Chapter 44
Although he also wanted his son to get back on his feet, he understood the importance of acting within his capabilities.
Jiang Hai didn't want his family to be in danger because of his son's situation.
Wu Xiu sighed, suppressing her desire no matter how much she wanted it.
“Your uncle is right, Ah Jun’s health… is not bad now. The No. 15 collection area is so big, it won’t be easy to find him. You don’t need to tell Ah Jun about this.”
The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.
Grandpa Jiang said, "Alright, just do as Ah Hai says. When you get there, catch any earthworms you find. If you don't find any, that's fine. Our family's main goal is still to stockpile food and supplies for the winter."
"It's getting late, let's pack up and leave."
Everyone had no choice but to go back inside and pack their things.
Jiang Zhi and her brother walked behind.
Jiang Shu secretly asked, "A-Zhi, how about we use your cheat code to scout around? If we run into them, we'll sneak in."
Jiang Zhi nodded in agreement.
My older brother used to be such a cheerful person, but now he can only live in a wheelchair...
Jiang Shu sighed deeply, "I wonder if things would be any better if my sister-in-law were still here."
Jiang Zhi frowned: "Don't mention this. Don't you think your brother is heartbroken enough?"
Although Jiangzhi didn't know how her elder brother and his wife divorced, she had heard from her elders that the two families had a falling out over the matter, and her elder brother had been depressed for a long time because of it.
Jiang Shu quickly said, "Don't mention it, don't mention it. I just wanted to say something."
This time, apart from Xu Na staying home due to feeling unwell, the Jiang family mobilized in large numbers.
When Jiang Zhi came out after changing her clothes, she saw that several elders were already dressed and ready to go.
They were better prepared than the others.
Just like yesterday, Ye Qingyun and the others wore durable long-sleeved shirts and trousers, which were scratch-resistant, insect-proof, and comfortable. Each of them wore a wide-brimmed straw hat and carried a large basket on their backs, which Jiang He and Jiang Jun had woven at home recently; it was spacious but didn't hurt their shoulders.
Wu Xiu and Yuan Ying also had several sickles in their baskets.
Jiang Shu clicked his tongue in amazement. "Mom, your equipment looks like what the villagers used to use when they went up the mountain to cut grass."
Ye Qingyun glared at him. "What do you know? These sickles are indispensable for cutting grass, clearing paths, and chopping tough vines. We also need to bring our little shovel; it's very convenient for digging up roots."
She pulled over the basket behind the ginger tree and saw that it was empty. She immediately started to grumble, "No wonder you always come back with a bunch of little cuts on your hands. You didn't bring gloves. Bring them for me! So my hands won't get all scratched up. And don't forget to bring a water bottle so I can drink something whenever I'm thirsty on the road."
I must say, with Mom around, everything was prepared perfectly.
Jiang Shu was feeling quite pleased with himself and was about to say something nice when Ye Qingyun said, "Don't you know how to prepare the things I've prepared for Azhi?"
Jiang Shu shouted, "Mom, you're being unfair again! Why didn't you prepare one for me too?"
"Don't you have hands or feet?"
Jiang Shu looked at Wu Xiu with a pitiful expression, "Auntie, look at my mom!"
Wu Xiu patted his shoulder with a smile, "Alright, alright, your aunt will prepare it for you from now on."
Jiang Shu immediately grinned and made a face at his mother.
This time, a total of eight people from the Jiang family set off.
Apart from Jiang Shan who was at work and Xu Na who was unwell, Jiang He and Jiang Jun remained at home to take care of things.
Jiang Sui held Jiang Si's hand and watched the adults getting ready to go. She wanted to go too, but she held back.
Ye Qingyun suddenly thought of something and asked Jiang Zhi, "Is Dali still going today?"
Jiang Zhi nodded, "I discussed it with him yesterday, and we'll do it together today too."
“I noticed that their house is only half-built. I asked Xiaoxu the other day, and she said she could manage on her own. I’m worried she might be too embarrassed to ask us for help. Could you tell Dali that if we need anything, we should call on her?”
Jiang Zhi knew that Ye Qingyun was extending his affection to her friend because of her; Ye Qingyun always treated his friends like his own children.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but take her mother's hand and say coquettishly, "Mom, you're so good to me."
Ye Qingyun laughed, "You're becoming more and more like a child as you grow up."
With the Jiang family making such a grand display, all the surrounding neighbors craned their necks to see what was going on.
