Chapter 8, Night Conversations

Undoubtedly, in today's world, insomnia has become a suffering that the vast majority of people must confront

The only issue is that sharing a sleeping bag requires being very close to each other

So you met because of outdoor activities

At this moment, Gao Yuan realized that the smell on Luo Xingyu was indeed quite unpleasant; having not bathed for two months, even with new clothes, the odor would still not be pleasant.

In the darkness, Gao Yuan could not see Luo Xingyu's expression

There is only one road, which is safer, right

Gao Yuan explained that he was concerned that Luo Xingyu might develop some negative thoughts

Luo Xingyu sighed, for her father was a billionaire, yet he did not possess such a sanctuary

Are you awake

Gao Yuan knows what is going on; he has been unable to sleep soundly for the past two months, and Luo Xingyu's situation is even worse, so it is impossible for her to maintain a peaceful sleep now

The simplest method is to spread out the sleeping bag, with Gao Yuan and Luo Xingyu each covering a part. In this way, although neither of them will be very warm, they will not freeze either

Luo Xingyu hesitated, and Gao Yuan said softly: "Not mentioning family, anything else is fine."

After a brief moment, Luo Xingyu said softly: "Now you are my family, truly"

Taking a deep breath, Gao Yuan said softly: "The three of us have known each other for a long time. We all enjoy the outdoors, so wherever we go, it is always the three of us. We never team up with other hikers because our ways of playing are different"

The three of us

However, by the late night, the temperature of the heated kang, which has not been stoked with additional firewood, will decrease, and the temperature inside the room will only become lower

Luo Xingyu fell silent

Extreme fear, tension, and loneliness; having been in this psychological state for a long time, it would be strange if Luo Xingyu did not become particularly alert.

However, everything is secondary; after a long day, Gao Yuan quickly fell into a deep sleep

The question was thrown back again. Gao Yuan pondered for a moment and said softly: "I don't have any plans either. I am a survivalist, which means I must be a pessimist, because optimists wouldn't bother with the tedious task of stockpiling supplies to prepare for disasters; they only think about pleasant things."

Well, it's not that we... we are all from Shimen City, and we all work in Jicheng. I got to know Yandou first because we both enjoy handicrafts. After we met, Yandou introduced me to Huojiu. Huojiu and I share a common interest in outdoor activities, and as we spent time together, I influenced them. They are also the type of people with a strong sense of crisis awareness. We are like-minded and have decided that if a crisis does occur, we will survive together, so our relationship has always been very good

After crossing the mountain peak, there lies a stretch of farmland, which has also been abandoned. It is overgrown with trees, making it difficult to traverse. Passing through the farmland and following the ridge along the top, there is essentially no path, and one must wind around for eighteen kilometers to descend the mountain

I am too, then let's have a conversation

Luo Xingyu became aware and said softly, "I am sorry, let us talk about something else"

Hearing some faint yet strange sounds, Gao Yuan, who had just fallen asleep, suddenly opened his eyes wide and sat up quickly. Grabbing the knife placed beside his pillow with his left hand, he only remembered after gripping the handle that he was no longer sleeping alone.

Gao Yuan has a sleeping bag, so he has no problem sleeping alone. However, now there are two people, and there is only one sleeping bag.

Are there any signposts? Have you noticed? Do you know the name of the village?

Luo Xingyu let out a faint murmur, but after Gao Yang made some noise with his actions, Luo Xingyu's voice vanished, and even the sound of breathing disappeared

In recent years, Shenzhou has developed rapidly. When Gao Yuan and the others chose this abandoned village as their refuge, that road had not yet been built

Both individuals fell into silence, and after a long while, Gao Yuan finally said: "I am tired, let's continue to sleep."

Gao Yuan said softly: "Hmm, we are almost at the junction of Hebei and Shanxi."

Gao Yuan wanted to shift the topic to Luo Xingyu, but as soon as he started, he immediately realized that he could not ask Luo Xingyu about her family. Therefore, he quickly changed the subject

No need

It was agreed not to discuss family, but at this moment, Gao Yuan realized that he could not talk about friends either.

Luo Xingyu also let out a soft sigh, then she sat up and said in a low voice: "I can't fall asleep, it may take me a long time to fall asleep again"

I am just not used to having another person around me, I was just startled awake, it's nothing, go back to sleep

Without much thought, Luo Xingyu said: "Are the pipe and the ham your nicknames?"

What are your plans?

No, that was the code we agreed upon for radio calls during our first meeting. It was supposed to be changed later, but it has been used like this all these years without any change... Let's not talk about this!

There was still a person lying beside him. Upon realizing this, Gao Yuan first felt an inexplicable joy, and then he let out a long sigh of relief

Speaking of friends, it is still a heart-wrenching sorrow

After a moment, Luo Xingyu finally said softly: "Hmm"

Ultimately, the topic of family has been brought up, as it is a subject that cannot be entirely avoided.

Oh, is there only one road? I see there is a small path leading to the mountain top. What lies beyond the mountain top?

Luo Xingyu hesitated for a moment, and then she finally said: "Then why don't you tell me why you are here, I mean, why did you choose to live here?"

