Chapter 164 Acorns are everywhere, you can pick them up however you like!

In the afternoon, Zuo Shan decided that everyone should act together because Mao Li had found several oak trees on the edge of the No. 21 collection point that morning, with the ground covered with fallen fruit.

Because Zuo Shan wanted everyone to collect as many seeds as possible, he used a testing knife to test one of the fruits, and the test knife indicated that it was poisonous.

However, he still brought back a whole fruit, thinking that if it was useless, he could just throw it away.

He also examined the trunk of the oak tree and found that not only was the wood solid and fine-grained, but it was also reddish-brown in color, making it very beautiful for furniture making.

Aside from a few simple bamboo pieces, the only other furniture in the house was the metal furniture that Xiao Bao had sculpted, thinking that the owner might be interested in the oak.

Upon seeing the long, oval, dark brown fruit, Zuo Shan couldn't help but get excited. Wasn't this the acorn she had eaten before?

I remember when her teammate from Mongolia returned from visiting relatives, she brought back a whole bag of roasted acorns. They tasted a bit like chestnuts, but had a slightly astringent taste.

Although it may not be considered delicious, it has a unique woody aroma that leaves a lasting impression.

The teammate said that she had a short time to go home this time and was in a hurry, so the roasted acorns were not soaked in water for long enough, which is why they had a slightly astringent taste.

She added that the people there would collect acorns, dry them in the sun, peel out the kernels, soak them for a few days to remove the astringency, grind them into a paste with a stone mill, let them settle, pour off the excess water, and then dry them in the sun to make starch.

The jelly made from this starch has a smooth and delicate texture and a unique, refreshing aroma that is incomparable to other types of jelly.

At that time, her teammates even invited her to their homes to play, and they would treat her to acorn jelly made by her mother.

She never had the chance to taste her friend's acorn jelly in person, but unexpectedly, she had the opportunity to see acorns again here.

In fact, the toxins contained in acorn kernels are similar to those contained in toxic potatoes. Both can be removed simply by soaking them in water and then steaming them.

Unfortunately, the wastelanders were unaware of this. After all, agriculture was highly developed in the history of Algae Planet, so no one tried to remove the toxins from the roots and fruits of these wild plants before consuming them.

After the cataclysm, these already poisonous plants mutated and became even more toxic. Neither humans nor mutated animals dared to test their poison on themselves.

But for Zuo Shan, the acorns scattered all over the ground were practically a gift from heaven.

Since acorns can be made into starch, they are a good food that can be eaten as a staple food, so what is there to hesitate about?

Pick it up!

When Pandora heard that she could pick up any acorns she wanted, she was so excited she almost jumped for joy. She quickly asked Mao Li to send her the marked locations, and then she took off running towards her destination.

Xiao Bao was not to be outdone and ran after it. Don't let its chubby body fool you, it was surprisingly fast. After all, who isn't a second-tier superpower?

Zuo Shan pushed the stroller and followed behind unhurriedly. By the time she arrived, Xiao Bao had already climbed up the oak tree, raising his little paws to pat the branches and trunk, and acorns began to fall like rain from the tree.

The acorns produced by this mutated oak tree are naturally much larger, each one as big as an egg, and hundreds of acorns fall from just this one tree.

Pandora had already started collecting, filling a small half-sack, while Zuo Shan also took out his spatial button and began to collect everything!

The space button is really useful. This huge pile of acorns doesn't feel heavy at all after being put inside. If they had been packed in sacks, they wouldn't have been able to take all the acorns with them today.

Xiao Bao jumped onto the second tree and continued taking pictures.

There are a total of five large trees and two smaller trees that are relatively younger. It's impossible to count exactly how many acorns are in the left side. In short, after the storage space is built up, it occupies a volume of seven or eight cubic meters.

While collecting acorns, Zuo Shan inevitably saw the mutated female crocodile in the spatial button, as well as the mountain of crocodile eggs.

