Chapter 65: Hmph, the System's Mount is Ready

Outside the hospital, Wang Lianjun finally caught up to Xia Ming and Jiang Jing, and said out of breath, "Commander Lin said the jeep's door handle is broken, and the military truck's chassis has been dismantled. I'm guessing Xiaxia initially wanted to sneak away in the military truck, but once she took it apart, she realized the three of them wouldn't fit. Later on, she probably planned to hide in the jeep, but... sigh, she probably didn't gauge her strength properly and broke the door handle!"

Hearing this, a vein throbbed on Xia Ming's temple, and his tone carried a mix of helplessness and annoyance, "I previously taught my younger brother about automobile construction!"

Without needing to ask further, he knew very well that the idea of hiding under a military truck must have come from his brother.

Recalling when he taught Xiaolin those things, it was originally intended so that if the boy ever faced danger or was forcibly taken away, he could use that knowledge to save himself. He never expected it would be put to such use on an occasion like this.

As for Jiang Jing, he glanced at the two men expressionlessly and said, "I've never taught her anything of the sort!"

With that, he pointed ahead. "We'll follow the exact route Xiaxia was brought along this afternoon! She's never been here before, but her memory is exceptional. Now that her transportation is gone and she's in a hurry to get home to see my mother, she will definitely choose this path she's already walked!"

Upon hearing this, the other two didn't even think twice; they immediately borrowed bicycles and headed back along the road.

Just as Jiang Jing had anticipated, after finding that neither of the two modes of transportation was usable, Jiang Xiaxia and Xia Lin began walking back on foot.

Xia Lin had no idea how Jiang Xiaxia managed it, but as he carried Lin Shengwen on his back and followed right behind her the entire way, they didn't encounter a single person.

It was also possible that due to the military's operations that afternoon, the people in the county had become much more well-behaved, making their journey quite safe.

However, once they left the county town and headed toward the village, the air grew increasingly cold. The chill was so intense that Xia Lin could barely hold on, his strength rapidly draining away.

Noticing that Xia Lin's pace was getting slower and slower, Jiang Xiaxia pondered for a moment, walked over to his side, pointed at Lin Shengwen, and asked, "Me?"

Xia Lin shook his head. "I'm fine, let's just keep walking quickly!"

It was far too desolate here. If a few bad guys were to show up, the two children definitely wouldn't be able to fend them off.

Besides, there was little Shengwen; in such bitter cold, his body simply wouldn't be able to endure it.

"Xiaxia, how much longer do we have to walk?"

Hearing Xia Lin's question, Jiang Xiaxia thought for a moment and held up two fingers. "Two hours?"

Xia Lin's small body stiffened. "Two hours?"

"Yeah!" Jiang Xiaxia nodded. "What's wrong?"

Having grown up in the capital, Xia Lin had always traveled by car or bicycle whenever he went far. He had never walked for two hours straight in his life.

"Xiaxia, let's go back!" Finally sensing that something was terribly wrong, Xia Lin looked at Jiang Xiaxia and said, "It's too cold. If we keep walking like this, we're bound to get sick, and little Shengwen won't be able to take it either!"

Seeing Xia Lin's pale face, Jiang Xiaxia recalled that during the apocalypse, humans seemed to take exceptionally good care of their young cubs, always putting them inside vehicles whenever they traveled.

Scratching her head in mild distress, she felt a sudden wave of annoyance when she remembered the two vehicles from earlier.

Why couldn't there have been even one that Tongzi could drive?

When she got back, she would have to ask Grandpa to build one!

Thinking this, Jiang Xiaxia looked around until she spotted a faint glow of light not far off, and immediately pricked up her ears to listen.

A few minutes later, her eyes lit up, and she reached out to tap Xia Lin on the shoulder. "Wait for me!"

With that, she turned around and bolted.

Worried, Xia Lin gritted his teeth, carried Lin Shengwen on his back, and hurried after her. "Xiaxia, where are you going? I'm coming with you!"

Jiang Xiaxia looked back and checked on him. "Can you keep going?"

"I can!" Xia Lin gritted his teeth and nodded. He had already made a mistake, and the only thing he could do now was to stay together until his older brother found them.

Jiang Xiaxia nodded, her short legs pivoting as she headed off in another direction.

