Author Archives: Thandar

The first thing Ji Cha did when he got up early in the morning was to run downstairs and find the leftover crayfish from yesterday in the fridge. After heating it up a little, he pinched one and ate it.

When he lightly twisted the head and tail of the crayfish, the juicy meat was revealed. Heating it up did not affect the texture of the meat at all, and Ji Cha’s teeth could feel the springiness of the meat.

Perhaps it had been ten years since Ji Cha last ate crayfish, so he thought the taste of the meat was surprisingly good.

His grandmother walked in from outside and saw Ji Cha eating crayfish early in the morning. She said he was gluttonous and brought out breakfast, “Eat this, don’t eat crayfish. It’s oily and greasy.”

Ji Cha followed her advice and ate two bowls of porridge. Just as he was about to ride his electric scooter out, the boys he met outside while catching crayfish appeared at the factory gate. They looked a little confused at first, but as soon as they spotted Ji Cha, their eyes lit up and they came over to talk to him, “Have you eaten that crayfish? We ate it on the day we brought it back…”

They seemed afraid that Ji Cha would blame them and quickly added, “We didn’t bring back much food that day and were a bit hungry. But fortunately, there was no problem with the crayfish meat. We plan to go out and catch some more later. Do you want some? We can bring it for you.”

Ji Cha didn’t have time to go out and deal with this today, and their offer was tempting, but he didn’t want to trouble them for nothing.

“You haven’t had breakfast, have you? Wait for me here for a while.”

Ji Cha went back to his room and took out four steamed buns from the steamer, which were still warm. He handed them over and said, “Fill your stomachs first.”

Two boys didn’t hesitate and immediately took the steamed buns and ate them hungrily. One of them even put a steamed bun in his pocket, saying that he wanted to bring it back to his sister.

The boys left, saying that they would be back around noon, but Ji Cha didn’t think too much of it. He spent the day supervising the farming area and checking on the construction of the chicken coop, everything going smoothly.

Unexpectedly, something happened in the evening.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

The two boys who were supposed to be back at noon had not returned even when it was almost dark outside. Ji Cha suddenly remembered and was startled. He stood up to go out, ready to search for them.

Liang Jincheng grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”

“There were two kids who said they’d be back at noon, but they haven’t returned yet.” Ji Cha frowned. He had a feeling that something had happened to them. “I have to go out and look for them.”

Since it was not completely dark outside, and the place they were going to was not far from the base, the danger was relatively small.

The world outside was in a state of chaos, and there were all kinds of people with ulterior motives. Ji Cha didn’t want to think about the worst, but he couldn’t help but think about it. Although the boys seemed to have some experience, they were still relatively innocent.

After hearing the whole story, Liang Jincheng stood up too. “I’ll contact the military.”

“Will they help?” Ji Cha hesitated, because the military strictly forbade anyone from leaving without reporting it.

“Let’s go and see.”

The two quickly found Zhao Tiankuo, who took the matter seriously and immediately said, “I’ll inform the higher-ups and send people out to look for them.”

He saw the surprise on Ji Cha’s face and continued, “Everyone in our base is registered with a status and they are all our people. We cannot lose anyone.”

Without Liang Jincheng saying anything, the army also dispatched a six-person team to search for the missing kids. Ji Cha originally wanted to go with them, but Liang Jincheng didn’t allow him to go. Besides, Ji Cha knew his own weaknesses and realized that he would most likely only cause trouble for Liang Jincheng if he went out, so he didn’t insist and instead found the residential addresses of two of the missing teenagers in the system.

The address showed that five children lived together, four teenagers and a girl around ten years old who was probably the sister of the teenager from earlier that morning.

When Ji Cha arrived, the three of them were planning to venture out to find someone but were stopped by Ji Cha.

“The army has already gone out to look for them, and there should be results soon.” He brought some food with him, enough to feed the teenagers for a meal.

“You should make some food first. They might come back to eat when they’re found.”

His words were obviously meant to comfort them, but they still had a reassuring effect on the three children since there was an adult present. The little girl thanked Ji Cha for bringing the food and went to start a fire and cook.

The house they lived in was an old one, and they used a stove inside. This was actually more convenient since those who were assigned to modern houses didn’t have access to natural gas anyway.

The little girl was skilled at cooking and quickly put the rice in the pot to cook. She then carefully washed the bean sprouts and potatoes that Ji Cha brought and stopped working, sitting on a bench with the other two teenagers to wait.

Ji Cha couldn’t bear to leave and waited with them.

They waited until midnight, and the little girl silently wiped away tears. The other two teenagers also had red eyes. When Ji Cha stood up, not knowing what comforting words he could say at this point, the sound of a car engine suddenly came from a distance.

The four of them looked at each other and immediately stood up, quickly running outside.

To Ji Cha’s surprise, the two teenagers who went out didn’t have any major injuries, despite their disheveled appearance. They both had a look of relief on their faces.

While the teenagers were catching their breath, Ji Cha learned from Liang Jincheng, who was driving, what had happened. It turned out that some outsiders had come to the base, and they had been coveting the resources here for a long time. They had just happened to run into the two teenagers when they were exploring the area.

Five or six people had chased and tried to capture the teenagers, but they were familiar with the terrain and managed to evade them until the afternoon. Fortunately, the outsiders did not have firearms, so the teenagers were unharmed.

Just when the teenagers were feeling hopeless, the people from the base happened to go out to search for them. Liang Jincheng’s team ran into the outsiders who were searching for the teenagers, and a fight broke out. In the end, four of the outsiders were killed and two were captured alive, with some minor injuries on the base’s side. The two captured outsiders were brought back for interrogation to find out more about their situation, how many people they had, and whether the base was in danger.

“Thank you so much.” When Ji Cha was about to leave, the disheveled teenager caught up with him and took out a large bag of crayfish from behind, looking a bit embarrassed. “We caught a lot of them on the way back.”

They had brought all the rewards they had risked their lives to get back to Ji Cha. The teenagers had also learned from the military that Ji Cha had remembered them, and that was how the military found out about what had happened. They were also very grateful that they had mentioned going to Ji Cha’s place before they went out, or they might not have made it back alive today.

Ji Cha took the bag and poured half of the crayfish into the bag he had left in the car, then gave the rest back to the teenagers. “Remember to go to the medical station later to check your injuries.”

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Thandar: I feel so sad for these kids … damn apocalypse!!!

For Ji Cha, crayfish is something from a distant past. The last time he ate it was probably more than a decade ago, when he and Wang Qin hanged out at a night market stall.

But despite the long time that has passed, the refreshing taste of crayfish in the summer is still fresh in Ji Cha’s memory. When he heard that there were crayfish ahead, it piqued his curiosity. He not only wanted to explore the possibility of eating it, but also wanted to see if this creature, which was not particularly gentle before the apocalypse, would undergo any more ferocious changes in the post-apocalyptic world.

Imaginations of the two large claws becoming even larger, able to crush a person’s hand, and the like kept wandering through Ji Cha’s mind. This made him stunned when he arrived at the destination.

Well, crayfish had hardly undergone any physical changes, at least it was exactly the same as Ji Cha remembered.

But…

Ji Cha stared in amazement at the crayfish in the pond. Aren’t there way too many? They were so numerous that there was almost no grass growing around the pond. The crayfish were crawling all over the ground, almost eating up all the green vegetation on the surface.

When Ji Cha was a child, he used to fish for crayfish with his childhood playmates. He vaguely remembered that there were people breeding crayfish here, but he didn’t know that crayfish could grow so tenacious and strong after leaving the human breeding environment. They could almost survive by eating dirt.

Liang Jincheng squatted on the side and observed the crayfish for a while, then picked one up.

“Hey,” Ji Cha was about to warn him to be careful, but Liang Jincheng quickly dismantled the crayfish, and with a turn of his hand, the white, shiny flesh inside was revealed, which was very tempting.

Ji Cha seemed to recall the fragrant, spicy, and tender taste of the crayfish in the night market. Liang Jincheng smelled the crayfish and immediately gave a positive response, “It’s edible.”

How amazing is the human nose?

Ji Cha looked at Liang Jincheng with some skepticism, but immediately felt happy inside.

There were so many crayfish in the pond that it was unclear how many pounds there were. Just by looking at those on the shore, they didn’t know how many meals they could have.

Two young boys followed behind Ji Cha and were also happy to hear that they could eat the crayfish. “Can we take some back to eat?”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Ji Cha turned his head, “Of course, you can take some if you want. These crayfish are not mine, but I can’t guarantee the safety issues behind it.”

He had originally come to catch fish today and had brought several snake skin bags with him. Now, he took out one bag and filled it with about five pounds of crayfish.

The boys looked uneasy because they hadn’t brought anything to carry the crayfish with.

Ji Cha stopped them from taking off their clothes to carry the crayfish. Jokingly, with this weather, they would freeze to death. “I’ll take some more back, and you can come to the processing plant at the base to pick it up later.”

The boys visibly breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Ji Cha repeatedly.

In the end, they brought back three fish and eight pounds of crayfish. They gave three pounds to the boys at the factory entrance and reminded them to wait a day before eating it. “If you come back here tomorrow, I can tell you if it’s poisonous.” Ji Cha said.

He certainly wouldn’t risk eating the crayfish immediately. After all, Liang Jincheng was not a virus detector. He planned to pick a little chick to test the poison first before deciding whether it was safe to eat.

So the crayfish had to be kept alive during the night.

Thinking of the crayfish’s starving state during the day, Ji Cha fetched some green grass from the chicken-raising area for them to eat.

The green grass was grown in a small greenhouse by himself, and Ji Cha occasionally let the chicks roam there naturally, which was considered a small part of free-range farming.

The next morning, Ji Cha walked over to the bucket, yawning, to see if the crayfish were still alive. But once again, the crayfish overturned his beliefs.

Not only did none of the crayfish die, but they also ate all the green grass by the bucket and many of them even wanted to escape. If the bucket wasn’t too high, they might have successfully escaped.

He had never seen such a rough form of aquaculture, where the crayfish could be raised so plump and healthy.

