Ruan Mingchu asked, "Does anyone know anything about this? They said they would pay a reasonable and substantial fee if I did it."
There are bound to be people willing to get a generous reward just by talking. Qi Xing thought of those orphans and widows and said, "After the meat calculation is finished, you can go to the far west to find Yun Niang."
Ruan Mingchu thanked him.
Ruan Mingchu didn't care how much meat was taken out; he accepted whatever amount they said. They gave him and Mu Yu ten days' worth of meat in advance, and the rest was exchanged for food coupons, which they could then exchange for water and food coupons at the canteen at mealtimes.
With his food ration coupons in his hand, Ruan Mingchu headed towards the westernmost part of the island.
The gap between the rich and the poor will never disappear, no matter where you are.
Along the way, Nguyen Minh Thu saw wooden houses and tree houses, but when he reached the westernmost part, there was only a large expanse of grass leaves to use as a mat.
It seems that plant resources are quite scarce here, but looking to the east, there is a lush green area, which does not look like a place lacking trees and leaves.
The people living on the far west side were either very old, very young, or disabled. Ruan Mingchu glanced at them briefly and randomly asked a young girl where Yunniang was.
The girl looked him over strangely for a few moments, then said, "I am Yunniang. What do you want?"
Ruan Mingchu explained his purpose, mainly hoping that Yunniang would guide him in processing the fish skin.
Although Ruan Mingchu did not notice the unusual nature of the poison that Qi Xing mentioned, he did not let Yun Niang touch it for safety's sake, but instead held it up for her to show from a distance.
Seeing the colorful gauze shimmering in the sunlight, Yunniang couldn't help but move closer. "In my opinion, they don't need any further treatment. If you have time, you can wash them with warm water."
Ruan Mingchu hummed in agreement, and then asked about Yunniang's situation here.
From Yunniang, Ruan Mingchu learned that the seawater was poisonous, the fish monster was powerful and poisonous, the trees were poisonous, and even the air contained trace amounts of toxins.
The meat and plants we eat are processed as much as possible by people in the medical profession. Although most of the toxins are removed, they still accumulate in the body over time.
No matter how old you were before you came here, your lifespan on the island is about fifteen to twenty years, and it will only be shorter.
This is the origin of the rumor that the Endless Abyss has no usable resources. Current interstellar technology is simply unable to identify the source and type of the toxin, nor can it completely eliminate it, let alone find a cure.
It was only then that Nguyen Minh Thu realized how strange his behavior seemed to the people there.
But what's strange is that Nguyen Minh Thu didn't feel any threat here at all, which is impossible in theory.
We can only take it one step at a time and see what happens in the future.
Ruan Mingchu asked Yunniang, "Where did you get the leaves you're wearing from?"
Yunniang replied, "It was broken off from the woods to the east, but it must be treated by Master Wu before it can be put on the body, otherwise it will fester and rot after a while."
The same applies to wood; only the most capable people have the resources to ask that shaman for help.
After answering so many of Ruan Mingchu's questions, Ruan Mingchu took out the grain coupons and gave them to Yunniang.
"Thank you for your guidance. You can take the payment you deem appropriate. I'm new here and don't know the prices here."
Yunniang swallowed hard as she looked at the food coupons for at least ten A-grade meals. Her fingers twitched slightly but she didn't lift them. "That's too much. I only said a few words. It's not worth it."
The fact that Yunniang said these words shows that she is of noble character.
Ruan Mingchu had also learned a bit about the situation on the island. He took out three grain coupons and handed them to Yunniang: "Thank you for your help, please accept them."
Yunniang glanced at the sleeping child in her arms, who was unconsciously searching for food, and, suppressing her self-reproach, drew a card: "That's enough, thank you."
Ruan Minh Thu thanked him again and led the leather-wearing animals towards the woods to the east.
He should go get some leaves and bring them over to Mu Xiaoyu first, just in case the seawater is really poisonous. They can deal with the skin together when Mu Yu arrives.
Thinking of Mu Xiaoyu's skillful hands, perhaps it's the right thing to do to let him handle the leather.
