Chapter 310 | Chapter 311 | Chapter 312
Chapter 310: Holding Others Back
Even though taking care of something as big as a building was clearly unrealistic, since Zhou Qian had said so, Huai Yu still quickly climbed back into the truck and dragged out the roll of plastic sheeting.
By the time she hauled the heavy sheet outside, Zhou Qian had already leapt down from the tall scaffolding and branches in a few swift moves—his actions clean and agile, showing no sign that one of his legs wasn’t original.
“We’re really covering it?”
“Mm.” Zhou Qian paused. “Plants with a friendly disposition like this are rare in the wasteland. Most of them get wiped out by other creatures. The ones that survive usually have both strength and a decent temperament.”
“If we want to come here to gather resources, then lending a hand like this isn’t a big deal.”
He pointed at a few tall fast-growing poplar trees nearby, and the simple wooden frames built high among their branches.
“Look—it’s not just us. Everyone who passes by does this.”
“These poplars were brought in deliberately. They don’t have much use—their wood is loose after mutation—but they grow very tall, very fast.”
Only like this could people climb high enough to reach the top of the Ice Lantern Jade Dew.
“As for the structures up there… they were probably built bit by bit by people passing through.”
Some explorers might only add one or two branches in a hurry, but over time, people reinforced, adjusted, and improved it.
And so, gradually, a framework formed above the towering succulent.
Huai Yu was stunned.
She had always worried the Rose Corridor might be harmed by others—but here in the wasteland, people could treat plants this kindly?
But then—
“I see scaffolding marks on the poplar trees at three to five meters high… Does this Ice Lantern Jade Dew keep growing?”
Zhou Qian paused, then nodded.
“Yeah.”
He looked up carefully. “Compared to the last time I saw it, it’s probably grown another thirty centimeters or so.”
He pointed upward. “See that second-to-last broken frame? There used to be space between it and the top.”
Huai Yu: “……”
So that’s why the structure never seemed finished.
This thing kept growing nonstop.
Looking at the poplar tree right next to it, the planting distance clearly made no sense—it must have been encroached upon later.
At this rate, next year the poplar might be completely overtaken.
For now—
Zhou Qian slung the plastic sheet over his shoulder, tied with rope, and began climbing again without hesitation.
“You can wait here. I’ll go up and lay the plastic over it.”
Once spread out and secured, it wouldn’t block the cold entirely, but at least it could shield against the harsh winter wind.
By spring, the Ice Lantern Jade Dew would likely break through the frame again anyway—the plastic wouldn’t stop its growth.
Huai Yu looked around.
“Then I’ll plant a sunflower.”
With something this big already acting as a landmark, the sunflower was unnecessary—but it could produce seeds, possibly feeding small animals like Xiao Tian.
Zhou Qian didn’t stop her.
They worked separately until everything was done.
By then, it was nearly dark.
As they prepared to leave, just before driving onto the thick leaves, Huai Yu faintly heard a soft “ying” again.
This time, Zhou Qian heard it too.
He paused, drew the eggshell knife from his boot, climbed up the poplar tree again, and swiftly cut off a thick leaf that required both arms to hold.
Green, jelly-like flesh shimmered at the cut, and droplets of juice slowly fell.
The Ice Lantern Jade Dew let out another aggrieved sound—but the wound wriggled, and soon new, plump little leaves began to grow.
Huai Yu’s eyes widened.
“???”
Weren’t they just taking care of it? Why suddenly use a knife?!
Zhou Qian placed the leaf upside down, wound facing upward, and explained:
“Clean water is valuable in the wasteland. Most teams have water-type ability users, so they don’t need this—but we don’t.”
“The moisture inside this leaf is rich in nutrients. It’s perfect for us.”
Seeing her disbelief, he added:
“It agreed to it. That sound just now was a reminder.”
“Also, the flesh inside can be cut and dried slightly—it makes excellent dressing for wounds, good for stopping bleeding. We won’t waste it; we’ll use everything.”
Huai Yu didn’t know what to say.
Just moments ago, she thought this plant was overly delicate—surviving in the wasteland yet still needing such minor care like leaf mulch and wind protection.
But now—
She opened the car door, walked up, and pressed her hand against its cool, jade-like leaf.
“Zhou Qian ge, you should’ve told me earlier—I could’ve given it some of my ability.”
Zhou Qian laughed helplessly.
“I just finished setting up that frame. Don’t make it grow even bigger—”
Before he could finish—
The leaves trembled.
