Chapter 110

After half an hour of baking over charcoal, the brother and sister's clothes finally dried out.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon.

The cave was getting colder and colder; the little warmth left from the fire had long since dissipated. The brother and sister dared not delay any longer, quickly packed their things, and planned to go out and dig some soil so they could return to base as soon as possible.

After leaving the cave, the brother and sister rode their bicycles towards the river.

The snow has started falling heavily again.

The dust fell in a flurry, and soon a thin layer accumulated on my body.

The entire No. 3 collection area was deserted.

The low bushes in the distance had long since lost all their leaves. Where the branches used to intertwine, now only half-stumps remained stuck in the snow, their broken ends frozen black.

Occasionally, you might see a few trees that weren't completely cut down, but only remnants about the size of a bowl remain. The branches had long been cut off at the base, and snow had accumulated around the stumps, burying most of the jagged cuts. The exposed parts were frozen solid, feeling like ice to the touch.

It's clear that the residents of the base have almost completely looted the collection area.

The wind blew through the gaps in these tree stumps, making it look quite desolate.

Jiang Shu said with some regret, "We should have cut more wood while we were inside."

They had originally planned to bring Niu Dali and Han Lei over the next day, so they hadn't planned to cut down trees and stockpile firewood.

I never imagined that so many mutated plants would just disappear like that.

He gazed at the empty direction in the distance, then his eyes suddenly lit up as if he had thought of something. He hurriedly asked, "A-Zhi, do you think that thing was sucked into the grassland? Will a patch of plants grow on the grassland in the future? If so, will we still have a chance to go in and collect supplies?"

Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat—it really was possible.

If that were the case, the grasslands would likely have an even richer variety of species, and then it would truly be a small world of its own.

Thinking about this, Jiang Zhi felt a mix of emotions.

A seed that can easily swallow a level nine mutated creature must be of an even higher level.

Once it matures, what kind of terrifying level will it be?

Most importantly, this thing now exists in her mental pool.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, Jiang Zhi couldn't say for sure. If this thing gets out of control in the future, she herself will be the first to suffer.

Jiang Zhi pursed her lips, suppressing her thoughts. "It's too early to think about these things now."

Ginger tree, "Yes."

With the mutated plants no longer obstructing their view, the brother and sister could see the river that ran through the No. 3 collection area from a distance after walking only a short distance.

As the two approached, they saw a thin layer of ice floating on the river, crackling and sputtering in the wind, occasionally breaking open to reveal the murky water below.

The frozen soil along the riverbank was covered with many footprints of varying depths.

Jiang Shu glanced around and spotted a figure not far away. He immediately exclaimed, "A-Zhi, look!"

Following the direction the ginger tree pointed, Jiangzhi saw several sheltered earthen slopes with simple wooden frames erected, on which hung polished silk threads, the ends of which dangled into the river.

There were small groups of base residents inside, wrapped in tattered cotton quilts, stamping their feet to keep warm, and occasionally tugging at the fishing line, their breath instantly swept away by the wind.

From a distance, Jiangzhi couldn't see faces clearly. She could only see someone occasionally pulling up the line, only to find the end empty, with nothing caught. Then the line would be lowered again.

Some people were luckier and pulled up a black-scaled fish the size of their palm.

He was a middle-aged man, missing an arm, and looked somewhat familiar.

When Jiangzhi saw him catch a fish, she immediately pressed it down with her frozen red hands and stuffed it into the bamboo basket beside her, while looking around warily, as if afraid of being discovered.

Jiang Shu used to be an old fisherman.

This will make you really want to see it.

"Azhi——"

Jiang Zhi knew what he wanted to do as soon as she heard it, and refused directly: "It's too late, and our clothes are still wet. If you want to go fishing, come back tomorrow."

Jiang Shu smacked his lips and had no choice but to give up.

The river wind was stronger than elsewhere, carrying moisture that seeped into one's bones.

The brother and sister moved along the riverbank to a more sheltered spot.

