How to Raise a Baby in an Apocalypse - Chapter 363

“Looking for a suitable patch of soil.” An Ran tilts her head to glance at Zhao Ru, then crouches down, cradling Doll carefully.

Kneeling on one knee, she picks up a branch and begins digging into the ground. After a while, she carves out a small hole. She gently removes the cactus from its flowerpot and plants it in the hole. Then she looks up at Zhao Ru and says seriously, “You’ve placed your life and your aunt’s in my hands as a water-type ability user. Since you’ve chosen to stand with me, I won’t hide anything from you. From now on, if you betray me—I won’t let you live in peace.”

“Of course. I have nothing to hide either.” Zhao Ru spreads her hands, her expression calm and sincere. “I have no one else in this world except my aunt. Your daughter is your concern in this world. My aunt is mine.”

So the two of them need to be completely open with each other—because neither of them can afford betrayal.

An Ran nods and says nothing more. As the saying goes, time reveals a person’s heart. She doesn’t make a final judgment about Zhao Ru just yet—but she’ll know in time.

Then An Ran stands and points at the cactus she just planted. She says to Zhao Ru, “Water it.”

“Water a cactus?” Zhao Ru raises her brows, skeptical, but still pours some water over the cactus anyway.

She widens her eyes as she watches the cactus grow rapidly right in front of her.

“What’s your wood-type ability level? You can make plants grow this fast?”

“How are ability levels defined?” An Ran looks completely lost as she turns her head to glance at Zhao Ru. Seeing Zhao Ru equally confused, it’s clear she doesn’t know how the ranking system works either. An Ran then reminds her again, “It needs more water.”

A cactus doesn’t need much water, but it still needs some to survive. An Ran wants to turn the cactus into a barrier. For that, sunlight, soil, and water are her allies. Although these cacti won’t grow as well or as fast as those nourished by flesh and blood, under the blessing of her ability and nature’s elements, they can still become a form of supernatural defense.

Zhao Ru keeps watering as instructed. In what seems like the blink of an eye, an entire swath of cacti sprouts along the national highway.

She can’t help but exclaim, “I thought wood-type abilities could only produce food. I didn’t expect them to grow cacti too. Sister, are you planning to sell them?”

An Ran hasn’t produced rice or vegetables—she’s grown a whole field of cacti instead.

Not bad. Not bad. Maybe they can open a cactus specialty shop in the future.

Behind them, Liang Ziyu overhears her and can’t help but be stunned by the sight of the cactus forest. Still, he thinks they’re pretty useless… until something happens.

A mutant mouse, scouting ahead, darts out from the corner of the highway. It squeaks twice and tries to charge through—but is instantly impaled on a cactus thorn. It doesn’t even get a second jump before the blood in its flesh is drained dry.

Liang Ziyu watches with his own eyes as the mouse—nearly the size of a cat—deflates like a balloon. In mere moments, all that remains is a shriveled layer of skin.

“Th-this…” Liang Ziyu stares in shock, mouth hanging open, pointing at the scrap of mouse hide tangled in the cactus thorns.

No one else around seems to have noticed what just happened. The other ability users under his command are all busy with their own tasks.