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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 145: Continuing to Wait for the Sun to Rise (Part Two)
While Ming Junwei and the others were whispering among themselves, Jia Changfa and his group were holding a meeting in the Cave Dwelling. The topics of discussion were quite similar; the former was planning their escape from Xiao Tian Village, while the latter was calculating how to deal with the outsiders in the village.
The Royal Family's Daughter-in-Law, the woman who had suddenly turned into a killer, had been captured by the villagers who cared for the Zombies. Yes, two villagers had been bitten to death by her, but she faced no punishment and instead enjoyed special treatment as a patient. The families of the deceased showed no desire for revenge, and despite their tears, they still found time to comfort the other two wives of the Wang family. If Chao Yifan and his companions had witnessed this scene, they would have been shocked and cried out in injustice; these villagers completely disregarded the harm caused by the Zombies while labeling Chao Yifan as a "murderer."
From their conversations, it was evident that there were some disagreements on how to handle these outsiders.
Jia Changfa, a man in his fifties, had become the highest commander of Xiao Tian Village after Old Shepherd's death. He began leading the frightened and angry villagers to confront the outsiders but ended up taking no real action after a few words; he merely placed them under house arrest. When asked later why he acted this way, Jia Changfa scratched his head awkwardly and said, "What else could I do? I can't just kill them all, can I?"
Although Xiao Tian Village was remote, it was not completely isolated. It was a poor village in a poor county with a small population and limited information flow. The villagers' hearts were not entirely pure but had not sunk to a level of corruption either. This could be seen in their attitude towards Zombies; although ignorance played a significant role, they viewed Chao Yifan's drunken attack on a Zombie as murder. However, they also recognized that he had killed someone who was "sick," so they could accept compensating for the harm done through breeding. Unfortunately, that plan did not go smoothly; not only did they fail to secure any breeding partners, but the Royal Daughter-in-Law also fell ill, and the Bald Kid killed former spokesperson Jia Laohan.
This left the villagers feeling somewhat hurt; they believed these outsiders were ungrateful. They treated them well with food and drink, yet they still behaved like ungrateful wolves. Did they think farmers were easy to bully?
Thus began a heated debate among the outraged villagers. Some felt that it was only right for murderers to pay with their lives; the Bald Kid must compensate for Jia Laohan's death as well as for those bitten by Zombies—yes, those two victims' deaths were also placed on Chao Yifan's head. Others argued that several more people should not be spared; they were all part of the same group and deserved collective punishment! As for how this collective punishment would be carried out, everyone had different ideas.
For instance, some suggested that men should work in the fields and tend to livestock; those who performed well could become sons-in-law of Xiao Tian Village. Women would be responsible for cleaning and mending clothes and would need to share in child-rearing responsibilities when necessary. This semi-slavery and semi-assimilation idea was proposed by Jia Changfa; he believed that over the years, Xiao Tian Village's population had dwindled as young people left without returning, so they needed ways to increase their numbers. However, another faction scoffed at Jia Changfa's ideas; among them were young men who had previously clashed with Xiao Wei from afar. They belonged to a radical group that viewed Ming Junwei and his companions as harbingers of disaster—nothing bad happened before they arrived, but now there were illnesses and deaths within just one day. Therefore, they insisted that none of them should be spared except for a few women; everyone else deserved death!
The two factions engaged in intense discussions. The older members of one side had not been completely blinded by ignorance; while pondering strategies, they also considered the village's population issues. In contrast, the younger generation was fervently passionate and wished nothing more than to tear apart those outsiders alive. Clearly, a deep generational gap emerged between the two factions. The older individuals thought these young people were being foolish while the youth considered their elders stubbornly ignorant. Both sides remained oblivious to the outside world yet argued fiercely over their small territory.
Ming Junwei and his companions did not care about what decision would ultimately be made since they did not plan on waiting passively for judgment. The three carefully discussed their inhumane escape plan at the table; after finalizing their implementation steps, they urgently called upon their companions who had been resting with closed eyes and quickly explained the plan while dividing them into groups.
