Chapter 68

Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi had no idea what had happened to the Shitou siblings, let alone their guidance mission. They happened to appear at Xiaocao's most confused moment and showed her the direction of the future.

They were also a little worried that she would be tempted by other rewards offered by Hongli, so they specifically reminded her of this in the description.

I just hope she can listen to advice.

At this point, the approximate efficiency of the automatic water storage thermos has been tested - it can automatically fill up with 210mL of pure water in about 20 minutes when soaked in water.

"Next, let's see how efficient it is in normal conditions."

After all, being able to store water in ordinary conditions is the greatest use of this thermos.

Tang Yu'an poured the purified water in the cup into an ordinary kettle, and then placed the automatic water storage thermos cup on the bedside.

"Okay, time to sleep." He lay down again, "Good night, Xiaoqi brother!"

"Well, good night."

The night fell silent.

Tang Yu'an slept very soundly. He slept until the alarm clock rang, and then he got up reluctantly.

Before I even got out of bed, I saw a dead lizard at the foot of the bed.

“…”

Black Pearl squatted on the windowsill and cast him a casual glance.

Tang Yu'an smiled stiffly and said, "Did Black Pearl go out hunting last night? That's amazing!"

Although they don't eat dead lizards, this was Black Pearl's kindness after all, and he was still very touched.

Black Pearl then withdrew his gaze and continued to lick his fur and wash his face, as if he didn't care much about the praise, but the movement of his tail behind him clearly revealed his good mood.

Tang Yu'an breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the dead lizard, and ran to the guard to exchange it for three fruits.

The guards didn't mind at all; it was a rare meat dish for them.

Tang Yu'an not only exchanged for the fruit, but also gained 1 experience point and 20 points, which made everyone happy.

Seeing the dead lizard, he finally remembered his previous task of cleaning the giant lizard's nest, and thought that he would have to find a way to do it when he returned this time.

After breakfast, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi took advantage of every opportunity to gain 7 experience points from the guards. Only then did they follow Old Li and reluctantly leave the base.

Because Tang Yu'an had the order from the mountain master, the guards naturally did not charge them a toll and enthusiastically escorted them to the mountain path.

There was still some distance to the foot of the mountain. They walked down in the morning light, and the light spots on the map became fewer and fewer.

However, the two guards sent by Hongli still followed them.

Tang Yu'an shook his head and did not expose them.

If they really followed them back to the deserted city, the worst that could happen was that they would stay at Old Li's house for one night. If these two people didn't leave, they would have to use the umbrella to get rid of them.

They made their way down the mountain, and the day in Jufeng Town began.

-

Jufeng Town, a garrison.

"The salt merchant didn't come today?" Hongli asked Black Bear.

Black Bear nodded and said gravely, "Maybe we suddenly attacked him yesterday and scared him away."

He was about to take the responsibility when he heard Hongli ask, "Those two kids left too?"

"Yes……"

Black Bear was startled, looked up at Red Carp, and asked uncertainly, "Are you saying that the salt merchant is related to your two distinguished guests?"

"I don't believe there is such a coincidence in the world." Hongli said bluntly.

Black Bear thought about it and felt that it made sense.

He investigated and found out that the two children arrived in Jufeng Town the night before.

They stayed in Jufeng Town for two days, and the salt merchant appeared for two days. After they left, the salt merchant also disappeared. This was indeed too much of a coincidence.

And when the salt dealer showed up, they all happened to be at the market.

"The mountain owner is wise!"

Hongli waved his hand and continued, "When they come to Jufeng Mountain again, I will ask them clearly."

Then, she tapped her fingers on the table, thought of something, and asked again: "Is Jin Fu coming back soon?"

"Calculating the time, it should be about time."

"He said before that he would give me an answer, so please follow up."

"yes!"

Although it looks glorious in the eyes of outsiders, in fact, Hongli does not really have the final say in Jufeng Town.

She took over Jufeng Town a few years ago. Before she took office, several forces were already entrenched in Jufeng Town.

Although she had almost dealt with them, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and the ones left in the end were tough nuts to crack.

Jin Fu was the salt merchant they hired, who traveled back and forth between Linhai Town and Jufeng Town to sell salt.

Most of the salt used in Jufeng Town comes from him.

