Chapter 509: Chapter 509

Think of a way? What can we do? Right now, there’s only a trickle of mud and sand, but after some time, it’ll be spewing out like a volcanic eruption, engulfing much of the city. The seemingly gentle mudslide disaster is bound to come! Its destructive aftermath is permanent because once the mudslide ceases to flow and solidifies completely, it’s like the hardest concrete, permanently devouring most buildings and materials. The already scarce arable land will become even scarcer. In the apocalypse, even soil has become precious.

Jing Shu squinted, pondering her next move. This was a problem she hadn’t encountered in her previous life. Even with all her early preparations, human calculations couldn’t rival the heavens. But fortunately, Grandpa Jing discovered it early, giving her time to prepare again.

"I hope the land planted around the Artificial Sun isn’t this kind of mud and sand, otherwise it would affect the harvest... Alas, how many people will starve to death," Mrs. Jing said anxiously. "If it were just our family’s land that had a problem, it would be one thing, at least an isolated incident."

Jing Shu thought it was good that Grandpa had brought up the issue. His concerns were valid, and it was a good opportunity to get everyone to make more preparations. So she said, "I noticed this when I took the chickens for a walk on the mountain these past few days. A lot of this mud and sand has started to seep out there and is beginning to trickle down. It seems it’s not an isolated case. I just didn’t realize this mud and sand was also seeping from the soil right here in our yard... The crucial thing is its impact on crop yields, and it has already reduced our family’s vegetable supply significantly. Food supplies are already tight, and now this mud and sand is appearing. We must make preparations early. At the very least, we can’t let it affect our own crops."

"If it gets to the point where this mud and sand is truly everywhere... The weather is already cold without the sun, and if the land itself becomes problematic now, people used to be able to plant vegetables like lettuce and garlic that don’t need much sunlight. What will they do in the future!"

With Grandpa Jing’s outcry, the whole family fell silent. They all knew too well what allowed them to live so comfortably in the apocalypse. Even households with members in official positions only received a pitiful amount of vegetables each day, but their family ate fresh vegetables and fruits every day.

"Grandpa, don’t be too pessimistic. We have soilless cultivation now, right? And no matter what, the higher-ups will find a way. For now, let’s focus on taking care of ourselves first," Jing Shu said, then added to the rest of the family, "We need to solve the problem of reduced yields and increase our storage of food and various supplies. Grandpa’s concerns are valid. We might face an even more terrible disaster soon. Whether it’s problems with the weather or the soil, it will become increasingly difficult to grow grains and fresh vegetables."

Grandpa Jing took a couple more puffs of his cigarette and said, "Right, right. We first need to look after ourselves. Tomorrow, we’ll remind my eldest and second child’s families, and our other relatives and friends. Then we’ll think of a way to deal with this reduction in our yield. These past few days, this old man has changed the soil several times, but to no avail. That muddy water can’t be blocked; it just seeps out from underground. The deeper you dig, the more seeps out."

"Eat up, eat up! We’ll think of a solution after eating," Grandma Jing urged everyone to finish their meal.

Grandpa Jing coughed twice. "We still need to be frugal with our food. With such a large family eating lavishly every day, no amount will ever be enough."

Grandma Jing snorted. "How we eat in the future is up to our granddaughter. All our food comes from her, doesn’t it? Even if you say we need to be frugal, what if our granddaughter goes hungry? You know very well how much she eats."

Grandpa Jing gave an embarrassed laugh and whispered, "It’s my birthday today. Give me some face, will you?"

The whole family laughed, and Jing Shu laughed too. She was reborn for this very reason: to eat well, dress well, and live well in the apocalypse. If her quality of life were to decrease, what would all her efforts have been for? So she said, "If we focus on solving the problem now, we won’t have to skimp on rations. Everyone in our family has a big appetite; there’s no need for us to go without."

And indeed, why should they go without? A table heaped with dishes would be more than enough for a dozen people, yet with Jing Shu around, the "clean plate campaign" began as soon as everyone else had nearly finished. She wasn’t picky, whether the dishes contained scallions, ginger, or even chili peppers—she polished them off in a few bites. Even so, she still needed a late-night snack before bed, or she’d be too hungry to sleep.

After dinner, Mr. Jing went to clear the dishes, and the whole family went out to the courtyard to check on their vegetable garden.

The villa’s front yard was small. Aside from a walkway, the rest of the space was fully utilized. The previous house for the chickens and ducks had been too small, so after the backyard was developed, all the domestic poultry were moved there. Consequently, the old structure was converted into a mushroom-growing room.

Although Jing Shu had bought many dried goods like Shiitake Mushrooms in bulk years ago, after several years of consumption and giving them away as gifts, only about half remained. As a precaution, the family now also cultivated various types of mushrooms. Unfortunately, the variety was too limited. Once she found those elusive lost seeds, Jing Shu planned to cultivate more dried goods to store for use after the fifth year.

Besides the fish pond they built back then, the rest of the land was planted with various vegetables.

Previously, when walking down the walkway, they were flanked by all kinds of fresh, vibrant vegetables. Some, like bok choy, spinach, and lettuce, would mature in about ten days. There were also seasonal crops like sweet potatoes and potatoes. Now, however, the garden was much less lush and looked rather sparse.

On the surface, the soil appeared normal. Jing Shu grabbed a shovel and dug into it. After a few scoops, she noticed a sticky substance clinging to the shovel.

Most of the vegetable roots had turned pale or yellow from being waterlogged, and some were even stuck fast in the soil.

Grandpa Jing had everyone look. "In theory, you can grow things even in sandy soil," he pointed out, "but this... it feels like cement. Perfectly good crops are being ruined."

Mrs. Jing hesitated, "Should we pull out the vegetable roots first and nurture them in water, then replace this batch of soil?" ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝙣𝙚𝙩

Grandpa Jing shook his head. "It’s hard to wash off with water; it’s just like cement. If the roots are stuck in it for too long, they solidify with it. It might be manageable if it’s only for a short time, but the ones in our courtyard have already set. Pulling them out will just break the roots."

This, of course, wasn’t cement but a characteristic of the mudslides from the fourth year of the apocalypse. The substance was still brewing underground and wouldn’t solidify quickly, so it remained as slurry. But once it all erupted and the weather cooled, it would begin to harden.

Seeing how serious the situation had become, Jing Shu shook her head. "It’s beyond saving. Harvest whatever is still edible, then dig up the rest and replant. We’ll just have to accept the loss of a batch of seeds."

Grandpa Jing sighed. "How can we continue to plant in soil ? Fortunately, the vegetables on the third-floor balcony weren’t affected."

Grandma Jing quietly wiped her tears and turned around to count the seeds left at home. Luckily, she had the habit of keeping seeds.

Jing Shu squinted and continued, "It looks like we’ll have to completely level the courtyard ground and seal it with a layer of cement to prevent the slurry from seeping up. Then, we can build a greenhouse on either side with shelving. We can even make double-decker shelves to maximize planting space. I’ll figure out a way to get some good soil. That way, the slurry underground won’t contaminate it, and we’ll be able to grow more things. It might be a little cramped, but that’s fine."