Chapter 60
Seeing that Niu Dali's family was doing well, Ye Qingyun and the others were happy for them.
Since everyone was planning to go back, the three families sealed the openings of their baskets tightly at the entrance so that no one could see what was inside before heading towards the self-built housing area.
When she finally saw Ye Qingyun and her daughter, Grandma Jiang, who had been waiting in the courtyard, breathed a sigh of relief.
"I just told Ah Xiu that I was going to call you and ask Ah Hai and the old man to pick you up, but I didn't expect you to come back so soon."
Wu Xiu took the grain from their hands: "How is it? Has the price of grain gone up?"
Jiang Shu, quick to speak, blurted out, "The price didn't go up! Not only did it not go up, it even went down! It's a pity you can't go because there are purchase restrictions there too. Many things are now available for sale there."
Previously, when Base No. 1 was opened, not everything was for sale. Instead, only certain areas were opened based on the maturity of the plants.
This can be described as a complete opening up, and it's the first time in recent years that such a large-scale event has been held, so the level of excitement is naturally incomparable to that of the past.
Neither Jiang Si nor Jiang Sui had ever been there. They clung to the ginger tree, their little faces filled with longing.
"Uncle, please tell us quickly, what's it like inside? What do they sell?"
Jiang Shu started bragging to the two children, "There are so many things growing inside, I can't even take them all in. Just pick whatever you want, and then weigh it. Did you see this?"
Jiang Sui saw the bamboo shoots in the basket and exclaimed, "They're bamboo shoots!"
"That's right, there are so many of these things on the mountain that we can't even count them all. If we weren't worried about spending points, we could stay there all day!"
Jiang Si asked eagerly, "Uncle, please tell us quickly, what does the mountain look like?"
Jiang Shu curled his lip, "It's nothing special. The base grows chestnuts and walnuts on it."
Upon hearing the word "chestnuts," Jiang Si swallowed hard and asked curiously, "Are walnuts as delicious as chestnuts?"
Jiang Shu laughed and said, "How can you compare them? They're not the same at all."
Hearing Jiang Shu's words, Jiang He also came over and said, "Oh, the mountain was closed to the public the last few times we went in. I didn't expect we could go up this time. What's up there?"
Seeing that people were supporting him, Jiang Shu became even more eager to express himself, and began to describe things with great enthusiasm.
Ye Qingyun smiled and shook his head, then started sorting the grain with Grandma Jiang.
Grandma Jiang said, "While the weather is still warm these days, I'll make these bamboo shoots into dried bamboo shoots so we can eat them in winter."
Ye Qingyun: "Mom, that's what I was thinking too. We'll make those old ones into pickled bamboo shoots."
Grandma Jiang nodded, and while everyone was chatting, she asked, "Qingyun, what exactly is going on over there in the mountains? Does he still intend to continue doing that job?"
Ye Qingyun looked troubled.
"mom……"
She understood her husband's thoughts to some extent, but it wasn't her place to explain, so Ye Qingyun didn't say anything.
Grandma Jiang sighed, "I don't know what you're planning to do, but things have changed so much. If Dashan continues working there, won't he be assigned to dangerous jobs?"
Ye Qingyun hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Jiang Zhi listened quietly from the side.
Who wouldn't want a warm bed and a wife and kids?
Her father's decision to stay at the research institute was made after considering multiple factors.
Ye Qingyun replied dryly, "I don't know either, Dashan didn't tell me anything..."
Grandma Jiang looked at her disapprovingly, "Then tell him to take the day off and come back tonight. I want to ask him what his plans are."
Ye Qingyun had no choice but to agree.
Jiang Zhi listened to the whole thing, thinking about what her father had told her about Feng Yan's husband.
I always feel like there's a stone weighing on my heart.
A vague sense of foreboding stirred deep within me.
That evening, before Ye Qingyun could even make a call, the research institute called.
No one knows what was said on the other end, but Ye Qingyun's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly.
Everyone's hearts jumped into their throats.
After Ye Qingyun hung up the phone, everyone learned that Jiang Shan was to be sent on a special secret mission that would last for more than half a month.
Therefore, the base specially exempted their family from mandatory labor.
