Chapter 4: The Beginning of the Apocalypse
Fortunately, nothing happened overnight.
As dawn broke and the first rays of morning light shone through the window, Su Yun woke up.
Because I hadn't slept well, my head was a little dizzy, and for a moment I didn't even know where I was.
Su Yun rubbed his sleepy eyes, feeling the hard floor beneath him, and seeing the dusty, cobweb-covered broken tiles, the messy storage room, and then the extinguished fire beside him, and the unconscious cat-eared boy.
Only then did I belatedly realize what had happened.
Oh—she's traveled through time.
Looking at the chaotic scene before him, Su Yun sighed softly. This was a hellish start!
Isn't there any cheat or hack?
Su Yun recalled the supernatural apocalyptic novels he had read before, and then carefully searched his entire body. There were no hidden packages or special abilities to recycle items on him. It was still the same torn backpack and the few remaining food items.
this--
A post-apocalyptic world begins, and the protagonist and his cat are the only ones involved?
All equipment had to be scavenged.
The catchy advertising slogan kept playing in Su Yun's mind.
Well, it seems that's how it is. She gave a wry smile, quickly adjusted her mood, and decided to accept the situation with a positive attitude. Sigh, at least there's still a cat!
Even though the cat was severely injured and fell into a deep sleep...
She turned around and quietly observed Ye Feng. She saw that the other person was sleeping soundly and breathing steadily. Because she had been in a panic and busy last night, and the light was poor, she hadn't been able to see the other person's face carefully. Now that it was mostly light, she could see him clearly at once.
I initially thought he would be older based on his voice, but when I saw him during the day, I was surprised to find that Ye Feng was actually younger than I had imagined. He had tanned, glowing skin, slender eyebrows and eyes that were tightly closed, and the outline of his face was already beginning to emerge, though he still had a bit of baby fat. He was handsome with a touch of cuteness, somewhat like the young heartthrobs that often appear on TV these days, with a hint of naivety.
At this moment, he was unconscious due to his injury, which allowed Su Yun to watch him to her heart's content without restraint.
After looking at the handsome man's face, I looked at the place where he was injured, which was still covered in blood and quite frightening.
However, it seems that the wound is no longer bleeding, the breathing is steady and even, and the overall condition is relatively stable.
Su Yun observed the other person again. He was fast asleep with his lips tightly pursed. His black cat ears were soft and fluffy, and looked very nice to touch. They trembled slightly with his gentle breathing, making him look both well-behaved and adorable.
Oh my god, cat ears are so cute!
Su Yun clutched her heart, feeling as if she had been hit by a beauty bomb. She thought to herself that it was a good thing she had saved him. If she had let such an adorable creature get hurt and die like this, she would have been punished by the heavens.
Su Yun continued to stare in a daze at the handsome guy's face. The frustration of the hellish start was instantly swept away, and her eyes were full of hearts. Cat-eared handsome guys are just too unfair!
To be able to pick up such a handsome guy at the beginning is like a stroke of luck! She's hit the jackpot! She'd be happy to have another stack of them! She'd be happy even without any cheat codes!
Cough cough cough, of course, it was just talk. After all, his life was more important. After a quiet night and getting a decent rest, Su Yun finally had the energy to give himself a pep talk to cheer himself up.
You can never get enough of looking at a handsome guy's face, but right now, in his unconscious state, his lips are pale, he looks very weak from his injuries, and his fluffy black ears are drooping down, giving him a pitiful look.
Su Yun immediately felt that he still needed to think of a solution.
Finally, looking at the sky gradually brightening outside the window, Su Yun finally shifted her gaze from admiring the handsome man, adjusted her breathing, and prepared to begin her first day of survival in the apocalypse.
So she stretched and sat up quickly.
Oh dear, I didn't realize how much I was hurting until I stood up. I found that my whole body ached. I haven't done any strenuous exercise in a long time, and I didn't sleep well last night, so my whole body was sore all at once.
No, it seems I'll have to find a bed to sleep in tonight. After all, this is a long battle, and I don't know if I'll have a chance to go back. Even if I do, I might not survive. I can't stand sleeping on the ground like this for so long.
However, I don't know how well Ye Feng has recovered, or if he can move to another room. If not, it's okay to make do for another night, since it's safer for two people to be together.
With a preliminary plan in mind, Su Yun stood up and tiptoed into the yard. She drew water from the well, took out her toothbrush, and washed up quickly. Then she ate another compressed biscuit for breakfast. After thinking for a moment, she broke off another piece, put it in hot water, and mashed it into a paste.
