Author Archives: Thandar

Of course, if they really want to reunite, now is a good time. The end of the world hasn’t been here for long, and although there is division between the bases, the concept of one country that existed in people’s minds has not disappeared, and there is a strong sense of identity among people. However, if they continue to develop in the future, this concept will gradually weaken for various reasons, and it will not be easy to create cohesion from it.

In addition, the situation in T City is not good now and S Base needs to extend a helping hand.

“Sooner or later.” Liang Jincheng said lightly. He was confident in this idea, but he was not in a hurry at the moment. Although the current timing seems to be the best, if he proposes this idea now, it may appear to be taking advantage of the situation, and S Base cannot currently provide the same level of living conditions as T City, which still needs further development.

It is best for Feng Xing and Ke Chenglei to come up with this idea themselves, and then Liang Jincheng can just go along with it, making it comfortable for both sides.

The road to Q Lake is full of dangers, especially with Qin Shuang’s car shuttle back and forth among the zombies. There were several times when the people in the car felt they were surrounded by zombies, but she somehow managed to break through and lead the others to safety.

After many back and forth trips, the sky that had been dark for a long time finally showed a hint of light. Qin Shuang glanced at the zombie horde following them in the rearview mirror and confirmed their safety through the radio and other vehicles. She then reached under the car with one hand and took out a thermal insulated box.

“Open it.”

Qin Shuang said to the supernatural ability user from T Base sitting in the passenger seat.

The supernatural ability user from T Base in the car was a young man in his mid-twenties named Ni Jianan, whose ability was super strength. He was momentarily unsure of what to do when someone suddenly handed him a thermal insulated box, but he followed Qin Shuang’s instructions and opened it. The thermal insulated box performed well, and the ice inside had not completely melted, and the food remained fairly fresh.

The trip to Q Lake is about two hours by car, and taking into account the speed of the zombies, the convoy will have to travel for about ten hours before reaching Q Lake. This doesn’t even take into account that the zombies at the back of the group will be much slower than the leading ones. So if they succeed, all the zombies will be able to be lured into Q Lake by the next morning, and the remaining zombies will be no more than a few scattered ones, not worth worrying about.

Although T Base was somewhat concerned about the situation outside, they still treated Liang Jincheng and his team well that night, and further discussed the cooperation between the two bases.

Although the conversation was not very clear, Liang Jincheng already had an idea in mind.

“Bring them under our control?” Ji Cha was slightly surprised when he heard Liang Jincheng’s idea. “Will they agree?”

Although this idea didn’t surprise him, he didn’t expect Liang Jincheng to have such an idea so early.

The weather in mid to late October is not very cold, but without proper preservation measures, the food will still spoil after being left overnight, especially since it was brought from S Base.

Inside the insulated box was a roll of high-quality flour for making pancakes. The texture and color of the pancake were indicative of the high quality of the flour. Another double-layered large lunchbox contained a layer of meat sauce and a layer of stir-fried small dried fish with chili and peanuts. In the corner, there were even a few sealed packets of white liquid, which could be soy milk or milk, he didn’t know.

There were four people in the car, and the food was roughly enough for four people.

In the apocalypse, supernatural abilities were highly respected. In a world where civilization has to some extent been destroyed, and it’s back to the law of the jungle, wherever supernatural abilities go, they almost represent the highest standard of living in the base. Ni Jianan was a first-class supernatural ability holder in T Base, but he hadn’t seen such rich food in a long time.

Not to mention in the apocalypse, even before the apocalypse, these things would have been considered a decent breakfast for a hasty journey.

He couldn’t help but ask about S Base.

“Is this what you normally eat?” Ni Jianan asked.

The two supernatural ability holders in the back seat laughed and replied, “More or less, this was prepared by Sister Shuang, it’s her taste. We usually eat lighter food.”

Qin Shuang looked straight ahead and spoke casually, “Eat quickly, leave some for me, we’ll switch drivers later. If you don’t like the strong taste, you don’t have to eat.”

The two immediately begged for mercy, “No, we haven’t eaten anything all night, and we might have a busy day ahead. If we don’t eat now, we might starve to death.”

“That’s right, even if it’s strong-tasting, we’re not afraid. We still have milk.”

Ni Jianan originally thought that the four bags of white liquid were at most soy milk, but he never expected them to be milk. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Do you raise cows in your base?”

“We do, but not many. Each person can only buy a limited amount of milk per day. This time I applied for a few extra days’ quota and brought out four packs.” Qin Shuang was always ready to answer any questions and was very straightforward.

“Do you get to eat meat every day?” Ni Jianan felt like he had been living in seclusion in the mountains for decades. Although he knew that his question might sound very naive, he couldn’t control himself from asking due to his surprise.

The two people in the back seat had already begun to devour their food, leaving Qin Shuang to explain to Ni Jianan.

Ni Jianan followed their lead and rolled up a pancake for himself. Then he listened to Qin Shuang explain, “At present, our base has achieved full popularization of meat and fresh vegetables. The main grain in the farm is sufficient to sustain the base’s expenses. Our missions are usually dangerous, so we earn much more money than ordinary people. But even ordinary residents can afford to eat meat and vegetables.”

Ni Jianan took a bite of the pancake and the taste of fresh ingredients exploded in his mouth. For him, it had been a long time since he had tasted something so delicious. For a moment, he felt as if he had gone back to the time before the apocalypse. He felt a stir in his heart and suddenly thought that staying in the T base might not be the best way forward.

Qin Shuang caught a glimpse of Ni Jian’an’s expression with his peripheral vision, but she didn’t show any emotion on his face, just a faint smile on the corner of her mouth.

The car continued to move forward, and the road ahead gradually opened up. The endless horde of zombies behind them was terrifying. After a few leading cars arrived at a marked location, they all accelerated instantly, no longer luring the zombies slowly but disappearing into the trees on both sides in an instant.

The zombie horde was momentarily confused, but they still instinctively chased after them in the direction they were heading. At this time, several supernatural beings appeared among the trees, catching the attention of the zombies once again. The location of Q Lake was approximately two kilometers ahead. Meanwhile, Liang Jincheng and Ji Cha, who were still at T Base, had already gotten up and were getting ready to head to Q Lake.

When they arrived at Q Lake with Feng Xing and Ke Chenglei, even Ji Cha was shocked by the scene before them, despite having imagined it beforehand.

In the distance, countless moving figures stood in a corner of the lake, all looking up at the bloody chunks of flesh still hanging over ten meters above them.

“This is my first time at Q Lake, and I didn’t expect to see this kind of scenery,” Feng Xing turned his head, “it’s creepy.”

Qin Shuang saw them arrive and immediately jumped down from the roof of the car and walked up to Liang Jincheng. “Captain Liang, Xiaoji~”

Qin Shuang was already pretty, and her supernatural ability could affect people’s judgment and willpower. Ji Cha felt like she was a fox demon from a supernatural novel, and talking to her for too long could even make him feel dizzy, which made Liang Jincheng extremely jealous. He didn’t show it on the surface, but he found ways to tease Ji Cha in private, making Ji Cha unable to complain.

Ji Cha quickly nodded and dared not look at Qin Shuang again.

“How’s the preparation going?” Liang Jincheng asked.

Qin Shuang pointed to a few people working not far away and said, “The firewood is ready, and we’re about to start burning.”

Zombies lose a lot of moisture and are more easily flammable than normal humans. The only concern that Ji Cha had was whether the temperature would be high enough to burn them to ashes.

Cremation is a phased process, and by the time the third phase of burning the bones is reached, the temperature is already about 900 degrees Celsius. It’s difficult to achieve this temperature with an open fire, which could affect the final burning effect.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

But even if it doesn’t work, it’s still an environmentally friendly way to deal with zombies. They had considered burying the zombies directly in the soil after killing them, but it was not only troublesome but also likely to contaminate the soil.

Everyone was there, and they threw the dry firewood and branches into the zombie pile and lit them with torches.

The flames burned much faster than Ji Cha had imagined. Zombies don’t feel pain, so they don’t avoid the flames even if they catch on fire. They were standing close together, and the flames on each zombie affected the others. In almost half an hour, the originally dense group of zombies was completely covered by flames, and the sound of the flames was making Ji Cha uncomfortable.

It’s unclear how long this burning will last. Qin Shuang spoke up, “You guys go back first. I’ll radio you when it’s done, and have someone bring us some food.”

Ji Cha was already prepared, “I brought breakfast for you guys, and some dry rations. But Liang Jincheng and I will be camping here together. This is the first time we’re burning like this, and I want to record some data.”

Qin Shuang glanced at Liang Jincheng, who didn’t say anything and seemed happy to go along with Ji Cha’s plan.

Qin Shuang had no objections, “Okay, have fun then.”

Ji Cha and his group decided to stay, while Feng Xing and Ke Chenglei were planning to leave. After all, there were still many things to deal with in T base, so they left soon after.

The fire started around 8 am that day and continued until around 3 pm the next day. After that, the fire gradually died down, and by around 5 pm, it was completely extinguished. The once-agitated pit of zombies was now covered with thick piles of debris and ash.

Ji Cha immediately wanted to go down and take a look, but he was stopped by Liang Jincheng. Several ability users jumped down the deep pit before him and quickly checked the bottom, sending a signal back that it was safe.

Ji Cha was then carried by Liang Jincheng, with his head pressed against Liang Jincheng’s chest, as they easily jumped down to the bottom of the pit.

He left Liang Jincheng’s embrace and poked at the remains with a stick. The skeleton shape in the debris crumbled at a single touch, breaking into small particles although not yet to the point of becoming ashes. Ji Cha was already satisfied with the degree of burning. He took out several sealed bags from his pocket and carefully scooped some of the debris into them with a small shovel he brought along.

Whether these things could be used as fertilizer, and whether there were any residual viruses, would have to be determined by the dedicated personnel after returning to the base. But at least this method of dealing with zombies seemed to be feasible, and the possibility of it being used as fertilizer was a significant benefit.

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Mobilization of the Whole Village

Upon returning to the village, Yu Qingze first informed Grandpa Chang about purchasing the villagers’ sweet potatoes at a market price of two wen per jin (1 jin = 1.1 pounds), and that he needed two gers and three men to help make the sweet potato noodles. The two gers would receive a daily wage of fifty wen, while the men would receive sixty wen.

After hearing this, Grandpa Chang went to the village to announce the sweet potato purchase and find people to assist. Yu Qingze then went to the village chief’s house to give him the blueprint and took a look at the baby strollers and carts they were making.

“I was just thinking of finding you. We can start selling them tomorrow. Where do you think we should sell them? Can we use the market?” the village chief asked.

Yu Qingze nodded and replied, “The market is a good option. Let’s split into two groups. The other batch can be sold on North Street, near the entrance of the snack shops. People who go there for food generally come from better-off families, and there is a high flow of people traveling north and south, making it easier to sell.”

The village chief expressed some concerns, “Will it affect your business if we place them there? We don’t want to block the entrance of the shop.”

On North Street, almost every shop’s entrance was lined with small stalls, leaving very narrow passageways between them. However, this was permitted by the authorities, who also collected rent for the stall spaces. The village chief was worried that if they placed the carts near Yu Qingze’s shop. it might block the passageways.

“No worries. In order to ensure a spacious entrance without affecting the business inside the shops, I have already rented the stall spaces in front of the snack shops for a long term. It works perfectly for selling the baby strollers,” Yu Qingze explained.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Oh, no wonder! I was wondering why the entrance in front of your shop was more spacious than before and wider than others’. So, you rented it, huh?” The village chief suddenly realized.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Yes. If the path to the entrance is too narrow, it affects the shop’s image. Sometimes, customers don’t want to come in when they see a crowded entrance. Moreover, many customers are traders who usually carry large luggage. They need a place to temporarily store their belongings.”

