Chapter 44: Taoyang’s Rooftop Barbecue Party
After finally getting some free time after half a month, Pei Dong found herself surrounded by her five close confidants, who clung to her persistently. Ultimately, she compromised and decided to take them on a tour of Taoyang.
Since she was bringing outsiders, Pei Dong gave Su Tao a call.
Su Tao was quite welcoming when she heard, “Of course! I trust your people. It just so happens that the big rooftop has been completed recently. One of the tenants brought over a pre-apocalypse barbecue grill. We’re planning to host an open-air barbecue tonight. You should join us!”
Pei Dong was stunned.
Rooftop? Barbecue? It felt like she and Su Tao weren’t even living in the same world.
Just last night, she was still monitoring the movements of evolved zombies, worrying about the future of the base, and fretting over the survivors’ tough lives in the apocalypse.
And now Su Tao was inviting her to an outdoor barbecue party, as if everyone in Taoyang was living in a peaceful era before the apocalypse.
The youngest of the group, Ye Xiaqing, who had a lively personality, jumped up excitedly when she heard Su Tao’s voice through the communicator and answered on Pei Dong’s behalf:
“Great! We’ll definitely come. Thank you, Boss Su!”
The other confidants chimed in with their thanks, full of anticipation and excitement.
They had long heard that Taoyang was like a paradise, and they just happened to catch an open-air gathering.
Barbecue! It was a luxury and leisure activity from before the apocalypse—how exciting!
Pei Dong smiled and shook her head, indulging them.
If it were before the apocalypse, these girls would have been just in their early twenties. They deserved a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.
At 8 p.m., Pei Dong and her group arrived as promised, with Su Tao welcoming them at the entrance.
Pei Dong immediately noticed the newly built office building. After a moment of silence, she said:
“Do you need people? I’ve got a few who can write and do math—they had a high school education before the apocalypse—”
Su Tao facepalmed, “Sister Pei, this office building can only fit four people for now. How about I reach out to you when I need more?”
Pei Dong nodded, looking at Su Tao as if to say—I’ll remember that. You’d better keep your word.
Ye Xiaqing wandered around the building enviously, sighing, “When the apocalypse came, I was only three years old. My family couldn’t afford a teacher or school, so I never got a formal education. To this day, I can only write my own name, Sister Pei’s name, and ‘Dongyang Base City Defense Force.'”
Su Tao noticed the longing in Ye Xiaqing’s eyes and felt a pang of sadness.
When she was young and living with the Su family, she didn’t have a chance to go to school either. But since her two older brothers attended school, Su Tao would secretly look at their books or listen in on Su Jianming’s lessons while doing chores.
Despite her fragmented learning, she had managed to grasp some knowledge. While not as well-rounded as Zhuang Wan, she could at least read and write most characters and handle basic arithmetic.
The apocalypse not only destroyed infrastructure and order but also education and culture.
Su Tao hoped that Taoyang would eventually have a school, where future generations could receive an education.
Once this seed of hope was planted, it began to take root and grow in Su Tao’s heart.
By this time, more than thirty people had already gathered on the rooftop. Zhuang Wan was busy helping everyone move the cafeteria tables and chairs to the rooftop, connecting them into one large dining table.
Aunt Qian, on the other hand, was organizing everyone to prepare skewers for the barbecue.
The skewers were provided by a tenant named Yuan, who worked at a wood processing factory. He managed to procure a batch of wooden skewers, which needed to be returned for processing and reuse afterward. In the apocalypse, every resource was precious.
Most of the barbecue ingredients were synthetic foods provided by the tenants themselves. These were currently the most common and affordable food in the apocalypse. While the taste wasn’t great, it was enough to fill the stomach.
A small portion of the ingredients came from fresh supplies that Su Tao had taken from the bento fridge.
Pei Dong’s group, however, showed a bit more wealth, arriving with two large bags full of fresh vegetables.
This sight made everyone’s eyes light up with envy.
Ye Xiaqing and the other four warmly invited everyone to join in washing and preparing the vegetables, acting as the voice for the quiet Pei Dong:
“Our Sister Pei said these were freshly harvested from the plantation today. Consider them our meal contribution for crashing your barbecue.”
Aunt Qian and the other tenants felt a bit embarrassed, “You’re too kind.”
Due to land pollution and degradation after the apocalypse, all vegetables had to be hydroponically grown. Plus, the plantation at the base wasn’t very large to begin with, so the yield of fresh vegetables was extremely low.
These two large bags were probably all bought with contribution points.
Su Tao also felt that Pei Dong’s generosity was a bit too much and invited them to sit down, “You’re our honored guests today. Just relax and enjoy.”
The smoke from the grill curled up gently, accompanied by laughter and cheerful chatter.
Not far away, Fan Chuanhui couldn’t help but smile as he lifted his camera, capturing countless beautiful and happy moments.
Old Mr. Mei, sitting in his wheelchair, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes as he let out a long sigh:
“In my life, the first half was smooth and stable, my career successful. The latter half was filled with hardship, struggling to survive. I never expected that as my life draws to a close, I could still enjoy such peace and happiness. I am satisfied… But now, even with one foot in the grave, I find myself with new attachments…”
Xiao Pan asked, “What are you still holding onto?”
Old Mr. Mei’s nose tingled with emotion, “I can’t let go of this place. I want to see high-rise buildings built here, see schools and hospitals established, see wide and smooth roads constructed, and witness a place where the elderly are cared for and children have education…”
He longed to see the peaceful and stable world of his earlier years.
But, he knew, his time was running out.
He patted the railing, his old tears streaming down his face.
