Chapter 100

Jiang Zhi led Jiang Shu backstage, then instructed her brother, "Brother, go over there..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu acted faster than he thought. He instinctively ran to the place where the barley was piled up after his younger sister.

After tidying up the contents of the space container, Jiang Zhi quickly walked out.

at the same time.

The patrol team leader and his men reacted quickly, immediately running to the front of the display stand to form a human wall in an attempt to block the surging crowd.

The patrol captain, standing protectively on the display stand, roared, "Back off! All of you, back off!!"

Jiang Zhi's gaze swept quickly across the chaotic scene. Professor Ning was still standing below the stage, trembling with anger, and looked like he was about to be knocked down.

Jiang Zhi ran over and grabbed Professor Ning's arm, almost dragging him behind the display stand as he trembled with anger.

"Professor Ning, find an opportunity to stand next to Professor Yang later, and then press this. Remember, just press it and don't say anything else!" Jiang Zhi spoke quickly, shoving the spatial device in her hand to him.

Professor Ning opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but seeing Jiang Zhi's sharp and calm eyes amidst the chaos, he ultimately swallowed his words.

He slumped against the cold support.

I can't quite describe the feeling in my heart.

A huge emotion, a mixture of frustration, shame, and sorrow, enveloped him, leaving him feeling powerless.

“Professor Ning.” Jiang Zhi’s voice was not loud, but it carried a power that could penetrate the chaos, “Don’t think too much. Trust me, everyone will see your hard work.”

Professor Ning felt a pang of sadness.

Holding the space device, he finally understood what Jiang Zhi wanted him to do. Professor Ning gritted his teeth and agreed with a determined air, "You want me to create a time difference, right? Fine, I'll do it!"

In the past, he would never have bothered to use such petty tricks to fool the masses.

But this time, Professor Ning suddenly realized.

What's the use of being aloof?

Sometimes, ordinary people only want to see what they want to see.

If that's the case, why should he put on airs?

Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the old professor didn't stubbornly persist to the end.

These researchers are too stubborn; they always think that enthusiasm alone will win people over.

The method of preparing ginger twigs is not complicated; it can even be described as simple and crude.

Since these people can't wait, let's just let the teleported item appear "early".

As long as Professor Ning doesn't get too stubborn, this shouldn't be a big problem.

Jiang Zhi guessed that it was those troublemakers who were deliberately stirring up trouble taking advantage of the chaos.

If we can calm the emotions of others first, there is hope of quelling this farce.

*

On the other side.

Jiang Shu vaguely knew that his younger sister wanted to help solve this problem. He walked from the back to the grain pile, found an angle where no one could see him, and directly picked up several snakeskin bags and put them into the space device.

The patrol members guarding the grain knew Jiang Shu's special status, and they seemed to want to stop him but dared not be too offensive. "Comrade, what are you doing..."

Jiang Shu immediately shifted the blame to Professor Yang, saying, "Professor Yang told me to go to the back to distribute the grain, saying that doing so would divert everyone's attention."

Anyway, since Professor Ning caused all this trouble, it's only right that Professor Yang, as his old friend, should cover for him.

Upon hearing this, the patrol members thought it was a good idea and quickly said, "We'll send someone to go with you!"

Jiang Shu and several patrol team members quickly ran to the open space on the other side of the square.

Jiang Shu placed most of the burlap sacks filled with barley on the ground. "Come on, come on, according to the base's regulations, we'll distribute the grain while you watch the demonstration! Half a jin each! Everyone, line up!"

The crowd, who had been following the flow of people without knowing what was happening ahead, were suddenly drawn to the grain.

"People are distributing food over here too! Come on, let's not push in front, let's go to the back!"

Upon seeing the grain, the crowd stopped pushing forward and instead lined up at the back.

In fact, the base originally planned to distribute food to the people during the time the space teleporter was in operation, but before it even started, some people started making a fuss.

The crowded people stopped moving forward, and the pressure ahead suddenly decreased.

The ringleaders, upon seeing this, immediately became somewhat anxious.

If they don't cause a disturbance, how can they take the opportunity to seize grain?

Upon seeing the patrolmen carrying grain and about to walk away, he quickly shouted:

"They're not going to give us food anymore! Quick! Stop them!"

These words were like salt sprinkled into hot oil, instantly escalating the already chaotic crowd into an uproar.

Suddenly, the pushing and shoving at the front became even more intense.

Professor Yang was protected by several patrol team members. Seeing this, he felt a pang of anxiety. Only fifteen minutes had passed, and there were still fifteen minutes left before the teleportation ended.

We need to quickly divert everyone's attention!

