Jiang Ji walked towards her, the golden abacus on her chest clacking, and she smiled particularly seductively. Qi Wuze suddenly felt something was wrong and pulled Ye Nuan away.
Jiang Ji was quick-witted and quickly embraced Ye Nuan's slender neck with both hands. In a voice that only the two of them could hear, she said softly: "City Lord Qi is not good enough. No matter how much he tries to tease her, she can't stand up..."
Why tell her this?
Ye Nuan's face flushed red, and she couldn't help but glance at Qi Wuze.
That glance was too subtle. Although Qi Wuze didn't know what it meant, he raised his hand and struck Jiang Ji in the face. Jiang Ji dodged with a sweet smile and winked at Ye Nuan.
Qi Wuze covered Ye Nuan's eyes with his hands and said angrily: "Don't look at this crazy woman." Ye Nuan closed her eyes, and her long eyelashes swept back and forth in his palm, making him feel itchy.
The next moment, Ye Nuan pulled his hand away and said soothingly, "Let's go down."
Qi Wuze gave Jiang Ji a look and obediently let her take him away. Jiang Ji stood on the third floor and looked down, seeing him following Ye Nuan closely like a big wolfhound, and she couldn't help but sneer.
The scary thing is that once someone who is difficult to flirt with falls in love with someone else, he will spontaneously combust!
Ye Nuan dragged them all the way down to the first floor. Qi Wuze wanted to ask what Jiang Ji had just said, but after opening his mouth several times, he couldn't utter a single word. Chu Xuesong was still standing where he had been, a gentle smile on his face. Gao Zangfeng continued to talk. Seeing the two of them coming down, he immediately turned around and asked, "City Lord, so soon?"
His eyes fell on their clasped hands again, and after a second he said with a silly smile, "Is the staircase very slippery?"
Ye Nuan naturally let go of Qi Wuze's hand, "It's not slippery. If I hadn't held your City Lord back, he would have started a fight with Pavilion Master Jiang."
Ye Nuan thought about what Jiang Ji had just said, and when she heard the words "City Lord, so fast," she couldn't help but think of something else. She glanced at Qi Wuze's handsome face and felt guilty. How could she think of him like this just because of someone else's words?
No, forget about this!
Gao Zangfeng didn't believe Ye Nuan's words, and shouted: "Our city lord usually doesn't hit women." Except for the enemies.
Seeing that his city lord looked unhappy, he immediately asked, "Did the city lord fail to reach an agreement again? What should we do with our salt then?"
Qi Wuze said with a sullen face: "Let's go out first."
The four of them walked out of the wooden building. The soldiers waiting outside quickly stood up when they saw Qi Wuze coming out. He only brought twenty riders with him this time, and the group mounted their horses and headed for Yunjian Farm.
Ye Nuan's pony walked slowly, so Qi Wuze's horse team could only keep up with her slow pace. Although the wind and sand were a bit strong, fortunately the sun was not too strong.
There were three quilts and some cloth placed in the back of the carriage. Qi Wuze felt a little guilty when he saw the quilts, and asked her, "Didn't you give me the cloth before? Why are you buying more?"
Ye Nuan said, "I bought it for Xiaobai. He likes plain clothes."
"You do it for him?" Qi Wuze was unhappy.
Ye Nuan shook her head: "I only know how to grow vegetables, how can I make clothes? My mother sews them for him."
This time he didn't say anything, but Ye Nuan suddenly asked: "Why did you take the quilt away without saying a word that day?"
Qi Wuze was drinking from his water bag when he heard the question and nearly choked to death. He coughed repeatedly and stammered, "I, I just thought the quilt looked nice and warm, and it would be good for the winter."
"Why, you can't bear to leave?"
Gao Zangfeng interrupted, "City Lord, didn't you just buy some new quilts and winter clothes?"
"Shut up!" Qi Wuze glared at him and cursed, "Am I afraid of the cold?"
The twenty or so people following Gao Zangfeng were all muttering to themselves: When did the city lord start to be afraid of the cold? He obviously often goes winter swimming.
Ye Nuan said, "I'm not reluctant to give them up. I bought three quilts today. If you're afraid of the cold, I'll leave this warmest one for you."
Qi Wuze glanced at the three quilts again. The warmest one was so colorful, it looked like a red envelope. He frowned, "Why did you buy such a fancy one?"
