Chapter 58
Suyuan cake...
Jiang Zhi was somewhat tempted, but thinking of her family, she shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, Captain Luo."
Luo Yonghui also realized that he was making unreasonable demands.
Just as he was about to say something, the voice of team member Chen Shaoting suddenly came from not far away.
"Boss, we've finally found you."
Upon seeing Jiang Zhi standing to the side, Chen Shaoting nodded in greeting.
Luo Yonghui: "What is it?"
Chen Shaoting held a notebook and said, "The list of personnel going to Hunan Province has been finalized."
Luo Yonghui took it and flipped through it.
Jiang Zhi was standing nearby, and when the other person opened it, she glanced at it unconsciously.
That one glance changed her mind.
Pretending nothing was wrong, she casually asked, "Those who set off with you must be some impressive figures, right?"
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "He definitely has some skills."
Jiang Zhiye laughed too: "Does that mean you'll get a promotion and make a fortune after you come back?"
Luo Yonghui did not deny it: "More or less."
He then joked, "How about we let your brother come along? Maybe he'll have a chance to make a name for himself."
Jiang Zhi rolled her eyes, "It's not impossible..."
Luo Yonghui was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Zhi to suddenly change her mind.
He immediately asked suspiciously, "Really?"
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Really, I can help you convince my parents, but... I want to go too."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Luo Yonghui's smile froze.
He frowned and said, "This isn't a trip, what are you going there for?"
"Maybe I can be of help?"
Luo Yonghui was about to ask what help he could offer, but remembering Jiang Zhi's previous behavior, he kept quiet.
"Your family should have plenty of food. Don't tell me you're planning to go out and gather more."
Why would Jiang Zhi reveal her true intentions?
She laughed it off, saying, "Not at all, I just wanted to serve the people."
Luo Yonghui was amused by the joke.
"Okay, if your parents agree, I'll take you with me."
After making the appointment with Luo Yonghui, Jiang Zhi left the research institute directly.
When we returned to the self-built housing area, the line at the distribution point was still ridiculously long.
Meanwhile, her brother Jiang Shu was still miserably queuing up.
Jiang Zhi browsed around the nearby stalls.
The patrol personnel at the base turned a blind eye to the people setting up temporary stalls and did not make things difficult for them.
Jiang Zhi spent 20 points to buy a few marbles and a few sections of mutated bamboo poles, intending to take them back to her two children and Niu Xiaolu to play with.
It was half an hour later when Jiang Shu came over after receiving the antifreeze film.
He gave his sister a resentful look. "Ah Zhi, you're so inconsiderate. My legs are about to give way, and you don't even know to come and take over."
Jiang Zhi: "This proves you still need to practice."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu snorted and unceremoniously shoved the two large bags of antifreeze into Jiang Zhi's arms.
"I've been working hard all morning, now it's your turn."
Jiang Zhi wasn't angry; she leisurely picked it up and glanced at it.
"Hey, I wanted to share some good news with you, but I'm a bit tired right now, so I'll pass. I'll tell you after I get my things back."
Jiang Shu looked at her warily, "You're not trying to trick me again, are you?"
Jiang Zhi shrugged. "If you don't believe me, fine. Anyway, it won't be my loss if I miss out."
Jiang Shu gave her a conflicted look.
He had an expression that said he was eager to know but also afraid of being scammed.
Jiangzhi ignored him and headed straight home with the bucket in her arms.
While doing so, I mentally counted down—3, 2, 1—
Jiang Shu raised a smug expression.
"A-Zhi, what good news did you just say?"
Jiang Zhi glanced at him, then held up the antifreeze film in her hand. "Hey, this antifreeze film is too heavy."
Jiang Shu immediately smiled apologetically and said, "Let me do it, let me do it. This kind of physical work should be done by men."
That's more like it.
Jiang Zhi glanced at him and said, "Do you remember the woman we met in Collection Area 3?"
Jiang Shu was stunned. How could he forget?
They almost died at that woman's hands!
He immediately exclaimed, "She's come back to life?"
Jiang Zhi: "...What are you thinking about?!"
Jiang Zhi then told him about the list of people she had just seen from Luo Yonghui.
"Uncle Luo's mission this time is to go to Hunan Province, and he wanted to invite us to go with him. I originally didn't agree, but when I saw that Feng Yan's man was also on the list, so... I didn't refuse Uncle Luo."
