Wasteland Development Diary

A'Jin used a small piece of iron and a stone to strike and ignite some thin wood shavings, lighting the campfire.

He used a pottery jar to scoop water, added some dried mushrooms and a few things that looked like jerky, then covered it and started to stew.

Once the fire brightened, the cave became warmer.

Zhou Yi observed that the ventilation near the fire pit was better than he had imagined. There seemed to be some kind of airflow outside that carried the smoke upwards, so the room didn't feel too smoky.

"Master."

The young A'Jin said softly, "I haven't told anyone in town about you, not a single person. Unless you tell me to, I won't say a word. Occasionally, travelers pass by to rest and trade with us. So everyone probably thinks you're just here for a night's rest."

He demonstrated a seasoned and meticulous approach to survival.

Zhou Yi asked him, "When I came in, I saw mostly people around your age. I didn't see many older people."

"Most older people have a skill to survive to that age. They don't want to stay here; they've gone to bigger and better towns or cities to make a living."

"It's easy to die from injuries here because there are no doctors or good medicine. Older people often die inexplicably. That's what happened to my dad. One day I woke up and couldn't wake him up. I don't know how he died."

A'Jin sat cross-legged on the ground, not shying away from the topic of death. He said casually, "People like us, who don't have much experience, especially scavengers like me, are everywhere. The good places don't want us and don't allow outsiders like us to settle down."

"They only want people who can farm or raise livestock. If you have those two skills and plenty of experience, you can get a job. Anyone with ability takes that path to other towns, where life is a little better."

"I've liked picking up things since I was little, but I often don't get enough to eat that way. I'm also thinking about learning a skill that people want, and then just grinding it out. I can't help it, my appetite is getting bigger and bigger, and I can't sleep when I'm hungry..."

As he was speaking, the grass curtain at the entrance was suddenly lifted.

A tall teenager with a bone necklace around his neck came in: "A'Jin, I want to trade with you. How many mushrooms for that hat of yours?"

Seeing the stranger inside, he exclaimed in surprise.

For a moment, his lips moved, looking somewhat at a loss in front of the stranger.

A'Jin stood up and said, "No trade."

"Come on, trade."

The other party still tried to persuade him: "I'll give you 100 mushrooms!"

"No trade."

The bone-necklace teenager gritted his teeth and took out a sharpened bone dagger: "I'll add this too."

A'Jin shook his head.

The other party left dejectedly.

The trading here is very direct.

Zhou Yi looked at A'Jin: "Does Maogu Town barter?"

The teenager nodded. "Yes, but mainly it's based on mushrooms."

Mushrooms are the hard currency here, not only in Maogu Town but also in the cities.

Dried mushrooms, which have edible value, can be stored for a long time, and are very light, making them easy to carry. When needed, they can be boiled in water to eat, or eaten dry with a little salt.

The basic unit of currency is the 'gu'.

1 gu is 1 dried mushroom.

For example, if you don't want to go to the oasis river far away to fetch water, you need to pay 10 gu to someone else to fetch a bucket of water.

The bone-necklace teenager's offer of 100 gu for the duckbill cap could buy an old piece of clothing.

Maogu Town mainly produces cave mushrooms. People cultivate the mycelium of these mushrooms, usually in a dedicated cave, placing rotten wood and leaves and keeping it moist. After several months of care, they eventually grow into mushrooms.

It's almost impossible for a novice to grow mushrooms alone. They need to start as an apprentice under the guidance of a master, and it takes several years to learn how to grow them successfully. Skilled workers who have mastered agricultural skills are also in high demand everywhere.

In addition to cave mushrooms, another major food source for the locals is the Maogu worm.

"The Maogu is a type of worm, and it's where the town's name comes from." A'Jin opened a woven basket and picked out a hairless, brown, soft worm.

It was about 20 centimeters long, with a black head, shaped like a large earthworm.

"Maogu worms grow underground. We feed them mushroom scraps and inedible mushroom stems, and they grow."

A'Jin touched the worm in his hand and said, "Fresh ones are roasted and eaten, with a soft and glutinous skin and a meat-like filling inside. Live worms are more expensive, and what's usually traded are dried worms, which are basically dead Maogu, but they still give you energy when you eat them."

"In terms of price, 1 portion of dried worms costs 5 portions of dried mushrooms. Live worms are even more expensive, and the longer and fatter they are, the more expensive they are."

"I'm going to roast it now. You have to try it. It's a Maogu Town delicacy. Although it can't compare to fresh meat, it's the best we have here..."

The teenager pulled out a small wooden skewer and was about to prepare the worm when Zhou Yi quickly stopped him.

Rather than roast a giant earthworm, he preferred a large meat steak.

Zhou Yi tasted the mushroom soup, which had only a little salt added and tasted extremely bland.

From this, he personally experienced how difficult life was for the people of Maogu Town. Mushrooms and worms were their staple foods. To avoid light and hide their abilities, they adjusted their schedules to rise at sunset and rest at sunrise. They were also unable to carry out large-scale land cultivation and animal husbandry, and could only barely survive in this narrow space and time.

In the past, humans were the masters of the earth, dominating and transforming mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas. Now, the new humans have completely become the cats and dogs of the natural food chain, and surviving without starving is considered a success.

Zhou Yi pinched the space between his eyebrows.

He originally thought that meeting a new human group would allow him to eat fresh food that he hadn't had in a long time, but they were almost degenerating into cave dwellers.

To restore human glory, he, the prehistoric human, had to take action himself.

Zhou Yi looked at A'Jin: "Since you don't have a job right now, I'll hire you. What are your wage expectations?"

"Expectations? What's that?"

"I mean how much pay do you want."

"Is that something I can ask for?" The other party looked shocked.

"..."

Zhou Yi said, "Room and board included, safety guaranteed, and two pounds of meat per month."

"Room and board included?"

A'Jin seemed to understand something, rubbing his hands and asking softly, "Are you saying that you'll provide the food I eat and I'll live by your campfire?"

"You can understand it that way."

"Master, what do you want me to do?"

"Build a house."

Hearing this task, A'Jin immediately felt confident, patted his chest and said, "I'm not bragging, I'm pretty good at digging holes. I'll definitely dig a very regular and beautiful cave for you near the campfire. It'll be a good house."

Before leaving, Zhou Yi told him to pack his things and come to report the next evening.

After returning to the beach, Zhou Yi immediately issued an order. One by one, warrior crabs crawled out of the light mist of the Dead Sea and began to work in an orderly manner.