For some reason, Jiang Zhi suddenly thought of what Luo Yonghui had mentioned about going to Hunan Province.
Upon hearing this news, Grandma Jiang had a bad feeling: "What kind of secret operation is it? Is it dangerous? If it is, tell him not to go."
Grandpa Jiang stood up. "Qingyun, explain yourself clearly. Dashan is just an ordinary person. Why would the base send him to do any special work?"
Ye Qingyun was also stunned by the news and completely lost her composure. "I...I don't know either. Dashan just felt that the more special the time, the more crucial information we could obtain, so he never resigned..."
As he continued, Ye Qingyun became increasingly uneasy.
She didn't reveal the key information.
The couple agreed that they would wait until Jiang Shan determined whether the person was hostile towards them before making any plans.
She never expected such a strange thing to happen.
Grandma Jiang was extremely anxious. "What should we do? The weather changes every day. What if it gets cold when Da Shan is doing something? Has anyone said what it is?"
Ye Qingyun shook his head, "The research institute said it was a classified mission, so we have no way of knowing."
Upon hearing this, everyone became even more worried.
Normally it wouldn't be a problem.
It just so happens to be at this time...
Jiang Shu gritted his teeth: "Mom, Grandma, don't worry, I'll go over there right now and find out what happened."
“Wait a minute,” Jiang Zhi stopped her, “Let’s ask Uncle Luo first, maybe he knows something.”
Jiang Shu slapped his forehead. "Oh right, how could I forget about Uncle Luo? Ah Zhi, hurry, let's ask him now."
Jiangzhi dialed the number on the other end.
Luo Yonghui said as soon as he opened his mouth, "Jiang girl, I knew you would call me."
Jiang Zhi paused, avoiding her family's tense gazes, "Uncle Luo, what do you mean by this?"
The other person said, "Don't tell me you didn't know your dad's name was on our list too."
really.
This is the source of my anxiety.
Jiang Zhi took a deep breath. "Uncle Luo, I was just about to ask you this: my dad is just an ordinary person, so why was he assigned to such a special mission?"
Luo Yonghui sensed the unease in Jiang Zhi's voice and said seriously, "I don't know the specifics either. It's possible that your father has been in the limelight lately, solving many problems for the base, so as soon as someone mentioned your father's name, the higher-ups approved it..."
Jiang Zhi frowned. "Even if someone makes a suggestion, shouldn't the person involved give their consent first?"
Her father couldn't possibly be unaware of how dangerous this mission was.
Luo Yonghui said, "Jiang girl, as far as I know, it seems your father didn't refuse."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback. "What!?"
Suddenly remembering something, she quickly asked, "Uncle Luo, do you know who nominated my father to go?"
Luo Yonghui seemed to have asked on her behalf, and then said, "It's Gu Kaizhi, the captain of the Seventh Squad."
The name momentarily stunned Jiang Zhi.
—It really was him!
Jiang Zhi knew without even thinking that it was the other party's purpose.
But there's still some uncertainty.
If the other party really wanted to retaliate, they wouldn't need to go through all this trouble. They could have just taken advantage of the Jiang family members when they went out of the city to gather resources.
unless……
Jiang Zhi's eyes flashed.
Unless the other party's target is someone who is a mutant...
I hung up the phone.
Jiang Zhi didn't look well.
Ye Qingyun asked anxiously, "Azhi, have you found out what happened?"
Jiang Zhi concealed the matter from Gu Kaizhi, only saying that it was a decision made by higher authorities.
Upon hearing this, Grandma Jiang immediately asked, "Can it still be changed?"
Jiang Zhi didn't answer. Her mind raced for a moment before she finally said, "Mom, my older brother and I are going to see Dad and ask him what's going on!"
*
The brother and sister went straight to the research institute with heavy hearts.
Upon hearing that it was very likely Gu Kaizhi who was behind it, Jiang Shu almost ground his teeth to powder.
"Birds of a feather flock together, this is never going to end. Are we going to have to deal with the old man too after we've dealt with the man?!"
Jiang Zhi: "Brother, don't be angry. Gu Kaizhi is the captain of the exploration team now. He's using an open strategy, and we can't do anything about him for the time being."
