Chapter 130: Daily Life
The weather had gotten quite cold now, and they had to wear thick coats during the day.
Xia Lu Nong got up early, wrapped in a thick coat, sniffled, and felt a bit dizzy and unwell.
Kong Zhi noticed his lethargic expression and reached out to feel his forehead. “You’re a bit warm.”
Xia Lu Nong, with a scratchy throat, turned his head and coughed. He muttered weakly, “Maybe I overworked myself yesterday and caught a cold. Your hands are still a bit cold—where did you go this morning?”
“I went to the fields to pick vegetables,” Kong Zhi replied. “The fields are already frosty. When I got there, the vegetables were covered in a layer of white frost. The eggplants and peppers have almost stopped growing, and a few tomato plants have withered. We should take some time in the next couple of days to pull them out and plant new crops.”
Xia Lu Nong suggested, “Let’s plant rapeseed flowers, we can eat the greens in winter. Brother Liu probably has some seeds; we can trade for them later.”
“You’re sick, don’t worry about it. Just sit down, and I’ll make breakfast. After we eat, we can go see Dr. Ou,” Kong Zhi said, gently pushing him into the living room. “Sit and play on your phone for a bit.”
“I’m not that fragile,” Xia Lu Nong rasped. “I’ll go check on Xia Hua Jiao.”
Kong Zhi handed him the kettle. “Give it some water, but don’t use your powers.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded.
Their courtyard had gone through spring, summer, and autumn, and now winter was fast approaching. When he opened the door, there weren’t many crops left, except for three loquat trees in the front yard.
In front of the loquat trees stood a fence made of pepper trees, next to which was a huge tree. To this day, Xia Lu Nong still hadn’t figured out what kind of tree it was.
Xia Lu Nong stared at the tree.
The crown of the tree had nearly reached the second floor. This winter, they’d have to take some time to saw off a few branches, or the tree might damage the walls.
“Shoo shoo!” Xia Hua Jiao noticed Xia Lu Nong and waved its branches enthusiastically.
It had grown taller, and its trunk had thickened considerably. It no longer jumped out of the ground as often and now spent most of its time quietly growing in the soil.
Xia Lu Nong approached and placed his hand on its trunk, smiling hoarsely. “You’re full of energy. Everything was okay last night?”
“Shoo shoo!” Xia Hua Jiao assured him that everything was fine.
Xia Lu Nong said, “I’ll give you some water. Winter is coming soon—I wonder if your growth will slow down?”
“Shoo?”
Xia Lu Nong patted its trunk. “We’ll see later, let me water you first.”
After watering Xia Hua Jiao, Xia Lu Nong went to the backyard to check on the honeysuckle.
The honeysuckle was growing rapidly, already covering half the backyard. By next year, it would likely spread its vines to the front yard and cover that area as well.
Xia Lu Nong watered the honeysuckle.
The honeysuckle stretched out its soft vines, wrapping around Xia Lu Nong’s ankles and affectionately brushing against him.
Xia Lu Nong squatted down, stroked its tender leaves, and gave it some water.
There weren’t many plants in the backyard, and aside from the honeysuckle, the chives growing at the corner of the house were the most vigorous.
Xia Lu Nong went over to inspect the chives. The leaves were thick and green, which made his mouth water. He plucked a handful of chive leaves, holding them in one hand while carrying the kettle in the other, and strolled back to the front yard.
Just as he reached the front yard, before he could enter the house, he saw Li Ming Fei from the cafeteria running over, stopping right outside their fence as if he wanted to open the gate.
Xia Lu Nong went over to open the gate and, with a hoarse voice, asked, “What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Brother Xia,” Li Ming Fei wiped the sweat from his forehead. “The sheep you left in the cafeteria broke the window last night and escaped. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and we’ve caught them all, but Brother Dan asked me to get you to come over and take a look.”
After letting the younger team members practice with the five sheep they had brought back yesterday, Xia Lu Nong’s team had sent them to the cafeteria to be slaughtered today.
The cafeteria had a livestock pen where they kept various animals that the base members had hunted and brought back. Nothing had ever gone wrong before, and the cafeteria staff never expected that their first problem would come from a group of sheep.
