Chapter 136
"Through?"
After hearing what Old Li said, Tang Yu'an couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
"right!"
A hint of nostalgia flashed through Old Li's eyes. "Do you know this theory? Or should I say concept?"
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi naturally shook their heads.
Old Li briefly explained to them the concept of time travel.
"When I was a kid, there were so many novels and TV series about traveling through time and space, and traversing different worlds. I can't remember the specific plots anymore, but the concept is very clear to me."
The old man looked at the faucet in front of him, his old eyes filled with heavy and deep emotions.
"In the past, I often daydreamed about how great it would be if I could travel back to the era before the Cataclysm..."
"grandfather……"
Tang Yu'an looked at him somewhat sadly, but Old Li had already waved his hands, and the sadness and pain on his face had disappeared.
He gave a relieved smile and said, "But now, I can move on."
Old Li looked at Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi. Looking at the two children, he felt that the future of this wasteland might not always be so bad.
"I can reluctantly agree to the plan you mentioned, but it's only for children under three years old, those aged three to ten, and the elderly. If you want pure water, you still have to pay for it with your labor."
Old Li's expression was serious, and he didn't seem ready to back down.
Tang Yu'an couldn't help but frowned, "But Grandpa, if this is the case, it will be difficult for this policy to achieve our desired goal."
People in the wasteland don't have the habit of drinking clean water. If it is given for free, they might do it just to take advantage.
But if labor is required, they may use their energy elsewhere in exchange for more food.
"There's nothing we can do about it."
Old Li said, "We can lower the labor requirements, but we absolutely cannot give it unconditionally."
"A little kindness pays off, a plentiful grain pays vengeance. This saying is passed down from our ancestors. It's human nature!"
In the past, when civilization had been passed down for thousands of years, such things were very common, not to mention in this wasteland where civilization has collapsed and inheritance has been interrupted, human nature will only become even more unbearable.
After listening to Old Li's earnest advice, Tang Yu'an calmed down a little.
Is the inheritance broken?
He couldn't help but look at Zhou Qi. Zhou Qi didn't say anything, but just took out paper and pen.
Tang Yu'an was a little confused at first, then his eyes lit up.
"Then how about this!" Tang Yu'an looked at Old Li and asked, "Grandpa, you should be able to read, right?"
Old Li nodded and looked at him somewhat confused.
"Then you can teach them to read!" Tang Yu'an expressed his idea excitedly.
"W-what?" Old Li was confused. "Tell them to learn to read?"
"Yes, let those children learn to read. If there are elderly people who can read, let them teach them!"
Tang Yu'an clapped his hands, thinking this was a great idea. "Only by completing the task of teaching characters can I get free purified water from you."
Old Li looked at him in amazement. He never expected that the young man would put forward such a condition.
"But what good is knowing how to read and write in a world like this?"
At least he had lived in the wasteland for decades and had hardly encountered any place where words were needed. It was okay for him to recognize words now, but it would be difficult for him to write more complex words.
Of course, if this is simply to set a threshold so that those people can't get water so easily, it is a solution...
"How can it be useless? Writing is the greatest creation of human civilization!"
Tang Yu'an said excitedly: "Let's not talk about the long term. We can first teach these children to count and let them learn simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division."
This also lays the foundation for the promotion of salt tickets.
"Then, everyone's experiences living in the wasteland can be recorded in writing and compiled into a book."
"There is also knowledge passed down from the era before the catastrophe, which can also be compiled into a book."
"As long as this book can be widely disseminated, more people will be able to learn these valuable experiences, thereby increasing their chances of survival in the wasteland!"
Old Li felt even more touched when he heard Tang Yu'an's outlook.
What the boy said just now, "Children and the elderly represent hope and inheritance," was not just a casual remark. These two children are indeed trying every possible way to promote this matter.
They not only want to make these elderly people and children live better, but also want them to truly take on the responsibility of inheriting civilization.
And learning to read and recognize words is the simplest first step.
"I understand." Old Li nodded. "But the promotional booklet you mentioned will probably take a very long time to realize."
After all, making everyone literate is an impossible task in itself.
"It's okay. Let's start from the grocery store in the deserted city and plant a small seed. Maybe it will grow into a forest in the future."
Zhou Qi looked at Tang Yu'an, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"Grandpa Li, I heard a saying." Zhou Qi said.
“A single spark can start a prairie fire.”
"We are just doing a little more within our capabilities now, but maybe it will become the spark of civilization in the future?"
