Chapter 23 – Will it Hatch Eggs?
Tang Yu’an looked at the task of clearing the giant lizard nest.
Like the previous dangerous creature elimination tasks, this one offered a pet slot as a reward. Perhaps the system was encouraging him to tame a giant lizard?
But Tang Yu’an wasn’t particularly interested in big lizards—they were not only ugly but also had corrosive saliva, making them far more dangerous than cats or dogs. Although they had tough skin and considerable combat power, who knew if he’d encounter even stronger creatures in the future?
After thinking it over, Tang Yu’an decided not to dwell on it. It was too early to make such decisions anyway. The new pet slot was a must-have, regardless!
He casually shared the task with Zhou Qi. Before he could say anything, the conversation above them abruptly stopped.
Zhou Qi quickly covered Tang Yu’an’s mouth and called out loudly, “Grandpa Li, can you hear us? It’s us—the ones who saved you yesterday—”
As he spoke, he knocked forcefully on the stone slab.
Granny Guo’s sudden attack yesterday had left Zhou Qi a bit apprehensive. He was afraid that if they delayed, they might face some powerful threat.
Realizing this, Tang Yu’an pushed Zhou Qi’s hand away and shouted, “Grandpa Li, are you awake? We’re coming up!”
After speaking, the two boys fell silent.
Sure enough, after a moment, the stone covering the entrance was pushed aside, and Lin Zhen appeared above them, her face full of caution.
“It’s you two.”
Lin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. After confirming it was just the two of them, she moved aside to let them through.
“Come on up.”
Zhou Qi carried Tang Yu’an up. With a light leap, they landed gently inside Grandpa Li’s room—the effect of his Lightfoot Technique hadn’t worn off yet. However, seeing him display such agility, neither of the people inside seemed surprised.
Contrary to their expectations, the old man who had been gravely injured and seemed on the brink of death yesterday was already up and about today.
His leg was wrapped in bandages, and he was sitting in a corner, carving a piece of wood. Apart from his still pale complexion, there was no sign of the severe injuries he’d suffered.
Zhou Qi observed him, frowning slightly.
Was such rapid recovery common in this world? Did it have anything to do with that parasite?
“You…”
Grandpa Li put down the small knife in his hand, his gaze lingering on Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi for a few moments before he said, “Thank you for yesterday.”
Tang Yu’an smiled and said, “Grandpa, you’ve already thanked us. How are you feeling today?”
“Much better.”
Grandpa Li looked at him, then at Zhou Qi. “But if we’re going to the town, it’ll have to wait another couple of days.”
He still remembered his promise from the day before—to take them to the town in exchange for two small bags of rock candy.
Thanks to that sugar, he’d recovered faster than usual.
“That’s fine; there’s no rush.” Tang Yu’an nodded. “We’ll wait until you’re fully healed.”
This gave them an excuse to come by every day to do business.
“By the way, how should I address you two?” Grandpa Li asked.
“My name is Yu’an, and this is my brother Zhou Qi.” This was something they’d agreed upon on the way—they would refer to each other as brothers to avoid unnecessary explanations.
Grandpa Li nodded gently. Lin Zhen then handed back the alcohol bottle that Tang Yu’an had left the previous day. “Here, your bottle.”
There was only a little alcohol left inside, probably used for Grandpa Li.
Tang Yu’an took the plastic bottle and pulled out a small flower he’d picked along the way, smiling as he offered it to her. “Thank you, big sister. This is for you.”
Lin Zhen was visibly taken aback before reaching out to accept it.
[You have completed a transaction with a regular customer and made a profit. Credits +1, Experience +2]
Tang Yu’an blinked, not expecting this to count as a transaction.
He had just wanted to build a good relationship with Sister Lin. Seeing some wildflowers on the way, he’d thought she might like them and decided to give her one.
He hadn’t anticipated that, in the system’s judgment, this would count as a transaction—and a profitable one at that!
Although the credits were minimal, they weren’t lacking in credits at the moment. Experience and completing daily tasks were more important.
Thinking of this, Tang Yu’an smiled again.
The boy’s face was fair and tender, his features delicate and refined—he looked very much like a little angel from legend.
Lin Zhen held the flower, momentarily dazed.
By all accounts, it was just a common wildflower, neither edible nor particularly useful, but…
Whatever memories surfaced, Lin Zhen’s expression grew complex—there was joy, but also a hint of sorrow. Finally, she took out a small bottle and carefully placed the flower inside.
“Thank you,” she said softly to the boy.
Tang Yu’an had already put away his smile. Seeing Lin Zhen’s expression, he wondered if she’d recalled something sad…
“Lin got a flower! Lin is shy!”
The parrot that had been perched on her shoulder suddenly squawked, its grating voice sounding mocking.
Lin Zhen, who had raised the parrot, knew all too well that this annoying bird was teasing her.