“Can we eat them?” Xiao Chao, holding a steamed bun, walked over from behind and wobbled in front of Ji Cha to take a look.

He is small and wrapped in winter clothes like a round little ball, looking cute.

Ji Cha rubbed his head and said, “It should work, but I still need to try.”

Ji Cha took out two small crayfish, dissected and crushed them, and then fed the pieces to two separate chicks, letting them eat.

Ji Cha went to check in the evening; the chicks had not had any problems and were still lively and energetic. When they saw Ji Cha, they even chirped and asked him for food.

Ji Cha was still not completely at ease, and it wasn’t until the next morning when he saw the chicks were still fine that he felt relieved and planned to eat the crayfish that night. Luckily, there were still plenty of spices in the house.

After hearing about the crayfish, Zhang Qinqin volunteered to be the chef. She had already cooked the spicy grilled fish the night before, and even Xiao Chao had eaten half a bowl of rice more than usual.

When they heard that there were crayfish to eat tonight, even Wang Qinxue laughed and poked Ji Cha’s chest with his elbow, “Hey, do you remember when we had skewers together in the middle of the night? The barbecue near Xiaonanmen was pretty good, right?”

“Yeah, it was pretty good.” Ji Cha also laughed.

Liang Jincheng sat on the sofa on the side, looking as if he was watching TV with Grandma Ji.

Now, Grandma Ji liked Liang Jincheng very much and even said in front of Ji Cha that Liang Jincheng was her second grandson. This was thanks to Liang Jincheng’s sweet talk and good manners, which he showed every day. Even in front of Zhang Qinqin, Ji Cha’s cousin, he was gentle and warm. He knew how to flatter people.

Grandma Ji and Zhang Qinqin were both very happy about this and seemed not to have realized the principle of “flattery without any intentions is tantamount to deceit.”

Wang Qinxue reminisced about the past and kept talking, “Do you remember when you liked the girl in the next class? Hahaha, she got a boyfriend before you could confess. We went out at night to comfort you, the heartbroken person.”

He was speaking entirely in jest, and the other people in the room couldn’t help but smile or laugh along with him. Only Liang Jincheng turned his head to look at Ji Cha with an unclear expression and said, “Is that so?”

Ji Cha immediately got goosebumps all over his body.

“Exactly!” Wang Qinxue was oblivious and even laughed as he whispered to Liang Jincheng, “Ji Cha likes long legs and a perky butt.”

“Oh,” Liang Jincheng also laughed, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He glanced at Ji Cha and then turned his head as if nothing had happened.

Only that night did Ji Cha know that when Liang Jincheng pinned him to the bed and ate him clean. Then he repeatedly asked, “Are my legs long enough? Is my butt perky enough?”

Ji Cha: “Yes, yes, yes, all your legs are long. Please have mercy.”

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Coming to the Rescue

Seeing the anxious look on the steward’s face, Yu Qingze asked, “Steward Zhao, what’s the matter?”

The others also looked at Steward Zhao with curiosity.

The steward said anxiously, “We have a chef who was supposed to make the Longevity Peach Buns, but he suddenly fainted. His two apprentices, one of whom is experienced, can’t complete the task on their own. I couldn’t find anyone else, so I came to ask for your help, Boss Yu. You see, have you finished making the dim sum? Can you spare some hands to help make the Longevity Peach Buns?”

Upon hearing that the chef responsible for making the Longevity Peach Buns had fainted, everyone was somewhat surprised.

Today was the sixty-sixth birthday celebration of the patriach of the Zhao Mansion, and the Longevity Peach Buns were indispensable and could be considered the most important part of the birthday celebration. Regardless of their taste, they held significant symbolic blessings.

If the birthday feast lacked the Longevity Peach Buns, it would be an incomplete celebration, with a sense of regret.

No wonder Steward Zhao was so anxious.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze said, “We just finished making the dough here, and it’s currently being steamed. We do have some available hands. However, it’s almost time for the banquet to begin, and it’s too rushed. How did this happen? Fainting at a time like this?”

Steward Zhao sighed, “Exactly. We can only rely on you to come up with a solution.”

Yu Qingze pondered for a moment and asked, “Is the dim sum served at the end of the birthday feast?”

Steward Zhao nodded, “Yes!”

Yu Qingze said, “Considering that there’s still about three-quarters of an hour to half an hour before it’s time to serve, it’s a bit rushed. However, we’re short on ingredients here, and I assume your Longevity Peach Buns are made differently from how we usually make.”

“The ingredients are available in the kitchen,” Steward Zhao replied. “As for the recipe…” He called a young man from outside the door and said, “Quickly, explain it to Boss Yu.”

The young man then proceeded to explain the recipe.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze said, “Isn’t that just a regular red bean bun with a red dot on top? How can it be called a peach bun without even resembling a peach? Is this the only recipe you have for the birthday peach buns?”

The young man nodded.

Steward Zhao immediately asked, “Boss Yu, do you have another recipe?”

Yu Qingze replied, “I can make them in the shape of peaches.”

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhao exclaimed, “Ah, peach buns! Peach buns! Let’s follow your recipe then! Can we make it in time?”

“It’s a bit rushed, but we can discuss it on the way. Brother Le, Xiao Hao, you two stay here and make sure not to oversteam them. The rest of you come with me to make the peach buns,” Yu Qingze instructed. After arranging things on this side, he led the others to follow Steward Zhao.

They arrived at another courtyard’s kitchen where there was another person kneading the dough. When the person saw Steward Zhao bringing people over, they stopped and waited for instructions.

“You two, listen to Boss Yu’s instructions. Do as he says,” Steward Zhao immediately told the original chef’s two apprentices.

“Yes, Steward Zhao,” the two apprentices replied.

Yu Qingze looked around and found that all the ingredients were there, and half of the dough had already been kneaded. There was also red dye prepared, but they were lacking green dye for the peach leaves. He quickly said to Steward Zhao, “Steward Zhao, please find some green vegetables, like spinach, completely green. They should be able to produce green juice when squeezed. If not, sweet potato leaves will do.”

“Alright, alright. Anything else?” Steward Zhao asked.

“No, that’s all,” Yu Qingze replied. Steward Zhao immediately instructed someone to prepare it.

Later, Yu Qingze had the two apprentices continue kneading the dough while Brother Chang and Jiabao mixed and made the red bean paste, letting it cool before rolling them into small balls. Then, he taught Brother Chang’s father how to make the peach leaves and showed Brother Chang’s mother how to make the peach buns.

Before long, Steward Zhao returned with a lot of green vegetables. Yu Qingze had them washed thoroughly, and then the leaves were mashed and the juice was filtered and mixed into the dough, turning it into green dough.

Everyone was busy and sweating profusely. Yu Qingze even asked Steward Zhao to slightly extend the intervals between serving the other dishes, trying to delay some time.

Finally, rushing against the clock, they managed to finish making the peach buns at the last moment.

“It’s done!” Yu Qingze lifted the steamer lid, took a look, and said.

Everyone turned their gaze to the steamer, and Chang Le and Chang Hao also came over. The other dim sum dishes had already been successfully served.

Steward Zhao watched anxiously yet expectantly, feeling both worried and hopeful.

Would Boss Yu’s peach buns turn out well?

As the steam dissipated, the true appearance of the peach buns revealed itself.

When everyone saw the peach buns in the steamer, they couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

The top of the peach buns was pink, resembling ripe peaches, fresh and tender. The shallow groove on one side of the peach was vivid, and there were even two peach leaves at the bottom.

These peach buns looked as if they had just been picked from the peach tree early in the morning.

“They really look like peach buns!”

“Wow! They look just like the peaches we eat!”

“They’re just like the real thing!”

“Wow, look, there are even leaves!” It was Chang Hao who had just arrived. Neither he nor his brother had seen the process of making them, so they didn’t know that Yu Qingze had added the leaves.

The two apprentices were also dumbfounded. The peach buns they had made before couldn’t even be called peach buns. These were the true “peach buns”!

Steward Zhao, filled with excitement, kept saying, “Excellent, excellent! Boss Yu, you have made a great achievement!”

Yu Qingze said, “Steward Zhao, quickly have the dishes served.”

Steward Zhao finally realized and hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, quickly, serve the peach buns!”

Yu Qingze said, “Brother Le, Brother Chang, come and help. Place a large one in the center and arrange ten smaller ones around it in a circle, with the tips of the peaches facing the center. Also, Steward Zhao, tell them that the largest one is for the main table, don’t get it wrong.”

Brother Le, Brother Chang, and Yu Qingze started plating the peach buns. Servants carried trays of lifelike peach buns and headed towards the banquet hall.

On the way, they couldn’t help but stare at the peach buns. They had never seen such peach buns before, they were truly beautiful. As they were looking, one servant almost stumbled, but luckily, another person caught them, or else the tray of peach buns would have been lost.

In the banquet hall, everyone was toasting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

“The Longevity Peach buns are served! Wishing Old Master Zhao a long and blessed life, may the pine and cypress remain evergreen!”

With the cry of the serving boy, the servants carrying the Longevity Peach buns entered the hall slowly.

Longevity Peach buns were a common dish at celebratory banquets, and many people didn’t pay much attention. They continued drinking and chatting, unaffected by the servant’s cry.

It wasn’t until the servant placed a plate of Longevity Peach buns that looked like fresh peaches on the table that the guests’ eyes widened.

“What is this? Are there peaches in season now?”

“It’s not peaches, look closely, it’s still steaming hot. Didn’t you hear the serving boy just announce the dish? It’s Longevity Peach buns! Buns!”

“They look too similar! Look at the groove on the peach and the ripe red color, and even the leaves! How alike!”

“Quick, taste it!”

“…”

Immediately, everyone picked up their chopsticks, one person per bun, and the ten small Longevity Peach buns disappeared in an instant, leaving only the large Longevity Peach bun in the center.

In the next moment, someone swiftly picked up the large peach bun with their chopsticks, leaving the rest of the people glaring angrily at the person who ate an extra one!

How could their hands be so fast!

At the main table, seated were prominent figures and representatives of the influential families in Tongshan City.