Finally, she carefully placed the cookie dough and hot water next to the sleeping night breeze.
Night Breeze is still asleep. His injuries are quite severe, and it seems he won't wake up anytime soon. Waking him up doesn't seem to be good for his recovery, so I'm leaving him here. He should be able to eat by himself once he wakes up.
So, Su Yun tiptoed out again.
She arrived at the middle of the courtyard and was surprised to find that it was quite large, with a total of five rooms. There was a room on the far left and a kitchen on the far right. There were two bedrooms on each side of the hall, with the master bedroom on the left being larger and the second bedroom on the right. Behind the hall were a storage room, a bathroom, and a door leading to the backyard.
The house was in a mess, as if it had been in the midst of a hasty escape, with everything turned upside down.
Seeing the mess on the ground, Su Yun rolled up his sleeves and decided to clean up the place where he would stay for the night.
Let's start with the master bedroom. She first took out all the things and piled them on the other side of the living room. Then she took out a few quilts. Since it's early spring, quilts are still very necessary for early spring nights. She slept on the floor with her clothes on last night and almost froze to death.
She first spread out the quilt and placed it on the wire in the yard to dry.
Finally, they even took off the bed sheet, found a few wearable clothes, and prepared to take them to the river to wash.
The house was covered in dust and needed a thorough cleaning. Su Yun looked around and found that the brooms were rotten and unusable, only fit for firewood. Helpless, Su Yun could only break off a few broad-leaved branches from the yard and tie them into a makeshift broom, deciding to start cleaning the dust and cobwebs from inside the house.
After cleaning up most of the dust and trash, they brought water and rinsed the house inside and out.
Washing with water was a last resort; there was no other way, the dust here was just too thick, so we had to wash it directly with water, otherwise there would be a thick layer of dust everywhere, making it impossible to sleep. After washing and scrubbing for an hour, the bedroom was finally almost clean.
Su Yun looked around the newly cleaned master bedroom with satisfaction, then opened the sealed windows to let the wind dry the water stains inside.
Then she found a thick wooden stick in the yard, which looked like the handle of an old hoe. Finally, she took the fruit knife she had been looking at, equipped herself, and carried two large buckets of laundry to the riverbank she had seen earlier.
The soap left in the house for washing clothes has weathered and is unusable, so I can only wash these things haphazardly with the river water. I don't even know if there are any soap beans here.
Su Yun remembered that when she was a child, there was a soapberry tree in her hometown village, planted by the river. The villagers didn't need to bring laundry soap to wash their clothes; they would just crush the soapberry and rub it on their clothes, which was clean and convenient.
Just as he was thinking, Su Yun's eyes suddenly lit up. He saw a soapberry tree leaning over the river, with a small set of steps leading down to the stream. It seemed that this was where the village used to wash clothes.
Having learned from the previous experience, Su Yun did not act rashly this time. After carefully observing the riverbank for a while and confirming that there was no danger, she cautiously and excitedly ran over, spread out all her clothes and sheets to soak them, and casually picked up a piece of soap that had fallen and began to wash them.
Soapberry leaves a sticky residue when soaked in water, and they lather easily with a gentle rub. They not only clean well but also leave a faint fragrance. No wonder people in the city still use soapberry juice to wash their hair and clothes, and it's even more expensive than shampoo.
Su Yun diligently washed the clothes, and the wooden stick she used for self-defense now served as a clothes-washing stick.
The little fish in the stream, probably because they hadn't seen people for so long, had forgotten their fear. Thinking there was something delicious to eat, they all swam over and sucked up the bubbles from the soapberry.
That's really bold.
Su Yun sighed softly, marveling at how these fearless fish had even swum right up to her hand.
Is that really so daring?
Seeing this, Su Yun had a sudden idea. She stretched out her other hand and quietly dipped the bucket into the water. Then she continued to wash clothes as if nothing had happened. When the small fish swam to the surface of the bucket, she unexpectedly scooped it up.
Ha ha!
We actually caught it!
Su Yun almost jumped up, thinking, "These fish are so stupid, they just got caught like that... Now we have dinner!"
Looking at the small fish in the bucket, oblivious to their impending fate and swimming freely without any fear, Su Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy. It seemed that no one had been here for a long time...
I've finished washing the clothes.
Su Yun took a few wild grasses, strung the three prepared small fish together, picked up a bucket of clothes, and headed back. When she passed a vegetable garden, she also found a large patch of white cauliflower.
It was early spring, and the new grass was just sprouting. Patches of white cauliflower were growing lush and green, crowding together on both sides of the road.
