Chapter 27 – Black Pearl’s Leading Role
Tang Yu’an didn’t pay attention to the fleeing mutated boar; instead, his focus was on Zhou Qi.
“Brother Qi?”
Zhou Qi was holding a small stone and seemed a bit off, though his eyes hadn’t turned red like before.
“Mm.”
Zhou Qi felt a strange impulse within; the parasite seemed to want him to swallow this stone.
So this stone…
He handed the stone to Tang Yu’an, asking him to wash it clean.
“Oh, okay.”
Tang Yu’an took the stone and used some water to rinse off the mud and sand on its surface. Sure enough, it was also a crystal, made of the same material as the blue crystal but pale gold in color.
“Brother Qi, look, this stone is a different color!” Tang Yu’an said in surprise, gazing at the small stone sparkling with golden specks under the sunlight.
Its texture was the same as the blue crystal; it should be the same kind of material, just a different color.
Zhou Qi nodded and thought for a moment. “Could it be related to abilities?”
He had previously seen Granny Guo accelerate plant growth, and her hands emitted a pale green glow. Combining that with the crystals’ value, it’s possible that different colors represent different abilities.
That mutated boar’s skin was harder than steel; could it be metal-affiliated, corresponding to the attribute of this stone?
Did it also have a parasite driving it to pursue the same kind of stone?
Listening to his speculation, Tang Yu’an felt a bit confused. After pondering, he said, “Brother Qi, let’s ask Grandpa Li about it tomorrow; he must know.”
Since he could produce a blue crystal to repay them for saving his life, he must know the value of this stone.
“Alright.” Zhou Qi nodded, suggesting that Tang Yu’an temporarily store the crystal. Perhaps they would get answers after consulting Old Li.
As for now… it was time to head home.
“Let’s go back~”
Tang Yu’an put the pale gold crystal into his portable warehouse alongside the blue crystal, then happily began to bounce around.
The effect of the Lightfoot Technique was truly magical. Earlier, they had been focused on traveling and dealing with the mutated boar and didn’t have the mood to enjoy it. Now they could finally relax a bit and have some fun.
“Brother Qi, look how fast I can run!”
Tang Yu’an ran and jumped among the ruins. His athletic ability wasn’t bad; both his speed and jumping were excellent. After the Lightfoot Technique’s enhancement, he appeared much more agile than Zhou Qi.
Light as a swallow, fluttering like a dancing butterfly.
Seeing the boy return to his lively self, Zhou Qi felt his mood lighten and smiled, temporarily forgetting about the parasite.
“Be careful not to run into a wall.”
“I won’t!”
Tang Yu’an stepped on protrusions on the wall, leaping onto a two-meter-high wall like a martial artist. Turning his head, he grinned, “Brother Qi, you’re too slow; you can’t catch me!”
Zhou Qi chuckled softly, then pushed off with his toes, vaulting over the wall in a single bound.
Seeing him ahead, Tang Yu’an quickly jumped down and chased after him with all his might.
The two boys chased each other in the wind, seemingly forgetting all their worries for the moment.
As they passed an abandoned parking lot, Tang Yu’an suddenly stopped and checked the map.
A tangerine-colored light appeared on the map—a color representing pets. It had appeared when Black Pearl left the grocery store.
Sure enough, Black Pearl had returned to her territory.
They had met Black Pearl and Silver Coin here yesterday. It seemed this place was originally Black Pearl’s territory, and Silver Coin was the intruder.
Tang Yu’an didn’t want to disturb her. He simply opened his portable warehouse and retrieved the bowl Black Pearl had used yesterday from the grocery store—they were within one kilometer of the store, so they could use the remote retrieval skill.
He placed the bowl on a flat area, poured in a bottle of milk, and added a handful of small dried fish.
Although it might not fill her up, Black Pearl was a capable hunter and could find food on her own. The milk and fish were just snacks.
“All set. Brother Qi, let’s go.”
Clapping his hands, Tang Yu’an turned and left with Zhou Qi.
The Lightfoot Technique’s effect had ended, so they walked back slowly. It was less than a kilometer away, so it didn’t take long.
Gradually, their figures disappeared among the collapsed buildings.
After a while, a pure black figure gracefully stepped out from behind an abandoned bus.
She stood there, gazing in the direction where the two boys had left.
The setting sun cast a warm hue over the land. The big cat’s icy golden eyes narrowed slightly before lowering her gaze to the food the boys had left.
Black Pearl’s eyes showed impatience.
Why had they come again? Didn’t she settle things with them already?
The black cat’s face displayed human-like annoyance. Her slender tail swished back and forth, but despite her irritation, she slowly walked over.
As she approached the milk and dried fish, her tall figure gradually shrank. By the time she reached the food, the big black cat had transformed into a white Pomeranian.
