Chapter 142
In just over half an hour, Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an decided to wait patiently at Hong Li’s place.
After the negotiations concluded, both parties visibly relaxed.
Seeing Tang Yu’an so cheerful, Hong Li couldn’t help but tease him:
“Something good happened? Why are you so happy?”
“We’re about to receive 250 kilos of soybeans! Of course, I’m happy!” Tang Yu’an replied, beaming.
Hong Li suspected that might only be part of the reason, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she asked: “So, you’re staying on Jufeng Mountain, right?”
Tang Yu’an nodded.
With the teleportation array, it took them only a minute to travel to Jufeng Town, so staying there or not made little difference.
Hong Li nodded as well, though she still harbored some doubts about their promise of trading 50 kilos of salt each month. Only time would tell if they would fulfill it.
“I’ve dealt with the bandit incident at the Jufeng Grocery Store,” she said. “The instigator, Jin Fu, has been warned and shouldn’t cause trouble again.”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an asked, “Jin Fu—is he a salt merchant?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“We met him at a mountain outpost on our way down. He even invited us to go to Linhai Town with him.”
At this, Hong Li felt a chill run down her spine.
Luckily, Chi Hao had introduced the boys to her directly. Otherwise, if Jin Fu had learned they possessed a large quantity of salt, he would have swallowed it all for himself.
If that happened, she would still be under the control of people like Jin Fu, with no solution to break free from their stranglehold.
“You’ve been selling salt cheaply in Jufeng Town, undercutting his business. Naturally, he sees you as a thorn in his side. Now that the flood has sealed the roads, he’s stuck on the mountain too,” Hong Li warned. “Be careful while moving around Jufeng Mountain—don’t let him trap you.”
“Mm, we will!”
Tang Yu’an glanced at Hong Li, relieved that she didn’t question their reasons for selling salt at a low price.
After narrowly escaping Xiao Cao’s suspicions about their identity, Tang Yu’an had realized the wasteland was full of sharp minds. No one should be underestimated.
In hindsight, Hong Li probably assumed they were competing with Jin Fu for market share, which explained their strategy.
While they had avoided suspicion, Tang Yu’an still felt troubled.
The mountain people in Jufeng were so impoverished that he felt guilty even considering raising prices.
Thinking about this, he asked, “Sister Hong Li, I heard you encouraged the townsfolk to clear land and grow wild vegetables in the mountains. How is that going?”
“It’s going… so-so,” Hong Li admitted with frustration.
The mountain folk had no farming habits, and everything was still in the trial-and-error stage. As someone trained as a combatant in the fortress, Hong Li knew little about agriculture.
The planting expert had taught her basic techniques like loosening the soil, weeding, and watering regularly, which she had passed on to willing participants. However, whether they were motivated to act was another matter, and she couldn’t force them to work with a whip.
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment and suggested, “Sister Hong Li, why not set up a few experimental fields near Jufeng Town? You could study the growth characteristics of wild vegetables and then teach the mountain people based on those results.”
“Experimental fields?”
“Yes, fields managed by the Guard Post. The Guard Post would fund the initiative and hire mountain folk to tend to them. If they’re assured enough food to eat each day, I’m sure many will participate.”
Currently, farming in Jufeng Mountain is crude and haphazard. It resembled ancient methods where individuals cleared land on their own, and harvests depended entirely on luck.
The town’s administration only ensured the protection of their yields, preventing others from stealing them. For skilled farmers in the past, this might have been sufficient. However, the mountain people under Hong Li’s charge had grown up in the apocalyptic world.
Having endured constant disasters and the inability to protect their crops, farming wasn’t even a consideration in their worldview. To them, agriculture was a gamble with nature—not something that guaranteed results.
At this stage, someone needed to shoulder the risk for them, ensuring they at least had enough food to eat. With time and experience, they could gradually transform into self-sufficient farmers.
As Jufeng Town’s administrator, Hong Li was the natural candidate to assume this role.
Listening to Tang Yu’an’s well-thought-out analysis, Hong Li raised her brows. “You want me to take on the risk for them?”
“Exactly.”
