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

The head was large and triangular, with a short, upturned protrusion formed by scales from the snout and nose. The back of the head was dark brown with symmetrical large scales and facial pits. The body was dark brown with a white underbelly featuring interspersed black spots. Upon seeing the flower-patterned snake, Hua Chengtian gasped, and immediately shot the crossbow arrow in his hand.

A standard triangular head; it was a highly venomous five-step snake.

Hua Chengtian's crossbow arrow was already quite fast, yet it wasn't as fast as the hatchet in Zhao Xiaoyun's hand. Before Xiaoxiao could react, the hatchet had firmly pinned the five-step snake's head to the ground, while the crossbow arrow lagged slightly, sticking into the snake's neck.

At this moment, the triangular head was less than an inch away from Xiaoxiao's ankle. Gazing at the machete and crossbow arrow, Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment. Then, almost jumping up in fright, she scrambled over to Hua Chengtian's side, screaming.

"Snake, wow, it's a snake..."

While shouting, she tightly clutched Hua Chengtian and Sister Xiao Mao, her body trembling involuntarily.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Sister Xiao Mao quickly hugged Xiaoxiao. Although kids from the countryside are typically tough, not being boys, they still have things they're afraid of, like snakes.

Of course, some aren't afraid, like Zhao Xiaoyun, who had already picked up the five-step snake. Hua Chengtian was somewhat uneasy yet saw her eyes glowing, making him certain that his future sister-in-law was already thinking about how to cook it.

Although Hua Chengtian considers himself quite brave, he is still particularly averse to snakes and those slithery caterpillar-like creatures.

"Sister Yun... please... put it away quickly."

In moments of danger, adrenaline rushes in. At that time, Hua Chengtian just wanted to eliminate the threat and hadn't felt so creepy. But seeing the still wriggling five-step snake now made him shudder, prompting his shout.

Seeing Hua Chengtian's nervousness, Zhao Xiaoyun quickly placed the five-step snake into the basket on her back, then threw several handfuls of grass over it to cover it tightly.

Facing the girls' gaze, as if to say it's over, don't be scared anymore.

Hua Chengtian didn't say anything but directly gave Zhao Xiaoyun a thumbs up. Truly admirable, a girl who isn't afraid of these things is really amazing!

Just based on this, Hua Chengtian was ready to like this future sister-in-law.

It wasn't just the fearlessness of snakes; the most important thing was her quick reaction. Without her, Xiaoxiao would have been in real danger today. Even though there were antidotes prepared in the space, Hua Chengtian was genuinely unsure about the five-step snake's venom.

Sister Xiao Mao's comfort, coupled with the five-step snake being out of sight, finally brought Xiaoxiao back from her fright. Her starry eyes transformed to admiration, gazing at Zhao Xiaoyun.

"Sister Yun, you're amazing. Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, the consequences would have been unimaginable. You saved my life; from now on, you're my sister for life, and I'll definitely repay you." Xiaoxiao patted her small chest seriously, her expression filled with earnestness.

Which made Zhao Xiaoyun chuckle uncontrollably. Saving her was just instinctive behavior, never expecting to be repaid. Besides, for such a small, delicate little thing, Zhao Xiaoyun wouldn't dare let her repay anything.

Hurriedly, with generosity, she said, "You said we're sisters, so there's no need to be concerned with such formalities."

"No, no, it was a life-saving grace, and books say life-saving grace should be.... should be repaid..."

"Repaid with a deep gratitude," Hua Chengtian interjected, casting a glance at Xiaoxiao. This girl wasn't attentive enough when learning to read, and here she is wishing she had learned more when it truly mattered.

"Hehe," Xiaoxiao laughed ingratiatingly, nodding vigorously. "Exactly, it should be repaid with deep gratitude. Whatever help you need in the future, just say the word. Anything within my power, and Xiaoxiao won't say no," she said, patting her little chest again.

But Zhao Xiaoyun, not wanting to get entangled with Xiaoxiao's seriousness, decided to let her be and nodded helplessly.

"Sister Yun, let me help you pick wild mushrooms..." Xiaoxiao immediately cheered up, following Zhao Xiaoyun closely like a little tail.

Last night saw the second rainfall in months, neither too heavy nor too light, raining throughout the night until it began clearing up by the day, otherwise, the harvest in three days would have been a concern.

After months of planting, the harvest depends on these few days. Although the hot weather indeed needs a bit of rain to refresh, the fields in the valley don't require water anymore; the lake in the valley is large and deep enough with sufficient water source. Earlier on, Hua Chengtian had led people to dig a canal connecting to the lake, making irrigation not a problem.

After the rain, it is the best time for mushroom picking, which is also the main goal for the girls' trip up the mountain.

Hua Chengtian and Sister Xiao Mao stayed close by Zhao Xiaoyun's side, with the incident of the five-step snake making their relationship much more harmonious.

This girl really knows how to take action in crucial moments!

Even Sister Xiao Mao and Dayal looked at Zhao Xiaoyun with admiration, thinking she was amazing. Her reflexes were so fast, and her blade's strength and speed were unmatched by theirs. Most importantly, she wasn't afraid of snakes.

Snakes! Such fearsome creatures, yet she wasn't afraid, earning immense admiration from everyone. After Hua Chengtian, she became one of the few they looked up to.

Having Xiaoxiao, who talked a lot, rapidly got them more acquainted with Zhao Xiaoyun's personality within a short time.

Her ability to answer Xiaoxiao's questions sincerely shows she has quite a bit of patience, and despite being straightforward and responding to questions clearly, she also has calculated discretion, knowing what not to say or say little. While she engaged willingly with Hua Chengtian, there was no deliberate flattery, making her someone with her own mind. This increased Hua Chengtian's fondness for her even more.

And when they went down the mountain, Hua Chengtian witnessed her luck.

Hua Chengtian has always had great luck, never returning empty-handed after going up the mountain; encountering wild chickens, rabbits, or something alike wherever he went. As a result, everyone liked following him up the mountain, hoping perhaps to catch a lucky break too.

His future sister-in-law, Zhao Xiaoyun, pinned down a fleeting wild rabbit on the grass with just a machete, recreating the scene with the five-step snake, surprising everyone again with her speed.

Even though she sheepishly claimed it was just luck, there can't be that many coincidences in the world.

Once might be accidental, but twice is skill; the vision, reflexes, and accuracy of his future sister-in-law, to him, seemed on par with his. Knowing his physique was enhanced by spiritual energy in space, just to reach his current level.

And her strength, just as Grandma Sun said, was indeed impressive.

Besides having a basket full of goods, she also gathered a huge bundle of firewood taller than a person. With such a setup, carrying the basket in front and a mountain of firewood behind, surprisingly, showed no difficulty while descending the mountain, astonishing the sisters, who were both envious and inquisitive about her training methods.

Zhao Xiaoyun, seemingly accustomed to such questions, responded to the curious girls with only three words, "It's innate," which stirred jealousy and amusement, receiving a series of eye-rolls followed by bursts of laughter.