Ch 97: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Qu Weiwei immediately dragged Li Li away. She had hesitated before because Song Kaiji had softened his attitude toward Li Li after confirming his parents were alive. Back when they first met Zhuang Ye at the service area, Li Li could still hold a conversation with them. Plus, with Li Aiguo present, Qu Weiwei wasn’t sure how he would react—what if he still cared for his niece and nephew?

But now that Song Kaiji had spoken, she had no reservations.

Li Li continued cursing and shouting, directing her fury at Song Kaiji and Li Aiguo. She called them heartless, ungrateful, and devoid of family loyalty, spewing every cruel insult she could think of. However, with her dragged away, the car was finally able to move. Sun Cheng wasted no time, steering them away from the mountain and heading toward Red City Base.

Li Aiguo slumped in his seat, his face grim. The ordeal they had endured had taken a severe toll on his aging body. But more than that, he had been struggling with how to break the news to Li Li about her parents’ fate without traumatizing her. Now, hearing her viciously cursing Song Kaiji, he was at a loss.

But Zhang Sujuan had reached her limit. She had always been a meek person, even to the point of being timid. Before the apocalypse, she would shake and stammer if someone raised their voice at her, sometimes even breaking down into tears. She never liked conflict, always backing down in arguments.

But she wasn’t stupid. She had always known her brother-in-law’s family had been taking advantage of them, using them like an abacus that only ever calculated in their favor. She had tolerated it, just as her husband had, to keep the peace.

But now?

Her son had risked his life, going in alone to save them. And now Li Li had the audacity to hurl insults at him as if he owed her something? Even a clay figurine has a temper, let alone a mother who had just come back from the brink of death. Zhang Sujuan had already crossed the line between fear and resolve. She had dared to kill Yang Sen—she was no longer the woman who would tremble in an argument.

Her expression hardened as she looked at Li Li. “Li Li, if you’re so filial, why didn’t you go up the mountain with your cousin to save us?”

Li Li froze, her curses caught in her throat. It took her a moment before she stammered, “I—I don’t have an ability. The mountain was too dangerous…”

But Zhang Sujuan didn’t give her a chance to explain. She pressed on, her voice sharp, “When our car broke down, we were trapped for two days and nights. Did you and your brother ever come back for us? Your father and mother were in that car too. If you’re so devoted to family, why didn’t you return for them? But now, all of a sudden, you want to cry about family bonds and show off your loyalty?”

Li Li’s face flushed red with shame, but she didn’t feel guilty. Instead, she felt resentment. She ignored Zhang Sujuan’s questions, refusing to answer them, and instead turned toward Li Aiguo, playing the sympathy card.

“Second Uncle, can you really abandon my father? He’s your own brother! Auntie and Song Kaiji don’t share our blood, they don’t think like us, but you… you’re different…”

Li Aiguo let out a long sigh. He was never one to argue with others—perhaps that’s why he and Zhang Sujuan got along so well. He had always seen through Li Li and her brother’s little schemes but chose to turn a blind eye. As long as his own family could close their doors and live their own life, what others said didn’t matter. If he couldn’t afford to confront them, he could always avoid them.

But now, Li Li’s words truly chilled his heart. “Yes, they don’t share our blood. We are the real members of the Li family.”

Both Zhang Sujuan and Song Kaiji were stunned, looking at Li Aiguo in surprise.

“I’m your second uncle, and your father is my biological brother. It’s my duty to care for him. So now, you, me, and your brother,” he pointed at Li Liang, who was tied up like a dumpling, “the three of us with the Li surname will get out of the car right now and go look for them. How about that?”

Li Li’s mouth fell open. That was absolutely not what she meant. If she and Li Liang, along with Li Aiguo, went back, wouldn’t that be sending them to their deaths? She had wanted Song Kaiji, Qu Weiwei, and Tang Wenjie—people with powerful abilities—to rescue her parents!

Song Kaiji had already realized that filial duty couldn’t be outsourced, but Li Li was still clinging to that delusion.

Li Aiguo, however, had already seen through her thoughts. “Aren’t you just trying to manipulate me and Kaiji? You know very well that he doesn’t carry the Li surname, so why should he be responsible for this?”

He was deeply disappointed in his niece and no longer cared about sparing her feelings. “It’s not that we don’t want to save them. Your parents… they were gone from the very beginning. As soon as we were taken up the mountain, they were already dead. I had been thinking about how to break the news to you gently so you wouldn’t be too heartbroken, but instead, you turn around and blame Kaiji? If they were still alive, do you think Kaiji would have left them behind? Believe what you want. But Kaiji is nothing like you two. He may not be my biological son, but he is more filial and has more conscience than either of you. At least he dared to go up that mountain to save me. Did you dare to go back for your own parents?”

