The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH78

Chapter 78 – Warmth

Xia the cat’s mouth hung open. Even before the great disaster, he had never seen a beehive this large—not in real life, not even on social media.

“Meow,” he whimpered softly, tugging on his brother’s sleeve.

That beehive was way too scary, far beyond anything they could handle. It was better to just leave.

Lowering his voice, Xia Huo Qu said, “Don’t worry. We’ll talk to Xi Nian when we get back and figure out how to deal with this. If we want the honey, we’ll need fire.”

“Meow.” Let’s just forget about it.

Xia the cat’s large, emerald-green eyes gazed worriedly at the beehive.

Without another word, Xia Huo Qu held the cat securely in his arms. “Let’s head back.”

He cautiously backed away, step by step.

Once they were several dozen meters away and certain the bees wouldn’t attack, Xia Huo Qu looked down at his brother. “Can you hold onto me in your cat form?”

“Meow?” Xia the cat nodded but then shook his head, clearly unsure.

Xia Huo Qu set him down, removed his shirt, rolled it up, and stuffed it into the sack. “Let’s try it first. If it doesn’t work, you can hide in the bag.”

“Meow.”

Xia Huo Qu stood still and transformed into a massive white wolf. Xia the cat looked up at him and, once the transformation was complete, swiftly climbed up his brother’s front leg and onto his back.
Compared to his human form, Xia the cat’s cat form was much smaller. Perched on his brother’s back, the space around him felt vast.

Xia the cat dug his four paws into his brother’s long wolf fur, even biting down on a tuft of it. “Meow.”

All set!

With a growl, the white wolf started jogging in place.

Both brothers had long fur, and as the wind blew through it, it brushed their fur, carrying away the heat.

The sensation was wonderful. Sitting on his brother’s back, Xia the cat squinted his eyes contentedly. “Meow.”

By the time they returned to the base, Yan Xi Nian and Kong Zhi had already come back.

They had spread peanuts out to dry in the small square, likely drying the surface moisture in just half a day.

Yan Xi Nian said, “We won’t bother collecting them tonight. I told Lao Huang, who’s on watch, to call us if there’s any sign of rain.”

It had been sunny for days, with clear skies and bright stars at night, so the chance of rain was slim.

Peanuts dried both day and night would be moisture-free within a few days and ready to be sent for oil pressing.

Xia Huo Qu said, “That works. Check who’s free during the day and have them keep an eye on it. If it rains, they can help gather the peanuts.”

“I’ll ask around.”

Having just finished his glass of water, Xia Huo Qu remarked, “Xia Nong discovered some honey outside, but the bees are enormous.” Not sure if we can collect any.”

“Honey?” Yan Xi Nian asked. “How big are the bees?”

“Almost the size of ping-pong balls.”

Yan Xi Nian thought for a moment. “That’s manageable, not as bad as the mutated ants. How many bees are there?”

“Quite a lot. From a distance, they look like a giant round table hanging from a tree. Pretty intimidating.”

“We should still take the honey,” Yan Xi Nian decided. “There are so many plants nearby, and with the rapid reproduction of ants and bees, if we don’t take it, it might become a problem for the base later.”

After discussing it, they decided it was best to act quickly and take care of the beehive that afternoon.

Xia the cat immediately started meowing, indicating he wanted to go too.

“Why would you go? It’s dangerous,” Xia Huo Qu said, looking down at him. “You can’t even shift back to human form. If you go, you’ll just be watching. It’s not a place for spectators.”

“Meow.” Xia the cat lowered his head dejectedly, unwilling to accept being left behind.

After thinking for a moment, he ran over to grab a piece of paper and a pen, writing: If I go, I might discover something else.

Xia Huo Qu stood there, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Xia the cat glanced between his brother, Yan Xi Nian, and Kong Zhi before running over to Kong Zhi, rubbing against his leg, silently pleading for him to intervene.

Kong Zhi gently pushed the cat aside.

Undeterred, Xia the cat rubbed against him again, looking up with wide, round eyes filled with accusation: Are we not brothers anymore?!

Meeting that gaze, Kong Zhi strangely understood his meaning, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Xia the cat glared harder.

Finally, Kong Zhi sighed. “I’ll take Xia Nong with me. We’ll stay at a distance. If there’s any danger, I’ll fly him up high.”

Xia Huo Qu looked at his brother.

Xia the cat, with his paws neatly tucked under his body, tilted his head sweetly and meowed, “Meow.”

After a pause, Xia Huo Qu relented, “Alright.”

The four of them would go together, so there was no need to involve anyone else from the base.

Yan Xi Nian prepared a small bottle of oil and picked out two wooden buckets, planning to fill them with honey once they cut the beehive down.

Xia Huo Qu took a look and then fetched two more buckets.

Yan Xi Nian was surprised. “Is there really that much honey?”

Recalling the massive size of the beehive, Xia Huo Qu said, “Even four buckets might not be enough.”

“Really? How big are those bees, and can we smoke them out?”

Hearing this, Xia the cat suddenly perked up. He meowed at his brother and quickly ran into the kitchen, meowing again.

Xia Huo Qu followed him into the kitchen and saw Xia the cat jump onto the stove, nudging a jar of chili powder with his paw. “Meow.”

“Got it.” Xia Huo Qu grabbed the chili powder and, stepping outside, waved it at Yan Xi Nian. “We’ll add some chili powder.”

Yan Xi Nian chuckled. “You’re planning chemical warfare? Are these bees really that aggressive?”

