Chapter 74

Chapter 74

"The wheat is almost ripe. Perhaps we should harvest it early," Fang Guowei said, his face etched with distress as he surveyed the partially eaten wheat ears.

This was the fruit of their arduous labor! Damn those birds!

"Harvesting early might significantly reduce the yield," Grandpa Zhao hesitated, pondering if there was a more effective solution.

"A reduced yield is still better than letting these birds devour everything," Fang Guowei sighed, glancing up at the nearby trees. "Look, those birds are just perched there, waiting for us to leave!"

Furious, Fang Guowei scooped up a clod of dirt and hurled it at them.

The birds deftly dodged the projectile, yet showed no inclination to depart, merely settling back onto the branches.

It was an infuriating spectacle.

"Sigh!" Since assuming leadership of the farming department, Fang Guowei had never felt such profound frustration.

"If there's no better way, then we'll assign more people to take shifts guarding the crops and keep a vigilant eye on these birds!" Fang Guowei declared through gritted teeth.

Cheng Zhiyu frowned. Cheng Mo raised his hand, unleashing dozens of lightning bolts. Witnessing their charred companions, the remaining birds appeared terrified this time, frantically flapping their wings and fleeing.

"Sigh, it's futile. They'll return," Fang Guowei remarked, having prior experience with these birds and understanding their habits. "Once you drive them away, it won't be long before they return with even more companions. These birds are incredibly vengeful. If they've had their fill, they'll deliberately peck the wheat ears to pieces, scattering them everywhere."

Cheng Zhiyu conceded that these birds were truly despicable. Eating for survival was one thing—a勉强 understandable act—but deliberately destroying the wheat ears was utterly excessive.

"If only there were something to cover the wheat and keep the birds away," someone mused. "We should have built a greenhouse from the start!"

Hearing this, Cheng Zhiyu became pensive. Little Umbrella seemed to possess such a function.

However, he was unsure if it could be applied to crops, so he remained silent, intending to investigate first to avoid raising false hopes.

With this in mind, Cheng Zhiyu returned home and eagerly entered the system space. Little Umbrella had now reached level two after Cheng Zhiyu had fed it crystal cores.

He accessed Little Umbrella's information, meticulously examining its functions, and then a smile bloomed on his face. It seemed worth a try.

He returned to the crops and explained his idea to Fang Guowei and Grandpa Zhao.

Fang Guowei and Grandpa Zhao had initially planned to take turns guarding the crops. As the pillars of the farming department, their presence was crucial in emergencies.

Fang Guowei was just suggesting that Grandpa Zhao guard during the day while he took the night shift—after all, he couldn't possibly ask the elderly man to stay up all night.

Then Cheng Zhiyu mentioned he might have a solution. The two men instantly became excited. "Really? Xiao Cheng, do you truly have a way?"

Cheng Zhiyu didn't make any definitive promises. "I'm not entirely sure, but we can give it a try."

With that, he summoned Little Umbrella.

Upon reaching level two, Little Umbrella had gained an additional ability beyond its basic defensive function: it could split itself into three.

It could divide into three entities. Since the nearly ripe wheat required protection, the three Little Umbrellas took root at different locations among the crops.

Little Umbrella resembled an ordinary plant, except it was umbrella-shaped and not particularly large—about the size of a regular umbrella.

Fang Guowei looked worried. "Can it protect such a vast area?"

Cheng Zhiyu wasn't entirely sure either, but there was only one way to find out.

The group didn't leave immediately, instead retreating into the farming department's shed situated near the crops.

"Ordinary plants can't adapt to the current environment, let alone unmanaged crops. I believe those birds have targeted our base," Fang Guowei shook his head. "I hope that umbrella-like device proves effective."

It was no wonder he was anxious. This wheat represented the base's food supply. Lin Kang had previously stated that current food reserves would last only a few months at most. If this batch of wheat was compromised, what would everyone eat? How could he not feel the immense pressure?

Cheng Zhiyu took a sip of tea. "Don't worry too much. If it doesn't work, we can harvest the wheat early and store it in the warehouse. I doubt those birds could get to it there."

"That's true. We'll have to resort to that if necessary," Grandpa Zhao nodded. Compared to losing the entire crop, an early harvest with a reduced yield was an acceptable compromise.