Tang Yu’an recalled what Chi Hao had told him about life in the fortress and elaborated:
“When you and Brother Chi Hao first entered the ability user school, wasn’t the school responsible for your expenses so you could focus on training and improving your combat skills?”
Hong Li nodded. His example was so apt that she immediately understood.
She stared at Tang Yu’an, her gaze flickering with contemplation.
Although she had used decisive methods to establish a guard force and protect the mountain people after taking over Jufeng Town, she couldn’t help but feel that her management and governance skills lagged behind—even compared to a child.
But she quickly regained her composure.
She hadn’t had experience in these areas before. If she didn’t know how to do something, she’d just have to learn.
“That’s a good suggestion,” Hong Li admitted.
Her willingness to take on the risk stemmed largely from the availability of soybeans as a high-quality crop. With the planting expert’s continuous production, the guard post had enough food. Allocating some to hire mountain folk to farm seemed feasible.
As for the crops grown by the mountain people, whether to claim all of it for the guard post, take a portion as rent, or let them keep everything was a matter to decide later.
Even if the farmers kept all the output, it wouldn’t make much difference to Hong Li. The small-scale production of mountain fields hardly mattered to her. Her primary concern was ensuring the people of Jufeng Mountain stayed peaceful and settled.
As a fortress native, Hong Li didn’t have much emotional attachment to the mountain people.
The initiatives Hong Li implemented after arriving in Jufeng Town initially aimed to demonstrate her abilities to her superiors. Over time, however, she developed ambitions to build her own power base.
People, after all, were an important resource.
The primary benefit she had noticed thus far was that the more people there were, the greater the chance of awakening individuals with abilities. This allowed her to select more useful candidates.
After a moment of reflection, Hong Li asked, “Do you have any other suggestions?”
Tang Yu’an began wracking his brain.
“We could create a batch of farming tools to make cultivation easier and less labor-intensive,” he suggested.
Hong Li nodded in agreement, then turned to Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi hesitated, pressing his lips together.
Seeing his hesitation, Hong Li chuckled. “I know—knowledge is valuable, and I won’t take advantage of you for free.”
After some thought, she added, “How about this: from now on, you can take 10% of the harvest from the experimental fields.”
Zhou Qi blinked, then smiled. “All of the experimental fields?”
Hong Li clicked her tongue but eventually nodded.
“I plan to designate all the cultivated fields that show promise as experimental fields,” she explained.
Those who had braved harsh conditions to cultivate farmland were either far-sighted or exceptionally hardworking. Supporting such people gave Hong Li a sense of satisfaction.
“You’re truly a benevolent mountain lord,” Zhou Qi said with a hint of humor. “Do you have paper and a pen here?”
Hong Li called for someone to fetch them.
The paper turned out to be rough, system-classified “straw paper,” and the pen was a makeshift tool using charcoal.
Zhou Qi sighed and retrieved real drafting paper and a pencil from his backpack. He began sketching farming tools and annotating their use.
The designs, drawn from books, were outdated for modern agriculture but perfectly suited to a world lacking electricity and machinery.
“If there were cattle, we could further reduce the labor required,” he noted.
Hong Li examined the sketches, her eyes lighting up. The tools could be useful for her planting experts, though they might prove even more valuable to the mountain folk.
Eyeing Zhou Qi’s paper and pencil, she couldn’t resist asking, “Do you have extras to sell?”
It had been a long time since she’d seen such high-quality materials. These items were only available in the fortress, and her supplies had run out long ago.
“Not at the moment,” Zhou Qi replied.
The supplies they were using were leftovers from the Grocery Store’s inventory. Their store’s system hadn’t unlocked paper and pencils for trade yet, so they didn’t plan to sell them.
Though they had the “super printer” to eventually make paper, they hadn’t had time to explore its capabilities.
Hong Li nodded, a bit disappointed.
She carefully picked up Zhou Qi’s drafted paper. “You’re good at drawing, though you made a lot of spelling errors. Didn’t pay attention during your early education, did you?”
Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an exchanged a complex look but didn’t argue.
The written language of this world was very similar to their own, albeit with some characters missing or altered—perhaps due to gaps in cultural transmission or the natural evolution of this civilization.
