Compared with most settlements in the wasteland that are full of human fireworks, Site 721 is more like a real survivor settlement.
And the survivors living here are more like real survivors.
This is not to say that they are poor.
Although the patched cold-weather clothes look a bit old, they are much better than the survivors in Borneo whose family can't scrape together two pieces of clothes. The locals don't have to eat dirt, even in the most difficult times.
There are also nutritious pastes to keep you hungry. When times are tough, you can also get bread and sausages.
In fact, the researcher who was sitting on the train writing a paper did not lie. The Science and Technology Committee provided the locals with all the nutrients necessary for survival and the basic necessities to maintain life.
For example, houses made of concrete, fuel for heating and lighting, and schools as beautiful as churches, etc.
The right to education is basically guaranteed. As long as local survivors complete production tasks that are not too demanding in accordance with the requirements of the Science and Technology Committee, they can obtain food and clothing, but they will not live too well.
Most of the suffering suffered by the local people comes from the climate itself, and the climate seems to have nothing to complain about. The Wandering Swamp was not a livable place even before the war.
The only thing I can complain about seems to be the extremely unequal treatment. The resources that one researcher can enjoy are even more than the total resources consumed by 1,000 ordinary survivors.
And this is just personal living standards, and does not include business expenses. If laboratory expenses are also included, it will be impossible to calculate.
But this doesn't seem worth complaining about.
After all, the opportunity to change your destiny is not completely impossible, and there are even as many as eight times in a lifetime.
As long as you are over 12 years old, you can take the exam to select an apprentice. If you don't admit defeat, you can take the exam until you are 20 years old.
As long as you are admitted as an apprentice, you will not be under the jurisdiction of the Science and Technology Committee, but can become a member of the college. This not only means personal honor, but also the entire gathering will be honored - the Science and Technology Committee will not only reward training
The family that produces a "future researcher" will also be rewarded for the entire settlement.
It is precisely because of this that for the people who stay in the bitter cold land, all they can complain about is that they did not work hard enough when they were young and pinned all their hopes on the next generation.
As for those families that have given birth to apprentices, they will become the most "hot" stars in the entire settlement, and will be more or less taken care of by the management of the settlement.
For example, Jiang Xuezhou's father became the captain of the drilling team and did not have to work underground in person, while his mother was transferred from the workshop to the accounting office, which was relatively free.
not only that.
Their house is also the strongest two-story building in No. 721. It is located in the center of the entire settlement, and lives in the same block as the technical staff and managers sent by the Science and Technology Committee.
That street not only has 24-hour heating, gas, electricity, and direct drinking water supply, but is also equipped with basic household appliances and furniture.
But even with special care, the work that needs to be done still needs to be done.
The families of fellow travelers Li Xiang and Wu Xiaoxiao also live on this street, and their relationship seems unusual.
Although Ye Shi's story hasn't been finished yet, it's time to say goodbye.
Li Xiang had a lingering reluctance on his face, so he agreed with Ye Shi on the next time to meet, and then the group of people parted ways at the crossroads.
It was five o'clock in the afternoon when Jiang Xuezhou returned home with Ye Shi. At this time, her parents were still at work, and there was only a little girl at home who was about six or seven years old.
The little girl had two little knots on her head. She looked weird, a bit like a smaller version of Jiang Xuezhou.
Seeing her sister appear at the door, the alertness on the little girl's face suddenly turned into surprise, and then she swooped over in surprise.
"Sister?! Are you back?"
"Hey! Sister is back... Yue Han has grown taller! Hug, sister, hehe, you are so good."
Jiang Xuezhou hugged the younger sister who flew up, caressing her head lovingly, with an unusually soft smile on his face.
The suitcase following her walked through the entrance hall and ran into the house consciously, turning its wheels and heading straight to her room. Soon there was a dinging sound in the room.
Ye Shi couldn't help but be a little curious, whether this thing would have the function of automatically packing luggage, such as the kind that could unfold like the base vehicle in Red Alert, but he was too embarrassed to follow the room and take a look.
Even if he has never been in love, he knows that it is not polite to enter a girl's room at will.
Even his sister, who has been relying on his family for a long time, will mercilessly blast his master away.
While Ye Shi was staring straight at the door at the end of the corridor, the little girl hanging around Jiang Xuezhou's neck was also looking straight at this strange man.
Jiang Xuezhou let go of the hand holding his sister, stood up and looked at Ye Shi, and introduced them to each other.
