Chapter 109
In the early morning, just as the temperature was beginning to warm, the day entered one of its most comfortable stretches.
Tie Jin and A’Lian were already on the road.
“So, this is the Desolate City?”
Emerging from the winding paths, they arrived at a sprawling wasteland, and A’Lian could sense that the atmosphere here felt markedly different from what they’d passed through so far.
It was also unlike her childhood home on Jufeng Mountain.
But her thoughts were entirely focused on her daughter, so she barely took notice of her surroundings, saying only a few words before urging Tie Jin onward.
“We should keep moving; we’re probably not far from where you live, right?”
Tie Jin looked at her exhausted face. Malnourished and as thin as a bundle of bones to begin with, she now looked even more hollowed out from their days of travel.
He had been consciously slowing their pace to accommodate her.
Although he, too, was eager to get home, he worried that going too fast would be the end of A’Lian in her current state.
Despite fainting twice along the way, each time he revived her, she would insist on pushing forward.
Aside from the roughest stretches, she had refused his help, stubbornly forcing herself onward.
To be honest, Tie Jin’s impression of her had improved considerably, and he felt a lot more confident about them potentially living together.
He could take care of another person for his daughter’s sake, but he wouldn’t tolerate someone who lacked character or wouldn’t get along with him.
Of course, he also wanted to avoid any discord with his daughter over the issue, so this current arrangement was the best outcome.
“Let’s take a break—I’m hungry.”
Tie Jin sat on a rock by the roadside, pulled out two pieces of jerky, tossed one to her, and began gnawing on his own.
A’Lian glanced at him with a mixture of urgency and helplessness.
She simply picked up the jerky he had tossed her way, sat down a bit further from him, and struggled to tear off pieces to eat.
This was precious meat, and she was grateful he was willing to share it with her, but…
It was so tough for her to chew that she felt she’d break her teeth with each bite.
Tie Jin watched her and suddenly remarked, “You’re a lot like Lili.”
“…”
A’Lian glanced at his massive frame, which looked like a small mountain to her, and quietly replied, “Lili is my daughter.”
So, if anyone resembled anyone, it would be Lili who looked like her.
Realizing something, she then asked, “So you’ve been giving Lili meat?”
The timid woman seemed to switch to battle mode when it came to matters involving her daughter.
Facing her intense gaze, Tie Jin chewed on his jerky, somewhat sheepishly looking away.
“Uh… well…”
He stammered, “She didn’t actually eat it…”
She didn’t even have teeth yet—how could she possibly chew meat? The image of Tie Jin trying to feed her daughter jerky and nearly choking her flashed through A’Lian’s mind.
Seeing the anger in her eyes, Tie Jin quickly explained, “I eventually found something she could eat—the same egg custard you had at the outpost.”
“If you can’t get used to jerky, you can have custard and potatoes when we get back. They’re soft and fluffy—Lili likes them too.”
A’Lian’s face softened.
Thinking about the time Tie Jin had been away from the Desolate City, she couldn’t help but worry about how her daughter had been doing. “Are you sure those two boys took good care of Lili?”
“Don’t worry,” Tie Jin replied. “They’re the ones who taught me how to make custard and mashed potatoes.”
Tie Jin’s face brightened at the mention of Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi. “They’re from the fortress—they know a lot. Don’t let their age fool you.”
A’Lian nodded and fell silent.
After Tie Jin finished his jerky, he got up, ready to continue, only to see A’Lian, who had been leaning against a broken wall, faint again.
Checking her breathing, he found that she was simply exhausted and let out a sigh of relief.
He picked up her half-eaten piece of jerky, popped it into his mouth, and then hoisted A’Lian onto his back.
A’Lian was only dozing and woke up the moment he lifted her.
She struggled to get down, but Tie Jin said, “In your current state, if you walk, we’ll be delayed at least twice as long.”
Reluctantly, A’Lian settled down.
The steady rocking motion soon lulled her back into a half-asleep state, her body too weak to stay alert.
She didn’t know how long she’d been drifting in and out until she heard the sound of a child crying…
*
“Waaah—”
“Daddy… Daddy…”
As Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi brought Jin Lili to Tie Jin’s doorstep, the little girl, who had been in good spirits, suddenly burst into heartbroken tears.
Caught off guard, Tang Yu’an quickly opened his map and confirmed that Tie Jin and A’Lian were indeed nearby.
He hugged the little girl tightly, trying to console her. “Lili, don’t cry! Your daddy will be here soon—that’s why we brought you here.”
Jin Lili clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, as if afraid of being abandoned again.
Her sobs gradually softened to pitiful sniffles.
“Brother… Brother…”
Tang Yu’an froze, his eyes turning misty.
