Chapter 56: We’re Still Alive!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It suddenly occurred to Shen Chen that the amount of food he had prepared before the apocalypse was only enough for four people. Considering they now had at least ten mouths to feed rather than four, it was a miracle they had lasted this long.
He nodded coolly. “I know. I’ll bring some food back later.”
“Are you guys going out later?” Ye Xiaoyu asked curiously.
“We don’t need to go out. Remember the Chinese restaurant on the fourth floor? They must have a lot of stock stored in the kitchen. Besides, it’s winter now, so the vegetables won’t go bad easily,” Shen Chen replied with a smile.
Ye Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up. “That’s great! Why didn’t that occur to me?” She then asked excitedly, “Brother Shen Chen, since the first ten floors are safe, can we go together?” Ye Xiaoyu pouted. “I’ve been stuck in my room for the past few days…”
Shen Chen was fond of Ye Xiaoyu, although his feelings for her weren’t necessarily romantic. It was the kind of fondness one might have for the girl next door, or for a younger sister.
“All right. I’ll let everyone know later,” he said while ruffling her hair.
Ye Xiaoyu was so excited that she practically bounced out of the room. She was totally unaware that Lin Qianqian was standing behind the door with a sour expression on her face.
During breakfast, Shen Chen announced to everyone, “Today, all the men and Ye Xiaoyu will head out together.”
None of the men batted an eye, but Lin Qianqian and Li Jing looked at each other knowingly. When the crowd dispersed, Lin Qianqian immediately went up to Li Jing and asked, “Sis Jing, what do you think?”
“What do I think? I think Ye Xiaoyu’s gotten into Shen Chen’s bed, that’s what I think,” Li Jing smirked.
“How gross, using your body in order to survive. Women like that are so disgusting! If it were the past, I would have given them a piece of my mind!” Li Qianqian said with a sneer.
Li Jing looked at Lin Qianqian out of the corner of her eye and merely snorted.
Lin Qianqian continued indignantly, “Sis Jing, look at them! They’re all so close with each other, and we’re left in the dark. It sucks to be left out like this!”
“Why do you care? You’ve got a good boyfriend looking after you,” Li Jing responded.
“What good is he? All he does is hang on Shen Chen’s every word,” Lin Qianqian said, somehow managing to sound smug and displeased at the same time. She then turned to Zhang Xiaoya, who was currently playing with Duoduo, and shouted, “Hey! Why do you cook so little these days? Don’t you know we’re starving?”
Duoduo was startled by the shouting, and Zhang Xiaoya had to comfort him with a hug. “So what if you eat less? You don’t do anything anyway!”
“All right. We may not be starving, but how about the men? Do they have enough to eat?” Lin Qianqian asked with raised eyebrows.
Zhang Xiaoya looked up and said somewhat hesitantly, “That’s all Ye Xiaoyu gave me. She said it was enough nutrition!”
“Enough nutrition? Enough nutrition? That’s what she always says!” Lin Qianqian jeered.
Watching Lin Qianqian lecture Zhang Xiaoya, Li Jing couldn’t help but snort. It was a wonder this dumb woman had managed to survive for this long.
By the afternoon, the men had already made a few trips to the kitchen to bring up the food supplies, and everyone was happy to see that the food supply was greatly replenished. It was like a great harvest!
As Pan Di offloaded the goods, he couldn’t help but praise Shen Chen. “Boss chose well for our refuge! There’s a restaurant below stocked with all kinds of food items! We don’t have to worry about having enough to eat and drink!”
Ye Xiaoyu, on the other hand, looked at the yellowed vegetables with a frown on her face. “Brother Shen Chen, I think these veggies are going to go bad if we don’t eat them soon. Let’s eat them before they go bad!”
Zhang Xiaoya felt put on the spot, since she was responsible for cooking. There were so many types of vegetables before her that she had difficulty choosing. What should she make?
Pan Di’s eyes suddenly lit up. He produced a packet of Szechuan Mala hotpot seasoning from the sack and suggested, “Tada! How about we have hotpot? Nothing beats watching TV and having hotpot on a cold winter’s day! It’s the best!”
Everyone’s eyes also lit up. They sneaked a peek at Shen Chen, who licked his lips in anticipation and nodded. He couldn’t remember the last time he had hotpot! “All right, let’s do it. Let’s have steamboat!” Shen Chen said, thumping his fist on the table.
The crowd erupted into cheers. It had been half a month since the start of the apocalypse! The world as they knew it no longer existed, so to be able to have hotpot was more than just a luxury—it was an homage to their beautiful memories of the old world!
Everyone knew that fresh produce like this, free of preservatives and chemicals, would never be produced again!
They quickly got to work, and everyone busily helped out. A few girls helped to wash the vegetables, and the men started chopping the meat and preparing the butane stove for the hotpot.
It was already nightfall when the place was filled with the aroma of hotpot. The pot was placed right in the middle of the plates of vegetables, mutton, and beef. Pan Di even made another trip downstairs to bring up a few bottles of beer and other beverages.
Everyone suddenly had the illusion that they were in peaceful times again and that this was merely a gathering among friends!
The stove was turned on. Watching the soup boil within the pot, everyone was immersed in the familiar aroma of hotpot.
No one moved, but their bodies started to tremble! A familiar scene like this reminded everyone of how reluctant they were to let go of their happy memories of the old world!
Zhang Xiaoya was the first to cry. She covered her face but couldn’t stop her tears from flowing out from between her fingers. “I can’t stand it… I really can’t stand it anymore!” she cried. “Why? Why did this have to happen?”
Zhang Hongtao closed his eyes. Everything in front of them was so wonderful, but this wonderful sight was just an illusion that wouldn’t last beyond today. They would have to go back to living from hand to mouth.
There was a melancholy atmosphere in the room. The silence was heavy with unspoken grief. Subsequently, some of them broke into sorrowful sobs, presenting a stark contrast to the boiling hotpot.
Suddenly, Shen Chen opened a bottle of beer with a loud “pop!” Foam bubbled out from the bottle, mirroring the tears that had formed in everyone’s eyes.
Shen Chen started pouring beer for everyone, a calm smile on his face. “Let’s live in the moment and enjoy this while we can. Leave tomorrow’s troubles for tomorrow,” he said. “Everyone has to die. It’s only a matter of time. But rather than living out the rest of your days in sorrow, why not go out with a bang! Since sooner or later we’re all gonna die, we may as well make life worthwhile. At least we’re alive now!”
Shen Chen’s words were like a refreshing stream of spring water, an oasis that quenched the thirst and soothed the parched throats of weary travelers. Every word he said went straight to their hearts, be they happy or sad.
Their blood quickened, and their heartbeats accelerated, and they could feel their breathing grow heavy. “F*ck it!” someone said. “Let’s toast to us still being alive! Bottoms up!”
“Let’s live forever! Cheers!”
“F*ck the d*mn apocalypse!”
“Bottoms up!”
…
“Let’s start eating!”
Pan Di removed the pot cover with much fanfare, and the enticing smell of the food tickled everyone’s taste buds!