The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH5

Chapter 5 – Private Plot

Xia Lu Nong was completely focused on waiting for the food, paying no attention to what his brother and Liao Cheng were discussing.

Finally, after the kitchen finished frying a plate of stir-fried pork, they called out to him, “It’s ready!”

Xia Lu Nong shot up from his seat, quickly running into the kitchen, hunched over as he rushed to grab the freshly cooked stir-fry and sprinted back out with it. “Bro! Brother Liao! Time to eat!”

“Coming!” Liao Cheng shouted back, quickly putting out his cigarette, stuffing the butt into his pocket, and hurrying over to the kitchen. “I’ll get the rice. Xia, you grab the bowls and chopsticks.”

Xia Huo Qu nodded, heading to the cafeteria to fetch the utensils he had placed there earlier, rinsing them one more time.

When he returned, the kitchen had already stir-fried the bok choy, and the steaming green vegetables were placed right next to the stir-fried meat.

Liao Cheng was opening the wine bottle, and when he saw Xia Huo Qu return, he smiled and said, “Quick, quick, we’ve been waiting for you. Let’s eat.”

Xia Huo Qu sat at the table and laid out the clean bowls and chopsticks.

Liao Cheng poured half a bowl of white wine and handed it to him, then turned to ask Xia Lu Nong, “Xiao Nong, want a little?”

Before his brother could say anything, Xia Lu Nong shook his head vigorously, refusing outright, “No, no, no, I’m saving my stomach for food.”

“Haha, you eat, we’ll drink.”

Seeing that they were about to start, Xia Lu Nong served himself a big bowl of white rice from the pot.

The rice had been half-boiled in water before being steamed in a basket. This method made the rice just right—neither too soft nor undercooked. The grains were distinct, with a slight sheen unique to fresh rice. As soon as it hit the bowl, a fragrant steam rose up.

Xia Lu Nong swallowed and picked up his bowl. Glancing at his brother and then at Liao Cheng, he said, “I’m starting first.”

“Go ahead.” Liao Cheng raised his wine bowl and smiled with squinted eyes. “Eat as much as you want today, fill yourself up.”

Xia Huo Qu added, “Chew slowly. You’ve just recovered, don’t eat too fast.”

Xia Lu Nong nodded vigorously, “Got it!”

He picked up his chopsticks and took his first bite of white rice. It was slightly warm, and as he chewed, a sweet taste filled his mouth, the unique flavor of starch coming through instantly.

Xia Lu Nong sniffed, almost moved to tears.

Liao Cheng sipped a small mouthful of wine, contentedly squinting his eyes. He urged, “Don’t just eat rice, have some vegetables.”

With unused chopsticks, he picked up a large piece of fatty and lean meat for Xia Lu Nong.

Xia Lu Nong swallowed his rice and said to Liao Cheng, “Thank you, Brother Liao! I’ll help myself, you should eat too.”

Liao Cheng chuckled.

Xia Lu Nong stuffed the piece of meat into his mouth, and at first, a spicy sweetness filled his mouth. Now that chili peppers were a rare condiment, only a few were used in the stir-fried meat, just enough to add flavor.

Xia Lu Nong hadn’t had spicy food in a long time, and the spice was just right for him.

After the spiciness came a salty umami taste, followed by the rich flavor of the meat. As he chewed, the juices burst in his mouth. The meat wasn’t too fatty, but the right amount of fat made it incredibly tender and juicy.

Xia Lu Nong squinted his eyes, his heart filled with gratitude.

This was what life was all about!

The joy of eating big chunks of meat!

His days of nibbling on plants had nearly sucked the joy out of him.

Xia Huo Qu glanced at his brother and picked up a piece of bok choy for him. “Try this.”

Without raising his head, Xia Lu Nong took the vegetable and stuffed it into his mouth. His eyes lit up again.

The bok choy had a slight bitterness characteristic of greens, but it was crisp and juicy, refreshing his palate after the rich meat.

