Chapter 61 - 60: Pine Pollen

Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Pine Pollen

Dropping a fish trap into the water didn’t yield immediate results. Early the next morning, Huai Yu came over with a bamboo basket on her back and untied the rope fastened to the tree.

The small trap felt quite heavy in the pool, and water seemed to be churning inside!

Pleasantly surprised, she stood by the pool, her anticipation growing. As she pulled the trap up, she discovered two large fish inside, along with several smaller fish and loaches. This alone was enough to thrill her!

The two big fish were heavy. Even after being hauled ashore, they continued to thrash vigorously. Their slimy, slippery bodies arched and flopped, slapping against the rocks by the pool and making loud SMACK SMACK sounds.

Oh... Huai Yu hesitated, glancing at the multi-purpose shovel in her hand. She wondered, "If I’m going to eat them, shouldn’t I smack them unconscious through the net with my shovel first? Judging by the sound, they’re incredibly strong!"

But after only a moment of hesitation, she lowered the trap back into the water. Since it was a rare trip up the mountain, she couldn’t just leave her basket empty. She had already picked a bag full of wild vegetables when she set the trap yesterday, so today she decided to look for mushrooms and the like.

Following the stream upward, she slowly made her way into the mountains along familiar paths. Branches that made her feel a strong sense of affinity surrounded her in every direction. Some of the larger trees were already capable of faintly broadcasting their emotions, while the smaller ones remained ignorant and unawakened, just like ordinary plants—exactly like the ones she had chopped down earlier to build her house.

As Huai Yu navigated through the mountains, the surrounding branches and twigs parted tacitly to both sides under her intentional or unintentional control, until a towering tree appeared before her.

Oh, it was actually a familiar tree!

"Big pine tree!" Huai Yu happily threw her arms around its thick trunk. "Your pinecones helped me a lot! Thank you!"

She stroked the rugged bark, subconsciously letting the power within her body surge outward. In the silent forest, the big pine tree stretched its branches and needles. Soon, a subtle emotion—one that only Huai Yu could vaguely comprehend—was transmitted over.

"Huh?" She paused, looking at the dozen or so small, ungrown pine trees nearby. "Are you really letting me pick them?"

The pine tree went RUSTLE RUSTLE, shaking out an exceptionally cheerful sound in the mountain forest.

Huai Yu looked at her bamboo basket, then at the bucket in her hand meant for the fish... Never mind, the fish were more important! She turned and gathered a large bunch of soft, tender leaves from the bushes to line the bottom of her basket. Only then did she pull down the pine branches and gently pluck the newly bloomed pine flowers.

Although the little pine trees before her didn’t convey any emotions, she continued to mutter softly as she picked:

"It’s not that I want to pick so many. It’s the big pine tree. He said you’re all too small, and flowering and bearing fruit is too exhausting...

"You wouldn’t be able to produce any useful pine nuts anyway, nor can you take on the task of reproduction... So, it’s better to pluck the flowers early and save your energy to grow your branches and roots..."

The big pine tree was already so massive she couldn’t even climb it, but the branches of the small pine trees bent with a gentle tug. She carefully picked clusters of pale, earthy-yellow pine blossoms from amidst the needles and placed them into her basket. Before long, her hands were coated with a fuzzy layer of pollen.

What a pity. Huai Yu thought, "Making pastries uses up too much grain. Otherwise, pine pollen cakes would be delicious."

She didn’t have any honey either; otherwise, mixing this up to make a face mask would—

Wait! A sudden flash of inspiration hit her. She knew exactly what to trade with Boss Tang.

After all, makeup kits from six years ago were still selling like hotcakes. It made no sense for purified Pine Pollen to have no buyers, right? If mixed with egg whites, milk, or honey, it could at least be used as a face mask!

As for whether it would actually work... Huai Yu thought without an ounce of guilt, "Even boiling ordinary chrysanthemums in water and applying it to the face can reduce swelling and inflammation! Why wouldn’t this precious Pine Pollen be useful?"

At this thought, her hands moved even faster. By the time she finished sweeping through the large patch of pine trees, her basket was packed to the brim. It was just a shame that a lot of pollen still stuck to the top. Next time she came, she would need to bring a few more plastic bags.

Carrying her bountiful harvest in the basket on her back, she returned to the pool and pulled up the trap. Thinking about the journey down the mountain, she worried that the fish might die prematurely or thrash their way out and overpower her—considering the strength of that small fish before, it was a genuine possibility!

After mulling it over, she tentatively released a bit of her Purification Power.

The fish had been flopping exceptionally hard inside the trap. Every flick of their tails nearly made Huai Yu lose her grip on the net. However, once the Purification Ability was infused, both large fish gradually calmed down.

Huai Yu breathed a sigh of relief. She decisively filled her bucket with some water and transferred the fish inside. Once out of the Rose Corridor, she pedaled her bicycle furiously. She didn’t truly relax until she arrived back home and safely settled the fish.

She tossed the tiny fish, shrimp, and loaches directly into the pond, keeping two medium-sized ones for herself.

As for the two largest ones... Whether it was braised fish chunks, sliced fish with pickled greens, or a milky-white fresh fish soup, every dish she fantasized about made Huai Yu’s stomach growl a little louder.

Never mind. She regretfully cast aside her fantasies. Now wasn’t the time to focus on enjoyment. Besides, without enough seasoning, the fish wouldn’t taste good anyway.

She checked the time, quickly dug out some fresh plastic bags, and nimbly stripped the pollen off the clusters of pine blossoms. Pressed for time, she didn’t dare keep the fish until the next day. As a result, she didn’t even have a moment to properly sift the Pine Pollen clean before she hurriedly grabbed the bucket and rushed off to catch the bus.

She was down to less than ten credits. If she didn’t go find Boss Tang soon, she would truly have zero savings left, and her life would have absolutely no safety net!

About three hours after Huai Yu left, a military vehicle drove out from the Zone 69 camp.

Zhou Qian drove intently, not saying a word, his expression focused to the point of being solemn.

Beside him sat an unfamiliar face. This person wore a snow-white uniform that, under the daylight, reflected a silvery-white gleam like flowing sand. He was staring intently at the Rose Corridor—visible from a great distance away—looking on high alert. Meanwhile, three more vehicles followed far behind them.

Zhou Qian’s attention, however, was neither on the passenger beside him nor on the trailing vehicles. Instead, he silently glanced in the rearview mirror.

Seated in the back of the car was a young man. He had rugged facial features yet an elegant, refined demeanor. The two contrasting styles blended seamlessly together. Added to this was an imposing, battle-hardened aura born from defending against mutated plants, making him highly memorable.

And that snow-white Guard Army uniform, practically glowing silver, along with the badge on his chest, broadcasted his identity.

He was the man who had traveled thousands of miles from the Imperial Capital just to track down the whereabouts of the former Garrison Officer, Lin Xuefeng. He was Flower City’s eternal hero—

Wu Yue.

The newly appointed commander of the Guard Army, General Wu.