Chapter 34
Old Mrs. Niu's eyes widened: "You dare hit me?!"
She rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight back, when Niu Xiaolu suddenly rushed out, slamming his hands and feet against Old Lady Niu, yelling, "Don't you dare hit my mother!!"
Despite his young age, Niu Xiaolu inherited Niu Dali's strength. Despite his small arms and legs, he had the strength of an adult, making Old Lady Niu scream in pain.
Enraged, she kicked Niu Xiaolu in the chest.
Seeing this, Niu Dali panicked and, disregarding any gratitude for being raised, pushed Old Lady Niu.
To everyone's surprise, with this push, Old Lady Niu flew seven or eight meters away.
The onlookers and those involved were stunned.
Niu Dali stared blankly at his hands.
...When did he become so strong?
Liu Xu quickly preemptively struck, hands on her hips, and said fiercely, "What do you mean, 'you, you, you'? Anyone who dares to touch my son, we'll fight them to the death! Isn't that right, Dali?"
Before Niu Dali could recover, Liu Xu pinched him hard, and he hurriedly said, "That's right! Anyone who dares to touch our son, I'll beat them up!"
Niu Dezhu had only dared not lay a hand on them before because he relied on Niu Dali, but he never expected to run into trouble today.
He trembled, and with a show of bravado, he threw down the words, "Don't let me catch you leaving the house, or I'll teach your wife and son a lesson!" before helping Old Lady Niu leave quickly.
Two days later, after leaving, Liu Xu quickly closed the door, revealing a worried expression.
She said angrily to Niu Dali, "Dali, what's wrong with you? Didn't we say not to fall out with them unless absolutely necessary? You hurt that old hag today. Once you're gone, those two will definitely have Niu Dongliang cause trouble for us..."
Niu Dongliang is their biological son.
Niu Dezhu had a son late in life, and he cherished this son the most, which also fostered the son's reckless and unruly personality.
Niu Dongliang is nothing like those two old men, who are capable of anything. If it weren't for the fear that the other party might do something to Niu Dali and his mother after they left, Liu Xu wouldn't have tolerated those two old bastards!
Liu Xu was no good person; she had been plotting to kill Niu Dongliang ever since he threatened her…
However, Niu Dongliang accidentally discovered her thoughts. This guy had a stroke of luck and recognized one of the main members of the exploration team as his brother. After discovering Liu Xu's feelings, he declared that if something happened to him under mysterious circumstances, it must be Niu Dali's family who was responsible, and he would have his brother help him take revenge.
If it weren't for this, their family wouldn't be in such a passive position.
Liu Xu grew increasingly desperate, completely unaware of Niu Dali's unusual behavior.
"Wife, look—"
Niu Dali gently squeezed the stool, and it suddenly shattered, startling Liu Xu and her child.
"What are you doing—"
Niu Dali looked surprised and interrupted Liu Xu, saying, "Wife, I feel like my strength has increased."
Liu Xu snapped out of her daze, "How did it suddenly get so big?"
She suddenly remembered something and exclaimed excitedly, "Dali! It's Azhi! It must be the fish belly that Azhi gave you that made you stronger!"
Niu Dali was initially excited, but then his face fell as he remembered what Niu Dezhu had just said. "Wife, Azhi and the others gave me such good things, but..."
Liu Xu was also dampened by the cold water, and she fell silent.
After a moment, he forced a smile and said, "It's okay. They won't dare to do anything when they see you've become stronger. At worst, when you go out to scavenge, I'll take my son to the base store to hide. There are patrols there, so they won't dare to do anything."
That's what they said, but they both knew it wasn't a long-term solution.
Niu Dali can't stay indoors forever; right now, the whole family depends on him to find food...
The brother Niu Dongliang recognized was an official; if the other party tried to pull strings, they wouldn't be able to stop him.
Niu Dali's eyes reddened. "I'm sorry, my wife. It's all my fault for dragging you down."
Liu Xu suppressed her sadness and comforted him with a smile, "It's okay, things will work themselves out. Go to sleep first. Didn't Azhi say you were going to the gathering area with them?"
Niu Dali replied dejectedly.
Unbeknownst to them, Niu Xiaolu made a phone call to Jiang Zhi while the two were not paying attention.