Jiang Shu was unwilling to give up. "Are we just going to let this go like this?"
"Of course not!" Jiang Zhi was just as disgusted with this kind of thing as Jiang Shu, but she suppressed it. "Brother, when we get to the research institute, don't say anything yet. Wait until I find out the situation before you cooperate with me."
Jiang Shu took a few deep breaths, finally managing to catch his breath before nodding, "Okay!"
The two arrived at the research institute soon.
The staff member who guarded the entrance to the research institute's office building during the day was replaced by a young man.
Seeing that the two did not have work permits, they refused to let them pass.
Jiang Shu was in a panic: "Comrade, please inform your leader that Comrade Jiang Shan's children have something important to discuss with him."
The staff member refused, saying, "I'm sorry, the leaders are in an important meeting right now, and it's not convenient for us to announce it."
Jiang Shu pleaded in a humble voice, "We really have something very important to discuss, please, have mercy on us..."
The staff member remained expressionless and refused, saying, "Sorry."
Jiang Shu tried everything to reason with him, but all he got in return was the same answer: "No." Finally, he couldn't help but yell, "My dad's love rival is coming to our door! If my dad loses his wife and I lose my mother, can you take responsibility for that?!"
Jiang Shu's loud shout caused an eerie silence to fall over the scene.
Jiang Zhi: ...There's no need to go to such lengths.
At this moment, the staff's testing device suddenly rang. After answering the call, the other party responded a few times and then looked at Jiang Shu and his sister with complicated emotions.
After hanging up the phone, the other party said, "You can go in now."
The brother and sister were taken aback. It was that simple?
As Jiang Shu walked towards his office, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have said what I just said..."
Jiang Zhi was speechless: "Be careful with your legs when you get back."
As soon as the brother and sister went up to the 6th floor, they saw a soldier in military uniform waiting at the door.
"My two colleagues, Mr. Jiang and Colonel Xiao are waiting for you in the conference room. Please follow me."
The brother and sister looked at each other in bewilderment.
...What's going on here?
Seeing the soldier leading the way, the two quickly followed.
We soon arrived at the conference room at the end of the 6th floor.
Upon entering, one sees Jiang Shan sitting at a round conference table that seats twenty people.
Jiang Shan was somewhat surprised to see Jiang Zhi and the other person. He stood up and said, "Zhi, Da Shu, what brings you here?"
Before the brother and sister could reply, the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat laughed and said, "Comrade Jiang, we heard that your rival in love has arrived, so your two children came here specifically to inform you."
Jiang Shu blushed after being told that.
But he wasn't shy at all. Instead, he deliberately complained, "Dad, how dare you say that? We were so worried when we heard you were sent on some special mission. Why didn't you discuss it with the family before you went?"
As she spoke, she glanced at the middle-aged man opposite her.
Jiang Shan sighed helplessly, "Big Tree, this is my job. What kind of behavior is this?"
After saying that, he smiled apologetically at Xiao Feng: "Colonel Xiao, I'm sorry, we've spoiled the two kids. They don't know their place."
Xiao Feng didn't speak, but simply flipped through the documents in his hand. "Jiang Zhi, female, 23 years old, Level 1 mutant; Jiang Shu, male, 25 years old, Level 1 mutant whose mental strength is stronger than his physical strength. Hmm... his mental strength has reached Level 3, very good."
After sealing the documents, Xiao Feng smiled and said, "Comrade Jiang Shan, your children are very promising."
He used an affirmative sentence.
Jiang Shan gave a simple, honest smile.
But I felt a little nervous.
The moment his name was mentioned, Jiang Shan knew he had been framed.
The person who plotted against him could only be Gu Kaizhi.
It is said that it is easy to dodge a gunshot, but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow.
Gu Kaizhi's approach was far smarter than that woman Feng Yan's. This was a straightforward and aboveboard scheme, and even if they knew the other party was doing it intentionally, there was nothing they could do about it.
Xiao Feng smiled slightly and continued, "After the Great Cataclysm, a large number of talents were lost. Currently, there are only three architecture professors from Ancheng University in the base, plus Comrade Jiang Shan, making a total of four."