“This vegetable is delicious too!”

Liao Cheng’s cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, his face full of simple joy. “These greens were carefully tended to, of course they taste good. Eat as much as you like.”

Xia Lu Nong let himself go and ate, finishing three bowls of rice in one go. Finally, his brother had to hold his hand to stop him. “Don’t overstuff yourself.”

Reluctantly, Xia Lu Nong put down his bowl and chopsticks, his eyes still lingering on the stir-fried meat. His face showed that he wasn’t fully satisfied, but with his stomach already full, he really couldn’t eat any more.

Liao Cheng, seeing his expression, laughed heartily. “I’ve got another piece of meat back home. We’ll stir-fry it again the day after tomorrow.”

Xia Lu Nong quickly shook his head, “No, no, no, I’m already satisfied today. I need to give it a break.”

His brother patted him on the shoulder as a comforting gesture.

After the meal, Xia Lu Nong didn’t leave the table, staying to listen as they chatted.

They talked about all sorts of things, and Xia Lu Nong learned a lot about what was going on outside by just listening.

After lunch, Xia Huo Qu insisted that Xia Lu Nong go home and take a nap, while he and Liao Cheng continued to work.

When Xia Lu Nong woke up from his nap and tried to find them, they were nowhere to be found.

In the evening, Xia Huo Qu returned and said, “I’ve reclaimed part of the field, down by the foot of the mountain. I’ll take you to see it tomorrow.”

Xia Lu Nong didn’t expect his brother to move so fast, and in his excitement, he sat up quickly, putting down the book he was reading. He glanced outside and said, “It’s not too late yet, why don’t we go now?”

“It’s almost dinner time.”

“I don’t need dinner. I ate too much at lunch, so I can skip dinner tonight.” Xia Lu Nong jumped up, grabbed his brother’s coat and a jacket for himself. “We can take a walk and then sleep better.”

The base didn’t have electricity, and most people used thin strips of bamboo for lighting, which weren’t even as effective as candles.

Most people tried to finish everything before dark, going to bed as soon as night fell and waking up at dawn the next day.

They lived by the rhythm of sunrise and sunset.

Having just slept through most of the afternoon, Xia Lu Nong wasn’t tired yet. He had only been reading for a while and was eager to get some fresh air.

He shoved the coat into his brother’s arms and nudged him on the shoulder. “Come on, come on.”

Xia Huo Qu, being pushed out the door, relented. “Alright, but walk slowly. Don’t trip.”

Xia Lu Nong chuckled and slowed his pace.

The two brothers walked side by side.

Xia Lu Nong asked, “Which mountain?”

“Just behind our house.”

Xia Huo Qu led him along the small path behind their house, heading uphill.

The path was lined with fields.

Since it was early spring, the fields were full of various crops—rice, corn, sweet potatoes, tobacco, peanuts—stretching in patches.

These were the base’s communal fields.

Only the terraces at the foot of the mountain and further up were privately owned fields.

Last winter, after completing the Great Wall at the mountain’s summit, the base allocated a small plot of land to each member, usually used for vegetable gardens.

Before Xia Lu Nong woke up, although Xia Lu Nong was lying in a hospital bed, he was still a member of the base, and the base allocated him a piece of land.

Many people at the base made a living by gathering resources and didn’t grow crops, so they would rent out their land. Xia Huo Qu was too busy, so both brothers rented out their fields. The renter was growing vegetables there, but they hadn’t had a chance to start spring plowing yet.

Since Xia Huo Qu needed to reclaim the field, it was convenient, but the rent for this short season couldn’t be collected.

Xia Lu Nong didn’t know any of this. He kept looking around, curious about what was being grown on the roadside.

He wanted to plant everything but wasn’t sure where to start.

Soon, they arrived at the foot of the back mountain.

Xia Huo Qu pointed to a large, roughly rectangular plot of land and said to Xia Lu Nong, “This is our family’s field.”

Xia Lu Nong’s gaze fell on the field.

