CH : 37 Crumbling World Around Us

Daisy finished, her words lingering in the air like a heavy weight. The women around her nodded in agreement, some realizing for the first time the depth of Ethan's sacrifices. Together, they moved toward Ethan, understanding that in this brutal world, their safety and survival depended on the man who had chosen to protect them. Daisy knew there was no safer place for them than by Ethan's side.

Daisy with the grils headed towards Ethan's direction. She didn't feel the least bit safe away from Ethan's side in this village.

"Wait for me!" Leah saw she was the only one left behind. Her heart became dreadful. Not daring to stay there and cry, she hastily chased them.

Ethan's goods were placed in the Volvo truck, no one dared mess with it. If anyone robbed the truck and Tiger discovered it, it would be their end. They'd be fed to zombies! Tiger did things in a big way. On the sides of the Volvo truck he stationed two gunmen.

Seeing Ethan's people come to get supplies, these gunmen didn't obstruct.

Entering the truck, all the women grabbed the bread and boxed milk and wolfed it down.

Chloe also grabbed bread and a box of milk and ate in small bites. This is the best breakfast she had eaten in Always Bright village.

On account of Tiger's restrictions, Chloe and Elisa could eat until they were full, but the majority of what they ate was steamed buns and wild vegetables. There weren't any of the things they wanted to eat. Only Tiger's women were able to occasionally taste meat dishes. As far as milk, that was a luxury good. Only the four big chiefs and a few leaders could drink it. The women couldn't partake.

Chloe in one bite ate bread, and another drank milk. Her heart brimmed with satisfaction.

'I never thought bread and a box of lactose milk could make me this satisfied!' Chloe thought with sorrow in her heart.

Before the end of the world, Chloe wouldn't even glance at this trash bread. She absolutely wouldn't drink anything but imported organic milk. Right now bread and a box of milk made her feel extremely satisfied. She could only lament that the environment was able to change mankind.

Chloe ate bread and drank milk and measured up Ethan at the same time: 'I need to take advantage of this man and put a stamp in his heart and mind."

Chloe was extremely afraid of once again falling back into the hands of the four chiefs of Always Bright village. She needed to find a strong person to rely on and find shelter. Ethan was able to grab Tiger's attention, and he also had the skill to find so much food. Obviously Ethan was her ideal strong man. As far as love, she saw a beautiful woman thrown to the zombies to die by Tiger. When that beautiful woman's husband was begging for shelter before Tiger, Chloe already gave up on expecting love.

The situation had changed mankind. The originally innocent, and only sometimes rebellious and bold Chloe started having schemes.

Ethan took inventory of the goods on the Volvo truck. Shortly after finishing, he said to the women: "Starting today, We need to implement a food distribution system. You can't eat as you please in the past!"

On the road, due to the supplies being sufficient, Ethan didn't restrict the women's food and drink supplies. This was the first time I implemented rations.

The women's hearts had some conflict and doubt, but Ethan just finished reprimanding Leah. The other women didn't dare disobey Ethan and became silent.

Just then, Grace opened her mouth and asked: "Why?"

Among the women, only Grace, Julia, and Luna were able to speak equally with Ethan.

Ethan explained: "We've used up a lot of supplies on the road, yet we haven't searched for any supplies. Right now, we have to give Tiger half of our supplies. The shortest time we will stay at Always Bright Village is three days. After leaving Always Bright Village, we still have to reach Longhai City without knowing what it will take, and we also don't know what will happen on the road. I want sufficient supplies to respond to events that could occur."

Ethan knew Grace was also helping the other women ask, for that reason he answered extremely clearly.

Two Volvo trucks have a lot of supplies, and Tiger wanted to take one. Ethan and the rest would be left with one. Their party had more than ten people. If they don't have food rations, and still let everyone pig out, he was afraid the supplies wouldn't last long.

Receiving Ethan's explanation, their hearts slowly relaxed.

Several supplies were also hiding in Ethan's storage ring, but that was his emergency stash. He would only use it as a last resort.

Ethan Said: "From today, during our stay in Always Bright Village, we will cook food. The fighting force will receive three bowls of rice each meal, two slices of lunch meat, and a piece of ham sausage. The labor force will receive two bowls of rice each meal and half a piece of ham sausage. The non-laborers will receive one bowl of rice each meal."

On the Volvo truck, they arranged several pouches of rice and used the rice cooker to measure out an amount that would be enough to eat similar to the packaged food.

This time Grace didn't speak again. She knew the current situation wasn't very good. If there was no leftover food to respond to dire situations, as soon as a situation occurred there would be trouble. For instance if they had to stay in Always Bright Village without any supplies stored up, the consequences would be unbearable.

Grace didn't voice any opposition, and the other women didn't dare say anything. That's how this matter went down.

Quickly James came to the public square. Seeing the group eating bread and drinking milk, he choked down his saliva. He extremely respectfully said: "Brother Ethan! I'm here!"

Ethan casually threw his bread package and milk box into the trash can and said: "Okay. Let's go!"

James tenaciously started at the black trash back at Ethan's side. He said to Ethan: "Big Brother Ethan, can you give this to me?"

"Okay! But what are you going to do with it?" Ethan gave the trash bag to James, and asked him not to understand.

The other women also strangely looked over at James.

James's face proudly showed his survival instinct: "Those packages still have some crumbs in them. The milk boxes can be cut open, and could still have milk remaining."

Hearing James's words, these women all had a burst of sadness.