The village chief nodded repeatedly and exclaimed, “You’ve thought it through. So, how should we set the price?”

Yu Qingze asked the village chief about the approximate cost price, and then they discussed together to determine a suitable price. Finally, they decided to go and sell the next day.

Afterward, Yu Qingze took out the blueprint of the bunk bed and explained to the village chief how it should look.

The village chief and his two sons looked at the blueprint, their eyes lighting up. Upon hearing Yu Qingze’s words, Dajian exclaimed in delight, “This is great! It will be very useful for families with many children.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said to the village chief, “If there’s enough time, could you please add a few drawers underneath the bed? Large ones, to store clothes and such. Also, a thin wooden board should be placed separately on top of the bed frame to prevent dust from falling in.”

“Okay, that sounds good. It saves space,” the village chief nodded. Then, he said to Dajian and the others, “Tomorrow, Dajian, you and your brother take your wives and go sell the strollers. I will stay at home and make the bunk beds.”

“Okay, Father.” “Got it.” The two brothers agreed.

With the matter settled, Yu Qingze returned home and saw villagers carrying sweet potatoes waiting in the courtyard of Chang Le’s house for him to come back and weigh them.

Almost every household grew a lot of sweet potatoes. In summer, sweet potato vines were the main source of food for pigs, and in winter, sweet potatoes became the staple food for every family. Since everyone grew them, they didn’t sell well in the market and were quite cheap. Now that Yu Qingze said he would purchase them at market prices, everyone was happy. They set aside sweet potatoes for winter consumption and next year’s planting, and brought the surplus to sell.

By the end of the day, the villagers had brought over almost all the sweet potatoes they wanted to sell, and a large pile accumulated in the main room.

In the evening, Grandpa Chang called the hired workers he had found, and after Yu Qingze inspected them and found no major issues, he explained the requirements to them and told them to start work the next day.

On the following day, the workers arrived on time. Yu Qingze first explained the tasks and assigned roles. Then, he arranged for everyone to pick the sweet potatoes, wash them by the creek, bring the cleaned ones to the communal grinding stone near the village well, chop them on the spot, and grind them into a slurry. Afterward, they filtered the slurry twice and poured it into fermentation jars for sedimentation.

With the establishment of a streamlined workflow, one of the gers washed the sweet potatoes by the creek, while the other specialized in chopping them. Among the men, one was responsible for picking and handling the sweet potatoes and the initial slurry, while the other two were in charge of grinding the slurry. Yu Qingze and Grandpa Chang filtered the mixture at home.

Yu Qingze prepared several large fermentation jars specifically for sedimenting the slurry. Two days later, when the sedimentation was complete, they took it out in batches and dried it in the sun. After drying the starch, they finished grinding all the sweet potatoes into slurry and began making sweet potato flour.

It was only at this point that the villagers realized they were purchasing sweet potatoes to make noodles and were amazed to discover that sweet potatoes could be used to make noodles.

On the other hand, during these days, the baby strollers made by the village chief’s family started selling in the city. More than 70% of the buyers were city dwellers, with a small portion being rural residents. The rest were taken by traders to various parts of the country.

For a while, baby strollers became popular in the city. Young couples and elderly couples could often be seen strolling with their babies and toddlers in the streets, pushing the strollers.

Old Madam Cai chatted with Madam Zhao and regretfully said, “It’s a pity we didn’t have these carts before. We used to carry them by hand, and it was so tiring…”

Madam Zhao also sighed and looked at his youngest son, saying, “Yes, if only they had come out four years earlier. Now, we don’t need them anymore.”

The youngest son of Madam Zhao, a little boy, ran back and pointed to the strollers outside, saying, “Father, a cart! I want to ride too.”

Madam Zhao: “…That’s for babies. You can’t fit in it.”

The little boy pouted, “No, I want to ride. I want to ride, Father, buy it!”

When the village chief mentioned it to Yu Qingze, he laughed and said that Madam Zhao couldn’t resist the demands of his little son and ended up buying one as well.

Yu Qingze had an idea and said to the village chief, “In a couple of days, I’ll give you another blueprint. This time, the cart will be specifically designed for children under four years old.”

The village chief’s eyes lit up as he asked, “What kind of cart?”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “A baby tricycle. But this one will have higher requirements for the wheels. They need to be much larger. When the time comes, you can try making one as a test.”

Two more days passed, and Yu Qingze handed the blueprint for the baby tricycle to the village chief. At this point, their first batch of sweet potato flour had been dried.

Yu Qingze asked Grandpa Chang to take a few workers and go to a neighboring village to purchase another batch of sweet potatoes to continue making the second batch.

Yu Qingze set aside a day and brought the first batch of sweet potato flour to the shop. He then taught Brother Le and Brother Chang how to make hot and sour noodles. The key to this snack, hot and sour noodles, was getting the flavor right. As long as they mastered it, the taste would definitely be excellent.

He taught them the step-by-step process and watched as each of them successfully made it three times. Then, Yu Qingze called Brother Chang and Jiabao into the shop and explained some important points for launching the hot and sour noodles the next day. Afterward, he returned home.

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They have a plan, but theory and practice are two different things. It’s easier said than done.

Currently, the estimated number of remaining zombies is roughly around 20-30,000. If we assume there are 25,000 and successfully burn them all to ashes, we can estimate the final amount of bone ash mathematically. Bone ash is the inorganic matter left after human combustion, accounting for 5% of the total body weight. However, due to incomplete combustion, the final weight of bone ash may double. For example, for someone weighing 120 pounds, we can estimate around 6 pounds of bone ash, but the residual weight could be over ten pounds. Moreover, there may be unpredictable mutations in zombies’ bodies that are difficult to estimate.

Zombies are different from normal humans in two ways that cannot be compared. First, their average weight is lower, and second, there may be unpredictable mutations in their bodies. After considering various factors, Ji Cha settled on the number of 25,000 zombies, with an average weight of 110 pounds. The final estimated weight of bone ash fluctuates between 25,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds.

This is a huge number, and after calculating it, Ji Cha was so excited that he couldn’t sleep. Even lying in bed for a while, he still stared at the ceiling with his eyes wide open.

When Liang Jincheng finished his work and came back, it was already midnight. He got into bed lightly, but before he could lie down steadily, Ji Cha, who he thought was already asleep, suddenly approached him.

Liang Jincheng was surprised and smiled, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?” He hugged Ji Cha to his chest and kissed him on the forehead.

Due to the evolutionary mutations in his body, Liang Jincheng had extremely strong night vision. Even though the room was pitch-black, it was only slightly dimmer than daytime for him. Ji Cha’s excited expression was all seen by him.

“I want to go to Q Lake with you,” Ji Cha said. “I want to go there directly and get everything done this time.”

Liang Jincheng rubbed his neck with his fingertips and said enigmatically, “The outside world is different from our home.”

It was hard to tell whether he agreed or disagreed.

Ji Cha insisted, “I know how to use a gun, and with you by my side, I’m not afraid of anything.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Liang Jincheng’s mouth. Although he had never said it, he always wanted to bring Ji Cha with him every time he went out. The outside world was dangerous, but Liang Jincheng felt more at ease with Ji Cha around. As long as he was there, he could ensure Ji Cha’s safety.

“Then tell grandma tomorrow when you go home.” Liang Jincheng patted Ji Cha’s head and kissed his lips.

“Okay!” Ji Cha lay his head on Liang Jincheng’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Soon, he fell asleep.

Because they were preparing to go out, Ji Cha had to explain the work on the farm. Besides Wang Qinxue, the third in command was Cheng Fang. After discussing the work schedule for the next week with them, Ji Cha made some arrangements and delegated many of the decision-making powers to them before leaving the base with Liang Jincheng.

If you don’t count the fish farm area, it’s been several months since Ji Cha truly left the high walls of the base. The modified large truck in the base looks like a mini living room, but everything is simple and light in terms of decoration, and solar panels are installed on top of the truck to collect electricity from sunlight. Inside the truck, there is a small table and a cabinet with many things inside, including bedding for the bed, and even a small bathroom has been transformed in the corner of the truck. It is basically a movable room for living.

Liang Jincheng, Ji Cha, Qin Shuang and other members of the supernatural small team are on this truck, and the entire travel convoy includes more than 50 ordinary soldiers, whose equipped weapons and supplies definitely surpass those of a small base.

If before, they were afraid of being too ostentatious when going out and worried about thieves, but now the strength of the S city base is there, and there is no base within the province that can compete with it.

After driving out of the base for just over an hour, before reaching halfway to the T city base, Ji Cha stood up and looked outside through the glass window on the wall of the truck. He could already see many scattered zombies wandering by, and when the sound of the truck was heard, a zombie turned its head and almost met Ji Cha’s gaze. The muddy eyeballs and the desire for fresh meat made Ji Cha’s heart skip a beat.

He took a step back and returned to his seat.

The T city side has been communicating with their convoy through wireless communication. The current tentative plan is to start as soon as they arrive at the T city, because the danger of zombies cannot be delayed.

Compared to the tension on the T city side, members of the supernatural team from the S base are much more relaxed. Compared with ordinary people inside the walls, they are more familiar with life outside the walls, and in order to maintain the safety of the base, members of the small team deal with zombies outside almost every day.

In terms of supernatural abilities, S city base is relatively outstanding. Based on the current situation of supernatural abilities and the data they have mastered, the potential of abilities varies among individuals, but abilities can be developed and guided by ability users to develop the potential of ordinary people. Of course, this premise is that there is room for development in ordinary people. If there is no potential for supernatural abilities, it cannot be developed no matter what.

Among them, the higher the level and ability of the esper, the more people they can guide. Originally, Ji Cha thought that his rebirth was very ordinary, except for the fact that he knew about the coming of the apocalypse, he had no other advantages. But now it seems that Liang Jincheng is like a moving cheat code.

It’s like a waste material in a Xianxia novel who becomes an Immortal, and his ascension is just around the corner. Not to mention, no one in the S base dares to say that Ji Cha, who manages the farm, is a waste material.

The situation in the T city base and some other bases in the surrounding areas is very different. Although there are also espers, they cannot be compared with the S city base. Therefore, the S city base contributed more in dealing with the zombies this time.

The car drove for about three hours, and the roadblocks on the roadside became more frequent. Soon, two checkpoints appeared, and several soldiers with telescopes stood on a modified car in front of the checkpoint. When they saw the truck with the S base logo coming, they immediately jumped off the car.

At the same time, both sides confirmed each other’s identities through the radio, so the checkpoint immediately moved the roadblocks and let Liang Jincheng’s convoy pass, and then followed the vehicles on the roadside and drove inside.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After about half an hour, the T city base finally appeared in sight.

Ji Cha looked at it with his naked eye. The T city base also had high walls on the outside, but it was obviously much weaker than the S city base. For the convoy from the S base, the people in the T city base were obviously very curious. The more they drove inside, the more people gathered to watch. However, judging from the clothing and faces of the T city base residents, their standard of living was far inferior to that of the S base.

This time, Ji Cha and the others also brought a truckload of food. It was the surplus food Ji Cha found in the warehouse. The food they newly planted in the first half of this year was enough to last until the first half of next year, not to mention the main food production in the second half of the year. Even if they didn’t eat the rice stored in the warehouse before the apocalypse, it would expire in half a year. It’s better to support T city now, and the favor of giving help in a difficult time cannot be compared to ordinary times.

Sure enough, when Ji Cha told the T city residents and Ke Chenglei that the last truck was carrying food to support them, those hesitant eyes turned into gratitude.

Ke Chenglei and the others were also very surprised, and thanked them repeatedly, “We really don’t know what to say. When our base has the ability in the future, we will definitely thank you properly.”

After Ke Chenglei finished speaking, he organized people to move the food. Feng Xing explained the situation of this encounter to Ji Cha and the others.

