Chapter 164
Old Mo had come up with the idea of digging a well to store water. This would not only reduce evaporation but also offer a level of concealment, making it less likely to be discovered by outsiders.
Naturally, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were willing to cooperate.
However…
“Isn’t your area a desert? Can you even dig a well?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“No, it’s not a desert,” Gan Lin explained.
The area near Flame Dragon Fortress had once been a large city, with three rivers running through it. But with the arrival of the fire dragon, the surface water had all been evaporated.
Now, the fortress and those living nearby relied mostly on groundwater. Rain only fell during the fire dragon’s dormant period, so while the area was arid, it wasn’t a desert. Digging a well was entirely feasible.
“How long will it take?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“We’ll finish it as soon as possible. By the next trade, it should be ready!”
“Alright,” Tang Yu’an nodded.
Gan Lin’s face lit up with joy as he respectfully added, “By the way, Old Mo asked me to convey his regards to you.”
Since Old Mo had accepted the mysterious merchant’s recruitment, he had been asking Gan Lin about his experiences in the dream realm.
Afterward, he scolded Gan Lin for being too casual in his interactions with the mysterious merchant. Old Mo emphasized that Gan Lin’s overly familiar attitude was inappropriate and could eventually provoke the merchant’s displeasure.
Gan Lin realized he had been taking the merchant’s kindness and leniency for granted and vowed to maintain proper respect in the future. After all, the mysterious merchant wasn’t just able to communicate with them through dreams but had also recruited Old Mo and sent them precious resources from afar.
Such abilities were unheard of!
Hearing Gan Lin’s explanation, Tang Yu’an casually replied, “Alright, he’s doing well.”
The recruitment of Old Mo, just yesterday, had already brought 600 points of income and an increase to Lv2. Old Mo was undoubtedly a promising asset.
“What would you like to trade today?” Tang Yu’an asked.
Gan Lin seemed to swallow nervously before firmly replying, “I would like to offer these Flame Stones as a gift in the hopes that you will visit my dream tomorrow and bring us a flood.”
Tang Yu’an blinked in surprise and glanced at Zhou Qi.
Old Mo truly knew how to conduct himself. It was no wonder he had survived the apocalypse for so long—none of the older survivors were simple.
Zhou Qi nodded slightly, indicating that they could accept the gift. Since they had already planned to send Gan Lin the flood, accepting the Flame Stones wouldn’t hurt.
But Tang Yu’an felt differently.
They were currently well-off, while Gan Lin’s group was struggling to survive. Accepting the Flame Stones, which they had worked so hard to collect, didn’t sit well with him.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ll accept your gift, but tomorrow you need to remember the well’s capacity. Do you know how to measure it?”
“Old Mo probably knows,” Gan Lin replied.
Tang Yu’an nodded. If Old Mo didn’t, he’d prepare a discussion on the math problem tomorrow.
During their conversation, Tang Yu’an noticed that Gan Lin seemed much more knowledgeable than most of the kids—or even adults—in Desolate City Haven.
This was likely because he had grown up near Flame Dragon Fortress, absorbing more knowledge through exposure.
“We originally planned to send all the water at once,” Tang Yu’an explained. “But since you’re digging a well, I’ll send an amount roughly equivalent to the well’s capacity.”
Gan Lin froze, then hesitantly asked, “You mean, we could… get more in the future?”
Tang Yu’an nodded. “It depends on the situation, but I should be able to send you at least one more well’s worth of water.”
Once his reservoir was completed, he would be able to store more water, allowing for at least one additional delivery.
Thanks to Zhou Qi’s earlier analysis, Tang Yu’an understood that causing rainfall near Flame Dragon Fortress wasn’t feasible. Sending too much water at once could create new problems for Gan Lin and Old Mo.
Since they were digging a well, sending enough water to fill it seemed both safer and more practical.
“That’s amazing! I don’t even know how to thank you!” Gan Lin’s voice trembled, tinged with emotion.
In this harsh world, aside from Old Mo, only the mysterious merchant had treated him so well. Even though the merchant’s voice was mechanical, Gan Lin found it deeply comforting.
“No need to thank me,” Tang Yu’an said. “Just focus on living well and collecting more Flame Stones to trade for supplies.”