Aunt Zhang also saw it, but didn't say anything. However, the Zhang family's children greeted Ye Qingyun and his group with envy.
As they passed Ma Yanhong's house, she snorted angrily and turned to go back inside.
Jiang Shu was amused. "This old lady is really interesting."
Ye Qingyun glared at him, "You talk too much."
After Jiang's group met up with Niu Dali, they soon arrived at the East Gate.
Compared to the few pedestrians yesterday, the number of people gathering at the East Gate today was several times greater.
And they were all in groups, it seems they were all like the Jiang family, bringing along acquaintances after receiving benefits.
Looking at the sea of people, Jiang Wen felt somewhat relieved. "Judging from this, everyone knows that there's plenty of food in the No. 15 gathering area. Luckily, we went there yesterday. I wonder how much food we can find today."
Yuan Ying said, "It's good to have more people; it's safer with more people."
The city gates were not yet open, and the surrounding area was bustling with noise.
Then I heard someone nearby say, "Didn't you say you weren't coming yesterday? What? You've changed your mind?"
Another person said, "Hey, you're right. Let's just try our luck. If we can find that mutated earthworm, we might be able to earn some points to spend."
"Do you really think the other party would spend 20,000 points to buy an earthworm?"
"You don't understand, do you? Those aren't ordinary earthworms. I've heard they can make people grow more hands."
...
Upon hearing this, the members of the Jiang family exchanged bewildered glances.
So the information Ma Yanhong secretly shared with them was just common, readily available information!?
Yuan Ying: "Is this...is this news true or not?"
Jiang Hai and his wife also looked unwell. They had initially held onto a sliver of hope, but now they were beginning to doubt whether what Ma Yanhong said was reliable.
Jiang Shu muttered, "Which big idiot is so rich that he would leak the news? He's just fooling ordinary people. Who in the know would give away such good stuff?"
Jiang Zhi said calmly, "How do you know they didn't ask mutants for help? Maybe they charge one price for ordinary people and another for mutants. Money talks, haven't you heard of that?"
Jiang Shu was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what was happening.
Looking up, I did indeed find quite a few people in the crowd who looked like mutants.
—You know what, what Jiangzhi said might actually be true!
It seems that not all the people who set off for Collection Area 15 were there to find food; some may have been risking their lives for the mutated earthworms.
Seeing so many people competing, Jiang Hai had already given up hope.
Wu Xiu's eyes dimmed considerably.
As dawn broke.
One minibus after another drove out of the adjacent underground parking lot.
At this moment, a patrol team member shouted through a loudspeaker: "Line up! Line up! Anyone who doesn't line up is wasting everyone's time, hurry up!"
The sound of loudspeakers echoed at the city gate, and the chaotic crowd instantly began to move.
Fearing that people would get separated, Jiang Hai said, "Everyone, stay close together so you don't get separated. It would be best if we could all ride in the same car later."
Wu Xiu and the others were a little nervous. "Luckily we arrived early today, otherwise, with this many people, we would probably have to wait several rounds before it was our turn."
Yuan Ying: "That's right! It seems the saying 'people die for money, birds die for food' is true. For the sake of points and food, what danger are we afraid of?"
Twenty thousand points is equivalent to several years' income for an ordinary person. In addition, seeing that the people who came back from there yesterday brought back a lot of food, most people set off with the mindset that even if they didn't get the bounty, they could still gather some food.
While the competition has become more intense, it's not without its advantages.
At the very least, having many people around can give you courage.
At this moment, the women of the Jiang family were no longer as nervous as before.
They chatted idly with the people around them, exchanging a few words.
Before long, a crowd had lined up in front of the bus.
The patrol team continued shouting through a loudspeaker: "We're reminding you one more time, there are still a few small mutated beasts left in Collection Area 15. Go there and risk your own life!"
"Also, it costs 20 points per person to get on the bus, charged per person!"
These words caused an uproar among the crowd.
"Why are you charging money?! Doesn't the base stipulate that we only need to hand over 20% of the grain?"
"You're overcharging! I'm going to file a complaint against you at the consulate!"
...
The scene suddenly became somewhat chaotic.
Jiang Shu was also indignant, "Yesterday it was only 15 points, but today the price has gone up! These people are definitely taking advantage of the large crowd to raise prices!"
Upon hearing that it cost 15 points yesterday, Ye Qingyun immediately felt a pang of pain. "That's too expensive! At least you brought back some food yesterday. With so many people today, we're going to lose money!"
