Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Qi Mo packed a large bag of peaches for Huang Ming.

Huang Ming refused, of course.

Qi Mo then explained that he had bought so many because the orchard owner had too many unsold peaches that would go to waste in the field. But it seemed he couldn’t use them all up right away, so he gave some to Huang Ming.

After Qi Mo said this, Huang Ming slung the bag of peaches onto his bike.

Most folks got around by bike or cart—still faster than walking.

Once the peaches were washed and peeled, Qi Mo filled big bags for both Huo Jingxuan and Huo Jingtan as well.

He also asked them to find out what to do about the piglet theft now that Huo Jingzhong was seriously injured.

Toting three or four pounds of peaches, Huo Jingtan and Huo Jingxuan left Uncle Liangzhou’s house.

Uncle Liangzhou’s wife, Momo—her name really suited her—was very easygoing and had a great personality.

Qi Mo waved them off and shut the courtyard gate.

First, he gave Snowball the kitty a good, long petting session.

Although Snowball’s suspicion seemed cleared, Qi Mo still felt something wasn’t quite right—the cat could jump up onto roofs three or four meters high.

And he hadn’t even seen Snowball enter, yet there it was, already inside the room.

This kitty Snowball was downright strange.

Still, as Qi Mo watched the kitty put up with his rough pets, he thought, "Well, it’s very well-behaved and obedient. I’ll keep it."

As for its fierceness with strangers, that was a good thing.

Whether or not there was a predator out there, Qi Mo became more cautious—after all, it was a mutated animal that specifically targeted people’s eyes.

But then again, only his enemies got hurt.

Neither he nor the pig farm owner had any trouble.

So maybe it had nothing to do with the piglets at all.

Qi Mo placed the kitty back beside its kitten, locked the doors and windows, and got to work slicing the peaches.

After dicing the peaches, he took out a new hand-cranked grinder, tossed the peach flesh inside, and started cranking.

In a pot, the water used to soak the peaches and the peach skins were boiled together.

Adding some rock sugar made a real-deal peach drink.

The mashed peaches were then cooked with honey and rock sugar, stirred constantly…

Clean glass jars were set aside, rinsed with boiling water, and left to cool before being filled with the peach drink and peach jam.

The weather was hot—perfect for making steamed buns.

Mantou with peach jam are also delicious.

Mix half a packet of flour, knead it, and let it ferment.

Baby Yan woke up and pattered around the living room, babbling.

Snowball the kitty was likely meowing in protest after being teased by the chubby baby.

Qi Mo changed the baby’s diaper and handed him a small bottle to drink water first.

Snowball was sent off for a drink too.

The weather was hot, so they needed frequent hydration—especially non-verbal babies who could overheat without anyone noticing.

Ten minutes later, Qi Mo changed Baby Yan’s diaper and wheeled him into the kitchen in his stroller.

He popped a bottle into the baby’s mouth.

Even Snowball got a treat—a small dish of infant milk.

"Baby, drink your milk nicely. Dad’s prepping the filling," Qi Mo said, then pulled out the pork he’d bought earlier.

He cubed the pork belly for red-braising and drying.

The marbled pork went into the bun filling.

As Qi Mo chopped the meat, his thoughts wandered—wondering what Huo Liangzhou was up to. Did he miss their little chubster?

In Jiangcheng, Huo Liangchuan hummed a tune as he walked into his older brother’s office.

"What’s got you so happy?" Huo Liangzhou glanced at him.

Huo Liangchuan lowered his voice: "Big bro, that bastard Qi’s hand is done for—amputated. He might not make it. Infection’s bad."

Huo Liangzhou nodded. "What about the Chens and the Jangs?"

"Gone full tilt building reservoirs and hoarding grain," Huo Liangchuan replied.

Then he leaned in further: "The higher-ups want our grain. What’s the plan, big bro?"

"Cold salad—we can’t say no outright. The books have to look clean. But we’ve got mouths to feed, so get our people to grab some first. Focus on hardtack—it lasts longer," Huo Liangzhou said, rubbing his temples.

After finishing the orders, he looked at his brother: "Liangchuan, you’re grown now. If I leave, things here—"

"Bro, don’t talk like that! Without you, I’d flop like a fish. Don’t scare me," Huo Liangchuan begged.

Huo Liangzhou shot his brother a look.

"Wrap up your tasks, then go back home. I don’t trust the situation with our boys."

Huo Liangchuan’s stomach dropped—things were already chaotic outside. Who knew how the village was doing?

Chen Lei had already come back, hauling in half of Zhang Village.

Though Chen Lei claimed Huo Village was holding steady, no fires to put out, the lack of guns around set his teeth on edge.

They’d planted watchers there too.

However, the current danger comes from all directions, not just Zhangjia Village alone.

Hunger is the real culprit.

"Things here are almost back to normal. I’ll go back and check. It’s not far—just a two-day bike ride," Huo Liangchuan said.

Huo Liangzhou nodded. "Take some people with you. Don’t take any chances."

"Brother, don’t worry. I’m not a three-year-old. I might not be good at much else, but I won’t lose a fight," Huo Liangchuan chuckled.