“I will… I promise…” Gan Lin’s voice quivered with sobs, causing his dream to destabilize. The system began its countdown.
Tang Yu’an quickly reminded him, “Before going to sleep tomorrow, make sure to drop the Flame Stones at the bottom of the well so I can deliver the water there. Don’t forget!”
[You have completed a trade with a dream wisher. EXP +6, Points +1260, Dream Fragment +1]
[You received 42 pounds of Flame Stones.]
Near Flame Dragon Fortress, within the ruins of a collapsed building, Gan Lin woke up, tears still streaking his face.
Old Mo, who was watching him with concern, frowned.
“What’s wrong, boy? Was the communication with the merchant in your dream… unsuccessful?” Old Mo asked anxiously.
Gan Lin wiped his tears quickly and shook his head. “No, it went very well.”
He then recounted his conversation with the mysterious merchant, including the final instructions.
Hearing this, Old Mo sighed in relief.
“Then why are you crying?” Old Mo asked, shaking his head. “You scared me half to death.”
Gan Lin pursed his lips, turning his face away. “I… I just think that the great one is too kind to us. I couldn’t help it…”
Old Mo stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “If that’s how you feel, then remember what I told you. Always keep a sense of reverence and follow the great one’s instructions without question.”
“Alright, alright, I know!”
Seeing Gan Lin’s impatience, Old Mo chuckled and smacked him lightly on the head. “Enough talk. Come help dig the well!”
Since the great one promised to send them water equal to the well’s capacity, they had to dig as deep as possible.
He led Gan Lin to the next room, where Sha Zi and another helper, Luo Xiaolei, were already digging a well under the faint glow of the fire dragon’s light.
The surrounding area was filled with collapsed buildings, offering good concealment. Few people ventured here.
By digging the well inside a room, they enhanced its security. With proper guards in place, they wouldn’t have to worry about others stealing it.
However, Sha Zi and Luo Xiaolei didn’t fully understand Old Mo’s intentions. When he first instructed them to dig a well, they thought he was out of his mind.
If there were accessible underground rivers here, the area would have been claimed long ago. The lack of residents clearly indicated it wasn’t a viable spot.
Still, they had already joined Old Mo, and leaving now wouldn’t make sense—especially since Old Mo provided food and water.
Having taken his payment, they had little choice but to follow his orders.
Luo Xiaolei, notably, was an earth-element ability user. While not particularly powerful, she had enough skill to assist in well-digging. This was why Old Mo adjusted his plans after hearing Gan Lin’s dream, seeking her help first.
Unlike Gan Lin and Sha Zi, Old Mo only hired Luo Xiaolei for this task. Earth-element users commanded higher value, and even Sha Zi understood the practicality of bringing her in.
As for Sha Zi, despite his loyalty to Old Mo, he found the task of digging a well grueling and cursed under his breath.
“Thanks for your hard work,” Old Mo said seriously. “We must finish this well by tomorrow night!”
Sha Zi had only dug about two meters down. The hardened, dry soil made the task incredibly labor-intensive.
Beside him, Luo Xiaolei was fashioning a well lining from nearby stone debris. Without this lining, any water collected would seep into the parched soil, and the well would risk collapsing. The entire effort would be wasted without proper reinforcement.
Luckily, Luo Xiaolei’s earth manipulation made this task feasible. Otherwise, creating the lining would have been a significant challenge.
“The deeper the well, the better. By tomorrow night, you’ll understand the benefits,” Old Mo said as he and Gan Lin joined the effort.
Though Sha Zi and Luo Xiaolei were skeptical, they chose to remain silent and focus on their work.
*
Peace Grocery Store, Attic
The 42 pieces of Flame Stones amounted to 45 pieces—enough not only for the residents’ kang beds but also for equipping the exchange room.
Satisfied, Tang Yu’an nodded and returned to the Dream Sea, pulling out a bright floating bottle.
Soon, the voice of Xiao Hai Lan filled the attic.
“Oh, great and kind mysterious merchant, it’s been so long since you’ve visited my dream. If you can hear me, please respond to my call…”
Tang Yu’an twitched. So long? He had just traded with her two days ago and even exchanged a bunch of items for her!