Jiang Shu: "A-Zhi, don't tell me this man wants revenge on us, right?"
Jiang Zhi recounted what Jiang Shan had said earlier about Gu Kaizhi's inquiries into their Jiang family, and then said, "Brother, if what Dad said is true, the other side will eventually target us and our family. Rather than passively accepting it, we should take the initiative."
This time, Jiang Zhi didn't want to repeat the mistake Feng Yan had made.
"Take the initiative?" Jiang Shu was completely bewildered. "Then what should we do?"
Jiang Zhi said, "Captain Luo just invited us to participate in the mission of transporting the teleportation device. That person is on the list. Think about it, if he really has hostility towards us, and we're in the wild, wouldn't he take action?"
Jiang Shu understood, but quickly put on a bitter face: "Azhi, your idea is a bit risky. Mom and Dad will definitely not agree."
Jiangzhi: "How will you know if you don't try?"
Seeing her expression, Jiang Shu retorted, "Azhi, you don't want me to ask you to, do you?"
Jiang Zhi shrugged: "If you don't want to, then forget it."
Jiang Shu looked at his younger sister's retreating figure with a conflicted expression.
Reason told him this was a good opportunity, but the thought of that damned Nine Yin White Bone Claw made him shudder.
Seeing that the fire wasn't hot enough, Jiang Zhi slowly added some more. "This is a rare opportunity. Maybe we can find another space stone when we get out, and then Grandpa Lin can make you a space device."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu shamefully became tempted.
When the two returned home, Ye Qingyun got angry when he saw Jiang Shu looking distracted. "You brat, you promised to knit with your grandpa today, where did you go? You haven't come back for so long, I think you're just deliberately being lazy!"
Jiang Shu dodged his mother's broom. "Mom, I'm innocent! I was doing something important! Look!"
Ye Qingyun's hand, which was about to strike someone, paused: "What is this thing?"
"This is the antifreeze film I just got after queuing up; it was given to me for free by the base!"
Hearing this, Grandma Jiang came over to take a look. "It really is antifreeze film. Why did you only get such a small amount?"
Jiang Shu looked pitiful and said, "Grandma, this is based on the size of the house. I want more too."
Yuan Ying said with a smile, "It just so happens that your second uncle said yesterday that he didn't have enough antifreeze at home. He was originally planning to go to the base store later to buy more, but he didn't expect to come across such a good opportunity."
Knowing that Jiang Shu was doing something important, Ye Qingyun's expression softened slightly, but she was still annoyed. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and beat the quilt! Look at your second uncle and your second brother. They worked all night last night and only rested for a few hours before continuing. They're all grown up and don't they know how to share the burden at home?"
Jiang Shu said guiltily, "I'll do it right away, okay?"
While whispering to Jiang Zhi, she complained, "Zhi, is Mom going through menopause? How can I dare to ask her in this state?"
Jiang Zhi remained silent.
She didn't dare to speak up. Not to mention her brother, if she were to run into him at this moment, she would also get scolded.
Jiang Shu took the flintlock bow from Jiang He and felt guilty when he saw the dark circles under Jiang He's eyes: "Second Uncle, it's all my fault. I should have come back earlier."
Jiang He smiled good-naturedly and said, "Big Tree, don't take your mother's words to heart. Even if you come back, I'll still be working. I haven't finished making your Uncle Dafa's flintlock bow yet."
Actually, it wasn't just Jiang Dafa and his group who came to his door. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about Jiang He's skills. Several groups of people came this morning, wanting Jiang He to come and help them build a kang (a heated brick bed).
The pay was quite good, all in the form of real grain. But Jiang He hadn't finished his work at home, so he declined.
Jiang Wen saw this as a business opportunity and didn't want the profits to go to outsiders, so he discussed it with Han Lei and asked Jiang He to lead them once, after which they could find jobs on their own.
Han Lei's company now has at least a dozen or twenty employees. With this job, he can at least stockpile some food.
Han Lei was so moved that his eyes welled up with tears, but he didn't say anything and just kept it in his heart.
Meanwhile, on the Jiang family's side, Jiang Shu carried a cotton-cotton bow on his back, his wooden mallet pounding the bowstring with a "bang, bang," and the entire courtyard was enveloped in flying cotton fluff, with cotton fluff swirling and flying around the house from time to time.
