Chapter 18: Oh No! Green Bean Poisoning

Song Mingchen’s eyes flickered. "I suppose so. Who knows how long days like these will last."

As the off-road vehicle kicked up dust and drove away, Song Mingchen kept his gaze fixed on the mountain through the rearview mirror.

When night fell, Tang Miao built a fire, and everyone gathered around it.

After a week of being fed, the eleven zombies, though still unable to speak, had developed thought processes not much different from those of normal humans. They were eating the stew made by the dormitory matron, low growls echoing as they seemed to discuss something.

Lifting the pot lid, a wave of heat carrying a rich, savory aroma rushed out, with a thin layer of oil shimmering on the surface of the broth. The chicken had been stewed until it was so tender that a gentle nudge with chopsticks caused the meat to slide right off the bone. Upon the first bite, one felt a concentrated richness, and only after swallowing did a subtle, lingering sweetness emerge.

The carrots had been simmered until round and translucent at the edges, their sweetness dense and mingled with the savoriness of the chicken soup. The potatoes were soft and thick, absorbing the slight bitterness of the medicinal herbs until it was entirely gone. A single sip of the broth warmed one from the throat down to the stomach.

It was pure, heavenly bliss. Tang Miao had never tasted anything so delicious; back in the interstellar era, the only way to eat chicken was to boil it in plain water.

As Zhang Xinrou ate, tears rolled down her cheeks and into her bowl.

"Tang Miao, thank you..."

Tang Miao blinked. "What are you thanking me for?"

"I really, truly haven't had such delicious chicken soup in so long. If it weren't for you, I’d probably still be eating instant noodles and bread..." Zhang Xinrou had been eating processed food for so long she felt like she might vomit; she used to love self-heating hot pots, but now, even looking at them killed her appetite. "I might not even have had that—I could have been kidnapped, tortured until I was neither human nor ghost, or maybe even torn apart by zombies..."

Tang Miao placed a piece of chicken into Zhang Xinrou's bowl. "You’ve been working conscientiously at the farm all this time; you deserve this. As long as we develop and manage the farm well, we’ll be living the good life in the future!"

Zhang Xinrou, snot and tears streaming down her face, clutched her soup bowl and nodded vigorously.

Hearing Tang Miao praise Zhang Xinrou for being conscientious, some of the zombies grew displeased. A college student zombie wearing a sky-blue nightgown tilted her head, handed a peeled tomato to Zaizai, and whispered a low growl to her.

Zaizai accepted the tomato and blinked, looking at its mother. It wanted to speak, but found its tongue felt strange and couldn't produce any sound. Anxious, it threw itself into Tang Miao’s arms, its little hands flapping about.

*Mama, I can't talk anymore!*

Tang Miao immediately picked it up and used her psychic power to check its body. A few seconds later, she frowned slightly. "It seems... it's been poisoned?"

Jiang Nanxing and Zhang Xinrou spoke at the same time: "Green beans!"

No wonder Zhang Xinrou had felt something was off when she saw Zaizai eating the green beans earlier. Only now did she remember that raw green beans are poisonous; she hadn't realized zombies could be poisoned too.

Tang Miao immediately searched her guidebook for information on green bean poisoning.

【Symptoms of green bean poisoning mainly include: stinging and numbness in the mouth, tongue, and throat; ingestion into the stomach induces gastrointestinal reactions, manifested as acid reflux, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.】

【First aid suggestions after poisoning: Use tools like fingers or chopsticks to stimulate the throat and press the tongue plate, attempting to expel the toxic food from the stomach.】

【Drink plenty of warm water or light salt water to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes. If symptoms are severe or vomiting fails to provide relief, medical attention is advised.】

Just as she finished reading the guide, Zaizai fell to the ground, its body twitching uncontrollably. Jiang Nanxing panicked and immediately steadied his sister’s body, while the other zombies rose and gathered around, growls constant.

"Thin-Tall": "Growl?" What happened?

"Fat-Round": "Growl, growl, growl." Didn't we say? It's green bean poisoning.

The other college student zombies subconsciously looked at the dormitory matron: "Growl, growl?" Did you feed it?

The matron immediately held up three fingers: "Growl!" No!

"Thin-Tall" suddenly thought of something, his gaze slowly shifting to the large iron pot. He remembered that the matron had thrown green beans into the stew earlier.

Understanding what the zombies were saying, Tang Miao gave an awkward laugh: "It was me, it was me." While using her psychic power to heal Zaizai, she comforted Jiang Nanxing: "Small problem, don't worry, it'll be fine in a moment."

After healing Zaizai, Jiang Nanxing took the green beans Tang Miao had given him out of his pocket and handed them to the matron. Because they were a gift from Tang Miao, he hadn't been able to bring himself to eat them, narrowly escaping disaster.

A zombie roared: "Growl!" I protest!

It was the same college student zombie who had handed the tomato to Zaizai. Zhang Xinrou trembled in fear at the roar, looking at Tang Miao in confusion: "What's wrong with it?"

Tang Miao put on a puzzled expression: "It says it wants to file a protest."

The zombie continued, accusing Zhang Xinrou of constantly extending their overtime hours. Labor law stipulates that daily working hours must be less than or equal to eight hours, and overtime falls into three categories.

Weekday overtime requires wages to be increased to 150% of the original. Rest day overtime requires 200% wages or compensatory time off. Overtime on statutory holidays requires 300% wages!

But Zhang Xinrou had been making them work overtime day and night, and the overtime pay was always a fixed single rate. This did not comply with regulations; she couldn't just exploit them because they were college students!

Tang Miao relayed every word to Zhang Xinrou. Zhang Xinrou’s eyes widened. How could zombies even understand the law?

Tang Miao added at the right moment: "He studied law as an undergraduate."

With a zombie leading the way, the other zombies began to air their grievances. For a time, the chorus of roars gave Zhang Xinrou goosebumps.

"Growl!" Protest!

"I—I won't make you work overtime next time. We’ll follow the strict attendance regulations, okay?"

"I was wrong, I was wrong! Please stop growling, calm down, please calm down."

The matron held up three fingers and gestured at Zhang Xinrou with her chin. Zhang Xinrou understood and immediately swore an oath on the spot, and only then did everyone reluctantly believe her.

After a hearty meal, it was already 9:00 PM. The zombies didn't work overtime that night and returned to the rest area to sleep. Tang Miao asked Jiang Nanxing to consult with the matron and pick four of the relatively smarter zombies to stand guard for the night; Zaizai skipped along after them.

Zhang Xinrou curled into her bedding and asked in a muffled voice: "Tang Miao, why do they think like people? And even though they don't need to rest, they still lie in bed with their eyes open."

"In their subconscious, they still think of themselves as human. Zhang Xinrou, haven't you noticed they are growing too?"

"In this past week, Jiang Nanxing has grown four centimeters and learned to speak, and Zaizai has started growing hair. They don't get tired or sleepy, and they don't produce bodily fluids like humans."

"But they insist on bathing every day, and when they do, they remember to ask you for body wash. When changing clothes, they consciously choose colors."

"If you observe closely, their pupil colors and skin conditions are also changing. They are evolving, and their consciousness is constantly reawakening."

Zhang Xinrou’s sleepiness vanished. She couldn't help but think: if the zombies eventually become smart enough, will they revolt and seize the farm? Might they even kill her and Tang Miao to become the masters of the farm themselves?

Tang Miao closed her eyes, observing the moving little green dots on the map in her mind, and said: "At 6:00 tomorrow morning, the farm's protective shield will disappear."