Chapter 139
In the attic, Tang Yu’an was engrossed in studying the map.
After the boy’s dreamscape glow faded, his marker appeared on the map, clearing away the surrounding fog. Soon, more green markers began to pop up nearby.
The boy seemed to be a homeless wanderer. After waking up, he had quickly moved from his location.
So, did he manage to drink the water?
Having learned from the lesson with Old Xie during their first trade, Tang Yu’an hadn’t used a container this time, opting to directly send the water instead. Judging from the boy’s startled cry before waking, it seemed the water had poured over him and woken him up.
Although this trade didn’t yield any profit, Tang Yu’an didn’t mind. After all, the water he sent was from the insulated bottle’s auto-refill function, costing him no points.
If he’d used points to exchange for the grocery store’s water, he might have been heartbroken.
“This place is so far away,” Tang Yu’an remarked.
A month was just a rough estimate. They’d likely need to take detours and face dangers along the way. Realistically, the journey would probably take at least two months.
“We should focus on developing the area around Desolate City first,” Zhou Qi suggested.
Progress had to be steady. In the wasteland, where transportation was difficult, every trip was a significant investment of time. They needed to ensure that both Desolate City and Jufeng Town’s stores were running smoothly before venturing further.
“True. With the flood trapping us here, leaving isn’t easy anyway.”
Tang Yu’an added a note to the boy’s marker on the map, tossed his bottle back into the dream sea, and opened the lucky draw interface.
“I’m going to draw now!” he announced.
“Go ahead.”
Zhou Qi nodded calmly. By now, no matter what Tang Yu’an drew, Zhou Qi could maintain a composed demeanor.
The wheel spun and stopped.
[Congratulations! You have won a low-tier tech-side item: Antibiotics. Check the wholesale store for details.]
“Wow!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed. “Brother Qi, we just unlocked medicine!”
Antibiotics?
Tang Yu’an had read about them in the encyclopedia and knew they were powerful medications.
Opening the store panel, he shared the newly unlocked item with Zhou Qi and began examining it closely.
Antibiotics, like textiles, were a broad category. Clicking into it revealed various types of antibiotics.
They were divided into four subcategories: Macrolides, Cephalosporins, Tetracyclines, and Penicillins.
Clicking on any of these subcategories brought up specific medicines such as erythromycin ointment and amoxicillin capsules. Each item was listed with its price, the diseases it treated, and its effects.
Tang Yu’an stared at the long list of medicine names, feeling overwhelmed.
“This is so complicated!” He scratched his head.
Moreover, the medicines were prohibitively expensive, with no item priced below 50 points.
“Well, they’re lifesavers in critical moments,” Zhou Qi said, his eyes gleaming with approval. “Antibiotics are primarily used to treat bacterial infections. They’re very valuable.”
Of course, since they weren’t doctors, they couldn’t use these medicines recklessly.
“Right!” Tang Yu’an nodded. “It’s better to have them than not. I remember erythromycin ointment is pretty handy. Let’s give Grandpa Li a tube tomorrow.”
Zhou Qi thought for a moment. “Why not prepare a full medicine box?”
This way, if anyone at Store No. 1 fell ill, they could go to Room 501 for treatment. With the floodwaters raging, illnesses were bound to occur.
“Good idea!”
Tang Yu’an found a plastic box and began filling it with medicines Zhou Qi recognized, such as erythromycin, penicillin, cephalosporins, and amoxicillin. The total cost was 500 points.
Each medicine was labeled with its primary use and effects. Additionally, he included hemostatic powder, cotton swabs, and clean cotton. While the store hadn’t unlocked bandages, they could cut cotton or hemp cloth into strips as substitutes.
Once the medicine box was ready, Tang Yu’an stored it in his portable warehouse before climbing into bed.
“Brother Qi, do you think Sister Hong Li would be interested in these medicines?” he asked.
“She probably would.”
