Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but smile slightly, then turned and continued walking deeper into the area without saying anything more.

Lan Yue followed closely behind, and the two of them disappeared into the forest in no time.

The two spent most of the day picking fruit, covering almost the entire hilltop where they were.

From the mountainside to the ridge, from the sunny slope to the shady side, every time we encountered a pine tree, we would stop and search it carefully.

The trouser legs below the knees were soaked and then dried by the wind several times. The soles of the shoes were covered with a thick layer of mud, making them heavy to walk on.

Several times during that time, they heard voices in the distance, which should be the logging team members from their group.

The dull thud of an axe striking a tree trunk, the thunderous crash of wood falling to the ground, and the sounds of people shouting slogans could be heard clearly from dozens of meters away in the woods.

Sometimes, through the gaps in the bushes, you can even catch a glimpse of a few figures moving about, bending over and carrying wood, all of them drenched in sweat.

Xu Xiaoyan and Lan Yue exchanged a glance, then silently slowed their pace and quietly bypassed each other.

It's not that I'm afraid of anything, I just don't want to say hello. Firstly, I can't explain why I'm neglecting my work to go up the mountain and pick these things that nobody knows are worth.

Secondly, I don't want to be asked all sorts of questions and cause unnecessary trouble.

Instead of wasting time explaining, it would be more practical to pick a few more pieces of pine resin.

So the two of them, one in front of the other, carefully surveyed the entire hilltop, avoiding all places where people could be heard.

As evening approached, the two met at the agreed time and place, and each unloaded all the bags they could carry—backpacks, waist bags, burlap sacks, and plastic bags—and laid them out on the ground.

Xu Xiaoyan looked down at herself: her backpack was stretched out of shape, and the zipper could only be closed by pulling hard; a burlap sack was stuffed tightly, and it felt heavy and drooping when she picked it up.

Looking at Lan Yue's side, the situation wasn't much better. Her backpack was already taking up a lot of space with her belongings, and she had stuffed in a whole bunch more, so much so that the outer side pockets were ripped open.

She tied two other pieces of clothing in a knot to use as makeshift cloth bags, which were also filled with pine resin blocks.

The two looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time.

"This is way too much..." Lan Yue herself couldn't believe it. She squatted down and rummaged through the pile of things, poking the bulging bag with her finger.

"I thought we could carry a lot, but we ended up with such a huge pile."

Xu Xiaoyan squatted down beside her and roughly estimated that all the bags that could hold the contents were full, and the amount was indeed considerable.

She looked up at the sky, then looked down at her watch, which showed a time of a little past five in the afternoon.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke, her tone decisive, "How about this, we'll go and hand it in at six o'clock tonight."

"Before others realize what's happening, quickly replace all of these things to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Upon hearing this, Lan Yue nodded vigorously without the slightest hesitation. "Okay! I'll feel at ease handing it over quickly. I can't sleep peacefully at night if it's in my bag."

The two exchanged a smile and began to tidy up the bags scattered on the ground, preparing to descend the mountain.

The two men hoisted their bulging backpacks onto their shoulders, each clutching one or two stuffed bags in their arms, and swayed as they walked down the mountain path.

The bag was so heavy that with every step I took, the backpack straps dug into my shoulders, and I had to switch hands or shoulders after a short while.

Lan Yue simply carried the "sausage bag" tied with her sleeve to her chest, walking carefully, afraid that the bumpy ride would spill the contents.

With that kind of setup, it's hard not to attract attention.

Along the mountain path and near the campsite, groups of two or three people were packing up their tools and preparing to finish work; they spotted them immediately.

Some people stopped and tilted their heads to examine the bulging baggage.

Some people even came closer, their eyes full of curiosity.

"Hey, what's in your bags? Why are there so many?" A middle-aged man spoke first, his eyes scanning back and forth between the several bags that were stretched to their deformities.

A young woman nearby chimed in, "Yes, you've been busy all day, going up and down the mountain. Did you pick wild fruits or dig up some roots?"

Xu Xiaoyan and Lan Yue exchanged a glance, their lips curving into smiles, but neither of them spoke.

The two just laughed and continued walking without stopping.

Seeing that they didn't answer, the man became even more curious and followed them around, asking, "Tsk, still keeping it a secret? Tell us, if it's something good, we'll go get it tomorrow."

When pressed, Lan Yue turned her head and replied in a light tone, "I don't know if it's worth anything; we'll have to wait for the official personnel to inspect the goods to find out."

Xu Xiaoyan added from the side, her voice not loud, but just right to whet people's appetite: "It's too early to say now. If it's not worth much, people will laugh at us."

This statement is ambiguous, neither admitting nor denying anything, which only makes people more curious.

The group exchanged glances and unconsciously followed.

One, two, three... When the two reached the flat road at the foot of the mountain, many people followed them from near and far, craning their necks to look at the bags they were carrying.

Xu Xiaoyan glanced at it out of the corner of her eye, said nothing, but quickened her pace slightly.

Blue Moon understood immediately, hugged the "sausage bun" in her arms tighter, raised her chin, and took bigger steps.

The group of people behind me kept whispering.

"What exactly are they? So many bags, they can't be ordinary wild fruits..."

"It's hard to say. What if it's a mountain product? Could it be Ganoderma lucidum?"

"There are so many Ganoderma lucidum? You really dare to imagine."

"Stop guessing, just go and see for yourself."

As dusk settled, the group headed towards the official receiving point, each with their own thoughts.

The official trading point is at its least crowded before 6 p.m.

The long lines from the daytime had long since dispersed, and the nighttime peak had not yet arrived; only two or three people were scattered around in front of the counter.

When the staff had a break, some leaned back in their chairs to drink water, while others bent over organizing documents. The whole hall was filled with a lazy atmosphere that seemed to be on the verge of a rest.

However, this period of leisure did not last long.

As Xu Xiaoyan and Lan Yue stepped through the gate one after the other, the long tail that had trailed all the way down from the foot of the mountain followed behind them, and they all rushed in at once.

The once empty entrance to the trading point suddenly became crowded, with footsteps, voices, and bags clattering against the door frame all mixed together.

The staff at the counter all looked up and were stunned.

A middle-aged male staff member nearby reacted faster, put down his water cup, stood up, and peered behind the two of them.

After confirming that no one else was coming in, he turned his attention back to Xu Xiaoyan and Lan Yue, and spoke with some uncertainty.

"What are you doing...?"