Chapter 84: Ruthless and Merciless
Kuang Biao ran his mouth one too many times and ended up bowing his head, forced to surrender a whole basketful of bamboo hearts to Huai Yu, who gritted her teeth and helped herself.
A basket this heavy, filled with premium, tender bamboo hearts—so fresh that even bugs and dust hadn’t had time to touch them! Once dried into tea, it might not have the same mutation value as the very first batch, but judging by the smell alone, it wasn’t going to be much worse.
She laid out some plastic sheets inside the house, spread the bamboo hearts out to dry, then turned back to the bamboo grove and dug up a big fat bamboo shoot with a single swing of her hoe.
This time, she didn’t even bother with polite words. Kuang Biao didn’t dare make a sound either—he just pretended not to see anything.
Huai Yu had been busy humming and bustling since yesterday and hadn’t had a proper meal all day.
Now, with this fresh, tender bamboo shoot, she purified it (since its mutation value was low anyway), sliced it into shreds, and blanched it—emphasizing health and safety first.
Cyanide in bamboo shoots? Ha! Even if she had fugu right now, she’d eat it!
And next up… of course, stir-fried in pork lard crisps!
Now that she was living the high life, she no longer needed to go easy on the pork lard—just looking at that pot of fat (that always only got surface wounds) made her feel empowered in the kitchen!
Right now, ruthless and merciless, Huai Yu scooped out a huge spoonful, including the crispy bits!
Pan heated, oil sizzling, and from the stove next to it, the aroma of steamed rice filled the air.
For the first time, Huai Yu felt like she was really eating meat!
Though…
She looked awkwardly at the nearly empty tub of pork fat. One glorious stir-fry later, and she’d have to hit the market again tomorrow.
Early the next morning, Huai Yu once again carried a heavy basket full of bamboo shoots into the city.
Somehow, she felt a little excited, like a country bumpkin heading to the market fair. The basket held not only bamboo shoots but also individually packed bags of bamboo heart tea.
Thinking about it, dragging Kuang Biao down the mountain in the middle of the night turned out to be a pretty good deal. But the one she truly owed thanks to was the Rose Corridor…
How should she show her gratitude? Maybe buy it a bag of fertilizer?
Or give it some of her power?
She hesitated—what if the Rose Corridor got too excited again when she gave it more power?
Now familiar with the trading market, Huai Yu confidently stepped to the side of the inspection queue and called out clearly:
“Uncle!”
Everyone working nearby looked up.
“Hey! It’s Little Yu! Haven’t seen you in a few days—you look much better than last time!”
Huai Yu nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been fixing up the house lately, so I was a bit tied up.”
As she spoke, someone led her into a room. This time, she didn’t refuse—she obediently followed.
As soon as she entered, she pulled out four bamboo shoots from her basket.
“Uncle, one for each of you.”
“And here’s some bamboo heart tea. There’s not much, just a small sample for each of you to taste.”
It really was just a small packet—only enough to brew a small pot, barely enough for a family to get a taste.
But now, everyone’s eyes were glued to the bamboo shoots, slightly smaller than the others in her basket, yet already large by their standards. Their eyes practically popped out.
“Fresh bamboo shoots… oh my god…”
He looked around, unsure whether to accept them—he wanted them, but he also felt awkward.
“Th-this isn’t right… these are expensive.”
“It’s fine!”
Huai Yu smiled. “Uncle and Auntie have always looked out for me—I remember that! Look, I still have a whole basket, just take them.”
As she spoke, she passed the basket over, and the other person pushed it into the inspection machine.
Beep.
The machine spit out the test card with a sizzling noise.
Looking down—
[Mutation Value: 13]
Only 13?!
Heavens! These bamboo shoots were seasonal delicacies, and no one had brought any to the market for testing yet!
If she found the right buyer, she could easily sell them for a few hundred points each!
The man hesitated, the bamboo shoot in his hand suddenly feeling scalding hot. He pushed it gently back toward her.
“Little Yu, you should sell these.”
“Nope.”
Huai Yu smiled sincerely. “These ones are a bit smaller—brought especially for you guys. Don’t look down on them!”
She pushed the bamboo shoots over and slung her basket back on.
“I’m off now!”
“Wait!” he called out and glanced around before lowering his voice.
“The police confiscated a scalper’s goods at the inspection station today. Among them was a mutated goose egg… but this morning, when it came in for inspection, I swear I felt it was warm—like something was moving inside.”
“Little Yu, my family used to run a farm. If you trust me, go check it out at the police station.”
“That goose egg probably won’t be cheap. I’ve heard folks in the capital are starting to raise mutated pets. Maybe your family has connections—you might be able to sell it.”
“Go take a look. Treat it like buying a ‘mystery egg’. If the price is too high, don’t risk it. If it doesn’t hatch and dies, it won’t be worth it.”
“Mutated animals are tricky to handle.”
“They usually dispose of confiscated items around noon as a fine. Keep that in mind—don’t bid too high!”
He quickly rattled off his warnings, then hurried to hide the bamboo shoots like a thief and went outside.
Through the window, Huai Yu saw him whispering to a coworker. That guy’s face shifted from surprise to delight, then they both went over to another person…
Meanwhile, Huai Yu stumbled dazedly out the door and headed straight for the police station!
Good thing she’d already scoped the place out before—er, had been here before—otherwise it would’ve been hard to find.
She’d spent the whole morning digging bamboo shoots, and it was already past 11. She nearly missed it.
A goose egg! If it hatches, it’s a great goose—she could raise it to guard the house!
Big lungs, sharp senses—if anyone got too close, it’d honk like mad…
Just what she needed!
She jogged the whole way, the basket of bamboo shoots weighing her down, panting as she arrived. Sure enough, a sign outside read: [Auction Today]
She was just about to pull out her ID when she saw a round, waddling man arriving like a penguin—
“Tang Boss?”
“Little Yu!?”
They locked eyes, both pleasantly surprised.
“Perfect timing!” Boss Tang led her inside and whispered as they walked, “Little Yu, if you see something you like, just let me know. I’ll get it for you privately—don’t drive the price up!”
“Honestly, the auctioneer inside is someone I know. If the bidding goes too high, it’ll prove the items are valuable, and he’ll be fined heavily!”
Huai Yu paused and admitted, “I heard there was a goose egg up for auction. I just wanted to see if I could hatch it… The market hardly sells any live cattle, sheep, chickens, or ducks these days.”
A goose egg, that’s all!
Boss Tang let out a breath. “Oh that, yeah. Mutation value’s 31. No one wants it—it’s probably going to get passed over.”
“Little Yu, if nobody bids on it, don’t say a word. I’ll grab it for you after the auction ends.”
