Chapter 18 Fresh Goat Milk
Zhao Xuan also felt that the Yao family members were generally not bad people.
They were luckier than Zhao Xuan and his companion, finding a reliable large camp at the very beginning of the apocalypse. The people in the camp helped each other, and the family-based camp was far more reliable than Zhao Xuan's. The Yao family's camp didn't abandon the old and young. The men engaged in trade and defense outside, while the women and older children could produce various necessities in the camp, such as brewing vinegar, making soy sauce, and simple side dishes like salted eggs and preserved eggs.
The Yao family had not experienced much of the deceit and treachery of the post-apocalyptic world. The camp leader, whom Zhang Xiaohe described as very kind and generous, used his wisdom to build a paradise for them.
Although the Yao family wandered to many places after the camp was destroyed, they never joined any other camps and therefore did not experience what Zhao Xuan and his group went through.
In a camp, the leader is very important, which reminded Zhao Xuan of one of their camp leaders, Lao Dao.
After the apocalypse, names seemed to become less important. Zhao Xuan never knew Lao Dao's real name. Everyone called him Lao Dao because he had a long scar behind his ear that was cut off by a knife. The scar seemed to affect his facial muscles, making him always have a crooked mouth when he smiled, and he looked like he had a bad temper.
Old Dao was over 1.8 meters tall, about the same height as Lu An, but muscular and sporting an almost bald buzz cut. His baldness had left a deep impression on Zhao Xuan. In the post-apocalyptic world, long hair was troublesome, so most people kept short hair, which they naturally cut themselves. They used whatever tools were at hand—scissors were best, sickles would do, but most weren't skilled enough, so many people's hair, though short, was uneven and bald. Old Dao was different. He also shaved his own head, but it was extremely smooth, even the back of his head, which was not visible, was cut perfectly flat and rounded. He explained that when he was young, he couldn't bear to spend the ten or so yuan for a haircut, so he bought a razor and shaved at home. At first, it didn't look good, but later, with practice, he became skilled enough to shave a buzz cut perfectly.
Of course, he only shaved his head into a buzz cut, but that striking hairstyle made him look very energetic.
He was one of the camp's leaders, living in the rows of small buildings next to the granary—a place only the camp's leaders could live in, while others could only fence off a shed on the open ground next to it as their living quarters.
Old Dao is the person in charge, but he doesn't really manage things.
Perhaps the other officers were drawn to his height and muscular build—he was genuinely tall and strong; men of similar height standing next to him would appear frail. He was a veteran who had later become a SWAT officer, and no man in the camp could beat him in a fight.
If any quarrels broke out in the camp, he was usually the one to step in. Whether it was three or five men or a group fight, as long as his towering figure stood to the side, the men would all obediently listen to him.
The other managers probably valued his intimidating presence, which is why they kept treating him to good food and drink.
The camp where Zhao Xuan was previously located was not as barbaric as the camp where the Yao family was located. The strong and powerful men held absolute authority, and there were hardly any elderly people or children in the camp. This was something the camp manager was happy to see. Lao Dao did not care much about the miscellaneous affairs in the camp. Apart from maintaining the precarious stability of the camp, he mostly rode his motorcycle out of the camp to look for people.
It is said that he is looking for his daughter.
Back then, resources were relatively abundant, and powerful officials could get gasoline and cars. Lao Dao's motorcycle was very shiny and eye-catching, and even Zhao Xuan, who didn't know anything about motorcycles, thought it was very cool.
Old Dao would often leave the camp with a bucket of oil to search for people, sometimes for a day or two, sometimes for dozens of days. His appearance, coupled with his flashy motorcycle, made him seem even more intimidating. But Zhao Xuan knew that he was different from the other managers in the camp.
He once saved her.
She was almost raped by the three Yu brothers that time, thanks to Sister Lu's warning and also thanks to Lao Dao. He and Lu An rushed back together, punched each of the three Yu brothers, and made them lie on the ground.