"It's beautiful. This is a peony. Blooming brings prosperity. Life will get better and better."
She still believes this!
The flower seems to be quite pleasing to the eye.
"Okay, you make it for me and you can stay there when you're free."
This person changes so quickly. Didn’t he say he was busy before?
The carriage swayed forward. Chu Xuesong freed his hand and handed her the water bag, saying softly, "A Nuan, drink some water." After Ye Nuan drank the water, he asked if she was hungry and handed her a sesame cake.
Ye Nuan took the pancake, broke it in half and handed it back to him: "It's too big to eat."
Chu Xuesong took it and took a bite naturally. Qi Wuze looked at the interaction between the two and felt very unhappy. He asked, "Anything else?"
Ye Nuan looked at the people behind him and realized that everyone was looking at her. She quickly took out a lot of apples from her own space and distributed them. Qi Wuze didn't want apples and asked directly, "Don't you have any sesame cakes?"
She rummaged through her bag again, and sure enough, Chu Xuesong shook his head. Ye Nuan had no choice but to hand over her half of the pancake: "You eat this, I'll just have the apple."
Qi Wuze bent down to take it, then broke half of the pancake into two halves again, handed half back to her, and smiled with the corners of his eyes: "Here, I'll give you half."
Seeing her dazed, he raised his voice unconsciously: "Take it." But he could hear her happiness.
He doesn't seem to want to eat cake!
Ye Nuan suddenly felt that City Lord Qi was a little childish, but of course she could only think about it in her heart.
An hour later, the group arrived at the farm. Ye Nuan asked them to lead the horses to the pasture. The grass in the pasture was already lush, and the cattle, sheep, and foals were all free-range, leisurely basking in the sun and eating grass.
The twenty or so men had never seen such a good pasture before. After leading the horses over, they squatted on the lawn and chatted comfortably. Some of them even lay on the lawn, chewing a piece of grass and sleeping with their heads tilted back.
Su took Ye Xiaohu and Qi Ya to remove seedlings in the rapeseed field. Xiao Hei was chased everywhere by several big geese.
Qi Wuze stood by the pond and looked at his brother. Qi Ya, wearing a straw hat and holding a bunch of tender green seedlings in his hands, was talking to Ye Xiaohu. He tsked in surprise and said, "It seems that children should play with children."
Ye Nuan smiled and said, "Yes, Aya is very well behaved. If he stays here for a while, his temperament will gradually become more cheerful. He even helped us pick eggs, pull weeds, and plant vegetables yesterday. He even built the grape trellis in the yard."
Fish would occasionally jump up from the edge of the pond. Ye Xiaohu saw them coming back and rushed over with his straw hat on, followed by several geese. The straw hat bounced back and forth on his head and was about to fall off.
"Run slower!" Ye Nuan had just finished shouting when he fell down with a thud. Several geese stepped over his back and rushed towards Qi Wuze.
Qi Wuze was shocked. Why did these geese chase him every time they saw him? He clung to Ye Nuan and hid behind her. Ye Nuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she reached out to chase the geese away. Ye Xiaohu got up, grabbed the goose's neck and pulled it, saying, "Go away! If you don't leave, I'll stew you."
Several geese hurried back, and Ye Xiaohu ran up to Qi Wuze as if to ask for credit, saying, "Brother Da Da, look, I helped you chase them away. Do you want to take me as your apprentice?"
Her brother is still thinking about this.
"Go and have fun by yourself. I have something to discuss with City Lord Qi." She shouted to Su, "Mother, get your son away quickly."
Su was carrying a basket, Qi Ya followed her carrying two stools, and Xiao Hei followed Hua Juaner looking for a fight.
"Just let Xiaobai take him to study."
They left early this morning and hadn't finished their homework yet. Chu Xuesong helped carry the quilt back to the house, then took Ye Xiaohu upstairs.
Ye Nuan invited Qi Wuze to sit down, and she went to the kitchen to make tea and brought out some candied fruit. The two of them sat on the terrace outside the yard and talked.
"This is freshly made candied fruit, would you like to try it?" He likes sweets, so he should like this very much.
The small dish contained three kinds of candied fruits, bright red and green, looking particularly pretty. Qi Wuze tried one and found it delicious.
