Chapter 52 Minced Meat Soup Rice
Zhao Xuan remembered the way to Taiping Town.
She wasn't very good at remembering routes, but there was only one road from her home to Taiping Town. Along the way, she only needed to avoid deserted villages and broken sections of the road, so it wasn't difficult for her to go alone.
She didn't ride fast, still worried that the road was no longer maintained and that she might encounter new damage, landslides, or wild animals on her next trip.
The night was bright, and she could barely see the road ahead.
On the endless mountain range, besides the whistling night wind, there were only her panting breaths and the sound of wheels, the damp, cold air seeping into her body from all directions. 460 hid in the back of the truck, tucked under its small blanket, only its dark head peeking out. It didn't make a sound, nor did it sleep; instead, it gazed at the desolate road it had come from, its two eyes shining brightly.
Every so often, Zhao Xuan would stop the car and park it in an inconspicuous shade. He would then hide in the bushes at the other end to rest for a while. At this time, 460 would jump down, and Zhao Xuan would hug it. The two of them would silently curl up behind the tall grass for several tens of minutes.
Cycling makes you sweat, and heavy sweat can completely soak your clothes. Wet clothes can cause you to catch a cold, so Zhao Xuan will stop when he is only slightly sweaty, rest for a while, and make sure he has calmed down before continuing.
She thought she would be sleepy, but when the time actually came, she was extremely alert because she knew that there was no one left for her to rely on.
Traveling and stopping along the way, Zhao Xuan finally arrived at Taiping Town as dawn broke.
This time, she didn't ride directly in from the welcoming road with the familiar welcome sign. She observed from a secluded spot outside for a while before finally slowly driving in through a side path.
460 walked in front, its footsteps light and quick. It even knew not to bark at this time. Every time they passed a fork in the road, Zhao Xuan would jump off the car and observe with 460 for a few minutes before moving forward.
She wasn't very familiar with the routes in Taiping Town, but these kinds of towns are always well-connected. As long as she was heading in the right direction, she could eventually reach her destination by crawling along like a tortoise.
She wanted to go to the residential area next to Jiguang Warehouse. There was a house there where she and Lu An hadn't had time to take the supplies. Coincidentally, the key to the house was on the shelf by the entrance, so they took the key and locked the supplies inside.
Zhao Xuan and 460 made their way to their destination downstairs. She parked her tricycle at the corner of the stairs, used some broken wooden planks to block it, and then carried her bag and survival supplies upstairs.
The building has six floors. The supplies are stored on the fifth floor. There are four households on each floor, and each household is a small apartment of several dozen square meters. The stairs are covered with a thick layer of dust. It is obvious that no one has been here for a long time. There are no traces of human activity on the steps. When Zhao Xuan walked up and looked back, he saw that in some places the dust was thick and there were his and 460's footprints.
They went up to the fifth floor and arrived at the second household. The doors of the other three households were wide open, revealing gaps like the mouths of monsters. The last time they came here with the Yao family, the other three households were already like this. It seemed that they had either been looted and burned during a major epidemic, or that other survivors had plundered the place after the collapse of society. The only remaining household had escaped the wreckage because its security door was too strong, but Lu An eventually managed to enter through the security window.
Zhao Xuan took out her key and opened the door, a whiff of dust hitting her. The light inside was dim, so she quietly went in, holding a dagger in one hand and a flashlight in the other. The living room was filled with a large pile of supplies they had left behind, including toilet paper, blankets, various clothes, and some odds and ends, including salt and some alcohol.
Zhao Xuan and 460 searched every corner of the house, checking inside cabinets, under the bed, and behind the curtains, before she unloaded her backpack in the bathroom.
Then she picked up a dagger and a broken broom and went out of the room. She couldn't possibly check every room in the building, so she only checked the other three rooms where she lived before returning to the first floor and sweeping away the footprints she had left when she came up.
After doing all this, it was already broad daylight. Zhao Xuan returned to the house and locked the door.
One of the bedroom's security bars had a hole twisted in it, the same one they had made last time. Zhao Xuan closed the window, fastened the latch, and then closed the bedroom door. Finally, she used the refrigerator and several chairs to prop up the bedroom door. She placed several glass bottles upside down on the refrigerator, with only half of each bottle propped up. This way, even if someone knew someone was in the house and chose to enter through the broken security bars, when they opened the bedroom door, they would inevitably move the refrigerator propped up outside. As the refrigerator moved, the glass bottles would fall to the ground, alerting Zhao Xuan to the police.
The bathroom in this suite was quite large and had a window, but the window was very small. She found a rag and covered most of the window, leaving a little bit open for ventilation.
The things she brought were all small and lightweight; the food items were packed in Lock & Lock containers, so they weren't heavy. She swept the dust off the floor and spread her thick winter sleeping bag out in one corner. Then she set up a metal wood-burning stove in another corner.
