CHAPTER 92: WORK AT THE LIVESTOCK FARM

If it weren’t for the fact that these people wore jubilant expressions and were all defenseless middle-aged and elderly individuals, and that there was a police guard post one hundred meters away, Jing Shu would have whipped out her big stick long ago.

Her maternal uncle, Su Yiyang, gave Mr. Jing a bear hug. "You really managed to snag a pig? And a black one at that?"

A group of neatly dressed old men eagerly watched Mr. Jing, clearly a class apart from the rough mob outside wielding sticks and bowls like the Beggar Gang.

Wrapped in a black coat, Aunt shivered from the cold yet still managed to compliment Jing Shu spiritedly, "Oh my, you’ve grown even more beautiful over the months! Truly accomplished now. Just don’t forget about your Aunt..."

See, people always shine when they display their worth.

In front of everyone, Jing Shu and Mr. Jing unloaded the black pig from the box atop the car. As the group of old men with gleaming dark eyes confirmed it was indeed a robust pig, they each caressed it as if it were their own son.

"What a rump! It must be firm and springy when cooked."

"What a face! Leave the head meat for this old man!"

"And we can make some cold tossed pig ears. I still have a little liquor at home..."

"My daughter-in-law needs to produce more milk, so I’ll take the pig’s trotters. Who has some soybeans I can use?"

These were people who hadn’t eaten meat in half a year. They were still dignified enough to discuss dividing the spoils. In a few more years, who knew if they’d bother with such civilities? They might just start biting directly.

Wang Gang, Aunt’s brother, excitedly rubbed his hands together. "Everyone, don’t worry, there’s a share for all! Let’s proceed as we discussed! Old Wang, Old Wang, you go slaughter the pig first!"

The black pig was then carried away by two men. Everyone’s gaze then turned to Mr. Jing, their eyes glowing as if he were the next pig to be slaughtered.

"Lao Jing, you’ve really been holding out on us! According to your brother-in-law, you’ve raised several pigs. How about trading another one to us? Rest assured, we won’t let you down. Just tell us what you want, and we can get it for you. This is Chang*’s father, this is Ji*’s father-in-law..."

Wang Gang began introducing them one by one. Each introduction of an elderly gentleman led to an eager handshake with Mr. Jing. His friendly, modest, and polite demeanor was on full display. Meanwhile, those ranked below vice-bureau level didn’t even merit an introduction; they could only watch helplessly, swallowing their saliva in silence.

Facing so many pairs of glowing eyes, Mr. Jing was at a loss for words. He knew pork was scarce, but had Wu City’s leaders really been unable to get fresh pork? Was it truly that scarce?

Jing Shu touched her chin. The state must have meat reserves. Wu City recently requisitioned seafood and frozen products from the farmer’s markets and converted meat from the slaughterhouses into cooked food. They just don’t dare reveal it now; the state’s data analysts are afraid to announce that there will be no grain harvest for years, fearing it would cause even greater unrest. The truly powerful enjoy real privileges. These mid-to-high-level officials and retirees have influence but are stuck in an awkward middle position, which is quite embarrassing for them. Still, their power shouldn’t be underestimated. They can certainly get things done across various sectors when needed. For example, some of the people here are from the livestock farms.

Wang Gang burst into laughter. "Look how scared you are! I also traded for this pig with your brother-in-law; he’s a clever man," he said, hinting at something. Seeing that Mr. Jing, the blockhead, showed no reaction, Wang Gang could only add in frustration, "Lao Jing, your pigs are raised so well. Why not work at the livestock breeding farm? It’s a great position! Not only does it provide meals, but they also give out eggs. It’s as sought-after as the Agricultural Department now. You might not know this, but out of hundreds of thousands of pigs in Wu City, fewer than a thousand remain. And of over a million live chickens, only tens of thousands are left. They’re all being raised like treasures in temperature-controlled facilities, each with an identification number."

Seeing that Mr. Jing still didn’t show much reaction, Wang Gang pulled out his trump card, "They also implement diversified breeding distribution over there. You can take a few chickens home to raise, then hand over the eggs for rewards. There’s a lot of operational flexibility in this arrangement. You could even keep your own domestic poultry in their temperature-controlled facilities, or take your pigs there for breeding. If your pig gets pregnant and gives birth, handing over the piglets earns you a big reward! I’ve also heard the higher-ups are introducing a new salary system soon. You might be able to exchange rewards for gasoline and other things you can’t normally buy."

Only then did Mr. Jing’s eyes light up.

Jing Shu’s eyes also lit up. This job is exactly what Dad dreamed of in his previous life! ’Being close to the water gets the moon first.’ In the future, getting eggs, chicken, and pork will be much easier through official channels!

"Uncle, our family will trade another black pig," Jing Shu said on the spot.

...

I can’t believe my black pig traded for 1 ton of diesel and 5 tons of water, plus it got Dad a foot in the door at the livestock breeding farm! Those crafty old men are surprisingly wealthy.

Of course, this was also because resources were still relatively plentiful six months into the apocalypse, and these people held some authority.

The 5 tons of water wasn’t mineral water, just muddy water from the reservoir. There was no need to filter it; it was directly used to water livestock and irrigate the vegetable plot, helping alleviate the water shortage. Gathering so much water now was tough, given that all the major reservoirs were under control.

I still have a few more pigs in my space. If there’s demand, I’ll trade them. If not, I’ll slaughter them and make cooked food on some suitable day. The previous pork is almost gone anyway.

The next day, Mr. Jing started his new job. Seeing that the family’s jobs were now on the right track was a relief. These were regarded as humble jobs before the apocalypse, but now, they had become absolutely desirable. Their true value would slowly be revealed.

Jing Shu was very satisfied. No matter how much I help, Mom and Dad need to be self-reliant. Only by having their own means of support can they survive better in the apocalypse. Otherwise, they’re just lambs to the slaughter.

In the following days, Jing Shu focused her time on practicing the Magic Cube. After more than half a year of practice, her Magic Cube training had finally hit a plateau; she had made no progress for several days.

I must train hard with the Magic Cube. I need to break through to the 6x6x6 Magic Cube Space as soon as possible. The current 125 cubic meters just isn’t enough space.

There was still no news from Wang Dazhao. The Sky Covering Party claimed they were going to rob Qian Duoduo, the richest man in Wu City, but it was probably just a smoke bomb. They seemed to have a new target and were secretly plotting something.

The citizens of Wu City, after more than ten days of eating various fried, sautéed, and moldy mushrooms along with increasingly thin rice porridge, finally protested. Furthermore, former criminals had regrouped and were now targeting homes that still had food.

Wu City, after only a few days of calm, descended into chaos again. It had escalated to the point where people from entire districts were going house to house, committing home-invasion robberies. And it had to be said, those upscale residential areas still had quite a lot of hoarded food.

After all, this was an era where the cost of crime was low. Compared to eating pig feed, stolen food tasted much better.

Those without the ability to rob had no choice but to continue going to the supermarkets daily to receive free food.

Wang Qiqi: "@everyone, latest announcement! Tomorrow, the government is canceling free food distribution. If you want to eat, you’ll have to trade seasonings for food. If you don’t have seasonings, you can trade clothes or fabric!"