Tang Yu’an grinned, feeling like he’d found a new way to earn points from Hong Li.
“Things are going to keep getting better!” he declared.
“Mm.”
*
The next morning, Tang Yu’an delivered the medicine box to Room 501, handing it to Old Li.
Initially, he intended to explain the use of each medicine in detail but was surprised to find that Old Li was already familiar with them.
“These medicines are treasures!” Old Li said, stroking the vials and tubes with a nostalgic look.
In the early days of the Great Apocalypse, production hadn’t fully ceased, and the existing stockpile of medicines had been sufficient. For the first few years, they could still scavenge for antibiotics in the wasteland.
Back then, these medicines had already been exorbitantly expensive.
Old Li recalled fighting tooth and nail with others over a single pill.
As the apocalypse continued, world order collapsed. Factories stopped production, and the remaining stock was gradually depleted.
Decades later, only the fortresses could produce such items, and even then, they were rarely released and circulated very slowly.
Since settling in the Desolate City area, Old Li had only seen antibiotics once or twice in Jufeng Town, sold at astronomical prices—one pill for an entire crystal stone.
“Still, these medicines are more beneficial for ordinary people now,” Old Li remarked.
Those who had survived the endless disasters were already the result of brutal natural selection. For many ordinary people, their tenacious vitality was likely their superpower.
As for ability users, their physical resilience far surpassed that of normal humans. Unless gravely injured, they could recover quickly with sufficient high-energy food.
“No matter. Keep them in the store and use them as needed.”
“Understood,” Old Li said.
Tang Yu’an finished talking to Old Li and then dashed into the kitchen. Inside, Zhou Qi had already built a water reservoir using bricks and clay.
Tang Yu’an cast a Purification Spell over the reservoir and emptied the insulated water bottle’s entire 21L capacity into it, forming a shallow layer at the bottom.
He refilled the bottle with another bucket of water he brought in from outside and submerged it back into the reservoir. The insulated water bottle had a decent auto-refill rate; they had tested that when fully submerged, it could refill completely in just two hours.
Old Li walked in, eyeing the newly constructed reservoir. He nodded approvingly.
“Better safe than sorry—good idea.”
He assumed Zhou Qi built it out of concern that the store’s water supply might someday become unavailable. In the past, Zhou Qi had indeed worried about such things. However, with the insulated water bottle now in their possession, as long as they weren’t in a drought, they didn’t have to fret about drinking water.
Neither Zhou Qi nor Tang Yu’an corrected Old Li’s assumption. After laying a cloth over the reservoir to keep it dust-free, they headed up to the ninth floor.
From the balcony of Room 901, they could see the courtyard they had cleared yesterday.
The left side of the yard was divided into two plots, rented out to Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua. Despite it being not yet eight in the morning, both were already busy in the fields.
Granny Guo was planting potatoes—five in one go—while Tiemuhua was growing vegetables and had apparently already harvested one batch.
Besides them, Jin Guang and Shu Gen’s father-son duo were also helping.
According to Old Li, per their agreement, Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua would hand over 60% of their harvest as rent.
When Tang Yu’an first heard that rate, he couldn’t help but think Old Li was a bit ruthless.
But Old Li had insisted it was a fair deal.
“Plant cultivators aren’t just regular farmers,” Old Li explained. “They can harvest several times a day. In a safe, stable environment like this, their output will be staggering.”
With high-quality crops like potatoes and the cooler weather, Granny Guo could easily produce hundreds of potatoes daily.
Their fields were in plain view of the other residents. Over time, this extreme wealth disparity might spark jealousy among the others.
While the overnight stay rules prevented theft or robbery, Old Li wanted to avoid such imbalances as much as possible.
The 60% rent Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua paid would be redistributed as wages to the residents who helped them. These wages would naturally come from the potatoes and vegetables they grew, which the helpers could keep for themselves—or trade back to Old Li for other items.