Old Master Zhao looked at the Longevity Peach buns with great delight. Especially when he saw the surprise on the faces of the other elderly gentlemen, he felt even more proud, considering it a great honor.

This kind of Longevity Peach buns was unique in the entire Tongshan City.

And it was at his birthday banquet! Hahaha!

He beckoned the steward with a smile and asked, “The chef did a great job today, reward him!”

Steward Zhao whispered in Old Master Zhao’s ear, “Old Master, it wasn’t the chef who made them, he fell ill earlier.”

Old Master Zhao asked in surprise, “Then who made them?”

Steward Zhao replied, “It was Yu Qingze, Boss Yu, who brought his own people. He’s the one who specializes in making custom pastries.”

“The one who makes mooncakes?” Old Master Zhao asked.

Steward Zhao nodded, “Yes, him!”

Seeing Steward Zhao’s confirmation, Old Master Zhao happily said, “Then the other desserts were excellent too! Reward them all!”

“Yes, Old Master.” Steward Zhao smiled and responded.

In the kitchen, Brother Le and the others were also tasting the peach buns. In reality, the taste was similar to red bean buns, but they looked so appealing and seemed to taste even better.

When Steward Zhao brought his people over, he saw them all happily enjoying their Longevity Peach buns, one in each hand.

Steward Zhao said with a smile, “Boss Yu, everyone, thanks to all of you, our birthday banquet went smoothly. Old Master is very pleased with the peach buns and the desserts you made. He asked me to thank you on his behalf. This is a token of his appreciation, please accept it.”

As he spoke, Steward Zhao gave each person a couple of silver coins, and he handed a silver ingot to Yu Qingze.

Everyone knew that this was Old Master Zhao rewarding them out of joy, so they happily thanked him and accepted the gifts.

A couple of silver coins! Their hearts were filled with joy!

Chang Hao and Jiabao also received their share. The two young boys looked at the silver coins in their hands, unable to stop smiling.

As they laughed, Jiabao suddenly burst into tears.

Chang Hao was beside him and quickly asked, “Jiabao, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Jiabao wiped his tears and said, “I’m fine, I’m just too happy.”

The adults understood clearly that he must have been thinking about his mother. They had experienced such hardship before, struggling to gather enough money for medical expenses. Now, they suddenly received a couple of silver coins, and Jiabao couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotions.

Chang Le walked over, took out a handkerchief, and wiped away his tears while making gestures.

Chang Hao translated, “My brother says not to cry, things will get better in the future.”

Jiabao nodded, wiped away his tears, sniffled, and said, “I know, Brother Le, Boss Yu, thank you, thank you so much.” He then bowed to Yu Qingze once again.

Yu Qingze patted Jiabao’s head and said, “Don’t cry. Today is Old Master Zhao’s birthday celebration. It wouldn’t look good if the people of the Zhao Residence saw you like this, understand?”

Jiabao nodded and said, “I understand, Boss Yu.” With that, he managed to control his emotions and stopped crying.

After having lunch, in the afternoon, they made some more pastries for the Zhao Residence’s afternoon tea. Once they finished serving the pastries, they packed up their belongings and prepared to go home.

Yu Qingze confirmed the quantity with Steward Zhao and agreed to settle the payment the next day. Then, he led the group back home.

In the evening, Yu Qingze calculated their earnings. Just from the order of the Zhao Residence, after deducting the costs, they made around thirty taels of silver, mainly from the three types of packaged pastries.

This didn’t even include the emergency order for the Longevity Peach buns they made for the Zhao Residence. Since he didn’t know how the Zhao Residence would calculate the price for those, and the situation was urgent, it wasn’t appropriate to negotiate the price at that time. It could be considered selling a favor to the Zhao Residence, and they could settle the payment in any way they saw fit.

“Wow! That’s a lot! Can we open a small shop with this?” Chang Hao asked eagerly, his eyes shining.

Yu Qingze smiled and nodded, saying, “It should be enough to rent a storefront!”

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled happily.

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PLEASE READ:

The next chapter will be password protected. PW is peach.

However, Ji Cha encountered a difficulty.

Fresh potatoes were not priced in the system.

Ji Cha tried to input it himself, but the system told him that there was no such option. He had to click on the “contact us” button in the corner of the page.

“What is the price of fresh potatoes?” he asked.

“Fresh potatoes,” came the quick response, “where did they come from?”

Before Ji Cha could answer, the other side knew it was from the factory through his login terminal and naturally knew that he had grown them himself.

“At present, there is no such item. The suggestion here is not to enter this item temporarily because the point requirement here is for something that everyone can buy. Potatoes should not have reached mass production yet, right?”

This did hit the key point. Ji Cha thought about it and agreed with this approach.

Before getting off work in the evening, the workers were also quite nervous. Who knew if this credit card would work smoothly or not?

But some people were still happy. “It’s great. I live alone, and it’s okay now that the weather is cold. But in the summer, I used to worry that things would break down in just one day. Now I can keep them in the card and take them out whenever I need them.”

“You can go to the black market to exchange things,” someone suggested.

The man was not convinced, “Why is it called the black market? The keyword is ‘black.’ I’m not going to lose out like that. When I save up some more, I can buy meat from the army and make myself a dish of braised pork with white rice. Isn’t that just great?”

After he finished speaking, everyone present became drooling and even more looked forward to the payment of their salaries.

Ji Cha had prepared their magnetic cards early on. Now, one by one, they walked out with the distributed cards according to their names. He also took out a portion of potatoes for each person and explained, “Potatoes currently cannot be counted as points, so they cannot be converted into points for you. As for the other things, one portion of staple food, one portion of tofu or bean sprouts, a total of fourteen points, all of which are stored in the magnetic card. If you need to take away the food, come with me to settle the account. If not, you’re good to go.”

He added, “And one more thing, the points in the magnetic card can be checked at the recruitment point, where you can see real-time point information.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Most of them took the potatoes and went home, while one or two took half a portion of staple food from Ji Cha.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Ji Cha had set up a small, makeshift workshop outside, with wires and a laptop. As for the living room inside the house, he simplified it as much as possible. He was still very cautious about things that would be exposed to others.

For now, everything was in order.

At night, after a lot of fussing, Liang Jincheng held Ji Cha tightly and kissed him on the ear and cheek.

“You’re as hard as iron all over,” Ji Cha complained. “I want to sleep on top of the blanket, move over.”

“Hard all over?” Liang Jincheng chuckled and asked, “Where is it the hardest…?”

Ji Cha pursed his lips and refused to answer the suggestive question from the pervert. Then he suddenly said, “I kind of want to eat fish…”

The few boys that he had seen before reminded Ji Cha of the possibility of being able to have fish during the end times. Combined with the various seasonings stored at home, he thought of the grilled fish he had had at the night market before, which was fragrant, spicy, tender, and smooth.

He dared not think too much about it, otherwise he would start salivating.

“Fish?” Although Liang Jincheng played the rogue, he still cared about Ji Cha. He got up to get a dry towel and wiped their feet. Then he pulled out the quilt that they used as a flat sheet and covered Ji Cha with the warm and soft quilt. “I’m free tomorrow. Let’s go take a look.”

“I also want to go take a look.” In fact, Ji Cha had been wanting to see the place the boys mentioned with his own eyes.

“It’s dangerous outside.” Liang Jincheng’s first reaction was to refuse. He pinched the tip of Ji Cha’s finger under the blanket. “You have calluses.”

Ji Cha pulled his hand back. He had already figured out Liang Jincheng’s temper and knew that he was someone who couldn’t be forced. He held Liang Jincheng’s cheek in his hand and kissed him several times on his face and mouth. “Take me, please take me!”

Liang Jincheng’s expression immediately softened. Ji Cha continued to sweet-talk him in his ear. Although they ended up having sex again immediately, the next day, Ji Cha still followed Liang Jincheng out of the house, feeling sore all over.

They didn’t need to sneak out of the base like the teenagers did. The soldiers at the main gate didn’t even check their IDs and greeted them politely. They even offered to lend them a military vehicle. According to the teenagers’ descriptions, Ji Cha had a rough idea of where to go, a place within walking distance. They declined the offer and walked all the way there.

It was only about a fifteen-minute walk, and a small river appeared before them. Ji Cha accidentally kicked a piece of soil into the river with his shoe, and before any splashes could be made, a group of fish immediately jumped up and swallowed it whole. If Ji Cha hadn’t seen the fish with his own eyes, he would have thought they were crossbreeds between fish and tigers, judging by their sharp teeth.

If a person fell into the river, they would also be eaten by the fish. What if there were no remains left…? As he was thinking this, he suddenly saw two half-devoured corpses lying in the water. They were zombies, or to be precise, zombies that were once intact but were now half-eaten. Many fish were still fighting over their bodies, leaving only a little meat around their chest and head. Even so, when they saw Ji Cha and Liang Jincheng, a primitive sense of raiding appeared in their eyes.

Ji Cha couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable, with goosebumps all over his body, he turned his head away.

Liang Jincheng was already very accustomed to this kind of scene. He covered Ji Cha’s eyes with one hand and held his waist with the other. Almost like carrying a child, he led Ji Cha through the various grass and stones, avoiding the many dangers without mentioning them, and easily guiding him through.

At home, Ji Cha had some reservations, but outside, he didn’t mind having intimate actions with Liang Jincheng. He leaned contentedly against Liang Jincheng’s side, and the two of them quickly found the small pool hidden in the cave halfway up the mountain. Because the teenagers had been catching them all the time, there weren’t many fish left in the pool.

Ji Cha was concentrating on looking at the types of fish in the pool when Liang Jincheng suddenly pulled him behind him and asked sternly, “Who’s there?”

Ji Cha looked at the direction of his gaze dazedly, “Someone?”

As soon as Liang Jincheng finished speaking, two teenagers walked out slowly from behind the tree, looking at them with a frightened expression.

“We, we’re just here to catch fish. We’re not bad guys. Brother Ji, you know me,” one of the teenagers said.

Ji Cha recognized one of the teenagers at a glance, and the teenager also recognized him.

“I know him,” Ji Cha said to Liang Jincheng. Then he turned to the teenager and asked, “Didn’t I tell you not to come out? Why did you come out again?”

