Chapter 154
"No cigarettes, and smoking is harmful to health, grandpa can't smoke!"
In response to Tang Yu'an's preaching, Old Li just smiled. He reached out and touched the brand new gas stove, then looked at the pots and pans.
"Were these also given by the mysterious merchant?" he asked.
"Well, we upgraded yesterday and opened the furniture exchange."
Tang Yu'an did not hide it, and took out a lollipop from his pocket, "No cigarettes, but there are candies."
Old Li paused, then reached out to take the candy. He looked at the stove and said, "I'm not a good cook, so I don't need such good things..."
"It doesn't matter. You can put it here and cook something hot whenever you want." Tang Yu'an said, "I'm going to give Granny Guo a set as well."
Old Li nodded and said, "Go ahead. Her stove is already built, but it seems like it won't be needed now."
A batch of bricks had been baked yesterday. As an important source of food for the deserted city home, Old Li put the needs of the three wood-type mutants at the top of the list.
The other residents had no objection, and this policy also prompted the two wood-type mutants who had been hiding to step forward.
The small deserted city suddenly had five wood-type mutants.
Now there is no need to worry about food problems, because even if each wood-type mutant only produces two potatoes a day, the daily output can be stable at 200 to 300 potatoes.
It's more than enough for 40 people.
In order to maintain the fertility of the soil, we cannot use full-scale labor and need to control the number of times we induce labor every day.
Speaking of which…
"Grandpa, there is a way to solve the problem of soil fertility!" Tang Yu'an took out two mutant star chain fruits and explained to Old Li the effect of this plant.
Old Li's eyes lit up when he heard this.
"Not bad, not bad. Let's plant it quickly."
"I'll go find Granny Guo and Kang Kang first and ask them how to plant it."
"good."
Then, Tang Yu'an took out the fire stone from the biscuit box and said, "Grandpa, do you think these two stones can be used?"
Feeling the heat from the Flame Stone, Old Li was a little surprised: "Stone from Flame Dragon Castle?"
"Grandpa, have you ever been to Yanlong Castle?" Tang Yu'an asked curiously.
Old Li nodded. "I went there once when I was young. Every once in a while, flames would appear in the sky, and sometimes it would even rain fire. It was extremely hot and dry."
A look of reminiscence crossed his face. "Compared to the area around Flame Dragon Castle, the daytime in Desolate City is quite bearable."
Tang Yu'an couldn't help but be shocked.
For an ordinary person like him who came from before the disaster, would he get sunburned if he went to Yanlong Castle?
"I heard that before the disaster, it was a prosperous city." Old Li sighed, "Under the leadership of the superpowers, people built a fortress to resist the disaster."
"Originally, there was plenty of water around there, with two rivers passing through. But when I first went there, those two rivers had completely dried up."
"Now that so many years have passed, that place may have become a desert..."
The world has changed dramatically in just a few decades.
Old Li sighed for a moment, then looked at the Fire Stone in his hand and said, "This stone is extremely useful in cold weather. It can be used directly as coal."
It is even safer than coal. It is not only smokeless and odorless, but also has good continuous heat dissipation.
"As far as I know, a stone like this will take at least a month to cool down gradually," said Old Li.
"That's great!" Tang Yu'an said, "Let's put it here and see if any residents want it."
Old Li also understood what he meant and nodded, "How high a price are you going to set?"
"The cost is 30 points per pound, which is slightly more expensive than charcoal. Grandpa, please decide how much to charge." Tang Yu'an said, "We have more than just these two. We shouldn't be short of this kind of stone in the future."
"Okay, I'll take care of it." Old Li agreed.
"Then let's go find Granny Guo."
"Well, go ahead."
Before leaving, Tang Yu'an took out a thermos cup he had just exchanged and gave it to Old Li.
“Too much, too much…”
Old Li wanted to refuse, but Tang Yu'an forced it on him, "Please keep it. It's cold now. You can drink something hot in the morning to warm your body."
