Chapter 54
After finally finishing their work, the group lost all interest in washing up. Covered in mud, they simply laid out a mat in the hall and lay down to sleep, planning to continue working the next day.
I don't know how much time passed.
The clicking sound of a wire bucket keyhole came from the doorway.
In the darkness, something resembling a wooden fingerboard reached in through the crack in the door, creaking and squeezing, causing the wooden strips of the door frame to tremble.
As a mutant, Jiang Shu had better hearing. Annoyed by the noise, he turned over and complained, "Who's grinding their teeth?"
After a while, the sound came from the doorway again, and it became more and more frequent. Jiang Shu couldn't stand it anymore, so he got up and saw who was grinding their teeth in his ear.
But upon closer listening—
Wait a minute, the sound is coming from the main gate.
He was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what was happening.
Holy crap! Someone's raided our base!
The door to their house was specially made by Jiang He. In addition to the latch, it also had a mortise and tenon mechanism, making it very difficult to break in from the outside.
Their yard was surrounded by many thorny branches, the thorns of which were thick and sharp.
The grass inside the yard had been trimmed and wasn't prickly, but it was a different story outside. From the outside, apart from the gate, very few people dared to come within a meter of the yard wall.
Therefore, even if someone wanted to steal something, they could only target the front entrance.
He slapped Jiang Wen, who was sitting to his right, awake and whispered, "Second Brother, wake up! Someone's trying to break in."
When Jiang Wen vaguely heard the words "pry open the door," he was startled awake from his deathbed.
"What!?"
Jiang Shu quickly covered his mouth and whispered, "Shh, wake up Uncle and Second Uncle first."
Jiang Wen was fully awake and quickly woke up the two people next to him as well.
Upon hearing that someone wanted to raid their home, the group completely lost their sleepiness.
Jiang Shu immediately noticed three men standing suspiciously outside.
One by one, they picked up their tools and cautiously approached the door.
There were four people, two of whom were hiding on either side of the door.
Jiang Hai whispered to the others, "When Awen comes to open the door, beat him to death as soon as he opens it."
Several people nodded.
After discussing it, Jiang Shu composed himself and then opened the door with lightning speed.
Caught off guard, the three petty thieves were struck by several sticks.
"Ouch, ouch!"
The sound was not silenced and was especially loud in the quiet night, immediately waking everyone in the room.
Grandma Jiang and Wu Xiu, having lived in low-rent housing areas, were much more vigilant and responsive to petty theft than Ye Qingyun and his group.
Upon hearing the shout, they knew something was wrong and hurriedly got out of bed.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know, it sounds like someone got beaten up."
As everyone walked out of the courtyard, they saw Jiang Hai and his group beating someone in front of the gate.
"Hey, hey, stop hitting me! I just wanted to knock on the door, why are you hitting me?" one of the men shouted.
Jiang Shu: "Pah! What time is it? It's three o'clock and they're still knocking on the door? Are they seeing ghosts in the middle of the night?!"
Jiang Wen and Jiang Hai pinned the two men to the ground.
"Dad, Uncle, let's call the police. These two are definitely repeat offenders."
"No!" the man who had been knocking cried out, "I know I was wrong, please don't call the police! We'll never do it again!"
The other two men gritted their teeth and refused to let go. Seeing that Jiang Wen's pressure on them was showing signs of easing, they immediately used their strength to shove the man away and ran out, splitting up in different directions.
Jiang Shu was furious and, along with Jiang Hai, chased after them, shouting, "Stop!"
The person Jiang Shu was chasing was running very fast. Just as he was about to turn and run deeper into the self-built housing area, Jiang Shu was about to throw the stick in his hand when Zhang Jia suddenly stretched out a shovel and tripped the person.
Before the man could react, the shovel was quickly put back.
Jiang Shu was taken aback, realizing that the Zhang family wanted to help but were afraid of retaliation, which was why they had pulled this stunt.
Without thinking too much, he ran up and pinned the person down.
This time, Jiang Shu used all his strength to drag the person back to his doorstep.
The other thief was caught by Jiang Hai not long after he ran away.
Jiang Shu escorted the man back. "Uncle, what do we do now?"
Jiang Hai said with a grim face, "Break his legs and send him to the police station."