Upon reaching the woods, Ruan Mingchu still couldn't find anything amiss. He picked out a few well-shaped leaves, placed the bark in a relatively secluded spot, and then hurriedly ran off to find Mu Yu.
Qi Xing, who was patrolling the shore, saw Ruan Mingchu again, and the eagerness he exuded.
Qi Xing: Absolutely!
Mu Yu examined his tail in the sea, especially the scales that had been bulged out earlier.
I don't know how long this will last. It's really embarrassing to be naked from the waist down, even though I'm covered by so many scales.
His stone wheelchair floated around him. While waiting, Mu Yu performed another cosmetic surgery on him, and people would believe he was a work of art.
From afar, Mu Yu spotted Ruan Mingchu and the green leaves floating beside his head, occasionally landing on top of him. He stopped in his tracks, which had been about to approach.
It looks pretty funny (silly).
Just as Ruan Mingchu was about to give Mu Yu a warm hug, she saw him looking at the leaf in his hand with a strange smile. It wasn't a genuine smile, but rather a smile that you could tell he wanted to laugh, yet also felt like he was holding it in.
One question mark after another floated up: "What's wrong?"
Mu Yu, of course, wouldn't say anything, only shaking his head, "It's nothing." He changed the subject, "Why did you bring a bunch of leaves?"
“Oh, it’s like this,” Ruan Mingchu said, “the fish skin takes time to process, so we’ll use the leaves as a temporary solution…”
He recounted all the information he had gathered to Ruan Mingchu, and then asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Mu Yu shook his head. "No, I didn't even feel uncomfortable from being soaked in high-concentration seawater for a long time."
Soaking in water for a long time will cause dehydration, just like your fingertips will become dry and shriveled if you take a long bath. But Mu Yu has never felt this way since he came here.
Ruan Minh Thu: "I don't think they would lie to us. There must be something about us that is different from theirs, which makes something that is highly toxic to them ineffective for us."
Mu Yu scratched his head, unable to figure out what was different. Who could possibly figure it out just by thinking about it out of thin air?
Ruan Mingchu: "Let's talk as we walk."
With Mu Yu in his arms, Ruan Mingchu used his spiritual power to pull the stone wheelchair, and they quickly swam to the shore.
"Come on up, I'll push you up." Ruan Mingchu patted the wheelchair, pressed it into the water, pulled it under Mu Yu's tail, then raised the wheelchair and spread leaves around Mu Yu's tail, covering it completely.
Of course, the upper body couldn't be spared either. Ruan Mingchu looked at the two pink nipples, silently licked her palate, and placed the leaf on Mu Yu's chest.
Mu Yu also noticed where Ruan Mingchu's sticky gaze lingered, and silently hugged the leaves tighter.
Qi Xing felt that today was absolutely incredible. He patrolled the area every thirty minutes, but why did he always run into Ruan Mingchu?
He kept his eyes straight ahead, not wanting to talk to Ruan Mingchu, who wouldn't listen to reason. Instead, Ruan Mingchu approached him and asked, "Where should we stay?"
Qi Xing couldn't possibly ignore such a normal question. He stopped and said, "Anywhere is fine, as long as it's an empty space. However, some people don't like having neighbors. Just don't be afraid of them."
Qi Xing noticed that Mu Yu was in a wheelchair after going out. He thought that Mu Yu might have been injured because Ruan Mingchu had sent someone to lure the enemy. Anyway, he didn't believe that so many fish monsters could be hunted so easily.
But if one thing is missing, another will inevitably happen. Qi Xing hates his meddlesome, motherly nature.
"You used leaves from the East Forest? Those leaves are highly poisonous; you must have them treated by Mr. Wu before using them."
Sure enough, Ruan Mingchu didn't take his words to heart again. Qi Xing thought angrily, "They'll know what's what when their flesh rots!"
Ruan Mingchu thanked Qi Xing, the kind young man, again, and pushed Mu Yu to find their temporary accommodation.
In the coming period, Ruan Mingchu will wait for Mu Yu to recover while searching for a way to leave.
There must be spaceships or something similar here. This is the only way to leave unless he can master a spatial skill like Qingyao, which allows him to easily travel between two worlds.
However, the most important thing right now is to settle down first, and then explore the surrounding area further.
