I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 699: How should the rotten corpse insects be resolved?

If someone could afford it, they could also rent Xiao Wei’s insect car, letting the insects pull the vehicle for a faster journey, which was at least more comfortable than walking.

At the very least, a couple of families could pool their money to buy one, taking turns using it each day, which would also save some energy.

In these times, having a vehicle that didn’t require fuel was truly impressive: panoramic sunroof, genuine leather seats, and it consumed only a clump of soil per hundred miles.

Was there any more cost-effective creature than this?

Ah, you people are truly born in a good era; at least, after my rebirth, you don’t have to suffer all over again. Even Jing Shu couldn’t help but sigh. The people of Wu City are truly fortunate in this life.

In this cold, snowy world, everyone became busy. In the previous life, due to a lack of productivity, many people had no work and no food. But in this life, because there was food, there was also plenty of work.

It’s unclear when people’s lives stopped feeling numb. Instead, they seemed to hold a little new hope. As long as there was food, one could survive; sometimes, human demands are just that low.

During the time Jing Shu hoarded delicacies, the number of synthetic meat factories increased to 36, covering virtually all of Huaxia. Yet, they were still in short supply. With purchases limited per person and a restricted daily supply, the freshly made meat pies would sell out early each day.

The factories were established quickly. Local Township Governments practically gave away various machines and sites, essentially selling them for half price or even less. This demonstrated their full support, as they hoped to minimize deaths in the areas under their jurisdiction.

Synthetic meat, it could be said, greatly alleviated the food shortage.

But it still did not solve the root problem. Frankly, production still couldn’t match the output levels of rice and corn.

Many people still couldn’t get food. The Imperial Capital had begun mobilizing all food reserves, rationing them urgently, but it was merely robbing Peter to pay Paul. After all, which part of the country didn’t lack food?

It was also rumored that some areas had produced ’dark food,’ such as green algae, which had a very rich yield and was transported to various places.

With the spread and proliferation of rotten corpse insects, the Huaxia people finally took action against them.

Just as in the previous life, areas with no particular specialties began researching ways to consume rotten corpse insects, turning them into Concentrated Pills. Swallowing them was even more bitter than drinking herbal medicine.

Some ground them into powder to mix with water and drink.

There were also reckless individuals who would scoop up a bowlful of the insects, scald them with boiling water, and gulp them down. They wouldn’t chew, just swallow them whole.

Rotten corpse insects contain many bacteria and are generally inedible. Eating them would cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and mild food poisoning.

But compared to the sensation of extreme hunger when one was nearly starving to death, abdominal pain and diarrhea were readily ignored. If the table were edible, they would probably gnaw on that too.

This is the state when one is extremely hungry and wants to eat anything. Of course, Jing Shu knew because she had experienced such hunger. She had gulped down rotten corpse insects whole to endure until she later discovered new food and finally survived.

Besides, eating rotten corpse insects was better than eating dirt. Eating dirt would cause one’s stomach to swell larger and larger until it burst. Eating rotten corpse insects, however, allowed one to survive for at least a few months without dying.

In this life, Wu City similarly faced the trouble of rotten corpse insects.

Now, everyone had the cheapest Insect Cake to eat, as well as high-end food like synthetic meat pies. Some could even afford luxury foods like eggs, chicken, and milk.

As long as one obeyed and did the work assigned by the Township Government, one could eat at least two meals a day and wouldn’t starve.

Under such circumstances, who would eat rotten corpse insects?

The mutated rotten corpse insects laid their eggs everywhere, and the world teemed with them.

Especially in this snowy weather, a single shovelful of snow would reveal a dense mass of rotten corpse insects; their rate of expansion was terrifyingly rapid!

Many Wu City people suffered terribly from the bites of rotten corpse insects, their bodies covered with frostbite, welts, and an itchy, painful rash.

Even though everyone was very cautious, every night before sleeping, they would seal their rooms and clear out all the insects. Those who could afford it would use a cloth sheet to make something akin to a mosquito net.

But upon waking the next day, there would either be a dense swarm of rotten corpse insects under the bed or on the quilt; they were impossible to keep out completely.

It was only when Hao Yunlai came in with Wanzi, who was blinking and covered in red bumps, looking pitifully at Jing Shu, that Jing Shu realized the current infestation of rotten corpse insects was even worse than she remembered from her previous life.

After all, in her previous life, everyone was catching rotten corpse insects.

In this life, hardly anyone in Wu City bothered with them, as they were almost impossible to stomach. Only some thrifty elderly women would catch them, dry them in the shade, then dice them into tiny pieces and pickle them with salt.

Then, when famished, they’d have a little as a snack.

Jing Shu then handed some Mugwort Pillars to Hao Yunlai.

This was something Mr. Jing had diligently made by compressing Mugwort into long bars. When lit, just like mosquito coils, they would repel most insects and were especially effective against rotten corpse insects.

A few days prior, the surroundings of the villa at Jingshu’s house had been crawling with rotten corpse insects; some were even in the ground and soil. Despite Jing Shu’s daily sprays of Wind Oil Essence, the villa was too large, requiring a spray every four hours, which consumed too much.

So, Jing Shu buried Mugwort in all the corners around the villa at Jingshu’s house. She even spread a layer of mugwort on its roof and around the walls, occasionally fumigating the area and releasing fat chickens, snakes, and frogs to clean up these creatures.

The effect was notably outstanding. Not a single insect could be found in the villa at Jingshu’s house anymore.

Hao Yunlai said somewhat embarrassedly, "I... I can’t use Mugwort. It would harm my whole family."

Jing Shu was rendered speechless. Fuck!

This was bewildering and left Jing Shu momentarily speechless. Then she remembered that Hao Yunlai’s entire family—his ghostly companions—always seemed to be with him. Mugwort is an extremely yang substance; it has properties that dispel evil.

"Alright, take this bottle of Wind Oil Essence first. Dilute it with water at a one-to-ten ratio and spray it around. I’ll see later if I can mix up some insect repellent for you."

Sigh, Hao Yunlai, such a formidable person, and yet he’s afraid of insects... Truly...

A few days later, Jing Shu was invited to West Mountain for a conference. The agenda was the disastrous plague of rotten corpse insects, which was severely affecting the lives of the Wu City people. These insects had become the second major enemy after the harsh winter weather.

So, how should they deal with the disastrous infestation of rotten corpse insects?

Many people were invited to this meeting, and everyone was very proactive. Hardly anyone was absent, mainly because no one, neither rich people nor the powerful, had been spared the daily harassment by the rotten corpse insects.

Indeed, everyone was eager to solve this vexing problem.

After all, resources were limited. How could they solve the problem without wasting resources?

Floral waters and mosquito repellents had long ceased production as their raw materials were unavailable. Apart from the batch of mugwort recently cultivated by the Medicine Association, there were virtually no other resources.