*
Meanwhile, the Jiang family also returned home.
After everyone packed up their things, Wu Xiu took advantage of the remaining electricity to wash the two buckets.
As soon as Jiang Si and her brother entered the door, they ran into the house to find Jiang Jun and tell him what they had seen and heard that night.
Grandpa Jiang smiled and asked everyone, "Judging from your expressions, you had a good haul today?"
Jiang Shu exclaimed exaggeratedly, "It's more than just good, Grandpa, you wouldn't believe how much we sold it for!"
As he spoke, Jiang Shu exaggeratedly described just how popular the sweet and sour sauce was.
Ye Qingyun said irritably, "You brat, you're like a monkey as soon as you get back. Hurry up and wash up, or we'll waste kerosene if the power goes out!"
Jiang Shu didn't care about being scolded and said with a smile, "Mom, why didn't you go earlier? That night market is great. You haven't been shopping in years. You should really go and have a look."
Ye Qingyun rolled her eyes at him. "I just got back too."
It's such a rare occasion for something to be lively, how could she possibly miss it?
Yuan Ying smiled and said, "Big Tree, your mother bought a lot of grain."
Jiang Shu then noticed that there was already a lot of grain piled up in the hall, with five or six burlap sacks of barley alone!
His eyes lit up, and he walked straight over. "Mom, you bought so much by yourself?"
Ye Qingyun: "I can't carry all of this by myself. These were all bought by your uncles."
"So, Mom, what did you buy?"
Ye Qingyun said proudly, "The things your mother buys are definitely good stuff."
As she spoke, she lifted the cloth covering the two innermost baskets, revealing the coarse grains inside.
Now, apart from a few who already knew, everyone present stared wide-eyed: "This is—this is soybeans!?"
Ye Qingyun laughed and said, "That's right, I was lucky. The person selling soybeans at this stall didn't want to pay the 50 yuan stall fee. They only delivered the soybeans when the night market was about to close. I guess they thought they wouldn't have to worry about selling them, so they wanted to take advantage of the night market's closing time to get a bargain. I didn't expect to run into them and buy them all."
Jiang Shu scooped up a handful of ginger in his hand.
A rich aroma of soybeans wafts through the air, and each bean is the size of a longan from the past.
It's so moving that it stirs the heart.
In Jiang Shu's eyes, these soybeans are a rare delicacy.
Soybeans can be made into soybean paste and fermented black beans, or ground into soy milk. Soy milk can be made into tofu, and tofu can be made into dried tofu.
If you don't mind the extra work, you can also make them into red bean buns.
Just thinking about these creative ideas makes Jiang Shu's mouth water.
Grandma Jiang was also overjoyed. She scooped up a handful and smelled them. "These mutated soybeans are really fragrant."
She asked Ye Qingyun, "How many points did these cost?"
Ye Qingyun was a little embarrassed. "45 points per pound is a bit expensive, but it's a rare item, and I really can't bear to miss out on such a good thing."
She bought 100 jin (50 kg), and even after bargaining, it still cost her 4200 points, which was almost half of their savings.
Wu Xiu walked in with a smile, "What's the big deal? I'll buy these soybeans even if they're a bit expensive. They're very nutritious. I remember Xiao Na saying before that they're high in protein."
Xu Na chimed in, "Auntie, it's plant protein."
"Yes, yes, this stuff can provide us with nutrients. And it tastes good no matter how you eat it."
Grandma Jiang asked, "Qingyun, is this the net weight?"
The so-called net weight means it contains only moderate toxins. The coarse grains circulating among ordinary people now, like barley, require them to be tested and screened bit by bit.
"It is moderately toxic."
Grandma Jiang smiled and said, "It's not expensive. If you make it into tofu, it'll fill you up a lot."
The family chatted and tallied up their day's harvest.
The six burlap sacks of buckwheat and barley, each weighing over 100 jin (approximately 50 kg), were not net weight. After picking and choosing, I estimated that I could keep about half of each sack for eating.
These grains weren't expensive; six bags only cost two thousand points.
Grandma Jiang opened each of the burlap sacks and looked at them. Seeing that they looked good, she asked Jiang Hai, "Eldest son, who did you buy the grain from? Was the yield high?"