Given that this dimension lacked even basic crops like potatoes, it clearly wasn’t their world. Some discrepancies were to be expected.
Hong Li carefully folded the sketches and stored them away.
“I’ll have someone craft these. Hopefully, the experimental fields will yield results after this investment.”
Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment. “Actually, there’s another way to ensure better yields.”
The methods they were introducing were pre-disaster practices. But the people in this world had evolved significantly since then.
“What method?” Hong Li asked, intrigued.
“Are you recruiting new planting experts?” Zhou Qi asked.
“Yes, but the results have been less than ideal,” Hong Li admitted.
Most planting experts who could produce large quantities of food were monopolized by major powers. Those in hiding wouldn’t dare reveal themselves.
“I’ve offered generous terms—only six hours of work a day—but no one has applied,” she said. “Although, I expect a batch will come soon.”
Zhou Qi didn’t probe further into her cryptic statement. Instead, he suggested: “You could send planting experts to the experimental fields periodically to increase the concentration of plant-type energy.”
Judging by the effects of spiritual herbs, areas with higher plant-type energy saw better plant growth.
“They wouldn’t need to accelerate individual plants’ growth, just enrich the fields with plant energy. That should improve the yield and growth speed of wild vegetables,” Zhou Qi explained.
Hong Li pondered this for a moment and nodded. “I’ll consider it.”
Planting experts were precious assets, and Jufeng Town wasn’t a completely secure territory. Sending them into the mountains wasn’t a risk Hong Li was willing to take—at least not yet.
“Anything else?” she asked, looking at Zhou Qi.
He hesitated.
“Speak your mind,” she urged.
“Do you know about… composting?” Zhou Qi asked.
“What’s that?”
Seeing her confused expression, Zhou Qi began explaining.
Hong Li’s eyes lit up in realization.
Her plantation already used manure for fertilization, as rapid plant growth drained the soil’s nutrients. Without such measures, they wouldn’t be able to farm in one place for long.
However, she had never heard of composting as a method. This was new territory for her.
“Manure needs to be fermented before it can be used on plants; otherwise, it could cause seedling burn,” Zhou Qi explained.
He took out another sheet of paper and wrote down what he knew about composting and fermenting methods.
Of course, his knowledge was mostly theoretical, and its effectiveness would need to be tested. With Hong Li providing resources and manpower, it was a good opportunity to validate his learning.
By the time he finished writing, night had fully descended, and the garrison had lit its lamps.
True to her word, Hong Li had her guards deliver 250 kilos of soybeans.
Zhou Qi smiled faintly and, using clever persuasion, helped Tang Yu’an secure the profit points from the soybeans without incurring any actual costs.
Under the effect of the points multiplier card, the 25,000 points from the soybeans were successfully earned!
Meanwhile, over at Xiao Cao’s stand, business had continued steadily, bringing in another 3,000 points before tapering off as night fell.
Tang Yu’an’s total balance now sat at a whopping 78,000+ points, just shy of the 80,000-point milestone!
They declined Hong Li’s invitation to stay longer and arranged for the guards to deliver the 250 kilos of soybeans to the Jufeng Grocery Store, along with 25.5 kilos of sea salt for the exchange.
Their return caused a minor stir, though much less than last time. The nights on Jufeng Mountain had grown colder, and most residents had retreated to caves or gathered around campfires.
Xiao Cao and Shi Tou watched as the guards carried the soybeans into the store. But when they returned, the 250 kilos of soybeans had disappeared.
Knowing Tang Yu’an had an inventory system, they weren’t surprised.
“Thank you for your hard work today,” Tang Yu’an said cheerfully, pulling candies from his backpack and handing each of them a handful.
“Wow, thank you, Little Divine Doctor!” Shi Tou said happily, taking the candies.
Xiao Cao hesitated, swallowing hard before refusing. “We’re not tired. We earned so many points today.”
Each profitable trade earned her and her brother 1 point, and with hundreds of transactions, her points balance had skyrocketed. She had unlocked more items and now had a four-digit points balance.
