Chapter 68
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were unaware of the ordeals that Shi Tou and Xiao Cao had faced, nor did they know that the guidance task they had issued had appeared precisely when Xiao Cao was most confused, pointing her toward a future direction.
They were somewhat worried that she might be tempted by other rewards offered by Hong Li, so they specifically included reminders in the task description.
They could only hope that she would heed their advice.
At this moment, the approximate efficiency of the “Automatic Water-Storing Insulated Cup” had been tested—it could automatically store 210?ml of pure water in about 20 minutes when immersed in water.
“Next, let’s see its efficiency in a normal environment.”
After all, only by being able to store water in a regular setting could the insulated cup maximize its usefulness.
Tang Yu’an poured the pure water from the cup into a regular kettle, then placed the Automatic Water-Storing Insulated Cup on the bedside table.
“All right, time to sleep.” He lay down again. “Brother Qi, good night!”
“Mm, good night.”
*
Night fell quietly.
Tang Yu’an slept soundly and only reluctantly got out of bed when the alarm clock rang. As soon as he stepped off the bed, he saw a dead lizard lying at its foot.
“……”
Black Pearl was squatting on the windowsill, casting an indifferent glance his way.
Tang Yu’an stiffly smiled and said, “Black Pearl, did you go hunting last night? So impressive!”
Although they didn’t eat dead lizards, this was a token of Black Pearl’s affection, and he felt quite touched.
Only then did Black Pearl withdraw her gaze, continuing to lick her fur and wash her face, appearing indifferent to his praise. But the slight movement of her tail clearly revealed her good mood.
Tang Yu’an breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the dead lizard, and went to exchange it with the guards for three fruits.
The guards didn’t mind at all; to them, this was a rare meaty treat.
Not only did Tang Yu’an exchange for fruits, but he also gained 1 experience point and 20 points, making everyone happy.
Seeing the dead lizard, he finally remembered his previous task of clearing the giant lizard’s nest and thought that he should find a way to complete it when they returned.
After finishing breakfast and seizing every opportunity to gain 7 experience points from the guards, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi followed Old Li, reluctantly leaving the outpost.
Because Tang Yu’an had the Mountain Lord’s token, the guards naturally didn’t charge them any tolls and even enthusiastically escorted them to the mountain path.
There was still some distance to the foot of the mountain. They walked under the morning light, and the light spots on the map became fewer and fewer.
However, the two guards sent by Hong Li were still following them.
Tang Yu’an shook his head but didn’t bother to expose them.
If they really followed them back to the Desolate City, at worst they could stay at Old Li’s house for a night. If these two still didn’t leave, they could use the Shadow Umbrella to shake them off.
They descended the mountain all the way, while a new day began in Jufeng Town.
*
In the guard station of Jufeng Town.
“Did that salt merchant come today?” Hong Li asked as she looked at Hei Xiong.
Hei Xiong nodded, somewhat heavily. “Perhaps he was scared off by our sudden action yesterday.”
He was about to take the blame when he heard Hong Li ask, “Did those two kids also leave?”
“Uh…”
Hei Xiong was stunned, looking up at Hong Li, uncertainly asking, “Do you mean that the salt merchant is related to your two honored guests?”
“I don’t believe in such coincidences,” Hong Li said bluntly.
Hei Xiong thought for a moment and felt she had a point.
He had investigated; those two kids arrived in Jufeng Town the night before last.
They stayed for two days, and the salt merchant appeared for those two days. After they left, the salt merchant also disappeared. This was indeed too much of a coincidence.
Moreover, when the salt merchant appeared, they also happened to be present at the market.
“Mountain Lord is wise!”
Hong Li waved her hand, continuing, “When they come to Jufeng Mountain again, I will ask them directly.”
Then she lightly tapped her finger on the table, thinking of something. She asked, “Is Jin Fu returning soon?”
“Calculating the time, he should be back soon.”
“He said before that he would give me an answer. Follow up on that.”
“Yes!”
Although she appeared prestigious to outsiders, in reality, Hong Li was not truly the sole authority in Jufeng Town.
She had taken over Jufeng Town a few years ago, and before her tenure, several forces were entrenched there.
