The apples were indeed delicious, and Bailuoluo was nibbling on his very earnestly.
Each of them held an apple in their hands as they nibbled their way to the place selling tree saplings.
The shop selling the tree saplings was a small one, but it had everything one might need. Once inside, Bailuoluo noticed several potted plants displayed under glass domes. Of course, most of these plants were hardy species that had survived from before the apocalypse, although their numbers had drastically decreased since then, making them endangered. Nevertheless, their value was nowhere near that of the Time Rose auctioned off previously.
“Mr. Li, are you here to collect the tree saplings you reserved earlier?” The owner of the small shop was a middle-aged woman with a lingering charm. Though there were signs of aging on her face, her demeanor was still quite captivating.
“Yes.” Li Guanshan had already informed the shop in advance. “I’m looking for plants that can survive in sandy soil.”
“No problem, this way.” The woman led them to the back of the shop.
Although the shop was small, it was well-equipped. The owner led them to the open courtyard behind the shop.
The courtyard was covered with glass domes, and the tree saplings Bailuoluo wanted to purchase were neatly arranged next to it.
“What kind of trees are these?” Li Guanshan asked as he squatted down to inspect them.
“They seem to be called poplar trees…” The woman said, “Oh, I’m not very sure about the name of this tree species before. Didn’t Mr. Li say you needed plants that can survive in the desert? These should be it.”
Bailuoluo seemed to recognize the species of trees. From the shape of the leaves, this species of tree resembled the root shoots of the poplar trees in their world. However, it was evident that the poplar trees in this world had undergone significant changes, with more developed root systems and darker-colored leaves. Plants that could survive in this world must have their own unique qualities.
“What are the conditions for the survival of these saplings?” Li Guanshan asked again.
“The survival of these saplings requires at least three plant-based ability users…” The woman replied.
Li Guanshan nodded.
The woman thought Li Guanshan would furrow his brows upon hearing that it required so many plant-based ability users, but to her surprise, he agreed without any change in expression. It seemed that the strength of the Li family was indeed not to be underestimated, the woman thought.
“And the price?” Li Guanshan inquired again.
“These tree saplings are special, so the price is slightly higher than usual.” The woman explained, “Since you’re a loyal customer of mine, I’ll give you a price of one hundred and fifty thousand each.”
Li Guanshan said, “Lower.”
The woman replied, “One hundred and forty-five thousand – that’s the lowest I can go. I really can’t go any lower.”
Li Guanshan counted the number of saplings and said, “Alright.”
The shopkeeper beamed with joy and asked, “So, are you taking them now?”
“It’s not me, it’s him,” Li Guanshan said as he brushed the dirt off his hands. “Let’s settle the bill.”
Bailuoluo then took out a card from his pocket, surprising the shopkeeper with a puzzled expression. Clearly, she hadn’t expected Bailuoluo to still possess his own assets. After all, old humans with collars around their necks were usually just appendages of the new humans. Except for Bailuoluo, who was a strange exception.
However, the shopkeeper was in the business of making sales, knowing that it was best not to be too curious about certain things. She didn’t inquire further and simply handed over the machine for Bailuoluo to swipe his card.
There were probably over a hundred saplings, and Bailuoluo ended up spending over ten million in one go, luckily, his savings were still sufficient.
“Please have the saplings delivered to our home,” Li Guanshan instructed.
The shopkeeper asked, “Mr. Li, when do you plan to plant them?”
Li Guanshan replied, “Probably in the next few days.”
The shopkeeper nodded.
After purchasing the saplings, the three of them wandered around the market for a while. Bailuoluo saw some familiar things at the market, but these items, which were very common before the apocalypse, had become particularly scarce afterward.
Li Qianqian took a fancy to a set of very well-preserved nesting dolls, her eyes almost popping out. The vendor selling the nesting dolls directly called out a price of ten million, stating that it was non-negotiable, and had an attitude of ‘buy it or get lost’.
Li Guanshan had no intention of helping Li Qianqian buy anything from start to finish. When Li Qianqian cried and said she wanted to buy, Li Guanshan simply said, “Don’t you have your own money to buy good food?”
