The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH1

Chapter 1 – Waking Up

Xia Lu Nong thought it must be spring.

Through the window’s wooden bars, he could see the fine, dense rain falling outside, the kind that only spring brings.

He slowly moved his gaze back to the room he was lying in.

It was a small red-brick house, with no tiles on the floor—just concrete. The walls weren’t plastered either, with exposed bricks. Above, wooden beams supported the roof, and beyond that were tiles.

The room had two small windows, one on the left wall and one on the right, both fitted with wooden bars. These were the only sources of light, and even on this overcast day, they barely illuminated a meter or so in front of the windows, making the room seem quite dark.

Three small beds were crammed into the room, side by side. Other than the bed he was lying in, the other two beds had neatly folded white bedding at the head, though they had been washed so many times that they had turned gray, with the weave visible in some places.

This was a hospital room.

A year and a half had passed.

Xia Lu Nong shifted his gaze to the wooden beams above.

It had been a year and a half since that terrible disaster, and yet he was still alive.

“What are you looking at?” A tall, thin woman entered the room carrying a tray, walking over to his bedside.

Her shadow cast over him, blocking what little light there was, making the already dim room even darker.

Xia Lu Nong struggled to speak, “Doctor… Ou…”

Dr. Ou skillfully helped him turn over, massaging his stiff muscles. After checking his condition and finding no major issues, she tucked him back in.

“It’s raining, so the scavenging team might be out longer, but they shouldn’t take more than ten days. Don’t worry too much.”

“Thank… you… Doctor… Ou…” Xia Lu Nong’s words came out in gasps, his breathing labored.

Dr. Ou placed a hand on his forehead. “You’ve just woken up. Rest for a few more days. Don’t rush.”

Her hand was long and thin, her skin yellowed, and her fingertips and palms were rough, like sandpaper.

The cool, rough touch on Xia Lu Nong’s forehead sent a wave of soothing cold through his body, releasing the stiffness in his joints and giving him some strength.

This was Dr. Ou’s unique healing technique.

Xia Lu Nong’s gaze softened with gratitude. He opened his mouth once more, struggling to say, “Thank you… for your… hard work…”

“No need to thank me. Just get some rest.” Dr. Ou’s voice was gentle as she looked into his eyes. “Maybe when you wake up, Vice-Captain Xia and the others will have returned.”

Comforted by her words, Xia Lu Nong’s consciousness soon drifted off, sinking into a chaotic dream.

He dreamt once more of the day celestial bodies collided with Earth.

Massive bodies, pulled by Earth’s gravity, crashed down from all directions. Some were intercepted by nuclear bombs, but others weren’t.

The explosions, both nuclear and from the impacts, were deafening.

Even those who had managed to take shelter in subway tunnels couldn’t escape the devastation.

Amid the screaming and crying, any sound that tried to emerge was drowned out by the enormous explosions.

The explosions were so loud that, for a brief moment, Xia Lu Nong felt as if there was a complete, eerie silence—as if no sound existed, not even the sound of his heartbeat.

He clung tightly to his brother, his eyes wide and bloodshot, with blood streaming from his nose and ears, wetting the ground with dark red stains.

In the darkness, he shielded his brother under his body, not hoping for salvation, but only wishing that if they were crushed to death, his brother’s body would remain intact and not be shattered into pieces.

Xia Lu Nong never thought he would survive, yet when he woke up, he was lucky enough to be lying in a hospital bed. His brother was alive too.

Xia Lu Nong slipped in and out of consciousness.

Dr. Ou came in every two hours during the day to check on him, helping him turn over, assisting him with bathroom needs, and transferring that cool, soothing energy that made him feel so much better.

Gradually, he started getting better. He could move his hands and feet, sit up, and feed himself with a spoon, eating things like boiled vegetables, meat soup, and mixed grain porridge.

When it wasn’t raining, Dr. Ou would wrap him tightly in blankets and push him in a wooden wheelchair to the courtyard, where he would bask in the sun with other patients.

Lu Nong gradually learned that Dr. Ou was a healer with a special ability and was now the base’s doctor. No matter what illness it was, she could treat it using her healing powers.

In fact, most regular doctors had switched to farming or resource gathering since medical equipment and drugs were scarce. 

Spring had indeed arrived, though it was early, and the entire base was busy. The only ones idle were young children and those like him—injured or ill.

There were actually very few patients. 

When Lu Nong was placed among them and listened to their conversations, he found out that receiving treatment required using up resources. The base would cover half the cost, and the rest had to be paid by the patient.

Most people wouldn’t seek treatment for minor injuries or illnesses, as they couldn’t afford it. And for severe injuries or illnesses, they often didn’t have the resources to cover it at all.

During a discussion on this topic, a short, stocky man with an injured arm looked enviously at Xia Lu Nong and said, “It’s only because Vice-Captain Xia has the resources that you’ve been able to stay here and recover for a year and a half.”

Another man chimed in, “Yeah, who wouldn’t want a brother like Vice-Captain Xia in this base?”

Lu Nong slowly blinked, staying silent. The patients didn’t seem to mind and continued their conversation.

The spring weather was still a bit chilly.

Dr. Ou wouldn’t let Lu Nong stay outside for too long. Once he’d had enough sun, she would either push or carry him back inside.