Otherwise, given Lu An's physical condition at the time, he definitely wouldn't have been able to defeat three men.
How did Lu An meet Lao Dao? Lu An explained that it happened at the camp when Lao Dao's motorcycle broke down, and he happened to pass by and fixed it for him.
Old Dao appreciated his kindness, and the two became acquainted over time.
Also because of him, the three Yu brothers did not cause any trouble during that period.
Later, Lao Dao rode his motorcycle and left the camp.
He said he had searched the area around the camp but found no trace of his daughter, so he had to leave and go to a more distant place.
His daughter's nickname was Zhuzhu. She was the one his wife struggled to climb out of her hospital bed before she died, pounding on the glass of the isolation room and begging him to protect her. At that time, society had not yet collapsed, and he still upheld the duty of a soldier to protect national security.
There was chaos everywhere, and he locked Piggy inside the house. He went on missions for several days in a row, and when he returned home, the door had been smashed open, the house was in a mess, and Piggy was gone.
He searched frantically for his daughter, also to keep his promise to his deceased wife.
In his wallet, which was always close to his body, were a few things: his wife's ID card and a photo of their son, Zhuzhu, when he was five years old. He had kept the ID card after his wife fell ill, and the photo was something he had always kept in his wallet. Later, a serious illness devastated society, and in the chaos, he only managed to leave behind these two things, things related to his wife and son.
However, Zhu Zhu was twelve years old when she went missing. Children grow up so fast that there is a big difference between the appearance of a five-year-old and a twelve-year-old. Zhao Xuan felt that the chances of Lao Dao finding his daughter with the photo were slim.
Zhao Xuan couldn't even survive without Lu An, so how could a twelve-year-old girl possibly survive in this apocalyptic world?
Zhao Xuan wasn't actually very familiar with Lao Dao, but he was more familiar with Lu An. Strangely, Zhao Xuan would often think of them: Lao Dao, Sister Lu, and those hateful Yu brothers.
For two consecutive days after returning from the Yao family's place, Zhao Xuan did not see any members of the Yao family. Neither Zhao Xuan nor Lu An were particularly enthusiastic people. Accompanying them and their son to Yao Yuan that day, along with the small amount of food they brought, was already the limit of "enthusiasm" for the young couple.
Zhao Xuan's mind was still preoccupied with her own little life. The mosquito net was already set up, and the bamboo strips had been washed and sun-dried. After taking a bath in the evening, she would crawl into the mosquito net, where the cool bamboo strips would help her fall asleep quickly.
Lu An took several curtains from other houses and installed them on the doors of rooms that needed to be frequently entered and exited. They could be closed immediately when entering or exiting, which would allow for ventilation and keep out mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are the most annoying insects in summer.
The giant mosquito with its distinctive striped legs can leave a huge welt on the skin that doesn't fade for days. Even in summer, Zhao Xuan wears long sleeves and trousers to protect himself from mosquitoes.
Although the cool fabric of the old-fashioned shirt looked old-fashioned, it was light and breathable and didn't stick to the skin. Even with long sleeves, it wasn't hot. The pants were also long, but those pesky little bugs were everywhere. The long sleeves and pants didn't hinder her movement, but whenever she squatted down and pulled up her pants to expose her ankles, the bugs would circle around her calves and bite her.
This phenomenon was particularly troubling when she was squatting in the outhouse.
Zhao Xuan picked some mugwort, dried it, and rolled it into strips. Whenever he went to the outhouse, he would light one strip. The mugwort fragrance would repel some mosquitoes, but the smoke was also unpleasant. When the smoke was strong, he felt like he was being irritated himself rather than the mosquitoes.
They had plenty of cooling balm to reduce swelling; it had a long shelf life, and every household in the countryside kept several. Zhao Xuan put them in a small tin box and carefully placed it by his bedside.