Li Qianqian wiped her tears and endured it.
At the Spring Market, Li Guanshan bought a tender lamb. Before purchasing, he asked Bailuoluo if he knew how to cook lamb.
Bailuoluo replied, “Yes, but it requires a lot of spices. If we see any chili peppers, let’s buy some.” Chili peppers existed in this world, but they were equally expensive.
After paying for the items, Li Guanshan arranged for them to be delivered directly to the Li family. Bailuoluo asked if he wasn’t afraid of the delivery people running off. Li Guanshan smiled and said, “Unless they never enter the settlement of the new humans, otherwise, it’s suicide.”
After buying a lot of things, the three of them returned.
That evening, Bailuoluo slaughtered and roasted the young lamb. The meat was quite fatty, sizzling as it cooked. Bailuoluo sprinkled various spices and chili peppers on it, cutting deep marks into the meat with a knife to let the flavors seep in.
The entire yard was filled with the rich aroma of roasted lamb. Li Qianqian squatted beside Bailuoluo, unable to move her legs. Motuo also seemed excited, wagging his tail as he circled around Bailuoluo.
After several hours of roasting, the fresh roasted lamb was ready. Bailuoluo cut the meat into three portions and placed them on plates.
Then the three of them began to enjoy the meal.
The lamb was crispy on the outside, juicy and tender inside. Each bite was filled with savory flavor, and the meat melted in their mouths.
“Delicious!” Li Qianqian said with tears of joy.
“Yeah, delicious,” surprisingly echoed Li Guanshan.
Motuo watched nearby, drooling, and Bailuoluo gave him a piece of meat.
Although the meat was not much, the three of them were very satisfied. Li Qianqian even licked the spices off the plate earnestly, saying, “My biggest dream is to herd sheep!”
Bailuoluo chuckled. Indeed, in this world, those who could herd sheep were wealthy tycoons with fortunes worth millions.
Li Guanshan looked outside and said that there would be rain in a few days, so they could plant the saplings then.
Bailuoluo said, “But I haven’t thought about where to plant them yet.”
Li Guanshan said, “I can take you to see tomorrow.”
After dinner, the three of them sat at the door to rest. The cool breeze brushed their faces, giving Bailuoluo a feeling that he wasn’t in a post-apocalyptic world, but in an ordinary one. The moon was full overhead, and Li Qianqian sat beside Bailuoluo, munching on her favorite nuts. She mumbled, “Shuiyuan, what do you think is on the moon?”
Bailuoluo said, “There’s nothing there, just some mountains and rocks.”
Li Qianqian said, “Has anyone ever been up there?” Climbing to the moon was a very strange concept for people of their time. Leaving Earth required too many resources. While they had sufficient technological theories, they couldn’t find the minerals and resources needed to turn theory into reality.
“Yeah,” Bailuoluo said, “I guess someone has.”
As he spoke, he felt sleepy and fell asleep lying down. In the end, Li Guanshan carried him back to the room.
The next day, Li Guanshan accompanied Bailuoluo to see the planting location.
In Bailuoluo’s eyes, there was an endless desert, devoid of any grass or visible living creatures. But because of their previous experiences, Bailuoluo knew that this seemingly calm desert was actually dangerous, and no one knew what kind of creatures lurked within.
“Let’s plant them here,” Li Guanshan said. “When it rains, I’ll have some new human planters from the plant system come over to plant the saplings.”
Bailuoluo felt a little embarrassed and said, “I’m sorry to trouble you.”
“Well, but the survival rate of the saplings won’t be very high,” Li Guanshan said. “The loss of moisture is too fast.”
Bailuoluo said, “Um, I want to know if there’s a kind of grass that can grow in the desert?”
Li Guanshan said, “You mean desert grass? Yes, there is. Why do you ask?”
Bailuoluo briefly described to Li Guanshan the function of anti-desert grass nets, saying that planting grass in a grid pattern could help retain water and soil, and planting the saplings between these grasses might improve their survival rate a bit.
Li Guanshan said, “Grass is indeed easier to grow than trees. I’ll have them try it.”
