Chapter 16: We’ve Arrived at the Pedestrian Street!

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: We’ve Arrived at the Pedestrian Street!

Without a phone or a watch, Huai Yu could only determine the time each day through two things: the morning broadcast and the evening sunset.

Today, the sky was gloomy, and she couldn’t tell what time it was. She only guessed that since she had been climbing the mountain for a long time, it couldn’t be any earlier than two in the afternoon. Heading to the trading market at this hour was risky—had it not been for the morning broadcast predicting an approaching heavy downpour, she would never have rushed like this.

The familiar bus stop was a five-minute walk past the edge of District 16 of the Rose Corridor. Although it was the final stop on this end, the actual terminal station was located in Golden Yuan District for safety reasons. Setting up a stop here was purely for the convenience of the Alien Plant Defense Army. Now, it was convenient for her as well. ℯℯ𝑙.

She checked the notice posted at the stop—buses ran every half hour. She noted with relief that it wasn’t too long of a wait. Setting down her heavy red bucket and bundle, she stretched her body. In the blink of an eye, she saw a bus driving slowly toward her. Perhaps because it was mid-afternoon, only a few scattered passengers were on board.

Huai Yu was overjoyed.

She huffed and puffed as she lugged her belongings onto the bus. The driver cast a curious glance at her. "Young lady, do you have relatives stationed at the Defense Army base?"

"Mhm!" Huai Yu didn’t hesitate to flash a bright smile. "My brother is there. I have to go visit him often." Then, she shyly lowered her head and nervously hugged the bundle in her arms.

The other passengers on the bus instantly understood. She was just a family member moving some supplies around. It wasn’t anything unusual; if they had the means, they’d want to do the same. Everyone withdrew their gazes.

Huai Yu slightly raised her head and checked the time on the bus’s large screen: 2:08. She then took the opportunity to ask, "After this month’s free period ends, how much will the bus fare cost?"

"Probably one point... or maybe two?" the driver replied. "The higher-ups haven’t announced it yet. But our terminal is the Red Victory Pedestrian Street. It takes an hour and a half to get there, so two points isn’t that expensive."

"Oh my!" the older women sitting in the bus complained, clearly displeased. "Two points isn’t expensive? Two points is enough for two packs of nutrient fluid to last two days! Right now, every household is basically starting from scratch. Who has any surplus rations?"

"Exactly!"

If they were displeased, the driver was even more so. "It’s not like I set the prices. Why are you complaining to me? Besides, you all boarded from Golden Yuan. How come those other people get to live in the city center? I heard those folks used to be bosses, and now they’re starting to recruit people to rebuild their businesses. They have so many Contribution Points they can even exchange them for cars!"

"Well, those capitalists had a lot of assets to begin with. If they supported the state, of course the state gave them points. We’re just ordinary commoners..."

Everyone began to mutter and discuss amongst themselves.

Huai Yu listened silently, eagerly absorbing this unfamiliar knowledge. For instance, she hadn’t realized nutrient fluid was so cheap. She guessed that state subsidies played a part. At a price of one Contribution Point per pack, anyone could afford to eat as long as they didn’t just lie on the ground waiting to die. However, if it took an hour and a half for the bus to reach the Red Victory Trading Market, regardless of whether there were people at the market at night, how late did the buses even run?

"How late?" the driver repeated. "The last bus leaves Red Victory at seven-thirty. It’ll be late at night—are you still planning to go back, young lady?"

"Yes." Huai Yu looked a bit embarrassed. "My brother and his new wife just got married, and the house... Ahem, my brother used his points to exchange for a small dorm on the outskirts."

"Oh..." Everyone understood immediately.

Although properties in Golden Yuan District were spacious enough to guarantee nearly every household over ninety square meters, many buildings in the city center had been destroyed by plants in the past. There actually weren’t many habitable places left. Even after six years, the per capita living space was only twenty to thirty square meters. Furthermore, since the couple were newlyweds, it was understandable why a young woman like her would feel out of place.

The middle-aged men and women on the bus slowly nodded in understanding.

"So what are you planning to sell?" someone asked.

The bucket was covered with a straw mat, and the bundle she was holding clearly had lumpy contours.

Huai Yu smiled shyly. "My brother... well... he managed to get some pine nuts and hazelnuts. I’m going to exchange them for some points."

"Oh!" The crowd understood once again. "He got them while clearing out alien plants, right? I have to say, the Defense Army really does have great benefits."

"That’s still not worth much money. The fruits produced by alien plants have high Mutant Values. They taste terrible and don’t sell for a good price."

"Every little bit counts... Us ordinary folks wouldn’t dare go into the mountains!"

"Don’t even mention it. My daughter is dating an explorer. Every month, they have to detour from Sanqing Mountain to explore the Wilderness..."

"Oh wow! That’s a high-income job! If they find any special species, the research institute pays a hefty price!"

"What’s the use when they’re living on the edge every day? I’m not happy about it..."

"Young lady, have you sold these things before? There’s a scanner at the Pedestrian Street. If your goods don’t go through the machine, they won’t let you in."

Everyone chattered over each other, and the topics gradually became a jumbled mess. Huai Yu kept smiling and listening, slowly piecing together the procedures for the trading market. Amidst the lively chatter, the bus eventually filled up so much that Huai Yu had to pull her bucket into her arms.

Finally, the bus slowly came to a halt.

"Terminal Station—Red Victory Pedestrian Street. We have arrived."

In an instant, everyone in the carriage sprang into action, and it emptied out in the blink of an eye. Huai Yu followed them off the bus and noticed an exceptionally tacky banner stretched across the tall archway of what used to be the Pedestrian Street.

RED VICTORY TRADING MARKET EAST GATE

At the entrance stood a massive, antique-style archway, likely built in the past to give the Pedestrian Street a distinctive character. However, now that it was covered by the banner, Huai Yu only gave it a brief glance. Her gaze bypassed the guards at the gate and shifted to the inspection checkpoint at the entrance.

Although it was afternoon, at a glance, all the shops on both sides of the Pedestrian Street were open, their signboards still displaying various clothing labels and a messy assortment of brand names. For example, there was a shop called *BLUE Luxury Collectibles*. From a distance, Huai Yu noticed that everything sold inside consisted of buckets, bottles, basins, and the like.

There was also a store named *XX Silk*, which was selling small piles of chives. A special offer sign above them read: *Mutant Value 12, Special Price 12 Points per half-kilo!*

Quite a few people were picking and choosing through the piles, making it seem like the special offer was very appealing. But when Huai Yu thought about all the things she had exchanged her eleven pine cones for, she couldn’t help but marvel.

The Defense Army were truly good people!

Thus, she carried her belongings and lined up at the inspection station. The inspection station operated efficiently. It looked like a modified high-speed rail security scanner. After swiping her ID card, Huai Yu only needed to place her items on the conveyor belt and walk through alongside them. After waiting in line for another minute, the machine next to her spat out a temporary anti-counterfeit certificate.

"Huh?" A staff member leaned over. "The quality of your goods is quite decent. A Mutant Value of 11."

Huai Yu smiled bashfully.

The man clicked his tongue. "It’s a pity... They’re all dried nuts. They won’t really fill you up... A family in good financial standing might buy some. Here, hold onto your certificate. This is your trading wristband. Contribution Points are traded through this. Before you leave, go to the counter opposite here to transfer the points, and they’ll be credited to your account.

"Oh, right," he added. "We aren’t charging stall fees this month, but we will start charging next month. Remember to have your Contribution Points ready."