Chapter 231
When they left the Jufeng Grocery Store, Tang Yu’an checked the map and noticed that Hong Li was not at the guard post.
After searching carefully, he saw that she had already led her team to the western side of Jufeng Mountain. Clearly, she hadn’t waited for them and had taken action early in the morning.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi immediately rushed toward the battlefield.
By the time they arrived, the battle was already over.
Just as Hong Li had predicted, since most of the manpower had been reassigned by Li Feng, the defenses in the rear were weak. As a result, there was no real suspense in the outcome of this fight.
“Hong Li! How dare you do this?! Aren’t you afraid of retaliation from the Li and Gu families?”
In the distance, they heard a blood-covered man shouting hysterically.
“Even if you capture me and I can’t report this in time, if I don’t check in within half a month, the Li family will definitely know something has happened to me—”
Before he could finish, a ball of fire landed on him, engulfing him in flames. He rolled on the ground, screaming in agony.
Hong Li remained indifferent. “So noisy.”
At that moment, she noticed Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi approaching, and a smile appeared on her face.
“How did you find your way here?”
Tang Yu’an didn’t answer. He looked at the battlefield, now in ruins, his face slightly pale.
Although he had experienced many battles, they had mostly been against mutated animals and plants. He hadn’t fought against humans very often.
Seeing such a bloody scene made him uncomfortable.
Noticing this, Zhou Qi took his hand and said to Hong Li, “Let’s go check on the planters.”
Hong Li glanced at Tang Yu’an before nodding. “Follow me.”
The resistance at the plantation was much weaker, so there were no gruesome sights to see.
The guards had all been subdued, and a group of frail, malnourished people stood under the watch of a squad of guards. Judging by their appearance and demeanor, they were most likely the plantation workers.
“Lord of the Mountain, all of Li Li’s planters are here,” a guard reported to Hong Li.
“Good work.”
Tang Yu’an observed the five planters—three women and two men—all of them disheveled, emaciated, and hunched over.
They stood beside the guards with blank expressions, showing neither fear nor relief at being rescued.
After all, no matter which faction took over the plantation, nothing really changed for them. Given the value of their skills, they wouldn’t be harmed, but they also had no hope of freedom.
The workers, responsible for production, were skeletal and malnourished. Ironically, the plantation guards, now tied up on the ground, were all well-fed and plump.
Seeing this contrast, Tang Yu’an realized that Hong Li was right.
This truly was an evil organization. Its downfall was well-deserved, and there was no need for sympathy.
Noticing the poor condition of the planters, he asked Hong Li, “Hong Li Sister, can I take them back to the guard post for now?”
Hong Li nodded and assigned a squad of guards to escort them.
The five planters followed behind the guards, moving sluggishly.
Compared to the planters in Desolate City Haven, these individuals were skin and bones, their bodies exhausted from long-term abuse. The sight was heartbreaking.
Tang Yu’an pulled out five one-unit Peace Coins and handed one to each of the guards, asking them to carry the planters back to the guard post.
The guards liked Peace Coins and didn’t mind their small value. After accepting them, each one carried a planter on their back and swiftly headed toward the guard post.
As they walked along the mountain path, Tang Yu’an turned to the oldest planter and asked, “Uncle, how should I address you?”
The elderly man, lying on the guard’s shoulder, looked startled.
Hearing the question, he turned his gaze toward Tang Yu’an, who looked like a delicate porcelain doll, his features refined and beautiful.
After hesitating for a moment, the old man finally replied, “Everyone calls me Old Chen.”
“Hello, Uncle Chen,” Tang Yu’an said with a cheerful smile. “Do you know Granny Guo?”
At the mention of the name, Old Chen’s expression turned wary.
He shook his head. “I don’t know her.”
Then, he lay back on the guard’s shoulder and refused to respond to any more questions.
Tang Yu’an glanced at the other planters, but they also avoided his gaze, keeping their expressions blank and empty, maintaining complete silence.
They didn’t seem like they didn’t know her…
But he didn’t press further.
If they truly knew Granny Guo, and if she had escaped from this plantation, then their silence was a sign of loyalty.
Once they arrived at Desolate City Haven and met Granny Guo, they would naturally understand that they were among allies.
Back at the guard post, the guards followed Hong Li’s instructions and placed the five planters in a room next to where the rescued children were staying.
Since the guards had been out fighting since early morning, the children had been left with only two women to care for them.
With fifty kids in need of supervision, the situation had quickly spiraled into chaos.
The room was now a mess, reeking from the lack of proper care.
The children still had to stay at the guard post for another two or three days, and things couldn’t continue like this.
So, Tang Yu’an decided to pay for more help.
He asked the guards to find eight more women who could work as caretakers. The only requirement was that they had to be quick, diligent, and attentive.
