Chapter 377: Bound to a Childbearing System and Became a Winner in Life Chapter 378: Wasteland Gathering Daily Life (6)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Zhou Ying's matter was merely idle talk for leisure moments; her life she decides herself, and has nothing to do with others.

Mother and daughter queued up and arrived at the unsealed riverside, but there were too many people there — let alone fish, they couldn't even touch a single wild vegetable.

Song Ling: ……

Song Ling gritted her teeth; she hadn't expected so many people would come running over. "Could there be some treasure at the riverside?" Their family had just gotten lucky and dug up potatoes.

Unable to figure it out, she stopped thinking further; Song Ling pulled Shen Yao and continued walking deeper inside.

As a result, they walked for twenty minutes and it was still all people; Shen Yao looked up at the sky — they had come out rather late today, and after reaching the riverside they couldn't gather anything for a good while; tch, she still had to think of a way.

"Mom, let's go to the Reed Marsh," inside there are wild ducks and wild duck eggs; if worst comes to worst we can still cut some reeds to weave mats — at least the trip won't be wasted.

Going out for a day costs four points; no matter what we have to earn the points back.

Song Ling bit her lip and nodded. "Let's take a different path," otherwise even if we go to the Reed Marsh we won't get near anything — the people here have sharp eyes; the moment they spot something good they'll all come crowding over.

Shen Yao and Song Ling switched to a narrow path; all around stood wild grass taller than a person; occasionally one or two wild vegetables appeared, but detection showed high mutation — inedible.

They walked for a good while and finally circled out to the other side of the Reed Marsh; both their back baskets were still empty.

"Be careful when we go in later; there may be water snakes in the Reed Marsh," Song Ling took out rope and tied her trouser legs tight, then carefully bound her wrists as well.

"Mom, don't worry; you be careful too. Let's get out before noon," it was ten-thirty now, barely an hour left; the Reed Marsh is large, just circling the periphery will be enough for us.

Song Ling waved her hand; the two picked a direction and entered one after another — in the blink of an eye they lost sight of each other.

Shen Yao looked seriously at the surrounding reeds, lowered her head and felt underfoot. A few hard stones were clenched in her hand, for defense.

Rustle— rustle-rustle——

Reeds were pushed aside artificially; Shen Yao stepped forward, inching ahead bit by bit.

Suddenly, a blackish-gray blur flew out from the front diagonal; fixing her eyes, it turned out to be a wild duck.

Subconsciously she threw the stone in her hand; it didn't hit the already faraway wild duck, but instead struck a wild duck that was just passing by.

Shen Yao: ……

She walked over and picked up the wild duck that had met its end; carrying it was still somewhat heavy. Not only that, here was a wild duck nest, and wild duck eggs too.

She picked up all of them, not caring about detection or not; Shen Yao kept searching.

By the time the wristwatch chimed a reminder, Shen Yao had already caught three wild ducks, and there were twenty wild duck eggs in the back basket.

Song Ling exclaimed in surprise, "Girl, did you catch all these yourself?" My goodness, her daughter is truly capable.

Shen Yao wore a composed face. "Mom, only this wild duck can be eaten; the rest have to be buried."

Highly mutated animals — aside from eggs, which are collected, everything else is useless.

A wild duck can weigh ten to twenty catties; Shen Yao couldn't possibly carry them all back.

She found a clearing on the spot, plucked the feathers off the wild duck and stored them properly; everything else she buried in a pit as fertilizer.

Song Ling had only picked up a few wild duck eggs, all edible.

"When we get back we'll make salted eggs, to eat during the Hot Rainy Season and the Cold Season."

Wild duck eggs and wild chicken eggs are both proper tonics; who told there to be no artificially raised chickens and ducks at this time — if you want to eat eggs you can only rely on going out yourself to find them.

As for the wild chickens and wild ducks raised at the Base, those few eggs aren't even enough for the High Level to eat; they fundamentally never flow into the Exchange Center for Ordinary People to exchange for.

Shen Yao never used to worry much about food; only after coming to this world did she understand that obtaining food is not easy. Seeing Song Ling in a very good mood, she planned to wait a bit, then go back into the Reed Marsh and catch more wild ducks and wild duck eggs — even if not for eating, taking them back to sell would still be a chunk of points credited.

Mother and daughter rested enough, then stood up and continued deeper into the Reed Marsh.

The places already searched could be skipped; the Reed Marsh is too large — busy until afternoon when they returned, Shen Yao and them had only walked around the outer edges.

The back basket was already filled more than half with wild duck eggs; the topmost layer held a few wild ducks.

Afraid that going back like this would draw the attention of ill-intentioned people, Song Ling cut some reeds and laid them flat on top as cover.

Unfortunately, even so it still couldn't block those gazes that seemed ready to rush over; Song Ling and Shen Yao kept cold faces, and after entering the Base walked quickly home — not until the Gate was shut again, isolating everything, did they finally catch their breath.

