Drying rice is an essential step in the process of collecting grain.

The purpose of drying rice is twofold:

First, to remove moisture from the rice, slowing its respiration rate and thereby reducing the loss of its nutrients.

Second, to prevent the rice from undergoing anaerobic respiration, which produces alcohol and leads to mold and infestation.

Due to the heavy rain over the past three days, the rice stored indoors showed varying degrees of moisture, making drying an imperative task.

Everyone waited until the accumulated water on the ground evaporated completely under the scorching sun before working together to move the rice, which was gathered inside the fabric, outdoors.

Considering heavy rain could come at any moment, the survivors decided not to pour the rice directly onto the ground as usual, but instead laid it on fabric spread on the ground.

Though this might somewhat affect the rice's exposure to heat, as mentioned earlier, if a storm did come, they could immediately retrieve the rice back to the factory, thus maximizing the prevention of secondary moisture exposure.

The midday sun was undeniably scorching, making the survivors feel as if their skin were pricked by tiny needles.

Yet no one complained; instead, everyone approached the task with great enthusiasm.

This might be what is known as "motivation," because they were yearning desperately to have a meal of white, fluffy rice.

Without a rake, the survivors used their hands as a substitute, employing the most primitive method to spread and flatten the pile of rice on the fabric, so every grain could be evenly exposed to the sun's rays.

However, this primitive method was quite labor-intensive, such that when all the rice was spread flat and even, there wasn't a dry spot to be found on the survivors, whose sweat flowed like floodwaters rushing out.

Without a doubt, rice drying was something most of the young people among the survivors were experiencing for the first time.

In their bewilderment, they gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the ancient poem line: "Who knows that each grain on the dining plate comes from hard labor."

In the following days, the drying work continued, and shelling began manually in parallel.

By the evening of the second day after the drying process commenced, the survivors in the factory finally partook in the fruits of their labor, won at the cost of "blood.".

Since that night, the atmosphere of the factory skyrocketed with drastic changes.

Women, who once appeared listless and defeated, began to show rare smiles, and their sallow cheeks gained some color from the nourishment of the rice.

Patients gradually emerged from isolation rooms, their enhanced resistance thanks to a sufficient food supply.

Everything within the factory was moving positively and constructively, and this was the first time "Zhongkun Textile" embodied the characteristic of a reliable "shelter."

However, Tang Xiaoquan was not blinded by the promising prospects before him.

Indeed, he acknowledged the factory's current good momentum, but as the saying goes, if one has no foresight, they will have immediate concerns.

If long-term living here were desired, the factory's current setup would obviously fall far short of the requirements.

Not to mention anything else, take the daily necessity of food and water. While short-term supplies were ample, what about the future? What about a month later? These issues would have to be brought back to the table for discussion and solutions.

So rather than wasting precious time on aimless activities like playing cards and boasting, it would be better to take advantage of the current abundance of supplies and think carefully about the factory's next steps.

With this in mind, Tang Xiaoquan promptly gathered everyone in the manager's office, and the topic this time was: How to achieve self-sufficient sustainable development within the factory.

Once everyone was seated, Tang Xiaoquan didn't waste words and cut straight to the point: "The reason for gathering everyone today is nothing other than to discuss the future development of the factory. If anyone has good suggestions or opinions, please bring them up. Especially regarding food and drink, I believe everyone is aware; after our recent efforts, the factory's water and rice supplies, under rationed distribution, can last until the beginning of next month. This is not a short time, but supplies will eventually run out, so I hope we can brainstorm now to avoid running blind when the time comes."

There was a moment of silence. Clearly, nearly a week of well-fed and watered comfort had led those present to gradually forget the harshness of the apocalypse.

Only after hearing Tang Xiaoquan's opening words did they react, sitting there blankly as if turned to wooden figures.

Yet, it was only for an instant before the past hardships flooded back into their minds like beasts, reminding them they still lived amid the apocalyptic catastrophe!

As their attitudes adjusted, the cautionary thought "those born in adversity survive, those who live in comfort die," immediately drove everyone to ponder Tang Xiaoquan's question.

Soon, the older Zhao Yunhai was the first to offer his opinion: "Let me talk about the issue of food. We're in rural areas, what we lack least is land, so I think we should use this advantage, plant some seasonal fruits and vegetables in the fields, so regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, we can achieve self-sufficiency with the land outside."

Nodding affirmatively, Tang Xiaoquan very much agreed with Zhao Yunhai's suggestion.

In fact, at the beginning of the meeting, Tang Xiaoquan had considered this thoroughly, so while endorsing Zhao's point, he also supplemented: "Uncle Zhao's suggestion is very constructive. However, considering safety issues, I personally suggest that we shouldn't only plant in the fields but also plan some areas in the factory's open space, then fence them off as gardens, so even if the factory were besieged by zombies in the future, we wouldn't be caught off guard."

"Hmm, that's a good plan! I've lived here for most of my life and relied on the family's small plot of land to sustain myself. So as long as we use the land well, food won't be a problem," Wang Daguo said somewhat excitedly.

Just as he finished speaking, Aunt Zhao, surprisingly, also spoke up: "Yes, if we farm ourselves, those piles of excrement in the back dirt heap will have a use. I won't have to keep burying them. I can turn them into fertilizer, save wasting them there."

With the unique frankness of village folk, Aunt Zhao candidly expressed her thoughts—though a bit distasteful, they were indeed practical.

With this, the first resolution passed without controversy, and with Zhao Yunhai setting a good example, the discussion gradually entered a fevered pitch...

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