It seemed there was a lot to say, yet the words were hard to come by.
Tang Yu felt a warmth in his heart, the long-standing worries he'd harbored vanishing in an instant as the metaphorical rock in his heart was finally put down.
"Your dad works at the flour mill, I work at the textile factory, luckily there was something at the factory today, so I came back earlier..."
Tang's mom went on and on.
Tang Yu listened quietly, responding from time to time.
The room, which was twenty to thirty square meters, had few furnishings—just a bed, a round wooden table, and two chairs, with some basic living necessities on the table.
Despite this, the room still seemed cramped. He couldn't bear to have his parents live in such a place, "Mom, when dad comes back, let's move out, go live in a big house..."
"What big house? I know you think it's small here, but you can't compare it to the conditions before the apocalypse. Your dad and I don't find this room cramped at all. If you move in, just add one more bed; there's no need for needless waste."
Tang's mom went on, "You haven't seen those situations where over a dozen people cram into one room. That's what's crowded. Luckily, your cousin has some status in the army, which is how we managed to get this room..."
After much persuasion and numerous examples proving he was truly wealthy, Tang Yu barely managed to convince Tang's Mom to agree to move to a larger house. During this time, he was inevitably questioned about whether the journey was dangerous, how he arrived here, and whether he was injured...
Luckily, Tang's Mom was just an ordinary person who had never left the Sanctuary and didn't know much about the wilderness; otherwise, Tang Yu's feat of traveling from Lindong to Luoxia wouldn't have been easy to gloss over with just a few words.
During this time, Tang's Mom quickly went downstairs to hire a person-to-person messaging service, sending news of his arrival in Luoxia to Tang Dad, who was still at the factory.
Before long, the family was finally reunited.
Tang Dad was the same, his black hair interspersed with silver, his face marked by the passage of time...
Tang Yu's memory still held the faded photograph; both parents were so young. He now realized just how much time had slipped by.
'Thank goodness, it's not too late. Life hasn't left any regrets...'
Tang's Mom said with a smile, "I'll go out and buy more food and invite your uncle and aunt's families over for dinner to celebrate your safe return."
Outside building No. 29, Eileen and the others were waiting listlessly.
At that moment, Winnie suggested, "The captain probably won't be out so soon. Rather than waiting around here, we might as well get some real work done."
After losing a substantial amount of Source Crystals to the Carmen Three Brothers in a rigged card game, Shay suddenly perked up, "No more playing, no more playing. Let's focus on the real work... oh right, what real work?"
Winnie paced back and forth, arms crossed, slightly lifting her chest.
"Although we may not stay here long and will return to the Sanctuary, knowing our captain's personality, he's likely to leave some people here to start assessing the situation or other tasks. It's inevitable, so we might as well take advantage of our current free time to get a clear understanding of the situation in Luoxia Sanctuary, including the distribution of various forces, food, and equipment."
"That sounds good. Where should we start?"
Winnie brushed her hair back, lost in thought, "Well, that's the question, huh..."
It was Eileen, who had already been to Lindong, who made a reliable suggestion, "Typically, the Mercenary Union and the trading market are the places where all sorts mix. It should be easier to gather information there."
"I'll go to the Mercenary Union," said Shay. "I'm really familiar with that kind of place; the mercenaries there all have talent and are nice to talk to. I really like it there."
"And the trading market? Who will go? But we need to leave at least half of our people here to ensure the captain's safety."
"Me, me, me, I'll go squeak."
The bamboo rat spirit raised its hand, but no one noticed until it jumped up to make itself visible.
Winnie turned her head to look and shook her head.
"You're not suitable; how will you gather information with that small physique? I think it's better for Xing Ling and Xing Yue to go, or maybe the Carmen Brothers, or I'll go."
The tasks were assigned.
Humming a little tune, Shay strolled off, then suddenly turned back, "Oh right, going to the Mercenary Union, should we also register a Mercenary Corps?"
"Register? Since it's free, might as well do a bit."
As the sunset's afterglow gradually faded, taking with it the last gleam of light.
The housing complex in West No. 5 Community had no electricity supply, except for some minor services like hot water provided in specific areas of each building. As the sun went down, the whole residential area seemed engulfed in darkness, with only the orange light from kerosene lamps flickering, bringing some brightness.
In room 0327 of building No. 29,
the atmosphere was bustling, and even the neighbors had heard that Old Tang's son had somehow managed to reach Luoxia Sanctuary from another city.
This was truly extraordinary.
Most people weren't aware of how dangerous the wilderness was, but from the occasional distant sound of gunfire and the rumors that circulated, it was clear the wilderness was a perilous place...
It seemed that Old Tang's son had achieved something remarkable.
Their family's living standards might just improve by another level... or even two.
These conversations among the neighbors were filled with intense envy.
Inside, the lone round wooden table was covered with dish after dish.