Chapter 44: Celebration

Xiao Yu followed the ogre’s footprints and roughly judged its direction. After looking around for a while, he pondered and said: “There are no other traces in this area. I believe this ogre was out hunting, and it only passes by here occasionally. You don’t have to worry too much because the ogre is a monster who practices a fairly similar daily pattern. It will only come out to hunt after the weather is cooler, usually in the afternoon or evening. In the future, try to avoid going out during this time period. We should also limit our outdoor activities in cloudy and rainy weather to avoid being discovered by wandering ogres. In this way, the likelihood of us bumping into one is extremely low. The good thing is because ogres are now frequently appearing in the vicinity, other monsters will not dare to approach, so our living environment is somewhat safer.”

“So that’s how it was; that scared me to death.”

“Oh, I get it.”

“Yeah, that’s like a blessing in disguise.”

The others also started chattering, and it was evident that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After listening to Xiao Yu’s confident tone of voice, Jiang Xiaowen also said with confidence: “Well, although I don’t know how powerful that ogre is, but since even you are no match, then I must not be even a good appetizer for it. I feel much better now that I think about it that way.”

Xiao Yu looked around, feeling a little worried. Finally, he said in a low voice: “Let us not linger in the forest any longer and return to the cave as soon as possible. These footprints are very fresh; the ogre looks to have only left a few minutes ago. It will be complicated if it comes back and finds us.”

Nobody dared to question Xiao Yu’s words. After all, it was difficult to imagine such a powerful individual like him being afraid. And they all came to one conclusion ‘What a frightening monster it must be‘ Thinking of this, they quickly picked up their pace and reached the foot of the small mountain in a hurry before they entered the cave one by one. Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief as they returned to that dark, damp underground area, finally feeling some safety.

Du Tao was in charge of directing the storage of supplies. He stood at the exit of one cavern and shouted to everyone: “Caverns No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7 are already full. Everyone, please transport all the remaining supplies to No. 8 Cavern. You can rest when you put everything away; all of you have worked hard today. After a simple count, today’s distribution will be carried out, and afterwards, how about we celebrate tonight!”

Everyone was grinning and obviously happy about the food that evening.

Cavern No. 8 had a space of seven to eight square meters, and it was used as a storage room for its ample space. A large amount of food had now been neatly piled up inside. When the last batch of supplies was also arranged, the cave would finally be completely filled up. With so much food and supplies piled up like a hill. Everyone felt happy and at ease from the bottom of their hearts.

Xiao Yu sat on a somewhat smooth wide slab, unscrewed the water bottle’s lid in his hand, and drank a few gulps. Then he stared at the quietly flowing river not far away in a daze as if lost in thought.

He saw the people around him chatting happily and smiling, making jokes and playing while working simultaneously. He suddenly felt a trace of inexplicable sadness and loneliness in his heart.

I’m not sure why, but there always seems to be a gap between me and everyone, probably because I died once and my thoughts and psychology have largely changed, or is it because I was isolated for far too long before, always travelling on my own, that now I feel a little uncomfortable with my current lifestyle?

“Look, guys, what do you think of my new outfit?” Wang Chao deliberately cleaned up his body from dirt and sweat, dressed in costly clothing he found at the store. He put an expensive cigarette in his mouth while wearing a jumble of luxury items that matched his fat body, as he looked quite attractive, with a bit of a nouveau riche temperament surrounding him, “I couldn’t previously afford these goods, but now I can have as many as I want. Of course, I was slightly jealous of those rich people at the time. But now that I’m wearing these things on my body, I don’t feel anything special; I actually overcame my desire for luxury.”

Xiao Yu put down the bottle in his hand, smiled at that sight and said calmly: “A wealthy man with a family fortune in the tens of billions might as well be buried in a beast’s belly as we speak. But, on the contrary, some poor farmers that have been doing manual labor all day long could now be surviving tenaciously, with enough strength to live. So what if you’re wealthy? The world now relies on strength to speak and the bigger fist reign.”

Jin Shi walked over, wearing a long-sleeve shirt: “That’s right, fatty is unreliable, insisting on wearing soiled brand-name clothing, jewellery, and cell phones. Those things are no longer useful and aren’t even as real as this piece of candy.” So he said before swallowing it.

“I just like them, and it’s none of your business.” Wang Chao curled his lips and said: “Boss, Du Tao announced earlier that we would have a big feast tonight. Everyone had already arrived; how could we do without you? Let’s go right away! “

Today was indeed a day worth of celebration for the entire group. The very least they could do was pick a good location near the cave’s entrance and set up a few large iron pots in an open area before they started preparing large amounts of wild vegetables, leafy greens, meat, and so on, as they poured everything in those big pots.

Jiang Xiaowen and Yun Yun sat together beside a large pot, arguing about how much seasoning to add. They’d never cooked before, and they could have done a better work cutting those vegetables. Fortunately, the several people brought along with Huang Jianmin were professional chefs with excellent skills. With their help, they could barely finish everything. Du Tao was very generous today, and he ended up distributing to everyone a bunch of snacks, drinks, and two bags of rice and noodles.

“Xiao Yu, you’re here.” Han Kexin suddenly appeared before the trio. She looked completely different in that pair of black tights and jacket, along with her high bust and thin willow waist, which swayed back and forth. On top of those tights, she also wore short jeans on her lower body, covering her round hips and slim thighs, “Don’t just dilly dally all day. Do you know how busy I was? All of you should come and help the others.”

Xiao Yu smiled helplessly before he rose up.