Ye Nuan asked, "I heard Gao Shoucheng talking about the salt thing before. What's going on?"
Qi Wuze frowned and said, "The price of salt increased by another 20% last month. There was no salt in the wilderness, but we didn't say anything. But a few days ago, Jiang Ji suddenly stopped supplying salt to Luomu City, and even the pig iron for making weapons and farm tools was becoming increasingly scarce. I went to her several times, but each time she made excuses and refused to give it to me."
As the aroma of tea lingered in the air, Ye Nuan recalled Jiang Ji's words and speculated, "Is she making things difficult for you because of Luo Mucheng's collaboration with me?"
"It's none of your business. Just run your farm well." In fact, this was a big reason. However, the things sold in the Creation Pavilion were so expensive that even if there was no Yunjian Farm, they would find another way to make a living.
Even if Luomu City has more mines, it will not be able to withstand the profits of the Creation Pavilion in ten or twenty years.
"How long can the salt in Luomu City last?"
Qi Wuze thought for a moment and said, "It should be less than a month." Merchants in the city could not afford such high prices. Even subsidies from the City Lord's Mansion would not be of much use. This time, the Creation Pavilion clearly wanted him to show his attitude.
Less than a month!
"Have you been looking for the saltwater lake again?"
Qi Wuze nodded: "I have looked for it, but I couldn't find it. I plan to send people to look for it in the desert city starting tomorrow."
"Desert city? Is it dangerous?"
Qi Wuze said: "As long as we don't encounter a sandstorm, it should be fine." In recent years, people from Luomu City have also walked around the desert, and there are also caravans from the interior that cross the desert to exchange for Liuguang Brocade.
"Do you need me to come with you?"
Qi Wuze shook his head: "Not necessary for now."
The two of them tacitly agreed not to talk about it anymore, but everyone knew that if they couldn't find the saltwater lake, they would have to compromise with the Creation Pavilion.
It was past noon when they returned from the Creation Pavilion. Ye Nuan invited them to have lunch, but Qi Wuze left first because he had something else to do. As the sky darkened, Ye Nuan lay on a low table, closing her eyes and observing her spiritual spring space.
The space was planted with apples, dragon fruit, grapes, oranges, and some nanmu and cypress trees. She remembered seeing a salt tree before and wondered if planting such a tree on the dried-up salt lake on Xueshen Mountain would solve the salt problem.
The spiritual spring has been upgraded to level seven, and there are many seeds as rewards, but there are no wood salt trees.
The fruits in the space were ripe. Ye Nuan picked them one by one. The progress bar in her mind kept moving forward. When all the fruits were picked, the progress was only 95%. She was a little anxious and got up and walked to the vegetable garden with the basket.
She had carefully controlled the growth rate of the vegetables in the vegetable garden, and even though she had searched every plot, she couldn't find any ripe vegetables. She stood in the lush green vegetable field with her basket and sighed.
Chu Xuesong stood on the terrace and saw her frowning face. He couldn't help but ask, "A Nuan, what's wrong?"
Ye Nuan shook her head and said nothing, feeling a little frustrated. Although she had the spiritual spring, it was not omnipotent. Just one piece of salt became a mountain.
Chu Xuesong was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are you looking for a saltwater lake?"
Ye Nuan looked up in surprise, "How did you know?"
He smiled and said, "I just overheard what you said to City Lord Qi. I know where there is a saltwater lake."
Ye Nuan was even more surprised now. She walked towards the terrace with the basket and asked, "How do you know where the saltwater lake is?" Xiaobai had just arrived in the wasteland.
Chu Xuesong took the basket from her and continued, "In the Creation Pavilion, when you went to the third floor, I heard someone on the first floor saying they had just come from the desert. They saw some water and ran over to drink it, but they didn't expect it to be salty. I was curious at the time and asked a few more questions. Could it be the saltwater lake you were looking for?"
Ye Nuan was a little excited, "Did you really hear it clearly? How loud was it?"
He recalled, "I heard they said it was huge. How about we go and see it together tomorrow?"
"Okay." Ye Nuan agreed readily, but then changed her mind and said, "I'll inform City Lord Qi tonight and ask him to go with us tomorrow."
