Chapter 376: Bound to the Birth System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 377: Wasteland Collection Daily (5)

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"Girl, let's go this way."

Song Ling picked a direction, and the two carried hoes, leaving little by little.

Don't look at how many people are in the large force behind them; once they entered the mountain forest, it was as if they had hidden their tracks, and not a single person could be seen.

No one being around is better; everyone can collect with peace of mind instead of worrying about others pulling a "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" trick.

"Let's collect mushrooms first; the yield here is high every year, especially after rain, it's a pity..." Song Ling clicked her tongue, not finishing her words, but Shen Yao understood the lingering meaning.

Looking down, pine mushrooms and green-headed fungi were everywhere, as if they had entered a mushroom heaven.

Drip drip

"Pine Milk Mushroom, High-level Mutant Organism, Inedible"

"Pine Milk Mushroom, Medium-level Mutant Organism, Moderate Edible"

As big as a palm, light yellow all over, and it would exude a milky white juice.

The Pine Milk Mushroom itself tastes good, with a rich aroma, crisp and fresh, making it a material for soup.

Shen Yao collected a whole patch of Pine Milk Mushrooms, and finally put several into her Back Basket.

Further ahead were even more common Pine Mushrooms, also called Pine Tree Fungus, the most common fungus in pine forests, tasting good whether stewed plain or stir-fried.

Collecting all the way, as long as it was edible, it became a regular in Shen Yao's Back Basket.

Although the products in the pine forest were single, in terms of value they were no less than other wild vegetables.

Even while collecting mushrooms, Shen Yao dug up several wild medicinal herbs.

For example, Wild Astragalus and Wild He Shou Wu; once dug up, they could not only be used, but their medicinal properties had evolved quite a bit compared to before mutation.

Carefully and securely putting them away into the Back Basket behind her, Shen Yao continued forward in small steps.

Pat—

An old pine cone hit Shen Yao on the top of her head, also interrupting her path forward.

Looking up, she faced a furry, fluffy little squirrel standing on a pine branch; Shen Yao exhaled, turned around, and changed direction.

She didn't want to leave, but the squirrel was unwilling.

Pat pat pat—

Pine cones kept being thrown at her, hitting various parts of her body.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao glared at the culprit, "I'm telling you, don't push your luck," she was no pushover.

The little squirrel kept jumping and chattering, and the pine cone attacks did not decrease.

Picking up a stone and throwing it backhandedly, the squirrel on the tree directly rolled its eyes and was killed by Shen Yao's blow.

Walking over to pick up the squirrel, she extended a Detection Needle to test it; high mutation.

However, the squirrel's fur looked good, so Shen Yao put the squirrel into a Hemp Sack, looked up at the pine tree where the squirrel had stood, and simply climbed up to check.

As expected, a cave appeared in the center of the pine tree; it was the squirrel's home.

Shen Yao looked up and cleaned out everything inside; although a winter had passed, the squirrel had no food left, only some dried fruit and pine cones.

A small pile of loot was put by Shen Yao into the Hemp Sack; then she continued collecting mushrooms, digging herbs, and putting edible wild vegetables into her Back Basket.

By the time noon came and the weather got hot, the mother and daughter rested in a shady spot.

Shen Yao opened the Hemp Sack and dumped out the dried fruit and squirrel she hadn't processed.

"You dug up a squirrel hole?" Song Ling was surprised; squirrel holes were all in trees, and her old arms and legs couldn't climb up.

Shen Yao hummed, vaguely saying two sentences, "Just happened to see it, didn't run into the squirrel in the hole."

As for the dead squirrel, only that one had a hand itching to actively attack her; other squirrels had some self-awareness and didn't dare to approach people at all.

Mutated squirrels were only the size of an adult's small forearm; even though their teeth and claws were very sharp, they were no match for humans.

The proverb says, those who know the times are outstanding; as long as small animals have some intelligence, they understand seeking profit and avoiding harm.

During their rest, the two tested the dried fruit on the ground.

The originally half-full Hemp Sack only had a bottom left; edible ones were less than one-fifth, but the harvest was quite abundant; after all, dried fruit wasn't easy to get, and there were also some Hazelnuts and Peanuts here; putting them in stew could both add flavor and fill the stomach.

"Dig some more this afternoon to take home;" dried fruit stored longer than Jerky and Dried Vegetables.

Besides, staying at home was boring; whether eaten directly or stir-fried, or even taken out to entertain guests, it was all respectable.

Song Ling still remembered a bag of Pine Nuts they mother and son collected last year; unfortunately, not many were edible in the end, and after stir-frying, they were gone in just a few meals.

Shen Yao nodded; the inedible ones weren't thrown away either, but kept by her side to return when she had time; it wasn't easy for squirrels to store food for winter, and she wouldn't take them for nothing.

After resting for a while, seeing the sun above their heads was no longer glaring, the two stood up and continued into the forest.