After all, once survival was secured, people would start pursuing a better quality of life. And Desolate City Grocery Store offered plenty to make life feel not just livable, but even pleasant.
In their free time, Jin Guang and the others also assisted Ba Shi with building the brick kiln and firing bricks.
Although they weren’t paid for this, they were excited because they would be able to use the bricks for free to build indoor heating stoves in their rooms.
“When Granny Guo has enough potatoes, Grandpa can teach them how to make potato starch,” Tang Yu’an suggested.
Zhou Qi nodded. Fresh potatoes didn’t store well, so processing them into something more durable was essential.
“It feels like we won’t even need to use points to exchange for food. With Granny Guo and Sister Hua here, feeding everyone at the store is more than manageable.”
An idea struck Tang Yu’an. “Brother Qi, should we have A’Mu incubate more chicks?”
Now that they knew incubating eggs was viable, they could try duck eggs or other types. Hens took several months to mature, so starting sooner was better.
Zhou Qi glanced at the yard.
Granny Guo’s field had faint yellow shapes darting around—three little chicks that A’Mu had incubated.
The chicks pecked at bugs on the ground, occasionally scratching at the soil with their tiny claws and letting out crisp, high-pitched chirps.
Nearby, A’Mu watched over them attentively, serving as a very competent nanny.
Sensing someone’s gaze, A’Mu suddenly shivered, looked around suspiciously, then flapped its wings and flew onto Yin Bi’s back.
Yin Bi, happily digging in the soil, paused to glare at the parrot and snapped its jaws threateningly.
“You big meanie!” A’Mu squawked, flying off to perch beside Wang Cai instead. Wang Cai gave it a glance but didn’t shoo it away, earning an affectionate nuzzle from the parrot.
Seeing this scene, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but feel a little sympathetic.
“Let’s let it enjoy itself a bit longer. Being cooped up incubating eggs must be tough for such a smart creature.”
“Why not build an incubator?” Zhou Qi suggested.
Previously, when they were busy running trade routes, it wasn’t practical. But now, with a stable environment and enough hands, they could afford to experiment.
“An incubator? How do we make one?” Tang Yu’an’s interest was piqued.
“Eggs need a stable temperature. We have a thermometer, so we can measure and adjust.”
Once the brick heating stoves were built, they would have a stable heat source. While someone would need to monitor it, offering commissions should make residents eager to take the job.
“What about night time monitoring?”
Given Desolate City’s climate, night was the most critical time.
“A’Mu can handle nights,” Zhou Qi said with a smile.
Since A’Mu needed rest, it could incubate at night while the designated worker took over during the day. Alternating shifts would make it manageable.
Tang Yu’an thought about it and realized it was a feasible plan.
“Let’s try it! I’ll talk to Sister Lin later and ask her to coax A’Mu.”
“Sounds good.”
“Who should we get to incubate during the day?”
“How about Huo Qiu?” Zhou Qi suggested.
Huo Qiu was naturally gifted with fire-based abilities, making him more sensitive to heat than most people. This allowed him to better regulate and maintain the precise temperature required for incubation. If he wasn’t adept at it yet, this could be excellent practice for honing his control.
“Great! Let’s let Grandpa know and prioritize building an incubator stove,” Tang Yu’an said.
As they discussed the plan, a sudden system notification popped up:
[Alert! Regular Mission Triggered: “Emergency Rescue”]
Description: Near the Wasteland General Store No. 1, a regular customer is struggling in the floodwaters and is in critical condition.
Mission Objective: Help the customer escape danger and complete three profitable trades with them (0/3).
Rewards: Points x 20, Lucky Spin x 1.
Tang Yu’an quickly opened the map and saw a golden marker near Grandpa Li’s old home. The marker didn’t display a name, indicating it was likely a customer Grandpa Li had recruited in the past.
“Brother Qi, let’s go rescue them!”
