The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH42

Chapter 42 : Bamboo Worms

After chatting for a while, Liao Cheng took his leave.

Kong Zhi then took Xia Lu Nong to the cafeteria to get some food.

Since Xia Lu Nong was in his cat form, eating in the cafeteria might make others uncomfortable, so they usually brought the food back home.

Xia Lu Nong didn’t mind where he ate, but he was always disappointed by the cafeteria’s bland food.

Even the pan-fried fish Kong Zhi ordered for him couldn’t save his appetite.

Feeling dejected, Xia the Cat finished his meal and sprawled on the sofa like a limp noodle.

Kong Zhi gently petted his back, “Rest for a while first. Didn’t you want to visit the fields this afternoon?”

Xia the Cat stretched his soft paws out to grab Kong Zhi’s wrist, “Meow.”

That meant agreement.

Kong Zhi carried him into Xia Huo Qu’s room, shook out a blanket to make him a cozy nest, and after settling him in, went to his own room to sleep.

It was late spring, and it was quite hot outside.

But the house, being a single-story building with tiles laid over the earth, felt cool, with the chill rising from the ground, making the whole place pleasantly refreshing.

Xia the Cat lay on the blanket and soon fell into a deep sleep filled with summer dreams.

In the afternoon, he was awakened by voices outside.

He stretched all four paws in opposite directions, gave a big lazy yawn, rolled off the bed, and quickly ran out the door.

Once again, it was Liao Cheng.

Liao Cheng raised his hand when he saw him, “I’ve brought your chickens back. Remember to feed them; I think they’re about to start laying eggs.”

Xia Lu Nong ran to the side of the house, craning his neck to see. Sure enough, there were two hens in the chicken coop.

The two hens had grown noticeably bigger since they had left. Liao Cheng must have taken good care of them, and they looked like they’d be laying eggs any day now.

Xia Lu Nong nodded at Liao Cheng.

Seeing the sweet-looking cat with such a serious expression made Liao Cheng laugh. “I also kept an eye on your field. I picked a few ripe tomatoes while you were away, but they’re all eaten now.”

“Meow.” Feel free to eat.

Liao Cheng added, “There was a big earthquake and heavy rain these past few days, and since everyone has to rotate for base missions, I haven’t had time to tend the field. Some of the peppers and tomatoes have fallen over. When you check the field, remember to cut some bamboo to prop them up.”

The bamboo forest on the mountain belonged to the base.

While digging up bamboo shoots was not allowed, cutting a few stalks of bamboo occasionally was fine.

As long as no one went overboard, no one would complain.

Xia Lu Nong had been so caught up wandering the base in the morning that he completely forgot to check on his field.

Hearing this, he meowed softly in acknowledgment.

Liao Cheng said, “Alright, I just came by to drop off the hens and remind you. I’ve got a base mission this afternoon, so I won’t stay long. See you later!”

“Meow.”

Xia Lu Nong watched as Liao Cheng left, then walked over to Kong Zhi and tugged at his pants.

Remembering Kong Zhi was injured, Xia Lu Nong looked up at him with concern, and used his paw to write on the ground: “Shall we check on the field?”

Kong Zhi met Xia Lu Nong’s gaze and quickly understood the cat’s meaning. “No need, let’s cut some bamboo first. I can use my left hand.”

Xia Lu Nong batted at him with his paw. “Meow.”

Even the left hand isn’t good enough.

Kong Zhi said, “The injury is almost healed; it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Xia Lu Nong didn’t believe him.

Kong Zhi didn’t explain further. He bent down to pick up the cat, went to the kitchen to grab a hatchet, and added a roll of twine to his basket. “Let’s go.”

Kong Zhi had a general idea of where Xia Lu Nong’s field was. He held the cat, locked the door behind them, and walked along the path leading to the hill behind the house.

Before long, they reached the bamboo forest.

The bamboo swayed in the breeze, rustling as its fragrance filled the air. Recent rains had soaked the ground, and the layers of fallen leaves held pools of water. When Kong Zhi stepped on them, the edge of his shoe got wet.

Xia Lu Nong had been about to jump down, but upon seeing this, he quickly retracted his paw, his entire feline face filled with disdain, and snuggled back into Kong Zhi’s arms.

Kong Zhi glanced down at him but said nothing.

Cutting bamboo required selecting a dense area, like thinning seedlings. After circling the bamboo forest, Kong Zhi quickly found a target. He set the cat down a safe distance from the bamboo he was about to chop. Then, with his left hand holding the hatchet, he began cutting down the bamboo.

Xia Lu Nong crouched on the ground, his head swiveling as he watched the bamboo forest.