Jiang Shu didn't waste any time. He took out a small iron shovel from his space device and poked it into the frozen ground. The soil was frozen solid, as hard as an iron plate, and the tip of the shovel only left a white mark.

"We need to find a place where the snow is thin." Jiang Zhi squatted down and brushed away the snow that was above her ankles to reveal the dark brown frozen soil underneath.

She poked at the crack in the soil with her finger. "The soil here is looser; underneath should be damp soil that has been infiltrated by river mud."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu swung his shovel and shoveled down in that spot. With a loud "clang," the frozen soil cracked open.

He continued chiseling down along the crack, each inch the shovel went down accompanied by a crisp sound from the solid, icy soil. In no time, he had dug a small pit about a foot deep. The soil at the bottom of the pit was no longer the stiff white of the surface layer; it had a slightly dark brown, damp feel and could be clumped together when squeezed in his hand.

A test was conducted on the ginger tree.

"Drip—Highly toxic, not for consumption."

Upon hearing this voice, Jiang Shu's face fell: "Azhi, why don't you do it? With my luck, I don't know when I'll encounter another moderately poisonous creature."

Jiang Zhi glanced at him. "It's not easy to find soil with moderate toxins. We didn't necessarily need to find moderately toxic soil this time. Let's collect more first, try to compost it with the 'flesh-covered fungus,' and see if we can grow something edible."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu had no choice but to continue his arduous work.

Jiang Zhi rummaged through her bag and pulled out a snakeskin bag, opened the opening and handed it over: "Dig more from under the surface, don't bring too much snow."

Jiang Shu responded.

Use a shovel to gather the soil at the bottom of the pit into small mounds, then shovel it into bags one scoop at a time.

The wind swept across the river, carrying moisture that clung to the backs of their hands, turning them red and stiff with cold in no time.

Jiang Zhi would pause every now and then, breathe hot air onto his hands, rub them together, and then continue filling the bag. Before long, the bag was filled with soil. A damp, dark color peeked out from the bottom of the bag.

After the brother and sister worked for more than forty minutes, they filled three bags. By the end, Jiang Shu didn't care about the quality anymore; he just wanted to get the job done.

"This should be enough, right?" He moved his stiff shoulders and back, shaking off the snowflakes that had settled on them. "Never mind if it's not enough, I'm freezing. Let's hurry back."

On days like this, it's definitely more comfortable to stay at home.

Seeing that it was almost ready, Jiang Zhi said, "Okay, we can go back now and make it in time for dinner."

The two had just finished packing their things and were about to get in the car when they suddenly heard a commotion downstream in the river bend.

Several figures were tangled together, shoving and cursing. One of them, a tall, thin man, was holding onto a bamboo basket tightly, while two other short, stocky men reached out to snatch it. The fish in the basket were splashed and muddy water was spilled out.

"Huh, are you stealing fish?" Jiang Shu squinted and looked around. "That uncle with the missing hand looks so familiar..."

Jiang Zhi followed his gaze and saw the one-armed middle-aged man who looked familiar to her earlier.

She frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly realized: "I remember now, it's from our old Jiangjia Village, a few alleys away from our house."

She paused, then added as if remembering something, "It's the same company that rented out the flintlock bows to our family before."

As I recall, that person seemed to be Jiang Dafa's son.

Upon hearing Jiang Zhi's words, Jiang Shu immediately remembered, "I remember now, it seems like he's related to our family in some way? Is he the son of our grandfather's maternal aunt?"

Jiang Zhi: ...This relationship is too distant.

Jiang Shu stopped the car, bracing himself on the ground. "Since we know each other, Azhi, should we lend a hand?"

As they spoke, the curses carried on the wind grew clearer, and Jiang Wang's voice was urgent and hoarse, "This is what I fished for half a day! If you dare to take it from me, I'll fight you to the death!"

Jiang Zhi said, "Let's go take a look."

With that, he jumped off the back wheel of the car and strode toward the river bend.

Seeing this, Jiang Shu hurriedly turned the car around and followed.