The rice in the fields grew like crazy in the scorching heat, changing almost every day. The other crops were also growing very well. The corn in the dry fields was already as tall as a person, densely packed, though thinner than the corn stalks grown with chemical fertilizers, but she was already very satisfied. The peanuts had long since bloomed with yellow flowers, which, after fading, had taken root in the soil and begun to develop into pods.
The soil in peanut fields needs to be loosened regularly so that the peanuts can grow better.
As the sun grew increasingly scorching, Zhao Xuan and Lu An would usually get up early, shoulder their hoes, and carry their water bottles to the fields. Before the temperature rose too high, they would loosen the soil in the dry fields or remove weeds from the rice plants.
The crops are growing, and so are the insects and weeds in the fields.
She and Lu An usually split up; one would go to the rice paddies to weed, while the other would go to the dry fields to loosen the soil.
Zhao Xuan often went to the rice paddies to weed. Wearing rain boots, she would wade into the thin paddy fields, carrying a small basket, pulling out any weeds she saw and throwing them into the basket. Often, she would see small insects clinging to the rice leaves, some greenish like grasshoppers, which Zhao Xuan would simply pinch off with her bare hands, throw into the water, and then stomp on without hesitation.
The little insects had barbs on their legs, and sometimes they would stick to her fingers and she couldn't shake them off no matter how hard she tried.
There were also some snails perched on the back of the leaves, seemingly trying to block out the sun, which Zhao Xuan broke off without a word and threw into the basket.
Insects that can drown are stepped into the water to nourish the rice, while those that cannot drown are carried away and buried together in the soil nearby later—still as nourishment.
Without pesticides, there are many pests and mosquitoes in the fields.
Even if Zhao Xuan covered his hands and feet with long sleeves and pants, the ubiquitous little black insects would still bite his face, leaving big welts.
Zhao Xuan's hands were covered in mud and water, making it impossible for him to grab anything, and he was in great pain.
Managing dry land is also a painful process.
The sun shines there first, and even in the early morning, it's always much warmer there than in the rice paddies. Lu An has visibly gotten darker these past few days.
Sometimes Zhao Xuan would crane her neck to look at Lu An in the distance, watching him hunch over as he hoeed the ground. Even without getting close, she could tell he was working very hard, much harder than she was.
She was craving an ice pop.
On a day like this, being able to share two popsicles with Lu An must be a very happy thing.
The Yao family next door planted their land later than them, and now, after several days of neglect, their rice is wilting and turning yellowish, looking much uglier than Zhao Xuan's rice.
Zhao Xuan naturally didn't have the extra energy to help the Yao family manage the rice. She felt that everyone has their own destiny, and food and clothing are determined by fate. If the Yao family couldn't overcome this challenge on their own, she wouldn't mind taking over the rice field after they were all wiped out.
What's been bothering her most these past few days is the pest infestation; she's been considering whether or not to spray pesticides on the rice.
I brought back some pesticides from Taiping Town in the spring, but I don't know if they're safe to use, or even if they can be used on rice.
About four or five days later, the Yao family reappeared in Zhao Xuan's sight.
It was another cool morning when Zhao Xuan saw two figures, one big and one small, moving about in the neighboring field.
That's Zhang Xiaohe and her dog.
The world with very few people is very quiet. You can hear the wind, the croaking of frogs, and even your own breathing. So when Zhao Xuan approached, they naturally heard his footsteps, turned around, and gave him a faint smile after seeing him.
The Yao family did indeed come from a very safe camp, and they were not very vigilant about the outside world most of the time. If it were Zhao Xuan, she would have searched for the source of the sound even when the footsteps were still indistinct.
Zhang Xiaohe had difficulty doing farm work; the puddles in the fields made it hard for her to maintain her balance. When using a hoe, she could only use one hand, as the strength of one hand was weak and her aim was poor. Yao Yuan probably doted on his wife; he had never seen Zhang Xiaohe do farm work before.
