Chapter 59
Jiang Shuxin was unwilling to give up, "If we had known that these chilies would sell so well, we would have come here first."
Jiang Zhi also loves spicy food, so she asked Ye Qingyun, "Mom, do you want a smaller one?"
Ye Qingyun thought that it was uncertain whether the place would still be open after winter, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Let's pick them all."
So the family of three went back and picked all the Erjingtiao trees that had been gnawed by insects or were still green.
"Mom, there are still quite a few small chili peppers ahead, let's go over there."
Ye Qingyun looked up and saw that there were indeed quite a few.
In a whole chili pepper field, the most abundant planted are small red chilies.
Although many of them are still bare, they are much better than the inconsistent quality of the Erjingtiao tea from before.
The tiny chili peppers, about the size of a finger, hung densely on the chili pepper branches, creating a striking red and green contrast.
Jiang Shu, being greedy, grabbed a handful of small chili peppers by their stems and yanked them hard. Half of the peppers broke off, and the spiciness immediately filled his nostrils, causing tears to stream down his face.
Jiang Shu felt as if chili oil had been poured into his eyes, burning and scorching. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, and he frowned and grimaced, his whole face contorted in pain.
It was so ridiculous that Jiang Zhi couldn't help but laugh.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu angrily exclaimed, "A-Zhi, you're still laughing! Screech—screech! Come help me! Oh my god, will this mutated chili pepper blind me?!"
Ye Qingyun was both angry and anxious. He took a bottle of water out of his backpack and said, "Hurry up and wash up. You unlucky kid, you're always causing trouble!"
After Jiang Shu washed his eyes haphazardly, they finally felt a little better, but they were still red.
"No wonder it's a mutated chili pepper; it's as hot as the super spicy Indian chili peppers!"
Jiang Zhi also found the mutated millet peppers extremely spicy; she hadn't even picked a few handfuls before her fingertips were burning.
Unable to bear it any longer, the family had to put on gloves and continue picking.
Soon, the basket was filled with the three varieties of chili peppers. The green, purple, and red peppers were crammed together, mixed with the unique spiciness of the peppers, giving people a sense of satisfaction.
Finally, Ye Qingyun said, "Alright, let's save some money. We still have a lot to buy later. Let's go pay the bill."
After going through the process of queuing, weighing, scanning, and paying, I finally spent over two thousand points to get a basket of chili peppers.
Perhaps it's because everyone knows that winter is coming.
Everyone put in their best effort to spend all the points they had.
Jiang Zhi and her group had already seen at least ten other people shopping like them.
Ye Qingyun muttered to himself, "How come I never knew there were so many rich people?"
Jiang Shu: "Mom, how can this be the same? What time is it? This is called going all in!"
Ye Qingyun chuckled: "Oh, you use idioms quite well."
Jiang Shu: "That's right!"
Jiang Zhi was just glad that she had asked Luo Yonghui for points beforehand, otherwise they might not have been able to afford to buy food.
The three of them carried baskets on their backs and headed northwest together. Soon they saw a large pond of about twenty acres lying in the middle. From a distance, it looked lush and green, with a few old willow trees growing crookedly along its banks. Water chestnut leaves floated on the surface of the water, and occasionally a fist-sized mutant dragonfly would buzz around, creating ripples in the water.
Jiang Shu asked excitedly, "A-Zhi, do you think there are any fish in this pond?"
He hasn't eaten fish in a long time.
Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes at him, "Why don't you use your abilities to see?"
Jiang Shu slapped his forehead. "I had completely forgotten that I have superpowers."
He used his supernatural abilities to look for a while, and then said with disappointment, "It's all moss and lotus roots."
They had bought fifty jin of lotus root from Han Lei before, which was much cheaper than here, so they weren't as excited this time.
When I passed by, I noticed that quite a few people were going into the water to collect lotus roots.
Jiang Shu was itching to buy some too, and wanted to tell his mother to buy some as well, but seeing Ye Qingyun's unhurried expression, he decided against it.
Before leaving, I glanced at the price of the mutated lotus root and saw that it was more expensive than the ones I had bought before, so I felt relieved.
Jiang Shu dreamt, "If only we had more points, we could buy the whole place and not be afraid of even a ten-year winter!"
Ye Qingyun cursed, "You little brat, can't you speak properly? Ten years? Even one year is unbearable!"
Jiang Shu chuckled, "Mom, don't get angry. I was just saying it casually. There's no way there would really be a ten-year winter."
