Chapter Nine, City of Twin Moons
Banxia let out a sigh of relief, pinched the clothes on her body, and only then realized that in just two short minutes, she had broken out in a cold sweat all over.
Call again and wait for five more minutes
She parked her bicycle under the rain shelter of the community, then carried the heavy bag as she crossed the electric fence and entered the apartment building
Time passed second by second, and Banxia's limbs gradually tensed. She quickly devised corresponding measures in her mind. Although there was an electric fence, it would only be activated after she returned to the house, so at this moment, the electric fence did not serve as a protective barrier. In the face of a threat to her life, she did not hesitate to use her bullets. Just as the girl was considering whether to fire a shot to scare that thing across from her, the gaze that had been enveloping her quietly shifted away.
This is No. 66, Muxuyuan Street, Qinhuai District, Nanjing City. I am Banxia. Is there anyone who can hear me? If you can hear me, please respond.
This world is beautiful during the day, but dangerous at night
In this world, intelligent individuals will always have enough to eat
Today, she returned home fully loaded, and on the way back, she casually picked a large bunch of kale, which is found everywhere in Nanjing and is edible
She may have the possibility of contacting other survivors in this world again, or she may miss the opportunity to connect with them. As the only two fish in the vast ocean, if they miss this chance, they will never have the fate to meet again in this lifetime
What is that
My hands are a bit shaky, and I have tried plugging in the hand-held device several times without success
She did not know where the other party was, but Banxia was certain that the thing was watching her, its gaze never leaving. This was an intuition honed over many years; she was extremely sensitive to the gaze behind her, especially that of a predator
14.255 MHz
Using discarded mosquito nets to make fish traps can catch a large number of small fish and shrimp, most of which are less than the length of a finger. Banxia adds a large amount of salt to the small fish and shrimp that cannot be cooked individually, then seals them in a plastic barrel for fermentation. The bodies of the fish and shrimp decompose in an anaerobic environment, ultimately yielding a brownish liquid, which is fish sauce
The closer she got to this point, the more anxious Banxia felt
The corpse water tastes both salty and savory, and can be used as a substitute for soy sauce
I simply embraced my parents for a moment—my parents still feel so rigid to the touch
A buzzing electrical noise is coming from the headphones
In a world devoid of human presence, if undisturbed by animals, only time can erase the traces of Banxia's activities. Sometimes, Banxia places a plastic bottle filled with water in the middle of the road, and when one returns to check a month later, that plastic bottle still stands there unchanged.
By the time all this is done, it will be nine o'clock in the evening
Banxia strolled along the shores of Xuanwu Bay, stuffing her bag with any delicious finds. The intertidal zone on the sloping bank was often covered with oysters, sea clams, and barnacles, so abundant that they were impossible to finish. There were also sea cockroaches scattered everywhere, which would flee in all directions upon noticing someone approaching. Seagulls circled overhead, occasionally landing to follow Banxia, picking up the scraps she discarded.
At that moment, the girl's scalp suddenly tingled, as if something was watching her. The gaze was like that of a python before it strikes, cold, bloody, and dangerous. That sensation sent shivers from her feet all the way to the top of her head. Hanxia stood still, one hand quietly gripping the handgun in its holster, then fixed her gaze on the opposite residential building and the bushes. In the darkness where the moonlight could not reach, something was stirring.
The girl sat on the chair with her knees hugged, her thick black hair cascading down. She extended her fair hand and gently pressed the power button with a soft "click".
The teacher said that is the water used for the decomposition of fish and shrimp
Put on the headphones again and plug in the microphone
It is still here after five months
As Banxia pushed her bicycle through the main entrance of the community, the silver disc of the moon had just begun to reveal half of its face from behind the distant dark buildings, the white moon had just risen, and the timing was just right
At a young age, one should learn to be fearless
At such a young age, one must learn to face challenges; some matters, when recalled, truly make us feel ashamed
She slowly drew the pistol from its holster and disengaged the safety.
The heart desires to soar, yet it is difficult to hold on without pursuing it. If dreams are to shatter, let me sleep a little longer... The girl hums a song while riding her bicycle, draped in the orange-red glow of the sunset as she passes through the city walls. "The mountains and waters are vast, at the ends of the earth colorful clouds return, this lifetime of toil is exhausting."