The fluffed cotton was piled up like a small mountain, soft and fluffy. Yuan Ying and Xu Na quickly spread it into the gauze and sewed it a few times, and a fluffy cotton quilt was made.
The finished cotton quilts were aired in the yard by Grandma Jiang, exuding a familiar scent of sunshine.
In two days, the Jiang family made nine cotton quilts from the cotton they had collected in the No. 15 collection area.
We gave one bed to Niu Dali's family, and the remaining two beds were just right for each room.
Ye Qingyun was tidying up the quilts she had made, and she seemed to be in a good mood.
Jiang Shu tentatively went over and asked, "Mom, look, Azhi and I are mutants now too, but we're always staying in the base, and our abilities aren't improving..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Qingyun interrupted him, "Stop! You brat, do you think your mother doesn't know what you're up to—are you trying to run off to play again?"
Jiang Shu: "This isn't just playing around, Mom. I want to improve my superpowers!"
"You're not even joining the vanguard team, so why do you need to be so powerful?"
Jiang Shu spoke righteously, "Of course it's to protect you!"
Ye Qingyun was very happy to be coaxed. "We're right here at the base, we're perfectly safe, we don't need your protection. If you really care, then try to stop making me angry."
Jiang Shu wanted to try again, "No, Mom, don't you think that Azhi and I are so young, we need to go out and gain some experience?"
Ye Qingyun glared at him and said, "Training my ass, Jiang Dashu. I'm warning you, don't get any funny ideas. If I find you out running wild, I'll break your legs. Also, winter is coming soon, so just stay home if you have nothing to do."
With things having come to this point, Jiang Shu knew it was hopeless.
Seeing her older brother's dejected look, Jiangzhi knew that her mother wouldn't allow it.
She felt regretful and could only wait for another opportunity.
As expected, the base experienced a power outage that day, and the lights were turned off promptly at eight o'clock.
Fortunately, the cellar and quilts at home were already completed, and there was no work to rush, so the family was able to get some rest early, which was a rare treat.
The brother and sister originally wanted to have a competition during their free time, but Ye Qingyun sent them to bed.
"Go and get some rest. We need to get up early tomorrow to queue up at Collection Area 1 to buy things!"
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be the last chance to stockpile food.
Jiang Shu then remembered that he had such a task tomorrow, so he quickly went on strike and went back inside.
At four o'clock the next day, Ye Qingyun pulled the brother and sister up.
The base has a rule that when Collection Area No. 1 is open, each household can send a maximum of three people in.
The rest of the Jiang family had been to Collection Area 1, so they gave this spot to Ye Qingyun and the Jiang siblings.
It was only just beginning to get light.
Grandma Jiang said, "This is the last time the No. 1 collection area will be open before winter. We should spend the points we have as much as possible, and keep at most a few thousand points."
"Also, we don't have many side dishes or much oil at home, so we buy more when we come across them to keep on hand, especially ginger and Sichuan peppercorns. Eating Sichuan peppercorns and ginger in winter can warm you up."
Ye Qingyun: "Mom, I understand."
None of the family members had ever been to the No. 1 collection area.
In his excitement, Jiang Shu completely forgot that he had just been scolded by his mother yesterday.
"Mom, I heard there's a lot of grain in Gathering Area 1. I wonder if the price will go up?"
Ye Qingyun was uncertain: "Probably not? Even if it does, the price premium shouldn't be too high. The base opens at this time so that everyone can stockpile some food. If the price goes up too much, it's better not to open it at all."
As the mother and son were talking, they happened to pass by the Zhang family's house.
Sister Zhang and her son and daughter-in-law were also getting ready to go out.
Ye Qingyun was able to greet him.
Seeing the baskets on the backs of the three people, Sister Zhang smiled and said, "You're also heading to Collection Area 1, aren't you?"
Jiang Shu: "Yes, Auntie, you're one too, right? Do you want to come along?"
Jiang Shu asked casually, expecting Zhang's wife to refuse, but to his surprise, she agreed immediately.
Ye Qingyun didn't think much of it. After all, the No. 1 collection area relied on points, not luck, so there was no competition between them.
After meeting up with Niu Dali and his wife, the three families headed towards the North Gate.
Ancheng Base has four city gates in total, located in the east, west, south, and north. Only the north gate leads directly to the No. 1 collection area.
The agricultural planting area covers hundreds of acres, and it's hard to imagine how many kinds of grains are grown there... Jiang Shu gets excited just thinking about it.
