Chapter 174 – Chat
Xia Lu Nong himself had a favorable view of the Fireseed Base, but his brother’s admiration seemed to reflect the stance of the entire base.
Xia Huo Qu remained calm. “The Fireseed Base is excellent. Why wouldn’t we have a good impression of them?”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “But it’s not just a good impression—it’s an especially strong one. Is there something I don’t know?”
Yan Xi Nian chuckled, “There’s nothing special that you don’t know about. It’s just that you didn’t experience the early days of the great disaster. You can’t imagine how difficult it was. Honestly, anyone who went through that phase and now sees that we’ve made it through, with the country establishing large bases and preserving the flame of civilization, would be deeply moved.”
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t thought of it that way, and Yan Xi Nian’s words left him momentarily stunned.
Xia Huo Qu turned to Xia Lu Nong, his voice growing slightly more serious, “You’ll gradually understand the significance of the Fireseed Base to everyone after the great disaster.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded firmly.
Xia Huo Qu continued, “Now, let’s vote on how much of our research results we want to share with the Fireseed Base. Personally, I don’t think we need to hide anything, but we should try to secure their technological and material support to develop our base.”
Yan Xi Nian nodded, “I completely agree.”
Kong Zhi added, “I have no objections either.”
All three then looked at Xia Lu Nong.
Xia Lu Nong scratched his head, “Why are you all looking at me? I also have a good impression of the Fireseed Base, so I won’t disagree.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “Then it’s unanimous. Tomorrow, we’ll talk to Major Leng.”
Xia Lu Nong suddenly had an idea and raised his hand, asking his brother, “How far is the Fireseed Base from us? If the talks go well, can we visit the Fireseed Base?”
“They drove here for almost half a month,” Yan Xi Nian replied. “If you want to visit, I can ask. Maybe you and Kong Zhi could go in the spring, but you’ll need to check with your brother first.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “What opinion would I have? You’re both adults; you can make your own decisions. Just let me know where you’re going.”
Xia Lu Nong quickly shook his head, “No, no rush. We brought back a lot of seeds from the Black Gold Base, and we’ll need to plant new crops next spring. There won’t be time to leave then. But during the autumn and winter, when farming is slower, we could go for a visit.”
Speaking of which, Yan Xi Nian smiled, “The Fireseed Base sent us a batch of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. They’re piled up in the warehouse. If you’re interested, you can check them out tomorrow.”
Xia Lu Nong was pleasantly surprised, “More seeds? I’ll go take a look tomorrow.”
He felt the Fireseed Base was incredibly generous and, feeling a bit guilty, added, “Since the Fireseed Base has shown such sincerity, I’d be willing to cooperate if they want to study my abilities.”
Xia Huo Qu patted him on the shoulder, “We’ll discuss that later. Don’t rush.”
Yan Xi Nian added, “This involves your health. There’s no evidence that your ability is particularly unique or crucial for advancing civilization, so let’s not reveal it for now. If the Fireseed Base asks about it, we’ll discuss the consequences and then make a decision.”
Xia Lu Nong was someone who, when moved, would genuinely give his all.
His two brothers, worried he might act impulsively, offered him some gentle advice.
Xia Lu Nong had merely mentioned it in passing and didn’t insist on revealing his ability.
Hearing their words, he laughed and dropped the subject.
Once their discussion ended, the group split up to head to bed.
Kong Zhi saw off Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian, locking the door behind them. When he returned, he found Xia Lu Nong still sitting on the sofa. Walking over, he touched Xia Lu Nong’s neck and asked, “What are you daydreaming about?”
Xia Lu Nong snapped out of his daze, shaking his head and saying, “Ah, nothing. I just suddenly feel a bit emotional.”
He continued, “The disaster was so severe, but in just two or three years, we’ve managed to recover. Even though we live in such a remote area, the country still reached out to us. Once we’ve recovered a bit more and cleared out the dangerous mutated plants and animals from the plains and forests, relocating them to designated areas, the disaster should finally come to an end.”
