thefictionvixens Chapter 325 Smile
Chapter 325 Smile
He had prepared his explanations for the entire journey.
All those meticulously crafted pledges of loyalty regarding what one can do, what one can manage, and what one can share are now utterly useless.
Tashan didn't look at him, nor did he ask any further questions.
It's as if taking in a few people is just a trivial matter.
It's not even as important as this pot of soup.
"What are you standing there for? Go find a seat! You can't sit in occupied seats, and all the supplies belong to the public!"
"That doesn't count!" Tashan seemed to remember something and pointed to the dagger at his waist.
He was also well aware of the importance of rare objects to ordinary people, and that he had no use for this thing.
Li Jianqiu's lips moved, but in the end, he could only squeeze out one word:
"……yes."
He turned around, his steps a beat faster than when he came.
Although he didn't achieve his original goal, the result was still good.
Once he's on the bus, he can still make plans at his own pace.
As long as he doesn't do anything to harm the team, his actions are safe.
This is a truth he has just come to realize.
No wonder he's reached the top level in a state-owned enterprise; such a person would never be overlooked anywhere.
"Old Li, what do you mean? Can we really get up there?" Xu Huiying asked in a low voice, her eyes filled with barely concealed urgency.
"Okay," Li Jianqiu uttered only one word.
"Boss Tashan agreed," Li Jianqiu added.
"However, I must remind you of one thing: once you get on the vehicle, you must abide by the rules! All supplies and such must be handed over to the authorities!"
Li Jianqiu consciously placed himself in the role of a manager.
That's why he didn't try to steal the supplies earlier.
Because he had already anticipated that these supplies would not be allowed to remain in their possession.
Even if you manage to snag it, it's useless.
Fang Bo clutched the long sword tightly in his hand, seemingly wanting to turn around and get back onto the bus.
"Longswords don't count!" Li Jianqiu glanced at Fang Bo indifferently and continued.
Qi Dai and the other two exchanged glances, their faces beaming with barely suppressed joy, as if there was no need for them to compromise themselves anymore.
Qian Dafu's lips moved as if he wanted to say "thank you," but he found that he couldn't even tell who he should thank.
Li Jianqiu didn't say anything more.
"Elder Pei! You?" He turned around, ultimately choosing to say goodbye to Pei Xiu.
"Don't worry about me! Go if you need to!" Pei Xiu said calmly.
As dusk deepened, the wind across the wasteland carried a touch of coolness.
Li Jianqiu and six others stood at the door of the bus, like a group of passengers waiting to have their tickets checked.
The car door was open, and the sounds of Doubao and the others laughing and joking in hushed tones drifted out, along with Jiang Li's occasional gentle reminders to "not lean out the window."
"Go in, choose a seat and come down to eat." Tashan didn't even turn his head, the iron spoon still slowly turning in the pot.
Seven people filed in.
Qi Dai was the first to step onto the carriage step, and she subconsciously held her breath the moment her feet touched the ground.
She wasn't unfamiliar with buses; before the apocalypse, buses were one of her most familiar modes of transportation for commuting, business trips, and travel.
But stepping into this unfamiliar carriage now gives me the strange feeling of crossing a border.
The space inside the vehicle was more spacious than I had imagined, and most of the seats were filled with supplies.
The abundance of supplies left them speechless.
"That's Teacher Jiang's seat over there, and this is Master Wei's seat. Sausage and bean buns will sleep in the back."
The first few people to notice the sausage vendor rushed over from the back row, pointing and gesturing like little adults.
"These! Nobody's sitting here." She sounded like a little conductor.
However, there are clearly not enough seats for seven people.
"Let's gather the supplies together!" Li Jianping said.
There needs to be enough space for seven people.
This steamed bun won't be of any help.
The group smiled and nodded toward Jiang Li and the others at the back of the carriage.
They then began tidying up their seats.
Fang Bo, carrying his sword, chose a seat by the window, and Li Jianqiu hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to him.
Qi Dai and the other two cleared out a few seats near the back of the carriage.
This place is practically Jiang Li's and the little ones' territory. They can receive corresponding protection and avoid certain risks.
This is much better than compromising and making concessions.
"Hello, sisters. My name is Kaochang (Roasted Sausage), this is Doubao (Bean Bun), this is Master Wei, and this is Sister Jiang Li. They are all very easy to get along with."
The sausage tilted its little face up, its eyes curving into two crescent moons, showing no signs of nervousness in front of strangers.
Hello!
Qi Dai was stunned for a moment, then turned to the side so that her line of sight was level with the little girl's.
He greeted the group somewhat nervously and awkwardly.
She used to work in sales before the apocalypse and was best at using her smile to build rapport, but at this moment, her smile had no trace of professionalism.
It was simply, instinctively, responding to a child's kindness.
"My name is Qi Dai."
"Looking forward to it?" The sausage thought for a moment, wondering if it was the name he had come up with.
"Sister Qi Dai." But he still repeated it earnestly and happily.
Mu Qingqing and Gu Momo stood behind Qi Dai, both of them falling silent.
The two women were not only colleagues but also childhood friends, and they both seemed quite naive and innocent.
"Why do you call it 'grilled sausage'? It couldn't have been called that before, could it?" Qi Dai asked疑惑地.
"Her original name was Chang Mingming, but later she said her name was Kaochang (Grilled Sausage), so we all call her Kaochang!" Doubao said.
"And what about you two?" Qi Dai's smile was infectious.
"Master Wei's real name was Wei Fu, and my original name was Dou Bao, but it got more and more like Dou Bao!"
"Doubao and Doubao are exactly the same, okay!" the sausage said dismissively.
"Okay! They are exactly the same!" Doubao didn't argue.
Therefore, women and children are the easiest to communicate with and build trust with.
As for Jiang Li and the others, they didn't have the courage to greet her, and just smiled and nodded kindly.
In the post-apocalyptic world, smiles are more of a tool.
To curry favor with the powerful, to conceal fear, and to build closer relationships.
It wasn't until they were in this convoy that their smiles became a little more genuine.
The soup from Tashan is finally ready.
He used the chipped iron spoon to scoop a full box for everyone.
As he reached the bus door, he called out, "Everyone, come down and eat!"
"Teacher Jiang, Sister Qi Dai, dinner's ready!" Kaochang grabbed Jiang Li's hand and rushed through the carriage to the bottom of the train.
The most popular food among us is grilled sausage.
Li Jianqiu and the others followed behind the group and got out of the car somewhat awkwardly.
Li Jianqiu wasn't actually hungry; he had eaten a very hearty lunch.
But he knew very well that the fastest way to integrate into a group was to participate in its daily life.
Eating, chatting, moving supplies, working together—these seemingly mundane activities reveal the most basic sense of belonging.
Qian Dafu, Fang Bo, and the others followed behind him, silently getting out of the car and heading towards the campfire.
A group of people were already sitting around the campfire.
Tashan scooped a large box for himself and sat down on the stone chair next to him to enjoy it.
"Brother Shan, you guys are eating porridge too." Jiao Jiao had been eating porridge for many days in a row, and even the novelty had completely worn off.
I've also been constipated for the past few days.
"What's wrong with Hu Hu? You little brat, you're making a scene!"
"Sigh!" Jiao Jiao sighed, chewing on the dried sweet potato in her hand, feeling somewhat hopeless.
She was starting to miss her moss.