Chapter 58 - Fifty-Six: The Pickle Crisis and the Northern Road

Chapter 58: Chapter Fifty-Six: The Pickle Crisis and the Northern Road

The ancient Keeper mysteries could wait.

The pickle jars could not.

Lin Yue stumbled out of bed.

"What happened?"

From downstairs came Grandmother’s furious voice.

"WHO PUT THE PICKLES ON THE STAIRS?"

A crash followed.

Then silence.

Then—

"OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

Lin Yue ran downstairs.

Shen Rui appeared from the opposite corridor at exactly the same time.

They looked at each other.

"Race you."

"To what?"

"The pickle disaster."

They both ran.

The Great Pickle Disaster

They found Grandmother standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Around her—

broken jars.

Pickled vegetables.

Cucumbers.

Carrots.

Radishes.

And one extremely guilty-looking squirrel.

Lin Yue stared.

The squirrel stared back.

Grandmother pointed.

"He did it."

The squirrel shook his head.

Grandmother pointed harder.

"He absolutely did it."

The squirrel crossed his arms.

Lin Yue crouched.

"What happened?"

The squirrel pointed toward the stairs.

Then toward a basket.

Then toward himself.

Finally—

he mimed carrying something.

Lin Yue understood.

"You were delivering jars?"

The squirrel nodded enthusiastically.

"And you dropped them?"

He shook his head.

Grandmother snorted.

"He didn’t drop them."

She pointed upward.

"He stacked them on the stairs."

Lin Yue blinked.

"Why?"

The squirrel proudly pointed toward the wall.

There was a sign.

PICKLES — READY FOR MARKET

Below it—

DO NOT TOUCH.

The squirrel pointed at himself.

"I think he was guarding them."

Shen Rui nodded.

"Very dedicated."

Grandmother folded her arms.

"He guarded them so well that nobody could get down the stairs."

Lin Yue looked at the mess.

"Everyone is safe?"

"Yes."

"Anyone hurt?"

"No."

"Then we’ll clean it."

Grandmother stared at her.

"You’re not angry?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"It’s a logistics problem."

Grandmother sighed.

"You really have become strange."

The First Rule of Trade

The next morning, Lin Yue gathered everyone involved in the food business.

She placed three objects on the table.

A jar.

A ledger.

A wooden crate.

"These represent three stages."

She pointed to the jar.

"Production."

The ledger.

"Accounting."

The crate.

"Distribution."

Then she pointed toward the broken staircase.

"And yesterday taught us something."

The squirrel lowered his head.

"Never store commercial goods on stairs."

The children giggled.

Lin Yue smiled.

"Correct."

The squirrel looked relieved.

The Storage House

The pickle business had grown beyond the household kitchen.

That meant they needed proper storage.

Lin Yue designed a small food warehouse.

It had:

Raised shelves.

Ventilation.

Cleanable floors.

Drainage.

Separate areas for raw ingredients and finished products.

Pest protection.

Temperature monitoring.

A washing station.

Waste disposal.

And clearly marked storage locations.

Grandmother inspected it.

She nodded approvingly.

"Good."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Thank you."

Grandmother pointed toward the shelves.

"More jars."

Lin Yue laughed.

"You’re impossible."

"I am profitable."

"That too."

The Northern Map

After breakfast, Lin Yue returned to the main hall.

The map of the Golden Space covered an entire wall.

The three Keeper sites were marked.

NORTHERN MOUNTAIN DEEP FOREST WESTERN DESERT

Shen Rui stood beside her.

"We should investigate the northern site first."

Lin Yue nodded.

"Why?"

"Closest."

"Correct."

"Also, the mountain route is likely easier than crossing the desert."

"Correct."

"And we already have experience there."

Lin Yue looked at him.

"You’ve been studying maps."

"Yes."

"Since when?"

"Since you started turning every household problem into an infrastructure project."

Lin Yue smiled.

"I’m a good influence."

"That’s debatable."

The Expedition Plan

Lin Yue refused to rush.

The previous expedition had taught her that unknown environments demanded preparation.

So she created a checklist.

FOOD

Dried grains.

Preserved vegetables.

Dried meat.

Salt.

Emergency rations.

WATER

Water containers.

Filtration equipment.

Boiling vessels.

Backup containers.

SHELTER

Tents.

Tarps.

Rope.

Repair materials.

Blankets.

MEDICAL

Bandages.

Disinfectants.

Splints.

Herbal medicines.

Basic emergency equipment.

NAVIGATION

Maps.

Compasses.

Markers.

Written route descriptions.

TOOLS

Axes.

Knives.

Hammers.

Saw.

Shovels.

Repair kits.

COMMUNICATION

Signal flags.

Whistles.

Lanterns.

Written messages.

SEEDS

A small emergency seed collection.

RECORDS

Notebooks.

Weather logs.

Soil records.

