Chapter 5, Where Did Dad Go

Hai Momo nodded vigorously, while Tang Ao irritably raked his hair: "Damn it, if you keep talking, I’ll end up being more nagging than my mom. Be careful, I really don’t want to come back and find a pile of zombie leftovers!"

It entered the store, sniffing left and right. Tang Ao felt that this dog was not without its merits. There was no one inside, and he found a woven bag for incoming goods, stuffing several sets of clothes into it. There were shoes on the shelves, and he took a few pairs.

Tang Ao held the fire axe in his hand. Although the kitchen knife was originally intended to be put away, it ultimately remained in the car, placed beside Hai Momo: "Close the door properly. Except for me, no one is allowed to open the door if they knock."

There are hardly any fish left in the river, but he managed to catch four large crabs. The food has been truly terrible these past few days, so having four crabs is quite good. ... However ... it is still not enough, as there is one more mouth to feed in the car

The autumn sun shines brightly, casting golden light upon the small river, its brilliance as rich as aged wine. Tang Ao took out the shampoo and shower gel, along with two sets of clean clothes—one set for himself and one for Hai Momo.

Hai Momo nodded slightly, while Wang Wang played beside her, chasing its own tail. Tang Ao thought for a moment and continued to advise: "Be careful of your surroundings when you go out, and make sure to check the grass for any zombies. Keep your dog close to you, and if it spots a zombie, let it lead you away."

After finishing the collection and getting into the car, Wang Wang jumped into the passenger seat. Not long after the car started moving, Tang Ao noticed a hardware store by the roadside. The items were useful, but unfortunately, they could not be moved. Tang Ao noted the location and then continued forward. Ahead was a jewelry store.

There is absolutely no food stored in the car, and after having had breakfast, we must plan for lunch. Tang Ao began to assign tasks: "Later, you will go to the riverside to catch crabs or fish, anything edible! I will search the nearby stores; we need too many things."

In the end, he emerged from the small shop like a robber, carrying two bags of goods

As Deng Haimao closed the car door, Tang Ao stepped out with a fire axe in hand. Just as he walked past the railing, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his foot. A zombie poked its head out with a growl. Tang Ao casually swung the fire axe and severed the hand. He descended from the grass to the riverbank

Tang Ao lunged forcefully, bringing both himself and a zombie crashing to the ground. He pinned it beneath him, the handle of his axe firmly pressed against its neck. At that moment, a zombie also staggered out from behind the counter.

He gave Haimaoma a red doll dress, with fluffy artificial fur on the collar. Haimaoma's skin was already good, and now, when paired with it, she looked even more exquisite, like a finely carved jade figure.

Tang Ao gritted his teeth, grabbed the iron from beside him, and struck it forcefully on the head of the female zombie. Dark green blood splattered all over his head and face. He pressed his lips together and smashed the zombie's head into a mushy pulp in just a few strikes. Then he turned around and cleaved the zombie behind him in half with an axe.

Diamonds and pearls are not edible, and Tang Ao did not wish to pay them any mind, yet he saw several individuals emerging from the store carrying a black bag. They were also holding a hammer and a homemade pistol

Hai Momo's little face is flushed: "Hmm!"

Hai Momo is still asleep, but the dog named Wang Wang is much more alert; it opens its eyes as soon as Tang Ao moves. Tang Ao wakes Hai Momo up: "Close the car door properly before going back to sleep"

Wang Wang nimbly jumped up, and he drove forward. There was a children's clothing store ahead, and after some thought, he decided to stop the car—after all, even if he couldn't take care of Hai Momo for long, clothes were still necessary. It was just a side errand, he convinced himself

The clothes in the children's clothing store were still in good condition. He grabbed one and randomly wiped his face with it, then held it up to compare with Haimaomo's height. He was truly not skilled at selecting clothes—he had never bought his own clothes in his entire life. He could only fumble around.

Tang Aoxin felt a sinking sensation in her heart. What is the use of robbing jewelry now? Before the virus spread, an organization called "Saints" had threatened the government, claiming they would use biological weapons. Could it be them?

