Chapter 94 – Telegram
As soon as Liao Cheng said this, everyone looked at him and then at the cart behind him.
Liao Cheng took a big swig of water, wiped his mouth, and continued, “And that’s not all! There are still over 400 pounds of rice, wheat, soybeans, and other items piled up in the square. Liao Quan Nan is watching over them for us.”
Xia Huo Qu was surprised. “That much?”
“Yeah! We traded over 1,000 pounds of peaches and oranges. It makes sense that we got so much in return,” Liao Quannan added. “You guys went out for just two days and brought back a harvest that’s better than what most people work months for.”
Xia Huo Qu laughed. “You should stay for dinner tonight.”
“With an offer like that, how could I refuse?” Liao Cheng replied, his eyes drifting toward the pepper trees in the yard. “So, you really did find pepper trees?”
“Yep. We even found a special pepper tree. It’s like we have a new family member now,” Xia Huo Qu said, stepping aside to reveal the little pepper tree.
Liao Cheng stared at it skeptically for a while, not quite seeing what made it special. “Uh…”
Just as he was about to ask what was so unique about the tree, the pepper tree suddenly trembled, lifted its crown, and waved its branches.
Startled, Liao Cheng jumped back two steps. “What the—?”
“Meet our new family member,” Xia Lu Nong explained. “It’s a mutated pepper tree.”
“A… mutated pepper tree?” Liao Cheng stammered, struggling to believe it. “What kind of mutation?”
It couldn’t possibly be dangerous, could it?
Xia Lu Nong called to the tree, “Come on, little pepper tree, say hello.”
The little pepper tree excitedly nodded its crown, swaying over like a child. It even reached out its branches, trying to shake Liao Cheng’s hand.
Having encountered plenty of aggressive mutated plants, Liao Cheng instinctively dodged to the side.
His reaction was so obvious that the little pepper tree froze, its branch still in the air, before slowly lowering it, looking rather dejected.
Realizing what had happened, Liao Cheng quickly stepped forward and grabbed the tree’s branch. “Hello there.”
Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.
Liao Cheng asked, “Where did you find this treasure?”
“Up in the mountains,” Xia Huo Qu replied. “It’s getting dark. Let’s grab the supplies before it gets too late.”
“Sure thing,” Liao Cheng said. “Good thing you built a second floor onto your house. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know where to put all these supplies.”
Xia Huo Qu chuckled, “You’re not wrong.”
Yan Xi Nian and the others went to retrieve the rest of the supplies, while Xia Lu Nong stayed behind.
He wandered around the yard, tapping on the watermelons one by one before finally selecting a ripe one to take into the kitchen to soak in water.
The little pepper tree followed him in and out, curious about everything he did.
But the house had tiled floors, and every time the pepper tree tried to hop around, it kept slipping, nearly falling several times.
Yawning, Xia Lu Nong reached out to steady the tree’s trunk. “Why don’t you go rest outside for a bit? Find a spot where you like to stand, and we’ll make sure to water and fertilize that area in the future.”
The little pepper tree seemed to understand and chose a spot just outside Yan Xi Nian’s house, perfectly aligned with the large tree in front of Xia Lu Nong’s house.
Xia Lu Nong grabbed a bucket of water and poured it over the spot where the tree had settled. He patted its trunk and said, “Rest up for now. I’ll give you some energy tomorrow.”
The tree’s leaves rustled in agreement.
After a while, the food arrived from the canteen.
Xia Lu Nong glanced at the dishes: stir-fried lamb, roasted lamb ribs, stir-fried bitter melon, and eggplant—heavy flavors all around. He went to the side of the house, picked some cucumbers, and made a simple smashed cucumber salad.
Soon after, Xia Huo Qu and the others returned with the supplies.
Everyone was drenched in sweat from the hard work.
Xia Lu Nong ran outside to take a look and was amazed by the amount of supplies they had brought back. Especially the bags of rice—he counted at least ten on the cart.
Xia Huo Qu watched him running around and patted his shoulder. “Step aside; we’ll be done unloading these things soon.”