Half an hour later, Xiao Yu, Han Kexin, Jiang Xiaowen, Wang Chao, Jin Shi, Du Tao, Yun Yun and all other important figures sat together.

“Cheers!”

Du Tao picked up a bottle of beer, raising it up.

“Bottoms up!”

To celebrate, Xiao Yu and the others raised their bottles to touch his before they gulped down a few swigs; even Han Kexin, Jiang Xiaowen, and Yun Yun each drank a bottle of beer in celebration. Wang Chao and Jin Shi had a good capacity for alcohol, so they directly picked up a bottle of the famous luxurious ‘Maotai’ drink. Xiao Yu’s drinking capacity was not lower than the other two, but he was used to maintaining a clear mind at all times, so he avoided the likes of that high-strength liquor.

Several people put some chopped venison, wild boar meat, and various leaves and wild vegetables directly into the oversized boiling pot. Jiang Xiaowen’s lovely crescent-shaped eyes were gazing at the pot amid a pile of snacks with a smile all over her face; her face was flushed, but she couldn’t tell if that was caused by the heat or from being tipsy by the alcohol. She was eating lots while holding a bag of potato chips. It was the first time she had eaten snacks so merrily. Before all of this mess, she would have never eaten so recklessly, all to maintain her figure.

“The meal is ready!”

Bowls of white rice were served in front of them. Many people looked at the white rice and almost cried. They could hardly remember how long it had been since they had eaten rice, and they didn’t even dare to hope they could eat delicious rice once again. However, everyone’s heart was filled with a strong sense of joy at that moment.

Jiang Xiaowen picked up a piece of fresh and tender venison and put it in her mouth. It was both salty and spicy and tasted delicious. She was about to pick up another piece when she saw Wang Chao, that big fat guy, using a large mesh spoon to scoop up half of the meat and veggies inside the pot. He put them neatly in his bowl before eating them like a storm.

“Damn fatty!” Jiang Xiaowen muttered in dissatisfaction and quickly put a few pieces of meat into Xiao Yu’s bowl, “Here, I’ll give this to you; eat it; it’s very delicious. If you don’t grab a few, some incompetent fat ball will eat all the tasty food!”

Wang Chao grinned when he heard her words, “Oh dear, no need to rush; what you are worried about, are you afraid the boss will eat less? Little girl, you’re really considerate. Ah, forget it, master fatty won’t bicker with you anymore.” He said before he took another handful of meat and vegetables from the big pot, “I was going to give it to the boss originally, but since someone is so concerned about him, let’s give this to stone instead.”

After he finished speaking, he poured the meat and vegetables from the spoon into Jinshi’s bowl, and the latter was not polite at all; he directly accepted the food cheerfully and started eating. Angry and embarrassed, Jiang Xiaowen stared at the two of them with wide eyes; she moved her lips, yet still not knowing what to say, she could only snort in frustration as she grabbed a handful of potato chips before placing them in her mouth, and chewed with all her strength as if she was chewing Wang Chao instead.

When they saw this scene, Xiao Yu and Han Kexin smiled, feeling warm inside.

Wang Chao noticed that the other person was giving him a dirty look. He looked up and casually said, “I’m not as much ignorant, especially compared to a little girl who has yet to grow hair.”

Jiang Xiaowen was furious, “I’m not a little girl!”

Wang Chao unscrewed a bottle of Baijiu with a ‘pop’, took two gulps, then looked at her provocatively and said, “Well, if you dare to take two full gulps, I’ll take back what I just said.”

He was aware of Jiang Xiaowen’s extremely low alcohol tolerance. She used to occasionally feel lightheaded whenever she was given a half-glass of beer during one of their class outings. The cunning Wang Chao was just deliberately provoking her.

Indecisive at first, Jiang Xiaowen scowled. However, when she met Wang Chao’s playful look, she immediately turned her gaze over at Xiao Yu, puffed up her cheeks, and said one word after another: “I’m going to drink it; I’m not a little girl. You just watch me; this is nothing!” After finishing her sentence, she immediately raised the Baiju bottle and drank it in large gulps.

Her little face turned bright red in an instant, and she coughed forcefully, spilling the liquor all over the ground.

Seeing this, Wang Chao laughed out loud.

Yunyun patted Jiang Xiaowen on the back, glared at Wang Chao, and said, “Can’t you keep up your mouth shut?”

Wang Chao rolled his eyes.

Everyone was solely devoted to enjoying themselves that night, eating and drinking with relish as they laughed and cracked jokes together. It was the happiest moment for everyone since the disaster day. Jiang Xiaowen, who had never consumed alcohol before, also drank a lot of beer, but because her physique was much better than before, she didn’t feel much discomfort. Yet Under Wang Chao’s provocation, she bit the bullet and drank a small half bottle of Baiju.

When she was being sent back to rest with the help of her friends and Han Kexin, she was a bit intoxicated, and she started mumbling.

Han Kexin supported Jiang Xiaowen on one side as the girl repeatedly muttered in a low voice, “I’m not a little girl…” “Xiao Yu, why are you ignoring me… Does Xiao Yu not like me anymore… ” and so on. Eventually, strange and perplexed eyes turned back toward Xiao Yu, who was following them from behind, making him feel slightly embarrassed.

Letting everyone have a good time could relieve some of their psychological stress, but the celebration time has finished, so there can be no slack afterward.

On the second day, Du Tao divided everyone into several combat groups, each led by a few elementary team members, entrusted with hunting monsters in turns. Xiao Yu also occasionally took the elites of the team to some areas where elementary monsters were densely distributed.

(TN: the liquor he drank is called baiju it looks like sake and soju, a distilled colorless liquor)