Chapter 6, The Power of Life

Mom and Dad, today I am going to Xuanwu Bay. The fish at home have been eaten, and there is no food left. I need to go catch some more to pickle. I will probably be back before sunset, so please wait for me at home

Mom and Dad, the teacher was not wrong. Last night, I actually contacted a living person! A living person! Do you know? He is a young man! Heaven has finally heard my prayers and has finally given me a handsome guy who can help me carry wild vegetables!

I will try to contact him again tonight, his channel is at 14.255 MHz. Banxia scooped a spoonful of wild vegetable paste into her mouth, then frowned and stuck out her tongue, "Wow, it's both bitter and salty."

She drew a long arrow from the quiver, faced the wall, took a deep breath, then spread her feet apart! She turned around! Nocked the arrow! With a slight "squeak—", the power transferred from her waist to her shoulders, her left hand in front and her right hand behind, employing the standard Mediterranean grip, the bowstring was steadily drawn back.

The girl ran while shouting, a habit of hers, though she did not know for whom she was shouting. Perhaps it was for her parents upstairs, or maybe for the community, or even for the world. It seemed that as long as someone could hear her words, she would be able to return safely and on time as promised

Banxia licked her lips, then propped her head up and lay down on the coffee table, making muffled sounds through her nose

Is she the only one in this world besides https://www.hetushu.com

Banxia was unclear about the origin of this shortwave radio. When she was very young, it was already in the room when her teacher found her and brought her here. Everything she knew about using the radio was taught to her by the teacher, but she was not as skilled in shortwave communication as her teacher. Following the teacher's instructions, she persisted in making calls every night, but she never truly believed she could connect with anyone else.

In the girl's heart, a brief command of "Release!" echoed, and her fingers instinctively loosened. The arrow flew past her cheek, brushing against a few strands of hair, followed by a sharp sound piercing the air, as the wooden arrow firmly embedded itself into the thick leather of the wall opposite.

At this moment, Banxia's gaze suddenly became sharp, its momentum as unapproachable as the tip of a spear, aiming—an empty bow with a solid target, release!

The bow is still usable, the girl let out a long sigh, observing that this bow can hold out for a few more months.

The bag is a first aid kit, containing essential medications, bandages, maps, fire-starting materials, lighting devices, and spare knives. No matter where Banxia goes or for how long, she must carry this bag at all times. The teacher has invested considerable effort to instill this habit in Banxia. The teacher once told her that in this world, there is no place that is absolutely safe. Leaving the shelter means facing life-threatening dangers. Once you step out of this door, you must be prepared to be consumed by this world.

Within ten steps, the gun is still faster

The knife, gun, and bow and arrows are all ready, and finally, Banxia slings the shoulder bag over her body—Rule 3 of the teacher's survival guide for the apocalypse: Always carry a bag when going out, no matter what!

The girl holds a fan in one hand and adds firewood to the stove with the other, squatting on the floor

He said he still has a mother, how wonderful... truly enviable

The fire blazed fiercely, and the kitchen was filled with swirling smoke. Banxia felt that the wild vegetable soup was nearly done, so she stood up, coughing, and took out the last two pieces of salted fish from the cupboard. She tore them into shreds by hand and mixed them with chopped purslane for a cold dish.

When cooking porridge and soup, the main ingredient used is the tender leaves of dandelion. Yesterday, Banxia gathered a large bundle of dandelions from the community downstairs. After leaving them overnight, all the flowers wilted, so Banxia removed all the leaves and put them into the pot to cook

The bow is homemade, crafted from oak shaped to the thickness of a wrist for the limbs. After heat treatment, it is slightly bent. The bowstring is made by twisting three strands of fishing line together. When not in use, the limbs and the bowstring are stored separately, and when in use, the bowstring needs to be drawn.

If there truly exists a second person in this world, then why has no one been found before?

Nanjing is a long-dead corpse, upon which a towering tree with lush branches and leaves has grown

Regarding the person contacted last night, Banxia was not clear about his identity, but this still greatly surprised her. She had never contacted anyone before. Could it be true what the teacher said?