Not having to worry about hunger anymore, she didn’t feel as shameless about accepting treats from Tang Yu’an as she once had.
Seeing his sister return the candies, Shi Tou hesitated but followed suit, albeit reluctantly.
“Hey, I’m the boss. When I say you get candies, you take them. You’ve earned these!” Tang Yu’an insisted, shoving the candies into their pockets.
Noticing their tattered clothes, he added, “The store has unlocked fabric—why don’t you use your points to make some new clothes?”
“We don’t know how…” Xiao Cao said quietly, lowering her head.
“Are there any tailors in Jufeng Town?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
Xiao Cao glanced at Shi Tou, who nodded. “There are, but it’s expensive! We can’t afford it.”
Their clothes were scavenged from ruins.
“What about the Guard Post? Do they have someone who makes uniforms for the guards?” Tang Yu’an asked, noting how uniform the guards’ outfits seemed.
Shi Tou shook his head, unsure. “I’ll ask around!”
“Good idea.”
When their conversation ended, Zhou Qi looked at the siblings and said, “Tonight, stay inside the Jade Pavilion Inn. Don’t go out to sell hot soup.”
“Why not?” Xiao Cao asked, puzzled.
Though she was tired, she didn’t want to give up her hot soup business. Tang Yu’an also looked at Zhou Qi, confused. With the points multiplier still active, selling soup would yield more profit.
“Your safety is more important,” Zhou Qi said firmly.
To be blunt, they had drawn too much attention. Hong Li’s mention of Jin Fu had set off alarm bells in Zhou Qi’s mind.
The combined effect of the traffic boost card and low-priced salt had created a massive impact in Jufeng Town. Apart from Jin Fu, who else might be envious or resentful? Zhou Qi hadn’t forgotten their close brush with bandits on their first trip to Jufeng Town.
The traffic card would remain active for another two days, and whether they could navigate those days safely was still uncertain.
“If you encounter any danger, don’t hesitate—hide in the basement immediately,” Zhou Qi instructed. “There’s no safer place in Jufeng Town than there. Understood?”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an, initially reluctant to forgo the multiplier’s benefits, nodded in agreement. “Right, safety first! Nothing is more important than your well-being.”
Xiao Cao was touched by their concern, her nose stinging slightly.
Shi Tou’s eyes reddened as he nodded. “Got it… we understand.”
Tang Yu’an patted Shi Tou’s shoulder.
“Alright, go eat and rest. Balance is important!”
Shi Tou wiped away his tears and grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, let’s eat! I’m starving.”
The siblings gathered some wild vegetables and mushrooms into their baskets and, after saying goodbye to Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, left for the Jade Pavilion Inn under the guards’ escort.
Tang Yu’an locked up the Jufeng Grocery Store, stored the remaining vegetables and mushrooms in his inventory, and returned with Zhou Qi to the loft of the Peace Grocery Store using the teleportation array.
Only then did Tang Yu’an let out a loud laugh.
“Ha! Brother Qi, we’ve hit the jackpot!”
He was grinning from ear to ear, staring at the points balance, which made him giddy every time he looked at it.
“We can buy so many things!”
“Should we use the 7-day special sale refresh card?” Zhou Qi suggested.
The most efficient way to spend points was undoubtedly purchasing items from the 7-day special sale.
Tang Yu’an hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “Let me enjoy this for a bit longer. I’ve barely had time to bask in the warmth of my 78,000 points!”
The system always found a way to drain his points, even if it was in exchange for great items. But he couldn’t deny the simple joy of watching his balance grow.
Even if it was just a number, it made him inexplicably happy.
Seeing his miserly grin, Zhou Qi couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, then we’ll wait a bit longer.”
Tang Yu’an chuckled and said, “Since the points multiplier is still active, let’s think of more ways to earn points!”
After some thought, Tang Yu’an said, “Oh right, we haven’t played the trading game with Kang Kang and Lili today! Let’s head to Store No.1!”
The two made their way to Store No.1 and, with the high goodwill they had accrued, managed to “borrow” Kang Kang and Lili from their families, even late at night.
The 9th floor of Store No.1, a restricted area, was the perfect spot for their “trading game.” Tang Yu’an spent 300 points to unlock a new rule in the store’s overnight policy interface.