Jiang Hai said, "We found acquaintances, so they shouldn't rip us off."
Grandma Jiang was quite at ease with Jiang Hai's work.
Besides these items, Jianghe also found five taro pieces, each weighing over twenty pounds, which he also found at the night market.
Looking at the abundant grain, everyone felt a surge of excitement.
To everyone's surprise, next to the several sacks of grain, there were two piles of dried-up mutated plants.
Jiang Shu squatted down. "This is—mutant cotton!?"
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that it really was cotton!
“That’s right, it’s cotton.” Jiang Hai said with a smile. “We’re lucky today. We didn’t expect anyone to be selling cotton. Because of the hot weather, the price is very cheap. This much cotton only costs 100 points.”
Grandma Jiang exclaimed excitedly, "One hundred points! So cheap? Boss, you stepped in that dog poop right away!"
Jiang Hai: ...His mother's analogy is really down-to-earth.
Wu Xiu couldn't help but laugh.
She picked up a mutated cotton plant and examined it closely.
The plant looks slightly shorter and sturdier than ordinary cotton, with leaves that are dark green, thick, and resilient. The cotton bolls split open, releasing snow-white cotton fibers. Touching them, the texture is soft and smooth, with noticeably finer and tighter fibers. Holding them in your palm, they feel warm and cozy, like holding a small stove.
"Ah Hai, how come this cotton is getting hot? Is it just my imagination?"
The others also took a look and tried it out.
Yuan Ying exclaimed in surprise, "It really is! It feels warm."
Grandma Jiang also experienced it for a while and said with a smile, "It seems that these mutated things are not all bad."
Unlike ordinary cotton, the mutated cotton has a feeling of being able to lock in heat.
If you have cotton clothes and quilts made from it during the coldest months of winter, you'll definitely feel very warm.
Jiang Hai: "We still have to remove the cotton stalks and peel the cotton seeds."
Older generations of farmers know the pain of husking cottonseeds. In Jiang Shu's memory, every autumn and winter evening, the adults in his family would watch Journey to the West while husking cottonseeds.
Wu Xiu said, "It's no big deal. We have plenty of manpower in our family. We can finish this in a week at most."
Ye Qingyun: "Brother, do you know where those people found all this cotton? This amount is probably not enough for our family to make cotton-padded clothes, and we'll need cotton quilts for winter too."
Jiang Hai said, "The man said that the mutants from the exploration team found a cotton field in the newly developed Collection Area 15, and they brought some back and gave some to that man."
Everyone understood.
That person must have thought it was useless, so they put it up for sale at a low price.
Jiang Wen asked, "Collection Area 15? Isn't that a newly opened collection area?"
Jiang Hai nodded, "Yes, I heard it will be fully open in a few more days."
Every time the base opens a new collection area, it sends out a large number of mutants to sweep it up.
It will only be open after the large mutated creatures have been cleared.
Jiang Wen opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
For a moment, the Jiang family fell silent.
Jiang Shu, not understanding why, said directly, "Then let's go too! There's definitely not much competition at this time of year, so we can stock up on it all at once!"
No one answered. Grandma Jiang looked at Jiang Hai and said, "Hai, why don't we hire someone to pick some?"
Jiang Shu scratched the back of his head. "Why hire someone? Can't we just go ourselves?"
No one answered him.
These new collection areas often present both opportunities and risks.
The first group to arrive has a high probability of finding good stuff, but they are also vulnerable to attacks from small mutated creatures.
This has led to the emergence of an industry – hiring people to collect what you want.
But apart from those in Zone B who have considerable savings, most people would hardly waste money on such a thing.
Jiang Hai and his son were injured because they went to the newly opened District 14.
Ye Qingyun guessed what was going on, and she gave Jiang Shu a wink, but her eyes were directed at the blind man.
Just as everyone was wondering how to answer Jiang Shu's question, Jiang Zhi hung up Niu Xiaolu's call and walked in.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing that Jiang Zhi looked unwell, Grandma Jiang quickly asked, "Zhi, what's wrong? Who called?"
While the family was chatting, Jiangzhi was on the phone outside.