When encountering squirrel holes, Shen Yao would still empty the food stored by squirrels inside, then replace the inedible dried fruit she had tested back in, and for the empty holes she had dug out, she would climb up the tree to add some.

Busy and bustling, when the Wristwatch on her wrist rang, the time had already reached 3:30 in the afternoon.

There was only one hour left until the Collection; they still carried heavy Hemp Sacks and couldn't delay.

"Mom, let's go back quickly;" there was only one trip back to the Base; if they missed it, they could only walk on foot or stay overnight.

The situation outside the Base was complex; night was undoubtedly the world of Mutant Beasts; if someone was left behind by the bus, it was a dead end.

Song Ling responded; she had especially many Hemp Sacks beside her, and they were packed full.

Shen Yao took a deep breath, glad she had been taking Pills these days; otherwise, she couldn't carry the Hemp Sack, wouldn't that be a waste of effort.

"Let's go"

Song Ling's neck veins bulged visibly; the two of them dragged and pulled, and finally managed to catch the returning vehicle.

No one dared to be greedy at this time; the hemp sacks were marked and placed on top of the carriage compartment, and those sitting inside were all people exhausted from a day's work.

In the enclosed space there were all kinds of smells; Shen Yao no longer had the strength to be picky, and leaned against Song Ling with eyes closed to rest.

The road beneath was uneven, the vehicle jolted as it drove; Shen Yao managed to get off and enter the city just before she almost vomited.

Several hemp sacks were placed on the ground; Shen Yao lay on the sacks enduring stomach pain, carefully dragging them into the base.

Song Ling regretted it afterwards, blaming her own greed; she hadn't thought much of it while harvesting, but upon returning discovered there were too many sacks to move.

From the base gate to home normally took them twenty or thirty minutes; now with over a hundred catties of hemp sacks, the time directly doubled.

"Girl, you wait here; I'll go home and fetch the cart," there was a handcart at home, they hadn't brought it today, and now if they wanted to use it they had to go back and get it.

Shen Yao nodded listlessly; she also wanted to run a trip for Song Ling, but her body failed her — the pills worked but could not block the smells, and the stench on the return vehicle was truly nauseating.

Song Ling sighed, turned, shouldered her back basket, and strode toward home.

People came and went all around; from time to time there were covert glances sizing up Shen Yao, all glared back by Shen Yao's cold face.

Cannot show weakness, cannot admit fear; in the base there are people just waiting to take advantage.

Shen Yao was not short, even had flesh on her body; during this period the pills nourished her, her physical strength increased, a ruthless punch would leave an ordinary man unable to bear it.

In this era, whether man or woman, all prioritize quality of life. A marriageable woman like Shen Yao belongs to the popular choices in the marriage market.

"Young lady, tell Auntie, are you single?"

"All this was gathered by you? Young lady is truly capable; Auntie's family has a..."

Shen Yao's face was indifferent; no matter how eloquently certain people spoke, she kept her mouth shut.

Only when Song Ling came over and drove away these onlookers was Shen Yao's predicament resolved.

Lifting the hemp sacks onto the handcart, Shen Yao looped rope around twice to bind them. After confirming they would not fall from jolting, the two pushed the cart away one after the other.

On the road Song Ling lamented, "In a blink, you've reached marriageable age.

Girl, what kind do you like? Should Mom find someone to introduce you?"

Song Ling hadn't considered it before; Zhou Ying's marriage gave her the inspiration.

You must know the Zhou family's daughter couldn't compare to ours in the slightest, yet she actually got married.

Hard to say whether it was jealousy or sympathy; Song Ling remembered this child Zhou Ying was thin and weak with not two taels of flesh, a dry appearance not at all like someone living in C District, but rather like those in E District, F District who never eat their fill year-round.

"Mom, my marriage isn't urgent," at least wait until the family's grain stores are enough, then they'll have the mind to care about other things.

"Sigh, what's not urgent, the good years are just these two, still need to seize the chance," Song Ling unwilling for her daughter to settle, even more unwilling for her daughter to be left behind.

Why? Simply find a companion, better than being lonely alone.

Shen Yu will marry eventually, have his own family; she and Lao Shen will go first, leaving only Shen Yao alone — Song Ling cannot rest assured.

Whatever it takes, must find someone for her own daughter, and it must be to her heart's liking, someone the daughter likes.

Song Ling secretly set the goal, but on her lips said nothing of marriage or wedding.

Soon, home arrived.

Taking out the key to open the door, Song Ling pushed the handcart, unloaded the sacks and placed them in the courtyard.

The previously gathered wild vegetables and meat were all stored away; now the courtyard was an empty space, just right for drying mushrooms.

Taking out the rush mats from the storage room and spreading them, Song Ling fetched a basin of water, tore open the sacks, sent dried fruits and such to the storage room first, washed the remaining mushrooms and spread them flat to dry.

"Must take out a portion, also dried fruits; tomorrow we'll go to the Zhou family to present gifts."

