Chapter 102: The Scallions Have Sprouted

As for this ladder, it doesn’t have any other use at the moment—it can only be placed over the ditch.

It makes it easier for Shi Yuebai’s people to cross.

The ditch isn’t very wide now, just two or three meters across.

A single ladder is more than enough.

Shi Yuebai didn’t interfere when Captain Qiao took mushrooms and potatoes to feed the elderly in his group.

She simply had Shi Yaoyao use the shopping cart to bring out another 100 jin of mushrooms for Captain Qiao.

“You did well this time. Keep up the good work.”

When someone does a good job, Shi Yuebai never skimps on rewards.

But Captain Qiao looked miserable, unsure whether to accept the mushrooms or not.

The previous batch of 80 jin of mushrooms was still piled up in the Qiao family’s pit.

The survivors have small appetites; they hadn’t even finished half of those 80 jin.

And now Shi Yuebai was giving him another 100 jin.

Even if the Qiao family ate potato and mushroom stew three times a day, they couldn’t finish it all.

Seeing Captain Qiao’s troubled face, Shi Yuebai raised an eyebrow.

“Do you have a problem with this?”

Before Captain Qiao could answer, Shi Yuebai continued,

“If you have any complaints, feel free to speak up. I won’t accept them, but I can listen.”

At that, Captain Qiao immediately shook his head.

“No, how could I possibly have a problem? Not at all, haha.”

“Thank you, Yuebai. Our whole family is very satisfied to have so many mushrooms.”

A forced but sincere smile appeared on Captain Qiao’s face.

Times were hard. Helping Shi Yuebai took little effort, but brought great rewards.

The Qiao family should be grateful.

Captain Qiao didn’t mind anything else—he was just worried the mushrooms would spoil.

Dragging the 100 jin of mushrooms back to the ditch, he looked anxiously at the first batch.

Tonight, they’d have to add an extra meal.

Only food that’s eaten counts as your own.

Letting food go to waste is immoral.

Although the only people left in the group were burdens, to be honest, there were still quite a few who could use their hands and feet to turn over rocks.

Originally, Captain Qiao had been unable to keep the group going.

He’d almost given up entirely.

But now, he pulled himself together. After storing the mushrooms, he climbed out of the ditch and organized the remaining members to go scavenging.

Before, when they scavenged, their only goal was to find food and water.

Now, with so many mushrooms, their options had expanded.

“If it’s useful—anything useful—bring it back.”

Captain Qiao looked at the ragtag group of elderly and misfits standing before him.

He braced himself and spoke to the dazed, numb-faced group:

“I know our abilities are limited.”

“So this time, we won’t go far—just nearby.”

“You’re all elders who’ve lived long lives. Some of you are more than twice my age. Trust your instincts—you know what’s useful and what isn’t.”

“Let’s get moving. We will survive.”

This team under the bridge now had about 20 elderly people, with an average age over 70.

There were also 7 adult men who looked confused and out of it.

Plus two heavily pregnant women.

And a number of deformed children whose exact count was unknown.

Shi Yuebai sat in the square frame, separated from them by the ditch, watching Captain Qiao’s impassioned speech.

She pressed her lips together and continued channeling spiritual energy into the spirit-gathering array beneath her feet.

Actually, Captain Qiao didn’t need to worry so much.

He was only organizing the group like this because he didn’t want to waste food.

Whether they were useful or not, Captain Qiao had mobilized everyone.

But with Shi Yuebai’s spiritual energy, the mushrooms could be preserved for a very, very long time.

Spiritual energy was the best preservative.

But Shi Yuebai had no intention of telling Captain Qiao this.

She couldn’t be bothered to explain.

As soon as Captain Qiao led his trembling group of elders away, Xu Xuejiao brought the stolen backpack to the ditch.

Shi Yuebai opened it.

Inside Liang Yimo’s backpack were a bundle of rescue rope, a Swiss army knife, a small first aid kit, a flashlight, a compass, a lighter, and a magnesium rod.

Shi Yuebai had Xu Xuejiao give these things to Pang Zhenggong.

From all the things Liang Yimo had brought, Shi Yuebai only kept the two boxes of scallion seeds.

She told Shi Yaoyao to plant them.

Shi Yaoyao and Xiao Jiao cleared a patch of land next to the potato field.

It was about two square meters.

They opened the boxes, carefully took out the scallion seeds inside, and scattered them over the patch.

Xiao Jiao asked softly, “Yaoyao?”

She wanted to ask if these seeds would really grow.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She was already over fifteen, several years older than Shi Yaoyao.

But she was far behind Shi Yaoyao in every way.

Shi Yaoyao was improving every day, while she and the other deformed children in the group were falling further behind.

Shi Yaoyao nodded. “They’ll grow. If Auntie told us to plant them, they’ll definitely grow.”

And if they didn’t, Auntie would find a way.

Shi Yaoyao was inexplicably certain of this.

Still, no one expected the seeds to sprout so quickly.

That evening, after dinner, Shi Yaoyao and Xiao Jiao went to check.

In the little scallion patch, tiny green shoots were already poking through the soil.

Xiao Jiao gasped, “Wow! Yaoyao, Yaoyao!”

Shi Yaoyao was excited too and ran to tell her aunt,

“The scallions have sprouted!”

Each box of scallion seeds had hundreds of seeds.

It looked like every single one had sprouted.

Soon, the scallion patch was covered in a dense carpet of green.

By now, Nong Yasi had finished the automatic irrigation system.

Even if no one watered the scallions, potatoes, or mushrooms, they would still grow well.

So Shi Yaoyao and Xiao Jiao only needed to dig potatoes and pick mushrooms each day.

Now they had a new task: checking on the scallions whenever they had free time.

Shi Yuebai’s lips curled slightly.

“As expected.”

The white mist in the ditch was just a visible sign of the dense spiritual energy.

But in reality, the spiritual energy was locked inside the spirit-gathering array.

Shi Yuebai had drawn arrays all over the inside and outside of the Shi family’s walls.

With the scallions growing in this environment, even the weakest, most malnourished seed could slowly recover.

Just like people.

“Find something else to do. Don’t just stare at the scallions with Xiao Jiao all day.”

Shi Yuebai didn’t understand why the two kids were so excited.

It was just some scallions—what was there to be so happy about?

She told Shi Yaoyao and Xiao Jiao to take the scavenged mattress and the pile of dirty clothes to the pool to wash them.

Then to disinfect the mattress and clothes with disinfectant.

And hang them out to dry in the yard in front of the public restroom.

Right now, only that spot got direct sunlight.

Everywhere else, the temperature was just right.

At this moment, Liang Yimo finally returned to the neighboring muscle team after crossing a mountain of trash.

His first words were, “The Shi family has a big catch.”

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