Jiang Zhi didn't hide anything: "It's a small path."
"Dali's child? What happened? You sound off."
Jiangzhi then told everyone about Niu Xiaolu's request for her help.
It turns out that Niu Xiaolu had just called and told them what had happened and what had happened at the Niu family's house.
Finally, Niu Xiaolu cried and said, "Auntie Azhi, could you please help me beat them up..."
Children's world is simple.
All he knew was that his parents were being bullied, and he thought that if he beat the bullies up, they would stop coming to cause trouble.
Jiang Zhi comforted Niu Xiaolu before hanging up the phone.
Everyone was furious when they heard this.
Grandma Jiang couldn't help but burst into a tirade: "What's wrong with the Niu family? They're so shameless! Making people work like slaves isn't enough! Now that they're doing well, they want to take advantage of them even more! Dali is such a good child! What kind of parents are those two old folks? They think they can enslave someone for life just by giving them food? They're dreaming!"
She was a kind person her whole life and hated this kind of thing the most.
Several women shared the same thoughts as Grandma Jiang.
Niu Dali often came to help them, partly to repay Jiang Zhi's kindness, but they also developed feelings for each other over time, and naturally, she stood up for Niu Dali's family.
Jiang Hai did not participate in the attack, but went straight to the point and said: "It's no use just getting angry. Niu Dali's brother is the key person."
Yes, so what if they beat each other up? They can't watch over each other all the time.
Yuan Ying sighed, "They live too far from our home, otherwise we could help them out a bit."
No sooner had Yuan Ying finished speaking than a voice asked, "Who lives far away?"
"Dad!"
It turns out that Jiang Shan has returned.
Jiang Shu complained, "Dad, why are you so late? You're the only one in the family who doesn't participate in family activities!"
Jiang Shan smiled, and the fatigue on his face lessened somewhat.
Ye Qingyun went over and took the things from his hands.
Grandma Jiang quickly asked, "Dashan, where did you go? Have you eaten?"
"not yet."
Grandma Jiang immediately felt sorry for her, "What have you been so busy with? You're such a grown woman, don't you even know to go find something to eat?"
The old lady was about to start the fire when she said that.
"Mom, don't bother, just make me some sugar water."
"How can that be?" The old lady was unhappy and directly cut a piece of taro to cook.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Jiang Shan stopped trying.
The family had just returned from the night market, and everyone was too excited to go to bed early, so they picked up stools and started chatting in the living room.
Jiang Jun was also pulled into the hall by the two children.
After Jiang Shan finished listening to Niu Dali's story, he asked Jiang Zhi, "Azhi, what do you think of Dali?"
“Dali is a very good person.” Jiang Zhi paused after saying that before continuing, “Dad, I have convinced him to be our data collection partner from now on.”
Jiang Wen looked up. "A data collection partner?"
Jiang Zhi nodded. She looked at Ye Qingyun and Jiang Shan and saw their gentle expressions, knowing that they would support her no matter what she did. She couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart. Then she said, "If I'm not mistaken... my brother and I are probably mutating. We should become mutants soon. So I plan to go out with Dali and see if we can find more food."
After becoming a mutant, the need for food will increase.
If they team up, they can go to places they wouldn't have dared to go before, which gives them a chance to find more food with medium to low levels of toxins.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
Everyone stopped what they were doing in unison, as if Jiang Zhi had said something they couldn't understand.
The next second, Grandpa Jiang suddenly grabbed Jiang Zhi's hand and started taking her pulse.
After finishing with the ginger branches, I went to check on the ginger tree.
A moment later, the old man's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Jiang He couldn't help but ask, "Dad, what's the situation with Azhi and Dashu now?"
Grandpa Jiang wiped his face, his expression a mixture of joy and worry. "A-Zhi is right, their pulses are very similar to those of the mutants!"
Although Jiang Shu already knew about the changes in his body from Jiang Zhi, he was still a little excited after Grandpa Jiang confirmed it. "Really, Grandpa?"
Grandpa Jiang nodded. "I've also treated mutants. Their pulse is much stronger than that of ordinary people, and most importantly, their heart rate slows down."
Grandpa Jiang's face was serious.