"Some tasks are unavoidable for the development of the base. What Comrade Jiang Shan has been doing at the research institute is also a very important task for the base. Moreover, he has achieved results. For example, the No. 15 collection area was found with the help of Comrade Jiang Shan."
Xiao Feng's words left the brother and sister looking at each other in surprise. They had thought their father was just casually doing logistics work, but they never expected him to have accomplished such a great thing.
But neither the brother nor sister spoke. The other party had laid such a long groundwork; it certainly wasn't simple.
Sure enough, after a moment's pause, Xiao Feng looked at Jiang Zhi and her brother: "We chose Comrade Jiang Shan to participate in this mission after a comprehensive evaluation. Don't worry, although the risk is relatively high this time, the team we sent is also top-notch and will prioritize protecting your father."
Jiang Zhi opened her mouth, about to say something, when Jiang Shan cleared his throat and interrupted her, saying, "Colonel Xiao, the children are young and don't understand. Please don't take it to heart. Just proceed as planned."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu became somewhat anxious: "Dad..."
Jiang Zhi suddenly said, "Dad, Mom said she doesn't agree to you going. If you go, she won't live with you anymore."
Jiang Shan looked at his youngest daughter with some surprise.
Jiang Shan couldn't possibly be unaware of the personality of the person he shared a bed with.
But his daughter was rarely reckless, and she would suddenly say something like that. Jiang Shan thought about it and guessed what Jiang Zhi wanted to do.
But this made him hesitate for a moment.
Xiao Feng assumed the two children wanted something in return, so he said, "Comrade Jiang, I know that Comrade Jiang's absence has caused trouble for your family. How about this, if you have any difficulties, just tell us, and maybe the base can help."
Jiang Zhi was overjoyed; this was exactly what she had been waiting for.
Jiang Zhi: "Colonel Xiao, we don't want any benefits, we just want to know if my brother and I can come along too. We're not afraid of hardship."
Jiang Shan, who was standing to the side, also realized that this girl had been planning this all along!
I felt both annoyed and amused.
He put on a stern face, "Nonsense, this is a special mission for the base. Are you playing house? You two are going together."
After reprimanding them, Jiang Shan apologized to Xiao Feng, "I'm sorry, Colonel Xiao, these two kids have been spoiled by us and don't know their place. Please don't take it to heart."
Jiang Zhi wanted to try again: "Colonel Xiao, my brother and I are both mutants, and we even spent three years outside the base. Maybe we can help if we go with us."
Xiao Feng stared at Jiang Zhi, seeing the stubbornness in the girl's eyes, and sighed: "Comrade Jiang, to tell you the truth, this operation does have certain risks, and it is also crucial for the base. It is not very realistic for you to go with us."
"But don't worry, Comrade Jiang Shan is very important to the base construction, and we will definitely arrange the best soldiers to protect him."
Jiang Zhi was somewhat unwilling.
She couldn't bear to leave her father alone in the wilderness facing Gu Kaizhi.
She couldn't help but wink at her father, hoping he could say a few words in her defense.
Jiang Shan pretended not to see it.
The danger of this mission is self-evident. Even if Gu Kaizhi hadn't participated, his safe return would have been uncertain.
He didn't want the two children involved.
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a voice suddenly broke in. "Colonel Xiao, I think these two young men are quite capable. I think we should take them out for some training. After all, the base needs fresh blood."
That sound...
Jiang Zhi turned her head and saw the face of a strange man.
Jiang Shan's expression changed slightly when he saw the newcomer. "Captain Gu, I remember your team is full?"
The brother and sister exchanged a glance—
It turns out that this person was Gu Kaizhi.
Gu Kaizhi laughed heartily: "Comrade Jiang Shan, I heard that your son has amazing superpowers and can see things a kilometer away. If he could join our operation, it would be a great help."
Jiang Zhi frowned slightly upon hearing this.
This person... is not what I imagined.
Like a smiling tiger.
He had a smile on his face, but every word he said sent chills down your spine.
Saying that your son has amazing superpowers is just blatantly implying that I know everything about your situation.
Xiao Feng's brow relaxed slightly upon hearing this.
