I became a farmer in the apocalypse.

"Why are you so dense?"

Jiang Li turned to look at Jiang Yan.

Isn't this the end of the world?

However, none of the people in the carriage, including Jiang Yan, possessed the reaction speed and combat ability that Jiang Li believed people who had struggled in the apocalypse should have.

Moreover, Jiang Yan is an evolved being.

Jiang Li couldn't see any change in him.

"Sister, I..." Jiang Yan stammered awkwardly, "I've never killed a mutated beast."

Jiang Li: "It seems you've been protected too well by that high wall."

Outside the wall, an army is fiercely guarding the area. As long as the army doesn't fall, the mutated beasts can't enter the safe zone. So, the worst that can happen to the people inside the safe zone is that they starve to death, as long as they don't leave.

No wonder nobody wants to go out and farm.

"Waaaaah! I'm not farming anymore!"

"I want to go back! I want to go back! Someone, please save me!"

A woman in the carriage broke down in tears.

Jiang Li scanned the car. Some people were still unconscious, some had been bitten by mutated wolves and were bleeding heavily, and the bleeding couldn't be stopped. Some had even died right in front of Jiang Li.

Let's look at the father and son we greeted earlier.

Zhao Gang is dead, with a bloody hole in his neck from a mutated wolf bite.

Zhao Gang's father held his son's body and wept bitterly, "Son...my son..."

A scene of utter desolation.

Before long, the patrol arrived.

Several heavy off-road vehicles stopped next to the bus, and a group of people got out of the vehicles with guns in their hands.

Zhou Yang glanced into the car, confirmed the situation inside, and then reported it to his young superior behind him.

"Captain Lu, there is no threat inside the vehicle."

Lu Mingjue waved his hand and called to He Yue, "Dr. He, treat the wounded."

The car doors were forcibly removed, and the people inside were gradually carried out. A dozen minutes later, He Yue explained the situation to Lu Mingjue:

"This whole bus was heading to the fields; there were 21 people on board, and 9 of them survived."

12 people died.

A single wolf attack killed 12 people.

"Can you take me back to base?" the woman who had been crying earlier pleaded, sitting on the ground. "I don't want to farm anymore! I want to go home!"

Lu Mingjue glanced at her and asked the others, "What about you? Are you going back to base or to the fields?"

"Let's go back to base!"

"I'm not going to farm anymore!"

"So many people have died before we even reach the fields. How can we possibly come back? I don't want to die... I don't want to go and die. Send me back!"

Lu Mingjue's gaze fell on Jiang Li and Jiang Yan. "What about you two? Are you also going back to base?"

Jiang Li's clothes were covered in blood. She looked up and said calmly, "Let's go to the fields."

"..."

"Sister, are you really not hurt?"

This is the third time He Yue has asked this question.

When she first saw Jiang Li, she really thought this girl was beyond saving; she was covered in blood and looked terrifying.

When asked where she was injured, she denied it, saying she wasn't hurt.

"The blood on your body—"

Jiang Li: "Wolf blood."

He glanced at the wolf carcasses that had been carried out and piled on the ground. "I killed them all."

He Yue gasped, "..."

Are you a werewolf?

Lu Mingjue said to Jiang Li, "You can dispose of the wolves you killed. You can check if any of these wolves are mutated and help you transport them to the vehicle."

After the Red Rain, the appearance of alien elements caused most plants and animals to mutate. The mutated plants and animals produce toxins, and long-term consumption can be fatal. The base's food safety regulations strictly prohibit the sale and trade of mutated plants and animals.

However, among these dead wolves, there may be some that have not mutated. If the wolf meat is safe, it can be given to the butcher in exchange for points.

Jiang Li tested them one by one, and all the detectors in her hand lit up red, indicating that they were mutated species and could not be eaten.

It's a bit of a pity.

Seeing Jiang Li's disappointed expression, Zhou Yang comforted her, "That's right, 90% of the animals you encounter in the wild are mutated."

Jiang Li asked, "What about the plants?"

Zhou Yang: "The probability is about the same for plants."

