NOVEL FROG Chapter 10-Animals galore!
Chapter 10—Animals galore!
by Bocchan13
The wall was just starting construction and Song Yu had real estate developers come in to look for termites and long term problems the house could face. After the inspection, he hired some of the wall workers to reinforce the walls, especially his bedroom. The workers didn’t ask questions as they re-sealed up the gigantic cut in the center. Song Yu watched over their progress, altering the managers if workers slacked off.
Song Yu spent two weeks overseeing the work before heading to the countryside for the farming equipment, seeds, and animals.
When arriving with such fanfare, the locals were curious at this young man who went through each farm and haggled prices. His first stop was rice. Rice wasn’t one of the main staples in the apocalypse, but Song Yu desperately missed it! It was small but filling. Song Yu decided to buy both husked and un-husked rice, as well as purchasing stalks for planting.
It wasn’t the season yet, so he would have to see what kinds of soil was needed before proceeding. He also bought a husker and several farming tools with extras of everything. Since it was just him alone, planting just enough for one and the animals was good enough for him.
The farmer was a kind gentleman of 65 who was very pleased with this young man. He was polite and kind, and could talk with him about anything agriculture. As a parting gift, he also provided sugar cane, something not on Song Yu’s list.
“Thank you uncle.”
“No problem, just make sure to eat it!” Song Yu hesitated before speaking,
“I saw on the news that there is going to be a gigantic heat wave in the next two weeks, it would be good if you don’t sell all of your produce and keep it in storage. I don’t want you to get heatstroke.” The old man guffawed before showing his arm. Albeit old, he had the muscles of a 40 year old.
“Not to worry. I’ve worked this farm for close to fifty years. This little heat is nothing!” Song Yu smiled gently, but did not continue to argue.
Song Yu went through various farms and bought everything he thought would be okay to plant, as well as already ripe produce, putting it into his space. Fresh vegetables and fruits! Song Yu drank cold water from his space as he panted. He wore a wide brim hat with a cotton button down and breathable pants. The heat had intensified significantly, so much so that he saw videos of kids making eggs on a pan on the sidewalk.
Song Yu did not have the energy to go back home, so he spent the night at a local motel. The next day, he went to the local markets and bout wholesale versions of every spice he could think of. The main ones were salt.
Salt was another gold plated desirable thing in the apocalypse. People were hungry, but guzzling down tasteless food left morale to drop. He bought an excessive amount. So much so, that he had to get a large truck to transport it. The next thing was sauces; he talked with the locals and ended up getting some recipes. He had also downloaded them on his laptop. Not to mention his space could break it down as well. The last thing he really needed were animals.
Animals in the apocalypse weren’t immune to the virus. It just took longer than humans. Some animals became zombified, whilst others upgraded into having abilities as well as almost human like characteristics. He remembered that one of his ex-friends had a large bluebird who sang shrilly whenever he was in a 20 meter distance from a zombie.
Song Yu wanted a long term plan, so he talked to the locals and discovered that there was a breeding farm in the next town over that had an abundance of animals for purchase. He thanked them enthusiastically and bought several other plants.
He travelled for three hours and found that this town was a little better off than the previous one. The sun was about to set, so he needed to quickly talk to the animal breeder and see the best for purchase. His off-road travel car was dirt streaked and his hair was unkept and sweaty, so when arriving, the farmer wasn’t so enthusiastic, thinking it was just window shopping.
Song Yu first examined the cows. He needed a bull and a spare, and several females. These weren’t dairy cows, but they could graze easily on the prairie. It was simply walking meat. Dairy cows came next. He bought three and a male cow for breeding as well. Once done, he checked the chickens. Roosters were very loud, and hens could lay eggs. But, he did need one rooster for every 5 hens. He haggled with the price and bought cages for them. He didn’t want any meat running away. He salivated when he saw how thick the hen was.
Pigs were substantially easier, he chose two boy and girl piglets and a sow. He also saw some quails and purchased a few.
The poultry was done…and now for the best part. Song Yu loaded all of the animals up and hired one of the breeders to drop it off at his villa. They were adept at long distance travel so he trusted them to do it. He also paid for them to set up the coops and barn. The breeders looking at all that cash, they didn’t hesitate to treat him like a god.
Once again, Song Yu was exhausted as he bulldozed into bed. The motels he had been staying at were good, but the heat has intensified to such an extent, the AC prices had been jacked up. Song Yu sighed as he spread into a star. The fan as well as the AC blew semi-hot air. He could only groan in pain! AC! Gambatte!
The next morning, the sweltering heat woke him up. Sweating up a storm, he took out ice cold water from his space and inhaled it. He then drove the additional hour to a reputable horse farm. He remembered his sister had wanted a horse from here, but at the time the horses weren't trained yet. She cried for three days after that.
He chuckled evilly in his heart. Right now, breeding season was almost over, and the ponies from the previous two years were in training. This was the perfect time to get a horse. He didn’t want to get a grown horse, but wanted to train one himself. He was going to live alone and wanted a companion.
The breeder was waiting for him since he made an appointment. Song Yu bowed respectfully as the breeder and ranch hands took him into to see the foals.
“I’ve heard about you around these parts. Came in and bought near everything from the locals. What are you doing with so much anyways?”
Song Yu shrugged.
“Just think of it as a rich idiosyncrasy. I used to live in B City but my dad kicked me out for getting bad grades so this is sort of like a rebellion. Give that old wallet a turn.”
The breeder shook his head and sighed.
“Look kid, you gotta apologize to your dad, he is doing the best he can. Money can’t buy happiness.” Song Yu really had the urge to laugh. No really. He was a goddamn actor when he slowly nodded his head sadly.
“I know that. But it’s the only way I know how to get his attention.” The breeder patted Song Yu’s back.
“Whelp, his misfortune is my fortune. The new foals are already weaned and ready for breaking. You can look at them and see which one you prefer. Song Yu followed the direction of his hands and couldn’t help but melt with such love! They were so cute!
The foals had short hair and had stick for legs. They seemed to range ages of 3-6 months. Some of the horses were sitting while others were jogging around the playfully. Song Yu’s heart was shot with an arrow of love! He instinctively lowered his stance, kneeling as a few foals ran away from the new intruders.
“They are adorable! 10! 10! 10!” Song Yu outstretched his hand to pet one, but it quickly evaded. The breeder laughed at his love-struck expression.