Chapter 245 - New Year’s Eve, The Refugees’ Token Of Appreciation
Chapter 245: New Year’s Eve, The Refugees’ Token Of Appreciation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
It is common knowledge that the aftermath of releasing pent up impulses, desires and urges was prolonged fatigue!
This was especially true in the case of the refugees of the Candlelight Shelter, who were physically weak due to the extended period of starvation, so after all the passionate slogans had been shouted and screamed, most of them slumped to the floor panting and exhausted.
Their bodies were tired and extremely exhausted, but their hearts…
Exhilarated!
From the top to the bottom, even the refugees who had just joined the shelter, all of them were all filled with a strong sense of belonging that resonated deeply within their hearts, and that was their driving force behind the entire shouting episode.
As social creatures, humans were a unique bunch!
An individual that had a combat strength of 1 could miraculously multiply their strength when placed in a group.
After being fired up and motivated, their combat strength would increase exponentially, much to other creatures’ confusion.
A twofold or threefold increase would raise their individual combat strength to 15 or even 20.
This time, under Moore’s leadership, the refugees focused on their ‘opponent’, which was the ground beneath them, increasing their work efficiency to yet another level.
Feeling tired? It was okay since after working in the fields one could rest. One could get a good rest immediately.
Feeling hungry? Not a problem. Everyone that was present tonight would be able to eat so much that their tummies would puff up and they would never have to sleep hungry again.
With no worries and no hindrances, everyone wanted to offer up their energy up to the very last sliver to the fields before them to obtain a great harvest!
“Okay, okay, the flour’s gonna spill over now. Don’t be too hasty. Finish what you have to finish doing tonight, then use this flour to feed everyone a good meal!”
“Yes…”
“Understood!”
Su Mo felt moved when he looked at the four women who had responded to his orders by working really hard, and was secretly wiping away a few tears.
The freshly harvested wheat not only contained a lot of moisture, but the yield was low with plenty of wastage.
At the same time, its grinded powder was not good in terms of quality or taste.
Only wheat that had been thoroughly dried could be grinded and made into flour.
The good thing was that the sun in the wasteland was scorching hot. The harvests from the first crop cycle, and part of the second crop cycle, were already quite dry even after just a day of sitting under the sun.
Even though there would be a certain percentage of wastage when the wheat was put through the flour grinder now, such wastage was insignificant when compared to the final haul.
If it could be sunned another half a day, the first and second crop cycles harvests would have been completely dry, and its flour yield rate would have increased. It would taste a lot better, and it would also buy them some time until the planting of the following cycle of crops could be completed.
It was scientists like Old Yuan who had spent days in the field and invented many breeds of crops that could withstand natural disasters and had a high yield rate. It was also his life’s work that had solved the world’s famine issue in the olden days on Earth!
Famine was no longer existent on Earth.
Su Mo had a clearer picture of this poetic achievement when he saw the expressions on the refugees’ faces. What an important thing it was to have been able to solve the world’s food-related problems!
“Fortunately I somehow triggered this welfare disaster. If not, I don’t think there would even be a million survivors left after the flood disaster!”
After patting the dust of his combat suit uniform making sure that the flour grinder was working fine, Su Mo sauntered towards the fields to start his last routine patrol round before the sun set.
Time flew by quickly on a busy day. After working hard from morning till now, the setting sun heralded the completion of the day’s assignment, and after that it was time to ‘go home’.
There were famished mutated creatures at the borders of the 200 mu of land that were planning to launch an attack once the sun had set.
Su Mo showed no mercy toward these creatures. He took out his rifle from his storage space and switched it into single-shot mode. After a few bullets were discharged, there were extra ‘delicacies’ to be added to everyone’s dinner that night.
The sound of gunfire echoed around them, but no one in the fields was distracted.
On the contrary, the gunfire invoked an additional sense of security in the hearts of people under the wasteland’s darkening skies.
“The drop rate of these mutated creatures is getting lower nowadays. Three mutated creatures did not even drop a single treasure chest!”
There were two ugly, but common hyenas and another mid-sized snow leopard. No treasure chests appeared.
This also indirectly proved that it was unrealistic for humans to survive solely on treasure chests, especially in the later stages.
The only way to survive and thrive in the wasteland was to explore and reclaim more land to develop one’s shelter, as well as to regain and develop technology.
As Su Mo made quick work of those mutant creatures, the ones still scouting and lurking in the darkness understood that this area was a forbidden zone and fled with their tails tucked between their legs.
According to the plan, the fields at the bottom were also harvesting their second crop cycle with the combine harvester, and whatever wheat was harvested was kept in storage to be taken out to sun the following day.
At that moment, many were weary and exhausted. Other than the two rotary tillers, and the flour grinder at the village entrance, that were still hard at work, the other people were already back at the village waiting to get a good’s night rest after having dinner, so that they would be refreshed and energized for another day’s work the following day.