"This guy's name is Ye Shi, my sister's friend. Well, his name is a bit weird. Just call him brother... This is my sister Jiang Yuehan. My parents haven't come back yet. Please sit in the living room for a while.
, I’m going to pack my things.”
After speaking, Jiang Xuezhou walked through the living room to the end of the corridor, leaving only the two of them standing at the entrance.
Ye Shi smiled friendly at the little girl, then walked around her to the living room, and sat on the sofa cautiously. He wanted to turn on the TV but found that there was no such thing here, so he could only pick up the cup on the table.
Pour yourself a glass of water.
However, what he didn't expect was that the little girl was unexpectedly not afraid of strangers. She sat opposite him and stared directly into his eyes, and suddenly said something cold.
"Brother, are you my sister's boyfriend?"
Ye Shi, who was drinking water, almost choked and coughed twice and hurriedly explained.
"no."
As he spoke, he glanced at the door to make sure someone didn't come back suddenly.
Although he didn't know why he felt guilty.
"what the hell……"
The little girl sighed and muttered, "Sister said she would bring her boyfriend back when she comes back next time, but she lied again."
"...Haha." Ye Shi smiled awkwardly.
The little girl was still staring at him, and suddenly she said softly.
"Brother...when you are not busy, can you take your sister home to visit more often?"
Seeing the loneliness in those eyes, Ye Shi was silent for a while and nodded slightly.
"Um."
He could actually understand why Jiang Xuezhou rarely went home. After all, with a D-level living condition, the survival rate was not that high even with a mentor to protect him.
It was only last year that she was promoted to D level. Before that, she was only E level.
That guy may have deliberately distanced himself from them just to prevent them from being too sad when they lost him. Although he usually doesn't speak nicely, that guy actually cares about other people's feelings.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so sad when she was lying on the bed half dead.
At this moment, Ye Shi suddenly realized that he seemed to have accidentally discovered another side of her that was rarely shown.
But he soon shook his head again, driving the strange thoughts out of his ears.
Why do you know so many NPCs...
The little girl sitting on the sofa opposite tilted her head and looked at him. She didn't understand what he was doing with his head shaking, but she didn't ask any more questions. Instead, she picked up the unfinished book and continued reading.
The wait was so long. After about an hour, footsteps finally came from the corridor next to the living room.
Seeing Jiang Xuezhou back, Ye Shi breathed a sigh of relief and complained towards the corridor.
"What have you been doing? What took you so long?"
Jiang Xuezhou, who was standing next to the corridor, had changed into casual clothes at home, with an apron on his body and a circle of fine beads of sweat hanging on his forehead.
She couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw this guy sitting and talking without feeling pain in his back.
"What are you doing? I'm afraid you'll be hungry after a long ride... so I got some food."
"It's time to eat!"
Hearing that her sister had prepared something to eat, the little girl's eyes lit up as she sat on the sofa. She immediately dropped the dizzying book in her hand and scurried past Jiang Xuezhou like a little rabbit and got in.
The small room next to the kitchen.
There is a simple dining table there, where the family eats.
Ye Shi looked at Jiang Xuezhou in surprise, as if he were looking at some kind of exotic animal.
"Can you still cook?"
Jiang Xuezhou chuckled, gently brushed the hair hanging behind his ears with his index finger, and raised the bridge of his nose proudly.
"Are you kidding me? I've been living alone since I was 12 years old. I still have no problem cooking the food."
Ye Shi couldn't help but want to give a thumbs up, but when he heard the words "cook the food", he suddenly had an ominous premonition.
Just as he expected, what was on the table was just a bowl of roasted small potato balls and a pot of chicken drumsticks roasted using something like an air fryer.
The chicken legs were covered in a waxy red marinade, a bit like Orleans barbecue sauce, but with the flavor of chicken.
Ye Shi swallowed involuntarily and was speechless for a moment.
Is this without blanching?
In fact, it’s not impossible to roast chicken without blanching, but you can’t keep the fishy smell...
However, the little girl was not picky about food at all. She had already grabbed a chicken drumstick and started chewing it happily.
Very dissatisfied with the expression on Ye Shi's face, Jiang Xuezhou wrinkled her nose slightly and put her right hand on her waist.
"Any questions?"
One of her D-class researchers personally cooked the food, but this guy was not grateful!
None of her respected mentors have eaten what she cooks!