He thought of his own little sister and how much he missed his parents…
Blinking rapidly, he tried to hold back his own tears. But before he could lose control, a deep, powerful voice sounded behind them.
“Lili.”
Jin Lili stopped and looked back with a jolt.
Seeing the man who had somehow appeared behind them, a surge of emotions overwhelmed her, and the tears she had been holding back poured out once more.
“Daddy…”
Jin Lili reached out her tiny hands toward Tie Jin. In the next moment, he strode forward and scooped her up in his arms.
She clung to him tightly, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did someone bully you?” Tie Jin comforted his daughter, then glanced over at Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.
Tang Yu’an, having regained his composure, quickly waved his hands in denial. “Uncle Tie Jin, you misunderstood! Lili just missed you a lot. You left without saying goodbye, and she thought you’d abandoned her.”
Tie Jin was momentarily taken aback, patting the little girl’s back with some awkwardness as he said clumsily, “Ah… Daddy just went away for a few days. I didn’t leave you.”
Then, as if he’d remembered something, he turned her around in his arms. “Look, Lili—who’s that?”
Upon hearing Jin Lili’s cries, A’Lian had struggled to get to her feet. But her body was so weak that she soon fell behind, and only now did she catch up to them.
Seeing her daughter clinging to Tie Jin, A’Lian instinctively stopped in place, staring at them with a mix of emotions.
At that moment, her daughter noticed her, guided by Tie Jin’s gentle direction.
The little girl stared at her, wide-eyed.
A’Lian took in the sight of her daughter, barely daring to recognize her.
She was wearing a cute braid and dressed in clean, well-fitted clothes. Her skin was healthier, and her cheeks were plumper than A’Lian remembered.
She looked not only healthier than A’Lian’s memory but also stronger than the “photo” Tie Jin had shown her.
Could this really be her daughter, this well-cared-for little girl in Tie Jin’s arms?
Should she even have come here?
Her arrival… would it only be a burden on her daughter?
Doubts filled A’Lian’s heart. Her gaze was filled with love and longing as she looked at Jin Lili, yet her feet seemed rooted to the ground, and a part of her wanted to flee.
Until…
“Mama.”
The little girl, who had been staring blankly, suddenly pouted. Like she had done countless times before, she reached out, asking to be held.
“Mama…”
As Jin Lili called out softly, large tears rolled down her cheeks. Unable to hold back any longer, A’Lian rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter.
Holding her again, all her longing, fear, and joy burst forth in that single moment.
“My child…”
A’Lian hugged Jin Lili tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.
Tie Jin, standing nearby, kept a hand on Lili, worried that A’Lian might not be able to hold her and would drop her. Seeing Lili so happy with her mother eased his mind.
He had brought A’Lian here so she could be there for their daughter. Their deep bond would ensure Lili would be well cared for, and he needn’t worry anymore.
Tang Yu’an watched the reunion, letting out a relieved breath.
Finally, Lili would have both her parents with her…
At that moment, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Blinking in surprise, Tang Yu’an turned to see Zhou Qi beside him.
Zhou Qi didn’t say a word. He simply looked at him gently, placing a hand on Tang Yu’an’s head and giving it a light pat.
Tang Yu’an’s lips quivered.
He quickly fought back his tears, sniffing and saying, “I’m fine.”
He was older now—a young man. He couldn’t let himself cry over every little thing.
Zhou Qi gave a quiet “Mmm,” but the arm around his shoulder pulled him closer, allowing him to lean on him.
Tang Yu’an didn’t resist.
The two of them stayed there in comfortable silence until A’Lian, overwhelmed by her emotions, fainted again.
They quickly helped move her inside, settling her into a room on the second floor.
“Her health is really bad,” Tie Jin muttered, shaking his head.
But seeing how Jin Lili clung closely to A’Lian, he swallowed any further words.
Tang Yu’an noticed, too, that A’Lian seemed even thinner than when they had seen her in Jufeng Town, as if she might stop breathing at any moment.
“She’s likely starving. A little rest and nourishment should help her recover.”
As he spoke, Zhou Qi placed the basket of potatoes he’d carried down from his back. “Uncle Tie, these are from Granny Guo. She decided to trade her iron pot for them.”
Tie Jin’s face lit up as he looked at the various-sized potatoes in the basket.
“That’s fantastic!”
He chuckled. “These will be more than enough for Lili and A’Lian.”
Zhou Qi nodded and then gave him some tips on preparing potatoes, like not eating sprouted ones and pairing them with eggs and wild greens.
Once Tie Jin had taken note of it all, Zhou Qi brought up their new proposal.
For producing salt notes, they would need a large supply of mutated metals to mint additional denominations of salt currency. Tie Jin’s production alone wouldn’t be enough, so they would need to source metals from him.
Now that he had both Lili and A’Lian to support, and with them holding a stockpile of the food he needed, their cooperation would be mutually beneficial.
