Chapter 55

A living captive can be exchanged for 5 silver coins.

A dead one is only worth 5 copper.

The four of them worked together, tightly binding the young man, and threw him and the dead reindeer onto a cart hidden in the corner, dragging it back to the base.

"Blue coats! Are you from the shelter?!"

No one paid him any attention.

The young man's face was full of fear as he watched the concrete walls pass overhead, being taken to the side of the grain warehouse.

The cart stopped.

Fang Chang and Old Bai lifted the reindeer and threw it onto the table in front of Brother Fried Egg.

"Brother, settle the wages."

"12 silver."

The coins clinked as they were placed on the table. Brother Fried Egg pulled out the cleaver from the table and began to chop the meat with a thud.

The dull sound of the blade hitting the board seemed to strike at the young man's heart, making him tremble with fear.

I've never heard of blue coats eating people!

"Administrator, you came just in time, we were about to bring him to you!"

"Where did you get him from?"

"We ran into him while hunting. This guy shot an arrow at me, but missed."

"I see."

Taking out five silver coins from his pocket, Chu Guang handed them to Fang Chang and signaled him to untie the captive on the cart.

Although Fang Chang thought it wasn't very safe, he wasn't too worried after seeing the Administrator's combat skills and walked toward the cart with Wild Wind.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, the young man struggled even more, but when he saw the person walking beside the two, he was stunned.

"Chu Guang?"

The name was pronounced in the language of this world.

"Yes, it's me."

Chu Guang smiled and reached out to pull him.

"I'm sorry for the trouble."

The captive turned out to be none other than Yu Hu, the second son of the Yu family from Bet Street.

Yu Hu moved his wrists, which were red from the bindings, and nervously glanced at the blue coats surrounding him, asking in a low voice.

"Are they all yours?"

It's been a long time.

He thought this outsider had died outside, but he never expected to meet him again here. Yesterday, he was still advising his sister not to guard the shack for that outsider, as the door was already covered in dust...

"They are my companions."

"What are they doing here?"

"Watching the plot."

"Plot? What's that?"

"It's not important, just ignore them. By the way, how did you end up here? What about your father and elder brother?"

Chu Guang remembered that they always acted in groups, whether scavenging or hunting.

Yu Hu's expression darkened, and he said in a low voice.

"A few days ago, while hunting, my father was shot in the arm by a raider's gun. My elder brother saved him but was bitten in the leg by the raiders' hyenas. After escaping, my father survived, but my elder brother's leg became infected and has been running a high fever, lying in bed ever since... Winter is coming, and I don't know if he can make it through."

Hyenas, vultures, and jackals, the three speculators of the wasteland, are not picky eaters.

Especially the hyenas, the most common in Clear Spring City, often eat carrion when they can't find prey, and in extreme hunger, they even bite feeders, so their fangs are usually full of bacteria.

If bitten by a mutated hyena, the wound can easily become infected if not treated in time, and in severe cases, it can be life-threatening.

After hearing Yu Hu's story, Chu Guang frowned.

The Yu family had been quite nice to him, though not to the point of special treatment. Their youngest daughter often watched his house and even stopped the Wang family from stealing from him.

"Bring your elder brother here, and I might be able to cure him."

Yu Hu was stunned.

"Really?!"

Chu Guang nodded.

"Yes, just bring him here."

Yu Hu was moved and suddenly bowed his head.

"I'm sorry, you're a good person, and we were always worried you were a bad guy."

Chu Guang said with a tolerant smile.

"It's fine, being cautious is human nature."

He wasn't exactly a good person himself.

"There's something... I need to apologize to you."

"What is it?"

Yu Hu blushed and stammered for a while before scratching the back of his head and saying.

"The yam you planted at the door... I saw it hadn't sprouted, so I dug it up and ate it."

"..."

Damn.

So it was you who dug it up!

Forget it.

It's just a potato, not a big deal.

Chu Guang said, "It's fine, I guess the planting method was wrong."

Yu Hu nodded vigorously.

"Yes, yes, that's how you plant it, you won't get anything! After I dug it up, I saw that two of them were rotten. To plant yams, you need to sprout them first, with at least two sprout points per piece, and then coat the cut with wood ash before planting. This way, they will mature in one or two months!"

Chu Guang looked at him in surprise. "You know how to plant?"

The young man smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"It's not a big deal, everyone knows a bit. But usually, it's the mother, the elder sister, and Little Fish who plant at the door. Planting outside usually doesn't survive, either dug up by people or eaten by rats."

Chu Guang said with a smile, "Alright, I'll find you something to do next spring. For now, go back and bring your brother here."

Hearing this, the young man remembered his brother lying in bed and nodded.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

...

The Wetland Park is about three kilometers in a straight line from Bet Street. After leaving the park, there are vast concrete ruins and scattered green plants. To avoid the more dangerous areas, they would have to take a detour of at least two kilometers.