The three chatted as they traveled, and soon found the place where garlic was grown according to the markings in the map.
Garlic is an indispensable part of the Chinese diet.
At least the Jiang family misses him very much.
In the past, garlic was a staple in stir-fries, but in recent years, it has been nowhere to be seen.
Before we even reached the garlic field, we saw two lines of people queuing at the entrance.
Jiang Shu was anxious. "Mom, hurry! I see there's only this much garlic in the field. We need to go buy some as soon as possible."
Ye Qingyun was also anxious. Their main purpose in coming here was to get these side dishes, and now they were really out of them. Even if they still had food at home, their quality of life would be reduced by half.
They must have made a little money recently, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered buying garlic, something that satisfies their appetite.
The three quickened their pace and rushed out, but as soon as they got closer, the garlic smell was so strong it made their heads spin!
You should know that they were already dizzy and lightheaded from the choking even before they got inside.
Jiang Zhi pinched her nose. "Mom, this mutant garlic has such a strong smell. Will the dishes made with it still be edible?"
"Yes? Why not?" Ye Qingyun said confidently, "Look at how many people are queuing up. If they couldn't eat it, why would they be queuing up?"
That's true.
Jiang Shu pinched his nose and said, "This garlic smells so pungent, it's even stronger than the chives we picked before."
To be honest, even though his mother has been using chopped chives as a side dish lately, which has a unique flavor, it still feels like something is missing. After all, it's something carefully selected by our ancestors, and Jiang Shu still thinks that garlic is the authentic flavor.
Perhaps because the mutated garlic has such a strong smell, people don't buy many; some buy twenty or thirty cloves, while others only buy five or six.
Jiang Zhi glanced at the wooden sign: "Mutant garlic, 15 points per pound."
The price is also very reasonable!
Jiang Shu: "So cheap! Mom, let's stock up!"
The auntie in front of him heard Jiang Shu's words, turned around and glanced at him. Seeing Ye Qingyun nod in agreement, she couldn't help but say, "Sister, one small clove of this mutated garlic is enough for several meals. There's no need to hoard so much."
Ye Qingyun was a little incredulous, but knowing that there were many intricacies involved in matters of public welfare, she quickly asked, "Big sister, we've never used this mutated garlic before. You said a small clove can last for several meals, but how do we cook it? We can't just cut a small piece and stir-fry it repeatedly, can we?"
The auntie laughed and said, "There's no need for all that trouble. Just soak this mutated garlic in water for a few hours, and one small clove will make a whole pot. When you're cooking, just pour some garlic water into the dish, and the taste will be almost the same as before."
The three of them suddenly realized.
The wisdom of the working people is indeed boundless.
No wonder no one bought much; according to this auntie, a large head of garlic can indeed last a long time.
Having learned another trick, Ye Qingyun was very happy and repeatedly said, "Thank you, Auntie."
"Don't mention it."
When it was the three of them's turn to go in, they tacitly took out small shovels and started digging nearby.
The soil around the garlic plant is dark black, and it looks very plump!
The garlic sprouts were planted in neat rows, growing wildly upwards, each one a meter tall.
The three of them squatted down, and the pungent smell of garlic mixed with the earthy odor immediately filled their nostrils.
Despite feeling dizzy, Jiang Zhi picked up a small shovel and carefully dug the soil from the side. After loosening the soil, she gently pulled out the garlic cloves by the bottom of the stalk. Soon, she dug out several garlic cloves covered in soil.
After listening to what the aunt had said, the three of them didn't try to get too much and stopped after digging up only about thirty.
These mutated garlic were cheap; they only cost me around 100 points at checkout.
All three of them felt it was well worth it.
Next to the garlic field, ginger and scallions were also planted, and the group bought quite a lot of them in one go.
Especially ginger, which can ward off the cold and save lives in winter, Ye Qingyun bought a lot of it.
There are quite a few people who share the same thoughts.
But the price of ginger is almost comparable to that of fruit, costing 55 points per pound.
Others might only buy a few kilograms for emergency use, but since their family has some spare money and there are more people in the family, they don't need to save on points anymore.
They only spent a hundred or so points on scallions and garlic, but for ginger, they bought a whole basketful and spent a total of 4,700 points.
Others who saw their extravagant lifestyle were filled with envy and jealousy.
But each district here has patrol teams, so no one dares to mess with them.