Although this frail woman and her young child did not work as hard as the men, they seemed to know the steps of rice cultivation very well—humans who have lived to this age must know some planting techniques.
Since arriving in this village, Zhao Xuan and Lu An have maintained an extremely regular lifestyle. They get up early to patrol the fields together, find pig feed, and then she feeds the chickens and pigs while Lu An fetches water. In the afternoon, they take a nap, and when the sun sets, Lu An waters the half-acre vegetable garden while Zhao Xuan is busy collecting laundry and then cooking dinner.
Eat three meals a day, go to bed early and get up early.
Zhao Xuan believes that a regular lifestyle will keep them healthy, and in today's world where medical care has almost disappeared, it is essential to reduce the frequency of illness.
Therefore, the two of them could only see Yao's mother and son early each morning.
Mushrooms and raspberries are out of season, and bamboo shoots have grown tall and tender. Zhao Xuan hasn't gone into the mountains to pick mushrooms for a long time, and he hasn't had the chance to see the shepherd's dog anywhere else.
For half a month, Zhao Xuan did not see Yao Yuan.
In the afternoon, when the sun was at its strongest, Zhao Xuan and Lu An had finished lunch. Lu An washed the dishes, and Zhao Xuan hung the clothes to dry on the roof. The two washed their faces and then went inside the mosquito net to cool off.
The bedroom was still clean and tidy, with no unnecessary furnishings. Zhao Xuan hung their summer clothes in the only wooden wardrobe in the room, while the winter clothes were washed and stored away in other rooms. On the table was a large iron kettle filled with water that Zhao Xuan had boiled that morning, sprinkled in a handful of tea leaves, and simply let it steep. Once the water had cooled completely, it was refreshing and cooling to drink.
The only addition to the small bedroom was an electric fan.
Zhao Xuan and Lu An have always been very careful with electricity, fearing that if there is a problem with the circuit, Lu An will not be able to solve it and they will not be able to use electricity. Therefore, they have always controlled the amount of electrical appliances they use. Apart from the refrigerator that is always on and the light that is occasionally turned on at night, they only added an electric fan in the summer.
This electric fan is visibly old.
A domestic brand from twenty years ago, with a square shape and bright green color, its fan blades made a regular whirring sound when turned on, as if it would break down at any moment. The body had four buttons: power on, high speed, medium speed, and low speed. This appliance, nearing the end of its lifespan, was one of the few working fans they found in the village.
There were quite a few electric fans left over in the village, some of which were unusable after accumulating dust, and others had their wires chewed through by rats. After searching around, it turned out that this was the oldest one that was still usable. Zhao Xuan exclaimed that the quality of domestically made products was indeed good.
There was an electric fan on the ceiling of the hall on the first floor, but it was old and in disrepair. Zhao Xuan dared not turn it on, fearing that if she did, the old fan blades would fall down and cut off her head.
Turning on the medium speed of the electric fan in the bedroom, although it's a little noisy, the cool breeze gently blowing in through the mosquito net makes it feel incredibly pleasant.
On quiet afternoons, aside from taking a short nap, Zhao Xuan was reluctant to leave his mosquito net. Sometimes he would lie on the cool bamboo mat in a daze, and sometimes he would play a couple of games of chess with Lu An.
They were playing chess.
Before the apocalypse, Zhao Xuan didn't really like playing chess, but after the apocalypse, with no other forms of entertainment available, she found playing chess quite enjoyable.
Lu An taught her the rules of chess, but that was all she learned. She wasn't very good at the strategic aspects of chess, which require thinking ten moves ahead for every one move, and thus often lost to Lu An without even realizing it. She wasn't a good player, but she was very competitive. She would get upset when she lost, and if she was upset, she would want to take back her moves, but she would still lose after taking back her moves.