“I’ll go get some honey water for you guys,” Xia Lu Nong offered.
“Make plenty.”
Having just collected honey, Xia Lu Nong wasn’t going to be stingy. He brewed a large pot of honey water, placed it on the table, and even brought out some alcohol.
After Xia Huo Qu and the others finished stacking the supplies on the second floor, they came down for dinner.
Xia Lu Nong hadn’t seen Liao Quan Nan for a while, so he made a point to greet him.
As they sat down to eat, Liao Quannan shared some updates about what had been happening at the base in the past two days. Only then did Xia Lu Nong find out that they had received a radio telegram from another base.
“Really?!” Xia Lu Nong couldn’t help but interrupt. “Are there still many surviving bases?”
Liao Quan Nan glanced at Xia Huo Qu and Kong Zhi, and seeing no objection from them, he said, “According to the telegram we received, there are currently 749 surviving bases.”
Xia Lu Nong’s hand, which was holding his cup, trembled, spilling some honey water.
“So many?” he murmured.
Kong Zhi gripped his arm, trying to offer some support.
“Yes,” Liao Quannan said, his tone filled with emotion. “It’s far more than we imagined. And that’s just the ones we’ve made contact with. There are many more out there, scattered across the country. It’s impossible to know how many.”
Xia Lu Nong let out a long sigh. “We’re in a relatively developed area, right? Why hasn’t anyone reached out to us?”
Yan Xi Nian replied, “With all the mutated plants and animals out there, it’s hard to establish contact. Give it some time. Once things settle down, we might start reaching out to each other.”
For a while, no one spoke.
Xia Lu Nong thought about Zhang Shi Hai, the Sead Project, and the apocalyptic disaster they had endured. His mind was a jumble of thoughts.
They finished the meal in silence, and Liao Quan Nan took his leave.
That night, Xia Lu Nong lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep—a rare occurrence for him. His mind raced with countless thoughts, so many that his head began to ache.
Tossing and turning, he eventually got up to drink some water. Even after returning to bed, sleep eluded him. He kept shifting positions until the need to use the bathroom arose, prompting him to get up again.
He repeated this process six times throughout the night.
On the seventh time, as he got up, turned on the light, and walked out of his room, a “click” sounded as Kong Zhi came out and turned on the living room light.
The sudden brightness made Xia Lu Nong flinch, and he rubbed his tired eyes. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Kong Zhi’s bangs hung down, partially covering his face. He countered, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’ve been getting up so many times tonight—frequent urination?”
“Ugh!” Xia Lu Nong snapped. “You’re the one with frequent urination!”
Sighing, Xia Lu Nong admitted, “I just can’t sleep, thinking about all those surviving bases. There was a time when the whole world felt like a global village, and now we don’t even know how many bases are out there.”
Kong Zhi calmly said, “In the current environment, being able to eat is already a big deal. Don’t overthink things.”
“That’s a bit pessimistic, don’t you think?” Xia Lu Nong replied. “As survivors, shouldn’t we be figuring out a way to contact each other?”
“And then what?”
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t sure what point he was trying to make. He rubbed his forehead and sank into the couch with a sigh.
Kong Zhi continued, “You woke up much later than the rest of us. Before you came to, brother Huo Qu and the others had already cleared the area around the base of mutated plants and animals several times. The ones you see now aren’t very dangerous.”
“Not dangerous?”
“Not at all,” Kong Zhi said. “You haven’t seen the really powerful ones—some are so strong that even I would have to fly away to escape them.”
Xia Lu Nong couldn’t quite imagine it.
Kong Zhi went on, “We’ve worked hard to establish this safe base for humans, but there’s still a long way to go before we can start exploring outside. For now, let’s just focus on feeding everyone here.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded vigorously.
Kong Zhi nudged him. “Get some sleep already. It’s past three in the morning. Tomorrow we need to plant the pepper tree and maybe build a fence around it.”
“Okay.” Xia Lu Nong yawned and, just before heading back to his room, turned to Kong Zhi and said, “You know, my mind was a mess earlier, but after hearing what you said, I feel calmer now.”