After the recent rains, bamboo shoots had sprouted and were growing rapidly. Wherever he looked, there were shoots, some fat and stubby. Through their husks, one could easily imagine the tender white meat inside, making his mouth water.

He swallowed hard. Too bad only the cafeteria had permission to harvest bamboo shoots.

The cafeteria rarely harvested them.

This bamboo forest was mostly used for economic purposes—people cut bamboo to make frameworks, weave items, craft furniture, and even build bamboo sheds.

Bamboo was so useful that it seemed a waste to dig up shoots before they matured.

Xia Lu Nong understood the base’s situation. Even though he craved those bamboo shoots, it was unlikely he’d get to taste any, and there was nowhere to trade for them.

He sighed, laying his head on his paws, his face full of frustration.

Bamboo was hollow, and Kong Zhi was strong. One chop split through half the stalk. After just two strikes, the bamboo, as thick as a bowl, fell.

The bamboo crashed down, its leaves brushing against other stalks, making a soft rustling noise that sent birds flying from the forest.

Kong Zhi dragged the bamboo over, cut off its branches with the hatchet, and chopped off the tip, leaving a smooth bamboo pole.

Xia Lu Nong watched him work. From cutting down the bamboo to trimming it, Kong Zhi took less than five minutes.

Once he finished, Kong Zhi slung the bamboo over his shoulder and looked over at Xia Lu Nong, who was still watching the forest. “Let’s go.”

“Meow.” Xia Lu Nong got up, his paws light as he darted across the bamboo leaves. In just a few steps, he had run to Kong Zhi’s side.

Just as he was about to reach him, his sharp green eyes caught sight of a brown-yellow shape on the bamboo—a large patch of color, or perhaps something else.

Xia Lu Nong was instantly drawn to it and turned his head to look.

With his excellent vision, he clearly saw the cup-sized worm on the bamboo. It had a hard shell, was large and plump, and a long, straw-like mouth was inserted directly into the bamboo.

Xia Lu Nong knew something was on the bamboo, but he hadn’t expected it to be such a big worm.

From a cat’s perspective, the worm was almost larger than his head!

The moment Xia Lu Nong saw it, before his mind could catch up, his entire body had already reacted. His back arched, and he leaped two meters high.

Like a small cannonball, he shot into Kong Zhi’s arms, but before Kong Zhi could catch him, the cat scrambled up his chest and perched on his head.

The whole thing happened in a split second, so fast that even Kong Zhi, with all his strength, couldn’t react in time.

“Meow!” Xia Lu Nong, still shaken, crouched on Kong Zhi’s head, staring down at the yellowish figure.

It took him a moment to realize he was sitting in the wrong spot.

Xia Lu Nong looked down to see Kong Zhi staring up at him, expressionless.

“Meow.” Xia Lu Nong sheepishly shifted his paws.

Kong Zhi reached up and plucked the cat from his head.

Xia Lu Nong stayed obediently in his hand, not struggling, and meowed softly again.

Kong Zhi paused, then instead of setting him down, placed the cat on his shoulder.

Kong Zhi was still a young man, but he was tall and broad-shouldered.

Xia Lu Nong settled onto his shoulder, finding it a perfect fit.

Kong Zhi took a few steps closer, stopping several meters from the bamboo where the worm was.

With his sharp vision, he easily spotted the worm from a distance.

Kong Zhi looked at it for a few seconds and said, “That’s a bamboo worm.”

Xia Lu Nong tilted his head. The name sounded familiar.

Kong Zhi added, “It’s edible. Fried, it tastes great.”

Xia Lu Nong’s eyes lit up, and he looked at the worm again.

From a distance, it didn’t seem so bad after all.

His paws twitched as he paced back and forth on Kong Zhi’s shoulder, tempted.

Looking at the worm more closely, Xia Lu Nong realized it had only undergone light mutations, with just an extra pair of wings.

“Meow.” Xia Lu Nong tugged on Kong Zhi’s clothes, his expression innocent. How about we catch it?

Kong Zhi turned to him. “You want to catch it?”

“Meow.”

“If you want to catch worms, you’ll have to walk on your own.”

Xia the Cat glanced at him, then at the ground. With a light push from his paws, he effortlessly jumped down. After landing, he suddenly felt too close to the worm and quickly took a few steps back.

Kong Zhi’s eyes held a faint smile. He stepped forward lightly and, with two fingers, easily caught the bamboo worm clinging to the bamboo.

After being caught, the bamboo worm’s legs, which had a metallic sheen, wriggled around. The sight made Xia the Cat shudder, and he instinctively stepped back, lifting his front paws off the ground and striking a pose as if ready to throw some cat punches.