Kong Zhi, sitting on the armrest of the sofa, said, “Humanity is strong. Once we’ve recovered, it’s only natural that we’ll be able to clean up the aftermath.”
“Yeah,” Xia Lu Nong leaned against him, staring ahead, muttering, “That’s great.”
Kong Zhi ruffled his hair, asking, “Now that the disaster is almost over, is there anything you want to do?”
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes sparkled, “Yes, study!”
Kong Zhi was a bit surprised.
Xia Lu Nong smiled, “We never finished college, right? If the disaster really is over, and the schools are rebuilt, I want to go back and finish my studies.”
Kong Zhi looked down at him and asked, “You still want to study directing?”
“If I can, yeah,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “I’d like to finish my bachelor’s degree and maybe even make a movie documenting our lives now. But if not, I’d be happy studying something related to plants or agriculture. I want to research my abilities properly.”
Kong Zhi said, “If that’s the case, I think schools will offer courses related to beast forms by then.”
“That would be great, too. My beast form isn’t very useful in everyday life, but if there’s a class for it, I’ll definitely sign up,” Xia Lu Nong said enthusiastically, nudging him with his elbow. “But enough about me, what about you? After the disaster is over, what do you want to do? Go back to school too?”
Kong Zhi replied, “If you’re going to school, I’ll go too. Maybe we could even be classmates, going to and from school together.”
Xia Lu Nong burst into laughter, his eyes full of hope.
He really wanted to go back to school.
Classes, playing basketball, eating meals.
Sometimes visiting the library, sometimes exploring the food streets. Now that he had a boyfriend, after classes, they could travel around together.
During summer and winter breaks, he could intern, using his not-yet-complete knowledge to explore the world even further.
The two of them dreamed together.
Xia Lu Nong suggested, “Since the Fireseed Base has already made contact with us, we’ll definitely be able to go back to school one day. Next year, let’s plant more fields, build up more resources. Now that we’ve settled down, we can’t rely on my brother and the others for supplies forever. We’ll need to figure it out ourselves.”
Kong Zhi agreed, “Alright. It’s getting late, let’s go to sleep.”
Kong Zhi pulled Xia Lu Nong to wash up and go to bed.
Wrapped in soft, warm blankets, Xia Lu Nong soon drifted off to sleep.
He dreamed of university life, but this time, instead of his classmates, it was Kong Zhi who was with him.
They didn’t take a bus or ride bicycles to school; instead, Kong Zhi flew him there.
The school’s parking lot was interesting too—it was made up of large boxes, where beast-shaped students could enter and transform back into their human forms.
In his dream, Xia Lu Nong never imagined that the “parking lots” of the future could operate this way, and he woke up laughing.
When he opened his eyes, the sky outside was already faintly lit.
Kong Zhi was next to him, holding him. Without opening his eyes, he mumbled, “What were you dreaming about? You’ve been laughing.”
“I was dreaming about our future life,” Xia Lu Nong turned to face him, saying, “I dreamed about our future school…”
He recounted his dream to Kong Zhi.
Kong Zhi, eyes still closed, hugged him with a low chuckle, “That might really happen. What was the classroom like?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t dream that far.”
Kong Zhi tightened his hold on his waist, “Then go back to sleep and see if you can dream the rest.”
It was still early.
Xia Lu Nong, snuggling into the warmth, touched Kong Zhi’s abs and drifted back to sleep in his arms.
This time, he slept soundly until morning.
When Xia Lu Nong woke up, Kong Zhi had already gotten up, and his side of the bed was empty.
However, Kong Zhi had tucked Xia Lu Nong’s clothes into the bed, warming them with the residual heat, so he could put them on comfortably.
As Xia Lu Nong got dressed, he vaguely heard voices outside.
The conversation was quiet, a low buzzing, so he couldn’t make out the words.
It didn’t sound like anyone he knew. From the tone, he guessed it wasn’t familiar voices.