“We found crayfish over there,” said the boy.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Thandar: I googled crayfish and it looks like shrimp. Why is it called fish then? @_@

This chapter is dedicated to Fran and Aprillen for their Kofi support. The translators and I will continue to work hard (∩˃o˂∩)♡

Love,

Thingyan (Editor-in-cheese)

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

The Zhao Residence’s Birthday Banquet

After returning home, Yu Qingze discussed the upcoming tasks with Grandpa Chang and Brother Le.

It was certain that Brother Chang’s father and mother would be asked to help, and on the day of the Zhao Residence’s birthday banquet, Chang Le would also accompany them. However, they were unsure if the current team was enough or if they needed to hire another person.

According to the steward of the Zhao Residence, there would be at least thirty-five tables, with ten people per table. Each table would require shumai, crystal dumplings, and jujube cakes. Just for the lunch banquet, they would need to make at least 350 of each item. And if there were any extra tables or the afternoon tea, the quantity would be even greater. As for the return gift pastries, there would be a total of 300 boxes for three different types.

It was truly a massive order.

“I can also make pastries in the afternoon. I’ll talk to Dagen’s family and ask them to take care of the cattle for the last four days of the month. Then I can make up for those days at the beginning of September,” Grandpa Chang suggested.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “That works. Then we don’t need to hire an additional person. Grandpa, let’s call Brother Chang and his mother over to discuss.”

“Alright, Xiao Hao, go to Brother Chang’s house and invite them over to discuss the matter,” said Grandpa Chang.

“Yes, Grandpa.”

After Brother Chang and his mother arrived, they readily agreed to the plan. They decided to start learning how to make Shumai that evening, and then learn one type of dish every night thereafter.

Though the method for making Shumai was relatively simple, it involved several steps. So, first, Yu Qingze explained the process to them, and then he guided them while they did the actual work. He didn’t participate initially.

While steaming the glutinous rice, Brother Chang’s mother started preparing the filling, while on the other side, Brother Le began kneading the dough for the Shumai wrappers.

Finally, Yu Qingze asked everyone to try rolling out the Shumai wrappers. He discovered that Brother Chang’s mother was the quickest and best at rolling them, so he decided to assign him the task of rolling the wrappers for both Shumai and Crystal Dumplings. Combining the two, they would need at least seven to eight hundred wrappers.

Both Yu Qingze and Brother Le knew how to do it, so they could take turns when they got tired.

The next day, following Yu Qingze’s instructions, Grandpa went to several households in the village and bought jujube and glutinous rice at market prices.

When they arrived at the snack stall, they saw Tian Jiabao already there.

The young boy sat quietly on the large stone beneath their usual shade umbrella, observing the hustle and bustle of the street. When he saw them approaching, his eyes brightened, and he quickly stood up, tidying his clothes.

“Boss Yu, Brother Le, Brother Chang.”

“Jiabao, have you had breakfast?” Yu Qingze responded and asked.

Jiabao nodded and replied, “I ate two steamed buns.” He then handed sixteen wen to Yu Qingze and said, “Boss Yu, this is the remaining money. Please take it back.”

Yu Qingze frowned as he looked at the sixteen copper coins and said, “Did you only have two steamed buns last night? Yesterday, I gave you twenty copper coins, and now there are sixteen left. You’ve only spent four coins, so it can only be for four steamed buns.”

Jiabao nodded and said, “I’m full.”

Yu Qingze took the money from his hand, ruffled his hair, and said, “When you start earning wages, make sure to eat something more nutritious, okay? You’re still growing, be careful not to stunt your height.”

Jiabao nodded again and replied, “I know, thank you, Boss Yu.” But he still had debts to repay. Once he returned the borrowed money to the neighbors, he would be able to eat better.

Chang Le brought over a food container, opened it, and took out a plate of Shumai and an egg pancake, handing them to Jiabao. These were the Shumai they had practiced making last night, and it served as Jiabao’s breakfast. Chang Le specially brought some over for him to eat.

Jiabao looked at the snacks and the egg pancake on the plate, then looked at Chang Le and asked, ” Brother Le, are these for me?”

Chang Le nodded, gesturing for Jiabao to take them.

“Thank you, Brother Le.” The young boy’s eyes welled up with slight tears of gratitude.

Yu Qingze patted his head and said, “From now on, you don’t have to worry about breakfast. We’ll bring it for you.”

The boy looked up in a panic and said, “How can that be? Boss Yu, I’m already grateful for being able to work here. I don’t need… I don’t need any more…”

Yu Qingze interrupted him and said, “It’s alright. Just focus on your work. Consider it an early reward for you.”

Hearing this, Jiabao paused for a moment, then said earnestly, “Thank you, Boss Yu. I will work hard.”

“Eat up. Afterward, go and learn from Brother Chang. He will teach you how to make them.”

“Okay.”

Yu Qingze handed Jiabao directly to Brother Chang, partly to help Jiabao become familiar with the work and partly as a training opportunity for Brother Chang.

Old Huang was not wrong. Jiabao was indeed intelligent and diligent. He quickly memorized all the tasks at the snack stall.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

To Yu Qingze’s surprise, Jiabao was surprisingly good at arithmetic.

Once, a customer ordered a portion of Guandong-style hot pot, and Yu Qingze forgot to inform Jiabao about the price. However, when he looked up, he heard Jiabao telling the customer the correct price and collecting the money.

“Jiabao, do you know arithmetic?”

Jiabao nodded. “My mother taught me.”

Yu Qingze thought for a moment and purposely didn’t mention the price for the following Guandong-style hot pot orders to see if Jiabao could calculate it correctly.

In the end, it was confirmed that Jiabao got all the calculations right.

Yu Qingze was pleasantly surprised and immediately said, “Jiabao, you’ll be in charge of the Guandong-style hot pot, and you’ll handle the money too.”

Since Brother Chang was a bit slow at mental calculations, he was currently responsible for both cold noodles and Guandong-style hot pot. Sometimes Brother Le would also come to help. When there were many customers, it became a bit overwhelming. But now that Jiabao could do calculations, things would be much simpler. Whenever a customer ordered Guandong-style hot pot, Jiabao would take care of it.

It was like finding a treasure!

Yu Qingze was overjoyed.

Brother Chang and Chang Le were also happy when they heard the news. Jiabao had really helped them a lot.

“Oh, Brother Le, should we learn arithmetic too? I’m so slow at calculations. Look at Boss Yu and Jiabao. They can just glance and know the exact amount of money. They’re so impressive. If Jiabao can learn, we should be able to learn too, right?” Brother Chang said to Chang Le while collecting the dishes and chopsticks.

Chang Le had been thinking about the same thing, so he nodded, indicating that he also wanted to learn. That way, they could assist Big Brother Yu more.

Brother Chang then said, “Once we get through these busy days, let’s ask Boss Yu to teach us, okay?”

Chang Le nodded in agreement.

The two friends exchanged a smile, reaching an unspoken understanding.

After a whole day, Jiabao had become completely proficient in running the snack stall.

When it was time to close the stall, Yu Qingze gave him sixty coins and some Guandong-style hot pot leftovers, saying, “Don’t eat steamed buns for dinner tonight. Cook yourself a meal at home, understood?”

Jiabao took the money, counted it, and said, “Boss Yu, you gave me ten extra coins.”

“That’s right. Consider it your payment after the trial period. Keep it well. Now, go home,” Yu Qingze replied.

Jiabao was very happy. He put the money in his pocket, took the food Yu Qingze gave him, bowed to express his gratitude, and headed home.

Old Man Huang, who was also preparing to close his stall, saw Jiabao walking away and said to Yu Qingze, “Boss Yu, thanks to you giving him work, otherwise he would probably still be at home, neither eating nor drinking, grieving for his mother.”

Yu Qingze sighed and answered, “I thought that keeping him busy would help him maintain a normal life and prevent him from sinking into sadness.”

“That’s the right approach. The living has to continue moving forward,” Old Man Huang said, shouldering his stove and pots and went home.

Several peaceful days passed, and Yu Qingze gradually gathered all the ingredients and packaging materials needed for making snacks.

Jiabao also settled down at the snack stall. Every morning, Brother Chang would bring him breakfast. Jiabao was grateful and worked extra hard. He looked more spirited with each passing day.

On August 26th, when it was time to close the stall, Jiabao informed Yu Qingze that he would need to take half a day off tomorrow.

Yu Qingze realized that tomorrow was the seventh day since Jiabao’s mother’s passing, and he would need to go for memorial rites.

“Alright. Do you want me to accompany you?” Yu Qingze asked.

Jiabao shook his head and said, “No need. I’ll be fine. Thank you, Boss Yu.”

Yu Qingze patted the boy’s head and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. He said, “Alright, you’re a strong young man now, and I believe in you. Be safe on the mountain, understand?”

“Mmm, thank you,” the boy bowed and headed home.

In the following three days, Yu Qingze stayed at home to make snacks while Brother Chang’s father came to help at the snack stall.

During this time, Jiabao’s presence became particularly important. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Yu Qingze was making snacks at home, Brother Chang and Chang Le sold the Guandong-style hot pot, but they were slow at counting money. Now with Jiabao around, there was barely any difference from usual.

“Jiabao, this child, is really capable,” Brother Chang’s mother praised.

Chang Le and Brother Chang nodded in agreement.

Jiabao blushed slightly, lowered his head, and continued working with a hint of shyness. However, he was secretly pleased.

On the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth, Yu Qingze and the others were extremely busy. Finally, late at night on the twenty-eighth, they finished making all the snacks. They just needed to let them cool and then package them.

The next morning, Yu Qingze and the others packaged the remaining snacks from the previous day. They sealed them with the Yu’s Delicious Delights brand and waited for the ink to dry. Once it was done, they loaded three carts with a total of three hundred boxes of snacks.

In the afternoon, Yu Qingze, Brother Chang’s mother, and Grandpa Chang each pulled a cart and delivered the snacks to the Zhao Mansion in the southern part of the city. After the Zhao family inspected the goods, they promptly settled the payment.

In the meantime, Yu Qingze also went to check the kitchen prepared for them for the next day. He familiarized himself with the layout and utensils before returning home.

