"Ahhh... Help! Senior Brother... Quickly, help meee!!!"
A shrill, cracked cry for help, sounding like a choked rooster, abruptly shattered the quiet courtyard!
Bai Mengmeng and Uncle Xu exchanged a anxious glance, their hearts tightening as they sprinted toward the courtyard gate!
The moment they dashed outside, they gasped in horror at the scene before them!
A young man with a mop of messy, dyed yellow hair was driving an extraordinarily terrifying-looking motorized tricycle. Like an unbridled iron beast, it came hurtling wildly toward the small courtyard in a zigzag pattern!
The tricycle itself was already battered and on the verge of falling apart. More horrifyingly, it had clearly undergone brutally illegal modifications: two sections of carriage bodies, roughly salvaged from some scrapped cars, had been crudely welded to its sides!
The carriages were stuffed to the brim with rusted, scrap metal, piled high to overflowing! To make matters worse, the storage battery serving as its power source was completely exposed, wrapped in a dense, spiderweb-like mess of chaotic wires, crackling with sparks and lightning all the way!
This iron monster completely ignored the presence of the courtyard gate and, with unstoppable momentum, charged straight at Bai Mengmeng standing by the entrance! A massive shadow instantly engulfed her; her mind went blank, her body froze in place, and she even forgot to breathe!
In the nick of time!
An irresistible, immense force grabbed her fiercely by the collar from behind!
Her entire body was yanked backward through the air by the sheer force! Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a figure as swift as lightning—it was the senior disciple, Liang Cha!
The moment Liang Cha released Bai Mengmeng, his body was already spinning upward like a leopard, delivering a clean, decisive flying kick squarely against the heavy wooden door!
"Boom—!!!"
The deafening crash was ear-splitting!
The battered tricycle, carrying tremendous impact force, slammed solidly against the newly kicked-shut door panels!
Wood chips flew everywhere!
That weather-beaten main gate was brutally crashed through, leaving a hideous, gaping hole! The front of the tricycle wedged itself snugly right into the opening, its front wheel still spinning futilely in the air, emitting a harsh, grinding screech.
The yellow-haired youth in the driver's seat—Wang Hao—"squeezed" out through the gap of the twisted, deformed door frame in a thoroughly disheveled state. He stood up unsteadily, and just as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt a warm rush in his nose. Two streams of bright red nosebleed slowly trickled down his cheeks, which were already stained with engine oil and dust.
"Cough, cough, cough... My bad, everyone, my bad!" Wang Hao stammered apologetically while clutching his nose, his voice still carrying a lingering trace of shock. "I knew this free tricycle had to be a trap! And here I even went and installed my prized super motor into it..."
Uncle Xu approached Bai Mengmeng with an awkward expression and gave a dry cough. "Well... Sect Leader, this... is the second disciple of our sect, Wang Hao."
Seeing the new Sect Leader staring dumbfounded at his current appearance, Wang Hao hurriedly wiped his face at random with his sleeve, which only smeared the engine oil and nosebleed all over his face, making him look even more comical. He gave an embarrassed chuckle and tried his best to put on a serious expression. "You must be the new Sect Leader, right? Nice to meet you... Sorry to make a fool of myself, sorry..." As he spoke, he awkwardly leaned into the warped carriage, groped around for a long time, and finally dragged out an oversized plastic bag that was packed so full it looked ready to burst.
"Hehe, Sect Leader, I saw that the rice jar in the kitchen had hit rock bottom, so I specifically... specifically went into town and got some food back!" He hoisted the bag up like he was presenting a precious treasure, his face a mixture of bloodstains, grease, and ingratiating smiles.
Bai Mengmeng's gaze shifted from Wang Hao's battle-scarred face to Uncle Xu's "I'm used to this, really" expression, and finally landed on the plastic bag brimming with hope.
Stay calm... Bai Mengmeng, you must stay calm!
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the overwhelming urge to snap. At least... tonight's dinner was secured!
.........
Beneath the dim yellow incandescent light, an Eight Immortals table—with three of its legs propped up by bricks and the fourth noticeably a section shorter—stood stubbornly.
On the tabletop, a massive enamel basin with several large chips missing from its rim was piled high with over a dozen old-style steamed buns with dry, yellowish crusts.
Dishes? There were only two small saucers: one held overcooked, shriveled, dark-colored peas boiled in saltwater; the other held half a lonely block of fermented bean curd gleaming with red chili oil.
"Junior Sister sent word this morning that she won't be back for dinner, so we don't need to wait for her. Come, come, everyone dig in, while they're hot—uh, while they're cool!" Wang Hao enthusiastically greeted them, taking the lead by grabbing a bun and taking a huge, satisfying bite, chewing with relish.