Upon hearing this, the man's legs went weak with fear, and he cried out, "No! We really know we were wrong! Please don't take us to the police station!"
The base stipulates that if someone is caught stealing, they will not only be fined, but also detained for six months and sent to repair the outer wall of the city.
After the test is completed, the testing equipment will be marked, and an additional 10% will be deducted from your taxes each month thereafter.
This punishment can be considered very severe.
After all, these people had nowhere else to go besides the base.
Grandma Jiang got up and berated the two of them, "What did our family ever do to you? Why did you choose us over everyone else? Do you really think we're easy to bully?"
This is where the advantages of a large family become apparent.
If a family consists of only three or four people, and three or four thieves break into their home, they will not dare to resist.
The man cried, "We just saw that your family had deliveries to your door every day, so we thought you ate a lot and that's why we wanted to find something to eat."
Grandpa Jiang laughed in exasperation, "You think we eat a lot? What, didn't you ever ask how many people are in the Jiang family?"
None of the Jiang family members felt any sympathy for these thieves with malicious intentions.
Unlike before, food is no longer their lifeline.
Anyone who dares to steal their grain will have their lifeline cut off!
Old Master Jiang said, "Even if his leg is broken, we still have to carry him over. Break his hand, beat him hard, let everyone around hear it. I want to see who dares to steal from our Jiang family again!"
The men of the Jiang family beat the three thieves severely, making them cry and scream for their mothers. They then broke one of their left hands before taking him to the police station.
The three men remaining at home were Jiang Jun, Jiang Shu, and Grandpa Jiang.
After everyone left, Wu Xiu angrily cursed, "What kind of person is he! He has hands and feet, yet he does these petty thefts! Utterly shameless!"
Jiang Sui and Jiang Si clung to Wu Xiu's clothes in fear, "Grandma..."
Wu Xiu patted their heads and comforted them, "Don't be afraid, it's alright."
Yuan Ying said with some worry, "We've been too high-profile these past few days, and it's attracting unwanted attention..."
Ye Qingyun: "If that doesn't work, we'll spend more money tomorrow to buy some defensive items and install them at home."
Jiang Zhi frowned slightly as she listened to the discussion among the women in charge.
It seems that everything we collect is being watched.
The spacecraft needs to be built as soon as possible.
Grandma Jiang glanced at the time; it was already past four o'clock after all that work. She said to the two children, "Go back and rest for a while."
The two children were still a little scared, so Wu Xiu had no choice but to accompany them inside.
There's not much time left to sleep. Usually, everyone gets up at 6 a.m., and if Jiang Zhi needs to go out of the city to gather herbs, she'll already be up by this time.
The others didn't plan to rest any longer, so they simply started washing up.
Ye Qingyun was preparing breakfast when Grandma Jiang asked her to make an extra portion: "Da Shu just said that the Zhang family helped out, so let's send some food over as a thank you gift."
Ye Qingyun responded.
Just as the fire was lit, Niu Dali's voice could be heard from outside the door.
"Ah Zhi, Auntie, are you alright?"
Jiang Zhi went to open the door and saw Niu Dali and his wife standing outside.
"Why are you here?"
"We heard the noise and thought it was someone else's house. Dali ran over to check and found it was yours." Liu Xu looked a little annoyed. "Are you alright? We should have come sooner."
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "It's alright, they're just a few petty thieves. My uncle and brother can handle them."
Liu Xu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Actually, it's not just your family recently; I've heard that other families have also had their homes burgled."
Grandma Jiang was startled: "What? Which house was robbed? Isn't the self-built housing area supposed to be very safe? How come it wasn't just our house that was robbed?"
Just as Liu Xu was about to answer, Jiang Zhi pulled her in and said, "Come in and talk."
Yuan Ying brought stools for the two of them. After thanking her, Liu Xu began to speak: "This incident also originated from the No. 15 collection area."
"Many early adopters harvested a lot of food there, which made those who couldn't catch up envious. In addition, the base has been lax in its security management recently, which is why so many things have happened."
Jiang Zhi didn't think much of it at first, but after hearing the last sentence, she frowned. "You mean the security management is lax?"
Liu Xu nodded: "I've inquired about it. I heard that the base has withdrawn two-thirds of its public officials, but I don't know what they're going to do with them."
Seeing Jiang Zhi's serious expression, Liu Xu couldn't help but ask, "A-Zhi? What's wrong? What did you think of?"