Seeing how anxious Li Ming Fei was, Xia Lu Nong quickly said, “Wait a moment, I’ll put these chives away and come with you.”
Li Ming Fei caught his breath. “Hurry up then.”
Xia Lu Nong returned to the kitchen to put the chives in a basin. Hearing the commotion, Kong Zhi had already come out and said to him, “You’ve got a cold—stay home and rest. I’ll go check it out.”
“It’s just a minor cold,” Xia Lu Nong replied, placing the chives in the basin. “I’ll go with you.”
Kong Zhi said, “Then go change your clothes quickly.”
Xia Lu Nong went inside, changed clothes, and came out in just a minute or two.
Li Ming Fei, waiting outside, was getting impatient. “Hurry, hurry, we need to get there quickly.”
Xia Lu Nong was puzzled. “Didn’t you say you’ve already caught them? Why the rush?”
Li Ming Fei gave a bitter smile. “We’ve caught them, but we can’t control them. If they stay there, everyone’s scared.”
Xia Lu Nong found it hard to believe. “You’ve got so many people in the cafeteria, and you can’t manage a few sheep?”
“You’ll understand when you see it,” Li Ming Fei shook his head. “If we don’t use our animal forms, we’re no match for these sheep. They’re fiercer than most animals from before the catastrophe.”
As they talked, the three of them headed toward the cafeteria.
From a distance, they could already hear the commotion coming from that direction.
Li Ming Fei called out, “I’ve brought Brother Xia and Brother Kong!”
“Thank goodness you’re here!” A middle-aged man turned around and said. “Quick, take a look at these sheep. Should we kill them or what? We can’t even cook breakfast with all this chaos.”
This middle-aged man was Dan Xia Yuan, the head of the cafeteria. Xia Lu Nong rarely saw him, but now that he was speaking, Xia Lu Nong replied, “If killing them is the solution, we can help. Do you need us to lend a hand?”
“We definitely need your help. We can’t control these sheep without you,” Dan Xia Yuan said. “They’re too strong, we’re afraid of getting bitten while trying to hold them down, and there’s no rabies vaccine anymore.”
Kong Zhi said, “I’ll hold it down. Is the butcher here?”
“Old Huang is here. He’s the best at this,” Dan Xia Yuan replied. “We planned to make lamb blood and vermicelli soup this morning, but we couldn’t slaughter the sheep due to the trouble we encountered. What a waste of time.”
The cafeteria was responsible for helping slaughter the sheep, and in return, they got to keep the offal.
Xia Lu Nong smiled apologetically at Dan Xia Yuan. “Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all, the problem is that we’re just not strong enough,” Dan Xia Yuan said. “These sheep are too tough. Captain Yan even mentioned that the outside world is full of powerful mutant plants and animals like this. It seems human survival is going to get harder and harder.”
Dan Xia Yuan sighed after saying this.
Xia Lu Nong responded, “When we’re outside, we use our human forms. It’s normal that we can’t compete with these mutant plants and animals without shifting.”
“Are all the mutant plants and animals out there really that strong?” Dan Xia Yuan pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Xia Lu Nong. “If that’s the case, going out to catch sheep would be very dangerous.”
Xia Lu Nong waved his hand, pointing to his throat, and rasped, “I’ve got a cold, but thanks. As for the sheep, as long as you’re careful, there shouldn’t be any major issues. But aside from the sheep, there are plenty of other dangers outside. I almost got taken down by a snake not too long ago.”
Dan Xia Yuan held the unlit cigarette in his mouth, his face filled with concern. “You and your brother are already so strong, yet you still had a tough time. If it were ordinary people from the base, it would be even worse.”
“I’m not a fierce beast in my animal form. You’re overestimating me, Mr. Dan.”
As Xia Lu Nong watched Kong Zhi and the others struggle to hold the sheep down for the butcher, he continued chatting with Dan Xia Yuan.
Dan Xia Yuan waved him off. “Strong or not, you’re recognized as one of the strongest in the base. It has nothing to do with being a beast.”
Xia Lu Nong understood that there was more to what Dan Xia Yuan was saying and patiently waited for him to continue.