Her complicated emotions were interrupted by its antics. Slightly annoyed, she snapped, “A-Mu, hush!”
“Big Sister Lin, is your bird named A-Mu?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Yes,” Lin Zhen nodded.
Tang Yu’an stared at the parrot, not giving up on his previous idea. He pressed on, “Can it hatch eggs?”
The parrot’s mocking squawks halted abruptly.
It looked incredulously at Tang Yu’an, feeling a sudden chill. It quickly nestled closer to Lin Zhen’s head, wearing an expression that said, “I don’t know you; I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Hatch eggs?” Lin Zhen tilted her head, a big question mark practically visible above her.
Clearly, in all the time she’d had A-Mu, no one had ever asked such a question.
“Yes!”
Tang Yu’an glanced up at Zhou Qi, who nodded. He then opened his backpack and pretended to take out a chicken egg.
This was one of the few fertilized eggs he had, so he handled it with extra care.
As he brought out the egg, both Lin Zhen and Grandpa Li’s expressions turned serious.
Lin Zhen stared at the fragile egg in the boy’s hand.
Most mutant creatures had the trait of gigantism, but a small number retained their original, smaller size—such creatures often possessed remarkable abilities.
She observed the egg, recognizing it as belonging to a bird, but couldn’t determine much else.
“Is this the egg of a mutant creature?” Lin Zhen couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, it’s not a mutant creature—just a regular chicken egg,” Tang Yu’an replied.
“A regular chicken egg?” Lin Zhen was puzzled. “Then why do you want to hatch it?”
“If we hatch a hen and raise it, once it’s grown, we’ll have a steady supply of eggs to eat!” Tang Yu’an said matter-of-factly.
Even without a rooster, hens start laying eggs when they reach maturity—one or two eggs a day, which can continue for several months. Of course, as they age, the laying frequency decreases.
This was something Tang Yu’an had learned from an agricultural program. He found it fascinating and had remembered it.
Now, it was coming in handy!
Hearing his explanation, Lin Zhen was clearly stunned. She had never raised chickens, nor had she ever eaten chicken meat.
There was a flock of mutant chickens in the center of the desolate city, but they were formidable. She didn’t dare get too close, let alone observe their egg-laying habits.
Lin Zhen glanced at Grandpa Li, hoping to find some answers.
Grandpa Li was also taken aback.
Before the Cataclysm, he’d been an ordinary teenager living in the city. He knew eggs came from farms but had no idea how hens laid them.
But the boy spoke with such confidence, and since they presumably came from a fortress, possessing such knowledge wasn’t surprising.
“Maybe… that’s how it works,” he said uncertainly.
Lin Zhen looked back at Tang Yu’an, marveling at the delicate egg in his hand.
“I can’t believe there’s such a magical creature in the world!”
Actually, Tang Yu’an hadn’t mentioned that to keep a hen laying eggs, the key was not to let her gather a clutch—usually around ten eggs. It had something to do with the hen’s perception.
But that was a concern for later. For now, even if they managed to hatch a chick, there was no guarantee it would be female.
Seeing that Lin Zhen was looking at the egg without any hint of greed or intent to snatch it, Tang Yu’an felt a bit more at ease.
He still trusted Grandpa Li—they’d saved his life, and he’d given them a blue crystal in return. A person who repaid kindness couldn’t be too bad.
But Lin Zhen was different.
He still remembered her following them when they left the day before. Taking out an egg now was a small test.
“So, you want to give me this egg and have A-Mu hatch it?” Lin Zhen asked.
Tang Yu’an nodded.
Lin Zhen thought for a moment and tentatively asked, “So, you’re planning to stay in the desolate city?”
After all, hatching an egg took time. By her estimation, even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least a month. And raising the chick afterward was another matter.
“Yes, we’ll be staying here for the time being,” Tang Yu’an confirmed.
The grocery store was in the desolate city; they couldn’t stray too far. They’d be interacting with the locals regularly, so it was impossible to hide.
“Has A-Mu ever hatched an egg?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“No, he’s a male parrot and hasn’t found a mate yet,” Lin Zhen shook her head.
The birds in the desolate city were all fierce and combative. A-Mu was a “weakling” cast out from a bird flock. Lin Zhen had found him and raised him. Perhaps due to childhood trauma, he was very averse to other birds.
A-Mu looked at Lin Zhen, then at Tang Yu’an. Suddenly, he flapped his wings, trying to fly away.
But Lin Zhen had anticipated his move. She quickly grabbed his legs, pulling him back and preventing his escape.
“A-Mu, be good. If you help hatch the egg, you might get a wife,” she coaxed.
A-Mu’s eyes widened, and the feathers on his head stood up.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi couldn’t help but twitch their mouths at her words.
A parrot and a chicken? How could that work!