The ground began to shake.
The car was still parked on its thick leaf, but before their eyes, the road ahead visibly narrowed—
The rapidly growing leaves were expanding outward, squeezing the space.
Huai Yu instantly withdrew her hand. A joyful cry echoed in her ears.
Zhou Qian didn’t hesitate—he slammed the accelerator and drove the car through to the other side.
Then he turned back to look.
“Still okay.” He let out a breath. “It only expanded sideways. Didn’t break through the top frame.”
Huai Yu felt awkward.
“I only used a tiny bit of ability… it seems like it hasn’t had much to eat…”
It had gotten way too excited.
And now—
Looking at the passage, now narrowed to just over two meters in diameter, she started to worry.
“How are we supposed to drive back through here?”
Zhou Qian pushed her toward the opening.
“Don’t worry about coming back—worry about the next team.”
With the leaves blocking like this, clearing a path wide enough for vehicles would mean cutting down seven or eight leaves, maybe more.
And if they wanted to take those leaves away, they’d have to spend a whole day rebuilding scaffolding or piling leaves in return.
He clicked his tongue, glanced at Huai Yu—
Her long ponytail swayed, her skin was fair, her eyes innocent, her complexion visibly healthier than before.
As for her ability…
Zhou Qian thought:
Helping? Not exactly useful.
But when it came to making things harder for others—she was truly talented.
Chapter 311: Can’t Beat a Cow
Huai Yu had no idea she had already become Zhou Qian’s “professional troublemaker” in his mind. But now that the road behind them was blocked, she could only swear earnestly:
“I won’t make decisions on my own like that again.”
“It’s fine.” Zhou Qian was already satisfied. “You’ve done very well. These small details don’t matter—don’t burden yourself.”
He meant it.
Because on both trips they’d taken together, no matter what he asked, Huai Yu never questioned him—she acted immediately. Of course, with her curiosity, she always had thoughts afterward.
But when it mattered, she never hesitated over any of his decisions.
In that regard, she was already better than most companions.
Looking down at her, Zhou Qian saw her brighten again.
Just like how she never questioned him, she also never doubted that he was telling the truth. If something had an impact, it had an impact. If it didn’t matter, it didn’t matter. She was very good at reconciling things in her own mind.
They had delayed a bit, and dusk slowly settled over the forest. The sounds of insects, birds, and distant beasts grew faint and stretched.
Driving along a well-traveled path, Zhou Qian glanced over and saw Huai Yu getting sleepy again. He frowned slightly.
“Little Yu, that tired?”
She woke a little. “Not really… but I just feel like sleeping. Zhou Qian ge, it must be because your talking isn’t interesting—too boring.”
Zhou Qian laughed in exasperation. “Since getting in the car, you’ve either been eating or talking nonstop. If anything, you’re sleepy because you’ve eaten too much.”
Still, he asked, “Did you overuse your ability? You’re getting sleepy pretty quickly.”
To be honest, she had been growing rapidly lately, and with nothing much to do at night in the wasteland, she slept very well.
As far as Zhou Qian knew, she could sleep from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
But during the day, she was always energetic—able to work all day. Now she was suddenly drowsy mid-conversation, which made him concerned.
Huai Yu shook her head. “No, my ability has already improved. But…”
She rolled down the window and took a breath of the cold air.
“Zhou Qian ge, the wasteland feels so comfortable! Like… it’s especially good for sleeping and growing.”
Zhou Qian laughed.
He was overthinking. A forest was a natural oxygen bar. Huai Yu didn’t have to drive—if she wanted to sleep, she could.
He stepped on the gas.
“Don’t sleep yet. We’ll reach the next rest camp soon. If you sleep too much now, you won’t rest well tonight. Better think about what to eat instead.”
Talking about food instantly energized Huai Yu.
“Zhou Qian ge, other exploration teams can hunt food—if we see anything edible, can you catch it too?”
“Bird eggs—well, maybe not this season. But if there’s water, we can catch fish. If not, maybe crabs or shrimp. If there’s nothing, we can pick snails.”
“And snakes… actually I don’t know how to cook snakes. Let’s change that—wild chickens! Will there be wild chickens?”
Now she was fully awake, already imagining things.
“With such a big forest, there should be everything, right? Sheep should exist—we’ve received some before. Wild boar is fine too, but it’s hard to cook and not convenient on the road… cows…”
She hesitated, then asked:
“Zhou Qian ge… can you beat a cow?”
