Chapter 58 – Fully Loaded
Xia Huo Qu whispered to his brother, “Hold on tight.”
Xia the cat immediately dug his back paws into his brother’s clothes and wrapped his front paws around his brother’s head, his wide eyes fixated on the riverbank.
His brother wasted no time. He bent down, grabbed each crab by the shell, and tossed them into the baskets.
These crabs were slow to react, only realizing they were in danger once they were tossed in. They waved their claws, trying to climb out of the baskets.
But the crabs weren’t cooperative. Whenever one tried to escape, another would come along and drag it back down, clamping onto each other and preventing any from climbing out.
As more crabs filled the baskets, they even started fighting, with some crabs losing their claws in the struggle.
Xia the cat watched the crabs in the basket, his green eyes filled with pity. “Meow.”
His crabs!
Yan Xi Nian, after catching for a while, said, “This isn’t going to work. We need to tie them up, or it’ll be too dangerous.”
Xia Huo Qu whispered, “Cut some grass from the side.”
Each of them had a knife. The riverbank was covered in long, tough wild grass, even stronger than straw.
They cut a large bundle, stuffed it into the baskets, and then tied up all the crabs.
Having lived through the post-disaster world for so long, tying things up was second nature to them. They were quick and efficient, securing each crab tightly.
The group continued down the riverbank, selectively grabbing the largest crabs. Each of these large crabs weighed over a pound, and once tied up and placed in the baskets, they resembled solid bricks.
It didn’t take long before their baskets were full. They carried the loaded baskets back to the truck, dumped the tied-up crabs into the bed, and went back with flashlights to catch more.
Yan Xi Nian had originally planned to catch crabs for just two hours, but they ended up catching them for over six hours.
There were so many crabs on the riverbank that it was impossible to stop. One after another, the crabs filled the truck bed, until it was piled high with them, looking like a treasure trove.
Exhausted, the group yawned as they inhaled the smell of crabs, their faces filled with contentment.
Yan Xi Nian glanced at the truck bed. “We can’t sleep in the truck bed anymore. Lay out the bedding on the ground. I’ll take the first watch. You all sleep. I’ll wake Kong Zhi in two hours, and Huo Qu, you take the 4 to 6 AM shift.”
Xia the cat looked up. “Meow.”
Yan Xi Nian rubbed his head. “You’re not up for it right now, Lu Nong. If you fall asleep while keeping watch, it could be trouble.”
“Meow.”
Yan Xi Nian gently nudged him. “You can take watch once you’re better. Right now, you’re too small in your cat form. If something unexpected happens, you won’t be able to handle it. There’s no point in keeping watch.”
Xia Lu Nong reluctantly agreed and followed his brother to sleep.
The night was cold and damp, making sleeping outdoors quite chilly.
Xia the cat snuggled into the same blanket as his brother, his soft, furry body pressed against him like a big plush toy.
His brother held him, and the cat and the man breathed in sync, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Yan Xi Nian sat on a small stool, gazing at the stars and occasionally glancing at them, his eyes filled with warmth.
As the stars shifted and time passed, Yan Xi Nian was replaced by Kong Zhi for the night watch, and later, Xia Huo Qu took over.
Xia the cat was still sprawled out in the warm bed, sound asleep.
“Time to wake up.” His brother gently tugged his paw just as Xia the cat was deep in sleep.
He abruptly opened his eyes, noticing the morning light peeking over the horizon.
A new day had begun.
“Meow.” Xia the cat stretched out his front paws, arched his back, and gave a big yawn.
Watching him, Xia Huo Qu yawned as well, following his little brother’s lead.
Xia the cat ran over to the truck and quickly transformed back into human form, grabbing his clothes and slipping them on. He then ran up to his brother and greeted him, “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” his brother replied, a little puzzled. “Why did you change back?”
Xia Lu Nong grinned, showing his teeth. “I’m going to steam some crabs.”
Steaming crabs was a big deal!
Xia Huo Qu nodded.
The morning air was a bit chilly. Xia Lu Nong rubbed his slightly cool, slender legs, picked out twelve damaged crabs from the basket, each one heavy and tough, their shells a light bluish-green with orange accents on their bellies and legs. They looked delicious.
Imagining how they’d taste once steamed made Xia Lu Nong almost drool.
Kong Zhi, who had also woken up, joined him to clean the crabs, keeping an eye out and making note of the surrounding landmarks.
They planned to return to this spot for more crabs after their trip to Yacheng town for supplies.
Xia Lu Nong focused on cleaning the crabs without untying them. He used rough grass stems to scrub the crabs clean, front, sides, back, and belly.
Once washed, before putting them in the steamer, he carefully pulled off the crabs’ bellies.
Kong Zhi gave him a questioning look.
Xia Lu Nong explained, “We didn’t have time to purge these crabs properly. If we don’t remove the bellies, the steam will make them taste fishy and bitter.”
