The World Turned into Zombies, So I Went Back to the Countryside to Farm 81p2

Chapter 81p2: The Price

Ever since she had come back from the square that day, Little Mi had been thrown into the Ministry of Agriculture and was working with the laborers.

Logically speaking, she should be going to school at her age, but everyone knew that she had been sent here because she had offended the Prophet, so they did not treat her well and mostly assigned her dirty and tiring work.

Although the person in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture was Old En, he was mostly in charge of planting techniques and was engrossed in the fields. As for management, it was still the people from the church who were in charge.

This was Qingshan’s cleverness. She would never put all her eggs in one basket and give someone too much power, just like Lorian and Captain Liang, who were in a state of mutual checks and balances.

Even though Lorian had been with her since before the apocalypse and was considered her confidant, once he angered her, he would be imprisoned as he should be, without any mercy.

The time between spring and summer was the busy farming season. The Ministry of Agriculture had to get up early and work late every day. Besides doing some work in the fields, they were also responsible for collecting food, such as picking berries in the forest. But this was as dangerous as going out to repair the fortifications.

It was a little better to work on the farm. At least there was a fence and stationed soldiers. If they went to the forest to collect food, they only had the sickles and hoes in their hands. Although they would get two food tickets for one trip, very few people were willing to go.

But it was okay. The church would often assign these jobs to the people they didn’t like, for example, Little Mi.

After the vanguard had already set off for the farm, a few old, weak, and frail women and children were also escorted by the soldiers to the forest.

The fresh food that was placed on the Prophet’s dinner table every day was all picked by them at the risk of their lives.

It had been raining recently, and the bamboo shoots in the forest had all sprouted. The people from the church asked them to dig some more and bring them back.

Li Mi parted the grass and saw a white mushroom trembling slightly in the wind, shedding dewdrops and its spores.

She remembered the time when she was still in Yuanxi Village, when she had gone up the mountain with Jiang Wuni and her big sisters to pick mushrooms.

“Let’s see who picks the most.”

“Then big sister will definitely not be able to beat me.”

“Don’t pick the poisonous ones.”

“Exactly, exactly. The more brightly colored they are, the more you should avoid them. It’s best to pat them before you pick them, so the spores fall off, and then you’ll have an endless supply of mushrooms.”

Li Mi followed her grandmother’s words, gently patted the wild mushroom that looked like an ordinary termite mushroom, and pulled it out by the root.

“Didn’t I tell you to dig bamboo shoots?! What’s this?!”

The people from the church saw that there were some other things in the basket on the side and came over with a whip in anger.

Li Mi knelt on the ground and held up the mushroom she had just picked.

“This… this is a termite mushroom… we often pick it to eat in my hometown. It’s delicious…”

Seeing that the whip was about to fall, Li Mi closed her eyes tightly.

“Maybe you can let the Prophet try it!”

The church attendant’s hand stopped in mid-air. Another person in a long robe also came over and looked at the mushroom in her hand with a suspicious expression. “It’s not poisonous, is it?”

He turned to look at an older woman in the group, pulled her over, and pressed her in front of the basket.

“Tell me, is this a termite mushroom?!”

The middle-aged woman was trembling. She didn’t have time to look closely and just kept kowtowing. “Yes… yes… sirs.”

The church attendant was still a little worried.

“Let’s get to work first. We’ll take it to Old En to see later.”

When the girl and the basket were thrown in front of him, Old En was stunned for a moment and stopped his movements.

He remembered her, the girl who had been tortured so badly with Miss Jiang yesterday and had come out to work with a bruised face.

He knew that he was a person of low status and had no right to interfere with any of the Prophet’s decisions. Qingshan would not allow him to interfere in any of the camp’s affairs, otherwise he would be like the self-willed Lorian.

His old bones could not withstand the church’s torture.

“Old En, take a look. Is this mushroom poisonous?”

But at this moment, he looked at the girl’s clear eyes, just like the little dog he had let go. A bright gun was pointed at the back of her head, just waiting for him to make a life-and-death decision.

Old En looked at the mushrooms in the basket, parted the wrinkles on the mushroom, swallowed, and moved his lips.

“It’s not a termite mushroom.”

Li Mi had already closed her eyes in despair.

Old En’s voice was hoarse, as if he had made some kind of decision. “But… it’s edible.”

Li Mi opened her eyes. The old man had already turned his back and had picked up his hoe again to start digging.

He had clearly recognized it. It was a deadly amanita. Why didn’t he expose her?

Li Mi opened her mouth, about to say more, but was quickly pushed away from the farm.

