Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 243 Whispering

Xu Xiaoyan took off her backpack, then took off her shoes, bent down, and almost crawled into the capsule. Her body sank into the thin padding, and a hard, uncomfortable feeling came over her.

She fumbled around and found a simple control panel on the inner wall of the compartment, which had a light switch, ventilation adjustment, and a button labeled "Compartment Door Lock".

She pressed the "lock" button.

"Hiss—" The sliding panel slowly descended and closed perfectly.

Most of the external sounds were instantly shut out, leaving only the faint sound of airflow from the vents and my own somewhat rapid breathing.

The small lights inside the cabin automatically dimmed, switching to a softer night light mode, as if the whole world had been compressed into this shell that was two meters long and a little over one meter wide and high.

Absolute isolation also brings a distorted sense of "security." Xu Xiaoyan lay quietly inside the cold, hard capsule.

The initial intense discomfort and psychological impact caused by the drastic change in environment and the huge difference seemed to be gradually replaced by physical drowsiness as time passed.

But at the same time, another, even more undeniable feeling emerged from deep within my stomach—hunger!

It wasn't the kind of slow, tolerable hunger pang, but rather a strong craving that had been suppressed by prolonged periods of high stress and physical exhaustion, and suddenly erupted as the mind relaxed slightly.

Xu Xiaoyan had never longed for the pork and chestnut rice she made herself as much as she did at this moment.

Images and aromas from my memory flooded back uncontrollably: diced pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat sizzling in a hot pan, releasing golden oil.

The plump chestnut kernels absorb the meat juices and savory sauce, becoming soft and sweet.

Each grain of rice, glistening with oil, is distinct and translucent, shimmering with an enticing sheen.

What she longed for most was the layer of crispy, golden-brown rice crust clinging to the bottom of the pot, with its unique aroma and chewy texture.

The "crunch" sound when you gently scoop it up with a spoon, the complex taste of caramelized aroma, rice fragrance, and concentrated umami flavor when you chew it...

Every detail was magnified at this moment, turning into waves of even more intense emptiness and cramping in my stomach.

"No... the more I think about it, the hungrier I get..." Her throat involuntarily made a swallowing motion.

The backpack contained only hard, coarse bread biscuits and bottled water, which were prepared for "open" survival and could not soothe the almost frantic craving stirred up by the delicious memories of the past.

Reason told her she should be patient and seize the time to sleep, but the hunger was so intense that it almost became a physical pain.

Once the thought popped into her head, she could no longer suppress it. She had a space with delicious food that she had carefully prepared, so why should she endure hunger and fall asleep here?

She has the ability to satisfy herself, even if it's just a little bit.

She listened intently; outside the capsule, there were only extremely faint breathing sounds or very soft snoring, along with the hissing of the ventilation system in the background.

There were no footsteps, no conversations, and no unusual noises.

Xu Xiaoyan immediately took out a slightly warm plastic lunchbox from her spatial storage. Her fingertips found the buckle on the edge of the lid, and she very slowly, with the least amount of force, pried open the sealing strip little by little.

To avoid a sudden "pop" sound, she even tilted the lid slightly to allow the internal and external air pressure to slowly equalize. Finally, the lid was fully opened.

A rich aroma instantly wafted out from the open lunchbox!

The rich aroma of pork after cooking, the unique sweetness and soft texture of chestnuts, the full fragrance of rice coated in oil and sauce, and the distinctive caramelized aroma of the pan...

All the flavors intertwine to create an incredibly realistic and enticing food aroma, which is exceptionally clear and impactful within this absolutely sealed capsule where the air is almost stagnant!

Xu Xiaoyan subconsciously took a deep breath, her saliva almost uncontrollably secreting in large quantities in an instant, and her stomach rumbled louder, almost in protest. It smelled so good!

Because of the extreme hunger and the contrasting environment, it tastes even more delicious!

However, a practical problem immediately arose: when she bought a large number of disposable lunch boxes to store food, she considered sealing, preservation, and ease of use, but forgot to buy enough disposable chopsticks!

Or perhaps she felt it was more environmentally friendly or more comfortable to use her own tableware, so she only prepared metal chopsticks.

At this moment, her usual metal chopsticks lay quietly in the space along with other tableware, which meant that she could only eat with her own chopsticks.

After finishing her meal, in this capsule-shaped space where even washing hands is a problem, she has to figure out how to clean the chopsticks covered in oil stains and food residue, or put them back into the space and clean them when she has the chance.

"A miscalculation... a real miscalculation..." She felt a pang of regret, but faced with the enticing aroma and overwhelming hunger, this little trouble seemed insignificant. She couldn't worry about that now; she'd eat first!

With another thought, metal chopsticks appeared in her other hand, their cool touch invigorating her.

