How to Raise a Baby in an Apocalypse - Chapter 385
“Are there any more diapers?” Luo Feifan comes over, thinking it’s a great idea. He’s been holding in his urine—this is the perfect opportunity to recycle some waste.
Zhan Lian opens the truck and pulls out a bag of diapers. He and Luo Feifan each take a few and hand some to Yun Tao and the others. The group takes turns slipping off to the side of the road to relieve themselves onto the diapers.
They catch a few more copper-skinned sensory zombies and slap the soiled diapers onto their heads. Only then do they finally have time to find a few vehicles and eliminate the zombies that have been chasing them all the way.
The main convoy, led by Tang Jianjun, has already advanced toward Xiangcheng. There are no zombies ahead, not even rats. The main force charges forward, singing loudly as they go.
But An Ran’s group is different. They’re carrying a child, and there are injured people like Zhao Qianrong and Little Mint among them. Running the whole way is unrealistic. The national highway is also difficult to traverse.
Eventually, they find a house off to the side of the highway and decide to take shelter there.
The road to Xiangcheng winds through hills and trees. Though it’s mostly deserted, it’s not completely uninhabited. Occasionally, a few two-story farmhouses appear nestled between the mountains, usually in clusters. Finding a standalone house is rare.
Their vehicle stops along the national highway. A breeze blows by, sweeping up the litter on the road. An Ran steps down from the truck holding the restless baby, watching as Yun Tao leads Hengheng to unload supplies. Liang Ziyu and a few others help carry Zhao Ru, Zhao Qianrong, and Little Mint into the house.
An Ran follows with Doll in her arms. The house sits just off the national highway. It’s in good condition, with a surrounding wall, a cement yard, a tiled two-story main building, and even a garage—proof that its former owner lived comfortably before the apocalypse.
Zhao Ru, still unconscious, Zhao Qianrong, critically injured, and Little Mint are placed in three separate rooms.
Once everyone is settled, An Ran goes to check on Zhao Qianrong. Her breathing is shallow—more out than in. Her face remains deathly pale, and the veins around her wound are bulging, creeping up toward her head. She doesn’t look like she’ll survive.
An Ran shakes her head. Hengheng soon brings over a medical kit, which Liang Ziyu takes and begins working with.
Holding the baby, An Ran stands at the doorway, hesitant to speak. Seeing Liang Ziyu quietly and intently cleaning Zhao Qianrong’s wounds, she finally can’t hold back and speaks softly, her voice slightly veiled. “Mr. Liang, how is Dr. Zhao?”
Liang Ziyu turns slightly, revealing a side profile full of sorrow and numbness—the numbness of witnessing too much death, and the sorrow of losing someone he deeply respects.
He shakes his head. “A’Ju will wake up soon,” he says. “I’m afraid she’ll be heartbroken when she sees Doctor Zhao like this, so…”
So he’s doing his best to tend to Zhao Qianrong’s wounds, just to make her look a little better.
An Ran’s heart aches. She nods silently and walks away with Doll in her arms, humming softly to comfort him.
She goes to check on Little Mint. Her condition is far better than Zhao Qianrong’s. Though she has a fever, her mind is still clear. She’s just a bit weak—probably from malnutrition.
Yun Tao has already taken Hengheng to make soup.
Earlier, when they got out of the vehicle, Yun Tao brought down a lot of supplies from the truck. He also takes out the cactus he collected and places it on the windowsill outside Little Mint’s room, right where An Ran will see it as soon as she steps out.