I couldn't help but ask, "What kind of food is most abundant in Gathering Zone 1?"
Niu Dali and his wife had also been to the No. 1 collection area. Upon hearing this, they laughed and said, "The No. 1 collection area is also divided into several sections, with more coarse grains and mountain products."
Jiangzhi asked curiously, "Mountain produce?"
"It's wild mushrooms, nuts, and wild vegetables."
Jiang Zhi said "Oh," and added, "Then it's no different from other gathering areas."
Sister Zhang said with a smile, "It's still different. Most of the food cultivated at the base has moderate toxins, and the yield is also higher than that of wild ones. There are actually quite a few varieties."
Seeing that Sister Zhang wasn't wearing her usual stern face today, Liu Xu smiled and asked, "Auntie, what are you planning to buy today?"
Sister Zhang said, "Our family is quite large, so we need to stock up on more whole grains and buy whatever is filling."
She sighed, "You guys were so farsighted. You bought those leathers at the night market, and when we asked around yesterday, we found out that a single piece of leather, which is only enough to make a jacket, is now being sold for 1,000 points."
Ye Qingyun didn't know how to respond to this, but Liu Xu spoke up: "I heard that the base will be selling cotton in the base store in a couple of days, and there will be a purchase limit."
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhang's face lit up with joy. "Really? If that's the case, then we won't have to worry about winter clothes anymore."
Zhang's son, Zhang Ji, chimed in, "Mom, it's a purchase limit, so I guess there won't be many for each family."
Sister-in-law Zhang: "That's still better than having nothing at all."
Ever since the announcement over the base's loudspeaker, Sister Zhang has been extremely anxious. She can manage to stockpile some grain, but winter clothing is out of the question.
Even the base doesn't have much mutated beast pelts left.
If you eat less, you can survive for a few more days, but in this freezing weather, you can't survive a single day without winter clothes.
God knows how much she regretted not buying one or two furs when she saw the Jiang family buying them.
After saying that, Aunt Zhang asked Ye Qingyun and the others, "What are you planning to buy?"
Liu Xu said, "We also plan to buy some grain, some vegetables that can be stored for a long time, and some oil..."
Speaking of oil, Zhang Ji couldn't help but whisper, "Big Tree, shall we still go look for peanuts?"
Jiang Shu was stunned for a moment, not reacting immediately.
Jiang Zhi was quick-witted and immediately remembered that she had promised Sister Zhang that she would go with the Zhang family to find the mutated peanuts.
They've been so busy lately that they've completely forgotten about this!
Jiang Zhi quickly replied, "We're both free these days, how about tomorrow?"
Zhang Ji was very happy. Seeing that his mother didn't object, he immediately said, "Okay, let's go tomorrow."
The group walked and talked, and soon arrived at the North Gate.
The north gate is much smaller than the other gates, and the No. 1 collection area is directly outside the gate.
At this moment, two soldiers are guarding the entrance, registering each person in line.
Even though Ye Qingyun and his group had arrived early enough, the line ahead of them still stretched as far as the eye could see.
Jiang Shu looked miserable: "Why do we have to queue again?"
Aunt Zhang said, "I heard that some people sent people to line up as soon as the announcement came out, just to grab a spot."
Jiang Zhi couldn't understand: "Auntie, are you saying these people have been sleeping here for the past two days?"
Sister-in-law Zhang: "That's right, only large families can do this."
Ye Qingyun said regretfully, "If I had told you earlier, I would have had Da Shu come and join the queue."
Jiang Shu: ...Thank goodness he didn't know, otherwise he would have been in a terrible situation.
Seeing the disapproving expressions on the young people's faces, Sister Zhang laughed and said, "You young people haven't experienced the days when we didn't have enough to eat and had to get up early to queue for meat. Back then, every household would start queuing up in the middle of the night to buy pork."
The group waited in line for more than an hour before they finally got to the front of the line.
When it was Ye Qingyun and his two companions' turn, two soldiers took their household registration books, registered them, and then gave them a booklet, saying, "This is a topographical map of Collection Area No. 1, which marks the specific areas and the grains grown there. Just return the booklet when you're done. Also, the entire Collection Area No. 1 is covered by cameras. After you've collected the food you want, go to the purchasing area to have it weighed and paid before you can leave. If you have any questions, you can ask the sales staff inside."
Camera?
Jiang Zhi found this quite intriguing.
