Chapter 5, Worms Hidden in the Porridge

Heavens, are we in a snake pit?

Upon closer inspection, one can see tiny insects, as fine as threads, swimming back and forth in the warm porridge

He told me that his surname is Liu, and he is from the provincial capital of Guangdong. His parents are both in business, and they are quite successful, providing good conditions. He attended a subpar university in Jiangcheng, and usually has nothing to do, spending his days chasing girls and getting into fights. He particularly enjoys going to Macau, not for gambling, but because there are all kinds of beautiful women there, clearly priced. As long as you have money, it doesn't matter if you are from Japan, South Korea, Russia, or Ukraine, you can have access.

This woman has somewhat high cheekbones. Although she is beautiful, she is somewhat sharp-tongued. Looking at my smiling face, she angrily scolded, "Don't try to get close to me! Why call me sister? Who the hell do you think is your sister? Am I that old?"

I recall the location of the other party, and the person who just spoke to me should be this individual

Her words were vulgar and distorted the truth, which immediately made me feel somewhat displeased, and I retorted directly, "What do you mean by a 'character'? What character do I have?"

These people really dare to risk their lives

It is evident that her heart is much stronger than that of the previous harsh woman

I was deeply shaken inside, yet my eyes kept scanning the surroundings by the light of the flashlight. I noticed that this was a very large space, surrounded by walls, with no light seeping in. It was damp and stuffy, likely a place like a cellar

It was only after that sharp-tongued woman left that he responded to me with a couple of sentences when I approached him again

She moved with agility, walking over one by one, placing the iron bucket down, and retrieving a spoon from inside, scooping out a ladle of thin porridge

However, despite the laughter, I still want to know what these people intend to do by bringing us here

He has been starving for more than a week now. He used to be very picky about food, and a meal would cost him several hundred yuan. Now, he is so hungry that his stomach is pressed against his back, and even if there are mouse droppings in the porridge, he still eats it with great relish

The person ate in a disheveled manner, finishing the bowl of thin rice porridge in no time, and, still wanting more, licked the rim of the bowl. They then asked the woman for another spoonful. The woman, who had been busy in the cellar, heard this, turned around, and said with an impolite expression: "What are you eating for? You won't be living much longer anyway."

His condition seemed rather poor; after talking for a while, he fell into a coma again. I remained alone in the darkness for a long time, unsure of how much time had passed, when suddenly a light appeared, and it was someone coming to bring food again

This woman left me speechless. Blinded by the bright light, I licked my lips, attempting to argue, but then thought better of it.

I sat on the ground, the sound of several people slurping porridge reached my ears, and I felt a chill throughout my body. Instinctively, I reached back and touched the scabbed wound on the back of my head

Wooden fences divide this space into variously sized cells, and on top of these wooden fences, many black, green, and brown snakes are slithering about

However, the one who returned was not the previous sharp-nosed woman, but rather a middle-aged woman with粗 hands and feet.

I was sitting on a long-distance bus, eating cookies, and suddenly lost contact without realizing it. What could this be about

I suppressed the anger rising in my heart and then forced a smile at the woman, saying: "Excuse me, sister, may I ask what exactly is the reason for my being locked up here?"

Looking at the wooden fences and the snakes slithering on the walls, I felt a chill run down my spine. At that moment, the woman who had been cursing just a moment ago approached me, glanced at me, and suddenly pointed at me and burst into laughter.

I felt somewhat bewildered. When I asked her what she was laughing at, the woman spat at me and scoffed, "You fool, yesterday I asked you to do something, and you pretended to be innocent. Yet here you are now. Damn it, all men are just the same!"

The young man did not tell me, as he also did not know why

These individuals, so strange and mysterious, what exactly do they intend to do

These insects are very small and thin; if one does not look closely, they are actually not noticeable, or rather, the vast majority of people would not be able to see them. However, I used to work as a quality inspector in a factory, specifically looking for defects, and due to my professional habit, I can spot something amiss at a glance

The urgent task at hand is for me to clarify the current situation.

