The woman, though short, had a fit figure.
In her hand, she held a large mountain-raising knife, surveying Yu Hong with a discerning gaze.
"Do you have food?" Her eyes glanced over the steel nail and luminous stone stick in Yu Hong's hand.
"Do you want to exchange? What do you need?" she added.
"Do you have any medicine?" Yu Hong observed the woman's robust physique and felt a growing sense of vigilance.
Perhaps her strength surpassed his.
While keeping a wary eye on his surroundings, he scrutinized her further.
"I need anti-diarrheal medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine."
"I have some food, but what will you trade? I just need food! Lao Yu hasn’t returned in two days, and several families around us are running low on supplies. If you have food, you can trade for anything you want," she said quickly.
Her tone was sincere, and it seemed she skillfully twirled the knife in her right hand without realizing it.
The mountain-raising knife was straight and sharp, wide enough to match an adult's palm, and it wasn't something everyone could handle with such finesse.
This display instantly raised Yu Hong's caution to the highest level.
He suddenly felt that running out recklessly to make a trade may not have been his best choice.
Anyone capable of surviving alone in this wilderness had their own tricks up their sleeves, even if they appeared weak.
However, the woman didn't know his background either; as long as she didn’t make a move, everything remained unpredictable, a delicate test.
"I have food," Yu Hong replied quickly.
"But not much on me; I need to go back and get it. Do you have any medicine?"
"I have some, but you need to tell me what illness you have, or else it will be a waste."
She spoke swiftly.
"Diarrhea, I've been going several times in a row. I suspect it’s from drinking rainwater," Yu Hong said urgently.
"Rainwater?!" The woman appeared startled and froze for a moment, fixing her gaze on Yu Hong.
"Did you drink it straight or filter it first?!"
"Filtered," Yu Hong said as he observed her reaction, feeling uneasy.
"That’s good, very good," she relaxed her tone.
"Rainwater must be boiled before drinking. Ever since those fearsome things appeared two years ago, rainwater has been contaminated. Drinking it directly can lead to severe diarrhea; only those with strong physiques can withstand it."
"What should I do now?" Yu Hong frowned, rummaging through his bag for a piece of lizard jerky and tossing it to her.
She caught it, sniffed it, and bit off half, chewing it slowly.
Her gaze softened as she looked at Yu Hong.
"Good thing you filtered it. Haven’t you been told rainwater isn't safe to drink?" she asked, somewhat speechless.
"No, I have a companion who drinks it without a care," Yu Hong recalled his days with the stuttering girl, who often drank rainwater but never offered any to him.
"You have a strong companion," the woman fell silent for a moment.
"I guess she’s like a wild bull, able to lift you easily with one hand."
"Not quite. But can you tell me how to remedy this?" Yu Hong tossed another piece of jerky.
She caught it, a smile forming on her face.
"It's simple. In the ground, there’s a blackish purple substance. Dig out a clump about the size of an egg, mix it with water, and swallow it. You’ll feel better soon."
She stood tall, eyeing Yu Hong.
"Also, is this your first time trading with someone? You just revealed your weaknesses like that, you must have been from the bunker in the town before?"
Yu Hong didn’t respond, but his expression spoke of surprise at how she knew.
Of course, he wasn't from the bunker, but that wouldn’t stop him from steering her thoughts in that direction.
"You are Yu Hong, right?" Suddenly, the woman said his name, "Yi Yi told me you're very strong. I've heard her mention you before. There are few newcomers in this area, and you’re the only one who has joined recently."
"Alright. I’m Yu Hong, and you are?" Upon hearing Yi Yi’s name, he knew she was familiar, which eased his mind a bit, though he still held tightly to his stick.
"I’m Zhan Ni, a leatherworker. You must have heard of me through Yi Yi. I can mend clothes for all of us around here," her tone grew warm.
"What about Yi Yi? Why are you trading for her instead of her coming?" Zhan Ni asked, puzzled.
"She went to the town," Yu Hong simply lied, omitting the part about Yi Yi leaving.
"Okay, do you have any food left? I told you how to treat diarrhea from drinking rainwater. If you have anything else to trade, feel free to exchange food or do you need clean clothes?" She glanced at Yu Hong’s stained T-shirt, which was beyond dirty, and smiled.
The originally gray shirt had turned into a dingy yellow, thoroughly soaked in the grime from sweat, and felt both greasy and cold.
"Do you have any nails?" Yu Hong thought for a moment and asked.
He needed nails for crafting; they were much more convenient than wood joints.
"I have plenty. What do you need those for?" Zhan Ni hesitated, then seemingly realized something, "Could it be you can make things yourself?"
"A little," Yu Hong nodded, pulling out the water filter he had crafted.
"This is a water filter I made. If you need one, you can order from me. I’ll trade it for medicine, clothes, unprocessed luminous stones, or help me with some tasks."
Zhan Ni gazed at the filter with growing excitement.
If it truly worked well, everyone around would benefit immensely.