Zhao Xuan collected a lot of camping gear, which was very popular after the apocalypse. Sleeping bags, tents, stoves, fire starters, and various lightweight and durable cooking utensils were all available to many survivors. Zhao Xuan gave Lu An the good stoves she had stored at home. He and Lao Dao, being men, had larger appetites, so they brought larger stoves and pots. She herself kept a small charcoal stove that was only about 20 centimeters wide.
This charcoal stove has short legs so it won't directly burn the ground. It doesn't hold a lot of fuel, but it's very stable, and it's just big enough to support a small pot.
Zhao Xuan stuffed some charcoal into the pot, lit it, placed a small pot on top, boiled some water, poured it into the already empty kettle, then boiled half a pot of water and threw in two clumps of rice crust.
The rice crust absorbed water and swelled, turning into a thick porridge with a woody aroma. She shared half with 460, added some dried meat, and ate the rest with pickled scallions and kimchi. She ate very cleanly and quietly. By the time she finished, the charcoal fire had warmed the bathroom. She threw the dirty dishes into the empty bucket, locked the bathroom door, and crawled into her sleeping bag to catch up on some sleep.
She slept on one side of the bathroom, while 460 lay curled up at her feet. In the bathtub on the other side were her neatly arranged survival supplies: a stove, clean water, charcoal, and some miscellaneous items. Food was placed on a shelf above the bathroom. A dagger for self-defense, sheathed in a soft leather case, was clutched to her chest as she slept.
Although the fire had burned in the bathroom, the window remained half-open. As the fire died down, the cold wind blowing in from outside caused the warmth inside to drop further and further. After sleeping for about three hours, Zhao Xuan felt her exposed face growing colder and colder, and then she woke up. Looking out the high window, it was still bright outside. She crawled out of her sleeping bag, carrying an empty bucket containing a dirty pot, a bundle of rope on her back, and a dagger. She then called to 460 and they went out of the house.
She planned to wash the dishes by the stream outside town and fetch a bucket of water. The river had become quite clear; although it wasn't drinkable, it was fine for washing one's body.
She dragged a tricycle downstairs, threw the bucket up, and was about to head towards the river when she suddenly remembered something and led 460 to another place.
Zhao Xuan's destination wasn't far, it was nearby, the duplex suite where three skeletons lay.
She parked her car downstairs, and because she had locked the door when she left, she had to jump back in through a gap in the security bars. Since the apartment was on the top floor, it wouldn't have been difficult to lower a rope from the roof to get into the room.
The interior was as it had always been. Zhao Xuan still had a good idea of what he had found. This family must spoil their children. There were many toys and picture books, as well as various colored pencils and crayons. The colored pencils had dried out. Zhao Xuan found two packs of oil pastels, one unopened and the other only slightly used. Because they were kept in a dark and dry cabinet, they looked brand new.
Of the remaining toys, those exposed to air had become brittle and would crumble at the slightest touch, clearly unplayable. Others were stored in the cupboard. She picked through a few, taking with her two Transformers, a toy gun, and a remote-controlled car. She wasn't sure if the car still worked, but she had promised the dog she would bring them back, and she felt she had to deliver.
Of course, she was just kidding the dog about the drone; it would be a miracle if Zhao Xuan actually saw one in Taiping Town.
Packing the toys and hanging them on his body, the toys looked big but weren't heavy, and Zhao Xuan easily led them towards the river.
In the late afternoon, the weather was a bit gloomy. Zhao Xuan pulled her hat down, put on a mask, and walked towards the river. 460 didn't know where she was going, so she had no choice but to follow behind her. When they passed a corner, 460 suddenly yelled at a certain place!
"Shh!" Zhao Xuan felt the hairs on her body stand on end. She wanted to jump out of the car and pinch 460's mouth, and then she saw 460 shoot off in that direction like a cannonball!
Without a second thought, Zhao Xuan abandoned the car, grabbed the dagger, and followed.
460 stopped at the entrance of a three-way alley. There was no one there, and it barked twice more. Zhao Xuan, who had caught up, was actually quite nervous. The two of them stood frozen at the intersection for a while.
It was very quiet, unusually quiet, not even the sound of wind.
"Let's go." Zhao Xuan said in a low voice, and hurriedly left with 460.
Then, Zhao Xuan kept looking back along the way. When she looked back, she saw that 460 was also looking back frequently. So it became a vicious cycle. Zhao Xuan felt like she and the dog were like two electric fans that had come to life.
Nothing happened while she was washing dishes by the river; she even carried a bucket of water back home.
On the way, Zhao Xuan was already thinking. He had left behind quite a lot of supplies from last time, and he had also found the toys. Should he pack up and head home?
The town library isn't a must-go place.
Lu An and the Yao family both felt that the town was deserted, and Zhao Xuan thought so too. So she wondered if Taiping Town was haunted.
