To be honest, this was the first time Ren Xiaosu had met someone who was willing to give him a lift in the wilderness.
After all, everyone knew the wilderness was not absolutely safe. As the saying went, one should always be wary of others. If it were Ren Xiaosu, he would definitely not give someone a lift.
Of course, not many people would dare to ride in his car.
The middle-aged man said with a smile, "Since we're heading to Stronghold 74, it's on the way. However, we'll have to take a detour to a remote place on the way. If you don't mind, we can give you a ride to Stronghold 74."
Ren Xiaosu was stunned for a moment before breaking into a smile and saying, "Sure, thank you."
The young man in the front passenger seat also said enthusiastically, "Hurry up and get in."
Ren Xiaosu sat in the backseat. Suddenly, he listened to the music being played on a cassette in the car. Why did the singer's voice sound so familiar?
A few seconds later, Ren Xiaosu realized it was Li Ran. Wasn't that Li Ran's voice? Although he had never heard Li Ran's songs before, her voice was very recognizable.
Suddenly, Ren Xiaosu did not know what to say. He had clearly come out here alone to avoid that woman. But now that he was out here, he could still hear her singing. It really felt like she was haunting him.
On the way, Ren Xiaosu realized the middle-aged man and the young man were not father and son. The young man kept addressing him as teacher, so it looked like they were master and disciple.
The other party did not ask about his identity or why he was heading to Stronghold 74. It seemed like he was just giving him a lift.
However, the middle-aged man had specifically said they were going to a remote place to handle some matters. This made Ren Xiaosu wary. What could there be in a remote place? There were very few people in the wilderness. If they were to turn into a remote place, wouldn't they be leading Ren Xiaosu into a trap?
However, Ren Xiaosu did not say anything. Instead, he asked calmly, "What are the two of you going to Stronghold 74 for?"
The middle-aged man said with a smile, "Actually, we're just passing by Stronghold 74, so we won't be going in. After dropping you off at the side of the stronghold, we'll head into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. It's the mountain range to the west of Stronghold 74. Nowadays, the mountain range is deserted, so there's a lot of natural treasures growing there."
Ren Xiaosu asked curiously, "Is it the legendary Heavenly Wealth and Earthly Treasure?"
The storyteller had told stories like the Investiture of the Gods. In those stories, heavenly wealth and earthly treasures were of great help to cultivators.
Hearing Ren Xiaosu's question, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "No, no, I'm talking about mountain products, ordinary herbs. They can be used to strengthen my disciple's body."
Ren Xiaosu nodded. It seemed that the other party was a martial artist?
There was an old saying that the poor studied, while the rich learned martial arts. This was because studying could change the fate of the poor, while those who were not rich could not practice martial arts without medicinal supplements to strengthen their bodies.
But did the other party really go into the deep forest just to pick herbs? Ren Xiaosu did not believe it.
In the afternoon, the off-road vehicle suddenly deviated from the main road and drove into an even more desolate wilderness. Ren Xiaosu sat calmly in the backseat without any expression on his face.
He just thought to himself that the other party might be making a move soon. Whether it was a robbery or revenge, the other party had probably been planning this for a long time.
After stopping the vehicle, the middle-aged man put his finger in his mouth and whistled. Ren Xiaosu frowned. Were there more helpers?
A moment later, a rustling sound came from the forest next to them. Following that, four or five honest-looking refugees emerged. These refugees said to the middle-aged man in surprise, "Old Li, it's been a while since you've been here."
"Alright, the medicine is all in the trunk. Hurry up and unload it." The middle-aged man addressed as Old Li said with a smile, "We've brought antibiotics this time. You guys lack these the most in the wilderness."
Off to the side, Ren Xiaosu, who was ready to kill someone at any moment, was stunned. He had thought the other party had brought him here to make it easier for them to make a move. But it turned out they were actually here to deliver medicine to the refugees?
Ren Xiaosu knew better than anyone what refugees were like. He looked around the forest but could not see anything in the darkness.
Old Li opened the trunk, and Ren Xiaosu saw two cardboard boxes in it that were simply sealed with tape.
One of the men handed a basket of eggs to Old Li. "We don't have anything good here, so we only have these eggs. Keep them."
The eggs were about the size of a fist, and it was obvious they were wild pheasant eggs that had evolved in the wilderness. They were completely different from the domesticated chickens in the stronghold. In the past two years, eating wild game had become especially popular in the stronghold. Whoever could treat others to a meal of wild game would be extremely proud of themselves.
Back then, Ren Xiaosu was able to sell sparrows because the stronghold residents were fond of them.
However, no matter how expensive wild pheasant eggs were, they could not possibly be more expensive than antibiotics. After all, medicine could save lives these days.
However, Old Li did not reject the offer. He took the eggs and handed them to his disciple beside him. "I'm still in a hurry to get to Stronghold 74, so I won't be staying here today. Is there anything you guys need? I can bring you guys some when I get back from Stronghold 74."
A refugee hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's almost winter. There are a few children in the mountains who can't withstand the cold. Can you buy some cotton-padded clothes for them? If it's really inconvenient, then forget it."
Old Li asked decisively, "How many do you need?"
"Twelve."
"Alright, I'll make a trip to Stronghold 74's town later. They can sell them there," Old Li said with a smile.
The refugee rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "I'm so sorry to keep troubling you."
"It's nothing," Old Li said with a smile.
"I wonder how much the cotton-padded clothes in town cost now?" The refugee asked, "We still have some savings here."
Old Li pointed at the eggs in his disciple's arms and said with a smile, "These wild pheasant eggs are worth a lot of money. That's enough."
After the matter was settled, Old Li got back into the car with his disciple. After the car started moving, Ren Xiaosu thought that these two did not seem like they were in the same business as selling medicine.
"A basket of wild pheasant eggs can at most be exchanged for a cotton-padded shirt. I'm quite familiar with the prices in town. Are y 'all just doing a good deed?" Ren Xiaosu asked.
Old Li said with a smile as he drove, "We have a rule. After we become — come of age, we have to go to town and see how the refugees live. Back then, I was so arrogant, but when I got to town, I almost didn't even have food to eat. It was this group of refugees who gave me food to eat. Later on, they couldn't stand the exploitation from the consortiums and the fearful days in town, so they escaped. "
Ren Xiaosu nodded. So that was how it was. There were also honest people in town. There were people suffering in silence everywhere, which only served to fuel the arrogance of those ruthless people. In the end, they could not stand it anymore and escaped from town.
Moreover, if they worked for the consortiums, they would only have a shack for the rest of their lives. They would not have anything that belonged to them. Even if they farmed for the consortiums, they would only receive a salary.
Therefore, some people would rather live a more bitter life in the wilderness and hope that the things they planted would belong to them.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
