Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space

"I'll go too," Qin Shu also followed his father.

Li waved her hand, ignoring the father and son duo, and looked towards the second and third sons: "Lu brother, Ming brother, quickly go find some firewood."

"Okay." Qin Lu and Qin Ming, who originally also wanted to go out with their father, didn't feel any displeasure, quickly nodded, knowing filling their bellies was also very important.

As for the neatly stacked timber in the yard, neither of the brothers thought of taking it, instead, they ran out to gather scattered pieces in the village.

After the flood, firewood wasn't scarce. Although the village had been organized, quite a lot of wood still lay scattered in the corners, enabling the brothers to gather a substantial amount in a short time.

Meanwhile, Qin Shu and his father walked around Hua Village. Unfortunately, the whole Hua Village wasn't much different from Qin Village, with mainly the foundations and a few walls remaining; almost everything else had fallen apart.

Some households were slightly better off, but only slightly, unable to conceal anyone, and maintaining privacy was out of the question.

Of course, theirs was the only family in the village, so privacy wasn't really an issue, but being near Qinggu Mountain without any walls as a barrier felt unsettling.

Initially wanting to find another place to live, they found no suitable spot, so they returned, deciding to stay in Hua's house.

When Qin Lu and his brother each carried a bundle of firewood back, Li also walked around Hua's house, happily discovering a well covered with a stone lid in the backyard.

Although they brought quite a bit of water, it would eventually run out, a concern for Li that was now relieved.

"Mom, the firewood's ready."

"Mom... where are you?"

The brothers, puzzled by the empty area, called out a bit louder.

"... I'm in the backyard." Hearing the urgency in her son's voice, Li quickly responded, planning to have the children's father check if the well was usable and if he could clean it.

At the same time, the father and son duo in the village discovered another well. Judging by the well-maintained appearance, they were almost certain this well had been cleaned, with the area around the mouth of the well shining bright besides some dust.

"Dad..." Qin Shu looked at Qin Dagen with joy.

At that moment, Qin Dagen had already lifted the wooden board covering the well and was peering inside.

As they thought, the well had indeed been cleaned, with no silt accumulation, and the water at the bottom was clear, though without tools to draw water, seeing it more clearly was impossible.

Still, the presence of the well brought the father and son joy as they no longer worried about future water needs.

Upon returning to Hua's house and discovering the backyard well was also usable, their joy increased, cementing their decision to temporarily stay at Hua's. Access to water was one thing; more importantly, Hua's still-intact walls offered safety.

Nevertheless, Qin Dagen tasked his son with writing a letter to inform Hua Jin of their family's situation, especially their temporary stay without prior permission.

Qin Shu, sharing the sentiment, used a small piece of his limited paper supply to describe their move and settlement at Hua Jin's home, wrapping it in a rag tied with dried grass into a knot, planning to place it at the designated spot on Qinggu Mountain behind the village in the afternoon.

After a simple meal, Qin Dagen and his son began organizing the house.

Though they could've stayed in a tent since they were only residing temporarily to avoid the plague and intended to return once conditions improved, Qin Dagen felt they shouldn't live in someone else's house without contributing, hence proposed repairing the house.

Having repaired houses before, he and his sons were quite adept, and large wooden beams were readily piled at the corner of the wall.

This was an arduous process, not something to be completed in a day or two, requiring careful planning.

After breakfast, Qin Shu and Dagen started preparing for the house repairs, while Li took her youngest son to the back of the village.

The household had dried wild vegetables, but those were saved for future use; Li didn't intend to consume them now.

Abundant fresh wild vegetables were available during this season, so Li, stumbling upon an untouched area behind the village with a rich variety of wild edible greens, was overjoyed.

In moist areas, they found plenty of wild mushrooms and clusters of wild wood ear fungi on broken trunks, surprising both mother and son.

Such findings were scarce in Qin Village, often picked early by others if ever found.

Now, Li felt assured, as the abundance of wild vegetables could easily feed their family.

Before long, mother and son returned enthusiastically with a full basket of wild edibles.

After lunch, Qin Shu, seizing the noon break, refused to accompany his father and took the household hatchet to Qinggu Mountain behind the village.

Though Hua Village was devoid of inhabitants, Qin Shu preferred his father stay to protect his mother and brother, knowing that in times of trouble without others around for aid, they truly would be isolated.

Qin Shu walked swiftly, reaching the foot of Qinggu Mountain in less than the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, seeking the large rock Hua Jin described at the base of the mountain.

It was easy to find, a strikingly tall rock, though climbing up required effort, searching for the niche Hua Jin mentioned.

After searching, Qin Shu found a carved niche atop the boulder, covered by rocks.

He placed the wrapped message inside and replaced the covering stone, leaving swiftly.

He hoped his friend's family would see it soon.

Thus, Qin Shu's family settled in Hua Village. Though busier compared to Qin Village, their lives felt more fulfilling.

Each day was tightly scheduled, between repairing the house and tending to their own fields, watering, pest control, and weeding occurred at regular intervals.

Occasionally, they discreetly checked their locked home, noticing it remained unspotted since they left.

But the village was eerily quiet, with a heavy stench of decay, frightening father and son into a quick departure.

Thankfully, their fields were distanced from the village, otherwise returning would require great courage.

Afterward, they never returned to the village, fearing to go back.

Their plans had to change, indefinitely delaying their return to Qin Village until the deceased could be dealt with.

Comfortably settled in Hua Village, Li planted her precious few vegetable seeds in Hua's backyard.

Within nearly half a month, they completely repaired the roofs of three main rooms. Though imperfect in appearance, the rooms were inhabitable, providing shelter from wind and rain.

During this time, Qin Shu revisited Qinggu Mountain, wanting to know if his friend discovered the message; regrettably, it hadn't been retrieved, left as he had placed it.