Although she had mostly reorganized them, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse; those remaining were all tough obstacles.
Jin Fu was their nurtured salt merchant, traveling between Linhai Town and Jufeng Town to sell salt.
Most of the salt used in Jufeng Town came from him.
Hong Li had long been displeased with this feeling of being held hostage and had been looking for ways to solve the salt problem, but she couldn’t cut off Jin Fu’s supply routes.
Even if she established a safe route to Linhai Town, Jin Fu’s connections were still there, and he wouldn’t necessarily sell salt to her.
So when a new salt merchant appeared at the market, Hei Xiong reacted so quickly.
Unfortunately, this salt merchant was elusive and highly alert. Before he could make contact, the other party had already disappeared, making him very annoyed.
Fortunately, Hong Li was reasonable and didn’t punish him.
Thinking of this, Hei Xiong hesitated and said, “Perhaps we can wait a bit longer? Jin Fu is a greedy person…”
He stopped short, not continuing.
As before, Hong Li had only been in office for a few years; her foundation was not that deep, and naturally, she didn’t have many valuable assets.
That Jin Fu was someone who wouldn’t act without seeing a profit; this time, he would surely make exorbitant demands.
“Let’s see,” Hong Li shook her head.
These matters had to be discussed slowly; they weren’t decisions that could be made instantly.
At this moment, Hei Xiong seemed to think of something else and said, “Wang Hu has returned…”
Hong Li nodded. She had personally appointed every guard captain, so she knew Wang Hu and knew that he had been injured by a fire snake.
“Has he recovered?”
Hei Xiong shook his head. “Not fully.”
“Then why is he rushing back?” Hong Li stared at him, frowning. “If you have something to say, just say it. You know I dislike people who are indecisive.”
“Yes!” Hei Xiong hurriedly said, “He brought a little girl who says she wants to present seeds.”
“Oh?”
Hong Li raised an eyebrow, showing some interest. “What kind of seeds?”
“He says it’s some kind of bean discovered in the mountains, more filling than the fruits we currently eat.”
The guard station issued about three kinds of fruits to the guards. If they organized teams to the river or Desolate city to hunt, they could get meat, but overall, they still issued more fruits.
This was the assets left to Hong Li by the previous manager, but it wasn’t exclusive to her; the wealthy households in the town also had such fruits, even better varieties.
Hearing that it was filling, Hong Li became more interested. She signaled Hei Xiong to bring it out for her to see.
However, Hei Xiong scratched his head awkwardly.
“The little girl insists on seeing you before she’ll bring it out.”
Moreover, the beans she brought were cooked; even if they took them by force, they would be useless. She was a very cautious little girl.
Hong Li couldn’t help but laugh softly.
“Fine, then bring her to see me.”
“Understood!”
Hei Xiong turned and left. After a while, the pale-faced Wang Hu led a little girl, who was following closely behind him, into the room.
The little girl looked to be about seven or eight years old, skinny and bony, tightly holding a clay bowl with a chipped corner. Inside the bowl were what should be the beans she mentioned.
“You wanted to see me?” Hong Li asked as she looked at her.
Xiao Cao trembled all over, somewhat timidly nodding.
She hadn’t expected to meet the Mountain Lord so smoothly; at this moment, it felt like she was in a dream.
This morning, she had followed the plan she thought out last night. After exchanging for soybeans and cooking them, she and her brother went to knock on the boss lady’s door.
After explaining her purpose, Wang Hu tasted the cooked beans and directly agreed to bring her to see Hei Xiong at the guard station.
Her brother had wanted to come with her, but at her strong insistence, he stayed at the Jade Pavillion Inn, and she left the remaining 50 raw soybeans with him for safekeeping.
Wang Hu took her to meet Hei Xiong at the guard station. After waiting in the room for a while, they were brought over by Hei Xiong.
Things had gone more smoothly than Xiao Cao had imagined.
Now that she was meeting the Mountain Lord—the big figure who controlled Jufeng Town—she began to feel afraid. But since she had come this far, there was no turning back.
She must complete the task and get the protection certificate!