Lu An was willing to let her win, since Zhao Xuan couldn't tell when he was letting her win. Therefore, he would lose one of the next three times without leaving a trace, giving Zhao Xuan the illusion that he was constantly improving.
Let it be an illusion. It doesn't matter if it's just the two of them in the world. Zhao Xuan's chess skills are not important; her happiness is the most important thing.
That day, the two were playing chess under the mosquito net when they suddenly heard the 460 downstairs bark a few times. It sounded more like a reminder than a warning. Then they heard a knock on the door, accompanied by a boy's voice: "Brother Lu An, Sister Zhao Xuan, are you there?"
Zhao Xuan paused, his hand about to strike, and exchanged a glance with Lu An. Although they hadn't heard that voice often, they both guessed who it was.
"I'm going downstairs." Lu An said, lifting the mosquito net, putting on slippers, and walking downstairs.
460, who had been feigning sleep, was now standing up, wagging its tail and waiting at the door. Over this time, 460 had become familiar with the Yao family's scent. It possessed a peculiar alertness, seemingly knowing that it couldn't make a sound most of the time. In such a desolate place, sound was the biggest target, so it would usually bark only when it was safe. For example, knowing the dog was coming, it alerted its owner to come downstairs and open the door.
The boy remained silent, habitually pursing his lips. Though young, he resembled an old cadre. He wore a clean shirt and shorts, carried an old backpack, and wore plastic sandals. Despite the heat, he didn't use an umbrella, only covering his head with a large lotus leaf. Having walked for a while, the leaf had become somewhat limp, obscuring half of his eyes.
When someone opened the door, he looked up, saw that it was Lu An, and then politely called out "Brother Lu An." He then took off his schoolbag and took out two bottles from it.
Two glass bottles, each small enough to be held in one hand, each sealed with a cork stopper and filled with white goat milk.
“This is milk from Ajiao,” he paused, then added, “Ajiao is that ewe! Her milk is wonderful. My mother said we didn’t have anything to thank you for, so my father drank this milk to help him recover. Now he’s almost fully recovered, and you brought it to me.” Without giving Lu An time to react, he put the milk bottle on the ground and turned to run back.
"Brother Lu'an, please leave your empty milk bottles at the door. I'll come back for them tomorrow!" The child, who had already walked quite a distance away, added at the end.
Zhao Xuan watched this scene from the windowsill.
Lu An put the goat milk in the refrigerator's crisper drawer and told Zhao Xuan everything when she went back upstairs.
Dairy products are a good thing for them who live in the mountains, and naturally they are a good thing for the Yao family as well. Ewes need to give birth to lambs to produce milk, and ewes can't give birth to lambs every year.
Perhaps having such a neighbor wouldn't be bad... She thought back to the days she and Lu An wandered together, supporting each other to survive, but if one of them fell ill or was injured, the other would be utterly helpless. Perhaps one day, if something really happened, this kind family would offer them help.
This is the world, or perhaps it's no longer just the two of them.
Lu An agreed with Zhao Xuan's opinion as he climbed into bed, tightened the mosquito net again, and then turned around to finish the rest of the game. He stared at the chessboard for half a minute, which made Zhao Xuan a little uneasy.
"You..." He raised his handsome eyes to look back at her, "You moved the pieces again while I was away?"
Zhao Xuan stubbornly retorted, "What?!"
Lu An smiled indifferently and moved the chess pieces back to their original positions—his Xuanxuan's chess etiquette was truly terrible.
The best goat milk is even more fragrant and mellow than cow milk, and can even be naturally sweet. The little ewe named "Ajiao" in the Yao family is obviously not a high-end dairy goat. Perhaps because the dog is let out to roam frequently every day, the goat milk is still very fragrant, but it has a slight goaty smell.
After lighting the stove, I poured two bottles of goat milk into a small pot and simmered it over a low flame. Unpasteurized dairy products need to boil for about half an hour before they can be consumed; if I used a high flame, the milk would probably have boiled away long ago.
