Chapter 1223: Add a Contact Method?

Xia Qing held the pink phone and examined it carefully. "This was smashed by hail?"

Broken-Waist Wolf showed a little tip of its fang, looking at Xia Qing intently.

Yang Jin...

So the two wolves came and didn't leave, just to get the phone fixed?

"Lucky the hail that hit the phone wasn't too big — only the tempered film shattered. Peel it off and put on a new one and it'll be fine." Xia Qing peeled off the shattered tempered film, went upstairs to the storage room to get a new phone film, and handed the phone back to Broken-Waist Wolf. She had foreseen this day, so she had exchanged a few phone films with Yang Jin in advance.

Broken-Waist Wolf was much more capable than she had expected — it had taken this long for the first film change.

Yang Jin, sitting to one side, pointed at the strap of the waterproof phone pouch woven from a gold chain and pink cord and asked, "Brother Duan, did Xia Qing trade you this phone strap?"

Broken-Waist Wolf was happy because its phone screen hadn't shattered, and upon hearing Yang Jin's question it showed him a little tip of its fang.

Yang Jin asked again, "Does Brother Duan like gold chains?"

Broken-Waist Wolf looked at the head wolf.

"Does the Queen like them?"

Broken-Waist Wolf closed its mouth and looked at Yang Jin thoughtfully.

No? Yang Jin was about to keep asking when Xia Qing came downstairs with the phone screen. With brisk movements she applied a new tempered film to Broken-Waist Wolf's phone, then wiped the phone clean, tucked it into the transparent waterproof pouch, and handed it back to Broken-Waist. "This is the cost of the tempered phone film and the application, plus this phone-wiping cloth — 100 credits in total. Handsome Wolf Brother, will you pay with your credit card or supplies?"

Broken-Waist Wolf turned sideways, indicating that Xia Qing should take the credit card from the side pocket of its protective suit.

Yang Jin's eyes lit up at once.

The phone film he had traded to Xia Qing at 50 credits — he hadn't expected Xia Qing to turn around and double the price. Business with the wolves was really easy.

"Alright. This card still has 2,343 credits, enough for Brother Duan to use for a while." After Xia Qing swiftly pulled out the credit card, deducted 100 credits, and tucked it back into Broken-Waist Wolf's pocket, she taught Broken-Waist Wolf how to press the cloth against the pouch and phone with its claws to wipe them, then tucked the cloth into its pocket too. She then began using the TV to display the pictures Zhang San had sent her, explaining the situation of this sudden natural disaster and the possible follow-up disasters it might trigger.

The head wolf, which had been poised to spring and had Yang Jin locked down the whole time — ready to pin him to the ground at the slightest move — finally shifted its attention and stared intently at the TV screen.

After explaining twice with gestures and confirming the two evolved wolves understood, Xia Qing began showing animal pictures, warning them of the dangers to watch out for next. "This wave of soil anaerobic bacteria's harmful evolution will cause earthworms, nematodes, ants, grubs, and burrowing animals like moles, shrews, voles, rats, rabbits, and so on in the soil to fall ill, go mad, or die — then medium and large herbivores..."

"So this coming winter, there may be many weak, sick, or dead animals. Broken-Waist, can you eat such animals directly if you catch or find them?"

The head wolf continued to stare expressionlessly at the dead rabbit on the TV, while Broken-Waist Wolf stared at Xia Qing with a solemn face.

"Right, you can't eat them, or you'll get sick too." Xia Qing brought Daigua the monkey over and gave it the instructions once more. The key points she gave the wolves were about this small animal; the key points she gave Daigua were about parasites, grass seeds, and wild fruits — fruit.

The eldest and Wolf Lao Er had poorer comprehension, so Xia Qing would keep a close eye on them and not let them eat unclean food or get infected by parasites.

The fourth one also needed to be called and told clearly as soon as possible.

When Xia Qing was about to wrap up today's lesson, Broken-Waist Wolf pawed the remote over, flipped forward, forward, forward, and found the picture of wild boars.

Xia Qing understood what it meant. "Broken-Waist wants to ask about the wild boars in District Three? Don't worry, I'll take good care of these wild boars and won't let them get sick."

Broken-Waist Wolf looked at Yang Jin again.

Yang Jin understood too. "Brother Duan wants to ask about the bamboo rats on Peak Three of Mountain Forty-Nine?"

Broken-Waist Wolf pulled back its lips slightly and continued to look at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing asked with gestures, "Broken-Waist, the sick bamboo rats on Peak Three of Mountain Forty-Nine — are you in charge, or am I?"

