CH 43

Chapter 43 – Esophagus 15

The two walked through the corridor and found that the entire first floor was empty. They didn’t know where Ye QingLiu and the others had gone. Lian Qiao helped Xu RenDong sit down on the sofa in the living room. Looking back, there was a bloody trail the entire way. Xu RenDong still had a rock pierced inside his calf. The stone was very sharp and plunged deeply into his flesh and stained his trousers black.

Lian Qiao said: “You sit here, I’ll find something to bandage you with.”

Xu RenDong nodded and pulled out the sharp rock from his calf. It was painful and he couldn’t help hissing.

Lian Qiao turned his head when he heard the sound and saw that the wound on Xu RenDong’s leg suddenly began to spray blood. He was shocked: “Fuck! Why did you pull it out!”

Xu RenDong said: “It hurts to have it inside, it’s much better now.”

Lian Qiao squatted down quickly to apply pressure to the wound but the blood kept coming out, constantly squirting out from his fingers. Lian Qiao panicked and said: “It’s over, the artery is broken!” He suddenly raised his head and stared at Xu RenDong angrily, “You don’t have any common sense! Foreign objects inserted into the body can’t be pulled out randomly, don’t you know!?”

Xu RenDong : “…I didn’t know.”

Lian Qiao was so angry that he couldn’t speak. He looked around, looking for something cleaner for emergency bandaging but he didn’t dare to leave Xu RenDong’s wound for fear that it would bleed more as soon as he let go. Xu RenDong saw that he was so nervous and finally felt a little embarrassed: “I’ll press it down myself.”

Lian Qiao glared at him again and suddenly his eyes fell on his waist: “Where is your belt?”

Since his body became a child, his clothes became too big on him. Xu RenDong lifted his shirt and looked down. His belt was also wrapped loosely around his waist. He was embarrassed: “You want to use my belt to stop the bleeding? Then I can’t tie up my pants…”

Lian Qiao snorted angrily: “You asked for it! Hurry up, take out the belt and fasten it until your knees cannot bend!”

Xu RenDong asked puzzledly as he pulled out his belt, “Why can’t I bend my knees?”

“This is called proximal compression to stop bleeding. You wait and I will add something to cushion it.” Before he tightened the belt, Lian Qiao took out a handkerchief and put it between the belt and Xu RenDong’s knee and then helped him tighten it together. While doing this, Lian Qiao was still giving him a lecture, “Blood flows from the heart to the limbs. If the blood vessels in the heart are compressed then the blood flowing down will be less and so it’s easier to clot.”

Xu RenDong looked down at his calf: “Well, it’s not spraying anymore.”

Lian Qiao was speechless when he saw him speak so calmly. But the blood under the calf was still flowing. Lian Qiao stared at it for a while and said, “This won’t work, I still have to find something to wrap it.”

Xu RenDong turned his head and looked at the windows: “The curtains?”

Lian Qiao looked disgusted: “Too dirty. It’s all gray and moldy.” He thought for a while then took off his coat and wrapped it around Xu RenDong’s calf, frowning and said, “I can only take care of it like this first. At least stop the blood…”

Xu RenDong watched as he wrapped his legs into a big mallet and said helplessly: “Now I can’t close my legs because of you.”

Lian Qiao was taken aback suddenly and raised his head. He stared at him blankly.

Xu RenDong was confused: “Why are you blushing?”

“No, no, nothing…” Lian Qiao turned his face away in embarrassment. Even the roots of his ears were blushing.

After Lian Qiao bandaged him, he immediately stood aside. He turned his back to Xu RenDong and said, “You take a rest, I’ll call someone.” After that, he ran upstairs.

Xu RenDong tried to get up. His legs no longer hurt so much but because the bandage was so tight, the whole calf was stiff and his knees couldn’t bend. This kind of thing greatly restricted his movement and if he encountered danger again, he would definitely become a burden.

Xu RenDong sighed, thinking that he wouldn’t have pulled it out if he knew. It was better to leave it inside.

Before long, Lian Qiao came downstairs with a bunch of children. Seeing Xu RenDong’s injury, the little fat kid exclaimed: “Where did you go? What happened to that old nun?”