Otherwise, where did that feeling of always being watched come from? It's definitely not something she's imagining; 460 clearly felt it too.
On the way back, without warning, 460 suddenly barked again, and this time Zhao Xuan decisively gave chase.
460 had hunted with Lao Dao and Lu An before. It could tolerate a target disappearing from its sight once, but not twice. So this time, it caught up with the shadow even faster and bit down hard!
It bit a person, because Zhao Xuan, who caught up, heard screams of agony.
Zhao Xuan was stunned. She saw that the one who had been bitten was the madman!
That crazy guy who gave them two scones last time.
The cold winter is almost over, and this madwoman has not frozen or starved to death; she is still alive!
"460, give in!" she shouted, stopping 460.
As soon as 460 loosened his grip, the madman screamed and backed away, as if he were terrified.
She was still wearing the same tattered and dirty clothes, only thinner. Even though her face was so dirty that her original features were no longer visible, Zhao Xuan could tell how weak she was through her sunken eye sockets and dull eyes—she looked more like a corpse than a corpse.
460 had never seen a person like this before. Perhaps in its understanding, a "human" wouldn't be in this form. So, facing the unknown creature, it stood in front of Zhao Xuan, its fur standing on end, still baring its teeth at this madman.
The madman huddled in the corner, clutching his leg where 460 had bitten him, howling with his mouth open.
Zhao Xuan stared at her for a while, then finally put away the dagger: "460, let's go."
But as soon as she turned around, she heard rustling sounds behind her. Zhao Xuan turned around and saw the madwoman limping to her feet and following him. Zhao Xuan brandished his dagger again and waved it at her: "Get lost!"
The madman was startled by the gleaming knife and fell backward.
Zhao Xuan quickly got on his tricycle and drove off.
But she clearly underestimated how familiar this madman was with Taiping Town. Zhao Xuan deliberately took a long detour before returning to her campsite. As she was going up the stairs, she glanced down and saw a filthy, bony hand also holding onto the handrail, slowly climbing up at a speed one floor below her.
Zhao Xuan picked up a wooden stick and waited at the corner of the stairs. Just as the madwoman climbed up, he hit her with the back of the stick. She was hit and fell forward, unable to get up for a long time.
Zhao Xuan used force, but she didn't intend to kill anyone.
The madman had never harmed her, but she wasn't sure what he might do since he was following her around. She couldn't afford to expend her kindness on a madman whose actions were unknown.
So after giving the madman a heavy blow, she gagged him and tied him to a pillar in the house with a rope.
Zhao Xuan began to organize the supplies that had been placed in the living room; she planned to leave today.
She selected some daily necessities such as salt, toilet paper, and alcohol, and carried them one by one to the back of the tricycle downstairs, placing them together with the toys she wanted to bring for the dog. It was already dark when she did this, which suited Zhao Xuan's wishes, as she was originally planning to set off at night.
Next, she packed up her pot and sleeping bag. As she stood up after rolling up her sleeping bag, she suddenly felt dizzy and had to lean against the wall for a while before she came to her senses.
From rushing through the night last night to dealing with this madman for several blocks this afternoon, she only ate one meal; she has low blood sugar.
After glancing at the tightly bound madman, Zhao Xuan decided to eat something before leaving. After all, eating in this house with a security door was safer than eating in the open field.
The rice crust was ready to eat, but she really wanted something hot right now. So Zhao Xuan moved the small stove to the living room, making it easier to keep an eye on this madwoman while cooking.
The water boiled quickly. She tossed some rice crust into the water, then opened the Lock & Lock container containing minced meat. The thick layer of lard on top had solidified into a white frost. Zhao Xuan used a stainless steel spoon to scoop up a large spoonful of minced meat, along with the lard, and stirred it into the soup. The lard melted upon contact with the water, turning into glistening, bubbling oil droplets. The minced meat was pork tenderloin, but Zhao Xuan had added some diced fat. The minced meat, with two parts fat and eight parts lean, was stir-fried with soy sauce and garlic cloves, and its aroma filled the air as soon as it was heated.
To preserve the meat, Zhao Xuan deliberately made the minced meat a little saltier, so there was no need to add salt. Even a pot of hot soup rice is delicious.
When the rice was cooked, Zhao Xuan clearly heard two sounds of swallowing: one was 460, and the other was Crazy.
The madwoman looked pitifully at her pot of minced meat soup and rice. Although her mouth was gagged, saliva was already drooling. She was tied to a pillar and her hands were immobile, but her head, which had been hit by Zhao Xuan, and her leg, which had been bitten by 460, seemed to be in great pain. Therefore, she hunched her neck and curled her legs, looking at this place in a very strange posture.
Zhao Xuan got up, used 460's rice bowl to serve 460 a bowl of rice, and as usual tossed in a few pieces of dried meat. Then she glanced at the madman, who chuckled at her, drooling even more.
