Escaping All the Way South (III)
On the third day of the first lunar month, at 4:30 pm Beijing time, the fire at the settlement was put out by the soldiers and many volunteers. Twenty-eight bodies were cleared out. Half of them were burned to death, and the other half were probably suffocated by the smoke. Six and a half rows of tents were burned, and nearly 2,000 beds were lost. Fortunately, the fire only happened in the male settlement, which accounted for a small part of the settlement area. Most of them could still be cleaned up and used again, but the beds would be more crowded. From the original 15 people to a tent, it became 20 people to a tent. This time, the order of accommodation had been rearranged. It was completely random, eliminating the hidden danger of bullying the few with numbers. Moreover, the staff were required to clear the weeds and dead leaves around the tent to prevent the fire from happening again. The people who checked in completed their tasks in their respective areas very efficiently. After all, the bloody truth had just happened two to three hours ago.
There were fewer people on the road. Most of them had gone to the settlement, but there were still some. After all, some people did not believe that the settlement would be absolutely safe, or some people were too interested in the belongings in their cars and chose to stay in their cars.
Yue Hua Yang saw that the registration requirements at the settlement were very strict. If he committed a murder, he would definitely be searched by the network system, so he stayed in the car.
The night was quiet, and the surroundings were dark. The gloomy rain clouds and drizzle blocked all the light, as if they had cut off all sound. He wandered around in a half-asleep state for the whole night, so much so that he could not remember what he was thinking and dreaming about when he woke up the next morning.
The sky had stopped raining when the sun had just risen. However, it was still cloudy, and it was unknown when the rain would continue. He heard a dog barking in the distance. He followed his gaze and found that it seemed to be the house with the radio taxi. The golden retriever's bark was dull and short because it had been restrained for the past few days. It was probably meeting its owner, as if it was begging for freedom.
In the past two days, many people had gone there to ask for information. This taxi driver was very smart. He had also released a lot of the most timely information and national news reports. His courtyard was already crowded. In the end, he drove the car directly to the side of the road. It was still surrounded by three layers of people. Relying on this information that others did not know, he should have made a lot of money.
Early this morning, he was prepared to drive his car near the settlement and continue to take this opportunity to make a fortune.
The traffic on this side of the road continued to be congested. He was the only person moving in the silent traffic. It was still early, and people were either sleeping or hiding in their cars from the cold. No one paid attention to him, just like how he did not pay much attention to others. Everyone began to become numb, and the confusion about the future troubled everyone.
He wanted to see if there was any new situation on the road ahead, because he really couldn't continue to wait without any results. He thought that if he really couldn't, he would go to the so-called car return location alone and tell them the location of the car. However, it was really a little far from Xiangyang Village in Xiangyang Town of Hengnan County. Moreover, he didn't know if it was safe there, whether it was flooded, or whether there was a police force deployed there. However, after thinking about it carefully, The army and the police had no time to care about him. He felt some inexplicable self-comfort in his heart.
It was almost 7:30 Beijing time when he arrived at the settlement. He realized that some people had already started running in the morning. It was a habit. He used to have it too, but he had let it go for various reasons. He smiled and nodded at each other as a greeting.
From afar, he saw a lot of people surrounding the entrance of the settlement. Yue Huayang thought that something had happened again and ran over to take a look. It turned out that the taxi driver was spreading news. According to the latest information from the taxi driver, at 12 noon today, CCTV would simulate the disaster situation and losses after the big explosion on the big screen at the Spring Gala. Some people said that they only needed to pay 200 yuan to go to a nearby place to listen to a TV commentator and even ask a few questions.
According to the driver, his teammates had contacted a construction team. They had a small generator that could generate electricity to watch satellite television. There would be people in the team who would explain the content on the live television. They also said that the Spring Festival Gala had been broadcast live for more than two days. Now, the Spring Festival Gala had become the largest disaster relief command center in the country. At the same time, it was also the live television station that was watched by the most people in the world. He told everyone not to miss this opportunity.
It had been three days since the big explosion, but the power system and network system of Hengyang City had not been restored. Although some areas could be supplied with power after more than two days of emergency repairs, the UHP main network of the power supply line was also out of power. This caused the entire Hengyang City area and several surrounding areas to have no power supply. The optical cables buried underground were also damaged for unknown reasons, causing any network connection equipment to be disconnected. At the same time, it also caused the government and the people to have no chance to understand the latest disaster situation at the first time. Without the communication and communication of network information, the overall deployment that could be carried out was very limited. The departments and individuals at all levels could only respond to it at a loss.
