Chapter 14
The young man, dressed in full cycling gear and carrying a waist pack, held onto his mountain bike with one hand. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his hair drooping, and he was trying to calm his breathing: "Hello, sorry to wake you. I got lost nearby, and my phone had no signal. Luckily, I saw a service area. Are you a staff member here?"
Fang Xiaoyu: "...A newbie? How long have you been lost?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she realized that the question sounded familiar.
Oh, isn't that what Director Huang asked me on my first day meeting my two mentors?
However, the young man's attire was a bit strange. Riding a mountain bike on the highway? How did he escape the eyes of the traffic police?
The young man's expression shifted several times as she answered his questions, finally settling on a look of self-doubt, and he obediently replied, "It's been two days. If it weren't for the signs and the lights here, I don't know how long I would have been lost in the mountains."
So there are mountain roads connecting to the mountains? Isn't this place only for motorcyclists who drive on highways?!
The young man continued to try to strike up a conversation: "Miss, are you not a staff member? Are you on a road trip? Do you have any extra water? Could you lend me a bottle? I haven't had any water for almost two days, and my phone is broken."
Seeing that his lips were pale, Fang Xiaoyu took a bottle of energy drink from the passenger seat, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him.
She wasn't worried that he could see the things inside the car clearly because there were curtains blocking his view. At most, he could only see items in the passenger seat, like the rice cooker.
Moreover, there is a convenience store here, which may not have as many items as hers, but it has a larger quantity.
The young man must have been extremely thirsty. After thanking him, he eagerly took the water, but still drank it in small sips, only then did he feel alive again.
Fang Xiaoyu gestured for the other person to move aside so she could get out of the car and empty the water.
The young man quickly stepped back, looking apologetic. Upon seeing the foot bath tub inside, a longing expression flashed across his face: "This young lady clearly knows how to enjoy life."
He followed Fang Xiaoyu closely, keeping talking in order to avoid awkward silences.
"Miss, can I borrow your phone to make a call?"
"Not at the moment."
"Oh, it's nothing. Um, how far is it from here to the bottom of the mountain? If it's convenient, could you give me a ride?"
"It depends on the situation."
"Oh, okay. By the way, isn't it scary traveling alone in this deserted place, young lady? I'm usually pretty brave, but I was still startled. It's so desolate."
"Over time, you will still encounter people."
"Hmm, it's just a bit strange. Why isn't there a single staff member in this service area? Are they on vacation? Is no one on duty? Aren't they worried about people stealing things with the door wide open? I used to often see old men selling water and corn by the roadside, but I haven't seen a single one..."
Fang Xiaoyu refilled the hot water at the public sink, preparing to soak in the water again. She almost bumped into someone as she turned around: "Don't rush. If you don't have enough to drink, you can go to the convenience store to get some. Grab some food too. If you see a folding stool, take that as well. We can talk slowly when we get back."
The young man paused for half a second, then obediently left, only to return quickly with what appeared to be the cheapest bread and bottled water.
Fang Xiaoyu sat back in the driver's seat, soaking her feet while explaining the strangeness of the road to him through the car door and half-lowered window, stating everything except for the folded space.
The young man ate and listened, his expression changing with the content of the conversation, and his originally relaxed posture gradually tensed up.
Fang Xiaoyu understood the other person's emotional change, quickly summarizing the key points and letting them digest the information at their own pace. Finally, she concluded, "Finding a way out takes time and luck. Bring plenty of food, drinks, and other necessities with you on the way. Good luck."
The young man stood blankly outside the car.
At first, he didn't understand why the person outside the car insisted on going back inside to chat with others through the window. He even thought to himself, "Are all socialites like this? They act solely on their own whims without considering other people's feelings."
Now I understand, this was her way of being wary and on guard against him. She was worried about the differences in size and strength between men and women, and unsure if she could remain calm after learning the truth and losing everything. She wanted to have a way out in case he harbored malicious intentions.
In an instant, a feeling of grievance and embarrassment welled up in my heart, as if I had been unjustly labeled as "potentially harming others" by a stranger.
He appeared friendly from the moment he showed up, and for more than 20 years he has always been respectful and kind to outsiders.
If he had known that riding a bicycle would lead him to such a strange place, he should have stayed in his dorm and continued studying and working on his thesis, instead of going out to get some fresh air after being cooped up for so long.
If I had the chance to choose again, what's wrong with staying home and ordering takeout for every meal? At least I'd be living in a normal world where there are people and abundant resources.
Haven't the lessons of the past two days been enough? Now I don't even have a backpack. How far can I go alone on a mountain bike? How much water and food can I bring? How long will it take to find a way out?
