Chapter 17: The Food Street

“Don’t worry, I will find Fourth Brother, just like I found you,” Lin Wanmei said firmly.

These words were not merely comforting—they were a solemn promise she intended to keep.

Even in the apocalypse, their family must remain whole, not one of them missing.

Sheng Anyu forced a weak smile. “We’ll find him together.”

As they spoke, Lin Wanmei’s residential complex came into view.

Sheng Anyu chuckled bitterly to himself. “When I was trapped in that hospital ward, I thought I’d never see my family again.”

“That’s why you can’t give up so easily when faced with hardship. You never know when things might turn around!” Lin Wanmei’s tone shifted. “But, well, your aunt and the others can wait a bit longer! Before going home, we have one more task to complete.”

Sheng Anyu looked puzzled. In the midst of the apocalypse, what else could there be to do?

Without explanation, Lin Wanmei pulled him along toward the neighborhood’s nearby street.

Although the food street was merely a pretext for their excursion, she truly couldn’t bear to part with all those abundant delicacies.

So many exquisite foods—once gone, they would never taste them again. She had to cherish these last ingredients, bidding them a proper farewell.

The woven sack they carried was still two-thirds empty, capable of holding much more.

Yet the burdens they bore were cumbersome. She was reluctant to leave their supplies elsewhere, and couldn’t risk making a return trip home first.

Otherwise, she might never get the chance to venture out again!

If only she had some space like in the novels—where one could stash whatever they wanted, carry it effortlessly, and not fear theft!

That would be so convenient and practical.

Alas, such things did not exist in reality.

The food street was lined with two- or three-story commercial buildings; shops occupied the ground floors, while people lived upstairs.

The siblings stopped at the first shop, a dessert parlor called Lavender. Through its glass windows and doors, the interior was clearly visible. Without hesitation, they stepped inside.

The wind chimes at the door jingled softly, their crisp, cheerful tones now sounding eerily haunting, making their nerves tingle.

No sounds came from the kitchen; the scent of freshly baked cakes filled the air, sweet and inviting, as tranquil as if the apocalypse had never come.

Yet, there was no one inside.

To be precise, no zombies.

Lin Wanmei glanced up to the second floor; the door was locked. Perhaps the staff had fled upstairs when the outbreak began?

She silently thanked her luck that they had entered stealthily.

Only after unplugging the surveillance camera at the computer desk did she begin gathering the food.

All the desserts were preserved at low temperatures and remained fresh.

From chiffon cakes, cheesecakes, mousse cakes, jujube cakes, cupcakes, pork floss buns, old-fashioned bread, cream bread, whole wheat bread, sandwiches, egg tarts, pork floss rolls, salted egg yolk pastries, macarons, doughnuts, to snow skin mochi and towel roll box cakes—these freshly made delicacies were limited in quantity and short-lived, yet she spared no effort in packing them all.

Individually wrapped pastries, biscuits, candies, and snacks were divided between them; leaving some upstairs in case those inside ran out of food and came downstairs to search, ensuring they didn’t extinguish all hope.

She wrapped everything in food-grade bags to maintain hygiene, leaving only a quarter of the woven sack’s space unused.

Sheng Anyu had caught on to her plan. Since they were collecting supplies, upon reaching the next shop, he searched around and found several foam boxes and a suitcase.

“Look at this suitcase—plenty of room for stuff.”

He opened it up; indeed, this large black suitcase was bigger than the average luggage, a real boon in times like these.

Lin Wanmei gave him a thumbs-up. “Great, we’ll use it for other things later.”

They were currently in a pork butcher’s shop. It would be too unpleasant to put greasy, bloody meat in the suitcase.

Working together, they loaded all the meat from the refrigerated and freezer cabinets into the foam boxes. A few ribs left out in the open had spoiled and attracted swarms of flies—a disaster.

The butcher’s corpse lay nearby, swarmed by flies as well. Whether he had turned into a zombie or been struck on the back of the head by someone escaping was unknown.

After packing up the shop owner’s belongings, Lin Wanmei bowed to Sheng Anyu, murmuring, “Whenever I eat pork from now on, I’ll think of you. Thank you for your contribution to our survival.”

The meat filled all four foam boxes Sheng Anyu had found.

They left the boxes at the butcher’s and moved next door to the Zhou Hei Ya shop, pillaging it thoroughly until their woven sack was completely stuffed.

Then they entered the roadside supermarket, picking up essential daily supplies and filling the suitcase to capacity.

There were so many shops on this street that it took them an hour and a half to cover only a small fraction.

Lin Wanmei wiped sweat from her brow. “Alright, better head back. We can’t carry everything in one trip.”

Having gathered so much food, she felt much more at ease—willing to return for now.

“Let’s go, then.”

Sheng Anyu had no objections and continued to follow her lead as always.

He had once been so compliant out of affection and indulgence.

But now, he obeyed because he sensed that Wanmei had suddenly matured.

Every decision she made was deliberate, not capricious.

This time, their appearance was even more ridiculous.

Lin Wanmei carried a bulging backpack on her chest, the towering woven sack over her shoulder taller than herself, and a large suitcase in her left hand—looking like a fugitive fleeing in the dead of night.

Sheng Anyu had a backpack on both his chest and back, his long arms wrapped around four foam boxes.

He didn’t know why, but Wanmei had insisted he carry them.

His bold posture and bewildered expression left no trace of the usual “male idol” image.

After Wanmei stifled her laughter for the umpteenth time, Sheng Anyu began to question how he had ever thought she’d grown up into a reliable person.

Well… perhaps it was because her abilities were overwhelmingly exceptional.

For example, she remained unflustered while carrying all those heavy supplies, yet with just a single finger, she grasped the hem of his shirt and effortlessly lifted him into the air.

Strangely, he felt no weight from the four boxes of meat; just holding on like that, he could fly with them without falling!

In awe, Sheng Anyu was unaware that Wanmei could levitate objects. Even if he let go, he could still fly back with them.

But she couldn’t turn invisible.

The snake talisman only worked on a single unified body, so he had to stay in contact with her.

Today, Lin Wanmei had used the talisman many times, strengthening their connection significantly.

At first, she had to tightly clutch the talisman to sense its energy and focus to activate its power.

Now, as long as the talisman was on her person, a mere thought could trigger the corresponding ability.

Practice makes perfect, as they say.

If she continued training like this, in a few days she believed she could unleash even greater talisman power.

Whether her family would give her that chance again was another matter altogether…

With anxious hearts, the siblings entered the complex and approached their home window.

Before they could do anything, their mother’s anxious voice drifted through.

“Wanmei’s been gone so long. Why hasn’t she come back yet? She’s not answering messages. Could something have happened to her?”

“It’s your fault for insisting she go out on an adventure. If anything happens, I don’t know where you’ll go to cry!”