"I found the chocolate first..."
"Why does she get a whole piece of chocolate..."
Such malicious thoughts began to take root and sprout in people's hearts, and Ji Rourou precisely exploited human greed to escalate the conflict.
Of course, not everyone in the group was dominated by desire, but they all chose neutrality.
They neither became Ji Rourou's pawns nor stepped forward to help Xu An.
In pre-apocalypse times, such people might have been called indifferent, or even accessories to the perpetrators.
But in this doomsday where even having enough to eat was a problem, these "bystanders" were actually the clearest-headed.
Of course, Xu An didn't die that early. Gou Dan's timely appearance intimidated everyone.
She looked at them with a sneer, then down at the chocolate in her hand.
Even though she had earned it through her own hard work, she would rather throw it away than let Ji Rourou have it.
So, in front of everyone, she quickly shoved the chocolate into her mouth and looked at them provocatively.
Those who wanted to "uphold justice" for Ji Rourou saw that Xu An had eaten the chocolate, leaving them without a legitimate reason to complain. Not wanting to make a bigger scene, they quietly backed down.
However, Xu An did not continue to tolerate them. She broke ties with Ji Rourou on the spot, thus shaking off the parasite that was Ji Rourou.
After that conflict, she parted ways with that group. It was only rumored that Ji Rourou later latched onto Fang Chang, and the two of them teamed up to wipe out the entire group.
The last time she saw them at the shelter, out of the original more than twenty people, only Fang Chang and Ji Rourou had survived to reach the shelter.
Even Xu An had to admire these two for their "one man's death is another man's gain" mentality.
Seeing Xu An again, Ji Rourou's expression was a sight to behold.
Her noticeably gaunt appearance and eyes that had lost their former radiance all indicated that Ji Rourou had not fared well after leaving Xu An.
After all, not everyone was willing to be such a "dumb martyr" like she was in her past life.
Thinking of this, Xu An really wished she could go back to her previous life and slap herself twice to snap out of it!
...
She stared coldly at the camera, jabbing fiercely with her finger at the two adulterous couple meeting again on screen.
Thinking of their betrayed teammates, they truly were incorrigible, dogs who couldn't change their ways.
Gou Dan, lying innocently beside her, declared that he absolutely refused to eat dog food!
Xu An gazed at the surveillance screen, her lips curving upwards, a hint of amusement in her voice, "It's not too late now. You owed me a favor in your previous life, so repay me in this one."
Looking at the disheveled pair, thinking of their reunion, she decided she had to give them a "grand gift."
Just as Fang Chang and Ji Rourou were scaling Xu An's house wall and jumping over it, the iron gate at the front entrance finally gave way.
Zombies were extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. The group was covered in scratches from the zombies, and blood constantly seeped through their clothes, practically luring the zombies.
Not to mention, some of them had already begun to mutate.
Xu An stopped watching. Just listening to the screams, she could imagine the horrific scene outside.
That group... was beyond saving.
Of course, Xu An had no intention of saving them from the beginning.
The moment they clamored to break the lock with an axe, they had placed their lives in direct opposition to the life of the owner of this house.
Hearing the screams outside, Xu Yan tightly gripped Xu An's arm.
Xu An did not comfort her. These were things her mother had to experience. She could allow her mother to adapt for a while, but this was something that could not be avoided.
Xu Yan had to personally feel and understand what it meant to not be a saintly mother.
Not just that, but she had to put away her excessive sympathy and unfounded kindness.
It wasn't that only cold-blooded and heartless people could live long. It was about measuring whether one could bear the consequences of saving someone. If not, then one should not extend goodwill to others.
Doing so would only harm both parties!
Just as Xu An had told Xu Yan at the beginning, "We are not saviors, we cannot save everyone."
Hearing and experiencing were two different things. Xu Yan's conscience would likely be in turmoil for a while longer.
As for Xu An, if you asked her what conscience was,
she would probably ask if conscience was edible.
The commotion outside lasted less than five minutes before falling silent.
There were no more hoarse screams, nor the sounds of panicked escape.
There were only slow, dragging footsteps.
Xu An and Xu Yan both knew what this meant. Everyone outside had likely turned into zombies.
Now that Fang Chang and Ji Rourou had also fled, they were free of worries, so they turned on the air conditioning and fans again.
Xu Yan, like Xu An, was someone whose emotions came and went quickly.
"Feeling hungry? What do you want to eat? I'll cook."
Xu An tilted her head and thought for a moment, "I want Mala Tang!"
"Okay."
After being down for less than ten minutes, she was back in the kitchen, bustling about to cook.
Xu An looked at her mother's busy back in the kitchen and couldn't help but smile. This personality of hers was probably inherited from her mother.
Feeling the stickiness on her body, Xu An temporarily put the adulterous couple out of her mind and went to the bathroom for a quick rinse.
The early arrival of the zombie horde had completely disrupted her plans. After eating, she would need to discuss practicing killing zombies with her mother.
After all, no matter how well she planned, the actual execution would be up to her mother.
If Xu Yan was truly scared and unwilling to cooperate, she would have to think of other ways.
Just as she finished showering, Xu Yan had also finished cooking. A whole basin of Mala Tang, paired with plump Thai fragrant rice.
It made her mouth water.
Since Xu An's appetite had started to grow exponentially, Xu Yan had replaced all the pots and bowls in the house with extra-large ones.
The small porcelain basin that used to be for kneading dough had now become Xu An's exclusive rice bowl.
And it fit perfectly.
Xu An took out her tablet, found a funny variety show to accompany their meal, and sat with her mother, laughing heartily while eating the Mala Tang.
The fatty beef rolls soaked in broth looked appetizing. One bite into her mouth, and the tender texture melted instantly.
The spicy and refreshing flavor danced on her tongue, making her unable to stop eating.
Gou Dan also lay obediently on the ground, gnawing on his beef tail bone and canned meat for the day.
Inside the house, it was a picture of peaceful domestic bliss, truly enviable.
After eating their fill, Xu An washed the dishes and checked the time. Feeling that the time was right, she took her mother to continue their practice for the day.
Only by becoming strong themselves could they fear no one!
The appearance of the zombie horde also signaled the end of the extreme heat period, but this was not the end of humanity's tribulation, but the beginning.
Three months later, as the last zombie disappeared from people's sight, it would begin to rain unprecedentedly.
This rain would last for a month, during which an unprecedented flood would break out.