Huo Liangzhou glanced at his brother. "I’m not afraid of you fighting. I’m afraid of you getting killed."

"There’s no shortage of ruthless people out there, especially outside the city—it’s even worse," Huo Liangzhou scolded irritably.

City patrols are out in force during the day, so as long as people don’t go out at night, things are relatively stable.

But the suburbs are a different story—entire families are being slaughtered in regular waves of brutal killings.

Crime festers in every shadow…

Every morning, bodies are carted away in trucks and burned.

Chen Lei hurried in, his face flushed, and nodded at Liangchuan with a grin.

"Judging by your expression, something good must’ve happened?" Huo Liangchuan asked in a low voice.

Chen Lei laughed. "Some ‘generous’ soul let slip that Zhangjia Village has plenty of food. Last night, several of their wealthy households—the usual local tyrants—were cleaned out."

"Wow, that’s great news!" Huo Liangchuan laughed.

Huo Liangzhou cut in with a cough. "After extreme heat comes extreme cold. Chen Lei, stock up on cold-resistant supplies and frostbite medication. Also, keep brewing heatstroke prevention soup daily—getting killed by heatstroke would be a pathetic way to go."

"Don’t worry, Boss Huo. We’ve traded for plenty of medicine," Chen Lei assured.

They were one of the best-prepared groups around.

With food secured, no need to panic.

At the Jiang residence, Jiang Nuan turned to her parents. "We don’t have enough food. We shouldn’t have sold the food processing plant to Huo Liangzhou—it basically handed him supplies on a silver platter."

"Is there any way to get the food back? Even just part of it?" Jiang Nuan asked.

Jiang’s father looked at Qi Minglan.

Qi Minglan sighed. "I can’t do anything about this. That little bastard Qi Mo has vanished—otherwise, I could’ve wrung some info out of him."

"You and Qi Mo were tight. Why don’t you try approaching Huo Liangzhou?" Qi Minglan, Qi Mo’s aunt, suggested.

Jiang Nuan’s face became unreadable.

Qi Mo didn’t know about her and Chen Feng, but Huo Liangzhou must’ve caught on.

"I can try, but no promises. Huo Liangzhou is ruthless," Jiang Nuan said before leaving to discuss with Chen Feng.

If asking doesn’t work, then they’ll take it by any means necessary.

Though Qi Mo had gone AWOL from Jiangcheng, judging by his wanted poster, he likely went to Yuncheng—Huo Liangzhou’s hometown.

If not for the Zhangjia Village incident, who would’ve guessed Qi Mo would make a beeline for Huo Liangzhou’s turf?

Whether it's capturing Qi Mo or the Chubby Baby, either could be used to threaten Huo Liangzhou into handing over supplies.

Qi Mo prepared the meat fillings—one pork, one beef, and one vegetable.

Tired of sitting in the cart, Baby Yan fussed with a whine.

Qi Mo brought out a baby playpen, placed lots of balls inside, then plopped the baby in along with the kitten Snowball.

After watching the baby roll the balls around and soon getting buried under them, Qi Mo started kneading dough.

The dough had already risen, giving off a yeasty, risen-dough smell.

He shaped each bun by hand, letting them rise again until they puffed up light. Then he set them on the steamer trays.

Water was poured into the pot and set to boil.

The steamer stacked two layers high, holding twenty buns per batch.

Fifteen minutes per steaming.

Fifty-some buns were steamed, and the leftover filling was stored away.

The sun sank westward, setting the clouds on fire—gorgeous as hell.

That wrapped another day.

A knock echoed at the courtyard gate.

Qi Mo scooped up the Chubby Baby and went to open the door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

From outside came the reply: "We're here to deliver the wine jars."

Qi Mo opened the gate and saw five wooden carts, each carrying ten wine jars.

These jars were about two-and-a-half feet tall, with necks just four inches wide.

Opening the gate, Qi Mo said, "Better not be cracked—no leaks allowed."

"You can fill them with water to test," the merchant offered.

Qi Mo nodded. "I’ll test-drive them. As long as no more than three are bad, I’ll pay."

With a hose nozzle in hand, he rinsed each jar after it was unloaded from the carts. No leaks appeared.

The jars were fresh from the kiln, unused and odorless.

Qi Mo paid up.

The merchant and his men left.

They’d always relied on their cellar before, so this backup wasn’t needed.

But Qi Mo worried someone might sabotage it—like drilling holes through it—and drain their whole supply dry overnight.

As insurance against that possibility, he bought the wine jars.

As for store-bought water jugs and plastic containers, they'd been gone from shelves for ages—nowhere to find them anymore.

All the wine jars were cleaned, and under the eaves, Baby Yan was holding the kitten and gnawing, because he was hungry.

Night had fallen completely.

A grill was set up in the yard, and a ten-pound piglet had been fully seasoned.

Under the charcoal fire, the pigskin turned golden. Drips of fat sizzled as they fell, spreading a rich aroma through the air...

Qi Mo swallowed hard. Divided between the tempting roast and watching for mutant creatures, his mind raced.