Previously, their decision to take in residents had been driven by sympathy. But now, in addition to compassion, there was a more pragmatic motivation—they needed more hands.
Constructing incubation stoves alone required a large number of bricks, and their current workforce was stretched thin. On top of that, they planned to process potatoes and vegetables, raise chickens, ducks, and fish, and expand their agricultural land.
Although plant cultivators could accelerate growth, this placed a heavy toll on soil fertility. The only viable solution was to cultivate more land, which demanded more labor.
Unbeknownst to them, their perspective on the store’s residents had shifted. Initially, they had been focused on earning points and experience through trades. But now, with larger, more stable sources of these resources, the contributions of the ten or so residents at Store No. 1 seemed less significant.
Their goal had evolved. Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi wanted to make Store No. 1 a thriving hub that could attract more settlers to Wasteland City.
While their business in Jufeng Town was profitable, it was ultimately Hong Li’s territory. They couldn’t even extend the protective barrier to cover the entire store without facing restrictions. It was too limiting.
They needed a stronghold where they could operate freely, without compromise.
Although the overnight stay rule imposed a cap on the number of residents, they were far from reaching it. There was plenty of room for growth.
With just the 500 kilos of soybeans they had traded from Hong Li, they could feed all the residents comfortably. And with Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua producing food non-stop, there was even less to worry about.
Tang Yu’an grabbed the Shadow Umbrella and cast Lightness Technique on both himself and Zhou Qi. They silently slipped out of Store No. 1.
The distance to Grandpa Li’s old home was short—barely two minutes. When they arrived, they found a man clinging to a floating log, caught against a broken wall corner. He was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding debris in the floodwaters.
Without the map’s precise location marker, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi might never have spotted him.
“Is he still alive?” Zhou Qi asked, eyeing the man lying motionless on the log. He looked as though he’d already perished.
“He’s alive,” Tang Yu’an confirmed. If he were dead, his marker would have disappeared from the map.
“Good. I’ll carry him back. You cover me,” Zhou Qi instructed.
“Got it!”
Zhou Qi jumped onto the broken wall, grabbed the man by his shoulder, and hoisted him out of the water in one motion.
Watching Zhou Qi lift the man like a rag, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help swallowing nervously. Brother Qi’s strength had grown immensely!
Ignoring the mud-covered state of his cargo, Zhou Qi slung the man over his back and started racing toward Store No. 1. The water level was rising rapidly, and the creatures appearing in it were growing increasingly monstrous. Just catching a glimpse of them was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.
Moving quickly and exposed on the water’s surface was incredibly dangerous.
Tang Yu’an followed closely behind, staying vigilant.
As Store No. 1 came into view, Tang Yu’an momentarily relaxed—only for a massive shadow to erupt from the water.
A fish, at least three meters long, launched itself skyward. Its beady eyes locked onto Zhou Qi as it opened a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
Happy Marble, activate!
Tang Yu’an, just ten meters behind Zhou Qi, reacted instantly. With a single glance, a red marble shot out, striking the fish squarely.
The giant fish thrashed violently, its jaws snapping shut as it fell back into the water with a loud splash.
The gleaming red marble hovered briefly in the air before zipping back into Tang Yu’an’s hand.
By this time, Zhou Qi had made it into the protective barrier of Store No. 1 with the man in tow.
Tang Yu’an kept his guard up, scanning the area until he was fully inside the barrier. Only then did he let out a deep breath, finally relaxing.
His heart pounded as he replayed the scene in his mind. But he’d done it—he had successfully protected Brother Qi!
Grinning with pride, Tang Yu’an pocketed the marble and went to find Zhou Qi.
Their commotion had already drawn the attention of the residents in the yard. Although they couldn’t fully understand what had happened, they had seen the fish jump and thrash wildly before falling back into the water, splashing against the protective barrier.
Zhou Qi laid the man down. He was soaked and covered in mud, with a scraggly beard obscuring his face, making it hard to gauge his age.