Dan Xia Yuan added, “If you face danger when you’re out there, it’s going to be even more difficult for ordinary people. With winter approaching and everyone preparing to go out and build the protective barrier, Captain Yan said it’s going to be tough. Just thinking about it stresses me out.”
Xia Lu Nong got the hint. “Your son is at the age where he has to do public tasks for the base this year, isn’t he?”
Dan Xia Yuan nodded. “Otherwise, why would I be so worried?”
Xia Lu Nong reassured him, “Don’t worry so much, Mr. Dan. The whole point of building the protective barrier is to ensure the base’s safety, and the safety of the people working on it is the top priority.”
“Every child in the next generation of this base is precious. Even if they’re sent out to work, there’s no way they’ll be put in harm’s way. There are plenty of adults at the base—there’s no need for the kids to be on the front lines.”
“Has the plan already been finalized? How exactly is it going to work? Xiao Nong, tell me more so I can be at ease.”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head. “You’re giving me too much credit, Mr. Dan. I’m not part of the management committee, so I don’t know the specifics. But I do know that no one from the base will be put in danger.”
Dan Xia Yuan sighed, realizing he wouldn’t get more answers, and shifted the conversation to more casual topics.
Xia Lu Nong noticed and thought to himself how worried parents can be. He decided to go along with the change of subject to help ease Dan Xia Yuan’s mind.
The sheep they had caught were indeed very aggressive. Even with Kong Zhi joining, it took five men to barely hold them down.
The butcher was a seasoned professional. Once they had the sheep restrained, the process of slaughtering, bleeding, and skinning went quickly.
Over an hour later, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi walked back, side by side, carrying the lamb meat and blood.
The remaining sheep were temporarily left at the cafeteria, where they would be salted and dried by the staff. Once the lamb was turned into preserved meat, it would be brought to their home.
Xia Lu Nong and his group had been busy lately and didn’t have much time to do this themselves. If they had, the preserved lamb might have tasted even better.
But there was no issue leaving it at the cafeteria. The cafeteria staff were diligent. Since they had received the offal, heads, and feet from Xia Lu Nong’s sheep, they would likely put more care into handling the preserved lamb than if Xia Lu Nong had done it himself.
When they returned, Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian were already back home and preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
Xia Lu Nong entered the kitchen. “Brother, when did you get back? Were you checking on the sheep in the valley this morning?”
“Yes, we just got back from checking on the flock. They’re doing well, nothing to worry about,” Xia Huo Qu replied, then noticed Xia Lu Nong’s voice. “What happened to your throat? You should go see Dr. Ou later.”
“I just caught a cold—probably because of the seasonal change. It should get better in a day or two, no need to see the doctor,” Xia Lu Nong sniffed. “We were just at the cafeteria.”
“To slaughter the sheep?” Xia Huo Qu glanced at the lamb meat and blood they had brought back. “You went just to watch?”
“No, the cafeteria staff came running early in the morning to get us. The sheep broke their windows. Kong Zhi and I just finished paying them in credit.”
Yan Xi Nian remarked, “That old livestock pen of theirs—it’s no surprise the windows broke. No one got hurt, right?”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head. “No injuries, thankfully. But Dan Xia Yuan kept asking me about the winter preparations and whether building the protective barrier would be dangerous. His son has to go out for base tasks this year.”
Yan Xi Nian smiled in understanding. “Now it makes sense why you were called over for something so minor. I’ll make a note of it and explain the situation at the meeting in a few days.”
“Brother Yan, it’s really dangerous outside. Are we really going to let those teenagers go out with us?”
“Yes, but we’ll protect them. They’ll be in the middle, so there shouldn’t be any issues,” Yan Xi Nian replied. “We’re afraid of the mutant plants and animals, but they’re just as afraid of us. There’s no need to worry too much.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “How long do you think this base task will take?”
“It’s hard to say. Maybe five or six days, maybe seven or eight. Our base isn’t very big, so if everyone works together, it might be done sooner than expected,” Yan Xi Nian said. “Why do you ask? Is someone asking you about it?”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head. “Not really, but if we finish the base mission quickly, won’t we need to plan something else?”
Yan Xi Nian smiled at him. “Did you really not hear anything?”
