Chapter 28

Bai Chen was silent for a moment, glancing left and right, then changed the subject:

"Are you still accepting outsiders, the wilderness wanderers?"

Tian Erhe followed her gaze to a dilapidated tent.

"No more," he sighed without concealing his feelings, "the fields are almost all allocated."

At this point, he gave a self-deprecating smile:

"Only someone as soft-hearted as me would feel bad seeing others suffer and try to help as much as possible. The others in town aren't too willing. After all, the terrain here is special, and we can't open up new fields. The total harvest has a limit, and with more people, each person naturally gets less.

"In the past, I could pressure them by saying there weren't enough people and the fields weren't being fully utilized. Now, we're growing mushrooms in the forest behind us. Ha ha, I'm already old, and my body isn't as good as it used to be. I probably won't have the chance to go out again. If I can't see it, I won't feel bad."

Bai Chen couldn't help but respond:

"Don't always talk about how old you are. You look pretty energetic."

"Alright, alright." Tian Erhe adjusted the furry hat on his head and smiled, "There really are good things in the ruins of the old world cities. Lao Man and Xiaoniu found a book called 'Mushroom Cultivation and Planting Techniques' and followed it. It really works."

Bai Chen smiled slightly:

"Mushrooms are great, they taste good."

She paused and then said:

"I can't make any promises, but if there's an opportunity in the future, I can sell you some high-yield seeds and things to enrich the soil."

Tian Erhe's eyes lit up:

"That would be great!"

As they spoke, the two of them passed through the square and came to the area where three buildings formed a "pin" shape.

On the right side of the small square made of cement, in front of the public toilet, there was an open space with five or six dilapidated vehicles parked.

Among them were a milky white sedan, an aluminum-colored small truck, a large truck, a minibus that could seat over ten people, and a uniquely designed electric car...

In addition to these, there were also many three-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles, some powered by electricity, some by fuel, and some by human power.

A large canopy covered all the vehicles.

On the left side of the canopy, there were three adjacent bungalows. They had been partially converted to store various parts.

Some were already damaged, some looked very old, some were still in decent condition, and some were mixed with deflated basketballs and soccer balls.

"Take a look and see if there's anything you need," Tian Erhe pointed to the three bungalows, "they were all taken from the ruins of the city."

Bai Chen didn't say anything more, entered the bungalow serving as a warehouse, and walked around.

Then, she pointed out several items:

"That one, that one, and that one..."

Tian Erhe nodded indifferently:

"No problem.

"Bai girl, what do you plan to trade for them?"

Although he was the mayor, he didn't have the authority to give away the town's items for free.

Of course, with his authority and the respect he commanded in the town, if he really wanted to do so, no one would object. However, over the years, Tian Erhe had never deviated from his principles.

This was one of the reasons he was so respected.

Bai Chen answered instinctively:

"Food?"

Tian Erhe recalled and said:

"Not for now.

"Although the weather has been a bit abnormal this year, the harvest isn't too bad, just a 20% reduction. With the surplus from the past three years, we can get through the winter without any problems.

"If you could bring a few pigs or cattle, I would not only welcome you with open arms but also give you something extra! But I think that's unlikely, right?"

The most lacking in Shuigui Town was meat, which could only be supplemented by sending teams out to hunt—free-range chickens, ducks, and geese, in the situation where human food wasn't sufficient, their numbers couldn't increase, and they were often wiped out by diseases.

Bai Chen nodded:

"How about my motorcycle?

"It runs on fuel, and you should be able to find supplies."

"There's a fuel depot in one of the city ruins that still has a lot of fuel left," Tian Erhe laughed like an old fox, "What else can you trade? This motorcycle, besides looking good, what use does it have for us? How many people can it carry?"

Bai Chen, who was well-prepared, said:

"A light machine gun, using 7.92mm bullets..."

She detailed the length and other parameters of the bullets.

"A light machine gun?" Tian Erhe's wrinkled face seemed to glow, "That's a powerful tool for defending the town. We have some of this type of bullet."

Without waiting for Bai Chen to respond, he clapped his hands:

"Deal!"

"Alright, but I need to discuss it with them first," Bai Chen didn't immediately agree, although she had already communicated with Jiang Baimian and had sufficient negotiation power—after all, the light machine gun was not only unusable for them but also took up space.