The plot looked quite large, about forty to fifty meters long and six to seven meters wide. The soil was divided into neat rows, with leftover roots and leaves scattered about. Two sections were covered with plastic greenhouses, but they were sealed tightly, making it hard to see what was being grown inside.

Weeds dominated the field.

Several types of weeds spread across the ground, growing knee-high in some places. It seemed that the person who rented the land didn’t tend to it well.

Seeing Xia Lu Nong’s eyes darting around, Xia Huo Qu asked, “Have you thought about what you want to plant?”

“Not yet. Brother, what do you want me to plant?”

“Anything is fine,” Xia Huo Qu said. “But there’s no need to grow grain. We can trade for rice; we don’t eat that much.”

“Then I won’t plant it,” Xia Lu Nong agreed easily, having just helped with transplanting rice seedlings earlier that day. Growing rice was indeed difficult.

Xia Huo Qu said, “Think about what you want to grow, and tomorrow I’ll take you to get seeds.”

“Maybe peppers, eggplants, pumpkins, and winter squash?” Xia Lu Nong mused. “Once I get the hang of it, we can even cook at home.”

The cafeteria food was awful—bland, lacking oil and salt, and always the same dishes.

Xia Lu Nong was completely fed up with it.

Xia Huo Qu said, “Let’s get up early tomorrow and check the market for seeds.”

“Alright,” Xia Lu Nong agreed excitedly, then asked, “Brother, what should we use to trade for seeds?”

“There’s still a bag of soybeans at home. We’ll trade those.”

Xia Lu Nong nodded, then asked, “Can I go down to the field and take a look?”

Resources were scarce at the base, and everyone was protective of their crops. If someone was caught stealing, they would be handed over to the security team. At best, they’d be fined; at worst, they’d be thrown out of the base.

Everyone valued their reputation and wouldn’t easily cross boundaries. There were too many eyes at the base, and getting reported would lead to serious consequences.

Xia Huo Qu nodded, “Go ahead. I’ve already spoken with Lin Xu’s family.”

Carefully, Xia Lu Nong descended into the field.

It had rained several nights in a row, leaving the field wet. The trenches between the rows were full of mud, and as soon as Xia Lu Nong stepped in, his foot slipped.

He staggered, about to fall, and instinctively reached out to grab some nearby grass.

But his brother was quick and grabbed his collar, pulling him up. “Careful!”

His brother added, “Don’t grab the grass; these kinds of weeds are sharp.”

Xia Lu Nong, still a bit shaken, glanced at his brother and then down at the grass. He gingerly touched it with his knuckle and realized it was coarse and sharp. One wrong move would definitely leave scratches.

He sucked in a breath. “Why is this grass so sharp?”

“Some weeds are like that. Others have thorns, and there are small bugs and ants on them. Sometimes snakes hide under them, so be careful when pulling them out.”

Xia Lu Nong shuddered, his eyes wide. “There are… snakes?”

“Rarely, but it’s possible. Just stay alert.”

Xia Lu Nong rubbed his arms, his face changing colors, but finally said, “It’s fine, I’ll be careful.”

Xia Huo Qu had only meant to caution him, not to scare him. “It’s better to be cautious. The world is much more dangerous now, and even farming requires vigilance.”

Xia Lu Nong nodded firmly.

Xia Huo Qu chuckled and gave him a gentle push on the shoulder. “Alright, let’s take a stroll around the field.”

The plot was about five units of land, with one unit covering 66.7 square meters. In total, it was 333 square meters. If they inspected every inch, it would take a while.

There was plenty of time before dark.

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Author’s Note:

By the way, this story is a slow-paced farming tale. Xia Lu Nong won’t transform into a cat until after chapter 20. He’ll be a lucky cat, especially skilled at farming, hunting, and gathering resources. His romantic partner won’t appear until after chapter 30. His brother and childhood friend will also become a couple, but that will happen much later as well. I’ll post a reading guide soon. Thanks for your support!

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