Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 119 Difficulty Entering the City

Rather than a well-planned "base," it is more accurate to describe it as a temporary camp that was barely erected on the ruins of a long-abandoned and dilapidated town, yet its scale was unusually large.

As far as the eye could see, the heavily rusted barbed wire, with its menacing barbs, was twisted and tangled around the crooked wooden stakes and the wreckage of abandoned cars, barely demarcating a wide area. Roughly cast, cracked concrete blocks and stacked sandbags formed a simple yet intimidating roadblock.

At the entrance, several men in faded security uniforms with rubber batons at their waists stood listlessly, their eyes blankly scanning the distance ahead. Further away, on several watchtowers built of rough wood and sheet metal, the figures of armed men could be vaguely seen moving about.

The air was thick with dust, sweat, and a faint smell of decay. The entire camp exuded a desolate and oppressive atmosphere. But compared to the completely lawless wilderness outside, where the strong preyed on the weak and dangers lurked everywhere, this place at least had a tangible boundary and a faint but real trace of human society's management, even if that management seemed so crude and primitive.

After the vehicle came to a stop, the roar of the engine gradually subsided. Jiang Shan nimbly jumped out of the passenger seat, dusted himself off, and deliberately walked around to the side of the carriage where Xu Xiaoyan and the other two were.

As they prepared to unload their luggage and get off the vehicle, he reminded them, "Listen, the army will only rest here until 6:00 AM tomorrow. Once that time comes, we will depart on time. If you want to continue with the convoy, you must return to this vehicle before that time." His gaze swept over the three men, lingering for a moment on the face of Wang Xiao, who seemed the most carefree. "Remember, there will be no waiting for latecomers. This place is a mixed bag, so manage your time well."

"Understood, Uncle Jiang! Don't worry, we'll definitely be back on time, no delays whatsoever!" Xu Xiaoyan immediately replied firmly. Xie Yingtang also nodded steadily, his eyes indicating he understood. Wang Xiao patted his chest vigorously, confidently promising, "We promise we won't fall behind, Uncle Jiang!"

After saying goodbye to Jiang Shan, the three exchanged glances, slung the sacks over their shoulders, and headed toward the base's entrance, which consisted of sandbags, sheet metal, and a rusted iron gate.

However, before they could even get close to the gate, they were blocked by a makeshift checkpoint at the entrance and a long queue in front of it.

Several staff members, dressed in a mix of worn-out security uniforms and various casual clothes, all wearing dirty red armbands, were shouting in a hoarse and impatient voice to maintain order, and were roughly checking and charging everyone who tried to enter the base.

"Listen up, everyone! Upon entering the base, each person must pay one-tenth of all the supplies they carry! That's the rule! If you don't pay, get out!" A burly man with a face full of scars and the loudest voice repeatedly shouted this unquestionable rule like a broken record. He held a wooden stick in his hand and impatiently tapped the sandbag next to him, kicking up a fine dust.

"What? You have to pay one-tenth just to enter? This... this is even more ruthless than bandits!" Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao's eyes widened instantly, and his blood rushed to his head.

He watched helplessly as an elderly man with gray hair and tattered clothes, standing in front of him in line, shakily poured out about a tenth of his meager amount from his shriveled bag of grains, which looked to be only half full, and handed it to the staff member. The staff member even gave it a disdainful look, as if he thought it wasn't enough. Wang Xiao felt a surge of anger rise up, and his fists clenched. This wasn't seeking shelter; it was clearly taking advantage of someone's misfortune!

Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Yingtang frowned at the same time, their faces solemn. The oranges they had painstakingly picked, before they could even exchange them for urgently needed supplies, were going to be given away for free—one-tenth of them? This price was far too high and unacceptable.

Moreover, the situation inside this base is completely unknown. Is it orderly or a lawless world where the strong prey on the weak? With so much conspicuous fresh fruit, won't they be spotted as soon as they enter and become easy prey? The risk is simply too great.

"It's not worth going in," Xie Yingtang succinctly concluded. His gaze swept over the greedy and impatient expressions of the staff, as well as the seemingly calm but actually turbulent area inside the entrance, his tone devoid of any hesitation.

