Sure enough, after driving a little further the convoy pulled into a service area.
Signaling Uncle Gazi and the others to stay put, I got out with Xu Shu and Shen Feng and walked over to Suo Tian's group.
As always, the very first thing to do upon arriving anywhere was to clear the place.
This service area wasn't large.
There was just a restaurant with a small convenience store attached, and of course the most important facility in any rest stop—the toilets.
Back when I used to travel the highways with Yangyang, the one thing I noticed was that no matter the size of the rest area, the bathrooms were always built surprisingly big.
Now, with no need to separate by gender, Xu Shu, Shen Feng, and I went to one side, while Suo Tian and two of his black-clad men took the other.
Inside, a row of sinks lined the wall, with a huge mirror mounted above them.
I glanced into the mirror, and for a moment the reflection staring back at me felt like a stranger—like that odd sensation you get when you stare too long at a familiar word until it suddenly looks unfamiliar.
Shaking my head, I broke eye contact, tightened my grip on the spare dagger we'd brought from the car, and carefully scanned the area.
Past the sinks, we entered the restroom stalls: a corridor down the middle with two rows of closed cubicles on each side.
I exchanged a look with Shen Feng and Xu Shu, signaling them to stay sharp, then raised the dagger and tapped lightly against the nearest stall door.
The place was deathly quiet, so even that soft tap sounded unnaturally loud.
Walkers are easily drawn to noise—if any were inside, we'd know soon enough.
Going door by door would've been risky and far too troublesome.
Sure enough, the moment I knocked, a chorus of guttural growls erupted.
The silent restroom instantly became chaotic.
Then came the banging—several doors burst open, and a handful of grotesque walkers stumbled out.
One of them was a bloated old man with half his face rotted away, disgusting beyond words.
"Draw them out to the sinks, it's too cramped here," I ordered.
Shen Feng and Xu Shu immediately backed up as directed.
I too made deliberate noises while retreating.
The walkers, fully fixated on us, staggered after, mouths gaping, their expressions nothing but raw hunger.
As soon as they shuffled out into the open space near the sinks, Shen Feng and Xu Shu flanked them, while I charged head-on.
There weren't many of them, but the space was tight, so instead of kicking, we went straight to blades to avoid hitting one another.
Both Xu Shu and Shen Feng fought with practiced efficiency: they'd grab a walker by its clothes, yank hard, and drive the dagger straight up through the chin.
I took on the bloated one.
His clothes were soaked black with gore—no doubt someone had died under his maw.
With no chance to grab him, I lunged forward and stabbed directly at his head.
Thankfully the blade was sharp; even without leverage it pierced through his skull.
Within moments, the walkers were down.
We swept the area again to confirm it was clear, then stepped back outside—just as Suo Tian and his men emerged from the opposite restroom.
We regrouped at the vehicles, and before long the others who had checked the remaining buildings returned as well.
Suo Tian asked the team that had gone through the restaurant, "What's the situation inside?"
One of the black-clad men replied quickly, "Looks like no one's been in here yet. The convenience store is fully stocked."
That was excellent news.
Since our departure had been rushed, we hadn't brought any supplies.
After so long on the road, none of us had eaten a thing.
Everyone was already starving.
"Good. We'll stay here overnight," Suo Tian decided with a nod.
With that, Xu Shu and I went back to fetch Uncle Gazi and the others.
After carrying Xiao Hu, Tingyun, and Rongrong down from the vehicle, the three kids immediately burst into cheerful laughter and darted off to play nearby.
Uncle Gazi, who was getting out of the car, smiled and said, "Look at these three kids — catch them at play and they go wild."
I closed the car door, glanced at the three of them, and couldn't help but smile. "What kid doesn't love to play? It's their nature."
Jun Di teased Chen Pu through the open door: "Hey, little punk—why don't you go let your nature loose with them?"
"You're only a few years older than me — why don't you go then? Come on, let's go together," Chen Pu shot back without missing a beat.
It was getting late.
Once we all went into the restaurant, everyone started doing their part.
The kitchen had gas canisters, woks, pots and pans — everything you'd expect.
I looked around and found some flour under a rack, a bucket of oil, and half a crate of eggs — an absolute godsend.
After eating nothing but bread and bottled water for days, my mouth was tired of that bland stuff.
I decided to make fried eggs and some pancakes.
The thought of the pancakes made my mouth water instantly.
