Chapter 21 – Heading Out
The chicken coop at Xia Lu Nong’s house was made by Yan Xi Nian himself.
He had taken Xia Lu Nong to the market to trade for some bricks and wood. In no time, he had built a chicken coop that was a good three square meters in size. The inside was lined with straw and ash, which could be replaced when it got dirty.
Xia Lu Nong watched in awe as the coop went from nothing to something, then from something simple to something fine-tuned. Squatting nearby, stars practically sparkled in his eyes as his admiration for Brother Xi Nian deepened. “Brother Xi Nian, you’re amazing.”
Yan Xi Nian smiled. “Not a big deal.”
“When did you learn how to do this?” Xia Lu Nong asked.
“It’s not that hard. Watch a couple of times, and you’ll figure it out.” Yan Xi Nian put away his tools. “We can move the chickens in by tonight.”
“Okay.” After Xia Lu Nong responded, he called out again, “Brother Xi Nian.”
“Hmm?” Yan Xi Nian was busy arranging the straw covering the wooden boards of the chicken coop and gestured for him to continue.
Xia Lu Nong asked, “My brother is going to go to Zhangshu Town with Brother Liu in a few days. Are you going?”
Yan Xi Nian smiled. “No one invited me, though.”
Xia Lu Nong shifted his position as he squatted and said, “It’s probably just that they’re too shy to invite you. If you want to go, I’ll tell my brother.”
Seeing the eager expression on his face, Yan Xi Nian laughed, “If both your brother and I go, then there’ll only be you left at home.”
“Can’t you take me with you? My brother said that Zhangshu County has a lot of mutated plants and isn’t very safe. If you go, there definitely won’t be any problems.”
“Do you want to go to Zhangshu County for a bit of fun?”
“Just to see some sights.” Xia Lu Nong eagerly gave Yan Xi Nian a shoulder massage. “I’ve heard that many people transform into beasts when they’re out gathering or hunting. Brother Xi Nian, if you take me along, maybe I’ll be able to shapeshift too.”
Yan Xi Nian replied, “Most people don’t shapeshift while gathering or hunting; they activate their potential in life-and-death situations. If you encounter danger outside, your brother will go crazy.”
“Brother Xi Nian, you’re so capable, and with my brother by your side, what kind of danger could I possibly face?” Xia Lu Nong flattered, “After such a disaster, you all brought me to the base, and now I can run and move around. I’ll be fine going out.”
No matter how much he praised him, Yan Xi Nian still didn’t agree. “You’ll need to convince your brother first. If he agrees, then I’ll go with you.”
Xia Lu Nong was delighted. “Then it’s settled! I’ll go talk to my brother!”
He dashed over to his brother, excitedly saying, “Brother, Brother Xi Nian said he’s willing to take me out! With him around, there definitely won’t be any danger.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him. “Exact words?”
Xia Lu Nong coughed lightly and struggled to maintain eye contact with his brother. “I can’t remember the exact words, but that’s basically the idea.”
Noticing his brother’s slightly pursed lips and the forced smile he was giving, Xia Lu Nong thought his brother might agree, but unexpectedly, Xia Huo Qu raised his hand and gave him a light smack on the head.
“?!”
Xia Lu Nong covered his head, looking at his brother with a mix of indignation and complaint.
Xia Huo Qu raised an eyebrow. “Next time you lie, I’ll hit you. Brother Xi Nian can’t just take you out without my permission.”
Feeling dejected, Xia Lu Nong looked at his brother. “So do you agree? Brother Xi Nian said that if you agree, he’ll go with us.”
Xia Huo Qu pondered for a moment.
Xia Lu Nong continued, “Brother, we’re all trading supplies based on the soldier’s quota. If we trade and don’t go out, that’s such a waste.”
Xia Lu Nong persisted, but his brother didn’t budge, only saying, “I’ll first find out what the situation is in Zhangshu County.”
After Xia Huo Qu gathered information and consulted Old Liu, he ultimately agreed but insisted that Yan Xi Nian go along too.
Old Liu was quite pleased. Xia Huo Qu’s influence was indeed strong, but Yan Xi Nian was the top expert in the base. With the two of them in charge, it wouldn’t be a problem to bring along Xia Lu Nong as well.
The plan was for them to go to Zhangshu County on the second of May, staying for five days, and they would return regardless of how much they collected.
Xia Lu Nong asked Liao Cheng to look after the fields at home. He had pulled weeds and fertilized them a couple of days ago, so Liao Cheng just needed to help with watering over the next few days.
The total area of their fields was only about five acres, and even adding the crops in front of and behind the house, it was just six acres—not much work at all.
Without hesitation, Liao Cheng agreed and waved his hand at Xia Lu Nong, saying, “Have fun!”
“Will do!” Xia Lu Nong smiled broadly, “I’m looking forward to what we can collect this time, and I’ll bring you back some good food!”
“I’ll be waiting,” Liao Cheng said, seeing Xia Lu Nong’s massive backpack and chuckling, “Travel safely.”
This time, the team consisted of sixteen people.
Apart from Xia Lu Nong and his two companions, the other thirteen were all from Old Liu’s side.
Xia Lu Nong was surprised to see Xiao Tang among them, and when their eyes met, Xiao Tang waved at him proudly.