“Brother Qi, are you okay?” Tang Yu’an rushed over.
Seeing Tang Yu’an return unharmed, Zhou Qi’s tense expression softened. He nodded before looking down at the rescued man lying at their feet.
Shu Gen and Jin Guang were checking the man’s condition.
“He doesn’t have any external injuries, just a belly full of water,” Shu Gen said, pressing down firmly on the man’s stomach to help expel the water.
Old Li and Lin Zhu had hurried down from upstairs.
“Huh, isn’t that A’Man?” Lin Zhu exclaimed.
“Sister Lin, you know him?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Yeah, I’ve seen him a couple of times.”
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but remark, “Is there anyone in Desolate City you don’t know?”
It was astounding how many people Sister Lin seemed to know!
“Oh, I just know their names,” Lin Zhu said, waving dismissively. “So, are you planning to take him in?”
Tang Yu’an nodded. “From now on, if someone’s in trouble and we can save them, we will.”
Soon, after expelling the water from his stomach, A’Man coughed twice and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around at the people surrounding him, blinking in confusion.
“Where… is this?”
“Welcome to Desolate City Grocery Store!” Lin Zhu patted his shoulder with a cheerful grin. “A’Man, you’re in luck!”
“Sister Lin, can you go inform everyone? I’m going to perform the cleansing for our new resident. Anyone who wants to join can come over,” Tang Yu’an instructed.
“Got it!” Lin Zhu bolted off to spread the word, while the rest of the residents looked equally thrilled.
Even though they now had water filters for daily needs, and most residents followed the rules by bathing regularly, the effect of the cleansing ritual was unmatched.
Before long, everyone came out of the building, gathering in the courtyard.
A’Man, still sitting on the ground, looked around with wary and slightly frightened eyes, puzzled by everyone’s excitement. Thankfully, their attention wasn’t entirely on him, which eased his fear a bit.
Aside from him, the only other clueless person was Ba Shi, who had arrived later and hadn’t experienced a “cleansing.”
“Shu Gen, what’s going on?” Ba Shi whispered.
“There’s a new resident!”
“So?”
“Boss An is going to perform a cleansing for him, and we get to benefit too.”
Tang Yu’an stood on the stone steps and once again cast the glowing Purification Spell over everyone. As the light faded, both Ba Shi and A’Man were left gaping in astonishment.
Suddenly, they were immaculately clean. Even the previously scruffy dogs now had silky, fluffy fur that looked brand new.
Is this glowing young man some kind of celestial being descended from the heavens?
For the older residents who had already experienced the cleansing, it wasn’t as shocking, but their hearts swelled with gratitude and reverence for Tang Yu’an.
“Let’s all continue working together and helping one another to make life better and better!” Tang Yu’an said warmly.
With that, he handed A’Man over to the residents to teach him the rules of the store, and he and Zhou Qi temporarily left.
The Emergency Rescue mission wasn’t completed yet. However, with so many eyes on them, it wasn’t the right time to start trading with A’Man. They decided to wait a bit.
After the cleansing, the older residents guided A’Man to cut his hair, beard, and nails, revealing a young face underneath. He looked no older than twenty—a robust young man.
Ba Shi watched this unfold, thinking back to his own first day at the Desolate Grocery Store. He couldn’t help but smirk as he noticed the residents gathering around A’Man to tell him stories.
Unsurprisingly, the story they were telling was how Tang Yu’an had saved Old Li.
Ba Shi’s lips twitched.
Is this Old Li’s quirk? Does he enjoy hearing stories about his own rescue?
Glancing at the old man nodding in satisfaction nearby, Ba Shi felt like he had stumbled upon the truth.
Determined not to miss out, he quickly joined the crowd, embellishing the story with dramatic details. He resolved that every time a new resident arrived, he would eagerly tell this tale—again and again, with gusto!
