Chapter 34

After Wang Yong placed the young fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish into the sea, as expected, the small world expanded once again. However, the expansion was not significant, only about twice its original size, far from the previous ten to twenty times. This also indicated that the larger the small world became, the less exaggerated its growth would be with each upgrade. However, after this expansion, the small world now truly lived up to its name.

The vast grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, covered with lush green wild grass. Scattered wildflowers of various kinds dotted the landscape, making the grassland exceptionally beautiful. Large and small lakes were scattered across the grassland, connected by a river that resembled a white silk ribbon, forming a breathtakingly beautiful picture.

The mountains, at least 3,000 meters high, were covered with various trees and flowers. The mountain's base spanned over ten square kilometers, making it a massive mountain. Additionally, several small hills appeared around the mountain. It seemed that in the future, this mountain would serve as the center, gradually forming a vast mountain range. Water from the spiritual spring on the mountain formed a waterfall that cascaded from over 1,000 meters high. The abundant water flow created a spectacular sight, with the thunderous sound echoing throughout the small world. The small pond at the bottom of the waterfall was impacted by the powerful water flow, forming a lake of about ten acres. The water in the lake was crystal clear, and one could clearly see the aquatic plants and the fish and shrimp swimming and playing at the bottom.

The most significant change was in the sea of the small world. This time, the sea's area expanded by more than three times. Now, it truly had the vastness of the ocean, with the horizon seemingly blending with the sky. Through careful observation, Wang Yong found that the young creatures that had just arrived in their new home were all very comfortable, happily feeding and playing. On the beach, one could occasionally see a few small crabs scurrying around, looking for food. In the coral reefs, there were a few shellfish that Wang Yong did not recognize, and a few sea cucumbers were also freely moving around. It seemed that these little creatures were well adapted to the environment of the small world. Once these little creatures grew up, there would be no need to buy seafood; one could simply catch it whenever needed, ensuring freshness. Looking at this vast sea, Wang Yong was deeply moved. If this sea were developed properly, it would likely generate as much income as the vegetable greenhouses, given its vastness.

What truly shocked Wang Yong was the appearance of a new landscape in the small world—a desert. A barren desert of sand and gravel, covering an area of about ten square kilometers. However, plants appeared in the desert. Wang Yong recognized them as cacti, which were very common on Earth. However, Wang Yong clearly remembered that he had not planted any cacti in the small world, indicating that these were species that had spontaneously appeared in the small world, just like the coral and seaweed that appeared with the sea. He had heard that Mexicans could make various delicious dishes from cacti, but Wang Yong had no intention of trying them, preferring to keep a respectful distance from such foods.

Even more surprising was the discovery of several rattlesnakes, lizards, and scorpions, both large and small, all living normally. Wang Yong couldn't understand why this was happening. Had the shrinking world not disappeared but was merely obscured by the fog? Was this part of the original world? Or was the small world connected to another planet? If so, would it expand to the point where a group of unknown intelligent beings suddenly appeared? Or even a group of humans?

With these questions in mind, Wang Yong exited the small world and started his car, driving away from the seafood market.

Just as the car left the market gate, Wang Yong suddenly slammed on the brakes and quickly got out of the car, heading towards a stall by the gate.

This was a store specializing in frozen seafood, with only three types of shrimp and four types of fish on display, a relatively limited variety. However, what attracted Wang Yong was not the seafood but the five cages in front of the store. In one of the cages, Wang Yong immediately recognized the creatures as geese, which were actually wild geese. In another cage, the creatures that looked like ducks were undoubtedly wild ducks. The contents of the other cages were obscured by these two, but Wang Yong was certain they contained other wild animals. The species in the small world were still too few, and these wild animals were rare and hard to come by. In recent years, environmental and wildlife protection had become increasingly strict, and it was extremely rare to see such animals openly sold in stores.

"Boss, are these wild geese and wild ducks? How much do they cost?" Wang Yong asked, pointing to the cages containing the wild geese and wild ducks.

A young boss in his twenties, hearing this, quickly replied, "Sir, these are not wild geese and wild ducks, just ordinary geese and ducks. If you want them all, I'll give you the geese for 300 each and the ducks for 200. What do you think?"

Wang Yong thought to himself, "If you think I believe that, you must be dreaming!" What kind of ordinary geese and ducks cost 200 to 300 each! However, determined to buy them, Wang Yong didn't want to risk any mishaps, so he quickly had the wild geese and wild ducks loaded onto his car. There were two wild geese and three wild ducks, and Wang Yong handed over 1,200 yuan in red bills.