But now that we're here, there's no way we can go back.
Their group of eight would cost 160 points, not to mention the 20% of grain they had to hand over upon their return.
Jiang Hai also felt that this was very disadvantageous, so he said, "This won't do. Azhi, you guys went there yesterday, you should remember where there are good things. We still need to plan our route and maximize our benefits as much as possible."
Wu Xiu and Yuan Ying nodded repeatedly: "That's right, let's find something to fill our stomachs first, and we can deal with the chives and such later."
Ye Qingyun asked Jiang Shu, "Didn't you say yesterday that there were sweet potatoes over there? When we get there, let's head straight for the sweet potato field!"
Jiang Wen also remembered, "Besides the sweet potato field, there's also a field of arrowhead mushrooms near the cotton field. We can go there too."
Wu Xiu slapped his thigh and said, "It's decided then. Let's each fill a basket with sweet potatoes and arrowhead first."
Sweet potatoes and arrowhead are both starchy foods, so stocking up on these two grains is the best choice for winter.
The family discussed it among themselves, and soon it was their turn to get on the bus.
This time they traveled on a large bus, which can seat more than fifty people.
Jiang Shu was agile and took advantage of Ye Qingyun paying the fare to quickly get on the bus and occupy one of the best seats.
This time, the car was filled with elderly people of similar age to Wu Xiu and his companions, making it as lively as a tour group.
People of this age are naturally outgoing and quickly struck up a conversation.
Questions like, "How often do you empty your outhouse?" and "What kind of firewood burns the longest?"...
Such as these.
The car suddenly turned into a discussion forum about life experiences.
In the end, even young people listened with great interest.
When they arrived at their destination, the group of elderly people, mostly grandparents, were still reluctant to leave.
Jiang Shu couldn't help but complain: "My mom and her friends are really social butterflies. They can talk so much, don't they get tired of talking?"
Jiang Wen: "Keep your voice down, or you'll get yelled at..."
After getting off the car, the entire Jiang family rushed straight to the sweet potato field without even pausing to marvel.
Along the way, passing various vegetable fields, Ye Qingyun and his companions almost stopped several times.
If it hadn't been planned beforehand, I guess they would have already jumped in.
Yuan Ying: "No wonder there are so many more people here today. With so many vegetable plots, it's worth the risk."
Wu Xiu wholeheartedly agreed: "Looking at it this way, the fact that these children were able to bring back some yam beans shows that they were able to resist the temptation."
Of all these people, only their family had a very clear purpose.
Many first-time visitors to the No. 15 collection area were overwhelmed by the sights and picked whatever caught their eye, afraid of missing out if they were late, and simply couldn't resist.
Jiang Hai: "Let's hurry up, this trip isn't cheap, otherwise we won't have enough land to go around once everyone else arrives."
Although Jiang Hai's words were exaggerated, they still put a bit of pressure on everyone.
Jiang Zhi led the way, and the group hurried along until they finally arrived at the sweet potato field they had encountered the day before.
Ye Qingyun and his companions were immediately excited when they saw such a large sweet potato field.
Under the sun, the sweet potatoes seemed to be opening their arms to everyone, their vines stretching out freely, some drooping into the ditch, their leaves curling slightly from the sun.
Anyone who has ever grown crops can tell at a glance that there are many "treasures" hidden underground.
Yuan Ying was thrilled. "This land is so big, even if the yield is low, we can definitely find a lot of mutated sweet potatoes."
Ye Qingyun and the others couldn't resist getting down to the ground. They dug around with their hands and found the soil to be hard as a rock.
Several young people followed, and each of them began to dig with the tools in their hands.
As you dig up the loose soil row by row, the mutated sweet potato leaves rustle.
Wu Xiu and Yuan Ying had experience in farm work. With a swipe of their hoes, the large sweet potato was revealed with half its head exposed. With a pull of their hands, the warm, muddy sweet potato was pulled out of the soil, and their hands were covered in the fragrance of the earth.
Wu Xiu exclaimed with delight, "Judging from this variety, it should be a sweet potato."
"Drip - Moderate toxicity, can be consumed in moderation."
I won the prize right away!
That's incredible luck!
Wu Xiu couldn't stop smiling.
“This sampling area No. 15 is really a treasure trove. Unlike yesterday when we went there, we tested for more than half an hour and didn’t find a single edible one.”
