Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Before he finished speaking, he once again demonstrated his agility, grabbing the tree trunk and quickly climbing up the branches.

This time, he carefully avoided the small, unripe fruits and chose only the plump persimmons that had turned yellow, gently twisting them off one by one.

Under the tree, Xu Xiaoyan, Wang Yuming, and Weng Nanque opened their coats and carefully caught the persimmons.

"One per person, everyone pack it up," Xu Xiaoyan said, then put the persimmons she received into her backpack.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuming immediately pulled out a folded lightweight cloth bag from the side pocket of his backpack. It was the bag he originally used to carry miscellaneous items, and it came in handy at this moment.

From time to time, Weng Nanque would gently touch the persimmon closest to her in the bag with her finger and murmur, "Little persimmons, you must turn red quickly." Her expectant look made everyone else laugh.

"Don't keep squeezing it," Xu Xiaoyan reminded her with a smile, her tone full of experience. "Squeezing it too much will make it break. Just leave it alone, and it will soften naturally when the time comes."

They continued along the mountain path, remaining vigilant, but the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before. They would occasionally exchange a few words in hushed tones, their conversation revolving around speculation about the route ahead and the situation down the mountain.

After walking for about three hours, they finally came down the mountain and then walked along the main road for quite a long time.

Suddenly, Wang Yuming, who was walking in front, stopped and raised his arm to signal everyone to be quiet. He listened intently, his brows furrowing slightly.

In the distance, carried by the mountain breeze, some unusual sounds could be faintly heard.

It wasn't the sound of natural wind or birdsong, but rather a mixed, muffled sound, occasionally interspersed with vague, metallic clanging noises.

The group exchanged glances, instantly losing all their relaxed expressions, their hearts involuntarily tightening.

Xu Xiaoyan instinctively pressed her backpack tighter, while Wang Yuming and Weng Nanque also held their breath.

Hope and worry surged in their hearts at the same time: Could this voice be the army they were hoping for, or something else?

Wang Yuming made a hand gesture, and the four of them quickly and silently disappeared into the shadows of the bushes by the roadside, cautiously looking in the direction from which the sound came.

The sound grew clearer as it approached; it was the sound of orderly but slightly heavy footsteps, along with occasional short, hushed commands in low voices.

A moment later, the vanguard of a group of about twenty or thirty men came into view as they rounded the bend in the road, wearing uniform, slightly worn, drab gray military uniforms.

Most people carried packs and rifles, and the clanging of metal came from the weapons and canteens carried by the soldiers.

Their faces bore the weariness and dust of a long march, but their eyes still vigilantly scanned both sides of the road.

Their military bearing was not particularly disciplined, but their movements were methodical and clearly not a rabble.

"It's the army!" Weng Nanque said excitedly in a breathy voice, instinctively trying to stand up, but was pressed down by Wang Yuming next to her.

"Don't rush," Wang Yuming said in a low voice, his sharp eyes observing, "Take another look and figure out which part it is."

Xu Xiaoyan's heart was in her throat, a fierce battle between anticipation and caution raging within her.

She carefully observed the soldiers' equipment and expressions. The team seemed to be fairly disciplined, and besides fatigue, the soldiers' faces also showed an indescribable solemnity.

"Should we... go out?" Weng Beiyan looked at Xu Xiaoyan, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Encountering the army was what they had hoped for. Xu Xiaoyan took a deep breath; the opportunity was right in front of her, but showing herself rashly would likely lead to questioning.

"Wait a little longer," Xu Xiaoyan finally decided. "We'll wait until most of the column has passed before we find an opportunity to contact the officers behind us. It would be too reckless to rush to the front of the column directly."

The other three nodded in agreement and continued to lie in ambush behind the bushes, holding their breath. The army was moving slowly, and the middle of the column was about to pass completely through their hiding place.

Xu Xiaoyan took a deep breath, suppressing her anxiety, and quickly told her companions, "I'm going out to make contact with them. Don't move yet. If things don't look right, immediately scatter and hide in the depths."

"Sister Xiaoyan!" Weng Nanque called out worriedly in a low voice.

Xu Xiaoyan gave her a reassuring look and threw away the wooden stick in her hand.

He slowly stood up from behind the bushes, empty-handed, and raised his hands to indicate that he had no weapons.

"Who goes there?! Stop right there!" Almost as soon as she appeared, a middle-aged man who looked like an officer in the back of the group shouted sternly.

At the same time, several soldiers beside him instantly raised their guns and aimed at Xu Xiaoyan, causing the marching rhythm of the entire column to halt, and a tense atmosphere instantly spread.

"Don't shoot! Comrade PLA soldiers, we're not bad people!" Xu Xiaoyan tried her best to make her voice sound clear and calm, even though her heart was pounding like a drum.

"We are survivors, we escaped from the city to the south, and we've been walking in the mountains for several days!"

The officer sized Xu Xiaoyan up and down, then warily scanned the woods behind her. "You? How many of you are there?"

"There are three more companions here," Xu Xiaoyan gestured as she turned around.

Wang Yuming, Weng Beiyan, and Weng Nanque also stood up, raising their hands with nervousness and anticipation on their faces.

Seeing that there were two men and two women, and that they were all very young, the soldiers lowered their guns slightly, but their vigilance remained.

The officer took a few steps closer, his brow furrowed. "The city to the south? Which city? What's the situation?" His voice carried a barely perceptible urgency.

"It's Jin City," Xu Xiaoyan replied. "When we escaped, the city had already been paralyzed by the earthquake."

"I was initially following the troops there, but then we encountered a mudslide and communication was cut off. Many people were scattered. We ran into the mountains to survive," she briefly described her situation.

After listening, a heavy look crossed the officer's face. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly assessing the veracity of Xu Xiaoyan's words and how to settle them.

"We are the Seventh Emergency Management Detachment. Our original location was scattered, and we are now ordered to relocate to a designated assembly point in the western mountainous area."

He paused, then looked at the four thin, pale-faced young men in front of him. "The mountains aren't safe either. It's too dangerous for the four of you to act alone."

Hearing this, a glimmer of hope ignited in Xu Xiaoyan's heart. "Sir, can we go with you? We promise we won't cause any trouble, and we'll do any work we can!"

The officer's gaze swept over their cloth bags full of things, then looked at their tired but determined eyes, and hesitated for a moment.

At that moment, a man who seemed to be an adjutant whispered, "Captain, our supplies are also running low..."