Apocalyptic Gratitude Duck - Chapter 23

Li Youming, still clinging to hope despite not finding a motorcycle, scratched his head awkwardly and asked, “Big Boss, where did you get this bike? I want to get one too.”

Riding a motorcycle was so cool. Maybe even some girls would admire him.

Qiao Yanyu noticed Li Youming’s gaze flicker toward Chen Chuyue, who was chatting nearby. Her suspicions deepened. “There’s a dealership two hundred meters ahead on the left,” she said coolly. “You can pick one out yourself.”

“Thanks.”

Li Youming thanked her, itching to go immediately. But Zhang Ping grabbed him, snapping, “What’s the point? We have too many people. Can you fit us all on one motorcycle?”

Li Youming deflated instantly.

Zhang Ping turned to Qiao Yanyu, his tone conciliatory. “I think we should get two off-road vehicles for the trip to Songyuan City. We can take turns driving. If we drive fast, we could get there in about five hours.”

“Agreed. But if there are traffic jams or roadblocks, we might have to take detours,” Qiao Yanyu nodded, voicing her concerns.

Zhang Ping slapped his chest and guaranteed, “Don’t worry about that. I’m familiar with the local roads and know the shortcuts. I used to frequently travel between here and Songyuan City. We have enough people, so if there are obstacles on the road, we can all pitch in to move them. If it’s really congested, we’ll just take a detour. I’ll drive in the lead, and you guys follow behind.”

Since Zhang Ping had spoken so confidently, Qiao Yanyu couldn’t argue. She also wanted to reach Songyuan City quickly. Together, they found two off-road vehicles. Li Youming drained several fuel drums from other vehicles and stored them in the trunks as backup.

Traveling at night was too risky, so they had to stay in the small town for the night. Meng Nuo and Chen Chuyue went out to gather food and found chicken drumsticks, eggs, and rice. They were quite lucky and also discovered a Dairy Depot with plenty of milk. Each person in the team received three cartons of milk.

For dinner, they found an empty house and cooked a large pot of rice. Meng Nuo took charge of the cooking and made braised chicken drumsticks. The drumsticks were stewed until tender, fragrant, and perfect with rice. Everyone ate heartily. Qiao Yanyu, who hadn’t had rice in days, couldn’t resist taking an extra half bowl. Kexin, however, received the most chicken drumsticks. Her small “Quack!” bowl was piled high like a little mountain.

“Meng Nuo, aren’t you being a bit biased? We’re not even as important as the duck! Why did Kexin get the most food?” Li Youming, who ate the fastest, asked in a disgruntled tone. He tried to reach into the pot for more, but it was already empty.

Meng Nuo was caught off guard by the question, her chopsticks tightening in her hand.

Earlier, while she was cooking, Kexin had flown over and perched beside her, watching her with adoring eyes. There were plenty of chicken wings in the pot, so she had scooped one out for Kexin.

Kexin, holding the chicken wing in her beak, wobbled away happily.

Not long after, Kexin returned, blinking her bright eyes at Meng Nuo.

Meng Nuo, already grateful for Kexin saving her before, was completely charmed by the duck’s soft and cute appearance. Before she knew it, her heart had melted, and she was feeding Kexin again.

She couldn’t even remember how many times she’d fed Kexin until she noticed the pot was running low on chicken wings. Realizing she’d given too much, she served herself a smaller portion and divided the rest among everyone. Now, facing Li Youming’s question, she truly didn’t know how to explain herself.

Seeing Meng Nuo’s flustered expression, Chen Chuyue couldn’t help but speak up for her. “Having food to eat is plenty good enough! You had six chicken wings on your plate just now. Meng Nuo worked so hard in the kitchen and only served herself three. Really, can’t you just consider Kexin’s portion as Meng Nuo’s contribution?”

Zhang Ping looked up from his bowl and joined in, scolding Li Youming, “Xiao Nuo gave everyone the same amount. I haven’t even finished eating yet, and you’re the one who always eats the most!”

Li Youming’s face flushed red. He fell silent and continued shoveling rice into his mouth.

