Although Xu Shu doesn't talk much, she is quite straightforward and practical.
Despite all of us crowding into her vehicle, she didn't show any impatience.
On the contrary, she generously took out a whole package of food for us.
I noticed that the inside of the vehicle was very clean.
Looking around, besides a few blankets in the back, there was only a single bag.
It seemed like this was all the stuff her and her brother had.
Shen Feng probably noticed this as well.
Without saying a word, he got out of the car and soon returned with a pack of bottled water, some crackers, and beef jerky.
It already felt awkward enough to be intruding on their space, and if we finished all their food, we'd really be shameless.
The adults were busy with their back-and-forth, but it didn't affect Zheng Rongrong.
As soon as Chen Pu got the beef jerky from Shen Feng, she chattered and rushed over to snatch it.
It seemed that Chen Pu wanted to play with her too, holding the beef jerky high and teasing her, saying, "If you want some, come and get it. If you can't reach it, don't blame me."
Rongrong, who always wants what others have, couldn't resist the temptation and immediately showed her mischievous side when teased by Chen Pu.
Rongrong kept tugging and pulling at Chen Pu, determined to snatch the bag of beef jerky from his hands.
Shen Xue and Yangyang tried to persuade her from the side, but she ignored them, loudly demanding the jerky.
Shen Feng handed her another pack, but she didn't even look at it.
Seeing that persuasion was useless, Shen Xue's temper flared.
Her face changed, and I immediately felt the surge of effort coming from her.
Sure enough, with a darkened face, Shen Xue grabbed the squirming Rongrong and pressed her onto her lap.
Then, with a loud slap, she hit Rongrong on the bottom.
Judging by the force of Shen Xue's strike, it was clear it was quite a strong one.
Rongrong, who had been shouting earlier, immediately stopped, lying motionless on Shen Xue's lap, seemingly still stunned.
Shen Xue's anger didn't subside, and she slapped Rongrong's back and bottom a few more times, scolding as she did: "What's wrong with you? What's going on?! Spoiled, huh? Getting too cheeky, huh? Not listening to anyone anymore? If I don't discipline you today, what kind of trouble will you cause in the future?!"
Rongrong, who had been lying there dazed, seemed to feel the pain from the slaps and, with a whimper, burst into tears.
The more Rongrong cried, the angrier Shen Xue became, and her strikes became harder.
Xu Shu originally wanted to step forward to stop Shen Xue, but before she could get close, Shen Xue snapped, "Don't interfere! No one is allowed to protect her today! This child needs to be disciplined, what's with all these bad habits? You think everyone has to tolerate you? Who do you think you are? Yapping like that, stealing your brother's things? If you dare do this again, I'll throw you into a pile of walkers!"
Rongrong cried out, "I won't do it again, sister, I won't! Please don't throw me into the walkers!"
Although Chen Pu was also just a child, he was very considerate.
He probably felt some sympathy for Rongrong and stepped forward, pulling Shen Xue back while lowering his head, saying, "Don't hit her anymore, she was just playing around with me."
Yangyang, with a tone of concern, added, "Yeah, she's just a kid. She doesn't know any better."
I also wanted to say something to help, but before I could speak, we were suddenly interrupted by a loud, horrific scream from outside the window.
Everyone in the car was startled, and even Rongrong, who had been crying just moments ago, immediately stopped, her sobs halting as she looked up at us with tear-filled eyes.
"Dammit! Xiao Yin!" Jun Di suddenly shouted, then quickly turned and ran toward the car door.
That's when I noticed that Yin Shangtang, who hadn't said a word, had already gone from the bus.
I vaguely remembered he had told Jun Di he needed to use the restroom.
Xu Shu leaned over one of the seats, glanced outside, and then shouted, "There are walkers!"
I was startled.
I jumped up from my seat, drew my dagger, and gripped it tightly, ready to run outside.
Similarly, after assessing the situation outside, Shen Feng turned to me and shouted loudly, "Chen Yang! Stop Jun Di, there's a huge crowd of them outside!"
I quickly ran toward the door and saw it was wide open—Jun Di had already jumped off the bus.
My heart tightened, and I gasped, quickening my pace to follow him.
When I reached the door, I noticed the outside had already erupted into chaos!
Not far from the door, a group of walkers was gathered, seemingly fighting over something.
In the distance, there were at least dozens, if not hundreds, of walkers continuously closing in.
Damn it! Where did this swarm come from?
Jun Di stood at the door, staring blankly.
Several walkers, already within two meters of him, were charging toward him.
"Watch out!" I jumped off the bus, grabbing Jun Di and pulling him back.
At the same time, I extended my leg and kicked the nearest walker to the ground.
"Get back on the bus!" I shouted at Jun Di, stabbing another walker that had lunged at me.
But Jun Di just stood there, staring blankly at the group of walkers gathering in front of him, seemingly unaware of the danger around him.
"Are you fucking listening?!" I yelled angrily, trying to fend off the walkers in front of me while still shouting at him.
But there were just too many walkers.