"White cauliflower!" Su Yun's eyes lit up. She stopped and hurriedly squatted down by the roadside to pick some.
It's a wild vegetable that grows in early spring. It has a slightly bitter taste, but it's sweet after the initial bitterness and tastes delicious. It also has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.
I remember when I was a child, every early spring, when picking wild vegetables, this was always a must-have in my basket.
Su Yun picked the clothes as she walked, and finally, seeing that she had picked a huge handful and was about to be unable to carry them, she reluctantly gave up and carried the washed clothes back home.
As she walked, she thought to herself, "Hmm, I should find a basket and come back to pick them later."
While we're at it, let's see if we have any nets or anything, so we can come back later and catch a few more fish, then we'll have dinner sorted!
Su Yun almost cheered. He had taken action on his own again today. Although the small village was dilapidated, it was surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, and the spring sunshine was bright. The gloom in Su Yun's heart was slightly dispelled.
The fact that she didn't encounter any zombies or mutated animals along the way eased her tension and anxiety somewhat.
Back in the yard, Su Yun spread out the clean clothes and sheets and hung them to dry on the wire in the yard. The early spring sun was already very warm, and she believed that the clothes would be dry soon.
Then she picked up the cauliflower, took it to the well, and began to wash the dirt off the leaves.
Next, rinse the three small fish you caught clean.
Although there are only three small ones, it's enough to fill our stomachs and give us a taste of something new.
Su Yun was very happy, after all, she hadn't had a decent meal since last night.
So she lit a fire, heated the pan, threw the fish in, and fried it until golden brown on both sides and fragrant. Then she added water, brought it to a boil, poured in tender cauliflower, and sprinkled some salt that she had found in the cupboard that day to season it.
Salt never expires, but soy sauce and MSG in the cupboard are not so easy to preserve; they have all weathered and dried out, and can only be picked out and thrown aside.
In the end, only one packet of salt remained in the entire kitchen.
But this is already pretty good. Life in the apocalypse is not as easy as we imagine. Let's search the dilapidated houses around here another day. Maybe we'll find something else.
While planning her survival in her mind, Su Yun's hands were also busy preparing lunch. Soon, a steaming pot of cauliflower and fresh fish soup was ready.
Lush green cauliflower paired with tender river fish.
It would be even more perfect if a small egg could be added, but we can't ask for too much. It would be great if there were meat and vegetables. At least she would have a place to stay and a pot of hot soup, right?
Su Yun thought optimistically, "At least I no longer have to worry about monthly KPIs, monthly performance reviews, or the boss's evaluation."
Thinking about this, Su Yun suddenly felt somewhat relieved. It was like when she was in school, she always hoped that the school would be bombed so that she wouldn't have to get up early to go to school. Because she was young, she didn't understand what it meant for the school to be bombed. She just understood that she didn't have to go to school, and she felt a secret joy in her heart.
In a sense, the horror and cruelty of this post-apocalyptic world are still too distant and unreal for her. After all, she has traveled through time. This is the Nth year after the apocalypse. Perhaps the worst is over. All that is left for her is the secret joy of escaping the pressure of work. That is why she can maintain a certain optimism despite her great anxiety.
Well, whatever happens, let's just try to survive first.
Su Yun scooped up the cooked white cauliflower and fish soup, took a small sip, and found the fresh river fish and early spring wild vegetables to be incredibly delicious.
After drinking half a bowl of warm soup, Su Yun felt completely revived.
Su Yun took out another bowl, thought for a moment, and put all the fish into that bowl.
The patient needs more nutrition, and thinking this, Su Yun walked into the house.
Night Breeze had already woken up, and was weakly leaning against the wall with its eyes closed, resting. The water and biscuit paste in the bowl were all gone, leaving only a clean bowl. It seemed that it was also very hungry, after all, it had gone through a fierce battle and suffered such serious injuries.
So she walked up to Ye Feng, handed him the bowl of fish soup and chopsticks, and said softly, "Time to eat."
Night Breeze raised his golden eyes and looked at the fish soup in her hand. He seemed a little stunned, but quickly regained his composure. He didn't say anything, silently took the bowl and chopsticks, and slowly and carefully ate the fish soup.
Su Yun also sat on the moisture-proof mat and ate her own bowl of vegetable soup, watching Ye Feng eat with a slightly clumsy manner, her not-so-flexible fingers, and her somewhat peculiar chopsticks-holding gestures.
A thought suddenly popped into Su Yun's mind...
Ah, could it be...?
You've never used chopsticks before, have you?