Chen Chuyue picked up a chicken wing from her bowl and placed it in Meng Nuo’s. “Don’t mind him. Just focus on eating.”

Meng Nuo looked bewildered, a hint of distress in her voice. “Sister Xiao Yue, maybe I should go make something else for Brother Youming?”

Li Youming glanced up at Meng Nuo, his interest piqued. But Chen Chuyue had already grabbed Meng Nuo’s arm, stopping her. “He’s already stuffed. Don’t bother making more. Rest for a bit. You were the one who found the Dairy Depot today, and you’ve done so much for everyone already. You don’t need to work so hard.”

Li Youming, who had forced himself to eat until full, poked at his rice even more audibly.

Qiao Yanyu observed the scene, a smile creeping across her face. Today’s dinner seemed to be quite entertaining.

Kexin, however, paid no attention to their conversation, focusing intently on the chicken wing before her.

Her small beak struggled with the slippery chicken wing. After a few pecks, the wing began to slip out of the bowl. Kexin frantically used her wings to push it back in, leaving her feathers glistening with grease.

By the time Qiao Yanyu finished watching the spectacle, Kexin had managed to push most of the chicken wings out of her bowl. The table was now littered with scattered wings, and the duck’s entire body gleamed as if coated in a golden sheen.

One moment of distraction, and her little pet had already started mischief.

Kexin, still chasing the chicken wings, was startled when Qiao Yanyu suddenly picked her up. Still reaching for the wings, she turned and saw her Master shaking her head. Thinking she wasn’t allowed to eat anymore, Kexin squirmed and resisted being held.

Resigned, Qiao Yanyu wrapped Kexin in a towel, bundling her up and placing her on a chair. She whispered, “Stop fussing. Look at you—you’re turning into a little greasy duck.”

Kexin let out a plaintive cry: “Quack!”

Kexin wants to eat duck!

“Alright, I’ll feed you. No pecking around on your own.”

Qiao Yanyu sighed helplessly. Dealing with this gluttonous little duckling made her feel like she was raising a baby.

She put on plastic gloves, retrieved the chicken wings from the table, rinsed them, removed the bones, and placed the meat in Kexin’s bowl.

Every time she added a piece, Kexin pecked it up immediately, leaving the bowl perpetually empty. Even after she finished stripping the last piece of meat, Kexin kept looking at her hand.

Qiao Yanyu stuffed the last morsel into Kexin’s beak and chuckled softly. “All gone. Still looking?”

With that, she picked up the satisfied Kexin, found a spot to lather her with bath soap, and rinsed her clean, transforming her back into a pristine duckling.

The next morning, the five humans and one duck split into two vehicles. Zhang Ping, Meng Nuo, and the other man took one SUV, while Qiao Yanyu, Kexin, and Meng Nuo took the other. The two off-road vehicles departed from the small town, heading toward Songyuan City.

Just as Qiao Yanyu had anticipated, the road proved far from smooth. They took numerous detours, and even after seven days of travel, they still hadn’t reached Songyuan City.

As they continued to kill zombies, the group’s strength steadily increased. Even Meng Nuo, the weakest member, had become a Level 1 Ability User, while the others were nearing Level 2. Qiao Yanyu’s Ability had even advanced to Level 3.

The rain gradually subsided, turning into a light flurry of snowflakes. The road became much easier to navigate, with fewer obstacles and wandering zombies. The off-road vehicle’s windshield wipers swiped back and forth rhythmically, maintaining a semblance of stability.

Qiao Yanyu drove, her brow furrowed. A nagging sense of unease lingered in her mind. The timing was off; the second mutation period hadn’t arrived yet, so there shouldn’t be snowfall.

Kexin, sitting in the passenger seat, also grew restless, her wings fluttering erratically.

Up ahead lay Chang’an Bridge, the essential route to Songyuan City. Spanning over two kilometers, the sturdy bridge arched over the wide river. Before the apocalypse, its nighttime view, shimmering under the starry sky, had attracted countless tourists.

Now, the bridge appeared eerily calm, seemingly as passable as it had been before the apocalypse.

Suddenly, Kexin let out a sharp warning cry: “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

“Master, stop the car, duck!”

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