Free Web NovelChapter 2425: Chapter 2425: I Am Li Chun
"Why are the numbers on this screen jumping around?" The Girl in the painting leaned in to take a look.
"Numbers jumping around indicate a problem," Xu Huo said, putting away the device. "The magnetic field here is chaotic, with multiple forces interfering with each other. The apparitions we saw could just be hallucinations."
The Girl in the painting pinched the doll hanging from her backpack and asked, "When can we find a place where people live?"
"Let’s keep walking a bit," Xu Huo replied. "If we haven’t found one by nightfall, we’ll find a place to rest here."
The prop is too large, but the small hut will suffice.
The two pressed ahead, walking for a whole hour before spotting buildings. Contrary to the data found Beneath the Dimension, these structures were entirely made of wood, small cabins standing independently, interspersed with large trees. Though spaced apart, one could still catch glimpses of neighbors between the houses.
The homes were shrouded in mist, barely visible, but the light shining through the windows signaled occupancy.
Xu Huo slowed his pace, intentionally making noise as he approached a cabin. Soon, silhouettes appeared in the windows of the two cabins closest to him. The residents did not open the windows but peered out through iron bars and curtains.
Not only those households nearby knew someone was coming. Once they moved, others in cabins hundreds of meters away began to stir as well.
There was no conversation, nor did anyone use communicators, yet by the time Xu Huo approached the first house, everyone in the area knew strangers had arrived.
"I’ll go knock!" The Girl in the painting gleefully ran over. The person inside, holding a knife and wooden stick, immediately responded, "Who is it?"
"It’s me!" The Girl in the painting played sound from the communicator.
"Who are you?" the person inside asked again. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"I’m Li Chun!" she answered.
There was a brief silence inside, and abandoning normal protocol, they directly said, "You should leave, strangers aren’t welcome here!"
The Girl in the painting touched the door panel, then mimicking a scene from a TV series, bent her index finger to knock, hinting at Xu Huo that the door wasn’t thick.
"You best leave!" The person inside became somewhat frantic, raising the volume. "Don’t think of barging in; we’ve got shotguns!"
There were no shotguns behind the door, but they were on their way. Several tall young men were emerging from different directions, their silhouettes gradually becoming visible.
"We are not bad people." Xu Huo slid a piece of paper from District 020 along with a pen into the door gap. "My sister and I got lost while traveling nearby and wandered here unknowingly. We just want a place to stay for the night."
The person inside picked up the money. After a few exchanges of glances, the door opened a crack. A woman looked them over head to toe through the gap, pausing on their feet before letting them in.
As the door opened, the young men who had gotten close halted their footsteps.
As she closed the door, the woman waved outside, and the young men dispersed.
Inside was a middle-aged couple, an old lady, and two children hidden in a room. Although they’d let them in, the people inside did not entirely relax, their eyes fixed intently on them.
Xu Huo pulled some pre-packed bread and jerky from his travel bag. "It’s getting dark, and the grove is full of snakes and insects, luckily we found this place... Rest assured, my sister and I aren’t bad people. We’ll only stay one night and leave in the morning. Could we trade some of this food for hot soup and water?"
More tempted by food than money, the people inside visibly softened. The old lady nodded, and the middle-aged couple quickly took the food, while the other went to boil water.
"Here’s some tea, young man," the old lady poured water for them and continued, "Put down your bags and rest. The grove is cold and damp. The fire’s going; quickly, warm yourselves."
She reached out to squeeze the Girl in the painting’s wrist, "So cold, warm yourself up fast."
Puzzled, the Girl in the painting looked at her, then at Xu Huo, seemingly not understanding this form of greeting.
"My sister can’t speak," Xu Huo explained, thanking her, and pushed the Girl in the painting towards the fireplace.
The middle-aged couple quickly brought out a pot of meat soup. After simmering for too long, the soup had turned into a mush, with a few mushrooms and common moss from the forest floating in it. It didn’t look appetizing, but the aroma was rich.
"We already had dinner. This is what’s left. Don’t be picky," the old lady said kindly, serving them the soup. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Accustomed to finer tastes, the Girl in the painting tapped her communicator, increasing the volume: "This looks unappetizing."
The middle-aged couple had been silent since sitting by the fire, only having spoken twice before opening the door. Faced with the Girl in the painting’s pickiness, the man lowered his head without reaction, while the woman seemed uneasy, opening her mouth without speaking.
"It’s difficult to get in and out of the mountains; ingredients are scarce. If you can’t eat much, drink more tea," the old lady said with a smile.
Not being picky, Xu Huo drank the soup and nodded, "It does taste good."
Suspicious, the Girl in the painting focused on her bowl, reluctantly trying a bit, and found it quite tasty, then asked the woman for a second bowl.
Feeling validated, the woman promptly served her, then went inside to fetch a wool sweater for her to wear.
"Grandma, I couldn’t find this place on the map. Why do you live here?" After eating, Xu Huo chatted with the family. "I see you live off the land, but it’s not convenient."
Chewing on the swallowed tea leaves, the old lady slowly said, "The world out there changes fast. We couldn’t keep up. Living here is good, self-sufficient."
"True, the food is natural and fresh, different from outside," Xu Huo concurred. "We got lost here near this area, not knowing which direction to the nearest city."
"We’ve been out for days, and our communicator can’t connect outside. We want to get in touch with our family and need to find supplies as our food is running low."
The old lady shook her head, "It’ll take several days to walk there. But don’t worry; there are other homes along the way. If you get hungry or thirsty, you can ask them for something."
"I see," Xu Huo nodded, relieved. He noticed the woman taking the pot and bowls to wash, and quickly got up to help.
"No need, no need. You youngsters wouldn’t know these chores..." the woman declined, but Xu Huo chuckled, "I cook for myself at home; there’s nothing I can’t do."
To show he really could, he rolled up his sleeves to wash dishes, talking to the woman about his and his sister’s preparations for the trip. They ended up losing most of their gear due to getting lost. As he spoke, he abruptly paused, "Is there a neighbor here?"
