Chapter 597: The Kindness of a Box of Biscuits
Chapter 597: The Kindness of a Box of Biscuits
The moment Zhou Zheng stepped out the door, he saw a woman carrying a child carefully walking across the thick ice.
When she spotted him, her eyes lit up, and she greeted him with a smile: “Hi, it’s you. Hello!”
Zhou Zheng glanced at the woman—he didn’t recognize her, he was certain of it.
Seeing the blank look on his face, An Ran had to add, “You don’t remember me? Back when we were still in the tunnel, you gave me a box of biscuits.”
“Ohhh…” Zhou Zheng suddenly understood. “I remember now. That’s right. How’s the child?”
It had only been a casually given box of biscuits at the time. Zhou Zheng had simply thought the woman and her child looked pitiful, nothing more. Yet she had remembered it all this time. Was such a small gesture really so moving?
An Ran nodded, smiling warmly at him, her expression full of kindness. “Thank you. She’s doing well. You’ll be living here from now on, right? That’s good. If you ever run into danger, come find me. I can’t guarantee for others, but a kindness repaid for that box of biscuits—I won’t forget it.”
“Heh, you’re too serious, too serious.” Zhou Zheng nodded, brushing her off with polite indifference.
After a few words, he left with the men at his side. He didn’t take the woman to heart, nor did he believe she could repay him with anything worthwhile.
Repay the kindness of a box of biscuits? With what? Another box of biscuits? It wasn’t that Zhou Zheng looked down on it—but in this world, in this killing cold, in a time when people could be murdered at a whim, what use was a box of biscuits?
Right now, Zhou Zheng and his men had far more urgent matters weighing on them—worries for the future, resentment toward the Grand Fortune. They had no time to waste on idle talk with An Ran.
An Ran, however, kept watching their figures until they disappeared at the end of the snowy path. Their silhouettes carried a weight of age and sorrow, making her feel deeply how powerless and bitter the lives of small people were in this vast apocalypse.
Especially these soldiers—hearts full of selflessness, but with unlucky fates.
In the hands of good leaders, they could shine and contribute endlessly. But under leaders like those of Yaoyang Base, men like Zhou Zheng were reduced to little more than guard dogs.
Guard dogs that could be killed at will.
She sighed and carried Doll back into the villa.
From the kitchen, Zhan Lian heard the sound and came out immediately, reaching to take the child from her arms, his voice gentle. “Back already from visiting the neighbors?”
Doll hadn’t gone out for days, and had been wailing and fussing at home, insisting on going out. Unable to quiet her, An Ran had taken her next door to the neighboring villa to play. Now, at last, she has returned.
She was already thinking she should find something new and fun for Doll. Otherwise, the child would keep wanting to go outside every day. But with the snow piling endlessly, what was there to do outside?
Maybe she could have Zhan Lian clear a patch of ice for Doll to play on…
As the thought crossed her mind, she asked instead: “I just saw Zhou Zheng. That was him, wasn’t it? You brought them over so quickly?”
“If we hadn’t, Zhou Zheng would’ve been dead tonight.” Zhan Lian picked up Doll, took An Ran’s hand, and smiled as they walked back into the living room. “He has some doubts about you being in charge of security and defense.”
“I don’t even want to be in charge of that!” An Ran shrugged, looking helpless.
She truly had no desire to take responsibility for Hexi’s security and patrols. But what could she do? People would come to stir up trouble, and the spiky fat ball needed to be fed. She had no choice.