“As of now, the base has lost two hundred and seventy-one people, and the loss of goods is not small, but overall, we can still recover from this. This is a blessing in disguise.”

While they were chatting, Qin Shuang and several members of the special ability team, along with experienced personnel from the T City base, had already begun luring the zombies to Q Lake.

For this luring operation, the base had specially killed a fat pig before they came, cut it into four large pieces, and brought it over. At this time, they hung the meat at the back of the car, using the bloody smell to lure the zombie horde that had not yet passed by.

It was already afternoon, and Feng Xing had some concerns: “Will it be safe outside at night?”

Liang Jincheng said, “At night, we can still use light to lure the zombies, and there are personnel waiting to assist us on the Q Lake side. There won’t be any mistakes.”

Several zombie-luring points at Q Lake also hung bloody pork, so as long as the zombies attempted to eat fresh meat, they would step on empty ground and fall into the lake, becoming sitting ducks.

For safety reasons, the special ability members from T base and S base sat in different cars. They hadn’t been driving out of the base for long before they encountered the zombie horde head-on. Qin Shuang was driving at the front, she whistled at the zombies through the car window, and then stepped on the gas pedal, cleanly throwing the red-eyed zombies behind.

The journey to Q Lake takes about two hours by car, and considering the speed of the zombies, the convoy will have to travel for about ten hours to reach Q Lake, not to mention that the zombies at the end will be much slower than the leading troops. So if successful, all the zombies can be led into Q Lake by the next morning, and the remaining zombies will be no more than a few scattered ones, not a concern.

Although there were some concerns about the situation outside in T Base, they still entertained Liang Jincheng and his team well at night, and discussed the cooperation between the two bases more deeply.

Although the plan was not explained very clearly, Liang Jincheng already had an idea in his mind.

“Bring them under our control?” Ji Cha was slightly surprised to hear Liang Jincheng’s idea, “Will they agree?”

In theory, this idea didn’t surprise him, but he didn’t expect Liang Jincheng to have this idea so early.

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Playing with Food

Upon learning that Yu Qingze had recognized Jiabao as his younger brother, everyone in the snack shop was delighted and happy for Jiabao. He had been alone and pitiful, but now with Yu Qingze taking care of him, everyone felt relieved.

Jiabao was in a good mood all day long. Ever since he met Yu Qingze and Chang Le, they had been taking care of him like older brothers. When he visited Brother Chang Le’s house before, he envied the warmth and harmony of their family. Now, Big Brother Yu had become his older brother, Brother Chang Le became his brother-in-law, and Grandpa Chang and Chang Hao also became his family. They were a true family.

Thinking about this made Jiabao unable to contain his happiness.

At noon, Yu Qingze turned the sweet potato powder he had brought into sour and spicy noodles, and everyone in the shop tasted it. They all exclaimed that it was incredibly delicious.

The people here preferred strong flavors and loved spicy food, so the taste of the sour and spicy noodles perfectly suited their preferences.

Seeing their enjoyment, Yu Qingze felt slightly relieved. He also sent a message to the Cai and Zhao residences, inviting Old Madam Cai and the others to visit the shop tomorrow to taste the noodles. He valued their opinions, especially the feedback from Cai Yunwei. If he said it was delicious, the snacks they introduced would be highly popular.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After closing, everyone stayed and gathered in the backyard. After tidying up, they watched Yu Qingze and Jiabao complete their ceremony of brotherhood.

The ceremony was simple, held in the backyard. The two faced north, bowed three times to the heavens, then bowed to Jiabao’s ancestral tablet, recited their oath, drank the brotherhood wine, and it was done.

In the evening, Brother Chang and his mother went back home. Today, Yu Qingze stayed at the shop. Starting tomorrow, he would return home and start hiring people to produce sweet potato noodles in bulk. In a while, he would also make cured meat and sausages, so he would be busy.

He came to the shop today to confirm the market response to the spicy and sour noodles. Plus, he really missed Brother Le, and he learned about Jiabao’s situation yesterday, so it worked out well to handle everything together.

After sending Jiabao back home in the evening, Yu Qingze began drawing a sketch of a bunk bed. The sketch was simple, and he quickly finished it. Tomorrow, he would bring it back to the village chief and his family to have it made. He would make two beds, one for his home and one for the shop. It would be ready around the time Jiabao’s house lease expired, which was perfect.

After finishing the sketch, Yu Qingze looked up and saw Brother Le biting off a thread.

“Is it done?” Yu Qingze asked.

Brother Le nodded and handed him a pair of cloth shoes, gesturing for him to try them on.

Yu Qingze took them, took off his shoes, put on the new ones, took a few steps, and said, “Very comfortable, the size is just right. It’s warm.”

Brother Le smiled at his words and went back inside. He took out the new cotton clothes he had made a few days ago and asked Yu Qingze to try them on. During Yu Qingze’s absence, Brother Le had spent all his evenings making clothes and shoes, and he had finished making Yu Qingze’s cotton jacket, pants, and shoes.

Yu Qingze put on the cotton jacket and pants. Brother Le examined him from every angle, then put the outer coat on him. Seeing that there was no need for any further adjustments, he finally felt relieved.

Yu Qingze lowered his head and looked at his new clothes and shoes, chuckling.

Wearing clothes and shoes made by his beloved felt completely different!

He pulled Brother Le over, hugged him, gave him a kiss, and said, “Brother Le, thank you.”

Brother Le patted his back, indicating that there was no need to thank him.

They affectionately hugged each other for a while, then let go. It was getting late, and it was time for them to clean up and get ready for bed.

During this period, Brother Chang and his mother slept in Brother Le’s room, while Brother Le slept in Yu Qingze’s room.

After finishing his washing routine, Brother Le habitually took the lamp and walked towards Yu Qingze’s room. Yu Qingze watched him from behind, blinked, but didn’t say anything. He followed Brother Le into the room.

Brother Le entered the room and was about to close the door when he saw Yu Qingze entering, which puzzled him for a moment.

Yu Qingze closed the door, took the lamp from Brother Le’s hand, and placed it on the table with his own lamp. Then he pulled Brother Le into his arms, smiled, and whispered in his ear, “Brother Le, you were really proactive today. Let me guess, is it because you missed me so much, hmm?”

Brother Le finally realized what had happened and blushed instantly. He gestured, indicating that he had walked into the wrong room.

“Isn’t it because you missed me?” Yu Qingze made a sad expression, looking pitiful, and said, “I missed you a lot, you know.”

Brother Le’s eyes flickered and hesitated for a moment, but then he gently nodded and gestured, saying, “I miss you too.”

“Is that so? How do you miss me? Do you miss me here?” Yu Qingze looked into Brother Le’s eyes, caressed his face with one hand, brushed his thumb over Brother Le’s lips, and with the other hand, he slid it down to give a gentle squeeze on his hip. Then he pressed him closer to himself and whispered, “Or do you miss me here?”

Brother Le’s waist pressed against Yu Qingze’s body, and he clearly felt that little Aze was starting to awaken. His face turned red, as it had been many days since they last saw each other, and naturally, he missed him a lot.

“Hmm? Brother Le, tell me, I want to know.” Yu Qingze pressed his lips against Brother Le’s, coaxing his beloved.

Brother Le couldn’t bring himself to utter such shameful words, so he simply reached out, wrapped his arms around Yu Qingze’s neck, and slightly leaned forward, pressing his lips against Yu Qingze’s. He answered through actions!

After ten days without intimacy, the two of them ignited like dry tinder meeting a fierce fire, burning instantly.

Little Aze and little Lele hadn’t seen each other for a long time. They played with great enthusiasm, rubbing against each other. Soon they were both sweaty. Little Lele couldn’t handle the vigorous activity and ended up vomiting, followed by little Aze who also vomited. After resting for a while, they regained their energy and continued playing until they couldn’t play anymore. Both of them vomited twice, exhausted and satisfied, they fell asleep…

Afterward, Yu Qingze went to the kitchen and brought a basin of hot water to the room. It was already mid-November, and the weather was getting cold, with a strong north wind blowing. Yu Qingze couldn’t bear to let Brother Le go outside again.

He wrung out a towel and wanted to help Brother Le wipe himself, but Brother Le blushed and snatched the towel from him, insisting on doing it himself.

Once they were both cleaned up, Brother Le was about to return to his room.

Yu Qingze hugged him tightly, not letting go, and said, “Let’s sleep here tonight. It’s cold outside, and we’ll keep each other warm.”

Brother Le hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. Although they had done what they shouldn’t have done, they had never slept on the same bed before. Sleeping together felt different, and it was also easy to get carried away.

Yu Qingze anticipated his response and played a pity card. He lowered his eyebrows, saying, “We haven’t seen each other for so many days, and we haven’t made up for lost time. Tomorrow, I’ll have to leave, and it will be a while before I can see you, hold you, and embrace you again. Let’s sleep here tonight, okay? I promise not to do anything. We’ve already released our desires earlier, and I don’t have the energy for anything else. Hmm? Is that okay? I just want to hold you.”

As he spoke, he pressed his forehead against Brother Le’s forehead, shaking it slightly while acting cute.

Normally, a tall and masculine man like Yu Qingze suddenly acting cute like this made Brother Le unable to resist. He felt his heart melt, warm and tender, and involuntarily nodded.

Big Brother Yu even acted cute. What else could he do but agree to him?

Seeing Brother Le’s agreement, Yu Qingze happily arranged the blankets, took off Brother Le’s outer clothes, tucked him into the bed, kissed his forehead, and said, “I’ll go pour some water. I’ll be back soon.”

Yu Qingze quickly washed and dried the cloth towel, poured water, and then eagerly returned to the room. He blew out the lights, undressed, got into bed, and cuddled Brother Le tightly, embracing him.

It was their first time sharing a bed, so they were both a little nervous. Brother Le’s body was slightly tense, and Yu Qingze felt it. He rubbed Brother Le’s nose and gave him another kiss, comforting him, saying, “It’s okay, I won’t do anything. Let’s sleep, goodnight.”

After a while, seeing that Yu Qingze truly remained still, Brother Le slowly relaxed. After a busy day and releasing their desires twice just now, exhaustion swept over him. He nestled in Yu Qingze’s embrace and fell asleep.

It was only when the breathing of the person in his arms became steady that Yu Qingze gently opened his eyes, smiled silently, lightly kissed his lover’s forehead, and then closed his eyes to sleep again.

The next day, both of them woke up almost at the same time.

Yu Qingze was afraid of waking Brother Le up, so he got dressed in the dark, but to his surprise, Brother Le also sat up.

Yu Qingze quickly went downstairs to light the oil lamp and then handed Brother Le his clothes, asking, “Good morning, baby, did you sleep well?”

Brother Le rubbed his eyes and was still a bit dazed for a moment, then remembered that they had slept hugging each other all night. He nodded gently and quickly took the clothes, turning his back to put them on.

Yu Qingze smiled, knowing that he was still a bit shy. After getting dressed, he went out to freshen up first.

After opening the shop in the morning, Old Madam Cai came with Cai Yunwei, and Madam Zhao came with his youngest son.

Yu Qingze asked them to have some dim sum first to fill their stomachs, as eating hot and sour noodles on an empty stomach might be too harsh on their digestive systems. Then he made three bowls of hot and sour noodles for them to taste, with a separate snack prepared for the little boy who couldn’t handle the spiciness.

The three of them looked at the bowls of dark green noodles, somewhat translucent and slippery, with peanuts and pickled green beans inside. The red soup was topped with white sesame seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili powder, as well as green onions and cilantro. The sour aroma filled the air, and even before tasting it, their mouths were already watering.

Cai Yunwei swallowed and asked, “Brother Yu, is this sweet potato noodles?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Yes, give it a try.”

They picked up their chopsticks and started eating the noodles.

The noodles were smooth and chewy, and the soup was sour, spicy, and slightly numbing, making it very appetizing.