"Not having a man in the house is just inconvenient; your dad and them who knows when they'll be back," Song Ling set down the back basket, dusted herself off, and turned to the storeroom to get food for cooking.

Shen Yao sat down right there, and used the wristwatch to test the wild duck eggs from the back basket one by one.

The beep-beep-beep prompt tone wasn't exactly pleasant; after all, out in the wild mutations happen every moment — don't look at the number of wild duck eggs brought back being not small; among them, few were edible.

When all testing was finished, Shen Yao reached out and sent the edible ones to the storeroom; the inedible ones she placed separately in a corner, to be sent to the Exchange Center early tomorrow morning.

"Girl, come eat first," dishes were on the table; Song Ling had stir-fried mushroom meat slices, and the staple was coarse rice noodles.

What the house has most of is coarse flour; every month the quota of over a hundred catties expires if not bought.

So Song Ling basically uses up the coarse flour quota every month; even if the family can't finish eating it, she can take it out to exchange with others.

The family's tools — aside from the Exchange Center — are gotten at the small market at the South Gate; who made points not universally applicable in every scene — valuable things are mostly barter.

Sitting beside the wooden table, Shen Yao picked up bowl and chopsticks, stirred the noodles inside, and ate the fragrant meat slices and mushrooms all down into her belly.

"Tomorrow we'll still go to the riverside; wild duck eggs are rare — after a while the wild ducks fly away, and they'll be hard to pick up."

Before the Hot Rainy Season arrives, the wild ducks will leave the Reed Marsh and fly elsewhere; they can only hide in rooms to avoid the rain; the Hot Rainy Season is both stifling and hot; Song Ling plans to buy another air conditioner for the main hall to cool off.

"Mom, take the fishing net along; it might come in handy," Shen Yao put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and took out the fishing net used for catching fish before.

The vine-woven fishing net isn't very sturdy; especially after soaking in water it becomes even more brittle.

To avoid the predicament of snapping at a single pull, mother and daughter repaired it anew, making the old fishing net look brand new.

Harboring beautiful hopes they went in; the next morning the two went out, but unexpectedly just as they reached the Base gate they were told the riverside could no longer be accessed.

Huh? "Why?"

Of the people leaving the Base from the South City, eighty percent all have to go to the riverside.

Right now tell them they can't go past, the key person has already come out, entering the base again will cost two points!

"Go, go, go, where are there so many whys? Something happened at Reed Marsh, you're not afraid of losing your lives so go, the Patrol Team people are investigating there, ……"

The blocker wore Base Staff clothing, speaking extremely impatiently.

Shen Yao and Song Ling looked longingly for a long while, finally having no choice but to retreat and find another place.

They couldn't not change places, there were Patrol Team people by the riverside, ordinary people like them going there would be seeking death, don't think the Patrol Team will save people, they are the department the base uses to maintain stability, what they value most is the base's safety.

As long as Dawn Base has no problems, the population will sooner or later rise.

"Move aside, move aside, quickly make way for the Patrol Team people."

Shen Yao had just pulled Song Ling to avoid the crowded throng, the next second a speeding vehicle rushed in front of her, the dust it kicked up splashed everyone's faces.

The noise grew louder, Shen Yao frowned, looking up to meet a pair of eyes.

Their gazes crossed for no more than an instant, soon the vehicle went far away, and the people became blurry.

"Daughter, we should go."

Song Ling felt heartache over the fishing net she brought out, a pity it couldn't be used today.

"Mom, let's take a vehicle," outside the base in the four directions every day there are vehicles pulling people to distant Collection Points.

Pine Tree Ridge, where Shen Yao and Song Ling went before, required taking a vehicle to get there.

Today there is danger by the riverside, other nearby places south of the city have small shipment quantities, the most cost-effective is taking a vehicle.

Song Ling nodded, "Fine, we'll take a vehicle, see where else we can go."

The vehicles weren't for them to choose, and each vehicle's destination was different, Song Ling didn't want Shen Yao to get into trouble, finally choosing to go to Chang Le Town.

"Chang Le Town is a town, inside there are several abandoned Planting Gardens, let's go see if we can pick up bargains."

Song Ling thought Chang Le Town was not bad, although the Planting Gardens had been searched who knows how many times, but Mutated Creatures could survive, basically there were discoveries every day.

Shen Yao and Song Ling swiped points to board the vehicle, this vehicle departing for Chang Le Town had few people, mostly the old, weak, sick, and disabled, showing Song Ling really knew how to choose, not taking Shen Yao anywhere slightly dangerous.

The car started, swaying forward, not even forty minutes, Chang Le Town arrived.

"Return to base at four-thirty, latecomers will not be waited for."

Every vehicle's driver would say such a sentence, those Collection Points far from the base, the vehicle return time would also be appropriately advanced.