She didn't think it was the same Skynet as before; it must be a new technology developed by the base.
After registering, Ye Qingyun and the other two left the city gate first.
Upon entering the No. 1 collection area, the mother and her child were stunned by what they saw.
The entire No. 1 collection area is located in a valley surrounded by green mountains. Looking down from the mountain ridge, the land looks like an overturned palette, with layers upon layers spread out in front of you.
At the southernmost point is the winding Qingshui River, whose water is so clear that you can see the bottom. Reeds sway in the wind along the banks, and lotus flowers bloom all over the water.
Upon seeing this, Ye Qingyun couldn't help but say, "The lotus stems that Xiao Na usually uses must come from here... There are so many, no wonder the textile store has no shortage of supplies..."
After Liu Xu and her husband, along with Zhang's family, came in.
Sister Zhang said she was going to check out the fields to the north to buy some mutated corn, so she parted ways with Ye Qingyun and the others.
Before leaving, Zhang Ji turned to Jiang Shu and said silently, "Remember what we just said, I'll come find you tomorrow!"
Jiang Shu gave an "OK" sign.
Ye Qingyun asked Liu Xu, "What are you planning to buy?"
Liu Xu was in a dilemma. Originally, she wanted to wait for Luo Yonghui's grain to arrive before buying other things to make up for any shortages. However, since the grain had not yet arrived, she could only choose grains that could keep her full. So she said, "I want to buy some coarse grains."
Jiang Zhi glanced at the booklet; the coarse grains were in the west, far from where they wanted to go.
Liu Xu didn't dwell on it and said, "It's okay. The base's signal tower covers the No. 1 collection area, so we can still make calls here. Just call us if you need anything."
This place is not so much a gathering area as it is part of the base, because at the edge of the No. 1 gathering area, Jiang Zhi and the others also saw buildings as tall as the other city walls.
After the two parties made their agreement, Liu Xu and Niu Dali left first.
Jiangzhi asked her mother, "Mom, what are we going to buy this time?"
Ye Qingyun said, "No rush. The broadcast yesterday said that the No. 1 collection area will be open for three days. Let's take our time. I brought a lunchbox with me."
Jiang Shu couldn't help but give his mother a thumbs up, "Mom, it has to be you! You're so smart!!"
Ye Qingyun said smugly, "That's right."
Their primary goal is side dishes, such as chili peppers, garlic, and ginger. I heard that they are also available in the No. 1 collection area, but in limited quantities, and they are always snapped up by many people.
The three of them stood there, craning their necks and studying the atlas for a long time, and finally found the place where the mutated garlic was planted in the center of the collection area.
Ye Qingyun: "Let's go, let's go now."
Looking around from their direction, apart from the area near the mountains, hundreds of acres of land were neatly arranged into square grids, with each variety's planting area separated by the base using wire mesh.
The three of them passed by a cornfield where the ears of corn had just sprouted.
The corn stalks were as thick as an adult's thigh, each one two meters tall, and the dark green leaves rustled in the wind.
Several ears of corn were hanging from each corn stalk.
The red and purple corn silks are exposed in the air, emitting a fresh corn fragrance.
Many people had already run into the cornfield to harvest the corn, and Jiang Zhi could still see the shadows of Zhang Saozi and her group not far away.
Jiang Shu looked on with envy. "Mom, shall we buy some too?"
Ye Qingyun also missed the taste of corn. "That's fine, but I don't know how much it costs."
The staff member sitting at the entrance to the cornfield pointed to a sign next to the entrance, "Look, look here."
The sign read: Moderately toxic mutated corn, 25 points per pound; Low-toxic corn, 90 points per pound.
Goodness, that's really expensive.
Only the kernels of this corn are edible; the cob accounts for a large portion of its weight, so it's a complete waste.
For the first time, Jiang Shu wasn't blinded by the thought of food. He said to Ye Qingyun, "Mom, forget it, let's not buy any more. This corn will be gone in a couple of bites, it's a waste of money."
Ye Qingyun rolled her eyes at him, "Who was it that just said they wanted to eat?"
She led the ginger twigs directly into the cornfield.
Jiang Shu quickly followed, "Hey, Mom, wait for me!"
Ye Qingyun broke open a corn cob and tested it: "Drip—moderate toxin level, can be consumed in moderation."
Jiang Shu's eyes widened: "Mom, your winning rate is pretty high!"