Jiang Zhi looked up the lowest temperature from yesterday to now on the detector, and her heart sank when she saw it was 30 degrees Celsius.
The temperature was 34 degrees last time, and it has dropped by 4 degrees in just a few days.
In conjunction with the base's recent response...
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips. "Sister Liu Xu, I'm about to tell you something, but it's just my guess. There's an 80% chance it will happen. If you don't believe me..."
Before she could finish speaking, Liu Xu interrupted her: "Azhi, I believe whatever you say."
Jiang Zhi was stunned for a moment, but when she saw Liu Xu's serious look, her heart warmed.
"I guess that in another month or two, we will be entering the cold winter."
Liu Xu's pupils contracted.
She wasn't stupid; on the contrary, she was very clever. Combining all the information she had gathered before, she believed Jiang Zhi's words almost instantly.
Her face was pale. "Then...should we stockpile food and furs?"
Jiang Zhi nodded.
Talking to smart people is effortless.
The reason I didn't tell Niu Dali before was because it was just her guess and hadn't been confirmed.
Old Jiang's family agreed to stockpile grain and winter supplies entirely out of their trust in her.
If it were anyone else, they would have thought she was crazy.
After all, even now, the daily high temperature is still over 60 degrees Celsius.
Liu Xu was anxious, but she remained calm. She held Jiang Zhi's hand and said sincerely, "A-Zhi, thank you for telling me."
Jiang Zhi: "Don't blame me for telling you now."
Liu Xu shook her head: "You weren't sure before either. If it were me, I wouldn't have told you either. The fact that you can tell me now is already a lifesaver for us."
Jiang Zhi thought Liu Xu was a very sensible and good woman: "If you need anything, you can tell us."
Liu Xu then asked, "Will you still go out to collect them after that?"
Jiangzhi said, "Go."
Liu Xu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
They spent a lot of points before they finally built their house, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were practically destitute.
Fortunately, Niu Dali is strong and can always find plenty of food. The grain that Niu Dali brought back these past few days is enough to feed his family of three for one or two months.
But Liu Xu knew that this was all thanks to Jiang Zhi and his sister. Without the Jiang family, Niu Dali wouldn't have been able to find so much food on his own without being taken advantage of.
"If I could, I would like to go with you."
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "What's the problem?"
Liu Xu was a little embarrassed, "I'll have to trouble you to take care of Xiao Lu then."
Hearing this from the side, Grandma Jiang said, "Xiao Xu, you're too kind. Our Sisi likes your Xiao Lu so much, please bring her along."
After thanking Grandma Jiang, Liu Xu planned to go back with Niu Dali to prepare for their departure.
Time was of the essence, and Liu Xu wished she could collect the catkins every day, otherwise, given their limited resources, they wouldn't be able to survive long into winter.
After Niu Dali and his wife left.
Jiangzhi also started packing her things.
Looking at the mutated tortoise shell and trumpet flower that she had previously bought from the research institute, which were now ineffective, Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and decided to bring them along.
He was thinking of buying some Suyuan malt biscuits from Luo Yonghui to prepare for any eventuality.
Thinking this way, Jiangzhi did just that.
She dialed Luo Yonghui's number directly.
The call connected quickly, and Luo Yonghui's cheerful voice came through: "Jiang girl, what's up? You've decided to join us?"
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips. "No."
"Then why did you call me?"
"Uncle Luo, I'll sell you three of those energy stones I gave you before."
Luo Yonghui was secretly pleased, but quickly realized, "Why are there only three? Didn't you have five?"
"I sold one, but I'll keep the other one because I need it."
Luo Yonghui had no choice but to say, "Alright, three it is."
He didn't report the energy stones he gave to Jiang Zhi. Now that Jiang Zhi is willing to sell them, he can buy them and use them for the team.
Luo Yonghui said, "Just bring your things and come find me—"
Jiang Zhi interrupted him: "Uncle Luo, if you can wait two weeks to pick up the goods, I can sell you two more energy stones with half the energy."
Luo Yonghui was taken aback, then joked, "You little rascal, you don't want me to transfer points to you first, do you?"
Unexpectedly, Jiangzhi agreed immediately.
"yes."
Luo Yonghui: ...
He asked suspiciously, "What kind of scheme are you planning?"