Xu RenDong lied calmly: “I accidentally fell and hit a sharp piece of rock. What happened to the old nun?”

The little fat kid was suspicious and did not answer. Ye QingLiu said: “When we split up to explore, we suddenly heard a woman screaming upstairs. We ran up and saw it was the old nun’s room. But her room was locked and we couldn’t get in. There were a lot of noises inside. It sounded quite chaotic but then it went quiet after a while. I’m afraid she might be dead.”

Lian Qiao exclaimed very playfully, “What? The NPC died? Who killed her?”

The little fat kid sneered: “That’s what we wanted to ask you! Where did you two go?”

Xu RenDong took out the bloody sharp rock and said innocently, “I really fell down. Look, the stone is still here. “

Little fat kid: “…”

Ye QingLiu walked up with the baby and looked at the stone curiously. Then she looked at Xu RenDong’s bloody calf. She sucked in a breath of cold air but the calm Xu RenDong gave her a thumbs up.

Lian Qiao said, “Let’s not talk about this. How did exploring the map go?”

Ye QingLiu said that they didn’t find anything on the first floor. The little fat kid said, “We found this in the study on the second floor.”

He took out a book. Xu RenDong looked at it and saw that it was the picture book about Greek mythology. The little fat kid said: “This picture book mentions a monster called ‘Lamia’, which should be the ‘esophagus’ mentioned by the elevator.”

Xu RenDong couldn’t help being surprised: “Why do you think that?”

The little fat kid smiled lightly. He laughed: “Oh, don’t you know? The original meaning of the word ‘lamia’ in ancient Greek is ‘esophagus’.”

Xu RenDong was shocked. He originally thought that only Lian Qiao would know this kind of trivia.

Xu RenDong gave Lian Qiao a disappointed look.

Lian Qiao: “???”

Xu RenDong shook his head, sighed, and turned to look at the little fat kid: “Then what do you think the clearance conditions are?”

The little fat kid was taken aback and quickly said with anger: “How would I know that? This is just the first day. That’s the clue, but how can I just figure out the clearance condition like that.” He seemed to think that Xu RenDong’s question was very rude so he sneered, “Don’t just think about clearing the instance just yet, first think about how to save your life!”

Xu RenDong thought about it. All the milk powder and chalk was with him and the old nun had died. The little fat kid had no chance to die so he said sincerely: “You make a lot of sense.”

The little fat kid: “…” Why is this guy’s attitude so strange? Why is there the scent of sarcasm in his sincere expression?

Lian Qiao had been sitting on the sofa looking at the picture book but suddenly raised his head and said, “Actually, I have an idea…”

Before he could finish talking, the baby in Ye QingLiu’s arms suddenly opened its mouth and wailed.

Xu RenDong was shocked and looked towards the second floor subconsciously. Fortunately, there was no movement on the second floor and the end of the corridor was empty. Lamia did not appear. He didn’t know if it was because it was daytime or because they stole Lamia’s eyes. In short, this time the baby’s cry did not attract Lamia.

Lian Qiao’s face changed and he pressed his trouser pocket with one hand. That trouser pocket is where Lamia’s eyeballs are hidden. Xu RenDong asked in a low voice: “What’s the matter?”

Lian Qiao: “The eyeballs are moving.”

Xu RenDong frowned and the nerves in his body tightened again.

Ye QingLiu coaxed the baby and the other children stared at the baby. The little fat kid covered his ears and said in dissatisfaction: “It’s so noisy! He’s crying so loudly, who knows if it will attract anything!”

Xu RenDong wanted to ask for the baby to be given to him but suddenly realized that the little fat kid was antagonistic towards him so if he just asked for the baby, he definitely wouldn’t give it to him. Lian Qiao spoke first: “Is he hungry? Little fatty, you should quickly find something to feed him with!”

Who knows which part of this sentence poked the little fat kid’s sensitive spot. In any case he was immediately furious and his voice went up an octave: “Why should I feed it?! Why?! I said at the beginning not to take it! It’s you guys who wanted to bring this burdensome thing. And now you want me to be responsible for it?!”

