Chapter 143: The House Builder
Huai Yu was once again sitting on the bus with several bags of salt and seasonings on her back, heading back home.
Life has become more prosperous lately. She could now afford the ingredients needed for pickling vegetables and cooking. But after spending a few hundred points in the morning, her mind kept circling back to the people in the wasteland.
It turned out that the people left behind in the wasteland couldn’t bring anything back in the end!
Last time when she asked Shen Xing for help, she still held onto some vague hope. After all, Lin Xuefeng was so powerful. What if luck was on their side? What if they could hold out long enough?
The other party had agreed to try to find a way if the opportunity arose.
But they never said that there was no such thing as an opportunity at all.
The wasteland…
She looked up and gazed out the window.
The bus rocked back and forth. In the distance, the mountains undulated, and the sun shone overhead. Everything seemed as ordinary as any other day, with no difference at all.
It turned out that the dangers blocked by the Rose Corridor were so numerous?
The bus was lively, with groups of people chatting about everything from home life to neighborhood disputes. Time seemed to slow, and there was a sense of peace and contentment.
By the time she got off the bus, only the driver remained, and when Huai Yu stepped onto the ground, the driver leaned out from the driver’s seat.
“Little girl, was it you who got off at the Rose Corridor station when the city of Flower City first opened for registration?”
Huai Yu nodded, confused, and the driver looked her over.
“I thought you looked familiar! This place is so desolate, and the defense army usually uses their own vehicles. Apart from you, no one else got off at this stop…”
For some reason, as they continued talking, the driver seemed in a good mood. As the bus turned, he couldn’t help but compliment her.
“You’re doing well! You look taller, and a bit fuller too!”
“Life is good, there’s nothing too hard to get through! Just grit your teeth and carry on!”
The words seemed odd, and Huai Yu couldn’t even remember the driver’s face.
She didn’t sense any malice, and instead, a warm feeling filled her chest, dissipating the slight sadness she’d felt earlier.
As the bus slowly moved away, she moved to the back of the station, pulled her bicycle out from the grass, and as she swung her leg over the handlebar, she suddenly realized:
It seemed like… she’d grown taller!
She was happy and pressed slightly on the pedals. The two-eight bar bicycle’s wheels spun quickly, and she felt like a painting moving freely through the vast wasteland.
However, when the bike reached the Rose Mansion area, Huai Yu, while riding, saw a few people gathered by the side of the road, and there seemed to be a vehicle parked there.
They were wearing… defense army uniforms?
But only one person was wearing one.
She looked at the zone sign by the roadside.
This was the edge of the Rose Corridor’s District 39. Her own house was deep within District 37, close to the Rose Corridor. Could they be building a house for Zhou Qian?
Her thoughts raced, and she quickly steered the bike towards those people.
In the wasteland, where there were few people, both Huai Yu and her large bicycle were quite noticeable. Before she even got close, the people ahead noticed her and silently turned their gaze towards her.
As she approached, she could see their expressions. It seemed like they realized — despite the large bike, the rider was just a little girl. So, their serious expressions relaxed.
“Little girl, what are you doing all the way out here by yourself?”
Huai Yu got off the bike and grabbed the handlebar, not answering the question but instead asking, “Are you building a house here?”
In front of her stood three men and a girl in her early twenties.
The girl had fair skin and smooth hair. Just by looking at her, it was clear she lived a good life. However, she wasn’t wearing a defense army uniform, and Huai Yu couldn’t tell if she was part of the defense army.
Could she be… a designer?
Wow, could Zhou Qian have a designer for his house?!
She became excited, her eyes sparkling with infectious enthusiasm.
The girl, hesitating for a moment, nodded, “Yes, we’re building a house. How did you know?”
As soon as she finished speaking, one of the young men in a defense army uniform smiled and said, “I know! You’re the one who saved Zhou Qian, right?”
Huai Yu nodded, her eyes full of expectation, “Are you building a house for Zhou Qian?”
“Yes,” the man said with a clear nod, “He marked this area on the map.”
“Today is a rest day, so we invited an ability user from the Architecture Division—this is the earth-type architect, Liang Zhu.”
Ability users building houses?!
Huai Yu was a little surprised. “Do all houses get built by ability users now?”
“No,” Liang Zhu, standing next to them, spoke up, “I’m not good at fighting, and my combat skills are a bit lacking, so I was assigned to the Architecture Division to assist with construction and repairs.”
“They invited me personally from the defense army this time.”
She pointed to the distant Rose Corridor, “Building a house needs a lot of people, but we’re worried it’ll disturb the Rose Corridor, so I came to help with some early preparations.”
Like laying the foundation and compacting the soil.
But—She looked at the seemingly calm Rose Corridor in the distance with some concern: “Is it really okay to use abilities this close to it?”
Huai Yu was confused as she looked at the distant Rose Corridor. From where they stood, it was at least 70 meters away, right?
From this angle, the Rose Corridor didn’t even look that tall!
Would it really be affected?
But her confusion only lasted a moment. Soon, the other two hesitated, “It should be fine, right?”
“When the Transportation Division came to compact the road here, I don’t remember hearing anything from the Rose Corridor.”
But they hesitated, staring at the land they had agreed on without moving.
The defense army soldier, after a while, spoke up to reassure everyone, “It should be fine. I heard that the Rose Corridor’s temper has gotten better this year. There’s a girl with wood-type abilities and a high affinity for people who lives nearby.”
“Last time when they built a house, it took a whole day and night, and with her abilities soothing it, it didn’t get upset.”
After hearing this, Liang Zhu’s eyes lit up, “Perfect! Where does she live? Maybe we can ask her to help soothe it while we start working.”
The soldier hesitated, “I’m not sure about the exact location, but it should be near District 39… Zhou Qian said it’s close…”
He stood in place, scanning the surroundings, but the distant hills blocked his view, and no buildings were in sight.
Then, realizing Huai Yu’s surprised expression, he suddenly reacted, “Oh! I’m such an idiot! This is the little girl!”
He had been looking around foolishly for her.
At this moment, everyone’s gaze turned to Huai Yu, “Huai Yu, where is your house?”