Ye Qingyun was the happiest of all. For a chef like her, having side dishes in hand was like a soldier having a gun; she couldn't be happier.
After buying all these things, it was already ten o'clock.
The brother and sister were alright, but Ye Qingyun was old and not a mutant, so he was exhausted.
She found a place to sit down and said, "Azhi, Dashu, sit down and have something to eat."
The three of them skipped breakfast in order to get in early and queue up.
The brother and sister readily agreed, putting their baskets down on the ground and sitting down as well.
There are many people like them; when they get tired, they sit down on the ground, rest, and then continue shopping.
Although the No. 1 collection area is very large, there are also many people at the base.
They hadn't realized it before, but this time at least a third of the base's personnel had been mobilized. Looking at the bustling crowds in the collection area, the three of them felt like they were strolling through the streets before the cataclysm.
Today's bento box contains rice balls made by Ye Qingyun, with dried earthworms containing low levels of toxins added to the rice balls with ginger branches and ginger trees.
"Mom, did you add low-level toxins to our jerky again?"
Ye Qingyun: "You're all growing, hurry up and eat."
Ye Qingyun had kept in mind the advice of his husband, Jiang Shan, that mutants should eat more foods with low levels of toxins to prevent genetic collapse.
So now the meals prepared for the brother and sister at home are all made separately, and some low-toxicity food is added to each meal.
With the seasons changing, we don't have enough low-toxin foods at home.
Ye Qingyun knew the truth about this matter perfectly well and had mentioned it to his siblings, but the two brats didn't take it seriously at all.
Jiang Shu believes that whether or not one's genes collapse is a matter of fate. If they collapse, it means one's fate is bad. He thinks he can live to be a hundred years old without any problem.
Jiang Zhi felt that her situation was different from that of the other mutants in the base, and that they would not be as prone to genetic collapse as other mutants.
But as a mother, Ye Qingyun couldn't help but take it seriously.
I've been discussing what to do with Jiang Shan privately for the past few days, but we haven't been able to come up with a solution.
So Ye Qingyun has been in a hurry lately.
Jiang Shu assumed his mother was going through menopause. He glanced at the atlas again and said, "Mom, what are we going to buy next? I saw some Sichuan peppercorns down the mountain over there, do you want to go?"
The items I have on hand are just the most basic ones; there are also star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, and cardamom.
But after scanning around, Jiang Shu only saw Sichuan peppercorns; other things like star anise were out of the question.
Ye Qingyun finished the rice ball in her hand in a few bites, then took a sip of water before saying, "Go, since you're already here."
So the three of them went to the foot of the hill at the edge of the No. 1 collection area.
Not many people go up the mountain here; there is only one path leading up from the bottom of the mountain.
As usual, staff members were sitting at the entrance collecting payments.
They didn't find a single Sichuan peppercorn they were looking for.
Ye Qingyun walked over and asked, "Comrade, the map book indicated that there are Sichuan peppercorns here, but I don't see them."
The staff member said lazily, "It's up in the mountains, you'll have to find it yourself."
Jiang Shu was dumbfounded—how was he supposed to find such a huge mountain?
But upon closer reflection, it makes sense.
After all, the things grown on the mountain are different from those grown on the ground, so they can't be separated into different areas.
Jiang Zhi glanced at it and found that the brochure marked many things on the mountain, including Sichuan peppercorns and bamboo shoots, which made it worth the trip.
Ye Qingyun said to the brother and sister, "Let's go, let's find it soon so we can buy some other things."
The three of them went up the mountain.
Once we got up there, we found that the vegetation on the mountain had been kept very clean and tidy by the staff at the base, without any of the messiness that comes with the wild.
Although there were some weeds, they were all below knee height, making it relatively easy to find food.
Ye Qingyun couldn't help but sigh, "I used to think that your grandpa and the others were just cowards. They couldn't even make ends meet, and they still wanted to find a job at the base to earn a living. But now, looking at Base No. 1, I realize that I was too naive."
"If I could get a job in this No. 1 collection area, my life wouldn't be too bad."
With such a large collection area, there are definitely many positions available. Just serving these vegetables would require thousands of people, not to mention the experimental staff.
In Ye Qingyun's eyes, the job here is similar to the one he worked in the canteen seventy or eighty years ago.
Putting everything else aside, there are always some employee benefits. Those vegetable leaves that have been eaten by insects, which the farm doesn't want, can be taken home by the employees and made quite a few people fat.
