Chapter 373: Little Warmth-Sending Soldier

Zhang Su and Pang Dakun walked into the dining hall. Looking around, they didn't find Ju Wuying, but they did see Yi Xiaoling sitting alone in a corner eating. So, he grabbed some food and walked over to her.

"How come you're alone? Did Ju Wuying finish eating?"

Zhang Su put down his tray and sat down opposite Yi Xiaoling.

Zhong Xiaoshan had specifically saved a seat for Zhang Su, and seeing him go to find Yi Xiaoling didn't make her feel anything was amiss; she knew Zhang Su had far more things to deal with than she did.

Yi Xiaoling nodded at Zhang Su with a smile and said, "Brother Zhang, good morning. Xiao Ju doesn't eat breakfast."

"She has such a habit? Could it be related to her martial arts training?"

Zhang Su teased while gnawing on a large steamed bun.

Just as Zhang Su rode his bike into Village No. 2, he saw Pang Dakun pushing two frozen-stiff zombie corpses on a wheelbarrow toward a small courtyard.

"Yes, yes, we know. Xiaoya is very capable. Brother Zhang, we're going to go fluff the quilts. Don't worry, we definitely won't delay the reserve team's training."

Yi Xiaoling didn't seem to know what Zhang Su was thinking. She nodded with ambition and said, "Brother Zhang, don't worry. Xiao Ju just hasn't had much contact with people before. I will convey your kindness to her, and she will definitely support you."

"So that's how it is."

"I'm not going out today. I just came over from Village No. 1 to see how things are going here."

"Where are you transporting those to?" Seeing Pang Dakun sending warmth, Zhang Su squeezed the brakes and stopped on the road.

During the morning, he had first gone to Village No. 1 to inspect the situation. Thanks to the guidance of core members and everyone's active cooperation, all work was progressing very smoothly.

Lu Yubo had a clear "lick-dog" temperament; Zhao Dezhu wasn't a lick-dog, but he was a "wife-protection maniac"; Wang Xin was slightly better; Pang Dakun went without saying; only Chen Hanzhou was rational when dealing with romantic matters.

Just at this moment, Su Xiaoya walked out of a nearby courtyard gate, her eyes curiously darting toward the smiling Pang Dakun.

"Old Wang, I have also arranged the compensation method for you from the West Camp Village. In the future, the resources you receive will be slightly more than theirs. Tell your people to keep a low profile; no showing off or comparing. We're all one family from now on. If any conflicts arise, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Xiao Ju..." Yi Xiaoling lowered her voice slightly. Her eyes, not large but quite spirited, scanned the surroundings. Finding no one watching, she said, "Xiao Ju practices Qi in the morning, so she doesn't eat; she only drinks alcohol."

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Zhang. The four of us share one courtyard. Don't worry, we will definitely take good care of Xiaoya and certainly won't let her do any hard or tiring work."

Zhang Su stood his electric bike up. Seeing two more women walk out of the courtyard and greet him enthusiastically, he asked, "How many of you are living in one house?"

Wang Longzhong nodded repeatedly. "Eh, eh, we haven't gotten everything organized yet, but we've already started preparing to look for zombie corpses nearby. You've gone to too much trouble."

From the bottom of his heart, Zhang Su didn't like people like Yi Xiaoling who swayed with the wind. Logically, she should be on the same side as Ju Wuying, but here she was, sitting directly on Tianma Island's side. Although she kept covering it up, it still revealed a personality that valued profit over loyalty!

"Haha, if everyone could be as reasonable as you, Xiaoling, our camp's development would be much smoother. Don't worry, I can understand Ju Wuying's situation and will give her time to think. I just hope this process isn't too long. You know how the world is now; everyone wants to become stronger. Only by constantly strengthening oneself can one survive better!"

"Mm-hmm!" Yi Xiaoling nodded earnestly. "I think so too, and I've told Xiao Ju a lot. She seems to have figured some things out. Brother Zhang, I hope you can give her a little more time. She will understand."

"Uncle!"

Zhang Su nodded thoughtfully. So, the alcohol was tied to Ju Wuying's martial arts path. His thoughts shifted, and he looked at Yi Xiaoling with a strange smile. "Xiaoling, I guess everything you just said was Ju Wuying's secret, right? Telling me so easily, aren't you afraid Ju Wuying will get upset with you?"

"Damn it, what kind of attitude do they have toward you, and you're still rushing around doing things for them?"

"Former... uh, Brother Su, why are you here?"

