Chapter 43

As Ye Qingyun spoke, he bundled the remaining cotton stalks together as firewood and piled them in the kitchen.

Grandma Jiang wasn't blinded by her success; she still cautioned, "It's not that you can't go, but you should be extra careful."

"Okay, Mom!"

After all the grains were sorted out, Grandma Jiang took stock of them.

"Two hundred and forty catties of cowpeas and three hundred and seventy-five catties of yam beans... plus two hundred and fifteen catties of earthworms... totaling..."

Before Grandma Jiang could finish speaking, Jiang Sui said, "Great-Grandma, it's 830 jin in total!"

Jiang Sui spoke so quickly that everyone was taken aback.

"Sui Sui, how did you calculate so quickly?"

Jiang Sui was also a little confused, "Because it's very simple..."

Ye Qingyun: "This is not simple. If you don't believe me, ask your Uncle Big Tree. He definitely won't be able to answer so quickly."

Jiang Shu: ...He's definitely not his biological son, yet he still gets mentioned.

Jiang Shan asked Wu Xiu, "Sister-in-law, was Sui Sui very good at math before?"

Wu Xiu was a little embarrassed. "I don't really know. Sui Sui used to study on her own initiative. I never worried about her. But when she was in school, Sui Sui's grades were always good. Her teachers even praised her."

Jiang Zhi: "Sui Sui, you've learned addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, right?"

Jiang Sui nodded.

What is 4765 multiplied by 2345?

Jiang Shu: "A-Zhi, isn't this question too difficult?"

The next second, Jiang Sui said, "It's 11173925."

The people present immediately fell silent.

Jiang Shu used the computer in the detector to calculate it. The result was consistent with what Jiang Sui had said.

Jiang Shu was speechless. "Sui Sui, you're amazing!"

...Could it be that their Jiang Sui is a math genius?

The expressions on everyone's faces were complex.

If this had happened before the catastrophe, this child would probably have had a very promising future.

But in today's context... it's nothing.

Seeing this, Jiang Sui asked timidly, "Auntie, did I say something wrong?"

Jiangzhi patted his head, "No, Sui Sui is great. From now on, Great-Grandma will rely on you to count the grain."

Entrusted with this "important task," Jiang Sui was very happy and nodded emphatically, saying, "I will do my best to help Great-Grandma."

Jiang Zhi felt a pang of sadness, but pretended to be serious: "Little one, go to sleep quickly, or you won't grow tall."

Jiang Sui immediately tensed up, "I'll go brush my teeth with my sister right now!"

After the two children came into the house, Grandma Jiang said with a bitter taste in her mouth, "If only the base could open a school, even if it's just to let the children learn some words."

No one answered the old lady.

In this day and age, everyone is busy making a living, so who has the time or inclination to teach their children to read?

Those who could still study at this time were all from wealthy families.

Finally, Grandpa Jiang said, "Let's talk about it when we have the chance."

After a long day, even though Jiang Zhi's mental strength was much stronger than before, she was still struggling to stay awake.

She yawned, and Ye Qingyun noticed it and said with concern, "Alright, alright, if you're sleepy, go and rest. Don't get in the way. We'll take care of things here."

Wu Xiu said with a smile, "Azhi has been well-behaved since she was little, unlike those naughty boys who are heartless."

It wasn't that Wu Xiu didn't feel sorry for Jiang Shu and Jiang Wen; judging from their condition, she knew they were exhausted today. But compared to Jiang Zhi, who was still helping them after a long day, Wu Xiu felt that her daughter was more considerate.

Jiang Zhi was a little embarrassed. "Then I'll go take a shower first."

"Go ahead, go ahead, have your brother carry the hot water to the water tank for you."

As Ye Qingyun spoke, he turned and called to Jiang Shu, "Big Tree, your sister wants to take a bath, go and bring the hot water from the pot over!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu said, "Okay, I'll go right away."

Jiangzhi felt a warm glow in her heart as she watched her family busy themselves for her.

I've always been pampered like this since I was a child.

The shower room and the dry toilet are separate. During the day, Jiang Jun made a water tank in the shower room using leftover materials from building the house. It was connected to a spray system with negative pressure. As long as you want to take a shower, you just need to pour water in and turn on the shower. It couldn't be more convenient.

Jiang Zhi went back inside to pack her toiletries and saw her brother carrying a second bucket over.

