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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seventy-Six: Twilight in Jin Province
Anyone who has traveled far knows that long-distance bus rides are undoubtedly one of the worst experiences. Not only is there no opportunity for relaxation, but the smell of gasoline in the cabin and the pain from sitting too long can ruin any enthusiasm.
An Zheng's mind was elsewhere, his deep eyes filled with sorrow as he quietly sat by the window, gazing at the desolate mountains outside, lost in thought. Wheat had taken on Pan Luo's responsibilities; not only did he have to look after the little boy, but he also ended up with a cat and a dog. Fortunately, Yellow Dog was currently clinging to Pan Luo and refusing to get off the bus, which eased Wheat's burden a bit.
The most leisurely person in both vehicles seemed to be Chao Yifan. After fiddling with his sword for a long time without satisfaction, he finally tossed it aside and sprawled across his seat to take a nap. Zhuzi Brother and his three children took turns driving, while the one who finished their shift rested with their eyes closed in the back. Luci was in good spirits but felt too shy to disturb anyone's rest. An Zheng appeared distracted, and even Cao Liang was sprawled on his seat snoring loudly. The Long-Haired Girl found herself without anyone to chat with; after some time of feeling bored, she succumbed to the seemingly endless road and dozed off against her seat.
The minibus followed closely behind the Audi, still traveling on the Houyu Expressway. They had just passed Jishan an hour ago and were over halfway through their journey, with fewer vehicles on the road as they continued. Jiang He and the others couldn't help but recall the scene they had seen before leaving the city—a long line of cars congested at the checkpoint, stretching for several kilometers as if all the vehicles in town had gathered there.
The driver of the Audi had changed; it was no longer Jiang He but Pan Luo.
While Ming Junwei drove, Little Girl watched intently. After crossing Hejin, Ming Junwei began to feel fatigued and planned to let Jiang He take over. However, Jiang He was sleeping like a log and only opened his bleary eyes after being called several times. Seeing him like this, Ming Junwei and Song Yao decided it would be safer not to let him drive. Pan Luo sat nearby, watching them eagerly and timidly expressing her desire to give it a try.
"Right! You can drive, can't you? I saw you handle that corn harvester pretty well," Ming Junwei said with a grin as he switched seats with Little Girl. He recalled that night at the farmhouse when Pan Luo had driven them into town on the harvester, nearly tossing everyone around.
"I haven't really driven much," Little Girl said shyly, sticking out her small pink tongue. "I haven't turned eighteen yet, so I haven't learned to get my license..."
"Don't tool vehicles like harvesters require a license?" Jiang He asked as he rubbed his eyes awake.
"Nope! My hometown is in the mountains; no one cares," Pan Luo replied. Although she claimed she hadn't learned to drive, her hands moved confidently as she adjusted everything properly: "My dad would let me drive when we went back home, but my mom always worried about safety and wouldn't allow it."
"Don't worry; just drive! As long as you're safe, if anything happens to the car, it's on me," Jiang He said nonchalantly as he looked at Little Girl calmly releasing the handbrake and pressing down on the accelerator.
This Audi was automatic and easy to drive; Pan Luo started off smoothly, gripping the steering wheel with her small arms looking quite capable.
"It's all yours now; I'm going to take a break. I'll switch with you later," Ming Junwei said after watching for a bit and feeling reassured. Although Pan Luo was driving without a license, she was indeed steadier than Jiang He.
"Are we just going straight along the highway?" Pan Luo asked eagerly without taking her eyes off the road.
"Yeah, drive until we reach Xinjiang where I'll take over," Ming Junwei replied as he reclined his seat back and casually tossed sleeping Erguotou into the back: " Jiang He, you've been sleeping this whole time; cuddle with some dogs!"
Yellow Dog had been sleeping soundly but was suddenly thrown into the backseat by someone. With an annoyed expression, he opened his eyes wide and sneezed at Jiang He before turning his head away to continue sleeping.
"Stupid dog." Jiang He placed Yellow Dog between the two of them, rolled down the car window, and lit a cigarette to wake himself up. Song Yao rubbed her fingers together, signaling that she wanted one too. Jiang He clenched his hand and tossed the empty cigarette pack into her palm.
"How much longer do we have to drive? Where are we going to resupply?" Song Yao rolled her eyes, trying to find a topic to talk about; otherwise, sitting in the car would make her sleepy. The radio only played reports from Daliugou Coal Mine, while the music channel was filled with static. The CD in the sun visor was all about promoting the core socialist values and encouraging a new atmosphere among the people—good for putting one to sleep, but utterly useless for lifting spirits.