However, Yu Hu managed to carry his brother here in less than two hours.

Chu Guang had Teng Teng bring a fur to pad the wooden table and had Yu Hu place his brother, Yu Xiong, on it.

This strong man was now on the brink of death, his face pale.

The scavengers of Bet Street had a monotonous diet, mostly malnourished, and with the lack of effective medical care, if they didn't get sick, it was fine, but if they did, they often couldn't survive.

Chu Guang took a quick look at his wound and, based on the color of the pus, initially diagnosed it as a bacterial infection. He gave him an antibiotic from the last draw and then treated his wound.

"Is wood ash okay?" Yu Hu asked nervously.

"It depends. Wood ash from high-temperature calcination is fine."

This substance is potassium salt and is alkaline, with good antibacterial properties, as described in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" as "Bai Cao Shuang."

Although it's not as effective as alcohol, it's a good substitute when high-purity alcohol is unavailable, especially in the wild.

Of course, this refers to wood ash from high-temperature calcination.

If it's just scooped from the stove, it could be a problem, as it might contain tetanus bacteria, and a handful of ash could be fatal.

After about five minutes.

Yu Xiong's complexion improved significantly, his furrowed brows relaxed, and his sweating stopped.

Chu Guang noted this silently.

No wonder it's pre-war technology; the antibiotic is indeed effective.

Yu Hu, on the other hand, was less reserved. Seeing his brother's condition improve, he immediately rushed over, tears in his eyes, and held his brother's hand.

"Brother! How do you feel now?"

"Xiao Hu? Where... are we..." Yu Xiong, waking up groggily, noticed Chu Guang standing beside him and his weak face showed surprise.

"Chu Guang?"

"It's me."

"You're not..."

"Still alive, but probably won't be going back."

Yu Xiong was stunned, looking at the blue coats around him, and understood the situation, a smile appearing on his face.

"Congratulations, it seems you've found your companions."

"Yes, I found them recently," Chu Guang said with a faint smile, "Thank you for your care before."

"Don't say that, we didn't do much, but you saved my life... that capsule must have been expensive."

This man, who looked tough, looked embarrassed.

Such pills, which feel like plastic, are rare treasures in Boulder City. He had only heard of them, never seen them.

Even in Boulder City, not everyone can afford them.

"Don't worry about it, it was a small effort. I'll give you another one. If you feel a fever, take it; if not, keep it for future use."

Chu Guang remembered every kindness, even a piece of bread.

And for him, the pill was just a reward from a draw.

Hearing that Chu Guang would give him another pill, Yu Xiong shook his head.

"How can I accept that! You saved my life, how can I take such a valuable thing?"

Chu Guang didn't argue and handed a piece of aluminum foil to his brother.

"Keep it for your brother. I don't want to save him just to have him die from infection on the way back."

Yu Hu hesitated but, seeing his brother's wound, finally nodded.

"Thank you... I will repay you! Once I carry my brother back, I'll come to work for you every day!"

"No need. You're the pillar of your family now, and you're the only one who can hunt. If you work for me, what will your family eat? If you really want to repay me, get through this first, and we'll talk about other things next spring."

Seeing Chu Guang's words, the two didn't argue further, but their eyes were filled with gratitude, promising to repay him after the winter.

Old Bai, who had been watching, pulled Fang Chang aside and asked in a low voice, so the Administrator couldn't hear.

"What are they talking about?"

Fang Chang, pinching his chin, thought for a moment.

"I don't understand, but I have a rough idea."

Night Ten urged from the side.

"Tell us, even a rough idea is fine."

"Alright, I'll give a brief summary, though it might not be accurate... The native youth went hunting to get medicine for his family, was captured by us, and the Administrator recognized him. He asked him to bring his sick family, and the Administrator cured them with the shelter's medicine. The natives were very moved and said we are their friends and will establish diplomatic relations with us."

Old Bai was stunned.

"How do they establish diplomatic relations?"

Before Fang Chang could speak, Night Ten patted his shoulder and said with a grin.

"Are you stupid? How do natives establish relations? Of course, it's through marriage! The chief marrying off his daughter, that's the old routine."

"Damn? Would our Administrator be sacrificing too much?!"

Wild Wind coughed lightly.

"Don't listen to Night Ten's nonsense. Although we can't rule out that possibility, I still think he and the weapon shop owner are a better match."

Fang Chang nodded.

"I always agree with Wild Wind. You two should reflect on why your thoughts are always on a different wavelength from normal people."

Teng Teng's eyes sparkled, and he said excitedly in a low voice.

"Why does it have to be the weapon shop owner? Can't it be the grateful youth?"

"Damn! You're not right!"

"Is this game serious? Is it serious?"

"..."

Chu Guang couldn't stand it anymore and walked away, pretending not to hear.

Speaking of which...

The tailor's income in the current version seems a bit high?

I'll balance it in the next version.