Xu Xiaoyan immediately agreed. She lowered her voice and said, "Yes, we are just resting here temporarily with the army for one night. Our goal is to go to Linchuan. There is no need to enter this base and take on unknown risks and losses. The most important thing is to take this opportunity to get rid of these oranges and exchange them for more practical and portable supplies." She quickly weighed the pros and cons.

The three of them quietly retreated to a relatively open area near the entrance with a good view, carefully unloaded the heavy sacks from their backs, and temporarily piled them together.

"Wang Xiao, you stay here and watch the things. Xie Ge and I will go check out the surrounding area and find out the market," Xu Xiaoyan said to Wang Xiao.

Although Wang Xiao was impatient, he knew what was important. He immediately nodded and stood still beside the sack, watching the passing crowd warily. "Don't worry, leave it to me!"

Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Yingtang straightened up and began to carefully observe their surroundings. They soon discovered that it was precisely because of the exorbitant "entry fee" that this area outside the base gate, which should have been a buffer zone, had spontaneously and miraculously formed a huge, bustling, and chaotic open-air free trade market!

Looking around, there was a sea of ​​heads, and the noise was like waves crashing in. Thousands of survivors who could not afford the entrance fee, or who, like Xu Xiaoyan and the others, thought it was not worth paying, spread out all their belongings on the ground. Some had a dirty plastic sheet on it, some had an open backpack or a cracked suitcase, and some even held their things in their arms or carried them on their backs, engaging in the most primitive and direct form of barter.

The transactions were varied and diverse. Some people held up half-empty bottles of mineral water, desperately trying to exchange them for a pinch of salt; others took off their fairly thick cotton coats, attempting to trade them for a few pieces of compressed biscuits to fill their stomachs; some held up greasy parts salvaged from abandoned machines or cars, loudly hawking them in exchange for anything edible; still others had several books with tattered covers, a few dried-up pens, or even some old cell phones that had long since lost their communication function... The sounds of hawking, haggling, heated arguments over unacceptable prices, and children crying...

Like Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Yingtang at this moment, many people carried bulging bags, their faces showing a mixture of vigilance and expectation, slowly moving through the crowded flow of people, their sharp eyes scanning each "stall".

When Wang Xiao arrived and saw the bustling, crowded scene before him, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! This place...this place is a hundred times more lively than our local market!"

Xu Xiaoyan's gaze swept quickly across the entire market, and she whispered, "It seems that this is the place we should really be. Let's go, let's split up and check out the market separately to see what we need to exchange." She realized that although staying together was safe, it was too inefficient.

Xie Yingtang observed the bustling crowd around him, which seemed to have spontaneously formed a delicate balance, and said in a deep voice, "That's right. There are too many people and too many different kinds of people here. It's inconvenient for us to gather together. Let's each go and exchange for what we need. After we've exchanged, we can judge the time ourselves and go directly back to the military vehicle to gather. There's no need for us to wait for each other."

Wang Xiao nodded immediately. He had been itching to explore the bustling market for a long time and couldn't wait to do it himself. "Okay! That's settled! I've been wanting to go and have a look for a while now!" He rubbed his hands together, his eyes already searching for potential targets in the crowd, especially those stalls displaying tools, weapons, or dried meat.

Xu Xiaoyan readily agreed, "No problem, that's even better. Everyone, remember not to flaunt your wealth, keep a low profile during transactions, safeguard your belongings, and safety comes first."

After saying this, the three of them no longer hesitated, each picked up their assigned sacks of oranges, and quickly dispersed into the huge and noisy crowd of the free market in three different directions.

Xu Xiaoyan carried two heavy sacks on her back, and the pressure on her shoulders made her have to bend over slightly to maintain her balance.

She moved slowly and cautiously through the crowded market, which reeked of various smells, trying to avoid overly crowded areas and people with unfriendly eyes. Her eyes quickly swept over the simplest of "stalls"—some were just a piece of tattered cloth of indeterminate color spread on the ground, with a few items scattered on it; others had their baskets or burlap sacks open, allowing passersby to look and choose.

