seawater salt, ozone machine, there’s also a backup generator. Even though the kitchen has natural gas, they also have an energy-efficient wood-burning stove! And they even have briquettes."

Even Guan Yuanfeng was surprised: "There's an energy-efficient wood stove too?"

Of course, the restaurant had plenty of food stored, and with such a bountiful harvest, it made today’s efforts feel worthwhile.

Zhou Yun said, "Of course, it seems some broth needs to be simmered for a long time, and this stove helps save fuel."

He realized how much he had missed out on in his previous life, never knowing this restaurant was such a treasure trove.

Now there’s another advantage—in the future, whenever he takes something out, he can just say he found it in the restaurant.

They went up to the rooftop, where it had already grown quite dark. The sun had half set behind the mountains, but the rooftop floor was still exuding a fierce heat.

Guan Yuanfeng actually felt a bit stuffy in his chest and had no appetite, but he didn’t want to dampen Zhou Yun’s enthusiasm. After all, Zhou Yun had been busy all day and had carefully prepared the meal.

Walking through the rooftop to Zhou Yun’s kitchen, Zhou Yun took some crabs out of the steamer and placed them on the table. "Crabs have a diuretic effect and are cooling; you can eat some since you're suffering from heatstroke today."

Guan Yuanfeng watched as Zhou Yun pulled out two oranges, revealing the crab meat and roe inside, and felt a bit surprised. "You made such an elaborate dish."

Zhou Yun said, "Crab-stuffed oranges. They were prepared in the restaurant, probably pre-prepared dishes that would spoil if not eaten soon. There are also stuffed eggplants and stuffed bell peppers. We won’t need to cook much for the next few days."

Guan Yuanfeng finally understood and felt like they had gotten a great deal.

The ice cream in his hand was starting to melt. Although he usually didn’t like sweets, he took a few spoonfuls and ate it quickly. The cold, sweet ice cream melted in his mouth, and the tightness and fatigue in his chest eased up a bit.

Thinking about Zhou Yun’s plan, Guan Yuanfeng asked, "There isn’t enough soil, right? And if you need long-term power supply, gasoline will be a big issue. We should try to collect gasoline from the abandoned vehicles downstairs. We still need to find a way to get more soil. There are many zombies in the neighborhood, but there should be fewer on the mountain side."

Zhou Yun said, "It’s fine. We have wind and solar power generators. For now, Skytop Restaurant will serve as a backup."

"We can plant some drought-resistant sweet potatoes and cacti over there. I also have stored some nutrient-rich soil and will ferment some organic fertilizer, so there’s no need to worry for now."

Seeing Zhou Yun speak confidently, Guan Yuanfeng knew he was a man with a plan and didn’t say anything further.

However, Zhou Yun added, "Thankfully, you lent me 200,000 to build the greenhouse, and it’s really paying off now. I had stored many medicinal seeds, and I can try to cultivate them now."

Guan Yuanfeng thought about that impulsive decision back then and felt it was somehow destined.

He looked at Zhou Yun, who said, "I have a trap that, with some modifications, could help lure and capture some zombies."

Guan Yuanfeng thought for a moment, "We won’t catch many if we go after them one at a time."

And what’s the point of catching zombies? Their stench is unbearable.

He scooped out some crab-stuffed oranges and tasted it. The fresh and slightly sour flavor was indeed quite nice.

Zhou Yun said excitedly, "Let’s try my bait and see if it works."

One zombie means one crystal core, regardless of its attribute. With most psychics at such low levels, even a small boost would make a big difference.

He just needed to set bear traps at the front door and the restaurant door, place the bait, and if they could lure three zombies a day, that would mean three cores.

He finished the crab-stuffed oranges in a few bites and then got up to cook noodles in the radish soup. He served the noodle soup to Guan Yuanfeng.

Guan Yuanfeng wasn’t accustomed to overly elaborate dishes and preferred something filling. But since he wasn’t feeling well today, the well-cooked, flavorful noodles were easier to eat.

He finished the noodles in a few bites and noticed Zhou Yun was still picking at the crab legs, clearly enjoying the meal. So, he grabbed Zhou Yun’s knife and helped him pick out the crab meat.

His knife skills were sharp, and in no time, he had extracted a bowl of crab meat and handed it to Zhou Yun. "This knife of yours is really good."

Zhou Yun took a sugar apple and handed it to him. "Eat some fruit. It’s fully ripe and will spoil if left longer. Give me the seeds; I’ll try to sprout them."