“How does it taste?” Yu Qingze asked.

The three of them ate with narrowed eyes and vigorously nodded their heads.

Cai Yunwei gave a thumbs up, Old Madam Cai smiled and nodded, and Madam Zhao managed to answer in between bites, “Delicious! Appetizing! The soup is also great!”

Upon hearing their comments, Yu Qingze felt completely relieved.

After they finished a bowl of hot and sour noodles, Madam Zhao asked, “When will this be available? It’s perfect for the winter, nice and hot.”

Old Madam Cai also chuckled and said, “Yes, my old man will definitely love it. He didn’t come today because he had a headache, but when he hears about this, he’ll be craving it.”

Everyone burst into laughter, and Yu Qingze said, “Making these noodles is a bit troublesome. I’ll go back today and start looking for someone to make them. It will probably take a few days to produce the first batch.”

“That’s fine. When you launch it, we’ll definitely come and support you. By the way, I’ve been busy with family matters recently and haven’t had time to come by for a while,” Madam Zhao said.

Old Madam Cai asked, “Are you starting to get busy with the Lunar New Year preparations?”

Madam Zhao replied, “Exactly, there’s so much to do inside and outside the house, I’m getting overwhelmed.”

Old Madam Cai patted his hand and comforted him, “Your son-in-law is capable. Once he can take over completely in a while, you’ll have an easier time.”

Madam Zhao nodded and smiled, “I’m looking forward to that day.”

Speaking of which, Madam Zhao said to Yu Qingze, “A while ago, Shi family caused trouble for Boss Yu.”

Yu Qingze sighed in relief and said, “Fortunately, you resolved it. Otherwise… sigh…”

Madam Zhao waved his hand and said, “It was just a small matter. Don’t worry. After that incident, Shi family advanced their wedding plans. By the end of the month, Shi Sheng will marry into the Zeng family. If he causes trouble for you again, just let me know, and I’ll deal with him.”

Yu Qingze nodded and gratefully said, “Thank you, Madam Zhao.”

Madam Zhao shook his head, sighed, and said, “Shi family really lost face by having such a son.”

After chatting for a while longer, when they saw them off, Yu Qingze tidied up and gave instructions regarding the shop, then returned to the village.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Shi Sheng ah, you really are a cannon fodder.

Due to the high salary, many people applied, but only a few who met the requirements made it through the screening process. The high salary was not only due to the dangerous working environment, but also because the job required high technical skills.

After strict screening, only about 200 people who met the requirements were selected, which was not enough to fill half of the 500-person demand. Although these skilled workers could increase their proficiency through training, the training period was long, and resources were limited and couldn’t handle much loss, so the temporary decision was to let these people start working and find a faster solution later.

As for Ji Cha, the most immediate impact of not hiring 500 workers was that the pressure on him to cook was reduced, and there was no need to open a new canteen to share the workload. The existing canteen could easily accommodate more than 200 people.

Previously, an old man who was looking for his sister at the T city base came to inquire about the situation from time to time. Finally, he received news that his sister was returning to him in the first two days of October, but he had to wait until the next batch of personnel exchanges, which would be around mid-October.

As long as he could see his family, what did a few more days matter? After hearing the news, the old man thanked them profusely and returned home. Previously, Ji Cha had arranged for someone to help the old man with the rental housing, and now the few empty rooms left in the old man’s house were rented out at market prices. They were rented to several people who worked on the farm, as they were familiar with the area and it was safer for the elderly to live with people they knew.

Renting out the house was a win-win situation. For the tenants, the old man’s house was actually much better than the apartment buildings built by the base. A single room in the apartment was just a single room, but the old man’s house had a large common area. The courtyard alone was very comfortable. For the old man, they didn’t have many expenses. Renting out two rooms meant that even if his sister came from T City and didn’t go out to work, she could still live a stable life.

However, things took a turn for the worse.

When Ji Cha and Liang Jincheng were having lunch together, the team vehicle that went out to deliver meals reported a terrible message upon returning.

“We encountered a zombie horde of about a hundred on the way back. It seems to have split from a larger zombie unit. I don’t know if there is a large zombie horde coming our way.”

Before the soldier who came to report could finish speaking, another guard came in to inform Liang Jincheng, “Captain Liang, we have received a radio message from T City.”

Liang Jincheng immediately put down his chopsticks and followed the soldier out. Ji Cha in the room also became nervous and got up after chewing his food a few times. Liang Jincheng turned around and looked at him, saying, “T City has been hit by a large number of zombies, with a hundred casualties. They are requesting our assistance.”

This was really terrible news, especially at a time when everyone felt a little stable. The harsh reality came crashing down and shattered the surface stability, reminding them that they were still living in an extremely dangerous environment.

“So, a large-scale zombie horde has indeed appeared?” Ji Cha’s mood became even more depressed.

Liang Jincheng nodded confidently, “Most likely, it’s a zombie horde much larger than the one we encountered before.”

After the apocalypse, the rate at which people turned into zombies was significantly higher than the rate of those who remained human, not to mention that many people who turned into zombies also assimilated normal people through various means. C Country was originally a populous country, and after all the turmoil, it is possible that the ratio of normal people to zombies is less than one to ten. This number of zombies is extremely exaggerated and may not be completely eradicated for decades.

Liang Jincheng quickly prepared to leave: “I’m going out myself. You go back to the factory first and wait for me to come back.”

Ji Cha naturally didn’t want him to take risks: “We don’t know what the situation is outside yet, maybe let them go out and investigate first?”

He knew that what he said was a bit selfish, but he couldn’t help being selfish at this time.

Liang Jincheng hugged Ji Cha and kissed him on the forehead, looking at him gently: “Don’t worry, I won’t take any risks for you. Just stay safe at home and wait for me to come back.”

Ji Cha knew he couldn’t stop him, so he agreed and returned to the factory in the afternoon. During dinner, he briefly revealed the news about the zombie attack on the T City base to the people in the factory.

At first, everyone was surprised, but then they became calm. After all, such things were too normal in the post-apocalyptic world, but even if things were calm, it was still not easy.

Wang Qinxue asked Ji Cha, “Will this affect our base?”

Ji Cha shook his head: “The possibility is actually very small. The T City base is very far from here, and there are many routes in between. It’s very likely that they’ll find a way to lead the zombies to other places.”

“But,” Wang Qinxue worried, “if we don’t kill the zombies, isn’t that just a temporary solution? It’s very likely that the zombies will come back after going around.”

Zhang Xing frowned: “That’s true, but what can we do? No one has the ability to deal with so many zombies now. Even if we use all the bullets in the base, we don’t know if we can eliminate even one percent of these zombies. Are we going to use bombs for the rest? That would cause even greater impact on the already brutal environment.”

At this moment, Zhang Qinqin, who had been sitting next to them without speaking much, suddenly spoke up.

“Or maybe we can change our thinking. Instead of thinking about how to eliminate zombies, why don’t we think about how to use them?”

Ji Cha turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

Zhang Qinqin explained, “I read in the news before that some people overseas choose not to bury their loved ones after cremation, but instead scatter the ashes in the sea or under trees. I did some research and found that almost every substance in human ashes is a good fertilizer. Although zombies carry the virus, the material after being burned into ashes shouldn’t change, right? Farms are currently lacking natural fertilizers. If we can make use of it…”

As she spoke, the several men who had been expressing their opinions earlier all stared at her in shock.

Zhang Qinqin couldn’t help but hesitate, “Uh, I just said it casually…”

“I think this proposal is great,” Ji Cha’s eyes lit up. “Although it may be difficult to execute, this approach is definitely worth considering.”

Wang Qinxue slapped his thigh, “Exactly! It’s killing two birds with one stone and getting rid of potential troubles.”

“In that case, if we really want to turn this idea into reality, don’t we need zombies that can be used at any time? Who will handle this, and isn’t it dangerous?” Zhang Xing asked.

Ji Cha nodded, “This is just an idea. I still need to discuss it with Jincheng. If it is feasible, it would be best, but if it is not, there is no way around it.”

Worried about Liang Jincheng, Ji Cha stayed in the factory for two days. Fortunately, on the third day, a guard came to pick him up and told him that Captain Liang had returned.

Without hesitation, Ji Cha went back to the apartment with the guard.

The T base was attacked by zombies and has lost about 200 people so far, but luckily, the attacking zombie group was not the main force, and the main force had deviated from most of the living areas of the base and headed for the mountains. Therefore, the losses of the T base can still be recovered.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“The biggest damage this time is not personnel, but food. Because the breach of the zombies happened to be one of T City’s planting areas. Due to the possibility that the zombie virus may infect these planting areas, their base’s grain harvest in the second half of this year may be greatly reduced. Therefore, I hope to adjust the agreement we signed last time a little bit, increasing our allocation rights for metal and mineral resources, and in return, we should support them with more food.”

Currently, S City base is not short of food, and if they provide more in the second half of the year, Ji Cha is even more confident that they can meet the needs of the T City base. Besides, switching to a higher allocation of resources is definitely a huge profit for the S base.

“That’s no problem,” Ji Cha said. “Currently, except for some meat resources, we are not very abundant, but there is already a storage capacity for vegetables and staple food.”

As he spoke, he thought of what he was more concerned about: “So, what is happening with the zombie group now?”

Liang Jincheng took off his clothes in front of Ji Cha and went straight into the bathroom, speaking with Ji Cha while showering with the door open. “Do you know a tourist attraction in Q City called Q Lake?”

“Of course, why?”

Although Q Lake is called a lake, it is actually a dried-up lake that has been dry for many years. The reason why it is a famous scenic spot is because it is deep enough, large enough, and its edges are almost a cliff, as if God had placed a large basin here but forgot to fill it with water.

“I talked to Feng and the others and we plan to work together to lure all the zombies that are still wandering nearby over to one side. If successful, we can trap the zombies in place and don’t have to worry about them crawling up.”

Ji Cha immediately thought of the zombie disposal plan they had discussed at home: “Can we burn them after disposing of each batch?”

Liang Jincheng half-closed his eyes and looked at Ji Cha through the water droplets: “Hmm?”

Ji Cha proposed the idea of turning the burned zombies into fertilizer and the more he spoke, the more he felt it was a good idea: “I remember there aren’t many dense trees around Q Lake, and the bottom of the pit is also clean. Burning them won’t affect other things, and it can also prevent the problem of the zombies piling up higher and higher. We can continuously lure zombies in the future.”

Suddenly, the three problems of how to deal with zombies, how to sustainably deal with zombies, and how to profit from it were all solved.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Family

Brother Le brought Jiabao back to the shop, and they didn’t see the landlord and the buyer along the way, so they probably had already arrived.

When Brother Chang and the others saw them returning, they asked, “You’re back? Jiabao, are you okay? Why are you here so late? Where’s Tie Zhu?”

“Brother Chang, something came up.” Jiabao lowered his head apologetically and said, “I’m sorry for asking you to watch the counter for me.”

“It’s okay. What happened? Is it because you’re not feeling well?” Brother Chang asked with concern.

Jiabao shook his head and explained, “The house I live in was sold, and the landlord and the buyer asked me to move out today.”

“What? Move out today? You never mentioned it before,” Brother Chang exclaimed in surprise.

“The landlord told me only yesterday,” Jiabao said.

“What! This landlord is bullying people! Where is he? Let’s go find him and settle this!” Brother Chang immediately left the counter, pulling Jiabao with him. “Xiaoshu, come and watch the counter.”

Brother Le had been looking towards the dining area since he returned. Now, he patted Jiabao’s shoulder, signaling him to go find the landlord.

Jiabao glanced around and indeed spotted the landlord at a table in the corner. He led Brother Le and Brother Chang over to him.

The other people in the shop noticed that something seemed to be happening and curiously looked in their direction.

The landlord was currently happily tasting the dim sum with the buyer.

