Others followed suit, also gathering dried grass.
Mei Nan wanted to tell them not to play with fire, but as a cold wind blew, he felt goosebumps rise all over his body and could only swallow his words.
However, considering safety, Mei Nan didn't gather dry grass with everyone else. Instead, he found many large stones along the sides of the road, intending to build a stone pile. This way, the fire would be contained and wouldn't be affected by the wind or cause safety issues.
With everyone's efforts, the fire was soon lit.
This place lacked many things, but it certainly didn't lack dry grass and firewood, so everyone's fire source was secured.
It was just that everyone was curious where Ning Wei got the lighter from.
Ning Wei said innocently, "I found it on the bus. There was a lot of trash on the ground, but you just didn't bend down to look."
Song Zhi was speechless. Who would have thought of picking things up from the ground? Only someone like Ning Wei would do such a thing.
With the fire lit, everyone relaxed and sat around the stone pile, chatting idly.
"I wonder when the guide will arrive," Zhu Yilian's legs were sore from squatting, and she stood up to walk a few steps, getting a little impatient.
As they were talking, a bus full of passengers sped past. The group of them crouching by the roadside had no time to react, and the bus had no intention of stopping.
"We... we don't need to take the bus, right?" Yuan Yuan asked belatedly.
"Probably... not, right?" Song Zhi was also unsure, looking at Ning Wei as he spoke.
Ning Wei was speechless. "Even if we had to, that bus didn't stop. If we missed it, we missed it. At worst, I'll lead you out on foot."
She spoke with great conviction, but the others lacked much confidence.
After the bus left, everyone felt a bit dejected, very worried they had missed the so-called guide.
"How about we take turns standing by the roadside? We'll wave at any vehicle that comes," Tang Tang suggested.
Everyone agreed to this suggestion, and Zhu Yilian, who proposed it, started the rotation.
Perhaps it was because the place was too remote, but after several shifts, they still hadn't seen a single vehicle, not even a ghost.
The patch of barren dried grass behind them had been nearly cleared, and the ashes in the stone pile were deep.
"Are we going to wait here until dark?" Zhu Yilian said with a bitter expression.
"Pah, pah, pah! Don't jinx it!" Tang Tang immediately retorted.
From squatting to standing, they eventually just gave up and used dried grass as cushions to sit on.
It was Ning Wei's turn to go to the roadside again. She held a dry reed in her hand and swung her ring occasionally, a habit she had developed.
Even though the person wasn't by her side, touching the ring made her feel as if he were always with her.
Suddenly, a sound, like the roar of an engine, could be heard from a distance.
"A vehicle is coming," Ning Wei said confidently to those behind her.
Everyone turned their heads in unison towards the corner, and indeed, a vehicle was approaching their direction.
"Are we getting on?"
"Put out the fire quickly!"
Chaos ensued as they scrambled to sprinkle sand and dirt from the roadside onto the stone pile, and the flames were quickly extinguished.
"Good thing we didn't put any firewood in," Song Zhi murmured.
Ning Wei kept her eyes fixed on the approaching vehicle.
Tang Tang and the others crowded around, asking, "Are we getting on?"
"Or do you want to spend the night here?" Ning Wei retorted.
As they were talking, the vehicle suddenly appeared before them. Several people were already seated, but there were plenty of empty seats, unlike the first bus they had missed, which was crowded.
Wang Jing and the others, afraid the driver wouldn't stop, waved frantically at him.
The bus stopped in front of them, giving them a chance to examine it closely.
It was an old, small bus, likely the type that ran in rural areas. Its body was covered in dust. The driver and conductor were wearing their own clothes.
"Are you getting on?" the conductor asked impatiently, seeing them wave but hesitate.
Ning Wei looked at the impatient conductor, feeling a sense of familiarity.
"Are we getting on or not?" Tang Tang and the others hadn't decided yet.
The conductor heard the murmur and was about to scold them when Ning Wei strode up the steps and quickly found a seat.
Seeing her board, the others followed suit in an orderly fashion.
They sat together, but their eyes constantly scanned the interior of the bus.
"Where to?" The conductor, holding a waist pouch, came up to Ning Wei. It was clearly time to collect fares.
The driver closed the doors and drove the bus along the dilapidated road.
Everyone was somewhat speechless because they had no money!
Ning Wei smiled faintly and took out a handful of change from her pocket, handing it to the conductor. "We're going to the final stop."
The conductor looked at the change in Ning Wei's hand with some impatience. She casually took it, spread her legs, leaned back against the seat, and began to count carefully.
A minute later, she handed Ning Wei the remaining money, saying, "There are seven of you. The fare is two yuan per person, so I need fourteen yuan. Keep the change."
Ning Wei said nothing, took the money, and stuffed it back into her pocket.
The conductor watched her treat the money like that, her mouth twitching. She wanted to remind her to fold it neatly, but seeing Ning Wei's unfamiliar face, she ultimately held back.
After collecting the fares, the conductor strode to the front, where there was a single seat with a view of the driver.
Seeing the conductor leave, Tang Tang, who was sitting next to Ning Wei, whispered, "Where did you get the money? Didn't we give all our money to that couple from the Meng family?"
Tang Tang thought the money was what they had found from the Yu family in Baixian Town.
Ning Wei whispered in her ear, "I found this on the bus too."
Tang Tang's eyes widened. She deeply regretted not searching the bus for treasures like Ning Wei.
Unfortunately, she had missed this opportunity. After this station's challenge was cleared, her first priority would be to scavenge for trash on the bus.
The bus didn't drive fast because the road was in such poor condition!
The conductor sat at the front, humming a tune leisurely, while the driver looked honest. The other passengers were leaning back against their seats, dozing.
Only Ning Wei and her group had their eyes wide open, looking around with curiosity.
Perhaps bored, the conductor turned to Ning Wei and asked, "I haven't seen you before. You're not from around here, are you?"
Ning Wei nodded and pointed to Mei Nan sitting in the back. "We're out on a field trip with our teacher."
The conductor chuckled. "I know about field trips. You're art students, right? But we don't have any good scenery here."
"Beautiful scenery lies in the eyes of the beholder. Everyone sees things differently, which is why the teacher specifically brought us to the countryside."