Chapter 711 - 582: Getting Better and Better

"No, come on, you guys are just watching. I can’t even eat properly. Help me entertain them together..."

After hosting a few more people, Zhang Su reluctantly stuffed a piece of luncheon meat into his mouth, muttering, "I have to tell them not to come anymore!"

Yuwen laughed heartily, "Mr. Zhang, that’s not right. Everyone wants to express their gratitude from the heart. If you had made it clear from the start, it would have been fine, but notifying them halfway that they’re not allowed to give toasts might make those who are last feel sad."

When it’s all in good fun, everyone loves to joke around with Zhang Su.

"I can’t even eat properly myself, and now I have to worry about whether they’re sad or not..." Zhang Su laughed helplessly.

"Hehehe, no one can replace you in this kind of matter. Look, here they come again, wow, and it’s a little girl!"

Zheng Xinyu eagerly watched the commotion, eating with the most enjoyment.

When Zhang Su craned his neck to look, there indeed was a little girl being led over by a woman, with a spirited teenage boy trailing behind her.

The little girl was around eight or nine years old, her face clean, obviously freshly washed that afternoon. But her skin was terrible; in this dry and cold environment, regular skincare products couldn’t protect it. Her tender skin was red and peeling from the cold, but it couldn’t conceal the sparkle in her eyes.

"Uncle, Aunt Ping said you saved us. Thank you. Here’s some candy for you, Uncle."

While speaking, the little girl extended her tightly clenched fist toward Zhang Su.

"Thanks to King Yama’s life-saving grace, I have a gift for you too."

The boy behind her approached and held out a wrinkled piece of hazelnut chocolate.

Zhang Su focused his gaze on the boy, who looked about thirteen or fourteen. If not for the disaster, he would be in eighth grade, with cheeks also cleaned thoroughly. His skin was better than the little girl’s, and his clothing was more refined.

Peng Xiuping noticed Zhang Su’s gaze lingering on the two children, cleverly understanding his focus, and quickly spoke up, "Brother Zhang, your life-saving grace is unforgettable to us. Please accept these tokens from the children. Our future lives will rely on you."

With a slight thought after looking at Peng Xiuping, Zhang Su sensed something was amiss, and to confirm his suspicion, he asked, "Big sister, neither of these kids are your own, right?"

Peng Xiuping seemed around her forties, wearing a fashionable beret, with a bit of untidy hair poking out from beneath. Upon hearing Zhang Su’s question, she brushed her hair aside and displayed a resolute expression.

"Brother Zhang is right. The little girl is Yu Ziyan, and the boy is Zhang Hanshuo. We met in Lego Mall. They’ve lost their family, and I’ve lost my children, so we rely on each other for survival."

Zhang Su slightly raised an eyebrow; the boy’s clothing was neat and tidy, meaning he either changed before leaving Lego Mall or after reaching the village in the afternoon, while the girl wore a tattered coat. Their complexion was different; while the flicker of the fire might conceal it from others, he could see it clearly.

He could tell Peng Xiuping was somewhat partial to boys over girls.

But this was not his matter to intervene. Smilingly, he patted the heads of the two children and took Zhang Hanshuo’s chocolate before extending his hand beneath Yu Ziyan’s fist.

Yu Ziyan happily relaxed her grip, and two wrinkled White Rabbit candies fell into his large palm.

"What a thoughtful little sister. These candies must be very sweet. I have some more treats here, take them home and enjoy them,"

Zhong Xiaoshan, seeing Zhang Su accept gifts from the children, greeted the little girl and handed her three packs of nuts.

Standing beside them, Zhang Hanshuo watched the girl receive gifts and felt a touch of disappointment, but soon, a pack of Yuxi appeared before him.

"Uncle accepted your gift, but Uncle doesn’t have any treats for you. Here, take this. It’s not for smoking, but you can use it to trade with other brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts for things you like. Understand?"

Zhang Su wouldn’t oppose Peng Xiuping’s favoritism; the boy’s gratitude was sincere, with admiration shining in his eyes. He didn’t want the boy to feel upset either.

"Understood, thank you, King Yama!"

"Thank you, beautiful sister, thank you, Uncle Zhang!"

After the children expressed their thanks, Peng Xiuping led them away.

Soon after, another group walked up...

Zhang Su had planned to continue brushing them off, but upon closer inspection, it was Yang Liehuo leading the Reserve Team members, known as the Ladies’ Army. In fact, there were also men in the group, albeit not many, and among them was Liu Lan, mentioned by Qiu Hui.

"Brother Zhang, the entire Reserve Team salutes you, wishing Celestial Horse Island prosperity under your leadership!"

Yang Liehuo led the group enthusiastically, his face glowing.

"May all of you also have a bright future. Hurry back and eat,"

As Zhang Su’s gaze swept over the faces, he didn’t pay special attention to Liu Lan, but most of his focus remained on her. He couldn’t detect anything unusual. Then again, even if people had thoughts, they wouldn’t show it in such a setting.

...

The evening banquet, from start to finish, lasted a full two hours. Even the guards stationed nearby took shifts to enjoy hot and spicy hotpot, but Zhang Su couldn’t eat well. People were too enthusiastic, though their enthusiasm also had personal considerations.

They didn’t understand that Zhang Su had no spare time to manage their lives. These matters would be handled by others.

The lively atmosphere beneath Celestial Horse Island Mountain persisted. The entire camp’s collective celebration was remarkably rare worldwide, as most Survivor Camps hovered on the brink of survival.

Confronted with the newly strengthened zombies, many camps revealed various deficiencies and shortcomings, with humanity’s fragility exposed after losing powerful heat weapons.

The northern outskirts of Qin City were jubilant, while the southern situation looked bleak, with frequent activities among Survivor Camps—annihilation, fleeing, merging.

The lone Survivor Forces of Mountain and Sea District, Dragon Head Camp, was relying on ancient city walls for an intense battle against the zombie horde from Beyond the Pass...

Of course, the hotpot banquet was not without interruptions; gathering hundreds of people drew zombies, though fortunately, in small numbers. There were only three waves, with the largest having seven or eight zombies, incapable of breaching the fighters’ defenses.

This peaceful environment was attributed to battles fought days prior. Zombies within a few kilometers of Celestial Horse Island were now sparse, making it a rare haven, albeit temporarily.

As time ticked away, no banquet can last forever. At ten-thirty, the campfires began to extinguish one by one, except for the large one at the street entrance still roaring away, calming people down from the lively atmosphere.

The banquet ended, everyone returned home, and cleanup was left for the next day. The bustling main street of Village No.1 was now sparsely populated.