If feeding Mu Nan could distract him, Qin Huai was happy to do it, until Mu Nan was almost too full to eat any more. Only then did Qin Huai pull his hand away from Mu Nan's mouth, which he had been covering the whole time. He wiped Mu Nan's hand with a tissue and swallowed the last bite of what was either crispy meat or fried pork belly strips, nearly letting out a satisfied burp from being so full.
After Qin Huai was satisfied, he felt a little better. Suddenly, Jian Chu said, "I think I smell meat?"
Mu Nan stiffened and instinctively looked at Qin Huai. He had eaten directly, even through the mask, and the food wasn't even that strongly flavored. How could anyone smell it?
Yu Zibai pulled a backpack from the cart and, while unzipping it, said, "Are you hungry? Have something to eat."
Jian Chu shook his head. "No, I'm not eating. The flatbread I had earlier is still undigested and feels hard in my stomach. I feel uncomfortable."
Yu Zibai said, "Drink some water. It looks like we won't be continuing our journey today, so it's a good chance to rest."
Qin Huai wiped Mu Nan's hands several times and then sniffed under his own nose. He only smelled the wet wipes, with no trace of food. He finally released Mu Nan, saying, "Get some sleep. I'll wake you if we need to set off."
Mu Nan nodded. Qin Huai took out a large mat from the cart, one they had used at home. He spread it on the ground, partially against their backs to prevent any small insects, rats, or cockroaches from crawling out of the debris and catching them off guard. They could sleep on the remaining half of the mat to avoid dirtying the freshly cleaned area.
Seeing Qin Huai take out some insect repellent from the bag, Mu Nan couldn't help but ask Jian Chu, "Do you have a particularly sensitive nose?"
Jian Chu nodded. "Yes, my sense of smell is very acute. During the smog, whenever your family cooked, I suffered a lot."
Mu Nan exclaimed, "Ah."
Jian Chu sighed. "You don't know how poor we were back then. We couldn't afford meat at all. Even vegetables were a struggle to buy. We had to make a week's worth of food with less than a hundred yuan. A hundred yuan could buy just a pound of radishes and a bunch of leafy greens. We lived frugally every day. I couldn't see or smell the food, but your family would have shrimp one day, bone soup the next, and hotpot after that. You must have had hotpot at home, right? The smell of spicy beef oil at midnight made me so hungry I could only sleep after eating a bowl of plain noodles, and even that was without any tomatoes. You think I wasn't miserable?"
Mu Nan nodded. "That's awful. If I had known you better back then, I would have invited you over to eat with us."
Jian Chu smiled. "I can see now that if your brother hadn't returned, we wouldn't have gotten close. Even though your brother doesn't seem to talk much, he's much better at making friends than you are. You seem easy to get along with, but unless someone is proactive and not discouraged by your initial aloofness, it's hard to make friends."
Mu Nan smiled awkwardly. He wasn't good at, or particularly fond of, making friends. He felt that maintaining relationships required effort, and he didn't have that kind of emotional availability—showing up when needed and being indifferent when not. The process of maintaining relationships felt like a social obligation, which was tiring. He just wanted to live in his own world. But now, traveling with Qin Huai and slowly getting to know Jian Chu and the others, he felt that making friends wasn't as troublesome as he had imagined.
Qin Huai held a bottle of insect repellent and said, "Close your eyes and hold your breath."
The two quickly complied, and Qin Huai sprayed them from head to toe. After finishing with the front, he had them turn around so he could spray their backs. After they were done, Mu Nan had Yu Zibai and Qin Huai stand together and sprayed them thoroughly as well. Fortunately, the insect repellent didn't have an unpleasant odor, just a hint of mint. After the spraying, they felt a bit more secure about sleeping.
Jian Chu noticed that a good portion of the insect repellent was used and felt a bit distressed. "You're using it up too quickly. Spray less next time."
Mu Nan replied, "We can't be frugal with it. If we get bitten by insects, it's all over. I still have a few bottles left. Hopefully, we can last until we reach the university city. I'm just not sure what the situation there will be like."
Jian Chu was also a bit melancholic. "I hope it's better there. After all, there are fewer people. But who knows how long it will take to move into a house. There might not be any beds left. Where would you find furniture now? It's unclear when they'll start producing these things again."
Mu Nan lay down on the mat and said, "Let's take it one day at a time."
Qin Huai set a small battery-operated fan beside Mu Nan. "You sleep. I'll check the situation over there."
Mu Nan grabbed him. "The protective suits aren't dry yet."
Qin Huai replied, "It's fine. With the insect repellent, we don't need to wear the suits for now. I'll just go ask Shi Yuanfei about the situation and be back soon."
