Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

She called out to Xu Xiaoyan, "Xiaoyan! Come quick! Wenshan's leg seems to be hurting!" Her voice was loud, almost out of control, but she couldn't care less at that moment.

In her eyes, Xu Xiaoyan was the only one among them who knew what to do, and had a flashlight, a backpack, compressed biscuits, a compass, and everything else they didn't have.

If even Xu Xiaoyan couldn't do anything, then she really didn't know what to do.

Xu Xiaoyan turned around and pointed the flashlight at Chen Wenshan's ankle.

The beam of light pierced through the rain and landed on the swollen ankle that was protruding from the mud.

The flashlight beam was very bright, illuminating every detail clearly. The skin on the outside of my ankle had swollen up, turning from a normal outline into a blurry, bulging arc.

Chen Wenshan was wearing a pair of ordinary sneakers with the laces tied loosely. The shoes were covered in mud, but it was clear that they weren't a large size. Her swollen ankle was stretching the shoe uppers out of shape.

Xu Xiaoyan squatted down, stretched out her right hand, and gently touched the swollen area with her fingertips.

The moment her fingertips touched her skin, Chen Wenshan gasped sharply, recoiled as if electrocuted, hissed, and burst into tears.

"Don't move, I'm just taking a look," Xu Xiaoyan's voice was not loud, but very steady.

She didn't pull her hand back, but gently pressed on the ankle bone, which should be the most prominent bone in the ankle, but now she couldn't feel it at all, as it was completely covered by swollen tissue.

Chen Wenshan groaned in pain again when she was pressed, but this time she did not pull back. She just gritted her teeth and gripped the mud under her tightly with both hands until her knuckles turned white.

Wang Ling knelt to Chen Wenshan's left, gently patting her shoulder with one hand, repeatedly saying, "It's okay, it's okay," "Xiao Yan is watching for you," "Just bear with it."

Her voice was trembling, and she could hardly believe what she was saying, but she dared not stop, afraid that if she did, Chen Wenshan would completely collapse.

Wu Yue squatted down to Chen Wenshan's right. She didn't say anything, but just used the back of her hand to wipe the rain and tears off Chen Wenshan's face.

Xu Xiaoyan stood up, gripped the flashlight again, and lingered on Chen Wenshan's ankle for a few seconds before moving away.

She didn't speak, but the expression on her face said it all. This was no ordinary sprain; it was at least a ligament strain, and more likely a bone fracture or even a broken bone.

In a situation with no medical facilities, no fixed equipment, and on a muddy mountain road in torrential rain, this was an extremely difficult situation.

After a long pause, Xu Xiaoyan finally spoke, "Her injury is very serious. I'm not a doctor, but I know that this level of swelling cannot be a simple sprain. A ligament tear is the least likely, and there is probably a bone fracture or fracture."

She paused, the beam of her flashlight slowly sweeping across the three people's faces. "Her condition is not suitable for traveling. If she continues to walk, her feet will swell even more, and incorrect movement may cause secondary damage. At that point, it won't just be a matter of resting for a few days; she may be left with a permanent disability."

She paused here, giving them some time to process what she had said.

Wang Ling lowered her head even further, Chen Wenshan closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling, and Wu Yue's fingers clenched and unclenched on the waterproof cloth.

"So, you now have two choices," Xu Xiaoyan said in a flat voice. "The first choice is for the three of you to find a place to rest and recuperate, and then decide on the next step once Wenshan's foot is better."

There should be places nearby where you can take shelter from the rain, such as hollows under the rock walls or dry ground under big trees. As for food and water, I can leave some for you; that should last you a few days.

"The second option," she continued, "I understand your desire to catch up with the troops, so I will slow down and wait for you if you choose this path. You two can carry Wenshan along the way."

But you need to think this through: how long can you carry someone up a mountain path, especially in rainy weather, at night, and on muddy terrain?

Chen Wenshan's shoulders were trembling slightly, whether from the cold or some other reason, it was hard to tell.

Wang Ling turned her face away, facing the rain in the darkness.

Wu Yue finally raised her head and glanced at Xu Xiaoyan. In that glance, there was a plea for help, confusion, and a trace of inexplicable grievance.

It's as if they're asking: Why can't you make the decisions for us? Why can't you just tell us what to do?

Xu Xiaoyan received that look, but did not respond.

She offered the help she could, but also drew a line she couldn't cross.

The three lowered their heads, and no one spoke for a moment.

Wang Ling knelt to Chen Wenshan's left, her knees sinking into the mud, her hands hanging at her sides, her fingers digging into the mud, her knuckles slightly bent.

She lowered her head, her gaze fixed on Chen Wenshan's swollen ankle. Her lips moved slightly, as if she were silently reciting something, but no sound came out.

Chen Wenshan lay in the mud, her right leg slightly curled up, her hands still holding her ankles, but she no longer had the strength to hold on tightly, they were just loosely hanging there, her eyes empty and dull.

She knew that her injury was a burden to everyone. If she hadn't stepped into that puddle, if she hadn't lost her footing, if she hadn't slowed down Wang Ling and Wu Yue, they would still be on their way, heading northwest, getting closer and closer to the army.

Her lips were trembling. She wanted to say, "You can leave, don't worry about me," but the words stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them.

It wasn't that she was afraid of dying, but that she was afraid that if they really left, she would be lying alone in this muddy field during the downpour, waiting for the rain to stop, waiting for someone to come and rescue her, or waiting to die. That thought was too terrifying, so terrifying that she swallowed those words back.

Wu Yue crouched to Chen Wenshan's right, curled up in a ball, her windproof jacket hood pulled down to the lowest point, revealing only half of her face. Her fingers were unconsciously rubbing a corner of the waterproof fabric. She didn't know what to say; this team never required her to make decisions.

Xu Xiaoyan looked at the three of them without saying a word or urging them.

She knew that the two options she had given were too much for Wang Ling, Chen Wenshan, and Wu Yue.

They had never made such a decision on their own before; everything was arranged for them, and they only needed to follow along.

Now that the decision-making power has suddenly been handed over to them, they are at a loss.

Xu Xiaoyan could make decisions for them, but she wouldn't do it. Making decisions for others means bearing the consequences.