Zhou Qian: …
He should never have brought up food.
Now he had to drive and also keep an eye out for ingredients.
Still—
“The wild cattle in the wasteland can flip a car over. I can’t beat them. Give up on that.”
“Oh.” Huai Yu wasn’t disappointed. “Just saying. Cows are too big—I wouldn’t know how to handle them anyway. Sigh! My career development before wasn’t good enough—I didn’t learn butchering properly. Otherwise, I’d have another skill now!”
Zhou Qian thought about her past—an orphan, mountain gatherer, rural blogger, housewife…
“Better not,” he said. “If you really had butchering skills, you might’ve ended up in prison before the catastrophe even happened.”
With her temperament, if she encountered the wrong people, she might not last two days before sharpening a knife for livestock—or worse.
Huai Yu felt a little guilty, remembering that fire-type criminal she once saw as a cautionary example.
She thought: I’m definitely not like that!
As they chatted, stars began to appear faintly through gaps in the treetops.
Another rest area had arrived.
Zhou Qian parked the car smoothly, then took out Huai Yu’s solar lamp to light the surroundings.
“Take the lamp and settle in. I’ll go look for ingredients nearby.”
Huai Yu was curious. “This is a rest area. Everyone must be looking for food here—small animals probably ran away already. Can you still find anything?”
Zhou Qian smiled.
“In the wasteland, the things you can’t eat are actually more common. Think about all the meat left behind at highway stations—do you think people didn’t hunt more because they couldn’t?”
Huai Yu thought about it and agreed.
“Then if you catch something, remember to bleed it first!”
The animals they brought back before often had a sour taste because they weren’t bled properly. At first she didn’t mind, but over time, it became harder to tolerate.
Zhou Qian nodded. “Stay safe. Don’t leave this wooded area.”
Huai Yu nodded seriously. “Don’t worry. I already have experience from one rest camp—I’ll look for some edible plants nearby.”
Zhou Qian handed her the lamp. “My night vision is enhanced—I don’t need it.”
He turned and disappeared into the forest.
Huai Yu looked around.
She skillfully gathered leftover firewood from nearby pits, lit a fire, poured water into a kettle, and hung it over the flames.
Once everything was ready, the quiet rest area glowed under the firelight.
She picked a dense patch of bushes, grabbed the lamp, two plastic bags, and a small shovel, and walked over.
It was winter outside—but in the wasteland, it still felt like autumn. She wondered if there were still any edible wild vegetables.
Just as she was thinking—
She stopped.
Something smelled amazing.
A rich, sweet fragrance.
Osmanthus.
She lifted the lamp and saw a large osmanthus tree ahead.
But—
Under the tree was a huge beehive.
Chapter 312: A Brilliant, Flowing Wild Chicken
A beehive?!
Huai Yu’s eyes lit up in delight.
But the next moment, she felt a little disappointed. The nearly spherical, oversized hive in front of her looked like it was made of paper. Even though there weren’t many insects going in and out at night, it was clear—this wasn’t a honeybee hive she could harvest.
Which made sense. This was a rest area, with people passing through frequently. If it were a honeybee hive, it would’ve long been taken away, honey and all.
This one, however, was a paper-like structure—obviously a hornet’s nest.
Hornets build their nests by chewing plant fibers and clay, mixing them with saliva. Completely different from honeybees making honey from nectar. In other words—no value at all.
And they built nests purely for reproduction. Most likely, during the scorching summer when no one came into the wasteland, they seized the opportunity to construct it.
Still…
Huai Yu hesitated.
The nest might be useless—but the osmanthus tree was so fragrant!
Osmanthus wasn’t rare. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel a little regretful. Back when she went into the city, she hadn’t wandered into residential areas. She had heard there were still quite a few osmanthus trees around—she could’ve transplanted one or at least taken cuttings.
But risking hornets for a handful of blossoms wasn’t worth it.
After some thought, she turned and walked to the other side.
Autumn forests were just as abundant as spring ones. The only issue was that it was nighttime. The solar lamp only illuminated a limited area, and Huai Yu didn’t want to accidentally pick the wrong plants.
After quite a bit of effort, she only managed to gather a bag of purslane and shepherd’s purse before heading back.
The blazing fire in the rest area was like a steady beacon. No matter how she wandered, a quick glance back would guide her home.
When she returned, Zhou Qian still wasn’t back.
