Chapter 490: Chapter 490

The giant boulder finally settled deeply into the pit, fitting together tightly at an angle to form an inverted V-shape, the gap in the middle secured with cement. Now, future mudflows pouring from above would automatically be diverted to both sides!

This was the most crucial step in preventing the fourth year’s mudflows. When the mudflow erupted from the mountain, if this primary impact zone wasn’t properly channeled with a sloping arc, the debris would accumulate, piling higher and higher.

Even the tallest and widest stones could not withstand such an immense amount of mudflow, so all Jing Shu could do was redirect it. The mudflows would hit these V-shaped boulders and naturally flow to each side.

On both sides, fence-like slanted boulders were also laid out, allowing the mudflows to continue surging forward along the slope, circumventing Jing Shu’s villa and finally reaching their intended destination: the three collapsed buildings, which now formed a massive black hole.

Speaking of this black hole, Jing Shu had spent 2,000 Virtual Coins on treasure hunting, and the Second Team often sent five people down to collect valuable meteorites and other items. So far, they had gathered a bunch of random rocks and some useless stuff, all stored at the Second Team’s location. Jing Shu didn’t expect to find anything significant. Black holes were perilous, with the risk of further collapses inside.

The only advantage was its seemingly bottomless depth, allowing the fourth year’s mudflows to continuously pour in, eliminating the awkward situation of Jing Shu having nowhere to divert the flow.

If mudflows were nature’s excreta, then Jing Shu had found another hole for this excreta to flow into... It somehow feels quite odd, cough cough.

The stone barriers were expected to be completed in ten days. Digging pits and channels would have to wait until the mudflows began, so they could be quickly directed into the black hole.

The busiest period for Jing Shu in recent days had passed; all necessary arrangements and tasks were completed.

Jing Shu finally relaxed completely. With Mr. Jing handling matters at home and Uncle overseeing the factory, she could finally practice the Magic Cube in peace and enjoy her apocalyptic farming life. Truth be told, there were still many foods she hadn’t experienced, and even in the apocalypse, Jing Shu was eager to try them.

But problems always had a way of cropping up.

Several minor incidents occurred. For instance, Wu You’ai’s decision to move out for a while met with opposition from Third Aunt Jing Lai. However, Wu You’ai claimed it was to research the synthetic meat formula Jing Shu had provided concerning the United States, which promised many benefits. Only after giving repeated assurances did she move to Stone Garden, taking leave from her work and promising to call Jing Gu once a day.

Another incident involved the lion-headed geese. They started laying eggs, which should have been a cause for universal celebration, but one of them had a difficult labor.

This might seem unbelievable even to Jing Shu, but it truly happened.

Can you believe that a goose laying eggs could have such complications?

At first, Da Hua’s low honking didn’t worry Jing Shu or Grandma Jing. Grandma Jing even muttered under her breath, "You’ve been here so many days and laid just a few eggs. Are these eggs made of gold or something? You eat more than a pig! Look at that belly of yours, so fat it waddles when you walk, yet you won’t lay more eggs. Eat, eat, eat some more! If you lay more eggs, we could hope for more goslings. We’re planning to cook some braised sauce goose one of these days."

Despite the complaints, they provided even more food for the geese, with Jing Shu adding some diluted Spiritual Spring to their diet. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩

Eventually, Da Hua began to run frantically around the yard, honking loudly in distress. Jing Shu and Grandma Jing then realized something was amiss. Gou Dan, who fought with Da Hua every day, didn’t dare cause trouble now. He followed Da Hua, fluttering his wings, looking somewhat helpless and bewildered, unsure of what was wrong with her.

We can’t have any trouble, Jing Shu thought. If she dies... remember, we only rented her. Jing Shu had raised many domestic poultry with the help of the Spiritual Spring, her secret advantage, and had never encountered such a situation.

Jing Shu caught Da Hua, who had gained several more pounds since arriving at Jingshu’s house. Although Da Hua and Gou Dan were previously picky eaters and demanded expensive feed, at Jingshu’s house, they were treated the same as the chickens. Perhaps because the feed included the Spiritual Spring, these two were no longer picky and ate even more.

Da Hua flapped her wings, still screaming. Jing Shu activated her Magic Cube Space, attempting to calm Da Hua and ascertain what was wrong with the goose. She then sensed its emotions: anxiety, irritation, urgency, and a feeling of being... blocked.

Blocked? Trying to lay an egg but can’t? Is it too big?!

Jing Shu gently felt Da Hua’s abdomen. Good heavens, it’s completely swollen! It must be full of huge eggs!

"Grandma, Da Hua might be egg-bound! She can’t seem to push them out—her belly is full of eggs!"

"What? Geese can have difficulty laying eggs, too? This is the first time I’m hearing this in all my years," Grandma Jing said, her expression dazed, her old face filled with disbelief. She had never seen a fat chicken struggle with laying. They usually just clucked, and an egg or two would pop out easily enough from their rears.

"But it’s not out of the question; it could be related to their constitution. Those geese from the Imperial Capital are more delicate," Grandma Jing analyzed. "So, what now? Should I try giving her a massage?" With that, Grandma Jing began to gently rub the area around the goose’s vent.

Jing Shu reasoned, It’s possible this goose only laid a few eggs a year back in the Imperial Capital. Here, she’s eating Spiritual Spring-infused food daily, so the eggs are probably enormous. Plus, Grandma has been feeding her extra, accelerating the Spiritual Spring’s absorption, which would lead to numerous large eggs. A goose unaccustomed to laying, especially so many large ones, might find her passage too constricted. She squinted at the goose’s vent. Should I try to help open it up a bit?

"I’ll search online," Jing Shu decided, and a quick search yielded many tutorials.

Some suggested crushing the eggs; others recommended a "palace cleansing."

There were even suggestions for a C-section—after opening her up, you could choose to stitch it closed or, if not, just pluck her feathers and stew her for a meal. Hmm, that’s... creative, Jing Shu thought. Ugh, isn’t there a more reliable method?

Jing Shu’s eyes lit up. A glycerin enema? That stuff really works wonders! "Grandma, do we have any glycerin enemas at home?"

Grandma Jing shook her head. "Your grandpa and I used to use them, but since the apocalypse, our bodies have been much better, and we haven’t been constipated."

As for herself, Jing Shu used to... well, best not to dwell on the past. Nowadays, her bowel movements were regular and substantial, easily passed in one go, so she’d never needed such a thing as a glycerin enema.

After searching and not finding any, Jing Shu could only post a message to her social circle:

"Our goose is egg-bound, can’t lay her eggs! Offering a high price for a glycerin enema! If you have one, send your location immediately!" She also messaged Li Yuetian and others, asking them to get her a bottle if they had any.