Chapter 118: Cold Sweat
Xia Lu Nong clung to Kong Zhi’s neck, straining his eyes to observe the scene below.
The lotus field stretched from one end to the other, covering at least dozens of acres.
Now, only a few scattered lotus flowers remained, with yellowing leaves and dried brown lotus pods. Many of the lotus seeds were exposed, large and plump, with some birds pecking at the seeds on the withered lotuses.
Xia Lu Nong noticed that this wasn’t a decorative lotus field but an economic one, where lotus seeds and roots were harvested.
If they brought their truck here, they could definitely dig up a large amount of lotus roots and gather many lotus seeds.
His eyes gleamed as he shouted while hugging the golden eagle’s neck, “Kong Zhi, let’s head back. We can come back later and collect the lotus pods and dig up the roots!”
The golden eagle screeched in agreement and flew them back.
With a clear destination in mind, Kong Zhi didn’t delay. In just a few minutes, they were back at their temporary camp.
As soon as they landed, Xia Lu Nong excitedly hopped off Kong Zhi’s back and shouted to his brother, “Brother, we found the source of that fragrance! It’s from the lotus flowers!”
Xia Huo Qu asked, “Are there still lotus flowers at this time of year?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded vigorously, “Yes! There’s a huge field of withered lotus flowers to the southeast. The field is full of dried lotus pods now, and there must be lotus roots beneath. We should go take a look.”
Kong Zhi, back in human form, took the clothes Xia Lu Nong handed him from the backpack and added, “I also saw many birds pecking at the lotus seeds. The seeds should be non-toxic and safe to eat.”
Xia Huo Qu asked, “Aren’t dried lotus seeds usually too hard? How are the birds able to peck at them?”
“I’m not sure,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “We’ll have to go check it out ourselves to find out.”
Yan Xi Nian walked over with an opened bamboo container and handed it to them, “Take a drink first. Your face is flushed from excitement.”
Xia Lu Nong took the container, gulping down half of it before passing it to Kong Zhi. “Of course I’m excited! There are so many lotus seeds and pods—it’s a gift from nature! We work ourselves to the bone for half a year and barely harvest much, but the lotus field could easily give us a hundred times more.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “That is exciting indeed. Great job, you two.”
As Kong Zhi finished putting on his clothes and drinking the rest of the water, he said, “It’s mostly Xia Lu Nong’s credit. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have discovered that huge lotus field in the southeast.”
Xia Lu Nong added, “It was a team effort. What’s strange is that the base people often come here to hunt birds, but they never discovered such a large lotus field.”
Kong Zhi explained, “The birds are so aggressive that most people catch a few and then run away. Who would dare venture deeper into their territory to explore?”
“That’s true,” Xia Lu Nong recalled the truck and, before his brother or Yan Xi Nian could ask, he volunteered, “We found the truck too, stuck near the riverbank. It seems to be trapped in the mud and can’t be moved.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “I can imagine. If the truck were working, they’d have driven away immediately.”
“I doubt they could’ve escaped,” Xia Lu Nong continued. “The truck is parked too close to the bird flock. It must have been attacked by the birds. The windshield is shattered, the hood is covered in bird droppings, and the scene looked quite brutal.”
Yan Xi Nian asked, “And now? Are there birds inside the truck?”
“No,” Xia Lu Nong replied, having observed carefully. “The cab is empty and looks clean, so it seems the birds didn’t get inside.”
Yan Xi Nian turned to Xia Huo Qu for input, “Should we go check it out after packing up?”
Xia Huo Qu suggested, “Let’s drive the truck over. We might leave via another route later.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Yan Xi Nian agreed before asking Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi, “What do you two think?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “I agree.”
Kong Zhi also nodded.
With everyone in agreement, they packed up and headed toward the riverbank.
Kong Zhi, familiar with the area, took the wheel.
The four of them squeezed into the cab.
Yan Xi Nian made a plan, “When we get there, we’ll observe from a distance first. If the truck is really stuck in the mud, I’ll transform into my beast form and push it from behind. Huo Qu, you drive. Kong Zhi and Xia Lu Nong, stay in this truck, ready to assist or escape if needed.”