"After we pass Xinjiang..." Jiang He looked down at the map and said, "There’s a town and a village along the last stretch of road; we can check there."
"Do you think there are still people living there?" Song Yao was just making conversation.
"The chances are slim. Shanxi and Shaanxi are right next to each other; our area has completely fallen, so this side probably isn't much better," Jiang He said, pulling open his now dirt-colored camouflage jacket, revealing his ribbed chest. "There will always be some survivors; it's just a matter of where they are. Before I met you, I hardly encountered anyone else. Now look, we have over ten people together."
"True enough. I hope this trip goes smoothly." Song Yao's short hair had grown a bit over these days; the ends were almost touching her shoulders, and her snowy neck peeked out enticingly, her delicate profile sparking thoughts in others.
Jiang He pulled her into his embrace, intending to say something comforting, but Ming Junwei's snoring erupted at just the right moment, completely shattering their intimate atmosphere.
Pan Luo caught sight of Jiang He's helpless expression through the rearview mirror and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
The people in both cars had their own thoughts. These young men and women had managed to maintain a rare silence over the years; it seemed that the desolate mountains and lonely roads had affected them, turning laughter into a luxury.
The sky was filled with chaotic clouds, alternating between blue and gray. The sun pierced through layer after layer of clouds, gradually sinking towards the western hills, soon to set.
Fiery red rays spread across the horizon, dividing the sky into two distinctly different colors.
The journey ahead remained unusually smooth; not only were there no Zombies, but even corpses had become a rarity. The two cars left the highway one after another and traveled along a bumpy side road for a while until they found a lonely signpost standing by the roadside. The sign had been there for many years; its railings and iron plate were unrecognizable due to rust. A gentle touch caused rust flakes to fall off.
"Yonggu is on the left, Gaoxian is on the right—where should we go?" Jiang He woke Ming Junwei up and held out the map for him to help identify.
"Any of them works; we're not settling down," Ming Junwei replied as he glanced up at the evening glow already spreading across the sky. He stretched comfortably and thanked Pan Luo for letting him sleep a little longer.
Little Girl was also exhausted; although there were no vehicles or traffic police on the road, she had been driving attentively for quite some time, and her eyes felt sore.
"Are we ready yet?" Chao Yifan leaned forward from the back seat with his bald head peeking out, urging them impatiently.
"Let's head towards Gao Xian; we can get on the highway from there. This dirt road is too bumpy. The rural highway shouldn't have much traffic, so if we drive fast, we can make it before dark." Ming Junwei patted his back, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I'm definitely going to end up with a chronic illness; my previous injuries haven't even healed properly!"
"You injured your shoulder, not your back," Jiang He said as he leaned out of the car window and gestured to the people behind. Pan Luo restarted the vehicle, climbing over the uneven dirt ridge, crushing a row of wild grass and flowers as they sped towards the distant highway entrance.
Ming Junwei was right; before the orange sun set, the Audi finally entered the small town.
The first modern building that came into view was the Bus Station. It was clear that the station had been newly constructed; the couplets outside the Iron Wall were still partially peeling off, with auspicious phrases written in gold powder on bright red paper, swaying gently in the evening breeze.
As they entered the town, both vehicles slowed down. Everyone's spirits and energy had mostly recovered, and they opened their eyes wide, carefully observing every corner, afraid of missing even a hint of something.
However, there were still no signs of Zombies along this stretch of road. Instead, the ground became increasingly chaotic, with small cars scattered everywhere. The pavement and buildings bore marks of fire damage and large patches of bloodstains. On either side were some Car Washes and Auto Repair Shops. The group felt that wrenches and screwdrivers were far less handy than knives, so they didn't stop and continued driving along the road. Following the signs, they entered a bustling area of the town, where a foul odor wafted through the air.
At this point, everyone finally understood why there were so many bloodstains and abandoned vehicles on the streets but very few corpses.
On either side of this road were shops. Just a hundred meters ahead stood a hospital and a school facing each other across the street. The school gate was wide open, revealing an abrupt patch of white on the playground.
The two vehicles came to a halt as everyone rubbed their eyes to see clearly what this so-called white object was.
It turned out to be Shrouds; on that vast school playground lay hundreds of bodies neatly wrapped in white cloth. At the school gate were many conspicuous piles of ashes, with circles drawn around them in chalk. A banner hung crookedly to one side of the small gate, which read: "Deepest condolences to the victims."
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