Chapter 44 - 40: Guo Xiaochun
"What’s this?" This was the second time Deng Guang had seen this strange thing. "I remember now, you pulled one of these up yesterday, didn’t you? Is it edible?"
"I don’t know, but we can try it when we get back." Qin Ziwen broke off a Gray Sweet Potato from the root.
Deng Guang found it peculiar. "I’ve never seen anything like this before."
Qin Ziwen put it in his backpack. "I’ve only found them in muddy areas. You guys should keep an eye out."
On the way back, they ended up finding seven Gray Sweet Potato plants in the muddy patches of the wilderness. They were scattered sparsely. The root tubers of two plants had bite marks, suggesting that some local animals ate Gray Sweet Potatoes.
On their return trip, he also set down the Earth Cage, sprinkling some earthworm meat inside and tying it to a tree on the bank with a rope.
Then he set up three more hidden snare traps not far from the Earth Cage, which would make them easy to check tomorrow.
"Can these traps actually catch anything?" Deng Guang had never seen a snare trap before, but he thought it looked quite professional.
Qin Ziwu said, "Yeah, they can. We’ve caught field mice with them before."
Deng Guang’s eyes lit up. "Then should we set up a few more?"
Qin Ziwen shook his head. "We’re out of rope. Setting these requires a specific kind of rope that’s slightly elastic but also has to be sturdy. Otherwise, whatever we catch will easily break free."
Deng Guang said without hesitation, "I think I have some at home. I’ll bring some out tomorrow!"
The Earth Cage and snares were set some distance from the Gated Community. This area was already beyond the residents’ "regular" search zone and was considered the wilderness. The only worry was that large wild animals, like the alligators, might be attracted by prey caught in the Earth Cage and destroy it from the outside.
Outside the east gate, a young man with glasses, a suit, and a very approachable smile had just finished talking to a few people ahead of them, handing them something.
Seeing Qin Ziwen’s group approach, the young man strode forward. "Hello, my name is Guo Xiaochun. I used to be in industry consulting. This is my business card."
He took the card. Printed on it was "Pegasus Human Resources Service Co., Ltd.," Mid-level Consultant, Guo Xiaochun. On the back, an address was written in marker: Building 6, Unit 2, Apartment 201.
Guo Xiaochun spoke with practiced ease, "Friends, would you mind telling me what kind of work you do? It’s fine if you’d rather not say. I’m currently compiling a list of talented people from all walks of life in our Gated Community. I believe that skills can be put to much greater use if they’re shared and exchanged.
If you need anything in the future, or even want to learn a certain skill—like carpentry, masonry, or if you need a doctor—I can connect you. Also, if you have a skill and want to trade your expertise for food, I can help you advertise.
And it’s not just about professional skills. If you need supplies, or want to put something up for sale, I can help you connect with suitable buyers and sellers. Time is money, after all. Sometimes, it’s a huge waste of time going door-to-door asking for something you need. I can connect you directly."
Qin Ziwen glanced at the business card, noting the address written on the back in marker: Building 6, Unit 2, Apartment 201. "This is interesting."
Guo Xiaochun gave a simple, honest smile. "I’m not in the best shape, so things like hunting outside aren’t really for me. This is what I used to do, so it’s like getting back to my old trade. Friends, my talent and skills consultations are free. If you want to list goods for sale, I won’t charge for that either—it’s all free advertising. I only charge a tiny fee for information brokering, but it’s definitely not much. I won’t make things difficult for you!"
Guo Xiaochun made a "little bit" gesture with his fingers. "Just enough to get by and not starve. I’m not greedy."
Guo Xiaochun had a baby face, making him seem harmless and very approachable.
"Hmm, what does ’information brokering’ entail?"
Guo Xiaochun chuckled. "Well... it’s for more sensitive information. Things you might not be comfortable handling yourself, so I step in for you. Don’t worry, client privacy is absolutely guaranteed. Of course, you can also sell information to me, or list it with me for sale."
’Sensitive information... things you might not be comfortable handling yourself...’
Several possibilities occurred to Qin Ziwen. He became thoughtful, then said jokingly, "Alright, then I wish you a prosperous and growing business. I’ll keep the card. If I need anything, I’ll look you up. Make sure to give me a discount when the time comes."
Guo Xiaochun put his hands together and thanked him repeatedly. "You got it! Thanks, man! Thanks, man!"
Qin Ziwen pocketed the card and was about to leave when a thought struck him. He stopped and asked, "Boss Guo, is anyone selling water in the Gated Community right now?"
Guo Xiaochun quickly replied, "Oh, I’m not worthy of being called Boss Guo. Just call me Xiaoguo. As for water, yes, there are sellers. A few neighbors told me they’re selling treated, cooled boiled water. But very few people are willing to buy, mainly because the river is right next to the Gated Community.
The river water here hasn’t been chemically polluted and has no heavy metals. You can drink it directly after filtering and boiling it. The technical skill required isn’t high. Although filtering it and gathering firewood is a bit of a hassle, no one is short on time right now. People would rather go through the trouble themselves than spend food to buy water. Besides, with something like water, many people feel more at ease preparing it themselves."
Qin Ziwen understood.
Now that he had an abundance of spring water at home, he had also considered whether to sell water to obtain other supplies.
But it seemed it wouldn’t be easy to sell.
There were two problems.
First, he knew the water from his spring was clean and safe to drink, but others didn’t. There was a trust gap. He couldn’t prove it unless he revealed the spring’s existence.
Second, water resources around the Gated Community were too abundant. After the alligators had been cleared out once, fetching water from the river had become much safer.
He temporarily gave up on the idea. It wasn’t a bad thing to store the water, anyway. Once he had farmland, he would need a large amount for daily irrigation.
Just as Qin Ziwen was about to leave again, Guo Xiaochun called out to him. "Hey, man. I can tell you guys are straightforward people. Let me give you a piece of news for free."
"Go ahead."
Guo Xiaochun said, "This afternoon, a neighbor was getting water when an alligator bit their leg and dragged them into the river. It seems the alligators in the river have gotten craftier. They can’t be easily lured onto the bank anymore and will only ambush people from the water."
"That happened today?"
"Yes, just this afternoon. You guys were out of the Gated Community all day, so you probably haven’t heard."
"Got it. Thanks."
After the three of them left, Guo Xiaochun straightened his sleeves. Seeing another group returning from the wilderness, he put on his standard smile and warmly went to greet them.
Deng Guang sighed. "So the riverbank isn’t safe again."
Qin Ziwen said in a grave voice, "It seems our fight with the alligators isn’t over. They just laid low for a couple of days, which made a lot of people let their guard down."
After they parted ways on the fifth floor, Qin Ziwen went to plant the Gray Sweet Potatoes at home, but there were too many of them and he didn’t have enough soil from before.
He and his brother went downstairs again to the Gated Community’s entrance to dig up several large bags of soil and carry them back home.
"I’m dead tired." Qin Ziwu put down the bag and pounded his lower back.
Qin Ziwen said, "We’re not done yet. We have to sift through the soil and pick out all the bugs and stuff, so they don’t eat the sweet potatoes."
Qin Ziwu stretched his muscles, jumped in place a few times, took a few deep breaths, and was suddenly full of energy again. "Alright!"
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