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墨書 Inktalez
In the early morning, before dawn, Chu Donglin climbed out of bed.
Since he was preparing for a long journey, he needed to get everything ready in advance.
He first went to the platform, tidying up the Vegetable Garden and the chicken coop, and cleaned up the dirty chicken droppings scattered around.
The chickens he had brought were now growing up. Although it would still be some time before they could be eaten, some of the hens would start laying eggs in a month or two.
However, for Shishi, the growth of these chickens was not particularly pleasing.
The grown chickens looked nothing like the cute, fluffy chicks they once were.
While they weren't exactly detestable, their cuteness had significantly diminished.
Now, the Girl no longer rushed to the platform to play with the chickens as she used to.
Moreover, these grown chickens were full of energy, running around on the platform and leaving droppings everywhere. Chu Donglin had to clean up after them repeatedly; otherwise, the place would become filthy.
On nights with moonlight, Chu Donglin would run up to the platform with Snow to soak in the moonlight; he certainly didn't want to spend a night in a dirty environment.
Once he had tidied up the platform, the first rays of sunlight streamed into the city. Chu Donglin left his residential building and headed to a nearby supermarket.
He packed all the non-expired food from the supermarket into over thirty bags, stacking them at the entrance.
A few Zombies, attracted by the noise, pressed against the glass of the supermarket, staring blankly at Chu Donglin as he packed food. He then summoned some muscle and subdued these unfortunate Low-Level Zombies with a High-Level Zombie's dominance.
Commanding these unfortunate creatures to line up obediently in front of him, Chu Donglin hung all thirty bags of snacks on them.
From a distance, the group of Zombies looked just like a band of refugees, tattered and burdened with numerous packages.
In addition to snacks and food, Chu Donglin had prepared several barrels of mineral water to bring back for Shishi in case of emergencies.
Although the water supply system in the city had not yet collapsed, it was better to be safe than sorry. If he didn't prepare in advance and the water supply did fail while he was away, it would be a disaster.
Shishi was not a Zombie, so the food and water that were unnecessary for the Zombies were essential supplies for her.
On his way home, Chu Donglin encountered a First-Stage Zombie Dog.
On the long street, the Zombie Dog looked at the group of Zombies following Chu Donglin and then at him with ill intent before it turned tail and fled.
Unfortunately, against Second-Stage Zombies, even the strongest First-Stage Zombie seemed weak.
At that moment, as the Zombie Dog fled in panic, a descending Machete cleaved it in two.
With wide eyes, its head rolled to the side of the street while its headless body continued to run forward for several meters due to inertia before crashing into a stalled car.
With a loud crash, the metal body of the car was dented into a twisted shape.
Several dozen meters away, Chu Donglin waved his hand, and the Machete he had thrown flew back into his grasp effortlessly.
Using his ability to manipulate objects to throw flying projectiles was nearly always accurate, especially as his control over this ability grew stronger; nearly everything he threw hit its mark.
As for the First-Stage Zombie Dog that had wandered over from who knows where, it could only blame its own bad luck for choosing this path.
For Shishi's safety, Chu Donglin had cleared out all Mutated Zombies from several nearby streets. He feared that while he and Xue were out hunting, a Mutated Zombie might discover Shishi.
After all, while Mutated Zombies may have low intelligence, they are still much better than ordinary Zombies. Chu Donglin did not want to joke with a girl's life.
When Chu Donglin returned home with more than ten Zombies laden with large bags of items, the Girl was in the bathroom getting ready.
He moved the bundles off the Zombies and arranged them neatly in a corner of the living room. Then, he guided the dazed Zombies downstairs and away from the apartment building.
Upon returning to the living room, Shishi was teaching Xue how to brush her teeth step by step.
It is worth mentioning that Xue's hygiene tasks, such as washing her face and brushing her teeth, were all entrusted to the Girl.
However, when it came to bathing, the petite girl had no choice but to rely on Chu Donglin to handle it.
At first, Chu Donglin felt a bit awkward, but as time passed and he became more accustomed to the situation—having interacted with women before—he gradually adapted.
What brought Chu Donglin the most comfort was the harmonious relationship between Xue and Shishi.
When they were together, it was as if a distant older sister and a sweet younger sister were bonding, filled with a sense of harmony.