The two men who were fighting over the fish were pinning Jiang Wang down in the snow, and one of them had already reached for the bamboo basket that was rolling to the side.

Jiang Wang's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He struggled and roared, "I'll fight you to the death!!"

Just as the man on top of him was about to punch him, he heard a voice behind him.

"stop!"

The two men were startled. They turned around and saw a young man of medium height. Just as they were about to curse, Jiang Shu casually picked up a piece of frozen mud the size of a bowl, pinched it with his fingers, and the frozen mud crumbled into powder with a "pop".

"Get lost." Jiang Shu glanced at them indifferently.

The two men exchanged a glance, their previous arrogance instantly diminishing—someone who could crush frozen ground with bare hands was definitely not someone they could mess with.

One of them was about to say something harsh, but the other pulled him back. The two glared at Jiang Wang, cursing, and slunk away.

After everyone had walked away, Jiang Shu lowered his voice and asked Jiang Zhi with a hint of smugness, "How was it? Azhi, wasn't your brother handsome just now?"

Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes at him, then walked over to Jiang Wang, who was still a little dazed, and asked, "Uncle Jiang, are you alright?"

Jiang Wang's lips were purple from the cold, and he was still clutching a broken fishing line tightly in his hand. When he saw that it was them, he was stunned for a moment before stammering, "You...you're from Uncle Jiang's family..."

The Second Uncle Jiang that Jiang Wang mentioned is actually the patriarch of the Jiang family.

Jiang Shu stepped forward, reached out and pulled Jiang Wang up from the snow, patting the snow off him: "Uncle Jiang, why did you come here alone? It's too dangerous."

When Jiang Wang was pulled up, he staggered, his legs, which were stiff from the cold, almost giving way again. He hurriedly grabbed Jiang Shu's arm. Upon hearing the words "Uncle Jiang," a hint of unease flashed across his face, and he lowered his head hesitantly: "My family... my family is almost out of food. I thought I'd try my luck and catch a couple of fish to take back and make some soup for the old folks."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the fish he had finally managed to catch, which had rolled to the side. His voice carried a hint of bitterness: "Who knew that after catching just two, those two would be eyeing us..."

The brother and sister looked at each other in bewilderment.

They remembered that Jiang Dafa's physique used to be similar to their old man's, quite robust. Could it be that...?

The two didn't ask many questions.

Jiang Zhi noticed that the other person was dressed in tattered clothes, and the cotton-padded clothes were so thin that they could hardly keep warm.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Jiang Wang's face, as if he had been weighing the matter in his mind for a long time. In the end, he pushed the basket towards the brother and sister, his voice filled with a slightly awkward sincerity, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to keep this fish, and I would have gotten a beating. I don't have anything good, so consider this fish my thank-you gift to you."

Jiang Zhi was surprised that the other party was still willing to give them the fish even though they were in such dire straits.

She looked at Jiang Wang's hands, which were cracked and bleeding from the cold, and sighed inwardly.

It's still too hard for ordinary people at the bottom of society.

She knew she shouldn't interfere, but she still softened in the end.

"Uncle Jiang, how is Grandpa Dafa now? Is he alright?"

Jiang Wang's only remaining hand was still resting on the edge of the basket. Hearing this, he paused for a moment. He noticed that the brother and sister were dressed in clothes made of the finest furs, and knew that their conditions were much better than his own. His dark face showed some unease: "So-so... I caught a cold a while ago... I can't even get out of bed like this..."

As they were talking, a faint but clear gurgling sound suddenly came from the other person's stomach, which was particularly distinct in the silent, cold wind.

Jiang Wang abruptly stopped speaking, his dark face instantly turning even redder.

Jiang Zhi continued to ask, and she took out a few frozen buns from her bag and handed them over: "Uncle Jiang, have some to tide you over."

Jiang Wang's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at the large steamed buns, and he subconsciously swallowed.

Those frozen, hard buns looked so substantial, they were sure to keep them full—they hadn't seen any wheat-based foods since the Great Cataclysm.