I pulled Shen Feng in to help cook, and the others went out to load supplies from the little shop into the cars.
While stirring the eggs, I leaned in and called out, "See if there's any fresh milk that isn't expired — I'll boil some for the three kids."
"Okay," Xu Shu replied from a distance and disappeared.
I watched Tingyun and Xiao Hu playing with Rongrong in the dining area for a moment, figured Suo Tian and his men were nearby in the restaurant so it should be safe, and went back to the kitchen to get to work with Shen Feng.
After frying some sunny-side-up eggs, I boiled a pot of water to cook more eggs and to wash a few dishes.
While waiting for the water to boil, Shen Feng finished mixing the pancake batter.
When I went to take over, he stood next to me watching attentively.
I glanced at him, inhaled, and asked softly, "Shen Feng — do you hate me?"
"Hm?" He looked surprised I'd ask out of the blue.
"Why would I hate you? Where'd that come from?"
I kept my head down and kept working, but my mind had already drifted.
After a long pause I took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry."
Shen Feng didn't answer right away.
I couldn't sit still and looked up; he was looking at me too.
We just stared at each other for a bit until he cracked a small smile. "You can't judge everything as simply right or wrong. What's meant to happen will happen. Back then, I did hate you — I hated you all, and I hated myself. I even wanted everyone to die with Xiao Xue. But when I calmed down, I thought — who is there to blame? Nobody."
I said nothing.
After a moment, Shen Feng went on, "It's been a long time. Don't keep bringing it up. Try not to think about it. I'll pretend Xiao Xue is still alive back in Chen Yang's home in the county."
Hearing that, my head dropped again.
My nose prickled and my throat tightened.
I blew my nose hard, then tried to sound lighthearted: "Come on — heat the skillet and add oil. Today I'll show you my moves. You'll love it."
"Oho, is this the legendary 'cheap and tasty Chen family pancake'?" Shen Feng played along.
I grinned and nodded. "You bet. Two bucks a serving."
.........
With Shen Feng's help, everything was quickly settled.
When the two of us brought out trays of egg pancakes, boiled eggs, and a big pot of noodle porridge (a northern dish, known in some places as "noodle lumps"), everyone let out a cry of amazement.
The bearded man carried out a case of canned beer from the small shop and, testing the waters, asked Suo Tian:
"Boss… can we have some of this?"
Hearing this, Suo Tian looked up at him and replied,
"Go ahead."
At once, the crowd erupted into another round of cheers.
Some pickled chicken feet and preserved vegetables from the shop were also laid out and turned into a plate of snacks to go with the drinks.
Watching the bearded man and the others drink so freely, I couldn't help but feel my mood lift as well while I, Xu Shu, and Han Xue each took care of a child.
Most milk only has a shelf life of about six months, so nearly all the cartons here were expired.
I didn't dare cook them up for anyone to drink, and could only shake my head with a sigh at the unopened boxes.
By the end of the meal, the bearded man and his group couldn't hold back and forced down five whole cases of beer.
As a result, everyone was more than a little drunk.
After eating, Suo Tian glanced at their flushed faces and thick necks without saying a word, then quietly left the dining hall alone.
Watching his figure go, I guessed he meant to take the night watch himself.
Perhaps because of the days he had spent locked up earlier in Section D, Xiao Hu had become extremely clingy with me, unwilling to let anyone else touch him.
After boiling pots of hot water so the kids could have a quick wash in the bathroom and change into some fresh clothes left in the car, it was my turn.
But Xiao Hu refused to let go no matter what.
Xu Shu finally had no choice but to pry him away by force.
Amid Xiao Hu's ear-piercing wails, I rushed through a shower, threw on clothes, and ran out with my hair still dripping wet.
By then, Xiao Hu had cried so hard his whole face was red.
The moment he saw me, he stretched his hands out from a distance and called "Sister."
I ran over, scooped him into my arms, and paced around the dining hall with him, murmuring softly again and again to calm him down until his sobbing finally eased.
Sitting down on a stool, I let out a long breath of relief.
Wrapping my wet hair with a new towel I'd taken from the shop, I looked up—and saw Suo Tian not far away, leaning against the car, head slightly bowed, lost in thought.
After a moment's thought, I lowered my head and said to Xiao Hu,
"Sweetheart, how about tonight you and sister go out and keep Brother Suo Tian company for a romantic night watch, the three of us together?"
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