Kong Zhi looked at him. “What are you trying to say?”
Caught off guard, Xia Lu Nong scratched his head. “Nothing, really. I just think you’re amazing—your words have a way of calming people down.”
Smiling, Xia Lu Nong added, “Enough chatting. I’m heading back to sleep. You should, too. Goodnight.”
Kong Zhi stood in the living room, staring at Xia Lu Nong’s door for a while before finally returning to his room.
Xia Lu Nong woke up late the next day, long after the sun had risen. By the time he got up, the others had already eaten breakfast and were busy working in the yard.
He hurriedly ran outside and first greeted the pepper tree standing in the corner of the yard.
The little pepper tree was thrilled to see him, waving its branches around to wrap around him.
Xia Lu Nong patted the tree and excitedly asked, “How are you feeling after spending the night here? Are you getting used to it?”
The pepper tree shook its crown, as if nodding.
“That’s great! I was worried you wouldn’t like it here. Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”
The pepper tree’s branches rustled enthusiastically—yes!
Xia Lu Nong went to fetch some water. He also checked the small watermelon he had buried beneath the tree last night. Its flesh had mixed with the soil, and in a few days, it would break down and provide nourishment for the tree.
Since it would take a few days for the watermelon to turn into fertilizer, Xia Lu Nong thought he could go to the canteen to get some fertilizer today. He patted the little pepper tree and smiled at the thought.
Xia Huo Qu saw him running around the yard and said, “Stop wandering around and go eat. After you’re done, come out and help.”
“Got it!”
Xia Lu Nong went to have breakfast and then joined Xia Huo Qu and the others to dig holes for the trees.
By around 10 a.m., they had already planted all the pepper trees they brought back the previous day in the yard.
Their property consisted of two adjacent homes, and the yard was especially large. Even after planting the pepper trees, there was still some space left.
Standing in front of one of the newly planted pepper trees, Xia Lu Nong stroked his chin and said, “I feel like we need to plant something else to fill in these gaps.”
“This afternoon, we can chop some bamboo and use it to build a fence,” Xia Huo Qu said. “Since we’re putting up a fence, let’s also enclose the backyard.”
“No problem. Let’s leave it like this for now. We can wait for the pepper trees to grow slowly,” Xia Lu Nong said as he glanced at the small pepper tree. “Should we give the little pepper tree a name? Otherwise, it might get confusing when we refer to it later.”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “You should discuss with it what name to choose. Let it decide.”
So Xia Lu Nong eagerly ran over to discuss the name with the pepper tree. Before they could choose a name, he had to explain what a name is, why it’s important to have one, and what kinds of names are typically chosen.
After a lengthy conversation between Xia Lu Nong and the little pepper tree, they finally settled on the name “Xia Hua Jiao” (Hua Jiao being the name for Sichuan pepper), with the family name Xia, following the Xia brothers.
Xia Lu Nong said the name a few times and thought it sounded quite nice. He shared the news with his brother and the others.
Their activities had drawn attention, and by midday, someone from the oil mill came to notify them that it was their turn to press oil. They could take their peanuts to the mill in the afternoon.
Xia Huo Qu rubbed his neck. “I wanted to check the fields this afternoon, but since it’s our turn, let’s take the peanuts to the oil mill first and check the fields after pressing the oil.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Do we need to do anything before pressing the oil? Do we just bring the peanuts over?”
“Yes,” Xia Huo Qu replied. “Before that, let’s wash the large jars we’ll use to store the oil.”
Xia Lu Nong said, “I’ll go with you to carry the peanuts.”
Yan Xi Nian stopped him. “Lu Nong, stay home and wash the jars. The three of us will carry the peanuts. By the way, there’s not much gasoline and diesel left in the base. If we had more, we could just use a truck.”
“Even if we had more, it would be a waste to use it for such a short distance. Why use a truck?” Xia Huo Qu said. “Using our beast forms would be easier. Besides, we’re not lacking food, so we can just eat more to recover after using our beast forms.”
