Xu An didn't miss the struggle in her mother's eyes, but this was the apocalypse!
This wasn't a petty game of make-believe, nor was it a survival game where having enough supplies and cold and hot weapons meant they could lie down and live peacefully.
If they weren't strong enough themselves, even if they possessed all the resources of Blue Star, they would still end up working for others.
As the temperature gradually became more comfortable, some insects began to revive. However, these mosquitoes did not bite zombies, only circling within the human activity zone.
This, at least, avoided cross-infection.
But this was not good news.
It was unknown if these mosquitoes had mutated after the extreme heat. Not only had their individual sizes doubled, but their combat power was also astonishing. Even their compound eyes, which were originally pinprick-sized, had become as large as mung beans.
They looked exceptionally horrifying and exceptionally cunning, making them difficult to swat.
Once bitten, a thumb-sized hard lump would appear within ten minutes.
Xu An had known beforehand that these mosquitoes and flies would revive and had stockpiled plenty of insecticide and mosquito repellent.
Xu Yan had made mosquito repellent into sachets, which they wore. They truly weren't harassed by insects.
But not everyone was as fortunate as Xu An. Those who were tired of hiding, let alone having insecticide, didn't even have a complete set of clothes. Due to the rampant insects, their bodies were swollen, painful, and itchy.
Even worse, some of the swollen lumps housed mosquito eggs, and many people were infected and died.
However, Xu An knew that these insects wouldn't be rampant for long. With the advent of heavy rainfall, these bugs would naturally disappear.
As for where they disappeared to, no one knew.
After a brief discussion, the two decided to go out and practice while the zombies' mobility was weakened during the day.
Xu An pondered for a long time before deciding not to bring Gou Dan. Recently, perhaps due to eating too well, Gou Dan had become much sturdier.
Xu An took out the dusty scale from her space, and Gou Dan was already approaching the hundred-jin mark!
No wonder she felt suffocated half the night when Gou Dan lay on her while she slept recently.
She had thought something was wrong with her body!
After thinking about it, feeling indignant, she petted Gou Dan's head for ten minutes, finally feeling appeased!
Gou Dan opened its sleepy eyes, looking at Xu An with watery eyes, and nuzzled its head into her embrace.
It didn't know why its mom was acting so crazy, not letting it sleep.
Its black and white fur made it look imposing, but one had to ignore its incredibly silly expression.
She had taken Gou Dan out to scout the area once before. Good heavens, the dog acted as if it had arrived at a racecourse, running wild; she couldn't hold it back.
Soon, it attracted zombies.
Xu An was worried about Gou Dan being bitten and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She took out her long saber and dealt with one zombie after another.
Finally finding Gou Dan, the darn dog was playing with a zombie's head in its mouth like a ball.
After returning home, she first checked Gou Dan from head to toe and then locked it in its cage.
Normally, zombie transformation took half an hour. She feared that the zombies' blood might have entered Gou Dan's mouth, causing it to transform as well. She was filled with anxiety for a long time.
As a result, Gou Dan was perfectly fine. After a night's sleep, it even whined and wagged its tail at Xu An, looking wronged.
It seemed to be asking, "Why did Mom lock me up?"
Perhaps it was because her mother wanted to drink dog meat soup...
Xu An was so angry that she withheld Gou Dan's meat treats for three days!
Even her mother's pleas were useless!
The silly dog still whined pitifully and tried to nuzzle Xu An's face with its mouth that had bitten a zombie's head, wanting a kiss.
It was directly pushed away by Xu An's merciless hand. She grabbed Gou Dan by the neck and dragged it towards the bathroom.
Even when Gou Dan was submerged in water, it looked at Xu An with wronged eyes, burying its head in its front paws.
Xu An was unmoved; she was immune to this tactic!
She was determined to prevent any sycophantic behavior!
Although Gou Dan wouldn't transform, its disgusting actions were still bothersome.
What normal puppy would bite a mouth full of zombie meat!
While brushing Gou Dan's teeth, Xu An caught a whiff of the foul odor, vaguely feeling like she was about to die.
Thinking that she was taking her mother out for practical training anyway, bringing Gou Dan wouldn't provide any experience and would only increase her workload.
Therefore, ignoring Gou Dan's pleading and fawning gestures, she ruthlessly slammed the door shut!
Inside, only Gou Dan's wronged cries and scratching at the door could be heard.
Xu Yan hesitated, then hesitated again. Thinking of her daughter's fierce expression when bathing Gou Dan, the words of pleading got stuck in her throat.
"Gou Dan, it's not that Grandma isn't helping you, but your mom is just too ferocious..."
The zombies in their villa's small courtyard had already been cleared out by her, and the large lock on the iron gate had been replaced.
Xu An didn't know if there were any survivors left in the neighborhood. Even if there were, it had nothing to do with her.
She opened the iron gate and walked out. The spacious neighborhood was empty except for a few scattered zombies.
Those sparse zombies seemed to have smelled human scent and were stumbling towards Xu An and the others.
Xu An looked at her mother, giving her a look of encouragement, and mouthed, "You can do it!"
Xu Yan looked at the zombie with half its face rotted. Although she wanted to say she couldn't, the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be loosed.
Otherwise, how could one say that human potential is infinite?
When Xu Yan was at her most nervous, a string in her mind that pulled at her reason seemed to snap suddenly.
Instantly, ferocity overcame fear, and she raised her Tang saber, hacking at the zombie's head!
With that single strike, the zombie's entire body was split in half from the middle, its head exploding all the way to its chest.
This not only stunned Xu Yan herself but also surprised Xu An. She immediately marveled, "As expected of my mom!"
With this combat prowess, it was clear she was a woman who had killed pigs before!
This was like a person reacting instinctively when stimulated by extreme fear.
It was all a subconscious self-protection mechanism.
It was also commonly said that if you don't push yourself, you'll never know how strong you are.
Now, Xu An finally witnessed her mother's strength!
After the baptism of this strike, Xu Yan seemed to have unlocked the violent factor within her, and while hacking at zombies, she also complained to Xu An.
"Nannan, I feel like these zombies are all weaklings. They're not as hard to chop as piglets."
Xu Yan's face was filled with the disdainful tone of a true protagonist, capable of taking on a hundred opponents at once.
Xu An thought, "Could this be the dormant genes of a powerful CEO being activated?"
She didn't understand, but she was greatly astonished!
Thus, from then on, there was nothing for her to do. The plan was to bring her mother for "practical training."
Instead, it turned into Xu Yan's "stage show."