Under Hong Li’s interested gaze, the little girl’s eyes gradually became firm.
She held up the bowl in her hands to Hong Li, her voice trembling but still clear as she said, “M-Mountain Lord, I… I’m here to present seeds! These are soybeans I found in the mountains; they can fill the stomach!”
The closer she got to the end, the more fluent she became. Because she had listened to the task description many times, these words came out naturally.
“Y-You can try them!” Xiao Cao said loudly.
Hong Li looked at her with a bit more appreciation in her eyes. She lowered her gaze, examining the soybeans in the bowl, and reached out to take it, gently shaking it.
The half bowl of soybeans rattled a few times. After mixing them, Hong Li casually took out two and handed them to Xiao Cao, saying softly, “Eat them.”
Xiao Cao didn’t hesitate, took the beans, and directly put them into her mouth.
Hong Li nodded, but she still didn’t believe her just like that. Instead, she had a guard bring over a puppy.
There were two hunting dogs in the guard station, and they had recently had a litter of puppies. The puppy brought over was about three or four months old.
Hong Li grabbed a few beans to feed it, then placed the dog on the ground, saying to Xiao Cao, “Play with it for a while.”
Xiao Cao nodded blankly.
But her nervousness made her afraid to move; she just stood there, gazing at Hong Li with wide eyes.
Hong Li placed the bowl of boiled soybeans on the table, then looked at Wang Hu and asked about his injury.
Wang Hu sincerely expressed his gratitude.
“If it weren’t for the Mountain Lord helping me remove the fire poison, I would probably be dead!”
Hong Li’s expression was indifferent, and she calmly waved her hand.
“Recover soon and return to the team as quickly as possible.”
“Understood!”
She had Wang Hu and Xiao Cao wait on the side. By the time she had handled some official business one after another, nearly two hours had passed.
During this period, Hong Li had been observing Xiao Cao.
The little girl went from being nervous at the beginning to gradually relaxing. Soon, she was looking around curiously, her bright eyes full of wonder, showing no signs of guilt or fear.
And the puppy that had eaten the soybeans was also bouncing around without any issues, even wagging its tail and coming over to ask her for more.
Finally, Hong Li beckoned Wang Hu and Xiao Cao to come over again.
She also took the bowl of soybeans and, under Xiao Cao’s expectant gaze, picked up two beans and put them into her mouth, chewing gently.
The taste was very mild but seemed to become more fragrant the more she chewed.
Hong Li couldn’t help but pick up two more and put them into her mouth. Then she looked at Xiao Cao and said, “Your name is Xiao Cao?”
Xiao Cao nodded.
“Where did you find these beans?” Hong Li continued to ask.
“In the mountains,” Xiao Cao replied without hesitation.
Hong Li glanced at her and continued to ask, “Do you remember how to get there?”
“I don’t remember,” Xiao Cao immediately shook her head.
“Who told you to come here?”
Xiao Cao opened her mouth slightly, pausing for a moment before saying, “I came on my own…”
Hong Li smiled ambiguously. “These beans do taste good, but what about their growing environment? What does the plant look like? Is it tall or short? Are the leaves big or small? Can you describe it to me?”
Xiao Cao was suddenly stuck.
“Well… it’s just the environment in the mountains…”
She had directly exchanged the soybeans from the mall; how could she know the growing environment of soybeans? And as for the plant… wouldn’t she be exposed once they were grown?
Seeing her stammering, Hong Li didn’t continue to press her, as she had already learned what she wanted to know.
In fact, during the two-hour wait, she had already sent guards to investigate the basic situation of this child and had it reported back to her.
“How did you meet Yu’an?” Hong Li asked.
Xiao Cao was slightly stunned. “Yu’an? Do you mean the Little Divine Doctor?”
“Little Divine Doctor?” Hong Li finally showed a hint of surprise.
“Yes!” Xiao Cao nodded, and then truthfully described how she and her brother met Tang Yu’an, recounting the story in detail.
After listening, Hong Li was a bit amused.
“So it was that Little Divine Doctor.” She nodded, apparently guessing that when Tang Yu’an said the steamed buns were poisoned, he was actually tricking the siblings.