When Ye Qingyun mentioned this, Jiang Shu said, "Azhi, didn't you study botany before? When winter comes and you can't go out to collect samples, why don't you apply for a job at the base's plant research institute? Maybe you can find a job there."
Jiang Zhi glanced at her brother.
She finally didn't have to work after the disaster, but does this guy want her to continue living the 996 lifestyle?
The hills here are different from the Qiling Mountains they saw in Collection Area 8.
You can feel a cool breeze just by getting close to Qiling Mountain.
Nothing has changed here.
Even with the shade of the trees, the temperature remained high; it's just that my skin wasn't as painfully sunburned.
The three of them walked up the path, stepping on the mud and pebbles. Every now and then, wild branches would snag their trouser legs, and before they knew it, their trousers would have torn.
The valley was filled with the smell of plants mixed with the earthy odor, and in the distance, behind the desolate meadow, a few crooked trees stood forlornly.
There was absolutely no food in sight.
Jiang Shu, who was walking ahead, was dumbfounded: "Mom, there's nothing here."
As soon as Jiang Shu finished speaking, he felt dizzy.
He used his ability to scan the mountain and, sure enough, found something: "Mom, there are a few pepper trees halfway up the mountain, and lots of bamboo shoots nearby!"
Hearing that there were bamboo shoots, Ye Qingyun was delighted. "Then let's hurry up and go up."
The path leading up the mountain has been filled with stones, making it easy to walk on.
The three of them soon reached the halfway point of the mountain.
Sure enough, I saw a sparse bamboo grove, but no sign of Sichuan peppercorns.
"Big Tree, where is the Sichuan peppercorn you mentioned?"
"We still need to go up another ten meters or so."
Looking at the bamboo shoots covering the mountain, Ye Qingyun couldn't resist the urge to pick them, so he said, "Let's pick some bamboo shoots first, and then we can go up and find some Sichuan peppercorns later."
There was no one else in the bamboo grove. Jiang Zhi and her brother put down the baskets on their backs and began to look for bamboo shoots.
The greenish-brown bamboo shoots pushed the decaying leaves to pieces.
They are about the same size as before the mutation, but they grow very tall. Even the small ones are a meter tall, and they are covered with a fuzzy bamboo shoot husk.
Some are as thin as if they have just broken through the soil, their tender yellow tips looking crisp and fresh. Some are clinging to rocks, twisting and turning but still trying to push their way out; some are covered with a layer of brownish-purple bamboo shoot sheaths; some have already grown to half a person's height, their outer sheaths cracked open, revealing tender green bamboo flesh.
Jiang Zhi found a bamboo shoot that was about knee-high nearby.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be bamboo, and when you got close, it smelled fresh and wild.
Bamboo shoots only emerge in the summer, so it's a matter of luck to encounter them.
"Drip - Moderate toxicity, can be consumed in moderation."
Several samples were tested, and all of them showed moderate levels of toxins.
Jiang Zhi discovered that most of the mutated plants in this No. 1 collection area were moderately toxic.
Jiang Zhi felt genuine admiration; the staff at the base research institute were truly remarkable, managing to cultivate so many mutated plants into those with moderate toxins.
Putting aside other factors, the vegetation in this No. 1 collection area can at least alleviate some of the survival pressure on the base residents.
Jiang Zhi parted the withered grass underneath, grasped the bamboo shoot, and twisted it forcefully, snapping the bamboo shoot off at the root with a "snap".
The brother and sister were strong enough to break it apart with their bare hands.
But Ye Qingyun, being an ordinary person, didn't have that much strength.
When he encountered deeply rooted plants, Ye Qingyun simply picked up a machete and chopped them vigorously along the soil. Once he had chopped them down to a certain extent, he would break them apart with his hands and toss them into a bamboo basket. In no time, the basket would be overflowing.
There are too many; we can't collect them all.
It's a pity they all require points; otherwise, with their spatial devices, they could have wiped them all out in one fell swoop.
At this moment, Jiangzhi noticed that there were always several bees flying back and forth in the air above.
She found it a little strange, glanced at it twice, but didn't think much of it and continued looking for newly sprouted bamboo shoots.
Although the bamboo grove is not large, there are plenty of bamboo shoots. Jiang Shu, in his foodie mode, specifically targets the tender shoots that have just sprouted and haven't grown tall yet.