However, Xue only behaved this way around Shishi. When she encountered other living people, she would still become agitated and aggressive.
As long as Chu Donglin did not immediately suppress her actions, she would undoubtedly tear apart and devour any living being that entered her line of sight.
Thus, after much contemplation, Chu Donglin decided to keep Xue and Shishi at home, abandoning his idea of sending Shishi to stay with Ban Qingya.
After all, he still lacked sufficient understanding and trust in Ban Qingya and her group. He could not rest easy knowing Xue was not by Shishi's side. Moreover, the chickens at home needed to be fed every day.
Chu Donglin's final decision was to set out alone with Liu Xiner while leaving Xue at home to protect Shishi. He aimed to help Liu Xiner find her father as quickly as possible before returning.
“Shishi, I need to tell you something.”
Leaning against the bathroom door, Chu Donglin watched as the Girl patiently taught Snow how to use a toothbrush. “I’m going out for a bit. You and Snow Sister stay at Home and don’t run around, okay?”
“Okay, bye, Dad.”
The Girl nodded obediently, not causing any trouble.
“I’ve prepared instant noodles and food for you, and there’s drinking water too. While I’m gone, you can make the noodles or find something to eat.”
Shishi paused for a moment, suddenly realizing, “Are you going far away, Dad?”
“Yes, I promised Xing'er that I would take her to the east bank of the Li River to find her father. I might be gone for a few days. During this time, you and Snow stay at Home and don’t wander around. If there’s any danger, Snow will protect you.”
The girl was silent for a few seconds before running up to Chu Donglin and hugging him tightly. At her height, her face was just level with his abdomen.
“Dad…”
“Hmm?”
“Come back early…”
The Girl didn’t cause any fuss, which surprised Chu Donglin a bit.
It seemed like this Girl had changed somewhat during this time; he hadn’t heard such sensible responses from her in a long while.
Chu Donglin felt a bit confused, but the Girl’s maturity brought him some comfort.
"Don't worry, I will definitely be back soon."
Chu Donglin smiled as he patted the girl's head, a look of reassurance on his face.
As for the upcoming chapters, I have pondered over them repeatedly, making countless modifications and deletions, going through the process of rewriting several times. After a long struggle, I ultimately decided to scrap all five chapters.
To me, Shishi is a very special character.
She is neither the protagonist nor a supporting character; in this dark and uncertain post-apocalyptic world, she is the last pillar of support in Chu Donglin's heart.
Thus, I have always felt conflicted about how to handle Shishi.
In the previous chapters, I attempted to depict the dialogue and reactions between the two from various angles, striving to portray Chu Donglin's inner world with meticulous detail.
Anger, fear, joy, indifference... I stood in Chu Donglin's shoes, trying to express his reactions through different emotions, hoping to find the unfolding that best matched my thoughts.
Whether it was an angry reprimand, ecstatic acceptance, incredulous disbelief, or a calm indifference, I was experimenting with it all.
However, amidst this constant rewriting and reworking, I gradually realized that this unfolding was not what I truly wanted to write about.
I originally hoped to depict two equally lonely individuals relying on each other in a desolate world, coexisting peacefully and smiling together in the face of everything. What I wanted to convey was that touching bond and love between them.
This love is not the typical romantic relationship between a man and a woman; it is ordinary yet pure, heartwarming without any impurities.
It represents the most pristine essence within one's heart—deeply moving and heartfelt, transcending commonly understood emotions.
It is the touch that makes Chu Donglin unable to help but smile when he talks about the word "Shishi". It is also the tranquility that makes a girl subconsciously feel at ease when she softly calls her daddy. There is no excessive hustle and bustle, only the most precious touching feeling that is common to all people. So I deleted the second half of this chapter and the next five chapters. The previous development may be something many friends like to see, but if I really write it according to that development, it will completely run counter to my original intention. Neither Shishi nor Chu Donglin should have anything to do with such a plot. So I hesitated and struggled for a long time. Although I was struggling, I finally deleted all the plots in the next five chapters. And as a result, the five chapters that I finally saved did not have time to take effect, and they sadly died prematurely. My archived manuscript... eh... I feel very hurt right now. Please give me some votes to comfort me. PS: My friend helped me create a book club group. If you are interested, you can go in and chat. Well, I am also in it ()
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