Chapter 24
With her stomach satisfied, Fang Xiaoyu felt as if her negative emotions had been pushed into a corner. After digesting for a while and making sure that sitting down wouldn't feel like her stomach was being pushed up, she began to teach Yue Yue how to drive.
Fang Xiaoyu discovered that everyone she met on the street was intelligent, and Yue Yue was one of them.
On her first time driving, she drove very smoothly and parked very easily, so that Fang Xiaoyu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, did not feel any discomfort at all.
Yue Yue was also excited because she was a new driver. She only drove for a short while and didn't feel like she had had enough. She begged to drive for a while longer.
Fang Xiaoyu initially sat up straight, paying attention to the road conditions, but later simply slouched down and nodded in agreement to her request.
Yue Yue cheered, as if she had received a new toy, and was so fond of it that she didn't seem tired at all, showing no signs of the weakness and heatstroke she had suffered yesterday.
Fang Xiaoyu then took out the printer, put on the paper, selected photos from her phone, and started printing.
Out of the corner of her eye, Yue Yue saw that it was all medical and nursing-related knowledge.
Fang Xiaoyu printed out a booklet, made a simple cover with no pictures on it, only four words—"Road Manual"—and mixed in a missing person notice for the grandfather and grandson. She clipped them together and put them in a box full of miscellaneous items.
Then she took out a safety rope and skillfully tied a knot.
At first, Yue Yue focused on the road conditions, but after driving for a while, she realized that even an experienced driver could drive with their eyes closed. She had a great time, and although she didn't dare to drive with her eyes closed, her attention still occasionally drifted to the people around her.
Seeing her constantly making knots, I couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing with these knots?"
Fang Xiaoyu didn't even look up: "For making rope ladders."
Yue Yue: "???"
She asked, puzzled, "Where are we going to climb? There are no mountains, no trees, and no rocks here."
Fang Xiaoyu: "You haven't climbed those stone steps over there yet, have you? Want to go take a look?"
"??go."
Yue Yue stopped the car and, after looking at it, understood her plan. She bluntly said she didn't think it was a good idea: "It's a good idea, but the rope ladder is too slow. How long would it take to climb? Why not just slide down, which would be faster?"
Fang Xiaoyu: "The main problem is that I don't know how. And if the rope isn't long enough, I won't have the strength to climb back."
Yue Yue: "That's true. Climbing ropes requires not only tools, but also skills and physical strength. The height is unknown, and even professionals may not be confident. Rope ladders are a bit clumsy, but they are safer. However, I know how to use a zipline. Do you want to learn? When you slide down, if you don't reach the bottom, you can climb back up the rope ladder. It can help you improve efficiency."
Fang Xiaoyu: "!!! I'll learn."
Yue Yue went back to her bag, which was like a treasure chest, containing everything she needed: "I have a U-shaped buckle. Hmm, you need to learn some professional knots first. Tying a knot won't work as well as that."
Fang Xiaoyu: "!!! I'll do whatever you say."
So Yueyue showed her several simple knot-tying methods.
A figure-nine knot fixed to the anchor point.
The human support knot and the double-strand human support knot play an important role in the lifting and lowering process.
The handle knot is used to add weight at the tail.
To prevent the knot from coming undone after finishing the knot.
...
She even showed her the shoelaces of her unassuming sneakers, which she had untied into several strands. Pointing to one of the red strands, she said it was a matchlock rope, good for starting a fire, and that it could be used as a candle when lit.
Fang Xiaoyu didn't believe her, so she ordered it right in front of her.
Fang Xiaoyu was stunned. Unlike ordinary shoelaces, the fire in the laces looked like a candle, and it was clear that it could burn for a long time.
She made the same face as the old man on the subway looking at his phone, feeling like she really hadn't seen much of the world.
Yue Yue looked at Wen Xiu, who was a decisive person. Before the sun set, she used the U-shaped buckle in her hand to combine several knots and was about to demonstrate to her.
Fang Xiaoyu was worried, so she tied the rope ladder with the knot she had just learned, lowered it, and wrapped the safety rope around herself several times, ready to help at any time. At the same time, she asked the eldest princess to keep watch nearby.
She later realized that her worries seemed to be somewhat unnecessary.
Like watching a martial arts police movie, she saw Yue Yue nimbly flip over the outer wall, deftly push off the wall, slide down, and quickly clear the ten-meter height.
The speed at which she loosened the safety rope was almost slower than the speed at which Yue Yue descended.
After completing the first leg of the journey, she thought the second leg would be slower.
But Yue Yue's speed hardly slowed down, and as her head grew smaller and smaller, Fang Xiaoyu's heart pounded higher and higher.
