Xin pushed open the iron door with its paint peeling off. Went upstairs.
There are several iron buckets in the corridor. The iron bucket contained the paper money that had been burnt to black ashes. Those black bits and pieces were floating in every corner of the corridor.
A few cries came from behind those closed doors.
Her footsteps had just arrived at the door of the house. The wooden door opened.
A woman with a haggard face and wrinkles on her face stood by the door. She saw Xin, with tears of excitement shining in her eyes.
"My daughter, where have you been?" She couldn't help but grabbed Xin's shoulders and looked up and down:"You made me wait easily."
"Mother..." Xin hugged her mother. "I'm back."
"Just come back. Come into the house quickly."
Xin sat on the sofa. Her mother hurriedly brought a bowl of porridge.
"You haven't eaten yet. Come and have some." She put the porridge and dried vegetables on the table. I also took out the chopsticks from the kitchen.
"Mom, you don't want to eat?" Xin asked with concern.
"We have already eaten. You eat, look where you have been these days, you have lost weight. It is chaotic and dangerous outside now." Her mother cried as she cried.
"Don't be like this. Am I back?" Xin.
"Yes, yes. What will happen to me like this? Just come back." Mother looked at Xin from the side.
"Where is father?" Xin put down the bowl and chopsticks. "Why don't you see him?"
"He is feeling unwell. He is resting now." Mother. "Would you like another bowl? There are only some pickles left at home. Eat more porridge."
"I'm full." Xin. "I want to go see my father."
"He is in the room." Mother. Cleared the dishes.
Xin walked to the door. Opened the door. I saw my father lying on the bed, covered with a quilt. is sleeping. It is also inconvenient to disturb. Back to the living room. Take off your shoes.
"Where have you been these days?" her mother asked.
Xin told his mother what happened. Her mother sat blankly on the chair. Listen to Xin finish talking about it.
"This world is really in a mess. Just be okay if you're okay... Just be okay..." She rubbed her wrinkled eyes.
Xin put his hand on the back of his mother's hand.
"Now...I'm back. Mother. It's okay." Xin.
She looked around again. The furnishings at home have not changed. There are incense sticks on the Guanyin niche. Incense is burning.
"I worship Guanyin every day. I just hope you can come back safely. I don't know what happened to you. Suddenly there is no news. I am worried every day." End. Mother bowed before Guanyin. Mouthing in his mouth.
"You also come and burn some incense."
It's pungent and fragrant. Worship devoutly. She hopes that her family can be happy and healthy from now on. Get through the storm safely.
"Isn't Bo Kang here?" Xin walked out after taking a shower. I asked my mother who was turning on the TV.
She shook her head:"After you disappeared, he came to care about you several times. He called. It's been almost a week now. There is no news. I want to ask him if you are at his place. The phone can't be reached."
Xin walked to the phone. I dialed Bokang's number. The other party responded that the phone had been turned off.
"What does he have?" Xin asked anxiously.
The mother shook her head.
"You go and rest first. I'll wake you up at noon." Mother.
Xin nodded. Go to the room. Mother is not here these days. The room is still clean and tidy. She lay down. She felt very tired after a sleepless night yesterday. This familiar bed gave her a sense of security. Soon, Xin fell into sleep.
When she woke up, it was already past four in the afternoon. There is a bowl of cold porridge and a plate of pickles on the bedside table.
Xin walked out of the room. I heard the news broadcast on the TV. She walked to the kitchen. The furnishings in the kitchen were the same as when she left home. Open the refrigerator. There is nothing inside. There are only a few bottles of sauce in the refrigerator.
There is a bag of rice in the cabinet under the refrigerator. Just opened it.
Xin sighed. She pressed her hands on the desk. Look out the window. There is an old building opposite. It doesn't matter. Xin was shocked.
Under the balcony of the building opposite. A woman hanged there. The balcony is on the 6th floor. The body was facing the kitchen window.
Xin's cry attracted her mother.
"What's wrong, daughter? Don't open the window." She hurried in.
Xin pressed his hand on his heart. Slowly straightening out his breath. I've seen a lot of corpses of all kinds in the past two days. But Leng Bufang saw it in his own home. Still shocked.
"I'm fine, it's just that the other side seems to be..."
The mother glanced across the street. Then he sighed:"That woman's child died and her husband died too. After crying for two days, he tied a rope to the railing of her balcony and hung her. Now no one can control anyone..."
"Mother. Everything will be fine. As long as we hold on."
Her mother nodded.
"Are we out of food?" Xin asked.
"Silly boy, don't you still have a bag of rice? There is also a jar of pickles at home. This bag of rice was brought by your father from the rice shop down there yesterday."
"Resisting?"
"How can every household save enough food to eat now? We can't starve to death. Your father went to the rice shop at the entrance of the alley below to resist the bag of rice. There are always people robbing and stealing around here. Who else can do these things now? Come take care of it. If you can grab it, you won't be hungry."
Xin remembered seeing the two young men smashing up a store at the Sibei intersection. Today's society may only survive in this way.
"These can last for a while. I hope everything passes." Xin's mother said.
"I saw you were sleeping soundly. I knew you were tired and didn't want to disturb you. I put porridge on your table. Have you eaten?"
"I'll eat when I stay."
After that, mother entered the room.
Xin turned on the TV. Hemen TV station broadcasts the news. The subtitles are constantly scrolling under the news.
"The cleanup team has conducted isolation and cleanup of Area A today. The prevention and control cleanup of Area B will be started tomorrow at the same time. Please pay attention to safety and refrain from going out. If your family has infected or early stage patients, please move to an open area. If The system has died and become a spreader. Please do not contact. Pay attention to isolation. We will clean up for your safety. If there is an infected person, please call the toll-free number 400079... Disease Control Team"
This news seems very heavy. Xin thought to himself. Maybe the government has sent troops to control it. In order to prevent more serious spread. It can only be cleaned. There is no other way.