Qi Xing warned Ruan Mingchu to be careful of encountering strange neighbors, but Ruan Mingchu had no intention of having any neighbors at all. Wasn't a place with only him and Mu Yu perfect?
Moreover, we don't know if Mu Yu's fish tail will run dry, so it's best to find a place near a lake or river.
Deep in the woods to the east, there was a stream that connected to the sea. Qi Xing and the others were extremely wary of the sea, so they naturally didn't go near it, which allowed Ruan Mingchu and Mu Yu to enjoy some time alone.
Although she wanted to leave as soon as possible, Ruan Mingchu had a premonition that she would have to stay here for at least ten days to half a month.
Having stayed for such a long time, I naturally can't make my accommodations any less comfortable.
Ruan Mingchu chopped down a lot of wood, carefully dried it using fire-based skills, and then shaped it into suitable forms.
Before nightfall, a sturdy little house rose from the ground.
Ruan Mingchu stood at a distance, admiring his own artwork, and pushed Mu Yu over, inviting him to appreciate it together.
It must be said that it has absolutely no artistic sense and is completely utilitarian.
Mu Yu sincerely praised, "Great!"
Ruan Mingchu looked at the furniture carved by Mu Yu, each piece exquisite, and silently accepted the praise.
Dinner was the set meal that had been exchanged. Ruan Mingchu didn't feel like she had been processed at all; it tasted so fishy.
"Let's cook for ourselves," Mu Yu secretly put down his chopsticks and pushed the plate of food containing the meal toward Ruan Mingchu.
Ruan Mingchu fully agreed with the suggestion and pushed Ye Zi away.
In short, the dinner was disliked by both of them.
It's not a big deal to skip a meal, so I might as well not eat at all.
Ruan Mingchu remembered the food shortage in the west, so he picked up his chopsticks again and picked out the places he and Mu Yu had visited. He packed up the rest and planned to take them there later.
"I'm going to meet the boss here. You can rest for the night."
Mu Yu gave a muffled "hmm," knowing that his fishtail made it very inconvenient for him to go out.
Ruan Mingchu kissed Mu Xiaoyu's forehead: "Wait for me to come back."
Mu Yu nudged him, "Okay."
As soon as Ruan Mingchu left, Mu Yu spun his wheelchair to the stream and jumped in. Why not go hunting in the sea, then cook a delicious meal so Ruan Mingchu can enjoy a hot meal when he returns?
Every time Ruan Mingchu asked Mu Yu to wait in the same place, Mu Yu's personality meant that he would not obediently wait, but would do something else that he thought was acceptable.
Although Ruan Mingchu always said this, he knew that Mu Yu wouldn't be so obedient. Although Mu Xiaoyu seemed well-behaved, he wasn't really that well-behaved at heart.
After delivering the packaged meal to Yunniang, Ruan Mingchu left without waiting for her reaction.
During the day, Ruan Mingchu placed a mark on Qi Xing. Now, that mark acted like a guiding light, allowing Ruan Mingchu to easily locate Qi Xing.
Qi Xing's family was having dinner. The four of them were eating a set meal, the same one that Ruan Mingchu had switched to. The youngest boy was eating the fishy-smelling fish with a satisfied look on his face.
Ruan Mingchu sighed. He didn't believe that a child of ten or so could have committed many sins, including this kind-hearted Qi Xing, who was so kind to strangers. How bad could a person be?
These people have done nothing wrong, yet they have to endure such a miserable life here. It's a pity they can't choose their birth, otherwise everyone would want to start at the top of the pyramid.
Upon seeing this scene, Ruan Mingchu thought about many things, yet seemed to have come to no conclusion.
Ruan Mingchu waited quietly for them to finish their dinner. They ate the entire set meal, and made some noise while the little boy was licking the leaves.
"Who's there?" The older man inside was very alert. He immediately caught the slight movement from Ruan Mingchu and quickly chased after him.
Ruan Mingchu led him north.
To the west are the residences of people of low strength like Yunniang, in the middle are the residences of those in power like Qixing, to the east is a grove of trees, to the south is the shore, and only to the north is the place Ruan Mingchu has not yet been.