Farewell to the old, welcome the new—after seeing off the past year, Wei Yang quickly brought out the dumplings she had prepared long ago.
Sizzling dumplings filled with vegetable stuffing were divided onto plates. To ensure every team member could enjoy them, Wei Yang went all out this time, and with collective participation, the Survivor Team made exactly three hundred dumplings.
"Come on! Everyone has to eat! There are two coins hidden in these dumplings, and whoever finds one has to perform an act." Old Zhao gathered everyone at the table.
Wen Quanxin was the first to grab one and shove it into his mouth. Honestly, dumplings without any meat wouldn’t usually be his choice.
Yet now, they tasted exceptionally fragrant.
"Ow!" He stomps his foot in frustration, partly because the dumplings were too hot and burned his tongue, and partly because he was hoping for the prize coin, which didn’t appear.
Seeing Wen Quanxin’s failed attempt, Wang Zhongyu didn’t miss the chance to tease him. He immediately patted the still-jumping Wen Quanxin from behind and said, "Kid! What’s the rush? With your luck, you think you’d get the coin? Move aside, let Brother Wang show you what being the chosen one means."
Saying this, Wang Zhongyu rolled up his sleeves with a serious demeanor, scanning the dumplings in front of him, and finally landed his gaze on a side plate: "You can’t just pick the good-looking ones, like the one you just picked, with thick skins and stuffed with vegetables—that’s not it, just like people, the truly talented are like Brother Wang’s, low-key and steady. So look at this dumpling, it may not look appealing, but often those have the goods."
"Your uncle’s, stop babbling nonsense! Get lost!" Wen Quanxin couldn’t endure Wang Zhongyu’s rambling, and once he pointed out, he suddenly lifted his chopsticks with precision, stabbing right into the dumpling.
Goodness gracious, the speed was lightning quick, and by the time Wang Zhongyu reacted with a startled cry, it was already too late.
"****! Your uncle’s! What, did you find anything?"
"Not a thing! Low-key and steady my foot, I think you’re just a damn charlatan!" Unreserved with his words, Wen Quanxin continued to berate Wang Zhongyu mercilessly.
There was no helping it, especially after Wang’s pompous display.
And just when the two were arguing intensely over who was the real chosen one—
Wang Qiang quietly picked up his chopsticks, casually chose one, and as soon as he bit into it, "Ouch!"
The pained cry drew everyone’s attention; even the arguing Wang Zhongyu and Wen Quanxin instinctively turned their heads.
Seeing Wang Qiang’s face contort with a strange expression, they both exclaimed, "No way! Did he get it?"
No response came, as Wang Qiang slowly raised his right hand as if in slow motion, placing his fingers to his lips.
Then, under the collective attention of the group, a coin about the size of 5 cents was slowly pushed out from his lips by his tongue.
"Oh my! What’s going on here?"
"OH! NO! Heaven has no eyes!"
Holding their heads, Wen Quanxin and Wang Zhongyu once again activated their clownish antics, each feigning expressions of pain.
No wonder, as part of the Three Jokers, Wang Zhongyu and Wen Quanxin dutifully played their roles, striving to enliven the atmosphere, almost indistinguishable from jesters.
But Wang Qiang, the former king among the Three Jokers, the absolute star of the show, not only had beauty to help today—but also hit the jackpot with that two-in-three-hundred chance.
This certainly was a buffoon’s comeback, a magnificent transformation.
However, compared to Wang Zhongyu and Wen Quanxin’s intolerance, Old Zhao stepped forward timely: "Not bad! Qiang! That’s a good sign. As your Uncle Zhao, I hope you find new beginnings this New Year and rediscover yourself."
"Although you used to always banter with me...that’s the real you!" Tang Xiaoquan clapped a hand on Wang Qiang’s chest, understanding deep inside that no matter how fate changes, no matter if Wang Qiang adopts various personalities, their friendship always stands the test of time.
"Okay! Qiang has taken the lead, now there’s just one coin left, who will get it next?"
"Mine! It’s definitely mine!" Wang Zhongyu quickly rejoined the fray.
Unwilling to back down, Wang Zhongyu said, "You? Your uncle! With your ragged appearance, you think you can win? Don’t joke around; see how your Brother Wang completes this final comeback!"
Wang Zhongyu opened his hands, tossed the chopsticks aside, and started shoveling dumplings into his mouth; soon his not-so-large mouth was filled to the brim with dumpling skin and stuffing.
Old Xu watched Wang and Wen’s "unseemly" antics, shook his head helplessly, and then turned to smile at Huo Yuankai, who hadn’t moved: "These two kids are always causing a ruckus; Old Huo, don’t mind them, let’s eat too."
Handing a pair of chopsticks over to Huo Yuankai, Xu Renjie started devouring dumplings.
However, as everyone was enjoying the food, and arguing about the last remaining coin, Old Xu, Old Zhao, and Old Lin all simultaneously heard a sound coming from their waists.
Stopping the chopsticks midway, Xu Renjie returned the dumpling he was about to eat back onto the plate.
Having done that, he reached for the hand-held radio at his waist.
"Old Xu, Old Xu, please respond if you copy, please respond! Over."
"Everyone quiet down!" Old Xu called for silence among the crowd, then pressed the call button: "Hua Zi, I’m Old Xu, what’s going on? Over."
"I’ve heard the engines on the road here; there are vehicles heading towards us."
Once this was said, silence enveloped the group, everyone feeling as though they’d been struck dumb.
Old Xu was momentarily stunned, then immediately followed up: "Hua Zi, what did you say!? Did you say vehicles are coming towards us?"
"Yes! Old Xu! Vehicles are heading for the base! Repeating, vehicles are heading for the base! Over!"
Clear, transparent, Hua Biao’s repeated confirmations solidified one fact:
A team was coming to the base.
Typically exchanging a glance with Old Zhao and Old Lin.
Immediately, Xu Renjie decisively ordered, "Hua Zi, quickly go with Xiaoduan to stake out and observe, confirm their exact route and report to me any time! Got it?"
"Got it! Xiaoduan and I will go monitor and report back any time!"
Using the military communication format, Hua Biao repeated Old Xu’s instructions after confirming them.
Once Old Xu affirmed them, he set down the radio and spoke to the people in the room: "Everyone must’ve heard what Hua Zi said, now there’s an unidentified convoy heading toward our base. Currently, we don’t know their intentions, route, or number of people. As a precaution, the usual steps: Zhongyu, Xiaoluo, you go wait in the vehicle! Old Zhao, Xiaowen, Xiaotang, Dazhuang, Xiaozhang—all of you are responsible for protecting our elders and children. Old Lin, Xiaohu, you two take your groups and stake out our base’s key points, ensuring everyone is monitored. Li Zhong, Li Guo, return to the monitoring room and stand by. Shen Lian and Leizi, you two come with me; we’re heading to the village entrance to scout the situation."