Chu Xuesong's eyes turned slightly, his long eyelashes drooped, and he said casually: "Let's go and take a look first. If we heard it wrong, City Lord Qi will be disappointed."
Ye Nuan thought so too. He was responsible for Luo Mucheng's livelihood and should be more anxious than anyone else. If he informed him immediately after hearing it, he would definitely be disappointed if the trip was in vain.
"That's fine. We'll set off early tomorrow morning." She then asked, "What if we don't have camels?"
Chu Xuesong thought for a moment and said, "How about we go to the Creation Pavilion on horseback before daybreak tomorrow, change to a camel, and then head towards the desert right away?"
It seems that this is the only way for now.
"Don't tell my mother about this first, so she won't worry."
Chu Xuesong nodded, handed her another cup of tea, and comforted her, "So don't worry, if you are unhappy, I will feel bad too."
He spoke frankly and his eyes were sincere. Ye Nuan smiled and said thank you.
That night, Ye Nuan told Su that she had an appointment with Pavilion Master Jiang to discuss something, and that she would be going to the Creation Pavilion again early the next morning. Su did not suspect anything and told her to be careful along the way.
The next day, at the crowing of the cock, before daybreak, Ye Nuan packed up her things and set off. Chu Xuesong had already harnessed the carriage and was waiting outside the yard.
It was too dark to see her hand in front of her face, so she could only rely on the sound of the sound to reach the carriage. She climbed up twice and almost missed a step. A hand reached out from the darkness and lifted her up. A clear voice smiled through the thick fog and said, "Be careful."
The carriage was covered with a mattress, which was very warm to sit on. Ye Nuan asked in surprise, "You laid it?"
The foal started to run. Chu Xuesong responded softly and handed over a thin blanket. "It's cold in the morning, and it will be even colder when the horse runs. Put this on."
Ye Nuan took it and said with a smile, "Xiaobai is so thoughtful. She will be blessed when he gets married in the future." Just as she finished speaking, another hot bun was stuffed into her hand.
"Your mother made it overnight and put it in the pot. When I got up just now, she asked me to bring it to you. The water is warm too. Put it at your feet. Drink it when you are thirsty."
The voice was gentle and clear, very pleasant to listen to. Ye Nuan felt more and more that her original decision was the right one. With Xiaobai by her side, the journey would be much easier.
She asked, "Have you eaten?"
"have eaten."
The carriage was bumpy and the wind was howling. Ye Nuan huddled in the blanket and found she wasn't cold at all. She hugged the hot water bottle and asked the person in front of her loudly, "Are you cold?"
Chu Xuesong also shouted back, "A little bit. The wilderness is colder than the interior of the country. The wind is so strong it penetrates into our bones."
Ye Nuan laughed out loud: "I'll ask my mother to sew you a cotton-padded jacket someday. You won't feel cold when you wear it like a ball. But then Xiaobai will become fat Xiaobai, and he won't be handsome or cool anymore!"
Chu Xuesong said: "Okay, I'll get you a cotton coat too, and wear it like a ball, we're both the same!"
The two laughed as the carriage moved along, their laughter carried in the cold wind. As dawn broke, the morning mist gradually dissipated. Chu Xuesong quickened the pace of the carriage, and they arrived at the Creation Pavilion just as the sun rose.
The clerk at the Creation Pavilion had just opened the door and was momentarily surprised to see them coming to exchange camels. Ye Nuan and Chu Xuesong were so outstanding in appearance and demeanor that the clerk remembered them. While he was changing camels for them, he informed the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper quickly reported this to Jiang Ji, who was still sound asleep in bed. Hearing Ye Nuan coming to exchange camels, she immediately sobered up. She told her servant to watch from a distance where they were going, and the servant quickly returned to report.
"It seems to be heading towards the desert."
Jiang Ji was puzzled. What was this liar going to do in the desert for no reason? What was that lunatic Chu Xuesong trying to do? Was he trying to stir up trouble again?
After thinking for a moment, she put on a sly smile and said to the waiter, "Let Haidongqing follow them, and then send a letter to City Lord Qi immediately." She wanted to see if these two people would fight.
Jiang Ji was a person who loved to watch the fun and not mind getting involved.
The guy responded and went there immediately.
Clouds in the east emerge from sleeves, dyeing the earth red.