This news quickly spread, attracting more and more people to flock here. It was so crowded that not even water could pass through. It could basically be described as a sea of people. The first to discover the abnormality were the soldiers patrolling near the settlement. When the two patrolling soldiers saw so many people gathered together, they felt that even if it was a good thing, it might not be good. They reported the situation to their superiors through the military walkie-talkie. After an emergency discussion, the military leaders of the settlement and the local government leaders felt that it was necessary to ban such a gathering. Such a large-scale gathering could easily turn into a mass riot. If it was serious, it might even cause a relatively large conflict and confrontation. After all, it was too easy for such things to happen in this era of disaster. There were countless of such things in the country.
A platoon of soldiers quickly gathered together, each holding a semi-automatic submachine gun in their hands. Following the sound of orderly footsteps, they arrived step by step. The crowd was still huddled together. They did not take these soldiers seriously at all and continued to do what they were supposed to do.
The soldiers looked at such a huge group of people gathered together and were also a little confused. A soldier held a small loudspeaker and began to shout to the crowd,
Ladies and gentlemen, many major disasters have occurred in many parts of the country, and the social environment is no longer the same as before. It is very easy for personal safety accidents to occur in such a large-scale, unorganized and undisciplined gathering. Most areas are still in a particularly tense and sensitive period. The government and the army are worried that a few extremists will take advantage of such a large-scale gathering to launch a terrorist attack. Therefore, for everyone's safety, please return to your tents. Don't participate in gatherings of this scale again. Because such a large-scale gathering was illegal…
The crowd's initial curiosity slowly turned into surprise, but no one had any intention of leaving. So the soldier repeated what he had just said. The crowd still showed no signs of leaving. Only after 1 minute, a military officer who didn't hold a gun watched the crowd coldly as he slightly shook his head. Closely after that, he made a military gesture towards the leader of the soldiers. The leader of the soldiers was very surprised. After knowing that this military officer had confirmed his first military gesture, he carefully pulled off the safety of his gun and pointed it towards the sky. His hands quivered as he dared not pull the trigger. Watching this military officer, he said, He wanted to confirm again if he really wanted to carry out such an order. In the end, he received a third affirmative answer. He gritted his teeth, and a huge recoil came from his hand. Finally, flames spewed out of the muzzle. Finally, he completed the order that his superior had given him with great difficulty.
The semi-automatic submachine gun fired into the air, and the intense sound of gunfire scared the crowd into squatting on the ground. Everyone covered their heads and ears, and some people started to look around. Finally, they realized that it was a soldier's leader who fired, but when they saw that the others were still obediently squatting on the ground, they could only follow suit.
All of them squatted down, and the taxi in the middle was particularly eye-catching. The sergeant waved his hand, and the small group of soldiers headed in the direction of the taxi. The people squatting on the ground tried their best to squeeze to the sides, making way for the group of soldiers.
At this moment, the loudspeaker sounded again. Everyone, go back to your place in an orderly manner. If the country and the government have anything to announce, they will post it every day to let you know. There's no need to gather here. I'm telling you now that electricity will be restored in most parts of the region within three days, and all network communications will be restored within a week. Is there a need to pay a high price now to learn about the gossip that will soon be known by the whole world? If you continue like this, I'll arrest all of you one by one and reform you through labor! They're all gone, they're all gone…
The crowd quickly dispersed. When they left, they deliberately avoided the soldiers. They whispered to each other and discussed. Their gazes began to turn strange. From time to time, they would glance at the local official and the other soldiers who were talking. It seemed that they had some opinions about these soldiers.
When the gunshot rang out, Yue Huayang was five meters away from the officer. The violent gunshot shook his ears and it took him a long time to hear the content of the officer's next speech. He saw that the crowd began to disperse. He wanted to return to the national road, but no one was prepared to go that way. He felt that if he went to the national road, it would be very conspicuous. If he was recognized by the military or the armed police, it would be very troublesome. He had no choice but to take a detour. However, he did not expect to be pulled by a hand after walking for more than ten meters. He turned around and was instantly stunned.
It turned out that the person who pulled him was the mistress of the car he was driving. This made him very surprised and even a little happy because he could finally return the car that was stuck on the road in advance.