“Comrades Jiang, I understand your request, but this is not a small matter. I have to report it to my superiors. Of course, if Captain Gu is willing to accept you into their exploration team, it will be much easier.”
Just as Jiang Shan was about to refuse, Jiang Zhi said, "Then I'll have to trouble Colonel Xiao."
After Xiao Feng left.
Gu Kaizhi smiled at the father and his two sons: "Then, Comrade Xiao Jiang, I hope to hear good news about you joining us in a few days."
The brother and sister exchanged a glance but neither spoke.
Gu Kaizhi didn't mind, smiled, and left.
When only the family of three remained present.
The brother and sister both turned to look at Jiang Shan.
Jiang Shu: "Dad, is this the person you were talking about before?"
Jiang Shan nodded.
"He's more difficult to deal with than that woman, Feng Yan."
For a moment, the scene became somewhat quiet.
All three of them had mixed feelings.
After a moment, Jiang Zhi suddenly spoke up: "Dad, even if he wants to take revenge on us, I don't regret what I did before."
Jiang Shan's previously serious expression relaxed.
He patted his daughter's head and said, "Yes, Dad doesn't regret it either."
Jiang Shan reassured them, "Don't worry, this mission is being carried out by the main force. Even if the other side wants to scheme against me, they won't succeed so easily. Besides, the base will send soldiers to protect me."
In the end, Jiang Shan also felt how pale these words of comfort were.
Gu Kaizhi's purpose was naked and straightforward.
What do you mean by joining their team? This is just a blatant trap they're setting for them to fall into!
But they simply couldn't do anything about the other side.
This made Jiang Zhi feel extremely aggrieved.
She took a deep breath. "Dad, my older brother and I will go with you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Shu chimed in, "That's right, the three of us are still better than you alone, no matter what!"
Jiang Shan sighed inwardly.
He didn't want his children to take the risk with him, but he also didn't want to hurt them, so he said, "Even if you want to go, you need permission from above."
Seeing the sullen expressions on the brother and sister's faces, Jiang Shan laughed and said, "Alright, don't look so unhappy. It's not a big deal."
Jiang Zhi felt a bitter taste in her mouth, mixed with an indescribable emotion.
My dad is always like this.
It was as if even the biggest problems were trivial matters to him.
Her father is the head of their family...
Because he was scheduled to depart in a few days, Jiang Shan was granted permission to go home and rest for a few days.
On the way, Jiang Shan said to the brother and sister, "I will talk to your mother about this myself. As for the others, just agree to whatever I say, understand?"
This is something they're trying to keep from their family.
Jiang Shu pouted, "Grandpa told you before not to hide anything from the family. If he finds out, you'll definitely get scolded..."
Jiang Shan slapped him across the face. "Your grandparents are so old. Do you want them to live in constant fear?"
Jiang Shu fell silent.
When he got home, Jiang Shan only said that the base was doing some preparatory work to lower the temperature when faced with the questions from the old lady and the others.
The excuse was perfectly valid, and the Jiang family visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing it.
Grandma Jiang: "As long as it's not dangerous, it's fine. But the base must be working very hard on all this preparation work, right? Are they giving us any benefits?"
Jiang Shan smiled and said, "Here you go, but you'll have to wait until after it's over."
Grandma Jiang said repeatedly, "Give it to me, it's best if you can refuse, but if you can't refuse, giving me some benefit is fine too."
Since experiencing her previous low point, Grandma Jiang has always felt that it doesn't matter if life is a little tough, as long as the whole family is safe and sound.
That evening, no one knew what Jiang Shan said to Ye Qingyun, but the siblings could tell from their mother's demeanor that she didn't seem worried.
The two reasonably suspected that Jiang Shan had even kept it from their mother.
The brother and sister were both having doubts about this matter.
After everyone had rested, Jiang Shu secretly knocked on Jiang Zhi's door.
The two of them secretly hid in the house and discussed Jiang Shan's matter.
"A-Zhi, what are you thinking?"
Jiang Shu felt a chill run down his spine whenever he thought of Gu Kaizhi's smiling tiger-like appearance.
"Brother, if I told you I could find a way for both of us to go with Dad, would you go?"