The tall camel slowly walked across the barren wasteland. Ye Nuan raised her hand to block the wind and sand, and turned her head to ask the person behind her, "We'll be in the desert in a little while. Did you ask yesterday if we were going this way?"
Chu Xuesong sat behind her, just a head taller than her. He passed his hands through her sides, tightly grasping the camel rope. Following her gaze, he said, "I just asked a few questions yesterday. It seems we should be heading this way. This is the only road into the desert that shows signs of human travel. Let's look around today."
In fact, he had been to the desert countless times and even visited a desert city. Every grain of sand here bore the traces of his footsteps. There was a lake in the desert, a saltwater lake that people could not drink.
He'd seen this happen before, nearly dying of thirst, leading the bandits. He remembered how everyone was excited, including him, but when they finally got to drink the water, they were utterly disappointed. Everyone knew drinking salt water in the desert would only lead to a quicker death, but some, desperate for water, still drank anyway.
About a hundred of them went, and only five came back.
Later, whenever he passed through the desert, he could always see the lake. It was a magnificent Lake of the Dead.
"I hope we're lucky." Ye Nuan smiled again and said, "You should take Mu Li with you when the wind and sand are so strong. It would be bad if Xiao Bai got tanned."
Chu Xuesong smiled and said, "I already have Xiao Hei at home, so I can't take his name. Don't worry, I won't get tanned."
Ye Nuan smiled even more happily, "Xiaobai, you are so funny."
Her thick black hair spread out behind her head, swaying slightly when she smiled, and a few strands brushed against Chu Xuesong's jaw. The fragrance and tingling sensation flowed along his skin. The sky was high and the clouds were light, and he felt particularly relaxed.
"You're also the first person who always tells me I'm funny."
"Xiaohu thinks you're funny too!"
The camel stepped onto the sandy sea, its bells jingling in the wind. She heard the hurried sound of horse hooves behind her. At first, she paid no attention, but as the hooves grew closer, she couldn't help but look back and asked, "Who's coming from behind?"
Chu Xuesong also looked back, his brow furrowed at the sight. At the junction of the desert and the wasteland, a jet-black horse galloped towards the two of them. The man on the horse was handsome and well-mannered. It was none other than Qi Wuze, the Lord of Luomu City, who had always disliked him.
Why is he here?
Chu Xuesong looked up at the horizon. A Gaker Falcon hovered in the sky, its sturdy wings piercing the heavens. His eyelashes drooped slightly as Jiang Ji's gorgeous face flashed through his mind, and murderous intent blazed in his eyes.
He wanted to turn Ye Nuan's face back, but it was too late. Ye Nuan screamed, "It's City Lord Qi, it's Aze." She couldn't help but smile, and her sideways movement became bigger, and the hem of her clothes brushed against Chu Xuesong's hand holding the reins.
Chu Xuesong tightened his grip little by little, wanting to hide her in his arms or knock her out and take her away.
He arrived in a flash, walking on the snow, and only stopped when he was walking side by side with their camels. Ye Nuan waved at him, her voice full of joy, "Why are you here?"
But Qi Wuze was obviously not very happy. He looked at Chu Xuesong with a stern face and said in a cold and angry tone: "Chu Bai, why did you bring her to the desert? Go back now!" The weather in the desert is changeable. If you are unlucky, you may encounter quicksand and sandstorms.
Chu Bai was very embarrassed. "We are already in the desert. We will find the saltwater lake soon."
His face darkened, and his tone became more fierce: "You don't have to look for it, go back now, I will send someone."
Ye Nuan didn't expect him to be so angry, so she explained, "It's none of Xiaobai's business. I came here to look for it. Yesterday, someone said there's a saltwater lake here. If we can find it, we can extract the salt. That way, we don't have to worry."
Qi Wuze stared at her, angry and frustrated. She had actually followed this pretty boy to such a dangerous place without saying a word. If Jiang Ji hadn't informed him, he would still be in the dark. Qi Ya was such a useless kid. He was asked to keep an eye on this scholar all the time. He was busy planting vegetables, raising geese, and collecting eggs every day.
Facing her, Qi Wuze softened his tone and advised: "You go back with him now, I will go look for him alone."
Now that everyone is here, Ye Nuan can't go back. She shook her head, and the smile on her face was replaced by stubbornness: "We will look for it nearby. We won't go deep into the desert. Since you are here, come with us."