Clearing his throat, he replied, “I’m here.”
“Mysterious merchant!” Xiao Hai Lan exclaimed joyfully. “I’m so glad you’ve come to my dream again.”
“How have the past two days been?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Papa was so happy with the supplies you sent us! He made all kinds of food I’d never tasted before—it was delicious!”
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged knowing looks. They had anticipated this, as Hailan’s father, Hai Jing, had used the message board to inquire about the unfamiliar ingredients. Zhou Qi had shared a few recipes, and it seemed Hai Jing had executed them well.
“The white milk is especially tasty!” Xiao Hai Lan continued. “But it doesn’t keep well. We drank half of it, and the rest went sour today…”
“Sour milk is unsafe to drink!” Tang Yu’an said quickly. “It can cause stomach problems.”
“But Papa already drank it…” Xiao Hai Lan replied timidly.
Tang Yu’an paused. “And? Is he okay?”
“He seems fine… I didn’t notice anything wrong before I went to sleep.”
“Maybe he got lucky this time,” Tang Yu’an said sternly. “But listen carefully—never eat or drink spoiled food again. Understand?”
“Okay, I promise,” Xiao Hai Lan said obediently.
Thankfully, Hai Jing hadn’t given the sour milk to his daughter. Children’s stomachs were more sensitive and wouldn’t handle it as well as an adult’s.
“Do you need anything today?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“No, we still have plenty of supplies,” Xiao Hai Lan said after a pause. “But Papa mentioned wanting something to keep food fresh.”
“He said if we can’t store food properly, we’ll have to use it up quickly.”
Tang Yu’an chuckled. With the low-temperature fabric now available, he had a perfect solution.
While the cooling temperatures in Desolate City Haven made food preservation less urgent, it remained a critical issue for coastal towns like Hailan’s.
Fishermen, who rely on going out to sea for their livelihood, likely face significant challenges in preserving food to prevent spoilage.
“How much salt do you have at home right now?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“A lot!”
Xiao Hai Lan couldn’t give an exact number but explained, “Every day, people bring salt to trade for rice with Papa, and he’s also drying salt by the sea.”
“Please, take all the salt from our house! There’s way too much!”
Because their large house wasn’t finished yet, Hai Jing’s small home was crammed with supplies. The abundance of salt had already made it crowded, and now the mysterious merchant had sent even more goods, leaving Xiao Hai Lan feeling like there was no room to walk.
Though she liked the feeling of a house full of supplies, the salt was simply too much!
Thinking about the incoming salt delivery tomorrow, Xiao Hai Lan fervently hoped the mysterious merchant would take all the salt away.
Hearing her eagerness, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi couldn’t help but chuckle.
This Desolate City world was truly a place of extremes—some places suffered from scarcity, while others were overwhelmed with excess. Thankfully, with the Dream Sea’s drifting bottles, they could trade goods without needing to travel.
“Alright, I’ll trade you 20 sheets of low-temperature fabric and five sets of thermal clothing for all the salt at your house.”
Xiao Hai Lan didn’t understand what low-temperature fabric or thermal clothing was but agreed happily to the trade.
[You have completed a profitable trade with a dream wisher. Points +38,375, EXP +6, Dream Fragment +1]
[You received 841.5 kilos of sea salt.]
Another thousand pounds of salt! Since this trade didn’t involve a system purchase, there was no double deduction of points.
Tang Yu’an’s point balance once again soared past 120,000!
*
Coastal Village, Near Hai Jing’s Home
Hai Jing wasn’t asleep. He sat by his daughter, watching over her. When he saw the salt in the house vanish into thin air, he knew she had met the mysterious merchant in her dream again.
This time, not a single grain of salt was left behind.
He couldn’t help but marvel at the mysterious merchant’s abilities. No matter how many times he witnessed it, it never ceased to amaze him.
When the large amount of food appeared two nights ago, occupying half the small room, he had been overjoyed.
Among the supplies, he recognized the dried squid. As for the dried scallops, though he knew they were made from shellfish meat, it was his first time encountering such a product.
Five whole pounds of dried scallops—it must have taken countless shellfish to make!