"However...your situation seems to be somewhat different from theirs..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu checked his pulse and found it was indeed a bit slow.
However, those present did not show any great surprise on their faces; instead, they appeared somewhat uneasy.
Their first thought wasn't anything else, but rather the injured mutants who had been shown in the square earlier.
Jiang Shan asked, "Dad, what's the difference?"
Grandpa Jiang shook his head: "I can't explain it... but I've encountered this before..."
Jiang Hai then asked, "Azhi, Dashu, have you noticed any unusual changes in your bodies?"
Jiang Shugan laughed, "I just feel a little stronger than before..."
However, he has never been very strong; he used to be even weaker than his sister.
Then he remembered something, "Oh right, Ah Zhi and I ate something that could produce special abilities before. Is this different from what Grandpa was talking about?"
Grandpa Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. "That's right. Your bodies are currently undergoing mutation, but you haven't fully become mutants yet. After consuming those things, you're still just ordinary people with special abilities. Some people in the base call people in this situation 'mutants'."
"An mutant?"
This was the first time Jiang Zhi had ever heard this word.
"Hmm, I don't know enough about that. You should ask your uncle."
The brother and sister immediately looked at Jiang Hai.
Jiang Shu asked naively, "Uncle, is there anything different?"
Jiang Hai remained silent for a moment before speaking: "As you all know, mutants experience a significant increase in all aspects of their physical abilities. Even if these mutants consume substances that generate special abilities, they will not only gain an additional ability, but their bodies will also be able to quickly adapt to the changes brought about by the generation of special abilities."
"But mutants are different. Mutants gain special abilities by consuming things that can generate superpowers, but their bodies are still those of ordinary people. In this case, if they use their abilities too much, their bodies will be overdrawn, leading to genetic collapse."
Jiang Hai paused for a moment, then continued, "My teammate was lucky enough to eat a mutated plant that could grant him special abilities and became a mutant overnight. But after only a month, his physical functions deteriorated to the level of a seventy or eighty-year-old."
What Jiang Hai said wasn't actually a secret among the mutants; it's just that ordinary people like them usually don't have access to it.
Because of his past as a soldier, Jiang Hai was quite skilled. During that time, his comrades who had become mutants would often invite him and Jiang Jun to go out hunting together.
However, ever since that incident, all their comrades had perished in that battle, and they...
Jiang Hai was lost in his memories.
The Jiang family members present gasped upon hearing this.
"So that's how it is!"
Grandma Jiang quickly asked, "Ah Hai, what's the situation with the big tree and Ah Zhi now? Are they in danger?"
Jiang Hai came to his senses, "As long as Da Shu and A Zhi can become mutants, it won't be a problem."
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips slightly.
My suspicions were confirmed; there was no surprise.
After obtaining the three golden special items from the mutated carp, her intuition told her that it was not good for ordinary people to eat them.
Therefore, it was not considered for other people to eat at the time.
Hearing Jiang Hai say this, Ye Qingyun felt a pang of anxiety.
I never expected something like this to happen.
She somewhat regretted not stopping her two children from consuming that golden substance.
Fortunately, both siblings were in the process of awakening and mutating; otherwise, some irreversible damage might have occurred...
Thinking of this, Ye Qingyun looked at Jiang Shan.
They still know too little about mutants and the world.
If the siblings are left to their own devices, who knows what might happen in the future.
It seems that my husband's decision to work at the research institute was the right one.
Others didn't know what Jiang Shan had been doing early in the morning, but she did.
At this moment, Jiang Hai asked Jiang Zhi, "What did you two eat to gain these abilities?"
Jiang Zhi didn't hide anything and told everyone about the mutated carp.
Jiang Jun listened intently, head down, without saying a word.
Everyone assumed they were just lucky to have accidentally eaten a mutated fish that could cause mutations.
Jiang Hai murmured, "No wonder your dad said you're lucky... You really are lucky."
What he didn't say was that back then, their team actually went outside the gathering area in order to obtain a mutated creature with special abilities.
Jiang Shu was a little embarrassed, "We didn't know what would happen if we ate it, so we didn't tell you."
Grandma Jiang glared at him, "You two kids just love to mess around."
Jiang Hai frowned slightly, "You're not planning to join the official team?"