Looking at this apocalyptic, wasteland-style dinner, then glancing at Liang Cha nearby eating his bun expressionlessly yet at a brisk pace, and Uncle Xu dipping his bean curd with a look of pure contentment, Bai Mengmeng hesitatingly reached out her chopsticks and picked up a single pea.
Help meee!!! It's insanely salty!!!
A heavy wave of saltiness instantly hijacked her taste buds! The pea also carried a distinctly raw, bean-like stench!
The freshly made hole in the front door was brazenly letting in the howling wild wind laden with the chill of the mountain forest.
Bai Mengmeng chewed the nearly inedible beans with a sense of utter despair, roaring internally: Is this really the 21st century?! Did I seriously transmigrate into the set of some parallel-universe reality show?!
Tomorrow! I must! Immediately! Right now!
Go on a massive shopping spree in town! Seeds must be planted! The hole in the door must be patched! Daily necessities must be bought! Otherwise, I won't survive a single day in this wretched place!
Making money! Making money is of the utmost urgency!
Abruptly wrapping up this "unforgettable" dinner, Bai Mengmeng went to bed early. As a former emergency room doctor battered by years of night shifts, her sleep quality was comparable to paper; sleeping soundly through the night was practically a pipe dream.
Yet perhaps because the day's events had been overwhelmingly information-heavy and her mind and body were exhausted to the absolute limit, the moment her head hit the pillow, she sank into a deep slumber.
When she opened her eyes again, broad daylight already filled the outside window.
Glancing at her phone, it was only half past six in the morning. Bai Mengmeng stretched luxuriously, her joints emitting a satisfying, pleasant pop. After working for so many years, she felt she had never experienced such deep, dreamless, and refreshing sleep! The groggy, drained sensation she usually felt upon waking had completely vanished, and yesterday's exhaustion and worries seemed to have been washed clean by this high-quality sleep, leaving them trivial and insignificant.
After washing up and heading downstairs, she saw Wang Hao squatting right by the entrance, busily hammering away to repair the "Wang"-shaped hole in the door.
Bai Mengmeng immediately found this kid much more pleasing to the eye and took the initiative to greet him. "Xiao Wang, up and busy so early? I want to head into town to buy some rice, cooking oil, chemical fertilizer, and things like that. Which direction is closer?"
Hearing her, Wang Hao stood up and flashed a grin, revealing two rows of white teeth that stood out prominently against his wood-shaved face. "Morning, Sect Leader! If you're buying those, just head to Phoenix Town. It's only two or three kilometers away from us—very close!"
With that, his gaze swept over Bai Mengmeng's slender arms and legs, and he enthusiastically added, "But all that rice and fertilizer are dead heavy! How about... you take my tricycle? I stayed up all night fixing it! Guaranteed to look brand new!"
Bai Mengmeng's gaze fell upon that "brand-new" tricycle—the crooked handlebars had indeed been hammered straight, and the two terrifying "illegal cargo attachments" on either side had been dismantled, making it look... much more normal. But yesterday's earth-shattering "embedded in the doorway" incident was still fresh in her memory...
Sensing her hesitation, Wang Hao immediately thumped his chest with a loud thud. "Sect Leader, you can put one hundred and twenty percent of your heart at ease! I replaced all the brake pads with brand-new ones! I even specially installed a speed limiter! This time it's absolutely, positively, one hundred percent safe! Just think, my ancestors were Artifact Refining grandmasters! Can't I even handle a little gadget like this?"
Ha! It's precisely because you're the descendant of an Artifact Refining grandmaster that I'm even more terrified! Bai Mengmeng screamed internally. But looking at the empty rice jar and thinking about the fertilizer and hoes she needed to buy... Oh well, fortune favors the bold! With a hardening of her resolve, she straddled the "improved" tricycle and, following the directions Wang Hao gave her, drove out with utmost caution.
The crisp morning mountain air carried a biting chill, but the rising sun generously cast its warmth over her.
Driving the small tricycle along the country road, Bai Mengmeng's mood gradually lifted. By the roadside, tree branches sprouted tender green buds, magnolia flowers bloomed in cascading layers as white as snow, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees accompanied by crisp birdsong.
Along the way, various scenic spot signs flashed past: Phoenix Mountain Scenic Area, Phoenix Mountain Botanical Garden, Phoenix Film and Television City, Phoenix Ancient Temple... This really was a geomantically auspicious place!
Soon, Phoenix Town arrived. Bai Mengmeng headed straight for the agricultural supply store. Inside, the shop was fully stocked: bags of rice, flour, grain, and oil were piled up like small mountains, colorful vegetable seeds were displayed in glass cabinets, and bags of compound fertilizer were stacked high in the corner.
Curious, she picked up a pack of tomato seeds, her fingertips just brushing the packaging—
[Tomato seeds, germination rate ≥85%, good quality]
The information instantly surfaced in her mind!
