"Dolls that appear in large numbers usually have fixed movements, like driving, having a dinner party, or just standing still. However, the dolls we met on the road—"
Tan Xiao narrowed his eyes, chuckling softly, deliberately creating a spooky atmosphere.
"The dolls we met… weren't doing anything uniformly. They were lying scattered on the ground… as if someone deliberately threw them on the road!"
Everyone stared wide-eyed, looking at each other in dismay.
"What does that mean?"
Someone couldn't understand. "Why would anyone deliberately throw away dolls?"
Normal people would avoid them at all costs, so why would anyone gather them in one place? Besides, it would easily mislead others who came later.
"Because they don't want people passing through that road." The man with glasses said lightly.
His words jolted everyone awake.
"Who would do such a thing?!"
"Why not let people pass?! How vicious!"
"Don't let me run into those people, or I'll show them what's what!"
"Brother Xiao, did you find the people who threw the dolls?"
Tan Xiao raised his thumb, swiped it across his nose, and grinned roguishly.
"Of course, not only did we find them, but we also taught them a lesson! Guess what? It turns out that a group of people occupied a food processing plant. There's enough food inside to last for several years! They were afraid that others would go and snatch their resources, so they deliberately threw their dolls on the road to scare passing vehicles! But your Brother Xiao, I have sharp eyes! — Hey! With my left fist, a tiger descends the mountain! With my right foot, a flying dragon wags its tail! I beat those people black and blue! See all the stuff in the vehicles outside? Brother Xiao, I, along with Brother Hui and a few others, brought them back from the processing plant!"
"Well done!!!"
The crowd cheered and applauded!
In the corner, Teacher Cheng sighed faintly. "Alas, those people were just trying to survive…"
Someone heard him and retorted angrily, "Teacher Cheng, there you go again, aren't you? Those people almost trapped us here! They want to survive, don't we?"
Teacher Cheng lowered his head, not arguing, but still sighing, seemingly lamenting the current situation of the law of the jungle.
This small disagreement was quickly drowned out by the jubilant atmosphere.
The man with glasses assigned people to move the things from the vehicle. There were smoked meat, sausages, cured duck, and mountains of vacuum-packed cooked food. The atmosphere became even more lively, and everyone was as excited as if they were dividing up the spoils after a victorious battle.
Shen Mo and Bai Youwei also received some food.
It was unknown if it was out of sympathy for Bai Youwei's disability, but she received an extra braised pig's foot.
After distributing the food, the man with glasses told everyone to rest early and set off at dawn tomorrow.
Finally leaving the service area where they had been trapped for so long, everyone was thrilled.
They pieced together the tables and chairs in the restaurant to form a large bed, using the thick and wide European-style curtains in the restaurant as sheets. Men, women, and children lay side by side.
Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo made their bed in the supermarket next door.
The fallen shelves served as temporary bed frames, padded with folded cardboard boxes and soft blankets. Although makeshift, it was more comfortable than sleeping in the car.
…
Moonlight streamed in silently, and the night was immersed in tranquility.
Outside, the branches rustled, and inside, the sound of people tossing and turning, the rustling of clothes rubbing against each other, became particularly clear.
Bai Youwei lay quietly, turning her head slightly, she could see the scene in the restaurant. Some people took out their phones to look at photos of their loved ones, some were whispering about their plans after leaving, the murmurs permeating the darkness, making the night even quieter…
Shen Mo sat on the other end of the shelf, holding a map he had found somewhere, studying it carefully by the moonlight.