Hongli has long been unhappy with the feeling of being strangled, and has been trying to find a way to solve the problem of salt, but she does not have Jinfu's methods.

Even if she led people to open up a safe route to Linhai Town, without Jin Fu's connections, no one would be willing to sell salt to her.

That's why Black Bear reacted so quickly when a new salt merchant appeared at the market.

It was a pity that the salt merchant was elusive and extremely alert. Before he could get in touch with him, he ran away, which made him extremely annoyed.

Fortunately, Hongli was reasonable and did not punish him.

Thinking of this, Black Bear hesitated and said, "Perhaps we can wait a little longer? Jin Fu is greedy..."

He stopped there and didn't go on.

As I said before, Hongli has only been in office for a few years, so his foundation is not that deep, and naturally he doesn't have many good things on hand.

Jin Fu is the kind of person who won't release the eagle until he sees the rabbit. This time he will definitely ask for a huge amount of money.

"Let's wait and see." Hongli shook his head.

These things are also discussed slowly and are not finalized all at once.

At this moment, Black Bear remembered something and said, "Before those two distinguished guests leave, let me tell you something."

Black Bear mentioned that before Tang Yu'an left, he told him that he could open up land to grow wild vegetables and mushrooms.

Hongli chuckled subconsciously, but she soon fell silent again.

It’s not that no one wanted to do this before, but the space on the top of the mountain is limited and not suitable for planting. There are many wild animals in the mountains, and people have to guard against theft. Gradually, no one is willing to do this thankless task anymore.

But things are very different now.

There are not many large animals active in the Jufeng Mountains, and mutant creatures are basically extinct, so the safety of activities in the mountains has been greatly improved.

There were already strongholds on the mountain roads, so the villagers could open up the fields and the guards would patrol and guard them...

Hongli was previously influenced by inertial thinking, but now after being reminded, his thinking suddenly opened up.

She had just come out of the fortress, so she naturally knew that planting could produce a more stable food output. With fewer people going to the mountains to find food, perhaps the animals would slowly come back.

As the number of animals increases, those with special abilities who chose to leave because Mount Jufeng became increasingly desolate may also choose to move back.

This matter definitely has more advantages than disadvantages, but she needs to think about it carefully.

Hongli was in deep thought and waved her hand to let Black Bear leave, but her captain seemed to be hesitant to speak.

"What's wrong?" Hongli raised his eyebrows.

"Well, Wang Hu is back..." said Black Bear.

Hongli nodded. Every guard captain was appointed by her personally, so she knew Wang Hu and also knew that he was injured by the fire snake.

"Is his injury healed?"

Black Bear shook his head, "Not fully recovered yet."

"Then why is he in such a hurry to come back?" Hongli stared at him, frowning. "Just say what you want to say. You know I hate it most when people talk or do things in a sloppy way."

"Yes!" Black Bear said quickly, "He brought a little girl here and said he wanted to donate seeds."

"oh?"

Hongli raised an eyebrow, showing some interest. "What kind of seeds?"

"They say it's a kind of bean found in the mountains. It's more filling than the fruits we eat now."

The garrison distributed about three kinds of fruits to the guards. Normally, if people were organized to go hunting in the river or the deserted city, there would be meat, but generally speaking, more fruits were distributed.

This was the property left to Hongli by the previous manager, but it was not exclusive to her. Several wealthy families in the town also had such fruits, and the varieties were even better.

Hearing that it could fill her stomach, Hongli became even more interested. She motioned to Black Bear to take it out and have a look.

However, the black bear scratched his head in embarrassment.

"The little girl said she would not give it to you until she saw you."

Moreover, the food she brought was all cooked, so it would be useless even if they snatched it. She was a very alert girl.

Hongli couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay, then bring her over to meet him."

"Yes, sir!"

Black Bear turned and left. After a while, Wang Hu, with a pale face, walked in with a little girl following behind him.

The little girl looked to be about ten years old, skinny and bony. She was holding a ceramic bowl with a broken corner tightly in her hand. The beans in the bowl should be the ones she was talking about.

"Are you the one who wants to see me?" Hongli looked at her and asked.

Xiaocao shuddered and nodded timidly.

She didn't expect that she would meet the mountain master so smoothly. At this moment, she felt like she was in a dream.