On the thirtieth of August, it was the birthday celebration of the Zhao Mansion’s patriarch.

Early in the morning, Yu Qingze’s group dragged two carts filled with ingredients and utensils and headed to the Zhao Mansion. When they reached the West City Gate, Tian Jiabao met up with them and they went together.

Upon seeing Jiabao, Chang Hao immediately displayed his outgoing nature. He affectionately called him “Brother Jiabao” and engaged in conversation. Even before reaching the Zhao Mansion, the two had already become quite familiar.

Friendship among young people always develops unexpectedly fast. Thanks to Chang Hao’s friendly nature, Jiabao became closer to them as well.

They entered the Zhao Mansion through a side gate and were led by the staff arranged by the steward to the kitchen, where they began their preparations.

Yu Qingze assigned different tasks to each person based on their abilities.

Brother Chang was in charge of making jujube cakes, which was relatively easier and less meticulous. Chang Le, being strong, was responsible for chopping the filling. Yu Qingze and Brother Chang’s mother kneaded the dough and rolled out the dough for shumai and crystal dumplings. Brother Chang’s father and Grandpa Chang washed the vegetables and assisted, and later they would also help in wrapping the shumai and dumplings. The two boys were in charge of making the fire and assisting with washing the vegetables, as well as mashing the jujube and red beans into a paste.

Each person had their own task and they were all busy, but it was organized and orderly.

The lunch banquet was scheduled to begin at noon. Just before noon, they successfully wrapped the shumai and crystal dumplings needed for the banquet and waited for steaming. They made some extras, fearing any unforeseen accidents or spills during the serving of the dim sum, just in case they needed backup.

Yu Qingze looked at the time and estimated that they had about half an hour before the banquet. He placed the shumai and crystal dumplings in the steamer and instructed Chang Hao and the others to start the fire and begin steaming.

At that moment, the steward of the Zhao Mansion rushed in and, upon seeing Yu Qingze, said, “Ah, Boss Yu, it’s so good to see you. We’re in a desperate situation!”

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: No worry, steward bro. Boss Yu to the rescue.

Ji Cha actually had some ideas about fish farming. But firstly, he already had a lot of things to do, and secondly, there was nowhere to find fish.

The military once visited a fish farming village where most of the tens of thousands of fish had already turned into zombies. Not to mention eating them, even touching them could be deadly. The fact that these teenagers had caught such fish made Ji Cha ponder a bit.

However, fish farming is not a simple matter. Just like when he first considered rice fields for fish farming, the problem of introducing running water still exists. Fortunately, they can now think of a solution together with the military, and there are technicians who know more than Ji Cha. Once the problem of fish is solved, it will be much easier to farm fish in the future.

“The behavior is still very dangerous. There may be zombies or mutated animals outside, and if you’re not careful, you could lose your life.” Ji Cha felt obligated to say these words, even though they made him feel like a hypocrite.

The teenager was also helpless, “But if we don’t catch fish, we won’t have enough to eat, and there are many jobs that we’re not allowed to do.”

Ji Cha thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t you go to the labor department these days and see if there are any suitable jobs?”

Many of the fields on the farm were already being prepared for cultivation. Although most of the work was done by machines, there was still a need for human operators, especially in the smaller areas where machines couldn’t reach.

The teenagers were too young to work, but Ji Cha had some authority in this regard, and it was no problem to relax the age requirement.

The teenagers looked at each other and reluctantly agreed, but they didn’t know if they would actually follow through and go to sign up.

Ji Cha returned to the factory building, and the first thing she had to do was prepare the “wages” for the workers today. Before long, the workers had come from the work site to the factory and were waiting at the door.

They still couldn’t believe that they would receive fresh potatoes.

Where could they find potatoes at this time, let alone fresh ones? It was impossible.

But then Ji Cha took out the things and distributed one portion of staple food and potatoes to each person. He then carefully asked each person whether they wanted bean sprouts or tofu.

After the shock came the excitement. Once they got the food, all the exhaustion of the day vanished. On their way back, everyone was bouncing with joy.

Who would have thought they would receive fresh potatoes? Juicy, not at all wrinkled, fresh potatoes!

All five of them were grateful they had waited for Ji Cha this morning. Otherwise, they would have had to eat wild vegetables mixed with bran.

With their potatoes in hand, they happily made their way home. Once there, they cooked up some potato slices, braised tofu, or stir-fried bean sprouts. It was a great meal.

After finishing the distribution of the other workers’ wages and making sure there were no strangers around, Ji Cha closed the factory gate.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Chili peppers were also starting to be harvested. They could pick almost half a pound of fresh peppers in one day.

Besides using them for cooking, Grandma and Zhang Qinqin turned the fresh red peppers into chopped chili, so they could store them for a long time. Some peppers were dried in the sun and spread out on the roof.

Dinner was simple, a portion of spicy stir-fried meat, braised tofu, stir-fried vegetables, and a pot of chicken soup. Ji Cha had already eaten a third of the frozen meat he had saved. If everything went smoothly, the meat production of chickens, rabbits, and pigs here could just be used with what was left in his home.

The next morning, Ji Cha got up slightly earlier due to yesterday’s experience and went to the labor office. Today, to his surprise, not only were people waiting, but there were also about twenty or thirty of them for only five positions. This was unheard of during a time of relative labor shortage.

Word had already spread about someone bringing back fresh potatoes last night. When they heard there were five vacancies, who wouldn’t come? Some people who received potatoes yesterday were reluctant to eat them and traded them on the black market for three portions of staple food, which was a great deal.

Ji Cha felt somewhat comforted that he saw several of the young boys he had seen yesterday at the recruitment office, consulting with the staff at the window. And he had also submitted the new recruitment requirements, which the boys met.

Sure enough, the boys turned their heads with a smile and hurriedly went to get the forms to compete for tomorrow’s job opportunities.

Ji Cha wanted to turn around and leave, but he saw a notice at the entrance.

“Starting the day after tomorrow, wages will no longer be immediately issued based on food standards but recorded as credit points. Workers are requested to come to my office these two days to collect their magnetic cards and enter their identity information.”

The barter trade method was finally going to change.

Ji Cha returned to the workshop, and Zhao Tiankuo was already there. He brought a small machine and a stack of magnetic cards to Ji Cha, “With this, you can connect to the military network. It can’t be considered the Internet, just a LAN. Every morning, workers have to clock in, and every evening, they have to clock out, then the credit points will be loaded onto their cards. When they need to buy food, they can use the card to deduct the credit points. In the future, every person will have one card, real-name system, and their identity information needs to be verified every time they use the card. “

“Then these are for your family. You can take care of them yourself today, anyway, Zhang Xing will definitely understand.”

“Okay.” Ji Cha nodded. Although these cards were basically useless for the people in the factory compound at the moment, they didn’t need to worry about their livelihoods.

Ji Cha returned to his room on the second floor, turned on the computer, and after Zhang Xing helped him fix all the data problems, he opened the web page, which was no longer a network error symbol but a military network page.

The webpage displayed a lot of information, mostly the many notices that the military had to do every day, including “food credit points,” which were set up for the credit cards. For example, ten credit points for a serving of staple food, three points for a serving of bean sprouts, and four points for a serving of tofu. Meat, which is still mostly unavailable, is also assigned points, and it is much more expensive, with fifty points for one or two servings of meat.

Most people in the base have not eaten a whole piece of meat for a long time. When they do eat meat, it was usually found from an outside breeding farm occasionally by the military. After confirming that the pigs inside can be safely eaten, the soldiers would slaughter a few pigs to satisfy their cravings.

Ji Cha logged in to his account online. His account had some management permissions, and there was an item on his personal page called “Salary Distribution.” Ji Cha clicked on today and input the identity information and corresponding food points of ten workers under him. This way, when the workers finish work in the evening, they only need to bring their magnetic card with their identity information to Ji Cha to swipe, and the card will have the point information.

And the data here will also be immediately transmitted to the military’s central database, managing in real-time the property and life situation of each person in the base.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

This chapter is dedicated to Qiwi and SOS13 for their Kofi support. The translators and I will continue to work hard (∩˃o˂∩)♡

Love,

Thingyan (Editor-in-cheese)

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Helping

After the young boy left, Yu Qingze asked the old tea egg seller next to him, “Old man, do you know that child?”

The old man nodded and said, “Yes, I know him. He lives in the same alley as us. He’s also a poor child, sigh.”

Yu Qingze asked, “What happened? Yesterday, I saw him at the medical clinic, begging the doctor to treat his mother. According to the doctor, it seems his mother may not last much longer.”

Old man Huang nodded and sighed, “Yes, he has been sick for a long time. Last night, my son told me that the doctor said he only has a day or two left.”

With that, Old man Huang explained the situation of the young boy to Yu Qingze and Chang Le.

The boy’s name was Tian Jiabao. About seven or eight years ago, he and his mother came to Tongshan City. No one knows where they originally came from as they never told anyone. They rented a room in the most rundown alley in the west side of the city.

His mother would go out to work during the day and do laundry and sewing for others at night to support the family, barely making ends meet. Jiabao was also responsible. When he grew a little older, around seven or eight years old, he started running errands and delivering messages for others. By the time he was around ten years old, he was washing dishes at restaurants and doing any kind of work available. However, because of his young age, the wages he received from the establishments were meager, and he couldn’t earn much money.

Two years ago, his mother fell ill due to excessive labor. The illness came on strong, and despite consulting many doctors and taking medications, he couldn’t recover and could only focus on resting. His mother knew that he was becoming a burden to his child, so he refused to take the medicine. But Jiabao didn’t care about his mother’s protests and continued to fetch and prepare medicine every day. His mother couldn’t resist his persistence and eventually took the medicine.

Gradually, the small savings they had in the house were all spent on buying medicine. Later, Jiabao heard that there were lucrative opportunities at the dock, so he went there. However, due to his small build and limited strength, he could only earn a limited amount of money each day. His income couldn’t cover their expenses, and often he struggled to gather enough money for his mother’s medicine. He also tried borrowing from neighboring families, but everyone around them was in similar conditions and had no extra money to lend. Nevertheless, he saved enough money to buy medicine for his mother. He often survived on just two steamed buns a day and even fainted from hunger several times at the dock.