Once you find the crack where the bamboo shoot tip is emerging, insert the hoe diagonally along the edge of the shoot, and with a strong pry of your wrist, the freshly sprouted bamboo shoot will tumble out.
As the brother and sister grew faster and faster, more and more bamboo shoots piled up on the ground.
Ye Qingyun, worried that her wallet couldn't handle it, quickly stopped them, saying, "Alright, alright, bamboo shoots aren't a staple food, there's no need to buy too many."
The brother and sister should stop.
After gathering them up, I found that I had picked two large baskets full, weighing at least two or three hundred pounds.
Ye Qingyun felt a pang of heartache watching this. When picking the fruit, she only wanted to pick more, but when weighing it, she began to feel the pinch.
Some of the bamboo shoots were a bit old, clearly indicating that the kids hadn't picked them carefully. Ye Qingyun couldn't tell who had broken them, so he had to give both of them a lecture.
After picking most of the peppercorns, Ye Qingyun picked up a basket and said, "Let's go upstairs and find some Sichuan peppercorns."
The basket, weighing over a hundred pounds, made his shoulders ache, but Ye Qingyun didn't utter a sound.
I felt a lightness on my shoulders after taking only a couple of steps.
Jiang Shu: "Mom, give me the bamboo shoots, you're walking too slowly."
As Jiang Shu spoke, he stacked the two baskets vertically together, tied them tightly with hemp rope, and then carried them on his back.
Seeing that his son was sensible, Ye Qingyun felt very pleased and said, "You little rascal, you've got good judgment."
Jiang Shu snorted: "That's right, don't you know whose son I am?"
Ye Qingyun couldn't help but laugh.
The three joked and continued climbing for another ten meters or so, and sure enough, they saw several pepper trees growing on the right.
The branches were laden with fruit, bending under their weight like bows. The green peppercorns were densely packed together, some ripe and reddish, bursting open to reveal their glossy black seeds.
I plucked a branch from the ginger tree and smelled it; I didn't detect any particularly pungent odor.
Ye Qingyun watched from the side and laughed.
He said directly, "That's not how you choose Sichuan peppercorns."
She simply reached out and picked a small handful of Sichuan peppercorns.
He said to Jiang Zhi, "See? The best ones are bright red and translucent, with plump fruit that isn't shriveled or empty. As for the taste, they should have a strong numbing aroma and no strange smell to be authentic."
As Ye Qingyun spoke, he picked up a grain, put it in his mouth, and chewed it. Then he spat it out with a "pui pui pui" sound.
Jiang Shu walked over and asked, "What's going on? Could it be that we can't eat these mutated Sichuan peppercorns anymore?"
Ye Qingyun's tongue trembled from the numbness, but thankfully there was no bitter taste.
Ye Qingyun spat again before saying, "It's edible, but it makes my tongue feel numb. I'll have to use less of it when cooking in the future."
Ye Qingyun selected several bunches and put them into the basket.
Seeing that he was no longer needed, Jiang Shu turned his attention to the nearby jungle.
Far from the bamboo forest, this area is mostly overgrown with wild grass.
It seems that the base values the vegetation in the fields more than the plants in the mountains.
Jiang Shu, feeling utterly bored, swept the weeds in front of him with his bone stick, startling a few stray dogs into flight.
We haven't finished eating the mole crickets at home yet. The taste is hard to describe, but Ye Qingyun's cold mole cricket salad is pretty good.
Adhering to the principle that something is better than nothing, Jiang Shu caught one, but after testing, it was found to be highly toxic, so he had no choice but to release it.
Just as he was about to turn around, he saw the pole not far away and Jiang Shu was overjoyed.
"Ah Zhi! Look what I found!"
Jiang Zhi was picking Sichuan peppercorns with Ye Qingyun when she heard this and turned around to look. She was stunned when she saw what it was.
"Acid barrel rod?"
Jiang Shu was overjoyed. "That's right, it's a sourdough stick."
Before the brother and sister were brought back to the city, they would often run up to the foot of the mountain near Jiangjia Village to pick wild fruits to eat.
At that time, in addition to wild fruits, they also frequently destroyed sour berries.
The so-called sorrel bark, also known as tiger bark, gets its name from its spotted appearance, which resembles the stripes of a tiger.
This stuff can also be used in medicine; Grandpa Jiang often uses it as a medicinal ingredient.
But these kids just break the pieces and eat them directly.
At that time, the Jiang family was not well-off and had many children. The older generation did not have the habit of buying snacks for them.