Li Li collapsed onto the ground, drained of all strength. Part of it was the shock of her parents’ deaths, but the other part was the realization that her second uncle and aunt had changed. She could no longer get by with just crying, throwing tantrums, and rolling on the ground.

That had always worked since she was little. How could her second uncle change like this?

Song Kaiji let out a deep breath of relief. His father had always lived by the principle of avoiding conflict when possible. Never in his memory had he seen his father speak so harshly.

This was a rare opportunity—if he let this pass, his father might soften again in a few days.

Without missing a beat, Song Kaiji pressed on, “I haven’t even confronted you about something yet. Dad, Mom, you don’t know this yet, but your car wasn’t just randomly sabotaged. Li Liang provoked that water-type ability user in the team, and her boyfriend retaliated by tampering with your car. Those two managed to escape unharmed, but you two ended up suffering for it. To put it bluntly, wasn’t it because of Li Liang that Uncle and Aunt lost their lives?”

Li Liang’s mouth was gagged, but his eyes burned with fury as he glared at Song Kaiji.

Li Aiguo and Zhang Sujuan were both stunned. “So that’s what happened!” They still remembered that water-type ability user—a kind girl. But Li Liang had constantly harassed her. Li Aiguo had tried to talk to him a few times, but Li Liang never listened. His brother and sister-in-law had spoiled him rotten, barely disciplining him.

In fact, Li Liang’s rotten personality, unchanged even in the apocalypse, was entirely his parents’ fault!

Song Kaiji quickly nodded. “At first, I thought that if anything happened to you, I’d kill Li Liang to make him pay for it. But now that you’re safe, I’m thinking… someone like him, who keeps causing trouble, who knows how much more damage he’ll do in the future? We passed by a couple of decent small settlements on the way here from Red City Base. Why don’t we just leave them there?”

As he finished, he anxiously watched his father’s expression, fearing that he might backtrack and say, “Forget it, let’s just leave it be.”

Li Aiguo looked at Li Liang and Li Li, hesitation flashing in his eyes. But he knew he had to make this decision. This wasn’t like before, where he could afford to turn a blind eye and lose a little money. This was the apocalypse—every decision was life and death. His own life might not be worth much, but his son was still young. He couldn’t afford to let anything happen to Kaiji.

And after what happened today, could they still trust Li Liang and Li Li to be on their side?

It was better to make a clean cut now.

“Let’s do it,” Li Aiguo finally said. “If you have extra food, leave them some. If not, forget it.”

Song Kaiji was overjoyed. “I do! I’ll give them plenty!”

It was already hard enough for his father to make this decision—what did a little food matter?

But as soon as Li Aiguo spoke, he regretted it. In this world, food was as precious as gold. Thinking of his ungrateful niece and nephew, compared to his devoted and filial son, his heart fully tilted toward Kaiji. “…Actually, don’t give them too much. Just enough for two days. There are still plenty of people in this car. They’re grown up now; they should be able to fend for themselves.”

Li Li, now both regretful and desperate, sobbed, “Second Uncle, you can’t be this cruel! If you abandon us, how are we supposed to survive? You’re sending us to our deaths… I was wrong, I shouldn’t have spoken against Cousin Kaiji, but my brother—he’s the only boy left in the Li family! Even if it’s just for that, you should keep us! Cousin Kaiji likes men—he won’t have kids in the future! If you keep us, my brother and I will have children who can be filial to you and take care of him in old age!”

Still held in Song Kaiji’s embrace, Shen Qing shuddered, suddenly realizing they were having this conversation in front of Song Kaiji’s parents. Feeling awkward, he immediately wriggled out of his arms and moved a little further away.

Li Aiguo and Zhang Sujuan exchanged an awkward glance, their eyes darting around. As members of the older generation, seeing their son getting affectionate with another man right in front of them was a bit uncomfortable.

Li Aiguo cleared his throat. “This is the apocalypse. We could all be dead tomorrow—who’s thinking about retirement plans?”

“I was never that old-fashioned to begin with. Your brother can like whoever he wants to like. Whether or not he has children is his choice, and we’ll support him.” He sneaked a glance at Shen Qing—he was a handsome young man, and it seemed Kaiji had good taste. Before Shen Qing could notice, Li Aiguo quickly looked away and stared out the window.

A few scattered zombies roamed the highway. As the vehicle passed, the faint scent of humans drew them forward for a few steps before they lost the trail and stood there, confused.

“Since the apocalypse began, who knows how many families have been wiped out? Why should the Li family be any different?” Li Aiguo shook his head. “Besides, I never cared about this to begin with.”

They continued driving for a while, putting more distance between themselves and the factory before stopping to rest. Night driving was too dangerous—mutant plants could set traps on the road, their vines acting like ancient cavalry trip ropes, flipping cars and dragging people away to become fertilizer.

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