"Because of the big event last night, we have all gathered at Old Zhou's bunker. After the storm passes, we’ll find you again to trade!" she said hastily.
"Is the cup available for trade now?" she asked, pointing at the filter.
"Yes," Yu Hong replied.
He had craft skills and did a good job with his hands.
This was his pre-planned identity.
This identity could help ensure a basic level of safety around here because as long as he was alive, he could continually make what everyone needed.
That was his value.
"Wait for me; I’ll be right back."
Zhan Ni didn’t mention how much to trade, turned, and disappeared into the woods in a flash.
Yu Hong looked in the direction she left, cautiously finding a hiding spot, no longer foolishly standing in the open.
He desperately desired to complete his training method and enhance his abilities.
His body was too weak right now; he feared he couldn’t contend with anyone.
If he succeeded in his training method, he would be able to devise various survival techniques, like stealth and wilderness survival.
But the main condition was that he had to be able to utilize the methods he developed.
'Training also requires adequate food and rest.
It would be great if I could figure out how lizard jerky is made.
And mushrooms...'
Crouching down in the grass, Yu Hong thought while he waited.
Fortunately, this was the sunniest part of the day, and the shadowy figures usually wouldn’t appear now.
Also, for unknown reasons, there were hardly any mosquitoes or insects in the woods.
So he crouched in the grass without risk of being bitten.
The rustling of leaves shifting with the wind varied in intensity, while the sun, shining brightly, warmed him constantly.
But aside from the rustling, the forest was silent, devoid of life’s sounds.
No birds, no insects, a complete stillness.
Yu Hong occasionally glanced around, ensuring no shadowy figures would approach unexpectedly.
This silent forest, although bright under the sun, gave him a strange sense of terror.
There were no butterflies, no bees, no flowers, only grass, branches, and roots.
Light greens, deep greens, dark greens, yellow greens, layers upon layers of leaves wound together to create a reality that felt both odd and eerie.
'This forest feels like it’s dead.
Abundantly quiet in a false way.'
Such thoughts flashed through Yu Hong’s mind.
After about a few minutes, footsteps echoed again on the stone house side of the post office.
"Yu Hong? Are you there? I’ve come back."
Zhan Ni's voice rang out.
Yu Hong listened, carefully peering through the grass toward the sound.
He saw that Zhan Ni had maintained her previous appearance, holding a small cloth bag, standing in place, looking around.
He didn’t rush out but continued to observe for a while, confirming her movements were natural and unforced, taking steps one at a time.
Clearly, she was not a shadowy figure.
Furthermore, there were no other people accompanying her; it was just her.
Once he verified this, he slowly stood up.
"I’m here. Do you have the items?"
"I do," Zhan Ni squinted in his direction.
"Just stand still!"
She suddenly called out loudly.
"What are we exchanging again?"
"The water filter and nails!" Yu Hong promptly answered.
"Good!"
Confirming it was correct eased Zhan Ni's tension as she stepped forward closer.
"Here."
She handed over the small cloth bag.
Yu Hong accepted it and opened it, finding a large handful of rusty iron nails, each roughly as long as a finger.
"About thirty or so, should last a while. But this isn’t enough to trade for the filter."
He glanced up at her.
"Plus this."
Zhan Ni bent down, unzipping a backpack she had on her back, and pulled out a patched long-sleeve sweatshirt.
"I thought you might need a change of clothes. Otherwise, getting soaked in rainwater could lead to a fever."
With a smile, she winked at Yu Hong.
"Deal!" Yu Hong nodded, handing the water filter over in exchange for the sweatshirt.
The sweatshirt was gray, woven from some unknown fine grass, and accented with some animal fur, looking quite warm.
"This jacket has wild boar skin added for rain resistance, but it won’t hold up under prolonged downpours, so be careful," Zhan Ni reminded him, "Originally, it was meant for my daughter, who works at the bunker in town and comes back once every month. She should be just a little younger than you."
Speaking of her daughter brought an involuntary gentle smile to her face.
"You care a lot for your daughter," Yu Hong remarked, putting away the sweatshirt and nails.
"Yes, she’s my pride, a blend of both her father and me—beautiful, confident, capable, and she can handle everything in life."
Zhan Ni smiled back.
"By the way, if I want to contact you from a distance, are there any means?" Yu Hong suddenly switched topics.
"You can use a long-distance communicator, but charging is a hassle. That device was useful before the dark disaster, but not anymore," Zhan Ni replied.
"However, the mailman has one, and he can contact the bunker in town anytime."
"What about charging? How’s that resolved?" Yu Hong asked, feelings stirred, eager to know more.
"Using a hand-cranked generator. There’s solar power too, but its efficiency has dropped over time; now it can only serve as a supplement," she explained.
"Why? Do you want one?"
She perceptively guessed Yu Hong's intentions.
"I have a couple of small devices, and getting power would be a great help. When the mailman returns, could you ask if they have solar generators for sale?" Yu Hong said.
(End of Chapter)