"Ah Zhi, call me if you run out of water."

Jiang Zhi responded.

After she finished washing up and returned to her room, Ye Qingyun handed her a thin notebook.

"Your dad had someone bring this back. Ah Zhi, take a look when you have time, and then let your brother take a look too."

Jiang Zhi felt a warm glow in her heart when she thought of her father, who was still thinking of them at the research institute.

"Okay, Mom."

Looking at the smile on her daughter's face, Ye Qingyun felt both bittersweet and proud.

Go to bed early.

Back in her room, Jiangzhi flipped through her father's notebook.

It contains a lot of fragmented content related to mutants.

Perhaps fearing the influence of subjective thinking, Jiang Shan did not make his own summaries, but mostly adopted the mode of recording the conversations of the mutants.

Jiang Zhi concluded that the mutants were divided into levels, with the highest level in the base being level three.

The grading criteria are based on physical strength and mental power.

A level one mutant has a strength exceeding 150 jin (75 catties).

A level 2 mutant has a strength exceeding 500 jin (250 catties).

A level three mutant needs to have a strength exceeding 1500 jin.

If we only consider strength, Niu Dali might have already reached the level of a Level 3 mutant.

Unfortunately, the base places more emphasis on comprehensive capabilities.

However, if physical strength increases but mental strength doesn't keep up, the genes may collapse.

Commonly known as dying young.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhi frowned, thinking of Niu Dali's situation. Wasn't he currently on the verge of genetic collapse?

She patiently continued reading.

The classification of mental strength is much more complex than that of physical strength.

Level 1 can concentrate mental energy and can roughly sense the location of creatures within two meters.

The detection range of Level 2 is 10 meters.

Level 3 is 50 meters.

Testing mental strength is far more complex than testing physical strength, and requires specific equipment. Only when someone becomes a mutant will the base provide a free testing opportunity.

If you want to know the status of your mental strength, even if you are a mutant, you will need to spend a certain number of points.

When Jiang Zhi saw this, she could hardly believe her eyes.

Level 3 is only 50 meters?

She remembered that her sensory range was already three or four hundred meters before she absorbed the energy of the golden ginkgo leaf. A while ago, when she slept with a ginkgo leaf as a pillow, her sensory range increased to one thousand meters.

Her situation was that her physical strength was not enough to match her mental strength.

Jiang Zhi continued reading.

Unfortunately, Jiang Shan's notes did not mention any side effects of having strong mental strength but weak physical strength.

Jiang Zhi could only suppress her doubts.

There was no other information recorded at the back of the notebook.

It also briefly mentions that mutants have methods for training their strength and mental power.

Another interesting piece of news is that the base plans to reopen the school.

However, the professors may no longer teach traditional cultural knowledge, but rather content related to mutated organisms and mutants.

It seems the base didn't intentionally conceal information about the mutants beforehand.

However, it is not advisable to disclose this information to the public during the exploratory stage.

The school will be established when the base's exploration of mutants and mutant biological systems matures.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.

For some reason, her heart suddenly felt at ease.

—The base's management is not ignorant or inactive, nor do they intend to create a privileged class; in fact, they have a clear plan for the base's future…

This made Jiang Zhi think that with such leaders, how could they not overcome natural disasters?

As long as their family stays safe and sound and strives to survive every day, they will eventually be able to live a better life with the development of the base!

Jiangzhi eagerly awaits that day!

With such a beautiful vision in mind, Jiangzhi slept soundly until dawn.

Perhaps because her mental strength had reached a new level, Jiang Zhi felt incredibly refreshed after only three hours of sleep.

I glanced at the time; it was only 3 a.m.

The Jiang family members were still asleep, and Jiangzhi could even hear Jiangshu's thunderous snoring from next door.

Jiang Zhi opened the window, and the blood-red moon outside was still bright.

She admired it for a moment before lighting the kerosene lamp and taking out her notebook to start taking notes.

In the dim light, Jiang Zhi scribbled notes in her notebook.

After recording the mutated creatures she had encountered the previous day, Jiang Zhi began writing in her diary again—

On November 11, 4 years after the disaster, the highest temperature was 51 degrees Celsius and the lowest temperature was 32 degrees Celsius.

After writing this sentence, she subconsciously glanced at the undulation chart she had made earlier, and was stunned when she saw that the lowest temperature yesterday was 36 degrees Celsius.