“A-Mu is a bird! A-Mu is a bird!” the parrot squawked, flapping his wings frantically. He even pecked at Lin Zhen’s hand, clearly resisting and refusing to cooperate.
Seeing his strong reaction, Lin Zhen sighed and said to Tang Yu’an, “Wait here for a moment.”
She then took A-Mu outside, presumably to have a private talk with her feathery friend.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged glances before turning their attention back to Grandpa Li.
Never mind; they might as well complete today’s transactions.
“Grandpa Li, is your wound still bleeding? Let us check it for you,” Tang Yu’an offered, walking over to him.
Grandpa Li hesitated, about to shake his head, but the boy beside him added, “The bandage is dirty and needs to be changed; otherwise, it might get infected.”
The words of refusal died in his throat.
Infection was dangerous, and he did need to be careful.
“Do you have bandages?” Grandpa Li asked.
“We do.”
Zhou Qi nodded, pulling a medical kit from his backpack. It contained bandages, medicinal powder, scissors, and other tools.
He took out a regular bandage—using the special healing bandage would be wasteful given Grandpa Li’s recovery.
He didn’t mention any trade; instead, he began to carefully cut away the old bandage on Grandpa Li’s wound.
The bleeding had stopped. After applying medicinal powder the day before, the wound had darkened and formed a thick scab.
Although the recovery was swift, it wasn’t as rapid as Zhou Qi’s own healing, where wounds vanished without a trace overnight.
Maybe he was overthinking things?
Zhou Qi took out some alcohol, soaked a cotton ball, and gently cleaned the wound. Casually, he remarked, “For such a severe injury… you’re recovering really quickly.”
Grandpa Li gritted his teeth against the sting of the alcohol. He shook his head. “Not as fast as when I was young…”
“Are you an ability user?” Zhou Qi suddenly asked.
“Ability user?”
Grandpa Li gave him a peculiar look, causing Zhou Qi to pause. Fortunately, the old man continued, “Is that what they call people like us in the fortress now?”
Apparently, Zhou Qi’s terminology wasn’t quite right, but Grandpa Li seemed to find his own explanation.
“Now? Wasn’t it always called that?” Zhou Qi probed further.
“Well,” Grandpa Li mused, his gaze distant. “They used to call us mutants.”
“That term… doesn’t sound very friendly,” Tang Yu’an murmured.
Grandpa Li chuckled. “It wasn’t.”
So, Grandpa Li was from the fortress, but it had been many years, and he wasn’t up-to-date on current terms.
“Do all ability users have such strong recovery abilities?”
Without needing a prompt, Tang Yu’an understood what Zhou Qi was getting at. He was concerned. If such recovery was common among ability users, maybe being parasitized wasn’t necessarily a bad thing?
“Not necessarily,” Grandpa Li shook his head. “Some people’s physical conditions become even weaker. And… the stronger the ability, the more dangerous it is.”
Tang Yu’an’s heart tightened.
“Why?” he asked urgently.
Grandpa Li’s expression grew strange again. But he soon nodded, speaking softly. “Perhaps your elders didn’t tell you. Maybe the fortress has found a solution by now.”
He then answered Tang Yu’an’s question.
“I’m not entirely sure.”
Then he dropped a bombshell.
“The stronger the ability, the faster they often die.”
He added, “This has been the pattern since the Cataclysm. As for any changes recently… I don’t know.”
Tang Yu’an’s face paled slightly.
Brother Qi’s potential was rated SSS—that had to be considered very strong, right?
Zhou Qi remained calm. The unknown was the most terrifying. Having some clues and direction was better than groping in the dark.
He continued tending to Grandpa Li’s wound, cleaning the surrounding skin.
Grandpa Li broke into a sweat. Perhaps to distract himself, he asked, “Which fortress did you come from?”
Tang Yu’an glanced at Zhou Qi. Bolstered by his composure, he quickly steadied himself.
“Grandpa Li, are there many fortresses out there?” he asked innocently, like a sheltered flower venturing into the world for the first time.
Grandpa Li looked at the boy’s tender face and had no doubts.
“Of course,” he smiled. “In the southeast alone, there are four fortresses: Qingmu, Yanlong, Zitian, and Bingyan. As for places farther away… I haven’t been.”
“Have you been to all four fortresses?” Tang Yu’an continued.
Grandpa Li shook his head, a meaningful look in his eyes. “Fortresses aren’t places you can just enter on a whim.”
Though he wanted to ask more specifics, seeing that Grandpa Li didn’t wish to delve deeper, Tang Yu’an didn’t press further.
After all, their cover was that they came from one of these “fortresses.”
“So, which fortress did you come from?”
Actually, Grandpa Li wanted to ask why they were out here at such a young age. Weren’t their elders worried? But he didn’t voice these concerns.