Whoa! This talent is simply incredible! Even seed identification comes naturally without a teacher! Bai Mengmeng was both surprised and delighted. Thinking of the plot of land behind the house waiting to be cultivated, her grand ambitions flared up, and she waved her hand boldly: "Boss! This, this, and that too... Give me a bag of every kind of seed! Two bags of compound fertilizer! A hoe, a shovel, and a rake, one of each! And a large bag each of rice, flour, and cooking oil!"
She briskly loaded her purchases onto the tricycle, full of drive, completely unaware of the ghost-seeing, shocked expression on the ag-store owner behind her—this girl looked so slender and delicate, yet she hoisted bags of rice and fertilizer weighing dozens of pounds as if they were mere chicks!
As she drove the loaded tricycle away with a puttering roar, the owner suddenly slapped his thigh and shouted into the empty air, "Holy crap! Old Zhang, look at that! The beauty just now had divine strength!"
On her way back, Bai Mengmeng spotted quite a few stalls selling agricultural and sideline products. She stopped the car, sliced a few strips of pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean, bought potatoes, carrots, Chinese cabbage, and eggs—ingredients that stored well—and added scallions, ginger, garlic, and various braising spices before finally humming a little tune in satisfaction as she returned to the Qiongye Sect courtyard.
Just as she stepped through the gate, she saw Wang Hao still tinkering with something amidst a pile of scrap metal. The moment he laid eyes on the mountain of supplies piled on her cart, especially the prominent pork belly, he sprang up as if fitted with springs!
"Whoa! Meat! And so many goodies! Sect Leader! You are practically my second parent! You're too generous!" he shouted excitedly, while nimbly starting to help unload the cargo.
In high spirits, Bai Mengmeng casually praised, "Thanks to your cart today, the ride was actually quite steady."
Hearing this, Wang Hao looked ready to wag his tail straight up to the sky, looking utterly smug. "That's right! Although I didn't awaken our ancestors' talent for turning stone into gold... uh, turning iron into steel, I've still got this bit of DIY ability! Oh, right, Sect Leader!" As if suddenly remembering something, he lowered his voice secretively like he was presenting a treasure. "Didn't Uncle Xu say you wanted to grow vegetables? I saw the weeds in the backyard growing taller than a person! So I specially took some time this morning to make you a fully automatic weeding artifact! It's working diligently in the backyard right now!"
The smile on Bai Mengmeng's face instantly froze, and an extremely ominous premonition crawled up her spine like a cold snake!
She abruptly stopped in her tracks and strained her ears to listen—from the direction of the backyard came a terribly discordant, loud noise resembling a metal monster roaring, "Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Screech screech!"
Oh no!
She bolted and ran wildly toward the backyard!
Bursting through the backyard door, the sight that met her eyes made her petrify instantly!
A bicycle, clearly intended for children, had been brutally modified beyond recognition!
Welded and fixed firmly to its pedals were two large, gleaming sickles with rolled edges! A buzzing, black-smoke-belching high-power motor was strapped to the back of the seat, frantically driving this iron monster to race around the entire backyard in a completely haphazard, unbridled rampage! Wherever it passed, the weeds were flattened en masse, but the soil was also churned up into a complete mess, and a few innocent little saplings were brutally sliced in half!
"..............."
Bai Mengmeng felt a surge of hot blood rush straight to her head.
Just then, that "fully automatic weeding artifact" seemed to sense her presence, executing a sharp, sudden turn. The sickles gleamed with cold light and, with a harsh piercing whistle, charged straight at her!
Having experienced yesterday's "door-crashing" ordeal, Bai Mengmeng's reflexes at this moment could be called lightning-fast! With a clean, decisive sideways dodge and retreat, she simultaneously whipped her hand around and slammed shut the small door leading from the backyard into the inner courtyard with a loud "bang"!
"Screech—Crash!!!"
A teeth-gritting sound of metal tearing accompanied the deafening crash of a heavy object falling!
That rampaging "weeding artifact," carrying immense momentum, slammed viciously into the thin wooden door! The two sickles easily sliced through the door panel, the entire vehicle wedging itself inside the opening, and then... with a crash, it completely fell apart. The motor let out a resentful puff of black smoke and finally sputtered out for good.
Through the hole in the door panel, Bai Mengmeng looked at the bombed-out, chaotic scene in the backyard and the smoking pile of scrap metal on the ground.
She was strangely calm.
Ah, human potential really is limitless. Yesterday's self would have been shocked into a daze, but today's self could face this level of "daily routine" with absolute composure.
She slowly turned around, her gaze like ice picks, piercing precisely toward Wang Hao not far away, who was peeking over with a guilty conscience.
A very "nuclear-level friendly" sneer curled the corners of her mouth as Bai Mengmeng raised a hand and pointed at the chaotic patch of weeds in the backyard:
"Wang Hao. Before dark today, pull out every single weed in the backyard—with your hands—without leaving a single one behind!"