She quickly flipped through the pages, and after confirming that she hadn't misremembered, Jiang Zhi suddenly had a bad feeling—

The minimum temperature has actually dropped!

And the temperature dropped by 4 degrees Celsius.

Previously, the highest temperature had been decreasing, while the lowest temperature had remained unchanged.

But last night, while everyone was asleep, the lowest temperature suddenly dropped compared to before.

Jiang Zhi dared not think too deeply about what this meant.

The only certainty is that they don't have much time left to stockpile food.

Just then, a sound came from next door; Ye Qingyun had woken up.

Jiangzhi saw her mother tiptoe into the kitchen, and soon the kerosene lamp inside was lit.

She took out two large potatoes and squatted down in front of the water vat to peel them.

Under the warm yellow light, Ye Qingyun's shadow was reflected on the wall, his skilled movements carrying a touch of everyday life.

After a while, Ye Qingyun took the peeled potatoes back into the kitchen.

Jiang Zhi only calmed down after hearing the "thud thud thud" of the knife hitting the cutting board.

No rush.

They still have time.

Soon, a faint aroma wafted from the kitchen.

At this moment, Jiang Hai and Wu Xiu also got up.

After washing up, Wu Xiu whispered a few words to Ye Qingyun, and then she and Jiang Hai picked up carrying poles to fetch water.

A few minutes later, the rest of the family got up one after another, and their voices gradually became clearer.

This is the life that Jiangzhi has longed for every moment since the disaster, and now she is truly living it.

Thinking of this, her gaze gradually hardened.

In any case, they will definitely get through the winter safely.

Just then, Ye Qingyun was about to go back to the room to get his toiletries when he saw Jiang Zhi standing at the door in a daze. "A-Zhi, what are you doing standing here? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Jiang Zhi snapped out of her daze. "I slept well."

“Then go help your grandma. She said she wants to make some pickled cowpeas to sell.”

It was still early, and Ye Qingyun's generation was used to getting up early to do some housework. Seeing that Jiang Zhi was awake, he came to conscript men.

Jiang Zhi asked in surprise, "Will anyone buy it?"

Ye Qingyun smiled and said, "Of course there are! The point of pickled cowpeas is to enjoy their flavor. Your grandmother used to make pickled cowpeas that were the best in the surrounding area. They were perfect with porridge or thick soup."

Jiang Zhi said "Oh" and ran straight to the hall to find Grandma Jiang.

Anyway, there's still more than an hour before the city gates open, so there's no rush to prepare things to leave the city.

"Grandma, let me help."

Grandma Jiang was sorting out the cowpeas when she heard this and exclaimed, "Oh dear, Azhi, why don't you sleep a little longer? You don't need to do this work."

Seeing Grandma Jiang selecting blemish-free cowpeas, washing them, drying them, and cutting them into appropriate lengths, Jiang Zhi tried to imitate her. "I've had enough sleep, Grandma, teach me. Maybe I can make them even better than you."

These words amused Grandma Jiang. "Alright, alright, Grandma will try your pickled cowpeas then."

Pickling cowpeas isn't exactly a technical skill.

Simply put the dried cowpeas into a clean bowl, add salt, and rub the cowpeas with your hands to coat them evenly with salt. Marinate for two to three hours until the cowpeas release enough water and soften, and you're almost done.

Previously, in order to preserve the food at home for longer, Ye Qingyun had specially exchanged points for a large amount of salt.

The salt they use now is different from what they used to use. It is extracted from the artificial salt flats at the base, and the resulting salt is bitter and astringent.

But at least the most basic needs of the base residents were guaranteed.

After pickling, the grandfather and grandson prepared a clean, dry, and oil-free sealed ceramic jar and poured the pickling liquid and cowpeas into the jar.

There were no garlic or ginger slices, but luckily Jiang Shan had someone bring back some small red chilies last night.

Grandma Jiang chopped up the small red chilies, added them to the sour fruit juice and sugar water, and then covered the pot.

"Alright, we can eat it in a few days."

Jiang Zhi was somewhat surprised to see that the old lady was willing to use sugar water. "Grandma, why are you adding sugar water?"

Grandma Jiang sighed, "We can't not add it. Our salt isn't good these days. If we don't add it, the pickled cowpeas will be sour, salty, and bitter. It's better not to pickle them at all."

Grandma Jiang had a beautiful dream: even if she didn't sell the pickled cowpeas, her family would still eat them.

