The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH41

Chapter 41 – A Share of Rice

Hearing Xia Huo Qu’s invitation, Kong Zhi froze.

After a moment of silence, he asked, “Can Brother Zhang and the others also stay at the base?”

“Of course,” Xia Huo Qu answered without hesitation. “Our leader Yan should have already extended the invitation to them. Whether they stay or not is up to them.”

Kong Zhi nodded, “Thank you, Brother Huo Qu.”

“Meow—”

As they talked, Xia Lu Nong woke up, jumped off the bed, and trotted over, his tail swaying gracefully.

Xia Huo Qu looked down at him and scratched his chin. “Morning.”

“Meow.” Morning, brother.

Xia Lu Nong rubbed against his brother’s leg, then greeted the other person in the room. “Meow.”

Kong Zhi looked at the cat-like beastman, who appeared no different from a real cat, with a somewhat complicated expression. He spoke in a low voice, “Good morning.”

Xia Huo Qu put down what he was holding, picked up the cat to brush its teeth, and then prepared breakfast for it.

Kong Zhi, with nothing else to do, silently followed them and helped out.

Xia Huo Qu glanced at him and said, “I’m going to be very busy today. Can I leave Xia Nong in your care?”

Kong Zhi didn’t expect to be given such a task. After a moment of surprise, he nodded.

Xia Huo Qu trusted him fully. After giving them a few instructions, he quickly gathered his things and left.

Now, only one person and one cat remained in the house.

Kong Zhi sat on the sofa, occasionally lost in thought, clearly preoccupied.

Meanwhile, the cat focused on eating breakfast, though it was slow and messy, shifting its sweet potato from one side of its mouth to the other, biting down on it again and again. After a long time, it was still chewing on the same piece of food.

The cat’s teeth weren’t very efficient, but more than that, Xia Lu Nong clearly didn’t like this morning’s breakfast. It ate reluctantly, as if doing so only out of respect for its brother.

Kong Zhi’s attention was soon drawn to the cat, watching it eat with the same fascination as someone watching a food show.

Not only did the cat eat very slowly, but its expressions were also unusually vivid, making for quite entertaining viewing.

After what felt like an eternity, the cat finally finished its meal. Kong Zhi cleaned up the table, sat down, and asked it, “What do you want to do next?”

Xia Lu Nong tilted its head in thought, then meowed at Kong Zhi, using its paw to scribble on the table: Can we take a walk around the base?

Kong Zhi, with his sharp eyesight, easily read the writing. After thinking for a moment, he nodded, “Okay.”

The cat meowed sweetly in response and happily rubbed its furry head against Kong Zhi.

Kong Zhi couldn’t help but wonder how this cat was so skilled at acting like a real cat, as if being cute and playful was second nature.

Even as he thought that, when the cat nuzzled him, Kong Zhi couldn’t resist scratching its head, then trailing his hand from the cat’s head down to its back, enjoying the soft, smooth fur. He petted it over and over, completely unaware that the smile in his eyes was growing with each stroke.

After they were ready, Kong Zhi carried Xia Lu Nong outside.

The lighting had been too dim last night to see clearly, but now, in the daylight, both of them could see the real extent of the damage caused by the two major earthquakes.

Many houses in the base had collapsed, while even more had cracks. As they walked around, they saw people everywhere busy repairing their homes.

Aside from the houses, many large trees had been uprooted. The dense roots, tangled with soil, lay on the roadside like strands of hair.

As they passed by, people in the base were trying to replant the fallen trees.

The situation was better down the mountain, but parts of the Great Wall higher up had collapsed and were still being repaired.

When Kong Zhi and Xia Lu Nong arrived at the site, people were hard at work, their efforts in full swing.

Many people in the base noticed Kong Zhi carrying Xia Lu Nong and warmly greeted him.

Kong Zhi, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the friendly faces, nodded back in response. The people didn’t mind his silence and continued to smile.

One section of the Great Wall was being repaired under the supervision of Liao Quan Nan. Seeing them, Liao Quan Nan smiled and exchanged greetings.

Kong Zhi put Xia Lu Nong down, intending to help out.

But Liao Quan Nan stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and said, “You should rest. Vice Captain Xia told us that you’re injured. Take care of yourself first.”

Kong Zhi was surprised. “He told you?”

Liao Quan Nan nodded, “He mentioned it in passing, asking us to keep an eye on you and not let you do any heavy work.”

Kong Zhi turned to look at Xia Lu Nong.

Xia Lu Nong wasn’t paying any attention to their conversation. He had already positioned himself at the edge of the Great Wall, front paws forward, head held high, tail upright, gazing intently into the distance.

Kong Zhi’s attention was immediately drawn to the cat.

Liao Quan Nan noticed as well and patted Kong Zhi’s shoulder. “You go play with Xia Nong. We’ll get back to work.”

Kong Zhi nodded.

Liao Quannan called out to his team and led them back to carrying bricks and mixing cement.

When Kong Zhi joined Xia Lu Nong at the edge of the wall, he realized the cat had found a vantage point from which they could see the vast ocean.