Jiang Zhi said directly, "If you're not willing, then forget it. I'll find someone else—"
"Hey—no way, you little devil, can't I ask a couple more questions?" Luo Yonghui said helplessly. After a pause, the other party said again, "I've turned around. You have to keep your word. Remember to sell me a few more, even if they have less energy."
Jiang Zhi chuckled, "Thank you, Uncle Luo."
Jiang Zhi still plans to exchange all her energy stones for points because her family urgently needs money.
Jiangzhi had previously experimented and found that the same thing could only be coated onto an eggshell once.
Therefore, Jiang Zhi naturally wants to squeeze every last bit of value out of the four energy stones she has left!
She planned to keep two of the energy stones she created for the energy storage.
Asking Luo Yonghui for an advance on points was the only option available.
If she wasn't mistaken, prices would soon rise following the news from the base, and she would be furious if she couldn't buy another batch of supplies in the next few days.
Once the points were credited to her account, Jiang Zhi immediately called Tan Lei.
"Brother Lei, how much grain do you have left?"
Tan Lei didn't waste any words, "The base issued some notices last night, and it's estimated that grain prices will rise today."
Jiang Zhi: "No matter the price, you need to help me purchase 100,000 points worth of grain, preferably starch-based."
Four energy stones can be exchanged for 200,000 points, and she needs to keep the remaining 100,000 for urgent use.
Tan Lei: "No problem, but it will take some time."
Jiang Zhi knew the current situation and didn't mind: "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Lei."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and then ran to the kitchen.
"Mom, what are you making?"
Ye Qingyun was stirring minced pork in his hands, and said with a smile, "I'm going to make lotus root sandwiches."
She cut off a large piece of lotus root.
Cut the lotus root into connected slices, like making a small pocket for each slice. Then mince the softened mutated wild boar meat, add chopped chives and oyster shell powder, and stir until it becomes elastic.
The mutated lotus root is very large; a single cross-section is as big as a vegetable basin.
Stuff a bag full of minced pork. Coat it with a thick batter and deep-fry it in oil until it sizzles and turns golden brown.
Smelling the aroma of oil, Jiang Zhi exclaimed, "Eating something so good so early in the morning?"
These rapeseed oils were bought directly from the base; I never expected Ye Qingyun to be so generous with them now.
Ye Qingyun gave her a reproachful look: "I heard everything just now. You're planning to go out today too, right? I'll bring you some meat. You're doing physical labor, so you can't go without eating well."
"I know you are mutants now and have the ability to protect yourselves, but you still need to be careful."
Jiang Zhi listened quietly to her mother's nagging, feeling a warm glow in her heart.
Ye Qingyun scooped out a fried lotus root sandwich and cut it into three pieces: "These are fillings made with low-toxin earthworm meat and mutated wild boar meat. They're for you guys, and one for Dali and Xiaoxu too. They gave us cucumbers yesterday, so we should return the favor. Only by giving and receiving can things last."
Ye Qingyun packed another portion and handed it to Jiang Zhi.
"Here, didn't you want to make a spacecraft? Take it to Old Man Jiang."
Jiang Zhi was surprised that her mother had even thought of this for her.
She asked in surprise, "Mom, how did you know what I wanted to do?"
Ye Qingyun rolled her eyes at her.
“I’m your mother. I know what kind of poop you’re going to take the moment you lift your butt.”
Jiang Zhi: "...There's no need to know so much."
Ye Qingyun shoved the lotus root sandwich into her hand, saying, "Go, go, go do your thing, don't block my way."
Jiang Zhi brought the lotus root box to the Lin family.
Just as I was about to knock, I realized the door was open from the inside.
The man who suddenly appeared in front of her made her pause in surprise, unsure of what to say. "Uh..."
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "The old man is inside. Come in."
Just...go in like this?
Jiang Zhi hesitated for a moment, but thinking of the space stone in her hand, she gritted her teeth and went through the door.
Once inside the courtyard, I discovered a hidden paradise.
The Lin family's house is over 300 square meters. From the outside, it looks like a mud house, but inside it is made entirely of durable blue bricks.
Even the courtyard has a stone-paved path, which looks simple and elegant.
Grandpa Lin was having morning tea in the hall when he saw Lin Yuan bring in a girl, and he looked so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.
