Lin Zao had no desire to resist—and no strength left for it anyway.
He leaned back into Fu Cheng’s embrace.
Fine, whatever. At least he didn’t have to wave the spatula anymore.
“Aiya!”
Lin Xiaobao returned from checking the clock and spotted Dad and Big Daddy hugging. He rushed forward and latched onto their legs.
“I want a hug too!”
Even the little dog let out a pitiful whine and pounced into the pile.
A little while later, Lin Xiaobao wriggled his little feet on the floor.
“Dad, Big Daddy, how much longer are we hugging? I’m getting tired.”
“If you’re tired, go on!”
Lin Zao twisted around, wriggled out a bit of space in Fu Cheng’s arms, and squatted down swiftly.
Fu Cheng lowered his gaze and looked at him with pitiful, aggrieved eyes.
Was being held by him uncomfortable? Why did Little Zao run away?
“Little Bao, come on!”
Lin Zao grabbed Lin Xiaobao’s hand and bolted.
He left Fu Cheng alone to keep working in the kitchen.
Of course, father and son didn’t stay away long. They stepped out for some water, then dragged over little stools and returned.
Fu Cheng busied himself at the stove while Lin Zao and Lin Xiaobao sat in a row beside him, waving their arms enthusiastically.
“Brother Cheng, you got this!”
“Big Daddy, you got this!”
Fu Cheng reached for the oil jug on the table.
Lin Zao saw what was happening and lunged forward.
“Hey! That’s not what we meant by ‘you got this’!”
After half an hour of frying, the shreds had loosened up.
He added salt, light soy sauce, and sugar, then fried for another half hour.
Worried the color wouldn’t be pretty enough, Lin Zao tossed in a bit of dark soy for hue.
After a full hour, Lin Zao swore Fu Cheng’s arm muscles looked even thicker.
The finished meat floss was golden, fluffy, and crisp, with an irresistible savory aroma.
He scooped up a spoonful and popped it in his mouth. The first sensation was—
Dry!
Lin Zao wasn’t cursing.
It really was dry—stuck fast to the roof of his mouth, impossible to lick off!
Once he finally pried it loose and ate it, though, it was delicious.
The rich meaty flavor filled his mouth and nose, even tastier than the store-bought stuff.
Lin Xiaobao stood on tiptoe as Dad fed him spoonful after spoonful.
He shook his head and drawled, “Mmm—Dad, the meat floss is so good!”
“It’s good, but don’t eat too much. We’re saving it to go with congee.”
Lin Zao dumped the freshly made meat floss onto a plate to spread it out and cool.
He didn’t bother washing the pot. Instead, he laid a sheet of seaweed in it and toasted it briefly.
The black seaweed turned green over the heat, emerging crisp with a flavor much like nori.
He tore the toasted seaweed into bits and mixed it with the meat floss for even more varied texture.
Once it had cooled, he packed the meat floss into jars. Lin Zao even carried it downstairs to weigh it on Fu Cheng’s precision scale for parts.
Good grief—so much lean meat, and it yielded just two and a half jars of airy floss.
If it weren’t for the hot weather making curing impossible, and all the meat Fu Cheng had brought back sitting uneaten in the freezer for so long, Lin Zao never would have bothered.
He vowed never to do it again.
Too much hassle, and it didn’t keep you full.
From now on, they’d all just eat frozen meat. Lin Xiaobao was still young; he could have less.
But…
He might not be able to eat meat floss, but he could certainly have some “meat tight.”
Lin Zao spun around, seized Fu Cheng’s arm in both hands, and gave it a hearty pat.
After a full day of exercise, Brother Cheng’s arms felt even more solid.
Lin Zao opened his mouth wide in a mock bite.
Fu Cheng was stunned. He hurriedly clapped a hand over Lin Zao’s mouth.
Oh no! Someone was about to bite a zombie!
The family had been busy all day, so dinner was simple too.
Just some congee paired with the freshly made meat floss.
It had been hard-won, so they ate sparingly, practically dividing each shred into eight pieces to stretch it across eight bites of congee.
The rainy weather persisted, and as they ate dinner, a light drizzle began outside.
With the rain came sudden darkness and a sharp drop in temperature.
Lin Zao and Lin Xiaobao had put on jackets, but they still felt chilled.
They didn’t linger downstairs after dinner. They headed straight back to the bedroom.
After baths and pajamas, they burrowed under the covers to watch TV, listening to the gentle patter of rain on the window.
Far more comfortable than the kitchen!
No one had napped at noon, so the moment they sat down in front of the television, drowsiness hit them hard.
Before long, Lin Xiaobao had curled up against Dad’s arm, his eyes drifting shut as he fell asleep.
Lin Zao was tired too, but he forced himself to stay awake. He picked up the remote control, switched off the television, and then wrapped his arms around Lin Xiaobao before slipping under the covers with him.
“Brother Cheng, we’re going to sleep.”
“Snore—”
“Remember to go downstairs later and check on the little dog. Don’t let it pee in its bed.”
“Roar.”
With those words, Lin Zao closed his eyes and promptly passed out.
Fu Cheng watched him for a moment, unable to resist reaching out to gently touch his cheek.