After he spoke he took a step forward. He snatched the baby from Ye QingLiu’s arms and stuffed it into Xu RenDong’s arms.

Xu RenDong: “???”

Little Fatty: “In the beginning, you said you wanted to bring it! Now you can handle it yourself! I don’t care!” After that, he called his friends and asked everyone to follow him to the second floor to continue to explore. They hadn’t finished looking at the books on the shelf yet.

Xu RenDong was stunned and couldn’t help casting an admiring look at Lian Qiao. Lian Qiao nodded at him implicitly.

Ye QingLiu was the last to leave. She was very reluctant, turning around frequently. Xu RenDong said, “Don’t worry, I will take care of it.” Thus Ye QingLiu followed the little fat kid and the others upstairs.

Until everyone left, Lian Qiao smiled, eyes bright and full of pride that his plan had succeeded: “Brother RenDong, aren’t I smart?”

Xu RenDong: “Very.”

Lian Qiao smiled and stretched out his hand towards Xu RenDong. “Let me hug.”

Xu RenDong handed the baby to him. Lian Qiao hugged the baby with one hand and then stretched out another hand towards him.

Xu RenDong looked at him incomprehensibly, thinking: I already gave the baby to you, the chalk is with you and Lamia’s eyeballs were also given to you…. What else do you want?

Lian Qiao waited for a long time. Seeing that Xu RenDong didn’t respond, he finally couldn’t help it. He reached out and grabbed Xu RenDong’s arm.

“You have an injury on your leg… I will help you.”

He said this very low and lightly and hid his face behind the baby’s swaddling. Xu RenDong almost didn’t hear what he said.

“Thank you.” Xu RenDong said gratefully.

In this way, Lian Qiao went to the kitchen with the baby in one hand and Xu RenDong in the other.

Xu RenDong had some rice cereal stolen from the cave. He heated the rice cereal a bit and fed it to the baby but the baby refused to eat it. He fed it and gave it water again but the baby cried louder and refused to eat anything.

Xu RenDong was out of options and said to Lian Qiao, “You coax him.”

Lian Qiao helplessly: “I don’t know how to coax a child…” Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he took something out of his trouser pocket and held it up in front of the baby. He smiled, “Come on, let me give you a toy!”

Xu RenDong looked at it and it turned out that it was the two bloody eyeballs. For a while, he was speechless: “You are so…”

Unexpectedly, the baby saw those two eyeballs and actually stopped crying. It stretched out its small hand toward the eyeball and, when Lian Qiao gave him the eyeball, it held it and looked very happy.

Xu RenDong: “…” This baby is terrible!

Lian Qiao said suddenly: “Brother RenDong, you threw a bottle outside the monastery last night to tempt Lamia over. Was there milk powder in the bottle?”

Xu RenDong was taken aback: “So you saw it?…Yes there was milk powder. What’s the matter?”

Lian Qiao said, “This milk powder should be used to feed the baby but if the baby eats it, it will attract Lamia right?”

Xu RenDong nodded.

Lian Qiao: “Now, Lamia’s eyeballs respond to the baby’s cry. The baby is not afraid to see this eyeball but instead behaves intimately with it. Does this mean…?”

Xu RenDong finally understood what he meant and said in surprise: “This baby is Lamia’s child?!”

“That’s my guess.” Lian Qiao showed a reminiscent expression, “According to  the picture book, Lamia became crazy because of eating her own child so she went about everywhere eating other children.”

At this point, all the clues are connected in a line. No wonder the milk smell and the baby’s cry can attract Lamia. No wonder Lamia utters such a sorrowful cry after eating the baby. It turns out that this baby is the biological child that Lamia has been looking for!

Xu RenDong realized this but soon fell into another thought: “Then how can Lamia regain her sanity?”

Lian Qiao: ” Return the child to her.”

Xu RenDong shook her head: “No. She can’t tell which one is her own child. She will eat the baby directly if you give it to her.”

“Um…” Lian Qiao touched his chin, “I remember in the picture book, Lamia only knew that it was her baby after eating it. So perhaps she might have to eat it first…”

Xu RenDong was about to say, “If that happens we will all die”, but the root of his tongue suddenly became numb. He realized that this would expose the fact that he had died before in this manner so he had to change his words bluntly: “No.”

