Chapter 24

Ye Qingyun had no idea that a few bags of cotton aphids would lead to a bloody incident involving the exploration team.

She was completely absorbed in making the sugar juice.

Cooking with three pots at the same time definitely increased efficiency.

That night, apart from the two elderly people and Jiang Hai, who had not yet fully recovered, everyone else was racing against time, working through the night to deal with cotton aphids.

The two children were so excited they couldn't sleep, constantly looking this way and that.

She finally couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep next to the adults late at night.

Fortunately, they got better and better at these tasks, and eventually, everyone was doing things almost instinctively.

In order to deal with the cotton aphids as soon as possible, Jiang Zhi and the others did not go to the collection area again the next day.

Jiang Shu felt heartbroken at the thought that the cotton aphids that hadn't been collected yet might end up in someone else's possession.

Jiang Wen comforted them, saying, "We caught quite a few yesterday, and by the afternoon there were far fewer of the cotton aphids with moderate toxins. Maybe if we go to catch them again today, there won't be many edible ones left."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu could only console himself with this thought.

In fact, Jiang Wen's guess was correct.

Since yesterday, many people have been asking about the group, and the aroma of food coming from their place has led them to guess what kind of insects they have caught.

The next day, quite a few people went to the No. 3 collection area.

However, after all that effort, the cotton aphids they caught were almost all highly toxic.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

Jiang Zhi became noticeably lethargic in the latter half of the night because she had used the dashboard too many times during the day.

Seeing this, Ye Qingyun urged her to go to sleep: "Go and rest quickly, don't overwork yourself. Learn from your brother, be lazy when you should."

Jiang Zhi didn't press the matter further, and returned to her tent after giving a nod.

After changing her clothes and preparing to lie down, Jiang Zhi suddenly remembered the few leaves she had picked up in the mutated snake's nest during the day, and couldn't help but get up again.

She carefully took it out of her bag.

The bluish-yellow color was no different from what it looked like during the day.

She couldn't help but take another puff of the fragrant leaf, but it seemed to have no special effect other than refreshing her.

But since these are golden items, Jiang Zhi firmly believes that these leaves cannot only have a stimulating effect.

—Oh well, I've already got the stuff, so there's no rush.

Unable to figure it out, Jiangzhi didn't dwell on it any longer. She stuffed the things under her clothes and went to sleep.

*

The Jiang family worked all night and didn't finish dealing with all the cotton aphids until noon the next day.

Thanks to everyone's efforts last night, there are currently 170 jin of cotton aphids, which has shrunk by nearly half.

The Jiang family plans to raise the price of the treated cotton aphids.

The wholesale price has increased from 65 yuan per jin to 75 yuan.

The price for individual items has been increased from 70 points per kilogram to 80 points.

You have to sell this stuff quickly to get a good price.

Jiang Shan didn't sleep all night. The next morning, he and his sister Jiang Zhi packed 30 jin of roasted cotton aphids and 20 jin of sugar cubes and went to find Chen Li.

The other party lives in Zone B, which is a whole county away from their Zone D.

As they walked along, the three couldn't help but marvel at how well-constructed the base was.

During their journey, the group passed a huge square. They heard that there was an air-raid shelter underneath, which could hold two-thirds of Ancheng's residents should any mutated creatures attack.

As for the remaining one-third...

All we can say is that when that time comes, the residents living on the outskirts will have to fend for themselves.

Even someone as carefree as Jiang Shu could see something was off about this design. "A-Zhi, you know, with such high walls at the Ancheng base, they probably don't need this air-raid shelter, right?"

Jiang Zhi shrugged and said, "If it exists, it has a reason. Who knows, it might come in handy someday."

Jiang Shu shook himself. "Then we still need to work hard to buy an apartment in Block B."

Jiang Shan laughed and said, "The houses in Zone B can't be bought just by having points."

The people living in Block B are all connected; they are either powerful or wealthy, and of course, there are also former entrepreneurs who made great contributions to the base during the Great Cataclysm.

It is said that the richest man in Ancheng donated all the goods in his shopping malls and supermarkets to the base in order to secure a place for himself there.

Not only ginger trees, but even ginger branches are very curious about area B.

The small city wall that stands over fifty meters high on the outskirts of Area B alone gives one a strange sense of security.

The three were allowed to pass only after registering with the security guard at the gate of Area B.