Zhou Ying is marrying; the Zhou family invited them; whatever happens they cannot go empty-handed.

Neighbors for over a decade; there are some Zhou family matters Song Ling dislikes, but Song Ling herself has no opinion of Zhou Da Po, the two are still daily gossip partners, never lacking huddling together to speak of this family's long and that family's short.

"Mom, should we take some jerky?" Just mushrooms and dried fruits seem not solemn enough.

"Don't take; taking would only benefit others," impossible to give to Zhou Ying.

Song Ling pursed her lips, and in a low voice nagged to Shen Yao about the Zhou family's underhanded deeds these years, "Ying Zi marrying counts as escaping the sea of suffering." Otherwise staying in the Zhou family would also be a life of drudgery.

Who likes always working and still not eating their fill; Song Ling feels those two old undying things of the Zhou family truly deserve to be carried off by wild beasts, they are the most despicable.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao scratched her head, not expecting her own birth mother to be so righteously indignant.

The Zhou family's reputation in this area is indeed not great, but some families do even more excessive things; it's just that the Shen family has always been harmonious.

Thinking this way, the original body she transmigrated into isn't bad.

The brought-back mushrooms spread across the entire courtyard; the remaining pile with no place could only be strung up and hung from the eaves, even Song Ling spread some in the main hall, and even their evening meal was stir-fried mushrooms with vegetables, a pot of brown rice porridge stewed mushy soft not sticking in the throat.

Eating and drinking their fill, Song Ling took out tomorrow's prepared gifts first, then the two washed up and slept.

"Left late today; when the time comes we'll just go wander by the South City River."

Taking the back basket, locking the gate, Song Ling brought Shen Yao to the Zhou family.

Before even entering, heard quarreling voices from inside, directly putting Song Ling in a dilemma.

"Lao Song, quickly come, help me persuade Ying Zi, she's truly gone mad."

Zhou Shen pulled Song Ling's hand walking into the house, wiping tears as she walked.

The Zhou family people all gathered in the main hall, a dark mass with not a trace of festive air.

Shen Yao didn't join the excitement, found a spot to rest on her own, and by the way carefully observed what exactly the Zhou family situation was.

The Zhou family main hall had three groups: one group was the Zhou family, one group was the wedding party, and one group was like Shen Yao — onlookers who knew nothing and just came to give gifts.

"Surnamed Sun, this is deception; clearly said buying a house in B District, how could it be D District?

Also you said you're Patrol Team personnel, how come the Patrol Team has no your name.

..."

Zhou Da pointed at the short-statured man opposite and launched a string of questions. Clearly, some content was inconsistent with what was said during the initial matchmaking; the Zhou family felt deceived and did not want to form a marriage alliance with the other party.

"Eldest Young Master, this is a long story. I used to have a room in B District, then I sold it. I even worked for the Patrol Team for a segment of time, I..." The man's explanation sounded pale and weak, most clearly revealing his own guilty conscience.

Instantly, the Zhou Family's voices of doubt grew louder, and several Zhou Family men even moved to strike him.

The originally peaceful scene in the main hall fell into chaos; someone took the opportunity to crowd up to Shen Yao, trying to take advantage, and was kicked hard in the foot by Shen Yao.

"Ow, who kicked me?"

"Who, who kicked me?"

"..."

Shen Yao retreated backward again and again, shrinking into the corner as if she had nothing to do with the chaos whatsoever.

The door of the innermost room was pushed open, and Zhou Shen came out, pulling Zhou Da along while saying this and that; in the end, Zhou Da could only swallow his resentment and stop, letting Zhou Ying leave with the other party.

There was certainly no wedding feast to eat, including the mushrooms and dried fruit Song Ling had brought as gift money — they were all left behind at the Zhou Family.

Zhou Ying walked out of the Zhou Family; only the set of clothes on her body belonged to her.

"What a sin, what a sin."

Song Ling muttered softly, pulling Shen Yao to hurry to the South City River to gather.

"Girl, you must not learn from Ying Zi; she's too stupid. She believes whatever anyone says, and in the end, she only frames herself."

Today's matter is simple to put it: the matchmaker concealed information with a practiced hand, and Zhou Ying went along with the other party in concealing it, causing the Zhou Family to not know the concrete situation. If it weren't for Zhou Da investigating privately, who knows if the Zhou Family would still be kept in the dark.

Shen Yao didn't understand. "Why? Zhou Ying would have to live in D District after marrying, and that place borders E District and F District — it's very dangerous; they run into robberies every year."

"What else could it be? She just wanted to be stubborn. She has a child in her belly." Song Ling sighed, reminding Shen Yao that she absolutely must not commit stupidity on this point. "The world is hard for all of us; we must find a reliable one to marry into, otherwise the child will be born and we can't raise it alive — why give birth to it then?"

It was precisely because Zhou Ying couldn't figure it out that she framed herself into this. What is the current suffering? There's plenty more suffering to come later.