Chapter 67
“Other towns? Haha, of course there are.”
Hearing Tang Yu’an’s question, Jin Fu said with a hearty laugh, “There’s Lanhu Town on the other side of the mountain. If you head southeast after leaving Jufeng Mountain, you’ll reach the town I went to, Linhai Town.”
“Linhai Town?” Tang Yu’an pondered the name and couldn’t help but ask, “Is it near the sea?”
Jin Fu gave him a surprised look.
For many mountain dwellers living in Jufeng Mountain who’ve never left, the sea is undoubtedly unfamiliar.
They don’t know what the sea is, and even if you describe it to them, they’re likely to doubt its existence.
But as he sized up Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi’s appearance and demeanor, a smile soon reappeared on his face.
“Little brother, you’re quite knowledgeable. Just from the name, you know it’s by the sea.”
Tang Yu’an waved his hand modestly. He’d only seen the sea once; his other impressions of the sea mainly came from TV and books. It’s just that in this world, place names are often based on their characteristics, so it’s easy to make the connection.
“Uncle Jin Fu, did you just come from Linhai Town? Is it far from Jufeng Mountain?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“It’s not too close, but not too far either,” Jin Fu said with a smile. “It takes about four or five days to get there.”
Tang Yu’an calculated. It took them at least a day and a night to get from the Desolate City to Jufeng Mountain. If they wanted to go to Linhai Town, just the travel time would be half a month.
“Did you go alone? Was it dangerous on the way?” he continued to ask.
“Of course I didn’t go alone,” Jin Fu shook his head. “There are definitely dangers, but there’s a route that’s relatively safe…”
He looked into the bright eyes of the child and couldn’t help but say, “Why? Does little brother An want to take a trip?”
“If I get the chance, I really want to go,” Tang Yu’an didn’t hesitate and directly asked, “Uncle Jin Fu, when will you go to Linhai Town again?”
“In a while; I need to see how things go.”
Tang Yu’an nodded. He didn’t propose having Jin Fu as a guide because after they parted tomorrow, it would be hard to contact him. Besides, if they really wanted to go, they’d have to consider how to handle their daily cleaning tasks.
For now, he could only jot down Linhai Town in his notebook and wait for an opportunity to visit in the future.
With Zhou Qi’s hot soup starting things off, the guards also brought out their food.
Zhou Qi used his cooking skills and techniques to trade with them, ultimately earning Tang Yu’an another 10 experience points and 127 points.
As for the others, they obviously couldn’t be as relaxed as the guards. To avoid trouble, Zhou Qi didn’t insist.
“Brother Zhou, you must come to Jufeng Mountain often!”
“Yes, come to our outpost; you can stay as long as you like!”
Delicious food always brings people closer together. In just one meal, they established a good relationship with the guard squad.
Even without the Mountain Lord’s token, the guards stationed at the outpost invited them to stay next time, laying the foundation for future visits.
Under the dark night sky, they sat around the bonfire, drinking hot soup, eating food, and chatting.
Tang Yu’an felt the atmosphere of this moment.
He suddenly deeply realized that the apocalypse isn’t filled only with bad people. If everyone could eat their fill and dress warmly, who wouldn’t want to live and work in peace?
*
Back in the outpost’s dormitory, after washing his feet and lying on the bed, Tang Yu’an started chatting with Zhou Qi.
Hearing the child’s insights, Zhou Qi praised and nodded repeatedly.
“Indeed,” he said with deep feeling, “if everyone could live and work in peace, our business would be much easier.”
At least they could set up stalls openly. They wouldn’t have to sell two cans of salt in secret while wearing disguises, nor would they have to guard against the guards catching them.
Tang Yu’an chuckled and told him about his level-up rewards.
“Brother Qi, the ‘Remote Item Retrieval’ skill can continue to upgrade,” Tang Yu’an said. “The retrieval distance hasn’t increased, but there’s an advanced ability to remotely place items.”
As he spoke, he demonstrated to Zhou Qi.
“Within a one-meter range, wherever my eyes look, I can place the item there,” he explained. “This afternoon, I used this ability to teach those people a lesson.”