Apart from some that were distracted, clustered around fighting over something, the rest were all circling around me and Jun Di.
More and more walkers drew closer, and I was getting overwhelmed.
Damn it, Jun Di was still just standing there, not moving.
At that moment, Shen Feng and Xu Shu had also rushed down from the bus, knives in hand.
Xu Shu quickly ran to my side and helped me take down the nearest walker.
After that, she shouted, "Get back to the bus! There are too many!"
I pulled the dagger out of the walker's head and, together with Xu Shu, covered each other while retreating quickly.
Jun Di, still in a daze, had been forcefully dragged back onto the bus by Shen Feng.
As soon as Xu Shu and I jumped back on, Shen Feng immediately slammed the door shut.
Immediately, there was the sound of banging against the side of the bus from outside.
I pressed my chest, still shaken, and glanced out the window.
The snarling faces and their wide, gaping mouths screamed in unison.
Turning back, I saw Jun Di still in a daze.
I couldn't hold back my anger and snapped, "What the hell were you just standing there for?"
When I had pulled Jun Di earlier, I hadn't paid attention to the wound on my left hand, and now the pain from the wound was sharp and intense.
Jun Di, still in a daze, stared at the group of walkers outside through the glass of the bus door, completely ignoring me.
I finally had time to follow his gaze...
My thoughts froze... Was that group of walkers...
Recalling the scream from earlier outside the bus, I immediately understood why Jun Di was in such a daze.
Shen Feng glanced around the bus, and in a low voice, asked, "Is that... Xiao Yin?"
I nodded at him.
The situation had been too urgent just now, and all of us had pushed aside the initial scream we had heard earlier.
Looking back now, it must have been Yin Shangtang, who had gone off the bus to use the bathroom, encountering that group of walkers.
He probably didn't manage to get back in time and was... which is why he let out that scream.
I glanced at the group of walkers again.
Xiao Yin was probably devoured clean by now.
This was the third time I had witnessed someone close to me die.
The anger I had towards Jun Di instantly disappeared without a trace, and an overwhelming feeling of bitterness rose in my chest.
The group of walkers was still not dispersing.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions and the trembling in my hands.
To be honest, this habit of mine is quite annoying.
Whether it's sadness or joy, I always unconsciously shake.
Shen Feng stepped forward and patted Jun Di on the shoulder.
He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something to comfort him, but in the end, he closed it again, shaking his head as he walked into the bus.
Xu Shu patted me on the shoulder, giving me a look that signaled for me to follow her inside.
I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Jun Di, feeling a bit uneasy about leaving him alone.
The two of them had staggered and supported each other to survive until now, yet one had died in such a tragic way in front of the other.
The feeling is indescribable unless you've experienced it firsthand.
Xu Shu shook her head and softly said, "Let him be alone for a while."
I nodded, giving Jun Di one last concerned glance before turning and following Xu Shu back into the bus.
Shen Xue was sitting on a seat with Rongrong in her arms.
One hand was tightly covering Rongrong's little face to prevent her from seeing the terrifying scenes outside, while the other hand had pulled the curtain slightly aside to look outside.
Shen Xue's lips were tightly pressed together, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Chen Pu was standing in the aisle nearby, also tilting his head and looking out through the small gap Shen Xue had created.
There was no sign of emotion on his face.
This child must have seen plenty of similar scenes by now.
Sighing, I asked, "What do we do now?"
Xu Shu furrowed her brows and thought for a moment before saying, "We can't stay here. We'll start the car and drive."
"But what about our stuff..." I was reluctant to leave all the gear, food, clothes, and water we had in the other vehicle.
Those supplies wouldn't be so easy to gather again.
"We'll leave first. If it's really impossible, we can come back to get our things in a couple of days when the walkers have dispersed. Don't be foolish and take unnecessary risks for a few things. Have you forgotten what happened at the clothing store last time? There's no little attic here for us to hide in," Shen Feng said with a frown.
Xu Shu nodded, agreeing with Shen Feng's point.
"Let's go now. The walkers are gathering more and more. If we wait, the car will be blocked and we won't be able to leave," Yangyang urged.
Xu Shu nodded and said, "Alright, let's go now."
We dragged Jun Di from the door to a seat and forced him to sit down.
Xu Shu sat in the driver's seat, making sure we were all seated before starting the car.
But after a long while, the car still didn't move.
Instead, we heard the engine try to start several times, but it quickly stalled.
Xu Shu kept twisting the key, and after the last failed attempt, she slammed her fist on the steering wheel in frustration.
Shen Feng's expression changed, and he glanced back at me.
A bad feeling rose in my chest.
Sure enough, a moment later, Xu Shu stood up from the driver's seat and turned to shout at us, "The car won't start."
Shen Feng quickly stood up from his seat, rushed over, and turned the key a couple more times, but this time, there was no response at all.
"What's going on? Is the car broken?" Shen Xue ran over, asking urgently.
Shen Feng tried again a couple of times, then looked back at me and shook his head helplessly.
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