As for the night, because he slept on a bright green double bed, Old Li really didn't have the trouble of getting up at night.
Maybe it was because he got enough sleep, ate well and dressed warmly during this period. Although he had endless things to deal with every day, Old Li's condition was obviously getting better and better.
Not only did her complexion become rosier, her voice became louder, and she even had fewer white hairs.
This made Tang Yu'an very happy. In his heart, he had already treated Old Li as a relative and elder.
He really enjoyed the feeling of being loved by his elders. Being able to care for and give to them also gave him a happy sense of belonging in this alien world.
Moreover, without Grandpa Li, they would not have been able to manage the Deserted City Home so well in such a short period of time. With so many residents and employees, it was hard to tell how much energy and time they would have spent.
With Grandpa Li around, I feel at ease, as if I have a magic needle that can stabilize the sea.
"Grandpa, let's go!"
After putting the thermos on the stove, Tang Yu'an pulled Zhou Qi and ran, leaving no chance for Old Li to catch up.
Old Li looked at their cheerful backs, shook his head and looked away. He picked up the thermos cup on the stove and stroked it lovingly.
“Meow—”
Black Pearl walked in from outside the door. Old Li looked at it with a smile, put away the thermos, and then took out a bag of dried fish from the refrigerator.
Soon, three puppies ran in from outside.
"Woof woof!"
Old Li took the milk and poured it into the bowl in the corner, watching the three little ones drinking happily while wagging their tails.
Because there were more residents, pets were needed to keep the place together. After a few visits, Black Pearl and Yuanbao became familiar with Old Li.
Now when they want snacks or milk, they will come directly to Old Li and accept bribes very naturally.
"After you finish your snacks, let's go on patrol together."
"Woof woof!"
-
Room 801.
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi knocked on the door and saw that the person who opened the door was not Granny Guo or Kang Kang, but a pregnant woman.
Tang Yu'an remembered her, her name seemed to be Lin Lu.
Because Granny Guo had a green container that could generate heat and it was warm at night, she was placed here.
"you……"
Lin Lu was stunned for a moment, the alertness on her face was replaced by uneasiness. "You are the two young bosses of the Deserted City Home, right? Please come in!"
"Just call me Xiao An."
"Xiaoqi."
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi introduced themselves and walked into the house, asking, "Where are Granny Guo and Kang Kang?"
Compared to when I first came here, there are a lot more things in the house, especially potted plants.
The plants that Tang Yu'an had entrusted to Granny Guo to take care of were growing very well. Some of the lush plants had been planted in pots by Granny Guo.
At the bottom of the green container, there are some brown rice seeds. It seems that Grandma Guo has not given up on cultivating rice that can adapt to the current environment.
"Grandma took Kang Kang to water the plants." Lin Lu said, following behind them.
Because Lin Lu was pregnant, Old Li gave her some preferential treatment when arranging her life, such as placing her with Granny Guo and giving her two potatoes every day.
But she was not idle. She would still help Grandma Guo with things within her ability.
For example, before Tang Yu'an and the others came, she was cutting potato slices, preparing to take them out to dry in the sun at noon.
For example, as a water-based mutant, she can condense enough water for daily use so that Granny Guo doesn't have to run up and down to fetch water.
"Sister Lin Lu, are you used to living here? If you need anything, just tell us." Looking at Lin Lu's bulging belly, Tang Yu'an spoke much more gently.
Soon, Huangcheng Home will welcome two newborns.
For some reason, whenever Tang Yu'an thought of this, he inexplicably developed a sense of responsibility in his heart, which made him feel that it was necessary to build No. 1 Store better and make it a real home.
"all is well."
Lin Lu lowered her head slightly, "Thank you for bringing me here... I can do anything you need me to do, please, please don't chase me away..."
For Lin Lu, life in the deserted city home these days was like a dream.