However, which family member is willing to take the initiative to call and ask them to clean up their relatives? This may be a passive countermeasure thought up by the government.
She watched the news. Know the division of isolation and cleaning areas. The urban area of Hemen is divided into 8 areas. Arranged according to English alphabet. This is area B. That is. Cleaning will begin tomorrow.
But the news didn't mention a word about today's cleanup of Area A. How to clean it. nor.
"For the sake of the healthy family members around you, please take the initiative to contact us. There is currently no cure for patients with corpse bacteria, and the ability to spread..." These titles scrolled at the bottom of the screen from time to time.
After watching these news for a while, they entered the repeat playback screen.
Xin changed the channel. I found that all the TV stations were broadcasting news about this plague.
She turned off the TV and tried playing Bo Kang's phone number several times.
Xin thought worriedly. But don't let anything happen.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. The electronic calendar on the clock turned to 0102.
If there is peace and prosperity now. Maybe the wedding is being prepared. Those red greeting cards. Those sweet wedding candies. There is also Zhang Luo's wedding banquet. Then you must choose a splendid restaurant.
Although. Thinking about it carefully. Bo Kang was lukewarm to her. She actually knew that Bo Kang didn't love her. But I love myself.
Maybe this is God's intention.
January 5 may not have any meaning to Xin Lai.
I'm just worried about Bo Kang. What is happening to him now?
There was crying from next door. Xin stopped thinking about Bo Kang. She looked for the cry and knew it was coming from downstairs. Which household is not crying? I was in the hospital before. I often hear the cries of my family members. It already felt normal. All the way now. Shouts, wailing. Crying and cursing. There were even more miserable screams.
Xin has become much more sensitive.
"Mother." Xin opened the door and went in, finding her mother sitting on a chair. He fell asleep with his body lying on his father's body. There is a glass of water on the table by the window. There are a few pills on the side. Father is lying on the bed. The quilt was thickly covered.
"Mother." Xin shouted. She wanted to see her father.
Her mother raised her head. He straightened up and watched his daughter walk in.
"Mom, you will catch a cold if you sleep like this. Is father okay?" Xin walked behind her mother.
"It's better. You go out and watch TV." Mother. He waved his hand and asked her to go out: "The pharmacies are not open now. If you catch a cold, it's not good. Be obedient and go out."
Xin smiled slightly:"Mom, don't forget, I am a nurse."
After finishing, he looked at his father.
Father is lying on the bed. Close your eyes. There were thick black scabs on his face and his face turned blue. Mucus dripped around the eyes.
"Mother..." Xin's face changed immediately. She was going to open her father's quilt. He was blocked by his mother.
"Your father just has a cold. Go outside." Mother. Cover the quilt tightly.
"Mother. Father doesn't have a cold. He..."
"Chaos! Your father was fine yesterday. The windows at home were all closed..."
"But. Aren't you the father who went out to get rice?..." Xin cried in panic.
"Why are you crying?" Mother was angry. "Your father just has a cold!"
Xin shook his head. She looked at her mother. Mother is as usual. Gently patting his father's quilt. Usually when Xin is sick at home. Mother would also sit in front of the bed for a while. Then cover yourself with quilt. Patting the quilt gently: "Have a good rest."
"Don't disturb your father's rest."
Xin knew that her mother actually understood. Just can't accept it. If this continues. Then we can only wait for the fate of being infected.
My heart took courage. She wiped away her tears. Then he grabbed his mother's arm.
"Mother. Father has been infected. If you still want me as your daughter, just leave this room." Xin said harshly. But every word. But my heart felt as painful as being cut into pieces with a thousand knives.
A simple and honest father. I have never done anything harmful to nature in my life. Why is it so unfair?
Xin held back tears. Pulled my mother up from the chair.
"What are you doing?" Mother shouted loudly. The voice turned into a hoarse cry.
"Mother, don't do this. Stay in this room. We will all die." Xin almost begged.
"Death?" Mother froze there. She looked at Xin. Xin cried and looked at his father lying on the bed.
Mother looked at Xin blankly. She seemed to be slowly accepting the fact that her husband had been infected.
"I don't want to lose you." Xin cried anxiously.
The mother looked back at her husband lying on the bed. She covered the quilt with her hands.
"Old man, my daughter has come back to see you, but you are lying here. I still wanted to go with you. But now that my daughter is back, I won't go with you... Don't blame me... "My mother was crying.
Xin understood that her mother had figured it out. She reached out and took her mother's arm.
"Mother, please leave the room quickly. My daughter is begging you."
She nodded. When he was about to leave the bed. The man lying on the bed suddenly stood upright. I rolled my eyes.
"Old man..." Mother turned around and looked.
The quilt drooped beside my father's legs, and his belly had swelled. The mucus secreted by the scabs on the body. There were holes in his father's sweatshirt. The rotten meat in the belly is clearly visible.
"Mom. Let's go quickly." Xin understood that his father had been infected with corpse bacteria. They have matured in his body. And now. Danger is just around the corner. She pulled her mother hard. However, one of her father's hands firmly grasped her mother.
"You go." Mother turned around:"Your father won't let me go..."
Xin let go of his mother's hand. She burst into tears.
"Let's go quickly." Mother.
A deep muffled sound came from his father's mouth.
Xin ran out of the room crying. She closed the door. Walk through the hall to the kitchen. Picked up the kitchen knife from the table.
I had no choice but to cut off my father's hand. Only then can the mother leave.
That's the only way. Only the mother can live.