Previously, based on Old Li’s advice, he had spent 200 points to add a rule preventing residents from using abilities to access or spy on restricted areas. This third rule, however, cost an additional 100 points.
Not that it mattered—Tang Yu’an was flush with points and feeling confident!
Once the rule was unlocked, he allowed Kang Kang and Lili access to the 9th floor. Then, in Room 901, they began the “trading game.”
Tang Yu’an brought out 2,000 black-gold salt notes they had recently made, worth 2,000 points. Each trade earned 4,000 points, and after trading three times with Lili, Tang Yu’an’s balance grew by 12,000 points!
Elated, Tang Yu’an suddenly had an idea. “Brother Qi, can we use something more valuable for this?”
Zhou Qi looked at him. “You mean the soybeans?”
Tang Yu’an nodded eagerly. “Those 500 kilos of soybeans are worth 25,000 points, and with the multiplier, that’s 50,000 points!”
Even Zhou Qi couldn’t help swallowing nervously.
He glanced at Tang Yu’an, then at the clueless Kang Kang and Lili. Although he felt this might be pushing it, he eventually nodded.
“Let’s give it a try.”
Tang Yu’an retrieved 10 bags of soybeans from the main bedroom. Zhou Qi carried Kang Kang into the room, and they quickly completed the trade.
[You have completed a profitable trade with a returning customer. Points +50,000 (Points multiplier active). Experience +1.]
Seeing the success notification, Tang Yu’an cheered and jumped in excitement.
Not understanding why, Kang Kang clapped his hands and laughed, earning a playful ruffle from Tang Yu’an.
Tang Yu’an turned to Zhou Qi, grinning. “Let’s keep going!”
Before he could finish his sentence, a series of system prompts appeared:
[Detected significant irregular point activity. Initiating self-check.]
[Detected loophole in trading rules. Repairing…]
[Abnormalities resolved.]
[Recovered unauthorized points. Please adhere to trading rules.]
Tang Yu’an’s grin froze.
His once 140,000-point balance had dropped by 62,000 points, reverting to 78,000 points.
“What happened?” Zhou Qi asked, confused.
“The loophole… it’s been fixed,” Tang Yu’an said, his voice deflated.
Testing the game again, Tang Yu’an discovered that trading his own items with Kang Kang no longer earned points or experience. Only items originally belonging to Kang Kang could generate points in trades, and even then, repeated trades wouldn’t yield additional points.
Tang Yu’an felt like crying.
“Brother Qi, I messed up…”
Zhou Qi hugged him, feeling equally at fault. “I should have stopped you when I realized it was too good to be true.”
“This isn’t your fault. I got greedy,” Tang Yu’an admitted, finally cooling down.
He’d always felt a vague unease about exploiting loopholes, which had kept him from using high-value items to gain points until now. The excitement of the multiplier had clouded his judgment, and he’d crossed the line—only to face swift consequences.
“Let’s stick to legitimate trades from now on,” Tang Yu’an resolved.
Zhou Qi ruffled his hair. “We’re not as weak as we used to be. We don’t need shortcuts to earn points anymore.”
“Yeah!”
Legitimate trades meant their points couldn’t be revoked, even if the system audited them.
Feeling better, Tang Yu’an ruffled Kang Kang and Lili’s hair in thanks before escorting them back to their families.
Late that night, they returned to the Peace Grocery Store.
Still noticing a hint of gloom on Tang Yu’an’s face, Zhou Qi suggested, “How about we do a lucky draw?”
Having completed A’Man’s emergency rescue mission, they had two chances to spin the lucky wheel. Winning something good might cheer him up.
“Alright!”
Tang Yu’an eagerly opened the Lucky Wheel, rubbed his hands together, and spun it.
The pointer quickly stopped, and the system prompt appeared. But when Tang Yu’an read the text, he froze.
[Congratulations! You’ve unlocked the low-tier technological item: 12-Year Compulsory Education Curriculum. Details available in the wholesale market.]
Tang Yu’an: …
Compulsory education? Was it that compulsory education?