“However much mutated metal you can provide, we’ll take it,” Zhou Qi said. “We can trade for salt, rice, sugar, or beans—all things that Lili and A’Lian can enjoy.”
Tie Jin looked at them with a puzzled expression. “You don’t need any specific shape, just lumps of metal?”
“Yes,” Zhou Qi nodded.
Tie Jin couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “What do you need so much mutated metal for?”
Zhou Qi just smiled, offering no further explanation.
Since Zhou Qi didn’t elaborate, Tie Jin didn’t press the issue and simply nodded. “Alright, sounds good to me.”
Afterward, Tang Yu’an brought up the opening of the Desolate City Grocery Store.
“If you have the time, you could take Lili over to visit. Grandpa Li is staying there now,” he said, before adding, “Granny Guo mentioned that there’s a big flood coming. It would be wise to prepare in advance.”
“A flood?” Tie Jin’s eyes widened, and he nodded repeatedly. “Alright, I’ll make sure we’re ready.”
“Our building has nine floors and plenty of rooms. When the flood comes, you can bring Lili and A’Lian over to shelter with us if needed,” Tang Yu’an continued. “It’ll be safer if everyone is together, and we can look out for each other.”
The building Tie Jin was staying in was a bit too low. If the water rose as high as the second floor, they’d only have space on the fourth or fifth floors to move around. This might have been fine when it was just Tie Jin, but now that he had Lili and A’Lian with him, it felt a bit cramped and risky.
The Grocery Store would be a temporary refuge; if they didn’t feel comfortable there, they could always return after the flood.
Hearing Tang Yu’an’s offer, Tie Jin froze.
He had left the settlement to escape the constant scheming and backstabbing. In the wasteland, it was rare to find someone who truly cared. You always had to be wary of anyone who got too close—it was exhausting.
That’s why Tang Yu’an’s invitation felt so valuable and touching.
“Alright, I’ll find time to come by and check it out,” Tie Jin agreed.
He wasn’t thrilled about living with others, but survival was paramount with a flood on the way, especially now that he wasn’t alone.
If their building was indeed nine stories high, it would certainly offer more security.
“We’re planning to visit Jufeng Town today. If you need anything while we’re gone, feel free to stop by the store and ask for Grandpa Li,” Zhou Qi added. “He’s staying with us, so you can go directly to him.”
“Got it, got it! You two should head off before it gets too late.”
Tang Yu’an said goodbye to Lili, promising to visit her again soon. Then, he and Zhou Qi set off.
As he walked them to the door, Tie Jin kept thanking them until they were finally out of sight, allowing Tang Yu’an to breathe a sigh of relief.
Honestly, if he could, he would have liked to keep Lili with him a bit longer.
She was such a well-behaved, cooperative child.
Just this morning, she’d helped him rack up over a thousand points by playing “trading games.”
But it seemed Tie Jin was eager to move into Store #1 as well, so they’d all be back together soon!
[Employee “Li Changqing” completed a profitable trade with a customer. Points +4, Experience +1]
Li Changqing—Grandpa Li’s real name.
The system recorded his formal name, not the nickname “Old Li.”
So early, and Grandpa Li’s already made a sale!
[Employee “Li Changqing” completed a profitable trade with a customer. Points +127, Experience +1]
Tang Yu’an: 0.0
Wow! That’s a lot of points!
Even though he and Zhou Qi had earned much more before, this was Grandpa Li’s first official day!
How did he pull it off?
*
At Peace Grocery Store #1.
When Jin Guang returned to the Desolate City Grocery Store, his first thought was that he must have the wrong place.
This three-meter-high wall… he was pretty sure it hadn’t been here yesterday!
However, the high-rise building behind it confirmed he hadn’t made a mistake. It was rare to find such an intact structure in the Desolate City.
How did this wall appear overnight? Could those young men be powerful earth-element abilities users?
Knowing that “there were fierce dogs inside,” Jin Guang didn’t dare to climb the wall. Instead, he walked along it until he reached the store entrance.
The entrance was noticeably smaller, and the boys were nowhere to be seen. Instead, an older, thin man greeted him.
“Aren’t you… that Old Li?”
Jin Guang had heard of Old Li, known for his skills as a hunter, so he didn’t dare show any disrespect.
Anyone who could survive out here was either ruthless or formidable.
Although he and Old Li weren’t well-acquainted, Jin Guang kept his tone respectful, with a polite smile that masked a hint of caution.
Old Li greeted him calmly.
Despite it being his first day on the job, Old Li showed no nervousness or hesitation, coming across as neither overly warm nor distant.
He understood that he was still in the wasteland.
Showing too much friendliness could invite trouble. Besides, he was selling salt—there was no shortage of buyers.