“You’re right,” Yan Xi Nian stretched his shoulders and back. “I haven’t used my beast form in a few days, and I feel like my muscles are stiff.”
Xia Huo Qu didn’t object, so Yan Xi Nian transformed into a giant white tiger, and the others tied the peanut sacks onto him.
The peanuts were packed in burlap sacks, which were easy to secure.
Xia Lu Nong helped as well.
While working, he muttered quietly to Kong Zhi, “I feel like you guys are underestimating my abilities. I’m much stronger now and not as weak as you think.”
Kong Zhi replied, “We’ll talk when you can carry 120 pounds in one go.”
Everyone in the house, except for Xia Lu Nong, could carry 200 pounds at once in their human forms.
Xia Lu Nong fell silent. As a non-predatory beast form, his strength in human form was indeed weaker, and his agility was limited.
Yan Xi Nian and the others carried the peanuts over, and soon it was their turn to press oil.
The oil mill had a full set of equipment for pressing oil.
The peanuts were first crushed into small particles with their shells on, then roasted in a machine before being sent into the oil press via a conveyor belt.
In the evening, Xia Lu Nong went with them to collect the oil.
The freshly pressed peanut oil had a particularly rich aroma. As they approached the mill, the smell was almost tangible.
Xia Lu Nong’s stomach growled as the scent made him hungrier.
He said to Kong Zhi, “After they finish pressing the peanut oil, there will be some leftover oil residue, right? How about we pick some peppers later and fry them in chili oil tonight?”
“Sure,” Kong Zhi nodded and added, “I’d like to have some sour pickled beans tonight.”
“No problem,” Xia Lu Nong agreed enthusiastically. “I’ll go check if there’s some good meat in the canteen later, and I’ll bring some back to stir-fry with the beans. Anything else you want?”
Kong Zhi looked up and asked, “Can I order whatever I want?”
Xia Lu Nong, cautious, replied, “You go ahead and order, and I’ll see if we have the ingredients to make it.”
As they continued chatting, one of the oil mill workers called out to them, “Hey, you two, stop chatting and come over to move your peanut oil. It’s the next family’s turn.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Is all of our peanut oil done?”
“Yes, the last batch is here,” the worker replied. “The oil residue is here too. Check the quantities to make sure everything’s correct, and if so, you can sign off and take it all back.”
Xia Lu Nong, being meticulous, carefully counted all the oil and residue before nodding and signing the papers.
Kong Zhi waited by his side.
One of the workers, observing them, remarked, “You two sure are inseparable! Your bond must be really strong.”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t think much of it. He casually threw his arm around Kong Zhi’s shoulder and said, “Of course! We’re like brothers!”
The worker laughed at the sight of Xia Lu Nong struggling to reach up to Kong Zhi’s shoulder, finding the scene quite amusing.
After the worker turned away, amidst the noise of the oil press, Kong Zhi asked, “We’re like brothers?”
“Absolutely!” Xia Lu Nong replied, eyeing him warily. “Don’t tell me you don’t think so!”
Kong Zhi didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, “Did you have a lot of close friends before?”
Xia Lu Nong’s mood dimmed slightly. “Not really. I mostly followed my brother and his friends around, so I didn’t play with people my own age much.”
Kong Zhi said, “So, I’m your only close friend at the base?”
“Of course! We even slept in the same bed, who could be closer than us? Those young guys from your old base?”
Kong Zhi used to be part of the same base as Zhang Shi Hai and the others. After the tsunami, they also joined the base Yan Xi Nian had established. Kong Zhi still saw them regularly, and they would greet each other in passing.
Xia Lu Nong said, “I haven’t interacted much with others, you’re the only brother I have. Unlike you, who still takes care of the younger ones from your old base.”
Kong Zhi glanced at him and said, “Friends are friends. If something happens, I’ll do my best to help them. But for you, I’d risk my life.”
Xia Lu Nong responded, “Same here! Blood brothers, I’d go all out for you! But you have way more friends in the base than I do. I only have you.”
“And brother Xi Nian and the others don’t count?”