Plant identification guides.

Shen Rui looked at the pile.

"We’re going to the mountains."

"Yes."

"You’ve packed enough equipment for a small settlement."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Exactly."

Grandmother’s Contribution

Grandmother appeared.

She carried two baskets.

"What are those?"

"Food."

Lin Yue opened one.

Pickled vegetables.

Dried fruit.

Preserved beans.

The second basket contained—

more pickles.

Lin Yue stared.

"Grandmother."

"Yes?"

"We’re going for exploration."

"I know."

"Not opening a restaurant."

"You’ll need food."

"We have dried grain."

Grandmother looked offended.

"Dry grain doesn’t taste good."

Lin Yue sighed.

"Fine."

Shen Rui whispered:

"Don’t argue."

"Why?"

"You’ll lose."

Grandmother smiled.

"He’s learning."

The Family Gathering

The entire family gathered before departure.

Lin Yue’s mother checked the medical supplies.

Her father inspected the carts.

Grandmother checked the food.

The children checked the notebooks.

Shen Rui checked the route.

Lin Yue checked everyone.

Then she stopped.

"Where’s the squirrel?"

A small orange blur shot past.

He was wearing a tiny backpack.

Lin Yue stared.

"No."

The squirrel froze.

"No."

He pointed toward the mountain.

"No."

He pointed toward his backpack.

"No."

He put both paws together.

Lin Yue sighed.

"You’re coming."

The squirrel cheered.

Grandmother smiled.

"Good choice."

The Northern Road

The expedition left at dawn.

The road followed a river.

Fields gradually disappeared.

Then orchards.

Then villages.

Then forest.

The terrain rose.

Temperatures dropped.

Lin Yue observed the vegetation changing.

"This elevation is interesting."

Shen Rui smiled.

"You’ve said that three times."

"Because it keeps becoming more interesting."

The engineer beside them laughed.

Lin Yue pointed toward the slope.

"Look at the vegetation."

They stopped.

Different plants grew at different elevations.

Lin Yue explained:

"Temperature, moisture, soil depth, sunlight, and drainage all change with elevation."

The children wrote everything down.

One child asked:

"Does that mean different crops grow better at different heights?"

"Yes."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Exactly."

A New Farming Opportunity

The northern mountains contained plants that couldn’t grow in the lowlands.

Cold-weather vegetables.

Hardy grains.

Medicinal herbs.

Berry shrubs.

Root crops.

Lin Yue immediately began planning.

Not large-scale farming.

Not yet.

First—

small experimental plots.

She collected seeds only where appropriate and recorded their locations.

Every specimen received a number.

Every observation went into the field notebook.

The expedition was becoming an agricultural survey.

The Mountain Village

On the third day, they found a small settlement.

The villagers watched them cautiously.

Their leader approached.

"You’re travelers."

"Yes."

"What do you want?"

Lin Yue smiled.

"Water."

The leader relaxed slightly.

"We can give you water."

"And information."

His expression changed.

"What kind?"

"Have you seen strange stone terraces farther north?"

The villagers exchanged looks.

One elderly man finally answered.

"Yes."

Lin Yue’s eyes sharpened.

"Where?"

He pointed toward the mountain.

"Beyond the old forest."

The Forgotten Fields

The villagers called the area:

The Sleeping Farm.

Nobody cultivated it.

Nobody entered it.

But every spring—

plants grew there.

The villagers harvested only small amounts.

"Why don’t you farm it?"

The elder shook his head.

"Because the mountain doesn’t like being disturbed."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Mountains don’t usually have opinions."

Shen Rui coughed.

Lin Yue glanced at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

The Mountain’s Warning

That night, the expedition camped outside the village.

The temperature fell sharply.

Lin Yue measured it.

Then measured it again.

"This isn’t normal."

Shen Rui looked toward the mountain.

"What do you mean?"

"The temperature is dropping faster than expected."

She checked the wind direction.

Humidity.

Cloud cover.

Ground temperature.

Then—

she heard it.

A faint ringing.

The same bell.

Lin Yue looked toward the mountain.

"One."

Silence.

"Two."

Another ring.

"Three."

Lumi appeared.

Her face was pale.

"The northern Keeper site is awake."

Lin Yue stood.

"Then we go tomorrow."

Lumi shook her head.

"No."

Lin Yue frowned.

"Why?"

"Because the mountain isn’t calling you."

"Then who is it calling?"

Lumi looked toward the sleeping village.

"The last people who tried to enter."

The Old Story

The elder told them the story.

Many years ago, several travelers entered the northern forest.

Only one returned.

He came back carrying no treasure.

No gold.

No weapons.

Only seeds.

But he had lost his memory.

He couldn’t remember where he had found them.

Every time he tried to describe the place—

he forgot.

The villagers eventually planted one seed.

It grew into a strange tree.

Every year, the tree produced a single fruit.