Realizing he had been staring intently at the large steamed bun, Jiang Wang snapped back to reality, hurriedly averting his gaze. His face flushed even more, and he waved his hand in a flustered manner, saying, "This steamed bun is very precious; I really can't accept it. Besides, you saved my fish just now, and I haven't properly thanked you yet. How can I take advantage of you?"

Seeing his helpless look, Jiang Shu didn't stand on ceremony and simply shoved the bun into his hand.

"Oh, Uncle Jiang, just take it. It's so cold out there, your hands are frozen like this, it's not suitable for you to fish here. Come back with us and warm up first."

Jiang Wang couldn't refuse the siblings, and after a few refusals, he finally pocketed the steamed buns and followed them to the base.

The remaining fishermen seemed nailed to the bank, only moving when they pulled their lines or stomped their feet. From a distance, they looked like several stone statues wrapped in tattered cotton, embedded between the gray-white riverbank and the gray-black river surface.

The brother and sister took Jiang Wang back to the low-rent housing area.

Rows of low, old houses were crammed together, their walls peeling off from the frost, revealing the gray, decaying mud underneath.

Jiang Wang's family lives in a 30-square-meter house on the first floor.

Many windows didn't have glass; they were just covered with plastic sheeting. When the wind blew, the plastic sheeting rattled and rustled, making a soft, grating sound that made my heart clench.

Some of the plastic sheets had holes, letting the wind blow straight into the house. Peeking through the cracks in the door, it was pitch black and looked rather gloomy.

The air was filled with the faint, pungent smell of coal smoke, mixed with an indescribable dampness that made one feel somewhat uncomfortable when inhaled.

Jiang Wang stood at the door, his face showing a mix of embarrassment and warmth: "Da Shu, A Zhi, I know you're kind people, and you even gave me steamed buns. To be honest, I don't have many other skills, but I'm pretty good at fishing. It's only just gotten cold, but in a few more days, when the river is completely frozen, I'll be good at ice fishing too, and I'm sure I'll catch some big ones. If you don't mind, I'll bring you some of the fish I catch then..."

Just then, Jiang Dafa's voice came from inside the house: "Cough cough cough... Awang, who is it?"

Fearing that the old man would get up and make a fuss, Jiang Zhi quickly said gently to Jiang Wang, "Okay, thank you in advance, Uncle Jiang. If we really need anything in the future, we will definitely ask you for help."

As he spoke, he gave Jiang Shu a wink.

Jiang Shu immediately understood and replied, "Uncle, then we'll head back now; our families are waiting for us."

The brother and sister didn't give Jiang Wang any chance to stop them and rode away on their bicycles.

Jiang Wang returned to the house only after he could no longer see the two figures.

As soon as I went inside, a gust of cold wind swept in.

Jiang Dafa, wrapped in a thin quilt patched upon patched, struggled to sit up, his throat still phlegmy: "I just heard two young kids? Which family are they from?"

Jiang Wang rushed to help him up, saying, "It's Uncle Jiang's second son's big tree and his sister Azhi."

"Dad, I was fishing by the river just now when some thugs tried to steal my fish. Luckily, two of them passed by and helped me. Otherwise, I would have lost my fish and gotten a beating."

Jiang Dafa's face showed worry. "Are you alright?"

Their son has already lost an arm; if he gets injured again, their family's situation will be even worse.

Before he could answer, Jiang Dafa's second son, Jiang Gui, returned from outside with his wife. As soon as they lifted the curtain, a cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in.

He saw that Jiang Wang was already home, and his voice carried a suppressed weariness: "Big brother, you're back too?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the basket in the corner of the wall. Seeing that it was covered with a tattered cloth and looked empty, his heart sank – he must not have caught anything, otherwise why would he have come back so early?

His wife sighed behind him.

Her little grandson, whom she was holding by the hand, huddled in her arms, shivering from the cold. They had spent most of the day outside, but hadn't found anything.

Their family only has a few grandchildren left. The old folks rely on this to find food every day, and they don't know when they'll starve to death.

