Chapter 95 - 94: Heading to the Wilderness

Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Heading to the Wilderness

"Did you really dig all these up?"

Zhou Qian looked at Huai Yu, his eyes full of helplessness.

He wanted to offer some words of caution, but he realized that he hadn’t stopped warning her since they first met. Yet, here she was, still thriving. He paused, offered a helpless smile, and swallowed his words.

Looking at the heavy, overflowing woven basket, he fell silent for a moment before speaking up. "Don’t bring things over anymore.

"I’m heading out on a mission to the Wilderness, Little Yu."

"Huh?" Huai Yu was slightly bewildered. "The Defense Army has to go to the Wilderness too? I thought only the Guard Army did."

"We do," Zhou Qian replied calmly. "The Guard Army recruits from all over the country. Many of them don’t understand the terrain from Flower City to the Wilderness. Therefore, every operation is a joint effort between the local Defense Army and the Guard Army.

"It’s not a secret. I’m only explaining because you’re still new to all this... This mission might take a long time, Little Yu, so don’t bring anything over."

He thought for a moment, then glanced at the sentry at the post who was looking at him in confusion. "...Actually, you can drop by occasionally. I’ll instruct them to help you out as much as possible."

His sudden solemnity made Huai Yu a bit uneasy. Was going to the Wilderness really that dangerous? Why was even Zhou Qian acting so cautious?

Seeing her confusion, Zhou Qian reached out and rubbed her head. "It seems having a Wood Ability is truly wonderful—it has spared you from experiencing the malice of plants up until now."

"It also looks like you made the right choice living by the Rose Corridor," he added with a smile. "With it around, not even mutated animals dare approach.

"That’s good. Stay safe, Little Yu—and thank you for the gift."

He didn’t decline this time. Instead, he briskly picked up the bamboo shoots and turned to leave. ℯℯ𝑙.

Startled, Huai Yu suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Zhou Qian looked back. "Yes?"

"Remember to return my basket," she said cautiously. Since she was using her other two baskets as storage bins, this was the only one she had available to use.

Zhou Qian suddenly burst into laughter, his tone turning cheerful. "Alright, I’ll return it in a bit."

After he left, Huai Yu watched his retreating figure and suddenly asked the sentry nearby, "Is it really that dangerous?"

"Yeah." The sentry nodded. "They enter the Wilderness four times a year, and the casualty rate exceeds thirty percent... The higher-ranking ones always go first..."

His dark, honest face broke into a broad grin. "A little girl like you shouldn’t worry so much. It’s routine. We’re experienced, and besides, the benefits are fantastic. So many people want in but can’t make the cut."

Huai Yu fell silent for a moment. Her mind went blank.

In that instant, countless chaotic thoughts tangled together like a knot of yarn. A sharp sting pricked her heart, as if her sea urchin goose had rolled around inside her chest. She opened her mouth to speak but reconsidered and closed it.

Ultimately, she just murmured an acknowledgment and waited quietly to the side.

Sure enough, the basket was brought out shortly after. However, it wasn’t Zhou Qian who returned it, but another soldier from the Defense Army.

Huai Yu took it back. The radiant energy she had arrived with was completely gone.

However, the Defense Army had its duties, and she had her own life to live. Following her memory of the route, Huai Yu carried her empty basket and arrived at the Golden Yuan District once more.

Having only been away for a few days, the Golden Yuan District felt even more bustling than before.

The fountain square at the entrance was densely packed with stalls stretching from both sides of the road all the way to the fountain. If she had brought items to sell today, she might not have even been able to squeeze into a good spot.

However, this street-stall setup was much more straightforward compared to the formal trading market. More importantly, it was close to home—just a fifteen-minute bike ride away, which meant she didn’t have to worry too much about transportation.

As she pushed her bicycle forward, just about to head inside to take a look, an older woman at the entrance suddenly waved at her.

Huai Yu pointed at herself. "Me?"

"Yes, you, little girl! Our trading market separates pedestrians and vehicles, so let’s follow the rules! Park your bike over here. It’s one point for three parks, no time limit. I’ll register a vehicle tag for you."

Huai Yu was utterly baffled. Pedestrian and vehicle separation?! She was riding a bicycle!

The older woman grew slightly impatient. "Is a bicycle not a vehicle? Look around, aren’t all these bicycles? Having a bike is nothing special—everyone else parks theirs here too."

Huai Yu took a look and saw that, sure enough, there were seven or eight bicycles parked nearby.

Fine.

She had saved on bus fare, only to end up paying a parking fee. She sighed inwardly. It felt like everyone’s standard of living was improving, and people were finding more ways to make money.

After parking her bike, the woman handed her a rather pretty bracelet. "Hold onto this."

Huai Yu was confused again.

Staring at the beautifully vibrant green and purple jade bracelet, she genuinely wondered if living out in the rural outskirts was affecting her. Why did it feel like she was completely out of touch and lagging behind the times?

"The code is engraved on the inside. Just match it when you come back to get your bike."

Seeing Huai Yu still staring at the bracelet, the woman put her hands on her hips. "What’s wrong? So what if I used to sell acid-washed, B+C grade jade bracelets? Aren’t I letting you use it as an anti-counterfeit parking pass for free?"

The truth was, after the apocalypse, even rubber bands and cardboard could be sold for money. The only things that couldn’t sell were these chemically treated fake bracelets, so she had no choice but to carve numbers into them to use as naturally counterfeit-proof tags.

However, the woman remained completely self-righteous about it!

"Let me tell you, back in the day, within a hundred miles, no one had more natural-looking acid-washed bracelets than us! You wouldn’t even be able to find identically colored ones to use as tags now!"

Huai Yu was speechless.

She silently put on her only piece of jewelry—a limited-time rental—feeling a complex mix of emotions.

The difference between the Golden Yuan District and the Red Victory Trading Market was roughly like the difference between a rural farmers’ market and a downtown Pedestrian Street. Especially as she browsed stall by stall, the farmers’ market vibe felt even stronger.

She currently had less than one thousand points on hand. At the Red Victory Trading Market, she could easily blow through that after visiting just a few shops.

But here, looking at the wooden spoons and chopsticks selling at two for one point, and then at the wire-bound wooden basins going for ten points each... she suddenly felt incredibly wealthy!

After browsing three or four stalls, she spent three points on an ugly straw hat.

The weaving technique of this hat was mediocre, and the grass used wasn’t particularly refined. Looking closely, Huai Yu felt it seemed to be woven from alternating willow branches and the kind of long thatch grass she used for kindling at home. It even felt a bit prickly to the touch.

But... it was irresistibly cheap!

Having a sun hat like this for working in the fields now was just perfect!

She also caught sight of an axe. It was a standard size, though visibly old. The middle-aged vendor was grunting as he hammered a wooden wedge into it to secure the head.

Huai Yu watched silently for a moment and noticed someone immediately haggle and buy one for twenty-five points.

She was instantly tempted!

After all, although her multi-purpose shovel could do everything and was convenient to carry up the mountain, constantly switching its functions around the house was inevitably a bit cumbersome. An axe, on the other hand, was indispensable for chopping trees and splitting firewood, especially since her reserve of dry wood was dwindling.

Without hesitation, Huai Yu piggybacked on the previously negotiated price and bought one for herself.

Afterward, she looked around and inquired, "Are there any fish fry sold around here?"