Li Qianqian had other things to do today and didn’t come with them. After inspecting the sand, Li Guanshan asked Bailuoluo about Li Qianqian’s harmonica lessons.
Bailuoluo said, “She still hasn’t started learning.” He wanted to teach her, but Li Qianqian didn’t seem very interested in the harmonica, probably just a passing fancy.
“If she’s not learning, teach me,” Li Guanshan said. “I want to learn.”
Bailuoluo agreed.
However, although Bailuoluo readily agreed at the time, a question quickly arose: they only had one harmonica. After Bailuoluo played it, Li Guanshan took it from him without hesitation, not minding that Bailuoluo had just had it in his mouth, and put it in his own mouth.
“You, you should get familiar with the pronunciation method I just told you about,” Bailuoluo said, avoiding eye contact and feeling a bit flustered.
“Okay,” Li Guanshan said.
Motuo watched them curiously with his head tilted. Bailuoluo stroked Motuo’s soft fur as he explained to Li Guanshan. Li Guanshan was quite intelligent, and with Bailuoluo’s guidance, he quickly got the hang of it, although he was still a bit unfamiliar due to the short time.
“I’ll write down the tunes I remember in sheet music,” Bailuoluo suggested.
“Does the song ‘Birch Forest’ have lyrics?” Li Guanshan asked.
“Yes,” Bailuoluo said. “Do you want me to sing the lyrics for you?”
Li Guanshan nodded.
Bailuoluo began to sing the entire song “Birch Forest.” When he reached the part “The snow is still falling, the village is still peaceful, the young people disappear into the birch forest,” Li Guanshan suddenly asked, “In the end, did she finally wait?”
Bailuoluo smiled and said, “Yeah, she probably did.”
Spring was truly a beautiful season. Even in this world where the seasons were not clearly defined, Bailuoluo felt the beauty of spring.
The only downside was that Motuo had been acting a bit irritable lately, always following Bailuoluo around.
Bailuoluo was a bit troubled and mentioned this to Li Qianqian.
Li Qianqian said, “Oh my, he hasn’t done anything to you, has he?”
“What could he do?” Bailuoluo was puzzled. “What should he do to me?”
Li Qianqian said, “N-nothing, I was just asking. Aren’t you afraid that Motuo’s temper will hurt you?”
“That’s not it,” Bailuoluo said a bit embarrassedly, his ears turning red. He stammered, “It’s just that when I’m taking a bath, he always licks me…” There were even several times when Motuo’s actions caused a reaction from Bailuoluo. Of course, the end result was that Bailuoluo drove Motuo out of the bathing area.
Li Qianqian sighed deeply and said, “Shuiyuan, if you’re not happy, just reach out and beat him, knock him down, and he won’t dare anymore.”
Bailuoluo thought to himself that he had indeed knocked him down before; Motuo was so heavy that he could be pinned down with just a push. However, considering his current height and weight, fighting Motuo was like hitting a stone with an egg.
But Bailuoluo still braved it and said, “Then… I’ll give it a try?”
Li Qianqian patted Bailuoluo’s shoulder and sighed deeply.
As spring approached, the atmosphere at the Spring Market became increasingly lively.
Li Guanshan and Li Qianqian became busier, probably because the Li family also wanted to make more deals during this time.
Of course, more people at the Spring Market also meant more conflicts. One day, a large-scale brawl erupted on the street. Bailuoluo was still sleeping at home when he heard a loud noise. Looking out the window, he saw thick black smoke rising into the sky, indicating a fire somewhere.
“Motuo,” Bailuoluo called Motuo’s name, and Motuo also got up from the bed.
“What’s happening outside?” Bailuoluo asked.
Motuo howled a few times, but Bailuoluo couldn’t understand. He went downstairs, intending to go out, but was stopped by the guards from the Li family.
The guard said, “I’m sorry, Master Bai ordered that you cannot go out during the Spring Market.”
Bailuoluo frowned.
The guard continued, “If you insist on going out, we’ll have to arrange for two people to accompany you.”
“Okay, forget it then,” Bailuoluo said, turning back to his room.
Motuo glanced at the guard thoughtfully, and the guard’s expression froze for a moment.