Without hesitation, Jiang Shu replied, "Of course I'll go! How could I be left out of this?"
Jiang Zhi nodded: "We're going over there not only to protect Dad, but also to see if Gu Kaizhi will make a move against us."
"If we can, it's perfect for a counterattack; the open field is more convenient than the base. If we can't... well, that's for the best."
Jiang Shu was stunned when he heard this.
He stared blankly at Jiang Zhi.
"A-Zhi, you..."
Jiang Zhi knew why he was looking at her like that. She met Jiang Shu's eyes and asked, "Brother, do you think I'm scary?"
Feng Yan's incident happened because she was forced into a corner.
But Gu Kaizhi's situation was different from that of that time.
Jiang Shu hesitated for a moment, then said, "No, it's just... a little uncomfortable."
They used to live in a peaceful environment, but not anymore.
Jiang Shu knew very well that this era was one where the strong were respected, and the reason they were still able to live peacefully was because of the order established by the base.
But in private, the strong still wield significant influence. Just like the Xiao Feng they saw today.
Jiang Zhi said calmly, "Brother, think about it, what if Dad goes this time and doesn't come back..."
Jiang Shu spat, "Azhi, don't curse Dad."
Jiang Zhi stopped talking.
Jiang Shu scratched his head: "Azhi, you know I'll support you no matter what you do. We agreed to solve anything together."
A touch of warmth touched my heart.
Her silly brother.
"Hmm, I guess Dad didn't want us to come along, otherwise he would have made a request to Colonel Xiao during the day."
Jiang Shu also felt that his father didn't want them to go with him: "Then what should we do? Do you have any ideas on how we can go together?"
Jiang Zhi gave him a "watch closely" look and then directly called Luo Yonghui.
"Uncle Luo, didn't you tell me to go to Hunan Province with my brother? Does that mean it doesn't count?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Yonghui exclaimed happily, "Your brother is willing to come with us? Your parents agreed?"
Their team was short two people, and they originally wanted to use substitutes, but then Jiang Zhi called.
Jiang Zhi's words were ambiguous: "There's nothing we can do, winter is just around the corner."
Luo Yonghui had initially been somewhat skeptical of Jiang Zhi's words, but upon hearing this, he immediately believed her to some extent.
After all, everyone is worried about winter. With so many people in the Jiang family, they should seize the opportunity to stock up on more supplies.
Even they were hoping to obtain some resources for the winter through this mission.
"Okay, I'll submit the report right now."
Jiang Zhi quickly said, "Wait a minute, Uncle Luo, I want to go too. My brother said he's scared to go alone and wants me to go with him."
Jiang Shu: ...His sister's excuse is just unbelievable.
Luo Yonghui laughed in exasperation: "Is he a child? With all of us here, he's still scared? Jiang girl, your excuse is so flimsy!"
Jiang Zhi said slowly, "Uncle Luo, do you think my brother is reliable? My mother won't feel at ease if only my brother goes."
Jiang Shu: ...I feel like something's off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
That reason is plausible.
Luo Yonghui hesitated for a moment, then, remembering that Jiang Zhidian had been the one to spot the previous warnings, he finally agreed. After all, there were exactly two spots available.
"Okay, I'll report your names first. But let's be clear, if the higher-ups think your qualifications aren't up to par and don't approve it, there's nothing I can do."
Jiang Zhi: "Isn't my brother also a Level 1 ability user? There's no reason why he can do it but I can't."
Luo Yonghui choked.
Can these be the same?
The ginger tree's special abilities are still quite useful in the wild.
Luo Yonghui had no choice but to say:
"Alright, I'll try my best. If the report is approved, we need to leave at four o'clock the day after tomorrow. I'll send you a packing list later, and you can prepare accordingly."
After Jiang Zhi responded, she asked another question, "Uncle Luo... I wonder what your relationship is like with Captain Gu?"
"Normally, why?"
Jiang Zhi let out a long sigh, "Our family had some conflicts with him before..."
Luo Yonghui: "I thought it was something serious. Don't worry, he wouldn't dare to do anything to me."
With those words, Jiang Zhi was completely relieved.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Shu gave her a thumbs up, "Awesome! Aren't you afraid he'll ask our parents about it?"