Realizing what had happened, she was quite exasperated: "You brat, you've already closed the door? I haven't prepared anything yet!"
Then she turned to Jiang Zhi with a smile and said, "You're a pretty young lady. When did you meet our A Yuan? How many people are in your family?"
That's a question that sounds a lot like asking a romantic date to meet one's parents.
Jiang Zhi was completely flustered, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Lin Yuan, standing to the side, was both amused and exasperated. "Master, what are you thinking? This is Jiang Shu's sister, a member of the Jiang family."
Jiang Zhi then took the opportunity to say, "Grandpa Lin, my mom asked me to bring you some food."
Upon hearing that it was just a member of the Jiang family and not his granddaughter-in-law, Old Master Lin's attitude immediately changed completely.
He stopped smiling. "Just put it there."
Jiang Zhi obediently placed the things on the table and stood still.
After waiting for a while, seeing that Jiang Zhi had no intention of leaving, Old Master Lin frowned and put on an expression that said, "Why aren't you leaving yet?" He said, "I'll accept it. You can go back now."
Jiang Zhi flashed her eight standard teeth. "Grandpa Lin, I heard you can make spacecraft?"
The words "spacecraft" were like a fuse igniting a bomb. Old Master Lin's expression darkened. "Who told you that?"
Under the scrutinizing gaze of the other party, Jiang Zhi brazenly said, "Grandpa Lin, I have a space stone in my hand, and I hope you can help me make it into a space device."
Old Master Lin's face was so somber it could drip water.
What Jiang Zhi didn't know was that "space device" was a taboo word for Grandpa Lin; anyone who mentioned it would be unlucky, not even his grandson.
Lin Yuan knew the old man's temperament and said at the right time, "Old man, the base's spacecraft is ready for a second upgrade."
Lin Yuan's words made Old Master Lin's face even uglier.
Jiang Zhi was afraid that the other party would kick her out.
Unexpectedly, after Lin Yuan finished speaking, Old Master Lin suppressed his unpleasant expression and gave her and Lin Yuan a strange look.
After a moment, Old Master Lin said, "Where is the stuff? Let me see."
Realizing what Grandpa Lin was talking about, Jiang Zhi was overjoyed and quickly took out a space stone from her pocket and handed it over.
Grandpa Lin took a look and said, "The item is good, the quality is excellent. I can make it myself, but there are some things we need to discuss beforehand."
Jiang Zhi: "Please speak."
Grandpa Lin: "It's not impossible for me to help you make a space device, but my method is different from the base's official method. For the same space, my method requires more space stones."
Jiang Zhi: "I have no objection."
She had no choice but to voice her opinions, since only Grandpa Lin could make such a thing.
"In addition, my fees are very high; 80,000 points is the only price."
80,000 points...
Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief; it was still within her tolerance range.
"When will that be..."
Grandpa Jiang waved his hand, "Come pick it up the day after tomorrow. Also, you'll cover lunch for this month."
Jiang Zhi: ...This old man is really not polite at all.
A true expert is a true expert.
Although she couldn't negotiate the price, Jiangzhi was still very happy. After thanking him, she prepared to go back.
Old Master Lin: "You brat, go and see this girl off."
Jiangzhi didn't understand—it's such a short distance, what's the point of delivering it?
But seeing the old man's unyielding expression, Jiang Zhi hesitated before declining, saying, "Um, Grandpa Lin, I can manage on my own..."
Grandpa Lin said with a stern face, "I said I'd give it away, so what? Are you looking down on me or my grandson?"
Jiang Zhi: ...This old man is really unpredictable.
She couldn't help but look at Lin Yuan, thinking that he would stop Old Master Lin's request, but to her surprise, he walked directly towards her and said, "Let's go."
Jiang Zhi:......
Well, what can we do when we're under someone else's roof? We can only let old man Lin have his way.
The two went out together, remaining silent the entire way.
Jiang Zhi remained wary of Lin Yuan and didn't want to have much interaction with him.
The distance of a few hundred meters felt like several thousand meters to Jiang Zhi.
When she saw her own front door, Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for today. That's enough for now. I can go back by myself."
Lin Yuan watched the girl flee as if she were running away, but did not stop her. He just stared at her back with deep eyes for a moment until she closed the door, then he turned his gaze away and walked back calmly.
