Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 954 - 467: Life (Part 9)_2

Chen Ping'an lowered his head somewhat despondently: "Father, it's me who's been a burden to you and A sheng. Without me, you two would have gone to Jinling long ago."

"Silly child, there's no such thing as being a burden."

The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy and melancholic as Chen Qiusheng and Chen Ping'an stood silently in the room. Suddenly, Zhao Cheng'an burst in from the door, whispering, "Ping'an, Master, why haven't you gone to the kitchen to make dumplings yet? I've washed the potatoes, don't tell me you've changed your minds about making dumplings? I really want to eat dumplings."

"Why the rush? Once the potatoes are washed, knead the dough. If you want to eat dumplings, you need to put in more effort. Ping'an and I have something to discuss," Chen Qiusheng said sternly.

"Oh." Zhao Cheng'an left silently to knead the dough in the kitchen.

Chen Qiusheng continued the topic from before: "But the situation is not too bad. I've taken a good look at the property Li Jia left us over the past few days. There are two cellars, and one of them is very hidden and can conceal people."

"Given the current situation, those devils breaking in is a matter of days. We can't stay here. Once we've made the dumplings, pack up anything we can today. We'll move after midnight tonight."

"Once there, we'll live directly in the cellar. We mustn't let others know the house is inhabited; that's the only way to stay safe."

"Yes, Father."

After finalizing their plan, Chen Qiusheng and Chen Ping'an pretended nothing was wrong and went to the kitchen. In the kitchen, Zhao Cheng'an had already started kneading the dough. Seeing them arrive so late, he pointed to his completed work to claim credit: "Master, look, I've washed and cut the potatoes, and I'm kneading the dough. Consider these dumplings made by me alone today."

Chen Qiusheng chuckled: "Yes, yes, consider it made by you alone."

The only task Chen Ping'an could help with was already done by Zhao Cheng'an. With nothing else to do, he could only watch Zhao Cheng'an knead the dough. After a while, he couldn't help but ask, "A sheng, you used to call my father Master Chen; why have you started calling him master these past few days?"

Upon hearing Chen Ping'an ask this, Chen Qiusheng didn't react much, just slightly turned his head towards them, clearly wanting to hear Zhao Cheng'an's answer.

"It's because Xia Mubing left. Since he left, no one calls him master anymore, and I noticed Master Chen hasn't been sleeping well these past few nights. Either he's tossing and turning in his room, making the bed creak and keeping me awake, or he's sneaking out in the middle of the night, probably thinking about Xia Mubing. Since no one calls him master, I'll do it for Xia Mubing," Zhao Cheng'an said.

Chen Qiusheng: ...

Seeing Chen Qiusheng's expression, Qin Huai felt he wanted to throw the sliced bacon at Zhao Cheng'an's face, but considering it was the last bit of bacon left in the house, Chen Qiusheng held back.

The three spent most of the afternoon turning the remaining potatoes and flour at home into dumplings. That evening, they cooked a whole pot of dumplings, and Zhao Cheng'an alone ate three large bowls, hiccupping afterwards.

After eating, Chen Qiusheng said, "A sheng, bring along all the food you can carry, and anything you like. Tonight, we're moving to the mansion Li left us."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng'an's eyes lit up, nearly cheering on the spot: "From today, can I live in a big room in that big mansion?"

"No," Chen Ping'an shook his head, "we're living in the cellar."

Zhao Cheng'an clearly didn't understand why they couldn't live in the proper house but had to stay in a dark, damp, and cramped cellar. Chen Ping'an spent five or six minutes explaining the pros and cons and the lifestyle they might have to live for a long time, including living in the cellar, eating cornmeal, and drinking cold water. Zhao Cheng'an sighed at his own miserable future.

Just when Chen Ping'an thought Zhao Cheng'an would complain, Zhao Cheng'an merely said helplessly, "Well, there's no other way. So, once we're living in the cellar, can I go out at night and steal things?"

Chen Ping'an & Chen Qiusheng & Qin Huai: ...