Xia Lu Nong suggested, “Why don’t we help push? The more hands, the better.”
“No need,” Yan Xi Nian declined. “In my beast form, I can lift the truck by myself. You two won’t be much help in your beast forms.”
Xia Lu Nong sighed, “Alright.”
Yan Xi Nian ruffled his hair, “You two just finished scouting, so it’s our turn to do the heavy lifting.”
Kong Zhi said, “I’ll drive ahead. You follow with the other truck, brother Huo Qu.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded, “No problem. Let’s make this quick.”
They divided the tasks and soon drove to the riverbank.
The plants on the riverbank were relatively low, and the truck was clearly visible. They spotted it right away.
Yan Xi Nian stared at the truck, feeling a bit exasperated, “How did it get so damaged in just a few days?”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “Violent damage and natural weathering are different. Kong Zhi, park the truck, and let’s get out.”
“Alright.” Kong Zhi stopped the truck. “Be careful.”
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian opened the doors and got out.
Xia Huo Qu slung his backpack over his shoulder and grabbed a barrel of gasoline from the truck bed.
Yan Xi Nian stripped off his clothes, tossing them to Xia Huo Qu, then transformed into a giant tiger. He crouched down and flicked his tail, signaling for Xia Huo Qu to hop on.
Xia Huo Qu didn’t hesitate. With a firm grip, he hoisted himself onto the giant tiger’s back.
The tiger charged forward like a gust of wind, quickly reaching the truck.
Xia Huo Qu jumped off the tiger’s back, ran to the driver’s seat, opened the door, inserted the key, and started the truck in one smooth motion.
The giant tiger, meanwhile, swiftly lifted the truck from behind with its head.
At the same time, the truck roared to life and drove forward.
The noise startled the flock of birds, and they flew upward, then quickly dove toward the truck to attack.
By this point, the truck had already cleared the mud pit. Xia Huo Qu, in the now-empty cab, shouted, “Get in the truck!”
The giant tiger let out a roar, intimidating the flock of birds. It ran a few steps, returned to the truck, transformed back into human form, grabbed the tarp with one hand, swung himself up into the truck, and shouted, “All set!”
Without delay, Xia Huo Qu started the truck and followed behind the one Kong Zhi was driving.
Kong Zhi increased his speed, trying to shake off the birds.
Xia Lu Nong anxiously watched in the rearview mirror as his brother’s truck caught up.
The flock of birds was massive, and each bird was large. If they were surrounded by so many birds, the outcome could be disastrous.
Even ants in great numbers can kill an elephant, let alone these birds. They could peck them down to bones.
“Kong Zhi, hurry up!” Xia Lu Nong’s voice trembled with fear. “Go, go, go! Get my brother out of there! They’re about to be surrounded!”
“This is already the fastest speed,” Kong Zhi said, looking in the rearview mirror as he saw Xia Huo Qu’s truck being encircled. “Wait! You drive!”
“What about you?!”
“I’ll transform into the golden eagle and scare off the birds!”
Before Xia Lu Nong could respond, Kong Zhi braked sharply, stopped the truck, unbuckled his seatbelt, and jumped out of the vehicle.
Xia Lu Nong quickly moved into the driver’s seat, caught the clothes and shoes Kong Zhi tossed back in, and threw them onto the passenger seat.
Kong Zhi closed the door for him, “You lead the way with the truck, I’ll help brother Huo Qu.”
Xia Lu Nong watched as Kong Zhi transformed into a giant golden eagle, his heart racing in his chest. He barely managed to shout, “Be careful!” before he had to drive forward.
Some birds had already noticed his truck and were flying toward it, flapping their wings.
Xia Lu Nong only had a regular driver’s license and rarely drove, especially trucks. His experience was limited. As he hit the gas, the truck surged forward with a loud “bang,” startling him.
He eased off the accelerator a bit and checked the rearview mirror.