Finding workers in Jufeng Town was easy, and before long, the guards brought back eight young women, the youngest appearing to be around seventeen or eighteen.
Just like the residents of Desolate City Haven, only those with strong, healthy bodies could survive in this harsh world, which was why most workers were young.
After a brief discussion with Zhou Qi, Tang Yu’an handed each woman a ten-unit Peace Coin upfront.
Peace Coins had a warming effect, so he instructed them to keep the coins on them for warmth.
“Your job is to take care of these children—feeding them, putting them to bed, and keeping the place clean,” Tang Yu’an explained. “Food and lodging will be provided, and when your work is done, you’ll each receive another ten-unit Peace Coin.”
“These Peace Coins don’t just keep you warm. You can also use them at the Jufeng Grocery Store to exchange for goods…”
“But you must remember, you are not allowed to hit or scold the children, let alone bully them. If we find out, you will be fired immediately, and the wages you were given in advance will be taken back.”
“Of course, if you perform well, there will be extra rewards, and we will also consider hiring you long-term.”
After giving simple instructions, Tang Yu’an let them clean up the house first and then feed the children.
When they saw the neatly dressed and clean children in the room, the temporary nannies couldn’t help but look at each other in surprise.
Rumors had spread like wildfire in Jufeng Town, saying that the Mountain Lord Hong Li took these children back to the guard post to eat them…
In those rumors, Hong Li had been portrayed as a ruthless and vicious demon.
But who would have thought that not only were these children unharmed, but they were also being well taken care of by the guards? Even in their own childhoods, these women had never experienced such good treatment!
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi observed for a while and saw that these temporary nannies were indeed doing their jobs without slacking off. After comforting the children, they temporarily left.
The plantation workers also needed care.
Looking at their malnourished and frail appearances, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided to make something easy to digest and nutritious for them.
They asked the guards to retrieve ten pounds of soybeans from the Jufeng Grocery Store, and then the two young men went into the kitchen.
Since it wasn’t mealtime yet, the kitchen was empty. Tang Yu’an sent the guards outside to stand watch and then took out a stone mill from the Desolate City Haven.
As the homestead’s stockpile of raw materials grew, Old Li had begun encouraging residents to process food for better preservation. This stone mill was one of the tools created for that purpose.
Zhou Qi soaked the soybeans in water and used his fire ability to bring the water to a boil.
Ruby perched on Tang Yu’an’s shoulder also flew over and spewed fire at the container holding the soybeans.
But after just two bursts of flame, the little creature became exhausted. Tang Yu’an quickly caught it and placed it back into the pet space to rest.
Zhou Qi then used his water ability to speed up the absorption of water into the soybeans. In less than ten minutes, they softened.
They began grinding the soy milk.
Tang Yu’an had intended to help, but then he saw Zhou Qi put the soybeans into the mill, and the stone mill started turning on its own.
Seeing Zhou Qi concentrating intently on the millstone, Tang Yu’an could only sit quietly and wait.
“Brother Qi is really getting stronger!”
The young man’s eyes sparkled with admiration and longing as he watched Zhou Qi.
In the end, the 5 kilos of soybeans produced 40 kilos of thick soy milk, filling a large bucket. By that time, it was already noon.
They divided the soy milk into two portions—one large and one small. The larger portion, about 25 kilos, was used to make tofu, while the smaller portion was kept for drinking.
Since the guards would be returning for lunch, the kitchen had become busy.
However, the meals at the guard post were very basic, consisting only of boiled soybeans and stir-fried beans, so there wasn’t too much work to do. During breaks, everyone couldn’t help but sneak glances at Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi didn’t compete with them for stove space. Instead, he heated the soy milk with his fire ability while slowly adding brine. With constant stirring, the soy milk gradually solidified and settled.
Finally, after filtering out the excess liquid and pressing it firmly, the old-fashioned tofu was formed.
25 kilos of soy milk yielded 15 kilos of firm tofu. While the tofu was delicious and tender, making it was quite labor-intensive.
They took a portion of the tofu, prepared it simply, and delivered it to the five plantation workers.
The boiled soy milk was sweetened slightly and given to the nannies to feed the children.
As for the remaining tofu, they distributed it among the guards, and of course, Hong Li, who had just returned, got a share as well.
After finishing her meal, Hong Li sought them out. “I heard that thing called ‘tofu’ is made from soybeans?”
Seeing the two young men nod, she couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement. “Aren’t you being a little too nice to those children and plantation workers?”
Hiring people to care for them was one thing, but personally making food for them?
She had originally suspected these two might be Siverlight and Dark Moon, but now she wasn’t so sure.
After all, would people of that level really do something like this?
