Chapter 229
Today’s lunch was made by Luo Xun. The main dish was fragrant, mouthwatering rice along with sauteed beef – because their home had long run out of oil, he fried using soy sauce. Fried peppers and minced meat, baked bean curd using mutant eggs that were as big as a head. Pig trotters – peeled because no one could bite through that layer of thick skin.
In addition to these five dishes, there were fresh stir-fried vegetables and a large pot of mushroom soup. The house was filled with the smell of food after the lid was opened. The entire team felt their mouths water.
To be honest, although Xu Mei and Song Lingling were responsible for the usual meals, their main dishes and rice were good, but for these side dishes...their level was only average from before the end. The rest of the food they could make, could not compare to the taste or looks of Luo Xun – even though he was only second-rate.
Luo Xun and Yan Fei had planned out today’s dishes, Luo Xun did not remember the taste of some of the dishes and Yan Fei gave tips since he ate at many restaurants. The two people taste tested each of the finished foods and were soon full.
The team sat around the table eating happily while listening to the zombie roars and screaming people on television. The main idea of the chat was – did they want to go back to the southwest base at the start of August?
"Has there been any new information these days? Do you know any specifics about the southwest base?" Luo Xun bit a pig trotter offered by Yan Fei. Although it was stewed without the outer skin so there was less taste, it was pretty good and succulent.
He Qiankun, responsible for information collection swallowed his mouthful of beef, "Early last month, the southwest base seemed to be dealing with the inner city. From those documents, we can see that the base was adjusting and drumming up the inner city so they should not be outside for the time being. But additional staff should have sent to the outer city to maintain order, the details are unclear."
Although they can information on each base regarding some major agreements, changes and so on, they could not ultimately see the details of the situation at A-city southwest base. What the actual specifics were inside the base, the group of people did not know.
Luo Xun held his chopsticks and pondered for a moment while cupping his chin, "Going back early August since now the base is doing internal consolidation, there’s not much difference between now and the start of next month. We should wait until the situation has completely stabilized."
As for selling vegetables...eat what they can, dry the rest for rations or use them as fodder. They had not increased the planting area by that much.
Despite the basement having two acres of land planted with vegetables, it was a large variety of crops. So there was less of each kind of vegetable.
"Right, right! Now that the weather is so hot, even if we brought many vegetables, wouldn’t they all wilt or go bad?"
"Yeah, now the weather is so bad, even if we wanted to go out, we cannot walk around!"
Overall, this was a team of men and women who now lived a truly comfortable life of relaxation.
Luo Xun looked out the window at the dark, hazy sky and nodded before expressing his support. At the same time, it started to rain heavily again.
These days the weather was not good. Luo Xun’s team could receive satellite information but those photographs did not show the ground clearly. No way around it, the clouds were too thick to shoot through. The pictures from the satellites looked similar to those they had seen on television before. The team of laymen pretended to analyze it and expressed their opinions – the weather would not clear up at least for a week!
Early the next morning, they looked outside to the sunny, clear sky and exchanged shocked looks. Forecasting the weather was not something regular people could judge. They did not expect that last night’s rain clouds were all blown away.
They blamed the fact that their base was too strong. While they were sleeping, not even a gust of wind was heard.
However, just because the weather was getting sunny did not mean everyone could go out – and they did not want to either. Like last time, the road was badly flooded. Luo Xun did not have to go out onto the roof to know that the pond size had increased, even overflowing onto the highway. Even some of the lower fields were covered!
Luo Xun held the baby’s just changed diapers and looked out the window into the distance. The clean, bright sky blue made people itch with an urge to sneeze. He pinched the baby’s noise, such a child would grow up to be strong one day.
The children were out playing, some movement outside the window caused Luo Xun to look outside again.
He did not know where the two wolves ran when it rained. At this time, they were jumping in the rain-filled pond and shallow water on the road. The two seemed to have forgotten the past and pounced on the group of waterbirds.
Perhaps they were trying to take advantage of the rain to hunt the wet birds unable to fly. But some of them actually had water powers and used elemental arrows to hit the wolves. Their half-dry bodies were soaked and drenched.
"What are you looking at?" After preparing the warm fruit milk, Yan Fei walked over to the door and saw Luo Xun standing by the window.
"Look at the two wolves being chased by a few water birds...Ah they finally remembered their own earth abilities and are trying to block the attacks." Luo Xun silently shook his head. "Are they really wolves? I remember the wolf and the three pigs we learned at school. Although the wolf died at the end, wasn’t he quite smart before then?"
"Don’t forget that we did not have any wild wolves in the country before the end? Perhaps after living in a park for a long time, their survival instincts have deteriorated. Plus..." Yan Fei looked out the window towards the two wolves who had found a safe place to shake out their fur. "What if they have dog pedigree? Maybe not a dog but a wolfdog instead?"
Luo Xun smiled at nodded towards Puppy lying on her side. "Yes, our dog is silly enough, looking at their heads, maybe they’re closer to Puppy than wolves."
Puppy opened her eyes and raised her ears since she heard her name. Realizing Luo Xun was not really talking to her, she continued to rest.
The two people went back to the bedside and put the baby on the newly laid sheets. Luo Xun tested the temperature of the bottle. Yan Fei took the clothes and shoes on the side – although the baby’s head was very small – he was only six months and his limbs were still growing in development. So Luo Xun carefully selected the softest cotton to make a simple baby suit when changing.
Just as Luo Xun was testing the cream fruit temperature and Yan Fei had prepared the clothes. The pair looked in shock as the baby wriggled a few times before – turning over!
"He, he turned over?" Luo Xun was silent for a long time while the baby curiously looked around while on his belly. The baby reached out towards a nearby pair of underpants...ones that Luo Xun had hung up this morning to dry.
Yan Fei said to Luo Xun, "He should be fed." This was so that the baby would not stuff anything in his mouth. Luo Xun picked up the baby and stuffed the bottle nipple into his mouth. The two men shared looks.
"He turned over..."
"He’s finally able to turn around."
The two people stared at each other and then laughed out loud.
The baby was born premature and had a weak body since birth. At the beginning Luo Xun was not even sure whether the child would survive. It was surprising that the baby born during the apocalypse seemed to be quite strong when he accompanied them out on missions, against zombies, experiencing harsh winter. He was fortunate to grow up healthier.
Before He Qiankun had found some data from somewhere that said babies would turn over at three months. Of course it also depended on the baby’s physical condition but it was a general estimate. But their baby did not move, no matter how Luo Xun played with him, trying stretches or new skills. The small bun was not willing to follow along.
Considering his premature birth and that the cream fruit may not have the same nutrition as milk, Luo Xun was willing to patiently ignore the problem. Until today...when the baby was around six months old, he finally rolled around.
After feeding the milk, Luo Xun said with joy, "We can try to give him some semi-solid food right?" Before in fear of the baby’s weak body, he dared not give him any, now Luo Xun was happy to try. Anyways, there were so many fruits and vegetables at home to use and make nutritious paste for the baby to try.
Yan Fei had no opinion. In fact, he previously thought that they could perhaps start on more solid food but Luo Xun was worried. Did not expect the turn of events today that would change their plans. Yan Fei poked the baby’s full stomach while changing his clothes.