Guan Yuanfeng took a knife and cut into the sugar apple, picking out the seeds and setting them aside. He watched as Zhou Yun got up and poured the chicken bones from the pot for Comet, who was nearby.

This was the chicken they had used for bait hunting today, and Comet was wagging his tail happily.

Zhou Yun had already showered and changed into a loose, short-sleeved cotton shirt and comfy shorts. His arms were strong, showing that even in the apocalypse, he was living well and could take care of those around him. Guan Yuanfeng owed him a lot.

Guan Yuanfeng stared at him absentmindedly. Zhou Yun turned around and met his gaze, a little surprised. "What's wrong? The chicken soup... Do you want some?"

The chicken soup was too greasy, and Guan Yuanfeng was feeling unwell, so it wasn't suitable for him to drink.

But since the chicken was already killed, he took the chicken rack, head, and feet—the less desirable parts—and cooked them to feed the dog. It was a native chicken he had raised for a long time, and since he hadn't skimmed the oil, the soup was quite fragrant.

Guan Yuanfeng shook his head. "It's nothing."

He was just aimlessly thinking about the future after the apocalypse.

After the elite members of humanity evacuated, could the remaining people still organize themselves to defend against the zombies? What was the cause of the zombies?

Overnight, zombies were everywhere. If people around could turn into zombies at any time, could they effectively organize resistance?

After dinner, Guan Yuanfeng washed the dishes and saw Zhou Yun standing next to him, cleaning the sugar apple seeds. Zhou Yun then placed them in a paper towel, put them in a disposable lunch box, sprayed some water, and carefully set them aside.

His long fingers gently pinched the seeds, with a look of careful attention. Guan Yuanfeng found it amusing. "Are you trying to get them to sprout? Will they grow?"

Zhou Yun nodded. "Yes, they will grow. Look at the strawberries on the balcony; I grew them from seeds."

With psychic powers, especially wood-type ones, it would be even easier to make them grow.

Guan Yuanfeng was filled with respect. Strawberry seeds were just tiny black dots on the fruit.

Successfully growing them and getting such a good harvest showed that Zhou Yun really had a green thumb.

After washing the dishes, they went up to the rooftop as usual. These days, it had been too hot during the day, with temperatures hitting over 40 degrees Celsius. They only went up to the rooftop at night to feed the poultry, water the plants, and feed the fish.

But today, there was an additional task. Zhou Yun was going to set up new planting basins at the recently occupied domed restaurant.

In the distance, the lake and mountains were picturesque. The wind blew high in the sky, and the clouds were thin. The chickens, ducks, fish, and sheep were all settled in their coops. The air conditioning helped them survive the scorching heat.

Guan Yuanfeng took the initiative to bring the feed bowl inside to feed the sheep. When he came out, he saw Zhou Yun carrying over a dozen stacked long planting basins from the attic. Guan Yuanfeng was taken aback once more. "Why prepare so many?"

Zhou Yun explained, "I ordered extras when I had the glass greenhouse built last time. It was cheaper."

Guan Yuanfeng was speechless.

He took the fish food and sprinkled it into the fish tank, watching the fish scramble to the surface to eat.

Zhou Yun, on the other hand, took a wooden-handled sickle and cut down the sweet potato vines and pumpkin vines in the vegetable plot. They had overgrown after the last rain, and with some energy from Zhou Yun, they had grown even more exuberantly. If they weren't cleared, they would start encroaching on the other vegetables' space.

Fortunately, there were pigs, sheep, and rabbits that ate a lot of vegetables, so there was no fear of them growing too much.

Zhou Yun cut the vines and leaves, placed them at the bottom layer, added a layer of regular soil, sprinkled some sheep manure fertilizer, and then added a layer of compressed coconut coir bricks. He sprinkled water on the planting basins and watched them expand, filling the basins like magic.

Guan Yuanfeng finally couldn't help but ask Zhou Yun again, "You only have one balcony. Why buy so many planting basins and compressed soil?"

Zhou Yun smiled slightly. "I've been eyeing your balcony for a long time. I've always wanted to set up a vertical garden."

Guan Yuanfeng was speechless.

Zhou Yun's voice carried a smile, with a double meaning. "I've waited for a very, very long time."

The sunset on the horizon had sunk down. Guan Yuanfeng finished sprinkling the fish food and looked up to see Zhou Yun standing by the railing, holding a bunch of sweet potato vines in his gloved hands. In the soft light of the setting sun, his face was hard to read, but his gaze felt warm and tender.