Kong Zhi didn’t scare him further. After catching the worm, he tossed it into his backpack and stuffed the opening with bamboo branches he’d cut earlier until it was tightly packed.

Xia the Cat approached, curious, and raised his head to look at the basket on Kong Zhi’s back.

Kong Zhi placed the bamboo he’d just cut down on the ground and asked, “I saw a few more bamboo worms earlier. Should we catch them before heading down the mountain?”

‘Meow.’ Xia the Cat had no objections.

Kong Zhi crouched down and gave him a little rub, saying, “Stay close.”

Xia the Cat quickly followed beside him, and the two went worm hunting together.

The bamboo forest around the base was huge, covering all the surrounding hills from halfway up to the peak.

Kong Zhi and the cat moved through the bamboo grove, and before long, they had caught six bamboo worms.

At first, Xia the Cat found the worms frightening, but after seeing them a few times, he got used to them. Not only did he stop finding them scary, but he also began to think they were rather cute.

After all, food is always cute.

Kong Zhi and Xia the Cat made a good team. Both had excellent eyesight, and no bamboo worms could escape their sharp eyes.

“Meow!” From ten meters away, Xia the Cat spotted another bamboo worm.

This time, he meowed not to alert Kong Zhi but to pump himself up.

Following the sound, Kong Zhi saw a long-haired, silver-gray cat with a white belly. The cat was crouched low to the ground, back legs coiled, and in the blink of an eye, it sprang forward.

Cats run lightly and swiftly, and before the bamboo worm could react, Xia the Cat leaped and snatched it with his mouth right off the bamboo.

“Mmmph!” Xia the Cat ran back to Kong Zhi, lifting his head proudly, his green eyes sparkling with joy.

Kong Zhi crouched down, took the half-dead worm from Xia the Cat’s mouth, and gave the cat a fond head rub. “Well done!”

“Meow.”

It wasn’t empty praise. Xia the Cat had indeed done a great job. From the leap to catching the worm, he didn’t hurt himself, didn’t crush the worm, and didn’t scare it off.

His movements were quick and precise, just like a wildcat.

Xia the Cat didn’t think much of it, but his tail betrayed him, wagging uncontrollably and revealing his pride.

The two continued to roam the bamboo forest, and no bamboo worm, big or small, could escape their notice.

In just over half an hour, they’d caught enough worms to fill a small portion of the basket.

Kong Zhi glanced at the basket and said, “That should be enough to eat. Let’s head back.”

“Meow.”

With the worms on his back and the bamboo in tow, Kong Zhi headed down the mountain, Xia the Cat following closely at his side.

They first made a stop at the field.

Xia the Cat immediately noticed the chaotic state of the crops—bean vines had fallen from their stakes, tomato plants had been snapped by the wind, eggplants and peppers were all askew, and peanut plants had been uprooted.

He let out a distressed yowl and dashed over to inspect the damage.

Kong Zhi only saw a flash of silver-gray in front of him, and when he looked again, the cat was already circling the tomato plants, whining in grief.

His precious tomatoes!

They had already started to bear fruit, but seven out of ten plants were broken.

Tomato plants are fragile, their branches tender and water-filled, unlike eggplants or peppers, whose branches are much tougher. That’s why the tomatoes had suffered the most damage in the entire field.

After inspecting the situation, Kong Zhi said, “It’s not too bad. They’re still alive. If we stake them with bamboo, they might recover.”

“Mmmph—”

“Move aside a bit, I’m going to cut some bamboo stakes.”

Kong Zhi gently nudged the cat out of the way and grabbed his machete, splitting the bamboo.

The hollow structure of the bamboo made it easy to split. With just a light swing of the blade, it cracked in two. Soon, the bamboo had been turned into a pile of stakes.

He split the stakes into shorter sections, which he then drove into the ground beside the tomato plants, tying three stakes together to form a triangular support to hold up the plants.

Kong Zhi worked with care and precision. One by one, the ten tomato plants were all propped up.

By the time the tomatoes were taken care of, it was almost dark.

Kong Zhi turned his head and said, “We’ll deal with the rest of the crops tomorrow. Let’s head back for now.”

“Meow.”

Kong Zhi walked over to the edge of the field, picked up his backpack, then scooped up the cat. “Let’s go.”

“Meow.” Xia the Cat quickly poked his head out of Kong Zhi’s arms, pointed toward the pepper plants, and meowed again.

Kong Zhi looked down at the cat. “You want to pick some peppers to take back?”

The cat nodded. “Meow.”

Kong Zhi looked at him again. “To fry with the bamboo worms?”

“Meow!”

Exactly!