Chapter 17
On the other side.
After the brother and sister left the city, Ye Qingyun went directly to the base store, where he not only bought shovels, water tanks, and rattan for weaving baskets, but also exchanged twenty kilograms of moderately toxic mutated buckwheat.
Watching his points disappear into thin air, Ye Qingyun felt a sharp pang of pain.
The shovel and water tank alone cost 220 points.
Fortunately, the price of grain was still acceptable; twenty catties of buckwheat only cost sixty points.
In addition to cultivating some low-yield, high-end, low-toxicity staple foods, the base also grows large quantities of moderately toxic grains that can provide sustenance.
Buckwheat and highland barley are the main crops.
These two grains have mutated to be harder in texture. When cooked, they not only irritate the throat but also require a long chewing time, otherwise they can cause bloating and constipation if swallowed.
But even if it tastes terrible, it's still the staple food that most people rely on for survival.
Ye Qingyun could only think about how to make the food in his hands more palatable.
Jiang Shan wasn't idle either. He was writing and drawing in his notebook, discussing the layout of the house with Ye Qingyun. "Ayun, I plan to set aside 50 square meters as a yard for daily activities. As for the house, 50 square meters will be used as the living room, and I want to set up two rooms in each of the east and west wing rooms, each 30 square meters. The back room will be used as the kitchen, and we will build a dry toilet at the back of the house."
Ye Qingyun had no objection: "You're the expert in this area, so you're in charge."
Jiang Shan felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this.
He designed it this way to prepare for the Jiang family.
His wife must have known why he had arranged so many rooms; she didn't ask because she was willing to support him.
I just hope... we can find the Jiang family soon.
After planning, Jiang Shan began measuring and marking the lines.
Based on the house's design dimensions, use pebbles to mark the four corners and boundaries on the ground, marking the foundation outline.
This is a technical job, and you can't be careless.
Two hours had passed by the time the open space was properly planned.
Ye Qingyun felt sorry for her husband, so she gave him a bowl of rice balls with dog tail feathers, while she secretly ate some buckwheat rice that made her throat sore.
After breakfast, Jiang Shan began digging the foundation, while Ye Qingyun took out a folding chair and sat down to weave baskets.
Baskets are an essential household item for almost every family.
Ye Qingyun had never done this kind of rough work before, but she was good at doing things herself. When she went to the base and the store, she took the opportunity to look at the items carefully under the pretext of buying them, and then decided to do it herself.
There was no other way; each basket at the base cost 20 points, and she couldn't bear to spend them.
The couple were working when they saw a man and a woman walking towards them hesitantly from a distance.
Ye Qingyun's heart tightened. She put down the vine in the water and moved closer to her husband without making a sound.
Noticing his wife's nervousness, Jiang Shan patted her hand and looked up at her.
They were a young couple who didn't seem to have any ill intentions.
Jiang Shan: "Who are you looking for?"
Seeing their wariness, Liu Xu across the way immediately smiled and said, "Auntie, we live in the 10th housing area up ahead. We wanted to ask if you have seen a young girl with a ponytail, who looks to be around 20 years old. Oh, and she has a small mole on the tip of her nose."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shan and his wife exchanged a glance.
Isn't that their Ah Zhi?
Jiang Shan stood up and scrutinized the two of them. "What do you want?"
Niu Dali, standing behind Liu Xu, was clearly not good with words, so Liu Xu explained: "It's like this, she saved my life yesterday, and my husband and I came here specifically to repay her."
Upon hearing this, the couple exchanged bewildered glances, as Jiangzhi had never mentioned this to them.
But Jiang Zhi had never provoked anyone since childhood, so Liu Xu and the other person's words put them at ease.
Jiang Shan: "She's not home right now, please come back later."
Niu Dali hesitated for a moment, then, after being bumped by Liu Xu, said, "Uncle, we don't have much to repay you with, but I have strength and I can work."
He pulled a hoe and shovel from his basket and said, "I know you're building a house, I can help."
He paused for a moment, then added, "I built my own house."
Without waiting for Jiang Shan and the other man to refuse, he walked over and continued digging into the pit that Jiang Shan had dug earlier.
That force, with one shovel strike, was equivalent to Jiang Shan doing half an hour's worth of work.
The couple were stunned. Just as Ye Qingyun was about to say something, Liu Xu walked up to her and said, "Auntie, are you weaving a basket? I can do a little bit of that too. Let me help you."
