As it neared eight o'clock, people from the community gradually returned. Wu Mengyao, Sun Qin, Liu Mengmeng, Liu Ziyi, and the other children were the first to arrive, followed by more children.
The moment she entered the main gate, Wu Mengyao saw Wu Tian and Lin Yuan cooking in the open space. The scene was exactly like when they got married!
Only the clothes were different, and there were a few unfamiliar people cooking alongside them.
She couldn't help but pinch Sun Qin's face next to her. The pain made him howl.
"Wu Mengyao, what are you doing!"
Sun Qin covered his face, looking aggrieved, but he didn't dare to retaliate.
But Wu Mengyao ignored him, only shouting.
"Sister!! Lin Yuan ge!"
She ran over.
"Hey, slow down!"
"..."
Lin Yuan picked up Wu Mengyao, who had fallen and was crying, and patted the dust off her.
"I told you to slow down, but you didn't listen. Look at Sun Qin, how steady he is."
"Wuwuwu, I just missed you so much wuwuwu."
"Alright, alright, don't cry. Just sit aside and wait for food."
"Okay~"
"Lin Yuan ge!!! Wu Tian jie!!!", this was Cao Xueqin's voice, with Wang Zhihai, Mu Qingtian, and Zhao Mengnan behind her.
They happened to be on rotation today. As soon as they returned, they saw Lin Yuan was back.
"Captain, you're back!"
Wang Zhihai and Zhao Mengnan were on the verge of tears. They truly believed he was going to his death, but they never expected him to return with Wu Tian and the child.
Excitedly, they hugged Lin Yuan. "Captain, I really felt useless back then, unable to help at all! Fortunately, you're back!"
"Alright, alright, Captain Wang, and Mengnan, stop crying. We're all brothers. Go back and change your clothes first, then come back to eat."
"It's okay, it's okay, our clothes are warm. You're busy, I'll go look at the child."
Mu Qingtian and Cao Xueqin also came up to hug Lin Yuan gently before taking Wu Tian and Carol Anna's hands and leaving, saying they wanted to chat.
Only Lin Yuan and Li Xiangxin were left, awkwardly continuing to cook.
"Captain!! You're back!!", this was Sun Haiping and Qin Xia. They had also returned from work.
"Oh, Sister Qin Xia, you're finally back. Come help."
"Okay, okay! I'll get an apron."
"Wife, I'll get it for you!"
"You just arrange the stools and serve the dishes here~"
Sun Haiping had no choice but to obey, moving stools while chatting with Lin Yuan and Li Xiangxin.
"Lin Yuan ge!!!", and here comes Zhao Anjing!
From afar, they saw her holding Zhu Mingjun's hand, jumping high and shouting.
However, seeing Zhu Mingjun made Lin Yuan feel a bit guilty, as he had used Zhu Mingjun's name when causing trouble outside.
Fortunately, the entire Eternal Life Cult headquarters had been dismantled. Only Li Xiangxin's family knew the name Zhu Mingjun.
"Hey, come over and help!"
"Got it, ge, coming right up!", Zhao Anjing had become more lively after arriving in the safe zone. She feared nothing, but she still had to listen to Lin Yuan.
Otherwise, she would be tested on her martial arts progress again. It was like that during their time in the countryside; it was sheer misery.
The ones who came later were Yan Ruyu, whom they had rescued on the highway at the time. She was about to have her final exams, so she returned a bit later.
She had an extra half hour of self-study.
She also went up to hug Lin Yuan gently. Of course, she wasn't alone but with another boy. Lin Yuan recognized him as a child from Zeng Yilong's team. They had fought alongside each other for a while, and the boy admired Lin Yuan. He remembered that he also had final exams.
They were all third-year high school students.
He was even more excited than Yan Ruyu now, hugging Lin Yuan tightly. "Lin Yuan ge! I knew you could bring my sister-in-law back! I knew you could fight so many zombies by yourself back then! What are those White Eagle Federation guys compared to you..."
"Cough, cough, that's enough, stop talking!", Lin Yuan covered his mouth. "Don't say any more, or your sister-in-law will beat me when we get back."
The boy nodded vigorously.
"Alright, go back, tidy up, and come down for dinner. We're having seafood today, it's delicious!"
"Hooray!"
"Oh, right!", Lin Yuan grabbed the two running towards the apartment building and said earnestly, "Your exams are coming up soon. This exam is different from the college entrance examination, but it's still very important. Don't let yourselves down, understand?"
Lin Yuan's words were subtle, but both of them felt the killing intent and another layer of meaning in his words.
"If you two don't do well in the exam, you're dead when you get back!"
They both shivered. Yan Ruyu quickly said, "Captain, don't worry, I definitely won't disappoint you! And neither will he!"
"Mhm~ Go on now, leave your things here if you have any.", Lin Yuan's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze as he resumed his kind demeanor.
Then came the sisters Lin Qingyan and Zhou Ping. As surgical nurses at the safe zone's central hospital, they were very busy today, but their leader had specially approved them to get off work early.
