ebookland Chapter 1249
Chapter 1249
Several times, when the violent shaking struck, she could hear the walls creaking and groaning, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.
That sound was like the death knell, striking heavily against my heart.
No one dared to rest for those three days.
Everyone had bloodshot eyes, staring intently at the door, or tightly embracing their loved ones.
There was nothing they could do; they could neither go out to reinforce the fortress nor stop the tsunami from hitting them.
All we could do was embrace each other and pray in our hearts, over and over again.
We pray that God will favor them again and that they can safely get through this disaster.
When I get hungry, I open my mask, hold my breath, and eat a few pieces of smoked fish.
The smoked fish was salty and tough, making it difficult to swallow, but in this situation, it became a life-saving food.
When thirsty, I take a small sip of water, hold it in my mouth, and am reluctant to swallow it.
When I'm so sleepy I can't stand it anymore, I lie down by the bed and take a nap.
But as soon as I close my eyes, I am startled awake by the violent shaking, and then I dare not fall back asleep.
The smell of sulfur in the air grew stronger and stronger; even with the air-conditioned clothing's respiratory system automatically filtering it, the pungent odor still managed to seep in.
People were coughing and panting, their throats feeling dry and itchy as if they had a wad of cotton stuck in them.
Zhou Jianghai and Zhong Tiyun were no exception.
They coughed repeatedly, and their faces turned somewhat flushed.
But compared to others, they are already considered lucky.
Because Zhou Shuwan was there.
When it's time for dinner, Zhou Shuwan will take out some hot steamed buns from her spatial storage.
They're the kind that you can eat in one bite, with a thin skin, a generous filling, and a meaty aroma.
She would carefully open the mask, quickly stuff it into her parents' mouths, and then quickly fasten the mask back on.
The water is also chilled purified water; a sip is sweet and refreshing, instantly relieving the dryness and itchiness in your throat.
Zhou Shuwan was also worried that their bodies couldn't handle it, so she gave them energy bars and chocolate.
Those high-calorie foods can quickly replenish their energy, preventing them from becoming too weak.
It's much more convenient for her to eat by herself.
There's no need to open the mask at all; with just a thought, the food in the space can be directly transferred into the mouth.
In the face of such a disaster, survival is the only goal.
They were neither hungry nor thirsty.
But on Mu Mu's side, it was a completely different story.
The Ding family was already poor.
Xiaoxue used almost all of her salary and subsidies to buy medicine for her father.
We always keep only enough food for three or four days at home.
It was prepared according to her and her father's appetites—one was a girl with a small appetite, and the other was an elderly man over fifty years old who suffered from asthma.
The two of them combined didn't even eat as much as one adult.
Now that there's another Mumu, there's not enough food.
Mu Mu is an adult and a soldier, so she has a lot of physical exertion and naturally has a large appetite.
The first day went well.
The next day, food supplies began to run out.
Xiaoxue and Ding's father, however, are people who know how to be grateful.
They all agreed to leave the most food for Mumu, and they themselves only ate the smallest amount.
"Mumu, you eat. You're a soldier; you need strength to protect us."
Xiaoxue is very kind. She knows that he definitely won't accept the extra portion if she lets him eat it, so she deliberately says something to protect him.
Mr. Ding also coughed and nodded, his voice trembling as he said, "Yes...you eat...cough cough cough...you're a soldier, your life...is more important than ours..."
Looking at them, Mu Mu felt a lump in her throat, a mixture of bitterness and unease.
How could he possibly eat that?
He insisted on dividing the smoked fish into three portions, one for each person.
"Uncle Ding, Xiaoxue, listen to me." Mu Mu's voice was deep and firm, with no room for doubt. "We are a group now. If we want to live, we must live together. Food must be divided equally. No one can eat more or less."
Xiaoxue wanted to argue, but Mumu stopped her with a look.
His gaze was stern and unwavering.
Xiaoxue couldn't say a word.
In the days that followed, Mu Mu insisted on dividing her food and water into three equal parts every day.
He was so hungry his stomach was growling, but he stubbornly endured it and secretly put the extra bit back.
The tsunami has been going on for several days and no one knows how much longer it will last!
Every extra bite of food you leave behind increases your chances of survival.
Besides, what was even more difficult to endure was Mr. Ding's asthma.
Enveloped in volcanic ash and salt spray, the air was filled with too many impurities, and Mr. Ding's asthma flared up several times.
Each attack is excruciating, making me gasp for breath, as if I'm coughing up my lungs.
Xiaoxue found him medicine and fed him water.
Mr. Ding leaned against the wall, his face pale and his breathing rapid.
He held Xiaoxue's hand and said haltingly, "Don't worry about me... Xiaoxue... Take care of yourself... Dad has been a burden to you all this time..."
Xiaoxue shook her head, crying, her tears falling onto her mask and leaving a small wet patch.
She gripped her father's withered wrist: "No, Dad, you have to hold on with me, don't leave me alone... What's the point of my life if you're gone?"
Looking at his daughter's red eyes, tears welled up in Ding's cloudy old eyes as well.
He wanted to raise his hand to wipe her tears, but his arm felt as heavy as lead, and it fell down halfway up, leaving only a hoarse gasp in his throat, each breath more difficult than the last.
Looking at the father and daughter who depended on each other for survival, Mu Mu felt extremely sad and couldn't say a word.
He was much happier than Xiaoxue.
The family never lacks food, drink, daily necessities, or medical supplies.
My sister and brother-in-law will shield them from all danger!
If he hadn't joined the army, he would have thought that life was meaningless, just eating and waiting for the next disaster to come, his fear never stopping, no different from being a walking corpse.
But now, seeing Xiaoxue tightly gripping her father's hand and refusing to let go, and seeing Uncle Ding using his last breath to urge his daughter to live well, he suddenly understood.
Life is anything but meaningless.
To be alive is to be able to squeeze into a small house with the people you care about during a disaster and share a piece of salty and hard smoked fish.
It means knowing that the road ahead is difficult, but being willing to grit your teeth and persevere for the sake of those around you;
Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, there will always be someone willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, waiting for a tomorrow when the clouds clear and the fog dissipates.
His eyes held a newfound determination.
Qi Mingyu, who was in the command center, was in a better situation.
The command center has the most abundant food and emergency supplies.
He was neither hungry nor thirsty.
But his heart was heavier than anyone else's.
He was constantly worried about Zhou Shuwan and his parents at home.
He knew Zhou Shuwan had special abilities, but in the face of such a disaster, were those abilities really enough?
Several times he wanted to rush out and go home to see his family.
But every time I got to the door, I was forced back by the violent shaking.
He was the captain of the base, carrying the lives of everyone on his shoulders.
He cannot leave, nor can he leave.