Mingzhao glanced at He Yuchun and said, "You eat by yourself. I'll take care of Xiaocao."

Mingzhao didn't want to treat someone so harshly, but this person really thought she was a fool! Did they really think she couldn't see the contempt and disdain in her eyes?

Mingzhao had seen that kind of gaze many times since he was a child at the Alliance Welfare Home.

"You...you're talking nonsense!" He Yuchun blushed, feeling the eyes of everyone around her instantly turn to her.

She trembled with rage and screamed, "Who said I can't afford it! It's just a meal! I..."

"Braised pork, rationed, 78 cents per serving, requires 2 liang of meat ration coupons." Mingzhao accurately quoted the price, which was the price announcement he had heard on Huo Hua's radio, his eyes feigning clarity and innocence.

“You just weighed and sold the scrap metal, and your income was 17 cents.” She pointed to the empty, tattered basket that He Yuchun was carrying. “In conclusion: you have no money and no receipts.”

Mingzhao's words were somewhat arbitrary.

In fact, He Yuchun had simply returned from the dead, bringing only a few belongings from her home to seek refuge with her husband. She had heard that some people had found antique treasures here, and others had even found gold bars hidden in the legs of wooden tables, so she came to check it out, hoping for the best.

However, Mingzhao's words made sense; she had some money on her, but not enough tickets.

He Yuchun was struck by Mingzhao's words and fell silent. She looked at the people around her, their expressions a mixture of realization and mockery. She was starting to lose her composure.

A wave of overwhelming shame washed over her, making her feel like everyone there was laughing at her. Li Xiaocao also looked like she wanted to laugh but was too embarrassed to, and then she saw Mingzhao's calm demeanor...

"So you really didn't have any money!"

"If you had money, who would come to this garbage recycling station!"

"He's broke but tries to act all generous and treat people to a meal. Is he going to say he has the money at home and make them pay for it themselves, all while still getting a favor in return?"

Listening to the discussions around her, Li Xiaocao clutched her money bag tightly. If she really felt bad refusing and went along, she might end up paying for the tickets herself.

He Yuchun was too ashamed to stay any longer. She glared hatefully at Mingzhao, the culprit, and left immediately with her belongings.

"Pfft!" Li Xiaocao finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes filled with utter admiration as she looked at Mingzhao! This girl, when she speaks, it's a killer! She slaps people in the face with facts, and the slaps are resounding! So satisfying! So incredibly satisfying!

Considering that she almost ran out of money, she couldn't be more satisfied with Mingzhao.

"Come on, Mingzhao, let's go home. I'll show you my skills. We can make something even better than a state-run restaurant using wild vegetables!" Li Xiaocao waved her hand with great enthusiasm, feeling that even the air had become much fresher since she met Mingzhao!

The shuttle bus back to the military compound was an old, black-smoke-belt Jiefang brand bus, and the carriage was packed with people.

The air didn't smell very good either; it was filled with the smells of sweat, tobacco, and the stench of chickens and ducks.

Mingzhao and Li Xiaocao finally managed to squeeze onto the bus, with Mingzhao carrying the heavy basket of scrap metal in one hand.

The ticket seller saw this and immediately told Mingzhao to leave.

Mingzhao didn't understand. He saw that the person's tone was fierce and stared straight at him.

Li Xiaocao looked at Mingzhao and tugged at her: "This basket takes up too much space, we need to put it in the trunk."

Mingzhao pursed her lips, told Li Xiaocao to stand aside, and then carried the large basket downstairs. There were other people putting their luggage down behind her, and Mingzhao seized an opportunity to toss the basket up to them.

With a loud clang, it was clear that the item was quite heavy. The others glanced at Mingzhao with a hint of disdain.

Such a big basket was just placed there, taking up a lot of space.

After Mingzhao left, an older woman immediately placed her own basket on top of Mingzhao's basket.

The others breathed a sigh of relief, secretly regretting that they had been a step too slow.

In their view, someone like Mingzhao, whose bottom is all made of iron and who isn't afraid of being crushed, is the most perfect. If you put your own things down there first, and then someone else's dirty things are placed on top of you, it will be disgusting.

The fabric I bought had to be wrapped in several layers of coarse cloth, just in case it got scratched or damaged.

Mingzhao, carrying her bag, stood next to Li Xiaocao. She looked around, hoping to find someone to offer Li Xiaocao a seat.

The ticket seller squeezed through the crowd to get to them.

"The ticket costs one cent per person."

Just as Li Xiaocao was about to take out the money, she saw Mingzhao hand over two one-cent bills: "For the two of us."

"What are you doing?" Li Xiaocao stuffed the penny into Mingzhao's hand.

Mingzhao declined twice, but eventually accepted it. Her gaze towards Li Xiaocao softened.

The car swayed and bumped along the dirt road. Mingzhao quietly watched the fields rushing past the window, her mind already planning the process of dismantling, cleaning, and initially assembling the scrap metal. Li Xiaocao, on the other hand, leaned back in her seat, somewhat wearily, and closed her eyes to rest.

Just then, a gaze kept glancing over, its scrutiny and probing immediately striking Mingzhao. There was even a hint of something else strange in that gaze.

Mingzhao's mental strength was developed through training within the Alliance. To enable better control of the mechs, the Alliance conducted corresponding brain development programs for each individual, making their mental strength extraordinary. This allows for multi-device control.

However, Mingzhao wasn't interested in such meaningless observation. Without even lifting an eyelid, he continued to immerse himself in thinking about how to maximize the effectiveness of the materials at hand.

Li Xiaocao, who was standing next to Mingzhao, swayed for a moment and then came to her senses.

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