It was his first time coming here to eat dim sum, and the deliciousness made him wish he could devour his fingers as well.

Although he had rental properties, they were all in poor condition and had cheap rent. His own family only made a living by selling vegetables on the street to the farmers, without any other sources of income. They could barely get by.

Yu’s Delicious Delights was well-known in the city, and he had always thought their dim sum were expensive, something he couldn’t afford, so he had never dared to come in.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

This time, it was because his son was getting married and they didn’t have enough dowry. Coincidentally, someone wanted to buy his old house, and the price offered was very tempting, so he decided to sell it. With the money in hand, he gained some confidence and invited the buyer to eat dim sum.

After coming in, he realized that not all dim sum were expensive. Some dim sum were priced similarly to those sold outside, like steamed buns and stuffed buns. Of course, there were other expensive ones that he had never seen before, which were indeed very costly.

While he was eating, he suddenly saw Tian Jiabao walking towards them.

“Tian Jiabao, have you moved out? Why are you here?” The landlord swallowed a meatball, set down the skewer in his hand, and furrowed his brow as he asked.

Jiabao replied, “Uncle, I haven’t moved out. You tell your workers not to touch my belongings. My lease hasn’t expired yet. I still have ten days.”

The landlord frowned and said, “Didn’t I tell you yesterday? The buyer urgently needs this house. I will refund you the remaining ten days’ worth of rent.”

“You’re Jiabao’s landlord?” Brother Chang raised an eyebrow and asked.

The landlord furrowed his brow as he looked at Jiabao and the two gers next to him. Seeing that both of them were angry and that this ger seemed to be a waiter in the restaurant, he immediately replied, “Yes. Do you know Tian Jiabao?”

Brother Chang didn’t answer his question and asked the other person at the table, “Are you the buyer?”

The person nodded.

“Could you two please come with us to the backyard? We have something to discuss,” Brother Chang said, and the three of them walked towards the backyard.

The landlord and the buyer exchanged glances and, with a sense of curiosity, got up and followed them to the backyard.

Once they arrived in the backyard and saw the two of them, Brother Chang crossed his arms and began speaking, “Uncle Landlord, you told Jiabao last night that the house was sold and he had to move out today. What’s the reason behind this? Explain it to us.”

The landlord furrowed his brow and said, “The house has already been sold. The buyer urgently needed it. I made it clear to Tian Jiabao yesterday. I will refund him the remaining ten days’ worth of rent. Isn’t that enough?”

Hearing this, Brother Le and Brother Chang became furious. Brother Chang rolled up his sleeves, placed his hands on his waist, and angrily retorted, “You just tell him to move out, just like that? You didn’t even give him time to find another place to live. Where do you expect him to go? Sleep on the streets? Is this how you handle things? Jiabao is only thirteen years old. If anything happens to him, will you take responsibility?!”

“And you!” Brother Chang pointed at the buyer. “Although you bought the house and it’s yours now, when you saw someone living inside and their lease hasn’t expired yet, you forcibly evict them. And it’s a young teenager at that. Do you have any conscience? How would you feel if someone treated your son like this? Selling the house one day and kicking people out the next, how can you do such a thing?!”

“Hey, why do you care? Mind your own business!” The landlord felt offended by the young ger’s words and said discontentedly.

“Oh, so you’re targeting a single person because you think they’re easy to bully, right? Two grown men bullying an underage young boy. How shameful!” Brother Chang retorted without backing down.

“You…” The landlord was choked with anger and couldn’t come up with a counterargument. He stubbornly said, “The house is mine. I can sell it if I want, rent it if I want, and if I don’t want to rent it, I won’t. I can tell them to move whenever I want. It’s none of your business!”

Upon hearing the argument in the backyard, three or four customers became curious and came over to see what was happening.

Brother Chang saw this and quickly said, “Everyone, let’s discuss this. The landlord here sold the house and told the tenant to move out the next day, even though the lease hadn’t expired. Moreover, he didn’t give them time to find another place. And the tenant is an underage thirteen-year-old child. Tell me, is this how things should be done? Isn’t it obvious that they’re taking advantage of someone?”

One of the customers chimed in, “They asked them to move the next day after telling them the previous night? That, that’s just unreasonable!”

“Yeah, where is a child supposed to live?”

“At the very least, give him some time to find a new place, don’t you agree?”

“…”

The landlord and the buyer, seeing that people were gathering to watch the commotion and that they were being criticized, couldn’t bear the shame. They exchanged glances, not wanting to lose face, but unsure of how to handle the situation. They felt somewhat awkward.

Brother Chang glanced at them and continued, “Uncle Landlord, this gentleman, Jiabao works as an assistant in our restaurant. He is not alone; everyone in our restaurant is his family. Don’t just bully him like this. Here’s what we propose: you sold the house, fine. Jiabao will move out, but you have to wait until he finds a place to live. He has ten days left on his lease, and during these days, he will find a new place and move out. You can’t forcefully evict him like this. He’s just a child, and his life is already difficult enough. We hope you can show some understanding and flexibility. Ten days, until the lease expires, and Jiabao will move out. How about it?”

The landlord glanced at the buyer. It didn’t affect him much, but the buyer mentioned the urgency, and that’s why he…

The buyer furrowed his brow, but given the current situation, he had no choice but to nod and go along with the compromise offered by Brother Chang. He said, “Let’s do it this way. Hurry up and find a new place.”

Upon hearing this, Jiabao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Brother Le and Brother Chang exchanged glances and also felt relieved.

After causing such a scene, the landlord and the buyer felt embarrassed to sit down and enjoy their dim sum. They packed up and left.

Brother Le asked Jiabao to go back, tidy up his place, and then come over. They would figure out a solution together.

That evening, as instructed by Brother Le, Brother Qing went to Brother Le’s house in the village after returning home to inform them about Jiabao’s situation.

Upon hearing the news, Yu Qingze, and Grandpa Chang were also shocked. They couldn’t believe such a thing had happened. Fortunately, Brother Le and Tie Zhuo had arrived; otherwise, Jiabao would truly have been left homeless.

There was still a buffer period of ten days to find a new place to live, so there should be enough time.

Yu Qingze thought about it all night. Jiabao was still young and had a gentle personality. In the future, living alone, he would likely encounter various difficulties, and who knows if he would be taken advantage of at some point? This time, he was fortunate enough to be discovered by Brother Le and the others, but who knows if there have been other instances where he was mistreated without their knowledge?

As he pondered, an idea came to Yu Qingze’s mind, but this idea would require the approval of Grandpa Chang and the others.

The next day, during breakfast, Yu Qingze spoke to Grandpa Chang, saying, “Grandpa, I want to officially recognize Jiabao as my younger brother. What do you think?”

Upon hearing this, Chang Hao looked up at his grandpa, hoping that he would agree.

Grandpa Chang glanced at him and said, “That’s a good idea. I also thought about it all night. I was actually considering having Jiabao move in with us. Our conditions have improved now, and Jiabao is capable. Having one more person in the house would make it livelier, although it might be a bit crowded.”

Chang Hao raised his hand and said, “I can share a sleeping mat with Jiabao.”

Unexpectedly, Grandpa Chang had the same idea as him. Yu Qingze felt delighted, he patted Chang Hao’s head and said, “No need for a sleeping mat. I’ll go ask the village chief to make a bunk bed, and you two can sleep together.”

“What’s a bunk bed?” Chang Hao curiously asked.

Yu Qingze explained, “It’s two beds stacked on top of each other, with one bed on the upper level and one on the lower level. Both can be used for sleeping.”

Chang Hao’s eyes lit up, widening as he exclaimed, “Two levels?” He wanted to sleep on it!

Yu Qingze nodded and then said, “But we have to wait for Jiabao’s agreement before finalizing this.”

Grandpa Chang said, “Let’s make an extra one. You can’t keep sleeping on that small bed all the time.”

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “No need. That one is enough. I usually sleep at the restaurant anyway, and I don’t spend much time at home. We can make a new bed when we build a house in the future.”

By then, they would need to have a custom-made double bed. He would sleep together with Brother Le. Hehehe…

Grandpa Chang nodded in response and said, “You’re sacrificing for others.”

“It’s not a problem. As long as I can sleep, it’s fine,” Yu Qingze replied with a shake of his head.

After breakfast, Yu Qingze told Grandpa Chang to keep an eye on the cured meat and sausages, making sure they don’t get burnt and to maintain the smoke. Then he took the newly made sweet potato noodles and returned to the city.

Upon returning to the shop, Yu Qingze first talked to Brother Le about Jiabao’s situation. Brother Le, who was kind-hearted and soft-hearted, immediately agreed and dashed out to bring Jiabao over.

Yu Qingze looked at him with a wry smile. After not seeing each other for so many days, Brother Le didn’t even spare him any time for hugs and kisses. Didn’t he miss him at all?

Jiabao entered Yu Qingze’s room and asked with confusion, “Brother Yu, did you call me for something?”

Yu Qingze nodded, placing his hands on Jiabao’s shoulders and said, “Jiabao, as you know, I’m also alone without any other family members. It wasn’t until I met Brother Le and the others that I rediscovered the warmth of a family.”

Upon hearing this, Jiabao lowered his head, pinching the corner of his clothes, feeling a little down. He had been to Brother Le’s house, and it was indeed very nice. Grandpa Chang was kind, Brother Le was gentle, and Chang Hao was also good. He was envious of them.

Yu Qingze glanced at him and continued, “You’re still young, and it’s not easy to live alone. We’re also worried about you. Look, would you like to recognize me as your brother? In the future, Brother Le and I will take good care of you and treat you like a real little brother.”

Upon hearing these words, Jiabao suddenly raised his head, looking at Yu Qingze in disbelief, and stammered, “Brother Yu, you, you want to recognize me as your brother?”

Yu Qingze nodded and earnestly said, “Perhaps we don’t have the best conditions right now, and we’re busy and tired every day. We also don’t have a separate room for you to stay in. However, things will gradually get better in the future. Brother Le, Grandpa, Chang Hao, and I will all treat you as a family. Are you willing? Are you willing to have a few more family members?”

Jiabao’s eyes welled up with tears halfway through. As soon as Yu Qingze finished speaking, he vigorously nodded and said, “I’m willing. But, but I don’t know anything. Will I be a burden to you?”

Brother Le patted his shoulder, wiping away his tears, and gave him a thumbs up.

Yu Qingze translated, “Brother Le says you’re very capable. I also think you’re smart and capable. Don’t worry, you need to believe in your own abilities. Look, our shop can’t do without you now. You’re great, have more confidence!”

“Okay.” Upon hearing this, Jiabao nodded, wiped away his tears, and finally broke into a smile.

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “Alright, let’s have a simple ceremony tonight and let your mother know too, to put him at ease.”

Jiabao nodded, “Okay.”

Yu Qingze patted his head and said, “Great, from now on, just call me ‘Big Brother’ or ‘Brother,’ got it?”

“Okay, Big Brother.” Jiabao exclaimed with excitement, his eyes shining brightly.

“Good. Wipe away your tears and go work outside,” Yu Qingze responded, patting the young boy’s head, and let him go.

In his previous life, Yu Qingze had rejected the idea of having a younger brother a thousand times. The thought of a younger brother reminded him of those two troublemakers back home. However, after coming here and getting to know the Chang Le family, experiencing the warmth of a family, and seeing Chang Hao, he realized that having a younger brother could actually be quite adorable.

Yu Qingze didn’t hesitate much about accepting Jiabao as his younger brother because Jiabao was too well-behaved. His obedient and adorable nature didn’t bring back any shadows from his previous life. Instead, it filled him with anticipation and a sense of fulfillment as an older brother.

“Yes, Big Brother.”

Look, what an obedient child. Yu Qingze felt very pleased.