Back home.
Grandpa Lin asked impatiently, "How was it? What did you talk about with the young lady when you took him home?"
Lin Yuan said helplessly, "Sir, there's nothing between me and the other party. You're overthinking it."
Old Master Lin jumped up and down: "What do you mean I'm overthinking it? I don't believe you would tell someone else's girl for no reason! You dare say you have no feelings for her?"
“We’ve only met a few times, and we don’t know anything about each other except for their names.” Lin Yuan rubbed his temples. “Besides, Jiang Shu brings you food every now and then, so what’s wrong with lending a hand?”
"How can there be no problem? When have you ever been so kind? Back when you were the captain of the exploration team, countless girls asked you for help, and you never helped them!"
Lin Yuan was helpless against the old man's unreasonable demands.
He left with the words "Think what you want" and went inside, which infuriated Old Master Lin.
He followed Lin Yuan around, muttering, "You brat, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Not only did you tell others I could make space devices, but you also personally brought her in. When you saw I didn't agree to help, you even spoke well of her, saying you weren't interested in her. Nobody believes that!"
"I've never seen you so proactive with any girl in all these years. Tell me honestly, are you interested in her? If so, I'll help you!"
"Let me tell you, I only agreed to come out of retirement because I consider her my future granddaughter-in-law. Otherwise, do you think I would so easily break the principles I set for myself?"
Lin Yuan was so annoyed by his old man that he slammed the door shut.
Upon seeing this, Grandpa Lin was not displeased at all; on the contrary, he was delighted.
"This brat has finally learned to be shy."
He returned to the living room, picked up a lotus root box, and took a bite.
The outer crust is so crisp it crumbles, the lotus root slices are crunchy, and the meat filling is tender and juicy.
Old Jiang thought it was even more delicious than any state banquet he had ever eaten before.
This is wonderful!
Not long after Jiang Zhi returned home, Jiang Shu and the others also returned.
Grandpa Jiang asked, "How did it go? Was everything alright?"
Jiang Hai took a sip of water. "It's alright, but the number of cases at the police station has obviously increased."
Jiang Shu exclaimed dramatically, "You wouldn't believe it, the police station offices are practically overflowing with thieves."
Ye Qingyun had already prepared breakfast.
It's pickled cowpeas with barley porridge.
The group sat together, eating and talking.
Grandma Jiang asked Jiang Shu, "Big Tree, what exactly happened at the police station? The base used to be very safe."
"I don't know. I guess it's because of the No. 15 gathering area. Some people, like us, gathered a lot of things. I guess those who couldn't go are just jealous of how much others got."
When Jiang Wen and his group went to the No. 15 collection area yesterday, they found that the base had already started restricting vehicle registration due to limited vehicle availability.
Each person can only go once.
Some people queued for a long time, but in the end, they couldn't get a turn and could only watch helplessly as others carried back large amounts of grain.
Wu Xiu felt a surge of relief upon hearing this: "Luckily, we went there once before, otherwise we would have suffered a huge loss."
Yuan Ying felt it was a pity: "What a pity, if we had gone yesterday, we could have collected more grain."
If only I had known earlier, there would be no beggars.
Remembering what Liu Xu had said earlier, Jiang Zhi told her about the personnel transfer at the base, and then said, "Uncle, the base has already started transferring all the personnel. If nothing unexpected happens, the base should announce the recent drop in the lowest temperature in the next couple of days."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hai immediately became serious. "If that's the case, we must exchange our points for food as soon as possible."
Jiang Hai's idea coincided with Jiang Zhi's.
Jiang Zhi: "That's what I was thinking too. I've already exchanged the energy stones for points. Uncle, you shouldn't try to find someone to exchange for food anymore for the time being. It's too risky."
Jiang Hai nodded in agreement.
If they continue to try to exchange grain with others, once the base announces the news, everyone will remember that they exchanged large quantities of grain, which will make the Jiang family the target of public criticism.
After Jiang Zhi explained that she had spent 100,000 points to have Han Lei buy grain, she added, "Our family's grain supply is enough to feed us for one or two years. The most important thing now is to strengthen our defenses."
This was not something Jiang Zhi came up with on a whim.
Based on the temperature situation in Northeast China, if there are three consecutive years of food shortages, even if the base enforces the law strictly, something like what happened last night cannot be completely avoided.