After finishing his tea, Cheng Mo immediately refilled it for him. Cheng Zhiyu smiled, drank it, and Cheng Mo poured again.

After finishing this cup too, Cheng Zhiyu covered it with his hand. "No more."

He'd consumed a bellyful of tea.

Cheng Mo, looking slightly disappointed, took the cup, poured tea into it, and declared, "Then I'll drink it."

Fang Guowei glanced at the untouched cup in front of Cheng Mo: "..."

It was as if they were so impoverished they had to share a single cup.

He truly couldn't fathom the mindset of young people.

As they conversed, Cheng Zhiyu keenly detected the sound of flapping wings. He immediately announced, "They're here!"

Everyone understood his meaning. They abandoned their tea and hurried outside.

Indeed, a larger flock of birds had descended upon the tree—this time, numbering in the hundreds.

Cheng Zhiyu frowned. "I thought these birds had nothing to eat? How can there be so many?"

They had already eliminated so many, yet more kept appearing.

No one could comprehend it. Logically, without food, they should have starved to death. How could there be such a multitude?

But now was not the time for such contemplation.

Previously, they had vehemently opposed the birds approaching the crops. Now, to validate Little Umbrella's efficacy, they almost wished for their arrival.

Fortunately, these birds were audacious. Even with everyone present, they displayed no fear. Ruffling their feathers, one bird charged forward, swiftly followed by others, casting ominous shadows that sent a shiver down their spines.

The birds, eyeing the delectable wheat within reach, accelerated their charge, jostling for position like miniature cannonballs, each fearing their companions would seize the advantage.

However, what transpired next baffled them. The first bird to reach the wheat seemed to collide with an invisible barrier—"thud!"—and crashed into it, dazed.

The birds behind couldn't halt in time and collided with the barrier one after another—"thud, thud, thud!"

The flock appeared bewildered, flapping their wings and circling above the wheat. There was clearly nothing there, so why did they feel obstructed?

Witnessing the birds' frantic yet helpless behavior, everyone's faces lit up with relief and joy.

Fang Guowei exclaimed, "Excellent! Xiao Cheng, your device truly works!"

Grandpa Zhao wiped away tears of elation. "Wonderful, wonderful! The crops are saved!"

Perhaps these birds lacked intelligence. Even though they didn't comprehend what had blocked them, once they confirmed there was nothing visible before them, they charged forward again, jostling with each other.

One after another, "thud, thud" sounds reverberated. It was as if they felt no pain, furiously crashing into the invisible barrier separating them from the food, attempting to shatter it.

Alas, the barrier was exceptionally sturdy—not only did it remain intact, but several birds seemed to have perished from the impact, plummeting to the ground.

After repeated attempts, more and more birds lay on the ground. The surviving ones finally seemed to accept the harsh reality: they had met their match and would not be getting any grain today.

"They should leave now, right?" Fang Guowei watched nervously, fearing the birds' relentless assault might eventually breach Cheng Zhiyu's barrier.

Fortunately, it held.

Before he could sigh in relief, he noticed the birds were no longer targeting the grain. Instead, they landed in small groups near their fallen companions.

"What are they doing? Taking their comrades away?" Fang Guowei muttered. "They never seemed particularly sentimental before."

Cheng Zhiyu glanced over and frowned instantly. "They're eating the dead birds."

"Ah..." Fang Guowei and Grandpa Zhao's eyes widened, their faces pale, clearly disturbed by the act of cannibalism.

Upon closer inspection, the birds seemed solely focused on eating, completely disregarding the nearby humans. They fiercely competed for the corpses, tearing them apart in small groups and devouring them with relish.

Cheng Zhiyu now understood. No wonder the bird population remained large and plump despite the scarcity of food elsewhere. So that was the reason.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, Cheng Zhiyu looked at Cheng Mo.

The latter raised his hand, and dozens of lightning bolts struck the birds. Some were hit, and the rest finally realized the danger. Shaking their wings, they lingered regretfully at the corpses on the ground before flying away.

"We never had birds like this around here before. They'll stop at nothing for food," Grandpa Zhao said, still unsettled by what he had just witnessed.

These seemingly beautiful birds behaved with terrifying cruelty—they were carnivorous.

"At least the wheat is safe," Fang Guowei smiled at the thought. "After a few failed attempts, these birds will learn and give up. Our wheat will be ready for harvest soon anyway."