With a sigh, Zhao Xuan went into the kitchen and found a bowl. Ceramics weren't very popular at the time; they were heavy and fragile. So bowls and plates could be found in many houses, and this kitchen was no exception. She found a relatively clean large bowl, blew off the dust, and then, holding the bowl, asked the madman, "Want some?"
The madman smiled ingratiatingly at her and nodded.
Zhao Xuan wasn't sure if she understood, or if her nod was just because of a headache, but Zhao Xuan still poured her a bowl of the remaining minced meat soup.
When she saw Zhao Xuan offering her food, her eyes lit up instantly, and she craned her neck to reach for it.
Zhao Xuan squatted down in front of her and said, "If you want to eat, eat quietly. Don't cause any trouble, understand? Otherwise, I'll stab you!" Then he placed the bowl in front of her, removed the cloth from her mouth, and loosened the rope.
The untied madwoman eagerly crawled over and reached for the bowl. The soup and rice were very hot. As soon as she dipped her fingers in, she cried out in pain, but she immediately dipped her hands in again and eagerly put the scalding hot rice into her mouth.
She ate very quickly, without any regard for burning her mouth. After wolfing down a bowl of soup and rice, she began to lick the bowl until it shone.
Zhao Xuan quietly ate her meal in a corner away from her. After the madwoman finished her meal quickly, she paused, preparing to put down her bowl to get the dagger. But the madwoman glanced at her, then at 460, and sat obediently in place with her empty bowl in hand. She was still drooling and staring intently at Zhao Xuan's pot, but she didn't make a move. She didn't even try to snatch 460's food bowl.
She even smiled when Zhao Xuan looked at her.
It seems this is a rather polite madman.
After finishing his meal, Zhao Xuan washed the dishes and chopsticks with river water from the bucket, packed them into his backpack, and prepared to leave. During this time, Crazy stayed curled up there, watching Zhao Xuan walk back and forth, without saying a word, looking very quiet.
460 was very hostile towards her and kept watching her warily. She was afraid of 460, and when she saw 460 grinning, she shrank back. Zhao Xuan noticed a faint bloodstain where she moved.
That was blood from when 460 bit her leg. The bleeding should have stopped, but she didn't know to protect the wound. Sometimes the wound would touch the ground, so the blood would smear on the ground.
Zhao Xuan noticed that she was wearing layers upon layers of skirts, which had turned into tattered rags stained with oil. Her dry, mud-covered calves would occasionally be exposed, and the wound from the bite mark on her leg, 460, was exposed and looked quite gruesome.
She sighed.
Zhao Xuan felt she shouldn't be soft-hearted. In this world, she didn't know what a stranger could bring her, let alone a madman.
But Zhao Xuan still pulled out her own clothes, a clean cotton-lined garment, which she tore into several strips. She pointed to the strips in her hand at the madwoman, then to her leg, and said, "Bandage."
This time she was sure the madman understood, because she saw him obediently extend his injured leg.
But Zhao Xuan still tied her hands back up, and the madwoman did not resist. Zhao Xuan rinsed the madwoman's wounds with boiled and cooled water, and then bandaged her wounds with strips of cloth.
She had no anti-inflammatory drugs, so all she could do was take out the cleanest cloth and wrap the wound. Whether it would heal or not was up to the madman himself.
Afterwards, Zhao Xuan wanted to check her head, but her head was covered with tangled hair, which looked like a huge bird's nest covering her head. It was thick and smelly. To see if she was bleeding, he had to cut her hair first. But when she saw Zhao Xuan approaching her with scissors, she started screaming in terror and frantically pulling on the rope with both hands. Seeing this, Zhao Xuan had no choice but to give up.
Zhao put the scissors into her backpack, picked up all her luggage, untied the rope binding the madwoman's hands, and said to her, "You can go now."
This time, the madwoman didn't understand. Even after Zhao Xuan left, she remained standing there dumbfounded. It wasn't until she heard footsteps coming down the stairs that she suddenly stood up, gripped the handrail, looked down, and shouted at Zhao Xuan while pounding on the railing, "Wait...wait!"
Zhao Xuan looked up and saw that the madman had half his body sticking out, holding up something bright and waving it at her.
Her tongue was very large, and the words she spoke were unclear, but Zhao Xuan seemed to understand that she was telling him to wait a moment and to hand him what she was holding.
—That was a set of keys.
While Zhao Xuan was still in a daze, the madwoman had already caught up with her. She held up the bunch of keys, pinched one of them and said to her, "Renmin Road." Then she changed to another key, pointed to it and said, "Xichun Road." Then she changed several keys in a row, and recited several street names, some of which were repeated.
Only then did Zhao Xuan realize that the madman was muttering the names of various places in Taiping Town.
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