She buried her head in the bowl, extending her pink tongue to lap up the milk, her little tail wagging happily behind her, revealing her current mood.
*
When Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi returned to the grocery store, the sky had already darkened.
After six o’clock, the protective barrier automatically activated, hiding the grocery store in the night. Without the map’s guidance, they might not have found it.
“Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”
Yin Bi ran out from the hidden grocery store, grinning enthusiastically, her big tail wagging wildly.
“Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!”
Her emotions were so straightforward that seeing her made others feel happy too.
“Yin Bi, we’re back!” Tang Yu’an happily patted her head, then moved toward the grocery store again.
Just as they were about to enter the barrier, Zhou Qi suddenly tensed, pulling Tang Yu’an protectively into his arms. Before he could make another move, they saw—
“Thud.”
A small animal with long ears, resembling a rabbit, was thrown in front of them. Its fur was yellowish-brown, stained with blood—it hadn’t been dead for long.
At the same time, a shadow flickered, and the figure of the four-eyed giant dog appeared before them.
“Yuan Bao!”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. “You’re back!”
It had run out when they opened the door in the morning. He thought Yuan Bao, like Black Pearl, didn’t want to stay in the grocery store and had returned to its own territory.
The four-eyed giant dog’s form gradually shrank, finally becoming a puppy.
It looked at Tang Yu’an. Although its little tail wagged gently, it wasn’t as openly enthusiastic as Silver Coin.
The four-eyed puppy nodded slightly, then turned around, head held high, and walked into the grocery store, disappearing into the barrier.
Tang Yu’an looked at the yellow rabbit on the ground, then at the proud little back of the four-eyed puppy.
He whispered, “Brother Qi, do you think Yuan Bao was waiting for us all along?”
Waiting for them to return, throwing its caught prey before them, then coolly turning to leave.
This little guy is quite the tsundere.
“It’s definitely because of Black Pearl!”
Black Pearl had given them bird meat, so Yuan Bao brought a rabbit. Thinking of this, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but chuckle.
Cats and dogs competing—it’s so cute!
Zhou Qi reached out and ruffled his hair, picked up the dead rabbit, and smiled.
Either way, they wouldn’t lack fresh meat for the next few days.
Back at the grocery store, Zhou Qi went to the kitchen to make dinner, while Tang Yu’an rested and played with the three little ones.
He noticed that Yin Bi’s fur was also white but looked gray because she was too dirty.
However, Tang Yu’an only wiped her down with a damp towel. She was much larger than Wang Cai, so washing her thoroughly would use too much water.
Although they had plenty of credits now, they couldn’t afford such waste.
After all, Granny Guo and the others were still drinking muddy water. Today’s experiences gave Tang Yu’an a new understanding of how tough this world was.
The grocery store had clean water, which they couldn’t reveal for now. But if they had the ability in the future, he wanted to help these customers.
From another perspective, if the customers were healthy and lived longer, they could continue trading with them, allowing them to earn more credits.
Tang Yu’an remembered seeing how to make simple water purification devices on TV, though he forgot the exact steps. He decided that when they had time, he’d study it with Brother Qi.
Brother Qi was the smartest; he’d definitely figure it out!
After wiping the dust off their fur with a damp towel, Tang Yu’an took out the medicinal powder Lin Zhen had given them and dewormed the three little ones.
Initially, the three were not fond of the powder’s smell, but after realizing that applying it stopped their itching, they quickly accepted it.
Being in the wild inevitably attracted bugs, especially in the wasteland.
Tang Yu’an watched as small bugs crawled out of them, feeling his scalp tingle.
Fortunately, they hadn’t let them go up to the attic last night.
He quickly took out insecticide to eliminate the bugs, determined not to let them stay in the grocery store. But he noticed the bugs were crawling slower and slower.
In the end, before they could hide in corners, the bugs stopped midway and died.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but marvel at the medicine’s potency—no wonder it was worth 3 eggs and 20 credits!
He decided to name this medicinal powder “Insect Repellent Powder.”
If there was a chance, he’d get more from Sister Lin!
After cleaning up the dead bugs, Tang Yu’an took a shower. Perhaps it was psychological, but he felt itchy all over.
When he came out after his shower, Zhou Qi had finished making dinner.
The bird meat, marinated all day, was especially tender and flavorful. Stir-fried with ginger, scallions, and garlic, it made Tang Yu’an’s appetite soar.
Besides the stir-fried meat, Zhou Qi used the bones to make soup, sliced a ring of winter melon, and stewed it with dried scallops and shrimp—refreshing and sweet.
Of course, he saved the winter melon seeds, storing them in the portable warehouse for future planting.
This dinner, though simple, was nutritious and delicious.
Originally not fond of rice, Tang Yu’an ate two bowls.