After that, Yue Hua Yang and her found a clean rock by the roadside and sat down, starting their conversation.
Yue Hua Yang: How was the situation?
She was dead.
She said it very briefly. At the same time, her tears fell uncontrollably, and her body began to tremble as she sobbed. Yue Hua Yang then realized that there were two big dark circles around her eyes. There was no trace of makeup on her face, and her hair was starting to get messy. Her clothes were also covered in mud and withered grass. She was so haggard that she did not look like the photo of her in the car. She looked like she had aged twenty years.
Yue Hua Yang did not know how to comfort the girls. Otherwise, he would not be unmarried at the age of 30. He had not even touched a woman yet. He was a stiff and tactless person. He was not the kind of person that women liked. Therefore, no girl would like him. He was not interested in women. He felt that women were hypocritical and hypocritical. They were far from being as interesting and practical as the martial arts he liked.
Therefore, Yue Huayang could only comfort her with the most basic and unfamiliar words: My condolences!
In the end, she cried even louder, making Yue Huayang instantly at a loss. He sat next to her in a daze. She had buried her face between her legs and was crying uncontrollably and helplessly. Suddenly, she turned sideways and leaned on Yue Hua Yang's shoulder and cried. Her tears and snot flowed onto Yue Hua Yang's body, and her crying became louder and louder. Yue Hua Yang could only sit there in a daze, not daring to move. Suddenly, he remembered a famous saying: A woman's tears were the best and most effective weapon against a man. They could instantly make a man surrender. At this moment, he was such a man.
Ten minutes had passed, and her crying and body trembling were getting louder and louder. It was as if she could pass out at any moment. Twenty minutes later, her crying stopped, but her body shook even more violently. Her tears seemed to have soaked the clothes on his shoulders, and it was cold. Half an hour passed, and her breathing slowly calmed down. However, her body would still twitch from time to time. She was tired from crying and fell asleep naturally.
Yue Hua Yang gently turned his head to look at her. She looked even more haggard after crying. There were still tears on her cheeks. He wanted to reach out to help her wipe them away, only to find that her hands were wrapped around his neck. Her body was also tightly leaning against him as she fell asleep. Yue Hua Yang could not pull his hand out at all. His other hand had already been unconsciously supporting himself on the stone beside him to maintain his balance.
The people dozens of meters away had already dispersed. The taxi and driver had been taken away by the soldiers. He did not pay attention to where they went exactly, but he sat down and glanced at them. After that, he was confused by her crying until she fell asleep. He was still at a loss. He did not know how long it had been, but his buttocks and hands were already a little numb. In the end, he moved uncontrollably, as if he had woken her up. She moved slightly and woke up.
She apologized, and he replied that it was okay. Then, they sat down separately and looked at each other wordlessly. Their actions and conversation were so simple that there was no embellishment. The two of them sat quietly like this for more than ten minutes. One was at a loss and helpless, and the other was at a loss and helpless.
Yue Hua Yang looked at the sun that had just emerged above his head. It was already noon. He had wanted to watch the live broadcast commentary, but he did not get to watch it. However, two things had happened. It was almost lunchtime, and his stomach was growling. Only then did he remember that he had even forgotten to eat his breakfast.
He moved his numb arms and legs and saw that she was still in a daze. He thought that since he had used her car for almost three days and had eaten a lot of food in the car, it was necessary to treat her to a new restaurant near the settlement. It was a way to repay her favor!
Hence, he waited until his legs were not so numb before he stood up and said to her," It's already noon. Let's go have lunch. She didn't answer, but she got up out of habit.
The two of them did not speak again for a short distance of more than ten meters. Soon, the two of them arrived at the small restaurant. There were six tables in the new canvas shed, five of which were already occupied. The two of them sat down facing each other at the only small table, and then Yue Hua Yang began to order.
Yue Hua Yang looked at the handwritten menu without a price tag and frowned, saying," Boss, one serving of Yuxiang Shredded Pork and one serving of Gong Bao…
Boss: Yuxiang Shredded Pork is 600 yuan per serving!
Yue Hua Yang: What? Six hundred yuan? Why was it so expensive? Even a three-star hotel was not so expensive! Are you guys…
Boss: " It's not like you don't know what year it is now. If you want to eat, stay. If you don't want to eat, go out quickly. Don't delay my business."
Yue Hua Yang: How could you do this?