He had only met one person after so long, and this person seemed easy to talk to. He didn't know when he would meet the next one if he missed this opportunity, so he knew he had to be thick-skinned right now.
"Miss, can I come with you? I'm very useful. I eat and drink little, and I can cook. By the way, I'm a medical student, the kind who's about to graduate. I might not need you much normally, but I can definitely help you in a pinch."
He concealed the fact that he had no medicine or equipment, only theoretical knowledge, and only two months of internship experience. His face flushed slightly.
Fang Xiaoyu had originally planned to find temporary teammates, but she mainly considered it for the purpose of making rope ladders, so she asked him, "Can you make rope ladders? How are your hands-on skills?"
The young man grinned: "I can't guarantee anything else, but my hands-on skills are definitely not a problem. Although I've never made a rope ladder before, I've seen similar videos before and have some impression of it. Give me some time, and I'll definitely be able to figure it out."
Fang Xiaoyu thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, I can teach you. When you collect supplies in the future, be sure to collect more safety ropes and sticks like rolling pins. They should be the same size and sturdy."
The young man nodded, having decided to join the team. He changed his form of address and asked the question that had been bothering him: "Sister, what do you need this rope ladder for?"
Fang Xiaoyu frankly admitted, "I want to try and see if I can get down from here."
The young man was taken aback. Having climbed the stone steps and seen how high it was, he was puzzled, but he didn't want to spoil the mood. He clutched his stomach and smiled sheepishly, "I'll go get something to eat. I haven't had a proper meal in two days."
Fang Xiaoyu: "Go quickly, I still have some porridge here. If you want some, just go and get a bowl."
The young man replied, "Thank you. I'll just grab something to eat at the convenience store, and then I can find a place to lie down and sleep. It's getting late, so you should get some rest too."
Fang Xiaoyu grunted, poured out the foot bath water, put a bag over the collapsible bucket, and turned it back into a trash can, making the bucket multi-purpose.
She left the car window a crack, drew the curtains, locked the car door, turned down the volume, and continued watching TV, planning to rest after the young man fell asleep.
After watching three episodes of TV, Fang Xiaoyu's eyelids started to droop. She noticed the young man come out and became alert and alert, secretly observing him.
What is he doing?
It's 2 a.m., aren't you tired?
The young man walked towards the car with a notebook in his hand, but hesitated when he was half a meter away. He circled around a few times, then returned to the convenience store, found a corner, and lay down fully clothed.
Fang Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief, yawned, wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, and quickly fell asleep.
The night flies away, and the sun returns.
The young man got up early to brush his teeth, wash his face, and eat breakfast. When he saw Fang Xiaoyu open the door, he didn't disturb her. After she finished washing up, he took the initiative to hand her a piece of pork floss bread and a box of milk, with a straw already inserted into the milk.
Fang Xiaoyu paused, then took the bread and took a bite of the pork floss bread: "Thank you."
The young man seemed encouraged and said, "Sister, what you told me yesterday must be very valuable. I have nothing else to offer, so the only way I can repay you is with knowledge. I majored in clinical medicine and know a little about first aid and rescue. I was a bit short on time, so I only managed to compile a little bit. Please accept this."
Fang Xiaoyu stopped chewing, looking surprised.
I didn't expect such a pleasant surprise this morning.
She had already agreed to form a temporary team yesterday, so even if he did nothing, she wouldn't think there was a problem.
I never expected him to be so thoughtful. I was stunned and pulled out a gift from my mind, and such a practical one at that.
Are kids who haven't even graduated yet so mature in their dealings with others?
The young man found the notebook and pen in a convenience store. When he saw them, he had a flash of inspiration and came up with this great idea. He then spent two hours writing down some of the simplest and most practical first aid knowledge, mostly focusing on situations that might be encountered on the road, and some of them were accompanied by simple illustrations.
The young man was about to hand over the notebook when he saw that Fang Xiaoyu was holding bread in one hand and milk in the other, making it inconvenient for her to take it. Instead, he opened the notebook and said, "Let me explain briefly, sis, you can just listen."
While Fang Xiaoyu ate breakfast, he listened to her talk. Some of the messages were the same as those on her phone, while others were not on her phone. She seemed to have seen them before, but they were not clearly recorded.
The young man said, "There wasn't enough time; I wrote it in a hurry. If we have the chance to meet again in the future, I'll give you a more detailed version."
"It's already very nice, I like the gift very much, thank you." Fang Xiaoyu finished the bread in a few bites, took a sip of milk without worry, took the notebook, and introduced herself, "My name is Fang Xiaoyu."
The young man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she accepted it; at least it was somewhat useful and wouldn't make her feel like a burden.
He smiled and said, "My name is Su Ming."
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