Surviving the apocalypse with a wife and a system! [GL]

After dressing, she used her mind to move everything in her spatial storage into the study except for the crossbow, the arrows, and the house key. If she carried everything by hand, she would be exhausted before she even got to the supermarket. Although her space was not very big compared to what one might imagine from novels, it was still a very useful thing. It was about 2.9 meters tall, which meant she could fit quite a lot of items in there if she arranged them carefully. Bai Li stood there for a second and thought about the outdoor backpack she had bought earlier. It was extra large, sturdy, and the kind of bag that could carry a lot without tearing apart at the seams. She pulled it out and bounced it lightly in her hand once or twice, then nodded to herself. Today, she would fill it herself and carry it back later. As for her hands, she still was not willing to take any unnecessary risk. Scabs were scabs, not armor. She had learned enough by now not to confuse those two things.

Bai Li paused again and thought about Yan Cijin. She had been going over the idea in her head for a while now. The apocalypse had already lasted more than a week, and most households probably did not have many supplies left. If Yan Cijin came along, she could help with carrying things, and more importantly, she could also help watch the surroundings. Going out alone was not ideal when the stairwell still had so many zombies wandering around. If Bai Li got separated from the group for even a short second, things could become troublesome. And on top of that, Yan Cijin had been staying with her mother and LiLi lately. Bai Li had already spent a lot of time around them. Taking Yan Cijin with her felt more natural than going by herself now. With that thought, she slung the backpack over her shoulder and walked out.

She gently knocked on Yan Cijin’s door. Almost immediately, Yan Cijin opened it. Seeing Bai Li dressed like that, with the backpack, the gloves, and the boots, Yan Cijin’s eyes moved over her in a quick glance. ”Are you going out?” she asked.

Bai Li nodded. ”I’m going to the supermarket downstairs to get some things. Want to come with me?”

Yan Cijin did not even think for long before nodding immediately. In the past few days, the group chat had been full of people asking whether anyone had extra food and whether it could be delivered. Some even said they were willing to pay high prices. But the result was obvious enough. Nobody had the luxury to be generous right now. Everyone was slowly realizing how bad the situation really was, and the more they realized it, the more carefully they guarded the things they had left. Some people had already run out of toilet paper. Others had started counting instant noodles packet by packet. At this point, a trip to the supermarket downstairs was no longer a casual outing. It was a serious supply run.

”Okay, I’ll go get the bags,” Yan Cijin said.

Bai Li reached out and grabbed Yan Cijin’s wrist before she could turn around. Her movement was quick but not rough. ”Wait. I have the bags here. Go back and change your clothes. Try to cover yourself up as much as possible, and it would be best if you changed into something like Martin boots.”

Yan Cijin looked at the hand holding her wrist, then at Bai Li’s face. For a second, she seemed to freeze a little. Bai Li was standing so close that she could smell the faint clean scent of the clothes she had just changed into, mixed with a very light smell of medicine from the wound dressing. Yan Cijin’s heartbeat changed just a little at that brief touch. It was not dramatic, not enough for her to make a scene, but enough to make her ears warm. She put her right hand on the back of Bai Li’s hand, and for that split second the contact was soft and a little too clear. Then she gently pulled Bai Li inside and closed the door behind them.

The little dumpling had already become much more familiar with Bai Li over the past few days. The moment she saw Bai Li, her short legs moved as fast as they could, and she came running over with a bright little expression. Bai Li bent down immediately and opened her arms. The little girl rushed into her embrace without any hesitation at all. Bai Li picked her up and bounced her lightly a couple of times. The child hugged Bai Li’s neck and giggled.

”Auntie, will you come play with me?” the little girl asked.

Bai Li pinched her little face with a smile. ”Your mother and I have to go out for a bit. We’ll come back later and bring you something yummy.”

The little girl’s eyes brightened instantly the moment she heard the words yummy. Her face was full of childlike trust and greed in the most innocent way possible. ”Hehe, Auntie is so nice.”

Yan Laojin was used to seeing Bai Li by now, so she greeted her in a familiar voice. ”Little Bai, come in quickly.”

Bai Li shook her head and said, ”Auntie, we’re going downstairs in a bit. There are still a lot of supplies in the small supermarket downstairs. While there aren’t many people outside, Dr. Yan and I will go down and get some supplies.” She squeezed the little girl’s hand lightly as she spoke.

Yan Laojin’s expression changed a little at that. ”You’re going down? Isn’t it dangerous? Please be careful.”

”We’ll be careful,” Bai Li said, trying to make her sound calm enough to reassure her. ”It’s just going downstairs. There shouldn’t be any great danger if we’re careful.”

Soon after, Yan Cijin came out.

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TO BE CONTINUED.