Carrying a Back Basket, holding a Hemp Sack, Song Ling called Shen Yao to go forward together.

"Mom, I remember there is a Loquat grove here, let's go take a look."

Loquat is one of the few fruit varieties that ripen in the first Mild Season, Shen Yao remembered Chang Le Town had a Small Hillside, not only Loquat Trees but also Jujube Trees, if lucky they could pick some.

"That tree is just ahead, but Loquat Trees are tall, dozens of meters high," neither of them could climb, the shorter Loquats had long been harvested clean, going there would just be a wasted trip.

Shen Yao insisted on going, her physical strength was enough, climbing trees was nothing, if not now then when.

Song Ling: ……

Song Ling couldn't withstand Shen Yao's coquettishness, finally taking her to the Loquat grove.

There were people in the Loquat grove, just not many, and most held bamboo poles or Wooden Sticks standing at the tree bottoms striking hard.

After mutation the Loquat Trees grew to dozens of meters high, from afar they covered the sky and blocked the sun, the hidden yellow small fruits constantly emitted fragrance outward.

"Mom, you wait here for me, my mom brings the Fishing Net and Back Basket up."

Although the Fishing Net hadn't caught fish, it came in handy, hanging up the four corners, Shen Yao shook the Branches, forcing Loquats to fall and smash onto the Fishing Net.

Crackling with effort, the Fishing Net surface fell with a full layer of Loquats.

Originally Loquats were only Chicken Egg size, now they looked like Duck Eggs, swollen several rounds.

Untying the Fishing Net and sending it to the ground, letting Song Ling sit under the tree to test slowly test, Shen Yao stayed in the tree busy herself.

Mother and Daughter helped each other like this, until they had picked the Loquats nearly done, then finished work to head to the next destination.

"Here, ahead is Cao Lin, inside there are many insects, and the Jujubes are large, the Jujube Trees are all thorns." Song Ling thinking of being pricked felt her whole body sore and refreshing, really unbearable.

Fruits like these, tasty as they are, but the harvesting process is too tormenting, around there are other Mutated Fruit Trees, unfortunately they haven't flowered or fruited yet, must wait until the second Mild Season to harvest.

"Mom, we be careful, inside there are many people," at least more than the Loquat grove.

Because Jujube Trees aren't as tall as Loquat Trees, and Jujubes are larger, a ripe Jujube is like an ordinary Apple in size.

The fruits here, not to mention anything else, the mutation direction is all toward getting bigger, ordinary people eating two directly fills them up.

"We all be careful, really no place then Giving Up," they picked quite a few Loquats, going back whether made into dried fruit or boiled into Sauce, enough for them to eat for a while, even selling outside would be high price.

Vehicle fare and base entry fee unknown how many times returned, Song Ling didn't put Jujubes in her eyes, mainly if they could pick them then good, if not they didn't lose out.

Red and green mixed pretty fruits hung on the trees, the two could pick them down casually.

Pity the outermost ones had already been tested, all High-level Mutant Organisms, not a single part edible to taste.

The two could only walk forward, going around the blocking Jujube Trees to a place with no people, putting down the Back Basket to test the Jujubes.

Drip drip

"Jujube, High-level Mutant Organism, Inedible"

"Jujube, High-level Mutant Organism, Inedible"

"Jujube, High-level Mutant Organism, Inedible"

"……"

Shen Yao finished testing all the Jujubes nearby, not exactly a total loss, harvested two.

Song Ling was luckier than Shen Yao, harvested three, but because there were insects on the tree, she was startled and sprained her Foot, unable to continue forward.

Song Ling glared hatefully at her own ankle, feeling really unlucky.

Shen Yao: ……

What could Shen Yao do? Only support Song Ling back, on the road they met several palm-sized green worms, their whole bodies covered densely with hairs that could sting people.

These stinging hairs hurt and itched, and the skin would swell for several days before easing.

Song Ling hurriedly had Shen Yao wrap her face, absolutely couldn't ruin her looks because of this.

In the jujube grove, quite a few people were crying out — all either stung or accidentally bumped into insects and not knowing what to do; after all, green caterpillars are regulars in the jujube grove, and you can run into them no matter the time.

"Heard these bugs can be eaten, but also don't know how to put them in your mouth."

Song Ling walked out while complaining; her sprained foot wasn't severely injured, and with Shen Yao supporting her, Song Ling was unaffected apart from walking slowly.

There was still over an hour until the assembly time, so Shen Yao simply picked loquats again.

Anyway, climbing several dozen meters — ordinary people wouldn't dare try; Shen Yao merely made a round trip, and her half-full back basket harvested quite a few edible loquats.

"Go home, Mother will make you loquat sugar; we have brown sugar and white sugar at home, and also..." Song Ling said with a smiling face, then heard a beast's roar from the distance, and everyone around froze in place.