Mu Nan finally let go. "Stay away from those who were bitten."
Qin Huai nodded and, after seeing Mu Nan settle back down, walked over to Shi Yuanfei.
Shi Yuanfei hadn't anticipated such a sudden problem. He was feeling overwhelmed. When they set out, he hadn't expected all three hundred-plus people would make it to the university city unscathed. They would lose some along the way, given the rubble they had to traverse, the physical strain, emergency response to the environment, and even their resistance to viruses. Any weakness in these aspects could mean not making it to the end.
So, the first group of people they selected for migration were those with good physical health. They had directly eliminated those like Qin Huai's brother, Mu Nan, who were physically weaker. Had it not been for Qin Huai, they wouldn't have taken such frail individuals in the first batch. However, no one had anticipated being hit by a swarm of rats.
Seeing Qin Huai approach without his protective suit, Shi Yuanfei said in a hoarse voice, "How are things? Did the protective suits get torn?"
Qin Huai replied, "The suits protected us, so we're fine. Are we staying here for the day?"
Shi Yuanfei nodded. "We have to stay. The bitten ones don't show any immediate issues. Many were injured in the chaos, with the most severe case having a punctured thigh from falling, unable to walk. It's good you thought of using fire."
Qin Huai frowned slightly. "What's the plan going forward?"
Shi Yuanfei said, "I think many people will want to turn back now. Those who don't want to continue might die on the road if forced. So, we'll stay here. They should remember the route they came from and head back to the camp. For those who are severely injured and can't walk, I plan to leave two soldiers with them to return to the camp. The rest who are willing to continue can choose to go on or return, all on a voluntary basis."
Qin Huai nodded. "Then we'll rest for now. Let us know if anything comes up."
Shi Yuanfei sighed. Having spent many years in the military, dealing with various crises, numerous drills, and dangerous missions, he never expected that constant crisis and death would become such a norm. Watching those sitting on the ground with weary or pained expressions made his heart heavy.
When Qin Huai returned, Mu Nan felt reassured. He lay on the ground but still reached out to rest his hand on Qin Huai. Seeing Qin Huai sitting beside him, Mu Nan turned to him and asked, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Qin Huai replied, "It's still early. You sleep. I'll rest for a bit."
Mu Nan lay back down and muttered, "I can't sleep either. It feels like I just got up and now I'm lying down again."
Qin Huai gently rubbed the back of his neck. Despite Mu Nan saying he couldn't sleep, he soon fell into a deep slumber.
Jian Chu, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh and give Qin Huai a thumbs-up. It was clear that Qin Huai had a way with handling his younger brother, showing just how effective a big brother he was.
Xu Ming returned in the early hours of the morning. Not everyone in the group of over three hundred had been attacked by rats. The fiercest attacks were on those in the front of the group, with some impact on those in the middle. The ones at the back only saw a few scattered rats on the ground and were frightened more by the sudden screams and cries from the front. However, injuries from falls and collisions in the panic seemed more severe than those from rat bites. There were fractures, gashes that needed stitches, and a serious wound where a spiral steel bar had penetrated through a thigh. The other end of the steel bar was still embedded in the concrete wall. Without tools or anesthesia, even the surgical instruments they had were inadequate for such a serious situation.
The steel bar's other end was connected to the wall, making it impossible to lift both the person and the wall together. If not handled quickly, the risk of infection was unknown, but they would certainly die from blood loss. The steel bar being spiral-shaped added to the difficulty. Eventually, they had to use brute force to pull the bar out of the person's leg.
Mu Nan was jolted awake by a blood-curdling scream so intense that even Qin Huai's hand covering his ears couldn't block it out.
Naturally, after being awakened, Mu Nan couldn't fall back asleep immediately. He got up to check the time it was just past three in the morning. They had encountered the rat swarm not long after dark, around eleven o'clock, and after the commotion, he had only managed to sleep for two or three hours.
He stretched, his bones cracking, and the first thing he asked Qin Huai was whether he was hungry.
Qin Huai chuckled and looked at him. "Are you my personal feeder?"
Mu Nan laughed too. "Of course I am." Then he leaned in and asked quietly, "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" He had opened some beer and drinks earlier and inserted straws before putting them in their storage space for easy access.
Qin Huai shook his head. Seeing that Yu Zibai and Jian Chu had also been startled awake by the scream, he said, "Since you're awake, have something to eat. Xu Ge brought our naan earlier."
Jian Chu groaned, "I think my stomach is rejecting it."
Yu Zibai comforted him, "It's good that we have something to eat. Hang in there." He was worried about future supplies without mountains or seas to rely on, and with the cold steel surroundings, there might not even be wild vegetables to dig up.