Huai Yu didn’t mind. She poured out some warm water from the kettle and began cleaning and sorting the vegetables.
No eggs for the shepherd’s purse—but there was plenty of that tough shredded wild boar meat. She simply chopped everything together and planned to cook a thick wild vegetable porridge.
As for the purslane, she could blanch it and stir-fry it with sauce. In this season, hot food was best, and the rich sauce would cover its grassy taste.
Satisfied with her plan, she finally opened the back of the vehicle.
“Just play in the open area. Don’t go deep into the forest, okay? There’s that hornet nest—who knows how strong they’ve mutated. What if you can’t beat them?”
Poor Dabao (the ginseng) was still dizzy.
Huai Yu carried down the entire planting box. Its thin root tendrils braced against the ground, struggling for a while before finally pulling itself free from the soil.
Its leaves wobbled weakly—even when placed in the walker, it looked top-heavy.
“Dabao…” Huai Yu couldn’t help feeling a little distressed.
But Dabao shook its head, roots sinking into the soil again, leaving only its top exposed as it stuttered:
“Th-this… soil… d-different! I… I… like… it!”
Of course it would! The soil in the wasteland was different from anywhere else.
Seeing that it was only a bit dizzy but otherwise fine, Huai Yu relaxed.
Though during the process, a few more root strands fell off. Under the lamp, mixed with dust, they were easy to miss—but after thinking for a moment, she still picked them up and stored them.
The chickens wandered around for a bit.
The cold outside clearly didn’t suit them, and since it was already dark, it was past their usual bedtime.
After a few laps, relieving themselves, and pecking at some small stones, they fluttered back into the vehicle.
Inside was warm, windless, with soft bedding… and after a day of gentle rocking, it was actually quite comfortable.
The chickens were very satisfied.
Their discipline made Huai Yu hug Dabao and Erbao again in praise.
“Outsourced parenting really works!”
Ketaro didn’t want to get out either.
During the noon rest stop, it had collected all sorts of strange plant materials and was now fully immersed in its “work.” Besides, nighttime in the wasteland was colder—even in late autumn.
It chose to stay in the warm vehicle.
If Huai Yu could just give it a bigger basket, it would be even happier.
Huai Yu indeed took out some newly formed pellets. Made from different plants, their colors were unlike the usual ones, though their effects were still unknown.
She stuffed a few into her pocket, planning to brew them into tea later and see if Dabao and Erbao liked them.
Among all of them, only Dabao and Erbao, with their sea-urchin-like spiky feathers, remained completely unfazed outside.
Seeing the fire already lit, they didn’t even need instructions. They found scattered firewood and began snapping it into pieces—crack, crack.
This made Huai Yu fall silent.
She swore she wasn’t such a hardworking, proactive person—so how did she end up raising a bunch of workaholics?
Looking at the two little ones tirelessly working in the cold, then at the wilted leaves and vegetable roots she had prepared for them, she suddenly felt a wave of guilt.
Little Yu, Little Yu… you’ve become a slave driver!
But the goose chicks weren’t picky eaters. To this day, she still couldn’t tell if they preferred meat or vegetables. After thinking it over, she grabbed a handful of wild boar shreds and mixed it into the greens as usual.
The two geese, oblivious to her inner struggle, happily continued their “poke poke” game, pecking through piles of wood and even wandering into the grass.
Huai Yu quickly called out:
“Don’t go there! There are mutated hornets!”
“Ah! Ah!”
The two flapped their spiky wings, signaling they understood.
Right then, Zhou Qian returned—carrying a wild chicken.
It was a strikingly beautiful mutated bird, nearly as large as a pre-catastrophe domestic goose. Its feathers shimmered with iridescent colors. Even lifeless, it still gleamed vividly under the firelight.
No wonder Zhou Qian could catch it at night—it was far too flashy.
Huai Yu brightened instantly.
“Did you bleed it?”
“I did.” Zhou Qian tossed more firewood into the flames and moved the kettle closer. “Stabbed into the abdomen, but I don’t think I punctured the gallbladder. Started bleeding it right away.”
Huai Yu hurried to grab a stainless steel basin, placing the chicken inside. She poured boiling water over it while sighing regretfully:
“The tail feathers would’ve been perfect for decoration… so pretty!”
Zhou Qian laughed.
“No rush. We’ll definitely see more. Next time I’ll catch you an even prettier one.”
Still…
After being scalded with hot water, would the feathers look just as good once dried?