Through the fence, I can see that there are several other people over there, who, like us, are also being confined

How could it be her

However, it seems that there is realgar or something similar scattered on the ground; those snakes are fierce, but they do not crawl in.

I have just arrived, full of expectations. Going hungry for a couple of meals does not really matter, nor do I care for that filthy porridge. I am determined to find out what is really going on here, so I quietly approached that person, leaned against the fence, and softly asked, "Hey, big brother, may I ask you something!"

I nodded in agreement, and the young man opened up the conversation.

He came here to travel with his classmates this time, but ended up getting bored and playing WeChat on the way, which led him to this place

The woman did not speak, methodically serving the food. When she passed by me, she hesitated for a moment, but still scooped a ladle for me

The woman, upon hearing my retort, took a few steps towards me, and through the wooden fence, shone her flashlight on my head, saying with a half-smile, "Those who can lie here are all unable to control their own urges, aren't they? If you could control yourself, how could you possibly end up here?"

I heard young people say that someone has died, and I immediately felt a sense of panic.

What he can tell me is to never attempt to approach that wall and fence, as the snakes above do not care about the consequences and a single bite can lead to death in no time

In the bowl, there is thin porridge, but besides the porridge, I also see a little bit of something else

Even if it is six or seven thousand, it can only be available during the seasonal discount period

I listened to this voice, which sounded somewhat familiar. Squinting against the bright light, I looked over and realized that this woman was none other than the lady who had come to provide service when I was staying at the hotel

Insects

I am now the fatty meat on the chopping board, a prisoner at her feet; what good outcome can I expect from arguing with her

I turned my gaze towards the sound, only to find myself trapped in a wooden cage. Outside the cage stood a woman, holding a flashlight in her left hand and an iron bucket in her right, shouting furiously.

However, despite my thoughts, I hurriedly smiled and said: "Not old, not old, you look just barely eighteen..."

He witnessed someone being bitten to death by a snake, and then the body was dragged away

These snakes slither slowly, silently, yet they induce a sense of unease in those who observe them

Hearing this made me want to laugh a little; it feels like if the children from the city featured in Hunan TV's "Transformations" were brought here to live for a few days, perhaps everything would be resolved

The porridge was in a large bowl that had been thrown on the ground. Just as it was freshly prepared, I saw a shadow rolling and crawling over, cradling the bowl and drinking it in a haphazard manner.

The person next to me was scolded and shrank back, looking disheveled. I caught a glimpse in the light over there and found that he was not very old, probably around seventeen or eighteen years old. Although his clothes were filthy, I recognized them as branded goods, from abroad

This is a child from a wealthy family

I was momentarily exasperated; calling you "sister" is a sign of respect. Am I supposed to call you "miss" instead?

Could they be the insect-breeding women from the legends of our hometown

The young man glanced at me, said nothing, and continued to huddle in the grass pile

The sharp-nosed woman glanced at me, picked up the iron bucket in her hand, and walked aside while saying: "Stop with the silly grins, the old rules apply, the newcomers will go hungry for two days to avoid any trouble. Damn it, why is that Xie Lan woman sick at this time? Otherwise, how could I possibly come to serve you bunch of deadbeats?"

I did not dare to ask too many questions at the beginning, just exchanged a few pleasantries. Later on, he took the initiative to talk to me, mentioning whether I had encountered a woman named Xia Xi, who ultimately brought me here.

I had not eaten or drunk anything for a day and a night, and I was suffering from hunger and thirst. Although I was not as impatient as the young man beside me, I hurriedly approached the front. However, when I picked up the bowl, I was taken aback.

Insect

Such a complete set of clothing cannot be obtained for less than six or seven thousand in a large shopping mall

Before I could take a closer look, the lights had already followed the escort of the prisoner into the depths of the cellar