After Jiabao left, Brother Le also wanted to follow him, but Yu Qingze pulled him back, held him in his arms, and kissed him for a long time.

After being apart for so many days, they had to make up for it. How could they be satisfied without enough kisses!

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: Awww that’s so kind of them. Poor Jiabao is so lucky.

Ji Cha had just returned from the fish pond.

As the person currently in charge of the entire base’s food supply, Ji Cha was certainly not unfamiliar to the old man. He also knew that Ji Cha had a good relationship with Liang Jincheng. Even if Ji Cha did not have the power to decide on this matter, if he could persuade Liang Jincheng to say a word or two, it might help. Otherwise, following Liang Jincheng’s busy schedule, it was uncertain when he would be able to meet him.

“This is the letter my sister wrote back,” the old man took out the letter from his pocket, which he had already read many times, and handed it to Ji Cha as an explanation. “I want to bring her over to live with me for easier care. There is no one else around me now, and since she’s still alive, I can’t bear to let her be alone outside.”

Ji Cha lowered his head to read the letter while the old man continued, “My house is big enough for us to live together. We can make do with food and drink, and if there is a need in the base, two more people can live in my house. I even have a small yard where we can grow some vegetables. We can manage to get by.”

He spoke very cautiously, trying to prove that bringing his sister back would not become a burden to the base.

Ji Cha sensed his nervousness and reassured him, “Families should be together. However, bringing someone back is not something I can promise easily. After all, you also know the current situation outside. When the technicians from T city came, they were almost attacked by zombies. It’s hard to say if anything will go wrong. But if you can bring her over, I can guarantee that the base will not give you any trouble.”

“What you said earlier about renting a room reminds me that if you have this idea, go to the administrative office and report it. We have a lot of people in the base now, and we rent houses using information points. If you have an empty room and are willing to rent it out, put your name up at the administrative office, and you’ll earn information points every month. It’s also a form of income.”

When the old man heard that there was a way to rent out his room, he immediately nodded and smiled, “Okay, I’ll go there later. If the base can arrange to bring my sister over, that would be great. If not, I understand. Thank you.”

Ji Cha smiled and shook his head, and said to the old man, “The farm is hiring part-time workers these days. You can go and see if there are any suitable jobs. As for picking up your sister, I will talk to Captain Liang later.”

The old man nodded with a smile.

The scale of the base is getting bigger and bigger, and the original construction plan is starting to seem less reasonable. The design concept of the S City base at the beginning was completely aimed at a small base of tens of thousands of people, mostly for self-preservation. Therefore, a circle of high walls was built outside all the main buildings to prevent zombies. However, now it seems that whether it is for the surviving population or the future development of the personnel within the base, this circle is completely insufficient.

To supply such a large living circle, it may still be possible without seeking technological recovery or an improvement in living standards. However, if there are corresponding requirements, it will still need to break through to the outside. For example, to form alliances with other bases or to make the most of the existing buildings in the city.

This means that the people in the base will have to go out, and going out is still a dangerous term at present. Before entering any building, it is necessary to clear and inspect it, and a lot of security forces will also need to be invested to maintain safety.

September is coming to an end, and the weather will turn cold from now on. Most of the work that needs to be done outside should actually be completed before winter, otherwise, the work efficiency will obviously decrease, and the cost of going out and the demand for labor will also greatly increase. Therefore, the workload planned for the second half of the year is not large.

As for the Ji Cha’s Farm, the main task for the second half of the year is to open up a new planting area, which accounts for one-third of the total planting area. At the same time, the breeding area also needs to expand. Currently, the farm can achieve a balance in planting and breeding. Many crops can provide livestock with feed, such as straw or rice bran, in addition to the parts that are edible for humans.

In the agreement previously reached with the T City base, a certain amount of grain also needs to be provided to the other party after the new year. Moreover, no matter which base is involved in the exchange of goods, edible grain will not be refused. In other words, grain production is the focus of the second half of the year.

The communication between the S City base and the T City base has been close recently. The old man suggested to bring people back, and the operation is not difficult, but the only concern is whether any unexpected situations will occur during the process, which cannot be predicted by anyone.

Ji Cha mentioned this matter to Liang Jincheng at night, and Liang Jincheng also said he understood: “The people below told me, I will let someone take care of it.”

“Any progress at the fish farm today?” Liang Jincheng asked again.

“About the same as before,” Ji Cha sat by the bed soaking his feet, trying to relieve the exhaustion after a day of running around. “The people sent from T city before the apocalypse did raise fish, but they did it in the ocean and the environment wasn’t as harsh as it is now. Although they proposed a few new ideas, it’s impossible to solve the problem quickly.”

“This is not something to be rushed,” Liang Jincheng sat next to Ji Cha and lifted his hand to massage his shoulder.

Ji Cha dealt with the internal issue of ensuring the survival of the base through food, while Liang Jincheng controlled the overall development of the base, which was considered an external problem. To outsiders, their temperaments were vastly different. Ji Cha appeared gentle and always had a smile on his face, and was easy to talk to. In contrast, Liang Jincheng was known for his decisive and ruthless methods, and nobody dared to joke around in front of him.

Just this one person, who could have imagined that he would be sitting on the edge of the bed giving someone a shoulder rub and a hand massage at this time.

“In fact, I’m considering putting the fish farm on hold for now,” said Ji Cha, half-closing his eyes and humming comfortably. “Apart from planting another batch of staple crops in the greenhouse in the second half of the year, the focus is on letting everyone eat more meat. Recently, the canteen has been complaining that there’s not enough meat in the dishes.”

Liang Jincheng sneered, “They’re spoiled. Do they think it’s still the modern life where they can play games on their phones and sleep without worry behind closed doors? How many bases outside can’t even eat a meal? Let alone T City, how many people there go hungry every day? They’re starting to complain with their eyes closed.”

Ji Cha smiled and said, “This can be understood too. After all, they haven’t really encountered any dangers from the outside world in a long time.”

Liang Jincheng said, “But we can’t live in peace for too long. The base needs to expand, and the internal materials and resources are no longer sufficient. We’re now organizing the establishment of small gathering points outside, where we can station workers and make use of the infrastructure left behind.”

Some areas of S City have specialized talents, and there are also related factory sites in S City itself, which will be the key points for sending workers in the future. Workers will be sent out by car in the morning and brought back in the evening, and there will be supernaturals and ordinary soldiers working together to protect them during working hours.

Liang Jincheng continued, “I’ll be handing it over to you in a few days.”

“Handing it over to me?” Ji Cha was puzzled.

Liang Jincheng said, “The lunch will have to be sent over here. There will be several factory points, and probably five hundred people will need to be fed every day. You’ll have to figure out the arrangements on your end.”

Sure enough, as Liang Jincheng had said, a few days later, the person in charge of the external factory, Gao Kangle, came to find Ji Cha.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Gao Kangle is a middle-aged man around 40 years old. He is not tall and looks serious, but he speaks politely. Perhaps it’s because he was polite when Liang Jincheng mentioned Ji Cha, and in the end, having control over a base’s food supply in the apocalypse is real power.

“The overall preparation is about to start, and it will probably officially begin in about a week. Going outside is a labor-intensive and dangerous job, so I’m thinking of just including lunch in the wages. It sounds better,” Gao Kangle said. “Nowadays, working outside earns you 30 information points a day, of course, this also depends on your opinion, Director Ji.”

When Ji Cha heard that lunch would be included in the wages, he knew it wouldn’t work. Although it was almost the same thing when it came to the collective economy, the reality was that the farm here was calculated separately. If they really included lunch, the farm that was already barely making any money would have to pay for the workers’ wages, even if it was only three information points per person per day, a bean bun was still dry rations.

Ji Cha expressed his concern about the farm’s operation. Gao Kangle then said, “If we use this method, I will definitely apply for a subsidy for the farm from the higher-ups.”

Ji Cha asked, “If lunch is fully covered, is it free? Can they eat as much as they want?”

Gao Kangle nodded.

“I disagree,” Ji Cha said. “Just look at some of the units before the apocalypse. Who cared when they ate the government’s food? Waste and taking it home was not uncommon. If we really do it this way, there will definitely be a lot of trouble in the future. I suggest we do it this way: the staple food can be free, and the farm doesn’t need additional subsidies, but the dishes need to be paid for separately, and they are also categorized. There can be an option of one meat and one vegetable, one meat and two vegetables, or two meats and two vegetables, with prices of 3 points, 4 points, and 5 points, respectively. The workers who participate in the work can come over and determine which level they want to eat, and I will enter the data into the computer. Then it will automatically deduct the money every day.”

After hearing what Ji Cha had to say, Gao Kangle realized that he had oversimplified things. He thought for a moment and said, “Okay, I will have to adjust the wages on my end. When it’s settled, I’ll come back and tell you.”

After speaking, Gao Kangle turned his head and left in a hurry.

They are verifying the details here, and the recruitment office has already determined the new job positions and posted them in electronic and written form everywhere.

Each position has been clearly and specifically defined according to the different types of work, but the most attractive aspect is the salary column. In the past, earning over 20 information points a day was considered good on the farm, but this time the published job positions start at 30 information points per day, and the highest is up to 40. Plus, meals including rice are provided, which basically means being guaranteed to be well-fed.

Therefore, countless people rushed to sign up, completely ignoring the warning of “may face life-threatening danger at any time” written in large letters at the end.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Mad Dog Out of Its House

On this day, it was just starting to get light, still dim and not fully bright. Brother Le, Brother Chang, and Brother Chang’s mother were in the kitchen making dim sum.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Tap, tap, tap. It was the sound of someone using the palm of their hand to knock, urgent and heavy, causing unease in the hearts of those inside.

“Who could it be so early? It’s barely dawn,” Brother Chang’s mother wondered, looking up at the door after wrapping up a steamed bun, preparing to go out and see.

Brother Chang grabbed his mother’s arm and said, “Wait, mother. It’s too early, and there aren’t many people out on the street yet. We don’t know who it is, so let’s ask first.”

Brother Le also nodded and gestured, “We’ve lived here for so long and never encountered someone knocking on the door this early.”

The three of them looked at each other. They had a sense that something was amiss.

Outside the house, the knocking became more urgent.

Finally, Brother Chang said, “I’ll go and see.”

Brother Le held him back and gestured, “I’ll go with you.”

The two of them walked to the door, and Brother Chang asked from behind the door, “Who is it?”

The knocking stopped, and then an anxious voice came from outside, “Is Boss Yu here? Is Boss Yu available?”

They were looking for Boss Yu?

“Boss Yu is not here. Please come back in a couple of days,” Brother Chang replied.

The two of them found the voice somewhat familiar. Brother Chang pointed at the door crack, indicating they should take a look through it.

Brother Le nodded. The two of them crouched down, one above the other, and peered out through the door crack for a while before straightening up.

Brother Le furrowed his brow and gestured, “Is it Young Master Shi?”

Brother Chang nodded and whispered, “That’s what it looks like. Disheveled hair, seems quite distressed.”

“He’s here, he must be here. Doesn’t he live here? Open the door quickly, let me see him. I need to see him,” Shi Sheng anxiously looked at the street outside the door, appearing very worried. Brother Chang replied, “I’m sorry, but Boss Yu hasn’t been here these days. If you have any business, come back in a few days. Actually, it’s better if you don’t come.”

Saying that, the two of them looked through the crack in the door.

They saw Shi Sheng pause for a moment, bite his lip, glanced backward, and then said, “Where’s that mute guy, Chang Le? Let him come out, I want to see him. I want to see how he’s better than me. What gives him the right to claim Yu Qingze? He doesn’t look as good as me, and he can’t even speak or read…”

Behind the door, the two of them frowned and stood up straight. Brother Le opened the door with a stern face, glaring at this person who coveted his fiancé.