Though he doubted any danger—probably just Snowball the cat—it was only a guess. Qi Mo had no proof.

If there really was a mutant creature out there, he'd have to take it out fast, eliminating the threat before it became a problem.

Of course, it would be better if there wasn't one. Otherwise, how could he watch the baby 24/7? He couldn’t—and any moment of carelessness could be dangerous.

Baby Yan, who had been gnawing while hugging Snowball under the eaves, suddenly burst into loud wails.

Qi Mo, too busy drooling over the meat, hurried over. Under the lantern light, the little one sobbed uncontrollably, a heartbreaking sight.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you thirsty?" Qi Mo offered a small water bottle.

Baby Yan took a sip, then turned away—this wasn't what he wanted. Clinging to his father’s neck, he cried between bites: "Baby hungry! Baby hungry!"

Seeing the baby reject the water and chew on his neck while crying, Qi Mo finally realized—he’d forgotten the baby’s dinner.

It was already dark. Usually, they’d have eaten by now.

He’d eaten some buns earlier but left the baby famished. No wonder the cries sounded so sad.

Quickly, Qi Mo brought out a bowl of millet porridge and fed the baby.

Once the little one had a round belly and was lively again, Qi Mo kicked himself for being so forgetful.

The meat was ready, and Qi Mo dug in heartily—crispy outside, tender inside, so good it made his mouth water.

After eating his fill, he carved off some portions—not much, about half a pound each—and placed them all beneath the baby’s cart.

The baby was strapped into the stroller. Snowball, the white kitten, crouched on the canopy above, licking her paw. Baby Yan was always excited to go out, cheerfully babbling “da-da-da…”

Now and then he added some “dee-dee” sounds too.

Qi Mo smiled. “Say ‘Dada,’ baby! So smart! You’re only nine months old and already trying to talk!”

Snowball, sitting on the cart’s cover, thought to herself, *This kid was chatting in the womb, meow-meow-meow…*

Too bad Qi Mo didn’t understand cat language.

Meanwhile, another curled up in Dad’s belly heard the silly baby noises, opened one eye, then closed it again.

No threat meant no reaction.

When they reached Chen Xia’s door—a neighbor just twenty meters away, right after turning the corner—Qi Mo called out, “Auntie Chen, you there?”

Chen Xia’s family had finished dinner long ago. The delicious scent of grilled meat kept drifting from next door, making their mouths water with envy. But they were too shy to ask for any, so they had to tough it out.

Our family's conditions aren't bad, but meat is so expensive these days—better to spend money stocking up on grain instead.

The temperature keeps rising day by day. We keep hoping for rain, but not a single drop comes.

"Momo, you're out for a stroll with the little one," Chen Xia said with a smile as she stood up. They were sitting by the door enjoying the cool air.

Qi Mo leaned forward slightly. "I roasted a piglet and brought you some. It's not much, just a taste."

"Oh, this is too kind of you! But... I'll accept it. This old lady's been craving meat. If I need anything, just call us—my husband and son are both back home now," Chen Xia replied cheerfully.

Qi Mo nodded. "If I need anything, I’ll definitely ask for your help."

"Then I’ll be on my way. I still need to deliver some to the village chief and the Elder Clan Leader," Qi Mo said before bidding Chen Xia farewell and pushing the baby cart onward.

First, the village chief’s house, then Huo Jingxuan’s, Huo Jingtan’s, and finally the Elder Clan Leader’s.

The people I came to see weren’t there—instead, their family members accepted the meat.

Unexpectedly, the village chief, Huo Jingxuan, and Huo Jingtan were all gathered at the Elder Clan Leader’s house...

"Momo’s here! Come in quickly, we have something to discuss," Aunt Wang called out.

Qi Mo took out little packages and said, "I roasted a piglet tonight. Don’t mind it being just a little—have a taste."

Huo Huakang produced a bottle of baijiu, and everyone enjoyed their small pieces with gusto.

Huo Xiaoyu sighed. "It’s so delicious. Will we really never get to eat this again? I kind of understand what they’re talking about—the disaster, why the electricity is gone—but I still don’t get it."

Hearing this, Qi Mo thought it was very likely the case.

Unless you're really powerful.

Huo Xiaoyu’s words immediately caught Huo Jingxuan’s attention. "Does everyone remember what happened nineteen years ago? That huge being suddenly appeared in the sky, drenching half the world in blood before falling down and vanishing."

"So nothing should surprise us now—because something even stranger has already happened. How could a person be that big? Ten kilometers? A hundred? That’s some mythical giant or immortal stuff."

Huo Xiaoyu asked, "Do you think we might become that big someday too?"

"Please, no! Being this size already consumes too much food. If we really grew that big, would we be eating dirt?" Huo Jingxuan joked.

Qi Mo spoke up. "Animals might mutate before humans. Human genes are stable, but insect genes mutate more easily."

"Oh my god, Momo, don’t scare us like that!" Huo Xiaoyu shivered.

Insects—mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches—if they grew as big as humans, now that's a scary thought...