Chapter 259: Tiesi Village
Chapter 259: Tiesi Village
Anran listens to Yun Tao, nods, and continues following the car all the way to northern Hubei.
The further north they go, the more survivors they encounter on the road. Most of the teams still managing to move have powerful individuals among them. In some groups, the women look miserable; in others, they seem well taken care of.
If one pays close attention, some teams even have children with them — though teams with children are rare, and those with babies are even rarer.
When they arrive at a gas station called Tiesihua, Anran’s car is stopped. A long line of vehicles filled with survivors stretches back from the roadblock ahead.
Looking ahead, Anran sees two tall watchtowers built on either side of the highway. People holding machine guns stand guard at the top. Behind the roadblock, a medical team in white coats is disinfecting each vehicle before allowing it through. The people in the cars are also required to get out for a physical examination.
This is the first time Anran and her group have been forced to stop their journey north. She isn’t too concerned — there are plenty of supplies in the car.
Liang Ziyu’s car is directly ahead of hers, and more vehicles keep arriving behind them, forming a steadily growing line.
With more people gathered, zombies are bound to follow. But since everyone seems to be handling things well, Anran isn’t worried.
She ends up dozing off again, only to be woken by Doll’s cries as dusk approaches.
Now over three months old, Doll has grown restless, no longer content to sit quietly in the car seat all day. They want to see something new.
Anran opens the panoramic window, letting Doll gaze at the stars gradually appearing in the sky.
The evening breeze stirs the green plants along the roadside, and Anran listens to the whispers they carry.
Closing her eyes, she silently repeats the message they convey: “Hard person... dangerous... controls earth... woman... wants a child...”
The information the plants provide seems clearer than before. In the past, their messages felt like the scattered thoughts of a child — fragmented and hard to piece together. Now, their words carry a certain clarity; she can even distinguish between people and zombies.
“What are you mumbling about?” Yun Tao asks from the driver’s seat, glancing back at her.
Anran shakes her head, opens her eyes, and stops her murmuring. After some thought, she says to Yun Tao, “Seems like there's someone — a strong one, who can control earth. A woman... and she wants a child. Anyway, sounds dangerous.”
That’s what the plants seem to be saying — or so Anran believes. She isn’t entirely sure.
“Oh.” Yun Tao turns back, looks at Doll, and frowns. “The world’s a mess now. Watch the kid closely — don’t let anyone snatch them.”
Meanwhile, up in one of the distant watchtowers, Zhan Lian stands in a tight-fitting outfit, scanning the horizon through a telescope. With little else to do, he keeps watch.
Behind him, Luo Feifan sits at a table, wearing glasses and munching on peanuts. Watching Zhan Lian, Luo Feifan sighs, grabs a peanut, and tosses it at him.
“What’s the point of staring like that every day?” Luo Feifan says. “I told you, if sister-in-law enters Tiesi Village, someone will notify us. Everyone who comes in has to register — she’s not going to slip past us.”