Old Li stared at them blankly. He had obviously developed a heart of stone, but lately his eyes always became wet unconsciously.
He looked away, smiled, and shook his head.
"I haven't read much, so I only have a limited understanding of the civilization and heritage you're talking about."
"But..." he said, "If you want to do it, then give it a try."
Anyway, with the capabilities they have demonstrated now, Old Li feels that even building a small fortress in the deserted city might not be a big problem.
This fortress should be different from the ones he has visited before, right?
“Thank you, Grandpa!”
Tang Yu'an said happily, then with a wave of his hand, he allocated a thousand points to Old Li as funds for buying water.
Now in the grocery store, the only children who meet the requirements are Kang Kang, Jin Lili, and Fireball, and the elderly people are Granny Guo and Grandpa Li, and the maximum points they can get per day are 5.
These 1,000 points can be used for more than half a year.
Old Li looked at the crediting notification and raised his eyebrows slightly, saying, "Just now, the mysterious businessman allocated funds to me."
Tang Yu'an's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Oops! Because he was too complacent, he forgot that the system prompt would reveal his identity!
Facing Old Li's scrutiny, Zhou Qi remained calm.
He said: "Well, I just submitted the proposal, and the Lord approved our decision."
"That's right!" Tang Yu'an nodded sincerely.
Old Li looked at them and said, "That gentleman... is quite kind?"
"Well, He is like a savior to us." Zhou Qi said seriously.
"That's right!" Tang Yu'an said sincerely.
Finally, Old Li seemed to have really dispelled his doubts, nodded, and then passed the topic over.
Tang Yu'an didn't show it on his face, but he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Then he opened the message board and gave Zhou Qi a thumbs up in the administrator channel. Fortunately, Brother Xiao Qi came to the rescue, otherwise it would have been exposed!
Zhou Qi glanced at the old man, but was not so optimistic.
Did Grandpa Li really not guess it?
However, looking at Old Li walking out of the kitchen, he felt that the answer to this question seemed unimportant.
"Grandpa, do you know how to build a stove?" Tang Yu'an asked, "Grandma Guo needs one."
In addition to the stove, there were also kitchen utensils and a kang, which they also told Old Li.
"I understand." Old Li said, "I'll arrange these."
Now that we have iron, gold and Bashi, it is not difficult to produce these things, it just takes a little more time.
"If producing bricks is difficult, we can handle it."
A brick wall that is one meter wide and three meters high only requires 50 points. If we remove these bricks, it should be enough to build a stove and a kang, right?
Old Li was inevitably surprised when he heard Tang Yu'an's words.
He didn't expect there was such a convenient method, but after thinking about it, he shook his head.
"If you hadn't opened up that yard last night, I might have accepted your idea," Old Li said, "but now I have another idea."
"What's the idea?"
"Build a brick kiln."
The entire building of the Huangcheng Grocery Store is a rough-finished building, and a lot of bricks are needed for the interior decoration.
He also thinks that it would be best if every room had a kang.
"As the flooding continues, the night temperatures will get lower and lower, and when they reach below zero, there may be ice and snow."
It would be freezing to death on a night like that.
Although Old Li has no mercy, he knows that only by protecting the lives of the residents can their business continue in the long run.
"After we build the kang, we can earn points by selling charcoal."
Tang Yu'an agreed with everything Old Li said. He just looked at Old Li curiously and said, "Grandpa, can you make bricks?"
"Well, it's not difficult. All you need is clay and water."
“That’s pretty impressive too!”
"There wasn't enough space before, so naturally I didn't think about it in this regard." Speaking of this, Old Li couldn't help but frowning.
He asked, "Is the fence you built strong enough? If the fence is damaged, will the flood break through the barrier and flow in?"
"There's a protective barrier that can keep out mutant creatures, and there's water outside, so it shouldn't be damaged by humans, right?"
Speaking of the latter part, Tang Yu'an suddenly lost his confidence, and Zhou Qi couldn't help but frown.
"If it's not possible from the outside, what about from the inside?" Old Li asked, "What will happen if it's damaged from the inside?"
Tang Yu'an shook his head. They had never tried this.
"Let's go out and take a look."
Because it was still early, the residents had not yet gone downstairs, so no one noticed the new yard behind the building.
The three of them climbed to the top of the wall, and then under Tang Yu'an's control, they demolished a one-meter-long fence.
In an instant, the protective barrier began to retreat, and the flood once again covered the open space.
