Chapter 80 part 1
Although Qin Jiuzhen was craving the meat like crazy, he still picked up his chopsticks and ate slowly, taking small bites. After eating half of it, he put the rest down and said, “The remaining half is for Mom and Dad tomorrow.”
He happily placed the half-box of meat on a nearby cabinet and then rummaged through his backpack. “All my favorite snacks! Thank you, Liansheng-ge. You’re the best!”
Xia Liansheng, seeing how happy he was, showed a faint smile. “I’ve left a bag of rice and a bag of flour in the living room. Eat well. If food runs out in the future, let me know.”
Qin Jiuzhen felt a little embarrassed, his face turning slightly red. “This… isn’t this too much trouble for you, Liansheng-ge?”
Xia Liansheng replied, “It’s no trouble. It’s what I should do. They’re my parents, too.”
Qin Jiuzhen leaned over and gave him a kiss. Xia Liansheng, in turn, set the backpack aside, pulled Qin Jiuzhen onto the bed, and kissed him passionately…
By the time Xia Liansheng left, four or five hours had passed. He departed with a satisfied expression, leaving quietly. The pitch-black panther at his side blended seamlessly into the dark night, serving as the perfect camouflage.
Once he was sure Xia Liansheng had left, Qin Jiuzhen lay limply on the bed, completely exhausted. He reached out to wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes and grabbed the earlier box of meat. Though it had gone cold, it still tasted delicious.
Despite his earlier promise to save the meat for his parents, he ended up eating it all himself. How long had it been since he’d last had meat? Now that he had some, there was no way he was letting any go to waste.
As for the lunchbox… he decided to find an opportunity to throw it away tomorrow. He couldn’t leave it at home, where his parents might see it.
He also needed to hide the snacks carefully. He’d just say that Xia Liansheng had brought over a bag of rice and a bag of flour last night. He had checked earlier—both were stored in burlap sacks and were sufficient in quantity. His parents wouldn’t suspect anything else.
As long as they didn’t snoop through his room, they wouldn’t find anything. Qin Jiuzhen placed the snacks—clearly prepared with care by Xia Liansheng—in his usual hiding spot.
—
When morning came, Qin Shanzhou and Yao Meimei discovered a large sack of rice and another of flour in the living room. They were overjoyed.
Yao Meimei said, “I told you, Liansheng is reliable. But really, just rice would’ve been enough—why bring flour, too? Flour is such a hassle to deal with.”
Qin Shanzhou replied, “Enough. It’s already a blessing to have this. We should be grateful. If Liansheng hears you complaining, he might not be happy. He went out of his way to bring it for us.”
Yao Meimei, though she grumbled, wasn’t truly dissatisfied. “Alright, alright, I know. Don’t get mad. I’ll go cook. We’ll eat soon. By the way, do you know how to knead dough? I don’t. What are we supposed to do with this flour…”
Qin Shanzhou suggested, “If possible, we could trade it for other supplies.”
Yao Meimei’s eyes lit up. “If we can, maybe trade it for some meat? Though… am I imagining it, or does it smell like meat in here?”
Just as Qin Jiuzhen was about to step out, he froze in panic. Was the smell of meat that obvious? He had opened the windows to air the place out for a long time—how could there still be any lingering scent?
Qin Shanzhou said, “You’ve gone so long without eating meat, you’re hallucinating. Hurry up and cook.”
Yao Meimei sniffed carefully again but didn’t catch any scent. “Ugh, fine. I must’ve been imagining it. Why are you getting so worked up? Oh, and should we send food to those two old folks next door later?”
Qin Shanzhou replied, “Send a little. We can’t let them starve.”
Yao Meimei scoffed, “Hmph, if they starved, it’d save us some trouble.”
Despite her harsh words, she didn’t have the guts to actually do it. After all, if three capable adults in their household—especially with supplies from Xia Liansheng—let two elderly people starve to death, it would clearly be intentional.
No one knew what consequences might come from letting elderly people starve to death in their current situation. In any case, now that they had enough supplies, they wouldn’t withhold a little food.
Qin Shanzhou, thinking of the old couple, felt annoyed. “Let Xiao Zhen deliver the food later.”
At that moment, Qin Jiuzhen stepped out of his room. “Mom, Dad, you’re up so early?”
Seeing Qin Jiuzhen, their expressions softened. After all, they had so much rice and flour, thanks to him. Otherwise, Xia Liansheng probably wouldn’t have even spared them a glance.