Ye Qingyun was immediately speechless with refusal.
The one in her hand wasn't actually made up like that.
She glanced at her husband before saying, "Well... thank you all."
Liu Xu smiled sincerely, "If anyone should be thanking you, it's us. We're only of this much use, so please don't refuse us. Otherwise, I don't know how else I can repay you... um, your daughter."
Ye Qingyun: "Her name is Jiang Zhi."
"Then I'll take the liberty of calling her Sister Azhi."
Liu Xu is a shrewd and charming person, and Ye Qingyun, having seen countless people, can certainly tell whether the other party is sincere or not.
Although she didn't know how her daughter saved the person, she felt that the other person was worthy of being befriended because of their gratitude.
Liu Xu sat down with Ye Qingyun and picked up the rattan from the ground. "Auntie, this rattan isn't strong enough if we weave it directly. It needs to be dried in the sun first."
"If you have bamboo at home, you can weave it too, but bamboo is a hot commodity now, so it's not cost-effective to buy it. Wash the rattan first, then dry it for a few days to harden it. The baskets you make will be not only durable but also resilient."
Ye Qingyun suddenly realized why her attempts at composing were all wrong; she hadn't used the right method.
Ye Qingyun couldn't help but mutter a reproachful remark in a low voice: "The salesperson didn't even say anything."
Liu Xu laughed and said, "It's not a rare skill; you can find out by asking around."
Ye Qingyun said, "So, should we wash all these rattan strips first?"
Liu Xu nodded. She was also quick and efficient at her work. Seeing that the water tank that the Jiang family had just bought was still empty, she said, "Auntie, there is a well over there near house number 39. I'll go and fetch some water for you. If you're not busy, Auntie, you can smooth out these vines first."
Ye Qingyun said embarrassedly, "How can I let you fetch water? I'll do it myself."
As she was about to get up, Liu Xu stopped her.
“Auntie, I see you don’t have a proper bucket. I have a small cart, so it’s just a short walk to get water. Please don’t stand on ceremony with me for now.”
Ye Qingyun felt a little embarrassed by what was said, but Liu Xu's attitude made him feel very comfortable.
She wasn't one to mince words, so she said, "Okay, thank you for your hard work today."
If they were to actually use their own camping bucket, it would take countless trips to fill that water tank.
After the willow catkins made several trips, the water tank was quickly filled with water.
The two of them rubbed all the rattan that Ye Qingyun had bought back.
During the work, Ye Qingyun noticed that Liu Xu didn't look into the tent at all, and he nodded to himself in approval.
She is a sensible person.
When Jiang Shan learned that the rattan needed to be dried, he put down his work and built a simple frame using camping tarps.
These things are rare nowadays. Ye Qingyun observed for a while and didn't see Niu Dali and his wife show any greedy expression.
I finally let my guard down.
After the vines had dried sufficiently, the two sat down to rest in front of the tent. Ye Qingyun glanced at Niu Dali, who was working diligently in front of them, and asked Liu Xu, "What are your names? How many people are in your family?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Xu smiled even more sincerely. Ye Qingyun's question meant that he accepted them.
Liu Xu answered all the questions, and even told me about how she almost died from radiation poisoning.
"If it weren't for Sister Azhi, I would have lost my life." Liu Xu still felt a little scared when she thought about it.
It doesn't matter if she dies, but Xiao Lu is only 6 years old, and she is afraid that Niu Dali will not be able to raise Xiao Lu to adulthood.
The speaker meant no harm, but Ye Qingyun listened and began to ponder.
—Where did Ah Zhi get such good stuff? She didn't even tell them.
Ye Qingyun gritted his teeth.
No way! When that girl gets back, I have to ask her all sorts of questions!
*
Jiang Shu stared in disbelief at the small, thin child in front of him.
If it weren't for those familiar eyes, he really wouldn't have recognized that this was their nephew.
The nine-year-old child's limbs were so thin that they seemed to break at the slightest touch. His clothes hung loosely, as if wrapped around a bamboo pole, revealing his ribs, which rose and fell clearly beneath his thin chest with each breath. His skin was dull due to lack of nutrition, and his whole being exuded a heartbreaking frailty.
She is nine years old, but looks about six or seven.
In Jiang Shu's memory, although his cousin Jiang Jun was divorced, his grandparents and uncle's family took good care of the children. The last time they saw Jiang Sui, he was a chubby six-year-old boy.
