Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Seeing Wang Xiao quickly stuffing pumpkins into her backpack, Xu Xiaoyan calmed down and stopped worrying.

She imitated Wang Xiao and laboriously stuffed the two smaller pumpkins into her backpack.

The remaining gaps were filled with the radishes they had found earlier, and the backpack instantly became incredibly heavy, causing their shoulders to ache.

Then, she bent down and picked up a medium-sized pumpkin.

Xie Yingtang didn't say anything. After packing the pumpkins in his backpack, he silently picked up the largest one.

The three of them continued along the road, carrying the heavy pumpkins. As the sun gradually set, it cast three long shadows on the road.

It took about four hours to walk.

Xu Xiaoyan felt her arms were sore and numb. Just as she was about to suggest taking a break, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a large, dried-up lotus pond in the distance.

Her steps abruptly stopped.

The lotus pond was far from the main road, with withered yellow stems standing crookedly on the water, and tattered lotus leaves curled up and drooping.

But it was this desolation that made Xu Xiaoyan's heart suddenly pound.

"What's wrong?" Xie Yingtang noticed her unusual expression and followed her gaze, only to see barren fields and withered lotus leaves. "Is there something over there?"

Xu Xiaoyan turned to look at him incredulously. "Didn't you see that lotus field?"

Wang Xiao squinted and looked around, then chuckled, "I see it, it's just a lotus leaf field!"

Yingtang and I used to come here to take pictures. There was a boss who contracted this place before and even built a lotus flower corridor.

He pointed to a faded wooden platform in the distance. "Do you see that waterfront platform? It was built for admiring the lotus flowers! It's very lively here in the summer."

Xu Xiaoyan stood there stunned, then suddenly understood something.

Xuanxian County is famous for its lotus flowers. She grew up there and for her, the lotus flower was never just something to admire, but a whole chain of survival.

Lotus roots underwater, fresh-cut lotus flowers, lotus seeds, and lotus pods on the water's surface are all very popular with consumers.

Even seemingly useless stalks can be transformed into all sorts of trinkets by the skillful hands of the people of Xuan County.

And the people here.

Looking at her two companions' blank faces, she suddenly realized that in this city that started as an industrial city, people's understanding of lotus flowers really only extends to the level of "appreciation".

They saw the withered lotus flowers, but they didn't realize the food lurking beneath the surface.

"My God..." Xu Xiaoyan gasped, her gaze returning to the lotus pond.

This time, what she saw was not withered lotus leaves, but lotus root segments buried in the mud.

If the value of this lotus pond hasn't been discovered yet...

If those lotus roots are still intact and buried in the mud...

Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, and she was almost talking to herself, "Maybe...we're really going to turn things around."

Seeing their bewildered expressions, Xu Xiaoyan tried her best to keep her voice steady:

"Listen to me, if the lotus pond hasn't been dug up, there should be many lotus roots hidden in the mud."

She deliberately emphasized the word "lotus root".

After the words were spoken, there was a few seconds of silence. Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao's expressions changed from doubt to confusion, and then to sudden realization. The change in that instant was almost visible to the naked eye.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath, his eyes widening in surprise.

Xie Yingtang slowly opened his mouth, his gaze involuntarily turning back to the withered lotus pond, as if he could see through the murky water to what was buried beneath.

"Lotus root..." Wang Xiao murmured, his voice filled with disbelief, "Edible, able to be stored, and so much of it..."

However, the excitement lasted only a moment before the three of them looked down at their own arms at the same time.

The heavy pumpkins had already made their arms sore and numb, and their backpacks were bulging. Even if there were lotus roots, how many could they take with them?

Xie Yingtang frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let's go and investigate first."

His voice regained its usual calm. "Confirm whether there are lotus roots down there. If the situation is true—" He paused, his gaze sweeping over his two companions:

"This information itself is a resource; we can use it to exchange for what we need at the Huangsha Town market."

Xu Xiaoyan immediately understood what he meant.

In a time of increasing scarcity of resources, information about an undeveloped resource point may be more valuable than someone personally digging up dozens of kilograms of lotus roots.

She thought about it for a moment, but did not express her opinion.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao repeatedly agreed, saying, "Yes, yes, we can't move it, but we can sell information!"

By this time, the sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and night had fallen, which ironically provided them with the best cover.

The three of them placed the pumpkin inside the paddy field embankment, covered it with weeds and withered leaves, and, traveling light, carefully approached the edge of the lotus pond under the cover of night.

The air was filled with the distinctive fishy smell of mud and the stench of decaying dead leaves.

Xu Xiaoyan squatted down and carefully examined the scene before her:

The withered lotus stems lay haphazardly on the water's surface, but the silt beneath them was remarkably smooth, without any man-made pits or shovel marks, maintaining its pristine state.

"Look here," she whispered, pointing excitedly to a natural ripple mark on the surface of the mud. "It hasn't been disturbed at all."

Wang Xiao nudged Xu Xiaoyan beside him with his elbow, a roguish yet excited smile spreading across his face. He lowered his voice and said:

"Hey, miss, now it's the men's turn. I'm going to take off my pants and go into the field to pick lotus roots. Girls, please refrain from doing so."

Xu Xiaoyan was taken aback at first, then nodded knowingly. The mud was quite deep, and if she went down directly, her pants would definitely get dirty.

She looked around the lotus pond and cautiously reminded him, "Okay, I'll avoid it, but when you go down, try to find a spot where the reeds are deep and you won't be easily seen."

"If someone passes by during the day and sees the obviously freshly turned soil and the marks of digging, they will inevitably think of lotus roots, and then this place will not be able to be saved."

"Relax, relax!" Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao raised his eyebrows smugly, deftly unbuckling his belt while confidently assuring everyone:

"How could I possibly leave a mark? You can rest assured! I've had plenty of experience before... cough, anyway, I can smooth out the mud, cover it with the dead leaves, and restore it to its original state. Absolutely professional level!"

He winked at Xu Xiaoyan, "Just relax and go back to where the pumpkin is, keep an eye on our 'belongings,' and wait for the results!"

Seeing that although his tone was carefree, his eyes revealed seriousness, Xu Xiaoyan said no more, only reminding him one last time, "Be careful and pay attention to safety."

Then she turned and followed the path she had made to return to the hidden spot where pumpkins were piled up by the roadside.