Zhou Qi nodded. As expected of a special skill, although its initial effect was ordinary, as the level increases, it becomes more and more powerful.
“We must strive to level up and enhance this advanced ability as soon as possible.”
In this way, An An’s ‘Sadness and Happy’ ability would become quite formidable, allowing him to deal with people without being noticed.
Tang Yu’an agreed, glanced at his panel, and suddenly discovered that after the “bonfire party,” Zhou Qi’s level had successfully risen to Lv4.
“Wow, Brother Qi, you’ve leveled up!”
He quickly downgraded the ‘Remote Item Retrieval’ skill authorization to him, so Zhou Qi’s skill range increased to 1,000 kilometers.
Zhou Qi didn’t pay much attention to this and instead asked, “Has Chi Hao completed his daily task?”
Tang Yu’an nodded, “He has! I can do the lottery now!”
Hehe, it’s the most anticipated moment of the day!
“What will I draw today?” Tang Yu’an rubbed his hands and clicked on the lucky wheel to start the draw.
The pointer on the big wheel spun and spun, finally stopping at—
[Congratulations! You’ve obtained the magical furniture ‘Automatic Water-Storing Insulated Cup.’]
Magical furniture?
This was a prize type he’d never gotten before!
After choosing to receive the item, Tang Yu’an held the newly obtained insulated cup in his hand.
The insulated cup was about 200 ml in size, entirely black, and looked ordinary, nothing special at first glance.
“A new item you drew?”
Zhou Qi stared at the insulated cup in his hand and couldn’t help but sigh once again at Tang Yu’an’s good luck.
Tang Yu’an nodded, “Yes, it’s called a magical furniture that can automatically store water.”
He clicked on the item information to take a look.
[Automatic Water-Storing Insulated Cup]
[Level: Lv1]
[Capacity: 210 ml]
[Description: A technological household item that can automatically draw water molecules from the environment and store them in the cup. The drawing speed depends on the environmental humidity. After inserting an energy stone or spirit stone, it can maintain a customized temperature.]
Wow, it’s a piece of magical furniture that can be upgraded!
He quickly opened the furniture upgrade panel to check the upgrade conditions and the Lv2 effects.
[Upgrade Conditions: Points x 500, Metal Blocks x 5, void stone x1, crystal stone x1, Wheat Beer (500 ml) x1]
[Lv2 Effect: When automatically storing water, it can hold no less than 100 times its own capacity of pure water, without needing other energy sources, and can draw energy from the environment to maintain temperature.]
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. A capacity of 100 times? That’s 21 liters of water! That’s a whole bucket!
Then he frowned.
Another void stone!
Although the effect looks good, without a void stone it’s useless, and malt beer…
This time, he needed to seriously research how to make malt beer; many furniture upgrades required it.
Tang Yu’an put the insulated cup into a bucket of water.
This water was from the well at the outpost, much cleaner than water taken from ponds and puddles, though not as pure as the purified water Zhou Qi made.
After a while, he took it out again and saw that the previously empty cup now had about 20 ml of water.
He carefully tasted it, and his eyes lit up, “Brother Qi, this is pure water!”
Zhou Qi took the insulated cup to try and then nodded.
Tang Yu’an said excitedly, “Great! You won’t have to work so hard to purify water anymore!”
But looking at the not-so-large insulated cup, he couldn’t help but say, “It’s a pity the capacity is too small.”
Zhou Qi shook his head, “Pay attention to the time; when the water is full, transfer it out.”
Moreover, the personal warehouse has an insulation function; whatever is put in remains the same when taken out, so overall it saves a lot of effort.
“Mm-hmm.” Tang Yu’an nodded, “Then let’s calculate how long it takes to fill up.”
He drank the water in the insulated cup, then put it into the bucket. Zhou Qi casually noted the time, planning to check it after an hour.
Tang Yu’an lay back on the bed.
At this time, a system message appeared.
[Employee ‘Xiao Cao’ used 5 personal points to exchange for 100g of soybeans.]
“Xiao Cao exchanged for soybeans again.”
