Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Sister Hong of Jin Yong Thirteen Street (Part 2) – The Gate of Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Book Online

Chapter 51: Sister Hong of Jin Yong Thirteen Street (Part 2)

“Back in the day on Jin Yong Thirteen Street, Sister Hong led us, wielding machetes from one end of the street to the other. The whole street was drenched in blood, and no one dared to mess with us again!”

Then, during the victory celebration that night, after Third Brother had a bit too much to drink and got overly excited in his storytelling, everyone learned about Sister Hong’s past.

Jin Yong Thirteen Street was a place Gu Ning had heard of before. That neighborhood was notoriously chaotic, and parents would always warn their kids not to go there. It got its name because it consisted of thirteen interconnected streets, winding and twisting like a maze. If you weren’t a local, you’d definitely get lost. Due to its unique geography and cheap rent, more and more thugs, prostitutes, and drug dealers began to gather there, turning Jin Yong Thirteen Street into a permanent stain on the city. And Li Hongjuan, also known as Sister Hong, was once a famous female thug from that area. Born and raised on Jin Yong Thirteen Street, she didn’t end up as a prostitute or a drug dealer but instead became a notorious thug—the most fearsome kind. She had a very ordinary, almost rustic name, Li Hongjuan, but she carried a particularly domineering nickname: Sister Hong.

Gu Ning finally understood how her parents and Sister Hong, the middle-aged trio, had managed to make it safely to the gathering place.

Sister Hong took a swig of liquor, clicked her tongue, and sneered, “Even the most powerful thug is still just a thug. What’s the point?”

Third Brother’s face showed a nostalgic expression as he sighed, “That’s exactly what you told me back then when you sent me off to join the military.”

Sister Hong shot him a glance and said, “If I hadn’t sent you off to the military back then, you’d probably be rotting in some stinky ditch by now. How else would you be here drinking and bragging, with so many followers?”

“Followers? Sister Hong, these are my soldiers, not thugs,” Third Brother replied, sounding a bit resentful. “You think I didn’t know back then that you sent me off to the military just so you could run off with that man?”

When Third Brother mentioned “that man,” Sister Hong’s smile froze for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, she slapped the back of his head and shouted, “Xie Aiguo, do you think just because you’ve got some followers now, you can disrespect your old boss?”

Third Brother rubbed the back of his head vigorously, realizing he’d said the wrong thing. He quickly picked up his glass and said to Sister Hong, “Sister Hong, I was wrong! I’ll finish this drink, don’t be mad!” He downed half the glass in one gulp, then clicked his tongue and said, “This Wang Jizhong, he sure hid a lot of liquor. Too bad he didn’t live to enjoy it. Lucky us.”

Sister Hong snatched the glass from Third Brother’s hand, slammed it on the table with a clang, and said, “That’s not how you drink. Don’t you have to go out and kill more zombies tomorrow? How are you going to do that if you’re wasted? Stop drinking and eat some meat instead.” She then picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in Third Brother’s bowl.

Perhaps because he was drunk, Third Brother suddenly became emotional and started tearing up over the piece of chicken in his bowl. “Sister Hong, I’ve been looking for you all these years. I asked so many people to help me find you, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to do anything else, I just wanted to see how you’ve been, if that man treated you well…”

The atmosphere at the table turned awkward.

Not just Gu Ning, but even the soldiers who had been with Third Brother for years had never seen him like this. They glanced back and forth between Third Brother and Sister Hong, their expressions微妙.

Sister Hong showed no reaction to Third Brother’s “confession.” She didn’t even raise an eyebrow. After taking another sip of liquor, she glared at the soldiers and said, “What are you all staring at? Your boss is drunk. Take him to lie down!”

The soldiers scrambled to help Third Brother up.

Third Brother was truly drunk. He didn’t show it on his face—no redness, no signs of intoxication—but as soon as the soldiers grabbed him, he started making a scene. “I’m not drunk! What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel?”

Zhang Xiaobai looked helplessly at Sister Hong and said, “Sister Hong, look at this…”

Sister Hong raised an eyebrow, her expression fierce. “Xie Aiguo, are you going to lie down or not? Stop making a fool of yourself. If you keep acting up, I swear I’ll beat you to death!”

Surprisingly, Third Brother immediately stopped causing trouble and obediently let the soldiers drag him into the inner room.

Everyone, including Gu Ning, was in awe of Sister Hong’s authority.

