96 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Half an hour later, Chen Wan and her companions drove to a small town on the outskirts of Funan City. The town appeared desolate, narrow streets populated only by a few scattered zombies and devoid of any living souls. Yi Yi parked the vehicle beside an apartment building, aligning one side of their mobile home against it. Then, she covered all the windshield with steel plates and turned on the lights on the first floor. Chen Wan unfastened her seatbelt, handed Zai Zai, who was in her arms, over to Yi Yi, stretched lazily, and smiled, "Let's rest here today. This town seems to have always had a small population, and there aren't many zombies, so it should be quite safe. We've been exhausted these past couple of days; tonight, let's treat ourselves to a nice meal and celebrate our successful escape from the base." "Mama, I want some meat~" Zai Zai reminded Chen Wan in his adorable childish voice while nestled in Yi Yi's arms. "Mama knows, dear. I won't forget your meat." Chen Wan chuckled, pinching Zai Zai's cheek affectionately. Upon hearing about the meal, Ye Lan quickly stood up and smiled at Chen Wan, "Let Lao Jiang and me handle the cooking. We haven't been able to help much otherwise, and we've been quite a drag on you all. Let us do this." Noticing how thin and frail they looked, indicative of the hardships they had endured at the base, Chen Wan couldn't possibly let them cook. "No need, I'll handle the cooking today. Yan Xin, why don't you take Mom and Dad, as well as Wan Ning, on a tour of the mobile home? From now on, they can stay on the first floor. I've already fixed up the beds with sheets and blankets; you just need to make the beds later." "Alright, by the way, Wan Ning can't eat beef," Jiang Yan Xin reminded. "I know. We'll prepare a variety of dishes. It's just unfortunate Wan Ning can't taste the mutated beef; it's delicious and quite nourishing. But we'll find other animals to eat in the future." Chen Wan smiled as she spoke. At her command, a large chunk of beef appeared on the cutting board, startling Ye Lan. Chen Wan hurried to explain, "Oh, I forgot to mention to you, Dad, and Wan Ning. This mobile home is part of my abilities. I can use my mind to retrieve items from the compressed space inside the mobile home. It has many unique features that you'll understand better after Yan Xin shows you around." "Alright, we'll take a look." Ye Lan felt a bit relieved seeing Chen Wan's amiable expression, and followed Jiang Yan Xin. Jiang Yan Xin first demonstrated the foldable sofas in the small dining area, which could be converted into sofa beds. "Mom, Dad, look, these dining area sofas unfold into sofa beds, providing additional sleeping space. Over here is the bathroom with hot water that you can use anytime. And here is a bunk bed, with a double bed below and a single bed above." Seeing the layout with so many people, Ye Lan quickly said to Jiang Yan Xin, "Your father and I can sleep on the floor at night. We can't let our main forces be without a place to sleep." Jiang Wan Ning quickly nodded, "Sis, I can't help much either, and I don't want to cause any trouble for you guys. I'll sleep on the floor too." Jiang Yan Xin chuckled and shook her head, "I haven't even finished showing you around yet. No need to rush. No one has to sleep on the floor; there's enough space for everyone." "But sis, it seems like we're already at the back, where is there any more space?" Jiang Wan Ning asked, puzzled. "Well, there's still a spot you haven't seen yet, right?" Jiang Yan Xin said as she pulled a handle on the wall, gently opening a door. After turning on the lights, she invited Ye Lan and the others to come in and take a look. The three were astonished and stood in shock for a few seconds before Jiang Wan Ning asked, puzzled, "Sis, logically, the space in a motorhome should be fully utilized, yet there's an extra room here?" Jiang Yan Xin smiled and explained, "Most of the space in the mobile home is compressible and can change as it upgrades. From the outside, the mobile home looks just a bit larger than a typical one, but inside is a whole new world." "This is really something. With this extra room, we definitely won't need to sleep on the floor," Ye Lan laughed. "Of course not. Come on, Mom, follow me," Jiang Yan Xin said as she left the room, and Ye Lan and the others followed. Jiang Yan Xin then opened a small room next to the bunk bed, smiling at Ye Lan, "Mom, you go first. Once inside, press 2. This is an elevator." Stunned and slightly skeptical, Ye Lan stepped inside the small space. After Jiang Yan Xin closed the door, Ye Lan pressed "2." Seconds later, her surroundings opened up into an identical space as the first floor. She stood there alone, disoriented, almost startled as if she had seen a ghost. Jiang Yan Xin soon joined her, followed shortly by Jiang Zhao Yuan and Jiang Wan Ning, who also took the elevator. Looking around at the familiar-yet-new space, Jiang Wan Ning was in disbelief, "Is this the same place? It can't be; the driver's seat was back there, but now there are lounge chairs and a small table here." "This is the first floor of the mobile home, also a compressed space. From the outside, the