In an instant, every household rejoiced in the bounty of their harvest, becoming busy with preparations for various kinds of preserved food.
Having experienced famine and hunger, they understood the importance of stockpiling food. They would not miss any opportunity to secure their provisions.
Moreover, with the commune's timely monthly distribution of rice, they would mix it with half sweet potato or potato when they didn't want to eat rice, thus saving some rice for later.
With grain in hand, their hearts were at ease, and the people of Phoenix Village grew increasingly confident.
After a period of observation, Gu Qingcheng judged that the zombies would not attack Phoenix Village for the time being.
Having undergone the previous training, even if zombies were to attack Phoenix Village again, under the leadership of Yan Xin and Dai Fa, they could handle them with ease.
Thus, the Gu family descended the mountain together to search for Yin Zhiping.
Upon hearing that Gu Qingcheng was leaving again, despite his advanced age, Dai Fa felt as if he had lost his anchor and uncharacteristically asked,
"Young Master Gu, why are you descending the mountain again? It's not peaceful down there either. Compared to the chaos below, the mountain is relatively safer."
Gu Qingcheng answered candidly,
"I am going down the mountain to find a way to break the zombie curse. My father has specialized in this field and has made some progress in finding a solution, but some crucial elements are still missing. We are going down the mountain to fill those gaps."
"Ah, I see," Dai Fa said, his admiration growing.
Gu Qingcheng continued, "You see, we are busy defending against zombies every day, and everyone is exhausted. If there were an antidote, we wouldn't have to worry so much. If bitten by a zombie, taking the antidote immediately would resolve it. Coupled with eliminating the existing zombies, peace would reign supreme."
Dai Fa quickly nodded and said, "What you are doing is a great undertaking, and we must give you our full support. Don't worry, I will take care of Phoenix Village. We will guard the rear for you, so you can go down the mountain with peace of mind!"
Through their shared battles, an absolute loyalty had been established. At any time, Gu Qingcheng could have tested them with a loyalty test, and Dai Fa, Yan Xin, and the others would have passed without issue.
Therefore, Gu Qingcheng entrusted the entire village to them with great confidence.
Before leaving, Gu Qingcheng specifically instructed Dai Fa to keep a close eye on Ge Hong and not to let him leave the residence for even half a step.
Besides guarding against his escape with utmost vigilance, he was to be provided with good food and drink, but not allowed to leave freely.
Gu Qingcheng explained that Ge Hong was also a key figure in the creation of the zombie antidote.
Upon hearing this, Dai Fa immediately and solemnly assured him,
"I can ensure that he can't even fly out as a fly."
They chose an auspicious day to depart.
The Gu family descended the mountain through two lines of defense. Along the way, they could still see piles of ashes from burnt zombies, the last traces of their former human lives left in the world.
Gu Qingcheng could only let out a sigh.
He hoped that by going down the mountain, they would find Yin Zhiping and the crucial components for making the antidote.
Upon reaching the foot of Yunwu Mountain, Hu Lanfang remarked,
"Hey, the water level downstream seems to have risen quite a bit since last time."
"Really? I didn't feel it?" Mi Guo mumbled groggily.
"When we returned, the water level was still five or six meters away from this small tree. But look now, the small tree is right by our hands, which means the water level has risen by another five or six meters," Hu Lanfang explained.
"Then we need to hurry. Lian Tang Village's elevation isn't much higher than this. If we're late, everyone there might have evacuated, making it even harder to find Yin Zhiping," Gu Qingcheng's words stirred a sense of urgency in everyone, and they boarded the boat one after another.
On the familiar yacht, returning to modern life, Hu Lanfang found it quite enjoyable.
Of course, she also found her life in Phoenix Village quite pleasant. There was nowhere it was lacking. Even for electricity, they collected it with solar panels, which could meet basic electricity needs for watching dramas and reading e-books.
However, the modern life on the luxury yacht was undeniably intoxicating.
Hu Lanfang eagerly opened the refrigerator, took out the Baileys Irish Cream left from last time, and mixed it with coffee to make a coffee-flavored Baileys for herself and Gu Zhaobei.
Mi Guo and Gu Qingcheng were only left with "happy soap water."
Gu Qingcheng set the course for Lian Tang Village and activated the autopilot. The boat sped forward, and they would reach Lian Tang Village by noon the next day.
While waiting to arrive, the family, bored, decided to relax and go into vacation mode.
First, they spent an hour swimming in the yacht's infinity pool, practicing their swimming skills again. Then, they enjoyed a full-body massage from the electric massage chairs. After showering and changing into comfortable, soft clothes, they lay on the luxurious sofas to watch a Western movie.
Gu Qingcheng chose the most action-packed cowboy movie.
Blonde-haired, blue-eyed men, old horses, dual pistols, fighting evil and protecting good – Mi Guo watched, wide-eyed.
Indeed, men, whether old or young, loved this kind of thing.
After enjoying themselves, it was almost time for dinner.
The yacht slowly and automatically entered a stable harbor and engaged its self-docking mode.
Gu Qingcheng asked everyone what they wanted to eat.
Hu Lanfang wanted to eat Guilin rice noodles, and Gu Zhaobei wanted to eat fried rice cakes. Since opinions differed, they decided to make both.
Mi Guo and Gu Qingcheng worked together to make a durian pizza.
As the pizza baked, the intoxicating aroma of durian wafted through the entire cabin.
Gu Zhaobei emerged from his bedroom, looking bewildered, and asked,
"Who farted so badly? Their digestive system must be terrible, they need to eat some probiotics."
Gu Qingcheng stifled a laugh and said, "It must have been me, I drank too much soy milk this morning."
"Tsk, this smell indicates severe indigestion."
Gu Zhaobei quickly went to the deck to escape the pungent odor.
When it was time to eat, Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo were heartily enjoying the durian pizza. Gu Zhaobei only then realized he had been tricked.
The smell of durian made his fried rice cakes taste less appealing.
So, he, holding his Guilin rice noodles, and Hu Lanfang, holding her fried rice cakes, went to the deck to eat.
While eating, they leisurely gazed at the mountain scenery by the water, enjoying the tranquility.
It had been more than two months since the flood. After the water self-purified, the surface had returned to calm. The water in most areas looked quite clear, making it seem like drinking it would be fine.
However, the water was still rich in bacteria. Drinking it would likely cause vomiting and diarrhea, and without prompt medical attention, it could be fatal.
As night fell, they still observed some zombies active in the desolate wilderness nearby. However, their targets were not humans, as there were no humans around. They attacked wild animals, such as rabbits in the reeds.
Seeing them, Gu Qingcheng sighed and walked to the deck. He retrieved a modified rocket from the storage cabinet and fired it towards the zombies in the reeds, treating it as a post-dinner digestive exercise.