The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 66 In the River
Yu Qing said impatiently, "Alright, alright. Chang'e, based on the information you have, what was the situation like at Jishui back then? We need to replenish our resources there, and it would be best if we could get two more vehicles."

"My lord, Jishui was originally a very large agricultural distribution center. This area was rich in various fruits and vegetables, and animal husbandry and logging were also very developed. But when synthetic food was invented and became popular, agriculture there basically collapsed."

After agriculture disappeared, its timber market was relatively prosperous for a period of time, but the industry gradually declined due to the emergence of cheaper and more functional new materials.

In the years that followed, the city seemed to disappear from people's sight, and no one mentioned it anymore.

But in 2002, it suddenly became popular again. Data shows that a large number of natural wonders were discovered there, and soon capital poured in, with many supporting holiday and entertainment facilities being built in the area.

By 2C13, the reservoir was receiving at least 10 tourists annually, which was quite impressive for the time. Keep in mind that the Earth's population was only 3700 million then.

"You must be mistaken. When our ancestors entered Paradise, there were about 43 billion people on Earth. How could there be less than one-tenth of them a little over a hundred years later?"

"What's impossible about that? There are only two known people on Earth right now. What do you say? Unless you include your jade and Gushe in the human population, there might be several million or tens of millions."

"Anyway, this is good news. At least it means that Jishui is probably quite prosperous, and we can buy what we want there."

"I hope so. First of all, we need to get Danggui some suitable clothes. Look at what she's dressed like, all haphazardly wrapped up. It's such an eyesore."

Yao Dan pouted and said, "It's no use what you wear; you just ruin the view."

Yu Qing tapped Yao Dan and said, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll make you grow a nose with nostrils pointing to the sky tomorrow!"

"As long as my husband is happy. My nose is just for decoration anyway, it doesn't matter if it's on my butt."

Yu Qing laughed and said, "Then let's just make your mouth and nose share one eye."

Before I knew it, another day had passed.

Furong and Yan'er stared intently at the river ahead, checking for any dangerous reefs by the faint moonlight.

Yu Qing's stomach was rumbling, protesting that it had been forgotten. That day, he had only eaten a few bird eggs and was already starving.

Yao Dan asked with concern, "Are you hungry? Just bear with it a little longer. When we get to the market tomorrow, I'll make sure you get plenty of food!"

Yu Qing rubbed his stomach and said, "Do you even need to tell me? The key is that it's about to rebel now."

At that moment, Danggui timidly handed him a cake.

Seeing that it seemed to have been nibbled on by Angelica sinensis, Yu Qing quickly pushed it back with his hand.

"I don't like eating this. You can keep it for yourself."

Yao Dan volunteered to catch fish in the river for Yu Qing to eat.

Yu Qing laughed and said, "We're drifting in the current, how could we possibly run into a dead fish so easily!"

Yao Dan refused to believe it and jumped into the water, holding onto the log with one hand while searching for a needle in a haystack with the other. Naturally, she found nothing after a long time.

Yu Qing closed his eyes and said, "I'll try to eat the fish you caught when I turn eighty."

He tried to distract himself and said to Chang'e, "Don't just sit there, could you massage my muscles? My whole body is sore."

Chang'e's technique was exceptionally precise, hitting the right spot every time, making him feel incredibly comfortable. He even suspected she was an acupuncture point expert with anatomical training. Just as he was enjoying the relaxing sensation, Yao Dan waved a fish in front of his nose until the fishy smell annoyed him.

He pushed Yao Dan's hand away and said, "I never said I wanted raw fish, so stop showing off."

Yao Dan said, "Then I'll cook it for you, okay?"

Yu Qing said, "Right here, on this raft you can grill fish? Unless you want to burn our raft down too."

Yao Dan used a dagger to cut off the fish's head and tail and threw them into the water. Then she cut the fish in half and removed its internal organs. Holding the fish pieces in one hand, she used her other hand, which emitted a blinding light, to sweep across the fish pieces before flipping them over and continuing.

Chang'e exclaimed, "Are you crazy? We haven't replenished our energy for days, and we've been going through all that trouble on the road. If you keep wasting electricity like this, we might have to go into hibernation soon."

Yao Dan ignored her and handed the fish to Yu Qing after it was grilled, saying, "Husband, please try it."

Yu Qing ate a few bites from Yao Dan's hand, finding it incredibly tender and praising it highly. He pulled her glowing hand over to examine it, saying, "These are truly precious hands; I must keep them safe."

Yao Dan laughed and said, "What, you originally planned to eat my hand too?"

Yao Dan picked up another piece of fish, intending to grill it again. Yu Qing quickly stopped him, forbidding him from wasting his energy like that.

However, while eating, he casually remarked, "It would be better if it had some salt sprinkled on top."

Daji suddenly remembered that Danggui had salt on him, so she asked him for some.

He sprinkled salt on the fish pieces and cut off a piece to share with Danggui. Yaodan grabbed his hand and said, "I'm only grilling it for you!"

With no other option, Yu Qing had to eat it all by himself, quickly devouring the fish.

He lay contentedly on the raft. The starry sky indicated that no rain would disrupt his plans for the night.

However, for safety's sake, Chang'e and Yaodan stood guard, one in front of him and the other behind him, in case any unknown creatures attacked.

The raft seemed to be drifting faster and faster, indicating that they were rapidly descending. He asked with some concern, "Chang'e, are there any waterfalls on this river? We can't afford to fall."

"My lord, don't worry unnecessarily. The records show that this river was once a bustling waterway. If there's a waterfall along the way, wouldn't it become an insurmountable barrier?"

Before the words were even finished, the raft crashed into a rock with a loud bang, spinning several tens of degrees and nearly throwing them all into the river. Danggui's head slammed into the log, and blood immediately gushed out, which terrified everyone.

Daji tore off a section of Danggui's overly long, rolled-up sleeve and used it to simply wrap her up.

Yao Dan complained that Fu Rong and the others hadn't noticed the rocks in the river earlier.

Yu Qing said, "Small oversights are always inevitable. But let's be careful and stop blaming each other."

He has now developed a mindset that the calmer things are, the more he feels that an even bigger storm is about to break.

He didn't know if he would be able to get ashore smoothly tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)