Yao Meimei poked her head out of the kitchen. “Xiao Zhen, you’re awake? Breakfast will be ready soon!”
Qin Jiuzhen smiled. “Got it, Mom.”
He sat on the sofa. “Good morning, Dad.”
Qin Shanzhou and Yao Meimei hadn’t wanted to wake up so early, but with no jobs and no way to earn supplies, they figured staying in bed would mean less food consumed. However, they were too hungry to sleep and ended up waking early, only to find a delightful surprise.
Qin Shanzhou said, “You’re the only one in this family who’s got any sense. You know how to be filial.”
Qin Jiuzhen replied, “It’s all thanks to Liansheng-ge not giving up on me. Oh, by the way, I overheard you talking about trading the flour for other things. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Qin Shanzhou asked, “Why not? Oh, right—if we trade it, won’t it expose the fact that we have flour? I heard only soldiers and beastmen individuals are allotted flour.”
“If we take it out, wouldn’t that bring trouble to Liansheng?”
Qin Jiuzhen nodded. “Exactly, Dad. Liansheng-ge is handling some important matters right now. If people find out about us, it could create problems for him. That’s why he delivers supplies to us secretly at night.”
Qin Shanzhou stroked his chin. “Alright, I get it. We’ll keep the flour for ourselves. After all, we don’t even have enough to eat as it is.”
Two sacks of food would last them two to three months if rationed carefully. If they were frugal, it might last even longer. Besides, Xia Liansheng would likely continue delivering supplies in the future.
Now that their staple food was secure, their main issue was the lack of vegetables.
Yao Meimei said, “By the way, if we’re short on vegetables, I heard you can help with farming or harvesting. After work, they’ll give you some vegetables as compensation.”
Meat, however, was out of the question for now. It was prioritized for the military and beastmen individuals. Any surplus would go to their families or people with jobs. People like them, at the bottom of the hierarchy, wouldn’t even get a sniff.
Qin Jiuzhen suggested, “Why don’t I go help with farming and harvesting for the military? At least I’d be able to bring back some fresh vegetables. Plus, I could eat there, which would save food at home.”
In truth, he just didn’t want to stay home all day. Back when his parents ran their business, they were too busy to bother him. But now, with nothing to do, they’d become lazier, relying entirely on Xia Liansheng’s support. Staying home meant enduring their constant presence.
He also thought about the possibility of meeting new people or, perhaps, awakening as a beastmen individual himself. Though no one had recently awakened, it didn’t mean it was impossible. Maybe he still had a chance.
After all, his older brother had become a beastmen individual—perhaps it ran in the family, and his turn would come.
Besides, working near the military might give him a chance to gather information. The farming area, managed by the military, was frequented by soldiers and beastmen individuals, making it a good place for reconnaissance.
Unaware of Qin Jiuzhen’s true intentions, his parents simply thought he was being filial. “Alright, if you want to go, go. If you can bring back vegetables, we’ll count on you.”
Qin Jiuzhen said, “I’ll give it a shot later.”
Yao Meimei encouraged him, “Don’t worry. A young guy like you will definitely get picked.”
Qin Jiuzhen thought so too. But when he arrived at the military recruitment point and explained his intentions, the soldiers gave him a strange look.
“You want to sign up for farm labor?”
Feeling slightly uncomfortable under their scrutiny, Qin Jiuzhen replied, “Yes, why not? I’m healthy, not injured or disabled. I don’t see any problem.”
The soldier said, “You’re healthy, sure. But with your small frame, can you handle it? Farm work is hard labor, you know.”
“Look at the sun outside—it’s sweltering. You’ll be working under that heat for hours. You’ll need to be up by 6 AM, bring your own breakfast, and start work early. We only provide lunch, and the workday ends at 5 PM. No dinner is provided. Depending on your output, you’ll take home 3 to 5 pounds of vegetables daily.”
Hearing this, Qin Jiuzhen instinctively glanced at the sun. It was already hot when he walked over. Spending all day under it… could he really endure that?
Still, he decided to give it a try. Maybe pushing his body to its limits would trigger his awakening.
“I’d like to try. Is that okay?”
The soldier replied, “Sure, but if your work doesn’t meet the standard, you might only get 2 pounds or even 1 pound of vegetables. Distribution is based on output.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Alright then, come register. This afternoon, you can start as a trial. If you feel you can handle it, come back tomorrow. If not, let us know so we can remove your name. Don’t just disappear without notice, understood?”
“Yes, no problem.”