But the two boys did help the siblings, which was real.
Such kindness was rare in the wasteland.
Wang Hu listened to their conversation on the side, slightly opening his mouth. He knew that the Mountain Lord might have misunderstood. His experience told him that those two kids indeed possessed medical skills.
But in the end, he didn’t say anything. Perhaps such a misunderstanding wasn’t a bad thing.
“So what do you want in exchange for these beans?” Hong Li got straight to the point. “Previously, someone who presented seeds to the lord received a piece of land and exemption from protection fees.”
“Now, I can still give you land, or perhaps a house…”
However, before she could finish, she saw the little girl already shaking her head. Hong Li stopped and gestured for her to speak.
“I… I just want permission to set up a stall freely in the town and a certificate to receive protection,” Xiao Cao recalled the reminder in the task description and said firmly.
“Set up a stall?” Hong Li raised an eyebrow.
“Yes! Set up a stall to give people haircuts,” Xiao Cao said.
Hong Li couldn’t help but look at her bald head, then at Wang Hu’s buzz cut, and said, “Did you cut his hair?”
Xiao Cao shook her head. “No, my brother did. I’m responsible for attracting customers.”
“It’s quite a novel business,” Hong Li nodded, then curiously asked, “How did you think of giving people haircuts?”
“It was the Little Divine Doctor who guided us,” Xiao Cao said honestly. “He said that cutting hair short can prevent lice and reduce illness.”
Then she talked about other benefits of cutting hair short.
Hong Li listened and nodded repeatedly. There were barber shops in the fortress, but she had never thought that cutting hair short had so many benefits. After all…
Would her hair get bugs? Please, those fragile little insects couldn’t withstand the high temperatures of a fire-ability user.
Hong Li glanced at the guard standing beside her, feeling that his messy hair seemed to be full of lice and fleas, and couldn’t help but frown.
The guard also felt his scalp starting to itch.
He resisted the urge to scratch his head but carefully moved to the side, not daring to face the lord’s scrutinizing gaze.
Hong Li didn’t make things difficult for him and quickly withdrew her gaze.
“Is there nothing else you want besides this?” She stared at the little girl and continued to ask.
Xiao Cao nodded vigorously.
As long as her brother could set up a stall to cut hair, she could earn points through transactions. Even if she earned only five or six points a day, it would be enough for her to exchange for soybeans to eat.
Although 5 points only got her 100?g of soybeans, which was about a bowl, plus the wild vegetables and mushrooms obtained from transactions, it was already much better than their previous life of often going hungry!
As for other rewards…
Just like the scissors the Little Divine Doctor gave them, they were too weak to protect them.
So she was unmoved and only wanted the freedom to set up a stall and protection.
Hong Li looked at her with a bit more appreciation in her eyes. She nodded and said, “I can agree to that, but…”
She picked up the bowl of beans, shook it a couple of times, and continued, “Words alone are not enough; I need to verify whether these seeds are truly suitable.”
Seeing the girl’s wary expression, Hong Li put down the bowl and smiled slightly. “But during the trial period, I can fulfill my promise and provide you with a certificate allowing you to set up a stall freely and receive protection from the guards.”
“If the trial fails, I will revoke all of this.”
Only then did Xiao Cao slightly relax. However, she couldn’t help asking Hong Li, “Then… how will you test them?”
Actually, what she really wanted to ask was, if the trial succeeded but she deliberately said she didn’t know where to find more, what would happen? But when the words reached her lips, Xiao Cao swallowed them.
At this point, she could only choose to trust the Mountain Lord.
After all, if she couldn’t trust her, then she shouldn’t have brought them out in the first place.
“How to test them is not something you need to know,” Hong Li shrugged. “So, can you accept this?”
Xiao Cao bit her lip and finally nodded. “Yes, I accept.”
“Then, where are the raw seeds?” Hong Li asked.
“They’re…” Xiao Cao quickly stopped herself. “The certificate?”
Hong Li smiled again, not bothering to argue with a little girl. She took out a token from the cabinet and pulled Xiao Cao’s hand over, personally placing it in her palm.