Even though this was what was stated in the plan, a few people from the older generation that could persevere went back out to the fields while everyone else was resting to spread the fertilizer that had been prepared prior to this onto the ground to increase the fertility of the soil.
On normal fields, such aggressive farming methods would result in the soil becoming desolate after a single crop cycle.
However, this was where the benefits of the welfare disaster truly shone brightly. It did not matter if your land was a desert that could not even grow grass, as long as you could ensure that the crops received enough water to grow, when the allocated time of harvest arrived, you would still reap a harvest.
As for the yield rate, there was also a benchmark and a limit. Currently, the lowest benchmark for excellent-quality seeds was at least 1400 catties per mu.
This was more than enough to allow even more barren fields than the ones at Hope Plains to strive for a large-scale crop harvest.
Besides, under the influence of this welfare disaster, the rate at which the ground absorbed fertilizers was extremely shocking.
As long as it was fertilized enough, the soil would be able to recover in a short amount of time, and one could still achieve a great harvest in the subsequent cycles of planting.
“Eh? Where did Moore disappear to?”
After encouraging a few refugees that were hard at work in the fields, and patrolling one round, Su Mo saw Oreo running towards him for petting and feeding. He looked around curiously for Moore.
Normally, after a day’s work, Moore would eat at least seven to eight bowls of hot oil noodles before he was satisfied.
Moore had been missing since breakfast this morning. Su Mo had no idea where he went.
“My goodness, could Moore have followed the refugees back to the shelter for food, drinks and rest?”
Su Mo thought about how friendly Moore was with the refugees and felt a headache coming.
At his side, Oreo immediately understood what he was saying, barked twice, and nodded, indicating that Moore’s scent was within the village.
“He has absolutely no wariness toward others! He’s too relaxed! No, I must teach him properly when we get back today.”
After patrolling one round, the remaining refugees who had been fertilizing the ground also left, so Su Mo proceeded to make his way toward the village as well.
People from the Candlelight Shelter were mostly familiar people, so things were still okay. If it was at another shelter, for Moore to barge in like that would basically be akin to offering himself as an additional food source and ingredient to the other party!
Su Mo intended to educate Moore, so as soon as he reached the village entrance, he retracted his smile and put on the solemn, stoic expression that the others had been familiar with previously.
However, things seemed out of place, as the warriors that were usually on guard at the village entrance were gone as well, and Su Mo had no idea where they went.
“Losing discipline at the first sight of a harvest. I’ve got to find a qualified officer to train them in the future!”
Su Mo shook his head and walked into the village with a tinge of disappointment.
As he walked along the path, Su Mo started to hear the sounds of many people gathered using his acute sense of hearing.
Even though these noises seemed a lot weaker than usual, as if someone was deliberately trying to cover them up, a rowdy commotion was still heard loud and clear in Su Mo’s ears.
No matter how long the path was, it would still come to an end eventually.
After leaving the path and turning the corner, Su Mo’s eyes opened wide.
Even if Su Mo had been mentally prepared, the scene that appeared before his eyes would have still stunned him completely.
At the pavilion that was usually a gathering space for the village, everyone—including those who could usually be found lying about taking a break—were all standing there in a fanned-out circular formation.
Their grime-stained faces could not dim the sparkle of expectation in their eyes.
Moore, who had gone out gallivanting, stood at the front; his expression a mix of 40% shyness and 60% eagerness.
Even Oreo who was by Su Mo’s side was laughing so hard as she ran over to lie beside Zhong Qingshu’s feet, completely leaving the crowd’s focal point and limelight on…
Su Mo!
The leadership team of the Candlelight Shelter stood before the refugees with Chen Shen as their leader. There were about eight of them in a line.
These people had cleaned the mud off their hands and faces, and they had also put on new clothes.
They took in Su Mo’s dumbfounded expression and, with Chen Shen as their leader, all of them lowered their bodies in unison and bowed at a 90-degree angle.
Whoosh!
It was as if they had practiced this numerous times. Other than Moore, all the others were perfectly synchronized in their movement and cadence!
Right after they bowed, Chen Shen extended the tray he was holding in his hands to Su Mo.
There was a jade white bowl on the red tray.
Inside the bowl was a greenish-red broth that looked mouthwateringly appetizing, and a sour and spicy aroma wafted from the bowl.
The tray looked handmade, since its surface was not very uniform. The broth sloshed around in the bowl when Chen Shen bowed, revealing the treasure within.
“Brother Su, today is New Year’s Eve for us Huaxians. We’ve all combined our resources, but we could not find anything good to get for you from the trading market.”
“This bowl of dumplings is a token of appreciation from all of us, and we hope that you will like it.”
Staring at the hundreds of fervent refugees, Su Mo then looked up at the moon.
What Chen Shen said had invoked a sudden sense of realization within Su Mo.
Today?
It’s New Years’ Eve already?