She is actually not as weak as she looks. She was a good hunter before, otherwise she would not have come to live in the deserted city.
But since she became pregnant, her body has become much more fragile. The man who was very caring towards her at the beginning became indifferent and disgusted with her after her pregnancy reaction intensified.
Before the flood, he left her and never returned. After waiting in despair for a week, Lin Lu thought the man was dead.
Then she began to live alone in the deserted city, but within two days, a flood came.
Because of her water-related abilities, she can capture aquatic creatures as a source of food, and she can barely survive.
However, due to lack of fuel, she basically had to eat raw food, which aggravated her morning sickness and made her life miserable every day.
She had thought about having an abortion countless times, but in the end she couldn't bring herself to do it.
When she was most desperate, the two young men appeared. They took her into the passage of life, through the darkness, and came to this warm and comfortable home that was like a utopia.
The managers here did not regard her pregnancy as a burden, and even took good care of her.
The place she was staying at not only had a clean bed and quilt, but also a mother-in-law who treated her more like a relative. She would prepare hot water and cooked food for her and would speak to her in a gentle voice...
In just a few days, Lin Lu had fallen deeply in love and never wanted to leave here again.
She had never been so happy...
Seeing Lin Lu's eyes becoming moist, Tang Yu'an was at a loss. He waved his hands and said, "No, no, we are not going to chase you away."
"Just stay here and take good care of your baby, and then take care of your health." Zhou Qi also said, "We can talk about the rest later."
Lin Lu, who was originally nervous, suddenly calmed down.
She had never heard anyone call an unborn child "baby", but just from the word itself, she could tell how much the two teenagers valued the child.
Although she was puzzled, this was truly a great blessing for her.
"Thank you... Thank you..."
Zhou Qi comforted her and helped her to the second bedroom to rest, while Tang Yu'an sneaked into the kitchen.
Not long after, when Tang Yu'an came out of the kitchen, Granny Guo and Kang Kang just came back from outside.
"elder brother!"
Kang Kang ran happily to Tang Yu'an with his short legs, and hugged his thighs with his two little hands.
"Are you back?" Tang Yu'an rubbed his head.
"Well, look at Liangliang! October!"
I think he and Granny Guo just went to water the blue beech seedlings and the mutant lantern grass.
After saying that, he pulled Tang Yu'an to see the cool fruit. The small tree had been transplanted into a larger flowerpot.
Because there are more earth-type mutants in No. 1 Store and clay is easier to obtain, Granny Guo commissioned Old Li to make a lot of flower pots of various sizes.
Granny Guo looked at them with a kind smile on her face.
"Xiaoqi, do you want to eat some fruit?"
Seeing Zhou Qi coming out, she walked over to him, took out two sweet fruits from her pocket, and stuffed them into his hands without saying a word.
In fact, now that we have potatoes and brown rice, the demand for fruit has been greatly reduced, and it is really a waste to use supernatural powers to promote the growth of fruit trees.
However, Granny Guo still maintained her previous habit. Whenever Zhou Qi and Tang Yu'an came, she would always give them sweet fruits to eat.
"Thank you, grandma."
Zhou Qi also knew that being polite to her would only make the old lady sad, so he accepted it generously. Sure enough, after he accepted it, Granny Guo's smile deepened.
"Why did you come so early today?" asked Grandma Guo.
Speaking of this, Zhou Qi looked towards the kitchen, and Tang Yu'an also came back holding Kang Kang.
"Grandma, come here quickly!"
Tang Yu'an pulled her into the kitchen.
Grandma Guo was stunned when she saw the gas stove on the earthen stove and the two gas tanks next to it.
"What is this?"
Tang Yu'an asked with a smile: "Grandma, do you know this?"
Granny Guo nodded, walked over and pinched the knob of the gas stove. With a click, the flame suddenly came out.
Kang Kang was startled and quickly hid behind Tang Yu'an.
"Where did this stove come from...how come it's so new?" Granny Guo put out the fire and asked excitedly, "How do I replace it?"