As a fisherman, Hai Jing and his peers usually consumed fresh shellfish the same day they caught them. Only fish were salted or dried for preservation.
Even with mutated shellfish, which had meat as large as a fist, they could usually finish it in one meal. Fresh shellfish meat was exceptionally delicious, better than fish. Hai Jing enjoyed it immensely, so receiving these two seafood items pleased him.
After the calamity, Hai Jing had stopped going out to sea due to the dangers.
With his rice sales extending fishermen’s trips, seafood had become increasingly scarce. This was a good thing, as the village had already lost too many people this year and couldn’t bear more casualties.
Still, subsisting only on rice was monotonous. If they could purchase seafood from the mysterious merchant, it would be a tremendous boon.
Concerned about spoilage, Hai Jing kept only one pound of scallops for himself and used the rest for trading. He didn’t know how much the dried scallops were worth but sold them for the equivalent of ten pounds of salt. Along with the rice, it was still profitable.
The four pounds of scallops were gone in no time, with villagers quickly buying a portion each.
Thinking about the half bottle of spoiled milk today, Hai Jing considered selling the other food items.
However, he decided to wait and see what his daughter had traded for tonight.
He got up and walked to the salt jar, peering inside to find a bundle of rolled fabric and several sets of clothing.
“Clothes, huh…” Hai Jing’s eyes lit up. His and his daughter’s clothes were worn out, and he’d been thinking about going to the town to trade for new ones.
Picking up one of the garments, he immediately noticed the difference.
It was late at night, and the temperature had dropped significantly. His hands were cold, but the fabric felt warm to the touch.
He couldn’t wait to shed his tattered clothes and put on the new ones.
So warm!
Despite its thin material, it was as warm as a down jacket!
Just then, Xiao Hai Lan rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed.
Hai Jing quickly grabbed another garment and dressed her. Though it was loose-fitting, a rope tied around the waist and rolled-up sleeves solved the issue.
“It’s so warm!” Xiao Hai Lan exclaimed happily.
“Yes, it’s from the mysterious merchant,” Hai Jing said with a smile.
“Oh, oh! It’s thermal clothing!”
“Amazing, isn’t it? Such a magical thing exists in this world,” Hai Jing marveled before tucking his daughter back into bed.
“Get some good rest. You’ve done well.”
“Papa, I’m not tired at all…” Xiao Hai Lan mumbled sleepily. “I want to sleep with you…”
“Alright.”
Hai Jing climbed into the bed with her, and they both quickly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, after father and daughter finished breakfast, Hai Jing prepared to head out to dig salt pits and dry salt. However, he discovered something remarkable about the thermal clothing.
Although it was still early, the seaside temperature was already quite high.
Surprisingly, Hai Jing didn’t feel hot at all; instead, he felt very comfortable. This sensation became even more pronounced as the sun climbed higher in the sky.
While the sun’s heat still scorched his head, the coolness radiating from the clothing made it bearable.
The realization struck him: these clothes didn’t just provide warmth at night—they also kept him cool during the day!
Thinking about the bundle of fabric in the salt jar, Hai Jing couldn’t resist. After finishing one salt pit, he cut his morning work short and rushed home.
He retrieved the fabric from the jar.
The moment he touched it, he noticed the difference. While the clothes he wore felt cool, the fabric was outright icy!
He had never experienced such coldness during the day.
Hai Jing ran his hands over the fabric repeatedly, confirming that every piece had this quality. When his daughter touched it and gave the same feedback, his face lit up with joy.
Without delay, he used one sheet of fabric to wrap their food.
One sheet wasn’t enough, so he used two. After all, the mysterious merchant had given them a total of 20 sheets the night before!
Looking at his daughter, Hai Jing said with delight, “Hailan, next time you can trade with the great one for the milk you love.”
“But milk spoils so quickly. The great one said sour milk shouldn’t be consumed.”
“That’s no longer a problem. We don’t have to worry about food spoiling anymore.”
Hai Jing patted his daughter’s head, his smile brighter than ever.
*
Desolate City, Peace Grocery Store No. 3
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi stood on the roof of the swimming facility, looking down at the newly filled reservoir, their faces full of satisfaction.