He then turned to Cheng Zhiyu. "Thanks to you, Xiao Cheng."

Cheng Zhiyu smiled. "I was just testing something. Didn’t expect it to actually work."

With the little umbrella left in place, the wheat-eating problem was solved.

Cheng Zhiyu and Cheng Mo left together. As soon as they were alone, Cheng Mo took his hand. Cheng Zhiyu coughed lightly and tried to shake him off but failed.

Cheng Mo said unhappily, "Cheng Zhiyu, I’m your boyfriend. What’s wrong with holding hands?"

He had just seen a young couple holding hands and immediately wanted to do the same with Cheng Zhiyu.

Cheng Zhiyu quickly reassured him. "Alright, alright, hold hands if you want."

Cheng Mo finally smiled.

It was getting late, and as they headed home, Tian Qiao excitedly approached with some people. "Chengzi, look what we got!"

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the bottle in his hand and raised an eyebrow. "Liquor?"

"Yep! I haven't had a drink since the apocalypse started. I traded a lot of meat for this," Tian Qiao clung to the bottle. "Just this one bottle. Let’s enjoy it later."

"You should’ve said something earlier if you wanted liquor," Cheng Zhiyu laughed. "I have plenty in my space, even Maotai."

He had stashed it when he came across some outside. Though he wasn’t much of a drinker, he thought it might come in handy. However, he never brought it out while outside since liquor could be a distraction. After returning, he’d simply forgotten about it amidst all the other items in his space.

"Maotai?!" Tian Qiao immediately lost interest in the bottle he was holding. Who'd want this stuff if there was Maotai?

Zhou Min, who had been bugging Tian Qiao for a taste of his liquor, also lost interest upon hearing about Cheng Zhiyu’s Maotai. "Brother Cheng, bring it out then! Maotai! I’ve never had it in my life!"

Tian Manman, getting curious, asked, "Is Maotai tasty?"

Tian Qiao clapped Tian Manman on the shoulder and laughed. "It’s not food—it’s liquor. Who knows if it’s good? It was super expensive before the apocalypse, thousands for a bottle. We could never afford it back then. It must be good, otherwise why would it cost so much?"

Cheng Zhiyu smiled and produced a case of Maotai, waving generously. "Help yourselves."

It was baijiu—a hard liquor. Nobody could just casually drink it; handling just a few shots would already be impressive.

Tian’s father and Cheng’s father were thrilled upon hearing about the Maotai. They decided to prepare some snacks and have a drinking night.

It was a rare joyous occasion. They fried peanuts, made a cold appetizer, and Cheng’s mother, who was excellent at making braised dishes, prepared some marinated meats—perfect with liquor.

Although none of them were heavy drinkers, Maotai was too enticing to resist. Everyone wanted a taste.

Cheng Zhiyu wasn’t particularly interested in liquor. As the others clinked glasses, he focused on the food. The braised dishes were delicious.

Cheng Mo didn’t seem interested either, occasionally tossing a peanut into his mouth.

The freshly fried peanuts were crispy and fragrant, lightly salted and utterly satisfying.

Cheng Zhiyu asked, "You’re not drinking?"

Cheng Mo poured a glass, sniffed it, and frowned. "It stinks."

He really couldn’t understand why Tian Qiao and the others were so excited about it.

"Hey, if you’re not drinking it, don’t waste it," Tian Qiao said, perhaps a bit drunk, daring to give Cheng Mo orders.

He reached for the glass. "Give it to me! I’ll drink it!"

Cheng Mo slapped his hand away. "No way."

"You won’t drink it, and you won’t let me drink it either!" Tian Qiao was furious, thinking Cheng Mo was being utterly unreasonable. "Chengzi, tell him! Have you ever seen someone like this?"

Cheng Zhiyu sighed and said to Cheng Mo, "Don’t argue with a drunk."

Cheng Mo certainly wouldn’t bother arguing with Tian Qiao, but he was annoyed by the strong smell of alcohol.

He nuzzled against Cheng Zhiyu and took a sniff, instantly feeling his nostrils were cleansed.

Cheng Zhiyu coughed lightly, awkwardly glanced at his mother—who was pretending to be occupied—and rubbed his nose.

Tian Qiao was still fixated on the glass in front of Cheng Mo, but Cheng Mo was extremely possessive and never liked others touching his things.