Jiang Shu curled his lip, "It seems there will always be a privileged class."

Stepping into Area B, Jiang Zhi felt as if she had returned to the pre-cataclysmic era.

The wide streets within the district were spotless. Neatly trimmed green vegetation even lined both sides of the roads.

The villas are scattered throughout the area, and the facilities are very complete. The size is similar to that of the county town before the disaster.

Modified cars occasionally drive by on the road.

Jiang Zhi recognized it as a convoy of mutants.

Jiang Shu felt that his values ​​had been challenged once again.

"Wow, I thought everyone was living in dire straits, but it turns out that 'everyone' only refers to myself."

Jiang Shan didn't think anything of it.

He's old and has seen a lot.

Wherever there are people, class distinctions will always exist in this world.

After entering Zone B, Jiang Shan entrusted the matter of the cotton aphids to his brother and sister.

He needs to go to the shops in Zone B to inquire about building materials.

Niu Dali had told him before that the shops in Zone B had more goods, and more good stuff.

Jiang Shan wanted to see if he could buy the slime from the mutated white jade snail, as well as high-temperature resistant cement, which is one of the building materials. Their D district didn't have these high-end goods.

After Jiang Shan left, Jiang Zhi observed the area and noticed that most of the villas had a uniform style. She said, "This area must have been a villa district before the disaster. It was just requisitioned by the base. The old building materials probably won't last long. It'll probably have to be demolished and rebuilt soon."

Hearing this, Jiang Shu felt much better. "Even so, the basic facilities in Zone B are much more complete than those in Zone D."

Jiang Zhi remained noncommittal, assuming this was a preferential treatment the base offered to mutants and their families. Otherwise, why would they work for the base?

“I actually prefer Zone D.” Although Zone D is not as safe as Zone B overall, it has a lot more of a lively atmosphere. Jiang Zhi said, “I heard that the base in the capital is divided into many zones, and it’s not much different from before the catastrophe. There are even places like bars.”

The armed forces in the capital are the strongest in the entire Dragon Kingdom, so they were quickly cleared out after the incident occurred there.

Jiang Shu was somewhat surprised: "A-Zhi, how did you know?"

Jiang Zhi said expressionlessly, "I listen to the radio every day."

Jiang Shu said enviously, "The capital is still the best. I wish I could go there again sometime."

Jiang Zhi: "The roads on both sides are not yet completed, so you can't go even if you want to."

As the brother and sister talked, they unknowingly arrived at Chen Li's house.

From the outside, it looks like a small courtyard house.

It's not very big, only about 200 square meters.

Not long after Jiang Shu knocked on the door, Chen Li came out.

He happens to be off today.

Chen Li: "Jiang Shu? You're here so early? Come in and have a seat?"

Since his cousin bought the car from the Jiang family, he has also received a considerable commission and has been living a more and more comfortable life lately, so he has a very good impression of the Jiang family.

Jiang Zhi declined, saying, "I won't bother you any longer. We have other things to do later. Director Chen, would you like to take a look at the goods first?"

Chen Li didn't press the matter: "Okay."

The ginger tree untied the bag, revealing the cotton aphids on it.

Chen Li could smell the rich, oily aroma of high-protein food without even looking down; the savory fragrance was intertwined with a hint of sweetness.

Chen Lili's eyes widened immediately. "This...this is a silkworm pupa?"

Jiang Shu wiggled his index finger and made a few "nonono" sounds. "No, no, we don't have the ability to find silkworm pupae yet. This is just a kind of insect that looks like a silkworm pupa. It's all moderately toxic and has already been processed. We stir-fried these last night to ensure they're fresh."

After saying that, Jiang Shu took out a ginger tree and let Chen Li try it.

"Here, Brother Li, try it and see if it suits your taste."

Chen Li didn't stand on ceremony and started tasting the food.

As soon as the food entered his mouth, Chen Li's eyes lit up.

Even if the thing in the Jiang family's hands isn't a silkworm pupa, it's still a precious item.

You can tell just by smelling the aroma.

Chen Li made a quick decision: "I'll take them all."

Jiang Shu's smile deepened: "There are thirty catties here in total, Brother Li. We've traded quite a few times before, so I'll definitely give you a discount. We usually sell it for 85 points per catty, but if you want more, we'll give you 80 per catty."