Finally, the safety rope was no longer taut, and she felt Yue Yue climbing back, so she helped to pull the rope back to save her energy.
When Yue Yue came up, slightly sweaty, she found that the admiration in Fang Xiaoyu's eyes was almost melting her heart.
Fang Xiaoyu's cheeks flushed slightly with excitement, her mind replaying that amazing scene. She clenched her fists and said, "Let me try it too!"
Yue Yue wiped her sweat: "It's too late. Just practice the movements and steps in your mind a few more times. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Fang Xiaoyu saw that the sun was indeed almost below the horizon, and she knew she couldn't outrun it. Suppressing her urge, she helped the princess pack her things and then called the eldest princess back to the car.
"You're amazing!" Back in the car, Fang Xiaoyu couldn't stop praising her.
Yue Yue smiled smugly: "What's so special about that? I've even learned some self-defense techniques, like how to break free, how to fight back, and how to knock someone unconscious..."
Fang Xiaoyu almost turned into her little fangirl: "Ahhhhh, name your price, I really want to learn!"
Yue Yue chuckled, still remembering her kindness: "There are no conditions required. If you want to learn, I'll teach you."
Fang Xiaoyu said sincerely, "Then as long as I know it, have it, and want to learn or want it, just ask."
Yue Yue felt a warmth in her heart: "Me too."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Because they had eaten too much at noon and had used up some of their energy, it wasn't suitable for them to start teaching immediately. Since it was just getting dark, they didn't want to lie down yet, so they decided to continue for a while.
Yue Yue was still driving.
As mentioned earlier, Fang Xiaoyu was delighted to find something to teach her. She quickly taught her how to use the lights and then helped keep an eye on the road.
The eldest princess squeezed into the passenger seat with her, their heads resting against the window, their eyes squinting in the wind, looking quite content.
The white car was originally traveling in the fourth lane from the left. Then Fang Xiaoyu saw a dark shadow in front of her on the right, which looked like a parked car. She then told Yue Yue to change lanes and stay away so as not to startle the other party or be startled by the other party.
Yue Yue obediently moved three lanes to the left, arriving at the far left lane, and wondered, "Strange, I only moved three lanes, how did I suddenly dart to the far left?"
Fang Xiaoyu: "...How many lanes are there in total?"
"Huh?" Yue Yue found the question strange, but still answered, "Eight."
Backward compatible.
The word popped into Fang Xiaoyu's mind.
Her heart felt as if it had been gently scratched.
Fang Xiaoyu was about to say something when she caught sight of the parked car out of the corner of her eye and changed her mind, saying, "Stop for a moment."
As a novice driver, Yue Yue focused solely on the road ahead or even just one lane, and braked as instructed. However, upon seeing the car she had been trying to avoid, she swallowed back the question that was on the tip of her tongue.
It was an abandoned, broken-down car.
The exterior looked as if it had been eroded by the wind, with mottled paint revealing the rusty metal underneath.
The car windows were all broken, but there were no debris on the ground.
The foam on the seat back was exposed, so dirty that its original color was no longer visible.
Leaving Yue Yue and the eldest princess in the car, Fang Xiaoyu went down to check.
The mechanical dashboard, CD player... the interior looks like something that was popular more than a decade ago.
The seat was covered in broken glass, which she carefully avoided. After examining the area, she found no other obvious marks, only a diary in the glove box.
So she took the diary back to the car, turned on the roof light, and read it with Yue Yue.
The diary mainly records the car owner's daily life and feelings.
The initial bewilderment, the loneliness of being alone for a long time, the desire for supplies, the helplessness in the face of disorder, the longing for loved ones... and finally, despair and madness.
Yue Yue closed her diary: "Don't take it to heart."
Fang Xiaoyu nodded: "Let's return it."
Yue Yue asked curiously, "I thought you would choose to destroy it."
Fang Xiaoyu has her own interpretation: "The car owner left this behind to warn others. Perhaps he hoped to see others make different choices than him."
Yue Yue's eyes lit up: "That makes sense, I'll go return it."
Fang Xiaoyu nodded, and after she left and came back, she said, "There's something I need to tell you."
Yue Yue: "??"
Fang Xiaoyu: "Speculation about the lane..."
After listening, Yue Yue said, "I see. No wonder I seemed to be seeing things and ended up on the far left. This is interesting, but not that interesting. Maybe if we work together to observe, we can find the pattern soon. Hmm, how about hot pot for dinner tonight?"
Fang Xiaoyu ordered without hesitation: "Give me a 'Mandarin Duck' meal, so the eldest princess can have some too."
Yue Yue started the car and readily replied, "No problem."
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