Jiang Hai also dug one out, "It really is a sweet potato. This variety is quite sweet when roasted."
Clearly, Jiang Hai wasn't as lucky as Wu Xiu; the test results showed it was highly toxic and couldn't be eaten.
Jiang Shu asked curiously, "Uncle, what is 'Yanshu'? Is it the kind we usually eat?"
Perhaps because there were many of them, Jiang Hai was relatively relaxed at this moment.
He smiled and said, "The sweet potatoes we usually eat come in red and white varieties, as well as yellow and purple ones. Yellow ones are the most common. White ones have a lot of starch and are mealy, which is what makes sweet potato noodles. As for purple ones, what did you young people used to say? That they have a lot of anthocyanins, and they also have a mealy texture. Only this sweet potato is especially sweet when roasted, just like honey."
Jiang Shu immediately perked up.
"Is this whole area just filled with sweet potatoes?"
Jiang Wen replied, "This used to be a cultivation base; maybe they specifically grew sweet potatoes here."
Jiang Shu immediately perked up upon hearing this.
Wielding a hoe, he deliberately chose to dig into the hard ground, his eyes searching for the mutated sweet potatoes like searchlights.
Before long, he pried out a strangely shaped sweet potato and excitedly shouted, "Come and see! This size is definitely something special!"
Jiang Shu used both his hands and feet to try to dig out the yam that had only one corner sticking out.
Unexpectedly, the more they dug, the more something seemed off—its size was actually the size of a bedside table.
"Wow, this head must weigh at least 70 or 80 pounds!"
Jiang Wen, who was closest to him, urged him quickly upon seeing the situation, "Quickly test it to see if it's edible. If it's not edible, don't bother digging it up."
Jiang Shu quickly took a look and tested it.
"Drip, moderate toxicity, can be consumed in moderation."
Ye Qingyun and the others were immediately overjoyed.
"Wow, this place is a treasure trove! The odds of winning are so high. This sweet potato alone is enough for us to eat for several meals."
Jiang Shu was about to pluck the sweet potato leaves off the big tree when Wu Xiu stopped him: "Oh my little darling, these are all edible, why are you tearing them off?"
Niu Dali, who was picking sweet potato leaves nearby, also stopped.
Ginger Tree: "Aren't these sweet potato leaves for feeding pigs?"
Wu Xiu: "You child, in the past, when we had no shortage of food, we used to feed the pigs with sweet potato leaves. Now that people are starving, of course we can use them to eat too."
Sweet potatoes are a treasure from top to bottom. In the past, people would stir-fry the tender sweet potato leaves to eat.
Only the old ones feed the pigs.
But given the current living conditions, even the older generation is reluctant to waste resources.
Jiang Zhi was using the dashboard to sense her surroundings when Jiang Shu suddenly draped something cold near her ear.
Jiang Zhi was taken aback. "What's this?"
She picked it up casually, and it turned out to be a sweet potato vine.
The ginger tree stripped the leaves clean, leaving only the vines. The ends were joined together, tied into a loop, and made into a chain, resulting in a bumpy "necklace".
Jiang Zhi seemed to realize something.
Isn't this the kind of trick they used to play when they were kids?
Jiang Shu chuckled and said, "Azhi, you and this sweet potato vine are quite a good match."
He had barely finished speaking when Ye Qingyun slapped him across the face. "How childish! How old are you to still be playing around like this? Get back to work!"
Jiang Shu dared not resist and continued to work diligently like a dutiful wife.
Niu Dali was very strong, and in a short time, a bunch of sweet potatoes were dug up from the land where he was.
It is the sum of their combined efficiency.
Ye Qingyun was a little surprised to see Niu Dali working like this for the first time. He turned to Jiang Zhi and said, "Dali is so capable. Your method of distribution is wrong. There are so many of us. In the end, we only give him one share. It's too stingy."
Jiang Zhi agreed, explaining that they had simply come out to harvest grains, and that Niu Dali's family did indeed need to stockpile more food.
He then said to Niu Dali, "Brother Dali, let's each keep our own accounts today, there's no need to give us any."
Niu Dali was a little at a loss. "No, it's okay. I can find a lot. It's alright if I give them all to you."
Ye Qingyun comforted him, saying, "Dali, listen to your aunt. Your family just spent such a large sum of money, so you need to stock up on more food. Do you want your wife and son to go hungry?"
Hearing Ye Qingyun say this, Niu Dali remained silent, intending to listen to his wife when he got back.