The giant golden eagle flapped its wings and flew toward Xia Huo Qu’s truck. With its sharp talons, it grabbed several birds that were diving toward it, leaving them with bloody wounds.
The scent of blood quickly filled the air.
The golden eagle threw the bird corpses into the flock, causing panic.
Many birds immediately abandoned their attack on the truck, flapping their wings frantically to flee in all directions.
However, some of the more aggressive birds were enraged and continued to attack the truck and the golden eagle without fear of death.
The golden eagle showed no mercy, slashing through multiple birds with each strike, killing dozens in one breath.
The bird corpses were thrown back into the flock.
Some of the birds not only refused to retreat but began attacking the golden eagle and the truck while pecking at the corpses of their fallen comrades.
Xia Lu Nong grew more anxious. Unfortunately, his beast form was that of a cat, nearly useless in battle, so he could only fret from the sidelines.
The only consolation was that his brother’s situation didn’t seem as dire as it appeared—if it were, he would have transformed into his beast form by now.
The flock of birds continued to attack, but the truck kept moving forward.
After a difficult ten minutes, the attacking birds finally dispersed, leaving only a few particularly vicious ones, which the golden eagle swiftly killed with its claws.
Fearing the birds might return, Xia Lu Nong drove another kilometer before stopping. He pushed open the door to check on his brother.
The golden eagle, seeing him stop, landed and transformed back into human form, breathing heavily as he opened the door.
Xia Lu Nong scanned his body, relieved to see no injuries. He quickly grabbed Kong Zhi’s clothes from the passenger seat and handed them to him. “Put these on. I’m going to check on my brother.”
With that, Xia Lu Nong ran toward the other truck. He yanked open the door and shouted, “Brother, are you okay?”
Xia Huo Qu was sitting in the driver’s seat, covered in blood.
The cab was filled with dead birds.
Xia Lu Nong was so shocked by the sight that he almost froze, his face turning pale. “Brother, are you hurt? Why is there so much blood?”
“I’m fine, most of it is bird blood. I’m not seriously hurt,” Xia Huo Qu said, scanning Xia Lu Nong. “What about you and Kong Zhi?”
“Not a scratch,” Xia Lu Nong replied, reaching out to check on his brother. After feeling around and finding only a few scratches on his brother’s face and neck, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With wobbly legs, Xia Lu Nong walked to the back of the truck to check on Yan Xi Nian, “Xi Nian brother, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just got a bunch of bird carcasses,” Yan Xi Nian casually grabbed a dead bird from the truck bed and showed it to him. “Looks like we’ll have some dried bird meat this year.”
Xia Lu Nong couldn’t help but laugh, his tension easing. He gave a thumbs-up, “Not bad, very creative! Everyone else has dried ducks, but we’ll have dried birds, quite unique.”
Xia Huo Qu climbed out of the cab and looked at him over, “Good, you can still joke.”
Yan Xi Nian wiped the blood and sweat from his face, “I’m not too hurt, don’t worry.”
Kong Zhi walked over and asked, “Should I grab some medicine?”
Yan Xi Nian waved him off, “Just get some for your brother Huo Qu. My injuries are minor; they’ll heal by tomorrow.”
Xia Huo Qu insisted, “It’s still necessary to disinfect with alcohol. Don’t be stubborn.”
Yan Xi Nian didn’t argue further and said, “Let’s find a place to rest first. That was intense, my fingers are about to cramp. It’s been nearly half a year since I was chased that badly.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him and said, “Adversity gives rise to survival, while comfort leads to death.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “That’s true. Let’s go, let’s drive and find a place to rest. It’s almost lunchtime.”
Xia Lu Nong checked his watch and let out a long breath. “Let’s have a good meal at noon to replenish our strength. Then we’ll gather some lotus seeds and roots, fill up the truck, and head home tomorrow.”
Yan Xi Nian was the first to respond, “No objections here.”
Xia Huo Qu reminded, “Stay away from water sources for now. Find an open area to park.”
Kong Zhi added, “I know where the square at the Changhe Swamp is. I’ll drive.”