Moreover, they all knew very well that people lose all reason when faced with extreme hunger.
Jiang Hai: "A-Zhi is right. Those three thieves were unlucky yesterday and we found them. But what if we hadn't found them? We've bought a lot of grain recently, and many people have seen it. Better safe than sorry, we still need to be vigilant."
Seeing that everyone was there, Jiang Zhi took out the energy gun that Lin Yuan had given her.
“Uncle, you were a soldier, so it’s best to entrust this gun to you for safekeeping.”
Jiang Hai was shocked when he saw the energy gun.
He never imagined he would have the chance to touch a gun in his lifetime.
"This...this is the energy gun?"
Jiang Hai had heard of the energy gun, but he had never had the chance to see it.
He carefully took the energy gun and examined it several times.
Everyone was very curious, and Jiang Wen couldn't help but ask, "A-Zhi, where did you get this gun? I remember the base prohibits guns, right?"
"It was sent by Lin Yuan."
Jiang Wen: "Lin Yuan? Who's that?"
Ye Qingyun: "Could it be that young man from the Lin family?"
Jiang Shu immediately said, "That's right, it's Brother Lin. He's such a good guy; he didn't even charge us for this gun!"
He then embellished the story of how Lin Yuan delivered the timber, and also mentioned that Lin Yuan had previously been the captain of the exploration team, praising him to the skies.
Jiang Zhi glanced at him sideways without saying a word.
—I don't know where her brother found out.
Grandma Jiang said with a smile, "Oh, what a nice young man, Da Shu, bring him more food next time."
Jiang Hai compared the damaged energy gun to the gun, tried out the firing motion, and then watched it again.
"This gun is powered by energy, right? We're out of energy stones at home, aren't we?"
Jiang Zhi smiled and took out the remaining four.
Everyone was a little taken aback.
Ye Qingyun: "Azhi, didn't you say you sold the energy stones? How come there are still so many?"
"That 200,000 was an advance I got from Captain Luo. These four energy stones, when put into the eggshell, can generate four more. I've tested it; each of the energy stones that is created can launch an energy gun once."
Jiang Shu muttered, "We probably don't need that many. Brother Lin said that this first-generation energy gun can only be used twice more."
Jiang Hai felt that was enough. "Twice is enough. If we encounter any vicious criminals, we will be able to put up a fight."
Grandpa Jiang said, "Having a gun alone isn't enough. We still need to repair the walls and the brambles in the house. It would be even better if we could make some traps or something."
"The old man is right. With so much grain in our house, if a bunch of people come and rob it, we really won't be able to defend ourselves."
The two elders had lived through the famine years, so their foresight was more comprehensive.
At this moment, Jiang Jun spoke up, "I know how to make traps, let me do it."
Wu Xiu exclaimed in surprise, "Ah Jun, you really know how to do this?"
Jiang Jun laughed and said, "Mom, you forgot? When I was little, I loved tinkering with these things. I used to make the traps that Da Shu and A Wen used to use to catch pheasants on the mountain."
Seeing Jiang Jun straighten up, Wu Xiu was very happy. "Alright, alright, then I'll leave it to you."
Jiang Hai said, "I'll go out today too. There are a lot of thorns and ivy in the No. 4 collection area. I'll bring back some more."
The mutated Virginia creeper has large, dense leaves, which are very convenient for blocking the view.
Jiang Shu was a little confused. "Uncle, will these things still be useful when winter comes?"
Jiang He explained with a smile, "The Virginia creeper isn't afraid. Even in winter, its vines can survive in temperatures below minus ten degrees Celsius. I just don't know if the mutated Virginia creeper will be more cold-resistant. As for the thorns, the base's research institute has done experiments. After being frozen, the leaves of the thorns will fall off, but the thorns will still be hard."
The thorn branches they use are carefully selected by the base.
The walls of Ancheng base on the east, west, north, and south sides were almost entirely made of these thorny branches.
So it's not a big problem.
Grandma Jiang chimed in, "Yes, let's prepare for now, and see if it works."
Jiang Hai: "Then it's settled. Azhi, do you want to come with us?"
Jiang Zhi: "Uncle, Brother Dali didn't store much food. We need to go and gather more food."
Since we chose each other as our data collection partners in the first place, there's no reason to abandon them halfway through.
