Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space

"Master Zhao... where is he?"

Hua Lao Han recalled, his eyes shining with delight as he quickly asked.

Inside the tent, Hua Jin and Xiaosi both brightened up and quickly stepped out of the tent.

Master Zhao was a bit older than their father, but not by much. He had been teaching at their home for over half a year, and to be honest, Hua Jin quite liked this master.

He had a scar on his face that made him look fierce, but he was actually someone with a good temper and strong principles.

He could be said to be a clear-headed person, understanding his position well.

When not practicing martial arts, he was always welcoming with a smile, especially fond of children. But whenever it came to practice, his demeanor instantly changed, becoming very strict without any leniency.

Hua Jin was still very eager to see this master again, particularly because Master Zhao truly had some skills and was quite capable.

"Uncle Hua Qiang, where is Master Zhao?" Xiaosi, unable to contain a bit of excitement, grabbed Hua Qiang's arm and asked impatiently.

Among their family, Xiaosi liked Master Zhao the most. The boy had dreamed of being a hero since childhood, fantasizing about wielding a sword to roam the world, becoming a great hero who punishes evil and promotes good, and who is renowned for generations.

Xiaosi didn't notice that Hua Qiang inhaled sharply with a "hiss."

With a complex expression, he glanced at the excited Xiaosi, inexplicably feeling a bit envious, wondering what to do?

The village chief's family really had excellent children—everyone grew up exceptionally and their strength was enviable too.

Despite being a young boy of just over ten years, his strength was not inferior to that of an adult, gripping him so tightly that Hua Qiang almost let go of Xiaosi's hand instinctively. Luckily, he held back, or it would have been too embarrassing.

Hua Qiang gently disengaged Xiaosi's hand, moving half a step aside.

"Not far, just in front of our tent."

What seemed like cryptic movements were actually plainly visible to Hua Jin, who struggled to suppress her reaction, lowering her head.

A natural critical hit, indeed a real critical hit, with Hua Qiang perhaps going home with renewed determination again.

Hearing this, Xiaosi's eyes lit up. He started running, while Hua Jin nodded at Uncle Hua Qiang and quickly followed, with Hua Lao Han also hurrying along.

Regarding Master Zhao, Hua Lao Han also had a good impression. Although they had an employer-employee relationship, Master Zhao was an industrious and talkative person. Hua Lao Han enjoyed chatting with him. Despite their age difference, they both had ventured outside and shared many common topics.

On the other side, Master Zhao occasionally peeked towards the back of the village. His once calm, confident eyes now bore traces of nervousness and anxiety. Beside him stood a young lad who, except for the scar on Master Zhao's face, looked as if they were carved from the same mold, except equally thin.

"Master Zhao... Master Zhao..." Xiaosi's voice echoed in the darkness, breaking through the tension. Zhao Ji's eyes brightened, and his lips subtly curled upwards.

The sound of Xiaosi's joyful voice suddenly relaxed Zhao Ji a lot, as he watched the boy running towards him through the night. Despite having grown taller, he recognized him at once as the boy who used to love trailing him, persistently wanting to learn more martial arts, always smiling. Although a bit chatty, it was undeniable that this kid always had a knack for making others happy.

Another familiar young figure followed behind; no, as they got closer, Zhao Ji recognized her as Xiaosi's sister, an equally likable young girl.

She had grown quite a bit as well, with some minor changes in her features, but the overall outline was still recognizable.

However, she didn't seem as delicate as before, and she was much tanner.

It wasn't surprising, considering the long hardships they had gone through, it was normal for them to change.

"Master Zhao," Hua Jin respectfully called out as she stopped running.

"Xiaosi, Jin'er, good, oh, it's great to see you," Master Zhao exclaimed joyously seeing the two healthy children.

Especially seeing the children's good condition meant they hadn't suffered too much, affirming that his decision was right.

In fact, he had come to Hua Village not long after the flood receded, but all he saw was a ruin with no signs of anyone having lived there. He knew that Hua Village mustn't have descended the mountain.

Though he tried searching nearby mountains where some traces of human habitation were found, he didn't see anyone.

Yet, he couldn't let go. With the current turmoil, if they didn't seek a good shelter, they could easily become targets. Even though his family knew some martial arts, two fists couldn't fend off four hands, especially with women and children at home.

Thinking it over, Master Zhao decided to seek refuge with Village Chief Hua.

He spent more than half a year with Village Chief Hua's family, knowing him to be a wise, intelligent, brave, and kind old man, and the family environment was excellent, making him feel reassured about coming here.

Unfortunately, after many visits, he still hadn't found any trace of Hua Village.

Perhaps because he was unwilling to give up, he and his family settled in the woods near Hua Village to wait patiently.

Happily, a few days ago, upon returning with his son, he noticed differences, as the village paths and houses showed signs of being tidied up, even the well had been cleaned.

Identifying this meant someone from Hua Village had come down from the mountains, but over the last couple of days, even after several visits, he still hadn't seen anyone.

Earlier in the day, he and his son had come once more, resigning with disappointment. To be honest, he was increasingly losing hope, but he didn't expect the habitual vigilance developed over the days to lead to a great surprise, noticing a faint light from Hua Village, prompting him and his eldest son to rush over here immediately.

He was filled with excitement when arriving, but seeing people as thin and unfamiliar as they were, brought disappointment.

Half a year was enough for him to know the people of Hua Village, though not very familiar with many. These were clearly not villagers, making him suspect they were merely passing through or other citizens preparing to settle.

Fortunately, he mustered courage to approach further, feeling particularly grateful for this decision, as the next people he saw thrilled him again.

He saw many men from Hua Village.

Meanwhile, their arrival attracted everyone's attention; if not for being few in number and showing no apparent malice, they couldn't have walked in. Even so, someone notified Hua Qiang and Hua Rong.

Fortunately, Hua Qiang had some recollection of him, otherwise, they would've been driven away from Hua Village long ago.

Seeing the delighted reaction of the two children meeting him, Zhao Ji was indeed very pleased, giving Xiaosi, who was smiling happily with glittering eyes, a pat on the head.

"Master Zhao, did you specifically come to find us?"

Taking a look at the desolate village, Xiaosi wasn't truly foolish.

"Xiaosi is really smart. Master Zhao indeed came specifically to find you all."

The first part Zhao Ji spoke to Xiaosi, and the latter to the now-arrived Hua Lao Han, his gaze, once steady, now carried slightly anxious as he looked at Hua Lao Han.

"Village Chief Hua," Zhao Ji quickly greeted and drew a son next to him, "This is the village chief of Hua Village, who used to be my employer."

"Village Chief Hua," the young man quickly greeted as well.

The young man was also very pleased. They had frequently visited these past days, finally seeing the people of Hua Village his father had been longing for.

It's really... wonderful!