"Okay." 80 points per pound isn't expensive. Buying all of them would only give him 2400 points. Whether he gives them away or resells them, he won't lose money.

Seeing that one thing was settled, Jiang Shu took out some candy and said, "We still have some candy. I wonder if Brother Li would like some?"

"Candy?" Chen Li looked over.

It really is a sugar cube, and it looks similar to brown sugar.

How come you have brown sugar?

“It’s not exactly brown sugar—but it’s close,” Jiang Shu didn’t explain much. “This is sweeter than brown sugar; a small piece can make a whole pot of syrup.”

Chen Li crushed some sugar residue and tasted it.

It's definitely cloyingly sweet.

He thought of the sugarcane fields in Collection Area No. 3.

The base had also sent people to collect sugarcane there in hopes of extracting some brown sugar, but they failed several times.

The reason is that most sugarcane has little flavor, so it is impossible to extract brown sugar from it.

Therefore, Chen Li was somewhat surprised to suddenly see so many candies in the hands of the Jiang family.

How do you want to sell it?

This time, Jiang Shu was more cautious. He pretended to know nothing and scratched his head, "We've only been at the base for a short time, so we don't know how much to sell it for. Brother Li, could you give us a number?"

Although Grandpa Jiang said that they now have to pay forty or fifty points to buy a pound of brown sugar in the base store, that was the price before.

Their sugar cubes are much more concentrated than regular brown sugar, so they won't be cheap at all.

Sure enough, Chen Li said directly, "I'll give you 80 points per pound. I'll take them all."

Jiang Shu was so excited.

At 80 points per pound, that's the same price as meat.

"As expected of Brother Li, he really goes all out."

He handed over everything he was carrying, saying, "There are thirty-five catties of meat worms here; the extra five catties are a free gift."

Chen Li was even more pleased to receive a free gift, but he still said, "I can't accept this."

Jiang Shu: "We've troubled you to take care of us quite a bit, so please don't be shy about this small token of our appreciation, Brother Li."

Chen Li pushed it twice before accepting it.

The two parties successfully completed the transaction for 4000 points.

Chen Li accepted the gifts and was overjoyed. He said, "If you have any good things like this in the future, you can come to me again. I'll welcome you all."

Jiang Shu: "We were lucky to get some good stuff this time. We're thinking of selling these so we can build the house quickly, otherwise our little tent won't last long."

Chen Li also knew that the Jiang family had been found.

"This weather is definitely not suitable for staying under the tent all the time. Is there anything else you need? I can ask around for you."

Jiang Shu said happily, "We lack everything right now. My dad even wants to buy some sun-protective roof tiles."

These blue tiles are coated with a type of adhesive made from a mutated leaf-shaped plant.

After the disaster, sunlight also contains a small amount of radiation. Long-term exposure can cause objects to mutate into highly radioactive objects, and people are also more likely to get hurt.

"Then you can just buy some leaf-repellent glue from the vanguard team and apply it yourself. My brother and his team brought back a lot of it a while ago."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu was overjoyed. "That's great! Let's go find them in a bit!"

After saying goodbye to Chen Li, the brother and sister went to the store in Area B to meet up with Jiang Shan.

The shops in Zone B are divided into more specific sections, including dedicated building materials stores.

It wasn't until Jiang Zhi and the others arrived that they realized the mutated materials had so many uses.

For example, besides the mucus of the white jade snail which can enhance the toughness and hardness of mud bricks, there are various other materials that can change the properties of the wall.

For example, the feces of a certain mutant animal can keep the walls at a constant temperature, and applying the juice of a certain plant to the interior can effectively increase sound insulation... There are many similar materials.

These are all functional materials that even architectural engineers like Jiang Shan would be tempted to buy.

Without exception, they were all ridiculously expensive.

They originally wanted to use better materials to build the house, but now it seems they might not have enough money.

Jiang Zhi and her brother looked around and wanted to add everything to their house.

But upon seeing the price, they immediately lost interest.

Jiang Shu pointed at the material that could keep the wall at a constant temperature and complained to Jiang Zhi in a low voice, "This stuff is way too expensive! It's just manure, right? It costs 10,000 points per kilogram, is this robbery?!"

Unfortunately, a nearby shop assistant overheard them: "Hey buddy, how can you talk like that? How is this robbery? Do you know how hard it was for the vanguard team to get all this excrement?"