Qin Huai thought it was fortunate Zhao Cheng'an became a pastry chef instead of a thief in this life, thanks to Chen Qiusheng and Chen Ping'an's good teaching in their previous lives.

Chen Qiusheng said, "Outside will be very dangerous by then. If you can avoid it, don't steal. No, you mustn't steal unless absolutely necessary!"

Zhao Cheng'an nodded disappointedly: "Alright."

That night, the three of them packed everything they needed to take from the house.

The Chen family home wasn't large, consisting only of a few rooms beside the courtyard, and had no decent furniture. But as they say, 'A poor home bears a fortune,' and when it came time to move, they wanted to bring everything: pots, pans, jars, brushes, ink, paper, clothing. If it weren't for the lack of space, Zhao Cheng'an would have wanted to bring the small stool from his room too.

Moving secretly meant they couldn't use a donkey cart or a wooden cart; it all had to be carried by hand. Chen Ping'an's physique could handle only a small cloth bag; expecting him to carry anything larger was impossible.

Had it been a few years earlier, Chen Qiusheng would have been the main force, but age had caught up with him, and he no longer had the stamina he once did. Heavy lifting had to fall to Zhao Cheng'an.

This was where the true value of the Beiping Thief King shone.

Zhao Cheng'an hadn't studied seriously for years, nor practiced his handwriting, and his culinary skills lagged far behind Xia Mubing, but his thieving skills hadn't dulled. Every year, he honed his skills by practicing on human traffickers outside the city.

He'd steal for half a month, taking several sacks a day, honing his techniques, strength, and carrying capability.

This hard training all paid off that night.

As the Beiping Thief King, stealing was just a part of Zhao Cheng'an's mundane skills; transporting things was the key.

The property left by Li Mansion was a good seven or eight miles from the Chen family home. Such a distance, especially at night, would be challenging for Chen Ping'an to traverse in the dark, so Chen Qiusheng would have to go with him, leaving the task of transporting goods to Zhao Cheng'an.

Zhao Cheng'an carried and transported things quickly and accurately, moving silently with a sack on his back, running swiftly, his figure almost invisible in the night.

Qin Huai followed closely behind Zhao Cheng'an, not daring to be distracted for a moment, lest Zhao Cheng'an run ahead and disappear from sight.

During the time it took Chen Qiusheng and Chen Ping'an to make one trip, Zhao Cheng'an had already run back and forth and even brought along his beloved little stool on the second trip.

Had Chen Qiusheng not firmly prohibited him from going again, Zhao Cheng'an would have returned to fetch his cabinet, as he was reluctant to leave it behind.

Moving into the new home, or rather, into the new home's cellar, Zhao Cheng'an, with a sense of ceremony, laid out a soft bed for everyone using straw.

Realizing the cellar was too dark, impossible to see without lights, and that the candles and lamp oil they brought weren't enough, Zhao Cheng'an asked Chen Qiusheng if he could sneak out the next night to steal some lamp oil for Chen Ping'an to read and tell stories to everyone. After being refused by Chen Qiusheng, Zhao Cheng'an went to sleep unwillingly.

That night, Beiping City descended into chaos.

Even hiding in the cellar, the Chen family could hear the commotion outside.

Sobs, roars, groans, shouts, screams, gunshots, the sound of heavy objects crashing, and chaotic footsteps echoed incessantly.

Qin Huai was very familiar with these sounds, having heard even more tragic ones in Luo Jun's memory.

But unlike Bi fang, the three in the cellar did not possess the ability to read newspapers by firelight amidst bombings.

They were merely ordinary people trying to survive a chaotic world by hiding in the cellar.

Lying on the straw, none of the three really slept. In the darkness, Qin Huai couldn't see their expressions, only knowing their breaths were uneven.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Cheng'an said, "Sleep."

"With me here, I won't let you die first."

"I will definitely die before you; right now, I haven't found a way, so I can't die, and neither can you."

"Stop talking nonsense like that," Chen Qiusheng scolded, refraining from knocking Zhao Cheng'an on the head again.

"Sleep, you'll get used to it," Chen Qiusheng sighed.