Jiang Zhi shook her head and said, "Wearing the official team uniform requires following the base's arrangements, and I don't want to be separated from you."
Grandma Jiang immediately nodded, "Yes, yes, don't go to that exploration team, Azhi. We don't want a life of great wealth and luxury. We just hope that our family can be safe and sound. You saw it in the square today. That exploration team is so dangerous. If you really go, we'll have to live in fear every day."
Grandma Jiang's words resonated with Ye Qingyun.
The couple spent the whole night discussing their two children and finally came up with a solution.
She glanced at her husband, Jiang Shan, who gave her a reassuring look.
He casually mentioned what he had done that day, saying, "Now that everyone is here and knows about Azhi and Dashu's situation, I'll also talk about what's going on on my end."
He looked at the brother and sister: "I have completed the onboarding procedures for the base research institute."
Everyone was stunned.
Jiang Zhi subconsciously looked at her mother and saw that Ye Qingyun looked calm, so she knew that the couple had discussed it together.
Jiang Shu was overjoyed: "Dad, you actually found a job at the research institute?"
Residents of Ancheng Base all know that researchers in the research institute are highly sought after. The base treats these people like precious gems, afraid of dropping them or spoiling them.
In short, any job that you know is related to research institutes is likely to be bad.
Jiang Shan nodded with a smile.
"The base needed terrain surveyors, and I happened to have some expertise in that area, so I gave it a try."
Jiang Shu was full of questions: "Dad, didn't you study architecture? How come you can do terrain surveying?"
Jiang Shan explained, "Topographical surveying is the foundation of construction engineering, and it can be considered part of my job."
The base has always been eager to recruit professional talents.
Jiang Shan used to be a first-class registered architect, and his professional level was top-notch even before the catastrophe, let alone now.
The rest of the Jiang family were completely baffled by Jiang Shan's abilities.
All they know is that the third brother/third uncle is very powerful! He was recruited by the research institute.
"This is good. The job is stable and the benefits are good. I always said that studying is useful. Don't you see?" Grandma Jiang said with a smile, "But Dashan, why did you suddenly decide to look for a job?"
Jiang Shan glanced at the brother and sister: "Given Azhi and Dashu's situation, it's only a matter of time before they become mutants. But right now, only our eldest brother in our family has some understanding of mutants, so we're thinking of getting to know more mutants and learning about their situation."
The research institute is undoubtedly the place that knows the most about mutants.
It is said that the mutants at the base are currently using a program developed by the research institute to enhance their abilities.
There's another reason Jiang Shan didn't mention.
He had inquired and learned that not all of the base's high-ranking officials were mutants.
After Feng Yan's incident, both Jiang Shan and Ye Qingyun felt a sense of crisis—the peaceful life that the Jiang family wanted could be disrupted at any time because they were not strong enough.
When a person is not strong enough, they cannot control their own destiny.
Although Jiang Shan is not a mutant, he has the expertise the base needs.
As long as you reach a level that most people cannot achieve in a certain field, you can still protect your family.
Grandpa Jiang nodded in agreement, "That's good. This way, even if Azhi and Dashu don't join the official channels, they'll still have a way to get relevant information."
Jiang Shan: "There is one downside. The research institute often needs to conduct large-scale experiments, so I may only be able to come back once a month in the future."
"But you don't need to worry, the research institute provides meals and accommodation, and the food is very good."
"This...this is inhumane." Grandma Jiang felt sorry for her son, but she also knew that this job was good for her two grandsons, so she didn't know what to say for a moment.
She looked at Ye Qingyun, who had already been informed by Jiang Shan. As long as the person was safe, it wasn't unacceptable.
Then she said, "Mom, Dashan is doing this for the children. Dashan asked around, and the research institute said that after the experiment is completed, we can take a paid leave for a period of time."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Jiang was immediately relieved.
This job is excellent, and her son is doing well, which makes her happy.
She laughed and said, "It's good that Dashan is going there. If the base comes up with a policy that forces mutants to enlist, maybe we can pull some strings."
Jiang Zhi felt warm and cozy at the thought of being cared for by her family. She playfully shook Grandma Jiang's hand and said, "Grandma, don't worry. The base doesn't actually require all mutants to join the government. It's just that the taxes for mutants are very high, so I thought I'd team up with Brother Dali to make things more efficient."