However, one cannot rely solely on dandelion, as it is as unpalatable as traditional Chinese medicine and lacks calories. Therefore, one must also add peeled lotus seeds, along with salt and oil, and cook it into a paste

But fortunately, she is not a fish; she has advanced communication tools, the ICOM725 shortwave radio

At that time, Banxia did not yet understand

Before her lies a wild, green world, where the gray-black concrete is gradually being covered by plants. Knee-high wild grasses sprout from the broken pavement, and all the tall buildings have transformed into enormous giants clad in green. As soon as one steps out of the apartment building, one can feel the thick, suffocating vitality and wildness. In the years since humanity's disappearance, the vacant living space has been fervently reclaimed by nature.

Banxia knows nothing at all

The Teacher's Survival Guide for the Apocalypse, Rule 2: Persist in seeking external help

The small pale blue figure of the half summer dove into the grass, quickly swallowed by this world

I shouldn't encounter a bear, right? I'm not that unlucky

The girl waved her hand

Dad! Mom! I'm heading out! I will definitely be back before dark! You must wait for me!

Boil on high heat for a few minutes, and the aroma will arise

I will definitely return before dark

A series of movements flowed seamlessly, as Banxia expressionlessly lowered the longbow, the bowstring still trembling at that moment

This is an iron rule

Banxia asked why this gun is called the Type 54 replica

Even if you are just going out to get some gasoline... Half Summer will regularly go to the gas station to refuel, and she must take her bag with her

Banxia slowly stirred the wild vegetable paste in the porcelain bowl with a spoon, carefully reflecting on the experiences of last night

Now Banxia understands

Yet this city is so vast, this world is so immense, and the two individuals are so insignificant, like two fish in the ocean. Will these two fish be able to encounter each other in their lifetime

After speaking, she closed the door and then rushed downstairs, descending eight flights in one breath, and ran out of the building's main entrance

Dandelion serves both as food and as a medicinal herb. When boiled into a soup, it has a slightly bitter taste. The teacher mentioned that dandelion is also known as "bedwetting grass" due to its diuretic properties. If you have kidney stones, you may consider consuming more dandelion.

Banxia carries a bow and quiver on her back. The bow can be used for hunting as well as for self-defense. If she encounters a stag on the way, she can hunt it with the bow. If she encounters a wild boar, she can use the bow to drive it away. If she encounters a brown bear, she can use the bow to perform a dying struggle for it.

With a sharp sound, the arrowhead penetrated the cowhide by nearly one inch

She excitedly placed the iron pot on the coffee table, "Dad, Mom, come eat breakfast!"

She divided the wild vegetable paste into portions in bowls

Banxia is an expert archer, and in her archery skills, she even surpasses her teacher. However, her teacher is very accurate with a gun, and Banxia often contemplates that if she were to duel her teacher with a bow and arrow, then at a distance of ten paces, the gun would be faster.

Next, insert the dagger into the scabbard at the front of the chest; the dagger must be carried at all times.

If I can't come back... um, I will definitely return. I still need to go find that handsome guy tonight; I can't keep him waiting too long.

After having breakfast, Banxia put on her clothes, donned a light blue sweatshirt, and a pair of thick denim trousers, then took the bow and arrow down from the wall

He took out a replica Type 54 pistol from the TV cabinet, removed the magazine, and confirmed the number of bullets in the magazine, a total of 17 rounds, all accounted for, and finally tucked the pistol into the holster on his thigh

The porridge is ready... Half Summer emerged from the kitchen, holding a steaming pot. "The dandelion and lotus seed porridge is done! The side dish is cold marinated purslane with salted fish shreds!"

But he turned off the radio immediately, why? Am I that frightening? I didn't even have time to say a few words, sigh... Where on earth is he? How many people are there with him? Does he have enough food? I don't know, if it weren't for the lack of fish, I would really want to stay at home and shout on the radio for a whole day, but will he be on the channel? I don't know.

Everything is ready, Banxia hugged her parents on the sofa tightly, and then changed her shoes at the entrance

The teacher said that all handguns are referred to as Type 54 replicas