Therefore, Jiang Shu couldn't believe that the emaciated child in front of him was the same person as the nephew he remembered.
He pulled up Jiang Sui, who was so thin she was practically skin and bones, and repeatedly confirmed, "Sui Sui?! You're Jiang Sui?!"
Jiang Sui stared blankly at Jiang Shu, perhaps because she was so hungry that her mind was numb.
His gaze lingered on Jiang Shu's face, but he showed no reaction, muttering repeatedly, "Don't take my food, don't take my food..."
Jiang Shu felt a pang of distress. He raised his eyes and glared fiercely at the two robbers in front of him.
"Where's his food? Give me back what you just stole!!"
The tall man glared back fiercely: "You think you can just give it back like that?! Bah!"
Jiang Zhi looked intently at the slow-reacting Jiang Sui, and her restless heart gradually calmed down.
No wonder she felt uncomfortable just now.
It turns out it was their years.
Looking up again, Jiang Zhi squinted.
How dare you bully their Sui Sui?
Jiang Zhi didn't give the two a chance to react, and quickly slashed at them with her watermelon knife.
The tall man was startled and quickly retreated to the side. The short man tried to launch a sneak attack, but Jiang Zhi struck him on the thigh, and blood gushed out instantly.
"ah--!!"
The man was timid. When he saw that Jiang Zhi was about to chop again, he shouted in fright, "You, you, you stop! If you don't stop, I'll call the patrol team!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu laughed in anger. He shielded Jiang Sui behind him, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "Go ahead and shout. I want to know if you'll be kicked out of the base after you call the patrol team here."
"It's fine if you can't come running, I'll just beat you two to death!"
Ancheng Base has a rule that anyone found committing robbery will be expelled from the base!
Upon hearing this, the tall man immediately changed his tune, "Damn it! I only borrowed a piece of grain from this kid! Is that really necessary?!"
The short man was also scared, and with a mournful face, he said, "Brother, how about we return the things?"
The tall man looked at the aggressive Jiang siblings, hesitated for a moment, and finally snorted with a dark face, pulling out a four-pound sweet potato from his pocket and throwing it at them.
"Fine, I won't lend it! I don't care!"
The two brothers were quick to back down. After returning the food, they covered their wounds and tried to slip away.
Jiang Shu: "Wait a minute, who said you could leave?"
The tall man, enraged, retorted, "We've returned the items, and you've hurt us too. What more do you want?"
Jiang Shu snorted, squatted down, handed the food in his hand to Jiang Sui, and asked softly, "Sui Sui, tell your uncle, did they hit you just now?"
Jiang Sui paused, stared at the food in her hand for a moment, and then shook her head.
Seeing this, the tall man said confidently, "See? He's perfectly fine. If you lay a hand on us again, I'll report you to the patrol team!"
Jiang Shu frowned. "Get lost, and don't let me see you again! Otherwise, I'll beat you up every time I see you!"
Wait until those two people leave.
Jiang Shu picked up Jiang Sui in one scoop. "Sui Sui, don't you recognize us?"
Jiang Sui glanced at him slowly, then at Jiang Zhi, and lowered her head without saying a word.
The siblings exchanged a worried look. Jiang Zhi put away the watermelon knife in her hand, walked over to Jiang Sui, and said, "Sui Sui, I'm your aunt. Have you forgotten the times I took you to play?"
Jiang Sui kept her head down, clutching the sweet potato tightly in her hand.
Jiang Zhi's heart stirred, and she said, "Don't be afraid, your aunt and uncle will protect you. We have plenty of food, and we won't let you go hungry anymore."
When food was mentioned, Jiang Sui finally reacted. His numb eyes gradually cleared.
He called out timidly, "Little Aunt?"
"Yes, I am your aunt."
Looking at the gentle Jiang Zhi, Jiang Sui's big eyes slowly reddened, gradually filling with tears, but she dared not cry out loud, "Auntie...?"
Jiang Shu felt extremely distressed. "My dear Sui Sui, you still have your uncle here."
Perhaps finally recognizing the two, Jiang Sui burst into tears, throwing himself into Jiang Shu's arms. "Uncle... Waaah, please save Daddy and Grandpa, they... Waaah... They're dying..."
The brother and sister were shocked. "What happened to Uncle and the others?!"
Jiang Sui tried to answer while crying, but she sobbed so hard that she fainted the next second.
The brother and sister were in a flurry of activity again.
Jiang Sui was young and had been in a state of hunger for a long time, which caused her to faint due to extreme emotional fluctuations.
Fortunately, he was in good health and woke up soon after.
When I opened my eyes and saw Jiang Zhi and her brother, I felt like crying again.
"Auntie..."
Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed nothing serious had happened.
She gave Jiang Sui a few sips of salt and sugar water. Ye Qingyun had specially bought the salt and sugar from the base store yesterday at a high price, just in case they sweated too much while out and about and lost too many electrolytes.
"Sui Sui, don't cry. We're not back at base yet, it's not safe. Tell us about Dad and Grandpa on the way, okay?"
Jiang Sui became much more sensible after the great catastrophe.
He sniffed and nodded.
Jiang Zhi patted his head with satisfaction and took out a piece of candy from her pocket. "Good boy, your auntie will give you some candy."
Jiang Sui's eyes lit up, "Watermelon candy!"
This used to be his favorite food.
He took it, but instead of opening it, he carefully put it into his pocket.
Jiangzhi asked in surprise, "Sui Sui, why aren't you eating?"
"I've already eaten this, but my sister hasn't. I'll save it for her."
These words made the brother and sister feel a pang of sadness.
Jiang Shu pretended to be magnanimous, "Sui Sui, your uncle still has more candy here! Just eat as much as you want!"
Jiang Sui asked happily, "Really?"
"Really, when we get back to the base, Uncle will give it to Sisi."
Jiang Si is Jiang Sui's younger sister, whose nickname is Sisi.
Jiang Sui was overjoyed, her eyes shining brightly: "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt!"
After comforting Jiang Sui, the brother and sister decided to speed up their journey back.
Jiang Shu picked up Jiang Sui and put him on top of the cart before setting off again.
Jiang Zhi, supporting the cart, asked Jiang Sui, "Sui Sui, what happened to Daddy and Grandpa?"
Jiang Sui's father is her cousin Jiang Jun, and her grandfather is her uncle Jiang Hai.
Jiang Sui's originally happy face immediately dimmed.
“My dad and grandpa were bitten by a mutated weasel while they were scavenging a year ago. My dad injured his leg, and my grandpa injured his back.”
Despite his young age, he managed to explain the whole story clearly.
Before the cataclysm, the two branches of the Jiang family, including Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang, stayed together.
After the incident, the remote Jiangjia Village was not greatly affected. After the base was built, Grandpa Jiang was able to bring his family to the base. At that time, the whole family sold the treasures they brought from home and bought a sizable piece of land.
If it weren't for that accident a year ago, they wouldn't be living like this.
After Jiang Hai and his son were injured, the Jiang family sold their house and land to save their lives.
However, the mutated weasel's claws carried a strong radioactive toxin, and even after their wounds healed, they still had to go to the clinic regularly every week for relief treatments.
Over the course of the year, our family's savings were completely depleted.
To make matters worse, when the second uncle, Jiang He, and his wife went to Area B to take on private jobs to supplement their income, they were swindled and ended up owing a lot of debt.
The whole family moved from the self-built area to a low-rent apartment, and then from the apartment to a single room.
Now, Lao Jiang's family of twelve is crammed into a single room of less than 50 square meters. With two of the family's breadwinners gone, his second cousin and his wife get up before dawn to help build the city wall at the base in order to support the family.
Grandpa Jiang helps the tenants of the low-rent housing with medical care to barely make ends meet.
My aunt had to take care of Jiang Hai and his son, as well as several other children, and she even fell ill recently.
Feeling like a burden to their family, Jiang Hai and his son attempted suicide by starvation. Even though they were saved by Grandpa Jiang, their bodies, already weakened by poisoning, continued to deteriorate.
Jiang Sui sneaked out this time to find food with low levels of toxins for Jiang Hai and his son.
After piecing together the story from Jiang Sui's account, Jiang Shu and his sister felt a mix of emotions.
There is both relief that loved ones are still alive and sadness that they are not doing well.
Jiang Zhi squeezed Jiang Sui's hand.
Those small hands were covered in calluses, and the crevices under their fingernails were filled with black grime.
"Sui Sui, come with us to see your great-uncle and great-aunt first, then you can take us to see your great-grandfather, okay?"
Jiang Sui nodded obediently, then became a little embarrassed after a while, "Will my uncle and aunt dislike me? I haven't taken a bath for so many days..."
Jiang Shu laughed, "Our Sui Sui is so handsome, they'll be overjoyed to see you, how could they possibly look down on you?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Sui smiled shyly.
The rest of the journey went smoothly, and the brother and sister successfully brought Jiang Sui back to the base before six o'clock.
The cart loaded with goods attracted frequent glances from passersby, but after seeing that it was just ordinary wood and inedible weeds, they all looked away.
Back on his own turf, Jiang Shu called out from afar to Jiang Shan and his wife, who were working outside the tent, "Mom and Dad, we're back!!"
Ye Qingyun's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly put down his work. "Dashan, they're back!!"
As early as five o'clock, the couple began to become distracted.
When they set off this morning, they told the brother and sister to come back early on the first day. If they didn't return by six o'clock, they planned to go out and look for them.
Seeing the couple's condition, Liu Xu made an excuse to go home early.
Helping the Jiang family wasn't about putting on a show, so Liu Xu didn't necessarily have to let Jiang Zhi see it.
Jiang Shu pushed the cart and stopped in front of the tent entrance.
Looking at the huge cart of stuff, Ye Qingyun felt a pang of heartache. "Really, aren't you tired of pushing such heavy things back?"
Jiang Shu exclaimed dramatically, "Tired? Of course I'm tired! My hands are shaking right now."
Ye Qingyun felt even more distressed, but she didn't hold back her words, "Our family isn't starving yet, there's no need to risk your life."
That's what they said, but Ye Qingyun still took Jiang Shu's hand and examined him.
Jiang Shu smiled and let her look at him. "Mom, you're acting a bit strange today. You're concerned about me first, but not about Azhi."
Seeing that his hand was fine, Ye Qingyun pinched it in annoyance, "Don't pretend to be innocent after getting the benefit."
She turned to look at Jiang Zhi, "Ah Zhi, are you alright—"
Ye Qingyun stopped talking when she saw the child Jiang Zhi was carrying. She exclaimed, "Azhi, where did you pick up such a baby?"
Seeing that Ye Qingyun had finally noticed Jiang Sui, Jiang Shu said, "Guess where we found her?"
Ye Qingyun spat at him, "Get out of the way, you're so old and still have no manners."
Feeling sorry for her daughter carrying someone, she immediately stepped forward and picked up Jiang Sui. Just as she was about to put her down, she heard the baby in her arms whisper, "Auntie..."
Ye Qingyun thought she had misheard and looked at him in surprise, "You called me?"
Jiang Sui pursed her lips, knowing that Ye Qingyun hadn't recognized her, and her eyes reddened slightly.
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Mom, take another look, who is he?"
Jiang Shan was unloading the goods when he heard this and looked over with some curiosity.
Ye Qingyun couldn't help but examine him closely. After a moment, he trembled and stammered, "Da...Dashan!! Come and take a look. Am I seeing things? This child looks like Sui Sui!"
Jiang Shan was startled and walked over immediately.
Upon seeing the similar features to her older brother, she was incredibly excited: "It really is Sui Sui!?"
Jiang Sui called out timidly again, "Uncle, Aunt..."
Ye Qingyun looked at the thin and small Jiang Sui in front of her, and her eyes immediately reddened. "Auntie's Sui Sui, how come you've lost so much weight?"
Jiang Sui looked like she was having a hard time, and Ye Qingyun felt extremely sorry for her.
Before the Great Cataclysm, they would go back home every year for the Lunar New Year. Back then, Jiang Sui was a chubby little boy who would always call her "Auntie, Auntie" whenever he saw her.
Therefore, Ye Qingyun always doted on Jiang Sui.
Seeing the child like this, Ye Qingyun burst into tears.
Jiang Shu relayed the old Jiang family's story to Jiang Shan and his wife.
Jiang Shan's face grew darker and darker as he listened.
When Jiang Shu told him that Jiang Hai and his son were in a very bad situation, Jiang Shan couldn't sit still any longer.
He stood up, his face grave, and said to Ye Qingyun, "Qingyun, I want to bring them over."
He was well aware of the immense burden such a large family would place on their household, but they were all his family.
Jiang Shan knew he couldn't pretend nothing had happened.
Ye Qingyun nodded; even if her husband hadn't said anything, she planned to do it anyway.
No one understands the importance of family in this world better than she does.
Moreover, everyone in the Jiang family is of good character.
Just look at the second brother Jiang He's family and you'll know.
If they were truly selfish, the family would have fallen apart long ago when the eldest brother, Jiang Hai, and his son got into trouble.
But Jiang He and his wife not only didn't mind, they even wanted to take on private jobs to support the family, although the result was not satisfactory.
Ye Qingyun said to the brother and sister, "You grew up in your hometown when you were little. I believe you remember what your uncles were like. They were always very good to you. Even when we weren't around, they treated you like their own children. Now that they are in trouble, we can't just ignore them."
In fact, before Jiang Shu was twelve years old, both he and his sister grew up in the countryside.
At that time, Jiang Shan and his wife were desperately trying to climb the social ladder in order to gain a foothold in the city, and they couldn't take care of their two children at all.
The two families took care of them in no way worse than their biological parents.
Jiang Shu: "Mom, you don't need to say these things. The reason we came to the base from the garrison was to find Grandpa and Grandma. There's no reason for us to ignore them just because they're not doing well."
Jiang Zhi nodded: "Mom, my brother is right."
Ye Qingyun looked at the two of them with satisfaction, "It's good that you understand this principle."
She turned to Jiang Shan and said, "Da Shan, do whatever you want. Take Da Shu with you. A Zhi and I will stay home and tidy up the rooms."
Now their tents add up to 180 square meters, which is still more convenient than a 50-square-meter low-rent apartment.
Seeing that his children and wife were supportive, Jiang Shan felt a surge of bittersweet emotion.
"Thank you, Ayun."
Seeing her children's teasing smiles, Ye Qingyun felt a surge of embarrassment and annoyance: "The children are all here, don't be so mushy."
Jiang Shan smiled and picked up Jiang Sui: "Sui Sui, now take Uncle over there, we'll bring them all over."
Jiang Sui suddenly realized.
He is nine years old now, and in the past few years, he has become completely independent, but his great-uncle's family still treats him like a child.
Looking at the tent in front of him, Jiang Sui felt somewhat uneasy.
He was young and had always grown up in the countryside; even before the catastrophe, he had never seen anything so advanced.
"Uncle, can we really live with you?"
Jiang Shan said softly, "Of course, we are family."
“But, but my dad and grandpa both…” Jiang Sui wanted to cry again when she said this.
He wasn't usually a crybaby; even his grandmother said he was the most capable child in the family.
But now, in front of his uncle's family, he can't help but want to cry.
Jiang Shan patted his head. "It's okay, we'll figure something out together."
Considering that there were more than ten people in them, and they must have a lot of things, Jiang Shan asked Jiang Shu to push the cart over.
He then took Jiang Sui's hand and walked together.
Before leaving, Ye Qingyu, worried that Jiang Hai and his son might not be able to handle it, packed a pot of sugar and salt water for them.
“We’ll be back soon,” Jiang Shan said. “If we don’t have enough food at home… we’ll buy some more.”
Ye Qingyun: "How could I not understand these things? You guys hurry up and go, and come back sooner rather than later."
After the father and son left.
Ye Qingyun then began packing his things.
Jiang Zhi wasn't idle either. Knowing that the family was struggling to make ends meet, and with such a large family, Ye Qingyun, as the accountant, must be under a lot of pressure, she asked, "Mom, how many points do we have left?"
Ye Qingyun didn't want to say much, but was thinking about what things in the house could be sold. "You don't need to worry about it, it'll be enough for a few days anyway."
At this moment, she felt a pang of regret for not selling the fanged rabbit's heart.
Jiang Zhi looked somewhat helpless.
Her mother is good in every way, except that she loves to treat them like her own children.
"Mom, I'm so old now, and you never tell us anything. How are we supposed to know what's going on at home?"
Ye Qingyun was indeed worried. Hearing this, he said helplessly, "It's not much. I spent 500 points just on shopping yesterday."
Jiang Zhi knew that her family had only a little over 600 points before, and now they probably only had about 100 left.
Although grandparents may not necessarily allow them to raise children.
But since the whole family lives together, it's impossible for them to eat well while their uncles and the others go hungry.
Bringing people over is like taking on a burden; the pressure is immense.
Jiangzhi was starting to admire her mother.
Even under such circumstances, they can still be resolute.
"Mom, don't worry. My brother and I found some food today, including some low-toxin ones, which we can sell to tide us over."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun forgot all about packing his things.
"Really!? Let me see what's inside."
