Chapter 25 – The Young Cub
After such a long time following the disaster, the easily accessible pharmacies had already been stripped clean by people. The remaining pharmacies were mostly located in the nests of mutated plants and animals. Even seasoned scavengers like Old Liu hadn’t managed to collect medications on a large scale in a long time.
“Antipyretics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antihypertensive medications, vitamin tablets… There’s quite a variety here,” Yan Xi Nian said, pulling out boxes of medicine from under the ruins and putting them into his backpack.
Xiao Tang and the others weren’t collecting supplies anymore; they all gathered around to watch, their envious eyes lingering on the medicine boxes over and over again.
These were all hard currency, even more valuable than food; they could be traded anywhere.
If it weren’t for the fact that the ones collecting medicines were Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian, they might have rushed forward to grab some. Getting one box was good, and if they could snag ten or so boxes, they might not need to go out for the next two or three years.
Old Liu also came over and inspected the medicine boxes, “These medicines are preserved really well; the outer plastic wrap isn’t even broken.”
“A lot of the medicines were just covered by the fallen cabinets,” Yan Xi Nian said. “It’s good luck, too.”
“Meow!” The little kitten poked its head out and mewed at them in a childish voice, filled with disapproval. It was clearly him who found them with his own strength!
Xia Huo Qu’s big hand shielded the kitten’s head and gently pushed it back.
Old Liu wasn’t very familiar with Xia Lu Nong and didn’t notice his reaction; he just kept glancing at the medicine boxes.
Yan Xi Nian said, “Pharmacies are everywhere; there must be more pharmacies in this area. Why don’t you go look for them?”
“We’ve looked before. The pharmacies we found were either already picked clean or badly damaged. We hardly found any legitimate pills; they’ve all been used by our team members,” Old Liu said, forcing himself to look away, sighing, “What luck you have to find such a small pharmacy—Is it because Xiao Nong is a newcomer and has especially good luck? Or is his ability related to this?”
Xia Huo Qu frowned slightly, “What can he tell from his current state?”
Old Liu said, “That’s true; we should finish collecting and return early so that Dr. Ou can take a look.”
Yan Xi Nian stuffed the collected medicines into his backpack and interjected, “This time we collected quite a bit; we’ll need some space in your vehicle.”
Old Liu readily agreed, “No problem, the medicines aren’t heavy, and they don’t take up much space. Feel free to put them in.”
Old Liu envied their ability to find so many medicines. While he pretended to grumble about his lack of luck in finding medications, he couldn’t help but lead his team to continue searching through the ruins.
Xia Lu Nong sniffed, feeling that they wouldn’t find anything.
There weren’t any other scents of bitterness nearby.
Analyzing the scents in the air was too tiring.
Xia Lu Nong soon sprawled out again, lying flat in his brother’s palm, and fell into a deep sleep, unaware of when he was moved into the backpack.
Perhaps it was because the backpack was filled with his brother’s scent that he felt a sense of security, allowing him to sleep particularly soundly.
By the time Xia Lu Nong woke up, it was already nighttime. His brother had cooked him a porridge of milk and bird meat, with just a pinch of salt, boiled until it was soft and delicious.
He was slurping it down happily when Yan Xi Nian rubbed from the top of his head to the tip of his tail.
The cat, busy eating, immediately lifted its head, glaring at him with big green eyes, revealing its small sharp teeth as it threatened Yan Xi Nian.
Only after that did he realize he had picked up some feline habits.
Upon reflection, he realized how much this body was affecting his consciousness.
Suddenly, Xia Lu Nong felt that the porridge in his mouth wasn’t as tasty anymore.
His brother reached out, blocking Yan Xi Nian’s hand, “Don’t disturb him; let him eat first.”
Yan Xi Nian smiled, “Okay.”
“Meow!” Xia Lu Nong angrily threw a cat punch at Yan Xi Nian, even after eating, he still shouldn’t make a fuss!
Yan Xi Nian gently ruffled his fur again, “Hurry up and eat; if the meat gets cold, it’ll be fishy, and it’ll be a waste.”
Xia Lu Nong swatted away his annoying hand with his tail and continued to eat.
Feeling full and sleepy, he snuggled up on his brother’s lap, his belly swelling, and slowly fell into a deep sleep.
Xia Huo Qu pulled out paper and a pen to write in his journal once more.
That night, they were very lucky; they didn’t encounter any snake tides or other beast tides, and they passed through the night safely.
Xia Lu Nong knew nothing of this, sleeping so soundly he nearly drooled bubbles, until the truck began its journey back, waking him up.
“Meow.” The little cat stood on its brother’s legs with its soft, fluffy hind legs, its little front paws clutching at his brother’s T-shirt, its big watery eyes eagerly looking out. It soon realized that the scenery outside was becoming increasingly familiar; they were not heading deeper into Zhangshu County but were instead going back to the base.
“Meow meow meow?”
Are they going back already?
Xia Huo Qu was sitting cross-legged in the back of the truck, one hand protecting the little kitten’s back to prevent it from falling while lying back. He explained, “We have enough supplies collected; we’re heading back this time.”
The little cat turned its round head to observe.
The truck bed was indeed filled with things: sugar, salt, honey, wood ear mushrooms, fabrics, knives… the entire truck bed looked like a supply delivery scene of a grocery store.