In the evening, Shi Tou and Xiao Cao had attracted six customers for haircuts, earning him a total of 53 points and 16 experience points.
Among them were 4 new customers and 2 regular customers. These two regular customers were probably the ones who had bought salt from him.
Tang Yu’an glanced at his experience bar, Lv7 (66/140).
After returning to the wasteland city, he’d have to rely on Xiao Cao to help him gain more experience points…
“Just now, listening to Jin Fu, he mentioned that someone in Jufeng Town presented seeds to the Mountain Lord,” Zhou Qi suddenly said.
Jin Fu was considered a merchant, traveling between towns to transport goods and earning high rewards.
When Zhou Qi asked about this, Jin Fu told him in an envious tone that someone had presented high-yield seeds to the managers of Jufeng Town, and as a result, was given a piece of land in Jufeng Town.
Although Jufeng Town wasn’t exactly worth its weight in gold, because it was on the mountaintop with limited construction area, getting a piece of land was already very good.
Moreover, the managers exempted that person from ten years of protection fees.
Hearing what Zhou Qi said, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but look at him, “Brother Qi, you mean…”
“Guide Xiao Cao to present soybeans as seeds to Hong Li,” Zhou Qi directly expressed his thoughts.
In fact, when choosing soybeans as the item Xiao Cao could exchange, he already had this idea.
Xiao Cao and Shi Tou didn’t have abilities. Even though soybeans were easier to cultivate than brown rice, they didn’t actually have the conditions and ability to cultivate them.
Because the huge temperature difference between day and night is an objective problem, perhaps going into the mountains to find plants that can survive such temperature differences would be more efficient.
The seeds exchanged from the mall could only maximize their effect when in the hands of plant-type ability users.
“Originally, I had some concerns, but since such an example exists, we can try it,” Zhou Qi continued.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but sit up.
He seriously thought about it and felt that Brother Qi’s idea was indeed good. Only when people in the wasteland live a prosperous life can they do business without being so constrained as they are now.
Among all materials, food is undoubtedly the most important.
Based on the methods and abilities Hong Li had shown, and considering that she was willing to help treat someone like A-Lian from the lower class, she should not harm Shi Tou and Xiao Cao.
“If others in the town start eating soybeans, Shi Tou and Xiao Cao won’t be too conspicuous,” Tang Yu’an nodded thoughtfully.
“Then should we let them exchange for a piece of land?”
“There’s no place safer than the Jade Pavillion Inn in Jufeng Town. It’s the best choice for them to stay there.”
As Zhou Qi spoke, he took out pen and paper to start writing a new guidance task.
Tang Yu’an carefully read as they discussed and finally finalized the draft.
“If this method really works, we can cooperate with Sister Hong Li like this in the future,” Tang Yu’an said as he entered the task.
Zhou Qi nodded.
After checking the guidance task, Tang Yu’an was satisfied and nodded repeatedly, then chose to publish it.
Now, let’s start with soybeans!
*
Xiao Cao cooked the soybeans, carefully scooped them into a bowl, then used 1 point to exchange for 10g of glucose, sprinkled it into the bowl, and mixed it with the soybeans.
The sugar melted immediately upon contact with the steaming soybeans.
Xiao Cao tasted one and felt it was sweet and delicious. Only then did she carry the bowl back to the room.
In the room, Shi Tou was lying on the bed, his face bruised and swollen.
Hearing movement, the boy opened his eyes and, smelling the aroma of soybeans, immediately sat up.
Xiao Cao handed the bowl to him, then squatted beside him, looking at his face.
“Your eye seems even more swollen…” she said worriedly.
Originally somewhat handsome, Shi Tou now had one eye turned into a panda eye. His eyelid was so swollen he could barely open a slit, his face was bruised purple and blue, and his mouth was bleeding.
“It’s okay; it’ll be fine after a night’s sleep!”
Shi Tou acted as if nothing was wrong, happily eating the boiled soybeans. “Did you add sugar? It’s sweet and really delicious!”
Xiao Cao didn’t say anything, just pouted and wiped away tears.