Ye Shi shook his head quickly, forced a smile on his face, and sat down on the chair dignifiedly.
"Nothing... pretty good."
No matter what, it is the work of others.
Moreover, resources are scarce in the Wandering Swamp. Even if the ingredients exchanged for G points are very cheap, it is shameful to waste food.
Not hearing the perfunctory tone in the compliment, Jiang Xuezhou's lips curled up with a hint of elation, and he turned around energetically.
"You and Yuehan eat first. My parents will be back soon. I'll make some for them too."
Upon hearing this, Ye Shi, who had not warmed up his chair, stood up again as if he was electrocuted.
"Wait a minute, I'll do it..."
"Can you cook?" Jiang Xuezhou stopped and looked back at him suspiciously.
Ye Shi smiled shyly.
"I know a little bit... To be honest, I have been away from home for more than three years."
It's not that he wants to show off, it's mainly because he feels sorry for the food.
Jiang Xuezhou didn't think much about it, and nodded blankly, but still gave an uneasy warning.
"That's okay...but let's agree first, if you don't know how, you must ask me."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Ye Shi asked directly, "Is there any cooking wine?"
Jiang Xuezhou: "What is that?"
"...Where's the beer? There's always something like onion, ginger, garlic, right?"
"Ah, that's true... do you want to drink?"
"Who told you I was going to drink? Just get it for me and stand by and watch."
Saying that, Ye Shi also picked up the pot of roasted potatoes on the table, made a friendly smile at Jiang Yuehan, who was looking eagerly here, and said in a coaxing tone.
"Lend this to me for a while and I'll return it to you later."
The roast chicken probably can't be saved, but this pot of potatoes can still be saved.
"Um!"
The little girl nodded obediently, and then watched the two of them walk into the kitchen.
Looking at the lively kitchen, she stopped eating the chicken legs. She held her chin in her hands and swayed her calves. Her eyes were shining and she didn't know what she was thinking in her head.
Speaking of which, this was the first time she had seen such a cheerful sister.
Every time I saw her in the past, she always had a worried expression. Even if she had a gentle smile on her face, she was not very happy.
I really hope she can be so happy every day...
…
At the same time, on the other side, Ye Shi became familiar with the cooking tools in the kitchen under the guidance of Jiang Xuezhou.
Although there is no wok here, only a pot for stewing soup, but for him who often cooks lazy meals, any pot is actually the same.
In order to save one bowl to wash, he can even use a rice cooker to cook, let alone a soup pot.
"Ah ah... why did you pour beer on the duck legs! Doesn't it taste weird?" Looking at Ye Shi who picked up the beer and poured it into the pot, Jiang Xuezhou hurriedly rushed forward to stop him, but
There was no way he could hold his hand back.
She almost forgot that she made most of the parts on this guy herself.
Throwing the can aside, Ye Shi looked at Jiang Xuezhou who was about to cry without tears and couldn't help but laugh.
"What do you know? This is called beer duck! It's rare but strange..."
Jiang Xuezhou was stunned for a moment.
"Beer... wine duck? What is that... ah, what's wrong! Yuehan can't drink!"
"Pfft...the duck is cooked, is there any alcohol left?"
"Oh, yes, alcohol is volatile...I almost forgot." Realizing that he had asked a very stupid question, Jiang Xuezhou blushed and nodded, but watched him pour the potatoes into the bowl and crush them, and then
He said blankly, "What is this for?"
Ye Shi said casually.
"Mashed potatoes, children like this the most...do you have milk, butter and black pepper?"
This thing can be regarded as a historical tradition in the league. At the beginning, the scrambled egg guy put a lot of thought into this dish in order to make the potato chips more delicious.
Jiang Xuezhou nodded quickly.
"Yes, I bought some when I came here... They should be in my room now."
Ye Shi said without looking back while crushing the roasted potatoes.
"What did you put in the room? Get it for me quickly! There is also soy sauce in my suitcase, just that black bottle."
"Okay, okay!"
Jiang Xuezhou blushed and nodded again, and hurried out of the kitchen. Suddenly he remembered that the apron was still on him, so he went back and tied it for him.
Originally, when this guy said he was going to make dinner, she planned to give some instructions, but she didn't expect that she was the novice and had to run errands.
About 40 minutes later, the sky outside the window had completely darkened, and the time had reached 7 o'clock. Jiang Xuezhou's parents returned home almost in a hurry.