Such a stove is much more convenient than an earthen stove. If she could use such a gas stove, she could boil water and cook food whenever she wanted.
As for the origins of the stove and gas tank...
She only asked one question and didn't ask any more. Just like what Old Li said, it's a blessing to be ignorant. She didn't want to delve into too much. As long as she and Kang Kang could live a good life, nothing else mattered.
"I just want these two sweet fruits!"
Tang Yu'an took two sweet fruits from Zhou Qi's hand and said, "We ate a lot of your fruits before."
"The fruit is worthless!"
Granny Guo said that she must not take advantage of this at all, so Tang Yu'an took out two mutant star chain fruits.
"Then please help me plant the fruit."
Tang Yu'an handed her two star chain fruits and explained the characteristics of the plant.
Grandma Guo was listening attentively, while Kang Kang had already stood on tiptoe, took one from his grandmother's hand, and looked at it curiously in his hand.
"After the planting is done, the black soil will be yours, and we only want the fruit, is that ok?"
Tang Yu'an said, "Give us this first batch of fruits, and leave the rest to Grandpa Li to arrange. You can discuss how to intercrop appropriately."
Grandma Guo was a little hesitant.
"Isn't this still a disadvantage for you?"
She got the black soil and could grow more crops, which was equivalent to exchanging those fruits for the black soil. If it were other wood-type mutants, they would definitely be happy to do so.
"Oh, we trust you more." Tang Yu'an said, "Just agree to it."
After Tang Yu'an's repeated requests, Granny Guo finally agreed.
[You completed a loss-making transaction with an old customer, experience point +1]
"Don't worry, I promise to grow a big basket of fruits for you!" Grandma Guo patted the boy's hand and promised.
Then she took the fruit and discussed with Kang Kang how to plant it.
Seeing that the grandparents and grandchildren were fascinated by studying plants, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi did not disturb them anymore. Instead, they put the medium-grade spirit gathering grass they bought from the plane store yesterday into the Yinglu container.
Afterwards, they arrived at the Jufeng Grocery Store through the teleportation array.
Hongli had kept his promise and had sent people to help them rebuild the house. Now the guards were cleaning up the burnt ruins.
Seeing them crawling out of the basement, the guards couldn't hide their curiosity.
After all, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get into this basement, and all they saw was darkness that even fire couldn't illuminate.
Such supernatural powers are really curious.
However, the two teenagers did not explain, and they did not dare to ask more questions. Following Black Bear's instructions, he took them directly to find the architect who was sent to build the house.
This architect is an earth-type ability user.
After Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi communicated with him, they decided to build a new three-story building, which would take about half a month.
After telling him their needs, the two teenagers temporarily left the grocery store.
Today's daily task requires recruiting 17 new customers. Due to the large-scale transactions between Xiaocao and Shitou, the number of new customers in Jufeng Town has been visibly reduced.
They first went to the market and only attracted seven new customers, and the morning market time was over.
The two had no choice but to follow the crowd until they left Jufeng Town and walked down the mountain.
There are many new customers in the strongholds, and they are preparing to go to the first stronghold to complete the remaining 10 indicators.
What surprised Tang Yu'an was that Mingzhu and her son, whom he had met on the way up the mountain, had actually moved to the first stronghold.
Moreover, they entered the experimental field opened up by Hongli. Before they entered the base, they saw her and her children busy in the opened fields from afar.
Hongli followed their advice, took all the experimental fields into national ownership, and then hired the people who had originally signed up to farm to continue growing wild vegetables on the fields.
Because the policy was just released, Tang Yu'an and his friends could hear the townspeople discussing it while walking on the street.
The townspeople who originally were not optimistic about farming are now filled with regret, envy, jealousy and hatred.
After all, the garrison provides food and accommodation, which is a rare welfare benefit for many people. Even if farming is a bit hard, it is better than starving to death.