Qin Huai said, "Let's cook some noodles. Those who can eat naan should eat naan, and those who can't should have noodles."
Yu Zibai pulled out a large pack of shiitake mushroom-flavored instant noodles from his bag. "Do you have any kimchi soup base? I don't think they'll want mushrooms. Let's separate the noodles and the seasoning so we can use the seasoning for soup later." Qin Huai didn't refuse. Even though he knew Jian Chu and the others didn't have much food, showing willingness to share was important. He wasn't going to let them starve on this journey: "Two packs of noodles are enough for now; we'll save the rest for later. They can have noodles while we eat naan."
Yu Zibai agreed. Jian Chu quickly added, "Make the naan softer. Cook it until it's soft before adding the noodles. We can eat naan too, but it shouldn't be too hard."
Qin Huai smiled. "Alright, I'll cook it until it's soft. I didn't get the timing right yesterday. Nan Nan, bring out a can of lunch meat."
Mu Nan agreed and went to the cart. Using the cover, he took out a can of luncheon meat from their storage space.
Jian Chu's eyes lit up. "You brought this? Won't it go bad with the high temperatures?"
Qin Huai replied, "Canned food usually stays good as long as it's unopened or not exposed to high temperatures for long. Plus, our air conditioning didn't fail for too long."
Qin Huai poured the soup base into the pot. Yu Zibai added a bottle of mineral water and, wearing disposable gloves handed to him by Mu Nan, tore up three pieces of naan and put them into the pot. This time he tore them into smaller pieces. The naan wasn't soft enough yesterday partly because the pieces were too large. They were all new to eating naan, so today they would get it right. The luncheon meat was cut into large chunks with a Swiss army knife and added to the pot. The aroma soon began to fill the air.
When Xu Ming returned, they were just adding the noodles to the pot. "Tsk, a crowd of people is eyeing you enviously."
Jian Chu said, "Let them look. We can't stop eating just because others are watching."
Yu Zibai added, "You can tell from what they brought that they have plenty of food, but they might be reluctant to share. People who can keep up with the first batch of the migration must have stockpiled a good amount of supplies."
Qin Huai asked, "Is everything handled over there?"
Xu Ming shook his head. "We could only do what was possible."
Jian Chu helped him spray disinfectant and wash his hands, then asked, "Were there any casualties?"
Xu Ming replied, "There will be soon. The one with the thigh puncture probably won't survive."
Jian Chu felt a pang of pain just thinking about it. Seeing Mu Nan's pained expression, he asked, "How did the thigh get punctured? What happened to it? Did they have to pull it out?"
Xu Ming nodded. "Yes, they had to pull it out. There was no anesthetic. Imagine the sensation of pulling that spiral steel bar out of flesh. We used all the hemostatic powder the military doctor brought. Right now, we're making a stretcher to carry them back. If they don't make it on the way, we'll have to bury them where they fall."
Yu Zibai quickly said, "Stop talking about it or we won't be able to eat."
Xu Ming chuckled at this. "You'll have to get used to it. If conditions don't improve, remember the environment under the building we were in before. We'll have to eat in such filthy conditions without flinching, or else we'll starve. In times of disaster, only those who can endure will survive until the end."
The naan was cooked longer this time, making it soft and flavorful. It was much better than the slightly undercooked naan from yesterday. Even Mu Nan and Jian Chu ate a lot, each finishing a bowl. Qin Huai, having been fed earlier by Mu Nan, didn't eat as much. In the end, there was some soup left at the bottom of the pot. When Xu Ming, who was in charge of their team, arrived, Qin Huai offered it to him, and he accepted the last bit of soup.
Old Xu smiled, creating several wrinkles on his face, and said, "As long as there's something to eat, there's nothing to be picky about. Thanks! I'll go share this with the soldiers."
Mu Nan asked, "What's that soldier's name? We don't know his name yet."
Old Xu replied, "His surname is Qin, and his name is Qin Bing. We just call him 'Little Soldier.'"
Mu Nan exclaimed, "He has the same surname as my brother!"
Old Xu laughed and said, "But they're definitely not related. Little Soldier isn't as handsome as your brother."
Mu Nan thought to himself that was certainly true. Although the young soldier wasn't bad-looking and had prominent brows and eyes, he was just average compared to his brother, who was clearly more handsome.
After eating and resting a bit, the situation was still unsettled. Mu Nan and the others sat and dazedly waited for a while until someone came to reorganize the teams.
Some people, even though they weren't injured, were so frightened by the rat swarm that they decided to give up. Maybe the intensity of the first day's march exceeded their expectations and physical endurance. Regardless of their physical condition, their mindset couldn't handle it, so they chose to go back. Others who had been bitten by rats had already broken down and lacked the strength to continue, so they also gave up.