The cowpeas I have now can be pickled and will last for a long time.

If winter is too long and there's not much to eat, you can get by with these pickled cowpeas.

Even if the winter season is short, it won't matter; with so many pickled cowpeas, we can recoup some of the costs by selling them.

Although there weren't many sugar cubes left at home, Grandma Jiang wasn't stingy and would use them when necessary.

This time, a whole large block of sugar was used to pickle the cowpeas.

The rest are locked in the cupboard.

Seeing the old lady's skillful locking action, Jiang Zhi couldn't help but laugh.

When I was a child, my family was poor and had many children. The boys were particularly mischievous, and Grandma Jiang was afraid that the precious food in the house would be ruined by the little rascals, so she put the lock on like this.

There were still plenty of cowpeas in the hall, so Jiangzhi helped the old lady wash the remaining cowpeas, cut them into uniform lengths, and then arranged five cowpeas into a circle and placed them in a winnowing basket to dry.

After doing all this, it gradually got light.

Jiang Shu was chased away by Ye Qingyun, and when he came out, his eyelids were still stuck together.

Grandma Jiang felt another pang of heartache. "This child must have been exhausted yesterday. I need to make him something nice."

Jiang Shan had told them before that the Jiang siblings were now potential mutants and needed to eat more foods with low levels of toxins to better get through the mutation stage.

Grandma Jiang took this advice to heart and always added some low-toxicity fried cotton aphids to the children's rice balls.

The old lady originally planned to wait until the cotton aphids were eaten before going to the base store to buy some low-toxicity vegetables for her brother and sister.

We must not cut off the food supply for the two children.

Unexpectedly, before they had even finished eating the cotton aphids, these children brought back a lot of earthworms with low levels of toxins.

For Grandma Jiang, dealing with earthworms containing low levels of toxins was a sweet dilemma.

Earthworms were something they ate during their revolutionary era. When they were starving, they would even eat clay, let alone earthworms.

But their family hasn't reached that point yet, so the earthworms don't taste very good.

Few people can truly understand the troubles that Grandma Jiang is going through.

Ye Qingyun, however, served mole crickets on the table.

Upon hearing the old lady's words, she smiled and said, "Big Tree just loves to sleep in, don't feel sorry for him."

Grandma Jiang laughed, "If it weren't for the knife hanging over our heads, I really wouldn't want these children to continue leaving the city. It's not worth exhausting them."

Jiang Shu said with a grin, "Grandma still loves me the most."

Ye Qingyun glared at him, "At your age, you're still acting like a child. Be careful, Sui Sui and Si Si will laugh at you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Sui, like a little adult, said, "Auntie, I won't laugh at my uncle. He's not married yet, and if he's not married, he's still a child."

Ye Qingyun was amused.

That's really how their customs are.

During Chinese New Year, as long as you are unmarried, even if you are in your forties or fifties, your parents will still give you a red envelope.

Jiang Shu patted Jiang Sui on the shoulder and said with satisfaction, "Sui Sui, we won't get married in the future. You can act cute whenever you want."

Hearing these reckless words, Yuan Ying and the others couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Big Tree, don't teach the kids bad things!"

Ye Qingyun also cursed, "You brat, with your looks, there's no way you'll find a wife!"

Jiang Shu chuckled.

He doesn't care about whether or not he gets married.

He was immediately drawn to the food on the table.

The bouncy mole crickets were cut into evenly sized pieces and lay trembling on the plate, their surfaces glistening with an enticing layer of juice.

The whole bowl of mole crickets was also sprinkled with some chopped chives and small red chilies.

As soon as Jiang Shu approached the plate of mole crickets, a hot, spicy sensation shot into his nose, like a tiny needle piercing deep into his nasal cavity, giving him an instant jolt and causing him to sneeze several times.

"Mom, what kind of culinary disaster is this?"

In all her years of cooking, this is the first time someone has called her dishes "disastrous cuisine."

That makes sense.

Nobody used to eat mole crickets.

This thing looks disgusting, let alone eat it.

But things are different now.

The mutated mole crickets have more meat. After blanching and boiling them, they are sliced ​​and taste similar to the original Baiyun pig's trotters. In addition, Ye Qingyun used a lot of spices.

The spiciness of the chili peppers and the pungency of the chives stimulate the appetite, making people less averse to the dish.