Now, his mother’s health had reached a critical point.

After Old Man Huang finished speaking, he let out a long sigh and said, “The child is a good child, just unfortunate. His mother was a good wife too, appearing gentle and refined. I heard he could even read. Who would have thought… sigh, they are all unfortunate souls.”

Yu Qingze and Chang Le both sighed upon hearing the story, realizing how difficult the child’s life had been.

Old Man Huang sighed again and said, “The liangpi he bought from you was probably for his mother. I suppose he wanted him to taste something he had never eaten before.”

Yu Qingze let out a sigh, not knowing what else to say, so he could only sigh.

In the afternoon, the sky became overcast, and soon it started drizzling.

After half an hour passed, with no sign of the rain stopping and no customers due to the rain, Yu Qingze decided to close the stall early and go home.

As the three of them, wearing raincoats, pushed their snack cart and trolley towards the West City Gate, they encountered a group of people coming out from the adjacent alley.

The first two individuals were wearing raincoats and carrying a simple stretcher made of branches. On the stretcher lay a body covered in a simple grass mat. Behind the two individuals, there was a man carrying three shovels on his back, also wearing a raincoat. There was also a young boy who had no umbrella or raincoat, not even a bamboo hat, just getting soaked in the rain as he followed behind.

Chang Le stopped in his tracks and looked at Yu Qingze, gesturing for him to look in that direction.

Yu Qingze looked over and immediately recognized the young boy following behind. It was Jiabao, the one who had bought liangpi from them in the morning.

His mother, just as the doctor had predicted, couldn’t hold on any longer.

The young boy’s eyes were red, and it was hard to tell whether the wetness on his face was from tears or rainwater. He just stared blankly at his mother’s body on the stretcher, mechanically walking behind the two men in front.

Chang Le couldn’t bear to see it and took a bamboo hat, catching up to them and putting it on the boy’s head.

The boy raised his head in a daze, seeing Chang Le. His gaze showed a hint of confusion, unsure if he recognized him or not. As Chang Le tied the strings of the hat, the boy saw the people carrying his mother getting further away. He panicked and quickly ran to catch up, following closely behind.

Before leaving the city gate, he glanced back once, then turned his head and continued walking away.

“Brother Le, let’s go,” Yu Qingze approached and patted Chang Le’s shoulder, taking his hand and leading him back.

The three of them returned home, silent throughout the journey. Chang Hao had also learned about the boy’s situation and felt deeply moved.

The whole evening, Chang Le was visibly distraught and didn’t have much of an appetite. Grandpa Chang and Chang Hao were worried about him and asked what had happened.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Yu Qingze saw that Chang Le remained silent and proceeded to tell Grandpa Chang and Chang Hao about what had happened during the day.

After hearing the story, Chang Hao widened his eyes and asked, “Is it the same young boy we encountered yesterday, Jiabao?”

Yu Qingze nodded in confirmation.

Chang Hao fell silent upon hearing this.

Grandpa Chang let out a sigh, unsure of what to say.

Yu Qingze, worried that Chang Le might think of his own parents’ passing and feel even more saddened, noticed his low spirits.

Knowing that Chang Le had a soft heart, Yu Qingze was certain that he wanted to help the unfortunate young boy. However, he didn’t know how to assist him.

After some thought, Yu Qingze spoke up, “Grandpa, Brother Le, with just the three of us at the snack stall, including Brother Chang, we’re already quite busy. In a few days, we’ll be making desserts for the Zhao Family, and afterward, I plan to introduce another food item, which will require hiring an assistant. So, why not invite Jiabao to work with us? He can attend to customers and help with dishwashing. We can try it out for a few days, and if he is quick-witted and suitable for customer service, we can pay him 60 wen a day. If he is more suitable for dishwashing and general tasks, then 50 wen a day. What do you think?”

Chang Le’s eyes brightened upon hearing this proposal, and he turned to eagerly nod at Yu Qingze. He wholeheartedly agreed!

“It’s a good idea,” Grandpa Chang also agreed.

Chang Hao nodded as well and said, “In that case, the young boy won’t have to work at the dock anymore.”

Yu Qingze nodded and added, “Furthermore, Brother Chang is very capable, hardworking, and intelligent. I plan to increase his wages. When we open our own restaurant in the future, I want to train him as a supervisor. If we have more assistants, he can also help with management. Grandpa, what do you think?”

Grandpa Chang nodded and said, “That’s a good idea. Brother Chang is reliable.”

“In that case, Grandpa, how much of a wage increase do you think is appropriate?” Yu Qingze asked.

Grandpa Chang waved his hand and said, “You have a better understanding of this than us. Whatever amount you think is appropriate, go ahead and increase it.”

Yu Qingze looked at Chang Le, who also nodded in agreement.

After some thought, Yu Qingze said, “Then let’s increase it to 80 wen per day. What do you think?”

Grandpa Chang and Chang Le both nodded in agreement.

With the matter settled, Yu Qingze patted Chang Le’s head and said, “Don’t worry anymore, okay?”

Chang Le blushed slightly and nodded.

Chang Hao and Grandpa Chang smiled silently.

The next day, Yu Qingze informed Brother Chang about the wage increase. Brother Chang was overjoyed and worked even harder. He was smiling throughout the morning, and the customers teased him, asking if he had encountered something good. Brother Chang happily confirmed the good news with a beaming smile.

Early in the morning, Yu Qingze asked Old Man Huang about Jiabao’s situation from the previous day. Old Man Huang said that Jiabao didn’t have money to hire someone for the burial. Even the money to buy a coffin for his mother was unavailable. A neighbor helped him carry his mother’s body outside the city for burial.

Upon returning home, kind-hearted neighbors brought him food. However, when they went to check in the morning, the food was still there. Jiabao had been sitting on the bed, holding his mother’s memorial tablet.

“Ah, poor child. Now he’s all alone, and he doesn’t know what to do,” sighed Old Man Huang.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze said to Old Man Huang, “Old Man, can you take me to his house later after we close the stall in the afternoon? I have something to discuss with him.”

Old Man Huang asked, “What do you want to talk to him about?”

Yu Qingze explained, “I want to offer him a job as an assistant. I think he’s suitable, so I want to talk to him and see if he’s willing to come work at my snack stall.”

Upon hearing this, Old Man Huang immediately became happy and said, “Good, good! After we close, I’ll take you there. Let me tell you, Boss Yu, this kid is hardworking. He can do all sorts of household chores and has worked on various jobs outside. He’s very capable.”

Yu Qingze said, “That would be best.”

“You’re truly a good person, Boss Yu.”

…

However, they didn’t have to wait until closing time in the afternoon. At noon, Tian Jiabao arrived at their snack stall.

He lowered his head, holding a bamboo hat in one hand and something wrapped in the front of his clothes with the other, walking up to Yu Qingze.

When Yu Qingze saw him, he was somewhat surprised and asked, “I was just looking for you. You’re Tian Jiabao, right? Are you doing okay?”

Chang Le also looked at him and raised his head in their direction.

The young boy lifted his lowered head, his eyes red and swollen, with only a narrow slit left where his once big eyes were.

“Boss, I’m sorry. I accidentally broke your bowl. I don’t have money to buy a replacement for you. I…” The young boy anxiously glanced around and quickly said, “Can I compensate by washing dishes for you? I know how to wash dishes and can do other tasks. Can I work to repay the debt?”

Hearing this, Yu Qingze finally noticed that the broken fragments of the bowl were tucked in the front of the boy’s clothes. He smiled and silently nodded in his heart. This young boy had a decent character. Yu Qingze said, “You don’t need to compensate now. I want to hire you to work for me, washing dishes and serving customers, for a trial period of a few days. I’ll pay you 50 wen per day. Are you willing to do it?”

The young boy widened his eyes, looking at the boss in disbelief.

“How about it? Are you willing?” Yu Qingze patiently asked again.

The young boy nodded dazedly and said, “Yes, I’m willing.”

Yu Qingze patted his head and introduced him to Chang Le and Brother Chang, saying, “I’m Yu Qingze. You can call me Boss Yu or Big Brother Yu. The one washing dishes over there is Chang Le, and the one serving customers is Brother Chang.”

The young boy hadn’t realized that Chang Le was the one washing dishes, but now he recognized him as the big brother who gave him the bamboo hat yesterday. His eyes brightened, and he walked up to Chang Le, handing him the bamboo hat and said, “Big Brother Chang Le, this is your bamboo hat. Thank you.” As he spoke, the young boy bowed to Chang Le.

Chang Le wiped his hands and took the bamboo hat, shaking his hand to indicate no need for thanks.

Yu Qingze waved and called the young boy over, saying, “Since Brother Le can’t speak, if you have any questions or don’t understand something, ask me or Brother Chang.”

Upon hearing that Chang Le couldn’t speak, the young boy’s face showed a mix of surprise and understanding. No wonder earlier…

“Go home and rest for today. Tomorrow, come here at the hour of Chen (7:00 am to 9:00 am),” Yu Qingze instructed.

The young boy nodded and turned to leave, but Yu Qingze called him back.

“Have you had lunch?” Yu Qingze asked.

The young boy covered his stomach and shook his head.

Since yesterday noon, when he had bought liangpi and returned home to find his mother had passed away, he hadn’t eaten anything. He couldn’t eat. The thought of his mother made him too sad, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Yu Qingze looked at him, told Chang Le something, and then took the boy’s hand, leading him towards Liu’s Noodle House. “Come, I’ll take you to have a meal.”

He wanted the boy to have something easily digestible and warm.

“Boss Yu, I… I can’t eat. And… I don’t have money,” the young boy anxiously explained when he heard they were going to have a meal.

Yu Qingze turned to him and asked, “Have you not eaten since yesterday?”

The young boy looked at Yu Qingze in surprise and nodded gently.

In response, Yu Qingze said, “If you don’t eat, how can you work if you faint?”

The young boy remained silent.

“Let’s go. Lunch is on the house, no need for money,” Yu Qingze said.