After getting up in the morning, she followed the method she had figured out last night. She first exchanged soybeans, cooked them, and then went with her brother to knock on the door of the landlady's room.

After she explained her purpose, Wang Hu tasted the beans she cooked and agreed directly, taking her to the guard post to see Black Bear.

Her brother originally wanted to come with her, but at her strong request, he stayed in Meiyu Pavilion, and the remaining 50 raw beans were given to him for safekeeping.

Wang Hu took her to the guard post to meet Black Bear, and then they waited in the room for a while before being brought over by Black Bear.

Things went more smoothly than Xiaocao had imagined.

It was not until she met the mountain master, the big man who controlled Jufeng Mountain, that she began to feel afraid, but... since it had come to this, there was no turning back.

She must complete the mission and get the protection certificate!

As the red carp watched with interest, the little girl's eyes gradually became firm.

She held the bowl in front of Hongli and said in a trembling but clear voice, "Master, Master of the Mountain, I... I'm here to offer you some seeds! These are soybeans I found in the mountains. They can fill your stomach!"

The further she went on, the more fluent she became. After listening to the mission description so many times, the words came out naturally.

"You, you can try it!" Xiaocao said in a loud voice.

Hongli looked at her with more appreciation in her eyes. She lowered her eyes slightly and looked at the soybeans in her bowl. After reaching out to take the bowl, she shook it gently.

After shaking the small bowl of soybeans a few times and mixing them evenly, Hongli casually took out two and handed them to Xiaocao, whispering, "Eat them."

Xiaocao took the beans without hesitation and put them directly into his mouth.

Hongli nodded, but did not believe her. Instead, she asked the guard to bring a puppy over.

There are two hunting dogs in the guard station. They recently gave birth to a litter of puppies. The puppies that were brought in were only three or four months old.

Red Carp picked up a few beans and fed them to the dog. Then he put the dog on the ground and said to Xiaocao, "You can play with it for a while."

Xiaocao nodded ignorantly.

But her nervousness made her dare not move at all. In the end, she just stood there, staring at Hongli.

Hongli put the bowl of boiled soybeans on the table, then looked at Wang Hu and asked about his injuries.

Wang Hu expressed his sincere gratitude.

"If the Mountain Master hadn't helped me remove the fire poison, I would have died!"

Hongli looked indifferent and waved his hand calmly.

"I hope you get well soon and return to the team as soon as possible."

"I obey your command!"

She asked Wang Hu and Xiao Cao to wait aside, and by the time she had finished handling some official business, almost two hours had passed.

During this time, the red carp was distractedly observing the grass.

The little girl was nervous at first, but then she gradually relaxed and started looking around. Her dark eyes were full of curiosity and she didn't look guilty or afraid at all.

The puppy that ate the soybeans was jumping around without any problem, and even ran over to her with its tail wagging to ask for more.

Finally, Hongli waved again, asking Xiaocao and Wanghu to come to her.

She also took the bowl of soybeans, and under Xiaocao's expectant gaze, she picked up two soybeans, put them in her mouth, and chewed them gently.

The taste is very light, but it becomes more fragrant the more you chew it.

Hongli couldn't help but pinched two more and stuffed them into his mouth. Then he looked at Xiaocao and said, "Your name is Xiaocao?"

Xiaocao nodded.

"Where did you find these beans?" Hongli asked.

"In the mountains." Xiaocao answered without hesitation.

Hongli glanced at her and continued, "Do you remember how to get there?"

"I don't remember." Xiaocao immediately shook her head.

"Who asked you to come?"

Xiao Cao opened her mouth slightly, paused for a moment, and then said, "I came here on my own..."

Hongli smiled in an ambiguous manner. "These beans do taste good, but what's the growing environment like? What does the plant look like? Is it tall or short? Are the leaves big or small? Can you describe it to me?"

The grass got stuck all of a sudden.

"It's...it's the environment in the mountains..."

She had bought the soybeans directly from the store, so how could she possibly know the growing environment of the soybeans? And the plants... wouldn't her identity be exposed once they were grown?

Seeing her hesitating, Hongli didn't press her any further. After all, she already knew the answer she wanted.

In fact, during the two hours of waiting, the guards had already investigated the child's basic situation and reported to her.

"How did you and Xiao An meet?" Hongli asked.