Seeing Tian Qiao pushing his luck like crazy, Cheng Zhiyu picked up the glass and said, "I’ll drink it."

He knocked it back in one go, feeling his face grow warm though his mind remained clear. Seeing the alcohol gone, Tian Qiao stopped worrying about waste and went back to drinking with the others.

Cheng Zhiyu exhaled and quickly popped a peanut into his mouth. So strong! He really couldn’t stand the taste.

No wonder people always ate snacks with alcohol—the alcohol itself was just too unpleasant.

Cheng Mo took some marinated meat and fed it to him. Cheng Zhiyu opened his mouth and ate it.

Cheng Mo asked, "Better?" He had wanted to laugh watching Zhi Yu’s face scrunch up earlier.

Cheng Zhiyu’s mouth felt better now, and he nodded. Still, for some reason, his head felt dizzy.

"Zhi Yu's drunk," Mrs. Cheng said with concern, looking at her son's flushed face.

Cheng Zhiyu frowned, "No way! I only had one drink!"

Mrs. Cheng confirmed, "He's definitely drunk. Xiao Mo, take him back to rest. Don’t let him stay here with these drunkards."

Cheng Mo nodded and told Cheng Zhiyu to get up.

Cheng Zhiyu shook his hand off, "Not leaving!"

Cheng Mo wasn’t angry but found it amusing. He rarely saw Cheng Zhiyu act like this and coaxed him gently, "Come on, it’s time to go back."

Cheng Zhiyu popped a peanut in his mouth, ignoring him, and sneered, "Since when do you tell me what to do?"

The next moment, Cheng Mo hoisted him over his shoulder and headed upstairs. Cheng Zhiyu, furious, bit him, "Big Black, you're rebelling against me!"

Instead of getting angry, Cheng Mo looked turned on by the bite. He pressed Cheng Zhiyu onto the bed, looked at his fierce expression, and gently nipped at his lips.

The taste of alcohol lingered between their lips, but Cheng Mo didn’t find it unpleasant—instead, it strangely turned him on.

The room grew warmer as Cheng Mo pressed his legs together...

Afterward, Cheng Zhiyu looked out of it, watching Cheng Mo clean up.

Cheng Mo, satisfied, kissed his cheek. To his surprise, Cheng Zhiyu made a face.

Cheng Mo was taken aback, "Why that expression? Was it that bad?"

"Hahaha..." Cheng Zhiyu laughed, slapping the mattress, "Big Black, you’re so silly. Even now, you only know how to do this much."

Cheng Mo stared at him, "What do you mean?"

Cheng Zhiyu blinked. Even drunk, he was clever enough to play dumb and not say.

But Cheng Mo persisted, "There’s more? Cheng Zhiyu, you lied to me before, saying this was all we could do."

"Hah, of course I’d lie to you." Drunk Cheng Zhiyu grinned like a sly fox, "That thing of yours is so big—if it went in, wouldn’t it kill me?"

"Go in where?" Cheng Mo latched onto that word.

Realizing he’d slipped up, Cheng Zhiyu clamped his mouth shut and refused to say more.

"Zhi Yu, tell me," Cheng Mo tried a different approach, trying to coax him while he was drunk.

Cheng Zhiyu seemed to waver. Seeing an opportunity, Cheng Mo sprouted a pair of fluffy ears to seduce him.

Cheng Zhiyu touched the fluffy ears, gestured for Cheng Mo to lean in. As he leaned in, Cheng Zhiyu laughed, "Not gonna tell you. I’m not stupid, haha."

Cheng Mo: "..."

Frustrated, he gritted his teeth, "Cheng Zhiyu!"

Unfazed, Cheng Zhiyu closed his eyes, "I’m tired, going to sleep. Goodnight."

"Don’t sleep! Tell me now!" Cheng Mo forced his eyes open, refusing to let him sleep.

Annoyed, Cheng Zhiyu slapped his hand, "I’m tired and want to sleep! Big Black, retract your claws, or I’ll get mad!"

Cheng Mo insisted, "Then tell me."

Cheng Zhiyu pulled the blanket over his head, "Won’t say."

Cheng Mo: "..." So angry.

He shook him under the blanket, "Don’t sleep. Tell me, and I’ll let you sleep."

