Chapter 216: Filtering Worm Eggs with Traditional Methods

The only way to solve the worm egg problem at its root was through a filtration system, but the problem was that all systems had been submerged.

Before the apocalypse, this would have been an easy fix. A batch of ultra-filtration systems could have been quickly manufactured, like the ones used in the U.S. where every household had drinkable water, pre-filtered in factories. But now, producing these devices was nearly impossible, especially with the difficulty of sourcing the necessary raw materials. Filters and filter membranes weren't produced together, and the equipment required hundreds, if not thousands, of different components.

So, the only option was to recover existing systems.

But the problem was that there simply weren’t enough filtration devices to go around. With so many people and too few systems, most would have to make do without. For now, drinking water with worm eggs wasn't causing too much harm, but soon, as the eggs evolved and multiplied, drinking the contaminated water would lead to daily stomach cramps, dehydration, and diarrhea.

In the future, the ground wouldn’t be littered with solid waste but covered in liquid... The news even reported that bacteria in the water were reacting with people's digestive systems, much like food poisoning, leading to a mass outbreak of gastrointestinal issues.

At that point, ultra-filtration systems or clean water would become invaluable. Those with access would live in comfort, while everyone else would suffer.

Eventually, some clever people started experimenting and managed to filter out a portion of the worm eggs.

“Mom, if filtration systems can remove worm eggs, then traditional methods used by our ancestors should work too,” Jing Shu said slowly.

“What method? Our household filters can’t handle the amount of water we need to irrigate the crops,” her mother replied skeptically.

“I’m not talking about modern filters. People have tried wilderness survival methods to filter water, but they haven’t been very effective. According to researchers, worm eggs are microscopic bacteria. Can we really filter out something so small?”

Finding a way to kill the worm eggs had become the hottest topic of the day. Zhu Chuangshi, the one who found the initial solution, was now a celebrity, constantly interviewed by TV stations and invited to help remove the eggs. However, his method wasn’t a permanent solution and was difficult to implement on a large scale.

People had tried ultraviolet light, chemical disinfection, and other methods, which only removed a portion of the eggs. The remaining eggs were still affecting crop growth.

“Come with me to the back hill to collect some materials. Tomorrow, I’ll show you at work,” Jing Shu said, a bit mysteriously.

Her mother was skeptical. How could ancient methods, with all the advancements in modern technology, be useful? They certainly wouldn’t meet today’s drinking water standards.

But they didn’t need to meet those standards. They just needed to be good enough to grow crops, right?

Jing Shu spent the entire afternoon rummaging through the back hill with her mother, collecting various minerals, stones, and even yellow clay.

After filling a whole cart, Jing Shu’s mother woke her up at 4 AM the next morning, eager to try the method at work.

First, Jing Shu attached a series of cloth-wrapped soil filters to the faucet in decreasing sizes. The water passed through the layers of soil, with each layer trapping more worm eggs. These filters would need to be changed daily.

Next, Jing Shu spent the entire day constructing a large pool.

After the first filtration step, the water flowed into a "凹"-shaped pool. The first compartment contained large stones, gravel, sand, and clay. After the water settled here, it flowed into a second compartment made of bricks, filled with charcoal and fine sand.

Jing Shu’s mother hesitated. They had tried similar methods before, but they hadn’t worked well.

However, by the third compartment, most of the worm eggs were already filtered out. The water then flowed into a fourth compartment, where any remaining eggs would be trapped as they grew larger over the next few days.

While the world’s smallest known bacteria were larger than 0.1 micrometers, the worm eggs would grow quickly within a couple of days. If they couldn’t be filtered out right away, they could at least be removed after growing a bit bigger.

The trick was to introduce older worms into the third and fourth compartments to clean up the larger eggs.

“The only downside is that the filtration process is slow. It’ll probably take a day to filter one pool of water, but that should be enough for your crops, right?”

“Yes, yes, it’s more than enough. My daughter may not have been great at school, but she’s good at everything else!” her mother praised.

With the system in place, Jing Shu's mother was able to maintain a steady supply of clean water for the crops. They began planting a new batch of vegetables, and Jing Shu had a feeling that her mother would soon become a model farmer for the city.

While the other districts were struggling to grow simple mushrooms, her mother’s district stood out by using this “ancient” filtration method to successfully grow crops. Even though the process was slow, it was still a significant achievement.

In the meantime, food for the general public had also improved somewhat.

Although the government couldn’t grow many crops, they still managed to cultivate a batch of mushrooms, albeit covered in worm eggs.

The mushrooms looked terrifying.

Each one was covered in layers of white worm eggs, like little blackheads embedded in the flesh. When cooked by the cafeteria staff, the texture was springy, and biting into them felt like popping tiny, exploding eggs—just like eating fish roe.

Mushroom soup with worm eggs was 0.2 virtual coins per serving. Add some noodles, and it was 0.5 virtual coins.

If you voted for Zhao Shupi to be the next distribution manager through the big data system, you’d get a free serving of noodles.

Suddenly, Zhao Shupi’s popularity in the Banana District soared. Long lines formed at the noodle window as people queued up to cast their vote in exchange for a meal.

That day, Wang Qiqi came to Jing Shu with 500 virtual coins he had borrowed from others. “How can I maximize the impact of these 500 coins?”

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––– Side Note –––

There will be a third update today, but it’ll likely be late at night. I have to finish writing before I can sleep…