Most people are lingering in front of it, and not many have noticed the sweet potato field behind it, but there are some like them who had their eyes on it yesterday.
Some people passing by saw it and joined in the sweet potato field.
As more and more people arrived, the Jiang family felt a sense of urgency. For a time, the only sound in the fields was the beeping of the testing equipment.
Jiangzhi watched as her family was immersed in the joy of the harvest, but she herself was somewhat absent-minded.
She still kept in mind what Ma Yanhong had said.
So many people are coming for that mutated earthworm, it must be true.
But Jiang Zhi had a vague feeling that the mutated earthworm that could regenerate severed limbs might have already been swallowed by those two moles.
She gave Jiang Shu a wink, and Jiang Shu tacitly followed her.
"Brother, check if there's any change in the mole pit from yesterday."
Jiang Shu didn't ask any more questions and simply used his ability to sweep over.
After a moment, Jiang Shu looked away. "It's the same as yesterday. What's wrong?"
Jiang Zhi remained silent, lost in thought.
She always felt that there were still some good things left over there that hadn't been completely looted.
"Brother, I want to go see it again."
Her dashboard can only cover a range of one kilometer, which is too far from the mole hole for her to find any useful information.
Jiang Shu was startled when he heard this and shouted in a low voice, "Are you out of your mind? If Mom finds out, you'll regret it!"
Jiang Zhi blinked and looked at him: "So I need you to cover for me."
Ginger Tree: ...
A moment later, Jiang Zhi said to Ye Qingyun, "Mom, I drank too much water before I left, and my stomach is upset. I'm going to the cotton field next door to use the restroom."
Ye Qingyun's expression changed, and he quickly stood up. "It's too dangerous in this desolate wilderness. I'll go with you."
Jiang Zhi: "Mom, your skills are worse than mine, not even as good as my brother's. You'd be better off going by yourself than accompanying me."
Ye Qingyun then said, "Then let your brother go with you. Just call if you need anything."
"Big Tree, did you hear that? Go with your sister to the bathroom."
These words were exactly what Jiang Zhi wanted to hear.
Jiang Shu, in a dramatic mood, looked displeased. "I've dug up so many sweet potatoes, and I haven't even had a chance to test them yet."
He glanced at Jiang Zhi as he spoke, "Lazy people really do have a lot of poop and pee."
Jiang Zhi:......
Ye Qingyun was immediately displeased. "Is your sister less important than sweet potatoes? Hurry up and go with her! If your sister gets hurt or injured, I'll break your legs!"
Jiang Shu shrank his neck.
He reluctantly followed Jiang Zhi away.
When the elders heard that he was going to relieve himself, they didn't say anything. Jiang Hai only told them to "be careful" before continuing to dig sweet potatoes.
Of all the people there, only Jiang Wen looked at the two of them with a suspicious gaze.
Jiang Shu winked at him, and Jiang Wen immediately understood.
This meant he was being asked to cover for him. Jiang Wen secretly gave him an "OK" sign.
After getting away from their family's sight, the brother and sister quickly arrived at the place they had been at the day before.
"Ah Zhi, do you want to go again?"
"Hmm," Jiang Zhi responded. "Don't you find it strange? We were able to handle those moles yesterday, but we couldn't handle the mutants at the base?"
Jiang Shu: "So what? They're just stupid."
Jiang Zhi:......
"If I remember correctly, there were many passages in that big hole yesterday, right?"
Jiang Shu thought for a moment, "It seems so."
However, most of them are narrow passages, too narrow for adults to pass through.
Jiang Shu: "A-Zhi, are you trying to see if there are any other mole burrows through those passages?"
Jiang Zhi nodded.
Jiang Shu was tempted by yesterday's great harvest, but reason prevailed. "It's just the two of us today. What if we encounter danger?"
"Your abilities have been enhanced, so use them more often when the time comes."
Jiang Shu had a bitter look on his face; his sister was treating him like an animal.
At this moment, Jiangzhi took out a handful of dried meat and handed it to him.
Jiang Shu: "Don't think you can bribe me with dried meat."
“Earthworm meat,” Jiang Zhi said. “Grandma secretly gave it to me when I left home. I use this to replenish my spiritual energy when it runs out.”
"Didn't Grandma give it to you?"
Jiang Shu choked on his words: "...I did give it to them..."
But there were only a few. He had just seen a small handful of ginger branches in his pocket.
Even his grandmother was biased.
