Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy! - Chapter 242

Capítulo 242: My man, proven and tested

A cold miasma abruptly spread around Feng Ran.

He didn’t even need to turn his head to know who it belonged to.

Feng Ran choked on his laughter mid-breath. His survival instincts screamed at him. “Uncle Wang, that’s not true! Those are just rumors! I’m straighter than a ruler!” He mentally clasped his hands together. Uncle Wang, please stop! Don’t shorten my lifespan!

Uncle Wang was startled.

How did Feng Ran hear that? He was sure he had whispered quietly enough, practically speaking into the wind.

Now it was Baoyin, Hei Qian, and Bingwen’s turn to exchange glances before quietly breaking into laughter on the sidelines. None of them dared to laugh too loudly, but their shoulders were shaking unmistakably.

Meanwhile, Nanzhi tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful. “Did he really?”

Uncle Wang nodded solemnly. “That’s what I heard.”

Feng Ran felt the surrounding temperature plummet another several degrees.

The three who had nothing to do with this Baoyin, Hei Qian, and Bingwen laughed even harder, finding great joy in Feng Ran’s misery.

Weihao could tell that Nanzhi was only teasing him.

He dismounted his motorcycle, took a few steps forward, and reached out to lightly grip the edge of Nanzhi’s sleeve. His fingers curled there, restrained but unmistakably possessive.

“Zhi Zhi…” he called softly.

Nanzhi turned around.

The moment she saw him, her teasing expression faltered just a little. His sharp, imposing features had softened, his usually cold eyes carrying a faint grievance, and—was he actually pouting?

The contrast was lethal.

Suppressing a smile, Nanzhi turned to Uncle Wang and said calmly, “Don’t worry, Uncle Wang. My man proven and tested.”

Uncle Wang finally had no doubts.

In fact, if he had even the slightest lingering concern, it was thoroughly dispelled after witnessing how Lin Weihao behaved just now. That subtle tug on the sleeve, the lowered voice, the expression that practically screamed mine, there was no mistaking it.

It looked like he truly had nothing to worry about.

Uncle Wang’s gaze toward Weihao finally became proper, even approving.

“Well then,” he thought, “that’s good.”

“By the way, Uncle Wang,” Nanzhi asked, shifting the topic naturally, “what are you doing here?”

She glanced toward the nearby forest. Choosing a location so close to the woods was unwise under normal circumstances. Yet, strangely enough, she couldn’t detect any gathering of mutant beasts nearby.

At her question, Uncle Wang looked as though he’d only just remembered something important. His expression immediately turned troubled.

“Ah,” he said, patting his thigh lightly, “my daughter-in-law has been having stomach problems recently. I came out to look for some wild vegetables and fruits.”

Unfortunately, his efforts had yielded nothing.

“By the way,” Uncle Wang added, “our shelter is nearby. If you’re not in a hurry, you can stop by for a bit. Since you’re Xiao Nan’s friends, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

Of course, neither Nanzhi nor the others wanted to take advantage of the kind old man.

“We already ate, Uncle Wang,” Nanzhi replied gently. “We were lucky enough to find supplies on the way.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “But we would like to see the shelter, if that’s possible.”

She didn’t want to turn down an opportunity to earn money. Besides, the resource point was nearby. She could harvest it after visiting the shelter.

“You can, you can,” Uncle Wang said happily. “Our shelter is just nearby. I’ll show you the way.”

He bent down to pick up the thick wooden branch he had been using as a cane, which had fallen beside his feet earlier. While foraging, not only had he lost his basket, but he had also fallen and sprained his foot.

“Hold on, Uncle Wang,” Nanzhi said quickly. “Let me take a look at it.”

She crouched down without hesitation.

“Yatou, it’s fine,” Uncle Wang tried to protest. “You don’t need to—”

But Nanzhi had already lifted the hem of his pants. His trousers were dusty and stained from walking around, and he felt a little embarrassed, but she remained unfazed.

Seeing her stubborn determination, Uncle Wang could only smile helplessly and let her be.

Nanzhi was relieved to find that it was just a sprain, nothing serious.

After applying proper first aid, they helped Uncle Wang onto a motorcycle and headed toward his shelter.

Before long, they arrived at what appeared to be the entrance to a children’s park.

The ones guarding the gate were familiar faces. The security guards who had worked at Uncle Wang’s previous apartment complex.

The moment they spotted the old man, they exclaimed in hushed excitement, “It’s Boss Wang! Boss Wang is back!”

The gate opened slightly.

From inside, several children peeked out curiously. When they recognized Uncle Wang, their eyes lit up. They broke into wide smiles, rushing forward and shouting joyfully, “Grandpa Wang, you’re back! Welcome back!”

Thanks to Nanzhi’s treatment, aside from a bit of lingering soreness, Uncle Wang had no problem walking.

As soon as he reached the gate, the children and guards surrounded him enthusiastically.

Because they were forbidden from going outside, it had become routine for the children to eagerly ask about Grandpa Wang’s trips whenever he returned.

“Uncle Wang,” one of the children asked curiously. A boy wearing a brown jacket and black shorts while staring at Nanzhi’s group, “who are they?”

One of the guards squinted, then suddenly recognized her. “Isn’t that Miss Lu?”

Miss Lu, the tenant Boss Wang had always looked out for.

After her parents’ incident, the guards had taken special notice of her. Every time she went to work or came home, they made sure to greet her properly.

Uncle Wang nodded. “I met Xiao Nan and her friends on the way.”

“Hello, uncles,” Nanzhi greeted politely.

They had seen each other almost every day back then. Even if they weren’t close, they could be considered acquaintances.

The two guards smiled back warmly. “Miss Lu, it’s nice to see you again.”

The greetings and introductions were kept brief, because a heavily pregnant woman suddenly appeared from inside, holding a frying pan in her hand.

“You stubborn old man!” she shouted the moment she saw Uncle Wang. “You still know how to come back?!”

Wang Ziqing stared at her father-in-law, who had disappeared since yesterday. Her blood pressure soared instantly.

She had been worried sick all night and had barely slept. Faint dark circles were visible beneath her eyes.

Nanzhi’s gaze, however, was drawn to the bracelet on the pregnant woman’s wrist.

It looked strikingly familiar.

The bracelet hugged her wrist delicately, a braided crimson cord catching the soft daylight. At its center rested a small jade charm carved into the shape of a lingzhi cloud, flanked by tiny gold beads that glimmered subtly.

A memory resurfaced in Nanzhi’s mind.

In her previous life, there had been a time when she returned from a mission only to find her master sitting beside a corpse, covered with his old blanket.

It was the first time she had ever seen him so utterly broken, as if the sky itself had collapsed.

He was hunched over, sighing repeatedly, his back heavy with grief.

Nanzhi hadn’t disturbed him.

She gave him space and allowed him to drown in sorrow.

Later, after he emerged from the tent, she asked about the identity of the deceased. He never answered clearly, only saying that it was a relative of a close friend.

Perceptive as she was, Nanzhi didn’t press further.

Instead, she helped him dig the grave.

The road to the mausoleum had been rough and treacherous. They slipped more than once. At one point, the corpse’s hand slipped free from the blanket.

That was when Nanzhi saw it.

A red string bracelet on a pale wrist.