Yan Xi Nian nodded, “I’ll drive the other truck. Let’s get moving.”
The four of them drove to a small square.
Xia Lu Nong was the first to pull out alcohol and medicinal powder to treat the wounds of his two brothers.
Once their blood was cleaned up, Xia Lu Nong realized they weren’t lightly injured, especially Yan Xi Nian, whose wound near his shoulder blade was so deep that the bone was visible.
Xia Lu Nong frowned, “Had I known, we wouldn’t have come.”
“There’s always hindsight. Besides, aren’t we doing just fine?” Yan Xi Nian tilted his chin, gesturing to the ground covered with dead birds. “Not only did we get a bunch of meat, but we also found a large lotus field. It’s totally worth it.”
Kong Zhi counted the birds, “There are 47 dead birds in total. After excluding nine that are too small or of poor quality, we have 38 left.”
Yan Xi Nian beamed, “A big haul!”
Just as he finished speaking, Xia Huo Qu tilted a bottle of alcohol and poured it directly onto his wound.
The alcohol instantly washed away the blood, revealing the pink flesh underneath. Yan Xi Nian gritted his teeth and hissed, “Huo Qu, you’re brutal!”
Xia Huo Qu calmly replied, “Being harsh helps. This way, you won’t just remember how worthwhile it was, but you might also remember the pain.”
Xia Lu Nong laughed from the side, but when his brother’s gaze swept over him, he quickly said, “We have to deal with all these birds today, or they won’t stay fresh. Brother, I’ll go boil some water.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded and added, “It’s not safe out here, so don’t use your abilities. Just fetch regular water.”
“I know, I’ll go with Kong Zhi to get the water.”
There was a river nearby, and though the water wasn’t drinkable, it was good enough for scalding birds to remove their feathers.
The two of them fetched two large buckets of water. Xia Lu Nong found a pot, poured the water in, and started a fire to boil it.
By then, Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian had finished tending to their wounds and changed into clean clothes.
Their old clothes were full of blood and riddled with holes, so they buried them on the spot.
It took the four of them over two hours to bleed, pluck, and gut the 38 wild birds.
Xia Lu Nong’s main task was cooking.
For lunch, he made a large pot of bamboo rice, along with stir-fried bird innards with pickled peppers and a dish of bird meat stir-fried with green and red peppers.
Both dishes were flavorful and spicy, perfect to accompany rice.
The four of them enjoyed their meal, and after they were full, they threw the bird feathers and intestines into the bushes and drove to another part of the square.
The place where they had cleaned the birds reeked of blood, and even though they buried the remains, the smell was still strong. They had to move to avoid attracting wild animals, which could put them in danger again.
“Brother, you guys should get some rest. Kong Zhi and I will keep watch.”
Xia Huo Qu didn’t refuse, “You two be careful. If anything happens, call us.”
“Got it. Brother, you can rest easy. I’ll wake you up in two hours.”
They hadn’t slept much the night before, and after all the exertion that morning, they needed to rest well to be prepared for any unexpected events.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian climbed into the bed of the intact truck and quickly fell asleep.
While keeping watch, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi didn’t stay idle. They took out the prepared bird meat and began salting it.
Whenever they went out, they always brought plenty of salt. If they managed to catch large game, they would salt it so it could be preserved for three to five days.
Once they brought the salted meat back to their base, if they didn’t want to dry it, they could soak it in water to remove the salt and cook it as fresh meat. It had a unique flavor.
Salting the meat didn’t take long, and once it was done, they focused on keeping watch.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t last long before he started yawning and dozing off, leaning on Kong Zhi as they kept watch.
Kong Zhi said, “I can handle it alone. If you’re tired, go sleep for a while.”
“I’m not that tired,” Xia Lu Nong said as he leaned against him. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Kong Zhi leaned over and kissed him.
The kiss startled Xia Lu Nong, and he quickly put up a hand to block him, whispering, “Stop.”
“Hmm?”
Blushing, Xia Lu Nong touched his ear and softly objected, “We might get distracted and forget to keep watch.”