Gao Yuan couldn't help but chuckle, but he soon lamented, "Therefore, I never thought I could return to my previous life, nor did I expect to drive away the aliens. The most optimistic plan I can come up with is to hope that the zombies will starve to death, and then I will go to the nearby village to search for any usable supplies. If possible, I will try to find any seeds that can be planted, to cultivate the land, allowing me to live here for a long time and live comfortably."

There is none, only No. 1, and there are no resources or time to prepare another shelter elsewhere, nor is there a suitable place, but the main reason is the lack of funds

In complete darkness, Gao Yuan was unable to provide directions. He could only say: "The road into the village runs east-west, and I found your location to the north. I was chasing a wild boar and there was no road at all, making it difficult to gauge the distance. When we returned, we must have walked about 10 kilometers, but..."

With a slight sigh, Gao Yuan continued, "For example, the radio, that belongs to... Ham, he is a radio enthusiast, and he thought it would be good to set up a radio here, so he brought it over, but the main supplies are still food, well, that's how it is"

Therefore, you have also begun to stockpile supplies

Thus, Gao Yuan could not continue speaking

It is not possible, the battery is precious, and the torch is causing a great deal of smoke.

Luo Xingyu sighed and said softly, "If possible, I would certainly like to find my father, if he is still alive... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that"

Gao Yuan felt a pang of pain in his heart; he thought he was fine, but he realized he was not, so he had to change the subject

You're welcome

Yes, we go out to play at least twice a year together. Once, we came here through the introduction of other travelers and found that it perfectly met our criteria. So, we decided to turn this place into our first refuge. Well, that time we hid the leftover biscuits and canned food here. After that, we consciously started coming here, bringing more long-lasting food and some outdated but still usable equipment to store here.

After a long time, Luo Xingyu said softly: "Yuan Ge, thank you."

Gao Yuan is also a low voice: "It's the same, really"

Indeed, we are located in the middle section of Tai Xing Mountain, where the most typical geological feature is the continuous cliffs and steep walls. Without a path, ascending and descending the mountain can be particularly dangerous. Our position is advantageous in that, apart from the small path leading here, it is unlikely that anyone would approach from other directions. Furthermore, this location is quite distant from the main road, significantly reducing the chances of others inadvertently discovering this place.

Gao Yuan shook his head and said, "I never thought about it. I have always liked life in the mountains. At this point, I believe that only in the mountains can I continue to live, so I never thought about leaving. I really do not want to leave. Hmm, do you want to leave?"

Good, sleep well, good night

Gao Yuan said softly: "It's alright, I just don't want to talk about my own matters. If you still have family members alive, I would be very envious and happy for you, truly. So if there is an opportunity, you should go and seek out your relatives. If you need help, I will assist you as well."

Luo Xingyu pondered for a moment and said, "Then where is the villa I used to live in?"

Gao Yuan said softly: "It shouldn't be the case. Why would zombies traverse mountains and cross forests to go that far? I'm not familiar with the area where you live. Please tell me about the terrain nearby."

After all, they are a solitary man and woman, and under the premise that only morality can impose constraints on lofty aspirations, it is only natural for Luo Xingyu to feel fear

Well, there is a new road, a recently opened road, and the village is located near this road. I found that as soon as I saw the village, I was hesitant to proceed. Then I noticed a newly constructed cement road, and I wanted to bypass the village, so I followed the small cement road for about two or three kilometers. That is where the unfinished villa is located. Later, I visited the farmland near the village, but I did not get too close to the village, so I do not know what it is like inside the village.

Luo Xingyu pondered for a moment, then she said softly: "How did you find this place?"

I do not want to confront the gaping wound within my heart, at least not at this moment, so Gao Yuan has preemptively provided the scope of the topic.

Well, um, what should I say...

Luo Xingyu is sensitive and kind; upon realizing that this topic exceeded the scope of discussion, she immediately chose to cease.

Gao Yuan fell silent, then furrowed his brows and said: "This indicates that it is possible to come from the villa."

The fire in the kang stove was ignited, and the earthen kang quickly became warm and eventually hot, bringing warmth to the entire small room as well

Is Shelter No. 1 the only shelter you have?

It is a good question. There is indeed a reason for choosing this location. Firstly, this village has been abandoned for at least twenty years. The reason for its abandonment is the extremely difficult transportation conditions. There is only one narrow road leading to the outside world, and along the way, there are two sections that consist of steps carved into the mountain wall, the widest of which is less than one meter. Our location is almost at the mountain top, with an elevation of 986 meters. Therefore, not to mention cars, even bicycles cannot make it here. I had to carry my bicycle and large bag up in two trips. It would be more effective to relocate the entire area rather than provide poverty alleviation for this place. Thus, this village was abandoned.

Gao Yuan is truly left speechless

Luo Xingyu said without hesitation: "Leave? Where to go, where can I go?"

Luo Xingyu hesitated and said: "I didn't pay attention, oh, I remember there was a sign that said the distance to Jin Province is 32 kilometers, I didn't notice any other signs."

Um, can you turn on some light

Luo Xingyu remained silent for a long time, then said softly: "I have no plans. Right now, having enough to eat and a warm place to sleep makes me feel like I am in paradise on earth. I have no plans at all. Yuan Ge, do you have any plans?"

There shouldn't be any zombies coming over, right

Luo Xingyu said softly: "Have you never thought about leaving here?"