C139 Sun Meng Begged for an Explanation for the Cremation of the Zombie Bird(1)

The zombie birds were incredibly strong, capable of smashing through windows to invade rooms.

After much deliberation, Tang Bing decided to use iron bars he had smelted in the furnace to craft makeshift window guards.

He measured each window in the house and fashioned enough guards to install on the outside. By day, the windows could be opened to let in sunlight. At night, the windows were shut, and the sturdy iron guards locked into place, effectively preventing zombie birds or other undead creatures from breaching the windows' weak defenses.

Qin Mengli's room was the first to be outfitted, complete with new windows to replace the broken ones. Once every window was secured, there was no longer any fear of zombie bird attacks.

With the robust window guards in place, everyone could lock their windows and sleep soundly, finally finding peace of mind at night.

Due to the previous night's fatigue, Tang Bing didn't wake up until noon the next day.

"Why didn't anyone wake me?" he asked, realizing he had slept through the morning and wasted precious time. The first thing he did upon rising was to confront his teammates, who were watching a movie in the hall.

"Bing, you went to bed so late, you needed the extra rest!" Zhao Dagang quickly interjected, "We didn't want you driving while exhausted."

"Can't you drive?" Tang Bing shot him a stern look.

"We're counting on you right now!" Zhao Dagang met his gaze, "If you're not at your best, it directly impacts our safety. Besides, we can spare half a day, can't we?"

"Exactly, Bing!" Liang Hui chimed in, "Don't be upset with Zhao. It was a group decision. You were exhausted, and without proper rest, it could really weaken our team's combat readiness. You're our backbone; we can't afford any mishaps!"

"Tang Bing, it's good to be vigilant," Qin Mengli added, "but balance is necessary. As they've said, you're crucial to the team right now, and we can't risk any slip-ups!"

"What's this? Have you all teamed up against me?" Tang Bing rolled his eyes, "Am I still the captain?"

"Because you're our leader, we all need you to take care of yourself!" Qin Mengli stood up, "We have a long road ahead in this post-apocalyptic world. Even with work to do, missing half a day isn't the end of the world, right?"

"Fine, you've all got your story straight—what can I say?" Tang Bing said with a shrug. "By the way, you're okay, right?"

"Never better!" Qin Mengli nodded with a grin. "Thanks to your miracle medicine, look! Not a single scar."

"That's great!" Tang Bing examined Qin Mengli's face closely; she seemed perfectly normal. Could it be she hadn't heard what went down between Sun Meng and him last night?

Of course! The computer had been on, and he and Sun Meng had been whispering, so she likely hadn't caught a thing.

With that thought, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Time to eat!" Lin Leyan and Sun Meng announced as they emerged from the kitchen, each carrying a dish of steaming food.

"Smells amazing!" Zhao Dagang quickly got up to help with the dishes, "I've got this!"

"Move aside!" Sun Meng teased, weaving between Tang Bing and Qin Mengli, shooting Tang Bing a covert glance.

Confronted with Sun Meng's look, Tang Bing was reminded that last night's episode was far from over. He had gotten away with so much, and Sun Meng was expecting an explanation. The thought gave him an instant headache.

"Anything special happen this morning?" he asked, eager to steer away from the discomfort.

"Oh!" Lin Leyan perked up. "Special? Definitely! The vegetables in the yard are all ripe. I even picked some fresh ones. But maturing in just one day? That's incredible! Tang, how do you do it? With these fields, we could survive without ever scavenging for supplies again!"

Everyone's eyes turned to Tang Bing, waiting for his response.

Tang Bing stretched lazily and yawned, "Don't worry about how I do it. Just know that I have my ways."

"Bing, you never cease to amaze me!" Zhao Dagang chuckled. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Seriously! Bing, it seems like there's nothing you're not capable of!" Liang Hui agreed, "Compared to you, this guy's just not cutting it!"

"What's that supposed to mean? I may not be Bing, but I'm still a man who pulls his weight in this team!" Zhao Dagang bristled at Liang Hui's jab, clearly offended.

"Tch! Because you're the only other guy here besides Bing!" Liang Hui shot him a glare.

"Huihui, you don't have to be so harsh!" Zhao Dagang quickly tried to smooth things over with a grin, "At least I'm useful."

"Who asked you?"

Their banter had become a regular occurrence, and everyone just watched them with amused smiles. Even Teacher Lin had grown accustomed to it and didn't intervene in Zhao Dagang's interactions with her daughter.

"Come on! Try some of Mom's cooking." Teacher Lin said, serving her daughter first after sitting down.

Seeing this, Zhao Dagang eagerly offered some food as well, "Yes! Yes! You've got to try Auntie's cooking!"

"Tch! Why are you butting in?" Liang Hui gave him a dismissive look, though she didn't turn him down.

Zhao Dagang just chuckled at her reaction, secretly pleased.

Sun Meng quietly served Tang Bing a piece of meat, then shot him a pointed look.

Tang Bing awkwardly scratched his face, unsure of how to respond to her.

Sun Meng was seated right next to him on his right, with Qin Mengli snugly on his left.

"Tang Bing, you really should eat more meat! You always put in the most effort when we're out," Qin Mengli said, likely noticing Sun Meng's gesture and not to be outdone, she also added a piece of meat to his plate.

Tang Bing instantly felt a sharp kick to his right leg – no doubt from Sun Meng.

He felt a mix of frustration and guilt. Normally, he could reprimand Sun Meng without hesitation, but now he was at a loss for words, knowing he was somewhat in the wrong.

Internally, he berated himself for his timidity. With the world in such a state, why did these things matter? As the leader of their group, he could have his way with Sun Meng and Qin Mengli, and they'd be powerless against him, right?

But that line of thought was fleeting, and he quickly dismissed it. If he acted on such impulses, he'd be no better than the despicable survivors they'd encountered before – those who treated women as objects, disrespecting and degrading them. He was determined not to become the very type of person he loathed the most.

Dinner was a struggle, with Sun Meng and Qin Mengli openly vying for dominance. Sun Meng, feeling entitled after last night's events, would surreptitiously kick Tang Bing's leg and shoot him angry glares whenever Mengli mirrored her actions.

Tang Bing felt trapped in their power play, thinking to himself that their fight over him was a mere survival tactic, devoid of real affection. "Shouldn't I be the one feeling down? Why am I the one getting the brunt of their frustrations?" he wondered.

Finally, after enduring the tense meal, Tang Bing couldn't take the strain of being caught between the two women any longer and made a quick exit to clear his head.

To his dismay, he discovered that several barbed fences around the perimeter had been damaged overnight, with the bodies of seven or eight zombified animals lying still among the debris.

It confirmed his suspicion that the use of electricity at night attracted these creatures. Thankfully, their numbers were few, and the fences provided a rudimentary defense.

The zombie carcasses, having been there too long, offered no loot. Regretfully, Tang Bing carefully removed them, piled them up, and burned them to ashes, ensuring the corpse poison wouldn't contaminate the area.

He then set about chopping down more trees, intent on repairing the damaged fences and reinforcing them with additional layers.

"Bing, aren't you heading into town today?" Liang Hui asked, having found him busy felling trees after he had been gone for quite some time.

Tang Bing glanced at the five team members before him and then up at the sky. "Let's skip it for half a day! Last night's scare made it clear that our safety here isn't guaranteed. I'm going to chop more wood and build extra traps to fortify our home. Gathering resources is important, but securing our defense is critical! What good is living if we don't have a safe haven?"

"You're spot on, Bing!" Zhao Dagang agreed enthusiastically. "What do you need us to do? Just give the word, and we're on it!"