"This is rhinoceros dung. Do you know how big a rhinoceros is? It's already as tall as a building before it even grows to adulthood!" The shop assistant completely treated the group like country bumpkins. "The dung of large mutant beasts is used by them to mark their territory. Bringing it back not only involves a lot of risk, but it also needs to be specially treated before it can be used in the base. Aren't these costs?"

Jiang Shu curled his lip, "It's just a rhinoceros horn, it's not like we haven't seen them before."

Jiang Shu wasn't lying. During their three years of survival in the wild, they had seen quite a few mutated beasts, including the rhinoceros, but only from a distance.

At that time, they went out to find supplies and found a mutated grassland where a herd of rhinoceroses lived.

Each one is as tall as a four- or five-story building.

Even now, Jiang Shu still gets goosebumps when he recalls it.

These are enormous creatures, and there are many of them. Ordinary people would rather give them a wide berth.

The shop assistant laughed in exasperation, "You?"

He looked Jiang Shu up and down.

Patched clothes, unconventional hair, and skin as dark as the working class.

The shop assistant scoffed, "I bet you've only ever been to the collection area; you've never even seen a mutant ant!"

Jiang Shu rolled his eyes: "Don't look down on me. I've killed more mutated beasts than you've sold materials! If you don't believe me, I can give you the address of a herd of rhinoceroses. It's up to you whether you dare to do it. But I think you're just showing off your presence here. If you actually went out, you'd probably be scared to death."

The shop assistant was furious, "You brat—"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Shan shouted, "Big Tree, how dare you talk like that?"

Seeing this, the shop assistant snorted, thinking they knew better than to be rude.

Then Jiang Shan continued, "Even if it's the truth, you shouldn't say it in front of others. You're making people feel so embarrassed!"

Shop assistant: ...

Jiang Shu suppressed a laugh and said in a serious tone, "Yes, yes, Dad, you're right to teach me a lesson. I promise I won't tell the truth from now on, so as not to hurt some people's fragile pride."

Jiang Zhi added expressionlessly, "It's something everyone knows, so what difference does it make whether we say it or not?"

Jiang Shu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

They weren't afraid of offending the person in front of them.

Anyway, these building material stores all belong to the base, so even if you offend them, you won't have to worry about not being able to buy the materials you want.

Jiang Shan has always been protective of his children; no matter how unruly they are, he will always protect them when they are out in public.

Just as the shop assistant was about to explode with anger, someone next to him spoke up: "Young man, do you know where to find rhinoceros horns?"

The group looked over and saw a man in his early forties, with taut, well-defined muscles all over his body and a scar on his face. His appearance clearly indicated that he was the work of a mutated beast.

Jiang Shu: "Yeah, what's wrong?"

When the shop assistant saw who it was, she was so excited that she stammered, "Captain Ji..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shan frowned and stepped forward to block the siblings.

Seeing this, the man laughed, "Don't be nervous, brother. I just heard this young man say he knows where to find rhinoceros horns. We happen to need something from a rhinoceros horn as material, so I came to ask you. Don't worry, if the place this young man mentioned really has rhinoceros horns, I will give you a reward."

Jiang Shan said calmly, "That all happened a few years ago. Even if I told you now, I might not be able to run into you."

Judging from the man's appearance and the way he was addressed as a shop assistant, Jiang Shan guessed he was probably the captain of some vanguard team and didn't want to cause trouble.

“Rhinoceros herds are social animals. Since you saw a group, it proves that this is their gathering place, and they usually don’t give up easily,” the man said. “Of course, even if we don’t find them in the end, we won’t blame you.”

To date, only the horn of a rhinoceros can effectively alleviate the symptoms of mutants who overuse their abilities.

After Ji Xing led the team on the last mission, several key members have not yet recovered, and the doctors at the clinic believe it is irreversible mental damage.

They had no choice but to take the risk of capturing rhinoceros horns.

Unfortunately, Ji Xing led his team out several times, but they couldn't find any trace of the rhinoceros.

Seeing that even after Ji Xing had said that, the Jiang family members still wouldn't budge, the shop assistant immediately spoke up in their defense, "Do you even know who Captain Ji is? He's the head of our base's vanguard team!"

"If you were just talking nonsense, then just admit it. Don't waste Captain Ji's time."

The last sentence sounds like they're already laughing at them.

Jiang Shu snorted, "Who said we're talking nonsense? Bring me a pen."