She carefully used her chopsticks to gently separate the surface of the rice, picked up a piece of glistening pork with a little sauce, mixed it with a few chestnuts and the oily rice, and put it into her mouth as quietly as possible.

The moment the food touched her taste buds, a wave of satisfaction washed over her: the savory sauce, the pork that was neither too fatty nor too lean, the sweet and tender chestnuts, and the perfectly cooked rice that had absorbed all the essence of the dish…

The simple, complex flavors exploded in her mouth, greatly soothing her tense nerves and empty stomach. She ate quietly and quickly, focusing intently on each bite.

To avoid making too much noise, especially in the quiet night, and in the not-so-soundproof capsule, she deliberately avoided the burnt rice crusts at the bottom of the box.

Biting into crisp rice crusts inevitably produces a "crunch crunch" sound, which, in the quiet environment, is tantamount to announcing with drums and gongs, "I'm eating something delicious here."

Although the crispy rice crust was one of the parts she craved most at that moment, reason prevailed over her appetite.

"I'll save it... for next time," she thought with a mix of heartache and helplessness, carefully peeling off the golden, crispy rice crusts with her chopsticks and piling them in a corner of the lunchbox.

Then, after closing the lid again, I had a sudden thought and put the lunchbox, which still had some crispy rice left, back into my spatial storage.

With a real sense of fullness in my stomach, the intense hunger finally subsided, followed by a drowsy feeling that was a mixture of satiety, relaxation, and deeper fatigue.

She lay back down in the cramped cabin, and in the moments before she sank completely into the darkness of sleep, a last, vague thought flashed through her mind:

I need to find a chance to secretly wash these chopsticks clean... and that box of rice crusts too...

Then, the boundless darkness and exhaustion completely engulfed her, and Xu Xiaoyan curled up on the thin mat and fell into a deep sleep.

Xu Xiaoyan didn't know how long she had slept, but she was abruptly pulled back to reality by a series of whispers that were deliberately suppressed but gradually spiraled out of control due to an argument.

The voices were coming from the common area of ​​the capsule dormitory! They were women's voices, not just one, but at least two or three, arguing excitedly in hushed tones.

At first, it was just a faint buzzing sound, but as her sleepiness faded, the conversation clearly reached her ears: "...I really smelled it! It's definitely not a hallucination!"

A slightly high-pitched voice, filled with incredulous excitement and a hint of aggrieved persistence, said:

"It smells like pork! And...and the sweet, powdery aroma of chestnuts! All mixed together, it's so distinct! It's right here in our area!"

"I... I think I can vaguely smell it too," another voice said, slightly calmer, but still tinged with confusion and confirmation.

"At first I thought it was just my imagination, but after Xiaoling said that, I felt it more carefully... and it really does seem a little different. It smells like hot food."

"Hey, are you two still half asleep? Or are you hallucinating from hunger?" A third voice rang out, higher in tone, with a clear hint of disdain and an attempt to quell the situation.

"How could this place possibly smell like pork and chestnuts? It must be some weird smell coming in from a ventilation vent in one of the warehouses, or maybe someone used some strange-smelling personal care products. What time is it? Is it worth arguing over such a vague smell?"

"No! Ah Jing, it really isn't!" The shrill voice called Xiao Ling hurriedly retorted, almost on the verge of tears:

"I have a very sensitive nose! And that smell... that smell was so 'real,' like... like there really was a steaming bowl of pork and chestnut rice that had just been opened!"

Although it's very faint, it's definitely not bad! It only lasts for a while, then it gradually fades away...

The keywords "pork" and "chestnuts" instantly brought Xu Xiaoyan's mind back to normal. They could actually smell the aroma of pork and chestnut rice!

She was so careful last night!

She tried to open the capsule as slowly as possible, ate almost silently, and immediately closed it and put it back in the space after finishing, thinking that the smell would not leak out in the relatively closed capsule!

Could it be... could it be that the strongest fragrance that rushed out the moment she opened the lid, through the ventilation vent of her compartment, or through the barely perceptible gap when the door was closed, escaped a tiny bit?

Or is it that the airtightness and air filtration of this capsule are far worse than she imagined?

She lay in the cramped cabin, unconsciously holding her breath, but her ears were more perked up than ever, straining to catch every sound and subtle change in conversation outside.

The debate outside clearly did not subside because of the third person's questioning; on the contrary, it seemed to be escalating.

"I also don't think it's an illusion," the second voice spoke again, its tone becoming serious.

"Xiaoling is right. Although it was very mild and the feeling dissipated quickly, are there any new guests checking into this room?"

"Everyone's schedule is different, who knows who will come in or go out," a third voice called A-Jing rang out.