Seeing her so stubborn, Qi Wuze was so angry that he reached out to pull her away. However, just as he stretched out his hand, he was intercepted by Chu Xuesong behind him. He struggled, but he couldn't get away at the first time. The two of them stood side by side and faced each other.
Chu Xuesong still looked handsome and gentle, but his eyes looked at Qi Wuze with a chilling coldness. "City Lord Qi, Ah Nuan is not a bird in a cage. She has the right to decide where to go."
Qi Wuze looked at Ye Nuan. Ye Nuan turned her head away without saying anything, but her meaning was already very clear.
He tightened his grip, then with a slight effort, opened Chu Xuesong's hand, drove his horse closer to the camel, and unexpectedly grabbed Ye Nuan's waist and brought her to his horse's back. Ye Nuan screamed, thinking he was going to send her back, and couldn't help but struggle.
City Lord Qi is arrogant and she can coax him, but they are short of salt. No matter how strong he is, she will definitely not listen to him today.
However, the person behind her lowered his voice as if to coax her: "A Nuan, don't move... I'll take you to find it."
Qi Wuze always called her "Miss Ye" or "this woman," but this was the first time she heard him call her "A Nuan." The voice, low and deep, slowly enveloped her ear, its husky tone filled with helpless indulgence, making the tips of her ears itch.
Ye Nuan trembled, and finally stopped moving.
Chu Xuesong was pulling the camel rope, and his palms were sunken. He wanted to grab it, but he could do nothing in front of Ye Nuan.
Finally, Chu Xuesong was ahead, finding the way, while Qi Wuze and Ye Nuan followed behind. Taxue was a horse that Qi Wuze had tamed at the foot of Luomu Mountain. It had excellent adaptability, but it was still a bit difficult to carry two people in the desert.
After walking for a while, Ye Nuan said worriedly, "How about I take the camel and you ride the horse?"
Chu Xuesong looked back and said, "The horseshoe is thin and thin. If you ride too heavy, it will easily sink into the sand pit."
Qi Wuze glanced at him and smiled, "Chu Bai and I will ride a camel together. You will be on the horse and I will pull it."
Ye Nuan was stunned for a second. She really didn't expect him to make such an arrangement. Just as she was about to speak, Qi Wuze pulled her arm and shook it. She could only nod: "Okay then."
Then it became a situation where two men rode a camel together, and she rode a horse, with the reins in Qi Wuze's hand.
The horses were swaying and the camel bells were ringing. The two men in front were: the black one had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and had long, thin and strong legs; the white one was slender, straight and handsome, like orchids and bamboos.
It’s absolutely beautiful!
Why don't these two get along?
Ye Nuan clicked her tongue twice, then met Qi Wuze's gaze. She smiled and asked, "Are there any signs of a saltwater lake ahead?"
Chu Xuesong looked into the distance and said, "It should be here soon. The man said it was on the edge of the desert."
The three of them walked at a leisurely pace. Ye Nuan accidentally looked up into the distance and was stunned. A brick-red building was faintly visible in the sky not far to the southwest, and something seemed to be moving inside.
She shouted and said to the two of them, "Go over there quickly."
The two men naturally saw it and drove their horses and camels towards the southwest.
As the distance shortened, the scene in the air became clearer and clearer. Ye Nuan became a little excited and jumped off the horse and ran towards that direction.
Directly in front of her was a magnificent lake, its surface a brilliant rose color. A lush farm loomed in the air above the rippling water. It was filled with flowers and vegetation, and fruit trees of unknown origin were scattered everywhere. In the corner of the farm stood a brick-red house, its southeast facade entirely covered in transparent glass.
In front of the house there is a long and warm single sofa with a parasol on it. Under the parasol is a small round table covered with plain silk cloth, on which squats a chubby and super cute orange cat.
Suddenly, a black and white Border Collie ran out of the house, and the girl in the suspender dress hurriedly chased after it. At just one glance, Qi Wuze and Chu Xuesong recognized that it was Ye Nuan.
"Is this a mirage?" Chu Xuesong asked in surprise, "Why is Ah Nuan in there?"
Ye Nuan looked excited. That was her modern home, her farm. Could she go home?
She suddenly rushed into the magnificent lake in front of her without caring about anything...
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