Kong Zhi replied, “I’ll kiss you later, then.”
Xia Lu Nong cleared his throat and awkwardly changed the subject, “About that lotus field we saw this morning—how much lotus root do you think we can harvest?”
“Hard to say, but probably tens of thousands of pounds.”
“We definitely won’t be able to use all of that ourselves, so we should notify the base to send people over to help dig it up,” Xia Lu Nong calculated. “Anyway, we definitely won’t go hungry this year.”
“We could also use the lotus roots we gather as seeds and plant some ourselves.”
“Plant some ourselves?” Xia Lu Nong asked. “Do you want to dig a pond?”
Kong Zhi replied, “No need for a pond. The rice fields already have deep trenches for the fish to rest in. We can plant the lotus roots there.”
Xia Lu Nong slapped his forehead, “I totally forgot about that. Yes, we can plant the lotus roots there. And it’s not just us; other families in the base grow rice this way too. We could even promote it and help everyone get a better harvest.”
After thinking for a moment, Xia Lu Nong added, “Actually, the base has so many irrigation ditches. We could plant lotus roots there too.”
Kong Zhi looked at him, “You like eating lotus roots?”
“Sort of,” Xia Lu Nong smiled. “I think they’re pretty tasty. It’d be nice to have them as a regular vegetable to spice up our meals. Lotus roots store well, too. If we harvest them now and store them in a cellar, they might last until the new year.”
The two of them chatted casually outside, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.
Yan Xi Nian woke up first, jumped down from the truck, and said to them, “You two were talking so much about lotus roots and seeds, now I’m hungry. Let’s pack up and quickly go dig some lotus roots.”
Xia Lu Nong yawned, “Did we wake you?”
“Not really, it wasn’t too loud,” Yan Xi Nian said, lightly patting his shoulder. “But you kept talking about lotus root cakes, lotus root sandwiches, and lotus root starch. I ended up dreaming all afternoon about eating lotus roots.”
Xia Huo Qu, getting down from the truck as well, asked, “Are you two tired? Do you need to sleep for a bit?”
“I’m fine,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “Not too tired. We can go to bed early tonight, so there’s no need for extra rest now.”
“Then let’s head over to dig the lotus roots,” Xia Huo Qu suggested. “How deep is the water? Did you notice when you saw the lotus field earlier?”
Xia Lu Nong scratched his head. “I didn’t pay too much attention—maybe half a meter? The water in a lotus field isn’t usually too deep, for the sake of the people digging up the roots.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “Let’s check it out first. There are some risks in the lotus fields, so stay alert.”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t take it too seriously.
He and Kong Zhi got into one truck, while his brother and Yan Xi Nian got into the other. The four of them drove their trucks toward the lotus field.
It wasn’t far from where they had rested, and after driving for about ten minutes, they arrived at the edge of the lotus field.
The four of them got out of the trucks.
Xia Lu Nong looked at the vast lotus field that seemed to stretch to the horizon and remarked, “If we had come here in the summer, we would have seen ‘boundless green lotus leaves touching the sky.’”
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian were both stunned by the sheer size of the lotus field and stayed silent for a moment.
After a while, Yan Xi Nian said, “Even without those endless green lotus leaves, the abundance of lotus pods here is more than enough for us to handle.”
Xia Huo Qu reminded them, “Let’s scout around the area to make sure it’s safe before we start working.”
“Got it,” Yan Xi Nian took a deep breath. “The air smells clean around here, just some small birds and insects. There shouldn’t be much danger.”
Xia Huo Qu cautioned, “The field is full of mud. Once our feet sink in, it won’t be easy to run if something happens. Let’s be extra cautious and aim for complete safety.”
Xia Huo Qu, always careful, led the group as they shifted into their beast forms and scouted the area.
After ensuring the surroundings were safe, they returned to their human forms.
Xia Lu Nong raised his hand and spoke first, “I sensed there might be some snakes around here, so let’s be careful.”