Professor Yang couldn't think of a good solution for a moment, and his face turned red with anxiety.

"Bang!"

Someone fired a shot directly into the air.

The gunshot, like a thunderclap, cleaved through the chaotic crowd, instantly drowning out all the noise.

The entire square fell silent.

It was as if the pause button had been pressed.

Curses, shoving, cries... all the noise stopped abruptly with the sound of gunfire!

Minister Li, who was in charge of the base's supplies distribution, faced the crowd with a dark expression, and the gun in his hand was still smoking.

"What are you trying to do?!"

"Are they trying to steal our food or drive people to their deaths?!"

Minister Li's voice, sharp as ice, rang out loudly in the suddenly quiet venue.

"Do you even know how much these two elderly professors standing before you today have contributed to the base?!"

He pointed at Professor Yang with his big finger, "This Professor Yang, in the first year after the Great Cataclysm, worked day and night to solve the power shortage problem for the base as soon as possible, and even had to go to the clinic several times for stomach bleeding! Without him, would you be able to use electricity now!?"

He then pointed to Professor Ning in the audience, "And this Professor Ning! During the hottest time of the past two years, hundreds of people died of heatstroke! Tens of thousands more were waiting to die from the heat. Who developed cooling equipment for the base's health clinic and saved everyone?! It was him!"

"What are you trying to do now!? Are you trying to discourage the people who have contributed to the base!?"

A moment of silence fell over everyone.

Many people didn't know how to answer and could only lower their heads, not daring to meet the minister's eyes.

Just when Professor Yang thought the situation was under control, the man who had led the disturbance suddenly spoke up:

We didn't want anything! We just wanted some food, to avoid starving—"

Before he could finish speaking, Minister Li had already turned his gun around and fired a shot directly into the other man's ear.

A chorus of screams erupted from the crowd.

Minister Li said coldly, "If anyone dares to act recklessly again after today's incident, don't blame me for handling things according to the rules!"

The reason why the base held the item teleportation device demonstration ceremony at this point was out of necessity.

Following the recent cold snap, extreme incidents have been frequent at the base.

The staff responsible for registering the base's personnel found that residents had committed suicide in their homes almost every day.

Even more heartbreaking are cases where entire families die together.

Robberies became more frequent.

Advice and punishment are not the solutions to problems.

The base's leadership can only hope that this exhibition will help the people regain their will to live.

If there had been a genuine shortage of personnel to maintain security, this incident wouldn't have happened.

Everyone fell silent again, looking at Minister Li with fear.

Their eyes were filled with fear and resentment.

The man who had been shot covered his bloodied ear and glared angrily at Minister Li in front of the display stand.

"Fine! I won't cause trouble. I just want to know clearly whether this machine can help us get through this winter!"

Everyone held their breath, their eyes all fixed on Minister Li, waiting for his answer.

Jiang Zhi frowned deeply.

This person is really cunning.

Asking this question is essentially pressuring the base to provide guarantees.

If Minister Li gives a wrong answer, it could easily sow the seeds of future trouble.

Professor Yang and the others standing above were well aware that although these people had been suppressed, they were not necessarily convinced.

Even if the presentation is completed in the end, it may not achieve their desired purpose, and thus the presentation will be considered a failure.

Seeing that the two sides had returned to a tense standoff, Professor Ning remembered Jiang Zhi's suggestion and walked directly to the space teleporter.

He glanced at Jiang Zhi, who was standing in front of the display stand. Then, while everyone was waiting for Minister Li's answer, he pressed the spatial device that Jiang Zhi had given him.

"Buzz—!"

A low, muffled hum, marked by noticeable pauses and static, struggled to emerge from inside the spacecraft!

Then, a bunch of things appeared out of thin air on the central platform of the teleportation point.

Jiang Zhi seized the opportunity and immediately shouted, "Look!!! Something has been teleported over!"

Her voice was so loud that everyone was taken aback.

Then.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the pile of things that had appeared out of nowhere in the center of the booth!

In a short time.

Everyone was stunned!

What appeared out of nowhere was not one item, but a small pile!

It has thick, fluffy dark brown fur, cotton blankets...

There's even a bicycle!

Professor Yang, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded. Anyone who had used a spacecraft would know what was going on.

He couldn't help but look at Professor Ning.

But the other party's expression was calm, showing no sign of guilt in lying to the public.

"Fur...fur? It's fur?!" Someone broke the eerie silence.

"I saw there was also dried meat!!"

"Where did it come from? I didn't see anything there just now."

"Was it caused by that teleportation device the professor mentioned earlier?!"

"Southern Base?! It was sent from Southern Base?!"

In a short time.