She also wanted to try out the two discarded special props she had previously acquired.
Jiang He said, "Brother, I'll go with you too, and we can dig up some more clay while we're at it."
Grandpa Jiang: "Are you worried that the house won't be sturdy enough by then?"
Jiang He chuckled, "Like Mom said, it's always good to have some on hand."
Jiang Wen said, "Then I'll go with you."
Jiang Hai: "Aren't you going with Azhi and the others?"
Jiang Shu said, "Uncle, Brother Wen is worried about you."
Jiang Wen was a little embarrassed: "Just the two of you going is too few people. We should be careful."
Jiang Hai smiled and said, "Collection Area No. 4 is close to the base and safe. Your dad and I aren't going to look for food, so there shouldn't be any problem."
Jiang He nodded, "We'll probably go in the afternoon. We need to finish digging the cellar first. Your grandma and the others also said they want to make a drying oven, but I don't know how to make that. Your older brother will have to help."
Wu Xiu and the other women in charge of the household couldn't go out today either. There was too much food at home, and even if they bought a refrigerator, they couldn't keep all the vegetables fresh. Vegetables like baby bok choy and potatoes could still be kept, but spinach, bean sprouts, eggplants, and the like would wilt easily if kept any longer.
Ye Qingyun and Grandma Jiang then decided to boil the eggplant, tear it into strips, and make it into a sauce with chopped chili peppers.
Save some of the spinach for the next few days, and make the rest into dried spinach so you can rehydrate it and enjoy fresh vegetables later.
The cotton collected from Base No. 15 will also need to be tested and the cotton seeds selected to make cotton quilts.
In short, there are a lot of things to do at home, and everyone is busy.
Jiang Wen said, "I'd better go with you guys; it'll be more efficient that way."
Jiang He naturally wouldn't refuse his son's request to come along.
After discussing what they needed to do that day, everyone got to work.
After Jiang Zhi and her brother finished packing, they left with Niu Dali and his wife.
Finally, they sent Niu Xiaolu to their place.
Grandma Jiang was still worried: "Will it be alright if no one is watching over you?"
Liu Xu smiled and said, "We don't have much food at home right now, so those people can't steal much. I've also spoken to the neighbors and asked them to keep an eye on things for us."
The Niu family hasn't shown up since they were taught a lesson by the Jiang family.
That family is a bully who preys on the weak.
Grandma Jiang was relieved. "Just send someone to call us if you need anything."
Liu Xu smiled and said, "Thank you, Grandma Jiang."
After the group left, the Jiang family began to get busy.
In order to get the women in the family a dryer as soon as possible.
Jiang Jun took out the metal mesh, iron bucket, and chimney pipe used for camping tents from his home.
Because of his leg injury, he wrapped the amputation site with thick banana leaves and moved it by hand.
Jiang He helped from the side.
I chose a spot on the right side of the gate and then built a square structure resembling an oven using bricks.
The inside was then evenly coated with mud.
Jiang Jun set up a furnace opening on the lower side of the drying box to put in fuel, and used the iron barrel to convert it into a combustion chamber, with a chimney pipe connected to it for exhausting smoke.
Inside the drying oven, Jiang He assembled a multi-layered support system using metal mesh and wooden boards to hold the items that needed to be dried.
The top of the drying oven also features a movable lid for ventilation, temperature regulation, and moisture removal.
Jiang He and Jiang Jun worked together and soon finished making the drying oven.
Jiang He laughed and said, "I've never seen a drying box before in my life. Luckily you know about them, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to make one if your mom and the others asked me to."
This drying oven looks simple, but it's actually quite sophisticated.
Jiang Jun wiped his sweat. "I did this based on my memory, and I don't know if it will work."
Jiang Hai was plastering the inner walls of the cellar when he heard this and poked his head out, saying, "This is easy. Why don't you let your grandmother and the others try it?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady smiled and said, "Perfect timing, I've almost finished washing all these vegetables."
In one morning, Yuan Ying and the others washed all the vegetables.
Ye Qingyun even went out of his way to buy a few more soy sauce jars.
There are a dozen or twenty fresh eggplants at home, weighing several dozen kilograms, enough to make a lot of eggplant sauce.
Fifty pounds of spinach, washed and piled on banana leaves, looked quite impressive.
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