“Of course not. Brother Yan is more like an older brother.”
The two of them bickered all the way back.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian, who had just returned after transporting the first batch of oil, came to pick them up.
Hearing snippets of their conversation, Xia Huo Qu asked, “Older brother? What are you two talking about?”
Xia Lu Nong immediately felt a bit embarrassed. “Nothing, just chatting nonsense.”
He quickly changed the subject. “Brother, should we send the oil residue directly to Aunt Zheng?”
Zheng Ling Guang raised pigs for their family, and she also cooked the pig feed. Instead of sending the oil residue little by little, it was more convenient to deliver it all at once.
Xia Huo Qu nodded. “We’ll take a trip over there now. You handle dinner.”
“No problem. I was just talking to Kong Zhi about making chili oil tonight. The oil residue smells so good!”
Xia Huo Qu said, “Make extra. Your brother Yan used his beast form today, so prepare more meat, too.”
“Got it.”
Xia Lu Nong had gotten quite skilled at cooking, and with Kong Zhi helping, they finished the meal quickly.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian returned just in time for hot dishes and warm rice.
The oil had been pressed, and everything in the fields was going well.
Especially the wheat Xia Lu Nong had planted—it was now ripening and would be ready for harvest soon.
Xia Lu Nong had been running to the fields daily, tending to them with great care.
There wasn’t much left to do in the fields, and most of the four’s time was spent on various small tasks.
The pepper tree, which they’d planted in their yard, had adapted well. Since it was a plant, it didn’t move much and stayed mainly in the yard.
At first, the people at the base found it strange, but after a week or two, they got used to it.
Since Xia Lu Nong’s family had fenced off their yard, most people couldn’t see what was happening inside.
Time flew by, and Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching.
Xia Lu Nong remembered their earlier promise and pestered his brother. “We agreed that after we finish pressing the oil, we’d go out and catch some crayfish for the Mid-Autumn Festival. You have to keep your word, brother.”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him. “When have I ever broken a promise? It’s not even the festival yet.”
“Hehe, just reminding you, in case you forget. Do we need to prepare anything before we go?”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “We’re just going to catch some crayfish. What’s there to prepare?”
Xia Lu Nong scratched his head. “So, when do we go? I’ll plan it out.”
Yan Xi Nian, who was nearby, said, “There aren’t any crayfish nearby. And didn’t we say that the base is running low on gasoline and diesel? Since we’re going out anyway and don’t have much to do, why not go further and gather some fuel?”
Xia Huo Qu disagreed, “The crops are about to ripen. If we go too far, we might not make it back in time and delay the harvest.”
Yan Xi Nian replied, “It’s not that much—mainly the wheat and rice. Those won’t be ready to harvest for at least ten days. We can make the trip easily within that time.”
“Who’ll take care of things while we’re gone? Should we ask Liao Cheng to watch over them?”
Yan Xi Nian had already thought it through. “I noticed that the scientists from White Building haven’t had much to do lately. We could ask them to keep an eye on things. They’ve been wanting to do some research anyway, so let’s put them to work.”
Xia Huo Qu hesitated. “I’m just worried they don’t know enough about farming and might mess things up.”
“It’ll be fine. Old Jin is reliable, and we can ask Liao Cheng to supervise as a technical advisor. There shouldn’t be any problems.”
White Building also had agronomy experts like Yan Ming Qing, so the chances of something going wrong were slim. Although Xia Huo Qu didn’t particularly like him, Yan Xi Nian tactfully avoided mentioning that.
Yan Xi Nian continued, “It’s been a long time since our base went out to gather supplies. We’ve been too busy with planting recently, and there hasn’t been time. Soon, we’ll have to go out in groups to deal with the ants and build firebreaks, so now’s probably the best time.”
Their base was located in the mountains, and even without the threat of ants, wildfires were a concern. Building firebreaks was essential.
This task was best done in winter when everyone had time and the vegetation had died down.
They could also gather firewood while they were at it.
Xia Huo Qu didn’t like mixing personal affairs with public duties, so he didn’t object anymore.
