Chapter 151: Chapter 150: The Vultures Have Come
A few of them knew how to build greenhouses, but without materials, it was impossible.
Song Yufang hadn’t even had her feast yet, but she was already growing nostalgic for her refrigerator back home, where she could have anything she craved.
Zhang Aihua sensed her dejection and comforted her. "Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Back in ancient times, people figured out how to build hothouses to grow vegetables in the winter. Since we got the radishes to grow, we might discover other vegetables that can survive here too. Things will definitely get better, one day at a time."
Song Yufang nodded and snuggled into his embrace. "I never thought we’d end up as farmers," she said, her voice soft.
Zhang Aihua chuckled. "Born from nature, returning to nature... it’s a good way to live and die."
The couple started getting mushy after just a few sentences. Zhang Yiwen rolled his eyes in disgust. "Mom, my fish is going to burn! Can you please focus? Okay?"
Song Yufang shot him a glare, and Zhang Aihua pinched his little cheek before going off to figure out how to husk the rice.
They were determined to have a bowl of steaming hot rice today.
With no husking machine, their only option was to continuously pound the grains with mallets until all the husks came off, revealing the white kernels within.
The men, working with a single purpose, husked two bags of rice and one of wheat. That way, those who preferred rice could have rice, and those who preferred flour-based dishes could have their fill.
The sea snakes were meaty. Dragging five of them back from the beach was enough for everyone to have a hearty meal.
Jiang Si hadn’t given them many seasonings, so they only dared to be a little generous with the salt. If they ran out, they’d have to make do by digging up some sea ice and distilling the salt from it.
They had previously complained about the freezing winter, but now, seeing the pile of sea snakes on the ice, they felt nothing but lucky.
It was a massive, natural freezer. They could skin the snakes, process the meat, and freeze it all.
Each time they broke the ice and released a few snakes, they’d have enough food for more than half a year.
The very thought was delightful.
They put their words into action immediately. After eating their fill, Zhang Aihua and the others quickly split into two teams: one to gather lumber for building houses, and the other to dig pits for freezing the snake meat.
With full bellies, everyone was bursting with energy. Even Song Yufang was out collecting twigs, intending to revive the ancestral art of papermaking.
She was more than fed up with using ice and snow to clean herself after using the toilet.
Word of their every action reached Qin Shen. The lively, energetic atmosphere was infectious.
Jiang Linhai, too, felt a growing urgency to finish the houses.
The monkeys had voracious appetites, but they were also incredible workers. With their help, he estimated that Jiang Si and Qin Shen’s log cabin would be the first to be completed in about a week.
That evening, back on the Icebreaker, Jiang Si emerged from the bathroom after a shower to find Qin Shen lounging on the bed, scribbling and sketching.
Qin Shen was a man of routine; he always did his work at his workstation.
But Jiang Si, accustomed to a life of wandering in her past life, prioritized comfort. She kept pens, paper, and a tablet by the headboard, and whenever she needed to make plans or prepare course materials for the others, she would work while reclining in bed.
Unconsciously, Qin Shen had been influenced and had picked up the habit himself.
It was because he didn’t want to be alone in his room.
Jiang Si’s freshly dried hair was fluffy and fragrant. The slip dress she wore offered dazzling, tantalizing glimpses of her figure. Qin Shen’s hand froze for a moment, but his casual expression made Jiang Si assume he was hard at work. She leaned closer and smiled. "What’s that you’re drawing?"
Qin Shen shot her a glance from the corner of his eye, then another, before zooming out on the tablet to show her a 3D rendering of a house’s interior design.
Jiang Si was surprised; it looked like Qin Shen was designing the home they would share.
Qin Shen asked, "You don’t like it?"
’So this is what it was all for,’ she thought. He’d been constantly asking her about her preferred styles, right down to the furniture.
Jiang Si’s face broke into a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I love it."
The tablet slipped from Qin Shen’s grasp. He cupped the back of her head, pulling her in and losing himself in the kiss.
Just when Jiang Si was growing breathless, he finally released her, only to start shrugging off his own shirt. He revealed his defined collarbones, solid chest, and abs that practically begged to be touched.
Jiang Si blushed and placed a hand on his chest to stop him, asking what she already knew. "What are you doing?"
Qin Shen just smiled. "Feeling a little hot."
In truth, when Jiang Si came out wearing the slip, she had already prepared herself for this.
But it wouldn’t do if Qin Shen wasn’t thinking about protection.
She refused to bring a new life into this world to suffer before the apocalypse was truly over.
Qin Shen kissed the tip of her nose, his low voice a deep thrum against her heart that sent a jolt of electricity through her.
"No?" he asked.
Jiang Si hugged him, resigned. "We can... but not without *that*."
’I could get one,’ she thought, ’but if he isn’t the one to think of it, then no way.’
Qin Shen’s eyes brightened instantly. His long fingers fished around in the space between the mattress and headboard, and a small, square plastic packet dropped into Jiang Si’s hand.
Qin Shen said in a low voice, "Sisi, I want you. So much."
His frank admission of his desire made the tips of Jiang Si’s ears burn.
"Well then... okay..."
’We’ve been sharing a bed for so long. It must have been hard for him to wait until now.’
Qin Shen grasped her by the waist and kissed her. "You sound so unenthusiastic, my dear fiancée..."
Jiang Si glared at him, "Mmph~"
After a night of passion, the sun was already high in the sky when Jiang Si finally stirred.
’Last night was absolutely wild.’
’I’m getting too old for this,’ she thought.
"Good morning~"
Qin Shen’s handsome and refreshed face was close to hers.
As images from the previous night flashed through her mind, Jiang Si blushed. She instinctively tugged at the blanket, accidentally revealing Qin Shen’s firm torso, which was dotted with red marks—all her handiwork.
Jiang Si felt a pang of remorse, but meeting his smiling eyes, she couldn’t resist being tempted all over again. She leaned in and gave him another kiss.
’Men are always a bit eager in the morning, after all.’
And so, Jiang Si and Qin Shen did not appear all morning.
By noon, Shen Baoying couldn’t hold back any longer and came to call them for lunch. Only then did the pair emerge from their room, one after the other.
The hickey on the back of Jiang Si’s neck was impossible to miss, as were the dark circles under her eyes that no amount of foundation could conceal. As someone who’d been around, Shen Baoying immediately put two and two together. She flushed red and scurried off without another word.
Jiang Si looked at Qin Shen, feeling a little self-conscious. ’There’s no way Shen Baoying noticed, right? That’s so embarrassing.’
Qin Shen just smiled. "It’s fine."
’Easy for him to say. I’m the one who’s exhausted.’
Jiang Si shot him an exasperated glare. Just as they reached the dining area, massive flocks of vultures suddenly filled the sky.
They circled overhead before diving swiftly toward the carcasses of the Red Flower Sea Snakes on the beach.
Zhang Aiyin and his group, who had been about to process the remaining sea snake carcasses on the beach, saw the swarm of vultures descending and immediately yelled, "Run!"
The snake carcasses would provide a temporary distraction, but if the vultures targeted them next, escape would be impossible.
