112: A beautiful bride

The gloom of the Apocalypse hung heavy over the land like thick ink.

In this desperate darkness, a faint candlelight flickered within a hidden stronghold, offering a trace of illusory warmth.

Inside the stronghold, Big Brother Yang Chunlai sat with the various Hall Masters around a slightly worn long table, which was laden with a dazzling array of food.

In a time of extreme scarcity, this was undoubtedly an unimaginable feast.

As soon as everyone sat down, their gazes were firmly drawn to the food on the table, their eyes filled with amazement and greed.

"My goodness, Big Brother, this food... how on earth did you manage this?"

Li Dahai's eyes widened, his mouth agape enough to fit a fist, his face full of disbelief.

"Exactly, Big Brother! Since the Apocalypse, people are starving everywhere. For us to eat such a meal is like a dream!"

Feng Rugui excitedly agreed, his hands unconsciously rubbing the table, as if afraid these delicacies would suddenly vanish.

Zhu Yunque's appetite also grew, and she couldn't help but swallow several mouthfuls of saliva: "If we had so much delicious food, how could we ever dare to be enemies with Big Brother?"

Yang Chunlai's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a confident smile.

He gently waved his hand: "We are all brothers, there's no need for such formality. I merely did what needed to be done."

Despite his humble words, his eyes revealed an innate dominance and control.

Everyone nodded, full of praise for Yang Chunlai's powerful strength and outstanding leadership abilities at such a young age.

"Big Brother, you are so capable at such a young age. If we follow you, we will definitely carve out a place for ourselves in this Apocalypse!"

Zhu Yunque's eyes sparkled with admiration, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Yang Chunlai's expression instantly turned serious. He gestured to his subordinate, indicating to play a video.

On the screen, a dense army of zombies outside the Air Raid Shelter came into view.

They bared their fangs and claws, emitting spine-chilling roars, as if to devour everything in the world.

"Oh my god!" Zhu Yunque shrieked in terror, instinctively covering her mouth, her eyes wide, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Feng Rugui frowned deeply, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the effort:

"There are too many of these zombies, and they look extremely ferocious. If we fought them alone, we wouldn't stand a chance."

Li Dahai also nodded vigorously, his face filled with fear and lingering apprehension:

"Fortunately, we joined Big Brother early. Otherwise, with our meager abilities, facing so many zombies, we would definitely be easily defeated."

Yang Chunlai looked at the screen with a solemn expression and slowly said: "Indeed, this is the huge threat we are about to face."

"The zombie army is growing stronger every day; we absolutely cannot let our guard down."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone with determination, "From now on, we must intensify our training, enhance the combat capabilities of our brothers, and at the same time, reinforce our defenses to ensure our stronghold is foolproof."

At this point, Zhu Yunque raised her concerns: "Big Brother, training and defense are fine, but how will we solve the food problem? With so many people, the daily food consumption is an astronomical figure."

Everyone nodded, their faces showing worry.

Yang Chunlai confidently surveyed everyone and calmly said: "As for the food problem, everyone need not worry, I have my own methods."

"Starting today, the Wang Family Base will also provide a portion of meat to the Three Great Halls, the Azure Dragon Base will provide fish to the Three Great Halls, and the Xiao He Base will provide rice, flour, and other grains for everyone."

"Although the resources are not abundant, ensuring no one starves is certainly not a problem."

Upon hearing this, everyone's worries finally eased, and they all expressed agreement and support.

The Hall Masters of the Three Great Halls listened, truly surprised.

We tried to snatch things, couldn't, and were subdued by Big Brother.

Now that we don't dare to snatch, Big Brother is instead sending us food.

This Big Brother, he's worth following!

After giving military instructions, Yang Chunlai sent everyone back that very night.

Feng Rugui and Li Dahai both returned respectfully, their faces showing they were well-satisfied.

Zhu Yunque was about to leave with her subordinates.

But Yang Chunlai grabbed her.

Zhu Yunque's face flushed, and she struggled: "Why are you holding my hand?"

Yet, her small hand couldn't break free from his grasp.

Yang Chunlai chuckled: "You said you wanted to be my wife, did you forget so quickly?"

Zhu Yunque: "There's no need to rush, is there?"

Yang Chunlai said: "You're wrong, I'm an impatient man!"

"Haste makes waste. Let's have the wedding banquet in a couple of days!"

"I just said, I'm an impatient man."

"You don't mean you want to get married right now, do you?"

"You're still wrong. What I mean is, let's go straight to the bridal chamber!"

"Ah?! You're too impatient, aren't you?"

"Meeting such a beautiful woman like you, even a monk in a temple would become impatient!"

His gaze lingered on Zhu Yunque for a moment, his voice low and gentle: "Yunque, go take a bath, then come to my room."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunque's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, like ripe apples. She lowered her head and responded in a voice barely audible.

She returned to her room, her mind in turmoil.

This was her first time entering a bridal chamber!

She had never imagined this moment would arrive so suddenly.

She slowly walked to the bathtub, her hands trembling as she undressed and gently stepped into the warm water.

The warm water enveloped her body, yet it couldn't dispel the deep tension and unease within her.

After washing and dressing, Zhu Yunque stood before the bronze mirror, looking at her astonishingly beautiful reflection.

Her skin was as delicate as mutton-fat jade.

Her eyes were like clear springs, revealing liveliness and innocence.

Her cherry lips were naturally red without lipstick.

Her long, dark, lustrous hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.

However, at this moment, her eyes were filled with nervousness.

She took a deep breath and, with trembling steps, slowly walked towards Yang Chunlai's room.

Each step felt like she was treading on her own heartbeat, which was exceptionally clear in the silent night, as if it would burst from her chest.

The moment she pushed open the door, her breathing instantly became rapid, and her heart began to pound wildly.

Yang Chunlai saw her beautiful self, and a flicker of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

He slowly stood up, walked to Zhu Yunque, gently cupped her chin, and looked at her tenderly: "Naturally unadorned, like a lotus emerging from clear water."

Zhu Yunque trembled slightly, not daring to meet his gaze, her eyes revealing tension and shyness.

She seemed to see tents on the prairie, afraid to imagine what would happen next... ---

Author's Note: Thank you to all friends who are following and urging updates. Although this book doesn't make money, it won't be abandoned. I will try to finish it after writing around 300,000 characters.