Tang Yu'an couldn't help but be stunned.
If there were things planted or buildings built on the vacant land, they would all be destroyed by just one hit.
"The fence wall is not destroyed." Zhou Qi suddenly said.
He came to the side where the fence wall and the concrete wall were connected, and saw that the protective barrier left an area two fingers wide, protecting the fence wall.
Therefore, according to the rules of the protective barrier, only the part connected to the grocery store belongs to the scope of the grocery store.
If it is not closed, the protective barrier will only protect the part that extends out.
Tang Yu'an repaired the one-meter fence wall that had been dismantled.
Almost in an instant, the flood and creatures in the open space were cleared out again, leaving only wet and muddy land.
"The outermost part must be built with the strongest materials," said Old Li. "Otherwise, if a gap appears, it will be very dangerous."
The fence wall is still too fragile. It’s not that it was damaged intentionally, but it’s easy for accidents to happen during activities.
They cannot afford the consequences of accidents.
Old Li couldn't help but think that having a protective barrier doesn't mean he can rest easy.
Because the protective barrier cannot protect people, if a fortress is really built in the future, they will need to spend a lot of effort to protect the outermost wall.
Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives destroys this wall, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi couldn't help but look at each other.
If that is the case, then the place that needs the most protection is not the exterior wall.
"Where is that?" Old Li asked in surprise.
Tang Yu'an hesitated for a moment, then said, "The part connected to the building."
Once this part is broken, the area enclosed by the wall will no longer belong to the grocery store... Of course, there is a way to prevent it.
For example, the eaves extending from the roof are like the awning of Ping An Grocery Store. They also figured out the enclosure bug based on this principle.
"Then these need to be included in the subsequent planning." said Old Li.
"OK."
Looking at the circle of fence, Tang Yu'an couldn't help but sigh.
I thought I could save points by using the fence wall, but now it seems that I still have to spend points.
A one-meter-long concrete wall costs 100 points. Although I have more points now, I can’t afford to spend them all, so I can only be frugal and continue to use the original wall.
So the three of them jumped off the wall, and Tang Yu'an moved the 30-meter-long concrete wall 20 meters outward and built two more walls on both sides, spending a total of 4,000 points.
As for the previous fence wall, he brought it into the yard and gave it to Grandma Guo and the others to use for planting.
Old Li went to call for people to clean the yard, and Tang Yu'an cast two purification spells on the open space to remove all the filth brought by the flood.
Soon, the residents who went downstairs to light a fire and cook discovered new changes in the yard.
"When was this done?" Jin Guang and the others were all stunned.
Even Granny Guo, who was sent downstairs to plant potatoes, couldn't help but open her eyes wide.
She just told the two kids yesterday that they were going to plant something in the yard today, and they created this piece of land?
In addition to the new land, residents soon discovered extra doors on the four walls.
"Can this door be opened?" Fireball ran over to check curiously.
"Can."
Old Li said, "When you need to get water in the future, you can open the door and the flood outside will not come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fireball couldn't wait to open the door. Looking at the water curtain outside, he couldn't help but exclaimed, "Dad, come and see! It's amazing!"
After the residents finished watching the fun, Old Li cleared his throat.
"Boss An has cleaned this land, but the rocks, branches, and other debris piled on it still need to be cleaned up."
"Everyone who helps with the work can come to me today to get some food."
"You can grow crops on this land in the future, but you'll need to pay rent. If you need help, you can also contact me. I will make the connection for you and ensure a fair price for the transaction."
The following paragraph is mainly addressed to Granny Guo and Tiemuhua, two people with wood-type abilities.
Granny Guo nodded naturally, and Tiemuhua had no objection.
"Also, the weather is getting colder. Considering that most residents don't have anything to keep warm, the boss is planning to build kangs in your rooms."
As soon as Old Li said this, the residents all showed joy on their faces, even Langya was no exception.
The cold at night is really hard to bear. It would be great if we could have a kang.
"But to build a kang, we need to burn bricks, so we also need to build a brick kiln, and then we will need everyone's cooperation."
After saying this, Old Li paused for a moment.
So, someone soon asked, “How much does all this cost?”
"If you're willing to work together, you don't have to pay anything." Old Li shrugged. "Of course, if anyone wants to just sit back and reap the benefits, they can come talk to me. I'm always welcome to do that."
"So, Mr. Li, you will teach us how to make bricks and build a kang, right?"
"It's natural."
Jin Guang and the others looked at each other and saw the joy in each other's eyes.