In response to her question, Tang Yu’an simply said, “Not really. We’re just doing the basics, aren’t we?”
As she looked at the two teenagers, Hong Li couldn’t help but be curious about how the Merchant God Sect had raised them.
The more she interacted with them, the more she realized their personalities and way of speaking were completely different from anyone she had met before.
“Alright, as long as you’re happy.”
Hong Li shrugged and then said, “I’ll be taking the soy milk and tofu-making recipes. What do you want in exchange?”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up with a smile.
In fact, processing soybeans in the guard post was partly to attract Hong Li’s attention.
Now that he had succeeded, he was naturally pleased.
However, since there were no soybean stocks left at the guard post for trading, Hong Li wrote them an IOU instead.
Considering that the introduction of potatoes and sweet potatoes might reduce soybean production at the guard post, this time, the IOU was for potatoes.
Hong Li wasn’t particularly interested in gourmet food. Given the state of Jufeng Mountain, they still needed to focus on basic survival before they could even think about “eating well.”
The main reason she exchanged the recipe with the two boys was to keep people occupied—so she could spend the ten thousand Peace Coins she had just acquired.
After taking over Li Li’s territory, Jufeng Mountain was now completely under her control.
Inspired by the Desolate City Haven and the forums, she also wanted to develop Jufeng Town into a sustainable operation that could generate a steady stream of points.
So, she handed over five thousand ten-unit Peace Coins to Hei Xiong in the form of loans, instructing him to ensure that every resident of Jufeng Town had at least one, and that he must deliver at least ten thousand wild vegetables to her.
Ten thousand wild vegetables were worth about one hundred thousand points, meaning she would make at least fifty thousand points in profit.
Of course, since there would be a time gap between Hei Xiong taking the Peace Coins and delivering the vegetables, according to the current system rules, there was a high chance that she could ultimately bring Tang Yu’an a profit of one hundred thousand points.
“Remember, these five thousand Peace Coins are now yours,” Hong Li reminded Hei Xiong sternly. “They are no longer mine, got it?”
Hei Xiong nodded in confusion. “Got it.”
Although he didn’t fully understand, he knew that if it was an order from the Mountain Lord, nodding was the right response.
“Alright, go take care of it,” Hong Li waved her hand. “I’ll be waiting for your good news.”
Then she took out a few Peace Coins and sent the guards to find someone to craft a stone mill.
These Peace Coins were indeed valuable—not only were they convenient to carry, but their ability to regulate temperature made them almost universally accepted. She only hoped they would start circulating in Jufeng Town to make transactions easier.
The five planters remained in their room.
Aside from bringing them fresh tofu and soy milk, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi also performed a “baptism” on them, just as they had done with the children earlier.
“You should stay here and rest for now. In two days, you’ll go down the mountain with the children and come with us to the Desolate City Haven.”
Although the planters were shaken by the “miracle” Tang Yu’an had displayed, they were not moved by his words. Instead, they grew even more wary and fearful.
Planters like Old Chen, who had lived long enough to experience different factions, had been through too much.
In the past, he had never been treated so well.
Most faction leaders treated planters like livestock—giving them just enough food to survive while constantly squeezing them to grow more crops. They also had countless ways to control planters.
For example, forcing planters to marry and have children or using their families as leverage.
Old Chen himself had a son, a metal-element ability user of average talent. A few days ago, Li Li had sent people to take his son away, and he had not returned since. He was likely gone forever…
From his past experiences, Old Chen believed that the better the “Merchant God Sect” treated them, the more they must be plotting something.
He had no idea what they could possibly want beyond his planting abilities, but the unknown only deepened his fear. He hadn’t slept well in two days.
Finally, two days passed. Early in the morning, the guards woke them up to prepare for the descent.
With fifty children, five planters, and eight babysitters, the group set off in a grand procession down the mountain.
Such a spectacle naturally attracted countless onlookers.
People noticed that the children were almost excessively clean. Moreover, after spending several days in the garrison under Hong Li’s care, not a single child was missing. In fact, they even looked healthier.
“Where are they going?”
“Follow and see!”
“The Mountain Lord must be fattening them up before eating them…”
“Shut up! Don’t badmouth the Mountain Lord!”
Thanks to Hei Xiong’s efforts to sell Peace Coins at a “low price” while enforcing the strict rule that each person could only get one, most residents of Jufeng Town had acquired one of these warmth-providing treasures.
At night, they no longer suffered from the bitter cold.
Because of this, Hong Li’s reputation in Jufeng Town soared once again, and those who had previously spread rumors about her faced backlash.
Now, seeing all fifty children alive and well, the rumors collapsed on their own.
Curious onlookers couldn’t resist their gossiping instincts and followed the group down the mountain.