Kong Zhi nodded in understanding.
Xia Lu Nong arranged the crabs belly-up in the steamer. “Steaming crabs takes skill; it’s best to steam them over water, and placing them belly-up works better.”
After setting the crabs in place, Xia Lu Nong added slices of ginger before telling Kong Zhi to light the fire, while he prepared a dipping sauce.
Yan Xi Nian, the last to wake, was roused by the delicious aroma of the crabs.
He opened his eyes, still groggy but smiling. “It’s been a long time since I smelled something this good.”
Xia Lu Nong took a deep sniff. “Yeah, these crabs are going to be amazing.”
Steam carrying the rich crab aroma wafted out. The four of them huddled around the pot, holding chopsticks and dipping dishes, all wearing the same expression—eager anticipation.
Steamed crabs were best eaten hot.
Xia Lu Nong pulled out four freshly steamed crabs from the pot, one for each person, and then put more into the steamer.
The crabs were still piping hot, but Xia Lu Nong didn’t care. He grabbed one and, despite burning his fingers red, snapped off a leg.
“So fragrant.” Xia Lu Nong eyed the white crab meat that was exposed from the broken leg and swallowed hard. “The quality of the crab meat this time is really good.”
“The truck is full, so we can take our time eating,” Xia Huo Qu said as he cracked open his crab and passed it to Xia Lu Nong, swapping crabs with him. “No need to rush. We can rest here for a while after eating.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded vigorously and peered into the crab his brother had cracked open.
Inside, the shell was filled with vibrant orange crab roe, plump and rich. He lifted a bit with his chopsticks and placed it delicately in his mouth.
The crab roe was fragrant, creamy, sweet, and slightly grainy. As soon as it touched his tongue, it melted away almost instantly.
Xia Lu Nong closed his eyes, savoring the flavor, his entire being radiating happiness.
Seeing his expression, the other three couldn’t help but smile as they each began enjoying their own crabs.
These crabs, possibly due to their natural environment, had incredibly tender, fragrant meat with no trace of fishiness—absolutely perfect.
Yan Xi Nian, who had eaten plenty of gourmet food before the catastrophe, found that even the many types of crabs he had tasted before, like river crabs, sea crabs, and coconut crabs, couldn’t compare to this simple mutated crab.
The flavor was just too good. If only they had some wine, it would be perfect.
Drinking wine under the moon, enjoying crabs in the open air—what could be better?
They finished their first crab just as the second batch was done steaming, and the cycle continued. They ate the second batch, then the third. When Xia Lu Nong eagerly went to steam the fourth batch, his brother pulled him back.
Holding him by his thin neck, his brother asked, “Crabs are cold in nature. Do you want to get a stomach ache after eating so many at once?”
“It won’t happen. Beastmen have much stronger constitutions than regular humans,” Xia Lu Nong insisted, still not satisfied. “How about we have another round at lunch? These crabs are best enjoyed simply steamed.”
Yan Xi Nian chuckled. “Lunch and then dinner, huh?”
“If no one minds, I think that sounds good! Afterward, we can catch more crabs,” Xia Lu Nong said enthusiastically. “I checked last night; there are still plenty of crab holes along the riverbank. We can catch more tonight.”
“Enough, no overfishing,” his brother stopped him. “After we finish these crabs, turn back into a cat so we can pack up and continue our journey. Don’t catch any more crabs—it’s too hot, and they won’t keep well. It’d be a waste.”
Xia Lu Nong regretfully glanced at the river but nodded in agreement.
Yan Xi Nian added, “Don’t worry, we’re not that far from the base. Whenever you crave crabs again, just have Kong Zhi shift back into his beast form and bring you over.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded again.
After breakfast, once the camp was tidied up, the three people and one cat set off again.
Yesterday evening, Kong Zhi had flown into the sky with Xia Lu Nong to scout the route. Today, they replanned the route and drove smoothly all morning, arriving at their designated rest stop on time.
The midday heat was oppressive, and large clouds drifted in from the horizon.
Xia Huo Qu sniffed the air and frowned. “It looks like it’s going to rain heavily soon.”
They were driving a truck with a tarp cover, so light rain wouldn’t be a problem, but a downpour could likely soak the inside. Even though the rice was wrapped in layers of plastic, it could still get wet. The truck bed also held a bunch of crabs, and if they got rained on, they’d become even more lively and might escape.
These issues were manageable—moving the rice under the seats would solve that—but the real concern was the road conditions. Rain would worsen the roads, reduce visibility, and they’d have to drive slower, staying alert for mutant beasts, plants, landslides, and a host of other dangers.
Yan Xi Nian suggested, “Let’s grab a quick bite, rest a bit, and hit the road before the rain comes.”
“Sure. I’ll drive the first half, and you take over later. You’re a better driver, especially in the rain.”