The closest items to them were four large cardboard boxes filled with various medicines.
Xia Lu Nong sniffed; he could smell the slightly bitter scent of medicine again, as well as a faint rust smell from iron and a slight aroma from the spices.
The smell inside the truck bed was too mixed; he couldn’t help but yawn, causing his whole body to tremble. After yawning, he burrowed into his brother’s arms.
Xia Huo Qu grabbed him in his palm and asked softly, “Cold?”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head. He just didn’t like these chaotic smells; his brother’s warm, light fragrance was much more pleasant.
As he breathed in the scent, he felt drowsy again.
When he slept, Xia Lu Nong woke up to find they had returned to the base. Groggily opening his eyes, he saw a tall, slender woman standing in front of him, carrying a familiar scent.
Instinctively shaking his head, he focused his eyes and realized it was Doctor Ou.
“Meow.” The little cat that Xia Lu Nong had transformed into greeted her, looking up in surprise. His bright green eyes reflected Doctor Ou.
A smile spread across Doctor Ou’s face as she stroked his body, casually transferring a surge of healing abilities into him. She turned to Xia Huo Qu and said, “Xiao Nong has no major issues. He’s just physically weak, and his beast form has reverted to that of a cub. With some nourishment, he’ll grow up gradually.”
Xia Huo Qu asked, “No lingering effects, right?”
“Shouldn’t be any. According to my examination, Xiao Nong’s overall health is good, just a bit underweight. If you feed him more meat from mutated beasts, he might grow quickly.”
“Is there any sign of abilities in Xiao Nong?”
Doctor Ou shook her head. “He’s too small; nothing has been detected yet. We’ll have to wait a while to see.”
As she spoke, she stroked Xia Lu Nong’s smooth fur again and sent another surge of healing energy into him.
Xia Lu Nong could still sit obediently on the table, but with the two healing energies infused, he felt sleepy again, his head drooping slowly.
Xia Huo Qu picked up a fluffy ball from the table and cradled it in his hands to let him sleep.
The little cat rubbed against his brother’s palm, inhaling the familiar scent, and soon flipped onto his back, falling asleep.
Back home, Xia Huo Qu was uneasy leaving the cat to sleep alone, so he placed him on his bed with a pillow under his head for comfort.
Xia Lu Nong didn’t know how long he had slept, but he was eventually awakened by a commotion.
“Brother Xia, is Xiao Nong in your room?”
“Yes.”
“He’s really turned into a cat! Doctor Ou said so?”
“Just needs some care,” Xia Huo Qu said. “Do you want to take a look at him?”
“Yes!”
As Liao Cheng’s words fell, Xia Lu Nong felt a gust of wind sweep into his brother’s room.
Then came a faint smell of smoke, followed by the person’s own scent.
“It’s actually a forest cat!” Liao Cheng’s voice was laced with excitement. “I thought it would be a wolf.”
Xia Lu Nong’s round eyes widened in alarm, and he used all four paws to try to hide deeper under the covers.
However, he didn’t have time; the wind had already reached him, gently lifting him into the air, cradled in a hand.
Xia Lu Nong looked up at a well-defined, tanned face; it was Liao Cheng.
“Too cute!” Liao Cheng grinned widely, his hands eagerly petting the little cat, moving from its head to the tip of its tail. “There hasn’t been such a cute cat before the Great Disaster.”
He looked like he wanted to hug the little cat and take a big sniff, but he restrained himself.
Even so, it felt quite odd.
“Meow, meow, meow!” The little cat protested loudly, struggling with his little paws, trying to jump back onto the bed.
“Hey, don’t be stingy! Just one more pet, haha!”
“Meow, meow, meow!” Xia Lu Nong walked further into the bed.
Liao Cheng changed his approach to try and block him.
Just then, Yan Xi Nian entered from outside.
Seeing his figure, Xia Lu Nong’s eyes widened even more, and he called out “Meow, meow!” for help.
Liao Cheng rubbed his hands awkwardly. “I was just joking with Xiao Nong.”
That much was true; if Liao Cheng wanted to catch him, he was still so small that he couldn’t escape.
But that didn’t stop Xia Lu Nong from reporting him!
He looked at Yan Xi Nian, unsure of what he was thinking, and suddenly leaped toward him.
The jump sent him soaring over three meters in a diagonal, more than two meters high. For a little cat, this distance felt incredible.
Once he jumped, he was surprised by his own ability, his fluffy face showing sheer terror.
“Meow—!!!”
Yan Xi Nian stepped forward, extending his long arm to swiftly catch the cat.
Xia Lu Nong clung to his arm with his front paws, glancing nervously at the ground, his little heart racing beneath his thin belly.
Xia Huo Qu rushed in, his face filled with concern. “What happened?”
Liao Cheng lowered his head and sincerely apologized, “I was too reckless and startled Xiao Nong.”
The little cat meowed at his brother, indicating it wasn’t Liao Cheng’s fault.
He had frightened himself.
Xia Huo Qu gently comforted him, rubbing his little head.
Yan Xi Nian addressed Xia Huo Qu, “Xiao Nong just jumped directly from the bed into my arms, from there to here.”
“That far?” Xia Huo Qu was taken aback. “Could we jump that far when we first started?”
“No,” Yan Xi Nian stated. “Xiao Nong’s jumping ability is far superior to ours.”