Lian Qiao puzzled: “Why?”

Xu RenDong reluctantly found a reason: “In case you’re wrong, we can’t go back.”

Lian Qiao: “Well…you have a point. Then let’s take a step back.”

Xu RenDong asked in surprise and expectation: “How?”

Lian Qiao poked the fat baby’s hand: “We can tear an arm for her to eat.”

Xu RenDong: “…” He couldn’t hide the shock on his face and was silent for a long time. Then he said, “You’re messed up in the head.”

Lian Qiao: “Then what do you want to do!”

Xu RenDong looked at the baby but couldn’t think of a better way for a while, so he sighed. The baby seemed to have understood Lian Qiao’s words and was upset. He started crying again. Lian Qiao shook his little hand and coaxed: “Don’t cry, aren’t your mother’s eyeballs in your hands? Be good, don’t cry.”

Xu RenDong: “…” You are so perverted!

No matter how the two coaxed, the baby wouldn’t stop crying. This time Lian Qiao irritability hugged his head: “Ahhhhhhh it’s so noisy, my ears are ringing!”

Equally helpless Xu RenDong could only sigh wistfully.

Two unmarried men were at a loss when it came to a crying baby. No one knew what he was crying, let alone what to do next. They could only look at each other and endure the evil sound.

Suddenly, a soft and cute Lolita spoke from behind them: “Why is it still crying?”

The two turned their heads and at the same time showed a wide-eyed expression like they’d seen a goddess: “Ye QingLiu!”

Ye QingLiu walked to the baby and looked suspiciously at the two people: “Did you feed it?”

Lian Qiao said grievously: “We did! We gave it water and rice cereal and it doesn’t want to eat it. I’ve coaxed it too and gave it a toy…”

Before finishing speaking, Ye QingLiu suddenly screamed: “Fuck! What did you give it!” She grabbed the two eyeballs in the baby’s hand and threw them to the ground in horror. She cursed frantically, “You two are perverted!”

That eyeball bounced on the ground twice. Lian Qiao quickly bent over to pick it up. Xu RenDong took a step back in silence, indicating: I had nothing to do with him, it was him. I’m not the one who’s abnormal.

Ye QingLiu glared at Xu RenDong and scolded again: “Two perverts.”

Xu RenDong: “…” He coughed awkwardly, “Forget about us, quickly think of a way to stop him crying. “

Ye QingLiu picked up the baby and coaxed it for a while, but the baby still kept crying. She thought for a while and suddenly put her hand under the baby’s swaddle, showing a very subtle expression: “…We seem to have forgotten a very important thing.”

Xu RenDong & Lian Qiao: “?”

Ye QingLiu said painfully: “People not only have to eat but also need to shit.”

Xu RenDong & Lian Qiao: “…!” It suddenly dawned upon them!

So the three children gathered around the table and hurriedly took apart the baby’s swaddling. As soon as the diaper was taken out, a hot stench wafted out. The three children pinched their noses at the same time, Ye QingLiu even turned her head, gagging: “Damn, it’s not my own child’s shit, it looks so disgusting…”

Xu RenDong also felt very sick and instinctively avoided the sight. Lian Qiao suddenly pointed at the baby and exclaimed: “Fuck! Brother RenDong, look at this!”

Xu RenDong: “…I don’t want to see it.”

Lian Qiao: “No! You want to see it!” He suddenly fought hard to grab Xu RenDong’s face and turned it towards the baby’s belly and said, “Look! What is this!”

Xu RenDong was forced to look helplessly and couldn’t help being shocked.

On the baby’s belly button, there is a short, pink strip of meat! Dark red blood vessels were faintly visible on the meat strips which were pulsating slightly with the baby’s crying.

It was the umbilical cord!

Xu RenDong turned his head and looked at Lian Qiao, who happened to be looking back at him with uncontrollable excitement in his eyes.

“I have a bold idea!” Lian Qiao said.

“Me too.” Xu RenDong said.

Ye QingLiu: “Bold idea my ass!” She glared and gave each of them a smack. She said fiercely, “Hurry up and change the diaper! It stinks so bad!”