Chapter 83 The most precious lesson in life
Chapter 83 The most precious lesson in life
When Doll first begins to cry, Chen Jiao plans to pick her up and go find Hu Zhen. But just as she steps toward the door, He Wen in the sky garden starts fussing as well. Chen Jiao feels helpless—she only has two hands and, having never held a baby before, doesn’t have the strength to carry one in each arm.
So, Chen Jiao places Doll on the floor and runs to pick up He Wen, resulting in both children crying non-stop. Since He Wen is her own child, Chen Jiao holds and rocks him, leaving Doll unattended on the ground.
Even though the baby is dressed in a cotton onesie and wrapped in a blanket, she is still an infant, not even a month old. Chen Jiao could have placed her on a table or a chair, so why leave her on the floor?
An Ran’s heart aches as she takes in the sight, her anger boiling over as she shoots Chen Jiao a furious glare. Without a word, she rushes forward, scoops up the baby—who is almost crying to the point of spasms—and finds a metal chair where she can sit down and lift her shirt to feed her.
Just as she is about to give Chen Jiao a piece of her mind, she notices that Chen Jiao seems completely oblivious, unaware of what she has done to upset An Ran. She doesn’t seem to understand the harm she has caused.
After muttering a few words to herself, Chen Jiao turns and leaves to go find Hu Zhen.
An Ran clenches her teeth, gripping the fruit knife tightly, barely managing to restrain herself from running after Chen Jiao. She reminds herself fiercely that she is not a killer, that she fights zombies, not people, and that it is wrong to resort to violence simply because of a disagreement.
The last thing she wants is to let this apocalypse eventually turn her into a real psychopath.
Poor baby, her little body is stiff and trembling, but the moment she smells her mother’s scent, she stops crying, eagerly latching on and nursing with little whimpers as if to express her grievances.
Seeing this, An Ran can’t hold back her tears. Her heart goes cold. This is what happens when she isn’t around; this is the treatment her daughter receives. It makes her realize something crucial: her daughter must never leave her side, nor can she entrust her to anyone else. No one will love her daughter the way a mother does.
Chen Jiao teaches her life’s most valuable lesson.
In the days that follow, An Ran stops engaging with Chen Jiao. She ignores her laziness and no longer offers advice. It’s as if she has truly given up on Chen Jiao.
Chen Jiao’s dependence on her grows, which does her no favors. Once, An Ran would have scolded her. Now? It is none of her business. When push comes to shove, An Ran will be the first to leave Chen Jiao behind.
Silently, An Ran cradles the baby as she rummages through the supplies on the fourth floor, eventually finding a baby carrier in the maternity ward.
The carrier fits like a vest, with Doll snugly tucked inside, just like when An Ran is heavily pregnant. When she goes out to kill zombies, she waits for Doll to fall asleep, then secures her in the carrier, strapped to her chest, and heads out to fight. Never again will she leave her with Chen Jiao or Hu Zhen.
So, this is what “solidarity” means: if Chen Jiao and Hu Zhen can’t offer her peace of mind, she resolves to be fully self-reliant. She will become a woman capable of holding her child close and slaying zombies at a moment’s notice—ready for anything, anywhere.