The young boy was pulled into the noodle house and was seated at an empty table by Yu Qingze, who instructed him to wait. Then he saw Boss Yu enter the kitchen.

He looked at Yu Qingze’s back with a sense of confusion. How could this boss be so kind?

Yu Qingze ordered a bowl of hot soup noodles for him. After he finished eating, Yu Qingze gave him money for dinner and breakfast the next day, emphasizing the importance of eating on time.

At first, the young boy refused to accept it.

Later, Yu Qingze said he would deduct it from his future wages, and only then did the boy take it.

Yu Qingze patted his shoulder and said, “Alright, go back and rest well. We have a long way ahead, so we must live well. We can’t let your mother worry, understand?”

With tears in his eyes, the young boy bowed to Yu Qingze and thanked him before leaving.

Yu Qingze returned to the snack stall, where Chang Le asked him how it went.

“Don’t worry, I gave him money for dinner and breakfast. He agreed to come and work as an assistant tomorrow morning,” Yu Qingze patted Chang Le’s head, reassuring him and letting him focus on his work.

Chang Le breathed a sigh of relief and got back to work.

With the matter of Tian Jiabao resolved, Yu Qingze went to the market in the afternoon to buy steaming baskets and ingredients for pastries.

This time, there were many orders for pastries from the Zhao Residence, but they had to be prepared well in the next two or three days. Otherwise, if the pastries turned stale, it would tarnish their reputation.

With so much to do, Yu Qingze would need the help of Brother Chang’s father and mother when he went to the Zhao Residence to make the pastries. He needed to train them in advance so they could catch up in time. Moreover, Brother Chang’s parents had to learn how to make jujube the pastries.

The next few days are going to be busy!

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Thandar: Awww so nice of them to help the boy.

This chapter is dedicated to SOS13 for your Kofi support. The translators and I will continue to work hard (∩˃o˂∩)♡

Love,

Thingyan (Editor-in-cheese)

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It is allowed for individuals to recruit workers in the base, but few people can afford to pay wages now, or there are no construction projects to be carried out.

Ji Cha rode his electric scooter and arrived at the recruitment site after traversing half of the base. Although the weather outside was very cold at this moment, there were still many people standing. There was a large electronic screen horizontally in the middle of the hall. The bustling crowd walked back and forth, carefully checking the constantly looping recruitment information displayed on it, signing up for suitable jobs themselves or signing up for others.

He passed through the hall and found the staff behind it. After showing his ID, he filled out an information form, and about five minutes later, Ji Cha’s recruitment information appeared on the electronic screen.

“Construction workers, all day, one portion of staple food plus half a pound of potatoes and either half a pound of tofu or one portion of bean sprouts (optional), work location…”

A long string of information appeared on the electronic screen, immediately attracting everyone’s attention. However, the information above is simply too good to be believed.

“Potatoes? Fresh potatoes?”

“You can also choose tofu or bean sprouts, and it even comes with a staple food?”

One portion of staple food is the current universal measuring unit in the base, which can actually feed two people for a day. According to the workload, there are also one and a half portions and half portions.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Many elderly people will choose relatively easy half portions of food.

In addition, many jobs do come with supplementary food like tofu, but having potatoes is something they have never seen before. Although half a pound of potatoes is not a lot, it is still a very good side dish when fried, let alone many people have not eaten fresh vegetables other than bean sprouts for a long time.

“This can’t be a mistake…” someone whispered, but before the words were finished, they found that the person who was standing next to them had already rushed to the window to sign up. Whether it is right or wrong, sign up first and figure it out later, it is better than missing this opportunity for nothing.

The chicks grow very fast, and Ji Cha needs to speed up the construction pace if he wants to start production as soon as possible. He plans to recruit ten workers at once, hoping to build the house as quickly as possible.

Each worker can work three shifts a day. Many people will choose two guaranteed shifts and try their luck with one that has better treatment, so as not to end up with no job at all.

Ji Cha offers good benefits, but he also has certain requirements. He wants workers with some experience in the construction industry, but this is not too difficult to find now, as even inexperienced workers have learned a lot from the construction of the wall and collective dormitory projects.

The next day, the recruitment officially began. Ji Cha woke up early in the morning and rode his electric scooter to the recruitment site at 6:30 a.m. However, he was still a bit late, as most of the recruitment had already ended. Those who signed up yesterday thought they had been played, complained to the staff, and left in a hurry to find other jobs.

There were only five workers waiting for Ji Cha, but fortunately all of them had construction experience. Ji Cha led them back, told them about the work for the day, and then asked Wang Qin to drive them to the construction site with the electric tricycle. The materials and tools were almost ready, and it was time to start working today.

Recruitment will continue on the other side. Workers who already have jobs will not participate in the recruitment, and will only look for new jobs when their current job ends.

Since the base started operating, there have been many problems big and small. The biggest one, of course, is the constant threat of large-scale zombies outside, while the other small problems, although not as troublesome, can also cause constant trouble.

The first issue is the communication problem within the base. The troops have communication tools, but the signal base stations that were originally used have been destroyed and are not being maintained, so they cannot function as they did before. There are still some operational tools within the military, but for ordinary people, it’s like going back to primitive society.

The second issue is the currency problem within the base. Initially, the circulating currency of Country C was no longer usable, and it’s very difficult to recreate currency without preventing counterfeiting. However, it’s too inconvenient to rely solely on food as a barter without circulating currency.

Other issues like education and entertainment are impossible to exist in S base. None of the children in the base are continuing their education. They either help their parents with tasks they are capable of, or stay at home.

Of course, there are some exceptions. For example, some children have lost other relatives during the zombie wave and have to come up with various ways to survive.

For example, when Ji Cha went out to check on the progress of the construction site in the afternoon, he saw a group of children trying to climb over the wall in a weakly guarded area.

“Hey, what are you doing? It’s very dangerous outside,” he quickly stopped them.

The older boy who led them quickly ran over and said, “Lower your voice. We’ll get the soldiers over here.”

“We’re going to catch fish outside. They said there are fish in the river two miles away,” he continued.

“Can you eat the fish there?” Ji Cha frowned. “We don’t even know if the fish outside have mutated. What if they make you sick?”

“That’s just the way it is. We don’t have enough food to eat,” muttered a few teenagers.

Many of the job sites around here do not allow minors to work. If it wasn’t for them sticking together to survive, they might have passed out from hunger by now.

Ji Cha couldn’t persuade them, nor could he stop them. Unlike before, there’s no such thing as the lawful protection of minors or anything like that. He also wasn’t charitable enough to take these kids back home to take care of them. If he did that, his home would be cleaned out by the people from the base in just two days.

But what Ji Cha didn’t expect was that when he returned to the construction site and it was almost dark, he happened to meet those teenagers again. They each held two fish in their hands, laughing and walking towards the center of the base.

They recognized Ji Cha and took the initiative to talk to him, raising the fish in their hands and saying, “Look, aren’t these fish great? And they’re easy to catch.”

Ji Cha couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you catch them?”

“We found a small pond, half-hidden in a cave in the mountains. There were a lot of fish there, and they were easy to catch. They also looked the same as they did in the old world, but the others…”

“What about the others?”

“The others changed and became very aggressive. I threw a rock at them, and they almost jumped up to bite my hand. Later, when they fell on the grass, my brother and I used rocks to kill them.”

Another person interjected, “Because of this, we didn’t dare to catch any more. We were going to come back empty-handed, but we walked a little further and found some normal fish.”

Ji Cha knew that the fish they described as aggressive were probably already infected with the zombie virus, and the fish in the hands of the teenagers were probably still alive and healthy because they were in a relatively safe location that isolated them from the virus. Or perhaps, their evolution was just suitable for human development, like an apple tree.

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Thandar: Will there be any fish farming later, Chacha?

New Activities and Treasure of the Family

With Brother Le, Yu Qingze prepared a table full of delicious dishes. While in the kitchen, he noticed a new chef introduced by Fu Bo. He was told that the chef came from the Cai Family in Yunzhou and was specially brought over by Cai Chenxi to learn.

During the meal, Cai Yunwei and Chang Hao arrived late. They had been playing all morning and were covered in sweat. They quickly freshened up before joining the others, their faces still flushed.

“Xiao Hao, what did you do with Second Young Master? Why are you sweating so much? Second Young Master hasn’t fully recovered yet, so you shouldn’t play too vigorously, understand?” Yu Qingze asked Chang Hao. Chang Hao had plenty of stamina, but he was concerned that Cai Yunwei might not be as physically strong and didn’t want him to overexert himself and end up catching a cold.

Chang Hao glanced at Cai Yunwei and nodded, “I understand, Brother Yu. We were just catching grasshoppers in the backyard.”

Cai Yunwei added, “Brother Yu, it’s okay. I’m feeling much better now.”

Madam Cai also chimed in with a smile, “It’s fine, let them play. Usually, no one plays with Wei’er, and he gets bored.”

Cai Chenxi also said, “Yes, Wei’er should be more active. Physical stamina needs to be trained.”

Madam Cai reassured, “Indeed, Xiao Hao, don’t listen to your Brother Yu. Wei’er knows his own body, and if he’s uncomfortable, he will let us know. Don’t worry, Xiao Yu. Wei’er has improved a lot since his appetite got better. His energy is increasing day by day, so let him play, it’s fine.”

Hearing their words, Yu Qingze felt relieved and asked, “What activities does Second Young Master usually engage in at home?”

Cai Yunwei replied, “I read books, write, and take walks.”

Yu Qingze thought for a moment and said, “I know something that can be both entertaining and help you exercise. You can play it alone or with a group of people. It can be a fun activity for you to stay active.”

“Oh? What is it?” Cai Yunwei asked curiously, followed by Chang Hao echoing the same question.

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “It’s called a shuttlecock. If you’re interested, I can teach you when you wake up from your nap. We’ll need to make some preparations as well.”

“Great!” Both boys exclaimed in unison, and the others looked at Yu Qingze with curiosity.

Old Master Cai chuckled and said, “Alright, let’s eat first. The dishes will get cold if we wait.”

“Yes, let’s eat! I can’t wait!” Cai Chenxi immediately agreed.