Ye Feng's hand gestures when holding chopsticks were a bit unusual, which made his movements seem particularly careful, clumsy, and a little awkward.
Did you realize that the other person might never have used chopsticks before?
They might have always used their hands! Oh! And also! Maybe the beastmen never even knew how to make fire, and they ate raw food?
She then realized that when she arrived, she had not seen any signs of a fire.
Thinking of this, Su Yun felt a pang of heartache; no wonder he looked so thin.
However, the other person did not raise any objections or questions, but instead followed her example and started using chopsticks.
Perhaps they didn't want to show their difference.
Thinking of this, Su Yun raised the chopsticks in her hand, subtly opened her hand a little, and quietly demonstrated how to hold chopsticks.
Ye Feng didn't say anything, but his gaze seemed to be fixed on her hand holding the chopsticks. Then, he awkwardly changed his hand gestures and grabbed the chopsticks again, slowly bringing the fish to his mouth. After a few attempts, he gradually became familiar with how to use chopsticks.
Su Yun observed everything discreetly. It seemed that the intelligence of orcs was not much different from that of humans, Su Yun silently concluded in his heart.
That makes things easier. As for the rest he doesn't know, Su Yun thought, "I'll teach him slowly when I have the chance."
Seeing the other person's still weak face, Su Yun felt very sorry for them.
Seeing that his bowl was gradually empty, Su Yun asked with concern, "Ye Feng, are you full? There's still some soup in the pot, I'll go get you some. But there's no more fish. I might have to go out again later to throw that dead rat away and catch a few fish for dinner."
"Why throw away the food?" Ye Feng asked, tilting his head in confusion. In his eyes, food was very precious.
"Food? You mean that rat?" Su Yun was shocked. "That rat... you can eat it?"
"Of course... For several years... when it was too cold to find food, we survived thanks to them..."
"Really? Can it really be eaten?" Su Yun asked in surprise again. She recalled the mutated rat's ferocious face and sharp teeth, and couldn't help but shudder.
Night Breeze looked at her actions with a strange expression, and then affirmed again, "Sure."
Su Yun then received an affirmative answer from Ye Feng once again.
"Alright... since you've put it that way, I'll go take a look and see how to deal with that rat..."
So, after finishing two bowls of soup, Su Yun went to the tank. He saw that Ye Feng had finished the remaining half pot of soup in one go and didn't seem full. He was afraid that fishing wouldn't satisfy his appetite, after all, he was injured and was a large feline.
Then we can only try to deal with that rat. Su Yun stood in front of the large vat and looked at the dead mutated rat. After hesitating for a few seconds, Su Yun rolled up his sleeves and started to work. After all, he had lived in the countryside since he was a child and had eaten field mice before. It was not easy to find food in the apocalypse. Since Ye Feng said it was okay, let's eat it.
Su Yun lifted the mutated rat with force. Fortunately, the weather wasn't too hot yet, and the dead rat wouldn't stink so easily. However, to avoid the smell of blood attracting other things, Su Yun decided to take it to the river to deal with it.
Su Yun pulled out a kitchen knife from the kitchen and began to deal with the rat, skinning it, cleaning its internal organs, and washing it clean.
This rat was particularly fat, almost the size of a small pig, and it took Su Yun quite a while to finally deal with it.
On the way back, I picked a whole basket of cauliflower.
In addition, she was lucky enough to discover a large field of rapeseed flowers on another road.
The golden rapeseed flowers bloomed in a vast expanse, and when the spring breeze blew, they looked like a boiling golden pool from afar.
Su Yun immediately went down and picked a small handful. The cauliflower was growing very well and was still in season. While the petals were still in bloom, the plump buds and the tender green leaves at the top were edible. In a few days, when the weather got warmer, the flowers would be finished blooming and the stems would be too old to eat.
However, there are benefits to waiting for the flowers to bloom. Once they produce seeds, scattering them casually by the roadside will sprout new seedlings.
Then you can enjoy the crisp, fresh leafy greens.
Rapeseed flowers are truly a treasure trove of resources.
Hehe, I'll stir-fry some bok choy tonight. This bok choy is so tender, it must be delicious. Su Yun walked back happily.
As for the rat meat, let's leave it to Ye Feng. Su Yun recalled the situation when he encountered the mutated rat before, and he still couldn't convince himself to overcome his mental barrier.
Su Yun chopped the rat into small pieces and threw them into the overturned earthenware pot to make soup. He left the two legs, thought for a moment, made some decorative cuts on them, rubbed them with a little salt and marinated them for a while. Then he found some wooden sticks, skewered them, and put them directly on the stove with bricks to roast them.
