Chapitre 56: Tranquil Times
Alice approached and observed in silence, a subtle smile playing on her lips. In their little corner, everything was calm and peaceful. Meanwhile, the rest of the convoy was busy munching on dry rations.
On their journey, they had brought some meat and rice, but they hesitated to consume it unless they were desperately hungry, opting to save it for making porridge. The most consumed item was compressed biscuits, swallowed down with a bit of warm water.
Marquis, catching a whiff of the enticing aroma, couldn't help but ask, "Who's eating ribs? Smells amazing!"
Someone sarcastically replied, "If it's not someone here, then who could it be?"
To stay warm, the convoy members huddled together in a room, with only Hurley and Alice absent at the moment. Octavio half-jokingly asked, "If they've cooked it, why aren't you going to eat?"
Craig glanced at him and replied, "It's impolite to help yourself. Besides, if they haven't come over, it means they don't want others to eat."
Cecilia smiled gently, "Everyone's resources are limited. If we all go, what will they have to eat?"
Octavio looked at her with a smile, "Cecilia, you're truly generous, even giving us sweet potatoes. In terms of character, you surpass them by half."
"What can you deduce from one sweet potato? In this world, everyone looks out for themselves. Giving someone food is a show of goodwill, not giving doesn't make them immoral. You can't force others to fulfill your expectations," Cecilia chuckled.
Although it sounded like a lecture, everyone perceived Cecilia as remarkably clear-headed, possessing her own opinions and not just going with the flow.
After a while, Octavio asked again, "Do they have a lot of supplies? I'm thinking of proposing a trade with them."
"I don't know about that. You'll have to ask them," Cecilia replied.+Everyone was savvy; no one would openly disclose the extent of their resources. Even within a convoy, encountering unscrupulous individuals might lead to theft. People kept their cards close to their chest, especially in such uncertain times. It was better to be discreet.
After finishing dinner, Hurley boiled water to wash the dishes, while Alice dug out a few sweet potatoes. They always wore thick gloves when going out, and when leaving, they simply grabbed the sweet potatoes.
Hurley planned to spend the night in his car, enjoying the solitude. Alice returned to her car, set the sweet potatoes aside, and proceeded to fill the car with gasoline.
Pausing for a moment, she walked towards another car.
Seeing her approach, Hurley rolled down his window. Alice asked, "Do you need gasoline?"
"Yes," Hurley replied, handing Alice a bar of chocolate. "I see you like it; it's a gift."
Alice accepted it silently, unable to comprehend how he managed to bring so many things along. Hurley added some fuel to his car, although he didn't actually need it.
Back in her car, Alice took out an empty basin, poured hot water into it, and comfortably soaked her feet while applying a face mask for skincare. She also decided to catch up on a TV series.Closing the curtains on all sides of the car, she wasn't worried about prying eyes. Although the space was small, the experience wasn't too bad.
Tonight, there was no snowfall, but the wind was strong. Tiles from nearby rooftops occasionally fell, breaking into pieces.After soaking her feet for an hour, Alice poured out the water, covered herself with a quilt, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, a strange sound echoed from outside, resembling someone crying. Alice, being a light sleeper, abruptly opened her eyes. Listening carefully, the crying stopped.She didn't pay much attention, thinking it might be the wind passing through holes in the surrounding walls, creating a sound similar to crying.It sounded eerie, but Alice attributed it to natural phenomena. Moreover, she didn't believe in ghosts or spirits, so there was nothing to fear. Turning over and closing her eyes, the crying outside resumed.
Alice shifted her ears, feeling that this crying didn't seem like a natural occurrence. She opened the curtains to look around. Outside, apart from the pristine snow, there was nothing else. She dropped the curtain intentionally leaving a gap. Before long, the crying started again.
Following the direction of the sound, Alice stared for a while but didn't find anything suspicious. Alice decided to ignore it and continued to lie down and sleep.Little did she know, just as she lay down, a shadow swiftly passed by.
The next morning, Alice woke up to freshen up. Today, she felt like having minced meat rice noodles for breakfast. She never skimped on treating her stomach well. A warm bowl of rice noodles made her feel warm all over.
Half an hour later, Craig and the others emerged from the house. "Great, it didn't snow last night."
Seeing that the cars weren't buried in snow and the accumulated snow on the road hadn't increased, everyone in the supply team was pleased. After all, if there was too much snow, they would have to use shovels to clear it, and the snowplow at the front of the car would struggle to work properly. This not only slowed down their progress but also consumed more food.
Originally, they planned for a round trip in ten days, but now half of that time had passed, and they hadn't reached their destination yet. With limited dry rations, they had to be thrifty.Craig was also pleased, "Let's cover more ground today and aim to reach our destination by tomorrow."
"Good!" The team responded with determination.
Hurley approached Alice, lowering his voice, "Did you hear anything last night?"
"Why, did you hear the crying too?" Alice raised an eyebrow.Hurley nodded with a relaxed expression. "That wasn't a sound naturally produced by the wind. I suspect someone is trying to play tricks."I guess they're trying to scare you," Hurley teased.
Upon careful consideration, Alice realized there was indeed such a possibility. Some people might think that, being a girl, she would be afraid of such things. Unfortunately for that person, they were destined to be disappointed.
Craig noticed the two of them whispering and approached, asking, "What are you two talking about? We're ready to depart. Check your vehicles quickly."
Alice lowered her gaze, her voice sounding somewhat weak. "Someone was crying last night. I didn't sleep well."
Craig was skeptical. "Really? No one else heard it."
Someone nearby heard Alice's words and shook their head. "Don't make it sound so horrifying; it might be just your own fear playing tricks on you."
A man smirked, "If the beauty is afraid to sleep alone, she can come to my place."The men around him burst into laughter. "Your plan is quite bold!"
Alice smirked, "If you dare, come tonight."
The man hesitated for a moment. "Is it for real?"Was his 'happy' moment arriving?
Hurley looked at Alice disapprovingly. unattractive that she found him appealing?Wasn't he better than those stinky men?
Alice continued, "Of course, it's true. We're all 'sisters' here!"
The man's face turned green, and he walked over angrily, shouting, "Say that again, and I'll make you regret it."
Hurley casually pulled out a dagger from his pocket, twirling it nonchalantly. His eyes flickered with a hint of murderous intent as he asked coldly, "Who do you want to make regret it?"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone