Chapter 29
big!
The harvest was far greater than anyone had expected.
Selling this low-toxin barley can earn you over 20,000 points, plus the base's rewards, which is a huge sum of money!
Everyone was somewhat astonished.
Jiang Shu was somewhat incredulous: "How did we get commended?"
Jiang Shan, however, felt that the base was making an example of someone to warn others.
They just happened to stumble upon the base's purge of these kinds of people and events. Rewarding them is also a way of telling the public that the base is fair in its dealings.
Grandpa Jiang said repeatedly, "This is a case of evil being punished and good being rewarded. The atmosphere at our base is good, and it's worth settling down here."
Jiang Hai shook his head: "We still need to be careful. That woman is dead, but those who knew her know that it was A-Zhi who did it. It's hard to guarantee that we won't be targeted."
Jiang Shan nodded: "Big brother is right, Azhi. No matter what, we have to be more careful in the future."
Things have developed to the point where they are in the most advantageous position, and they cannot leave the base because of something that has not yet happened.
Since that's the case, we can only take more precautions.
Wu Xiu and the others did not hear the men's discussion.
They gathered around the bag of low-toxin barley, looking at it with great interest.
Yuan Ying picked up a few and sniffed them. "They're not much different from those with moderate toxicity."
Ye Qingyun said with a smile, "Once we sell all of these, our family will be able to store more grain."
They still had too little food.
These fifty kilograms of low-toxicity barley can be exchanged for a considerable amount of moderately toxic coarse grains.
Jiang Zhi's eyes widened, and she immediately snatched the bag of barley. "No, no! This bag of barley is a reward for me and my brother. We're going to eat it, not sell it."
Upon hearing this, the women's shrewd and calculating nature resurfaced.
"Ah Zhi, do you know how many kilograms of moderately toxic grain we can exchange for this barley? If one kilogram is worth 500 points, we can buy hundreds or even thousands of kilograms—"
“Aunt, I know, but these low-toxicity grains are also very important to us. Don’t forget, those of us who eat moderately toxic grains need to be detoxified regularly.”
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Jiang Shu chimed in, "A-Zhi is right. If we really have health problems, we might not be able to buy any more. We must keep these low-toxicity grains."
The siblings made sense, so Ye Qingyun said, "Alright, we don't need to sell these. Just hand over the card."
Jiang Shu's face stiffened, and he said resentfully, "Mom... we haven't even had a chance to warm up this card yet."
Ye Qingyun remained unmoved. "These points are useless to you. Now you need points for everything in the house. Let's just confiscate them."
Jiang Zhi didn't object and handed it over directly.
The matter of the mutants ended without incident, relieving everyone of the pressure. Coupled with the base's approval, everyone's faces were beaming with smiles.
Jiang Shan said to Ye Qingyun, "You didn't sleep all night, so you should rest for a bit. You can do the work whenever you want, it won't make a difference if you take a little longer."
Ye Qingyun shook his head, "It's almost noon now, let's rest later."
Jiang Shan did not force his wife.
At this moment, Grandma Jiang asked, "A-Zhi, what dish are you going to make with the carp you got yesterday?"
Mentioning carp, Jiang Zhi suddenly remembered the gills and eyes the old lady had cleaned for them yesterday, and immediately exclaimed in disbelief, "Oh no! My gills!!"
Jiang Zhi dashed into the room and was shocked to see that the place where those special golden items were kept was empty.
"Where did they go? Mom, did you touch my things?"
Ye Qingyun said irritably, "I was worried sick yesterday, I didn't have time to come into your room."
Jiang Zhi felt like the sky was about to fall.
She finally managed to get her hands on that special golden item!!
Just then, Grandma Jiang said from outside the door, "A-Zhi, are you talking about the thing on that carp?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi perked up, "Grandma, you saw it."
“I was afraid it would spoil if you left it like that, so I wrapped it in a palm leaf for you.”
As she spoke, Grandma Jiang took those items out of the kitchen.
Jiang Zhi opened the package and found everything intact. She breathed a sigh of relief and said with a look of relief, "Grandma, thank you so much, otherwise we would have suffered a huge loss!"
Jiang Shan rarely saw Jiang Zhi like this, so he couldn't help but ask, "What is it that you treasure so much?"
Jiang Shu carefully picked up his fish-eye lens, winked at Jiang Shan, and whispered, "Dad, it's a good thing."
Ye Qingyun was taken aback: "These are all?"
Jiang Zhi nodded, "Yes."
She explained the effects of the three parts to Jiang Shan and his wife.
Jiang Shan was so shocked that he remained silent for a long time.
You can get three great items that grant you special abilities from a single mutated carp.
No wonder those two kids took the risk.
Let alone young people, even someone like him who is almost fifty years old can't help but be tempted.
Seeing his father lost in thought, Jiang Shu couldn't help but wave his hand in front of him, "Dad, what are you daydreaming about?"
Jiang Shan cleared his throat. "Now that we've obtained these golden items, let's not leave them lying around, lest they spoil and become useless. Let's take them out and eat them first. We can also see what the ability to enhance eyesight and such really is."
Jiang Zhi was also worried that the food would spoil if left for too long, so she nodded and said, "Okay, let's try it now."
The brother and sister boiled a pot of water.
The water boiled quickly, and the brother and sister put the fish's eyes and gills into it.
Ye Qingyun glanced at the fish belly next to him, "Why didn't you put this in?"
Jiang Zhi said, "This was originally intended for Brother Dali, who also put in a lot of effort back then."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun said nothing more and had no objection to Jiang Zhi's decision.
Those two things were cooked in just a few minutes.
Jiang Shu eagerly exclaimed, "I'll go first! I'll go first!"
As he spoke, he picked up two fish eyes and swallowed them eagerly.
Ginger: "What does it taste like?"
As Jiang Shu sneezed and hissed from the heat, he said, "It tastes like popping boba."
Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes.
Ye Qingyun anxiously urged from the side, "How is it? How do you feel?"
Jiang Shu swallowed, squinted at this and then at that, "Nothing's changed—Holy crap, how come I can see the situation in the low-rent housing area!?"
Jiang Shu was stunned by the sight before him.
He shook his head, then looked in a different direction. "!! I have X-ray vision now??"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun quickly said, "What exactly happened? You brat, hurry up and tell me!"
Jiang Shu closed his eyes, fidgeted for a while, and then said, "It seems like I can see hundreds of meters away, and I can see through walls... Wait, why do I feel dizzy?"
Jiang Zhi frowned: "Brother, stop now."
Jiang Shu did not continue to use his abilities.
Ye Qingyun asked anxiously, "Azhi, what's wrong with your brother?"
“It’s probably due to overuse of the ability,” Jiang Zhi said, explaining her understanding of superpowers. “If the body and mental strength can’t keep up, the time and number of times it can be used will be limited.”
Jiang Shu asked pitifully, "Then, Azhi, does this mean I've become a mutant?"
Jiang Zhi shook her head: "I'm not sure if I can be considered a mutant."
Jiang Shan: "What do you mean?"
Jiang Zhi: "Mutants usually have special abilities and also receive physical enhancements, but consuming golden items only grants special abilities; it doesn't improve physical or mental strength."
Jiang Shan understood: "According to you, this kind of golden item would be more effective for mutants."
Jiang Zhi nodded, which was why she didn't plan to give the golden items to her family for the time being.
It did not achieve the desired effect.
Jiang Shu: "Oh dear, stop talking about this for now, let Azhi eat the fish gills too."
Jiang Shan looked at the fish gills, which were the size of an adult man's palm, and asked, "Are these fish gills that allow people to breathe underwater?"
Jiang Zhi nodded. "Dad, would you like to try it too?"
Jiang Shan refused, saying, "This stuff is too precious. You should eat it all. Who knows what might happen if you eat only a little?"
Jiangzhi didn't try to persuade her further and ate the fish gills directly.
A moment later, a warm current enveloped her, eventually gathering in her chest.
Jiang Shu asked impatiently, "How is it? Is there anything different?"
Jiang Zhi took a look and said, "Nothing special."
"I'll get you a basin of water to try!" Jiang Shu said, and then ran off to fetch a basin of water.
Under the gazes of the others, Jiang Zhi buried her face in the basin.
Strangely, her breathing was not obstructed at all, just like breathing normally in the air.
She looked up and wiped the water off her face. "Okay."
Jiang Shu grew anxious, "What can I say? Explain in more detail!"
Jiang Zhi: "I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can breathe underwater now. I just don't know how long I can keep it up."
Jiang Shan then said, "Azhi, you make a plan to thoroughly understand this ability, and don't use it recklessly before you are familiar with it."
Jiang Zhi nodded.
Jiang Shan: "Oh right, by the way, designate one for your brother too, so he doesn't waste his abilities and end up becoming an idiot."
Ginger Tree: ...
He consciously ignored his father's words and continued, "Azhi, how can I become a mutant?"
Ever since Feng Yan's incident, Jiang Shu has been eager to improve his own strength.
If he had been a little stronger back then, those subsequent passive situations wouldn't have happened.
Jiang Zhi: "I don't know, but eating more foods with low levels of toxins should be helpful."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu immediately said to Ye Qingyun, "Mom, look, Azhi said that you need to eat more low-toxin foods to become a mutant."
Ye Qingyun pinched his ear, "I think you just want to eat."
Jiang Shan: "Alright, you guys hurry up and wash up and go back to rest. Aren't we going to Collection Area 8 tomorrow?"
Jiang Zhi opened her mouth.
Jiang Shan smiled and looked at her: "What do you want to say?"
Jiang Zhi whispered, "Dad, do you really support me continuing to go out?"
Jiang Shan suddenly became serious and said, "Putting everything else aside, what are your own thoughts?"
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips. "I...want to become stronger."
"For family?"
Jiang Zhi shook her head: "It's not just for you, it's also for myself."
She never wanted to experience that feeling of helplessness again.
Jiang Shan smiled with satisfaction: "In that case, Dad supports you!"
Jiang Zhi's eyes reddened, and fearing she would be discovered, she quickly looked away. "Dad, don't worry, I will protect myself."
Jiang Shu: "Me too! Little sister, my personal safety depends on you."
Ye Qingyun laughed and scolded, "You've really made something of yourself. You, as the older brother, still need your younger sister to protect you."
Jiang Shan noticed that Jiang Zhi had some dark circles under her eyes, and knew that the two children hadn't slept well last night, so he said, "Go back to your room and rest for a while. We'll call you when it's time to eat."
Jiang Zhi didn't push herself. She was exhausted after a long day, and even though she wasn't physically tired, she felt mentally fatigued.
She greeted the elders in the courtyard and then went back to her room.
Jiang Shu, still excited from having just acquired special abilities, went straight to find Jiang Wen and the others.
Unlike the relaxed atmosphere of the brother and sister, Ye Qingyun and his wife were in a somewhat heavy mood.
I don't know whether this incident is a good thing or a bad thing for the two children.
The two remained silent for a long time.
Just as Jiang Shan was about to break the silence, Ye Qingyun's wristwatch suddenly rang.
It was Hu Yang from the exploration team.
"Aunt Ye, um, I wanted to ask if you still have any of those fried insects?"
Ye Qingyun and Jiang Shan exchanged a glance before replying, "Sorry, Xiao Yang, we don't have much stir-fried insects left."
Hu Yang sounded somewhat annoyed on the other end of the line, "Oh, I should have asked you sooner."
The stir-fried insects tasted amazing, making everyone in their team incredibly hungry. The four bags that Ye Qingyun had given them earlier weren't enough to go around.
Ye Qingyun thought for a moment and said, "Although we're out of fried insects, we still have candy. Would you like to try some?"
Hu Yang had never tasted the sugar cubes made from the juice of cotton aphids, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "Aunt Ye, I'll take two jin then, you can calculate the price for me."
Ye Qingyun glanced at Jiang Shan beside her, then got up and walked to the window. "Little Yang, Aunt Ye wants to ask you something."
Hu Yang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Please go ahead."
How can an ordinary person become a mutant?
Seeing that this was the problem, Hu Yang breathed a sigh of relief.
“Not everyone has the opportunity to become a mutant; it also depends on individual genes,” Hu Yang said. “Some people will never become mutants in their lifetime, while others may be stimulated by certain special things, and after a genetic mutation, they may become mutants at some unknown time.”
"If you're asking whether there's any external force that can turn an ordinary person into a mutant, the base does have a way."
Ye Qingyun listened silently, "What is it?"
"The drugs developed at the base."
Ye Qingyun was silent for a moment: "...What price is required?"
Hu Yang was surprised: "Aunt Ye, you want to become a mutant?"
Ye Qingyun didn't admit it: "I just wanted to find out more."
Hu Yang didn't hide anything and continued, "There is a price to pay. Currently, quite a few people in the base have become mutants after taking the drug, but the success rate is only... 46%."
Even Jiang Shan, who was standing to the side, was shocked by the terrifyingly low probability. "The base dares to offer such a probability?"
Hu Yang gave a wry smile.
“It’s not that the base wants to give it up. You don’t understand. Maintaining the base’s security requires a large number of mutants. Aunt Ye, do you know how many mutants are injured or killed every year to protect the base’s security? Seven or eight hundred! If we don’t fill these gaps in time, you can imagine what will happen.”
"Our Ancheng base's policies are actually biased towards the common people. The leadership's idea is that without the common people, no matter how strong the mutants are, there is no way for them to develop. In order to balance the relationship between the common people and the mutants, the higher-ups have not forced all mutants to join the official ranks, but have mainly encouraged them."
"Most of the bases in other cities were forced to join."
This is why the base conducts testing on its residents every six months.
In fact, all the mutants are the base's reserve force. Once the front line is in danger, not to mention mutants, even ordinary people have to go.
Seeing Ye Qingyun remain silent, Hu Yang quickly added, "Of course, it hasn't reached that point yet."
The couple never imagined that the base had put in so much effort behind their backs.
The number of seven or eight hundred mutants killed each year is not large for a base with a population of several million, but it should be noted that mutants only account for 15% of the total population of the entire base.
Such a high disability rate would not exist without the base's subsidy policy for mutants; otherwise, so many people would not be willing to contribute to the base.
Ye Qingyun then asked, "What will happen if the medicine fails to take effect?"
Hu Yang said, "Genes are prone to breakdown, and medication needs to be taken continuously to survive."
Ye Qingyun frowned. "Will the medicine base provide them?"
"...No." Hu Yang breathed a sigh of relief. "Taking this medicine is a personal choice, and the base will not force you to."
In other words, even if you fail, you have to bear the consequences yourself.
If successful, one person attains enlightenment, and even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
fail…
…
There's not much to say about failure.
Although the base is currently maintaining a very stable order, in reality, many people die every day because they cannot find food.
People who are driven to desperation are willing to take a gamble, which is one of the reasons why Ancheng Base does not lack mutants for the time being.
After Ye Qingyun had learned enough, he asked the next question, "What risks are there if someone naturally becomes a mutant?"
"The genes of these mutants are very stable, and there have been no reported cases of gene collapse."
Ye Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief.
If that's the case, at least the brother and sister won't face a situation of genetic collapse.
Having obtained the information he wanted to know, Ye Qingyun smiled and said, "Little Yang, I'll deliver it to you tomorrow."
In response to Hu Yang's honesty, Ye Qingyun decided to send him a pound of cotton aphids along with the gift.
Hu Yang, on the other end, said somewhat embarrassedly, "Aunt Ye, then I won't stand on ceremony."
After hanging up the phone, the couple talked about what had happened that day before getting back to work.
In the next room.
Jiang Zhi wrapped the fish belly in a fan leaf (which preserves food) before taking out her notebook to start taking notes.
—Silver mutated carp, attack method: bubble corrosive liquid, which can corrode most objects.
—Mutant snake,
After writing this, Jiang Zhi thought for a moment, deleted the word "snake," and changed it to—
Mutant White-browed Viper, attack methods: poison mist range, strangulation, devouring, and mental attacks.
After finishing writing, Jiang Zhi finally went to sleep.
Jiang Zhi slept for more than ten hours, which was the longest she had slept in the past few years.
But strangely enough, she felt that her mental strength had made a breakthrough.
The dashboard in my mind has expanded by several tens of square meters compared to before.
Jiang Zhi pondered for a while, but couldn't find the answer and didn't dwell on it too much.
She stretched and heard the sounds of Jiang Sui and Jiang Si practicing martial arts outside.
She took a wooden cup and a hand towel and went outside.
Surprisingly, she saw her uncle teaching Jiang Shu some practical combat skills.
Jiang Shu dodged Jiang Hai's attacks from left to right, occasionally raising his hand to block.
Jiang Hai: "No! For this position, you need to bend your left elbow and raise it, with your palm facing inward. Only then will the block be effective."
Jiang Shu was in pain from Jiang Hai's attack, and he shook his hand and said, "Okay, Uncle, let's do it again."
Jiang Zhi looked on with curiosity.
Her uncle used to always try to get her brother to practice, but he always dodged it by talking about other things. I never expected him to be so proactive now.
Jiang Shan appeared behind him at some point, chuckling, "This kid was provoked by what happened yesterday."
If it weren't for their good luck, they would have been bullied and oppressed by Feng Yan.
Jiang Zhi fell silent upon hearing this.
With her eyes fixed on her usually carefree older brother, Jiang Zhi's resolve grew stronger and stronger—she was determined to become stronger, not just a mutant, but the strongest one!
She walked over and said, "Uncle, I'll fight my brother!"
Jiang Hai smiled and gave up his seat: "Okay."
Ye Qingyun and Grandpa Jiang have already gone out to work.
A wisp of smoke drifted from the kitchen doorway, carrying only a faint aroma of fish soup.
It seems that Brother Jiang Jun's suggestion to modify the exhaust fan worked well; the smell has all gone down to the floor.
The brother and sister practiced for an hour under Jiang Hai's guidance before washing up.
Not long after, Yuan Ying and her mother-in-law returned from outside.
The two were carrying a large bunch of lotus stems.
"Second Aunt, did you go and bring back lotus stems again?"
The two of them spent the whole day drawing silk yesterday. Xu Na really has a talent for textiles, but unfortunately the wages she gets from working as a helper are not worth the effort. It's not as good as taking on jobs at home.
Yuan Ying smiled and said, "Yes, we always have to do something. Your grandma said that there are quite a few women in the family, so we still need to buy a mirror. That's why I'm thinking of taking on some jobs these days to accumulate some points to buy a full-length mirror."
Jiang Zhi asked in surprise, "Don't we still have points at home?"
Yuan Ying: "Da Tou's points are all stored with your mother. We discussed it yesterday, and your mother will use all her points to buy food."
Jiang Zhi paused, "Buy grain?"
Wu Xiu then came out of the hall with a broom in her hand. "It's just about buying grain, Azhi. Didn't you tell Dashan and the others before that we should stock up on grain in case the weather changes?"
Jiang Zhi immediately felt a little embarrassed, "Aren't you afraid that I'm just making things up?"
"So what?" Wu Xiu said, "Even if the weather doesn't change, we still need to stock up on food. I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me, I'm just so afraid of being hungry. Even if nothing happens, I'd love to fill my house with food!"
Yuan Ying said with a smile, "That's what I think too. We want to buy things to improve our lives, so we'll do some chores in our spare time to save up."
Wu Xiu: "That's right, Nana is good at crafts. We'll go to the No. 5 collection area to collect some lotus stems and make some clothes ourselves. If it's really like what Azhi said, then we'll have to prepare some thick clothes and quilts."
Jiang Zhi felt a warmth in her heart.
I didn't expect that everyone would believe my guess.
As they were talking, Jiang Shu woke up from his nap. He yawned and asked, "A-Zhi, why didn't you wake me up? I overslept. Where's Uncle? Didn't he say he was going to the No. 8 collection area later?"
Wu Xiu: "Your eldest uncle and second uncle are installing the gate."
Jiang Shu regained some of his composure. "Second Uncle, you finished carving so quickly?"
Yuan Ying: "It's not that fast. The whole thing is done, but your second uncle said we'll continue carving after it's installed."
Jiang Shu peeked out and glanced towards the doorway.
Jiang He and Jiang Hai were digging for the parts needed for the door latch in the yard.
The new gate has replaced the old, dilapidated wooden door.
The gate is constructed using mortise and tenon joints, with a thickness of 15 centimeters, a height of two meters, and a width of two meters. It resembles the gate of a grand courtyard in ancient times, giving one a great sense of security.
Jiang Shu ran over and examined it from top to bottom. Although the dragon and tiger decorations on the door were only mostly completed, they already looked quite magnificent from the outside.
Ma Yanhong, who lives next door, has been keeping an eye on the Jiang family. Seeing that they have built a house and surrounded a yard in just a few days, and that the patrol team came twice yesterday for some unknown reason, she was very envious. Now that she saw such a grand gate installed, she pretended to be passing by.
Just then, Jiang Shu ran out and insisted on asking him a few questions.
"Wow, big tree! Where did you get it made? It's so beautiful!"
Jiang Shu chuckled: "No one else has my second uncle's skills!"
"Hey, your second uncle made this? It's carved with tigers and dragons, isn't it? It's really beautiful. What kind of wood is it made of?"
Jiang Shu: "I don't know. My second uncle picked out all the timber. Aunt Ma, why are you asking? Don't you already have a door?"
Ma Yanhong was waiting for Jiang Shu to ask her that question.
“The door we made a while ago isn’t sturdy enough, and I’ve been thinking of replacing it recently. Big Tree, could you ask your second uncle for me if he could make one for us too? Just the same style.”
Jiang Shu was overjoyed.
Just a couple of days ago, they were thinking of promoting their second uncle's business and getting him some carpentry work, but before they even started, someone came knocking on their door.
Jiang Shu pretended to be in a difficult position: "This door of ours is not easy to make. My second uncle has been busy for several days. This mutated wood is very hard and it takes too long to carve. Ours is not even finished yet. If we really finish it, it will probably take ten days to half a month."
Upon hearing this, Ma Yanhong's eyes widened. "What? This isn't finished yet?"
Even the unfinished pieces look so impressive; the Jiang family must have some skill.
"Yes, and my second uncle is also making cabinets for someone recently, so he might not have time."
Ma Yanhong became anxious: "Can you do it for me first? I'll give you points."
Her house wasn't big; the door was only a meter wide and made of thin wooden planks pieced together.
Recently, with some food at home, Ma Yanhong felt unsafe and decided to replace the front door.
Jiang Shu looked even more troubled. "Then I'll have to ask my second uncle and Aunt Ma how many points you're willing to offer."
Aunt Ma hesitated for a moment, "Do you wrap wood?"
“It’s a bag,” Jiang Shu said, making it up. “My second uncle said that the wood for the gate has to be of good quality, otherwise it would be terrible if someone broke into our house.”
Nowadays, except for a few households, almost all self-built housing areas will surround their houses and yards with thorny fences to prevent burglaries.
Besides the fence, the gate is the most important.
After all, things are different now than before. Without surveillance, if your base is raided, it will be very difficult for the base's security personnel to help you recover it.
Ma Yanhong nodded repeatedly, "That makes sense! It would be best if you could get me a door latch that isn't easily damaged. I don't want the old-fashioned kind. If you can get one, I'll give you... I'll give you 300 points!"
The old-fashioned door latch consists of a horizontal bar installed inside the door. When closing the door, the horizontal bar is inserted into a slot or hole on either side of the door, making it impossible to push the door open from the outside.
"300 points..."
Jiang Shu was troubled; he didn't know what the price was like...
Ma Yanhong thought Jiang Shu was unwilling, so she gritted her teeth and said, "If you can help me carve some patterns on the door, I'll give you 380!"
"Okay, I'll ask for you. But just so you know, I can't guarantee my second uncle will be available."
Ma Yanhong: "You should go ask first."
Jiang Shu quickly slipped home and closed the door behind him.
He excitedly lowered his voice, "Second Uncle! Did you hear that?! I got you an order!"
Jiang He smiled and said, "I heard you."
"How about it? Is that the price Aunt Ma mentioned?"
Jiang He said, "I'll go check on their situation first. Awen, come with me to measure the dimensions of the house next door."
Jiang Wen responded.
Jiang Shu wanted to join in the fun, but Jiang Hai stopped him, saying, "Big Tree, hurry up and pack your things. It's getting late, and we should get ready to head out."
Jiang Shu had no choice but to go back inside and pack his things.
The purpose of this trip to gathering area 8 is to collect mushrooms. Apart from weapons, all you need to bring is a bag.
After getting dressed, Jiang Shu walked out of the hall and saw Jiang Zhi and Jiang Jun discussing something while holding bone sticks.
"What's going on? Is my weapon malfunctioning?"
Jiang Zhi handed him the bone stick, saying, "Big brother has modified it for you again."
Jiang Shu took it and saw that Jiang Jun had installed a small black device at the hole that had been corroded yesterday. It blended perfectly with the shape of the bone stick, and there was no sign that it had been damaged.
It contains the venom of a mutated snake, held in place by a spring. When needed, simply press a switch to release the venom.
After hearing Jiang Jun's explanation, Jiang Shu was absolutely delighted.
"Brother, that's an amazing move! With this venom, my fighting power will double!"
Jiang Shu happily nudged Jiang Zhi with his shoulder, "A-Zhi, if you want to use it, I'll lend it to you to touch."
Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes and drew the long knife from her waist.
"I have one too."
Jiang Shu then remembered that the captain of Squad 3 had given him a weapon.
Jiang Zhi brandished her long sword, and a gust of wind swirled around her.
Jiang Jun laughed and said, "Azhi, you use this knife so naturally."
Jiang Zhi was also very happy; the knife was indeed easy for her to use.
Jiang Shu, with his sharp eyes, noticed a pair of curved knives beside Jiang Jun's hand.
"Brother, who did you make this weapon for?"
Jiang Jun said somewhat embarrassedly, "I heard that Azhi's watermelon knife is gone, and I was afraid that she would not have a weapon today, so I made a weapon out of the venomous fangs of a mutated snake."
The mutated snake's fangs were undoubtedly hard, and their sharpness was just right. Jiang Jun made a handle and embedded the fangs in it, so it could also be used as a weapon.
"However, since Azhi already has—"
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Zhi grabbed the poisonous fang weapon and began to wield it.
Jiang Zhi liked it very much and said with a smile, "Big brother, you promised to make it for me, so you can't stop giving it to me just because I have other weapons."
Jiang Jun felt a warmth in her heart.
I know Jiangzhi said that on purpose, because she was afraid his hard work would be wasted.
He smiled and said, "Of course."
Jiang Shu wiped it on and couldn't help but give Jiang Jun a thumbs up: "Brother, you're awesome plus!"
Jiang Jun laughed: "Since I can't go out with you, I can only try my best to make you something useful."
Jiang Shu: "Brother, you've already done me a huge favor!"
After packing their things, the group prepared to set off.
Jiang Hai was already waiting at the door.
He only brought a shovel this time, but he was quite skilled and used the shovel with great destructive power.
Jiang Zhi changed her clothes and was about to go out when Xu Na called out to her, "A-Zhi, wait a minute."
She rummaged through the house for a while and then took out a small vest.
Jiangzhi came back injured yesterday. Although no one said much, everyone kept it to themselves.
"Azhi, this is a little vest I made for you on the spot. I used some fish scales you brought back yesterday to make armor for the chest area. It's rough, please don't mind it..."
Jiang Zhi's eyes lit up. She picked up the vest and examined it from all angles. The front was covered with a layer of silver fish scales, which felt hard to the touch, but because they were so dense, they weren't prickly. In fact, they looked quite nice.
"Second sister-in-law, how did you come up with the idea of using fish scales? That's so ingenious."
Xu Na was a little embarrassed, "Yesterday, when Grandma was cleaning the fish, she tried a lot but couldn't remove the scales. Uncle tried too, but it didn't work either. I thought the scales were pretty hard, so I thought I'd give it a try..."
Jiang Zhi: "So how were the fish scales scraped off later?"
"It was taken off from the inside, skin and all."
Jiangzhi changed into a tank top that fit her perfectly. She smiled and said, "I like it very much, thank you, Second Sister-in-law!"
Xu Na smiled and said, "I'll make it for you when I have more ingredients."
Jiang Shu, who was waiting impatiently outside, urged, "A-Zhi, isn't it ready yet?"
Jiang Zhi put on her coat and said, "I'm here."
Jiang Hai was already waiting in the yard.
Jiang Shu watched as Jiang He and his son helped the Ma family next door measure the dimensions of their door at the gate.
Jiang Zhi was a little surprised to see that he was also wearing long pants and long sleeves. "Uncle, is Second Brother going too?"
Jiang Hai nodded. "We don't have enough grain at home. Your dad has to go exchange some more today. He also needs to take care of some things at home. Your second uncle has to make furniture for the house, so we sent Awen with us. It's safer for the four of us to go together."
Xu Na was needed to make some clothes at home, so we didn't ask her to come out with us.
Logically speaking, with so many men in the family, it shouldn't be Jiang Zhi's turn, a young girl. But Jiang Zhi's abilities have helped everyone avoid many dangers.
Jiang Hai looked at Jiang Zhi with mixed feelings.
If he had superpowers, he wouldn't have made the children suffer so much.
After Jiang He and his son finished taking measurements for the Ma family, Ma Yanhong asked, "How is it? Jiang's second son, can you make it?"
"Can."
