Chapter 215: Chapter 215
Food and fruit would become increasingly precious after the apocalypse. Jing Shu wouldn’t sell them unless it was necessary, or if she was doing someone a favor.
Considering her own resources were insufficient, her only option was to cultivate unusual treasures to accumulate capital. This method had the advantage of not attracting hostility and made it easier to establish connections with influential individuals.
Thus, the Blood Mushroom was something Jing Shu really hoped would succeed in her plans.
It had been over ten days since the Blood Mushrooms were harvested. Besides the two Jing Shu had consumed, four remained. She had planted two of them by their roots in the field within the Magic Cube Space.
After so many days, with the nourishment from the Spiritual Spring, the eggplants and papayas had matured in batches, but the Blood Mushrooms had not grown even a millimeter.
So today, when Jing Shu was picking the largest Blood Mushroom from the space, she suddenly thought, Why not simulate the Blood Mushroom’s natural environment?
Perhaps others couldn’t replicate it given the current conditions of the apocalypse, but Jing Shu had the Magic Cube Space, and cultivation was an ability she could openly display.
Each Magic Cube Space could independently simulate the most suitable environment for any organism. So, even if Blood Mushrooms couldn’t be artificially cultivated by others, she was definitely the most likely to succeed.
Blood Mushrooms generally only grew where there were leeches and red earthworms.
As per the food chain, the relationship between leeches and Blood Mushrooms was like that between venomous snakes and detoxification grass near their dens—contradictory yet mutually necessary.
Jing Shu didn’t need to understand the details. As long as she could trap another batch of leeches and red earthworms in her space, and then add the Blood Mushrooms, she would know whether this method was effective.
If possible, she could even add some diluted Spiritual Spring to boost their nutrition. Blood Mushrooms were judged by their size and hue—the larger and brighter, the more valuable they were.
Oh, right! Jing Shu seemed to remember that leeches had significant medicinal value. Alive, they could be used on humans to absorb toxins from sores and bruises, and to improve blood circulation.
When dried, they could treat various diseases by invigorating the blood, breaking up blood stasis, and clearing channels. Honey injections could treat corneal opacities and cataracts. Truly, whether dead or alive, every part of them was valuable. Just the other day, the Doctor had clamored for leeches for a prescription!
Jing Shu rubbed her hands together. Most importantly, these cultivated leeches for medicinal use would count as her contribution to the Medicinal Materials Association, invisibly completing another task for her.
Looking at it this way, raising leeches was like killing three birds with one stone—efficient and effortless. With leeches, there would also be Blood Mushrooms. Of course, this was all Jing Shu’s ideal scenario. Its feasibility remained an issue.
Jing Shu started hastily recording her recent plans, so absorbed in her thoughts that she hardly noticed how she had reached Mr. Yang Yang’s house. Excited, she now hurried to the city center to wait and see who would disappear next so she could quickly find a batch of leeches—ah, spit, she meant rescue people, rescue them!
As it turned out, Jing Shu wasn’t as lucky as Su Malie. She had been to the city many times but had not encountered another disappearance. It seemed she needed a new approach, rather than being so passive.
Mr. Yang Yang lived in the West Mountain Old District, in a house that seemed to be entirely made of stone, with a history that Jing Shu estimated to be at least a hundred years. At the entrance, there was a pair of stone lions, the male with an embroidered ball and the female with a cub, lending it an air of cultural depth.
On this dark and stormy night, the house had an added large canopy, which also provided plenty of parking. The main gate looked retro. Two red lanterns hung below it, and many people were coming and going at this time, making it extraordinarily lively.
At Su Malie’s auction that day, the attendees, all arriving in chauffeur-driven luxury cars, exuded an extravagance beyond comparison. By contrast, here, most of the cars parked outside were black Audis and Volkswagens, looking very ordinary. A few Volkswagens bore letters underneath their logos, subtly hinting at a low-profile luxury, but there were also a few overtly extravagant luxury cars.
Jing Shu arrived at the venue in her Shark Submarine, and Wang Dazhao greeted her at the door.
Upon entering the house, Jing Shu genuinely felt a deep sense of cultural heritage and class distinction—it felt as though she had stepped into the mansion of a landlord from a century ago. The place was filled with vintage antiques that seemed worn but were extremely valuable. Even the structure of the house was built according to the triple courtyards typical of the late Qing dynasty.
However, many parts of the building had been renovated, integrating central air conditioning perfectly hidden within the beams, and even the electric lights were housed in candelabra-style fixtures. The antique-colored rosewood furniture, albeit cracked, did not lose its charm.
The floor was laid with blue bricks, quite old, and the renovated sections were distinctly visible, all testifying to its long history.
The yard had a rockery and a pond, which housed over a dozen carp and crucian carp.
The pavilion seemed newly repaired, yet the previously floral garden had been transformed into a vegetable field with simulated lighting, leaving behind only rows of recently harvested chive and lettuce roots.
Although this house was older than most quadrangle dwellings in the Imperial Capital, it perfectly integrated modern technological elements. This made Jing Shu believe that Mr. Yang Yang, like herself, greatly valued the quality of life.
Where conditions allowed, there would be no compromise. Otherwise, the entire house and the open courtyard wouldn’t have been equipped with a canopy or have had so many thoughtful and user-friendly features.
This must be a very powerful person, Jing Shu thought. Very few could host a birthday banquet during the apocalypse.
Wang Dazhao led Jing Shu to the main courtyard where the birthday ceremony was being held. The yard was vast, with a stage at the center where, incredibly, they had invited performers to stage traditional opera!
The dining style adhered to traditional Huaxia customs, with ten people per table. The yard was arranged with over twenty round tables, each covered with red celebratory cloths—highly sophisticated indeed.
The event was grander than Jing Shu had imagined. It was a scene she had only witnessed in TV dramas, having never experienced anything like it, at least not in her previous life.
Jing Shu was seated at a table in the upper right corner. The surrounding seats were almost full, creating a noisy atmosphere. Yang Yang was sipping wine slowly, squinting, seemingly lost in melancholic thoughts. He had given up his seat only when Jing Shu arrived.
"Your grandpa sure knows how to put on a show."
"Poor but pretentious, putting on airs. You’ll see soon enough; tonight he’s definitely going to be on his knees scrubbing the washrack." Read complete version only at Nove1Fire.net
"Come, sit here for a clearer view. The people at our table are all folks we know. These few went to the United States with us. The remaining three seats are just right for Niu’s family."
As soon as he finished speaking, Niu Mou arrived, lugging large and small items, dragging his wife and holding his son’s hand.
Among the crowd, Niu Yanben caught sight of Jing Shu immediately and came running over with teary eyes, grabbing her hand. "Sister Jing, sister! Save me! My mom said she’s going to sort me out good when we get home."