When they saw Lin Yuan, they understood what was going on.
"Captain!" x2
"You're back. Was the hospital busy today?", he hugged them gently again. Lin Yuan felt he might be beaten to death tonight if this continued.
"It was so busy! Every day is busy. Yesterday, two new survivors even cursed at us, wuwuwu. If it weren't for the director, I would have beaten them long ago!"
These two girls were not to be trifled with. If they really fought, those survivors might not be able to beat them, especially since Lin Yuan had been generous in using high-level mutant gel to "strengthen" his team members in the past.
"Don't worry, don't worry, they wouldn't dare to do anything. Go find your Wu Tian jie to chat, I know you must have a lot on your minds."
"Yes, yes!" The two sisters' gossip souls were burning fiercely.
"That's strange, why haven't Dad and Mom come yet? I clearly notified them. And Xiao Xin's family too. Are they all busy?
And Zi Qi and Xuan Yan haven't come either. What about the partners from the investigation team? They shouldn't have any missions today, right? Isn't the Eternal Life Cult gone? Could there be some strange zombies appearing again? Or are their injuries not healed yet?"
Just as Lin Yuan was lost in thought, two black armored vehicles stopped at the entrance.
Ying Tianlong got out of the car carrying five or six fresh hairtails.
Then came Jiang Ziqi and Ji Xuanyan, wrapped in thick clothes, along with Zheng Mengmeng and other members of the Biu team, including Wan Changfeng.
Some people would never come again. They had sacrificed in the incident where the Eternal Life Cult attacked the city.
From the other car came Lin Yuan's parents and his uncle, Wang Xiaoxin's parents, and her younger brother also arrived.
"Lin Yuan ge..."
"Zi Qi!"
"Huh? Zi Qi is here!"
"Where?!"
As soon as Jiang Ziqi arrived, everyone stood up and rushed to hug her, Lin Yuan included.
"It's good that you're here."
After the great battle, Jiang Ziqi and Ji Xuanyan were both seriously injured. Jiang Ziqi's team members, Jiang Hai and Bai Shanjin, whom Lin Yuan had led before, had died. Kong Ming had a limp and lost an eye. Wan Changfeng's left cheek was slashed, making it difficult to eat. He had a 10cm long wound on his head; without timely rescue, he would have died too. In the intelligence department, only Zheng Mengmeng and one other person survived.
When Lin Yuan left, he didn't know if they would survive. Moreover, they had all put themselves at risk to protect Wu Tian and Xiao Jun, so Lin Yuan had always felt guilty.
"What about Xuan Yan..."
"Team leader, it's okay, everything is fine now. Even the long gash on my head has healed," Wan Changfeng said, his eyes also reddening as he remembered his fallen comrades.
"It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay. Changfeng, are you and Xuan Yan together?", Lin Yuan patted his back and asked.
Although he had known for a long time that Ji Xuanyan had feelings for Wan Changfeng, he hadn't expected this ace soldier comrade to agree.
"Yes, the wedding is set for the New Year. The authorities have also agreed to her recuperation. She will be able to take action in the spring of next year. Comrade Jiang Ziqi is the same, so you can have a longer reunion," Wan Changfeng admitted frankly.
Ji Xuanyan also held Wan Changfeng's arm, appearing very affectionate.
The compound eyes beneath her eyes almost couldn't hide her joy.
Fortunately, her disguise was quite good.
Lin Yuan's parents didn't have much of a reaction. They just held their son's hand and asked many questions before going to see their beloved grandson.
Wang Xiaoxin, standing nearby, was crying tears of joy with her parents.
Wu Tian had just finished talking with Jiang Ziqi. After crying, that girl went to find Xiao Junhui. Now they were arguing over who would be Lin Junhui's godmother.
Hearing this, Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh and squeeze Wu Tian's hand.
"You're causing trouble again!"
"Hehehe, my dear wife, it's time to eat!"
With the delicious seafood caught fresh from the East Sea to grace the occasion, everyone ate to their heart's content.
After cleaning up the kitchen waste, Lin Yuan was being pulled by Jiang Ziqi to find a good angle for a family photo.
"Brother Zeng, could you get the camera from Sister Hong?"
"Sure thing, Captain Lin. How about we take the photo at the community entrance?! The weather forecast said it's going to snow tonight!"
"Okay! It's settled then."
Time came to nine-thirty in the evening.
The broadcast was already playing the skit programs for the day.
"Today is December 1, 2024, the first day of the first lunar month in the Jia Chen Year of the Dragon, the Yi Hai month, the Ji Hai day. It's the first day of winter. Now, northern regions, including central Shuzhou, should be experiencing snowfall.
What shall we talk about today?
Let's talk about this winter snow, this biting cold mountain, and the myriad of..."
"Peppa, don't run around!!"
"Hey, hey, hey, ready! One, two, three!"
"Say cheese!!"
The flash faded, and winter snow fell upon the city, blending with the human lights.
A happy and complete reunion!