The shouts of surprise, shock, and ecstasy from the people gathered in front instantly replaced their previous anger!

"So, we really do have a chance to survive!?"

"We can survive this winter!?"

The temperature is getting lower every day.

These people were terrified by the recent cold wave.

The house was so cold it cracked, and even staying inside was unbearably cold.

The little bit of food that had been painstakingly saved up was either frozen solid and inedible, or it had long since run out.

I wanted to go out and try my luck finding something to eat, but all I could see was a vast expanse of white.

Every road was completely blocked.

That despair of being left with no choice but to wait for death weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

At this moment, what the teleporter brought gave everyone a glimmer of hope.

A buzz of discussion erupted from the crowd, the voices filled with disbelief—could the Southern Base really exchange for something that could save their lives?!

The initial hostility deflated like a punctured balloon.

Who wants to die when they can live?

"Great! With this teleporter, the base can exchange for food and clothing! We won't die!!"

"Yes, yes!"

As the tense atmosphere gradually subsided, the patrol team leader breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that most people had calmed down.

In order to repair the base's basic supply facilities, the base simply couldn't send too many people to manage this area.

Even today, we can only send out twenty or thirty people to be stationed there.

He didn't expect the exhibition to almost go wrong.

Fortunately, things are back on track now.

Jiang Wen and the others standing behind the patrol team leader couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment when they saw what was on the stage.

Wasn't that a reward given to Ah Zhi by the higher-ups?

This teleporter... it's not quite what they imagined.

Before they could figure out what was going on, the few people who had initially wanted to find fault, seeing that everyone's emotions had been calmed down, shouted again, "So what if these things are sent over?! Will they even be given to us?!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen knew that these people were doing it on purpose.

How could they let these people go up and stage an accident? He quickly said to his family, "Dad, Mom! Those things must have been arranged by Azhi. Don't let them ruin Azhi's plans."

Yuan Ying understood immediately upon hearing this.

He immediately turned around and shoved the man hard in the back: "You shameless bastard, where are you pushing me?!"

Yuan Ying's slap was swift and loud, leaving the man stunned on the spot.

Before the other party could react, Ye Qingyun next to him started yelling at the top of his lungs, his voice even louder than the roar in the square earlier: "What are you doing? These are things that the base showed us. You want everything, and I want everything too. Who are you going to ask the base to give them to?!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd also began to express their dissatisfaction, "That's right!"

Seeing the wind shift suddenly, Professor Yang disregarded everything else and seized the opportunity, saying, "Comrades, listen to me!"

The crowd's attention immediately shifted from the supplies that had appeared out of nowhere to the old professor who had just looked extremely disheveled.

This time, the crowd's eyes held less numbness and anger, and more uncertainty and... a faint glimmer of hope.

"Everyone saw what happened just now!" Professor Yang pointed to the pile of furs. "This is..."

Perhaps still somewhat wary of deceiving the public, he paused for a second before continuing, "These were sent from the Southern Base! Genuine fur! Fur that you can wrap yourself in to keep warm!"

"This space teleportation device! It's not just for show! It's the hope for our Ancheng base!" Professor Yang blurted out what he had prepared beforehand: "With it, we can connect with our brothers in the south! In the future, we can also contact the Kyoto base! And even bases all over the country!"

“We can exchange things we need with them! This teleporter, after our experiments and improvements, can transport 1,000 kilograms of goods per day! And our base has three of them!”

Although the conditions at the Southern Base were not very good, and they couldn't get what everyone expected, it didn't stop Professor Yang from planting hope in everyone's hearts.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces, blue with cold and filled with longing. His voice suddenly rose, growing more resolute with each word, carrying the hope he had initially intended to give them: "This is not the last time! This is just the beginning!"

"Please trust us!" Professor Yang's voice boomed like a bell, clearly echoing in everyone's ears. "We will definitely lead you all through this harsh winter!"

In Professor Yang's resounding words.

The place where furs were originally piled up suddenly lit up, and a bunch of mutated rats that had just been killed appeared out of thin air again!

A strong, pungent smell of blood suddenly filled the air, both fishy and irritating, with a greasy odor of raw meat that assaulted the nostrils. The blood was still steaming, dripping down the fur. The sheer volume of mutated field mice created an even stronger stench that choked many, causing them to instinctively cover their mouths and noses.

Finally, atop the pile of field mouse carcasses, a plaque bearing the inscription "Brotherhood Base" was placed, carrying a significant commemorative meaning.

The people behind them stared wide-eyed.

I didn't understand the situation for a moment.

"What's going on? Why are so many things appearing again?"

This time, without Jiang Zhi saying a word, Jiang Wen had already taken the lead in shouting, "The Southern Base has sent supplies to our base again!!!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

"Another one!?"