mobile home seems the same size, but there's another level. Though there are no windows, it has its own ventilation system, so it won't feel stuffy. The three of you can sleep here tonight. Chen Wan has prepared new sheets and blankets for you," Jiang Yan Xin explained with a smile. "Just the three of us on this floor? Won't it be crowded downstairs?" Ye Lan asked, a little worried. "It's not crowded. Chen Wan, the baby, and I will all sleep in the room. Qin Ke and Yi Yi will sleep outside. The sofa beds and bunk beds are enough for them," Jiang Yan Xin reassured with a smile. "Really? They’ll sleep together?" Jiang Wan Ning felt a pang of concern, aware that Yi Yi was a beta, and there was a possibility between betas and alphas, leading her to mistakenly think Yi Yi and Qin Ke were seeing each other, which made her feel uneasy. "No, they each have their own space. What are you thinking? Qin Ke already has a girlfriend," Jiang Yan Xin glanced at her sister and said with a knowing smile. Following Jiang Yan Xin's lead in the conversation, yet blushing slightly, Jiang Wan Ning asked, "Sis, does Yi Yi have a girlfriend?" Sensing something amiss, Jiang Yan Xin wondered why her sister seemed so invested in Yi Yi's affairs. Was it something that happened the night Yi Yi took care of her sister? Jiang Yan Xin playfully winked at Jiang Wan Ning, her usually calm eyes glinting with a hint of mischief, "She? Doesn't seem like it, never heard her mention one. Why? Are you interested?" "Oh, sis, don't tease me, not with Mom and Dad here! I was just curious," Jiang Wan Ning blushed at her sister's teasing and hurriedly denied. Jiang Yan Xin laughed, "What's wrong with that? You're 24 now; it's about time you found someone. With the apocalypse and all, no one knows what the future holds, or even what tomorrow will bring. It's hard to find someone you like, so you should seize the opportunity." "What are you talking about? Sis, don’t make things up. Yi Yi and I are just friends. You focus on keeping hold of Chen Wan!" The young woman playfully pouted, trying to convince her sister to drop the topic. Seeing her sister's red cheeks, Jiang Yan Xin was more convinced there was something between her and Yi Yi, continuing to tease, "Of course! Your sister Chen Wan is all mine, isn't she sweet?" "Hmph, I’m not listening to this anymore. I'm going down to see if there's anything I can help with," Jiang Wan Ning, unable to win the verbal spar with her sister and embarrassed by her sister's shamelessness, quickly retreated. After she left, Jiang Yan Xin and her parents shared a laugh. Ye Lan finally felt some relief from the tension she had when they first boarded the vehicle. Seeing her daughter so relaxed, she reckoned Chen Wan must treat her daughter well, easing her concerns some more. Watching her younger daughter's reactions, Ye Lan pondered if her elder daughter's words were somewhat true and laughed, asking Jiang Yan Xin, "Yan Xin, what do you think of Yi Yi? Like you said, it’s the apocalypse—when you find someone you like, you need to be proactive." "Yi Yi's a good person. She talks a bit too much sometimes, but she's exceptional in every other way. Being a bionic, she's smart and skilled; she complements Wan Ning quite well," Jiang Yan Xin explained with a smile. "Bionic? What's that?" Ye Lan asked, puzzled. "Essentially no different from us. In this world now, as long as they like each other, whether or not she's bionic doesn't matter. Normal activities and all that shouldn't be an issue," Jiang Yan Xin coughed lightly as she explained. Though speaking to her parents, she didn’t delve into explicit details, trusting they'd understand. "True, given the state of the world, what’s the point in fussing over such things?” Ye Lan sighed. Sensing the dip in mood, Jiang Yan Xin quickly reassured her mother, "It's alright, Mom. Outside is chaotic, but in here, we're safe. Provided we have enough resources, we'll be fine. You and Dad don't need to worry too much." "Your father and I are already halfway in the grave, but it's you, your sister, and our Yang Yang we worry about. She's not even four years old, and with the chaos outside, if she gets sick, there's no doctor to treat her..." Ye Lan's voice trailed off. Understanding her concerns, Jiang Yan Xin comforted her, "Don't worry. Not only Yang Yang, but everyone in our mobile home will be safe." To prevent her parents from overthinking, Jiang Yan Xin joined them downstairs to help out. On the first floor, Chen Wan had already finished cutting the beef. She planned to stew some large beef chunks for serving with noodles, while the rest would be cut into pieces for grilling. The chunks were already in the pot with spices, stewing nicely. Sprinkling barbecue seasoning over the beef pieces on the tray, Chen Wan slid it into the oven. Soon, the air in the mobile home was filled with the savory aroma of beef. Chen Wan, concerned about any potential allergies, asked Jiang Wan Ning, "Wan Ning, does the smell of the beef bother you at all?" "No, I'm fine as long as I don't eat it," Jiang Wan Ning replied with a smile, sitting beside Yi Yi and playing with Zai Zai. "That's good," Chen Wan responded warmly while preparing a meal especially for the young girl.