Listening to the ding-dong-dong sound coming from the kitchen, the two old men thought it was Xiaohan in the kitchen, so they quickly put on their shoes and rushed in. However, they saw Xiaohan sitting in front of the dining table, and there were two plates of food on the table for them to watch.
Dishes I don’t understand.
The alluring fragrance penetrated the tip of my nose.
Father Jiang's nose moved unconsciously, but Mother Jiang subconsciously looked towards the kitchen, and then opened her eyes wide.
With mashed potatoes stuck to the corners of Hu Hu's mouth, Xiao Han chuckled and said in a pleasant voice.
"Dad, Mom, my sister brought a man back!"
"What are you talking about!"
Jiang Xuezhou went up angrily and covered her mouth, then glanced hastily behind her.
At the door of the kitchen, Ye Shi was walking out with a pot of beer duck. He saw the two old people and smiled.
"Hello, uncle and aunt!"
"Hello……"
Father Jiang subconsciously spoke politely, looked him up and down again, and said hesitantly, "Who are you?"
Ye Shi was about to say that he was from the wasteland, but before he could speak, Jiang Xuezhou beat him to it.
"His name is Ye Shi! He's from the Alliance... It's too troublesome to explain. In short, he's similar to a diplomat. Let's talk about it later during dinner!"
"Oh, over there at the Foreign Affairs Department, please sit down, young man... why are you asking the guests to cook? You can just wait until we get back."
Father Jiang stared at Jiang Xuezhou and scolded her, but his voice was not harsh. Mother Jiang did the same, looking at her girl dotingly and reaching out to play with her bangs that were wet with sweat.
"That's it, why didn't you tell me in advance when you came back? Mom just asked for leave."
Jiang Xuezhou smiled and took his mother's arm and said coquettishly.
"Don't I want to give you a surprise? By the way, where is eldest brother?"
Father Jiang said with a smile.
"Your eldest brother is already married. He was transferred from No. 721 to No. 702 at the end of last year. He is now the supervisor of the workshop. I will call that boy back tomorrow!"
The family sat at the dining table and had dinner happily.
Ye Shi was a little reserved at first, but Jiang Xuezhou's family were very enthusiastic, and he quickly blended in.
Of course, part of this is due to his superb cooking skills.
Yue Han, who was sitting at the table, kept stuffing potatoes into his mouth, his eyes sparkling like little stars, and the word delicious was almost written on his face.
"...I didn't expect your cooking to be so delicious." Jiang Xuezhou poked his arm and whispered.
He was a little overwhelmed by the praise, and Ye Shi wanted to raise his nose to the ceiling.
"That's necessary, but it's a pity that there's no Lao Gan Ma and rice here. Otherwise, I'd have to give you my best fried rice."
Eating beer duck with bread is still a bit weird, but it's still more normal than grilled chicken legs with tomato sauce.
"Ha... I didn't see you cooking for me when we were in the alliance." Looking at Ye Shi with a proud look on his face, Jiang Xuezhou said with a sour voice.
Ye Shi said with a smile as if he was in need of a beating.
"You didn't even beg me."
"You guy..." Jiang Xuezhou gritted his teeth and wanted to give his arm a bite, but thought about it and held back again at the dinner table.
Moreover, this guy's bones were made of titanium alloy, and she was worried that she might chip her teeth.
Halfway through dinner.
Jiang's father, who was slightly drunk, took Ye Shi to have a drink, held his hand and said solemnly.
"Xiao Jiang... she can be a bit impatient sometimes, but she is actually a very caring child. We can't help her with this matter. Please take care of her when she is outside."
Hearing these sudden words, Jiang Xuezhou almost choked on the food in his mouth, coughed dryly and said in a panic.
"What are you talking about, Dad!"
However, her father ignored him and had no intention of taking back his words. He just stared at Ye Shi sitting opposite, waiting for the young man's answer.
"Sister is blushing!" Xiao Yuehan chuckled, looking around with a pair of clever eyes.
Facing the old father's pleading look, Ye Shi smiled heartily and agreed.
"Don't worry, I will protect your daughter!"
After all, he is also a master of T0 in all servers, and it is more than enough to protect an NPC.
Jiang Xuezhou's face suddenly turned red, and he snorted slightly and lost his voice.
Father Jiang had a smile on his face and nodded with relief.
"With your promise, I feel relieved!"