However, because it was nationalized, the guards increased their patrols and no one dared to cause damage, so they could only wait for the garrison to recruit more staff.
This time, there will definitely be a lot of people rushing to farm.
Seeing Mingzhu busy, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi didn't want to disturb her and were about to leave, but she had already discovered them.
"Wait! Wait a minute!"
Mingzhu ran over while shouting. The features of the two boys were so obvious that she recognized them at a glance.
When she ran to them, she gasped, "Do you remember me?"
"Sister Mingzhu, you and Xiaobao have moved to the mountain." Tang Yu'an said with a smile.
A smile appeared on Mingzhu's face.
"Yes, thank you for saving me and Xiaobao."
She talked about her experience during this period, saying that when Hongli released the farming policy, she signed up immediately.
Because she was good at growing mushrooms and was one of the few people among the first batch of people who signed up to grow crops and achieved some results, she was transferred to the first base.
"I heard from the guards that this experimental field policy was also proposed by you and the mountain master."
Mingzhu said, "I really don't know how to thank you. Do you still need mushrooms? I have some at home. I'll get them for you when I get back!"
She was still thinking about the time when Tang Yu'an exchanged mushrooms with her.
Tang Yu'an shook his head and rejected her. Seeing that she had cultivated the fields in an orderly manner, he couldn't help but say a few more words to her.
“Are you growing mushrooms?”
"Yes, there's been a lot of moisture lately and the temperature has dropped, so the mushrooms are growing fast."
Mingzhu knew what kind of environment mushrooms generally grow in, so when she was farming, she tried to create a similar environment. Unexpectedly, she was successful.
When she was transferred up there, the batch of mushrooms had not yet fully grown, but they would be almost there, and would probably be harvested in two days.
Although it was a pity that she didn't witness it with her own eyes, Mingzhu didn't feel any regrets because she was reused because of it.
"Mushrooms like humus. You can collect some leaves..."
Listening to Tang Yu'an explaining science to her, Mingzhu was shocked and hurriedly wrote down the key points.
"I read all this in books and haven't put it into practice. You can try dividing the land into several plots..."
Tang Yu'an also taught her how to use the control variable method to study the environment most suitable for mushroom growth.
Mingzhu could only try her best to memorize it, but it was a pity that she was illiterate, otherwise she wouldn't have to work so hard to remember it.
"That's about it."
After Tang Yu'an finished speaking, he waved goodbye to her.
Mingzhu watched them leave, still silently repeating the key points the boy had just said. When her son came to her, she quickly recited them aloud so that her son could help her remember them.
At this time, Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi had already entered the stronghold and started looking for people to do business with.
Tang Yu'an had the mountain master's order hanging around his neck, and with their clean and handsome appearance, even hooligans wouldn't dare to act rashly when they saw them.
After all, they are now considered celebrities in Jufeng Mountain.
After the Jufeng Grocery Store was burned down, Hongli personally said that anyone who dared to hurt the two teenagers would be against her.
Naturally, the mountain people hid when they saw Tang Yu'an and the others.
This made it harder for them to attract new customers, but that situation was reversed once they introduced the salt.
However, after successfully recruiting 10 new customers and completing today's target, the two teenagers stopped soliciting customers.
Every new customer they recruit is one less. In order to complete their daily tasks, they can no longer trade without restrictions as before.
"Are we going back?" Zhou Qi asked.
Today's class hasn't started yet, and it's almost time to go back.
Tang Yu'an nodded, and after just glancing at the map, he paused and said, "There are dangerous creatures running towards our base!"
After the flood, dozens of red spots appeared on Mount Jufeng.
Most of these red dots are in the mountains, and a few are wandering around the stronghold. Although the guards have been working hard to eliminate these mutated creatures, they have not been able to prevent more and more creatures from entering the mountains.
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi went to a secluded place and opened the umbrella, then Zhou Qi carried Tang Yu'an on his back and ran towards the approaching red dot.
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