The siblings treated the things on the mountain as snacks, and Japanese knotweed was one of them.
The old-fashioned pickled stalks were crunchy and unprocessed, so sour that they made your eyes squint, like biting into an unripe wild hawthorn. But after the sourness, a hint of sweetness seeped out, with a raw, grassy, earthy taste. The more you chewed, the more juice you got, and the aftertaste had a faint sweetness. It was so sour and addictive.
Ginger trees especially like it.
I wonder what the mutated acid barrel rod tastes like.
The sagebrush not far away has grown to half a person's height, its purplish-red stems segmented like thick bamboo joints. Its leaves are so wide they could be used as fans.
Jiang Shu walked over, spotted the tender shoots of the sour twig, and picked a section of the purplish-red stem covered with white frost.
With a quick snap, I caught the joint between my fingers and broke it off with a crisp "snap," a sticky sap oozing from the broken end. The severed stalk of the sourdough still carried the fresh, grassy smell of the grass.
As was his habit, Jiang Shu reached for the juice in the sour bucket, but as soon as his tongue touched the sour liquid, he shuddered and nearly had his soul leave his body from the sourness.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Jiang Shu wished he could find a toothbrush to scrub his tongue, which had been touched by the acidic water.
"This water has become so sour! It's even more sour than the sour fruits we've eaten before."
He refused to believe it, so he peeled off the thin skin on the surface of the sour bucket and carefully tasted a little bit. It was still unbearably sour. Where were the childhood memories?
Seeing the ginger branches coming over to pick them, he said, "Don't pick them, these things are terribly sour, we can't eat them."
Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes. "If you can't eat it raw, you can make it into a cold dish. It can also replace white vinegar."
Upon hearing about white vinegar, Ye Qingyun immediately became interested. "Azhi, break off a couple of pieces so I can try them."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi was handed over directly, and Ye Qingyun didn't seem to mind the sourness of the pickling bucket.
"The taste is alright, it is indeed a bit sour, but not bitter. If it's not bitter, it's edible. Soaking it in water should reduce the sourness," Ye Qingyun said. "Dashu, Azhi, you should pick more of these sour stalks to take back. You can use them to make cold dishes, and you can also make some sour water to use as white vinegar by soaking them."
Hearing Ye Qingyun say it could be made into a dish, Jiang Shu stopped complaining and huffed and puffed as he picked off a small piece of the sourd stalks.
The three of them returned from their trip up the mountain with a full load of goods.
During the trip, we also encountered some edible plants, such as chestnuts and walnuts, which are planted in abundance on the hillside.
Unfortunately, after searching the area, they found only a few scattered fruits on the trees, and the marks on the ground indicated that the trees had been looted not long ago.
The group guessed that the base had taken all the mutated chestnuts and walnuts.
As Ye Qingyun was preparing to descend the mountain, he glanced at the time and was immediately startled to find it was already midnight. He quickly said:
"Quickly, let's find somewhere to hide, or we'll be in trouble when the temperature goes up."
Jiang Zhi glanced at the temperature. "Mom, don't worry, don't you think the temperature is a bit off?"
Actually, she had noticed this earlier. Usually, the temperature would start to rise to over 60 degrees Celsius around 11 a.m. and then remain there until around 3 p.m. before dropping.
But the temperature has only reached 47 degrees Celsius so far today. Although it's hot, it's still barely tolerable.
Ye Qingyun looked and realized it was true. "Why is everything so unusual today? Could it be because winter is approaching?"
Jiang Zhi shrugged; she didn't know that.
But just in case, the three of them went down the mountain and used the staff's sunshade tent.
They've been wandering around for a while now, and all three baskets they brought with them are full. Fortunately, Jiang Zhi and her brother are now mutants, so carrying several hundred kilograms of luggage isn't a problem for them.
The most expensive item this time was the mutated bamboo shoots, which cost over 3,000 points. The peppercorns and pickled stalks were so cheap they were practically free. If Ye Qingyun hadn't stopped him, Jiang Shu would have gone up there again to loot them.
Taking advantage of the midday lull when the temperature was high, Ye Qingyun chatted with the staff.
They talked about nothing more than the recent temperature changes and everyday family matters.
It turns out that most of the staff here are family members of mutants.
Family members of mutants will be given priority in being assigned to good positions.
The mother and her two children stayed in the sunshade, watching as many people outside were still exposed to the sun.