Seeing Wang Yong's quick decision, the young boss thought he had encountered a big spender. After collecting the money, he said to Wang Yong, "Do you want the other animals? I can give you a discount."

Wang Yong looked at the young boss and then at the nearest cage, asking, "What's in there?"

The young boss, seeing this, thought he was about to make a fortune. He quickly introduced the animals, "These two little guys look like dogs, but they are actually roe deer. Their meat is incredibly delicious! I had to go through a lot of trouble to get these two. One male and one female, both young. If you buy them and raise them, they might even give you a couple of young ones next year."

"Ah, so these are roe deer! What's the price? If it's reasonable, I'll take them," Wang Yong said. He had never eaten roe deer meat before, but he had heard it was very delicious. Roe deer, also known as wild sheep in some places, are one of the more economically valuable animals. Roe deer meat is lean and rich in nutrients, making it a delicacy. The liver and kidneys are also edible and have health benefits. Roe deer skin, when processed, is a valuable material for making high-quality fur clothing. In some regions of Northeast China, Northwest China, and Inner Mongolia (such as the Ewenki people), roe deer meat is a primary source of meat. Roe deer fur can be used for bedding and has moisture-proof properties. Summer fur, lacking underfur, is called "sand fur" and can be made into spring and autumn clothing, which is highly valued in cold regions. If the fur is completely shaved off, the remaining skin can be used for summer clothing. Winter fur, with its thick underfur, is suitable for making warm clothing. Additionally, roe deer skin can be used to make various leather products, such as boots, hats, and bags.

However, currently, wild roe deer are listed in the national wildlife protection directory, and any hunting, trading, or consumption is illegal. However, there are now some artificially bred roe deer in the market, and some unscrupulous merchants sell them as wild roe deer to make high profits. Wang Yong was unaware of this, and even if he knew, it wouldn't have mattered much to him. For him, whether they were wild or domesticated made no difference.

Wang Yong spent 2,500 yuan on the two roe deer. The young boss was even happier, thinking he had encountered a big spender. He couldn't let this opportunity pass, so he tried even harder to sell the remaining animals in the other two cages to Wang Yong. Without the young boss's introduction, Wang Yong recognized them as wild chickens and wild rabbits. Since his own mountain had plenty of these, he had no interest in them.

After saying goodbye to the reluctant young boss, Wang Yong got back into his car and drove off. He hadn't gone far when his phone rang. He pulled over to the side of the road, picked up his phone, and saw it was Yuan Yuan. He quickly answered.

"Wang Yong, have you finished shopping?" Yuan Yuan's soft voice came through the phone.

"Yes, I'm done and about to head back. How did you know I was shopping in the city?" Wang Yong asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, I won't tell you. You guess!" Yuan Yuan said playfully on the other end of the phone.

"Did Auntie call you?" Wang Yong guessed.

"No, Auntie just called to say you would come to pick us up today, but she didn't mention you were in the city."

"Really? She didn't tell me! Ah, wait, she sent me a text message to come pick you up today."

"Okay, Auntie called my mom. But you don't need to pick us up. My uncles will also go tomorrow, and they have cars. We'll ride with them."

"Is Liu Ge coming too?" Wang Yong thought of Wang Qiang's childhood friend, Liu Jun, who had sold him the car and was also Yuan Yuan's cousin. He had played a role in bringing Wang Yong and Yuan Yuan together.

"Yes, my brother is already at my house. My mom just called my uncles, and they will come over to discuss tomorrow's plans. It's so troublesome! Listening to them talk gives me a headache," Yuan Yuan said helplessly.

"I feel the same way, but at least I was sent out to buy groceries, or I would have a headache too."

They chatted for a while before reluctantly hanging up. Wang Yong quickly called Auntie to explain the situation, only to find out that his mother-in-law had already communicated with Auntie. Auntie then instructed Wang Yong to buy some ready-to-eat food for tomorrow.

After hanging up, Wang Yong thought about the wild animals in the trunk. He decided it would be safer to store them in the small world. He got out of the car, opened the trunk, and, after making sure no one was paying attention, stored the two wild geese, three wild ducks, and two roe deer in the small world. He then got back into the car and drove off.

As the mist receded, the area of the small world expanded once again.