They were at the age of growth and should eat well. Though they couldn’t help being busy during the day, they should have a good meal in the evening.
The two boys finished all the dishes, leaving only the bird bones from the soup for the three little ones to gnaw on.
However, they seemed uninterested, preferring milk.
Tang Yu’an seriously suspected that after they left the grocery store during the day, the three little ones had their own feasts; otherwise, how could they be full from just a bit of milk?
After dinner, Zhou Qi processed the yellow rabbit Yuan Bao had brought back, preserving it, and then took out flour to start kneading dough.
“Brother Qi, are you going to make steamed buns and bread?” Tang Yu’an asked excitedly.
“Mm, let’s prepare the ingredients first and wrap them tomorrow morning.”
They usually woke up around five in the morning, so there was time before going out. If they were quick, they could steam them by seven and take them along.
“I’ll help too!” Tang Yu’an said.
“Then you handle the bun fillings,” Zhou Qi instructed.
They lacked vegetables, so they couldn’t make veggie buns. But the grocery store had plenty of beans to make sweet fillings.
Red bean paste, green bean paste, black sesame, and sesame-peanut fillings.
All sweet fillings that Tang Yu’an loved.
Now they also had the rabbit meat Yuan Bao brought. The rabbit was quite plump; keeping the legs, the rest could be used for meat buns.
While preparing the fillings, Tang Yu’an chatted with Zhou Qi, tallying up the day’s gains.
“Brother Qi, Sister Lin’s medicinal powder is really effective. We should get more from her! Hehe, and if we can get the recipe, that’d be even better.”
Zhou Qi smiled. “Mm, okay.”
“We earned a lot of credits today! After exchanging for items, we still have 382 left.”
Their total had reached 664 credits!
They had to thank Granny Guo and Kang Kang; trading the mutated lantern fruits brought in 245 credits, accounting for two-thirds—though 147 of those credits were from Tang Yu’an exploiting trick.
Speaking of the mutated lantern fruits, Tang Yu’an quickly wiped his hands and took out the two fruits they got today to hang up.
In the kitchen lit by a small white lamp, a dim blue light immediately brightened the room.
Storing the lantern fruits in the portable warehouse and taking them out when needed should extend their shelf life, more than a month.
But Tang Yu’an felt that besides illumination, these fruits might have other uses; they just hadn’t discovered them yet.
Of course, mentioning today’s gains, they had to talk about the “Happy Marble” from the lottery.
With this marble, their combat methods became more flexible and diverse, though after each use, they had to quickly retreat to recall the marble, making it a bit troublesome.
But compared to controlling enemies for ten minutes after hitting them, this trouble seemed insignificant.
Besides these, they had also picked up two crystals of different sizes and colors near the conference center ruins.
They didn’t know the use of these stones yet, so their specific value was uncertain. But judging from Old Li and the mutated boar’s reactions, they must be valuable.
“Anyway, today was another fruitful day!”
Seeing his excitement, Zhou Qi smiled and nodded. “Mm, let’s continue tomorrow.”
“Continue tomorrow!”
By the time they prepared the dough and fillings, it was past nine, almost ten o’clock. They quickly washed up and went to the attic.
Tang Yu’an crawled into bed, snuggled over to Zhou Qi, and pressed his cheek against his arm, finally closing his eyes comfortably.
“Brother Qi, thank you for your hard work today.” The boy’s soft voice had a comforting power.
Zhou Qi felt warmth in his heart, tilted his head slightly, and rubbed his chin against the soft, fragrant hair.
“It’s no trouble; go to sleep.”
“Mm, good night.”
“Good night.”
The glowing blue lantern fruit was returned to the portable warehouse, and the attic quieted down. The two boys nestled together, falling asleep with hopes for tomorrow.
*
When Tang Yu’an woke up the next morning, he found the spot beside him empty.
He quickly dressed and ran downstairs.
“Brother Qi!”
In the kitchen, Zhou Qi had set up a table with a cutting board, dough, and the fillings they prepared last night. He had already made over twenty buns, all placed on a steamer.
Seeing Tang Yu’an, he smiled softly. “An An, morning.”
Morning light gently fell on him through the window. Although he had some flour on his cheek, making him look a bit funny, to Tang Yu’an, it was a memorable scene.
He thought he might remember this moment for a long, long time.
His nervousness disappeared, and his heart settled. Tang Yu’an sighed in relief.
“Sorry, I overslept.” He smiled sheepishly, approaching Zhou Qi. “Wow, did you make all these? Brother Qi, you’re amazing!”
Zhou Qi finished the bun in his hand and placed it on the steamer. “In half an hour, we can steam them.”
“Great! I’ll go brush my teeth and wash up, then come help.”
Full of energy, Tang Yu’an greeted the three little ones and went to wash up.