The sun was setting in the west, and the black moon had already revealed a sliver on the horizon, while the white moon had yet to appear. Hanxia should head back now; she had estimated the time quite accurately. In about an hour, it would be dark, and she would arrive home just before nightfall
If it could move one centimeter
Banxia suddenly fell silent, turning back cautiously to look. Under the moonlight, the shadows of the apartment buildings in the community loomed darkly.
Food is of utmost importance
She has always been a very happy person
The girl held her breath, concentrating to listen to the sounds.
This is No. 66, Muxuyuan Street, Qinhuai District, Nanjing City. I am Banxia. Is there anyone who can hear me? If you can hear me, please respond... Is anyone there? Please respond.
May the teacher bless us
Call out a phrase and wait for five minutes
She carried the bag upstairs, poured all the caught fish into a large plastic basin, cleaned them with scissors, and then salted them generously.
Call out a phrase, and wait another five minutes
Currently, Banxia can only boil hot water on the spot, using a honeycomb coal stove. After boiling, the water is poured into a thermos.
Press the SSB key again to enter single sideband mode
On the shallow shoals near the shore, Bansha often catches flounder, using sandworms as bait. The fishing gear is hidden in a sheltered spot by the sea, ready for use whenever needed. After all, apart from her, no one else would come here. If Bansha does not come to retrieve it, the fishing rod could remain there for tens of millions of years until the carbon fiber and plastic are naturally decomposed.
With a body reeking of fish and sweat, Banxia first needed to take a shower. After spending an entire afternoon by the sea, she felt sticky all over. She quickly tossed her dirty clothes onto the sofa and then rushed into the bathroom to rinse off. The shower had long been out of order, and for a girl, not being able to take a comfortable shower was an immense torment. Therefore, she and her teacher had once put a lot of thought into installing a water tank and pump on the rooftop, but in the end, it did not come to fruition.
Mom and Dad, wait for my good news
The bicycle frame creaked rhythmically, resembling the accompaniment of a song, while Banxia raised the volume, singing joyfully
Put on the headphones again and hold the microphone in your hand
The black ICOM725 radio is placed on the table; this device is quite old, its age surpassing my own, and even that of my teacher. I wonder how much longer it can endure. When the mobile radio is moved, I can hear a clinking sound of metal collisions from within, possibly indicating that some parts have come loose.
The Teacher's Survival Rules for the Apocalypse, Rule 4: When the double moon rises, absolutely do not go outside
After finishing her shower with great satisfaction, the girl put on her clothes and, while drying her damp hair, hurried into her room. She quickly dealt with these trivial matters, not even having time to eat dinner, all because she wanted to contact the person from last night as soon as possible
Unfortunately, it is difficult to preserve food for long periods during the summer. Banxia cannot find a usable refrigerator and does not have sufficient unlimited electricity, so most food can only be smoked or pickled, using salt or sugar. Banxia will pack the small fish caught by the seaside to make fish sauce.
Banxia methodically proceeded step by step, aiming to restore everything to the state it was in last night.
Countless times, the teacher has repeatedly instructed that one must never go out at night, from 7 PM to 6 AM the next morning. The only thing Banxia can do is stay in her fortress, draw the curtains tightly, and close her eyes to sleep. Building 11 in Qinyuan, Meihua Mountain Villa, appears to be an old residential building, but in reality, it has long been transformed by the teacher into a safe stronghold, surrounded by high-voltage electric fences.
Banxia held the pendant in front of her chest, which was a coin left to her by her teacher
But Banxia also did not dare to disassemble it, as she was not skilled in repairing such things and was afraid that if she took it apart, she would not be able to fix it properly
Tears suddenly flowed uncontrollably.
Two months later, it still stands there
It is truly lonely
What is the most important thing when surviving alone in this vast world
The radio powered on, and the pale yellow LCD screen lit up
CQ ! CQ ! CQ ! 这里是 BG4MXH，布拉沃高尔夫四号迈克斯雷酒店，呼叫 CQ 并等待回复！
Press the TUNER button to activate the sky tuning
Uncertain how long this repetition has lasted, Banxia could not recall how many times she had called out, perhaps fifty times, perhaps one hundred times, or possibly one thousand times, until she once again heard that voice echoing in her headphones
I have returned