His reserved demeanor only made Jin Guang more cautious.
Old Li completed his first transaction of the day by exchanging five black-gold salt notes for half a scoop of coarse sea salt.
When he saw the salt notes could actually be traded for salt, Jin Guang was delighted.
He glanced at the remaining salt in Old Li’s glass jar and rubbed his hands together. “Could I get a bit more? I heard wild vegetables can be traded too? One scoop per vegetable?”
He set his pack down and displayed the wild greens he had brought.
“Do these work?”
Old Li inspected the greens and frowned. “They’re wilted; you must have picked them a while ago.”
Jin Guang scratched his head and offered a fawning smile.
Unlike Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, who only checked the quantity of goods, Old Li inspected each wild vegetable carefully. In the end, he picked out two that were riddled with insect holes.
“Two and a half scoops,” he said. “I can’t give you more than that.”
In total, Jin Guang had brought 13 wild vegetables, which should have netted him just over four scoops. Old Li’s inspection had cut his earnings by almost half.
Jin Guang’s face twitched, but after a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
The vegetables weren’t his own harvest; he’d bartered for them using salt, paying two scoops in total.
Though Old Li’s price was lower than expected, Jin Guang calculated that he’d still break even and even make a small profit of half a scoop, so he decided the deal was worth it.
Besides the wild vegetables, he had also traded for a thin blanket, even though it had a few holes. At night, however, it provided much-needed warmth, and Jin Guang felt he’d stumbled upon a lucrative opportunity.
As long as he could keep trading with the Desolate City Grocery Store for salt, he could use that salt to barter for other items, then return and profit from the exchange. This seemed like the beginning of a fortune.
Old Li collected all 13 wild vegetables and handed him the agreed two and a half scoops of salt.
Jin Guang beamed, but as soon as he accepted the salt, he looked at Old Li expectantly, until Old Li handed him a black-gold salt note. Jin Guang’s grin widened.
After all, a salt note was as good as salt itself—although one note wouldn’t get him much.
“By the way, how do I exchange these salt notes?” he asked.
“One vegetable for twenty notes,” Old Li replied.
Jin Guang choked, his anger bubbling up. “Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
Twenty notes could get him two scoops of coarse sea salt! That whole basket of vegetables could’ve fetched so much more. Jin Guang felt sick with regret.
Old Li’s face hardened. “What are you planning to do?”
The battle-hardened glint in his eyes seemed to carry a bloody aura, and Jin Guang felt as if a wave of killing intent was washing over him. Instantly cowed, he stammered, “I… I was just wondering… maybe I could, uh, exchange…”
Old Li’s steely gaze softened, and he said coolly, “Once an item is sold, the store does not accept returns or exchanges.”
Jin Guang opened his mouth but didn’t dare argue.
At least he was still making a small profit with the two and a half scoops.
Consoling himself, he then asked, “So, can I come back later to trade again?”
“You have one more opportunity,” Old Li replied directly.
“One more opportunity?”
“The store’s second rule is that each customer can only make three transactions per day,” Old Li said evenly. “You’ve already used up both chances.”
Since the system didn’t register additional transactions beyond the daily limit, he figured he might as well establish the rule from the outset.
“What kind of rule is that?” Jin Guang grumbled. Then he asked, “So if I bring more wild vegetables, you’ll trade for them?”
“Yes. As many as you have.”
Before they’d left, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had stocked him with two barrels of salt—one of coarse salt, one of coarse sea salt—each holding several hundred pounds. There was no worry of running out.
“Alright, I’ll come back later, then.”
Jin Guang shouldered his basket and hurried off.
Old Li watched his figure disappear into the ruins. After a moment of contemplation, he stepped outside, cupped his hands around his mouth, and let out a sharp bird call.
In response, a series of bird calls echoed back from within the ruins, rippling outward in succession.
Old Li stood patiently, and about half an hour later, a slender figure bounded toward him.
“Old Li, you hit it big?”
Lin Zhen planted her hands on her hips and looked up in awe at the high-rise building and the imposing wall surrounding it.
“Didn’t the boys tell you?” Old Li said calmly.
“Huh? So, this place belongs to them? That’s awesome!” She then asked, “So, why’d you call me here? To celebrate their moving in?”
Old Li pointed to the sign above the store entrance.
“They hired me to sell things here.”
Lin Zhen looked surprised, though she remembered the boys mentioning plans to open a store in the Desolate City. She just hadn’t expected them to be so lavish, or to have hired Old Li as their clerk!
“So…?” she asked, confused.
“I need you to help me bring in customers. Tell them they can trade for salt here,” Old Li replied. “For every person you bring, I’ll give you one rock candy.”
“Heh, do you think I’m some little kid?”
“Two candies?”
“Make it at least five!”
“Deal.”
