Chapter 32

Cheng Duo was walking when suddenly he stopped. Yong-ge, who was walking downhill, was already walking fast. Not paying attention for a moment, he actually ran into Cheng Duo's back.

"Why did you suddenly stop!" Yong-ge complained, holding his nose.

It hurt so much, tears were almost streaming down his face!

Seeing that Cheng Duo ignored him, Yong-ge leaned out half of his body to look. When he circled around to face him, he noticed that Cheng Duo's body was stiff, veins bulging on his forehead, and cold sweat trickling down from his temples. It was clear that he was in extreme pain.

Yong-ge panicked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves to wipe Cheng Duo's sweat and tried to reach out and support him. However, Cheng Duo's grip on him was frighteningly strong, and Yong-ge couldn't do anything but offer half of his shoulder so that Cheng Duo could lean on it.

Yong-ge moved Cheng Duo to a flat area and helped him sit down. Seeing Cheng Duo gritting his teeth, his face full of pain, Yong-ge became anxious and wanted to go back and find someone.

"Don't go, I'm fine," Cheng Duo finally eased off the tension. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse and weak, with a hint of vulnerability.

Yong-ge sat down again, worriedly asking, "Are you okay now? How do you feel?"

He patted Cheng Duo's back, trying to make him more comfortable.

Cheng Duo half-closed his eyes and nodded, his complexion indeed looking much better than before.

"What's wrong with you? Why haven't I seen you have a seizure before?" Yong-ge asked. They had only met yesterday, and Cheng Duo was fine at that time. It was unlikely for him to suddenly have an attack after getting injured.

Cheng Duo shook his head, he didn't know either. During his time in the laboratory, he had undergone dozens of injections and surgeries. Those researchers were unlikely to tell him what experiments they were conducting.

He had always thought he was lucky, but was he just waiting for this?

Cheng Duo leaned against Yong-ge's side, feeling the warmth of the person beside him, and the soothing patting on his back, as if comforting a child. Cheng Duo felt peaceful, slowly digesting the peculiar sensation in his body in this atmosphere.

After a while, Yong-ge saw him calm down and asked again, "Shall I help you to see Dr. Wang?"

Cheng Duo still shook his head, "No need, I'm much better now."

Ignoring Yong-ge's objections, he waved his hand and stood up on his own, moving agilely as usual. If Yong-ge hadn't witnessed his attack, he would almost think Cheng Duo had fooled him.

Indeed, besides the feeling of someone tearing at his insides, he didn't feel anything now.

Cheng Duo turned around and looked at Yong-ge, who was full of worry, and couldn't help but smile. "I'm really fine."

"You can still smile?" Yong-ge couldn't believe it.

Cheng Duo self-mockingly curled his lips. What could he do if he didn't smile? In this era where any problem with the body meant certain death, could he cry?

But the researchers had all said that the human body was a miraculous existence. In the apocalypse, as zombies appeared, humans also gained abilities through the zombie virus. With such a minor issue, maybe he could heal himself.

This was his first attack, no need to be pessimistic so soon.

Yong-ge advised once again. Seeing that Cheng Duo insisted on not seeing the doctor, he changed his words, "Then don't go up the mountain today, okay?"

This time, Cheng Duo readily agreed. He didn't want to court death. There were so many wild beasts on the mountain, and there was also a pack of wolves seeking revenge. Even if he was lucky enough not to encounter the wolf pack, there were still cliffs and precipices. If the attack happened at the wrong time, he would truly be beyond saving.

Because of this incident, Cheng Duo didn't have a chance to ask Yong-ge what had happened. Under Yong-ge's repeated instructions, he returned home alone.

Yong-ge returned home and first went to the vegetable garden next to the house to pick a stalk of Chinese lettuce. Then, during the interval of washing the Chinese lettuce, he found the cloth bag hidden behind the water tank.

Li Wang had already gotten up and was sitting under the eaves, tidying up the farming tools. The faint smell of corn porridge wafted from the kitchen. His father should have made breakfast again.

"Father." Yong-ge called out.

"So early in the morning, where did you go?" Li Wang looked at Yong-ge calmly, pretending not to be worried. Did he feel a bit anxious when he didn't see Yong-ge when he woke up?

He only had Yong-ge by his side, and if he left too, Li Wang truly didn't know what he had to look forward to.

"I went to the back mountain to see my mother and talked to her for a bit."

"Mm." Li Wang understood when he thought about it. He turned his head and gave another reminder, "Don't go so early in the future. Wait until it's light outside."

Yong-ge agreed and took out the cloth bag that Cheng Duo had given him, handing it to his father. "I saw Cheng Duo at the door when I came back. He gave this to me, saying it's our wages for the work we've been doing these days."

"He came so early?" Li Wang frowned.

He had never seen anyone so eager to pay someone's wages, especially so early in the morning. Wasn't he having other intentions toward Yong-ge?

"Yes, Cheng Duo originally said he was going up the mountain, afraid that we wouldn't find him at home. But I saw that he didn't look too good, so I advised him and asked him not to go for now."

That explained it…

It seemed like he had misunderstood. Cheng Duo probably didn't want them to feel embarrassed and delivered it on his own. Li Wang opened the bag and found a piece of meat and a whole chicken inside. He was taken aback, "He's too polite. Why did you accept it, Yong-ge?"

"It's alright, Father." Yong-ge had thought it through in advance. "Cheng Duo doesn't know how to farm. You can go to help him occasionally, remind him when it's time to water and fertilize the field. It's not like we're taking his things for free."

