Chapter 15: A Treacherous Heart

Another person must be Song Mingchen, though it’s unclear why his leg was injured.

Zhang Xinrou stood silently for a few seconds, then turned off her flashlight and returned to the rest area.

Tang Miao yawned. “You’re back? Let’s go to sleep.”

After using her mental energy to till the soil, Tang Miao felt drained, and after eating, even sleepier.

They each took a set of blankets and pillows, with the four sides open to the night sky full of stars.

Zhang Xinrou hesitated several times before softly speaking after a moment.

“Tang Miao, tomorrow can you give the zombies some extra food—maybe a few more tomatoes? I asked them to work overtime until 10 p.m. tonight.”

Tang Miao’s voice was weary. “Sure, but next time don’t make them work so late. They should rest by six in the evening at the latest.”

“Six o’clock? They won’t get tired. If they could work nonstop for 24 hours, the pool and well would be dug in no time.”

“The body might not tire, but the mind does…”

Tang Miao’s voice grew faint and her breathing evened out.

Zhang Xinrou didn’t press further; she didn’t believe zombies experienced mental fatigue.

Zombies were no longer human—they had no heart or mind. They obeyed solely out of instinct, eating when hungry.

If one day Tang Miao stopped feeding them, they would surely tear her apart.

Thinking this, Zhang Xinrou glanced again at the zombies; their bodies reeked. If only they could be bathed and dressed in clean clothes.

The next morning, after washing up, Tang Miao selected a bunch of loose clothes and long skirts from her space. She arranged eleven single beds in the zombie training area and built two simple changing rooms for men and women using PVC pipes and sheets.

The morning mist hadn’t yet lifted, but the zombies were already assembled.

Zhang Xinrou cleared her throat holding a small notebook. “Today is Monday, July 28, 2025. It’s 7:40 a.m. Everyone line up to take a shower with Tang Miao. After washing, go to the changing rooms and put on your work clothes.”

The water reservoir for the fruit plantation had been dug into a small pond about a meter deep, filled overnight.

Tang Miao pulled out a water pump, placed it in the pond, and modified its outlet to connect to a pressurized water hose.

Having a thorough understanding of starship technology from the interstellar era, Tang Miao could grasp the principles of these devices at a glance.

Under Jiang Nanxing and Zai Zai’s guidance, the zombies showered in an orderly fashion, and no one damaged their own tissues.

Tang Miao took the opportunity to provide simple medical care, especially for Skinny and Chubby, repairing their bodily defects; she also used mental energy to correct the scoliosis of one zombie.

Tang Miao helped the female zombies put on their clothes. For the males, she had prepared loose, simple nightgowns, with Jiang Nanxing assisting.

After tidying up, Tang Miao followed Skinny’s group to check the progress of the well.

The well was nearly three meters deep, but after one night, the spring water had refilled it. Only by pumping out the water could digging continue.

Jiang Nanxing approached Tang Miao, holding Zai Zai, and pointed at the well. “Howl.” Tools.

Tang Miao understood Jiang Nanxing’s meaning: the deeper the well, the more tools would be needed to help remove the soil.

“No tools then. Based on the current well depth, dig four more wells.”

Tang Miao took out a pile of colorful flowerpots of various sizes from her space and continued, “Put all the excavated soil into these pots, then place them side by side along the fence. Thank you all for your hard work!”

Once she earned enough points, Tang Miao planned to go to the mall and buy some flower seeds.

She was curious to see just how advanced these premium seeds were and how they differed from the native flowers in this world.

Having bathed early, changed into fresh clothes, and with their wounds healed, the zombies were in high spirits and immediately set to work.

“Abba abba.” What’s wrong, Mom?

Zai Zai crawled into Tang Miao’s arms, sensing her mood was off.

Tang Miao rubbed Zai Zai’s head gently and whispered soothingly, “Nothing’s wrong.”

Earning points should come from selling farm produce to surviving humans; having too few crops wasn’t yet a problem.