Shi Tou quickly comforted her, “I’m really okay! As long as the scissors weren’t taken, it’s all good.”
In the evening, they could have had more customers—
The customers who got haircuts yesterday helped spread the word. Buzz cuts were indeed comfortable during the day and less likely to have bugs. Plus, Shi Tou and Xiao Cao’s charges were indeed not high, so as soon as they opened, seven or eight people came.
Shi Tou was excited and ready to work hard, but halfway through, some people rushed over to snatch his scissors.
Without the Little Divine Doctor present, although the guards didn’t stop them from setting up their stall, they weren’t there to protect them, and the robbers almost succeeded.
Fortunately, Shi Tou was alert. Sensing something was wrong, he threw the scissors to Xiao Cao and told her to run into the Jade Pavillion Inn to hide.
Shi Tou, who stayed outside, was blocked by the robbers.
The customers scattered, and when Shi Tou tried to run into the Jade Pavillion Inn, he was grabbed. At first, he could still fight those people, but soon, outnumbered, he was pressed to the ground and beaten.
They didn’t dare to enter the Jade Pavillion Inn, so they used Shi Tou to threaten Xiao Cao, telling her to hand over the scissors.
Fortunately, Xiao Cao’s cries alarmed the boss lady and Wang Hu.
Wang Hu appeared on the second floor, supporting his weak body, and the boss lady said, “Let me see who dares to make trouble in my inn! Not afraid of death?”
That scared the few thugs away.
Only then did Xiao Cao run out to drag Shi Tou back into the house. Although he looked bruised and swollen, they were only superficial wounds and would heal in a few days.
“Don’t cry; when I grow up big and strong, they won’t be my match.”
The robbers weren’t very strong; he could have handled them at first, but he couldn’t handle so many.
As long as he was well-fed and clothed and gained strength, he could definitely beat them all down!
“The boss lady said we can borrow the first floor of the inn to cut hair. As long as we bring customers into the Jade Pavillion Inn, we won’t have to worry about the scissors being stolen.”
Shi Tou ate half the bowl of soybeans and handed the remaining half to her, “Fortunately, you have your ability, or we’d go hungry tonight.”
Although they kept the scissors, the items they traded for haircuts were still stolen. Fortunately, they still had soybeans and the steamed buns the Little Divine Doctor gave them.
Xiao Cao sniffled and didn’t reach out to take it, “You eat it; you need to be full to recover quickly.”
Under Xiao Cao’s insistence, Shi Tou continued to eat the remaining beans.
Xiao Cao looked at him and couldn’t help but worry.
Although they could bring customers into the Jade Pavillion Inn and not fear the scissors being stolen, they couldn’t stay in the inn all the time and not go out.
As soon as they went out, they’d encounter those bastards.
And with what happened today, maybe no one would come tomorrow. If they wanted to do business, they’d have to go out to attract customers, and today’s situation could happen again.
She had originally planned to try her luck at the market in the morning, but now she didn’t dare.
In the market, no one dared to attack them, but outside the market, they couldn’t protect the scissors and the items they traded for.
Thinking about it, the girl’s eyes filled with tears again.
They clearly found a way to improve their lives, but they were too weak to even protect that method…
Just when she felt sad and helpless, the system panel suddenly popped up.
[Congratulations! You’ve triggered the ordinary task ‘Present Seeds.’]
[Description: Soybeans are a high-quality staple food, and when used as seeds for planting, not only is the yield considerable, but they also have the effect of improving soil quality.
Your brother has mastered the skill of haircutting, but you are both weak and easily attract the covetous eyes of bad people. Therefore, presenting soybeans as seeds to the mountain lord to seek shelter would be a good choice.]
[Find Wang Hu and contact the manager or Captain Hei Xiong. Tell them that you found a new plant in the mountains and present 50 soybeans, in exchange for a certificate allowing you to set up a stall freely in Jufeng Town and be protected by the guards.]
[Warm reminder: Even if the mountain lord offers other rewards, only ask for the protection certificate.]
[Task Content: Find the mountain lord of Jufeng Town and persuade her to conduct a profitable transaction with you (0/1).]