When Shi Sheng saw the door open, he wanted to rush in. As he took a step forward, he said, “Where’s Boss Yu? Are you intentionally keeping him from seeing me? Let me talk to him again. I have some money saved up. I can help him open a bigger store. As long as he marries me, only he can help me. I… Ah…”

Before he could finish speaking, a strong force pushed against his chest, causing him to fall backward onto the ground.

“Chang Le! What are you doing?” Shi Sheng angrily looked at the person who pushed him down and cursed.

Brother Le looked at him with a stern face, while Brother Chang sneered and said, “Young Master Shi, Boss Yu has already told you. He will only marry Brother Le. Have you not looked in the mirror? Your behavior is despicable! You have no decency or shame!”

Shi Sheng gritted his teeth and said, “I had no choice! My family wants to marry me off to a sickly wretch who lacks human dignity. Only Yu Qingze can help me. He has good relations with the Zhao and Cai families. The Zeng family wouldn’t dare to trouble him. I…”

Brother Chang interrupted him, retorting, “Who cares if you had no choice? Can’t you find other unmarried men? Anyway, stop seducing other people’s fiancés!”

At that moment, some noisy voices came from a nearby alley, indicating that a group of people was approaching. Shi Sheng became anxious upon hearing it, disregarding the grievances between him and the two brothers. He squeezed past them and said, “We can discuss this later. Let me in first. We can talk inside…”

Brother Le extended his hand to stop him from entering.

Brother Chang pushed him outward and said, “Boss Yu said our shop doesn’t welcome you. Leave quickly!”

Shi Sheng was on the verge of tears as he pleaded, “Let me in, I beg you! They’re about to find me. I don’t want to marry that sickly wretch. Please help me, just this once. I promise I won’t bother Brother Yu anymore…”

Brother Le had heard a bit about Shi Sheng’s situation from Yu Qingze. Although he felt sorry for him, Shi Sheng had ill intentions and kept pestering his brother Yu. He wouldn’t allow him to enter.

A group of people emerged from not far down the street, searching anxiously while looking around. Because they were blocked by the shelves in front of the neighboring shop, they hadn’t noticed the situation here. However, Brother Le and Brother Chang could see them through the gap.

When Shi Sheng saw the group of people, he no longer cared about explaining to Brother Chang and Brother Le. He immediately tried to run.

Brother Le quickly reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

Shi Sheng turned his head in surprise, “Are you willing to help me?”

Brother Le and Brother Chang exchanged glances.

Then, Brother Chang stepped onto the street and shouted at the group of people, “Hey, are you looking for Shi Sheng, Young Master Shi? He’s right here!”

Shi Sheng: …

The group of people immediately ran over upon hearing that.

“You, let go of me! Let go!” Shi Sheng struggled with all his might, but his feeble strength was no match for Brother Le.

So, by the time the group of people arrived, he cursed in despair, “Remember this, I won’t let you off!”

Brother Chang calmly advised, “You’d better stay at home and prepare for your marriage. Don’t come out and cause trouble for others.”

Amidst Shi Sheng’s curses, the group of people took him away.

Once they were gone, Brother Le and Brother Chang locked eyes and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Relieved!

Close the door and latch it!

“Who is it? I heard you shouting,” Brother Chang’s mother was watching the fire and didn’t go out. He only heard a young man’s voice and didn’t think it was dangerous, so he didn’t go out.

“Hmph, a crazy dog ran out of its cage and was caught by his family!” Brother Chang replied.

Brother Le laughed, washed his hands, and continued making dim sum.

Because of the morning incident, the two friends were in a good mood.

The other helpers arrived one by one, and everyone skillfully prepared for the store opening. But when it was time to open, they noticed that Jiabao, who usually arrived early, hadn’t shown up yet.

“Did he oversleep? Boys his age are often sleepy at this time,” Uncle Zhen said.

“It’s possible. My little brother can’t be woken up no matter how much I call him. I wake him up one moment, and the next moment, he’s back asleep,” Brother Qing shook his head and laughed.

Brother Chang said, “Then I’ll start collecting money. Mornings usually have more regular customers.”

With Jiabao absent and Yu Qingze also not present, Brother Chang and Brother Le were better at calculations. Brother Le would make the dim sum, while Brother Chang took the initiative to handle the cash register.

Although the speed was a bit slower, they could still manage.

However, after half an hour passed and Jiabao still hadn’t arrived, they started feeling suspicious.

Brother Le came out to take a look and saw that Jiabao hadn’t arrived. He furrowed his brows and gestured to Brother Chang, “I’ll go check on Jiabao. It would be troublesome if he’s sick and no one knows about it.”

Brother Chang nodded and said, “Let Zhu Zi go with you, just in case something happened to him other than being sick.”

Brother Le nodded.

“Zhu Zi, accompany Brother Le to Jiabao’s house. Tie Sheng will come later to cover for Zhu Zi’s work,” Brother Chang said to Tie Zhu and Tie Sheng. Tie Zhu was tall and strong, perfect for being a guard.

“Okay.” “Got it.”

Brother Le led Tie Zhu through a few alleyways and arrived at the alley where Jiabao’s house was located.

Before they reached Jiabao’s house, from a distance, Brother Le could see people coming in and out of Jiabao’s house, carrying things.

He hurriedly ran over, entered the house, and saw Jiabao standing with his arms spread open in front of the door, loudly saying to someone, “Don’t touch anything inside. These belong to my mother!”

Brother Le took a look and saw that those people were moving things out of Jiabao’s house. The pots, pans, and kitchen utensils had already been moved out, and now two men were preparing to enter the rooms.

He quickly approached and stood in front of Jiabao, gesturing and asking what was going on.

When Tie Zhu saw the situation, he furrowed his brow and hurriedly ran over, asking, “What’s happening?”

Seeing Brother Le and Tie Zhu coming, Jiabao’s eyes turned red, and he gritted his teeth, saying, “Brother Chang Le, Brother Tie Zhu, the landlord said he sold this place to someone else. These people are here to clean up the house on behalf of the buyer.”

Upon hearing this, Brother Le’s heart sank, and he gestured, asking, “How long have you paid the rent for? Is it expired?”

Realizing that Jiabao couldn’t understand his gestures very well, Brother Le quickly took Jiabao’s hand and wrote on his palm, “Until the seventh?”

Since Jiabao hadn’t learned the character for “term” yet, Brother Le used the number seven as a substitute.

Jiabao understood and shook his head, saying, “There are still ten days until it expires.”

Upon hearing this, Brother Le became furious. He glared at the person in charge and gestured wildly.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

The man in charge looked at Brother Le with a bewildered expression.

Tie Zhu probably knew what Brother Le wanted to say and asked Jiabao, “When did the landlord tell you that the house was sold?”

Jiabao replied, “Last night when I came back.”

Brother Le and Tie Zhu both furrowed their brows. What was wrong with this landlord? They informed someone one day and sold the house the next day, without even giving them time to find another place. Were they incapable of handling things properly?

Tie Zhu asked the man, “Where is the landlord? The lease hasn’t expired yet. How can you just evict the tenant like this? Do you think it’s easy to bully a child like Jiabao?”

The man in charge said, “Brother, we are just following orders. If you have any questions, go talk to the buyer and seller.”

“Where are they?”

The man in charge replied, “They should be at Yu’s Delicious Delights, having breakfast. They left a while ago.”

Jiabao: …

Brother Le: …

Tie Zhu: …

Brother Le pointed at Tie Zhu, then at the house, and then at himself and Jiabao. Finally, he pointed in the direction of the shop.

Tie Zhu understood and nodded, saying, “Alright, Brother Le, I’ll take care of things here. You and Jiabao hurry back to find the landlord and the buyer.”

Brother Le nodded, grabbed Jiabao’s wrist, and rushed back to the shop.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Since the matter has been settled, the next step is to start cooperating. The results of the negotiations completed at this meeting are beneficial to both the T base and the S base. Ke Chenglei and Feng Xing stayed in S base for two days and were in a hurry to return on the third day, but before leaving, residents approached them.

It wasn’t a complicated situation. S City and T City were originally brother cities in the same province, not too far apart, and the two regions had frequent exchanges before the end of the world. Many people had relatives and friends there.

The resident who found Ke Chenglei and Feng Xing was an old man. He had a sister who married in T City and wanted to ask them to deliver a message and see if she was still there.

“If she is still there, please ask the leaders to give me a message. Thank you, thank you.”

Ke Chenglei and Feng Xing took the message. Ke Chenglei said, “Grandpa, we can’t guarantee this. The population of the T base is not large, and the person you are looking for may not be in the base.”

“It’s okay,” the old man waved his hand. “I just want peace of mind. If I can find her, it’s best. If I can’t, I won’t force anything in this day and age.”

The old man was worried. His family had died in the zombie attack, and his only remaining blood relative was his sister. He was a native of S base and still lived in his ancestral home. He could live comfortably by earning some information points. He knew that the living conditions in T base were not as good as those in S base, so he planned to find his sister to avoid letting his family suffer outside.

Ke Chenglei and Feng Xing promised to help and then set off back to T base. They had already agreed with Ji Cha that they would prepare to deliver the goods and people according to the agreement in about two days, and they would first bring back one-third of the food this time, and the rest would be taken when their people arrived.

Ji Cha was very happy. He had been looking forward to the relevant technical personnel from T City coming over to start the fish farm on a large scale, thus officially driving the operation of the entire aquaculture chain.

Even in times of peace, reserve food is a very important thing, not to mention that with the threat of zombies outside and everyone’s basic needs just barely being met, it’s crucial to store and produce good food. This will never change no matter when.

Two days later, as expected, a convoy arrived in S City and two technicians that Ji Cha needed also arrived. They had agreed that the technicians would be temporarily transferred and would return after a certain period of time. However, there were no strict rules on the duration of their stay, as T City could provide for anything they lacked, even fish.

Since they were here, they should start production as soon as possible. The earlier, the better.

“To increase aquaculture, the first thing that needs to be solved is the problem of dissolved oxygen in the water. Insufficient oxygen in the water can greatly affect the growth of fish. The density of fish in live water aquaculture can be much larger than that in pond aquaculture. The key now is to see how to solve this problem.”

But theory and reality are two different things. Simple and feasible things in theory become difficult in today’s environment.

There is flowing water outside of S Base, but even the drinking well water within the base needs to be tested every day to ensure safety. Not to mention that the external rivers may have passed through many areas and may carry unknown viruses, which are basically uncontrollable. Moreover, viruses are secondary, if there are any mutated species in the flowing water, it will inevitably threaten the fish fry in the aquaculture area.

Ji Cha and several technicians discussed this for an afternoon, but besides some technological improvements in the closed pond aquaculture that they already had, there is still no consensus on how to handle aquaculture in flowing water.

So much so that when Ji Cha went to bed at night, he still remembered this matter and couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning.

Liang Jincheng finished his work and came back, thinking that Ji Cha would have fallen asleep, but he didn’t expect to find him still awake. So he simply turned on the light in the room and asked, “Were you waiting for me?”

Both of them were busy during the day, and apart from sleeping together at night and occasionally having lunch together, there was basically no time for them to meet recently.

Ji Cha was stimulated by the strong light and quickly covered his eyes, and his words were very uninteresting: “I was thinking about raising fish.”

Liang Jincheng sat down by the bed, about to laugh but stopped by his words. He leaned over and covered Ji Cha underneath him, blocking the light source. Ji Cha took his hand off his eyes and frowned with worry, “I still have two days of work left.”

“But now it’s time for you to rest,” Liang Jincheng pressed him down onto the bed forcefully.

Their clothes were quickly thrown under the bed.

“You’re not letting me rest…” Ji Cha mumbled, but the second half of his sentence was stopped by Liang Jincheng.

The night passed.

Early in the morning, Liang Jincheng went out and the first thing he did was to instruct the guards at the door to tell the technicians at the fish farm that they had the morning off. The guard complied and Liang Jincheng went to the canteen to buy breakfast and brought it back home.