Tian Erhe looked up at the sky, frowned slightly, and thought for a moment:

"It's about to rain, and it's getting late. It's not suitable to continue activities in the wilderness. Hmm... You can bring your companions here to rest for the night, no need to unload your weapons.

"I believe that the companions you recognize won't be too bad."

Bai Chen looked at Tian Erhe with some confusion and then looked up at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

"I'll ask for their opinions first," Bai Chen responded.

Tian Erhe didn't blame Bai Chen for her hesitation but smiled:

"Go quickly, or the rain will start."

Bai Chen immediately left Shuigui Town, retrieved her gun, and rode her motorcycle back to where Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Long Yuehong were, recounting the details of the deal and Tian Erhe's kindness.

"Leader, what do you think?" Bai Chen leaned against the heavy motorcycle, waiting for Jiang Baimian to make a decision.

Jiang Baimian didn't suggest that Tian Erhe or the people of Shuigui Town had ulterior motives but asked with interest:

"Is the mayor seventy-seven years old?

"Did he experience the destruction of the old world?"

Bai Chen nodded without hesitation:

"Yes, this is certain. He has been saying this for many years and often recalls the past.

"A lie might last a long time, but it would have to bring some benefit. He has never used this identity to deceive anyone."

Jiang Baimian turned to Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong:

"Let's go then."

"Leader, isn't this a bit dangerous? Didn't you say that many wilderness wanderers could turn into bandits at any time?" Long Yuehong didn't hide her concern.

Jiang Baimian laughed:

"Wow, you still remember that?

"Good, having such concerns shows that you've improved. However, with our firepower, as long as we are cautious, they won't dare to do anything. To take us down, they would have to sacrifice thirty to fifty people, and with over a month until winter, even if they don't have much food, they won't be willing to pay such a high price. Are we more dangerous, or are the wild beasts in the wilderness more dangerous?

"Once winter comes, people will be close to starving, and they won't care about such things.

"Moreover, the environment within the settlement is limited, and the area is small, which is actually more advantageous for us, who are few but elite."

As she spoke, Jiang Baimian smiled and glanced at Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao immediately turned his head, looked at Long Yuehong, and asked seriously:

"Have you forgotten what group we are? Have you forgotten our responsibilities?"

"Old, Old Adjustment Group, the group investigating the cause of the old world's destruction..." Long Yuehong wasn't stupid and instantly understood what Jiang Baimian's two questions to Bai Chen meant, "Leader, are you trying to find clues from Mayor Tian?"

"Maybe, Mayor Tian was probably young at that time, but since we've met, we should at least ask." Jiang Baimian turned to Bai Chen, her smile clear, "If you think you can trust the people of Shuigui Town, then you can trust them. I trust you."

Bai Chen's eyelids drooped slightly, and she said after a moment of silence:

"We can go."

"Let's go!" Jiang Baimian returned to the driver's seat and started the jeep.

Led by Bai Chen, they entered the swamp and slowly navigated through the maze of almost indistinguishable paths.

Before the sky became completely overcast, they arrived at Shuigui Town.

This time, with Tian Erhe's order, the town guards didn't ask them to surrender their weapons but led them in and immediately turned right, stopping at a wooden shed at the corner of the wall.

"You can sleep in the shed tonight. It's not bad for the vehicles to get a little wet," Tian Erhe briefly instructed, "Don't make a bonfire. I'll have someone bring you a stove and some charcoal as a bonus for this deal. Our people will patrol and guard around, and I trust you understand."

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong were quite curious about the internal scene of Shuigui Town, while Jiang Baimian, who was not surprised, smiled and responded to Tian Erhe:

"Understood!

"Mayor, would you like to join us for dinner?"

As she spoke, she took out a pre-prepared can of braised beef and a dark, scorched leaf of tobacco.

Tian Erhe's eyes widened, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out:

"These are good things!

"What's up? Do you want to trade something else?"

Jiang Baimian smiled:

"I want to hear stories from the old world. You know, knowledge is wealth."

"Deal!" Tian Erhe was very happy.

He quickly turned his head and instructed the guard beside him:

"Xiaogouzi, quickly, bring the stove from my house! Hurry up!"

The guard, nicknamed Xiaogouzi, didn't dare to complain and quickly ran to the three buildings forming a "pin" shape.

At this time, the sky became increasingly dark, and the people working in the fields behind Shuigui Town returned, as did the nearby hunting teams.

The small town suddenly became lively, and curious eyes were cast toward the corner where the jeep was parked.

PS: Please give me a recommendation!