Ye Qingyun glanced at the temperature gauge—the highest temperature was still 47 degrees Celsius—and couldn't help but sigh: "When the weather used to be hot, I always wished the temperature would drop a bit. Now that the temperature has actually dropped, I feel uneasy."
Hearing this, the staff member next to him also felt the same way: "That's right. We used to look forward to autumn every day, but now, instead of autumn, winter has come first. I don't know if we'll still have enough to eat by then."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun said calmly, "For public servants like you, the base wouldn't let you go hungry, would it? They should at least ensure your rations first."
The staff member was a young man who seemed to have no guile. Hearing this, he said, "Hey, when that time comes, the base will only prioritize ensuring the basic survival resources of important figures. People like us will not be considered by the base."
Perhaps they had been holding it in for too long, once the staff member started talking, there was no stopping them, and they began to chatter on and on.
"I don't know when you guys came to the base, but I was one of the first to settle here. At first, the base hadn't cultivated this much food or developed this many gathering areas. Life was tough back then; just thinking about it makes me sad. If winter comes, we'll be back to square one!"
By the end, the young man looked like he was about to cry.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but ask curiously, "Was it that difficult back then?"
"It was more than just difficult; many people starved to death in the first year or two. It was only after the base cleared the gathering area in time that things slowly started to improve." The staff member's mood sombered as he said this. "If winter comes, who knows what kind of chaos we'll face..."
Upon hearing this, all three of them felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.
The situation turned out to be even more serious than they had imagined.
The three learned from the young man that the base's food crisis had not actually been resolved.
Opening the No. 1 collection area this time was a choice made out of necessity.
With the arrival of winter, the base anticipates that many plants will freeze to death, making it impossible for anyone to go out and collect them.
Upon hearing this news, Ye Qingyun, who had initially felt that his family had a little surplus of food, immediately became anxious again.
"Comrade, isn't there any other way? If that's the case, many people will die at the base, won't they?"
The staff member shushed her, "Ma'am, keep your voice down. I've only heard about it. We don't know how the base will arrange things, but things definitely won't be this easy in the future. So buy as much as you can today, and don't waste your points. Even if there's food available in the next few years, it certainly won't be at the current price."
After hearing what the staff said, Ye Qingyun, who had originally wanted to keep some points for emergencies, finally decided to use all the points she had to buy food.
"Comrade, thank you for reminding us. Let's go buy more grain now."
The young man composed himself and said with a smile, "You're welcome. You can stock up on other whole grains; barley here is also subject to purchase limits."
Ye Qingyun was delighted to receive another important tip and thanked them repeatedly.
The Jiang siblings were amazed by their mother's social skills; she could chat enthusiastically with almost anyone who came to them.
After leaving the hill, Ye Qingyun couldn't help but show a worried expression, "The temperature has changed too quickly."
Yesterday at noon the temperature was 60 degrees Celsius, but today it plummeted to 47 degrees Celsius. It's really hard to say whether there's still a month and a half until winter.
The brother and sister remained silent.
Not only ordinary people, but also mutants like them are filled with uncertainty about the future.
Ye Qingyun quickly rallied: "Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. Our family is already much better off than others. If we can't survive under these conditions, then three-quarters of the people in the base will probably suffer. Let's just live in the present."
She looked at the two children.
With her family all around her and her two children being so capable, what else does she have to worry about?
"Let's go, let's go check out the next place."
Jiang Zhi took out a map book. Apart from the places they had just visited, the remaining two-thirds were barley plantations.
As he walked over, he saw patches of it, which made Jiang Shu's face turn bitter.
Although their family's life has improved, they still haven't changed their staple food.
There was no other way; the base provided too little staple food, and even if it did, it tasted similar to barley—either it was harsh on the throat or it had a bitter taste.
Rice and wheat are both rare and hard to come by, and at times like these, they are in high demand but priceless.
Ye Qingyun didn't care about the taste. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Let's buy more highland barley. I saw that they also sell mutated glutinous rice over there. Let's see how much we can buy then."
After deciding on their next itinerary, the three headed east towards the barley field.
The barley fields cover a large area, and this is where the staff and people queuing to buy barley are the most numerous.
There are even people who specialize in harvesting barley and threshing the grains.
From a distance, dust mixed with barley husks filled the air.
Ye Qingyun stood on tiptoe and looked around, and found ten primitive horizontal drum threshers placed at the edge of the barley field.