By the time the group finally reached the foot of the mountain in the evening, everyone was exhausted and starving—especially the children.
They didn’t understand why the adults had brought them down the mountain. As the sky darkened and the evening wind howled, they began to shiver.
The younger ones couldn’t hold back their tears and started crying.
The young babysitters scrambled to comfort them, but to no avail. The cries only worsened the already restless atmosphere, making everyone uneasy.
Doubt crept into their hearts—had they made the wrong choice by coming down the mountain?
Just then, someone gasped in surprise.
“Look over there!”
Even though it wasn’t yet five o’clock, the sky was already dark. Two beams of light pierced through the night, shining from a distance.
“What is that? A monster?”
As the crowd grew restless, it was Hong Li—standing at the very front—who steadied the situation.
“What’s all the noise? Be quiet!”
The chaotic group instantly fell silent, even the children stopped crying.
Under their watchful eyes, a steel beast slowly approached from afar, its twin headlights illuminating the darkness.
Hong Li’s eyes grew brighter as she took in the sight.
A vehicle this massive—on the wasteland! Even in the strongholds, such vehicles were rare.
She suddenly felt excited about her own fuel-powered motorcycle.
But soon, she noticed something else—wherever the steel beast’s wheels passed, the dirt road transformed into a smooth concrete path.
Was this how the Desolate City Haven paved roads?
How did this work? Could it be a power granted by the Merchant God? Would she also gain such an ability once she became a true core member?
A flood of questions filled her mind, but she forced herself to remain calm and stood motionless at the front of the group.
Her composure reassured everyone else, and the crowd settled down, quietly observing the massive, unfamiliar vehicle.
Naturally, the ones driving were Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi.
They hadn’t switched to a new vehicle—instead, they had reopened the Peace Grocery Store.
This marked the first time the Peace Grocery Store appeared in the wasteland!
With their “Troublesome Customers Begone” aura and greatly enhanced abilities, they no longer had to worry about their valuable possessions being stolen.
About twenty meters away from Hong Li’s group, Zhou Qi brought the vehicle to a stop.
Tang Yu’an continued paving the road until the concrete path reached Hong Li’s feet, seamlessly connecting to the mountain trail leading up Jufeng Mountain.
[Congratulations! You have completed the side quest “Want to Get Rich? Build Roads First!”]
[Rewards: 5,000 points, Landmark Building (Signboard Flag) +1, 48-hour Traffic Boost Card +1, Lucky Spin Chances +3]
Wuhu! The road construction mission was finally complete!
Tang Yu’an cheered but didn’t check his rewards just yet. Instead, he followed Zhou Qi and jumped out of the vehicle.
“Sister Hong Li!” he called out, waving to her group.
Seeing them step out of the vehicle, Hong Li exhaled slowly before leading her people forward.
The residents of Jufeng Town who had followed out of curiosity trailed behind the group. However, many of them found that once they were about 20 meters away from the RV, they could no longer move any closer.
This effect felt oddly familiar…
The bystanders suddenly recalled something—wasn’t this the same strange power from Jufeng Grocery Store?
Something about the so-called protection of the Merchant God, preventing those with ill intentions from getting near…
And now, seeing Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, everything clicked—weren’t these the owners of Jufeng Grocery Store? So this steel beast belonged to them as well?
As for these “unwelcome guests” who couldn’t get any closer, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had no time to bother with them.
They had already opened the RV and were getting the children and planters inside.
After its upgrade, the RV had doubled in size. Since the children were small, they could squeeze in without much trouble.
The eight babysitters, for example, each carried one child on their back and held two more in their arms, fitting 24 children in just those eight spots.
The planters, though thin, were still ability users and quite strong. Except for the elderly Old Chen, who could only carry two kids, the other four planters each managed three.
As for the remaining older children, they could squeeze onto the bunk beds inside.
All in all, though the vehicle was severely overloaded, they still managed to fit everyone in.
As for Hong Li…
Seeing that there was no more room inside, she simply jumped onto the roof of the RV. She then instructed the escorting guards to head back and return for her tomorrow.
She planned to follow along to Desolate City Haven and experience the newly paved road firsthand.
Anyway, once this group of children arrived safely, she would receive her mission rewards. By tomorrow, she could just ride her motorcycle back.
Under the curious and astonished gazes of the guards and Jufeng Town residents, Tang Yu’an and his team slowly drove off, disappearing from view.
Since this was the first time transporting so many people, Zhou Qi drove extra carefully, keeping the speed very slow.
Seated on the roof, Hong Li barely felt any bumps. Having already experienced the smoothness of the concrete roads before, she wasn’t too surprised.
That was until— As they reached the riverside, the headlights illuminated a brand-new concrete bridge, appearing before her eyes.