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and pick out a basketful."
Jiang Shu looked at the corn and said with some disdain, "Mom, it's not worth buying so much corn..."
"What do you know? Corn kernels, corn cobs, corn silks, corn leaves, and corn husks can all be eaten."
Jiang Shu looked completely bewildered. "Mom, I know you're a good cook, but putting everything else aside, how are we supposed to eat this corncob?"
"Why can't we eat it? Pigs can eat it, so why can't we eat it?"
Jiang Shu: ...What a powerful reason.
Ye Qingyun tested another ear of corn, which was still moderately toxic. She threw it, husk and all, into the basket behind her.
While saying, "You can boil corn silk to make tea. It's still hot these days, so drinking it can help cool you down. Your second uncle and your grandfather work so hard every day, so we should get them something good."
"Corn cobs can also be used to make soup, or if that's not possible, they can be ground into powder. Corn husks can also be used to make corn dumplings. I saw that they sell glutinous rice here, so we'll go buy some later."
The family of three took over the nearby cornfield and began testing everything.
After half an hour, the group found that the probability of the corn being edible was so high that they could hardly believe it—out of 10 ears of corn, 8 were edible, and there was a small chance of getting corn with low toxin levels.
Jiang Shu broke off another ear of corn and threw it into the basket, exclaiming, "No wonder this is the experimental site of the base. This is incredibly productive. If we continue to expand, I wonder if the people at our base will be able to achieve food freedom in the future."
Jiang Zhi: "It's probably difficult. I heard that the No. 1 collection area is only open once a quarter, and the supply is not enough each time. If we want to support the entire base, we probably need a few more experimental fields of similar size to the No. 1 collection area."
Jiang Shu: "Sigh, it seems we'll be spending the next ten years traveling to other collection areas."
Someone overheard their conversation and said, "You should be grateful. I heard that other bases rely on individuals, and the bases don't help solve the food problem at all. People without any skills simply can't survive."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu and his sister exchanged a glance—no wonder more and more people were coming to their base to seek refuge.
More and more people are coming to the cornfield.
Jiang Zhi and the others realized that this was not a good place to talk, so they shut their mouths and focused on picking corn.
The sun gradually grew scorching. Jiang Zhi rolled up her sweaty sleeves, picked up a corn cob, squeezed it, then twisted it and snapped it off with a "crack." The golden corn cob was still fresh, and she quickly checked it.
"Drip, low level of toxin, edible."
Hearing this voice, Jiang Zhi smiled and her eyes crinkled.
Jiang Shu looked over enviously and immediately noticed the envious gazes of those around him.
One by one, like wolves, several of them were trying to walk towards Jiangzhi.
Jiang Shu immediately swept his gaze fiercely around, gripping the bone club tightly in his hand, and shouted, "What are you looking at? This is what we detected!"
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly looked away.
Ye Qingyun quickly instructed, "You all turn off the detector's notifications, otherwise it could cause trouble."
The brother and sister could only turn the notification sound down to the lowest setting.
Regardless, food with low levels of toxins is always appealing, no matter where it is placed.
With a high yield, a family of three collected a whole basket of corn in just half an hour.
When they went out, they could still see Zhang Ji and the others diligently conducting tests, and three baskets filled with mutated corn were already placed on the ground.
Upon reaching the entrance to the cornfield, staff instructed us to empty the corn and place it on a platform scale.
Then, after scanning the corn with the large detector in his hand and picking out a few ears of corn with low levels of toxins, he finally calculated with the computer: "137 jin, a total of 3425 points."
"Five catties of low-toxicity substance, 450 points, totaling 3875 points."
Jiang Shu gasped, "This is way too expensive!"
Although his family had some spare money, the corn wasn't very cost-effective. He glanced back at the residents of the base who had picked several baskets of corn in the field and suddenly realized that his family was still too poor.
Seeing this, the staff member smiled and said, "There is a mill at the base. After you finish eating these corn kernels, you can spend some points to have the corn cobs ground into powder at the mill. You can eat that too, and the taste is similar to that of barley."
Upon hearing this, the three of them immediately understood.
It turns out that these mutated corns are actually whole grains, which is why everyone is willing to buy them.
Jiang Shu's focus is always on a different level from others: "If it tastes the same as highland barley, doesn't that mean it's also rough on the throat?"
The staff member chuckled but didn't say anything.