Sister Hong stuffed a piece of chicken into her mouth and mumbled, “Becoming a damn platoon leader and thinking he’s all that now.” The wounds on her face, treated by Huang Mengyao, were still marked with yellow iodine stains. Her red hair was neatly combed and tucked behind her ears, making her look nothing like the fearsome thug she once was.

Gu Ning’s parents, who had been neighbors with Sister Hong for years, clearly had no idea about her “hidden identity.” Seeing the usually “mighty” Third Brother acting so “docile” in front of Sister Hong, they couldn’t help but feel a bit感慨.

Gu’s mom couldn’t resist asking, “Hongjuan, were you really part of the underworld back then?”

Sister Hong chuckled and said, “What underworld? I was just surviving on Thirteen Street. If you didn’t bully others, they’d bully you, so I just went with it. At least that way, no one could push me around.” She added, “Don’t let me scare you, Auntie. I’ve been out of that life for a long time. I’m no different from you now.”

“Why would I be scared?” Gu’s mom laughed and pointed at Gu Ning. “My daughter’s no less impressive than you were back then, right?”

Sister Hong glanced at Gu Ning and smiled. “She’s way better than I was.”

Gu’s mom said, “You must have a pretty good temper. I’ve never seen you get physical, even when you argued with the neighbors.”

Sister Hong laughed heartily. “Did I ever lose an argument? If I won, why would I need to fight? That’d just be bullying. If I ever lost, you’d see me throw hands.”

Gu’s mom was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Everyone else who had been listening also couldn’t help but laugh.

When Sister Hong tried to clean up the leftovers, the soldiers firmly refused. Even Third Brother called her “Sister Hong,” so they didn’t dare let her do the cleaning.

Sister Hong was happy to take it easy.

With Wang Jizhong dead, the building he had occupied naturally fell into Third Brother’s hands.

The kids had their first full meal since the apocalypse and went to bed early, happy and satisfied. Wang Jizhong had stockpiled some warm clothes, which were now used to cover the kids, ensuring they’d sleep well.

Since they had to go out again the next day, the soldiers, though in high spirits, kept their drinking in check.

Gu Ning had a bit to drink that night too. Now, lying on a blanket spread on the floor, listening to the soft murmurs in the room and the gentle breathing of her sleeping parents, she felt a deep sense of peace.

In the darkness, she checked her watch. It was only 6 PM, but outside, the sky was already pitch black. Last night, neither those who went out nor those who stayed behind had gotten much rest. Now, with full stomachs and a bit of alcohol, it was the perfect time to sleep.

She got up quietly, stepping carefully over the bodies in the dark, and left the room.

In the living room, Sister Hong was still sitting there, sipping her drink slowly. She was surprised when Gu Ning suddenly appeared but quickly smiled awkwardly. “Haven’t had a drink in a long time. Just satisfying a craving.”

“Auntie Hongjuan…”

Sister Hong cut her off. “Just call me Sister Hong, like everyone else.”

Gu Ning smiled. “Sister Hong. I need to go out for a bit. Can you look after my parents? If they ask, just cover for me.”

Sister Hong didn’t ask where she was going, simply saying, “Got it. Be careful.”

Gu Ning relaxed and smiled. “Okay.”

Though they had been neighbors for years, Gu Ning had never spent more than three minutes with Sister Hong, and their conversations never exceeded ten sentences. Otherwise, she might have discovered Sister Hong’s extraordinary qualities earlier. But maybe back then, she wouldn’t have cared much about whether Sister Hong was extraordinary or not. Gu Ning chuckled to herself, then walked into the backyard storage room, bolted the door, and with a thought, entered her space.

After swallowing the crystal core, she hadn’t awakened any special abilities. Based on her previous experience, Gu Ning had a rough idea of how the space would change, but she was still shocked to see grass over a meter tall growing near the coast.

She struggled to push aside the grass that reached up to her shoulders and made her way to the water’s edge. She tested the water temperature with her hand, then stripped off her clothes and shoes and stepped into the water.

With a kick of her legs, she swam into the water like a fish. She opened her eyes underwater without any discomfort. After holding her breath for a while, she was amazed to find that she could breathe underwater. It felt incredible, as if she had turned into a fish. Her legs moved like a tail, effortlessly propelling her through the water. The water was crystal clear and incredibly deep, with no bottom in sight. There were no fish, no seaweed, no sand or rocks—just water, endless water.

Xiang Xu had once said that her special ability was like a lake inside her body. Gu Ning had a bold thought: maybe this green ocean was her ability? But after swimming for a while, she couldn’t find any difference between this water and ordinary water, nor could she spot anything mystical about it.

