Chapter 7 First Visit to Grub Grain Town <TOC> Chapter 9 Luxurious Underground Dwelling
Translator: SumTLMan
A Jin struck a small piece of iron against a stone, igniting a thin wooden chip to light the campfire.
He scooped water into a clay pot, added some dried mushrooms and a few pieces of something resembling small jerky strips, covered it with a lid, and began to stew.
As the fire illuminated the cave, it grew warmer inside.
Zhou Yi observed that the ventilation around the fire pit was better than he had imagined. There seemed to be some kind of airflow outside that carried the smoke upward, so it didn’t feel suffocating indoors.
“Master,” the young A Jin whispered: “I didn’t tell anyone in town about you, not a single word. Unless you allow me to speak, I won’t say anything recklessly. Occasionally, some travelers pass by to rest and trade with us. So everyone probably thinks you’re just here to rest for a night.”
He displayed experience and meticulousness in survival.
Zhou Yi asked him: “When I came in, I noticed that almost everyone here is about your age; I didn’t see many older people?”
“The older folks mostly have some skill; that’s how they’ve survived to such an age. They wouldn’t want to stay here; they’ve all gone to bigger and better settlements or cities to make a living.”
“It’s easy for injuries to be fatal here because there’s no doctor or good medicine. Older people can die inexplicably. My dad was like that; one day I woke up and couldn’t wake him, didn’t know how he just died.”
A Jin sat cross-legged on the ground, not shying away from death. He said casually: “People like us who aren’t that experienced, especially scavengers like me, are everywhere. Good places don’t want us, nor do they allow outsiders like us to settle.”
“They only want those who can farm or raise livestock. If you’re skilled and experienced in these two crafts, you can get work. Those capable take that route, go to other settlements, and life is a bit better there.”
“I’ve liked picking up things since I was little, but doing this often leaves me hungry. I’m thinking of learning a trade that people need to get by. There’s no way; now my appetite is getting bigger, so hungry I can’t sleep…”
As he was speaking, someone suddenly lifted the straw curtain at the entrance.
A tall youth with a bone necklace around his neck squeezed in: “A Jin, I want to trade with you. How many mushrooms for that hat of yours?”
Seeing a stranger inside, the uninvited guest exclaimed.
He moved his lips for a moment, looking somewhat flustered in front of an unfamiliar person.
A Jin stood up and said: “Not trading.”
“Come on, trade,” the other still tried to persuade: “I’ll give you 100 mushrooms!”
“Not trading.”
The bone-necklace youth gritted his teeth, took out a sharpened bone dagger, and said: “I’ll add this.”
A Jin shook his head.
The other left dejectedly.
The transactions here were quite straightforward.
Zhou Yi looked at A Jin: “Does Grub Grain Town use barter?”
The youth nodded: “There’s that, but mainly it’s mushrooms.”
Mushrooms were the hard currency here; not only in Grub Grain Town but even in the cities.
Edible dried mushrooms can be stored long-term, are lightweight, and easy to carry. When needed, just boil them in water to eat, or sprinkle some salt and eat them dry.
The basic unit of currency is the ‘mushroom.’
One mushroom equals one piece of dried mushroom.
For example, if you don’t want to go to the distant oasis river to fetch water, hiring someone else to fetch a bucket costs 10 mushrooms.
Earlier, the bone-necklace youth offered 100 mushrooms for the cap, which could buy an old piece of clothing.
Grub Grain Town mainly produces cave mushrooms. People cultivate the mycelium of this mushroom, usually in a dedicated cave, placing rotten wood and leaves, maintaining moisture, and after several months of care, mushrooms finally grow.
Beginners can hardly cultivate mushrooms alone; they need to start as apprentices under a master, following for years before learning the skill of successful cultivation. Skilled agricultural workers are in demand everywhere.
Apart from cave mushrooms, another main food the locals eat is Grub Grain Worms.
“Grub Grain is a kind of insect, and it’s also the origin of this town’s name.” A Jin opened a woven basket and took out a soft, hairless brown worm.
It’s about 20 centimeters long, with a black head, resembling a large earthworm.
“Grub Grain Worms grow underground; feed them mushroom scraps and inedible mushroom stalks, and they’ll grow.”
A Jin stroked the worm in his hand and said: “Fresh ones are roasted to eat; the outer skin is soft and glutinous, and the inside has a texture close to meat. Live worms are relatively expensive; the traded ones are mostly air-dried worm jerky, which are dead Grub Grains, but eating them still gives you strength.”
“In terms of price, one portion of worm jerky requires five times its weight in dried mushrooms to trade. Live worms are even more expensive; the bigger and fatter they grow, the pricier they are.”
“I’ll roast it now; you must try it. It’s a delicacy of Grub Grain Town. Although it can’t compare to fresh meat, it’s already the best we have here…”
The youth pulled out a small wooden skewer to prepare the worm, but Zhou Yi hurriedly stopped him.
Compared to roasted giant earthworms, he still preferred big steaks.
Zhou Yi tasted the mushroom soup, which only had a bit of salt; the taste was extremely bland.
He thus personally experienced the hardships of the people of Grub Grain Town; mushrooms and worms were their daily staples. To avoid the Light Absorber species’ threat, they adjusted their schedules to rise at sunset and rest at sunrise. They couldn’t carry out large-scale land cultivation or animal husbandry and could only barely survive in this narrow space and time.
In the past, humans were the overlords of Earth, controlling and transforming mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas. Now, the new humans had completely fallen to the bottom of the natural food chain; not starving was considered a success.
Zhou Yi pinched his brow.
He had originally thought that encountering a group of new humans would allow him to eat fresh meals he hadn’t had in a long time, but it turned out they had almost regressed into cave dwellers.
To revive the glory of humanity, it seemed he, this ancient human, would have to take action.
Zhou Yi looked at A Jin: “Since you’re currently unemployed, I’ll hire you. What are your salary expectations?”
“Expectations? What?”
“Meaning, how much remuneration do you want?”
“Is this something I can ask for?” The other looked shocked.
“……”
Zhou Yi said: “Room and board included, safety guaranteed, and two pounds of meat each month.”
“Room and board?”
A Jin seemed to understand something and asked quietly, rubbing his hands: “You mean, you’ll provide my food, and I live by your campfire?”
“You could put it that way.”
“Master, then what do I need to do?”
“Build a house.”
Hearing this task, A Jin suddenly felt confident, patted his chest, and said: “Say no more, I’m quite good at digging holes. Over by the campfire, I’ll definitely dig you a very neat and beautiful underground dwelling; it’ll be a great house.”
Before leaving, Zhou Yi reminded him to pack his things and report over the next evening.
After returning to the beach, Zhou Yi immediately gave orders. One by one, Warrior Crabs crawled out from the luminous mist of the Dead Sea and began to work in an orderly fashion.
Chapter 7 First Visit to Grub Grain Town <TOC> Chapter 9 Luxurious Underground Dwelling