Jiangzhi then gathered out everything that was edible.
The low-toxicity samples included one snail egg and one six-pound amaranth fruit.
The majority of the toxins were moderately toxic. The meat items included half a pound of snail meat, a string of snail eggs, two pieces of river clam meat totaling six ounces, two river clam shells, half a pound of grass carp scales with moderate toxicity, and a whole river shrimp, totaling three pounds.
The plants included a piece of water calamus rhizome, estimated to weigh seven or eight pounds, a large patch of shepherd's purse leaves weighing four pounds and eight ounces, five abutilon fruits, each weighing five or six pounds, and a large bunch of abutilon stalks.
Ye Qingyun was speechless as he listened to Jiang Zhi's tally.
"This...this is all what you got today? So much?"
It's not a lot, but they found some food with low levels of toxins today, and they can earn some points by selling it.
Jiang Zhi chuckled: "How was it? Pretty efficient, right?"
Ye Qingyun cleared his throat and said with difficulty, "I'm alright... Wait, you guys went into the river?!"
Jiang Zhi's scalp tightened: "...No, we used a fishing net."
She quickly took out the fishing net with the hole, afraid that if she was even a second late, her mother would scold her.
Sure enough, Ye Qingyun's attention was drawn to the fishing net. Looking at the damaged area, she said with heartache, "How did it get such a big hole? In this situation, where would we find any extra materials to patch it?"
Jiang Zhi pointed to the jute stalks on the ground, "Mom, this stuff is tough enough, but I'll have to ask you to help me with it later."
Ye Qingyun tapped her forehead, "What a character!"
Ye Qingyun didn't continue the topic. She estimated the food supplies at home and finally decided to sell the low-toxin food and buy some moderately toxin barley from the base store, which would last for a week.
Ye Qingyun did not intend to sell the meat containing moderate toxins.
Judging from Jiang Sui's appearance just now, Ye Qingyun guessed that the Jiang family hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.
Consider those things as a celebration of finding family.
With food in hand, Ye Qingyun finally breathed a sigh of relief and put the food away.
While muttering to herself, she said, "I wonder how your grandparents are doing. They're so old, and they still have to worry about so much. It's really hard on them."
Jiang Zhi figured that the family of four would be sleeping in one room for a while, so she took all her things back to Jiang Shan and his wife's tent.
Hearing Ye Qingyun's words, he said, "Don't worry, our grandpa is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. He used to practice qigong, so he's probably healthier than you guys."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun fell silent.
After packing her things, Jiang Zhi went outside the tent to continue tidying up the elm branches she had collected that day. Seeing that a lot of ground in front of the tent had been dug up, she said, "Mom, you guys were pretty efficient today, you dug up so much."
Ye Qingyun slapped his forehead, "Look at me, I forgot to tell you."
Did you save someone yesterday?
Jiang Zhi was taken aback. "Mom, how did you know?"
Ye Qingyun said, "The couple came all the way here today to thank you. Look, they helped with all this ground and the vines drying there."
Jiang Zhi was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed when she realized what she meant. "Mom, you mean there were two of them who came to help!?"
"That's right, that couple is really efficient at their work. If we were to rely on ourselves, we don't know how long it would take."
Jiang Zhi's eyes sparkled.
If they can come to help, it means the person is no longer in serious trouble.
She hadn't expected the sharp-toothed rabbit's teeth to be so effective; in just one night, the other person was able to get up.
As expected, the things marked with a gold label had a different effect.
I just don't know what this special function is.
Does this effect occur with all low-toxicity items, or is it just that the sharp-toothed rabbit's teeth happen to have a healing effect...?
These questions weighed heavily on Jiang Zhi's mind, making her increasingly agitated.
—If it has a therapeutic effect, then my uncle and cousin's condition... might be saved!
The news that Liu Xu was getting better was like timely rain, and Jiang Zhi decided to go and see her for herself.
"Mom, I'm going over there now. Do you know where they live?"
“I know, they left their address.” Ye Qingyun stopped her: “Don’t be in such a hurry. I’m the one who wanted to ask you. Where did you get the medicine that was able to save someone’s life?”
Jiangzhi told them about the sharp-toothed rabbit's teeth.
Ye Qingyun knew that the thing could alleviate the poison, and his thoughts were the same as Jiang Zhi's: "Then you should go quickly. If it can really treat radiation poisoning, then your uncle and the others will be saved."