Boss: How am I? If you want to eat it, I'll make it for you. If you don't want to eat it, I won't feed it to you. If you can't afford it, you can go back to your tent and eat instant noodles.
Yue Hua Yang looked at the people eating around him and laughed softly. A middle-aged man in his forties said," Little brother! Things were different now! Ever since the disaster, the prices have been increasing day by day. Yesterday, when I ate Yuxiang Shredded Pork, it was 500 yuan. Today, it f * cking rose to 600 yuan. I wonder if it will rise to 700 yuan tomorrow! This was really f * cking hard to say! If it weren't for the fact that I really couldn't stand the taste of instant noodles in the settlement, I wouldn't have been willing to eat like this here every day.
After he said this, a few people around him followed him and said yes, yes, and so on.
Yue Hua Yang looked at the middle-aged man who spoke and found that he had only ordered a serving of fried rice.
The middle-aged man followed his gaze and looked at his fried rice. He said, This plate of fried rice cost 200 RMB. Sigh…
Yue Hua Yang looked at the rest of them and found that most of them ordered fried rice. He sighed in his heart.
Yue Hua Yang thought to himself," I only ordered two servings of fried rice. Isn't it a little too cold?" He felt that no matter how expensive it was, he should at least order two dishes to support the scene, so he continued to ask about the other dishes.
Yue Huayang: How much is the Kung Pao Chicken?
Boss: 700
Mapo Tofu?
six hundred
Sour and spicy cabbage?
three hundred
……
He asked for a few more dishes and found that the prices were ten or twenty times higher than before. When he saw the last line, he realized that it was written in cash only. However, he still did not give up and asked, Can I pay by card?
Boss: There's no electricity or internet, so I can't swipe or scan. I can only accept cash.
Yue Hua Yang silently touched the 2,000 yuan in cash in his pocket. He had planned to give it to the children of his relatives and friends who had gone to his house to celebrate the New Year, but he had to use it here. He shook his head gently and looked at her again." What do you like to eat?
Ever since she came in, she had been in a daze. It was not until Yue Hua Yang asked her twice that she reacted. Then, she looked around blankly and found that it was a small restaurant. She looked at Yue Hua Yang again. After a short moment of confusion, it was as if she knew Yue Hua Yang again. Then, she said two words, Whatever.
Yue Hua Yang ordered a serving of Yuxiang Shredded Pork, a serving of vegetables, and two servings of fried rice. After some investigation, he found out that a small bowl of rice was priced at 100 yuan, which was less than half the amount of fried rice. He estimated that even three small bowls of rice would not be enough to eat, so it was better to call it fried rice.
After the dishes were served and they started eating, the two of them did not say a word. She just sat there in a daze. It took her a long time to put a mouthful of food into her mouth. Sometimes, she would use her chopsticks to pick up the food and turn half to the left out of habit. When she realized that the person she was looking for was not on her left, she would look to the right again. Still, there was no one. She would look back, but the person she was looking for was still not there. Then, sometimes, she would softly call out "Xiaoxiao". After realizing that there was no one they were looking for, they would come back to their senses for a long time, and then they would cry again…
Half an hour had passed, and the food was already cold. She had not eaten much, and neither had she eaten much. She was either sitting in a daze or crying silently. Yue Huayang noticed her strange behavior when he was serving the dishes. He felt that something else had hit her because he had not seen her daughter. This was a little abnormal. It had been a few hours, but he still did not see her daughter. Could it be that…she was lost, or…she was dead? He thought about it and couldn't help but shiver. No wonder she was mentally unstable now! However, he did not dare to ask her about these things. He was mainly afraid that she would lose her mind again, or perhaps break down.
The meal was very slow. Yue Huayang silently finished the fried rice on his plate, but he did not dare to eat the two dishes. On the other hand, she did not eat much from beginning to end. Her plate was still full of fried rice, and there were many dishes left.
Finally, everyone in the restaurant had left except for the two of them. The boss looked at the two of them strangely several times. It seemed that she had finally lost her patience and came over to ask the two of them what was going on. Yue Hua Yang was a little embarrassed and paid the money. He helped her out of the tent restaurant. As soon as they left the restaurant, he felt the hand that was supporting her suddenly sink. He turned around and saw that she had fainted.
It was fine that she fainted, but the owner of the restaurant was so frightened that he quickly came out to check. When he saw her face clearly, he suddenly realized and said, So it was her.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]