In between boiling the milk, Zhao Xuan also scalded the two baby bottles with boiling water and then turned them upside down to dry.
It was already evening. With the arrival of summer, the days were getting longer. As the sun set, they could do many things. She cooked, and Lu An went to feed the pigs.
The four piglets still eat twice a day, but their appetite has greatly increased. The few water hyacinths at the village entrance are no longer enough for them. Sometimes Lu An will scoop up some sweet potato leaves and mix them with bran for the pigs to eat. Unlike fattened pigs that grow like they're being inflated, the piglets are growing steadily, and every pound of meat is substantial. It is said that Zhao Xuan said that autumn and winter are the best times for pigs to fatten up. At that time, the crops in the fields are ripe, and the pigs can eat sweet potatoes and the residue after pressing peanut oil. These things are all good for growing fat.
Lu An knew nothing about raising pigs, so he strictly followed the experience that Zhao Xuan had passed down from memory. He fed them twice a day, and every few days he had to clean the pigsty and shovel away the pig manure to store as fertilizer.
The four pigs produced far more manure than the two men combined. After fermentation, the manure dried and formed loose, black fertilizer. A small portion of this fertilizer was used in the vegetable garden, while most was spread on dry land.
Farmers' lives are destined to involve dealing with excrement and urine.
Lu An rarely let Zhao Xuan do these tasks; he usually did them all by himself. When he first started doing them, he couldn't help but gag a few times, but after doing them a few more times, he got used to it. He even took a dump and urinated with a nonchalant air. It's true that there's no limit to human adaptability.
After Lu An finished feeding the pigs, he went home, washed his hands, and just then Zhao Xuan finished heating up the milk.
Two cups of goat milk, one slightly more and one slightly less.
The extra cup was for Lu An. Zhao Xuan always felt that Lu An should eat more; given his larger size, he naturally needed to expend more energy.
She asked Lu An, "Do you want some sugar?"
Lu An shook his head.
After the milk, which has been boiled for a long time, is poured into a cup, a layer of milk skin will form on top as the temperature drops. The milk skin is the most fragrant. Zhao Xuan and Lu An sat on the steps at the door. The setting sun was not hot, and the two of them were enveloped in sunlight, so that even their skin could reflect a faint golden light.
Zhao Xuan carefully licked off the milk skin. It still had a slightly goaty smell, but so what? It couldn't hide her joy at being able to drink milk again after five years.
She took small sips, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face.
Lu An turned his head and happened to see his wife's silly look, and couldn't help but laugh.
The air was slightly warm, and the goat milk was piping hot. He noticed the fine beads of sweat on Zhao Xuan's nose; a patch of skin on the bridge of her nose had peeled off from the sun. Her hair was short and wispy; she had kept it short for a long time for convenience. Her profile was beautiful, with a small, delicate nose and soft features. She had rare light brown eyes; Lu An had stared at her for a long time the first time he saw her, and even after so many years together, those sandy eyes still frequently drew his attention.
His son is really good-looking.
Unaware of anything else, Zhao Xuan slowly finished drinking the goat milk, then took the empty cup from Lu An's hand, scooped up half a basin of water, and carefully washed the cup clean.
A bowl of steamed egg custard was simmering on the stove. After steaming, a few drops of sesame oil would make it tender and delicious. A bowl of green vegetables was then mixed with garlic and soy sauce. This was their dinner.
Neither she nor Lu An had any sense of ritual. They were very casual about what dishes to pair with rice. Whether it was a bowl of soup or a bowl of dried vegetables, they would eat whatever was in season. Sometimes they would also cook some vermicelli and dried noodles. But Zhao Xuan treasured those aged vermicelli dishes. These collected foods were different from those grown in the ground. Once they were eaten, they were really gone.
Zhao Xuan sometimes thinks about drying some rice noodles after the rice harvest, but that's a story for another time.
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