Dr. Ou, who was under 1.7 meters tall, carried Xia Lu Nong—who was nearly 1.8 meters—like he was a child. Part of this was because Lu Nong had lost so much weight from his illness, but it was also because people were generally much stronger now.

Most survivors could now transform into some type of animal. This transformation was called “beastification.”

The short, stocky man with the injured arm even transformed into his beast form for Lu Nong to see—he was a lizard.

The first time Lu Nong saw someone in front of him suddenly turn into a giant lizard, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he stayed frozen in shock for a long time.

From what the patients said, Dr. Ou’s beast form was a squirrel—not exactly a powerful animal form.

Lu Nong’s brother, on the other hand, could transform into an ancient giant wolf. His strength wasn’t just well-known in this base, but even in the two other nearby bases. The power of an ancient giant wolf was ranked in the top ten.

The more Lu Nong heard, the more excited he became, his eyes often lighting up with anticipation. He had extremely expressive eyes, bright and clear, easily reflecting his emotions.

Seeing this, Dr. Ou comforted him, “Your brother will be back in a few days.”

Xia Lu Nong’s brother, Xia Huo Qu, returned on a rainy day.

That day, as usual, Lu Nong was wrapped in a blanket, wearing a hat, and sitting by the window, dozing off. Half-awake, he noticed a shadow fall over him, blocking most of the already faint light.

Sensing something, Lu Nong slowly opened his eyes and saw a tall, thin young man standing in front of him. The man had a pale but handsome face, a buzz cut, and features that looked like they were painted in ink—strikingly clear on his pale skin.

Lu Nong found the man both familiar and unfamiliar.

He stared in a daze for a long time before his eyes heated up and tears suddenly poured down. Reaching out toward the man, he choked out in a soft, hoarse voice, “Brother, how did you get so thin?”

Something stuck in his throat, making his chest ache, and even his breathing became labored.

Lu Nong had never seen his brother so skinny, his collarbone deeply sunken, casting heavy shadows.

Xia Huo Qu brushed his large hand over Lu Nong’s head, his own eyes reddening. After looking at him for a moment, he opened his arms and pulled him into a warm, strong hug.

Pressed against his brother’s warm chest, listening to his steady heartbeat and breathing in the unique scent of his warm skin, Lu Nong closed his eyes and suddenly felt grounded again.

After a while, Lu Nong felt a bit shy, wiping his eyes and calling out softly again, “Brother.”

Xia Huo Qu let him go and looked closely at his face, his voice hoarse, “You look better.”

Lu Nong raised his face, his eyes still red, and smiled as brightly as he could. “Dr. Ou says I’m almost fully recovered. Just need a bit more rest.”

Xia Huo Qu patted his head again, his gaze warm.

They sat and talked for a while, but Lu Nong soon grew tired.

He yawned repeatedly, his eyelashes wet with tears from exhaustion.

Seeing this, Xia Huo Qu tucked him in. “Go to sleep. I’ll stay here with you.”

“Brother, don’t you need to go out gathering?”

“Not for now,” Xia Huo Qu said. “I promise I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Reassured by his brother’s promise, Lu Nong drifted off into a deep, sweet sleep.

With his brother back, the stories he’d heard about the base became more real to Lu Nong.

He had been bedridden for a year and a half, his muscles almost entirely gone, leaving him frail and in poor condition overall.

Now that he was awake, he needed to take some time to fully recover and regain his strength.

While Lu Nong was recovering, Xia Huo Qu stopped going out on gathering missions, staying by his side to care for him—helping him bathe, feeding him, and taking him outside to sunbathe.

Dr. Ou’s healing abilities were truly impressive.

Lu Nong recovered quickly, and four days later, Dr. Ou informed them that he was well enough to go home to continue his recovery.

Dr. Ou’s abilities were excellent, but they didn’t come cheap. Every time Xia Huo Qu went out on a gathering mission, most of what he brought back—aside from the portion turned over to the base—went to the medical clinic. Only a small fraction was used for himself.

Lu Nong knew a bit about this, and when he heard he could finally be discharged, he felt a sense of relief.

Xia Huo Qu was also overjoyed, smiling as he came to take his brother home.

Xia Lu Nong could already walk, but his body hadn’t fully recovered, so he couldn’t go far.

On the day he was discharged from the medical clinic, Xia Huo Qu personally carried him home on his back.

It had been over ten days since Lu Nong woke up, and it was his first time leaving the medical courtyard. The moment he stepped out of the gate, he let out a light breath.

The breath was a bit strong, hitting Xia Huo Qu square on the back of his neck.

Xia Huo Qu laughed, “Are you that happy to be discharged?”

Xia Lu Nong’s eyes curved into a smile as he responded, “Yeah, I’m really happy.”

“Then make sure to take care of yourself from now on. No more trips back to the clinic.”

“Definitely not. I’ll train hard!” Xia Lu Nong said, excitedly. “Once I can beastify, I’ll go out gathering with you all.”

Xia Huo Qu replied, “Let’s wait until you’re fully recovered first.”

*

Author’s Note:

A new journey begins! I hope this brings everyone a wonderful reading experience. To celebrate, I’ll be giving out small red envelopes for the first three days of the release. Feel free to throw some flowers!