After walking for about ten minutes, Jiang Xiaxia heard the breathing behind her growing heavier and heavier. She came to a halt, looked at Xia Lin, and said, "Wait here. I'll go!"

Xia Lin grabbed hold of her. "No way! You have to tell me first what you plan to do!"

Jiang Xiaxia pointed ahead. "Can get help. Find!"

Thinking she meant she was going to find someone ahead for help, Xia Lin looked up and, seeing figures moving about in the distance, still felt uneasy. "Do you know the people here?"

Jiang Xiaxia gave him a rather strange look. She wasn't looking for the people inside anyway; what did it matter whether she knew them or not?

However, seeing that Xia Lin looked as though he wouldn't let her go unless she answered, she could only nod to indicate that she knew them.

Anyway, those things belonged to those people. If she had a nice chat with those things later and they agreed to send them home, it shouldn't be a problem at all, right?

Seeing her nod, Xia Lin finally loosened his grip slowly and said, "Then go! If they aren't willing to help, show them this lock."

Terrified that Xiaia might refuse, he hurriedly added by way of explanation, "Just leave the lock here with them first. When my brother arrives, we'll give them a reward to show our gratitude, and then we can get the lock back."

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Xiaxia figured she wouldn't have to spend any money, and since the lock wasn't hers anyway, she had nothing to lose. So she nodded, turned around, and with light, pattering footsteps, ran briskly toward the courtyard.

About five minutes later, just as Xia Lin was consumed by anxiety and tension, a series of snorting, grunting sounds approached from a distance. He instantly hoisted Lin Shengwen onto his back, his expression tightening as he vigilantly scanned his surroundings.

Could a wild boar have come down from the mountain? This was bad. If they really ran into a wild boar, he and little Shengwen would likely be done for.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw two large, fat pigs lumbering ahead, swaying as they walked toward him.

Xia Lin gritted his teeth, quickly hid Lin Shengwen in a nearby stack of hay, and then turned to face the approaching pigs with a fierce glare.

He would run away in a moment to lure the wild boar away. Hopefully, when Xiaxia came back, she would find little Shengwen and take him away.

As Xia Lin thought this and was about to bolt, a puzzled voice sounded from behind him, "What are you running for?"

Xia Lin stiffened and turned his head. Looking at the little figure sitting atop a pig, his jaw dropped. After gasping in a mouthful of cold wind, he finally shivered and snapped back to reality. "Xiaxia?"

"What are you doing?" Seeing Xia Lin standing completely motionless, Jiang Xiaxia sighed. Why were boys nowadays so wishy-washy?

Tumbling down from the pig's back, Jiang Xiaxia picked up Lin Shengwen and was just about to toss him onto the pig's back when Xia Lin hurriedly said, "Let me go up first to catch him!"

Saying this, Xia Lin made to climb onto the pig.

Yet... he had climbed trees, climbed cars, and even climbed military dogs, but he had never climbed a pig before!

"Wait!"

After a moment of thought, Jiang Xiaxia reached into her pocket, pulled out a black-sesame-sized pellet, tossed it to the pig in front of her, and patted the animal on the head.

The pig immediately dropped down.

Had Wang Lianjun been present, he surely would have recognized this as the exact thing Xiaxia had pulled from her pocket back at the old Jiang residence.

This was also special animal feed that Tongzi's grandfather had specifically researched and developed during the apocalypse in order to raise mutant beasts.

Ignorant of this, Xia Lin simply assumed that taming pigs in the village worked this way. He hurriedly scrambled up using hands and feet, and then pulled Lin Shengwen up after him.

Seeing that both of them were mounted, Jiang Xiaxia climbed up as well, waved her little hand, and declared, "Let's go! Galloping pigs!"

Whether the two pigs actually understood or not, they let out snorts and trotted off toward the main road.

Slaughterhouse:

Hearing the commotion outside, a certain man emerged from his dormitory. He first looked around guardedly, and seeing no one, was about to return inside when his gaze shifted toward the pigpen. He saw one pig lying flat on the ground with a gold lock hanging around its neck. His expression instantly shifted; he strode over, picked up the gold lock, and when he saw the character carved upon it, his face drained of color in shock.

Could this belong to Captain Xia? How did it end up here?

He had received a notice this afternoon saying Captain Xia had already found his younger brother. Could something have gone wrong?