Jiang Wang's six-year-old granddaughter looked timidly at the basket, her lips pursed tightly. Jiang Wang patted her head and smiled, "Agui, you're back just in time. I caught two edible mud carp today. I can make some soup for the kids tonight."

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard that.

Jiang Gui's wife suddenly raised her head, blinked in disbelief, and her little grandson, who was holding her hand, forgot about the cold and opened his mouth to let out a "Wow".

Jiang Wang's six-year-old granddaughter clutched her grandfather's clothes, her timidity largely gone, and her eyes regained their light as she whispered, "Grandpa, will we be able to drink soup with a meat flavor?"

Jiang Wang's smile widened as he pulled out several large steamed buns from his pocket: "Not only did we get fish soup, but your Uncle Dashu and Aunt Azhi also gave us a few plump steamed buns."

Everyone was stunned. Steamed buns?

What a huge steamed bun!

Jiang Dafa suddenly sat up. "Did they give you that cough cough cough cough—?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Gui was also extremely excited, "Big brother, how did you run into them?"

The names of Jiang Zhi and her brother are now quite famous in the base.

Jiang Wang recounted what had just happened, then said, "It's also my fault. My stomach was growling with hunger at the time, and they heard me. Otherwise, they wouldn't have accepted these buns for nothing. I wanted to give them the fish, but they refused..."

Jiang Dafa's eyes reddened slightly. "...Those two children are good people. We owe them a debt of gratitude."

These few steamed buns could last an average person a week.

This is clearly helping them.

Everyone felt a little uneasy. They wanted to repay this favor, but what could they offer in return?

Jiang Dafa sighed, "Hey, Jiang Gui's wife, why don't you heat it up first and share it with the children?"

He took one out, broke it in half, and handed it over.

Just as the noblewoman reached out to take it, her gaze suddenly fixed on the broken-open bun.

The plump white dough split in two, revealing that it wasn't filled with vegetable filling as she had imagined, nor with coarse grains mixed with barley; it was filled with solid meat! The dark brown minced meat was mixed with specks of oil and coated with finely chopped scallions and ginger.

Her hand froze in mid-air, her eyes widened suddenly, and she recoiled as if burned, then involuntarily leaned forward again. "This...this is..."

Her voice was trembling, filled with disbelief, "Meat...meat bun?"

Jiang Wang was also stunned.

I never expected it to be a meat bun!

For a moment, he panicked and hurriedly looked at Jiang Dafa, "Dad, what should we do? If I had known it was a meat bun, I would never have wanted it!"

Jiang Dafa propped himself up on the bed, staring at the meat buns for a long time without saying a word.

Finally, he murmured, "They... Ah, Jiang Gui's wife, go heat it up."

Jiang Gui's wife readily agreed and got up to heat up the buns.

We haven't even paid back the timber we borrowed from Uncle Jiang's family, and now we owe them a huge favor. How are we going to repay it...?

Jiang Dafa looked somewhat dejected. He lay back down and ordered, "Kill the fish and make some soup. It's better to drink something hot on a day like this."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wang quickly bent down to lift the tattered cloth on the basket. As soon as he reached in, he touched a heavy object covered in clay.

Jiang Wang was startled.

He only had one hand, and he couldn't get it out immediately.

"Awang! Quick! Come and see what this is!"

The two brothers frantically pulled the thing out, and when they realized it was the eldest brother's piece of konjac, the room fell silent instantly.

Jiang Wang swallowed hard: "Brother, did you find this today?"

Jiang Wang shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum: "I didn't—"

He paused, then his eyes widened suddenly: "It's Azhi and the others!!"

Jiang Shu had helped him carry that basket in earlier.

Jiang Gui's wife clutched her chest, "My goodness... this konjac... is enough for us to eat for a month!"

The two children came over, and the little grandson reached out to touch it, but Jiang Gui's wife pressed his hand down. He asked timidly, "Grandpa, can we eat this?"