The workers stuffed bundles of barley into the feed inlet, and the iron teeth of the rollers churned wildly, causing the barley grains to scatter around with a crackling sound.
The straw was then thrown out from the other side, piling up into heaps of hay. A simple wire mesh screen was also welded onto the machine to separate the wheat grains from the straw.
The workers would occasionally poke the blockage with wooden forks to prevent it. Several people worked together, some passing straw, others sweeping up the scattered wheat grains.
The entire area was filled with flying dust and barley husks.
The scene was similar to the drying grounds in the village during harvest season, if you ignored the people queuing up to buy barley.
Before the three of them even got close, they saw a large, long banner next to them with the words "Limited Purchases: 100 Jin per Household" displayed in bold letters.
They were still far from the entrance and couldn't see the prices, so Ye Qingyun stopped one of the people in line and asked, "Young man, how much is barley per pound now?"
"It's cheaper than before. Unthreshed grains are 6 points per pound, and threshed grains are 12 points per pound."
The three were stunned—it was actually cheaper?
Jiang Zhi quickly realized that this was probably a way for the people to survive, provided by the base to prevent too many people from starving to death.
But how long it can last, nobody knows.
Ye Qingyun told Jiang Shu to line up first, while she and Jiang Zhi went next door to buy glutinous rice.
The field where glutinous rice is grown is only about 100 square meters, and there is a threshing machine on the ridge. Compared with the barley field next door, this place seems much quieter.
When the mother and daughter saw the prices, they immediately realized that there was indeed a reason why there were so few people.
A pound of threshed glutinous rice costs 45 points! That's so expensive, no wonder there are so few people here.
Ye Qingyun reluctantly bought 50 jin (25 catties), spending 2250 points.
Seeing her distressed expression, the staff member smiled and said, "Auntie, don't complain about the price of this mutated glutinous rice. It was cultivated with great effort by Professor Chen Miaozhi, who used up a lot of precious resources in the early stages."
"It's not just this glutinous rice; there are other varieties that you think are expensive. These are all cultivated with great effort at the base, just so that everyone can have more choices."
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun immediately felt a deep respect for the base's leaders.
Leaders who care about the people like this are not found everywhere.
Jiang Zhi didn't understand. "If we planted barley, wouldn't we be able to feed more people?"
The staff explained, “We have planted as much barley as possible. If we hadn’t come in the winter, the base originally planned to continue expanding the No. 1 collection area. The vegetation in the other No. 1 collection areas is actually seeds preserved by Professor Chen Miaozhi’s team before the catastrophe. It is because of these seeds that our institute has been able to cultivate so many moderately toxic grains.”
Jiang Zhi suddenly realized.
We have gained a new understanding of the base's planning.
The mother and daughter bought glutinous rice and returned to the barley field; it was almost time for the ginger tree to be harvested.
One hundred catties of barley is neither a lot nor a little.
It's enough for an average family to eat for ten days to half a month, but there's no more than that.
I don't know if there are any preferential policies for the staff at the base.
After the three of them finished buying what they wanted, the brother and sister wanted to shop around some more, but Ye Qingyun had almost used up all her points, so the three of them had to head back.
On the way back, I happened to run into the Zhang family.
"Sister Zhang, are you also going back?"
Aunt Zhang nodded with a smile, "I've used up most of my points, so there's nothing I can do even if I want to buy more."
Ye Qingyun said, "Let's go back together."
After saying that, she turned to Jiang Zhi and said, "Zhi, give Dali and the others a call and ask how their purchase is going. If it's about the same, then we can wait a little longer."
Before Jiangzhi could even make the call, Liuxu called.
It turns out that the willow catkins had finished growing earlier than them and were already waiting for them at the entrance of Collection Area 1.
Without exchanging any pleasantries, the two families headed straight for the entrance.
Throughout the journey, the Zhang family did not ask what they had bought.
Jiang Zhi felt very comfortable with their attitude.
Ordinary people would be curious about what the other person bought, but the Zhang family wouldn't. Not only that, they didn't even glance at their baskets.
When Ye Qingyun met up with Niu Dali and his wife, she was surprised to find that they had more things than she did. "Dali, what did you buy?"
Niu Dali scratched his head. "My wife said I eat a lot, so she bought all the staple food."
Barley is subject to purchase restrictions, but other staple foods are not, although they are much more expensive than barley.
I didn't expect Niu Dali's family to have so much savings.
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