Ma Changshou had been left at Tianma Island. Now, Village No. 1 was managed by Wang Longzhong of the United Village. He stood with Zhang Su on the roof of a two-story villa used as a sentry post, blowing in the cold wind. Looking out, he could see the entire living area of Village No. 1. In the distance, he could see the situation on the provincial road, and further south was Village No. 2.

Zhang Su looked at the smile on Yi Xiaoling's face and felt a bit emotional. Everyone was working hard to secure their own means of survival. He smiled and said, "That's great. Eat quickly, it's getting cold."

After the women left, the scene suddenly became awkward.

"Thank you for your concern, Boss Zhang. We can survive only because of you. Whatever you say, we'll do. We'll definitely be well-behaved!"

Wang Longzhong bowed from the bottom of his heart. Although they had to rebuild, the safety factor was much higher than before, and he felt much more secure. At least he wouldn't be frequently woken up by nightmares at night.

Pang Dakun parked the cart on the side of the road and scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. The hot air he exhaled was in the shape of happiness.

"Everyone's enthusiasm is quite good, but Old Wang, the fuel reserves in the village are clearly insufficient. I'll call someone to bring you a truckload of zombie corpses in a while. After that, you'll have to rely on yourselves!"

Zhang Su picked up a chopstick of pickled vegetables and stuffed them into his mouth, a strange look appearing on his face. "Drinking alcohol to practice Qi? What a unique method... So she drinks alcohol for the sake of martial arts practice?"

"No, no, everything here is very good. It's just... Xiao Ju is used to being a loner. She told me that when she was in the island nation, she had almost no friends and only interacted with a few masters and her father. To put it plainly, she's a bit antisocial and has social anxiety, so she seems very unsociable. Also, some of her ideas are different from normal people's, so about yesterday's incident, you won't mind, right?"

"See you later."

Su Xiaoya's face turned ugly the moment she heard the middle-aged woman's words, and she hurriedly tried to defend herself.

"Oh? What's going on? Is there something here that you're not used to?" Zhang Su asked, following the thread of the conversation.

Pang Dakun didn't have any of the spirit of Tianma Island's main force. When it came to flirting, he was all smiles and even tried to teach Zhang Su his experience in chasing girls—purely showing off in front of an expert.

Yi Xiaoling pursed her lips and shrugged. After finishing a spoonful of white porridge with pickled vegetables, she said, "Brother Zhang, to be honest, I was at odds with Xiao Ju yesterday."

"Mm, you're right."

Yi Xiaoling nodded with a smile. "It seems so. Every time before she practices Qi and martial arts, she drinks some. I thought she was warming her body at first, but after asking, I found out it was to improve training efficiency."

"Aunt Liu, what are you saying? I can do any kind of work; I don't need special treatment!"

"Hehe... sending it to Xiaoya."

The development of the village naturally wouldn't happen overnight. After Zhang Su gave Wang Longzhong a few reminders, he rode his little electric bike toward Village No. 2.

"Huh?" Zhang Su looked at Yi Xiaoling with some surprise.

Yi Xiaoling had gone in a circle, mainly to apologize to Zhang Su on behalf of Ju Wuying.

"What attitude? If there's work to do, I'll just do it. Using practical actions to move the other person—that's the most powerful way to chase a girl, hehe!"

But if you look at this matter from the perspective of stance, it's immediately different. It can be completely seen as Yi Xiaoling abandoning darkness for light, choosing the right path, and avoiding lifting a rock only to drop it on her own feet...

Zhang Su grinned. Why were all the brothers around him like this?

Zhang Su hadn't arranged any outside missions today. The search teams returned with fruitful results every time they went out, so they needed a balance of work and rest; when it was time to rest, they had to take a break.

"I won't!" Zhang Su waved his hand while holding a bun. "I'm not an unreasonable tyrant. It's normal for everyone to have their own thoughts and principles. I just hope she can understand our original intention. I can't guarantee that all decisions are necessarily correct, but the starting point is definitely for the development and future of the camp."

After saying this, the two women carried the cloth and cotton and walked toward the courtyard diagonally opposite.

Zhang Su recalled the situation he had seen in each household and gave a reminder: Tianma Island would provide security for the satellite villages and also give some help with supplies, mainly food, but they would have to find ways for other supplies themselves.

Zhang Su leaned against the chimney on the roof and looked at the entrance to the village. Some bricks were piled on the side of the road, which should be for some planned projects.

"That... I'll transport the corpses in!"

Seeing that Zhang Su's expression wasn't quite right, Pang Dakun greased his feet and ran away pushing the wheelbarrow.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 374 =====