Ji Xing glanced at the shop assistant, who then had no choice but to take out a pen and paper.

Jiang Shu took the paper and wrote a line of words on it in a flamboyant style. Just as the shop assistant was about to lean closer to take a look, Jiang Shu had already taken it and handed it to Ji Xing.

"Okay, go if you're not afraid of death. Let me make this clear: we saw no fewer than ten rhinoceroses there back then. If anything happens to you, don't blame us."

Ji Xing wasn't angry. "Thank you."

He glanced at the address on it and put the note away.

As the head of the vanguard team, he could tell at a glance that the people in front of him were ordinary people, but they must have some special abilities to be able to return safely from an unexplored wilderness.

Ji Xing said nothing more and turned to leave.

Then he heard the girl behind him say, "There's danger beneath that grassland."

Ji Xing paused in his steps, glanced at Jiang Zhi, and smiled, "Thank you."

Jiang Zhi nodded. "You're welcome. I was just worried you wouldn't be able to come back and give us our reward."

Ji Xing was somewhat surprised, but didn't say much. He nodded and said to the shop assistant, "Give them a 20% discount today."

After everyone left, the shop assistant looked furious.

These guys are all penniless, yet they dare to speak to Captain Ji like that; they're incredibly arrogant.

And Captain Ji actually wanted to give them a discount!?

Jiang Shu smiled when he heard there was a 20% discount.

He called out to Ji Xing's retreating figure, "Thank you, Captain Ji!"

Then, pointing to the cheapest cement in the store, he arrogantly declared, "Give me 200 kilograms of this!"

As she spoke, she turned back to Jiang Shan and asked, "Dad, is this enough?"

The smug look on the shop assistant's face made him so angry he almost twisted his cheek.

Jiang Shan nodded with a smile.

Mud bricks made from cement and clay have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The shop assistant angrily weighed out the cement. Although Jiang Shu didn't show it on his face when he saw the price, he felt a pang of pain in his heart.

Cement costs 800 points for 100 jin (50 kg), so 200 kg would cost 3200 points, which is 2560 points after the discount.

Most of what I earned this morning disappeared in an instant.

Their task today, besides selling the cotton aphids, is also to buy the materials on the list.

But it would be a waste of favors to ask Chen Li's cousin and others about something as basic as cement, so buying it from the store is the most cost-effective option.

With the remaining money, Jiang Shan bought over ten kilograms of white jade snail mucus and mutated sand.

When Jiang Shan was about to make the payment, he received 5600 points and 5850 points transferred from Yuan Ying in two separate transactions.

This is what Yuan Ying got from selling 90 jin of roasted cotton aphids and 80 jin of sugar blocks to the base store in District D.

Although it couldn't compare to the price Chen Li offered, only the base store had the audacity to buy so many goods at once.

If they weren't in a rush to build houses, the base store wouldn't be their first choice.

Jiang Shan's face immediately broke into a smile.

Jiang Shu: "Dad, what's making you so happy?"

"Your second aunt has also sold the goods."

The family had previously agreed that all the money from selling the treated cotton aphids would be transferred to Jiangshan to purchase building materials.

Jiang Shu asked happily, "How much can we sell?"

There was nothing to hide. Jiang Shan showed it to the brother and sister, and Jiang Shu was deeply moved.

"Is this enough for us to build all the houses?"

Jiang Shan had calculated all the necessary materials over the past few days, and they were almost complete. He smiled and said, "These are about right. Your mother said that the money from both sides will be used to build the house. Once Awen's money arrives, things will be a bit easier."

Jiang Shu looked over expectantly, "Dad, look how hard we've worked these past two days, haven't we...?"

He rubbed his fingers together. "How about we get a reward?"

Jiang Shan chuckled, "Such a grown man, and you still want money?"

Jiang Shu said matter-of-factly, "Look, Azhi found some good stuff last time, maybe she'll find something good this time too?"

Jiang Shan chuckled, "Do you think good stuff is like cabbage, something you can find anytime, anywhere?"

Despite saying that, Jiang Shan still transferred 100 points to each of the siblings.

"Hey, don't let your mom know about this."

Jiang Shu gave Jiang Zhi a look that said, "I'm awesome, aren't I?" and saluted Jiang Shan, "Yes, sir!!"

With such a large amount of points at his disposal, Jiang Shu instantly felt much more confident.

