These past two days, apart from going out early and returning late every day to buy dry food and other necessities, Old John has been sleeping exceptionally well.
The main reason is that the chicks never appeared again.
Just when old John thought he had completely forgotten about the baby bird, Ella brought it up unintentionally.
"I wonder how the little bird is doing?"
Ella muttered to herself.
During that time, the baby bird became very attached to Ella, and she held it in her arms almost all the time.
Over time, Ella naturally developed some feelings for him.
She was a little worried after not seeing the baby birds for the past two days.
Of course, she was only saying this to herself, but she didn't expect that old John would hear it all.
Old John was taken aback for a moment, then fell silent.
It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, because now that he had, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.
Although the occasional appearance of baby birds caused him a lot of trouble, he must admit that he eventually found enjoyment in it.
Perhaps, once we're out of this barren land, we'll have time to see if they can look for it?
But old John did not voice his thoughts to Ella.
There's no need to tell Ella.
If they find it, that's fine; if they don't, wouldn't that just make Ella sad again?
Let's wait until he finds it before we talk about it!
Old John made a decision in his heart.
The night before heading to the Barren Lands, Old John and Ella sorted through the provisions they had bought, setting aside a small portion for the next day. Once they were almost done, they drifted off to sleep.
They slept soundly without any dreams, and the two woke up refreshed the next day.
After taking the portion of dry rations downstairs, Old John told the boss about extending his room.
Old John wants to extend his stay for another ten days.
However, the boss did not agree immediately.
The owner had overheard the conversation between Mr. and Mrs. John and Carl when they moved in, and naturally learned that they were leaving today.
"You're all leaving soon, there's no need to extend your stay. We can discuss it when you return!" the owner kindly suggested.
Old John couldn't help but smile; it was the first time he had ever met such an honest and kind boss.
They actually made money for free and then withdrew from the business!
Thanks to the boss's reminder, Old John's attitude softened considerably, and he explained the reason.
They bought too much stuff, and it would be too much of a waste of time to move it, so they might as well leave it here.
Since that was the case, the boss agreed.
The owner wanted to reduce the room rate, and just as he was about to tell Old John, Carl and the others arrived.
Without hesitation, old John tossed six silver coins to the shopkeeper and then walked away with Ella without looking back.
Old John moved too quickly. By the time the boss realized what was happening and chased after them, Old John and his wife, along with Carl, had already disappeared around the street corner.
The shop owner looked at the empty street corner and sighed. It seemed he could only wait for them to return.
This time, the four of them traveled together, just like before.
The speed of the swift horse remained as fast as ever.
After leaving Hope City, we sped along.
Along the way, Old John and Ella witnessed what desolation truly meant; the closer they got to the barren land, the less greenery remained around them.
Gradually, only shallow grass and clusters of low shrubs remained. However, these shrubs did not look as lush and green as before; the tips of the occasional green leaves were tinged with a conspicuous withered yellow.
The further we went, the more monotonous the scenery became, with more and more bare, exposed land appearing like bald patches.
Clearly, this also means we are getting closer and closer to barren lands.
As expected, the four of them arrived at the outer edge of the barren land in just two days.
Not far from the outer ring, there was a small bungalow, which was also the temporary outpost of the "explorers".
Compared to the Misty Forest, it's much smaller.
This is not only because there are far fewer explorers in the Barrens than in the Misty Forest, but also because the cost of raising swift horses here is much higher.
To prevent all funds from being used for feeding the swift horses, the feeding of these horses is strictly controlled.
If the number exceeds the capacity of the temporary outpost, the explorers are required to raise the animals themselves.
Furthermore, the explorers would have to bear part of the cost of the food consumed by the swift horses kept at the temporary outpost, with the temporary outpost paying six parts and the explorers paying four parts.
Of course, once the explorers have paid the fees, they will not lend out their swift horses; they are essentially for their exclusive use.
These two reasons—the need for temporary bases—are that explorers either come to the barren lands because they are wealthy and don't care about such small expenses, or they find their own way to come here to reduce costs.
For these two reasons, explorers who venture into the Barren Lands are extremely rare, unless they are courting death.
So, Jim, who was temporarily stationed there, raised his eyebrows in slight surprise as he watched Karl and his three companions rushing towards them.
This is the first time he's seen explorers this month; well, it might even be his first deal of the month.
As Jim was thinking this, three swift horses stopped in front of him in the blink of an eye.
Before he could say anything, the dark red-haired young man riding a tall horse spoke first.
"Hello, we need to leave the Swift Horse here temporarily."
After Karl finished speaking, he dismounted his swift horse and led it to Jim.
Before coming, Karl had inquired among the "explorers" in Hope City and thus learned about the rules here in advance.
This couldn't be better for Karl. He had already suffered a loss in the Misty Forest, and if he were to do it again here, he would undoubtedly be in an even worse predicament than he had been in the Misty Forest.
Jim blinked, still somewhat confused by what Carl had said.
Everything happened so suddenly that before he could even see the person in front of him, he had not only dismounted but also finished speaking.
Fortunately, Jim reacted quickly and soon realized what had happened.
He immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, there are still seats available!"
He was secretly delighted; finally, business had come in!
Just as Jim was about to lead Carl and Lady to the horse farm where they were temporarily stationed, Lady, who was sitting in the carriage, reached out and knocked on the door frame.
"Old John, Ella, you two get out of the car and wait a moment. Carl and I will go and settle the Swift Horse in."
As soon as he finished speaking, a slightly weathered male voice came from inside the carriage.
"good."
Immediately afterwards, a man and a woman, each carrying a rather large bundle, filed out of the carriage.
Upon seeing the two people who came down, Jim's brow furrowed, his eyes filled with undisguised surprise.
The man and woman were dressed in coarse cloth that allowed for easy movement, which at first glance looked completely different from the light armor favored by explorers.
Upon seeing this, Jim couldn't help but think to himself that it was quite similar to what he was dressed in.
He immediately concluded that the two men were ordinary citizens.
So what are ordinary people doing in this godforsaken place? Are they here to die?
This thought only flashed through Jim's mind for a moment before disappearing.
This is none of his business, and it's not something he needs to care about.
Jim looked away, suppressing his surprise.
He gave Carl and Lady a friendly smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com