Xia Lu Nong was confused. “Hear what? So, do we actually have something planned? What is it? Don’t keep me in suspense, brother Xi Nian, just tell me.”
Yan Xi Nian looked at her and then at Kong Zhi. “You know about the Black Gold Base, right?”
Both nodded. The Black Gold Base was the largest in the area, though it was a bit far from their current location.
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Are we going to the Black Gold Base?”
“Yes. Another year has almost passed, and we need to get out and see the world. Otherwise, we’ll be like frogs in a well. The situation outside isn’t looking great, so it’s good for us to see how other bases are handling things.”
Hearing this, Xia Lu Nong became very interested. He moved a small stool next to Yan Xi Nian. “When did you decide this? How many people are going?”
“We decided back in the spring, while you were still asleep. As for when we’ll go, it depends on when we finish up things here at the base,” Yan Xi Nian said. “I know you want to go, and we’ll definitely take you with us. We wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving you behind.”
“That’s great!” Xia Lu Nong’s eyes lit up. “We’ll definitely gain a lot from this trip.”
Xia Huo Qu chimed in, “The gain could also come with danger. When you’re out in the world, anything can happen. Now that you know, take these next few days to organize what you’ll bring and think about how to handle any threats we might face.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded quickly. “I’ll practice with Kong Zhi over the next two days, and we’ll work on how to cooperate if we face danger.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him. “Don’t rush it. Wait until you’ve recovered from your cold. For now, stay put at the base and don’t go anywhere. Breakfast is ready, go serve it.”
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t someone who could stay still at the base, especially since their base was small, surrounded by mountains, and could be circled in half an hour. Staying at the base made him feel restless.
He only rested for a day before dragging Kong Zhi out, saying they needed to practice their coordination in beast form.
They went down the mountain to practice.
With Kong Zhi accompanying him, Xia Huo Qu was somewhat reassured, but he still reminded them, “The herd of sheep in the valley has settled in. Don’t provoke them.”
“Got it, we’re just taking a walk through the nearby hills. We’ll gather chestnuts while we’re at it,” Xia Lu Nong replied excitedly as he pulled Kong Zhi along.
Kong Zhi transformed into his beast form, while Xia Lu Nong remained in human form.
The two worked well together. Xia Lu Nong rode on Kong Zhi’s back, and even without safety ropes, they were no longer in any danger.
They first went to check on the honeysuckle at the foot of the mountain.
The honeysuckle had grown well, covering a large area with vines. In two years, it would likely reach the size of the one at the library.
Xia Lu Nong considered whether to use some of his abilities on it or water it, but upon seeing it in person, he realized it didn’t need any help.
The honeysuckle was thriving on its own, like any other vigorous wild plant, and too much interference would only hinder its growth.
Squatting down, Xia Lu Nong said, “Shall we head straight to the valley?”
Kong Zhi, in his golden eagle form, made a soft sound in agreement.
Xia Lu Nong climbed onto his back, wrapped his arms around Kong Zhi’s neck, and let him carry him toward the valley.
The chestnut trees they planted at the valley entrance a few days ago had already grown to two or three meters tall, with tender green leaves. However, it wasn’t the season for fruit, so there was no sign of chestnuts.
A wooden fence surrounded the chestnut trees.
Looking at it now, Xia Lu Nong thought the trees were enough, and there was no need for an additional fence.
Kong Zhi flew over the valley.
Below, the herd of sheep was grazing leisurely. Some were lying down, with no sign of attempting to escape.
Kong Zhi flew high to avoid alarming the sheep.
After confirming everything was fine, they headed to the nearby hills.
The chestnut grove was hidden among the mixed woods and couldn’t be seen from the air, but they remembered the path.
Kong Zhi landed, and Xia Lu Nong slid off his back. “It feels like there are even more chestnuts on the ground than two days ago.”
Kong Zhi transformed back into his human form, put on his clothes, and said, “That’s good for us. We’ll just collect them without the outer shells.”
“I’ll grab the sack,” Xia Lu Nong said, taking out a pair of tongs. “Let’s take our time and fill two sacks before heading back. We can come again tomorrow.”
Kong Zhi agreed, and they approached the chestnut grove.