He found an off-road vehicle with a full tank and began searching nearby shops and stores. Less than a week after the outbreak of the virus, the first-tier city E was already in ruins

Hai Momo responded and quickly began to undress. Tang Ao turned his back and sat under the willow tree, while she and Wang Wang were splashing around in the water. After estimating that she had finished washing, Tang Ao arranged her new clothes and said: "Come over and put on your clothes"

There is no hairdryer— even if there were one, it wouldn't have power. Tang Ao could only find a piece of clothing to help her dry her hair. Hai Momo mumbled: "Dad, there are no underwear, and no socks either"

Hai Momo was no longer interested in the books. Tang Ao found some old newspapers and discarded wood, opened the small window of the car for ventilation, and then began to cook crabs, river clams, and eels in an iron basin. Outside, a dog barked, and Hai Momo hurried to open the door

He went down to the riverbank, placed the axe beside him, took off his clothes, and entered the water to bathe by the foam. Although Haimaoma and Wangwang did not dare to make a sound, they played joyfully, splashing water everywhere

There is no need to worry about stocks, futures, or real estate anymore; this is simply like a vacation—if only there were a few beauties around instead of this "little" person. He lay back with his hands behind his head and suddenly said, "I will take you home tomorrow"

There were several zombies wandering outside the car. Tang Ao searched the nearby vehicle and picked up two iron basins, throwing one far away. Upon hearing the noise, the zombies began to slowly walk towards the riverbank

He may think about it, but he did not take action—what time is it now? Does he still need to wear his underwear on the outside to become Superman and maintain world peace?

Oh! Hai Momo responded, and Tang Ao was not worried—although her mother said she was intellectually challenged, she seemed quite clever these past few days. As long as she stayed in the car, there should not be any unexpected incidents

Hai Momo leaned in and suddenly kissed him on the cheek: "Goodbye, Dad"

He closed the car door and went back down to the riverbank. Hai Momo rolled up the cuffs of her pants and was having a great time. When Tang Ao saw the iron basin on the shore, he couldn't help but be startled. It already contained quite a few fish, loaches, crabs, and river clams. Hai Momo was just standing by the small river, but whenever a fish passed by, she caught it with precision.

In Hai Momo's backpack, there is a small comb, which is a toy, and it also comes with a small mirror. Tang Ao took it and helped her comb her hair, but he truly did not know how to braid it, so this would have to suffice

Wang Wang still went in to "reconnoiter" first, and Tang Ao understood; no wonder Hai Momo has survived until now, she has a "scout"

Awo! Woof! With a low bark, it ran out. Tang Ao placed the woven bag on the ground and gripped the axe tightly in both hands. Indeed, three zombies staggered out from inside, pursuing him.

After finishing the meal, Hai Momo rolled up her sleeves to wash the dishes, while Tang Ao lay sprawled in the car trunk, feeling completely relaxed. Now he truly had become a penniless wretch, no longer needing to keep a constant watch over the pharmaceutical factory, no longer having to socialize daily with those clients from the library, and no longer having to dress impeccably for speeches every day

Hai Momo also scraped some clam meat for Wang Wang. Tang Ao naturally noticed her little action, but he did not say anything.

Tang Ao then cautiously ran towards the small truck

All three are female attendants, with no visible wounds on their bodies, only their skin appearing grayish-white, and their eyeballs rolled back, revealing a large area of the sclera. Tang Ao beheaded the female attendant walking in front with an axe, and the other two pounced forward.

Oh! Hai Momo lowered her head to wash the dishes, and as she picked up the stainless steel bowl, it left five fingerprints from her hand. She quickly adjusted her grip to be gentler

Do not waste food. Tang Ao was somewhat displeased. Hai Momo glanced at him, pushed Wang Wang behind her, and continued to feed without interruption. Tang Ao had no choice; he really did not want to reason with a little child, so he simply handed her the grilled river clam and poured some salad dressing into it.

Tang Ao sighed and stepped into a clothing store. He held an axe in his hand and slowly pushed the door open. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him; he turned around and saw Wang Wang running over like a snowball.

Hai Momo broke all the crab legs for Wang Wang, who pressed them down with its little paws and ate them with great delight. Hai Momo then fed it everything she had in her hands

It is evident that someone has been here, but what everyone took were merely canned goods, biscuits, and the like; very few people touched the salt and oil. Tang Ao quickly picked up several bags of salt and then carried a bucket of oil. He then packed the remaining rice and flour, and also grabbed a bottle of lighter, laundry detergent, body wash, and shampoo to put into the woven bag

Hai Momo saw him and was overjoyed: "Dad!" She stepped forward, wrapped her arms tightly around Tang Ao's neck, and planted a kiss on his cheek with her little mouth.

Hai Momo woke up in a daze, rubbing her eyes: "Daddy, where are you going?"

The crab was cooked, and he first handed one to Hai Momo. Hai Momo took it, and Wang Wang ran over to sit beside her, looking as if it was waiting eagerly to eat. Tang Ao opened the salad dressing, and the three of them, one dog and two people, gathered around the iron basin to eat. The small window was not large enough, and the smoke was actually a bit irritating, but it felt very warm.

Tang Ao paid her no mind, continuing to wash himself while occasionally glancing around to see if there were any fish.