Ye Qingyun handed her son a pair of chopsticks: "Here, have a taste."

Jiang Shu picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

Everyone looked at him expectantly.

To be honest, although everyone had confidence in Ye Qingyun's cooking skills, the cold mole cricket salad was still too ahead of its time.

Jiang Si looked at the ginger tree expectantly, "Uncle, how is it? Is it delicious?"

The reactions of the crowd made Ye Qingyun nervous.

Jiang Shu chewed a few times, his brows furrowing slightly, and everyone's hearts tightened.

"Mom, did you use sour fruit in this meat?"

Ye Qingyun nodded, "I squeezed out a little to make a dressing. It's more refreshing to make a sour and spicy flavor in this kind of weather."

After swallowing, Jiang Shu couldn't help but pick up another bite with his chopsticks, saying as he ate, "Delicious, Mom! Your cooking is getting better and better. Even with all this, you can still make it taste so good. Amazing!"

After saying that, he gave a thumbs up.

Jiang Shu's words put Ye Qingyun at ease.

Jiang He asked curiously, "Big tree, what does it taste like?"

Jiang Shu swallowed another mouthful and was about to pick up a new one when Ye Qingyun slapped his hand away.

"Nobody else has eaten yet! Behave yourself!"

Jiang Shu had no choice but to give up regretfully and replied to Jiang He, "Like the white cloud pig's trotters we used to eat at the hotel."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ying also became interested, "After hearing you say that, I also want to give it a try."

Ye Qingyun laughed and said, "That's easy. It's time to eat. Let's eat early and set off early."

Last night, Ye Qingyun had already arranged for the family's "youth team" and "senior team" to set off for the No. 15 collection area today, which is why she thought of preparing a good meal for her family.

This time, Ye Qingyun didn't serve barley porridge; instead, she boiled two large potatoes.

The steamed mutant potato starch is soft and chewy, and it's especially fragrant when sprinkled with salt.

Ye Qingyun didn't cook many mole crickets. She was afraid of ruining the ingredients and wasting them on her first attempt, and she also didn't want to cook all the meat and vegetables at once.

Everyone took a bite and exclaimed how delicious it was.

It's sour and spicy, very refreshing.

Moreover, the mutated mole cricket tastes quite good; aside from its dark color and unappealing appearance, it is a rare delicacy.

Grandma Jiang said, "It's a pity that ingredients are so hard to come by now. Otherwise, with your skills, Qingyun, you would definitely be a big success if you opened a food stall."

Ye Qingyun was very happy, "When everyone's lives get better, maybe we can really set up a stall."

In Ye Qingyun's view, although plants and animals have become more dangerous, there are actually more things to eat.

Foods that couldn't be eaten before can now be eaten, and they taste even better.

Yuan Ying also said with a smile, "It's a pity we don't have Qingyun's skills. If the children get used to Qingyun's cooking, they won't want to eat ours anymore."

Ye Qingyun said with a smile, "What's the big deal? I'll just cook more if the kids like it. Cooking isn't hard work."

The family enjoyed their meal and chatted together in a harmonious atmosphere.

When it comes to housework, if someone is calculating whether to do more or less, life won't be easy.

Fortunately, the Jiang family members were all conscientious. While Ye Qingyun had to work a little harder, the others would do more to fetch water and clean.

Jiang Shu silently ate his meal without saying a word.

He ate four bowls of mashed potatoes in one go, and still didn't feel full.

He called out pitifully to Ye Qingyun, "Mom, I'm not full, is there any more?"

Ye Qingyun was taken aback. "Didn't you eat four big bowls? How come you're still not full?"

The potatoes in the pot were completely divided up; there were none left.

Despite her complaints, Ye Qingyun still went and cooked another pot.

Grandma Jiang looked at her grandson, hesitated for a second, and then looked at Jiang Zhi, "Zhi, has your brother become a mutant?"

The old lady's words surprised everyone.

The most distinctive feature of mutants is that they eat a lot and become stronger.

Jiang Shu used to have a good appetite, but it was about the same as an average person's. Now, his appetite is almost as big as Niu Dali's.

Jiang Zhi put down her chopsticks and asked, "Brother, have you gotten stronger?"

Jiang Shu looked bewildered. "Huh? I didn't feel much?"

As he spoke, he walked to a corner and picked up a bag of cowpeas.

Judging from his expression, he probably doesn't have much strength.

