Chapter 194 Getting ready to collect prickly pear bean pods!
The two girls chattered away together, and Ding Tai continued, "Miss Zuo, I think Ding Yi and you two get along particularly well. We don't have any other relatives. Next time our mercenary group has a mission to collect resources with family members, would you be willing to go with Ding Yi?"
To be honest, she's just a little kid, and going on this kind of gathering mission alone makes her vulnerable to being bullied by other mercenary families. I feel much more at ease having an adult there to look after her.
Actually, with my current income, Ding Yi could live quite well without gathering, but this child has always been competitive and unwilling to be taken advantage of.
His words were practically a direct gift to Zuo Shan. Mercenary groups were very safe when they went out to gather resources, and they usually chose places that had just been cleared of mutated beasts, so the things they could gather were definitely valuable.
When Zuo Shan first went to collect resources with the Flying Tiger Mercenary Group, it was thanks to Qi Yang that he got the spot; Qi Yang had used his connections to secure it for him.
Zuo Shan wasn't ungrateful, but she still asked a question first: "Uncle Ding, haven't you considered sending Ding Yi to school?"
With Ding Tai, her uncle who is a mercenary, Ding Yi will certainly have no shortage of good opportunities to gather resources in the future. But she is only eight or nine years old. Is she going to live like this forever?
"Of course I've thought about it, but there are no schools in our 48th district. If she wants to study, she has to be sent to a school within the 30th district, and she has to live on campus. Not only is it expensive, but I'm also worried about her being so far away by herself."
"And I've heard that kids in District 30 look down on kids from remote areas like us. I'm worried she'll be bullied at school," Ding Tai said with difficulty.
Now that it was confirmed that Ding Yi did not intend to go to school, Zuo Shan readily said, "In that case, if there are suitable gathering tasks in the future, and I happen to have time, I will accompany her."
"If you're away on a mission and she gets bored, you can have her come over and play with Lele."
She actually hoped that Pan Duole could make friends. Ding Yi was smart and lively, and apart from being a bit too outgoing, he seemed easy to get along with.
"Then it's settled." Ding Tai's face beamed with a genuine smile.
Zuo Shan noticed that when the man had an old face, he looked kind, honest, and easy to bully.
Now that he's younger, there's a sharp edge in his eyes that he can't hide. He's not someone to be trifled with, which explains why he was able to protect his niece even when he was down on his luck.
Before parting, Ding Yi and Lele said their goodbyes with reluctance. When Lele returned home, she took out four pieces of wolf jerky, each about the thickness of a little finger and full of fishy smell, which Ding Yi had given her.
"She insisted on giving them to me, so I gave her four cassava balls in return," she said nervously.
Wasteland children cherish food immensely, and she worried that her sister would be angry if she traded food with others so casually.
"Reciprocity is the right thing to do, and making friends is also important, as long as you've confirmed that she's a good person." Zuo Shan smiled and patted her head.
The child still didn't dare to be willful in front of her. While it's good that he's obedient and sensible, it's not good for his character development in the long run.
She hopes that she can grow up healthy, both physically and mentally.
**
Two days later, Ding Yi excitedly called Zuo Shan: "Sister Shan, my uncle said that their mercenary group is going to the edge of Collection Point No. 99 to clear out the mutated pangolins early tomorrow morning."
It is said that the pangolins there have become a plague. They have dug countless holes in the energy mining area of District 47, causing many underground mines to collapse, killing many miners and causing huge losses.
The mercenary group in District 47 had tried to hunt them down several times, but each time they used smoke to drive the pangolins out of the mine, they would run to the neighboring District 48, which is the edge of Gathering Point 99.
Therefore, this time it was a joint operation between mercenary groups from two different districts.
Because these pangolins frequently appear around collection point No. 99, scavengers haven't dared to collect them for a long time. Taking advantage of this joint extermination operation, they brought their families to collect them.
There are supposedly large areas of mutated locust trees in that area, but unfortunately we've already missed their flowering season. Otherwise, the locust blossoms would be very fragrant and sweet.
However, the locust trees are currently producing bean pods, and the pods inside are quite delicious when cooked.
"So, the main purpose of our trip is to collect the pods of the locust tree?" Zuo Shan sighed helplessly at her talkativeness and summarized directly.
"Hmm, Sister Fan, you're so smart! You guessed it right away, hehe!" Ding Yi laughed.
"Ding Yi, is there only one spot? Can I go with you?" Pan Duole, who was listening from the side, couldn't help but chime in, feeling envious.
"Of course! Our combined age is under 25, so we'll count as one spot. Each mercenary can bring two family members," Ding Yi said excitedly.
"Alright, let's go together tomorrow!" Zuo Shan made the final decision.
As for Ah Chen, she naturally decided to take him along. Using the mercenary group as bodyguards would definitely be safe, and it would be a good opportunity to let the baby go out and broaden his horizons.
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