After swimming for a bit, Gu Ning emerged from the water. The droplets slid off her skin and seeped into the ground, leaving her completely dry.

She got dressed and didn’t linger. After adjusting the golden needle, she opened the door and left the space, returning to her bedroom. She glanced at the clock on the wall: 7 AM.

She changed into clean clothes and walked out.

Gu’s dad was eating breakfast while reading the newspaper. He looked up when he heard the door open and said, “Come eat breakfast after you wash up.”

Gu’s mom added, “Hurry up. It’s better to be early than late. Don’t be late on your first day and make a bad impression.” She was clearly nervous about Gu Ning’s new job.

Coming from the apocalypse, Gu Ning felt an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness. It was as if the tension she had been carrying for so long had finally eased. She couldn’t help but smile brightly and say, “Okay! I’ll do my best!”

Gu’s parents exchanged surprised looks, then both laughed.

“Did you pack everything? Make sure you leave a good impression on your first day. Teach those kids well,” Gu’s mom called out as she walked Gu Ning to the door.

“Don’t worry, Mom. Don’t wait for me for dinner tonight,” Gu Ning waved and disappeared around the corner of the house.

The door to the neighboring room opened, and a middle-aged woman asked curiously, “Gu Ning found a job already?”

Gu’s mom smiled and said, “Yes, she’s a tutor now. The pay’s pretty good.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” the woman said, then试探着问, “I saw a man driving a car to pick up Gu Ning yesterday. Was that her boyfriend? I’ve never seen him before.”

Gu’s mom was momentarily stunned, then laughed and said, “Oh, you mean Fang Fa? He’s just a friend of Ningning’s, not her boyfriend. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

The woman’s eyes shifted, and she half-jokingly said, “Not her boyfriend? Well, if Gu Ning’s not interested, maybe you could introduce him to my Fangfang.”

Gu’s mom was caught off guard and didn’t know how to respond.

Before she could come up with an excuse, a voice chimed in, “Yang Dongyan, isn’t your Fangfang already seeing someone? Trying to have your cake and eat it too? Be careful not to split your legs.”

The middle-aged woman turned to see a woman leaning against her door, munching on sunflower seeds. Her face turned red with embarrassment. “Li Hongjuan, where did you hear that nonsense? You can’t just say things like that! Don’t ruin my Fangfang’s reputation!”

Li Hongjuan tossed the sunflower seed shells into the trash can by the door and said, “Oh, so the girl I saw kissing a man downstairs last night wasn’t your Fangfang?”

“I don’t have time for this!” Yang Dongyan glared at Li Hongjuan, then turned and slammed her door shut.

“Mom! Stop meddling!” A young woman’s voice called out impatiently from inside Li Hongjuan’s house.

Li Hongjuan smiled at Gu’s mom and was about to go back inside when Gu’s mom called out, “Hey, Hongjuan! Gu Ning and her dad won’t be back for lunch today. If you and your daughter don’t mind, I can whip up a couple of dishes for you.”

Li Hongjuan was surprised by the sudden invitation. Seeing the期待 in Gu’s mom’s smile, and thinking of how kind Gu’s dad had always been to her, she found herself unable to refuse. She nodded awkwardly and said, “That’d be nice. Thank you.”

“Great! Don’t cook anything for lunch. I’ll come get you when it’s ready!” Gu’s mom said happily.

Li Hongjuan was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden warmth and muttered a few words of thanks before heading back inside, puzzled.

“Why did you suddenly decide to invite her over? I thought you didn’t like her,” Gu Siyuan asked when Gu’s mom returned to the room.

Gu’s mom sighed. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. I was wrong about her. Yesterday, I heard her arguing with someone from the next building—for Ningning’s sake.” Gu’s mom’s eyes reddened as she thought about the things people had said about Gu Ning. “From now on, we should spend more time with her. It’s just her and her daughter. They’re quite pitiful.”

Gu Siyuan was momentarily stunned, then shook his head. “I’ve always said, a woman who’s stayed single all these years for a child who isn’t even her own can’t be that bad. But you just had to listen to gossip and assume the worst. Shallow!”

Gu’s mom quickly admitted, “Alright, alright, I was wrong. I’m shallow. You’re the deep one, Gu Siyuan, with your keen eye for people’s true nature. Now put down that newspaper. You’re going to be late for class, and you’re still dawdling. Thank goodness Ningning takes after me, or I’d be pulling my hair out.”

Gu Siyuan shook his head helplessly as Gu’s mom once again steered the conversation off course.