Ancheng Base imposes high taxes on mutants. Ordinary people only need to pay 15 points a month, but mutants have to pay 700 points.
This is actually a disguised way for the base to require all mutants to join the official organization.
“A good companion,” Grandpa Jiang agreed. “Dali is strong and honest. You can’t go wrong with him.”
Jiang Hai then said, "Since you're going to be working together in the future, Dali definitely has to help out."
Putting aside other issues, the unrest at home of a partner can also affect the situation on the front lines. Since Jiang Zhi chose Niu Dali, it's as if she's entrusting her back to him. Under these circumstances, she has to solve his problems.
Jiang Wen suddenly said, "I remember that in self-built housing areas, you could exchange land by paying a certain number of points, right?"
Grandpa Jiang slapped his forehead. "I remember now. The base does have this rule. If residents of the self-built housing area are not satisfied with the land they have chosen, they have a second chance to choose. It just requires paying more than a thousand points. I don't remember the specifics."
He looked at Azhi and said, “Azhi, you can ask Dali if he would like to move to our area. There’s a small plot of land about 100 square meters away from our house. It’s enough for the three of them.”
Grandma Jiang said, "Yes, Azhi, go ask Dali. Although exchanging land will waste a lot of points, it's close to us. If Dali goes out with you, our family can take care of them. As long as the Niu family dares to come, with so many of us, how can we be afraid of them?"
That's a good idea.
I just don't know if they have enough points to exchange for land.
Jiang Zhi agreed first, "Okay, I'll ask him later."
As everyone chatted, it became 11 p.m., and the base cut off the power on time.
Everyone quickly washed up and went back to their rooms.
This was the first time they had ever stayed up this late.
Jiang Zhi and her brother followed Jiang Shan and his wife back into the house.
Jiang Shu couldn't help but ask, "Dad, why are you suddenly thinking about working at the research institute? I've never heard you mention it before."
Ye Qingyun said, "This is something we discussed last night, but we haven't had a chance to tell you yet."
Jiang Zhi joked, "Dad... are you worried that we'll become non-mutants, which is why you went to work at the research institute?"
Jiang Shan smiled and said, "I'm not worried about you or me, I'm worried about your brother."
Jiang Shu said with a grin, "Dad, you can rest assured. I've become much stronger recently. You're about to have a mutant son. Be happy about it."
Ye Qingyun: "Come on, I'll be grateful if you stop being so childish."
The four of them chatted and laughed, but in reality, the family of four tacitly agreed to suppress their concerns about each other.
*
That night, Jiang Zhi didn't know how she fell asleep.
When I woke up the next day, I had overslept again because I had stayed up late.
The family has already started getting busy.
Grandpa Jiang was preparing the mutated Chinese herb Alisma plantago-aquatica that they had brought back from collection area number 8 yesterday.
The two little ones put in their best effort to help.
Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, Grandpa Jiang asked, "Zhi, how did you sleep last night?"
Jiang Zhi nodded haphazardly, "It's alright, did my dad go to work?"
Jiang Si peeled the skin off the water chestnut, just like the old man did. "Great-Grandpa, is this how you peel it?"
Grandpa Jiang smiled and replied, "Yes, yes, that's how you cut it."
Seeing that Jiang Zhi was still standing there, Grandpa Jiang said, "Yes, he went early this morning. Your mother even prepared some lunch boxes for him. I don't know when he'll be able to come back after this trip. Don't worry about him, you two siblings."
"By the way, Da Shu waited for you to get up for a while but didn't see you, so he went to Da Li's place first."
Jiang Zhi then remembered that she had forgotten to call Niu Dali last night because she was too upset.
She said, "Why bother making a trip when I can just call Brother Dali about the land swap?"
“Your brother heard early this morning that the Niu family had brought people over to cause trouble, so he and your uncle grabbed their weapons and went over to help.”
Jiang Zhi:! ! !
No, Grandpa, why do you say that so casually...?
Are they planning a group fight?
It's one thing for her brother to act recklessly, but why are her uncles and the others doing the same...?