"So many field mice, all given to us by them?!"

"The Southern Base is really generous! They gave it to our base twice!"

Professor Yang was just thinking about how to smooth things over when everyone unexpectedly veered off-topic, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

He has been a professor for so long, and has given hundreds, if not thousands, of speeches to the public.

I was so scared this time that I broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, the presentation ended quite satisfactorily.

At this point, the group that had joined the commotion asked, "Professor, will we receive this field rat meat?"

Professor Ning was displeased upon hearing this. Making trouble and then wanting food? How could they be so delusional!

He stated directly, "We will distribute this field rat meat to those who have contributed to the base. Those who want to cause trouble will not receive a single benefit from the base!"

The man whose ear had been covered panicked and gave his accomplice a wicked look, clearly wanting to cause more trouble. Yuan Ying and the others held him down. "I think it's you guys who want to cause trouble! You've been picking on us since earlier! No way! We can't let you people interfere with us getting our benefits!"

Upon hearing that this matter involved personal gain, everyone immediately started plotting, their voices rising eight octaves: "That's right! They were the ones who started the trouble! Arrest them all!"

"I remember them! These guys have robbed other people's grain before, they're definitely trying to cause trouble this time!"

"Patrol officers! Take them down now!!"

Seeing that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, the group's expressions changed, and they turned to run away.

Jiang Wen reacted quickly, immediately shouting, "Don't let them get away! Stop them!"

With everyone's help, the patrol team quickly arrested the men.

After the patrol team finally took those people away, Minister Li stood on the stage and said, "What the two professors said earlier is correct. The base will do its best to protect every civilian, but those who have contributed to the base will be the first to benefit!"

This time, Minister Li's voice was amplified and heard by every resident present.

After the other party finished speaking, Professor Yang nodded and continued, "This time, the reason why our base was able to cooperate successfully with the Southern Base is thanks to the mutants and soldiers who went on this mission! Some of them sacrificed their lives on the way, and some were seriously injured. Every step they took was extremely difficult."

"Therefore, on behalf of the base and the institute, I would like to express my special thanks to the comrades who have contributed to this mission."

"All the supplies sent from the Southern Base this time will be given priority to the families of the fallen soldiers."

He paused, then continued, "The names of the fallen soldiers have been engraved on the new monument at the base. From now on, their families will always be at the front of the line when supplies are distributed each month. This is not charity; it is the dignity they earned with their lives, and no one can touch it."

"The remainder, after unanimous discussion at the base and with the consent of everyone, will all be awarded to Comrades Jiang Zhi and Jiang Shu for their outstanding contributions!"

This left not only the Jiang family stunned.

Even the ginger branches and ginger trees that Professor Yang mentioned were stunned.

*

After the exhibition ended, even the air in the base seemed different.

"Did you guys go check it out today? That teleportation device at the base can trade things with the people at the southern base!! We don't have to worry about surviving this winter!!

"Really? You saw it with your own eyes?!"

"Of course! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"This is fantastic news! I'll go back right now and tell my husband to stop looking so gloomy; we'll make it through this winter!"

...

Similar news spread like wildfire throughout the entire base in the blink of an eye.

In many of the once lifeless houses, there are now hushed but excited conversations everywhere.

*

When the Jiang family returned home, they were still somewhat in a daze.

It wasn't until they saw the piles of field mouse meat in their homes and the double compensation of furs and blankets that they felt a sense of reality.

Grandma Jiang stayed at home with Grandpa and was unaware of what had happened in the square.

Seeing the pile of field mouse meat delivered by the base staff, I didn't know whether to be disgusted or happy.

When they heard that the field mouse meat had been transported from the southern base and was even a reward given to Jiang Zhi and her brother by the base, their eyes widened in surprise.

"So much field mouse meat, is it all a specialty from the southern base? And it was all given to Azhi and the others?"

Everyone else was also confused.

They were still unable to recover from the envious gazes of tens of thousands of people.

“Yes…” Jiang Wen said, “Grandma, let me tell you, Azhi and Dashu have become famous…”

Grandma Jiang scoffed, her voice carrying a hint of smug satisfaction, as if she'd known all along:

"Didn't Xiaoxu say that the base issued an announcement praising them? They're already famous, you don't need to tell me specifically."

Jiang Wen wanted to say, "How can these be the same?"

This time, they were called out in full view of everyone...

At the time, he felt like he had achieved enlightenment and all his relatives and friends benefited from it.

Grandma Jiang had no idea what they were thinking. She directly instructed her son, Jiang Hai, to clear out the empty water vat in the corner of the kitchen, and then had Jiang He boil two large pots of water.

