Mutant Farmer in The Apocalypse

"Well, how about you, young man. I've shown you my ability. I think you should show me as well."

Yang Zhang felt that the old woman was trying to slander him by that accusation, "Grandma, I don't have any ability. I'm just a normal human."

"Oh, can we pass that pretend play already? I know for sure that you have a similar ability to mine. Probably animal and plant control? You can talk to your pets, right?" The old woman asked.

Yang Zhang looked to his pets who were clinging onto him, and he shook his head, "Grandma, I have zero ability. I'm not an ability user. I can talk to them because… they are mutants, right? They have higher intelligence than normal animals and plants."

The old woman smiled, "That is correct. They have higher intelligence, but that doesn't mean they can communicate with anyone. I talked with your pets before, and they said they like you."

"Eh?" Yang Zhang darted his eyes at his pets again, and they hugged him tightly.

"Vii…"

"Chirp! Chirp!"

"Squeak!"

"You don't need to be scared around me. Just tell me what kind of ability you have because I'm curious," the old woman pressed him further, but Yang Zhang couldn't answer that.

Because he also didn't know what kind of ability he had, nor did he think he had one.

"Grandma, I seriously don't have any ability. I think my pets like me because I take care of them, and they naturally follow me around," Yang Zhang explained. "Besides, if I'm an ability user, I wouldn't be able to eat that mutated apple twice. Because it's deadly for ability users."

"That's what I've been asking as well. Did you create a trick to fool Kobra?" The old woman asked.

Yang Zhang shook his head, "I just ate it, and nothing happened to me. Grandma, my pets, and I have a natural bond, I don't use any ability to control them, and I'm pretty sure they already told you, right?"

"I think we should drop this, Grandma. There is no point in accusing me. I won't tell anyone about your true identity as an ability user, but please stop the accusation," Yang Zhang said. He was already pissed off with this old woman. He would rather find any plant in the forest, even if it was harder to get good plants.

As long as he didn't have to face this old woman anymore.

The old woman laughed dryly, "Okay, don't be mad, young man. I'm just curious about you. But since you said that you really have no ability whatsoever, then I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the bond between you and your pets is indeed natural. I really envy you, then. Since my pet is basically a mutated plant without free will."

"Then, if there is nothing and we all good—let me just… leave now—" Yang Zhang turned around. He didn't want to spend more time with this old woman full of insidious traps.

"Wait, didn't you say that you want a seed from me?"

"No, thanks. I can find it outside," Yang Zhang refused.

"Oh, come on, young man. Why do you become so hostile? Is it because I attacked you suddenly? It's just a test. Haha, an old woman like me needs to laugh more, treat it as an exercise, okay?"

'You old wretch! Your joke almost killed me and my pets!' Yang Zhang cursed in his heart.

He walked away from the old woman, but the old woman kept on pestering him, "I have plenty of non-mutated crops and seeds. You can take one from my greenhouse, free of charge."

Yang Zhang halted his step immediately. He saw the small greenhouse the old woman had, and he wanted plenty of crops.

Of course, things like pea, watermelon, grapes, et cetera weren't available in the wild forest. So this was his only chance.

"I—I can take one, right?"

"Sure! Let's return to the greenhouse. Don't worry, I have no more trick against you this time," the old woman said.

Yang Zhang hesitated for a second, but once he looked at his pets, who were ready to protect him, he finally braced himself and followed the old woman to the greenhouse for the second time.

This time, the old woman quietly opened the greenhouse and led the way for Yang Zhang.

Yang Zhang entered the greenhouse, and the fresh scent of various plants wafted in his nose. He inhaled deeply, and his tongue somehow could taste all kinds of normal fruits and vegetables before the apocalypse started.

He missed the taste, of course. Because all that he ate was mutated plants and animals, and they all had the same bitter aftertaste, no matter how much he tried to season it.

The old woman checked her crops, plucked a grape from the vines, and threw it to Yang Zhang, "Here's a green grape, try it. You must've missed the taste."

Yang Zhang caught it. It was just a single piece of grape, something ubiquitous in the supermarket before. But now, it was almost nonexistent unless you were allowed to eat something from the government-owned greenhouse farm inside a shelter.

Yang Zhang opened his mouth and ate it without hesitation. He winced when the sour taste of the grape melted in his mouth. A taste that he missed so much.

The old woman smiled, "It's been a while since your last normal food, hm?"

"Y—Yeah, I've never tasted anything non-mutated after I joined the shelter," Yang Zhang replied.

The old woman chuckled, "Well, I'd love to give you all the crops here. But this is my only way to survive. I cannot eat any mutated crops. If any of the crops is mutated during the budding process, I isolated it from the rest and turn it into my pet with my blood, or just burn it."

"So, I can only give you one type of seed.. Pick one, and the seed will be yours," the old woman said, allowing Yang Zhang to take a good look at the various crops inside the greenhouse.