This token was much smaller than the one Tang Yu’an had, but it was also engraved with delicate patterns.
“Carry this token with you. If guards stop you from setting up a stall, show it to them.”
Hong Li thought for a moment and added, “In the next month, guards will protect you and warn others in the town.”
It shouldn’t take more than a month for the whole town to know that these siblings are under the Mountain Lord’s protection.
“Then… what happens after a month?” Xiao Cao asked.
Hong Li touched her bald head and chuckled. “As long as you stay in the town, no one will dare to harm you. But if you leave the town… I can’t help you.”
Xiao Cao looked at the Mountain Lord, so close, her face flushing with nervousness.
She clutched the token in her hand and whispered her thanks.
Originally, all she wanted was the freedom to set up a stall in the town and not be harassed or attacked. Now she had gotten what she wanted. As for leaving the town…
If they could properly set up a stall in Jufeng Town, they wouldn’t need to go into the mountains to find food. Since she had achieved what she wanted at this stage, she didn’t think further ahead.
“My brother is at the Jade Pavillion Inn; the soybeans are with him,” Xiao Cao said with relief.
Hong Li nodded and looked at the guard beside her. “Take two people to the Jade Pavillion Inn and bring that boy here.”
“Understood!”
Soon, the guards brought Shi Tou over from the Jade Pavillion Inn.
When Shi Tou left the Jade Pavillion Inn, he saw several people who had been waiting outside specifically for them. He wasn’t intimidated and made faces and provocative gestures at them before swaggering off with the guards.
Although he didn’t know the exact outcome of his sister’s negotiation, since the guards were escorting him, he naturally wanted to take advantage and intimidate those people.
This was the wisdom he had gained from struggling to survive since childhood.
Of course, when he arrived in front of Hong Li, Shi Tou became well-behaved.
With Xiao Cao’s reminder, he took out the 50 soybeans he had been keeping, and Xiao Cao personally handed them to Hong Li.
[You have completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. Employee experience +1]
[Congratulations! You have completed the long-term task ‘Profitable Transactions.’ Points +1]
[Congratulations! You have completed the ordinary task ‘Present Seeds.’ Points +20]
Seeing that her points had increased significantly, Xiao Cao smiled with delight.
These were not just points but also soybeans and sugar—the hope for her and her brother’s survival…
Hong Li kept half of the seeds and gave the other half to Hei Xiong, instructing him to arrange for plant-ability users to accelerate their growth as soon as possible. Then she looked at the siblings in front of her.
“Are you interested in taking a big order?” she asked.
“What?” Xiao Cao blinked.
“Cut all the guards’ hair,” Hong Li said lightly.
*
[Employee ‘Xiao Cao’ completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. Points +21, Experience +1]
[Employee ‘Xiao Cao’ completed the ordinary task ‘Present Seeds.’ Points +20]
Tang Yu’an had just crossed the suspension bridge when he saw the system prompts pop up and couldn’t help but be a bit surprised.
Xiao Cao’s initiative was so strong!
The morning hadn’t even passed, and she had already reached an agreement with Hong Li? He wondered what conditions they had negotiated in the end.
When he issues tasks to employees, he actually has no way to make them fully comply with his requirements; the system cannot determine based on reality.
He can only set key nodes. For example, in the ‘Present Seeds’ task, as long as ‘trade 50 soybeans with Hong Li and make a profit,’ the system would consider the task completed.
’50 soybeans,’ ‘Hong Li,’ and ‘a profitable transaction’ were the key nodes.
As for whether she actually obtained the protection certificate according to the task description, the system didn’t care, so Tang Yu’an had no way of knowing.
He shook his head and was about to close the panel when new system prompts popped up.
[Employee ‘Xiao Cao’ completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. Points +9, Experience +1]
[Employee ‘Xiao Cao’ completed a profitable transaction with a new customer. Points +10, Experience +3]
[Employee ‘Xiao Cao’ completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer. Points +2, Experience +2]
[…]
Next, almost every few steps he took, new system prompts appeared. Watching the continuously increasing experience bar, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but beam with joy.
Wow, Xiao Cao is so capable!