Cheng Zhiyu wasn’t having it and didn’t react. Moments later, Cheng Mo lifted the covers—Cheng Zhiyu was already breathing steadily, sound asleep.

Cheng Mo: "..." So angry.

The next day, Cheng Zhiyu opened his eyes, stretched, and saw Cheng Mo sitting beside him with faint dark circles under his eyes.

Cheng Zhiyu blinked, "What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well last night?"

Cheng Mo gave him a look, "What do you think? Don’t you remember last night?"

Cheng Zhiyu thought about it but only recalled having one drink—everything after that's blurry. Puzzled, he asked, "What happened last night?"

Cheng Mo smiled, "Nothing."

Cheng Zhiyu: "?"

Seeing Cheng Mo didn’t want to talk, Cheng Zhiyu didn’t push it. He yawned and went to clean up.

Cheng Mo frowned. He didn’t want to ask anyone else about this—what should he do?

Cheng Zhiyu was clueless about what he was thinking. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he felt rejuvenated.

Heading downstairs for breakfast, he saw his dad and Tian Qiao still hadn’t woken up.

"All of them drunk, throwing up everywhere, just making a mess," Mrs. Cheng said. "Let’s eat and ignore them."

Though she said that, she’d left food for them in the kitchen. Cheng Zhiyu peeked and smiled but didn't call her out.

Yesterday, a Superhuman had captured a sow and brought it to the farm, where it was put in with the boar Cheng Zhiyu and the others had brought back.

"Maybe soon, we’ll have piglets," the farmhand said, smiling as he watched the two pigs getting along well.

Perhaps because it was rare for pigs to find their own kind these days, the two pigs surprisingly didn’t fight and seemed to get along well. This morning, they were still cuddled up together.

"How do they make piglets?" Cheng Mo suddenly asked.

The farmhand scratched his head, "Well, when two pigs mate, they’ll have piglets."

"Mate?" Cheng Mo asked earnestly, "How do they mate?"

The farmhand: "..." How do I explain this?

Fortunately, Cheng Mo didn’t ask him but turned to Cheng Zhiyu, "Do you know?"

Farmhand: perked up his ears.jpg

Cheng Zhiyu turned bright red, "How would I know!"

"I think you know," Cheng Mo pressed, "Tell me."

Cheng Zhiyu covered his mouth, "Shut up, have some decency."

Cheng Mo moved his hand away and whispered, "Why should I be ashamed? Haven’t we done everything? Why be shy about it?"

Ugh! Cheng Zhiyu's face flushed even redder. In broad daylight, with other people not far away, what on earth was Cheng Mo saying!

He put on a serious face: "Shut up, no more talking."

Cheng Mo gave him a suspicious look: "I feel like you're hiding something from me. Why can't you tell me?"

Cheng Zhiyu felt a pang of guilt. Why couldn’t he say it? It was all because Cheng Mo’s... thing was just too unreal. He hadn’t psyched himself up for it yet, and besides, wasn’t everything fine as it was now?

Seeing how satisfied Cheng Mo seemed every time, eh, it was better to keep things as they were for the time being.

He rubbed his nose, feeling guilty, and said: "What could I possibly be hiding from you? Cheng Mo, you’re so paranoid, always overthinking everything. If you keep this up, I’m going to get angry."

Cheng Zhiyu gave him a side-eye, making his attitude clear.

Cheng Mo narrowed his eyes, even more convinced that Cheng Zhiyu’s words last night weren’t just drunken ramblings—they were drunken honesty. But clearly, he wasn’t going to get any answers now.

After some thought, Cheng Mo decided to play dumb: "As long as you’re not hiding anything from me, I know Zhi Yu would never lie to me."

Cheng Zhiyu felt even guiltier at his words but consoled himself—well, how could this be considered lying? It was all for the sake of their harmony, haha.

Cheng Zhiyu let out an awkward laugh: "Exactly, how could I ever lie to you? And besides, don’t go asking other people about this kind of thing. You’ll just make them uncomfortable. Look at that breeder—he’s keeping his distance from us."

He made sure to shut down any possibility of Cheng Mo learning about it from someone else.

Cheng Mo lowered his eyes, hiding the weird look in them: "Okay, I won’t ask."

Cheng Zhiyu breathed a sigh of relief and kissed him: "Good boy!"