Jiang Dafa's hands trembled as he looked at the konjac, and his eyes welled up with tears without him even realizing it.

His voice was hoarse: "Those two kids... they're worried we won't have enough to eat..."

The family gathered around the grayish konjac, looking at each other with excitement, their hearts burning with warmth, even the cold wind that had come in didn't seem so biting anymore.

*

The brother and sister were unaware of the situation of Jiang Gui's family.

For them, a few steamed buns and a piece of konjac are nothing. It's just that the two families had some past relationship, and they ran into each other, so they helped each other out.

They sped home.

The siblings' inner clothes were still damp, and when wrapped in the cold wind, they felt like they were covered with a layer of ice, making their bones feel tight.

Even with their robust physiques, the two were finding it difficult to withstand the sub-zero temperatures of seven or eight degrees Celsius.

As the brother and sister hurried home, they could still see many people huddled around the bulletin board, shivering from the cold but refusing to leave.

Jiang Shu sneezed loudly, his nose turning red: "Could it be that the base has come up with a new mission or policy? There are still so many people gathered here in this cold weather."

When the two returned home, they saw Han Lei, Niu Dali, and their family sitting around the charcoal fire in the living room, as if they were discussing something.

Ye Qingyun was the first to spot them. Seeing the brother and sister with snowflakes on their hair, their noses red from the cold, their hair mostly wet, and shivering from the cold, she was immediately startled and quickly stood up: "What happened to you? You're soaking wet. In this freezing weather, why don't you go change your clothes right away!"

Without waiting for a reply, he pushed the two of them into the room, saying, "Go quickly, go change into something dry, don't catch a cold. We'll continue our conversation when you get back."

Wu Xiu quickly got up to boil ginger water for them.

Grandma Jiang no longer cared about saving firewood and lit up the earthen kang (heated brick bed) in both of their rooms.

When the two came out, Yuan Ying said, "Weren't we just going to dig some dirt? How did it end up like this?"

Jiang Shu touched his nose, not daring to tell the truth.

If their families knew what they had just gone through, their legs would be broken.

Jiang Zhi didn't answer, but instead asked Han Lei and the others, "Brother Lei, what were you guys discussing just now?"

Han Lei laughed and said, "It's good news! The people the base sent to scout the dock in the next city have returned and said that you can catch fish there. This morning the base issued a notice that starting from the 5th, twenty military pickup trucks will be sent every day to take residents of the base there. But there's one condition: you have to bear the risks yourself and be responsible for your own life and death."

The 5th, which is 3 days from now.

Jiang Shan nodded, "That's right. I also asked my colleagues. It's said that the area is greatly affected by the cold wave. The sea surface that was frozen before hasn't melted yet. If we go there, we can go ice fishing and break through the ice to retrieve the mutated creatures from the sea."

Jiang Shu was overjoyed, "This is great news!"

Sea fishing! Wouldn't that mean you can eat seafood?!

Jiang Shan smiled and continued, "This news will indeed relieve a lot of people's urgent needs. There's also another piece of good news—I heard that the space teleporter will soon be open to the people of the base. At that time, the base store will be able to stock the furs and firewood that were traded with the southern base. Although the quantity is not large, it will still alleviate everyone's needs."

These are all great things. Han Lei smiled and said, "We came here this time to ask you if you want to go to Haishi together."

Jiang Zhi pondered, "If there are only twenty cars, everyone will be scrambling to go, right?"

Han Lei nodded, "I can send three people, so I came to ask for your thoughts."

Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Let's have a few people from our family go too, and Dali Ge can come along as well. I'll call Colonel Huang later and ask him to reserve a few spots for us."

Grandma Jiang listened, feeling both happy and worried: "But it seems like no one in our family is good at fishing..."

Apart from Ye Qingyun, the rest of the family were native southerners who had never even seen the sea in their lives, let alone tried new things like sea fishing or ice fishing.

If you really go along, you might end up with nothing and waste your time, which would be a real shame.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu suddenly remembered Jiang Wang from earlier, "Grandma, we can ask someone for help!"