Ji Cha had been busy for the past two days and only slept when it was almost dawn. Today, he slept until noon.

However, the ample rest clearly had an effect. Ji Cha felt refreshed and clear-headed, and his thinking on the problem was noticeably clearer.

“We have two types of fish, one is mutated and the other is not. Mutated fish have stronger resistance and are not afraid of mutated sources of infection. If we can control the flowing river channels and manage them in sections, wouldn’t it be better?”

“How do we divide the sections?”

Ji Cha thought for a moment and said, “Use a net with a certain mesh size to divide the river channels into sections, and raise different types of fish in each section according to their attributes. Set up a filtering system at the outermost part of the river to filter out any possible sources of infection.”

“Such as zombie humans and zombie animals.”

“That’s possible, but wouldn’t it be a lot of work?”

“What we’re afraid of now is not the amount of work, but the inability to solve the problem,” Ji Cha said. “But this is just a preliminary idea, not the final result. How to implement it in the end will still need everyone to discuss based on the actual situation.”

Before the real action of dividing the river or any modifications to the river channel, the first thing to do is to ensure the safety of the perimeter of the base. The river area is not entirely within the base’s walls, after all, the flowing river is not enclosed, and placing it within the walls will create a channel for the outside world to enter, which can easily be exploited.

But since they now need to use the river channel, it is inevitable that the number of external workers will increase, and safety must come first.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

“Just adding sentry posts outside will do. Set up some rest points next to the posts and arrange some troops for defense and patrol outside,” Liang Jincheng felt that this was not a problem. “The other side of the river was already part of the expansion plan of the base. These sentry posts will not only be used for aquaculture in the river in the future, but they will not be wasted. It’s just that we are building them in advance now.”

Liang Jincheng spoke up, and there was no need to hesitate about this matter.

Adding sentry posts and establishing work points both require some time. Ji Cha does not need to worry about planning in this area, and he finally has a little bit of free time.

The base regularly searches the outside world, not only for resources and equipment but also to explore the situation outside.

The recent focus of the search is on the city of S and nearby hospitals. The medicines in the hospitals have already been ransacked, and what the base wants are not herbs but some valuable medical equipment inside.

Before the apocalypse, many medical equipment worth millions of dollars are now lying in the ruined hospitals like garbage. Small bases don’t have the ability or the will to move these things, so the expected items are basically all brought back.

However, no matter how hard they try, the base cannot reach the pre-apocalyptic hospital standards. The lack of medicines, materials, and professionals make it impossible for the base to perform even simple surgeries, only able to do some relatively simple bandaging and disinfection treatments.

Even with a step-by-step approach, it is completely hopeless to restore the pre-apocalyptic state within several decades, and this is still the situation of the most stable and powerful S base known so far.

One day, when the vehicles coming to and from T base brought exchange materials as usual, they also brought a message different from the past.

The old man who had entrusted Ke Chenglei with a letter last time unexpectedly received a reply. He was both surprised and delighted, and wanted to bring his sister to live with him, but was unsure whether the base would approve, as both of them were elderly and didn’t contribute much to the base. He also knew that the conditions for accepting new people outside the base were becoming increasingly strict, and the number of elderly people accepted was not high.

Although it was cruel, this was the end of the world, and unnecessary sympathy had to be eliminated under the premise of limited resources.

The old man still had old-fashioned thinking, and first wanted to go and report to Liang Jincheng. However, when he got there, he found out that Liang Jincheng was not there and he wasn’t sure when he would be back.

Feeling disappointed, the old man started to head back, but halfway there he ran into Ji Cha.

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Do You Care or Not

“Hey, everyone, let’s disperse, let’s disperse. Delicious dim sum are waiting for all of you…” Seeing Yu Qingze turn around, Brother Chang quickly dispersed the onlookers.

“Ah, that son from the Shi family has no sense of shame.”

“No kidding, openly confessing to a man in front of everyone, knowing that person already has a fiancé. I wonder how the Shi family raised their son!”

“Tsk tsk, such malicious words. Did you hear how he described Brother Le?”

“Ah, what a mess this is!”

“People watching shook their heads and returned to the shop to continue eating dim sum. Originally, they didn’t know what was happening outside. It was the loud shout from Shi family’s ger that caught the attention of the customer sitting by the window. They said something had happened outside, so everyone came out to see, only to find out that Shi family’s ger had taken a liking to Boss Yu.

After Brother Chang dispersed the crowd, he glanced worriedly at Brother Le, who seemed calm on the surface, but with Young Master Shi shouting so loudly and so many people hearing it, who knew what Brother Le would be thinking? However, there was no use comforting oneself at this time. It had to be Boss Yu. With a sigh, Brother Chang returned to his post.

Yu Qingze turned around and saw Brother Le at the entrance. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked back. However, as he moved, Brother Le also moved and turned back inside.

Yu Qingze rushed back to the shop and caught up with Brother Le before he entered the kitchen. He grabbed his hand and led him into his own rest area.

Closing the door, Yu Qingze turned around and held Brother Le’s face with both hands, forcing him to look up at him. Then he carefully observed his expression.

Seemingly calm?

But it was precisely because of this calmness that made Yu Qingze somewhat worried. Shouldn’t a normal person be angry upon hearing such words?

“Don’t listen to unrelated people’s nonsense, hmm?” He kissed Brother Le’s lips and said.

Brother Le blinked, taking Yu Qingze’s hand off and gesturing: He was telling the truth.

Yu Qingze frowned and replied, “We’ve discussed these things when we confessed our feelings to each other. You know I don’t mind, right?”

Brother Le glanced at him and nodded.

“Then don’t get angry at unrelated people. It’s not worth it.”

Brother Le blinked, shook his head, and gestured: I’m not angry.

“Really not angry?” Yu Qingze confirmed once again.”

Brother Le nodded and gestured, saying: “He’s stating a fact. I’ve heard it countless times before, it doesn’t matter. But, do you not care about what others say about you marrying a wife who can’t speak and can’t have children?”

“…” So Brother Le was worried about that? Yu Qingze let out a sigh of relief, then gently embraced him, kissing the top of his head, and said, “I’m not spending my whole life with them. If I cared, I wouldn’t have liked you in the first place.”

Upon hearing this, Brother Le pressed his lips together, curved his eyebrows and eyes, wrapped his arms tightly around Yu Qingze’s waist, and buried his face in the crook of his neck, quietly enjoying the warmth of the embrace.

After cuddling for a while, Yu Qingze finally released Brother Le and prepared to go out and busy himself.

Before opening the door, Brother Le turned around, looked at Yu Qingze, and smiled, gesturing: I heard the words you reprimanded Young Master Shi. Thank you for defending me, I’m happy.

“That’s natural. You’re my fiancé. If I don’t defend you, who will?” Yu Qingze replied.

Upon hearing this, Brother Le smiled, tiptoed, and kissed Yu Qingze on the lips. Yu Qingze deepened the kiss, pressing Brother Le against the door and continued for a while.

When the two finally went out, Steward Zhao had been waiting for a while.

Yu Qingze invited him to the stone table under the osmanthus tree in the backyard and brought a few plates of snacks and the newly introduced dim sum.

“Boss Yu, is your fiancé okay? I saw that he also heard what Young Master Shi said,” Steward Zhao asked.

Yu Qingze shook his head and said, “He’s fine. Steward Zhao, did you see it too?”

Steward Zhao nodded and replied, “I happened to be passing by when I saw Young Master Shi… Sigh, you’ve had a hard time.”

Speaking of Young Master Shi, Yu Qingze frowned and said, “I just hope he won’t come to disturb us again in the future.”

“I hope so too.”

Thinking that he would be away from the shop for a few days, Yu Qingze said to Steward Zhao, “By the way, Steward Zhao, I have something to attend to in the village for a few days. I won’t be in the shop. If you need any dim sum, just ask Brother Le.”

“Alright, focus on your work, I’ll talk to him when I go back,” Steward Zhao said.

Yu Qingze sincerely thanked him, saying, “Thank you, Steward Zhao.”

“You’re welcome,” Steward Zhao waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to worry.

After seeing off Steward Zhao, Yu Qingze went to the blacksmith’s shop to check on the progress of the flatbed handcart they were making. He found that they had already finished making two or three of them, with iron frames and wooden load-bearing surfaces.

He gave it a push and found it to be good. He discussed with them, telling them to pull this thing and carry heavy loads on the street for a round, and they agreed on the price. After that, Yu Qingze returned.

The next day, Steward Zhao relayed the news that the Shi family had forbidden Young Master Shi from coming out until he got married. Yu Qingze finally felt relieved.

The following day, Brother Chang and his mother brought over the packed clothes and other items. Once Yu Qingze had settled the matters of the shop, he bought the necessary materials, pork, and pig intestines from the market and returned to the village.

Different regions have different methods of making preserved meat and sausages, and Yu Qingze used the simplest method from their hometown.

Since this was an experimental batch, he made two types of preserved meat, with five pieces of each type. One type was simply cured with salt, resulting in a salty flavor, while the other type was cured with a mixture of spices before being smoked.

He ground the spices and mixed them, then rubbed enough salt and spices onto the meat strips, vigorously kneading them to ensure the seasoning penetrated. Then, he placed them in a basin to marinate for two days. After two days, he washed them clean, air-dried them, and hung them up for smoking.

Making sausages was a bit more complicated. First, he minced the moderately fatty and lean meat, added salt, a bit of sugar, a bit of white wine, and five-spice powder, and mixed them evenly. For those who liked it spicy, he could add chili powder to the meat mixture and marinate it for an hour.

After washing the pig intestines, he filled them with the marinated meat mixture, tying them tightly with string at regular intervals, and continued filling until all the meat mixture was used.

Then, he used a bamboo skewer to poke small holes evenly on the stuffed pig intestines and hung them up to dry for a few days before smoking them.

The process was quite simple, and Yu Qingze explained it once, and Brother Chang and his mother understood it for the most part. The two of them worked hard for a day, completing all the preserved meat and sausages, and then they would wait a few days before smoking them.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Afterward, Yu Qingze started preparing sweet potato noodles.

Since he had never made them before, Yu Qingze couldn’t guarantee that he would do a good job, so he decided to start with one wooden basin of sweet potatoes.

He washed and chopped the sweet potatoes, then ground them into a paste using a stone mill. Afterward, he filtered out the coarse grains and impurities and let it settle for two days.

While waiting for the sweet potato starch paste to settle, Yu Qingze went to the river with Grandpa Chang to catch fish. They split the fish in half, salted them, and prepared them for smoking along with the preserved meat and sausages.

Smoked fish was also delicious, as were smoked chicken and smoked duck.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yu Qingze went to the town and bought two chickens and two ducks. He also checked on the snack shop and found everything to be in order before returning home with peace of mind.

After two days, once the starch had completely settled and the water on top was poured out, what remained was a block of starch. He took out the starch block and dried it in the sun. During the drying process, he also ground it into a powder. When it was completely dry, it became sweet potato starch.

Next, he could make sweet potato noodles.

According to Yu Qingze’s master, there were two methods for making sweet potato noodles by hand. One was steaming the starch in a plate, and the other was the draining method.

The steaming method was simpler but not suitable for large-scale production. The draining method required a lot of effort to knead the dough, but the advantage was that a large quantity of noodles could be made at once.

He tried both methods, and the steaming method was easier to master, but it took him five attempts before he finally succeeded with the draining method.

By this time, eight or nine days had passed.

Looking at the preserved meat and sausages smoking in the kitchen and the long thin noodles drying on bamboo poles, he wore a satisfied smile.

Finally, tomorrow he could return to the shop and see Brother Le.

However, while he was busy at home, something happened at the shop.

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Thandar: Damn cliff hunger, you author.