Jiang Zhi knew exactly what her brother was thinking, and she flashed him a few teeth, "Maybe Grandma saw that you're usually lazy and don't need to use your brain much, so she gave you less."
Ginger Tree: ...
How stingy! He only said one sentence, and he already retaliated.
Women are just vengeful.
The brother and sister arrived at the mole hole from yesterday.
It's clear that someone cleaned up the cotton field after they left.
Jiang Zhi was glad that she had been careful enough before leaving yesterday to cover the large mole hole up as a small one so that no one would find it.
The brother and sister climbed down the same route they had taken yesterday.
Fortunately, nothing changed overnight.
Apart from the passage they came through, there are several other passages of roughly the same diameter at the other end of the mole hole.
Jiang Shu used his abilities to explore these passages and indeed discovered something different.
"Ah Zhi, it's clear here. I can't see any obstacles when I look out, but this road is a bit long."
"Let's go take a look."
The brother and sister were incredibly audacious.
They climbed out directly through one of the passages.
Ten minutes later, they found a hollow that was even smaller than the cave they had been in.
Unfortunately, there was nothing here except some corn kernels.
Jiang Shu ate a piece of dried earthworm to replenish his lost spiritual energy. "A-Zhi, how is it? Have you found anything here?"
Jiang Zhi's mental dashboard scanned various directions, and when it landed on the ground, it suddenly noticed a seven-colored indicator dot.
Jiang Zhi was taken aback, and inexplicably felt that these seven-colored indicator points were comparable to gold—both were good things.
"Brother, quickly check which path we can take to get up there?"
Jiang Shu was taken aback. "Aren't we going back the way we came?"
Jiang Zhi suppressed her excitement: "No, let's go up and take a look first. There are good things up there."
However, the passage leading up is much smaller than the previous one.
The ginger branch was small and didn't take much effort, but the ginger tree suffered a lot.
When they finally reached the ground, they were almost covered in mud.
"Ah Zhi, what exactly made you endure this pain—holy crap, we turned back?"
Before me was a sweet potato field similar to the one I had just seen, but much larger, stretching as far as the eye could see, and overgrown with weeds, looking quite messy.
Jiang Shu was a little confused: "Where is this?"
Jiang Zhi frowned. Judging from the terrain, they had already left the area of Collection Zone 15.
Suddenly, Jiang Shu shivered.
"Ah Zhi, something feels off here. Can you smell anything bad?"
Jiang Zhi certainly smelled it. She quickly scanned her surroundings and her face darkened when she saw several lumps of feces the size of tires a hundred meters away from them.
"This might be the territory of a wild boar herd."
Jiang Shu's face turned pale. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go back right away!"
Jiang Zhi hesitated for a moment—the seven-colored marker was less than 500 meters away.
But she suppressed the thought of greed as soon as it arose.
The wild boar herd could return at any moment, and they are no match for these mutated behemoths.
"It's too dangerous here, let's go back."
The brother and sister had just turned around when they heard a loud bang from not far away.
Immediately following were several shouts: "This wild boar is dying! Don't let it get away!!"
The roar of weapons striking each other rose and fell.
Jiang Zhi and her brother could even feel the vibrations as the giant object ran across the sweet potato field.
Judging by the direction, it was coming straight towards the two of them.
Jiang Zhi could faintly hear the voices of those people.
"Why are there people in front of us?"
"Yangzi, stop it! Don't let it hurt anyone!"
In the blink of an eye, a figure sped ahead of the mutated wild boar, which was the size of a small car, and then aimed the gun in his hand at the head of the frenzied boar.
With a loud "bang," a bright light pierced through the wild boar's head. After letting out a terrible roar, the wild boar collapsed to the ground.
The massive body fell, stirring up a cloud of dust.
The person who fired the shot breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the wild boar was dead, and turned to ask the brother and sister who were still standing there in a daze.
"You're alright—? You??"
"Comrade Xiao Yang?!"
Both sides were stunned.
I didn't expect to run into someone I know here.
The leader of this mutant team is still Captain Luo, who previously bought their off-road vehicle.
Hu Yang put away his gun, his face showing undisguised surprise. "This isn't the gathering area. How did you get here? Does Aunt Ye know you snuck out?"
Jiang Shu looked embarrassed. He glanced at Jiang Zhi, unsure how to answer the question.
At this moment, Hu Yang's teammates also arrived.