The real issue was what to do once the farm’s protective shield disappeared in a few days.

Tang Miao wanted to venture out to scavenge food and supplies; she couldn’t pin all hope on the mall she hadn’t unlocked yet.

But if they left the farm, and someone discovered its resources and tried to seize them, the remaining dozens of zombies wouldn’t be able to defend it.

If they gave up scavenging and instead focused on renovating and running the farm, any schemers banding together to seize it would pose a serious threat, and Tang Miao couldn’t guarantee the safety of everyone and the farm.

There was also the problem that Jiang Nanxing couldn’t speak. He’d eaten plenty yesterday, and the eleven zombies consumed a variety of crops—not less than Jiang Nanxing—but none, including him, could produce speech.

Tang Miao’s earlier assumptions were flawed. To truly harness the zombies, she needed to understand how food affected them.

Only by grasping this mechanism could she maximize saving food and mental energy.

Zai Zai pouted, clinging tightly around Tang Miao’s neck, pressing its cool forehead against her neck.

Mom is lying.

Back at the rest area, Tang Miao fed Jiang Nanxing many different crops, but he still couldn’t speak like Zai Zai.

What was going on? Was the quantity of other vegetables too small?

“Tang Miao, something’s wrong!” Zhang Xinrou waved frantically and shouted from the crop planting area. “Come quick!”

Tang Miao thought something had gone wrong with her vegetables and rushed over holding Zai Zai.

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong?”

In the soil by the fence, sprouts about ten centimeters tall had grown—eggplants, cucumbers—all without exception.

“That’s a good thing!” Tang Miao looked at Zhang Xinrou. “You made it sound like something bad happened.”

Zhang Xinrou lowered her head guiltily and pointed to a corner of the field. “That sprout has a problem. All others are ten centimeters tall, but that one just sprouted.”

In that corner, Tang Miao had planted ordinary seeds native to this world as a control group.

The difference between premium mall seeds and ordinary seeds was already evident at the germination stage.

Ordinary seeds sprouting overnight also showed the farm’s soil accelerated plant growth.

Zhang Xinrou suddenly stepped to Tang Miao’s right, blocking her view. “Tang Miao, what do we do about this sprout?”

“Don’t worry. Let it keep growing. I want to see if the soil improves the ordinary seeds.”

Zhang Xinrou nodded uncertainly, then pulled Tang Miao to look at the little chicks.

Zai Zai, curious, hopped into the fence and chased the chicks.

Zhang Xinrou asked many questions about the chicks—their diet, how much, when to feed, and so on.

“Tang Miao, where did you get all this stuff?”

Tang Miao looked down at the chicks and answered casually, “It doesn’t matter. As long as it benefits us.”

Zhang Xinrou nodded and jotted down the feed amounts in her notebook.

Tang Miao scooped up the playfully chasing Zai Zai and told Zhang Xinrou, “That’s about it. Raising chicks is relatively simple. You watch over them while I and Zai Zai check out the unused part of the farm. Maybe we’ll find other springs.”

“Howl.” Let’s go.

Jiang Nanxing had come along unnoticed, following Tang Miao.

Tang Miao declined and told him to follow Zhang Xinrou instead.

Watching Tang Miao and Zai Zai walk away, Jiang Nanxing stood frozen.

Zhang Xinrou snorted. “What can you do? Your mom’s just favoring your sister.”

She glanced at Jiang Nanxing, but his expression was blank, showing no reaction.

Indeed, zombies were zombies—devoid of human emotion. In that case, having them work overtime all night shouldn’t be a problem, right?

“Howl.” Not mom.

Is it because he never learned to speak that Tang Miao looked down on him?

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Come with me; there’s something I need you to tell them.”

Jiang Nanxing obediently followed Zhang Xinrou, and after a few steps, he pointed toward a supermarket outside the farm.

Zhang Xinrou instinctively clenched her fist and cautiously asked, “What’s going on there?”