The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 65 Going Downstream
Yu Qing got up exceptionally early that day. He didn't want to waste any time and planned to leave immediately after breakfast.

But Yao Dan searched everywhere and still couldn't find where he had put his food.

Daji said, "I clearly kept them in those two boxes in the shed all yesterday. Could it be that you've already taken them and tied them to the raft?"

Yao Dan said with certainty, "Absolutely not! I can guarantee it."

Yu Qing laughed and said, "They've also had their genes altered, and they quietly grew a pair of wings in the middle of the night."

Yao Dan and Daji searched everywhere again, but still couldn't find it. That was food meant for Yu Qing and the other two people for the journey, lasting two days.

Yu Qing said impatiently, "Forget it, let's just set off. Chang'e and the others are still waiting outside. Maybe the food really was wrapped in other items and taken there."

Since she had nothing to her name anyway, only an alloy jar and three bowls, she could carry them herself.

Yu Qing had Daji carry the old man on her back, Yao Dan carry Dang Gui on her back, and he followed closely behind. That's how they set off.

After walking only a few steps, Yao Dan suddenly stopped and asked Dang Gui, "What are you carrying in your arms? It's making me nervous."

When Yao Dan put down the angelica root, several cakes fell out of her large clothes.

Yao Dan was furious and said, "So it was you who stole the food and ate it! You even hid the leftovers in your clothes!"

Although Danggui couldn't understand Yaodan's words, she knew that Yaodan must be angry, so she lowered her head and didn't dare to say a word.

Seeing this, Yu Qing was both angry and amused, and quickly said, "Forget it, don't scold her. I don't think she's ever had a full stomach in her life. Besides, she's still just a child."

Yao Dan pouted and said, "What a big child! When we were looking for her everywhere, she should have at least said something, instead of making us waste our time."

Yu Qing said, "Are you leaving or not? If not, stay here and watch the garden. I'll carry her away."

Yao Dan huffed and puffed on the angelica root again, continuing on her way, muttering to herself, "No wonder there was so much poop last night."

Seeing that she wouldn't stop, Yu Qing ran ahead of her in a few strides.

Chang'e and the others were already there, eagerly waiting. Yu Qing, seeing them from afar, called out, "Furong and Yan'er, straighten all fifty meters of rope used to tie your backpacks!"

After the rope was straightened, Daji carried the old man and sat in the backpack tied with the fifty-meter rope. Daji then tightened the seal from the inside. Yuqing and Danggui sat in another backpack tied with a fifty-meter rope. They first tightened the seal from the inside, leaving a small gap for ventilation.

Chang'e and Yaodan each placed one foot in one of the two backpacks tied with a five-meter rope, with the other foot on the ground and both hands gripping the crossbar of the wooden raft; Furong and Yan'er shared the remaining backpack in the middle, each putting one foot into the backpack first, with the other foot on the ground and both hands gripping the crossbar of the wooden raft.

With Yu Qing's command to "go," Chang'e, Yao Dan, Furong, and Yan'er pushed the raft toward the edge of the cliff. As the raft began to fall, they let go of their hands, gripped their backpacks tightly, and put their outer foot back into the backpacks.

As the raft fell headfirst, Chang'e and the others' backpacks floated up like balloons, but were pulled down by the ropes. At the same time, Yu Qing's backpack was still moving along the ground, being dragged by the long rope.

Soon, Yu Qing and his companions' backpacks were also lifted off the ground by the raft, floating in the air like balloons, but were pulled down with it as the raft continued to descend. With a loud crash, the raft began to enter the water, splashing water several meters high.

After the raft was leveled and stabilized on the water, Chang'e and the others pulled themselves onto it using ropes. Yan'er filled her backpack with air, tied it tightly, and used it as a buoy to attach it to the log.

Then Chang'e and Yaodan pulled the fifty-meter rope across and transferred Yu Qing and the others from their original backpacks to their own backpacks, where they each held onto the logs.

Yan'er and Furong untied the long poles tied to the back of their backpacks to maintain the balance of the raft and adjust its direction, avoiding rocks and other objects in the river.

The raft drifted downstream and gradually stabilized. At this moment, Yao Dan began to untie the fifty-meter rope, but Yu Qing stopped him. He laughed, "You want to ruin my big plan, don't you? Do you only remember what I told you? Don't you use your brain for things you haven't been told?"

"Husband, is this rope still useful?" "Yes, it is. You and Chang'e should tie the backpack and the rope around your waists together."

"What is this for?"

"What are you doing? Aren't we going to get to shore? When we're almost at our destination, when you're swimming to the shore, find a place to pull the raft to the shore, understand?"

"Killing two birds with one stone."

"It's killing three birds with one stone. We might need these two ropes to get up to the riverbank. If the bank is too steep, it will be much easier with the ropes."

Chang'e gazed at the river and measured for a while, then said, "At this rate, it will take us a whole day and night to reach the water source."

Yu Qing asked in surprise, "So slow? We're out of ammunition and food now, this won't do. Can we get ashore sooner and then travel by land?"

"The land route will only be slower, not faster. There are no decent towns along the way, and no records of the road conditions. Plus, it might involve a longer detour."

Is it possible to accelerate while rowing?

"There are no oars. The pole isn't long enough to support the boat, so it can only drift slowly downstream."

Yu Qing hadn't even had breakfast and was growling with hunger. The few pancakes that Dang Gui had tucked in her bosom could only be left for the grandfather and granddaughter to enjoy. But the thought that they might not have anything to eat for the next day and night made him slightly annoyed.

Moreover, after the raft had been drifting on the water for two hours, he felt extremely uncomfortable. He couldn't stand or sit steadily on it; it was incredibly uncomfortable. He regretted not tying the raft together more securely.

He managed to hold on for another hour, but he was already at his limit. Just then, the old man seemed to be about to give up. He had no choice but to let Chang'e and Yaodan swim to the shore, find a suitable place, and pull the raft to a shallow area to rest.

Daji laid the old man down on the beach. He took Daji's hand, spoke a few words in a string of gibberish, and then closed his eyes.

Yu Qing instructed Daji to take care of Dang Gui, who was crying uncontrollably, while he and Chang'e carried the old man's body ashore and buried it.

It was less a burial and more a covering of the body with sand, dead branches, and rotten leaves, because they simply couldn't dig a deeper pit. The soil here had probably been undisturbed for centuries; it was harder than stone.

Next, he had some more small trees cut down to make the rafts more compact, so that people could sit on them or lie down comfortably on them.

Yan'er found a bird's nest from somewhere and discovered seven or eight eggs. Yu Qing refused to eat them, but Yao Dan broke each egg one by one and forced the yolks and whites into his mouth.

Yu Qing felt the stench was too strong and said to Yao Dan, "What comes out of a bird's ass is shit, even if it's not! You're making me eat shit."

Yao Dan laughed and said, "But it's life-saving poop, not everyone can eat it just because they want to!"

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Danggui.

The raft continued to drift downstream. This time, Yu Qing could finally lie flat on it. He suddenly asked Daji, "What did the old man tell you just now?"

"It's nothing, he just told us to treat angelica well."

"It can't be that simple, can it? He seems quite excited."

Daji stammered, "Well... that's it."

(End of this chapter)