Xiao Cao was slightly startled, "Xiao An? Are you talking about the little miracle doctor?"

"Little miracle doctor?" Hongli finally showed a hint of surprise.

"Yes!" Xiaocao nodded, and then truthfully described how she and her brother knew Tang Yu'an.

After hearing this, Hongli was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"So it's this miracle doctor." She nodded, obviously guessing that Tang Yu'an's claim that the steamed buns were sprinkled with poison was actually a lie to the brother and sister.

However, the help provided by the two teenagers to the brother and sister was indeed real.

Such kindness is rare in the wasteland.

Wang Hu was listening to their conversation from the side and opened his mouth slightly. He knew that the mountain master must have misunderstood. His experience told him that the two children did have medical skills.

But in the end he didn't say anything. Perhaps there was nothing wrong with such a misunderstanding.

"So what do you want to exchange these beans for?" Hongli said straight to the point, "Someone donated seeds to the administrator before, and that person got a piece of land and the right to be exempted from paying protection fees."

"I don't have any land to give you now, but I do have a house..."

However, before she could finish her words, she saw the little girl had already started shaking her head, so Hongli stopped and motioned for her to speak herself.

"I... I just want to be able to set up a stall freely in the town and have a certificate that will protect me." Xiaocao said firmly, recalling the reminder in the task description.

Hongli raised an eyebrow slightly, "Setting up a stall?"

"Yes! Setting up a stall to cut other people's hair." Xiaocao said.

Hongli couldn't help but glance at her bald head, then looked at Wang Hu's buzz cut, and couldn't help but ask, "Did you cut his hair too?"

Xiaocao shook her head, "No, my brother cut it, and I'm responsible for attracting customers."

"It's a new business." Hongli nodded, then asked curiously, "How did you come up with the idea of cutting people's hair?"

"It was the little doctor who gave us this advice," Xiao Cao said honestly. "He said that cutting hair short can prevent lice and reduce the risk of illness."

She then went on to talk about other benefits of having short hair.

Hongli nodded as she listened. There was a barber shop in the fortress, but she had never thought that cutting her hair short would have so many benefits. After all...

Bugs in her hair?

Please, those fragile little bugs can't withstand the high temperature of the fire-type ability user.

Hongli glanced at the guard standing next to him and felt that his messy hair seemed to be full of lice and fleas, and he couldn't help frowning.

The guard also felt his scalp beginning to itch.

He resisted the urge to scratch his head, but cautiously moved to the side, not daring to meet the manager's scrutinizing gaze.

Hongli didn't make things difficult for him and quickly looked away.

"Besides this, don't you want anything else?" She stared at the little girl and continued to ask.

Xiaocao nodded vigorously.

As long as her brother can go to the stall to cut hair, she can earn points through transactions. Even if it is only five or six points a day, it is enough for her to exchange for soybeans.

Although 5 points only buy 100g of soybeans, it's almost a bowl. Add on the wild vegetables and mushrooms I got from trading, and it's much better than my previous life of often going hungry!

As for other rewards...

Just like the scissors given to them by the little doctor, they were too weak to protect them at all.

So she was unmoved and just wanted the freedom and protection to set up her stall.

Hongli looked at her with a hint of approval in her eyes. She nodded and said, "I can promise you, but..."

She picked up the bowl of beans and shook it twice before continuing, "Words are not enough. I need to verify it to confirm whether this seed is really suitable."

Seeing the little girl's somewhat wary expression, Hongli put down the bowl and smiled slightly: "However, during the trial period, I can fulfill my promise and provide you with a certificate that allows you to set up a stall freely and be protected by guards."

"If this experiment fails, I'll take it all back."

Xiao Cao finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, as she looked at Hongli, she couldn't help but ask, "Then, how should we conduct the experiment?"

In fact, what she really wanted to ask was, what if the experiment was successful, but she deliberately said it was not? However, when the words came to her lips, Xiaocao swallowed them.

At this time, she could only choose to believe the mountain master.

After all, if there is no such trust, then she shouldn't have taken it out in the first place.

"You don't need to know how the experiment was conducted." Hongli shrugged. "How is it? Do you accept it?"

Xiao Cao pursed her lips and finally nodded: "Okay, I accept."

"Then, what about the raw seeds?" asked Hongli.

