Chapter 52

The next morning, listening to the cicadas and the long-missed bird songs outside, Xiaoming felt refreshed and full of energy, as if he had boundless strength.

Opening the window, he was surrounded by a sea of green. Looking into the distance, the morning mist enveloped the land in a white veil, and the village of Wangjia was filled with wisps of cooking smoke.

Taking a deep breath of fresh air, the fragrance of flowers and grass filled his nostrils and lungs, and the sunlight on his face felt particularly comfortable.

Xiaoming sighed, "This is life, so beautiful. It would be even more perfect without the energy crisis."

Over the past few days, Xiaoming had discovered something. The energy in his mind had inexplicably disappeared by 3%. After much thought, he realized that this energy was used to maintain the operation of the space. He had had the space for about half a year, and it had consumed 3% in six months, which meant he needed 0.5% of energy per month. This was forcing him to seek more energy and break through to the fourth level of the basic physical techniques.

Otherwise, the energy storage would always be at 35%. Xiaoming sighed, having the space wasn't easy, but he still had 31.5% of energy left, so he didn't need to worry about energy for now.

Xiaoming walked towards Wangjia Village. He had been there several times, and the village chief's house was the first one at the edge of the village, easy to remember and find.

Wang Qiang saw Xiaoming walking towards the village early in the morning and didn't pay much attention. Xiaoming often wandered around these days, preparing to feed the old hens outside.

But then Xiaoming called out from a distance, "Village Chief Wang, do you have time now?"

Wang Qiang was puzzled, wondering why he suddenly came to see him so early in the morning, but he replied, "I'm just about to feed the old hens."

"Is that so? I'm really sorry to bother you, but could you spare a few minutes, Village Chief?" Xiaoming hesitated and said.

"What's the bother? People in the village don't have so many formalities. It's just a delay in feeding the hens. What's the matter?" Wang Qiang waved his hand.

Xiaoming said, "I'm planning to host a banquet tomorrow and need some vegetables. I was wondering if you have any vegetables for sale."

"Why buy? Among neighbors, if someone needs something, they just take it. My house has plenty. You can go pick what you need. I thought it was something serious." Wang Qiang said indifferently.

"No, no, no. I need a lot this time, and many people are coming. I also want to buy some to store. Since you have them, I'll go to your place directly." Xiaoming quickly waved his hands.

After some polite refusal, Xiaoming insisted on buying the vegetables. Wang Qiang had no choice but to comply, though he still gave Xiaoming a lot. After filling two refrigerators with vegetables, Xiaoming stopped, feeling it was enough. He thought, "Enough to eat for now. If it runs out, I'll deal with it then."

"Village Chief Wang, I also want to ask if there are any hunters in the village. My friends might go hunting on the mountain, and it would be best to have an experienced hunter as a guide." After buying the vegetables, Xiaoming continued to ask Wang Qiang.

"Of course, we have many hunters in the village. We often catch rabbits and squirrels, and sometimes even wild boars." Wang Qiang answered with a smile, a hint of pride in his expression.

Xiaoming, excited, said, "Could you introduce me to one, please?"

"Hehe, I'm one of them. In my youth, I was the best hunter in the village, which is why I became the village chief. However, my legs aren't as strong as they used to be. But my son just returned from out of town today. He inherited my skills and is a great hunter." Wang Qiang said enthusiastically, his pride in his son evident.

Wang Qiang introduced his son to Xiaoming. In his view, since Xiaoming could build such a beautiful house, he must be very wealthy. If his son were to be hired, he wouldn't need to go out to work anymore and could stay at home, which was a bit selfish of him.

Wang Qiang led Xiaoming to his house. The house still looked like it was from the 1980s, a simple two-story brick and tile house. Dried corn, peppers, and some cured meat hung outside, and piles of straw surrounded the house. The yard was filled with freshly harvested rice, giving off a strong rural atmosphere.

"Da Zhuang, Da Zhuang." Wang Qiang started calling his son from a distance.

"Coming." Wang Da Zhuang heard his father and hurriedly ran out.

Xiaoming sized up the village chief's son. He was in his thirties, with a dark complexion and a hearty smile. Standing over 1.85 meters tall, Xiaoming had to look up slightly to observe him. His muscular build suggested he was a hard worker.

It seemed the village chief's pride in his son was justified. In the countryside, a good man was someone who could work hard, and Wang Da Zhuang fit that description.

"Da Zhuang, this is Mr. Lin. You asked about the beautiful house earlier, right? It belongs to Mr. Lin. He needs your help." Wang Qiang introduced Xiaoming to Da Zhuang.

"Village Chief Wang, you're too polite. I'm not a boss, really." Xiaoming quickly waved his hands.

"Hello, I'm Lin Xiao. I'm here to hire an experienced hunter. I have some friends coming over tomorrow, and I'm offering 300 yuan per day. We'll split the game, and I'll provide food and lodging. Are you interested, Brother Wang?" Xiaoming turned to Wang Da Zhuang.

Wang Qiang's eyes lit up at the mention of 300 yuan a day. Just going hunting would earn 300 yuan, and it would likely take two to three days, so at least 900 yuan. He urgently signaled Da Zhuang with his eyes, which were twitching.

"Father, what's wrong with your eyes? Are they twitching? I'll take you to Grandma Wang." Wang Da Zhuang said, completely missing the point, making Xiaoming, who had been watching the whole process, almost burst out laughing.

Seeing his father suddenly recover and ignore him, Wang Da Zhuang scratched his head, puzzled.

Wang Da Zhuang scratched his head and said with a hearty smile, "No problem. I was planning to go to the mountains these days anyway. Just call me when you go tomorrow. I'm always in the village."

Xiaoming also bought some wild game from the village, discovering that there was a lot of it. Da Zhuang explained that every household in the village set traps in the mountains, so each family had some stock of wild rabbits and other game.

Returning home, he realized he had forgotten to buy some important items, such as rice and seasonings. He quickly headed back to Wangjia Village. It was fortunate he noticed early; otherwise, he would have been busy the next day. After a quick trip around the village, he gathered the missing items and packed them up to take home.

PS: New author seeking favorites and recommendations. They are free, so please give them if you can.

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