“Since it’s not poisonous, then go and pick some more. It’s all sweet potatoes every day. My mouth is about to get tired of it!”

After they had left, Old En let out a long sigh, straightened his back, and looked at the lush wheat that was already up to his calves.

A gust of wind blew, and the wheat waves rippled. In a daze, he was back to the scene before the apocalypse, when he and his wife were working in the fields.

The difference was that at that time, there were always birds singing and flowers fragrant. Unlike now, when a church attendant had whipped a laborer to the bottom of the field, and the laborer’s mournful cries echoed in the fields.

“I’ll teach you to not work hard and be lazy!”

“I’ll teach you to be lazy! I’ll teach you to be lazy!”

“I… I just wanted to drink some water…”

“Is it break time now?! Who allowed you to sit down?! Get up and get back to work!”

The faces of everyone in the fields were all the same, trembling and numb, and they all quickened their pace.

A church attendant also walked towards Old En.

Old En’s eyes were filled with hot tears. He gently caressed the newly sprouted ear of wheat with his rough, chapped fingers.

Perhaps, he would not be able to see the day the wheat ripened.

Crate after crate of mushrooms were carried into the kitchen, washed clean, and poured into a large pot. After a few stir-fries, they were filled with water. The head chef wiped the sweat from his forehead and put on the lid.

While waiting for the water to boil, he started another pot. This was the food specially prepared for the Prophet.

The meat was from a hunt that the patrol team had just gone on this morning. The Prophet had always liked it a little juicy, so it was all rare. It was just flipped over and seasoned with a little salt.

Besides the usual meat steak, there was also an additional fresh cream of mushroom soup today, which looked very delicious.

The head chef picked up the plate from the side of the stove, tore off a mint leaf, and gently placed it on the side of the bowl as a garnish.

“There are mushrooms! There are actually mushrooms today!”

When the bucket of food was brought to the canteen, a gasp of surprise came from the waiting crowd.

A hint of sparkle finally appeared in the people’s numb eyes, and everyone held out their bowls.

“I’ll give you another food ticket. Give me another bowl!”

The patrol soldiers also came over and sat down to eat.

The camp was filled with a happy and peaceful atmosphere.

Faced with their excited expressions, Li Mi just sneered, exchanged her food ticket for a steamed bun, and left.

“Prophet, your dinner is here.”

A bell rang in the basement. Because Yan Zhen had ordered that no one was to be disturbed, the church attendant just placed the plate on the long table and left.

Qingshan stood up from the bed. This large double bed was enough to accommodate the two of them. In the past, Jiang Zao would never have agreed to sleep in the same bed with her, but times were different now.

Her body was weak, and she had ordered Yan Zhen to put something in her medicine to make Jiang Zao obedient.

So, whether she wanted to or not, Jiang Zao was still snuggled by her side, asleep. When Qingshan stood up, she was still sleeping soundly, just frowning, not sleeping very soundly.

Qingshan squeezed her cheek.

“Be good. I’ll be back to be with you in a moment.”

Wen Zhao pushed the body into the turbulent water next to the hydropower station.

She watched as the rapids quickly swept them under the rolling dam. After a few tumbles, they were completely submerged.

A soft creaking sound of gears came from the engine room of the old hydropower station, and the rotating gears gradually stopped.

When Qingshan entered the basement with a plate, the candlelight in the room flickered slightly. Perhaps it was the wind.

Qingshan pressed the mechanism on the wall again, and the stone steps slowly closed in front of her. She gently placed the plate by her bed.

“Zao’er, time to eat.”

The people who were getting food in front of the canteen had not yet dispersed. The electric light hanging from the top of the tent suddenly flickered and went out.

“The power is out, the power is out.”

A soldier ran over and whispered a few words to the people from the church.

“It should be a malfunction at the hydropower station. Should we report to the Prophet?”

“Do you have to report such a small matter to the Prophet? Don’t you know that the Prophet is busy? Let Captain Liang arrange a few people to go to the hydropower station and check it out.”

“Yes.” The soldier said and ran away.

When he found Captain Liang, he was in the barracks, drinking and playing cards with people. Logically speaking, as a patrol captain, he was strictly forbidden to drink to deal with all emergencies. But at this moment, Lorian was not here, and no one in the camp could restrain him.

The empty bowl of mushroom soup was still by his side.

“Do I have to go out for such a small matter! Go, go, don’t spoil my fun. Just arrange a few people to go!”

Soon, a Lynx all-terrain assault vehicle drove out of the camp and sped towards the hydropower station in the night.