Jiang Zhi nodded and headed directly to the address Ye Qingyun had given her.
Self-built housing occupies one-tenth of the site, and is currently divided into 150 housing areas.
Each housing area is planned to house roughly several dozen households.
Jiang Zhi and her family lived in housing area number 120, while Liu Xu's family lived in housing area number 10.
The two housing areas are quite far apart.
It took Jiang Zhi more than ten minutes to get to Niu Dali's house. Liu Xu was cleaning the yard with her son when she looked up and saw Jiang Zhi's burning gaze.
Liu Xu had never seen Jiang Zhi before, and was stunned when she saw this. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Niu Xiaolu happily shout, "It's the sister who saved Mom!"
Liu Xi's heart trembled.
He was somewhat surprised that the girl who saved him was so young.
She put down the broom and walked somewhat awkwardly to open the door.
The walls around their yard were only one meter high, and although they were covered with thorny vines, it was still easy to see inside from the outside.
"You must be Sister Azhi..." Liu Xu, who was usually very eloquent, was at a loss for words at this moment.
"I just came to check on you." Jiang Zhi looked her up and down again.
The other party's situation was better than she had imagined.
Liu Xu said, "Sister Azhi, come in and sit down. My husband Dali has gone to fetch water."
Jiang Zhi declined, saying, "I just came to ask about your situation. How are you feeling right now? Have you experienced any discomfort or other side effects after taking the powder?"
What Jiangzhi really wanted to ask was whether she had received any benefits, like the special effects of the bone stick.
But the question was too sensitive, and Jiangzhi ultimately didn't ask it.
Liu Xu understood Jiang Zhi's meaning. She thought for a moment and carefully said, "My body was nearing its limit at the time. After taking the medicine, I lost consciousness for a period of time. When I woke up, I found that the damage to my body from the radiation poison had disappeared, and..."
She paused, then added, "Moreover, all my old ailments have been cured."
Jiang Zhi was excited upon hearing this, but her face remained expressionless.
Receiving Liu Xu's reply confirmed two things for her.
First, all items marked in gold have special functions.
Secondly, the teeth of the fanged rabbit do indeed have special functions, which currently appear to be therapeutic.
Jiang Zhi never expected that killing a mutated beast casually would bring her such great benefits.
She suppressed her joy and nodded, "Okay, I understand. Thank you for your help today. Please keep this a secret. You won't owe me anything anymore, and you don't need to come and help me again."
As Jiang Zhi finished speaking, she turned and left.
She gave the tooth powder to Niu Dali voluntarily, even though it was agreed that Niu Dali would give her points.
But now Jiangzhi has changed her mind.
This thing is too overpowered; it's best to cut ties with Niu Dali's family.
Seeing this, Liu Xu quickly said, "Wait, Sister Azhi..."
Jiangzhi stopped to look at her.
Liu Xu originally wanted to ask if the other party had any more powders with the same effect, but the words suddenly wouldn't come out.
The girl in front of him seemed to see right through him.
"No, it's nothing... I just haven't thanked you yet."
Jiang Zhi: "No need, it's just a matter of each taking what they need."
After Jiangzhi left, Liuxu felt a sense of loss.
Niu Xiaolu tugged at her hand, "Mom, that lady is so cool."
Liu Xu couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, she's Mom's savior. We should repay her in the future, okay?"
Niu Xiaolu: "But didn't my sister say she didn't need our help?"
Liu Xu pinched his little face, "Mom's life is so precious, how can it be repaid by just helping out a little? Just remember what Mom said."
Niu Xiaolu nodded as if she understood, "Okay, Mom."
*
Meanwhile, Jiang Shan and his son, along with Jiang Sui who was giving directions, arrived at the No. 35 low-rent housing area.
This place is even more dilapidated than the place they previously rented.
I heard it was one of the first generation of low-rent housing, with basic facilities and poor building quality, but the rent was cheaper.
Old Jiang's family lives in room 105.
Before you even get close, you can smell the stench of urine. The walls are blackened by the smoke from the residents cooking, and the ground feels sticky when you step on it.
The sanitation conditions are worrying.
Even the easygoing Jiang Shu couldn't help but frown when he saw it.
Jiang Shan stood in front of the door, feeling a mix of nervousness and trepidation as he approached his hometown.
Jiang Sui, on the other hand, was very excited, and even knocked louder than usual, "Grandma, I'm back! Open the door!"
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