Ye Qingyun pinched Jiang Shu's arm, "Shut your mouth! You're lucky you have anything to eat, do you still think this is before the cataclysm?"
Taking the opportunity, Jiang Zhi asked the staff member, "Miss, your detector is so advanced! With just a scan, it can tell which ones are moderately toxic and which ones are lowly toxic."
The staff member smiled and said, "This is a large-scale detection instrument developed by the base. It can detect a wider range of substances and is more accurate. It can even detect toxins in corn cobs."
Jiangzhi exclaimed, "Wow! I wonder where I can buy this?"
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Qingyun interrupted her, "What are you buying? Do you have too much money to burn? All you do is waste it all day long!"
As soon as Ye Qingyun spoke, Jiang Zhi became obedient.
I was thinking that I'd ask Tan Lei about it next time I had the chance, and if it was cheap, I'd buy one too. Otherwise, having to do the tests little by little every time was such a waste of time.
After paying, the three decided to continue on their way.
Along the way, we encountered many people weighing themselves at the entrance to the fields, a scene of bustling activity.
Jiang Zhi observed for a while, then asked, "Brother, this is strange. Did you see the surveillance footage the staff mentioned?"
"Huh?" Jiang Shu looked a little confused. "No."
Strange, I don't know what the base uses for surveillance.
Unable to figure it out, Jiangzhi didn't dwell on it any longer. Before long, the group passed by a mulberry field.
Perhaps it was the wrong season, but the mulberry orchard only had leaves and no fruit. There were hardly any people there, and the staff, wearing sun hats, were almost asleep at their work desks.
Ye Qingyun stopped walking after she saw the plants inside clearly.
"Wait, this is... a mulberry tree?"
Jiang Shu: "Mom, this mulberry tree isn't bearing any fruit yet. Where can we eat it? Let's hurry up, I see a chili pepper field ahead."
"Wait here for me, I'm going inside to pick some leaves."
Ginger Tree: "Hey, Mom, what's so delicious about the leaves?!"
Ye Qingyun pretended not to hear and went straight inside.
Jiang Shu and his sister had no choice but to go inside as well.
Ye Qingyun picked off a leaf and began testing it.
Jiang Shu had no choice but to get tested as well, but Ye Qingyun stopped him, saying, "Big Tree, your leaf won't do. You need to find a tender one; old leaves won't make good tofu."
The brother and sister were taken aback: "Tofu?"
Ye Qingyun laughed, "I forgot that none of you have eaten yet."
"You've all had liangfen (cold mung bean jelly), right?"
The brother and sister nodded.
Ye Qingyun: "These mulberry leaves can be made into something similar to jelly. Your grandfather used to make it for me often. I'll pick some today and make it for you when we get back."
It was only because there was food stored at home that Ye Qingyun thought about making some other food; otherwise, he wouldn't have been in the mood to do these unnecessary things.
Upon hearing about food, Jiang Shu instantly perked up.
It's similar to jelly, and having a bite before the end of summer is absolutely delicious!
"Picking a few isn't enough! Mom, let's pick more. These leaves are probably very cheap."
Jiang Zhi nudged him: "Brother, why don't you go and ask how much these leaves cost per pound right now?"
How could a ginger tree not respond?
I went straight there to ask, but the staff member waved his hand dismissively: "The base only specifies how many points per pound for mulberries, not for the leaves. You can pick as many as you like."
Jiang Shu's eyes lit up – what a stroke of luck!
She turned and ran back to Ye Qingyun's side: "Mom, the staff said you can pick any leaves you want! No points required!"
Upon hearing the words "no points required," Ye Qingyun was overjoyed.
"Azhi, Dashu, you two keep an eye out and pick all the tender leaves from these rows of mulberry trees!"
Ye Qingyun gave them a demonstration.
"See those glossy, tender new leaves? Pick those!"
Ye Qingyun only picks the palm-sized tender leaves at the tips of branches, rejecting old leaves and leaves with insect holes. When encountering high branches that are out of reach, she stands on tiptoe to pull them down, picks the leaves, and then straightens the branches.
With calloused thumb and forefinger pinching the base of the leaf, a gentle twist, and it snapped off.
After reading it once, Jiang Zhi and her brother immediately got to work.
Before long, the bamboo baskets were piled high, and the mulberry leaves still carried a bitter, grassy fragrance.
