Chapter 25: Diarrhea and the Opportunity to Reside
Su Ning ate the braised rabbit meat with great satisfaction, the rich aroma of the meat filling her mouth, making it irresistibly mouthwatering.
On the side, she had also made a simple steamed egg dish using the meaty chicken egg. Although the preparation was simple, the taste was refreshing and delicious, leaving a lasting impression.
Through this experiment, Su Ning realized that the so-called “meaty chicken egg” wasn’t as useless as the Moke people claimed—it was just an ordinary egg in taste.
At this moment, Su Ning couldn’t help but wonder, “If even this is disliked, just how delicious must the meaty chicken itself be?”
Thinking of this, she couldn’t resist the urge to take out another meaty chicken and cook a gourmet dish.
However, since she had very few vegetables at home and lacked side ingredients, Su Ning eventually gave up on the idea.
Still, she quietly resolved that once her planted vegetables matured, she would put her culinary skills to full use and make all kinds of delicious meals.
Meanwhile, next door, Zhang Li was also enjoying the stir-fried insect mushrooms she had personally picked.
Looking at the dish in front of her, Zhang Li felt incredibly satisfied and happy.
On the side, Duan Meixia looked a little sulky.
Zhang Li noticed and comforted her, “Mom, don’t be mad! I think Su Ning was just jealous of us. That’s why she said our mushrooms were poisonous—she just wanted to eat them. I was even going to give her one to try! But now that I think about it, that would’ve been way too generous.”
Hearing her daughter’s words, Duan Meixia felt slightly better, though she still looked displeased.
Just then, Zhang Li’s father came over. He was an honest man and had always had a good impression of Su Ning.
In his eyes, Su Ning was an honest and kind child who never lied.
So when he heard Su Ning say those mushrooms were poisonous, he began to doubt his own judgment.
“Could the mushrooms really be problematic, and we just didn’t notice?”
Duan Meixia glared at him, “Hmph, if you don’t want to eat, then don’t eat from now on.”
Zhang’s father scowled, muttering, “I was just making a point. Why are you getting mad?”
The two were about to start arguing again. Zhang Li sighed but continued eating her bowl of insect mushrooms. Suddenly, she caught a faint, almost imperceptible whiff of meat.
“Did I smell wrong? How can there be the smell of meat at this time?”
When Zhang Li tried to confirm the scent, the aroma had already vanished.
“Ow!”
Right then, Duan Meixia suddenly let out a strange shriek amid the argument. “My stomach hurts!”
Zhang’s father panicked immediately, a helpless expression on his face. He quickly looked at his daughter, as if to explain, “This isn’t because I made her angry.”
Zhang Li: Are you seriously joking at a time like this?
He anxiously shouted, “Xiao Li, quick, check on your mom!”
Zhang Li was confused too—she didn’t know why her mother was suddenly having stomach pain. But before she could approach, a sharp pain hit her own lower abdomen. The indescribable feeling immediately made her break out in cold sweat.
She let out a few muffled groans, her face turning pale as paper.
The situation unfolding around Zhang Li left her father completely dumbfounded. He didn’t expect his daughter to also suddenly fall ill.
But before he could react further, a sharp pain struck him too, along with an overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom, as if a valve had just burst.
“Owww!” All three clutched their stomachs and rushed out the door at the same time.
Due to the extreme post-apocalyptic climate, water was scarce, so people didn’t handle their business at home. A specific facility had been built in the residential area to handle such bodily needs.
While running downstairs, Zhang Li suddenly remembered what Su Ning had said.
“Could the mushrooms really be poisonous? But why did we eat them for a whole week in the instance and nothing happened—why now?”
What Zhang Li didn’t know was that the insect mushrooms only had mild toxins that became harmless when cooked. The real danger was the microscopic insect eggs inside them.
A week was the exact incubation period—and now they had just hatched, wreaking havoc in their stomachs (causing diarrhea).
But Zhang Li’s family wasn’t the only case. Everyone who had entered the [Wilderness Jungle] instance had encountered those mushrooms growing everywhere, and many had picked and eaten quite a few.
Now, they were all experiencing diarrhea.
Inside the residential compound, administrator Liu Zhengnan was sweating profusely.
All the people with stomachaches came to him. He had just returned from the [Descent of the Evil Spirits] instance, where he hadn’t had a single good night’s sleep in seven days—he only wanted to rest now.
Yet, facing everyone’s pleas for help, he could only report the situation to higher authorities.
After Su Ning had finished eating and tidied up, there was another knock on her door.
When she opened it, she saw Zhang Xing with a group of neatly dressed soldiers.
“Su Ning, the shelter needs you. Something troublesome has come up, and we need your help to solve it.”
Su Ning didn’t refuse and immediately got in the vehicle heading to Shelter No. 6.
On the way, Zhang Xing explained their purpose to Su Ning.
“After returning from the instances, many people have developed diarrhea. We’re unsure if it’s some kind of poisoning.”
Upon hearing this, Su Ning immediately knew it was the insect mushroom issue flaring up.
“It’s not poisoning, but it’s even more troublesome. I was planning to report my findings tomorrow, but I didn’t expect the problem to explode so quickly.”
“Not poisoning?” Zhang Xing was surprised.
Su Ning explained, “Those who have stomach pain should all be from the Wilderness Jungle instance, right? In that instance, they ate a type of mushroom. While these mushrooms contain mild toxins, they’re not fatal—at most, they cause hallucinations. The real cause of stomach pain is something else found on those mushrooms.”
Zhang Xing was stunned.
He had been in the [Silent City] instance, where the monsters were extremely powerful but wouldn’t attack as long as he didn’t make a sound. He had even found a packet of food there.
So now he wondered, What exactly was on those mushrooms?
But instead of dwelling on that, Zhang Xing said, “Where you live is a bit far, and it’s hard to find you in time. If something urgent happens, we can’t contact you quickly. I think once you resolve this issue, the shelter director might arrange for you to live inside the shelter.”
Su Ning’s talent was too valuable. The base wouldn’t leave such an exceptional person unprotected on the outside.
Su Ning’s eyes lit up. If she could live in the shelter, she wouldn’t have to worry about safety anymore.
This was great news! Just thinking about it filled her with excitement and anticipation.
When she arrived at the base, Su Ning quickly met with Base Director Liu Jianjun. Of course, he wasn’t alone—there were several unidentified people around him, and the director’s expression looked grim.
When he saw Su Ning arrive, he didn’t hesitate. “Xiao Su, hurry and take a look—is this thing poisonous?”
What Liu Jianjun pulled out was, in fact, the insect mushroom!
(End of Chapter)
