Chapter 33: Too Temperamental

If a phone call doesn't go through, the next step is to head directly to their house. However, for the sake of safety, they wouldn't be allowed to go alone; someone would always accompany them.

Seeing that the conversation had reached a lull, Qin Xiaoyu, who had been squatting by the courtyard gate, quietly crawled away. She chose to crawl because her legs were numb from squatting too long, and she couldn't quite stand. But as soon as she crawled past the threshold, she felt her collar being yanked back.

"Hey, Dad, be careful! This shirt isn't very sturdy. Mom was being stingy and bought it online—ten bucks with free shipping."

Recognizing the familiar scent, Qin Xiaoyu didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. Qin Baisong’s mouth twitched, and he silently let go.

"You think you’re in the right, going out in your pajamas?" He looked at the pajamas and pinched the collar. It actually felt decent; it didn't seem like something bought for ten yuan.

Qin Xiaoyu reclaimed her collar and whispered, "Dad, are you guys going to that stone mountain tomorrow?"

"Didn't you already hear?" Qin Baisong replied.

Qin Xiaoyu let out an "oh," her expression thoughtful. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and gave her short hair a rough ruffle. "What schemes is little Fatty Fish cooking up?"

Qin Xiaoyu ducked away. Her uncle was sharp-witted; he wasn't as thick-headed as her father. "Nothing, just asking." She scurried off before she could say another word.

Qin Bonian was now certain: his little niece was definitely up to something.

The four sheep they had brought back were waking up one by one. Finding themselves in a strange place, their fear and anxiety made them even more agitated, to the point where they were slamming their heads against the walls. Fortunately, they were tied up, or there was no telling what might happen.

"We’ve eaten plenty of mutated plant matter ourselves, but we only feel a bit irritable, like having a mild case of internal heat," the Qin family mused as they watched the sheep.

*Sigh, they’re too volatile. Hard to raise. Should we just slaughter them for meat?* Heaven knows how much they were craving meat. Since the day the Earth was "swallowed," the village had lost power. With the heat, they couldn't store meat, so they had eaten it all that very day. Now, they couldn't buy any, so they would have to slaughter them on the spot.

There were so many ways to eat mutton—grilled, stewed, or in a hot pot—it was all delicious. They would definitely keep the female, so they might as well pick one of the males.

Fan Zhenzhen, who was still unfamiliar with the Qin family's peculiar temperament, fell into deep thought at these words and was the first to offer her opinion. "Perhaps it's because we humans are intelligent and rational, so we aren't as easily dominated by the miasma." She suddenly felt like she had hit on the truth. "No wonder that little article online said that after the apocalypse, many animals instinctively approach humans and seek refuge. It turns out they know they can't resist the erosion of the miasma themselves and need humans to help purify them."

The Qin family turned to look at her in silence, then nodded in unison. This girl was actually quite bright.

"So, what should we do about these sheep? Should we try to help purify them?" Fan Zhenzhen asked.

"Do you have your eye on one?" An Xian asked.

Fan Zhenzhen paused, then realized what An Xian meant. She instinctively turned to look at the sheep. At a single glance, her face changed. "Oh no, that sheep is chewing the rope."

The Qin family turned in unison and saw the largest ram chewing on its tether, while the ewe stared at it with deep, thoughtful eyes. The thick nylon rope was fraying under the ram's teeth; it would likely snap in less than five minutes.

*Might as well be that one,* the Qin family thought. *It's big and has plenty of meat.*

The ram seemed to sense the danger and stopped, watching them warily. Its eyes were filled with a violence that sent a chill down one's spine.

Qin Xiaoyu said from behind, "It’s probably eaten a lot of mutated plants; its body is full of miasma. If we eat it, we might get infected too." She paused, adding, "Though, that ewe is a bit strange."

The Qin family: "..." Miasma really wasn't a good thing.

"Go get the iron chains, so it doesn't run off," the elder Qin said. Grandma Qin sighed, "This sheep's temper has become so violent; if it really gets out, it might hurt someone."

Soon, the sheep was secured with iron chains, and the other three received the same treatment. Unable to have mutton, the family felt a bit disgruntled and listless, except for the elder Qin, who remained quite excited. With a few more test subjects for his research, he had to go get more herbs to boil.

Early the next morning, the Qin brothers left in their pickup truck, claiming they were going to check on Flower Stone Mountain. Qin Xiaoyu ate a papaya while watching them leave, her eyes full of contemplation. Beside her, Iron Pot was furiously pecking at its own papaya. Since last night, the goose had become quite particular, insisting on using a stainless steel basin as a food bowl; it wouldn't eat if the food was just thrown on the ground.

Suddenly, she kicked Iron Pot. "Stop eating, let's follow them and have a look."

No sooner had she spoken than she realized it had already finished the entire papaya. She looked at the palm-sized piece in her own hand, then at the goose's basin, her expression quite dramatic. It had polished off a whole fruit in the time it took her to eat two bites?

"I shouldn't call you Iron Pot; I should call you Rice Bucket."

"Honk!"

Iron Pot rolled its eyes. It didn't care; both names sounded equally unpleasant. Suddenly, it thought of something and turned to look at the ewe in the pen, which was silently watching them. It honked excitedly at Qin Xiaoyu. *'Rice Bucket' can be its name.*

Qin Xiaoyu slapped it on the head. "What are you thinking about? Are we going or not? If we don't move, the car will be gone."

Everyone was gathering at the village entrance; if they didn't go now, it would be too late.

"Honk?" *What for?*

"We have to pass a river to get to Flower Stone Mountain. I have a feeling that river is going to swell, and the fish inside will become plentiful and delicious. Suit yourself if you don't want to go."

Before she finished speaking, Qin Xiaoyu had already taken off. She checked her outfit; luckily, she had changed when she got up—a floral-patterned short-sleeved shirt and denim overalls. She popped on a hat. Perfect.

Once it heard there would be fish to eat, Iron Pot’s eyes lit up instantly. There was no room for hesitation.

When they reached the village entrance, the convoy was already departing. Luckily, the Qin family’s pickup was the last one. Just as it began to pull away, Qin Xiaoyu nimbly vaulted into the back.

She had intended to be sneaky, but when Iron Pot hopped on, it flapped its wings with such force that it nearly knocked the truck door off. Just as the people in the truck turned to look, Qin Xiaoyu grabbed the goose and held it in front of her.

"Hey, kid, your floral shirt is showing—did you think you could hide?" Qin Bonian turned around and saw his niece and the family goose, feeling both annoyed and amused. Wasn't this child supposed to be obedient? Where was the obedience? She was quite the troublemaker.

Qin Baisong pulled the truck over and turned around, seeing his daughter and the goose. "Xiaoyu, it's dangerous out there. Why are you tagging along?"

Qin Xiaoyu pushed Iron Pot in front of her and, without changing her expression, shifted the blame: "It said it couldn't get enough to eat at home and wanted to go catch fish in the river at the foot of Flower Stone Mountain."