Jiang Zhi calmly replied, "Let's find it first."
Jiang Shu admired this mentality immensely.
"Then how should we talk to Mom about it?"
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips. "Let me think about it."
Jiang Shu looked at her warily: "Don't even think about using me as a shield. I would never do something like that, or my mom would definitely beat me to death when I get back."
Jiang Zhi glanced at him and said, "You could never kill me, no matter how hard you try."
Ginger Tree: ...
Finally, the brother and sister discussed the details for a while before going back to their room to sleep.
The next day, Jiang Shan did not go to work. Perhaps knowing that he would be away from home for a long time, Jiang Shan cherished the opportunity to spend time with his family.
Ye Qingyun hadn't seen her husband for so long, and she felt he looked thinner, so she insisted on cooking him a good meal.
I directly cut off a piece of smoked pork belly and stir-fried it with bamboo shoots and steamed pork with rice flour.
Grandma Jiang felt sorry for her son, but also for the food supplies.
He said to Ye Qingyun, "After today, let's cook fewer elaborate dishes. At this rate, no matter how many we eat, it won't be enough."
Ye Qingyun was a little embarrassed: "Mom, Dashan is going to work in a closed office tomorrow, so I just wanted to give him some extra nutrition."
Grandma Jiang quickly said, "Oh, I know. I also feel sorry for Dashan. We should take stock of our food again later and make a plan."
Ye Qingyun agreed.
On this day, Jiang Zhi and her brother were so well-behaved that even Jiang He found it strange.
"You two siblings aren't going out today? Didn't you agree with that Zhang boy was going to find some mutated peanuts?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu exclaimed, "Oh dear!"
I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot about it.
He was just about to go to the Zhang family to inform them when, as if on cue, Cao Cao appeared.
Zhang Ji and his wife came to visit: "Jiang Shu, can we go today?"
Knowing that he would be leaving for Hunan Province in two days, Jiang Shu felt embarrassed to stand the other party up again, and quickly said, "Okay, okay."
The brother and sister quickly tidied up and went out with Zhang Ji.
Because the other party did not invite Niu Dali and his wife, Jiang Zhi and her brother did not invite them this time.
Once they were outside the city gates, the brother and sister realized that the sunflower field Zhang Ji had mentioned was not among the more than ten collection areas in the base.
It is the field area between collection area 9 and collection area 10.
Knowing the exact location, Jiang Shu couldn't help but take a second look at Zhang Ji.
—I never expected that this seemingly thin, small, and unremarkable creature would be so bold as to venture outside the designated gathering area.
Fortunately, it wasn't far from the base. After walking to the No. 9 collection area, turn in and walk for half an hour along the mutated elm trees that have no attack capabilities.
The small patch of sunflowers that Zhang Ji mentioned was inconspicuous among the generally gigantic plants, no wonder no one noticed it.
The mutated sunflower did not grow to a giant size like other plants; the flower was half the size, but the sunflower seeds inside were more than twice the size of the original.
There were twice as many leaves as before, so dense that the ground was completely obscured.
The plants here are somewhat different from what I remembered about ginger twigs.
Next to the sunflower grove, a few scattered yellow wild chrysanthemums, each larger than a face, grew.
Its stem is remarkably slender, covered with fine, downy hairs, which, due to its gigantic size, resemble tentacles. The oblong leaves have pinnately lobed edges, and occasionally one or two leaves have serrated edges, making them look like tiny saws from a distance.
The most mutated part is the flower core. The original honeycomb-like grid of the flower core has been replaced by a folded inner wall, which is filled with sucker-like protrusions. Ginger Tree has good eyesight and can even see the tentacle-like hairs capturing flying mutated insects and stuffing them directly into the mouth-like flower core.
As soon as Jiang Zhi approached the sunflower grove, she heard a warning sound from the dashboard—
"Warning: There are five level-four mutated plants 300 meters away. Their attack range is within 100 meters. Please move away as soon as possible."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback when she heard the attack range—
The dashboard... has been upgraded again?
Previously, at the giant oak tree, they only reminded us of the mutated creature's level, but now they've even given us its attack range.
However, Jiang Zhi wasn't too surprised.
