Chapter 81: A Big Boost
Xia Lu Nong was clearly tempted by the piglets and even offered a slightly better deal than he had for Yan Ning Wang.
Shi Jia Cheng looked at his piglet, hesitating. “One ounce of honey and twenty pounds of rice is too little. At least half a pound of honey. These piglets are rare.”
“Our honey is rare too,” Xia Lu Nong said, without pushing. “Why don’t you think about it?”
Shi Jia Cheng’s expression shifted, but in the end, he couldn’t make a decision and said he’d think it over.
After seeing him out, Xia Lu Nong returned to the kitchen. Looking at the bee larvae they had picked out earlier, he felt it was a shame to fry them.
“Honey is so valuable. If only we could raise bees at the base,” he mused.
Xia Huo Qu pinched his skinny neck, gently pushing him aside. “Don’t even think about it. With so many elderly and children at the base, anyone stung could be in real trouble. We can’t take that risk.”
“True,” Xia Lu Nong sniffed, adding, “I’ll help. I just need a pair of chopsticks.”
Xia Huo Qu blocked him, telling him to step aside. Some of the bee larvae had already turned into young bees, capable of stinging, and Xia Huo Qu didn’t want him handling them.
Xia Lu Nong watched carefully from the side. “These bees don’t seem that big. Do they mutate after they hatch?”
“Maybe,” Xia Huo Qu replied, placing the bee larvae and young bees onto a plate. “We’ll fry them and season with pepper and salt.”
Kong Zhi lit the fire in the stove as Xia Lu Nong carried the bowl of bee larvae and young bees to fry. It was the last of their cooking oil. If they used it all up before the next batch of peanut oil was pressed, they’d have to trade for more at the market.
As the oil heated up, the larvae and young bees were tossed in, releasing small bubbles immediately.
The smell of fried high-protein food filled the air, and Xia Lu Nong inhaled deeply. “Smells so good.”
That night’s dinner consisted of fried bee larvae, stir-fried bitter melon with chili, and pumpkin soup.
As soon as Xia Lu Nong sat down, he eagerly grabbed a large bee larva, popping it into his mouth with a crisp crunch. His eyes lit up. “Delicious!”
The bee larvae were tender, fried to a crisp, and had a unique honey-like aroma. The pepper and chili powder sprinkled on top made them even more appetizing and flavorful.
“This is really good. I’m going to get some wine.” Yan Xi Nian went to check the cupboard. “Should I get some white wine?”
Xia Lu Nong immediately said, “We still have some plum wine, don’t we? Get the plum wine, brother Xi Nian!”
“Alright, we’ll have both.”
Yan Xi Nian brought out bottles of both, and Xia Huo Qu washed the wine glasses, placing one in front of each person.
Xia Lu Nong drank the plum wine, while the other three had white wine.
“Cheers!” Xia Lu Nong raised his glass of rose-colored wine and clinked it with the others. “Here’s to finding more honey next time!”
Yan Xi Nian added, “And to an even brighter future for us!”
After a few sips, a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through Xia Lu Nong’s head. He sat there swaying slightly, smiling as he ate and drank, clearly enjoying himself.
Yan Xi Nian, who had planned to discuss some serious matters, saw his state and decided to postpone the conversation, smiling as he let it go.
After they had eaten their fill, Yan Xi Nian washed the dishes and came back to see Xia Huo Qu poking Xia Lu Nong’s cheeks.
Xia Lu Nong’s face was flushed, and he leaned back into the sofa, trying to avoid being poked.
“Is he drunk?” Yan Xi Nian asked.
Before Xia Huo Qu could reply, Xia Lu Nong mumbled with his eyes closed, “Not drunk, just a little dizzy.”
“Can you get up to brush your teeth and take a shower?” Xia Huo Qu asked.
Xia Lu Nong tried to push himself up but found his arms too weak and shook his head. “I’ll do it in the morning.”
Yan Xi Nian chuckled. “Little brother, you stink.”
Xia Huo Qu didn’t say anything, but he bent down, lifted Xia Lu Nong up by the shoulders and legs, and carried him.
Yan Xi Nian hurried over to help. “Do you still have the strength? Want me to take over?”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “Just open the door for me.”
“Sure.” Yan Xi Nian quickly moved ahead, opening the door to Xia Lu Nong’s room and holding it open to prevent it from bouncing back. “Has Xia Lu Nong grown taller recently?”
“A little.” Yan Xi Nian laid his brother on the bed and studied his face. “I wonder if he’ll break the 180 cm mark.”
“He’s only nineteen. He should keep growing for another two years.”
Once they settled Xia Lu Nong in, Kong Zhi came out, freshly showered.
Kong Zhi, having a higher tolerance for alcohol, was acting completely normal.
Yan Xi Nian said, “Xia Lu Nong drank quite a bit. Keep an eye on him tonight.”
Kong Zhi nodded.
Xia Huo Qu said, “No need, I’ll sleep with Xia Lu Nong tonight.”
Yan Xi Nian was a bit surprised.