Broken-Waist Wolf stared at Xia Qing thoughtfully.

Xia Qing understood. "The two of us together?"

Broken-Waist Wolf pulled back its lips, showing a little tip of its fang.

"Alright." Xia Qing agreed. "After we finish dealing with this wave of harmful grass, I'm planning to go to Mountain Sixty to pick mountain walnuts. Is that okay?"

Broken-Waist Wolf showed a little tip of its fang again, indicating it was fine.

After watching Xia Qing finish communicating with the two wolves, Yang Jin scooted closer to Xia Qing and tried to communicate with Broken-Waist Wolf beside her the way Xia Qing did. He had something to discuss with the wolf pack today — this was also the reason Xia Qing had brought him home after seeing off Zhang San and Zhang Song.

"Brother Duan, in these three days you caught 19 bamboo rats from the bamboo rat shed on Peak Three of Mountain Forty-Nine. Look, here are the pictures."

Xia Qing leaned back against the sofa cushion and let the two big smart ones communicate directly.

After using his own phone to show Broken-Waist Wolf the surveillance screenshots of it catching bamboo rats, Yang Jin continued, "According to our split arrangement, you caught 19 bamboo rats, totaling 175 jin. I had Beard Feng's squad catch 8 bamboo rats weighing 75 jin, counted as the Green Dragon Squad's rat-rearing income."

Broken-Waist Wolf stared at Yang Jin thoughtfully for a few seconds, then turned to look at Xia Qing. Yang Jin also turned to look at Xia Qing.

On the wall behind where Xia Qing sat hung a family photo of her and her parents taken before the natural disaster — three people with bright, warm smiles. Compared to eleven years ago, Xia Qing's features had matured a little, but she was still as warm as ever. Yang Jin was a bit dazed.

Xia Qing explained Yang Jin's words twice in a way Broken-Waist Wolf could understand, then added, "You've only learned up to second grade so far. Once you learn third-grade math, you'll know how to do multiplication and division."

Yang Jin communicated, "Brother Duan, Queen, from now on when you catch bamboo rats, you can only catch the ones in the cage at the entrance. The ones inside are breeding rats and young rats that haven't grown up — you can't catch those."

Without waiting for Broken-Waist Wolf to speak, Xia Qing indicated she understood what they meant and directly objected. "Captain Yang, the cubs in the wolf pack and the weasels prefer to eat young rats."

Broken-Waist Wolf showed its fang, indicating agreement.

Yang Jin quickly offered a solution. "It's fine if Brother Duan wants to catch young rats, but you have to let Beard Feng's squad catch them for you. Otherwise the young rats in the same cage will get frightened and fall ill or even die."

Broken-Waist Wolf looked at Xia Qing. After Xia Qing explained it once, Broken-Waist Wolf closed its mouth, indicating disagreement.

Seeing the deadlock between human and wolf, Xia Qing offered a solution. "When Broken-Waist wants to catch young rats, let Er Yong and the others catch the fattest young rats for you and put them here, in the cage at the entrance. Then you catch them from this cage at the entrance. Is that okay?"

Broken-Waist Wolf pulled back its lips and showed a little tip of its fang, indicating agreement.

As Yang Jin was carefully considering the difference between the two, Xia Qing decided to see her guests out. "my lord, Broken-Waist, you keep watching TV. Captain Yang and I are heading to the meeting room by the farmland."

"Queen, Brother Duan, I'm off. Brother Duan, would you like to add my phone number? If anything comes up in the future you can just call me directly." Yang Jin seized the chance to speak. As a partner, of course he should have the other's contact information for easier communication.

Broken-Waist Wolf's face was solemn.

Yang Jin rephrased. "Brother Duan, may I add your phone number? If anything comes up in the future, I can call you."

Broken-Waist Wolf's face was still solemn.

Yang Jin understood. "Alright, in the future if I have something I'll tell Xia Qing and let her get in touch with you."

Yang Jin left with Xia Qing, leaving behind the warm, tidy home that carried a faint stench.

He had originally wanted to go to the lab to look at the vegetable seedlings Xia Qing was raising, but it was already very late today. Yang Jin wanted to finish discussing business quickly so she could rest sooner. "Sister Qing, shall we go sort out the supplies we brought back yesterday?"

"Okay."

Hmm?

Inside the house, Broken-Waist Wolf's ears twitched. It jumped off the sofa, swiped open the door, and followed.