Pointing to the materials on the list, he said, "This, this, and this, give me fifty kilograms of all of them!"

He looks exactly like a nouveau riche.

Jiang Shan let him do whatever he wanted.

After purchasing the basic materials, Jiang Shan used the remaining money to buy a lot of functional materials.

The shop assistant's face turned black.

With today's discount, his commission has shrunk considerably.

I initially thought they were just a few poor folks, but their purchasing power is comparable to that of the big spenders in Zone B. I couldn't help but regret what I had said before.

A moment later, the three walked out of the building materials store under the resentful gaze of the shop assistant.

Then he went to Area C to find Chen Li's cousin, Captain Chen Rong.

You can often find some good stuff in the mutant team. Apart from the items needed for the mission, everything else is at everyone's disposal.

After purchasing enough jujube juice from Chen Rong at a low price, the three of them returned home.

On the way, Jiang Shan asked Jiang Zhi, who had reminded Ji Xing, "A-Zhi, what's under that grassland?"

Jiang Zhi shook her head: "I don't know. At the time, I only found a dense cluster of red warning points over there."

Jiang Shu gasped, "Won't Captain Ji go and never come back?"

"I don't know, but the other party must be very capable, otherwise they wouldn't have set their sights on the rhinoceros horn."

They were just saying it casually, after all, it didn't really concern them.

The three pushed the cart piled high with materials back home.

Upon arriving home, I saw Jiang Jun sitting in a low, simple wheelchair, repairing a wood-burning stove.

Jiang Zhi leaned over and took a look: "Is this thing broken?"

Ye Qingyun was still boiling sugar cubes when he heard this and said, "It's not broken. I asked Ajun to modify it. We've never used this before, and now that it's hot, we won't need it for a while. Your older brother used to be good at repairs, so I asked him to modify it into a water heater. That way, we won't have to use up a stove burner all the time just to boil water."

Jiang Jun used to be a repairman, and he even co-owned a repair shop in the county town. Anything in the house that was in his hands could always be made to look brand new.

Soon, the heater was changed; it had two fire holes on it, about the size of a kettle at home.

Place it on the tunnel, and people who get up early every day can easily boil a couple of pots, enough for the whole family to drink all day long, which is very convenient.

Jiang Zhi gave him a thumbs up in admiration: "Brother, your cooking skills are still so good."

Jiang Jun smiled and said, "This is the only skill I can still show off now."

Jiang Zhi glanced at him, then ran back to the tent, found a hanging camping lamp, and handed it to him without any hesitation: "Brother, this thing is broken, do you think you can fix it?"

Jiang Jun took it and pressed it a few times, and immediately saw the problem: "This should be a problem with the adjustment of the lamp blades, probably due to radiation."

Jiang Zhi didn't understand. "So, can it be repaired or not?"

Jiang Jun said, "It used to be possible, but now it can't be repaired without the tools. I think the shape is still acceptable. If you don't mind, you can also modify it into a kerosene type."

After the cataclysm, many electronic products lost their usability, base stations and factories were destroyed, and almost all previous technological products were rendered unusable due to radiation. Currently, the only usable products are new technologies developed using mutated materials.

Jiang Zhi didn't mind at all. "Great, this way the house will be brighter at night."

Although they could apply for electricity from the base later, due to circuit limitations, the base stipulated that each household in Zone D could only turn on one light at night. They could add more, but the electricity bill would double.

Electricity is already expensive, and each kilowatt-hour costs 10 points. If the cost doubles, it would easily add up to several hundred points per month.

Therefore, in District D, most households choose to use kerosene lamps.

However, the fuel used is not kerosene, but a certain vegetable oil refined at the base.

Jiang Sui tugged at Jiang Jun's sleeve, "Dad, can you teach me? I want to learn too."

Jiang Jun smiled and said, "Of course."

Jiang Shu also came over, looked at the water heater that Jiang Jun had modified, and sighed, "In our family, only my eldest brother has the most patience. If I had to tinker with these things, I would rather go outside to collect them."

Jiang Wen: "I'm not good at it either. My hands-on skills are not as good as my older brother's. Otherwise, my dad would have made me inherit his mantle long ago."

Jiang Jun smiled but didn't say anything.

How could he not know that the others were trying to comfort him because they were afraid he might do something rash?

He was already lucky to have survived; he couldn't possibly ask for more.

