Chapter 240: The Phoenix Man Who Soared Before the Apocalypse (45)

Everyone in the room tacitly gave up the couch, leaving it for Shen Xiuyan and his group to use.

As for themselves, they sat on the floor in small groups, cooking their meals on the spot.

Even the elderly and children among them were no exception. In the apocalypse, there was no such thing as special treatment.

Brother Lei and his group didn’t have much in the way of supplies. Most of what they had now had been given to them by Shen Xiuyan earlier.

After a few days of eating, their stock was running dangerously low.

If they didn’t stop to scavenge tomorrow, someone would likely go hungry on the road ahead.

So at this point, Brother Lei wanted to talk to Shen Xiuyan, to see if they could find a place to restock supplies tomorrow.

The journey so far hadn’t been as easy as they’d imagined. Brother Lei could tell that Shen Xiuyan was deliberately trying to train them.

The roads weren’t smooth. Abandoned vehicles often blocked the way, and their convoy was too large to go around them.

At times like that, someone had to get out and clear the zombies and move the vehicles.

Their supernatural abilities weren’t as strong as Shen Xiuyan’s. They couldn’t just blast the way open with ease like he could.

They had to work together, draining all their energy just to barely clear a path.

Of course, Shen Xiuyan didn’t just stand by and watch. Whenever zombies were about to attack, he would step in immediately.

And once he confirmed that everyone had exhausted their abilities, he would clear the road himself so they could pass through.

Despite all this, no one harbored any resentment. On the contrary, they were actually grateful to him…

Because everyone understood his intentions. If they didn’t improve their own abilities and kept relying on others, they wouldn’t survive long in this apocalypse—especially when they had people they needed to protect.

Shen Xiuyan had seen a lot along the way and understood what they were thinking.

If you asked him, people were just like that—cheap.

A favor of rice earns gratitude, but a sack of rice earns resentment.

If you treat them well and then suddenly stop, they’ll turn on you.

But if you keep them under pressure and then show a little kindness, they’ll think the world of you.

Manipulating people like this was almost too easy.

After all, when it came to reading people’s hearts, he had thousands of years of experience.

At that thought, Shen Xiuyan suddenly froze. Thousands of years?

Why did he think that?

Could it be… the memories he’d lost?

While he was still lost in thought, unable to make sense of it all, Brother Lei had already walked up to him.

“Young Master Shen, our food stores are running low. Do you think we could find a place to restock tomorrow?”

Shen Xiuyan, pulled out of his thoughts by the sudden voice, was startled and snapped back to reality.

Forget it. If he couldn’t figure it out now, he’d just wait. The truth would come out eventually.

He nodded. “Alright. Tomorrow morning we’ll search the area first. See if there’s a supermarket nearby where everyone can resupply. If not, we’ll move farther out.”

“Great!”

Brother Lei beamed with joy. He knew Young Master Shen would agree.

*

The pot was bubbling away, the aroma of chicken soup slowly spreading and soon filling the entire two-story house.

Everyone who caught a whiff couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

Damn, that smells good.

Who would’ve thought that even now, Young Master Shen’s group still had meat?

It was enough to make anyone jealous.

Inhaling deeply, the others took a big bite of their dry biscuits or bread, using the smell to fuel their appetite.

Hmm, suddenly the rations didn’t taste so bad.

Shen Xiuyan was quite pleased with the sight. Good, these people still had some pride. No one came up begging for a bite, no matter how tempting it was.

It seemed they had already figured out their place.

Aunt Niu called out from the side, “Come eat, quick. Time’s tight, so I kept it simple today. Just stewed a chicken and threw in some noodles for chicken noodle soup.”

Everyone who had been straining their ears to eavesdrop: “…”

Chicken noodle soup was considered simple?

What a bold statement.

But then again, she had the goods to back it up.

Aunt Niu quickly scooped out the cooked noodles and placed them into bowls.

Then she ladled a generous spoonful of chicken soup—with large chunks of meat—into each bowl.

Su Mingyue wasn’t idle either. She helped garnish each bowl with a few vegetables.

Once everything was plated, the noodles looked absolutely mouthwatering.

“This is chili sauce. If it’s too bland for you, add some to your noodles.” Aunt Niu pulled out a bottle of chili sauce from who-knows-where and placed it on the table.

Seeing everyone eating with such restraint and longing, she couldn’t help but laugh. “No need to rush. There’s plenty of soup and noodles. If anyone doesn’t get enough, just let me know and I’ll cook more.”

“Alright!” Shen Xiuyan had already wolfed down half a bowl in just a few bites. He smacked his lips. Why did it feel like he’d become a bigger eater since the apocalypse?

His appetite had practically doubled. Had he turned into a glutton?

Shen “Glutton” Xiuyan slurped another mouthful of noodles in disbelief. Oh well, so what if he was a glutton? At least he could feed himself.

Come to think of it, it was probably because his supernatural ability consumed too much energy. He needed food to replenish it.

Soon, Shen Xiuyan finished his bowl of noodles. He glanced at Aunt Niu, who was still eating, and said nothing.

Instead, he quietly set his bowl down and waited patiently for her to finish.

Aunt Niu suddenly looked up and saw Shen Xiuyan sitting there all proper and upright. She asked tentatively, “Want some more?”

His eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly, then added a little sheepishly, “No rush. You finish eating first.”

“Aiyo, it’s no big deal. I’ll just cook another batch after I eat.” Aunt Niu chuckled. What a good son-in-law. He’d rather go hungry than interrupt her meal.

But what Shen Xiuyan didn’t know was that for someone who cooked, nothing was more satisfying than seeing someone eat their food with such relish. It was the highest compliment to her cooking and gave her a sense of comfort.

Otherwise, she always felt like she was freeloading—eating without contributing. It made her feel guilty.

At that moment, Mother Su also put down her bowl. “You eat. You’ve been working hard all day. I’ll go cook the next batch.”

“No, no, no! I can’t let Madam cook noodles!” Aunt Niu shook her head frantically in panic.

Mother Su sighed. “There you go again. I told you, stop calling me Madam. That kind of formality doesn’t matter anymore.”

Father Su waved his hand. “Yeah, let her go. She can handle cooking noodles. Oh, and honey, make me a bowl too.”

Mother Su rolled her eyes at him.

Once she left, Aunt Niu didn’t know whether to sit or stand. In the end, it was Su Mingyue who coaxed her back down.

“Aunt Niu, hurry up and eat. The noodles will get soggy.”

Aunt Niu still looked uneasy. “But…”

— Translator’s Notes —

• A favor of rice earns gratitude, but a sack of rice earns resentment: This is a Chinese proverb meaning that small favors are appreciated, but continuous generosity can create entitlement and resentment when expectations aren’t met.