Falling asleep so quickly—Little Zao must have been truly exhausted.
Fu Cheng kept his promise and intended to check on the little dog downstairs.
Over the past few days, they had been training it to go potty in one spot, following this exact routine.
That said, Fu Cheng had only just looked in on it before climbing into bed, so there was no rush. He could wait a little longer.
He lay beside Lin Zao, holding both him and Lin Xiaobao close. He inhaled the pleasant fragrance wafting from Lin Zao’s hair, deliberately leaning in closer so that the soft strands brushed against his face. They slipped into his bite guard, teasing his nose and lips.
He was a zombie and couldn’t eat people, so this was how he sustained himself each day.
Little Zao smelled so good—one whiff was enough to satisfy him.
Fu Cheng closed his eyes and rested peacefully.
The rain fell in a steady, unending patter.
Some time later—though he couldn’t say how long—the night had grown pitch black, and the world had fallen into an unnatural silence. Only then did Fu Cheng open his eyes again.
He slipped a hand under the covers, feeling Lin Xiaobao’s back and bottom to make sure the boy wasn’t sweaty or wet. Satisfied, he quietly slid out of bed.
It was the middle of the night; time to check on the little dog.
Fu Cheng turned the door handle, pushed open the bedroom door, and stepped out into the hall.
Learning to open doors was a recent accomplishment, courtesy of Little Bao’s lessons.
He didn’t turn on any lights, leaving the house shrouded in darkness.
Fortunately, Fu Cheng’s eyes granted him night vision, allowing him to see as clearly as day.
His predatory instincts remained intact, keeping his footsteps utterly silent as he padded through the corridor and down the stairs.
On the first floor, the little dog had curled itself into a tight ball inside its bed, sleeping soundly.
Fu Cheng gave it a quick glance, confirming that the dog bed was dry, before turning to head back upstairs.
All good—now Little Zao could sleep without worry.
Upstairs, upstairs, back upstairs to snuggle with his wife and son.
His pace quickened noticeably on the return trip.
Hurry, hurry, hurry! Wife and son’s warm bed!
But—
As Fu Cheng passed the utility room, he came to an abrupt halt.
His expression turned icy. He whipped his head around, fixing his gaze on the tightly shut iron door.
Ever since moving out of the utility room not long ago, he had been sleeping upstairs with Little Zao and Little Bao.
Little Zao had locked it up afterward, declaring it an abandoned “cold palace”—inauspicious and not worth mentioning again.
Yet now… why did he suddenly…
Fu Cheng frowned, held his breath, and crept forward on silent feet.
He caught the scent of a living human.
A smell that didn’t belong in this house.
It was foul, fishy, and utterly repulsive.
Who? How could anyone be inside his home?
Fu Cheng tensed, concentrating fully as he approached the iron door with agonizing slowness.
Closer. Closer still.
Through the thick metal, he could even hear the intruder’s deliberately hushed breathing and faint movements.
The intruder was tampering with the lock. He was…
In the next instant, Fu Cheng lunged forward and shoved the door open with all his might!
“Bang!” The iron door crashed into something solid behind it.
A shadowy figure burst out from the other side!
The intruder was scrawny and nimble, darting like a rat. He leaped onto the stainless steel bed where Fu Cheng had once slept, gripped the windowsill by the exhaust fan, and poked his head outside—poised to wriggle through.
But Fu Cheng was faster!
With a furious roar like a beast unleashed, he pounced, seizing the thief’s clothes and yanking him back inside!
“Roar—”
How dare you break into my “cold palace”? This is the “cold palace” my wife prepared for me!
How dare you step on my bedsheets? My wife and son laid those out for me!
My bedsheets are covered in your filthy footprints!
Fu Cheng hauled him back with brutal force and slammed him to the ground.
“Roar!”
Damn you!
Meanwhile, up in the bedroom, the roar jolted Lin Zao awake from his sleep.
“Brother Cheng, you…”
He rubbed his eyes, ready to grumble, but realization hit him like a thunderbolt. He shot upright in bed.
Wait—Brother Cheng wasn’t there!
Lin Zao flung back the covers and leaped out of bed.
Where was he?
The noise had come from downstairs!
He snatched the iron stick from beside the bed and rushed to the window.
Peering down, he spotted someone clinging to their first-floor window, half their body already sticking out.
Then, some invisible force dragged the figure back inside.
Lin Zao looked up again and saw two minivans parked on the road beyond the courtyard wall.
Several more people—likely having walked up—were crouched outside the barbershop and The Tri-Colored Trio’ house, prying at their windows!
This was bad!
Lin Zao whirled around, grabbed the iron basin from the table, and began banging it furiously.
“Clang clang clang! Clang clang clang!”
“Thieves! Neighbors, wake up! We’ve got thieves!”
“The Tri-Colored Trio! Da Mei, Xiao Mei! Wake up! Catch the thieves!”
At Lin Zao’s shout, lights blazed to life up and down Happiness Street—every house stirring in an instant.
The entire road exploded with a deafening chorus of profanity: “Fuck your grandpa!”
Lin Zao drew a deep breath and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
“Brother Cheng, take him alive!”
