Xu Anran opened her eyes, lying on the bed, looking out the window at the moon. She thought about how this unexpected dream might be related to seeing the insect eggs. After a moment of stunned silence, she got up and walked to Luo Xi's side. Seeing her sullen expression, she patted her fluffy head: "Go to sleep. We have to leave at dawn."
Luo Xi obediently nodded and lay down on the bed. Xu Anran took out an electronic encyclopedia and started reading it.
As dawn broke, before the sun had even risen, Luo Xi was already awake. Xu Anran put down her e-reader, stood up from her chair, and stretched her stiff body. The two packed their things, went outside, started the car, and drove off.
Along the way, Xu Anran drove at a moderate speed. Luo Xi looked through binoculars at the insects flying overhead. They had no time to pay attention to the car, as they were busy moving corpses. It seemed they desperately needed to evolve.
Upon arriving at the base, Xu Anran and Luo Xi passed through the gate checkpoint, paid the entry fee, and received a box of small breads. Staff helped them obtain base cards; from then on, they could simply show their base identification cards when entering and leaving the base and city, without needing to hand over any supplies.
Seeing the fairly lively street, the two started strolling around. Passing a barbershop, Xu Anran noticed that her hair had grown quite long and was a mess. So, she decided to go in and check the prices; if they were reasonable, she would get a haircut.
Upon entering the shop, looking around, the shop is very small, only about seven or eight square meters. There is a full-length mirror, a chair in front of the mirror, and a large cabinet on the opposite wall with various tools on it.
The shop owner was lying alone on a wooden recliner in the middle of the shop, swaying back and forth. When he saw a customer come in, he hurriedly got off the recliner, stumbled in his haste, and almost fell.
Seeing his expression, Luo Xi couldn't help but laugh, which made the shop owner feel a little embarrassed.
Xu Anran asked, "How much does it cost to get a haircut?"
"Our prices are fair; a steamed bun or a piece of bread will do," the shop owner said with a smile. Seeing Xu Anran frown, he assumed she thought the price was too high and quickly added, "Actually, multigrain pancakes or cornbread are also fine."
He hasn't had any business for a long time. Everyone is short of money. Recently, food is in short supply. Those who went out have not been heard from since. Seeing that his family is about to go hungry, he is also anxious. He hopes that he can bring some food home this time!
Xu Anran took a large whole-wheat bread out of her bag and tossed it to the shopkeeper: "Give me a haircut, and make sure it's clean and neat."
"Don't worry! Before the apocalypse, I was one of the top celebrity stylists in the entertainment industry." He happily took the bread, put it in the cupboard, and locked it. He picked up an apron, helped Xu Anran put it on, and started cutting. His technique was indeed skillful and professional.
The haircut was finished in no time. Before Xu Anran could even say anything, Luo Xi exclaimed in amazement upon seeing her new hairstyle, "So handsome! Sister Anran, I'm gay!"
Xu Anran couldn't help but praise the barber: "Your skills are really good!"
Just as I was about to leave, I heard a voice from next door, "Mom, please don't sell me! I don't want to go with him! I eat very little, I can go outside and find food to bring home for my little brother, please... don't sell me!... Waaaaah... Waaaah... please! I don't want to go with him..."
A girl, probably eleven or twelve years old, knelt at the door next door, begging her parents not to sell her. Behind her was a greasy middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, wearing glasses, with a mouthful of yellow teeth, and only a few sparse hairs on his head fluttering in the wind. His big belly swayed with his movements, making him look disgusting.
The girl's mother was holding a chubby boy of seven or eight years old in her arms. Compared to the boy, the girl was pitifully thin. Apart from her face, which still had some flesh, her body was just a skeleton.
The girl's father sat in the shop like a wooden statue, unable to hear or see anything.
The owner of the barbershop next door, witnessing this scene, was filled with righteous indignation: "Sigh! Life is unbearable. That couple is heartless. They threw their daughter into a fire for a little food. The man is so old, he could be the child's grandfather!"
In the end, no matter how much the girl pleaded, she was still dragged away by that greasy old man.
After Xu Anran and Luo Xi went out, she followed behind them until they reached the man's house. It was an old, dilapidated house in an old neighborhood with a rusty iron door. When the man took out his key and opened the door, Xu Anran stepped forward and hit him with a stick!
The man fainted instantly. The girl, whose face had already turned ashen, looked up at Xu Anran with her bright, dark eyes as the man collapsed to the ground. Xu Anran took out a train ticket and handed it to the girl: "This is a chance to live, and I'm giving it to you! Here's also a loaf of bread; hide it well. Whether you live or not, whether you want to live or not, is up to you!"
After saying that, he turned and left without giving the girl a chance to react.
Luo Xi, who was downstairs, saw Xu Anran come down alone. She looked back into the building and, after confirming that the girl was not following behind, asked with some doubt, "You didn't bring her down?"
Xu Anran shook her head: "I gave her the train ticket, which gave her a choice in life. She has to walk her own path from now on."
"Aren't you worried that she'll go back to her parents? Or that she'll get arrested again?"
"It's her own choice to make a decision. Her fate is in her own hands. If she goes back and gets sold again, that's her own fault. If she gets caught again, it's because she's incompetent and can't even overcome these difficulties. She won't be able to survive in the world after that."
“That makes sense. You said we have some extra tickets, why don’t we find suitable people to give them to before we leave?” Luo Xi seemed quite interested in giving away the tickets.
Xu Anran asked, "Then who do you want to give it to?"
"Hehe, for example, give it to him." Luo Xi pulled Xu Anran into a small alley and pointed to a boy covered in injuries. "When I came over just now, I saw a group of kids trying to snatch his puppy to eat. He just held it tightly in his arms, not letting anyone touch it, and fought with those kids. With that fierce determination, he actually won! Amazing, right!"
Xu Anran looked at the child, who was covered in injuries on his head and feet, his clothes were tattered, and he was lying on the ground, completely exhausted. The little dog in his arms was licking his wounds and pacing around anxiously.
Xu Anran and Luo Xi took the boy to their rented house, treated his wounds, left him a train ticket and some food, and then left. Over the next few days, they found another place to stay and gradually gave their train tickets to the people they had chosen.
As it was almost time to leave, Xu Anran told Luo Xi that she had a plan—a plan to steal insect eggs.
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