Chapter 534 Gastropod Queen
Xiaowei handed the fist-sized eggs to the third man and asked him to take them to the insect brooding room to take good care of them. Then she carefully picked up the compressed biscuits and started to eat them, with a satisfied and happy expression on her face. Wenjun wiped her tears and turned her back secretly. Jingshu saw all of this. It was just eating a biscuit, was it so exaggerated?
Well, it’s understandable that she would cry even if she ate an egg after being reborn.
Why do these people always seem to be so cautious and protective of this girl? But that's normal. She lost both legs and her whole family died in the disaster. It's really pitiful.
Jun Bao wanted to see the egg very much, but he watched it disappear from his sight with regret. Then, in the blink of an eye, he made up his mind: "Living here is so difficult and dangerous. I saw on the way here that more and more muddy puddles are gathering around you. Given your position, you'll be flooded soon."
"Why don't you come with us and seek the protection of the rotten tree? There's hot water, salt, and vitamins there, and we'll also give you winter supplies. Plus, you'll have your own food source, so you'll definitely have a better life out there... After all, it's better than being trapped in this mountain range."
Xiao Wei was stunned on the bed for a moment, "Hmm...Okay, Brother Wenjun, you and Brother Guotou go find Aunt San and Uncle Liu and ask who wants to go out with you. Being trapped here is not a big deal, so you can come with us."
Jun Bao didn't expect it to be so easy?
Guotou scratched his head and said, "Xiaowei, I won't leave if you don't leave."
Xiao Wei's expression darkened. "How can a useless person like me survive outside? I'll just stay here. I won't starve to death anyway."
"Then we won't leave. We have already agreed that you saved my life. From now on, wherever you are, there we will be!" Wenjun said.
"But...now that someone has finally entered the mountains..."
Wenjun interrupted her, "The old are old, the disabled are disabled. Even if there are subsidies for the certificate of corruption, how can they support people for free? Just like last year, if we want to go to town to join them, we have to pay labor and equivalents. It's better for us to live comfortably in the mountains. As for how long we can live... Haha, now every day we live is earned."
Then Jun Bao's excited voice was heard: "Food? What exactly is your food?"
Several people's faces turned unhappy.
"Look, you robbed all our food, and we were so nice to talk to and didn't care. We even wanted to help you and take you away from here. There are no better people in the world than us... Can you give us some food in exchange? You can't starve us to death, right? Also, don't worry, we will never think of taking your food. Do you think I look like that kind of person?" As he said that, Jun Bao took out his dirty black mud cloak and rummaged through it.
Jingshu frowned. Ever since she entered the house, her bugs had become even more afraid to approach her. Was it because of this Xiaowei woman? Jingshu looked at Xiaowei again. There was nothing special about her. The bed was big, but a certain part of the quilt would occasionally move. Why?
Most importantly, there was a slight reaction in her space when she approached the bed, which was most likely related to the black liquid.
Jun Bao took out a box of food from his pocket, which was a handful of fruit candies, and put them all in Xiaowei's hands. "I often have low blood sugar due to not eating. This is my last food. In exchange, I really want to know how you have solved the food problem in the past six months." In this cold mountain range where everything is produced in abundance, what else can be food?
The mountain is bare and covered with mud. There is no grass or insects. Planting is impossible. Is it the monster they are talking about?
Xiao Wei sighed. "I know food is scarce in the outside world, too. After all, even worm cakes have become scarce in town since last year, and many people in our village have starved to death. You're trying to copy our method, right? Unfortunately, it won't work. Well, I've taken advantage of your food, and in exchange, I'll tell you. There's really nothing to hide. It's the end of the world, what can't be eaten?"
Even Jingshu began to listen attentively.
"Brother Guotou, take our food
"Let's take some food out for the guests to take away." Xiaowei said.
Guotou scratched his head, "What a waste." He finally went to get a large bag of things and handed it over casually: "There is no fire here, we all eat it raw. You can decide for yourself, but I suggest grilling it with a little salt. The taste is barely acceptable. Oh, I don't know what parts you like to eat, so I took some of the feet, claws, abdomen, and internal organs."
A fishy smell filled the air, and Jingshu couldn't help but feel like vomiting, but she managed to hold it back.
Guotou curled his lips: "I knew they disliked it, but it's good to have something to eat."
Jun Bao accepted it. For him, eating anything was fine. He would vomit whatever he ate anyway. Oh, he had been eating well with Jing Shu recently. He could always eat any of Jing Shu's food.
Jun Bao's guess was correct. They looked like some very large insects. If it were not for the on-site restriction, he would have wanted to study them. However, they had walked all the way and the village was so small that they had not seen any insects.
Xiaowei nibbled on a biscuit and motioned for Wenjun to continue explaining.
"This is a newly discovered creature. We call it a gastropod. It has thirty-six legs and a large abdomen. Its entire body is edible, and it's easy to feed. After the eggs hatch, the larvae are released into the mud to find their own food. They mature and are edible within a month. A mature gastropod is about one meter long, and some of the more powerful ones can grow to two or three meters."
Jun Bao's eyes lit up even more. This creature was indeed large, which meant there was plenty of food! Although the meat in his hand was a bit fishy and smelly, if it could really reproduce in large numbers...
Wenjun seemed to have seen through Junbao's thoughts and ruthlessly interrupted him: "Don't even think about breeding, because we only have one..." Wenjun glanced at Xiaowei with difficulty. She was innocently eating cookies and smiled and blinked at him when she heard it. Then she said:
"We only have one queen gastropod, and the queen lays all male gastropods. Just like ants, there is only one queen ant that lays eggs, and the entire ant colony protects the queen," said Wenjun.
Jun Bao was a little disappointed. "There's only one queen... That's a shame, but..." Jun Bao thought to himself, "Then could you give us a male gastropod so we can take it back for research? Oh, by the way, we're looking for someone this time. Once we find them, there'll be plenty of food. I'm willing to trade some for them."
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