Xia Nong gave him a sympathetic look. Aggressive or not, they would soon find out.

This time, they didn’t drive or transform into their animal forms. They simply carried their buckets and hiked over the mountain.

The guards stationed on the mountain were surprised to see them and asked a few questions. Yan Xi Nian just smiled, saying they’d know why when they returned.

The river wasn’t far from the base, and after about an hour, they arrived at their destination.

Yan Xi Nian and Kong Zhi both looked astonished.

Yan Xi Nian said, “I never expected so many bees this close to the base. Luckily, they seem to have a mild temperament.”

Xia Huo Qu replied, “Still, they’re a potential threat. It’s better to deal with them sooner for peace of mind.”

Yan Xi Nian observed the bees from a distance. “It’s strange, though. These bees haven’t really entered the base.”

“We don’t farm much, so we probably haven’t noticed,” Xia Huo Qu explained. “Besides, not all the bees mutated to such a large size. Some of the smaller ones don’t look as intimidating, so people might not have paid attention.”

“True.”

There weren’t many mutated plants or animals in the base.

As for plants, most of what was grown in the fields were crops, and before planting, they would carefully select the seeds. If any showed signs of abnormal mutation, they’d be pulled out as soon as they sprouted, giving them no chance to grow.

For animals, it was even stricter. Aside from the fish and livestock raised within the base, any mutated creatures that looked too dangerous were typically killed as soon as they appeared.

Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu circled the area.

Xia Huo Qu turned to Kong Zhi and said, “You two should step back. We’re about to start smoking out the bees. If anything goes wrong, transform into your golden eagle form and take Xia Nong to safety in the air.”

Kong Zhi nodded. “You be careful too.”

“Mm, if anything goes wrong, we’ll quickly shift back into our beast forms.”

These bees were big, but Xia Huo Qu and the others’ beast forms were even bigger.

Thinking of this, Xia the cat felt a bit relieved and let Kong Zhi hold him as they retreated.

Under the banyan tree, there were plenty of fallen branches and leaves.

Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu casually brushed aside some debris and gathered a large pile of firewood, even clearing a firebreak nearby.

They set up four piles of firewood, deliberately placing some green branches on top, and sprinkled chili powder over them.

Xia Huo Qu glanced at Kong Zhi.

Kong Zhi made a gesture indicating everything was fine. Only then did Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian take out their lighters to ignite the piles.

The firewood, with the green branches on top, quickly produced thick smoke as soon as the flames arose.

Yan Xi Nian pulled on Xia Huo Qu, “Quick, quick, let’s move farther away to avoid provoking the bees’ wrath.”

The four regrouped, standing more than a hundred meters away, watching the beehive being smoked from a distance.

Even from that far, they could still smell the smoke and the pungent spice in the air.

Xia Huo Qu sneezed several times in a row.

“Let’s move even farther,” Yan Xi Nian suggested quietly. “This should work this time.”

Xia Huo Qu responded with another sneeze.

Smoking out the bees required patience.

As the beehive was engulfed in thick smoke, the bees reluctantly left their hive but continued to hover nearby.

As the smoke thickened and the spicy smell became more intense, the large swarm of bees, like a dark cloud, finally buzzed away.

The smoking continued. Fearing the bees might return, they waited over an hour until there was no trace of bees left. Only then did the three people and the cat approach the banyan tree.

Yan Xi Nian sniffed the air. After a moment, he said, “I don’t smell any more bees; there shouldn’t be many left around here.”

“Meow,” Xia the cat voiced his agreement.

The three and the cat climbed the tree with buckets.

Some disoriented bees were still crawling around the trunk, but they were swiftly killed with a slash of their machetes.

“Dead bees can still sting, so be careful not to step on them,” Xia Huo Qu warned.

“Meow.”

The beehive was more than ten meters above the ground, and once they reached it, they realized it was even larger than they had anticipated.

Yan Xi Nian, the tallest of the group, stood beside the hive, but it was still longer than he was.

“We miscalculated,” Yan Xi Nian remarked. “We should’ve brought more buckets.”

“It’s probably enough,” Xia Huo Qu looked around before cutting off a large chunk of the hive with his machete. The hive was packed with golden-brown honey, and as he cut it, some honey even squeezed out, coating the blade.

Xia Huo Qu divided the hive among Kong Zhi and Yan Xi Nian, and gave a small piece to his brother. Then he licked the honey off his knife.

Instantly, an incredibly sweet flavor spread across his tongue, so sweet it left his throat a bit hoarse.

After the sweetness came a faint sourness, a natural taste of honey, mingling with a delicate fragrance on his tongue.

Xia Huo Qu turned to look at the massive hive beside him, feeling that the trip had been well worth it.

Xia the cat, tasting the sweet honey, looked much more lively. His round green cat eyes narrowed, and his furry face beamed with joy, even his tail twitching happily.

“Meow!” Xia the cat called out to his brother.

Guessing that Xia the cat liked it, Kong Zhi broke off another piece from his hive and squatted down to feed it to him.

Xia the cat opened his mouth wide and bit down on the hive chunk with a “chomp.”

As his jaws squeezed down, the honey, nearly paste-like in texture, quickly oozed out, flooding his mouth.

Delicious!

Heavenly!

Xia the cat squinted his eyes again, savoring the honey as it flowed across his tongue.

But it was almost too sweet—he could feel the honey slowly trickle down his throat, warming his belly.

Wait!

Warmth?!

Xia the cat’s eyes shot wide open.