Brick making is a technical job, which they don't know how to do. If they could learn it, it would not just be as simple as having a kang to sleep on at night!
"Son, you must study hard when the time comes!" Tree Root rubbed Fireball's head hard.
"Don't worry, Dad. I'm a very fast learner!" Fireball said confidently.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished discussing, Old Li cleared his throat, and after the scene quieted down, he announced the last policy.
"The boss is kind. In addition to allowing you to use the water purifier, he also asked me to produce a certain amount of purified water, which will be provided free of charge to the children and elderly people staying at the hotel."
Before the scene became noisy again, Old Li raised his hand and made a downward motion.
He continued: “Of course, free doesn’t mean no conditions.”
Free but with conditions?
Everyone was slightly stunned, then listened patiently.
“Old people who receive free drinking water need to pay with knowledge or experience.”
Old Li explained, "Of course, knowledge is a precious commodity in the wasteland, so at this stage we only require text annotations, which may no longer be of much use to you."
"Textual annotations?" Tiejin asked with interest.
"That's right."
Old Li looked at Grandma Guo. He knew that among the current residents, she was probably the only one who met this requirement.
“Write down the words you remember, annotate them with pronunciation and a simple explanation, even if it’s just one word a day.”
Granny Guo looked at him, her heart trembling slightly.
She wanted to ask the reason for doing this, but the person with the child spoke first.
"What about the children? What do children need to do?" asked the tree root.
"Children need to learn to read," said Old Li. "Only after they learn the calligraphy I assign them every day can they receive free clean water."
Everyone else had puzzled expressions on their faces, and Fireball looked at his father in confusion.
"Dad, what's the word?"
The tree root opened its mouth, not knowing how to explain for a moment.
"Why do you let children do this?" Tiemuhua asked curiously.
Jin Guang asked Old Li, "Do we have to have elderly people and children? I can also learn to read. If I can read, will I get free purified water?"
Old Li rolled his eyes.
"Other people who want purified water can exchange it for something, but the free benefit is only given to the elderly and children."
Then he continued, "Also, the collection time is only at noon every day, no one will be accepted after that time."
Old Li has a lot of things to do every day now, and he doesn't have that much time to stay in Room 501 all the time. He just hopes these three kids are not too stupid.
Jin Guang was a little disappointed. Tiemuhua shrugged indifferently and pulled Langya, who seemed to be lost in thought, to start clearing the rubble on the open space.
Shugen and his son were a little confused, but Tiejin looked very happy.
"My daughter Lily can learn to read now?" He walked up to Old Li. "Isn't Lily too young?"
Old Li ignored him. He couldn't say in front of everyone that he would turn a blind eye, right?
"Then can I go and sit in?" Tiejin asked shamelessly.
"You don't have to produce metal?"
"Well, it's not a problem to spare a little time at noon."
"Whatever you want!"
Seeing that Old Li was about to leave, Tie Jin quickly grabbed him and said, "I want to change another quilt. One is not enough!"
The length of the quilt was enough, and he and A-Lian and her son could still use it if they squeezed together, but in terms of width... 1.2 meters was only enough for Lily to cover herself, and his and A-Lian's hands and feet were exposed.
Old Li took the metal bar he handed over and promised to give it to him at noon, successfully making a profitable transaction.
"Okay, I'm going to go clean up the lot."
Tiejin also urgently needed a kang, so he was very motivated and just wanted to build the brick kiln as soon as possible.
At this time, the tree roots came over with a fireball.
"Brother Tiejin, do you know what that word recognition means? What is its use?"
He had just eavesdropped on the conversation between Tiejin and Old Li, and felt that this should not be a bad thing, otherwise Tiejin would not be so eager to learn it.
"Don't you know what words are?" Tiejin said.
Shugen and his son shook their heads together.
"Have you ever picked up anything from before the disaster? The kind with words printed on wrapping paper."
"Ohhh! You mean those square patterns!"
"Yes, that's writing," Tiejin said. "Once you learn writing, you can master a lot of knowledge, and knowledge is wealth!"
"Learn to read and you will be rich!"
Although Shugen didn't understand the inevitable connection between the two, he knew that his son could learn to read from Old Li.
And if you recognize the words, you can drink free purified water.
If this isn’t getting rich, what is?
So he patted Fireball on the shoulder and said excitedly, "Did you hear that, son? You're going to be rich!"
The author has something to say:
Fireball: Are you sure?
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