Ma Yanhong beamed with joy: "Then it's settled. 380 points. Remember, I want the new type of door latch you just mentioned."
Ma Yanhong said that the new door latch was something Jiang He came up with himself.
By installing a hidden latch on the door bolt, chiseling a keyhole above the wooden bolt, carving a sliding groove and small hole inside the wooden block, and then inserting a bamboo strip with locking teeth to control the pulling of the wooden bolt, the stability and security of the door bolt can be increased by operating it from the inside of the door.
Ma Yanhong liked it very much as soon as she heard it.
Jiang He smiled and agreed.
Jiang Shu was very excited.
I didn't expect my second uncle's first order to be completed so quickly.
Seeing that the group looked like they were about to leave, Ma Yanhong quickly asked, "Are you going out again? Which gathering area are you going to this time?"
Just as Jiang Shu was about to speak, Jiang Wen smiled and said, "We haven't decided yet. We plan to make a decision after we get to the city gate."
Ma Yanhong pursed her lips and then said, "If you come across any fresh food, you can trade with me! I have meat here too!"
She had seen it several times; Jiang Shu had delivered food to the Lin family in the back several times.
The group smiled but didn't say anything.
Jiang Hai: "Aunt Ma, it's getting late. Let's head out now."
Collection area number 8 is located at the south gate. They passed through area C and arrived at the south gate.
Jiang Zhi and her brother had never been here before.
Not far from the South Gate are towering mountains, and the gathering areas near the South Gate have more mutated beasts than other places.
Even the mutants in the base dare not venture deep into the mountains, and the city walls here are higher than those in other places.
The base could only be divided into several areas within a radius of a hundred miles as collection zones.
Therefore, few people are willing to go to the collection area here.
The south gate has two protective barriers. In addition to the gate that is the same as the east gate, there is also a small gate that is three meters wide on the outside.
As the group passed by, Jiang Zhi took a look. The small gate was made of thick, old steel, its surface covered with scratches and dents, and in some places, dried stains clung to it. The bottom track was filled with sand and dust, making it extremely difficult to open and close the gate. Each push produced an unpleasant scraping sound. The gate walls on both sides were made of bricks and stones, which were loose and cracked, with weeds growing in the gaps.
It is said that this was the earliest city gate built at the Ancheng base. At that time, the leaders simplified everything in order to build a secure base quickly.
After being registered by the city gate guards, the four of them finally figured out where they were.
Jiang Shu muttered to himself, "Why don't we need to register at the East Gate?"
Jiang Wen explained, "The probability of an accident is high here, and not many people come. In order to make it easier for the base to find people in case of an accident, everyone will register first."
Jiang Shu: "...That sounds kind of creepy."
He looked at the distant mountains. Even in this sweltering heat, thick fog still shrouded the peaks, making the area below them appear eerie.
Jiang Shu's heart pounded as he looked at the mountains. "It's so hot, why do they look so cold and gloomy?"
Jiang Hai said, "The temperature in the Qiling Mountains is indeed much lower than outside. There were many Class II protected wild animals there before the Great Cataclysm, and I wonder how they have mutated now."
Jiang Shu was startled. "What were the base leaders thinking? Building the base here, aren't they afraid that those mutated animals will come down and eat us like snacks?"
Jiang Hai had served in the military before and had some knowledge of the base's situation: "The base leaders had no choice at the time. Before the cataclysm, this was a secret military base, and there would be much less resistance to building a base here. After the world changed, the base leaders also considered relocating, but the strange thing is that something in the Qiling Mountains seems to be blocking things on the mountain. So far, no mutated creatures have been seen coming down from the Qiling Mountains."
Jiang Shu's eyes widened. "That's amazing?"
Jiang Wen nodded. "This isn't a secret; most people know about it to some extent. The base has sent people up there, but without exception, none of them have returned."
Jiang Shu gasped upon hearing this.
Jiang Zhi gazed into the distance quietly for a moment, then said nothing. "Let's go."
The area outside the city gate was also different from the east city gate; the base boundary consisted of felled tree stumps.
Jiang Wen: "The trees here grow in a new wave every ten days, and the base sends people every day to cut them down and take them back for construction projects."
Jiang Shu clicked his tongue in amazement at the speed of growth...
There were indeed few people who went to collect samples at point 8. In all this time, only a few scattered people were going in the same direction.
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