What astonished Xia Lu Nong the most was that Old Liu’s group actually drove out in a truck—two of them!
When they left, they didn’t exit from the base’s back wall but rather maneuvered through the heavily barricaded front gate.
As they moved the barricades, they also exchanged supplies for entering and exiting the base.
This was the first time Xia Lu Nong had been in a vehicle since waking up. He sat in the truck and gazed outside through the canopy.
As he watched the scenery slowly retreating, he quietly asked his brother, “Brother, we have vehicles in our base?”
Xia Huo Qu whispered back, “Of course we have vehicles; it’s just very hard to gather gasoline. It’s also difficult to protect the vehicles in case anything happens outside. Each trip incurs significant wear and tear, so aside from Old Liu or when the base has official business, we generally don’t drive them out.”
Xia Lu Nong was curious. “What kind of official business?”
Xia Huo Qu replied softly, “Collecting important supplies, especially when gathering materials needed by the scientists in the White Building.”
The scientists in the White Building were the most mysterious figures. Despite being awake for so long, Xia Lu Nong had only seen them from a distance.
Yan Xi Nian, who was close to the brothers, added quietly, “They mainly use trucks to collect instruments for the scientists in the White Building because their instruments are quite heavy. A regular person can’t carry them back in their beast form, and even if they do, the instruments can easily get damaged.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Exactly,” Yan Xi Nian continued. “Besides saving gasoline, another reason we don’t drive often is that the situation outside is too complex. If we’re not careful, it’s easy to leave the vehicle behind, and that would be a huge loss.”
Xia Lu Nong had only been outside the base once before, and that was to a mountain village. Though there were more mutated animals, aside from wild boars, none of the other mutated creatures posed much danger. He found it hard to imagine what kind of danger could arise that would cause them to leave their vehicles behind.
After Yan Xi Nian’s explanation, Xia Lu Nong felt a bit more cautious. The excitement of going out was now tinged with apprehension.
Seeing this, Xia Huo Qu glanced at Yan Xi Nian.
Yan Xi Nian returned a smile.
The truck wasn’t moving fast, and as it crept forward, it frequently jolted over vines, rubble, and mud pits.
Aside from Xia Lu Nong, who kept peering out through the gap in the tarpaulin, most others leaned against the walls of the truck with their arms crossed, resting their eyes.
As the vehicle continued forward, the road conditions improved, and the surfaces became cleaner.
On either side of the road, collapsed buildings or piles of rubble were everywhere, with various steel bars, wooden beams, and other materials exposed and entwined with vines and weeds, only their outlines visible.
Xia Lu Nong quietly asked his brother, “Aren’t we going to explore these places?”
“This area is easily accessible and has been visited countless times by scavenging teams, so there’s not much value in collecting here,” Xia Huo Qu replied softly. “It’s manageable for individuals, but it’s a waste of time for a team to slowly gather here.”
The truck continued on.
Although there were villages and small towns around, they didn’t stop at any of them.
Xia Lu Nong noticed tire tracks left in the muddy road. “Brother, are there still human bases nearby?”
“Of course, and not just one,” Xia Huo Qu said. “Our base isn’t large and has average combat capability. The strongest base nearby is the Black Gold base. They have guns and aren’t friendly towards other bases.”
Xia Lu Nong opened his mouth in surprise. “They have guns?”
“Of course. It’s just that bullets are rare. With the industrial system almost destroyed, most people are reluctant to use guns unless absolutely necessary. Remember, as long as it’s a human, they might have a lethal weapon, so stay alert.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded quickly.
As the truck moved further, they encountered more ruins, a sign of the previous prosperity of these areas.
Among the ruins, Xia Lu Nong gradually noticed traces of mutated plants.
When they passed a giant tree, Xia Lu Nong saw its canopy spread out for dozens of meters, with the trunk wrapped in black-green vines. The vines were dotted with various bones—snow white, slightly yellow, dark…all sorts of bones entangled within the tree’s branches, sending a chill down Xia Lu Nong’s spine.
His heart sank further when he spotted a human hand bone.
The collapsed city was almost completely covered by vegetation, with groups of mutated rats wandering among the ruins.
Xia Lu Nong noticed several pink flesh tumors on these rats, exposed through their fur, disgusting and terrifying. Compared to that, having multiple eyes and tails seemed insignificant.
He understood why Liao Cheng was unwilling to collect or hunt in such large areas; these creatures were simply too repulsive and frightening.
What was even more terrifying was that given the number of rats, if they went down, they could easily be overwhelmed.
Even now, sitting in the truck, several rats chased after them, emitting sharp squeaks.
“How do you feel?”
Hearing his brother’s voice, Xia Lu Nong turned around and met his brother’s gaze.
His brother was staring at him without blinking, concern etched on his face.
Xia Lu Nong clenched his sweaty fists and forced a pale smile. “It’s okay; it’s not as scary as I imagined.”
Xia Huo Qu frowned, studying his brother’s complexion for a moment before saying, “When we get out of the car, stay behind me and don’t run around.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, brother. I know how to be cautious.”
Despite his assurance, Xia Huo Qu still wore a worried expression.
Yan Xi Nian chimed in from the side, “I’ll keep an eye on Xia Lu Nong, so don’t worry.”