"Mom, these mulberry leaves are all piled up, there's not enough room. Shouldn't we put some other things in the remaining baskets?"
With the mentality of "why not take it if it's free," Jiang Shu wished he could pluck every last mulberry in the orchard.
Jiang Zhi: "That's easy."
She picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the basket, pressing the mulberry leaves down firmly.
The yield of these mulberry leaves was very high, and almost all of them were moderately toxic. The family of three soon had a full basket of mulberry leaves. Apart from the weight of the stones, it weighed at least seventy or eighty pounds, enough for them to eat mulberry leaf tofu for a long time.
Jiangzhi asked, "Mom, is this mulberry leaf tofu sweet?"
When I was little, I ate cold jelly sold outside. They put brown sugar in it, and it was icy cold and refreshing.
Jiang Shu was displeased when he heard this. "What's so good about sweet food? If you're going to eat something, eat something salty. Add some chili oil, and oh my, that's what makes it delicious."
Jiangzhi ignored him. "Mom, I want something sweet."
Jiang Shu was afraid his mother would make something sweet, so he quickly said, "Mom, I want something savory!"
Ginger: "Sweet ones are delicious!"
Jiang Shu: "Salty is the best!"
Jiangzhi: "I want something sweet."
Jiang Shu: "I also want something salty."
Ye Qingyun was both amused and exasperated by the two children. "Alright, alright, how old are you? Still clamoring for food, aren't you ashamed! It's such a small thing, yet you're arguing like this. I'm embarrassed for you."
Jiangzhi: "Mom—"
Ye Qingyun said, "Alright, alright, I'll do it all, okay? I must have owed you guys something in my past life!"
Jiang Shu and Jiang Zhi exchanged a glance, snorted simultaneously, and turned their heads away.
Ye Qingyun was overjoyed.
—These two kids are so old, yet they're still so childish.
After leaving the mulberry orchard, the staff glanced at their baskets and were shocked. They had thought the three of them were just picking a few, but they hadn't expected them to have picked so many.
"What do you need so many mulberry leaves for? The base doesn't allow individual breeding of mutated organisms right now!"
The man thought they were going to raise mutated silkworms.
Realizing the staff had misunderstood, Ye Qingyun quickly said, "Comrade, you've misunderstood. We were planning to take it back to cook."
The staff member, a young woman, had never tried mulberry leaf tofu before and gave them a suspicious look. "What can you make with these leaves?"
But as soon as she asked the question, she knew she had said the wrong thing.
With food shortages, every household is trying different ways to cook mutated creatures. These novel cooking methods are kept secret, and people won't tell others.
Because she had previously said it would be free, she couldn't charge money this time.
I had no choice but to say, "You should register it, otherwise I'll be responsible if you take it back and use it for other things."
Ye Qingyun felt a little embarrassed. After registering the paperwork, she took out a rice ball with meat filling from her pocket and handed it over, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, comrade."
The staff member's expression softened considerably, and he stopped causing trouble for the three people.
As she was leaving, Jiang Zhi saw a wooden sign at the entrance that read, "Middle-toxicity mulberries: 140 points per pound".
It seems that the base can only try to grow fruit-type plants, but unfortunately the results don't seem to be very good.
Further down the path, the three of them came to a field of chili peppers.
The fence around the chili field was very low, and you could see clearly inside from the outside.
At this moment, a number of people were squatting in the small chili field.
It seems that there are quite a few people who love spicy food.
"Mutant chili peppers: small red chili peppers are 40 points per pound, purple chili peppers are 50 points per pound, and Erjingtiao chili peppers are 45 points per pound."
Jiang Shu: "Mom, there are three varieties, shall we buy some of each?"
Ye Qingyun was also very happy, "Okay."
The small red chilies that Jiang Shan brought back before are almost gone, so buying some this time will be just enough to keep them going.
The three of them went inside and found that many of the peppers in the field had been picked. They could only select the ones with the best appearance for testing.
Jiang Zhi squatted down. The Erjingtiao shrubs in front of her were ripe, red and spicy, and their slender stems were quite pleasing to the eye.
"Drip - Moderate toxicity, can be consumed in moderation."
Upon seeing the indicator, Jiang Zhi pinched the chili stem with her fingertips, snapped it off, wiped it with the corner of her clothes, and casually tossed it into the basket.
Many of the best-quality Erjingtiao teas had already been picked; the three of them walked around and only managed to pick a small handful.
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