One of the middle-aged men, with a buzz cut and a scar on his face, joked, "Wow, it's really rare to find two young people in the wild."
Jiang Shu was even more embarrassed. He nudged his sister with his shoulder and said, "Azhi, say something."
Jiang Zhi glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Hu Yang handed the gun back to the captain, and Luo Yonghui said to the team members, "Go and deal with the wild boar first, and look for any piglets that have escaped from the net nearby."
After the team members agreed, they stopped being curious about Jiang Zhi and her brother and quickly went to work.
Luo Yonghui put the gun away and then looked at the brother and sister: "You two little brats, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Shu nudged Jiang Zhi again before Jiang Zhi spoke: "We were picking sweet potatoes in the No. 15 collection area. We were looking for a less crowded place, and we ended up here while walking around."
Luo Yonghui laughed, "You little rascal, do you know how far it is from here to the No. 15 collection area? You can't walk here in less than three hours."
Jiang Shu was taken aback. "No way?! We didn't spend that much time!"
Luo Yonghui, seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, raised an eyebrow and said, "Where did you two come from? Tell the truth, or I'll go tell your parents."
He still had some impression of the brother and sister.
He remembered that the brother and sister were present when Jiang Shan sold the car.
Jiang Zhi had no choice but to reveal the mole passage after being caught red-handed doing something wrong.
Luo Yonghui chuckled, “How did you discover the mole tunnel? Don’t tell me you found it by accident. Ordinary people don’t have the guts to climb down there.”
Luo Yonghui has more experience than the two, and his questions went straight to the heart of the matter.
Ginger branches can only choose to expose the ginger tree's abilities.
Luo Yonghui showed a hint of interest after hearing this, "It's a mutated ability... No wonder you guys are so bold, your brother's ability is quite impressive."
Jiang Zhi asked curiously, "Uncle Luo, isn't my brother's ability quite common?"
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "What you're referring to as 'common' is probably the enhanced vision that everyone gains after becoming a mutant. Your brother's ability to see through things and see this far is extremely rare."
As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Shu and asked, "Young man, have you had a physical examination?"
Jiang Shu scratched his head. "My family doesn't have money. We can't afford it."
Luo Yonghui laughed and scolded, "You're kidding me. Doesn't your dad work in our research institute too? He earns a good salary."
Jiang Shu was stunned. "Captain Luo, how did you know?"
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "These days, every time we go out, it's because your dad gives us a task."
Jiang Shan's job is to conduct relevant research on the terrain data collected by the mutants.
Therefore, almost all members of the exploration team knew Jiang Shan's name.
Upon hearing this, the brother and sister looked at each other in bewilderment.
They never imagined that their father's job would be so convenient in dealing with mutants.
Five mutants ahead sprayed something on the wild boar at some unknown time, and the stench wafted over, almost making the brother and sister faint.
Jiang Shu couldn't help but cover his nose. "Uncle Luo, what kind of poison are you spewing? It stinks even worse than wild boar dung!"
Luo Yonghui said with a smile, "This is to cover up the smell of blood, otherwise it will easily attract other mutated beasts."
Jiangzhi: "Was it made at the base?"
Luo Yonghui: "That's right, although it smells a bit bad, the effect is good."
Then, the two saw one of the mutants wielding a large knife, which effortlessly sliced the mutant wild boar apart; it was even sharper than the knife in Jiang Zhi's hand.
Jiang Zhi felt she had learned something new.
The methods used by the mutants at the base were far more sophisticated than she had imagined.
Jiang Shu even turned into a little fanboy, "Uncle Luo, what kind of weapon is that big brother holding? It's so sharp!"
Luo Yonghui: "It's made from mutated iron ore. How about it, do you want some?"
Jiang Zhi's heart stirred.
When the captain of the No. 3 exploration team gave them the longsword, he also mentioned that it was made of mutated iron ore.
I wonder if this mutated iron ore is easy to buy.
If only we could make a few more weapons...
Jiang Shu had no idea what his younger sister was thinking.
Looking at the smiling captain, he sensed that the other man had ill intentions, and said with a dry laugh, "I'm just an ordinary citizen, so I'll pass."
He glanced at Jiang Zhi again, "Um... Captain Luo, it's too dangerous here, let's go back first..."
“Don’t rush, young man,” Luo Yonghui grabbed Jiang Shu’s shoulder and looked at him with “kind” eyes, “Uncle wants to ask you for a favor.”
Jiang Shu was almost in tears.