…
That night, Ye Shi stayed at Jiang Xuezhou's house and slept in the guest room on the second floor.
Jiang Xuezhou took a week's leave to visit his family. This week he planned to wander around No. 721, get to know the life of the locals, and think about the Science and Technology Committee.
Binghai City is a special zone, and it is still too difficult to learn about the college and the Science and Technology Committee through there.
It is also worth mentioning that since Location 721 is not part of the special zone, there is no save point or hotel for players to stay and rest, so he can only stay at the NPC's house for the night.
To put it bluntly, no caravan will come here.
The reason why the dinner was so sumptuous was thanks to the ingredients that Jiang Xuezhou exchanged with G points.
Normally, if Xiao Jiang didn't send something home, the family might not be able to have such a sumptuous dinner.
At least on the way here, he didn't see any shops or anything like that.
Ye Shi couldn't help but suddenly thought that it would be great if the market of the Science and Technology Commission could be opened.
There are a lot of untapped resources buried underground here, whether they are oil and gas or metal deposits.
People in the Age of Prosperity seemed to have considered the possible sinking in the future, so they left a large amount of unexploited resources in the tundra, mountains, and seabed.
In other words, this land actually has development value, otherwise the college would not choose to locate its home here.
However, Ye Shi just thought about it and felt the difficulty of this matter.
His intuition told him that it might be more difficult to pry open the market here than the market in the Xilan Empire...
Taking off his helmet, Ye Wei sat on the sofa in the living room, looking at the large widescreen TV in trance.
The sky outside the window has already lit up, and in reality it is morning. Every time he logs off, it takes him a while to get used to the feeling of reality.
I can't tell... I really can't tell.
Is this the legendary "Internet addiction"?
No wonder minors are not allowed to play.
Not long after he took off his helmet, Jiujiu also yawned and walked out of the room.
This guy has been sleeping for most of the day, but he still looks like he hasn't had enough sleep, and he doesn't know what he did in the game.
Looking at my brother sitting on the sofa, he blinked for a long time and waved his hand in front of him.
"What's wrong, bro? Hey? It's time to come back to life."
Recalling the dinner he just had and Jiang Xuezhou's family, Ye Wei shook his groggy head, put his helmet aside, and suddenly said with emotion.
"It's nothing, I just think... this game is a bit too realistic."
Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, then looked at him in surprise, his mouth opened in an O shape.
"Good guy! Are you really with that NPC?"
Ye Wei frowned.
"What the hell? Is there any connection?"
He touched it with his two index fingers and poked it, blushing for a long time and whispered embarrassedly.
"I heard you say it was realistic, and I thought you...forget it, forget it if you don't have it! Oh, it's boring."
"...?"
After watching the puff of smoke disappear for a long time, Ye Wei scratched his head in confusion.
What's wrong with this guy?
Throwing the helmet aside, he ordered a takeaway and then browsed the official website.
He happened to come across Sisi's post. He clicked on it and saw that their cargo ship had docked at Xifan Port.
In addition to updating his experience of Xifan Port, Si Si also updated the local price information in the post.
According to what she mentioned in her post, the local demand for spirits is extremely strong. If the potatoes from Chip Port can be transported to Golden Gallon Port to be processed into spirits, then sold to Saifan Port, and then purchased into steel or cement and shipped
When you go to the Federation, you can make a lot of money even with your eyes closed.
In particular, the tax-free privileges enjoyed by the Wilante people in the local area have led many Wilante merchants to simply take advantage of this rule and load the arriving spirits onto their own cargo ships and bring them back to the Legion's homeland.
As a result, the spirits that were ostensibly sold to the Xilan Empire ended up being dumped on the Legion.
At the end of the post, she also posted the earnings from this trip.
What Ye Shi envied was not their profits, but the speed of these guys, who actually pried open the treasury of the Weiland people.
Although it is only a crack that has been pried open so far, and there is no telling when it will be blocked by the opponent, it is still a big progress.
"We are all so capable, so we should work hard..." With an envious look on his face, Ye Shi muttered to himself, closing the post and leaning on the sofa to meditate hard.
First of all, the academy definitely has many more treasures than the legion, and they are all the knowledge that the alliance needs most.
But here comes the problem.
The number of players active in the Wandering Swamp is less than three digits, far less than the number in the south.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel troubled.
Not to mention how to pry open the heads of those old stubborns, it would be difficult enough just to lure the little leeks to the Wandering Swamp...