"What are you all standing there for? Get to work!"

"You're all sitting here like idiots with food to eat? I think you've been eating too well these past few days!"

Grandma Jiang was worried that there wasn't enough food at home, but then she suddenly had some extra income.

The group brought back at least seventy or eighty field mice, each one plump and large, so many that they couldn't all fit in the kitchen.

Grandma Jiang felt this was a sweet trouble.

In this freezing weather, there was no need to rush to process the rat meat, but the smell of blood was just too strong.

When Grandma Jiang spoke, everyone immediately sprang into action.

Jiang Zhi couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

On the way home, apart from their mother, the rest of the family looked at them like some rare animals, making them feel very uncomfortable.

Now that Grandma Jiang is giving instructions, things are finally back to normal.

Yuan Ying and Wu Xiu quickly went over to help.

"First remove the hair, then gut it. Be quick—even though it's cold, the smell of blood will attract unwanted attention if left untreated."

"Okay, Mom!"

Grandma Jiang brought the two children back to the hall and sat them with Xu Na.

“Come on, tell Great-Grandma what happened just now.”

...

It was getting dark outside.

The kerosene lamp in the Jiang family's courtyard was still lit.

The steam from the boiling water rose in the courtyard.

Everyone was in a state of extreme excitement after what happened today.

Even dealing with field mice felt like it was on accelerator.

Wu Xiu rolled up her sleeves, picked up several plump field mice, and dipped them into the hot water. She scraped their fur with a bamboo knife, and the glossy, smooth skin quickly peeled off, revealing pinkish-white flesh.

Yuan Ying assisted from the side, taking the emasculated field mouse and placing it on the cutting board. She cut open its belly with a knife, took out its internal organs, and threw them into the basin next to her. Her movements were so fast that they seemed to create a gust of wind.

"Can we keep this heart and liver?" Jiang Wen asked, holding up the rat liver in his hand.

Ye Qingyun was sprinkling salt into the jar when he glanced at it and said directly, "Keep it, we'll chop it up and use it to make steamed buns later."

There is still some flour left at home.

It's perfect for making steamed buns; it'll save us a lot of firewood when we eat them.

Soon, a strange smell, a mixture of blood and hot water steam, filled the kitchen. Jiang Shu found it pungent, so he opened the back window, and the cold wind rushed in, which suppressed the fishy smell quite a bit.

Ye Qingyun rubbed the plucked field mice all over their bodies with salt water, then stacked them in a vat, layering meat and salt, pressing them down firmly with his hands. Finally, he tightened the wooden lid and weighed it down with a large stone. Watching the blood seeping from the bottom of the vat flow away along the cracks in the bricks, Ye Qingyun was in high spirits. "This vat should last us at least two months."

If Jiang He and Jiang Hai hadn't worked so hard to repair the large vat that had cracked from the freezing, it wouldn't be in use now.

The family worked through the night.

Jiangzhi and Jiangshu originally wanted to help, but everyone urged them to go and rest.

Tomorrow they will be scouting the area with Han Lei and the others.

The brother and sister exchanged a glance and went back to their room helplessly.

Jiang Zhi lay back down on the bed.

Recalling the way the two elderly professors looked when they finally left, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but think...

If it were you, what would you do if you encountered people who had done you a favor but then turned around and stabbed you in the back?

Jiang Zhi closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it any further.

The two professors are undoubtedly worthy of respect.

Even after what happened today, it still hasn't stopped them from making sacrifices for their fellow human beings.

The wind was still blowing outside, and the smell of blood in the kitchen was gradually being masked by the aroma of meat.

In the glow of the oil lamp, the clanging of the spatula against the iron pot, the crackling of the firewood, and the excited chatter of the sisters-in-law and children gradually kept the wind and snow outside the window at bay.

*

On the other side.

Minister Li immediately reported what had happened in the main square after the exhibition ended.

Upon hearing that it was Jiang Zhi who came up with the idea to divert public attention, Commander Wang smiled and said, "She does have a bit of quick wit."

Minister Li was very dissatisfied with the troublemakers today. "Commander, these people have no idea how difficult the situation the base is facing right now. Even at this point, they're only thinking about their own interests..."

Commander Wang waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more. "Just kill the chicken to scare the monkey, that's enough."

No matter how difficult things are at the base, it is the responsibility of the leaders.

As if remembering something, he suddenly said, "Didn't that girl want to farm? It's only fifty square meters, give it to her."

Minister Li was taken aback for a moment, then responded.

Minister Li was no longer surprised by the base's care for the Jiang siblings.

After all, capable people are always more indulgent.