Maybe there was some expert secretly protecting them.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged a glance, then confidently declared, “We came from Qingmu Fortress.”
He remembered Granny Guo mentioning that the desolate city used to be Qingmu County, so Qingmu Fortress was probably the closest.
Sure enough, Grandpa Li didn’t doubt them.
He nodded gently, then asked, “Do you know Xie Shan?”
Tang Yu’an feigned confusion. He was just an innocent, naive kid—it was normal not to know.
Zhou Qi silently finished bandaging Grandpa Li, seemingly too busy to respond.
“Well, the fortress is big. It’s normal you don’t know him…” Grandpa Li chuckled self-deprecatingly and fell silent.
Actually, Tang Yu’an recalled the two mysterious people they’d seen the day before—the ones with guns. The brown-haired one seemed to be called “Old Xie.”
But it couldn’t be that coincidental, could it? Those men were much younger than Grandpa Li; they probably didn’t know each other.
“All done.”
Zhou Qi tied off the bandage. “Try to keep it dry for the next couple of days.”
Grandpa Li thanked them again. He wanted to offer them some dried meat as gratitude, but Zhou Qi politely declined, opting instead for a few fruits.
They’d seen that dried meat in the kitchen the day before—it looked old and hard as a rock, not very appetizing.
Besides, they had fresh meat from the bird Black Pearl had brought them.
Fresh was always better, and fruits were more valuable according to the system.
In total, from this transaction, they received five fruits, 1 experience point, and 43 credits—8 of which came from completing two daily tasks.
[Congratulations on completing all daily tasks. Lucky Wheel spins +1]
Tang Yu’an smiled happily.
He and Brother Qi had discussed it the night before. Their current goal was to focus on completing daily tasks and gaining experience.
Daily tasks often included making a profit, allowing them to work on streak achievements for both tasks and profits, and they could earn more Lucky Wheel spins. Experience was crucial for leveling up as a merchant.
As for the amount of profit in credits, they’d aim for more but wouldn’t force it. Daily tasks and experience were more important.
After all, customer demand was limited. The number of residents and resources in the desolate city was finite. If they tried to maximize profits every day, they might eventually have to venture farther to find new customers.
And since the grocery store was fixed in the desolate city, that would be troublesome.
Slow and steady wins the race.
So, before Lin Zhen returned, Zhou Qi found ways to make two more trades with Grandpa Li.
One was profitable, the other at a loss, totaling another 10 credits and 2 experience points.
Grandpa Li looked at the candies the boy pressed into his hand. While he needed them, he thought for a moment and said, “You should keep supplies like this for yourselves.”
He advised softly, “The world outside isn’t like the fortress; you can’t afford to be so generous.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Li. We understand,” Tang Yu’an nodded earnestly.
Grandpa Li glanced between him and Zhou Qi. He didn’t say more, just hoped the two kids truly understood. Otherwise, they might suffer for it later.
After a while, Lin Zhen finally returned with A-Mu.
“We’re back!”
“Big Sister Lin, did A-Mu agree?”
“Yes, he did.”
Lin Zhen beamed. Whatever method she’d used to persuade A-Mu to help hatch the egg, it had worked. The parrot, who had been so resistant earlier, now perched obediently on her shoulder.
Though when he heard their conversation, he still rolled his eyes in displeasure.
Tang Yu’an found it fascinating—it was his first time seeing a parrot with such high intelligence. Not only could it speak fluently, but it also genuinely understood their conversation.
“Alright, let’s discuss how we’ll cooperate,” Lin Zhen said, sitting down. She looked over at Grandpa Li. “Old man, could you witness this for us?”
“Sure,” Grandpa Li agreed readily.
This was Tang Yu’an’s idea, so Zhou Qi remained silent, watching as he and Lin Zhen negotiated.
Lin Zhen contemplated. “We can let A-Mu try to hatch the egg, but let’s be clear: A-Mu is a male parrot and might not succeed. If the egg doesn’t hatch, you can’t blame us.”
“Don’t worry, big sister. We won’t,” Tang Yu’an assured her.
He had a total of 23 fertilized chicken eggs and more than ten duck eggs stored safely in his portable warehouse, so he could afford the potential loss.
He then took out a pre-prepared bag of rock candy—a larger plastic bag containing about 50 grams, totaling 20 pieces. Valued at approximately 50 credits, considering 1 credit equaled 1 gram of glucose.
Sugar was a hard currency in the wasteland world, and Tang Yu’an believed Lin Zhen would appreciate it.
“We’d like to offer this bag of rock candy in exchange for A-Mu helping us hatch the chicken egg,” he proposed.
Lin Zhen eyed the sugar, visibly swallowing.
But in the end, she shook her head, rejecting the offer. “Let’s find another way. If A-Mu successfully hatches the chick, once it grows up and starts laying eggs, we want ten eggs.”