Xia Huo Qu, in his usual calm tone, explained, “I’m worried he might throw up during the night.”
Xia Huo Qu had always been protective of his younger brother. Yan Xi Nian looked at him and shook his head, joking, “Then I’ll have to return to an empty, lonely bed.”
Xia Huo Qu retorted, “…Get lost.”
Perhaps the bee larvae were too nourishing. Xia Lu Nong didn’t throw up that night but felt waves of heat coursing through his body, and a certain indescribable part of him had become quite… responsive.
He whimpered softly.
“What’s wrong?” came Xia Huo Qu’s cool voice from beside him.
Only then did Xia Lu Nong remember his brother was sleeping next to him. He quickly squeezed his legs together and mumbled under the covers, “Nothing, you can go back to sleep, brother.”
Saying that, Xia Lu Nong scooted closer to the edge of the bed.
During the great disaster, Xia Lu Nong had been severely injured, and his body had never fully recovered. Most of his muscles had wasted away, and he had rarely experienced normal physiological responses like other men, such as morning erections. He’d hardly had any sexual reactions, even with self-stimulation. The last time he’d felt anything was during his beast-form mating season.
Xia Lu Nong had long suspected that his injuries might have damaged him irreparably, and that he might never fully recover. But this was a difficult thing to talk about, so he hadn’t told his brother. Given how tough things were already, just surviving was hard enough.
As he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark, his racing thoughts finally started to calm down.
His brother’s breathing had become steady and even beside him.
Xia Lu Nong, however, grew increasingly restless, unable to settle down. After tossing and turning at the edge of the bed for half an hour, he whispered, “Brother, I’m going to the bathroom.”
Xia Huo Qu mumbled something indistinctly and reached out, feeling the wall for the light switch.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes had already adjusted to the darkness. Understanding his brother’s intent, he quickly said, “No need to turn on the light, I can see.”
Using the faint starlight from outside, Xia Lu Nong quietly found his slippers and shuffled to the bathroom, taking his phone with him.
The phone had 57% battery left. He carefully closed the bathroom door, locked it, and opened a novel on his phone. Grabbing some tissues, he prepared himself.
Since people gained the ability to beastify, everyone’s hearing had become extremely sharp.
Standing in the bathroom, Xia Lu Nong was acutely aware that his brother was sleeping in the room to his left, while Kong Zhi was in the room to his right. It was the middle of the night, and though he was trying to stifle any noise, his rapid breathing still caused some muffled sounds to escape.
To his own ears, the sounds seemed unbearably loud, making him even more nervous. He clenched his hand and tightened his lips.
After the first round, he tossed the tissue into the wastebasket and sat down on the chair, trying to catch his breath.
But as soon as he began to relax, his body started to stir again, bringing on a second wave of urges.
He sighed silently and reached for more tissues.
These bee larvae were just too potent.
Xia Lu Nong tilted his head back, biting down hard on his lower lip as he tried to stay quiet.
Damn, these bee larvae are even more effective than those little blue pills.
Just as he was getting into the rhythm, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
His hand froze, and he stood there, motionless.
A soft knocking sound came from the door.
Xia Lu Nong gritted his teeth and didn’t answer.
The knocking came again. “Xia Lu Nong?”
It was Kong Zhi’s voice.
Xia Lu Nong felt a brief moment of relief, but then his anxiety returned full force.
He tried to speak, but his throat was too dry. He had to clear his throat before replying hoarsely, “I’m fine.”
Trying to cover his tracks, he added hastily, “Do you need the bathroom? I’ll be done soon.”
Looking down, he realized his body had already calmed down.
His mind, previously clouded by panic, cleared up immediately, and the feeling disappeared altogether.
Awkwardly, he cleaned up, washed his hands, and flushed the toilet. Then, opening the door carefully, he faced Kong Zhi. “I’m done.”
A faint, somewhat musky scent drifted out of the bathroom, carried by the cool night air.
Kong Zhi stood facing the bathroom, his brow twitching slightly as his deep gaze fell on Xia Lu Nong.
Xia Lu Nong’s mind went completely blank. The bathroom was so small, the smell so familiar. Anyone would understand…
His lips, reddened from biting, parted slightly.
Kong Zhi met his gaze, nodded, and said, “Get some rest.”
“No, wait!” Xia Lu Nong instinctively grabbed Kong Zhi’s wrist, speaking hurriedly, “Let me explain!”
Kong Zhi glanced down at their interlocked hands.
Xia Lu Nong quickly withdrew his hand as if burned and blurted out, “I washed my hands!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xia Lu Nong wanted to smack himself. What kind of nonsense was that?!
Sure enough, when he looked up, Kong Zhi’s eyes were full of amusement.
Embarrassed, Xia Lu Nong let go, mumbling incoherently for a moment before finally saying, “You should go use the bathroom.”
Without waiting for a response, he hurried back to his room, forgetting to be quiet, and slammed the door shut behind him.
In the darkness, Xia Huo Qu, still lying in bed, asked, “What happened? Did Kong Zhi step on your tail?”
Thanks for the chapter! Poor kitten, lol