"In..." Xiaocao quickly stopped talking, "Where's the proof?"

Hongli smiled again, but didn't bother with such a little girl. He took out a token from the cabinet, then took Xiaocao's hand and put it in her hand himself.

This token is much smaller than Tang Yu'an's, but it is also engraved with exquisite patterns.

"Carry this token with you. If any guards try to stop you from setting up your stall, show it to them."

Hongli thought for a moment and continued, "For the next month, guards will be with you to protect you and warn the rest of the town."

It should take less than a month before everyone in the town knows that the brother and sister are under the protection of the mountain master.

"Then, what about a month later?" Xiaocao asked.

Hongli touched her bald head and chuckled, "As long as you stay in the market town, no one will dare to hurt you, but if you leave the market town... I can't do anything about it."

Xiaocao looked at the mountain master who was so close to her, and her face turned red with nervousness.

She clutched the token in her hand and whispered a thank you.

Originally, all she wanted was to be able to set up her stall freely in the town, without being harassed or attacked. Now that she had gotten what she wanted, as for leaving the town...

If they could set up a stall in Jufeng Town, they wouldn't have to go to the mountains to find food. Since she already had what she wanted at this stage, she didn't think about the long term.

"My brother is in Meiyu Pavilion, and Huangdou is with him." Xiaocao said.

Hongli nodded and looked at the guard next to him: "Take two people to the Meiyu Pavilion and pick up the child."

"yes!"

Soon, the guards brought the stone from the Jade Pavilion.

When Shitou left the Jade Pavilion, he saw a few people who were lurking outside. He was not intimidated. He made faces and provocative gestures at them, and then followed the guards away in a swagger.

Although he didn't know how his sister's conversation went, since it was rare for her to have guards escorting her, he naturally had to use his power to intimidate those people.

This is the wisdom he gained from struggling to survive since childhood.

Of course, when it came in front of the red carp, the stone became obedient.

At Xiaocao's reminder, he took out the 50 soybeans that he had kept with him, and Xiaocao personally handed them to Hongli.

[You completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer, employee experience +1]

[Congratulations! Completed the long-term task "Profitable Trading" and earned +1 point]

[Congratulations! Completed the normal task "Donate Seeds", points +20]

Seeing that his points had increased significantly, Xiaocao smiled happily.

These weren't just points, they were soybeans and sugar, the hope for her and her brother's survival...

Hongli kept half of the seeds and gave the other half to Black Bear, asking him to arrange for a wood-type ability user to induce labor as soon as possible. Then she looked at the little brother and sister in front of her.

"Are you interested in taking a big order?" she asked.

"What?" Xiaocao blinked.

"Cut the guards' hair." Hongli said lightly.

-

[Employee "Xiao Cao" completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer, earning +21 points and +1 experience point]

[Employee "Xiao Cao" completed the normal task "Donate Seeds", points -20]

Tang Yu'an had just crossed the iron chain bridge when he saw the system prompt pop up, and he was a little surprised.

The grass is so active!

It wasn't even the morning yet, and she had already reached a deal with Hongli? Who knew what terms they had finally agreed upon?

In fact, there is no way for employees to complete the tasks he issued to them completely according to his requirements, and the system cannot make judgments based on the actual situation.

He can only set key nodes. For example, for the task of donating seeds, as long as he "trades 50 soybeans to Hongli and makes a profit", the system will determine that Xiaocao has completed the task.

"50 soybeans", "red carp" and "profitable transactions" are the key nodes.

As for whether she obtained the protection certificate according to the task description, the system did not care, so Tang Yu'an had no way of knowing.

He shook his head and was about to close the panel when a new system prompt popped up.

[Employee "Xiao Cao" completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer, earning +9 points and +1 experience point]

[Employee "Xiao Cao" completes a profitable transaction with a new customer, earning +10 points and +3 experience points]

[Employee "Xiao Cao" completes a profitable transaction with a returning customer, earning +2 points and +2 experience points]

【……】

Next, a new system prompt popped up almost every two steps he took. Looking at the ever-increasing experience bar, Tang Yu'an couldn't help but beam with joy.

Wow, sister Xiaocao is so capable!

The author has something to say:

Xiaocao: Yes, it’s my older sister. I’m one year older than the little doctor. ^O^

Anzai: ...qaq