Plant mutations differ from animal mutations. After mutation, plants are not aggressive; they simply become larger. Apart from that, their appearance is not significantly different. However, they also contain unseen toxins and are inedible.

"However, the agricultural seeds you purchased from the seed station have undergone special cultivation. If I remember correctly, the latest batch of seeds has a mutation rate of around 82%."

This is the result of ten years of research on crops by humankind. From the initial 90% mutation rate, to 85%... and now to 82%, agronomists have devoted a lot of effort and hard work to this.

The lower the rate of seed mutability, the higher the productivity, and the more people can be fed.

Jiang Li silently memorized this number.

An 82% mutation rate means that only 18% of the seeds planted will grow into edible plants, which is far too low.

Seeing Jiang Yan pack up the two woven bags and carry them off the bus, Lu Mingjue said to the brother and sister:

"Get in the car when you're ready. Put your luggage in the trunk, and we'll give you a ride to the fields along the way."

Jiang Yan: "Thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all, it's on my way."

Before getting into the car, Jiang Li went to the river to wash the blood off her face and took off her outer clothes.

-

The car slowly drove into the fields and then went further in.

The entire field area was surrounded by protective outposts, with one outpost every so often and soldiers stationed there. Although it was not as well-defended as the base, it was sufficient for the army, which was short-handed.

"We've arrived. Field number 121 is just ahead."

Zhou Yang parked the car on the side of the neatly arranged driveway.

The roadside plants are lush and incredibly tall. If the driveway and field paths are not cleaned for a period of time, they will be covered by the green leaves of the mutated plants. A random mutated foxtail grass by the roadside can grow taller than a person.

Jiang Li and Jiang Yan got out of the car and walked through a patch of lush, mutated grass, where they saw the fields cleared by the reclamation army.

The land reclamation team only divided the land, but did not cultivate it. Cultivation was something that had to be done by the farmers themselves.

Furthermore, considering the safety of the landowners, the base built a small safe house for each landowner next to each field, about 20 square meters in size, which can withstand strong attacks from level one and two mutated animals.

The 20,000 points she handed over were actually spent on this safe house; the land itself wasn't worth much.

Jiang Yan followed Jiang Li toward the safe house, observing the field as they walked.

"Sister, 50 acres looks like a lot, but with the seed's mutation rate of 82%, the actual yield is only equivalent to 9 acres before the apocalypse."

Nine acres of land is barely enough for a family of four to make ends meet, not even taking into account the impact of mutated pests.

Jiang Li arrived at the door of the safe house carrying a bag and took out the key that the clerk had given her earlier.

The safe house was a red brick building with no windows and a heavy iron door.

Pushing open the metal door, you'll find a space of about 20 square meters, divided into two parts by half a wall. One room contains a small bed, while the other contains a wooden table and several stools, one of the table legs of which is broken.

Two solid wooden barrels were piled up in the corner.

Jiang Li tossed the hammer to Jiang Yan, "Fix the table leg, I'm going to fetch water."

When Jiang Li arrived, she noticed a river nearby.

Carrying two wooden buckets, I arrived at the riverbank and had just dipped them into the water when I heard a voice behind me:

"Are you the new landowner, number 121?"

It was a crisp, clear female voice.

Jiang Li turned her head and saw a young woman in her early twenties standing there with a bucket.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Ye Qing. I came here to farm with my family." She pointed to a hillside not far away. "It's just to your north. Our fields are behind that small hill."

Jiang Li looked in that direction and saw it was field number 120.

"I'm new here, my name is Jiang Li, nice to meet you."

Ye Qing smiled and said, "It's not a matter of giving guidance. We'll be neighbors from now on, so let's help each other out if needed."

"Oh, right." Ye Qing took out his phone and showed a group chat QR code. "You can join the group first. Everyone in the group is from our farming area. We'll all go to the mountains to find wild vegetables tomorrow."

Jiang Li looked at her, somewhat bewildered. "Looking for wild vegetables?"

"Yes, we spontaneously formed a group and go to the mountains to find wild vegetables every other day. If we're lucky, we can find quite a few edible wild vegetables!"