She saw people selling dark, hard, brick-like dried biscuits; others had half a bag of mixed-color, low-quality flour covered in bran; to her slight surprise, there were more kinds of vegetables than she had expected: bamboo shoots covered in wet mud that looked fairly fresh; Chinese cabbages with slightly wilted, yellowed, and blackened outer leaves, but the core inside should still be okay; wrinkled, dehydrated carrots; grayish, rather large winter melons; and ginger, potatoes, and taro of varying quality packed in net bags; and even in one corner, someone had several bundles of small, drooping but still green bok choy in front of them.

There was fruit, but very little, and the quality was far inferior to the plump, orange-yellow tangerines in the sack on her back. Most of them were shriveled, small, and dull-colored wild fruits, or some apples that were obviously stored for too long and had wrinkled skin.

After a moment's thought, she realized that winter bamboo shoots were easy to store, rich in fiber, and could be stewed with dried meat or other foods to increase the volume and flavor of the food. They were a good reserve. She squeezed her way toward the winter bamboo shoot stall.

The old man, who looked quite old with a face etched with the wrinkles of time and wore thin, worn clothes, was squatting on the ground, carefully using a small knife to trim a basket of winter bamboo shoots covered in wet mud and fresh moss, trying to make them look neater and more appealing. His movements were slow and focused, as if he were handling some precious treasure.

Xu Xiaoyan stopped in front of his stall and politely asked, "Uncle, how much do you charge for these winter bamboo shoots?"

Hearing the voice, the old man slowly raised his head. His slightly cloudy eyes looked at Xu Xiaoyan and the two bulging burlap sacks on her back. His voice was hoarse and tired, typical of the elderly, as he asked, "Girl, what are you going to offer in exchange?" He didn't give a price directly; this was a common way to test the waters in the market.

"Fresh oranges," Xu Xiaoyan said calmly, patting the sack on her shoulder.

"Oranges?" Upon hearing this, the old man's wrinkled brows furrowed involuntarily. He didn't show much joy on his face. Instead, he smacked his chapped lips, shook his head, and said with obvious pragmatism, "Oranges are sweet and smell good, but they don't keep you full. Eating too many will give you heartburn. They're not as satisfying as grains, and they can't compare to my winter bamboo shoots, which can be used for soups and dishes."

He pondered for a moment, seemingly calculating the value in his mind, and then pointed to the pile of winter bamboo shoots in front of him that were not of the best quality but were indeed fresh, and said, "These bamboo shoots of mine can only be exchanged for about ten catties of your oranges at most. By weight, one catty of my winter bamboo shoots can be exchanged for two catties of your oranges, no more than that."

His tone carried an undisguised disdain based on survival needs. Clearly, in his value system, winter bamboo shoots, which can be used in dishes and serve as part of a staple food, have a much higher practical value than oranges, which can only be used as a supplement or even considered a "snack".

Xu Xiaoyan knew that in an environment where survival was the highest priority, food that could fill one's stomach, provide substantial energy, and offer culinary variety was far more valuable than fruit that simply provided vitamins and sugar but could not be used as a staple food.

Although the old man's reaction and price quote left her slightly disappointed, they were in line with the current market conditions and general understanding, and could be considered fair. They might even have been slightly considerate of her. Instead of haggling like she would in a market during peacetime, she readily nodded and said, "Okay, old man, it'll be one to two, I'll exchange it for five catties of winter bamboo shoots."

She immediately put down the burlap sack on her shoulder, deftly untied the rope tied to the opening, revealing bright yellow, plump tangerines inside, exuding a fresh fruity aroma. The vibrant color and excellent quality formed a stark contrast with the surrounding gloomy and dilapidated environment. When the old man saw such good tangerines, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in his cloudy eyes, but he quickly regained his previous calm and caution, only letting out a soft "hmm".

He took out an old-looking but still clean cloth bag and began to quietly and carefully select medium-sized and good-looking winter bamboo shoots from it, putting them into the bag in a slow and unhurried manner.