A group of people woke up somewhat dazed. Chao Yifan brought over a basin of cold water and splashed it on everyone's faces one by one. While receiving scoldings for his actions, he managed to wake everyone up completely. Song Yao and Jin Bo still bore traces of drunkenness as they stared blankly at those assigning tasks, completely unable to comprehend what was being said. Wheat stepped in as an impromptu translator and briefly recounted what had happened while they were drunk, leaving both confused individuals stunned.
"You all..." Song Yao stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. He looked around in shock and exclaimed, "Another incident has happened already?"
"Yes," Chao Yifan replied with a forced smile. As the instigator of the situation, he felt a twinge of guilt.
"Spill it, what’s the plan?" Jin Bo said, feeling more awake after washing his face outside. He took the long knife handed to him by Luci and added, "You all think it through; I'll handle the cutting."
Ming Junwei interrupted everyone, lowering his voice. "In a moment, there will be a fire in the village. When chaos breaks out, Yi Fan, Xiao Wei, Old Cao, and I will break through and create a path for you. You need to leave the village as quickly as possible and head north! Jin Bo, Xiaomi, Dong Dong, you three are responsible for everyone's safety. Don't stop; find the road as fast as you can. If you can get a vehicle, great; if not, find a place to hide. We’ll catch up soon."
"Wait, what are you planning to do? Set fire to the place?" An Zheng interrupted Ming Junwei's passionate speech, frowning. "How do you intend to do that? There are people in every courtyard; we can't get out. Are you really going to burn this place down?"
"Don't worry about that. Old Cao and Xiaomi are both skilled at starting fires. Just remember not to get separated while running," Ming Junwei said, his gaze fixed intently on Jin Bo. "If—I'm saying if—we're blocked while escaping..."
"Don't worry; I know what to do," Jin Bo replied, licking his lips and understanding what was implied as he touched the hilt of his knife.
"But how will you four escape? I'm a bit confused. If you're planning to slip away in the chaos, why not all leave together?" Zeng Yadong asked curiously. "The village isn't that big; we could leave together."
"Exactly because it's small that a group running would attract attention. The Loess Plateau is not like a city; they know this area better than we do, so we need to hold them off," Ming Junwei said with a glint of excitement in his eyes. "You don’t need to worry about the specifics; we won’t get into trouble. Your task is relatively more challenging."
"If we find a vehicle, should we come back to pick you up?" Jin Bo asked.
"That would be good, but don’t count on it," Ming Junwei replied after some thought. "In any case, your safety comes first. We don't know if the fire will attract other zombies at night, so be careful!"
"Understood," Jin Bo responded and immediately began packing with the escape team as they waited in the courtyard.
A few minutes later, the arson squad led by Ming Junwei emerged, carrying a pile of disorganized items.
"What are you all doing?" Song Yao asked, feeling the wind blow against him as the effects of the alcohol began to wear off. He noticed the group hauling out a large amount of firewood and clothing, which piqued his curiosity.
"Just watch," Cao Liang replied with a grin, offering no further explanation as he busied himself with preparations.
Old Shepherd's Cave Dwelling had been thoroughly searched by the arson squad, gathering all flammable and explosive materials into a heap in the yard. The villagers tasked with guarding them were off to the side, drinking and eating meat, seemingly indifferent to the activities of these city folks.
Cao Liang, the former Outdoor Coach, finally had a chance to put his skills to use. Initially, he had planned to craft wooden bows for shooting fire arrows, but due to limited materials, particularly bowstrings, he had to settle for something else. Instead, he and Xiaomi sorted through the dry firewood near the stove and repurposed it into DIY torches, wrapping them in torn pieces of clothing and soaking them in kerosene for later use.
Chao Yifan watched with excitement and suddenly recalled making "Molotov cocktails" back at the bar. He eagerly dashed into the Cave Dwelling to search for supplies. Unfortunately, Old Shepherd's cheap liquor had been mostly consumed, leaving little behind. However, he stumbled upon two barrels of thick black oil while relieving himself by the wall. Chao Yifan speculated that Old Shepherd might have once owned a farm tricycle.
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