Ye Qingyun looked at him with disbelief, "Alright, alright, your strength doesn't even look as good as Azhi's."

Jiang Shu felt very wronged. "I think I've definitely gotten stronger. Yesterday, when I was carrying these cowpeas, I almost couldn't lift them."

However, the increase in strength was not significant.

Jiang Hai suggested, "Big Tree, use your abilities to see how far you can see?"

Jiang Shu muttered to himself, "I don't feel any change. If I could wake up as a mutant, wouldn't I be the chosen one?"

As Jiang Shu spoke, he focused his attention directly on the direction of the city gate.

You wouldn't believe it until you see it, and what you find is astonishing.

He suddenly stood up when he saw the mutant patrol outside the city gate preparing to return to their posts.

"Holy crap, I actually saw it!"

Ye Qingyun asked nervously, "What did you see?"

"I can see outside the city walls!"

Jiang Hai: "How much farther is it than before?"

"Three kilometers? Or five kilometers? Anyway, it's more than twice as far."

Jiang Hai frowned: "How come your ability has improved so much faster than your strength?"

This is clearly inconsistent with the information he received about mutants.

Jiang Zhi was also a little uneasy.

She already knew the mutant levels, and it seemed that her brother's strength was only at level 1.

But the range of his superpowers is very wide, and I don't know if it's because he ate fish eyes.

Jiang Hai then said, "Qingyun, when you have time, you should take the two children to get tested. Remember to mention this to Dashan and see if he has any opinions on the matter."

Ye Qingyun nodded quickly.

This is a big deal, and it definitely needs to be discussed. Ye Qingyun also felt it was best to get checked out first, otherwise the whole family would be uneasy.

Jiang Hai turned to Jiang Wen and asked, "Wen, do you have any special feelings?"

Jiang Wen shook his head somewhat embarrassedly, "No."

He was a little dizzy after using the pangolin scales yesterday, but he felt refreshed after a good night's sleep.

Jiang Hai nodded and didn't say anything more.

The family was still discussing Jiang Shu's situation when there was a knock on the door.

Grandma Jiang quickly asked, "Who is it?"

"Sister-in-law, it's me, Ma Yanhong."

Yuan Ying went to open the door. "Sister Ma, so early? Your door isn't finished yet."

Ma Yanhong scoffed, "I'm not here to rush you. I just wanted to ask how things went at the No. 15 collection area yesterday?"

Yuan Ying hesitated for a moment. The other party's question was too direct, and she didn't know how to answer it for a while.

Wu Xiu asked directly, "Sister Ma, how did you know we went there yesterday?"

Ma Yanhong wasn't embarrassed at all. "I was just guessing. You guys made such a commotion when you came back last night, I guessed you must have gone to the No. 15 collection area."

Wu Xiu didn't admit it, but instead said, "What? Sister Ma, you want to go?"

Ma Yanhong isn't a bad person, but she loves to take advantage of others and is also a gossip. Every time the Jiang family comes back, she likes to hide in the yard and peek.

The Jiang family has discovered it several times.

So the two families didn't have much contact after that.

Being ordinary neighbors is fine, but for them to become close friends, it just means they're not on the same wavelength.

Ma Yanhong said, "It's not me, it's my nephew. He and some friends want to go, but I'm afraid it's dangerous, so I wanted to ask you about the situation there."

Wu Xiu: "How many nephews do you have?"

Ma Yanhong: "Just two or three."

Wu Xiu and the others exchanged glances and remained silent.

Two or three people dared to set their sights on the new district; they're incredibly audacious.

At this moment, Jiang Shu came out holding a bowl: "Aunt Ma, you should tell your nephew not to go. There are many small mutated beasts over there, and it's not safe for the three of them to go."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yanhong said, "Although they are few in number, my nephew is quite skilled!"

Jiang Shu: "The mutants are quite skilled too, but they still have to form teams to leave the city."

Ma Yanhong frowned.

Ye Qingyun quickly smoothed things over: "Oh dear, Sister Ma, your nephew is quite skilled, he probably doesn't have to worry about food, why risk going out to gather food? It's not worth it if he gets hurt!"

These words were pleasing to the ear, and Ma Yanhong's expression softened. She then revealed the real reason, "I only have one nephew, and of course I don't want him to take this risk. He heard that something good has been found over there, and if he can find it, he might be able to buy a piece of land in the self-built house area. That's why he thought of asking you about the situation."