Not just a sliver of water, but the entire sea, stretching from the distant base of the mountain all the way to the horizon—a whole expanse of water.

If someone didn’t know that this area had been fertile land just a few days ago, they would never have imagined that beneath the water lay the remains of human civilization.

The earthquake and tsunami had altered the landscape so drastically, transforming land into sea in an instant.

Nearly a day had passed since the tsunami, and the sea had calmed. The water had shifted from a murky yellowish-gray to a more bluish-gray. In a few more days, it might turn completely blue—assuming the water level didn’t recede.

“Meow—” Xia Lu Nong turned his head, looking up at Kong Zhi with an unmistakable request in his eyes.

Kong Zhi, distracted by the cat’s call, looked down at him.

Seeing that Kong Zhi hadn’t understood, Xia Lu Nong was about to start writing with his front paw when Kong Zhi suddenly reached down and picked him up.

Satisfied, Xia Lu Nong rubbed against him and continued watching from Kong Zhi’s chest.

With his height, Kong Zhi gave Xia Lu Nong a much better view.

The grass and trees outside had been left in disarray by the earthquake, with many trees uprooted. Some of the soil had also slid down from the mountainside.

After the earthquake, it had rained heavily, but the fallen trees, nourished by the rain, remained lush and green.

The disaster hadn’t affected the vegetation as much as it had humans and animals. Plants were far more resilient.

They stayed on the mountain for a long time until the sun was high in the sky. Only then did Kong Zhi carry Xia Lu Nong back down.

When they returned home, neither Xia Huo Qu nor Yan Xi Nian had come back yet. Both doors were locked.

Though no one was home, someone had been waiting for them in the yard.

That person had placed several baskets in the courtyard, filling the entire space.
Baskets were propped up between two bamboo poles, and a man sat idly on one of the poles, waiting for them to return.

Xia Lu Nong’s sharp eyes immediately recognized the visitor—it was Liao Cheng.

Seeing Kong Zhi carrying the cat back, Liao Cheng waved at them and said, “Xiao Nong, the rice you transported back last night has been milled. The base sent us to deliver it to you. Come over and handle the handover.”

“Meow?”

Liao Cheng noticed his confusion and explained, “The rice you brought back had been soaked and infested with insects, so it couldn’t be stored for long. The base dried it and milled it right away.”

Xia Lu Nong nimbly jumped out of Kong Zhi’s arms, placing his front paws on one of the baskets. His round cat head leaned forward to inspect the rice.

The base’s rice was brown, not as clean and white as the rice sold in supermarkets before the disaster. It had a mix of yellow, green, and gray hues, but it still smelled fragrant.

Liao Cheng waited for him to finish checking before saying, “According to the current distribution rules for gathered supplies, you and your brother, along with Captain Yan, are allocated 465 pounds of rice and 80 pounds of rice bran. It’s all here—want to weigh it again?”

Xia the Cat decisively shook his head.

Liao Cheng chuckled, “Then how about opening the door so I can help you carry the rice inside?”

Xia Lu Nong turned to look at Kong Zhi with his bright emerald eyes.

Kong Zhi met his gaze for two seconds before silently pulling the keys from his pocket and unlocking the door.

Liao Cheng hoisted the baskets inside while Kong Zhi tried to help, but Liao Cheng stopped him with one hand, saying, “You’re still injured, leave this to me.”

Kong Zhi remained silent, still wanting to assist. Liao Cheng laughed and said, “Your brother told me if you help, I’d probably get scolded later.”

Kong Zhi had no choice but to go pour him some water.

Xia the Cat trailed around Liao Cheng’s feet, while Liao Cheng carefully watched where he stepped to avoid treading on him. “Xiao Nong, you’ve been in your beast form for quite a few days. When do you think you’ll change back?”

“Meow.”

“You don’t know either? Have you guys asked Dr. Ou? But even if you haven’t, I think it’s soon. Just don’t know exactly when you’ll be able to fully revert.”

Liao Cheng quickly carried in all the rice. After Xia Lu Nong inspected and pressed his paw onto the receipt, Liao Cheng took out a small plastic bag containing tobacco and paper from his pocket, rolled himself a cigarette, and tucked it into his mouth without lighting it. He began talking to them about recent events.

The massive earthquake, the near-base tsunami, the collapsed houses and trees, the injured people—many things had happened at the base over the past few days.

Xia Lu Nong listened attentively.

Liao Cheng said, “With two such big earthquakes and a tsunami, everyone was anxious, especially since you were still out there. I was prepared—if you didn’t make it back today, I was going to head out and look for you. Thankfully, you returned in time.”

Xia the Cat shook his head, “Meow.”

Dangerous.

Liao Cheng’s eyes turned distant, and he sighed, “We knew it was dangerous. But no matter how dangerous, we would’ve gone. Captain Yan and your brother are the backbone of the base. If you weren’t here, even if we survived this earthquake, we wouldn’t have made it through the next. Luckily, you came back.”

Xia Lu Nong meowed softly again, clawing at his pant leg as if comforting him.