Of course, some people with minor injuries or who were bitten by rats but unwilling to resign were assigned to the last team. Two military doctors followed them to monitor their condition.
In the end, fewer than two hundred people were willing to continue. One-third had given up. People tend to follow the crowd. Some might not have intended to leave, but seeing more and more people abandoning the journey made them anxious. They couldn't help but leave, especially since they had barely started their journey and were already in trouble. They couldn't help but worry about what might happen next.
For those leaving, Shi Yuanfei arranged two soldiers to lead them and distributed nearly three days' worth of rations. Although it had only taken a day to reach this point, with everyone injured, their return journey might be much slower, so three days' worth of food was considered quite ample.
The remaining people were reorganized into teams, each with fewer members—twenty-five per team. Two soldiers were still in charge of each team. Because the teams that had been ahead suffered severe losses and many were injured or frightened, with more giving up, the personnel were mixed up. Teams that had experienced discord previously were specifically separated this time.
Previously, Jian Chu had seen the two brothers with a white dog assigned to the first team. It seemed that in their team, there was a man who was always antagonistic toward them. He would criticize them when they fed the dog, even saying it was like raising it to eventually be a meal and condemning them for raising a dog in such a disaster, putting himself on a moral high ground.
The younger brother, unable to keep his composure, wanted to hit him a few times but was stopped by his elder brother. After enduring a day of such behavior, they were relieved to be able to switch teams. They felt they might actually kill someone if they stayed in the same team as that person.
Mu Nan liked dogs and watched the two brothers walk by with their dog, glancing at it. The white dog wasn't a Labrador but looked more like a rural breed. He asked Qin Huai, "Brother, can you tell what breed this dog is?"
Qin Huai looked and said, "It looks a bit like a Xiasi dog."
Mu Nan had never heard of this breed and was puzzled. "Is there such a breed?"
Since they were not far apart, Qin Huai's identification surprised the young man, who was pleasantly surprised. Seeing their curiosity without malice, he felt a bit more favorable toward them, even though they hadn't interacted much yet.
Qin Huai explained, "Yes, it's a breed from our country. It's a very impressive breed. Many hunters used to keep Xiasi dogs. This breed is known for its hunting skills, with a reputation for its ferocity and lethality."
Mu Nan moved closer to Qin Huai. Although he liked dogs, he was afraid of overly fierce ones, and this dog did look quite intimidating.
As dawn approached, everyone quickly organized the teams. The first team was still led by Old Xu and Little Soldier. They had already found some shaded areas during their patrols. Once the team was arranged, Old Xu called everyone to pack up and move to a new place. "We've already had one meal. The next one will be given before we start traveling tomorrow. I have the list of personnel who submitted supplies before. I'll double-check with you later. If you have any issues, let me know. For now, pack up your belongings, and let's find a place to settle."
Qin Huai's group had minimal belongings. They simply rolled up their mats and loaded them onto the cart. Yesterday they had found a bank, and today they found a hotel. The hotel was not severely damaged, though the upper floors had collapsed and the walls had cracks. The lobby was supported by several columns and could accommodate around twenty people to avoid the daytime sun. However, the floor had many broken stones and bricks, so they needed to clean it up a bit before sleeping.
While they were cleaning the floor, the two brothers with the dog came over and stood at a distance. They pointed to a corner not far from them and asked, "Can we sleep over there?"
Qin Huai glanced at them and then at Mu Nan. "Sure, but please keep an eye on the dog. My brother is a bit scared of large dogs."
The two brothers were relieved. The place they had chosen to sleep had been rejected by many, with some directly occupying the space they had chosen, and others openly saying they should move because they were afraid of the dog. With no other choice, they had to find another spot. Although not welcomed, it was better than the harsh words from their previous team.
Jian Chu saw the white dog sitting obediently beside its owner and couldn't help but approach and ask, "What's its name?"
the younger boy said, "His name is Niu Niu."
Jian Chu instinctively looked under the dog's belly and asked uncertainly, "Is it a male?"
The boy laughed and said, "Yes, it's a boy, but his name is still Niu Niu."
Jian Chu, who was clearly skilled in socializing, soon started chatting: "You guys are brothers too? We have a pair of brothers here as well, but they have different surnames."
The boy replied, "We have the same mother but different fathers, so we have different surnames."
Jian Chu suddenly looked at Mu Nan with curiosity and asked, "By the way, I don't think I've ever asked you why you and your brother have different surnames. One from your dad and one from your mom?"
Mu Nan looked at Jian Chu a bit confused and said, "Don't you know? My brother and I aren't biological siblings."
Jian Chu was taken aback: "You're not actually related?!"