Jiang Shan unloaded the goods on the side. "Alright, you guys come and help us quickly. Today we need to dig the foundation and make the mud brick blanks."

Jiang Shu: "Coming, coming!"

When Jiang Shan returned, he bought a few shovels, which are essential tools.

Two days ago, Niu Dali helped dig a lot of land for his family, but these past two days, because of the food, he has attracted a lot of attention, so Jiang Shan decided to build the wall first.

The men in the house who were mobile quickly got to work.

Mix the prepared clay with a large amount of water, stir continuously, and then use the molds that Chen Rong had previously lent them to make clay blanks.

Even though they didn't get any rest last night, the Jiang family's enthusiasm for work was not affected at all.

The group worked hard and produced over a thousand mud bricks, each 30 centimeters long, 20 centimeters wide, and 12 centimeters thick.

As if he had seized the opportunity, Niu Dali would fill their water tanks whenever they were short of water.

The Jiang family felt quite embarrassed as they made these repeated trips back and forth.

Ye Qingyun tried to stop him several times, but seeing that Niu Dali was unmoved, he was both annoyed and amused: "Dali, why can't you understand, young man? We have enough manpower, we don't need your help."

Niu Dali filled the water tank again. "My wife said we don't have much to repay you with, so doing some small favors won't hurt."

Seeing his stubbornness, Ye Qingyun said helplessly, "Where's your wife today?"

“My wife said that you’ve just met with your family these past few days, so you must be busy and she doesn’t want to bother you.”

The couple were sensible and grateful, and Ye Qingyun had a good impression of them.

“It’s not a long-term solution for you to come here to help us every day. There are only three people in your family, and you can’t go without food, can you?” Ye Qingyun said, “How about this, you go back first, and if we need anything later, we’ll come to you for help.”

Niu Dali scratched his head.

He didn't dare make a decision rashly, lest he be scolded by his wife. "I need to ask my wife first."

His simple and honest manner amused the entire Jiang family.

Ye Qingyun took a few pieces of freshly made sugar and stuffed them into his hand.

Just as Niu Dali was about to refuse, Ye Qingyun said with a stern face, "Don't push it away. This isn't for you. It's for your wife and children. If you don't accept it, you're not allowed to come to our house again."

Niu Dali scratched his head again.

Take it if you want.

If my wife scolds me when I get back, I can just take it back.

Jiang Zhi was somewhat surprised by his strength when she saw him running back and forth so many times without even panting.

She thought for a moment, "Niu Dali, could you do me a favor in a couple of days?"

Niu Dali nodded, "We agreed before that as long as you save my wife, and it's not murder or arson, I'll do anything you ask."

After making the appointment, Jiangzhi sent Niu Dali back.

Niu Dali took Jiang Zhi's words very seriously and no longer refused. He picked up the water buckets and went back.

Jiang Shu leaned closer and winked, "A-Zhi, you don't mean you want him to help you..."

Jiang Zhi didn't deny it, and just hummed in agreement. "He's strong, so we have a better chance of catching him."

She hasn't given up on that silver carp.

When she met Ji Xing today, she noticed that he had many items with gold markings on them.

Jiang Zhi speculated that the mutants in the base had a way of searching for and testing the effects of special items.

It's just that their current social class doesn't have access to these things.

Jiang Shu immediately became excited, "I knew it! I asked Brother Wen to inquire beforehand, and he said there's a kind of mutated spider silk that's incredibly tough, impossible to cut with ordinary sharp tools. They sell it at secondhand stores for just over a hundred points. If we could use it to make a fishing net..."

Jiang Zhi understood.

No wonder her brother asked their dad for pocket money when they came back; that's what he was after!

She laughed, "Brother, that's impressive! You're getting smarter and smarter."

Jiang Shu said with a stern face, "Did I never have a brain before?"

Jiang Zhi chuckled.

Indeed, there is strength in numbers.

Under the scorching sun, thousands of mud bricks dried out in just one noon.

The family fenced off a 300-square-meter plot of land according to the map planned by Jiang Shan.

Except for the side of the wall that faces the self-built housing area, which is two meters high, the other walls are only one and a half meters high.

In order to reduce the consumption of materials, in the afternoon, Jiang Zhi and the others went out of the city to the base's buffer zone to cut a lot of thorns and wrapped them around the wall.