Nobody ate it.

Nobody knew what it contained.

Lin Yue looked at Shen Rui.

"Where is the tree?"

The elder pointed north.

"Near the Sleeping Farm."

The Expedition Changes

Lin Yue changed the plan.

They would not enter blindly.

They would:

Observe the area from a distance.

Map the terrain.

Monitor temperature.

Identify water sources.

Establish a safe camp.

Create a retreat route.

Mark landmarks.

And only then approach the Keeper site.

Shen Rui smiled.

"You’ve learned caution."

"I’ve always been cautious."

He looked at her.

"You planted a mysterious magical seed."

"That’s different."

"You followed a magical bell."

"Also different."

"You opened an ancient door."

"Necessary."

"You’re impossible."

Lin Yue smiled.

"And yet you came."

He looked away.

"I had to."

Her smile became softer.

"I know."

The Sleeping Farm

They reached the mountain’s northern slope by midday.

The field was breathtaking.

Terraces climbed the mountain.

Water flowed through ancient channels.

Trees grew in carefully arranged rows.

Wild plants filled abandoned beds.

Nothing was dead.

Nothing was overgrown.

The entire place looked as though someone had simply walked away yesterday.

Lin Yue whispered:

"This isn’t abandoned."

Shen Rui nodded.

"It’s maintained."

They found fresh footprints.

Again.

Human.

Barefoot.

Small.

The same as before.

Lin Yue followed them.

The footprints stopped beside an ancient tree.

Its bark was silver.

Its leaves were dark green.

And hanging from one branch—

was a single golden fruit.

The Fruit

Lin Yue approached.

Lumi immediately shouted:

"Don’t touch it!"

Lin Yue stopped.

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Lin Yue smiled.

"That’s becoming your favorite sentence."

Lumi frowned.

"I’m serious."

"So am I."

Lin Yue examined the fruit without touching it.

No visible damage.

No insects.

No rot.

No fallen fruit.

The tree produced exactly one.

Every year.

She looked at the ground.

There were no seeds.

No fallen leaves.

No seedlings.

The tree existed alone.

"How does it reproduce?"

Lumi whispered:

"It doesn’t."

Lin Yue froze.

"What?"

"The tree isn’t growing."

Lumi looked at it.

"It is remembering."

The Keeper Appears

A figure stood across the field.

An old man.

White hair.

Simple clothing.

Bare feet.

He carried a basket.

Inside were seeds.

He looked at Lin Yue.

"You shouldn’t have come."

Lin Yue smiled.

"That’s what everyone keeps telling me."

The old man stared.

Then—

he laughed.

A genuine laugh.

"You really are the new Keeper."

Lin Yue’s expression changed.

"You knew I was coming?"

"No."

He pointed toward the golden fruit.

"It knew."

Lin Yue looked at the tree.

The fruit was glowing.

The Golden Space responded.

The World-Tree appeared faintly behind her.

The old man bowed.

"Welcome."

The Second Keeper

Shen Rui stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

The old man smiled.

"My name is Elder Han."

"You are a Keeper?"

Elder Han shook his head.

"Not anymore."

Lin Yue frowned.

"Then what are you?"

He looked at the mountain.

"A caretaker."

"What happened to the Keeper?"

Elder Han’s expression became solemn.

"He left."

"Where?"

"Into the mountain."

"Why?"

"To find the source of the Hunger."

Lin Yue’s heart tightened.

"The First Hunger?"

Elder Han nodded.

"He believed it could be destroyed."

Lin Yue remembered the previous Keeper’s words.

Survival wasn’t victory.

It was practice.

She asked:

"Did he succeed?"

Elder Han looked toward the mountain.

"No."

The Mountain Door

Elder Han led them to the base of the mountain.

There—

a massive stone door stood hidden beneath roots.

The golden Keeper symbol was carved into it.

But unlike the previous doors—

this one had no keyhole.

Instead, there was a single inscription.

Lin Yue brushed away the dust.

She read it aloud:

WHAT YOU SEEK IS NOT BELOW.

She frowned.

Then read the second line.

IT IS WITHIN WHAT YOU REFUSE TO SEE.

Shen Rui looked at her.

"What does that mean?"

Lin Yue stared at the inscription.

"I don’t know."

For once—

she genuinely didn’t.

Then the golden fruit above the ancient tree fell.

It struck the ground.

Cracked open.

And released a cloud of glowing seeds.

The seeds floated through the air.

One landed in Lin Yue’s palm.

Another landed in Shen Rui’s.

Lumi gasped.

"The mountain has chosen."

Lin Yue looked at the seed.

"What did it choose?"

Lumi whispered:

"Not a Keeper."

She looked toward Shen Rui.

"Two."

The stone door began to open.

And from deep inside the mountain—

came the sound of someone breathing.

Someone who had been waiting in the darkness for a very—

very—

long time.

To be continued...