Xia Lu Nong’s first thought was of Leng Changkong.
He had a hunch that the people outside were Leng Changkong’s group.
Since they had guests, he couldn’t appear disheveled.
Xia Lu Nong quickly dressed, even taking extra care to comb his hair before heading out.
His hair had grown quite long, and since it was fine and soft, if he didn’t comb it, it would look like a bird’s nest.
After struggling with the comb for a while, unable to smooth down a tuft of hair that stuck up, he grabbed a rubber band and tied a small ponytail.
Despite the casual look, Xia Lu Nong still managed to pull off a polished appearance.
When he walked out, everyone was stunned, their eyes fixed on him, unable to look away.
Xia Lu Nong glanced around and realized that not only were Leng Changkong and his group there, but Mai Dong and his people had joined them too.
They were all sitting around the table, drinking rose tea and eating roasted peanuts.
Xia Lu Nong smiled sheepishly and, after greeting everyone, said, “I slept in.”
“No worries,” Leng Changkong smiled. “We came early. After yesterday’s conversation, we were excited and couldn’t wait to come see you.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “Go ahead and chat. I’ll go wash up.”
Kong Zhi stood up, “I’ll go with you.”
Kong Zhi had already washed up, but he came along to keep him company.
Xia Lu Nong, embarrassed, covered his face, “I’m not a kid. Do you really need to keep me company for this?”
“We can chat,” Kong Zhi replied, handing him toothpaste with a lowered voice, “They still don’t know about the roses and summer pepper outside the yard.”
“Ah?” Xia Lu Nong’s eyes widened.
Kong Zhi said, “Brother Huo just told me that whether or not to reveal it, when to reveal it, and how much to reveal is all up to you.”
Xia Lu Nong understood and nodded, “It’s fine. If they ask, we’ll tell them. If they don’t, we won’t say anything.”
After freshening up, Xia Lu Nong went inside to drink tea with everyone.
Xia Huo Qu looked at him and said, “There are noodles in the pot. Go get yourself some.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded and asked the others, “Have you guys had breakfast yet? Want some more?”
Leng Changkong waved his hand, “No need, Captain Yan already had the canteen send us food earlier.”
When Xia Lu Nong heard they’d already eaten, he didn’t stand on ceremony and started eating the noodles.
He ate while listening.
Leng Changkong and Mai Dong mostly chatted about small matters Xia Lu Nong had never heard of. After listening for a while, he felt he had gained a lot of new knowledge.
They didn’t chat for long, and by around nine in the morning, they said their goodbyes and left.
After seeing them off with his brother, Xia Lu Nong asked, “Brother, it’s already the 29th of the lunar month. Shouldn’t they be celebrating the New Year at home?”
Yan Xi Nian turned and smiled, “What are you thinking? Even our family can’t host that many people.”
Xia Lu Nong was puzzled, “Then what do we do? The canteen? We can’t let people go hungry on New Year’s, right?”
Xia Huo Qu said, “It’s all arranged. Today, we’ll have Major Leng and the others over to make dumplings together. Tomorrow, the whole base will get a meal like we did for the autumn harvest festival. We’ll celebrate the New Year.”
Xia Lu Nong looked at Yan Xi Nian.
Yan Xi Nian smiled and nodded.
Xia Lu Nong brightened up, “That’s great! After I check on the pesticides and fertilizers today, I’ll make more fried meatballs and bring them over tomorrow.”
Yan Xi Nian stretched and said, “Alright, today we’ll split into two teams again. You guys go check on the pesticides and fertilizers, and we’ll go have a talk with Major Leng. We probably won’t be back for lunch, so eat on your own.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “No problem.”
Yan Xi Nian waved as he and Xia Huo Qu left.
Xia Lu Nong suddenly remembered something and shouted after them, “Don’t forget to ask if we can visit the Fireseed Base!”
Yan Xi Nian made a gesture behind his back, signaling that he got it.
