Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

The next period of time was spent in a stifling state of semi-consciousness, with the group taking turns to rest and keep watch, but no one dared to actually fall asleep.

Darkness had fallen, depriving everyone of sight but making their hearing exceptionally acute.

The crisp sound of a dry branch snapping in the wind, the rustling of an unknown small animal darting through the grass, even the suppressed, rapid breathing of a companion—any subtle sound is enough to make one's heart skip a beat and startle them awake.

When it was Weng Beiyan's turn to stand guard, he hugged his knees and stared blankly, seemingly deep in thought about his painful past.

Xu Xiaoyan, curled up opposite, was wide awake and asked, "Have you guys encountered a lot of things before?"

Weng Beiyan nodded and whispered to Xu Xiaoyan about what he and his sister had seen and heard along the way.

He described the abandoned villages he passed through, as silent as giant tombs, and how pushing open the half-closed doors filled the air with the smell of dust and mold.

There were also those grain jars that had fallen to the ground, their bottoms facing upwards, their inner walls scraped clean, not a single shriveled grain left.

He then recounted witnessing a brawl on the edge of a town's ruins over a half-sack of damp, moldy biscuits, where several emaciated men roared and wrestled like wild beasts.

One of them had his head smashed open, and dark red blood mixed with mud flowed down. The victor grabbed the bag of biscuits and, before he could even run far, frantically stuffed them into his mouth, choking and rolling his eyes back. The scene didn't look like eating; it looked more like a struggle on the verge of death.

"The most painful thing," Weng Beiyan's voice was even lower, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "is not the open competition, but the gazes cast from behind the scenes."

He described how, in some seemingly deserted corners, behind broken walls, or in the shadows of abandoned vehicles, he could always sense some malicious gazes.

The gaze wasn't fiery; rather, it was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, silently observing and calculating.

"You don't know if what's hidden behind that is a person or something else. Some people's mentality is completely different from that of normal people. They have no compassion and only focus on satisfying their own selfish desires."

His narration was fragmented and lacked embellishment, but every brief sentence sent chills down one's spine.

"Let's set off under the cover of night. It's two in the morning, the time when people are most tired. Those people are probably already fast asleep."

I always felt uneasy, worried that as soon as it got light tomorrow, they would mobilize more people to clean up the town again, and then it would be difficult for us to leave.” Wang Yuming’s words broke the oppressive silence.

He subconsciously rubbed the goosebumps that had appeared on his arms, as if trying to dispel the invisible chill that had crept up on him. His suggestion was immediately met with a low murmur of agreement from Weng Beiyan.

He was already wary of this town, which was permeated with an invisible malice, and now he agreed without hesitation:

"That's right, we can't stay any longer. This place is too dangerous. Every moment we stay increases the chances of something going wrong."

He recalled the gazes he had felt from the shadows before, now seemingly peering coldly through countless walls and obstacles at the corner where they were temporarily residing.

Without needing to say anything more, their survival instincts drove them to action, and the four of them immediately moved silently.

Using the faint light filtering through the broken window, he quickly stuffed the few scattered items into his backpack, making every movement extremely quiet, as if afraid of making the slightest noise.

With everything prepared, they crouched low and made their way out of their hiding places one by one, leaving Zhujia Town without a sound.

The group hurried northwest, their food meager and the brother and sister's faces always bearing a lingering sense of embarrassment.

Xu Xiaoyan, being observant, had already noticed it. He nudged Wang Yuming beside him, and the two stopped in their tracks in tacit agreement.

Each of them took out about three pounds of peanuts from their backpacks and stuffed them into the hands of the brother and sister without saying a word.

The older brother moved his lips, as if he wanted to refuse, but Xu Xiaoyan persuaded him, "Take it, the road ahead is long."

In the end, all he could manage was a choked "thank you."

The younger sister, with tears in her eyes, bowed deeply. This small amount of food, which would be nothing in peaceful times, was more precious than gold at this moment.

For the next few days, they deliberately chose deserted paths, trying their best to avoid people, and dared not stop in villages they passed through, for fear of causing any unforeseen trouble.

When thirsty, they would find a stream or well; when hungry, they would nibble on a few peanuts; and at night, they would find a sheltered mountain hollow or a dilapidated temple to curl up for the night.

The days of eating and sleeping outdoors had left everyone looking exhausted.

As dusk fell, just as they were about to cross another mountain ridge, Wang Yuming, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped and raised his hand to signal.

Everyone's hearts tightened, and they looked in the direction he pointed. They saw that in the middle of the narrow mountain path ahead, a roadblock half a person's height had been haphazardly piled up with cut branches and rocks.

The four of them froze in place, exchanging glances that reflected the same shock and understanding in each other's eyes.

In the end, they still couldn't escape it. They had been so careful, choosing to travel only in these desolate mountains and wilderness areas, but in the end, they still encountered the result they least wanted to see.

Xu Xiaoyan glanced at the dense bushes on both sides of the roadblock and said in a low voice, "Back up, back up slowly." As soon as she finished speaking, a loud whistle rang out from ahead.

Seven or eight men, armed with sticks and with fierce expressions, sprang out from behind the trees and beside the rocks, blocking their path.

The leader was a burly man with a scar on his face, carrying a rusty machete. He sneered, "If you want to pass this way, leave your grain and valuables behind!"

Wang Yuming stepped forward, shielding the three behind him, and tried to reason with them, saying, "Gentlemen, we are also refugees, and we really don't have anything of value on us. Please do us a favor."

"Poor souls?" Scarface spat. "Enough nonsense! Look at all these bags and packages you're carrying, who are you trying to fool! We haven't had a sale in days, if you don't know what's good for you, don't blame us for having no scruples with our knives!"

The bandits behind him also started shouting and brandishing their weapons as they pressed closer.

Xu Xiaoyan knew that pleading was useless. She quickly observed her surroundings and found that the hillside on the right was covered with lush trees and bushes that could perhaps conceal her figure.

She abruptly pulled Wang Yuming and the brother and sister, and hissed, "Turn to the right, run uphill!"

Almost at the same time, she used her backpack as cover to pull out a handful of thumbtacks from her pocket and threw them at the scarred man who was charging at the front!

"Ouch!" Scarface cried out in pain as his face was slashed, his attack faltering as his pursuers checked on their leader's injury.

"Run!" Wang Yuming reacted, seized the fleeting opportunity, turned around and rushed desperately towards the hillside on the right.

"Damn it! Trying to pull some tricks! Chase them! Chase them for me!"

A moment later, the sound of the bandits' furious roars and chaotic footsteps came from behind.

The four of them didn't care about anything else; all they knew was to climb upwards as fast as they could.

They didn't even notice the branches tearing their clothes or the thorns scratching their skin; they had only one thought in their minds: to escape their pursuers and survive!