Everyone sat at the table and enjoyed a delicious and satisfying lunch.

Cai Chenxi finally tasted the delicious food and sighed, “I envy Brother Le and Xiao Hao. They get to eat such delicious meals every day.”

Chang Lei pursed his lips and smiled, feeling pleased as if he was being praised.

Chang Hao also grinned and replied, “Young Master, Uncle Fu and the others have learned well. The food they cook for you is almost as good as what we eat. These days, Brother Yu rarely cooks by himself at home. He gives the opportunity to my brother to learn cooking.”

“Oh, really?” Cai Chenxi asked.

“Yes, Brother Yu gives instructions, but he only uses his mouth. It’s my brother who does the hands-on work,” Chang Hao nodded and added, “But my brother’s cooking is also delicious!”

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

After finishing their lunch contentedly, Yu Qingze called for Mi Ge’er and asked him to bring some needles and thread. He also borrowed tools and some small pieces of wood from the carpenters in the mansion. Then he went to the kitchen and took the rooster feathers he had plucked in the morning.

Chang Hao and Cai Yunwei were curious and wanted to follow, but Yu Qingze sent them back with a remark.

“This will take some time. You should take a nap so that you’ll have energy to play in the afternoon.”

The two boys obediently went to take their nap. Otherwise, considering Cai Yunwei’s current stamina, he might not have enough energy to continue playing in the afternoon.

Old Master Cai, being of old age, sat for a while before going to rest as well. Cai Chenxi had been studying for so many days and hadn’t rested enough, so he also went to take a rest.

Thus, Yu Qingze, accompanied by Brother Le, stood at the kitchen door and selected clean chicken feathers. He saw Mi Ge’er bringing the carpenter’s tools with him.

Yu Qingze picked a relatively thick piece of wood and told the carpenter to shape it into a round shape the size of a copper coin, with a small hole in the middle without piercing the bottom. The skilled carpenter quickly completed the task.

Then Yu Qingze inserted the chicken tail feathers into the wood, with three feathers pointing in different directions. He used fine pieces of feathers to fill the empty space in the hole at the bottom, securing them tightly to prevent the feathers from falling out. A simple shuttlecock was made.

He kicked it a few times, adjusted the direction of the feathers, and said to Brother Le and Mi Ge’er, “Watch closely, this is how you kick it.”

Saying that, Yu Qingze skillfully started kicking. His shuttlecock skills were quite good. Sometimes he kicked it high, sometimes he performed tricks, alternating between his left and right foot. He even showed off some soccer-style moves, leaving the two ancient gers astonished.

Brother Le and Mi Ge’er: Wow, that’s amazing!

“I want to try, I want to try!” Mi Ge’er eagerly volunteered.

Yu Qingze taught him some basic postures, and Mi Ge’er started learning on the side.

Meanwhile, Yu Qingze asked the carpenter to continue making more wooden blocks so they could have multiple shuttlecocks to share. Unfortunately, they ran out of rooster feathers, so they could only make two good ones. The feathers of the other shuttlecocks were not long enough, making them harder to kick. Mi Ge’er sent someone to the market to find more rooster feathers, and eventually they made five or six shuttlecocks.

Directly inserting the feathers made them easy to kick out, so Mi Ge’er and Brother Le wrapped the entire wooden block with cloth, sewing and securing the bottom part to prevent the feathers from slipping.

By the time Cai Yunwei and Chang Hao woke up from their nap, Mi Ge’er and Brother Le could kick the shuttlecock continuously.

Cai Yunwei and Chang Hao were both interested and started practicing, but at first, they couldn’t kick the shuttlecock and ended up in many funny situations.

In the afternoon, the entire Cai mansion immersed themselves in shuttlecock kicking activities. Even Old Master Cai, the elderly patriarch, enthusiastically watched and sometimes joined in with a few kicks.

Yu Qingze taught them different kicking techniques—individual kicks, kicks by pairs, dividing into two teams with a rope in the middle—and when their legs got tired, they could even play a feathered ball game using two wooden boards.

He even had the carpenter make two wooden racket-style paddles, wrapping the handle part with cloth, and demonstrated the game to them.

From then on, shuttlecock kicking became a new form of entertainment in the Cai mansion. It not only provided amusement but also improved the physical well-being of Cai Yunwei and the elderly Old Master Cai, making them feel more energized and revitalized.

Then, through the Cai mansion, shuttlecock kicking quietly became popular among some wealthy households in Tongshan City. It gradually spread to the common people and became a popular recreational and fitness activity. But that’s another story.

In the evening, Yu Qingze and his family happily returned home. They had been kicking shuttlecocks all afternoon, and though their bodies were a bit tired, their spirits were still high. They chatted and laughed all the way home.

When they reached the middle section of West Street, they suddenly noticed a crowd gathered in front of a medical clinic, curious about what was happening.

Curiosity piqued, they went over to take a look.

They saw a young boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, kneeling at the entrance of the clinic, holding onto the leg of an elderly man in his sixties. The boy was crying and pleading for the doctor to come and check on his mother.

“Doctor, please, I beg you, go and see my mother. I have money, look, I earned some!” The boy spoke while tightly gripping the doctor’s leg. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cloth bag. Opening it, there were possibly ten to twenty coins inside. He held it up and offered it to the doctor.

The doctor sighed and said, “Child, I’ve told you before, there’s nothing more I can do for your mother’s illness. It’s incurable, and even if I go, it won’t make a difference. He might only have one or two days left. You, instead, should go back and take good care of him, see if there’s any unfulfilled wish he has and help him achieve it.”

The boy didn’t know if he understood the doctor’s words or not, he just cried, “Doctor, please come and see, I’m begging you, I’m begging you. I’ll kowtow to you, I’ll kowtow to you…”

Saying that, the boy started kowtowing, his head banging on the ground, making loud thumping sounds. Before long, his forehead turned red.

“Oh, you child, get up quickly, stop kowtowing like this.” The doctor hurriedly bent down to pull him up.

Someone nearby couldn’t bear to see it and said, “Doctor, just go and take a look. This child is pitiful; his forehead is already red.”

The doctor sighed and said, “Ah, going won’t make a difference. There’s no cure, it’s just a matter of one or two days. It’s better to take the money and use it to prepare for his mother’s funeral.”

Upon hearing this, everyone shook their heads and sighed.

Chang Hao, seeing this, held onto his brother tightly, reaching out to grab his brother’s arm. Chang Le patted his younger brother’s hand and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

Yu Qingze noticed the actions of the two brothers and extended his hand to hold Chang Le’s shoulder, comforting him.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Finally, the doctor had no choice but to say, “Alright, alright, child, I’ll go and take a look.”

Upon hearing this, the boy who had been kowtowing on the ground immediately stood up, wiped his tears, and grabbed the doctor’s hand, ready to go.

“Oh, wait, let me grab my medical kit.” The doctor went into the clinic to fetch his medical kit and then followed the boy.

Gradually, the crowd dispersed.

The three of them walked slowly towards the city gate. The excitement they had before quickly faded, and they were still thinking about what they had witnessed.

Life is unpredictable, with aging, illness, and death that cannot be prevented. All they can do is cherish their lives while they are still alive.

The next morning, they set up their stall. The steward of the Zhao mansion came over and informed them that the master of the house had agreed to Yu Qingze’s offer and instructed them to do a good job.

They were all thrilled as it was another big order. Yu Qingze was already thinking about how to arrange things afterward.

Not long after, Chang Le came out carrying water and noticed someone standing not far from their stall, continuously staring at their food but not coming over.

Chang Le took a closer look and realized it was the same boy he had seen yesterday evening at the entrance of the clinic.

He walked up to the boy and asked if he wanted to buy something.

The boy seemed startled and didn’t understand Chang Le’s gesture. He turned around and ran away.

Chang Le:…

He sighed and went back to his work, but he couldn’t help but worry. He occasionally glanced in that direction, feeling that the boy probably hadn’t gone far and might come over eventually.

Sure enough, after a while, he saw the boy again, gazing at their snack stall with one hand in his pocket, seeming hesitant.

Chang Le set down the bowl in his hand, wiped his hands, and walked over to Yu Qingze, gesturing to explain the situation.

Yu Qingze understood and looked in that direction, indeed seeing the boy.

He waved at the boy, and the boy seemed to have finally made up his mind and walked up to the snack stall.

Yu Qingze asked softly, “Do you want to buy something to eat?”

The boy glanced at their stall, where there were liangpi, cold noodles, and Guandong style hot pot. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then raised his head, looked at Yu Qingze, and said, “Boss, I want to buy a bowl of this.”

The boy pointed at liangpi.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Sure, just wait a moment.” He was about to serve liangpi.

“Wait, boss,” the boy called out to Yu Qingze again, feeling embarrassed as he reached into his pocket and took out three coins, saying, “I, I only have three coins. Just give me an amount worth three coins.”

Yu Qingze smiled and nodded, saying, “Okay.” With that, he still served the usual portion worth five coins. If he served too little, he was afraid the boy would notice and feel embarrassed.

The boy looked at liangpi cooking in the hot water, blushing, and said to Yu Qingze, “Boss, um, can I take it home to eat? I forgot to bring a bowl, but I promise I’ll bring it to you by this afternoon, at the latest tomorrow morning.”

As he spoke, the boy raised his right hand and made a three-fingered oath gesture.

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “That’s fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, boss.” Upon hearing Yu Qingze’s agreement, the boy smiled, looking forward to eating the liangpi made by Yu Qingze.

Once the bowl of liangpi was ready, the boy handed over three coins happily and prepared to leave.

At that moment, the boy was stopped by the person who sold tea eggs next to Yu Qingze’s snack stall.

“Jiabao, come here. Have you eaten yet?” the stall owner called.

Jiabao, the boy, carefully held liangpi and replied, “Grandpa Huang, I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Here, take these two tea eggs and eat them,” the stall owner picked out two tea eggs from the pot and gave them to the boy.

Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes as he took them and thanked, “Thank you, Grandpa.”

“You’re a good child, now go ahead.”

The boy put the tea eggs in his pocket and carefully held liangpi as he walked away.

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