Cave Refuge-Chapter 303 - 287: Earthquake and Waiting in the Car

The elderly group at the Refuge Center hadn’t expected that a simple meal could evoke such nostalgia among the many survivors in the camp.

They couldn’t understand why the small pieces of nuts in the fried dough were causing such a commotion.

It wasn’t very different from the proverb "Why not eat minced meat?" Although they too ate fried dough, theirs was not the same as what the average survivor ate.

The average survivor’s compressed food brick used for fried dough contained less than thirty percent pure grain, with the rest being edible plant tubers, animal bone powder, and a very small amount of seasoning (i.e., salt), all mixed and compressed together.

Whereas, the compressed food bricks used by the elderly for their fried dough consisted of eighty percent pure grain powder, with the rest containing minced meat, crushed nuts, dehydrated vegetables, and various spices and seasonings.

So even though both were made from food bricks, the difference in ingredients and taste between the two was quite substantial.

Take corn, for example, the food bricks of the elderly only contained corn kernels, while the bricks of common people not only contained the core of the corn but also the straw powder.

The vegetables added to the food bricks also differed; one type contained dehydrated vegetables consumed before the catastrophe, while the other type contained powdered parts of vegetables that were not eaten before the catastrophe.

There’s no need to mention the minced meat; not only did the common people’s food bricks contain less bone powder, but they also had a lower proportion of minced meat compared to the refined bricks.

In actuality, the yield of nuts was much higher than what the common people imagined. It was only because the fruit trees needed a few years to mature that they set the price a bit higher to recoup costs sooner.

But in their original production areas, the prices weren’t too expensive; they only soared due to the involvement of middlemen.

Under normal circumstances, while the involvement of middlemen would increase the retail price, it would also involve selection and grading of the products for sale, enhancing the quality of the merchandise.

It was only due to the existence of some unscrupulous merchants that the price of nuts skyrocketed while the quality worsened.

During the catastrophe, departments in Pengcheng responsible for cultivation, as well as capable Private Sanctuaries like Peach Blossom Paradise, actually planted various types of nut trees. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Although the initial purpose of planting was not for selling nuts, as the catastrophe progressed, Pengcheng later sold nuts that mostly came from those trees.

Though the yield from the trees was quite stable, it could only supply the upper class of Pengcheng because, honestly, nuts are different from grains; they aren’t essential for survival. Not eating nuts for a few months or years won’t kill anyone, nor will it affect one’s health.

You wouldn’t know it, but the regular survivors in the camp, who were mainly families of the special forces, lived at a standard well above the average survivor.

After the catastrophe, they weren’t without good things to eat, but usually, they consumed ordinary food bricks sold by Officials. The lunch they prepared not only used exquisite bricks not for sale to the public but was also specifically enhanced with lots of bug meat and many additional ingredients before being seasoned by the cooks.

So it wasn’t just the average survivors who thought this meal was delicious; even the elderly group felt it was quite tasty after finishing their bowls, considering the number of ingredients used. It would really be unacceptable if it weren’t.

Although the severe earthquake in the morning left most people in the camp scared, the delicious meal at noon perfectly soothed the souls of many survivors. After lunch, the mood in the camp lifted, and everyone became excited again.

After lunch, only the families of the Inner Breath Realm Martial Artists who left with Robinson William were still worried about the potential dangers of the mission and praying for the safe return of those who went out to provide support.

After lunch, the elderly group decided not to rush the camp’s survivors back to work but allowed them to relax and take a nap, except for those on patrol duties.

After all, the experience that morning had left everyone on edge, and since they had already been compensated with great food, it seemed right to relax completely and let everyone wind down.

Upon hearing the elderly group’s decision, those who had had their fill of food and rest became even happier. During the meal, not only hunger but also the aroma drifting from the cafeteria had been tempting the survivors, keeping them rather excited.

Once the survivors had eaten and drunk their fill and no longer felt danger, their heightened spirits began to relax, and most started to feel sleepy. Since the factory had become a hazardous building, they simply found a flat spot on the ground and quickly fell asleep.

After most of the camp began to rest, Mr. Thompson and Master Ye entered the Black Car where they took their noon rest.

As for the Taylor family’s armored transport vehicle, it was driven away by Ye Liuyun, for it was more convenient for him to move things around with a vehicle.