"Captain Luo, how can I possibly help you with my limited abilities? Besides, we snuck out, and if we don't go back soon, my mom will go crazy."
Luo Yonghui, "Is your mother currently in collection area number 15?"
Jiang Shu feigned sympathy, saying, "Yes, it's right there in the sweet potato field. We've been out for almost half an hour."
"How about I put in a good word for you, and you do us a favor?"
Jiang Shu quickly looked at his sister.
He dared not make that decision; if his mother asked about it later, he might lose his leg.
Jiang Zhi looked troubled: "Captain Luo, we still need to go back and help dig sweet potatoes. Without the two of us, all those points we put in at home will have been wasted today..."
Luo Yonghui laughed in exasperation; this girl was incredibly cunning.
"Alright, just tell me what kind of reward you want."
Jiang Zhi's eyes darted around, and she immediately changed her form of address, "Uncle Luo, what kind of help do you want from us?"
"We're planning to go and collect bird eggs. We'll have your brother use his abilities to check if there are any adult birds in the nest."
Luo Yonghui's words were simple, but Jiang Zhi wasn't fooled.
If it were that simple, there would be no need for ginger trees.
At this moment, the middle-aged man with a buzz cut shouted over here: "Boss, this wild boar is moderately poisonous, it's edible."
Jiang Zhi immediately said, "We want half a pig."
Jiang Shu was so shocked by his sister's words that he almost spat out his drink.
His sister really dares to shout that!
Half a head!
Such a big wild boar, even half of it must weigh over a thousand pounds.
Although... Jiang Shu secretly glanced at Luo Yonghui.
Captain Luo wasn't angry, and said with a smile, "You little brat, you really dare to ask for it."
"Alright, if you help me with this, I'll give you half a wild boar, but only the meat, not the tusks."
Their original purpose was also to obtain wild boar tusks.
Jiang Zhi said happily, "Uncle Luo, don't worry, my brother will definitely be of use. I'll keep an eye on him for you."
Jiang Shu: ...No, little sister, your change of heart is too fast.
Luo Yonghui shook his head helplessly and used the detector to call the patrol personnel in the No. 15 sampling area.
Fifteen minutes later, Ye Qingyun's puzzled voice came from the other end of the phone.
"A-Zhi! Big Tree! What's going on? Why is someone suddenly saying you're with Captain Luo? Didn't you go to the restroom?"
Jiang Shu felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
Oh no, I'm not going to get to eat "bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork" when I get back this time, am I?
Jiang Zhi quickly said, "Mom, this is a long story. We are safe now, so don't worry."
Ye Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief. In any case, with Captain Luo by his side, his safety was definitely not a problem.
She suppressed her doubts and asked, "When will you be back—"
Half an hour had passed and no one had seen the brother and sister. Ye Qingyun wanted to go look for them, but Jiang Wen stopped her.
He said he was the one who went to find them, but when Jiang Wen came back, he said the two of them were still in the bathroom.
Ye Qingyun and the others were wondering why it took so long to go to the toilet when someone came knocking on their door.
Jiang Zhi: "Mom, Uncle Luo has some things to take care of here, so we'll have to stay for a while. We'll tell you the details when we get back. You can go back first when it's time. With Brother Dali here, you don't need to be afraid."
After Jiang Zhi finished speaking, she looked at Luo Yonghui expectantly, hoping he would say a few words on her behalf.
Luo Yonghui said, "Sister Jiang, don't worry, we will protect your two children. We'll send them back to the base later."
Then he instructed the mutant over there, "A-Gui, take good care of their family for me."
He hung up the phone immediately after saying that.
Jiang Shu called out, "Uncle Luo, I haven't said anything yet!"
Luo Yonghui retorted irritably, "What's there to say? Don't you know phone calls are expensive? Once this is over, you can talk for as long as you want when you get home."
Jiang Shu's eyes widened. "Why do I have to pay for the phone call?!"
They have free communication while they're at the base.
The man with the buzz cut walked over and said, “This is the wilderness. We can only contact them through small mobile base stations. Do you know how expensive these things are? They cost hundreds of points per minute!”
Jiang Shu gasped, his gaze towards Luo Yonghui instantly changing—several hundred points! Mutants are indeed all rich.
Jiang Zhi noticed that the wild boar that had been lying in front of her was gone.
She looked around, but still couldn't see it.
The man with the buzz cut said again, "Stop looking, we've taken the wild boar away."
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