Jiang Zhi thought with a headache: No wonder there was no one at home. Now only Grandpa Jiang and the two children are at home.
Jiang Zhi quickly wiped her face and went over to see what was going on.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
When Jiang Zhi opened the door, she saw Zhang Ji from next door and his wife Yin Qing.
Zhang Ji: "How are your preparations going?"
Jiangzhi then remembered that the two families had agreed yesterday to go find peanuts.
It's true that the more things you do, the busier you get, and the busier you get, the more unbelievable things seem.
Jiang Zhi apologized, "I'm sorry, Brother Zhang, something came up at home and I can't go today. Otherwise, you can find someone else."
The growth and development patterns of mutated plants after the cataclysm are completely different from before; even a day's delay could lead to other changes.
Jiang Zhi didn't know when Niu Dali would be able to leave, so she didn't want to delay Zhang Ji and the others.
Zhang Ji and Yin Qing exchanged a glance: "It's okay, we'll wait for you. Just let us know when you're free."
After agreeing to Zhang Ji and his wife's request, Jiang Zhi hurried to the Niu family's house.
When Jiang Zhi arrived, she saw Jiang Shu standing proudly at Niu Dali's door like a victorious Buddha, his bone club planted in the ground, arms crossed. Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, he immediately beamed, "A-Zhi, you've come!"
Jiang Zhi glared at him. "Brother, why didn't you call me when you came?"
Jiang Shu protested, "I called you several times, but you didn't answer. I thought you weren't awake... Brother Dali's situation is extremely urgent, so we came over here first."
Jiang Zhi looked around but found no signs of a fight, though many people around were watching the situation.
"What happened?"
Jiang Shu immediately launched into a long, rapid-fire explanation of what had just happened.
It turns out that when the Jiang family arrived, Niu Dongliang, along with several so-called mutants, was at Niu Dali's house, clamoring for the couple to pay alimony.
They even smashed their house to pieces. If Niu Dali hadn't protected it so fiercely, they probably would have destroyed all the grain in their house.
Niu Dongliang was incredibly arrogant, pointing his finger at Niu Dali and yelling, "Niu Dali! Don't push your luck! We've raised you for so long, what's wrong with taking some food? You ungrateful wretch! Let me tell you, everything you ate before was what my parents saved from my own mouth! What's wrong with me taking some of your food?! Even if I smashed up your house and stole your wife, you'd still owe me!"
Niu Dongliang looked at Liu Xu with a sneer: "Liu Xu, when you married into our family, my mother thought you were marrying me. She even helped pay the bride price. If it weren't for Niu Dali's sabotage, you would be my wife!"
Liu Xu was so angry that she trembled all over.
"Nonsense! I said I wanted to marry Dali, you guys lied to me first! Besides, that wasn't a dowry from your family, it was money Dali earned herself!"
At that time, Liu Xu's gambling father was still alive. The Liu family asked for 50,000 yuan as a bride price. Niu Dali was enslaved by the Niu family at that time, and secretly worked for others. He finally earned 50,000 yuan, but the Niu family found out and confiscated it all.
In order to marry Niu Dali, Liu Xu devised a plan to make the two elders believe that she was going to marry Niu Dongliang, and that's how she got her money back.
Niu Dongliang snorted coldly: "What a joke! Even Niu Dali belongs to my family. What he earned back then belonged to my family!"
He sat to the side, leisurely crossing his legs. "Hey Niu Dali, my parents thought she was marrying me, so they gave the Liu family 50,000 yuan. In today's terms, that's worth 50,000 points. If you can return those points to us, we'll let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, if I'm in a bad mood one day, I might just drag this woman home with me."
So that was their real purpose!
When it comes to his wife, even the good-tempered Niu Dali clenched his fists in anger, and the stick he was holding shattered into dust!
Niu Dali's eyes widened, looking like he wanted to devour someone. "Don't you dare touch my wife!!!"
Niu Dongliang and his companions were startled.
He knew Niu Dali was strong, but he didn't expect that after a period of time, he would become even stronger.
A flash of jealousy crossed his eyes.
"Niu Dali, let me tell you, the people I brought today are from the security team. If you dare to lay a hand on them, it will be assaulting a police officer!"
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