Yan Xi Nian said, “The grass is dense, so it’s normal for snakes to hide. We just need to be cautious. I also sensed snakes, but no other dangers.”
Kong Zhi nodded in agreement.
Xia Huo Qu had the same assessment. “Alright then, let’s divide the work. Xiao Nong, you and Kong Zhi will cut the lotus pods, while Xi Nian and I will dig up the lotus roots.”
“No problem,” Xia Lu Nong said confidently. “We brought so many sacks with us, they’ll finally come in handy.”
They returned to the trucks to grab their tools.
Xia Lu Nong dragged the sacks and carried a sickle to the edge of the lotus field. He reached out, hooked two large lotus pods, and with a swift swing of the sickle, cut them down.
The pods had long since withered, turning blackish-brown, and swayed in the wind, giving the entire field a desolate look.
The seeds inside the lotus pods were bulging out, also blackish-brown.
Xia Lu Nong picked off four lotus seeds, handed two to Kong Zhi, and kept the other two in his palm, examining them closely.
After inspecting them, he tried to crack one open to taste it, but found the shell was thick and hard, impossible to break with his fingers. “These lotus seed shells are so hard! I can’t even crack them open!”
Kong Zhi glanced at him, applied some force with his fingers, and easily cracked open a seed.
Xia Lu Nong, lacking that strength, simply popped a seed into his mouth and tried biting it open.
It was as hard as wood.
He bit down hard, leaving only teeth marks on the seed, but it finally cracked open. He had to use his nails to pry it apart.
Kong Zhi handed him the seed he had already cracked open and took over the one Xia Lu Nong had mangled, helping him peel it.
Xia Lu Nong looked at the lotus seed in his palm.
The seeds had long dried, turning pale yellow instead of the usual light green, and they had a faint fragrance.
He bit into the seed, breaking it open, removed the bitter core, and then popped the rest of the flesh into his mouth.
The lotus seed was slightly sweet, with a firm texture, somewhat resembling raw peanuts, but sweeter.
Xia Lu Nong thought about their stock back home and figured that these lotus seeds could be used to make porridge.
He imagined mixing some bamboo rice, a few lotus seeds, a handful of rice and wheat, and some red dates—it would surely taste amazing.
Just the thought of it made his eyes light up.
Kong Zhi cracked open five or six more lotus seeds for him.
After eating them, Xia Lu Nong felt his mouth getting dry, so he quickly handed the remaining seeds to Kong Zhi, “You should try some. These lotus seeds taste great.”
Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu, carrying hoes, walked over to them.
Hearing this, Yan Xi Nian leaned in, “How good do they taste? Let me try.”
Xia Lu Nong, startled, almost dropped the seeds in his hand.
Seeing his brother’s reaction, Xia Huo Qu patted Yan Xi Nian on the back, “If you want some, go pick them yourself.”
After finishing the lotus seeds, Xia Lu Nong looked at his brother and Yan Xi Nian’s wounds and suddenly remembered, “Bro, your wounds can’t get wet. Maybe we should switch tasks?”
“It’s just digging lotus roots, not swimming in the water. Don’t worry,” Xia Huo Qu said. “You’re not fast enough to react if something happens, so Xi Nian and I will handle it.”
Kong Zhi suggested, “How about I dig the roots with brother Yan, and you and Xiao Nong harvest the pods?”
Xia Huo Qu waved him off, “Cutting lotus pods is no easy task either. Let’s not overcomplicate things. Let’s just finish up quickly and head back.”
With that, Xia Huo Qu rolled up his pants to his thighs and slowly stepped into the field.
Xia Lu Nong watched nervously as his brother made his way into the water.
Fortunately, the water in the field wasn’t too deep, and there wasn’t much mud. When Xia Huo Qu stepped into the water, it only reached the middle of his thighs. When Yan Xi Nian stepped into the field, the water only came up to just below his thighs.
“Ah, I stepped right on it,” Yan Xi Nian said, bending over and reaching down into the water. “I’ve found some lotus roots over here.”
Xia Lu Nong immediately looked at him nervously. “Is it big?”
“Very big.”