The open flame seared the meat's fat, separating the excess oil and water, creating a wonderful aroma. Soon, the rich smell of meat filled the entire kitchen. "My god, this smells so good!" Su Yun's heart began to waver. "So what if it's a rat? Eating a mutated rat isn't a big deal. Maybe in a few days we won't find anything to eat, and it'll even gnaw on the bones..."
As Su Yun was thinking, the roasted meat had turned golden brown and was filled with a wonderful aroma, making her stomach rumble with anticipation. So she put her previous worries to the back of her mind.
Looking at the leg that was almost done roasting, Su Yun lightly rubbed it with a thin layer of salt again. Turning the sizzling golden roasted leg in her hand, she couldn't wait to gently tear off a piece of meat with a knife, blow on it to cool it down, and put it in her mouth. Oh my god, this is so delicious! The perfect saltiness combined with the perfectly roasted meat, one bite and the juices overflowed in her mouth. It was simply too fragrant.
Su Yun was almost moved to tears. She never expected to be able to eat such good food in the apocalypse. Luckily, she didn't throw it away, otherwise she would have really lost out.
After the rat leg was roasted, Su Yun hurriedly took another roasted leg and gave it to Ye Feng.
The night breeze inside had already caught a whiff of the fragrance and sat up, its eyes fixed intently on the door.
Su Yun smiled knowingly and, seeing this, quickly handed him the golden-brown roasted leg.
Ye Feng was already starving, so he took the leg and started to gnaw on it.
Su Yun didn't stand on ceremony and sat cross-legged to eat her own portion. Although she had some psychological barriers at first, it didn't stop the roasted meat from being really delicious. The outer skin was crispy, and the inside was indeed soft and juicy. With one bite, the aroma of meat filled the air, which greatly soothed her injured and frightened heart.
After gnawing on most of the leg, Su Yun felt his hunger had vanished, and he felt full of energy, as if he could take on a few more mutated rats for the sake of food.
Su Yun thought about it for a few moments, his thoughts drifting away, but then he pulled himself back. Obviously, this was impossible. It was clear that the main force that killed the giant rat was Ye Feng, who was still injured and probably couldn't withstand a second attack.
But she still asked with a smile, "How was it? Did I make any good roasted rat legs?"
As Ye Feng ate the leg, he softly hummed "Mmm—", his eyes sparkling, and even his soft ears seemed to flutter.
He looked clearly very satisfied.
Ah, so cute.
It hits the bullseye.
Su Yun barely managed to resist reaching out to touch those little ears that were flying up, only internally screaming, "Foul! Foul!"
How can orcs be so cute?
Orcs are so cute, how could anyone harm them?
The little voice in Su Yun's heart clutched her heart and began to sob.
After the two finished their sumptuous lunch, Su Yun squatted down and watched Ye Feng finish his leg. Then, Su Yun offered him a sports water bottle. Perhaps because he was a little dry after eating the barbecue, he didn't refuse. He just twitched his ears slightly, and a barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes. He then carefully took the water bottle and looked at its structure with great curiosity. At Su Yun's prompting, he began to carefully drink water through the straw.
This seems to be the first time the other person has taken the initiative to drink water from a sports water bottle.
These adorable little gestures hit Su Yun's sweet spot, especially those cat ears that twitched occasionally.
Ah, I really want to touch it.
Su Yun stared at the little ear, his gaze gradually turning sinister.
After drinking the water, Ye Feng felt a warm, full feeling in his stomach, and his overall condition seemed to improve. He looked up at the human in front of him, feeling somewhat surprised.
He thought this strange human would leave this morning.
Even if he saved her unintentionally, the fact that she didn't treat him as food was already the greatest fortune.
He had originally planned that if she finished eating the giant rat and still wasn't satisfied, and wanted to use him as food, he would be able to recover by then and kill her as well.
But now—
She not only bandaged his wounds but also brought him food.
Thinking of this, Ye Feng moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something.
However, he was still not used to interacting with humans. Silence was more like the theme of his life. He had not met anyone he could talk to for too long, so he did not know what to say.
Looking at the tired-looking human in front of him, with disheveled hair, sweating and looking a bit disheveled, he felt he had to say something. He wanted to speak, but suddenly his throat felt dry again.
He swallowed hard, hesitated for a long time, and finally uttered only two words in a low voice: "Thank you..."
Su Yun was surprised to hear the sudden gratitude, but a smile quickly appeared on her face. She smiled and replied, "You're welcome."
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