"But this is too much…" The piece of meat weighed at least two catties, not to mention the whole wild chicken. Although wild chickens were smaller than domestic ones, it was enough to prepare a feast for guests.

Also, Yong-ge had helped sell meat before, and Cheng Duo had given them meat as well. They hadn't finished eating it yet.

At this moment, Li Wang wasn't thinking about Cheng Duo having ulterior motives toward Yong-ge. Instead, he felt a bit regretful. Village Head Li was right; Cheng Duo had a really good character. If only he hadn't already been engaged…

"Father, Cheng Duo doesn't like it when others refuse him… Besides, since I've accepted it, we'll have another chance to reciprocate in the future." Yong-ge lowered his head and rubbed his fingers.

"That's the only way then." Li Wang sighed. He was afraid that the more they tried to repay, the more entangled things would become.

Look, he had reminded Yong-ge to stay away from Cheng Duo yesterday, but they met early in the morning today. He had no reason to blame Cheng Duo!

Cheng Duo finally had some free time and stayed at home for a day. Feeling bored, he went to the field in the afternoon to take a look. Then, when he went to sleep at night, he contemplated going to the blacksmith's shop the next day: to repair the chipped hatchet and shovel, and also to find Niu the blacksmith to help with making weapons like long spears and bows and arrows.

Cheng Duo had decided not to use the big knife after seeing the bandits and constables using it last time. The big knife was too eye-catching, while the long spear was relatively low-key and, in this place where they no longer needed to kill zombies, using a long spear would be safer for him.

Of course, Cheng Duo didn't go empty-handed. He brought a cured rabbit that he had prepared himself.

When Niu the blacksmith saw the rabbit, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva. He loved drinking alcohol the most, and with a jug of good wine plus this rabbit… just the thought of it was delightful!

Taking advantage of the moment when Niu was repairing the hatchet, Cheng Duo started chatting with him. Unexpectedly, this burly blacksmith also liked to inquire about gossip, and Cheng Duo happened to be involved in the hottest gossip at the moment…

So, after a casual conversation, Niu successfully categorized Cheng Duo as one of his own, readily agreeing to make weapons for him.

In fact, Niu's thinking wasn't difficult to understand. Cheng Duo seemed to be engaging in idle talk with him, but in a way, he was using this method to express that he had completely assimilated into Yang Village and was no longer a mysterious outsider.

Niu had secretly been making things for people, and Cheng Duo was offering him a rabbit with a generous price. Why wouldn't he make them?

Cheng Duo explained his requirements to Niu and was about to pay him when Shanzi ran over to find him.

"Did you say there's a young gentleman named Wei Ling looking for me in the village?"

Shanzi nodded, "Mm, Yong-ge asked me to come and get you."

He thought Cheng Duo was at home, but later someone told him that Cheng Duo had headed toward Niu's Village, so he came over to find him.

"Yong-ge? Could it be that Li Da and Li Er have news? So soon, it hasn't even been a month, right?"

After Cheng Duo finished paying, he tucked the hatchet behind his waist, carried the shovel in one hand, and went back with Shanzi.

When they arrived at his house, they saw Yong-ge talking to Wei Ling.

Of course, it was mainly Wei Ling who was speaking enthusiastically, his eyes fixed on Yong-ge. Yong-ge seemed a bit embarrassed but not angry.

Wei Ling was tall and heroic, while Yong-ge was half a head shorter, slim and handsome. The two of them unexpectedly matched each other.

"What are you doing here?" Cheng Duo interrupted them, his tone not very friendly. "Where's Meng Ji?"

Upon hearing Cheng Duo's tone, Yong-ge glared at him sideways. How could he not be a bit more polite when someone came from so far away to deliver news?

His eyes were very beautiful. Even though he was glaring at someone, the upward curve at the corner of his eyes seemed flirtatious. Cheng Duo's breath hitched, and the thought of Yong-ge looking at Wei Ling with those eyes made him even more annoyed.

What are you glaring at? So what if he had this tone? He asked for Meng Ji's help, what does it have to do with General Wei?

Wei Ling also felt a bit awkward. "Meng Ji went out on official business, and before leaving, he entrusted the matters of Li Da and Li Er to me. I received some information recently and was afraid that you would be worried, so I took the opportunity of my vacation to come and inform you."

Wei Ling had already told Yong-ge about this, so he repeated it to Cheng Duo. Apparently, he had heard that a few months ago, the city wall of Yufang Mountain collapsed, and the General requested people from several surrounding counties to come and repair it.

Repairing the city wall was a difficult task, and accidents could easily lead to deaths. Therefore, it was usually exiled criminals or death row inmates who were sent to do the job. However, this time the General needed more people, and there might not be enough death row inmates. So the county officials sent people who had committed minor crimes, claiming that it was to train their character.

"I heard that they might have also caught some petty thieves and vagrants who were loitering outside in the middle of the night…"

As soon as Cheng Duo heard this, he knew that it was highly likely. He grabbed Wei Ling's shoulder and pulled him aside, saying fiercely, "Didn't Meng Ji tell you that I asked him to find the people later?"

"Why? They are Yong-ge's older brothers. Are you intentionally delaying it, not afraid that Yong-ge will worry?" Wei Ling argued, looking at Cheng Duo with a scrutinizing gaze.

Ha! Yong-ge told him about that? When did they become so close? Why didn't he know about it!