Chapter 64: The Third Platform Activation

Yan Lao’er gave a worried reminder, “The mountains are still quite dangerous. On the way here, we saw claw marks on the trees and rocks. There might really be some big creatures out there, so be extra careful when coming and going.”

“We even ran into a wildcat—it was much bigger than a housecat. At first glance, I thought it was a small leopard. It was just crouching on a tree, staring at us. Who knows how long it had been watching? Thinking about it still gives me chills. Luckily, I looked up and saw it in time. If it had suddenly pounced, that would have been terrifying.”

Thinking back on it, Yan Lao’er still felt uneasy.

“That wildcat is too fast and agile. If it injured someone, there wouldn’t even be a tetanus vaccine available… So really, keep your eyes and ears open at all times. The ones keeping watch at night can’t afford to doze off for even a second.”

“We’ll just stay near this section of the stream and won’t go deeper. After three to five days, we’ll leave.”

By the firelight, Li Xuemei looked into the distance and asked, “Sanbao, are there any animals around?”

Sanbao shook its head.

If not for Sanbao, they wouldn’t have dared to camp at the very edge like this.

“Sanbao, if an animal approaches, moo once. If a person approaches, moo twice,” Yan Lao’er instructed.

Sanbao nodded.

Only then did the family of three relax.

“Dad! Mom! How about we trade for a wildcat?” Under the firelight, Yan Yu’s flushed face was filled with seriousness.

Yan Lao’er was surprised by her change of heart. “Tell me why.”

“We’ve already left Qishan Prefecture, but there’s still no rain anywhere. Leshan Prefecture has a lot of mountains, and we’ll often have to travel through them. Our food and water come mostly from the mountains. Today, we were lucky to find both a wild boar and a water source, but we can’t always count on being this lucky.”

“A bionic wildcat with resource-finding abilities could help us locate water, edible plants, small safe animals like wild chickens and rabbits, as well as medicinal herbs and ores. Even if it doesn’t have collection functions, just being able to scout is enough for us. Letting it lead the way is much better than us searching aimlessly. It’ll save time and energy.”

“Most importantly—it’ll keep us safe!”

Li Xuemei agreed. “That makes sense. We shouldn’t be greedy; the one that suits us best is the right choice. Having an animal with us is much less suspicious than having an extra person.”

Yan Yu continued to analyze logically. “The most helpful thing on this journey so far has been Sanbao—it’s strong, fast, can lead the way, store water, provide meat, and even climb mountains… Plus, it doesn’t need food and just keeps working.”

She sighed. “No wonder they say technology changes lives. If we didn’t have Sanbao, just imagine what our situation would be like. We definitely wouldn’t be as relaxed as we are now.”

Even at this very moment, Sanbao was standing guard for them.

Without it, activating the platform each time would be incredibly risky.

“Looking at the map, the straight-line distance to our final destination, Guanzhou, is about the same as the distance we’ve already traveled. But considering Leshan Prefecture’s mountainous terrain, it’ll take at least another month and a half.”

“That’s in an ideal situation. If we take breaks or get delayed, two months should be a realistic estimate.”

“For these two months, we have no money and can’t buy things. We have to rely on ourselves. So I really think getting a scouting wildcat is necessary.”

“Why does it have to be a wildcat?” Yan Lao’er was still shaken from earlier and had some lingering fear.

Yan Yu giggled. “Because cats are fun to pet! No shedding, no litter box to clean—perfect!”

Li Xuemei was completely sold on the safety aspect.

“That’s settled. We’ll get one.”

“That uncle was just after the meat. Dad, how much wild boar did we get today?”

“We got a small one, and we got the biggest share from the three large ones. I’d say about a hundred jin (50 kg) total. We didn’t get any of the heart or liver, but I kept all the ribs. I didn’t take the offal—too much trouble to clean. I saw them using plant ash, but the best way is to scrub with flour and salt. And who knows what these wild boars have been eating in the mountains? It’s not worth the risk.”

“We also got some pig’s blood. I’m planning to make blood porridge tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, right. Some of the villagers asked if we had extra seasonings. They want to trade meat for some. I just played dumb for now—I was going to discuss it with you both.”

“Trade, of course!” Yan Yu answered without hesitation. “We trade seasonings for meat, then use the meat to get even more useful things. In the end, isn’t it a win for us?”

“Alright, I’ll talk to them tomorrow. Haha, all those grown men were practically drooling for it.”

But then Yan Yu suddenly frowned. “Dad, we don’t have much balance left. What can we sell this time?”

“Huh?” Yan Lao’er was stunned. “Didn’t we sell a lot of stuff last time?”

Yan Yu rolled her eyes. “Dad! What’s with your memory? I told you already! We only have a measly 21.4 left!”

Yan Lao’er smacked his forehead. Now he remembered.

He had worried about it before, but then got too busy and forgot.

They had been traveling eight hours a day on the main road, then six hours a day on mountain paths. There hadn’t been any time to sell things. They really didn’t have much left to offer.

“Oh no, what do we do? It’s about to start, and we have nothing to sell!” Yan Lao’er had spent the whole day dealing with wild boars and worrying about water, so his brain was completely overloaded.

“Look at this!” Yan Yu patted the tree root beneath her.

Her parents looked over.

Yan Lao’er: “A rotten tree root.”

“No!” Yan Yu denied firmly. “This is premium root carving material!”

“Look at these lines, nature’s masterpiece! Look at this color, the beauty of time’s polish! If we find the right buyer, we could sell this for thousands!”

Yan Lao’er: …

Li Xuemei: …

Their daughter’s imagination should be encouraged.

But outright daydreaming? That was a problem.

Yan Lao’er sighed. “Sweetheart, not everything can be sold. Remember last time? You tried to sell a handful of grass, and the platform rejected it. I saw it with my own eyes.”

Yan Yu covered her ears. “Not listening! Not listening!”

This was definitely a highly artistic tree root.

And as for what defines art…

Yan Yu: If normal people don’t understand it, then it might just be worth a shot.

【Please confirm whether your surroundings are safe.】

“Yes!”

Yan Yu first checked her balance, ignoring the flashing free market tab, and bravely placed her hand on the tree root.

A number popped up—60.

Caught off guard, Yan Yu fell back onto the ground.

She rubbed her sore backside and burst into laughter.

“Life is full of unexpected surprises! Hahaha! Dad! Mom! Wasn’t this a surprise?!”

Yan Lao’er: …

Li Xuemei: …

—

(End of Chapter)