Wang Wang had already leaped down, heading straight for the riverbank. Hai Momo looked towards the road, raising her small hand to wave at hetushu .com .com. From a distance, Tang Ao could still see a plump carp in her hand

He took out a kitchen knife, first gutted the fish, and then roasted it over a fire while also cooking some porridge. The two of them had some crabs, roasted fish, and drank some porridge. With oil and salt, both of them had a hearty appetite, and this meal could be considered a satisfactory fill.

Hai Momo, fearing that he might be unhappy, let go of his hand. The dog named Wang Wang was licking its fur and washing its face. As Tang Ao opened the car door, it naturally jumped out of the car.

He sat by the shore for a while, then went back into the water, and finally found two large river clams and a yellow eel. Fearing infection of his wound, he did not dare to stay in the water for long and returned to the shore. As he saw the sun peeking out with half of its face, he hurried back.

That night, the two people and a dog still spent the night in the car. Tang Ao let Hai Momo sleep inside while he leaned against the car door. There was still some time before dark, but he did not go anywhere; he needed ample time to rest and recover

Tang Ao knew that there was none—he was a big man, how could he think of so much? At this moment, he could only respond vaguely: "I will look for it next time"

Tang Ao had to admit that this girl was truly beautiful, as exquisite as a porcelain doll. However, her hair was disheveled after playing in the water

Tang Ao wiped his face in disgust and said: "Get away, I will send you back home in a few days. Don't think that just because we have spent a few days together, you can do as you please!"

Then he instructed Haimaomo to clean the container, while he installed two pull rings on both sides of the container and pulled out a line. This way, clothes could be hung up.

Then place a metal toolbox on the side of the car window facing the ventilation duct, and hang a metal basin on top. This simple stove is thus set up. Unfortunately, it can only be used for boiling food; if one wishes to stir-fry a Sichuan dish here, it is likely that two people and a dog could be choked to death together

Hai Momo put on her backpack: "I am going with Dad." Tang Ao was unwilling to play the role of a nanny: "No, stay in the car." Hai Momo tugged at his shirt corner, but he showed no mercy, "Don't make me say it a second time."

Tang Ao went out for the first time with it. It first relieved itself in the grass by the car, then walked while sniffing around. When it saw a zombie, it darted away like an arrow. Tang Ao shook his head; in this day and age, people are worse off than dogs. So many people cannot survive, yet dogs are still lively and energetic.

Stop joking around, hurry up and bring back some salt and oil

Carrying a woven bag, next to him was an appliance mall, but there was currently no electricity, rendering the appliances utterly useless. Tang Ao got into the car and, seeing the barking dog beside him, gently snapped his fingers.

Children simply enjoy engaging in seemingly pointless activities. Let her be, after all, it won't last long anyway. He hummed.

Early the next morning, Tang Ao woke up promptly at 5:00 AM. Although, in the eyes of others, his work over the years seemed to consist merely of drinking coffee and giving orders, the reality was that he rose earlier than the rooster and went to bed later than a dog

He returned to the "base camp" at 1 PM. Tang Ao saw Hai Momo by the river from a distance. The autumn air was crisp and clear, and the wild geese were unaffected by any viruses, still heading south. Tang Ao used an axe to smash a zombie that was clinging to the car door and moved all the items he found into the vehicle

Tang Ao was about to open the car door when he suddenly turned his head and said, "Forget it, forget it, you don't need to go. Stay in the car and wait for me to come back."

There is a convenience store ahead, where he knocked down several zombies and parked by the roadside. Wang Wang is still running ahead, and the convenience store is empty.

After washing, he went ashore, found a shaded spot under a tree to change his clothes, and then called out to Hai Momo: "You should wash up too, and then let's go to the car."

A zombie wandering by the river was attracted, so Tang Ao had no choice but to come ashore—fortunately, considering that Hai Momo was present, he took a bath while wearing a pair of briefs

He took a few steps closer to the zombie and chopped off its head with an axe. After finishing, he went back into the water. Hai Momo ran to his side and said, "Help Daddy scrub his back." After saying this, her small hands began to vigorously rub his back.

Wang Wang ran in again, and it found a box of salad dressing. At that moment, as soon as it got in the car, it smelled the scent of crabs and was extremely happy, wagging its tail vigorously around the iron basin. Tang Ao snorted coldly: "What are you so happy about? Did I say there was any for you?"

Wang Wang also entered the water, swam two laps, and then suddenly leaped up, splashing seawater all over Hai Momo's face

Their movements were extremely slow, and Tang Ao quickly split the head of the one on the left in half, with blood splattering onto the face of the one on the right. The one on the right let out a long howl and surprisingly grabbed his axe with both hands

Tang Ao still felt uneasy: "Don't venture into the deep water of the river, it's best not to go into the water at all, just look around the shore."