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

Unlike in Shanggu Town, where those led by the county magistrate have a better overall spirit and are now almost all fighting in the fields, harvesting grain.

Meanwhile, when the hands at the town's mansion are idle after the grain harvest is finished, all the government officials and clerks are sent out to collect crops from any ownerless fields.

The county magistrate's idea is a good one, but what he can think of, the common people can naturally think of too. By the time the officials and clerks arrive, most of the fields have already been harvested. Despite this, it is still enough to surprise the county magistrate and the officials.

After another round of epidemic elimination, the population of Shanggu Town has once again dramatically decreased. Some villages have been entirely wiped out, with not a single survivor. When fully armed officials arrive to collect the grain, the bodies are already decomposed beyond recognition, the stench unbearable, making it impossible and terrifying to approach.

In the subsequent time, fires were seen burning across various villages in Shanggu Town, making the already hot air even more scorching. This was the only method to eradicate the plague.

Meanwhile, under the indication of the county magistrate, not only town officials but also the surviving people are encouraged to catch and kill rats and insects largely to completely eliminate the possibility of the plague's resurgence.

The living cherish their lives more, knowing these creatures might carry the plague virus. Almost everyone treats it as a major enemy, looking for rat holes everywhere, even if they've seen no rats, eradicating all possibilities.

As for villages where everyone perished, the county office is responsible for disinfecting and baiting the mice. Here, too, belongs to one of the plague-stricken areas, and many bodies were found already gnawed and rotted, indicating the harm of the rats and insects here.

It can be said that the survival of so many people in Shanggu Town is largely due to the efforts of the county magistrate, who has made the correct decision every time.

As for Hua Village, it was long forgotten because when the grain registration took place, no one came from Hua Village, so naturally, it was not on the officials' radar.

At this moment, Qin Shu's family is immersed in the joy of building a house. No matter how the outside world changes, nothing is more important than having a house, and they don't want to pay attention to anything else.

Three main rooms, two wing rooms, plus a kitchen and a woodshed, and most importantly, a cellar, yard walls, after more than half a month of family effort, have begun to take shape. Only the top remains, and it will be fully completed within five days. The joy of seeing the house built by their own hands is indescribable.

As the only woman, Mrs. Li's job, besides doing odd jobs, is to ensure that the four men of the family are well-fed to have the energy to build the house early.

Meanwhile, they also cut a lot of ramie and jute to make cloth and ropes. With so much grain, it cannot be left exposed outside. The oilcloth at home is insufficient, and although the house will soon be built, fabric is indispensable. The clothes of the children and Mr. Qin have been patched time and again, and the tattered bedding is unprepared for another extreme winter. Mrs. Li is truly unsure if the family can survive it and is very fearful, so she keeps working on cutting, making, and weaving hemp whenever she has time.

Hua Village is surrounded by woods and fields, with Qinggu Mountain behind the village, and there is no shortage of ramie or jute.

In short, although busy, life finally has a hope for progress.

New Moon City.

Under the scorching sun, a group of children worked hard to weed in the fields, with sweat dripping down their faces without dampening their enthusiasm.

If Hua Jin were here, she would surely recognize these children as Da Liu, Gouzi, and the others she once helped.

The children who once lay dying have now regained their spirits, with both the older and younger ones surviving the plague.

Currently residing in this remote and deserted village, smiles have returned to their faces. The house they built overnight with their benefactor brother is now surrounded by a high wall of mud. The backyard is planted with vegetables and grains, while the large vacant land behind is planted with sweet potatoes, potatoes, and a few plots of millet and wheat.

Every day upon waking, the first task isn't to fill their stomachs but to water the fields. Then they weed, and finally, they hunt for wild vegetables to dry and store for food. These are their daily tasks.

Though repetitive, these tasks are fulfilling, and they no longer live in constant fear, as they did in the city, of not knowing when their lives might end.

"Brother Liu... look at the food, it might be ready to harvest in less than two months. Do you think the weather can hold until then?" Gouzi asked Brother Liu uneasily as he gazed at the scorching sky, fearing another sudden extreme winter like the past two years, unsure how they would survive then.

"Brother Liu... should we go out and collect some cattails?" Gouzi felt a cold shiver thinking about the extreme winter.

Things like willow catkins can't be expected at this time, but cattails are not rare and can be found by the riverbank.

Gouzi's mention made Brother Liu realize, too. They are dressed in tattered clothes, and though they have a bundle of coarse burlap left by their benefactor before leaving, they haven't dared to use it. With the hot weather, even torn clothes suffice, but it's different in extreme winter, as these fabrics won't keep them warm. They indeed need to prepare in advance.

"You're right, we should prepare cattails beforehand. We'll pick them early tomorrow, then make clothes together when there's time."

"Mmm, mmm." Gouzi nodded furiously in agreement with Brother Liu, finally feeling somewhat assured.

Additionally, they need to collect more firewood.

They can only wonder if they will ever see their benefactor brother again.

Shanggu Town… Hua Village, Gouzi silently repeated in his heart.

Although the plague and grain crisis in New Moon City have been resolved, the plague has continued to spread across the entire Lingyun Continent and the whole of Ancient Yan Country.

Even in the Ancient Flame Capital City, infected people are taken away for isolation. Yet, the infection spreads like a prairie wildfire, sweeping through the capital city and each state city.

Over the past few months, cries of despair and bodies have been everywhere, yet these aren't the deadliest. The deadliest is the fierce attacks from the surrounding countries of Ancient Yan Country, who, initially coveting the country, have now launched full-scale invasions to survive and capture more resources.

Although successive disasters have greatly weakened the strength of all countries, the outcome of four countries simultaneously biting one piece can be imagined.

Even the Saint's raging anger cannot change the harsh reality of constant defeats. Eventually, all border towns were lost, and the enemy army penetrated deep into the heartland as if unimpeded.

The imagined slaughter and plunder didn't happen, nor did they find the urgently needed grain and livestock. Humans were hardly seen, only the stench of corpses and swarms of rats and insects filled the air.

Houses empty through and through, whether near county towns or remote villages, there were corpses of entire villages everywhere. These corpses horrified the soldiers who initially hoped for them, making them afraid to go near.

The plague... was a more severe plague than their countries had ever faced.