Ethan curiously asked: "James, aren't you in a farm village? How are you lacking food?"

In the City, ordinary families have several days or even ten days worth of food storage. Always Bright Village is a rural village. They should have stockpiled even more. Ethan had heard the villages around them, the families normally saved a full year of supplies .

James bitterly laughed: "Our village does agricultural tourism, specializing in hosting outside travellers. In the village there are some privately raised pigs, chicken, and fish. However, every family was a little saved. The day the whole world suddenly spawned zombies, they bit several people. Everyone either fled or went into hiding."

"Later on Big Brother Tiger and the rest came. They cleared out village zombies, but the provisions, pigs, and chickens of the village were all snatched away by them. When we ran no one carried much food. There was no method to do so. We are only able to dig up some vegetables and grass to live a meagre existence."

Ethan pointed at the surrounding farmland: "Why not seed there? You only need to plant a few seeds, after a couple months you can collect some food."

There were only women and children searching for vegetables on the fields outside the village. There weren't any people farming the land. Continuing on like this was out of the question. Only relying on reserves, even if they have a mountain stored up, eventually they will starve.

If there wasn't anyone assigned to ploughing, just the food problem was enough to make people have an endless headache.

James bitterly laughed: "Big brother Tiger bought seeds from the nearby supplier, but those seeds were planted a while ago. They've yet to germinate."

Ethan's heart weighed heavy with dread. If the issue of planting seeds couldn't be resolved, humanity's future would become increasingly dire. While there were still supplies and food scattered across the ruins of the world, each day saw them depleting. With every meal, there was one less stockpile, one less can on the shelf. And it wasn't just about quantity—over time, the remaining food would begin to spoil, becoming riddled with mold, further reducing the already dwindling supply of edible resources. The thought of fresh fruits and vegetables becoming a distant memory haunted him. Without a sustainable solution, mankind's struggle for survival would grow ever more desperate.

Ethan pushed the nagging doubts to the back of his mind, shelving them for another time. The list of worries was already too long, and he couldn't afford to dwell on every new one that cropped up. With a weary sigh, he turned his attention to the rest of the village, knowing there were still other places that needed his attention. The weight of his responsibilities pressed down on him, but he knew he had to keep moving forward, one step at a time, even as the burdens continued to pile up.

In that village, except for the gunmen, everyone looked famished without light in their eyes, the same as a walking corpse. Their eyes couldn't see a thread of hope.

Several men and women both young and old searched for vegetables and grass they could use.

The group of children that bothered Leah were all running around the field searching for edible food. The end of the world already took those originally innocent, lively, carefree, and anxiety free children and tempered them into early maturity. They all started to struggle for survival.

The zombies surrounding Always Bright village had already all been cleared out by Tiger. Because of this the villagers were able to seek food outside the village.

"Here are two steamed buns. You and your wife accompany me for one day. These two steamed buns are yours."

Passing a corner, there came a wretched voice.

Ethan's eyebrows wrinkled.

Looking inside a brick building, a short and small gunman with an 81 rifle held two large white steamed buns and smiled lewdly at two women.

The older woman's age was over 30. She had a full figure, big breasts, long legs, beautiful appearance, overall a soft body experience she was wearing a white blouse with jeans looking extremely classy. The younger girl looked only 11 or 12. Her large eyes look at the gunman brimming with dread. At the same time her eyes frequently glanced at the two large steamed buns. She was already hungry for several days, really wanting to eat one. In the past she didn't even look at steamed buns.

That well mannered beautiful young woman, with silver teeth hiding fangs implored: "Older brother Xu! I'll accompany you! I beg you release Sansa! She's still young!"

Gunman Xu's face sank, his face voice cold without comparison: "Lysa, You don't need to give me face. I'm shameless! I fancy your mother and daughter pair. It's your good fortune. Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink. Piss off daddy, and daddy will give you two shots. He'll throw you in the ditch. In this world, if you two die, no one will stick out their neck to save you.

Seeing Gunman Xu's ugly evil face, Lysa's heart became hopeless. After her husband left the village to find food, he never returned. Without a man's protection, this Xu Wei who always peeped at her body took advantage.

A crafty light flashed in Xu Wei's eyes, the tone changed: "Lysa, if your mother and daughter pair follow me, I guarantee you two won't go hungry so long as I have a bite to eat."

Xue Wei used the carrot and the stick. Lysa didn't have a plan. If it was before the end of the world, she could put this man in his place with just a phone call never to recieve a second glance from him. But now, she was without a man and had no choice.

A strange light flashed in Lysa's eyes. She hugged her daughter with her thoughts in a whirl. There were no laws in Always Bright Village. Xu Wei could kill them as he pleased, and no one would stick out their neck to help. For her to follow Xu Wei wasn't a problem, but Lysa didn't want to throw her own daughter into the fire pit.

Xu Wei looked at Lysa and her cherished daughter Sansa with greedy eyes. He continued to threaten: "My patience has limits!"

Between words, Xu Wei loosened up the 81 type rifle on his back, and placed it beside his food. It both relaxed and threatened Lysa.

Seeing Xu Wei like this, Lysa was even more afraid. Her silver teeth with fangs delicately shuddered, not knowing what to do.

"Wait a moment!" At this time there was a voice outside the door. Ethan strode inside.

Xu Wei's face changed seeing Ethan walk in the door. He grabbed his 81 type rifle and nervously stared at Ethan: "Ethan, what do you want?"