Ye Qingyun asked curiously, "Isn't your son a mutant? Why don't you ask him? He definitely knows more than we do."

Ma Yanhong's face showed unease. "I don't want to trouble him with such a small matter."

She didn't actually dare ask her son about it.

Her husband and son were unhappy that she was helping her family too much, and they definitely wouldn't want her to get involved if asked, so she secretly came to the Jiang family to ask.

Although the information her nephew had received was only hearsay, her own nephew asked her son to find some helpers from the exploration team to search for that special item.

I heard that one piece can sell for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan.

She couldn't bear to refuse such a good opportunity, but Ma Yanhong knew her son definitely wouldn't help, so she had no choice but to ask the Jiang family.

In Ma Yanhong's mind, the fact that none of the Jiang family members were mutants and that they could return unharmed showed that they were quite capable. Therefore, her nephew's safety would be somewhat guaranteed if he followed them.

If her nephew really finds that good thing, she'll also benefit from it. Her husband and son won't be so hostile towards her family anymore.

Ye Qingyun asked curiously, "What good stuff is it?"

Ma Yanhong was also generous in sharing the information she had received: "I don't know the specifics, but I heard it can help injured people recover to normal."

These words surprised everyone in the Jiang family.

Jiang Zhi and the others, in particular, were very quick to recall the mutated carp they had eaten before.

Could it be that Ma Yanhong was referring to a special prop?

Jiang Hai asked, "Sister Ma, where did you get this information from?"

Seeing that the Jiang family members were curious, Ma Yanhong said with a hint of pride, "Hey, it was my nephew who got the news. That kid likes to collect gossip, and he's doing pretty well now... I only told you because I think your Jiang family has good character."

The Jiang family could not agree with this statement.

If this news can reach the ears of old ladies, how many people wouldn't know about it?

I wonder how many people, like Ma Yanhong, have taken the risk of searching for this thing.

Jiang Shu: "Aunt Ma, you don't mean to let your nephew come with us, do you?"

Ma Yanhong was a little embarrassed because Jiang Shu had spoken her mind so directly. But since he had already said it, she had no choice but to admit, "I was thinking that since you were also planning to go there, and my nephew was short of people, I thought we could have them accompany you."

That sounds too nice, saying they'd be there for company, but really they chose the Jiang family because they have a lot of members and it's less likely they'd run into trouble.

The Jiang family has never liked to get involved in such matters. Jiang Hai said directly, "Thank you, Sister Ma. These good things are probably hard to find, so we won't get involved. We'll just find some grain."

Ma Yanhong's expression wasn't very good; she probably thought Jiang Hai was ungrateful.

She looked at Ye Qingyun, "Qingyun, is that what you all think?"

Ye Qingyun said with a smile, "In our family, we always listen to our eldest brother."

When Ma Yanhong was rejected, she said sarcastically, "Forget it, you don't seem like you're capable of finding anything good, so telling you would be a waste of my good intentions."

He turned and looked like he was about to leave.

Jiang Hai then said, "Sister Ma, don't be in a hurry. Although we don't plan to look for the good stuff you mentioned, we can still exchange information. How about this, we can tell you about the situation over there, and you tell us what you know?"

Ma Yanhong pursed her lips, but ultimately didn't leave.

"Alright, you guys tell me about the situation over there first."

Jiang Hai gestured to Jiang Shu, who then gave a brief explanation.

When she heard that there were mutated moles over there, Ma Yanhong's face clearly showed a conflicted expression.

"Is it that dangerous over there?"

Jiang Shu: "Aunt Ma, you haven't told us what you know yet."

Seeing Jiang Shu ask this, Ma Yanhong had no choice. She looked outside the door and, seeing that no one was there, lowered her voice and said, "My nephew said that the son of a rich man in Area B lost his hand. Because of this, they specifically consulted a mutant who said that there is a good thing in Collection Area 15 that can make the hand grow back."

Jiang Shu's attention was a little off track. "Huh? Mutants can tell fortunes?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiu and Jiang Hai couldn't help but get excited. Wu Xiu quickly asked, "Sister Ma, are you serious? That thing can make your hand grow back?"

