Chapter 239: Wait, I'm Coming Too
"Have you made up your mind?"
Shen Que didn't have too many doubts about Meng Ci's decision, but he believed that the two of them carried too many secrets and it was best to avoid getting entangled with others.
After all, one person had traveled into the book, while the other had been reborn, making their situation extremely unique.
Meng Ci understood this logic, which was why he suggested bringing Qiao Moyan back to the base. It wasn't because he wanted Qiao Moyan to live with him and Shen Que.
In reality, he just hoped that Qiao Moyan could stay within the West Mountain Wilderness Base, rather than getting involved in their lives.
This way, when the zombie horde attacked, things would become much simpler. As a healer, Qiao Moyan would definitely be in high demand, and by helping him, they might become the top choice.
However, this was just a casual suggestion by Meng Ci, and whether they would actually go to the West Mountain Wilderness Base depended on Qiao Moyan's willingness.
Additionally, the hail would continue for three more days, giving them two more days to carefully consider the matter.
Over the next two days, Meng Ci and Shen Que closely monitored Qiao Moyan's actions.
Especially when they saw Qiao Moyan take out rice, flour, meat, and other food items from his backpack, they were surprised but not greedy.
As for the meals made from the rice and flour that Meng Ci provided, Qiao Moyan ate very little, stubbornly continuing to eat the wild vegetables he was used to, as if not wanting to owe Meng Ci and Shen Que anything.
Regarding the house, Qiao Moyan stated that it was taken from someone else and there was no need for Meng Ci and Shen Que to repay him.
On the fourth day, when Meng Ci and Shen Que woke up, the hail had stopped, and it was time for them to leave.
After discussing, they decided to take Qiao Moyan to the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
When the zombie outbreak hits, whether Qiao Moyan wanted to join them in fighting off the zombies would be his choice.
Moreover, living here and subsisting on wild plants wasn't healthy for Qiao Moyan. There was a chance he might collapse from malnutrition and become prey for wild beasts.
Of course, it was just a suggestion, and if Qiao Moyan didn't want to come, they wouldn't pressure him.
Meng Ci and Shen Que packed the items from the bedroom into their storage space before coming out.
Perhaps knowing that the hail had stopped and Meng Ci and Shen Que would be leaving, Qiao Moyan used the cans Meng Ci had left in the kitchen to prepare a meal.
Along with the few vegetables Qiao Moyan had planted earlier, they managed to prepare four dishes and a soup.
To be honest, Qiao Moyan's cooking was pretty good, and the food was delicious.
After the meal, Shen Que took the bowls and chopsticks to wash them, while Meng Ci stayed behind to talk about bringing Qiao Moyan with them to the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
At first, Qiao Moyan refused upon hearing the suggestion.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm fine living here alone."
Qiao Moyan thought that in the apocalypse, people could be unpredictable, and he struggled to tell who was trustworthy.
Moreover, Meng Ci and Shen Que didn't know that Qiao Moyan had been tortured in the tunnel, leaving him with a fear of people, especially men.
If not for the hail and Qiao Moyan's kindness overcoming his fear, he would have asked them to leave.
Eggplant, who had finished eating, came over and nudged Meng Ci, clearly wanting a chicken leg.
Over the past two days, since they had been eating together, Eggplant and the hawk hadn't been getting enough to eat.
Whenever he got back to the bedroom, Meng Ci would take Eggplant and Eagle into the space for extra meals.
This time, because Meng Ci was trying to persuade Qiao Moyan to go to the West Mountain Wilderness Base, he delayed bringing the two back into the room, which made Eggplant anxious.
"Get out and play!" Meng Ci pushed Eggplant, but Eggplant clung to Meng Ci like glue, impossible to shake off.
Without waiting for Eggplant to protest, Eagle dove down sharply, gripping Eggplant's ear with its sharp beak and dragging it out.
Soon, the two little ones were playing outside, chasing each other and having a blast.
Qiao Moyan's eyes followed the two; clearly, he was completely charmed by those fluffy little guys.
"Uncle Qiao."
Since Qiao Moyan was now 33 years old, and even 31-year-old Liang Xiu was called uncle, it was only natural for Meng Ci and Shen Que to call him Uncle Qiao.
"I'm talking about the matter of going to the West Mountain Wilderness Base with us; you can think about it some more."
"There, no one will know you, and you can start anew."
"There's no need to let a few jerks ruin the rest of your life."
Meng Ci didn't press him further; after Shen Que finished washing the dishes, they called Eggplant and Eagle to leave.
Because of Qiao Moyan's presence, Meng Ci couldn't bring out the RV and had to travel on foot.
Putting on their backpacks, Meng Ci and Shen Que headed towards the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
"Wait!"
After walking a bit, they suddenly heard Qiao Moyan's voice from behind.
Meng Ci and Shen Que exchanged a glance, knowing that Qiao Moyan had decided to go with them.
Sure enough, when they turned around, they saw Qiao Moyan limping towards them with a backpack.
Qiao Moyan's healing ability was still in its early stages; it could heal minor wounds on his body quite well, but more serious injuries, like his limp, were still beyond his ability.
However, once the zombie outbreak begins and his healing ability is truly awakened, it might only take a few minutes for his body to rejuvenate.
"Uncle Qiao."
Meng Ci and Shen Que didn't walk towards Qiao Moyan but waited for him to come to them.
Leaving the past behind and welcoming a new life.
When Qiao Moyan reached them, he still felt a bit embarrassed.
"Actually, I had already prepared my things; I just hadn't decided whether to return to society."
Before the tunnel incident, Qiao Moyan, despite living a hard life, still faced life positively.
After returning from the tunnel, having been rejected by others, he chose to escape.
For more than a month since leaving the tunnel, Qiao Moyan planted vegetables and went out to find wild herbs; perhaps he was healed by nature.
He was still a little wary of the fierce-looking Shen Que, but he let his guard down around the harmless-looking Meng Ci in just one day.
In fact, Qiao Moyan felt he was a contradiction; he impulsively decided to go to the West Mountain Wilderness Base with Meng Ci and the others.
Afraid that upon arriving at the place, he might refuse to enter the base because of his fear. Then what would happen next?
"Since we're ready, let's head out," said Meng Ci.
"Okay."
Qiao Moyan silently followed behind the two, trying to keep up, not wanting to hold up Meng Ci and Shen Que, so he didn't have time to dwell on anything else.
After walking for over two hours, Meng Ci and Shen Que, both in good shape, didn't feel tired.
But Qiao Moyan, still limping, was starting to lag behind.
"Uncle Qiao, why don't you hop on Qiezi," Meng Ci suggested suddenly, seeing Qiezi, their energetic dog, bouncing around up ahead and almost tumbling into a ditch while running around.
"No, thanks. I can manage," Qiao Moyan declined.