Originally, they had planned to build the reservoir outside the main store. However, they realized that once the floodwaters receded, this would likely expose the main store’s location.
A 60m x 60m square reservoir was no small feature. Even though the main store was closed to outsiders, anyone associated with the Desolate City Grocery Store might guess there was more to it.
After much deliberation, they decided to build the reservoir outside the swimming facility instead.
The swimming facility was already known as a breeding base, and its location was no secret to Grandpa Li or others. It made sense to use it for this purpose.
Grandpa Li’s plan had proven effective. Using the walls and the protective barrier, they easily filled the reservoir with water.
Of course, with the swimming facility already ten meters underwater, there was a risk of water pressure destroying the brick walls. To mitigate this, Tang Yu’an had opted for reinforced concrete walls, costing 24,000 points.
The result was an 10,800-cubic-meter reservoir.
Since the reservoir was directly connected to the swimming facility, it became part of the store. This meant they could use the store’s item inventory system to access the water!
Now, they no longer had to worry about fulfilling their water commitments to Cosona, and they could even send extra water to Gan Lin’s group.
Tang Yu’an pulled out the auto-filling insulated cup, hesitated briefly as he looked at the murky water in the reservoir, and then tossed the cup in.
The item inventory system would ensure the water collected in the cup was clean.
The cup’s capacity had reached 10 cubic meters, but Tang Yu’an wasn’t sure how long it would take to fill.
Shaking his head, he decided to focus on practicing Wind Blade for the day before heading off with Zhou Qi to set up the exchange room.
Later that evening, before going to bed, they immediately retrieved Gan Lin’s drifting bottle.
“Great one, we’ve finished digging the well!” Gan Lin reported excitedly.
“What’s the approximate capacity?”
“Old Mo estimates about 8 cubic meters.”
Tang Yu’an checked the message board, where Zhou Qi had provided a rough calculation: a cylindrical well with a 1-meter diameter and 10-meter depth would hold approximately 7.85 cubic meters of water.
A 10-meter-deep well was no small feat.
Nodding, Tang Yu’an completed the trade with Gan Lin.
*
Near Flame Dragon Fortress, by the Well
“Old Mo, what are we even waiting for?” Sha Zi grumbled, his face full of exhaustion.
He hadn’t rested properly in two days and nights. After staying up all night digging the well, he only managed a short nap this morning before being woken up to dig again.
He glanced enviously at Gan Lin, who was sound asleep nearby.
Meanwhile, Luo Xiaolei kept her eyes fixed on the well, curious to see what Old Mo was up to.
The well not only had a reinforced lining but was also sealed with stones at the bottom. How could such a well produce water?
As Sha Zi finally gave in and lay down to rest, Luo Xiaolei suddenly widened her eyes and shot to her feet.
“Whoosh—”
Sha Zi followed her gaze and saw water pouring out of the newly dug well, quickly flooding the area.
He rubbed his eyes vigorously, but the scene remained unchanged.
Luo Xiaolei rushed to the well, incredulous, and scooped up the crystal-clear water with her hands.
As she tasted the water, clean and pure, a dazed expression spread across her face. She turned to Sha Zi, utterly bewildered.
Sha Zi also walked to the edge of the well, staring at the structure they had spent a full day and night digging. It had transformed into a well filled with water.
“It’s water… real water…” he stammered, his eyes fixed on the puddles spreading across the ground, completely at a loss for words.
Luo Xiaolei couldn’t help but turn to Old Mo. In that moment, the frail, wiry old man suddenly seemed enigmatic and unfathomable to her.
“Old Mo, what’s going on here?”
Old Mo chuckled. “Didn’t you see it for yourself just now?”
Luo Xiaolei pressed her lips together. Yes, she had seen it. The water in the well had appeared out of nowhere!
She had only blinked, and the well had filled to the brim. The water then surged above the edge of the well and overflowed onto the ground in an instant.
Looking at the water pooling and spreading on the ground, she felt her heart ache.
Noticing her distress, Old Mo smiled again and said, “Don’t worry. There will be more water for us in the future.”
“But how is this even possible…?”
“Haha, can’t you see it yet?” Old Mo raised his arms high, his eyes alight with fervor.
“This, of course, is a miracle!”