Her first thought was to roast more acorns and make more acorn starch to give to Xiaobai later.

After harvesting acorns from the seven trees, Zuo Shan also asked Mao Li to help cut down more than a dozen side branches of oak trees. They chose to cut the branches from areas where the side branches grew densely, and they also chose the less thick ones.

However, the mutated tree is already quite robust, and even these less robust side branches are each about 20 centimeters in diameter, which is enough to make furniture.

Zuo Shan wasn't just thinking about furniture; the branches of the oak tree emit a fresh, grassy fragrance when burned, making it exceptionally delicious for smoked meat.

She figured this out herself, because when she was in the countryside, her grandmother would usually choose pine and cypress branches to smoke meat. Later, when pine and cypress branches were no longer allowed to be cut down, she would just choose some branches from a fruit tree with many side branches to replace them.

Grandma said that too many side branches on fruit trees are not good for their growth and will reduce fruit yield.

So when she cut these branches, Zuo Shan didn't feel any guilt about damaging the vegetation. On the contrary, she believed that with her help, these oak trees would produce more acorns next year.

Before they knew it, the sun had begun to set, and Zuo Shan realized with a start that it was time to go home.

In order to save time, she simply put away the stroller and placed the baby on the carrier on her chest.

By this time, the baby was already exhausted and had fallen asleep. At noon, Lele and Xiaobao played with him, and he didn't close his eyes for a single second.

Pan Duole realized it was getting late and said anxiously, "Sister, let's run! If you get tired later, give me Achen. I'm in great shape right now!"

"Okay!" Zuo Shan agreed with a smile, then started running home at a race pace.

After running for about fifteen minutes, she noticed that Xiao Bao, who had been running in the lead, suddenly turned around, jumped to her side, and assumed a defensive stance.

"Coo coo!" Xiao Bao whispered, his voice filled with fear.

Although Zuo Shan couldn't fully understand its meaning, he could sense its fear.

The only creatures that could frighten Xiao Bao were at least mutated beasts of the third rank or higher.

Although mercenary groups frequently patrol the gathering points in District 48, remote areas like Gathering Point 21 are prone to being missed.

After all, mercenaries are human too, and they can't always be fully dedicated. In remote gathering points like this, very few people come to scavenge, so it's normal to overlook them.

Zuo Shan's hair stood on end instantly: "Xiao Bao, take Lele up the tree! Chestnut, use stealth!"

She shouted urgently, then recklessly used her meager supernatural ability to push her running speed to the limit.

As she ran, she glanced around and saw that the chestnut had indeed disappeared. Xiao Bao then led Pan Duole up the nearest tree.

But instead of finding a place to hide in the trees, Xiao Bao and his friends jumped from one tree to another, following her route.

Of course, Mao Li didn't stay still either; he also ran wildly in her direction.

Zuo Shan knew they wouldn't abandon her to escape on her own, so she had no choice but to run forward as fast as she could.

However, after running for about ten minutes, she heard heavy footsteps behind her. It wasn't just one, but a group, at least seven or eight.

Mao Li's voice went directly into her ears: "Master, they are second-tier grassland wolves, there are eight of them. According to my calculations, you can only maintain this speed for a maximum of twenty minutes, and these grassland wolves will catch up with you within a quarter of an hour."

"Enough nonsense! Is there any way to get away from them? Climb a tree?" Zuo Shan shouted as he ran.

"According to the information I found on the local internet, mutated prairie wolves can climb trees, and they have an extraordinary sense of smell, able to detect scents from more than ten kilometers away when the wind is blowing. Once they lock onto their prey, they will hold on tight and never let go," Mao Li said.

"So, not only me, but even Lele and Xiaobao can't escape, right?" Zuo Shan's voice began to tremble.

"Theoretically, that's how it is. Two Tier 2 wolves against eight Tier 2 grassland wolves known for their speed, ferocity, and fighting prowess have zero chance of winning." Mao Li's words were tantamount to a death sentence for them all.