Ma Yanhong had never met Jiang Jun before and didn't know why Wu Xiu had suddenly become interested. But seeing the other party like this, she was also happy and felt that there was still hope to go with the Jiang family. "Why would I lie to you? My nephew has found out that it's a mutated earthworm. You know earthworms, right? Even if your body splits into two segments, it can grow back. So, if you find that special mutated earthworm and eat it, even if you lose your hands and feet, they can grow back."

She looked with satisfaction at the shocked expressions on the Jiang family's faces. "I thought that no matter how much this earthworm mutated, it wouldn't be that powerful. Maybe we could find one by digging around in the ground, right? Besides, my nephew is quite skilled and definitely won't hold you back."

The Jiang family understood that Ma Yanhong's nephew wanted to take advantage of the situation.

But when they heard her say mutated earthworms, they couldn't help but be stunned.

Their family just got a bunch of mutated earthworms with low levels of toxins yesterday. Is that a coincidence?

Ye Qingyun looked at Jiang Zhi—there was no way her daughter wouldn't have detected such a special prop.

Jiang Zhi shook her head slightly.

Ye Qingyun was immediately disappointed.

Everyone knew why Wu Xiu and Jiang Hai were so excited.

If what Ma Yanhong said is true, then Jiang Jun has a chance to get back on his feet.

Wu Xiu, unaware of the situation, anxiously asked, "There are so many mutated earthworms, how can we find them?"

Jiang Shu also said, "Yes, Aunt Ma, what you said is not quite true. Even if we know it's a mutated earthworm, who can know for sure that the one we caught is the one you're talking about? Your information isn't worth it."

Ma Yanhong stamped her foot anxiously, "How is it not worth it? They said that the mutated earthworm they're looking for has a strong regenerative ability. Once you catch it, just cut off its tail. If it grows back immediately, it's most likely that one!"

Jiang Shu looked like he suddenly understood. "Oh, Aunt Ma, aren't you afraid we'll fight with your nephew for this after telling us all this?"

Ma Yanhong was not happy: "My Ma family is not the kind of people who are petty. If you find it, you are lucky. We will not say a word against it!"

That's what she said, but in her heart she felt that the Jiang family had absolutely no chance of finding this special mutated earthworm.

After all, she didn't reveal the most confidential information—her nephew knew how to find these mutated earthworms; for ordinary people who didn't know the method, finding them was a pipe dream.

Seeing this, Ye Qingyun quickly said, "Oh, Sister Ma, please don't take it to heart. Do you think we don't know your character? It's just that we are just ordinary people. Even if you come with us, we can't guarantee your safety. We were lucky to get back safely from District 15. Although no one was seriously injured, the process was still dangerous. If you want to go, I still don't recommend it."

Hearing Ye Qingyun agree, Ma Yanhong was very happy. "Don't worry, I don't ask for anything else, just that you take care of me on the way."

Jiang Shu pursed his lips.

That sounds nice, but all they want is for them to protect them.

Ye Qingyun smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Sister Ma. As you can see, there are a lot of people in our family now, and we've been struggling to get enough to eat lately. We're just trying to get more food, so we'd better not join in the fun."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yanhong's face immediately darkened.

"Do whatever you want. Others wouldn't even want to know about something this good, and you... humph."

After saying that, he left with a displeased look on his face.

The Jiang family didn't care either.

They're not a charity, so they wouldn't just "take care" of a few strangers for no reason.

As soon as Ma Yanhong left, Ye Qingyun immediately closed the door.

Wu Xiu looked at everyone, hesitant to speak, and finally could only look to her husband for help.

Ye Qingyun understood her thoughts perfectly, and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, if there really is such a good thing, we will definitely help Ajun find it."

Wu Xiu's eyes immediately reddened.

Although Jiang Jun hasn't said anything these days and seems to have accepted his disability, who doesn't want a healthy and complete body?

Grandma Jiang said, "Yesterday, Azhi and the others brought back a lot of earthworms. Could there be some of the ones she mentioned among them..."

Jiang Zhi shook her head. "No."

The old lady was taken aback. "A-Zhi, how did you know?"

Jiang Zhi made up an excuse: "If it really was there, the staff in Zone C would definitely have found it when we did the inspection yesterday."

Grandma Jiang immediately fell silent.

She sorted through those mutated earthworms last night. If they weren't among so many low-toxicity earthworms, finding that special one would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Jiang Hai glanced at his family and said, "Don't take this too seriously. If we encounter any mutated earthworms today, we'll just check them out. There's no need to go looking for them."