Just yesterday, the energy in the ginkgo leaves she had obtained from the mutated snake's nest had been completely absorbed and rendered useless.
As a result, his mental strength increased significantly.
Before she could speak, Zhang Ji said, "The mutated wild chrysanthemums over there can attack people, so let's not get too close."
The couple seemed very familiar with the place.
Jiang Shu said, "Did you pick the melon seeds here before?"
Zhang nodded, feeling extremely embarrassed.
Jiang Shu looked at the shepherd's purse with its blood-scarred white flowers blooming on the boulder not far away. The stamens inside were twisted into fleshy strips, and the tendrils around it had transparent eyeballs at their tips, which turned from time to time, as if they were staring intently at everything that passed by.
In such harsh conditions, this couple actually dared to snatch food from the tiger's mouth—
Jiang Shu gave a thumbs up: "What a talent!"
Even though he held the mutated tortoise shell in his hand, which could generate a protective shield at any time, Jiang Shu still felt scared when he looked at these excessively twisted mutated creatures.
This couple clearly wasn't there for the first time.
Zhang Ji thought they were scared, so he quickly said, "Don't worry, these mutated creatures don't attack large units. As long as they don't go beyond that elm tree, they'll be safe."
Jiang Zhi asked, "How did you know?"
Zhang Ji said with a smile, "When we first arrived here, we saw those mutated creatures and guessed that they would attack people, so we used stones to probe them little by little."
That being said, Jiang Zhi still admired the couple. Ordinary people would have run away long ago upon seeing these mutated creatures, but Zhang Ji and his wife managed to test the safety line.
Jiang Shu: "Aren't you afraid?"
“I’m scared!” Zhang Ji said. “But my mother said that these are all plants, and their roots are in the soil. As long as we stay far away, we won’t be attacked.”
Jiang Shu: ...That makes perfect sense.
He said that Zhang Ji and his wife didn't seem like people with their own opinions, but it turned out that the team was led by the big boss, Zhang's wife.
Jiang Zhi looked around and found that this mutated plant was particularly mutated.
It was much more serious than anything they had seen in the wild before.
It's unclear whether this is a problem specific to this area, or if biological mutations will become increasingly severe over time.
That small sunflower grove was less than an acre in size, and the surrounding plants were mutated so drastically that they could only move within a range of two or three meters. Further in, they would enter the territory of level four mutated plants.
You can see that the sunflower seeds within the safe range are mostly empty.
I picked a few ginger berries to look at, and they were all hollow.
Zhang Ji was a little embarrassed. "We've picked all the ginger trees."
They came here hoping to try their luck and find some mutated peanuts.
Jiang Zhi: "Brother, check if there are any peanuts on the ground."
The benefits of the ginger tree's supernatural abilities became apparent at this time.
He habitually swept the ground around, knowing without lifting a finger whether they had what they wanted.
There's nothing here.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji and his wife were immediately disappointed.
They didn't know what Jiang Shu's special ability was, but they weren't giving up. "Should we look for him again?"
Jiang Zhi and her brother exchanged a glance but remained silent.
There were indeed no mutated peanuts in this sunflower field, but it was still a bit unfair that they had come all this way for nothing.
Jiang Shu looked out towards the area of level four plants and found it to be a large swamp.
The area is so vast that even with Jiang Shu's current mental strength, he cannot explore it all.
The dangers of swamps are self-evident.
Putting aside the mutated creatures hiding inside, the swamp itself is terrifying enough to instill fear in people.
Jiang Shu was about to look away.
Suddenly, I saw many mud holes the size of bowls at the edge of the swamp.
The familiar scene made him glance at it a few more times.
After seeing the situation clearly, I couldn't help but take a breath.
There were many freshly dug mud balls piled up on the mud holes of various sizes, with a few bits of shrimp whiskers still stuck to the edges.
When Jiang Shu was a child, he often went to the muddy river in the village to catch crayfish, and he knew best what the mud holes and mud balls represented.
Jiang Zhi noticed his unusual behavior. "Brother, what's wrong?"
Jiang Shu exclaimed excitedly, "A-Zhi! There are mutated crayfish over there!"
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