[Task Reward: Points x20]
Looking at the new task prompt and listening to the mechanical voice’s explanation, Xiao Cao’s eyes grew brighter.
So it could be done this way!
In her confusion and anxiety, it was as if a hand appeared before her, gently helping her up after she fell, pointing her in the right direction, telling her how to move forward.
Xiao Cao quickly wiped away her tears and pulled herself together.
She didn’t know who the Mysterious Merchant was, but she knew she absolutely must not disappoint such kindness. She wanted to hold this hand tightly and keep moving forward!
Xiao Cao carefully read the task description several times, planning in her mind how to complete the task and gain the Mountain Lord’s protection.
Then she stood up and said to her brother, “I’m going to find the boss lady.”
“Ah? So late, what are you going to the boss lady for?” Shi Tou put down the cleaned bowl and asked curiously.
“I…”
Xiao Cao bit her lip and still said, “I want to find Captain Wang Hu and have him take me to see the Mountain Lord.”
“Huh? What are you going to see the Mountain Lord for?” Shi Tou blinked in confusion.
“I want to present these yellow beans to the Mountain Lord and have her protect us,” Xiao Cao stated her purpose.
Shi Tou couldn’t help but be stunned, surprised at his sister’s boldness.
That’s the Mountain Lord!
“But, but will this work?”
“How do we know if we don’t try?” Xiao Cao said. “These soybeans are seeds; if planted well, they can produce many more beans.”
“And you ate them today; aren’t they more filling than the fruits the guards eat?”
Shi Tou nodded. That was true, but…
“Just feels like I’m farting more.”
Hearing this, Xiao Cao couldn’t help rolling her eyes.
Shi Tou chuckled, “Feeling full is most important.”
Xiao Cao nodded and continued, “Anyway, I think we can try. We’ll say we found them in the mountains, but after returning, we couldn’t find where they were, and only collected these.”
She had heard of those who mastered production abilities being kept in yards to produce day and night.
In this town, it’s not just the Mountain Lord who is a big figure; there are several whom even the Mountain Lord has to respect. As long as you don’t cross the line, they’ll turn a blind eye.
Perhaps the Mountain Lord wouldn’t do anything to her, but others might, so her ability to exchange sugar and soybeans must not be exposed—
Besides sugar and soybeans, she seemed to be able to exchange for pepper powder now, but she didn’t know what this powder was for, and for now, she didn’t have extra points to try.
In short, she couldn’t let others know about these.
Growing up in such an environment, Xiao Cao had some experience in protecting herself.
She looked at her brother and said confidently, “Wang Hu is a captain of the guards; he must know how to find the Mountain Lord!”
Shi Tou agreed with this.
“Xiao Cao, you’re getting smarter and smarter!” He nodded. “If we want to find the Mountain Lord, we can only ask him for help.”
Xiao Cao was a little embarrassed by the praise; this wasn’t an idea she thought of… but she couldn’t explain.
She looked at her brother’s bruised face and thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you agree with me going to see the Mountain Lord?”
“Mm, let’s try.” Shi Tou grinned, “Even if the Mountain Lord doesn’t want our seeds, she shouldn’t beat us, right?”
Although he had only seen the Mountain Lord from afar a few times, he just felt she wasn’t that kind of person.
Seeing that her brother supported her, Xiao Cao was encouraged, “Then let’s go find Captain Wang Hu!”
However, Shi Tou pulled her back, “I know you’re anxious, but it’s so late now. Even if you tell him, he can’t take us to see the Mountain Lord tonight. Let’s wait until tomorrow.”
“Besides, Wang Hu already helped us once this afternoon. Why would he help us a second time?”
Xiao Cao then calmed down.
Yes, why would Wang Hu help her again?
“Brother, you’re right. I need to think carefully about how to persuade him.”
“Mm-hmm, come into bed. It’s too cold outside; don’t catch a cold.” Shi Tou moved over.
Xiao Cao climbed onto bed and lay down, starting to ponder.
So, how can she persuade Captain Wang Hu to take them to see the Mountain Lord?