After he left, the smile on Zhou Qi’s face faded. The boy lowered his head and continued making buns.
Tang Yu’an’s pets weren’t very enthusiastic about him, even somewhat fearful.
Even the silly Yin Bi only dared to lie at his feet, wagging her tail when Zhou Qi glanced at her.
But this atmosphere quickly changed when Tang Yu’an returned.
“Brother Qi, are you hungry? Have something to eat first!”
Tang Yu’an pulled up a stool beside Zhou Qi, not in a hurry to make buns, but first feeding Zhou Qi some sausages.
“Want some water?”
“Mm.”
After a simple snack and drink, Tang Yu’an finally settled down to learn how to make buns.
By nine in the morning, they had used up all the ingredients—the bean paste still had some left, so Zhou Qi mixed glutinous rice flour to make sesame balls.
Coated with sesame seeds and fried until golden, just smelling them made their mouths water.
Since they were frying sesame balls, they also made fried dough sticks. They took out the marinated bird legs from yesterday, coated them with batter, and fried them until golden and crispy.
The first batch of buns was also steamed.
That morning, they enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast with homemade soy milk, buns, fried dough sticks, sesame balls, and fried bird legs.
Even the dogs each got a meat bun.
They ate eagerly despite the heat, clearly satisfied with the new food.
So two-legged creatures can make such delicious things!
[Lucky Cat “Wang Cai” Loyalty +5]
[“Wang Cai” has brought you 56 credits after eating his fill]
“Yay, another great start today!”
Tang Yu’an felt that as long as they had the pets, he and Brother Qi wouldn’t have to worry about food.
Of course, they couldn’t be lazy.
After eating, they stored the steamed buns and bread in the portable warehouse and set out to complete today’s daily tasks.
As they had guessed, today’s tasks had changed—the task of cleaning the shop became: Attract New Customers (0/2).
Now, besides the two green dots from yesterday on the map, a new potential customer appeared. Judging from the location, it was probably someone Lin Zhen knew.
That sister’s social circle was really wide.
But she was skilled, good at making medicine, and had a straightforward personality. It wasn’t surprising she had many connections.
Since they left late, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided to visit Old Li first and change his bandages.
*
The weather seemed to be getting hotter each day.
By eight in the morning, the sun was already scorching.
Although Zhou Qi’s speed was fast under the Lightfoot Technique, when they arrived at Old Li’s house, Tang Yu’an’s face was flushed, making Zhou Qi frown.
Due to the parasite, his body was slowly changing, becoming more resistant to UV rays. But An An was still an ordinary human.
“In the future, you need to wear a hat when going out.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Tang Yu’an felt like he was roasting. Although it was sunny yesterday, it didn’t feel this hot.
He took out a bottle of iced mineral water and pressed it to his face, looking up at the glaring sun. “Is it going to stay this hot?”
Will it get hotter every day?
They had been in this world for almost a week, and it hadn’t rained yet.
Zhou Qi also frowned but had no solution. Next time they went out, they’d have to protect against the sun to avoid heatstroke.
When Tang Yu’an’s face wasn’t as red, Zhou Qi carried him and jumped onto Old Li’s house—they decided to learn from Lin Zhen and enter through the window.
However, today they didn’t meet Lin Zhen; only Old Li was home.
He had recovered well; his complexion didn’t show any issues. When he walked, he still limped a bit.
Hearing movement, he came to open the window.
“Grandpa Li, we came to see you!” Tang Yu’an said enthusiastically.
Facing Tang Yu’an, even the stern Old Li softened a bit.
“Come in; it’s hot outside.”
He walked back inside, sat on the stone stool, and began whittling wood. Beside him were many finished arrows.
Zhou Qi glanced at them and said, “Let me change your bandages.”
Old Li didn’t refuse.
He felt his wound was healing well. Normally, it would take at least a week, but with proper treatment, it might be fine by tomorrow or the day after.
However, during the final transaction, the situation they feared still occurred—
All of Old Li’s fruits had been traded with them, and Granny Guo might not be able to trade fruits with him for a long time.
“Granny Guo came over yesterday afternoon.”
When they asked, Old Li explained, “She came to visit me and brought some mushrooms. I wanted to trade some fruits with her, but she refused.”
This rarely happened before.
Granny Guo’s ability to accelerate plant growth was strong. She often brought fruits to him, asking for help in trading, so they were close.
People in the desolate city knew that Old Li had access to fresh fruits. Plus, he hunted, occasionally having meat to trade, so many visited him.
In the two days he was recovering, two or three people came, wanting fruits and meat, but seeing his condition, they left.
Old Li couldn’t hunt for now, so he had no food source. He wanted to trade with Granny Guo but unexpectedly, she only agreed to give him mushrooms.
As for fruits, she said she might not be able to provide them for a while.
Thank you for the update!!!