The mutated thorns are longer, thicker, more numerous, and more densely distributed than those of ordinary thorns.

Jiang Zhi and her group went back and forth several times, collecting a lot of items, and completely surrounding the top of the wall.

Once the walls were all built, the whole family stood in the yard and immediately felt an overwhelming sense of security.

There were no materials at home, and the door was only covered with two wooden boards, but everyone could not hide their excitement.

The happiest ones were Jiang Sui and Jiang Si.

The two little ones have been kept in the tent for the past two days. They can only go around the stove for fun, and they are not allowed to go anywhere else, for fear that they will be seen by others and tricked into revealing information.

Now that they have a yard, the two children immediately started playing.

"Auntie, when will the house be finished? Will we not have to worry about others stealing our delicious food anymore?"

The little girl kept asking questions.

She was quite different from how timid she was a few days ago.

Jiang Zhi said with a smile, "Once the kitchen is built, we can cook whatever we want."

These past two days, dealing with cotton aphids has made the whole family realize the importance of eliminating odors.

Jiang Shan then put his old skills to use and designed a kitchen that could draw air into the ground.

Jiang Si's eyes sparkled. "When I grow up, I want to go and collect things too."

Jiang Sui repeatedly said, "Me too, me too!"

Jiang Hai came out and said with a smile, "Then you all need to practice your skills properly."

Jiang Shu asked curiously, "Practicing martial arts? What kind of martial arts?"

Jiang Hai said, "It's not some amazing skill, just the military boxing I practiced in the army. I think in this world, having some skills is necessary."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu was immediately eager to try, "Uncle, can I learn too?"

"sure."

Jiang Hai seemed to be in good spirits today, and when he tried to help, no one allowed him to.

After resting for a while, everyone got busy again.

First the dry toilet, then the kitchen...

As night fell, the foundations of the four houses and the hall were finally dug out.

At today's pace, I estimate it will be completed in another two days.

This is also thanks to the current climate.

Otherwise, it would take a lot of time just to shape the mud bricks.

At 8:30 p.m., seeing that the power was about to go out, Grandpa Jiang called everyone to stop.

"Alright, let's call it a day. Even an iron man couldn't keep going like this."

"Old woman, please go through the trouble a little more and cook dinner for everyone."

Just as Grandma Jiang was about to agree, Ye Qingyun said, "Dad, let me do it. Mom hasn't stopped working all day, we don't want her to get sick from exhaustion."

Grandma Jiang smiled and took out some barley from the rice jar. "I used to work just as hard in the fields as I do today. Don't worry, I can still do this much work."

Ye Qingyun didn't want the old lady to be busy, so she quickly went to help, and her sisters-in-law also went to start a fire and wash vegetables.

After working for a whole day and night, everyone was exhausted, but Jiang Shan and Jiang He were the most tired.

The two were the main force in building the house. Although everyone helped, they all had to keep an eye on things.

When I stopped, I immediately felt aches and pains in my lower back and my hands were swollen.

Jiang Shan sat on the ground and took a sip of water. A cool night breeze made him feel quite comfortable. He smiled and said, "I never realized building houses was so tiring before."

Jiang Shu said, "Dad, you used to rely on bulldozers, right? Now we're doing it all by hand, so of course it's different. You can ask Uncle if you don't believe me."

Jiang He nodded. "I'm used to it. I still think it's better to work for my own family than to work for someone else."

Yuan Ying laughed at him: "That's great, you won't be exploited."

Jiang Shu seized the opportunity to ask, "Second Uncle, after we finish building the house, can you make me a weapons cabinet? I want to display all my weapons neatly."

Jiang Zhi was speechless: "...Brother, you only have a stick in your hand, do you need to make a weapon cabinet?"

Jiang Shu declared righteously, "I only have one stick now, but I'll have many more in the future. I'm just being prepared!"

Jiang He watched the siblings bickering with a smile, "Alright, alright, I'll make one for Da Shu. I'll also make a cabinet for A Zhi. I remember you've always loved collecting things since you were little."

Jiang Zhi blushed slightly, surprised that her second uncle still remembered her hobby: "No need..."

Okay, actually she really does want it.

So he changed his mind and said, "...a small one with three or four layers will do."

Jiang Shan looked helplessly at the two children.

"Big Tree, if you want weapons, you can ask your uncle to make them. He used to be a soldier and he was really good with weapons."