Worried that chestnuts might fall from above, they both put on straw hats.
The forest was dimly lit, and with the hats, their vision became even darker.
After filling two sacks with chestnuts, Xia Lu Nong was exhausted. His back ached, and his head felt dizzy.
Stretching, he rubbed his back and said, “It’s funny. In the spring, we were seriously short of food, and everyone was starving. Now, food is plentiful, and we’re too lazy to even gather it.”
Kong Zhi replied casually, “Simple food isn’t enough for us anymore. Now we need energy-rich mutated plants and animals.”
“Yeah,” Xia Lu Nong sighed. “Evolution is brutal. Just when we think we’ve gained a survival advantage, it gets taken away.”
Kong Zhi massaged his back. “We’re lucky to still have the chance to fight for survival.”
Leaning against Kong Zhi, Xia Lu Nong sighed again.
As they gathered chestnuts, they found two healthy chestnut trees, which Xia Lu Nong decided to dig up and bring back.
His backyard was still bare, aside from the honeysuckle, with no other large plants.
They just happened to be able to plant chestnut trees in the backyard, so that next year when they wanted to eat chestnuts, they could just pick them from the yard.
After checking on the sheep and gathering enough chestnuts, the two returned home, and it was only a little after 11 a.m.
After a simple lunch, they went to work in the fields in the afternoon.
Radishes, garlic, celery, rapeseed… They had plenty of seeds and enough space, so they could plant a bit of everything. In winter, they could have variety in their meals.
The white radishes and carrots they had planted earlier were almost ready, with some of the larger ones ready to be pulled out.
Xia Lu Nong pulled out two carrots, then dragged Kong Zhi up the mountain to catch a crucian carp from the terraced fields. They planned to make carrot and crucian carp soup for dinner.
Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu were busier. They spent almost the whole day in meetings and then went outside to inspect the area, deciding on the location for the protective barrier. By the time they finished, both of them were exhausted.
While drinking the sweet carrot and crucian carp soup, Yan Xi Nian said, “You two should get ready too. We’re having a meeting tomorrow night, and the day after, we’ll officially start building the protective barrier. Everyone in the base will participate, and even the elderly and children will stay in the base to help cook.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “No problem, if others can do it, so can we. Brother Xi Nian, have you confirmed where the protective barrier will be built?”
“We’ll build it in a circle around our base,” Yan Xi Nian said. “The main purpose is to prevent wildfires from spreading. It’s too dry in the winter, and since our base is on a mountain, it would be a huge problem if a wildfire spread.”
Yan Xi Nian took another sip of soup. “As for other things—we’ll also keep out snakes, insects, rats, and ants. But that’s not a major concern. It seems like nature has regained some balance, so those creatures aren’t as big a threat to us anymore.”
Xia Lu Nong listened while drinking his soup.
He had no opinion on the base’s construction and didn’t feel like he could contribute.
After listening, he said, “It’s going to be tough for the next few days. I’ll go to the canteen in advance and get some meat so we can eat better during this time.”
Yan Xi Nian gave him a thumbs-up and smiled, “Smart! Since it’s going to be so exhausting, we should try to eat well.”
Xia Huo Qu had a different opinion. “The base is providing meals these days, so there’s no need to go to all that trouble.”
“The base’s lunch and dinner are basically mass-produced meals, not as good as what we usually eat. If we want to eat well, we’ll have to cook something special when we get back in the evening,” Yan Xi Nian explained. “I’ll cook if necessary, but we need to make sure we have good ingredients.”
Xia Lu Nong suggested, “We could eat more barbecue during these days. There’s a bread oven outside, so we can prepare the ingredients, light a fire, and toss them in the oven. When we get back in the evening, everything will be ready to eat.”
“Great minds think alike,” Yan Xi Nian laughed. “I vote for Xia Lu Nong. What about you, Kong Zhi? Huo Qu, don’t just settle for anything. We have plenty of supplies, so eating well will be good for our bodies. Don’t let the exhaustion wear you down.”
Before Xia Huo Qu could respond, Yan Xi Nian had already cut him off, leaving him with no choice but to take a sip of his soup. “Fine, you guys do whatever.”