Although they were all concerned about Bai Luoluo’s safety, staying in the house was indeed boring for him. The system had been cracking sunflower seeds so often recently that it seemed almost dysfunctional, hardly saying anything to Bai Luoluo. Whenever Bai Luoluo asked something, the system seemed a bit out of it.
Bai Luoluo said, “Stop cracking seeds; I’m afraid you’ll crack the program.”
The system said, “It’s, it’s okay, I, I won’t ruin it.”
Bai Luoluo: “…” He had heard of alcoholics and smokers, but never seed addicts. But judging from the system’s behavior, it was basically a broken system.
Feeling bored, Bai Luoluo sat on the bed lost in thought.
Mo Tuo slowly gnawed Bai Luoluo’s hand with his teeth, his tongue licking slowly.
Bai Luoluo felt his fingers tickling, and he hummed, “Mo Tuo, why have you been licking my hand more lately?”
Mo Tuo also hummed, his slightly aggrieved humming sounding particularly cute to Bai Luoluo, making him reluctant to scold him.
But whether it was Bai Luoluo’s illusion or not, every time after Mo Tuo licked him, his body would feel hot. It wasn’t just the usual warmth; it was a kind of warmth Bai Luoluo felt embarrassed to describe.
Today was no exception. Bai Luoluo’s face gradually turned red, and he reached out to pat Mo Tuo’s forehead, saying, “Mo Tuo, stop licking.”
Mo Tuo switched from fingers to arms.
Bai Luoluo couldn’t stand the itchiness anymore; he grabbed Mo Tuo’s two ice-cold ears and said, “Mo Tuo—stop licking, or I’ll be mad!”
Mo Tuo patted Bai Luoluo’s cheek with his paw pad.
Bai Luoluo said, “Even if you use your paw pad—it’s not okay—no!”
Mo Tuo looked sulky, ears drooping down, looking as if he had been wronged, as if Bai Luoluo didn’t love him anymore.
Normally, Bai Luoluo would have given in, but not today. He said, “Mo Tuo, go out; I want to sleep.”
Mo Tuo whimpered.
“Out, out, quickly,” Bai Luoluo’s breathing grew heavier; he said, “Otherwise, I won’t like you anymore.”
Perhaps Bai Luoluo’s threat had an effect; Mo Tuo finally reluctantly climbed off Bai Luoluo and slowly went out.
Bai Luoluo took a deep breath and quickly went to the bathroom to wash his face, trying to clear his mind.
There was a small mirror hanging in the bathroom. Bai Luoluo saw his flushed face and watery eyes in the mirror, as if he had just done something he shouldn’t have.
Bai Luoluo couldn’t help but curse. If Mo Tuo had stayed a little longer, he would have probably had an inappropriate reaction.
But why was this happening? Was it because spring had arrived?
While Bai Luoluo was washing his face, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door. He asked, “Who is it?”
“I.” The voice of Li Guanshan came through.
“Guanshan, what’s up?” Bai Luoluo went to open the door.
“What’s wrong with you?” Li Guanshan’s gaze fell on Bai Luoluo’s face.
“N-nothing.” Bai Luoluo stammered. He was probably still confused from Mo Tuo’s licking, as he could now smell a strong scent emanating from Li Guanshan’s body. It was a scent he had never encountered before, utterly indescribable. But if he had to describe it, he could sense the feeling of spring in this scent.
Rich, full of vitality, with a hint of restlessness.
“Are you sure?” Li Guanshan said.
Bai Luoluo lowered his eyes, droplets of water still clinging to his chin from washing his face moments ago. He murmured, “Really, it’s nothing…”
Li Guanshan reached out and pinched his chin, lifting his face up. He said, “Nothing? Then why is your face so red?”
With this action, he brought himself even closer to Bai Luoluo. Bai Luoluo felt the breath hitting his face, Li Guanshan’s expression still cold, as if the eager breath was just Bai Luoluo’s imagination.
“I… I’m really fine.” Bai Luoluo shook off Li Guanshan’s hand in a panic, stepping back. “I’m going to bed, goodnight.” He then tried to close the door.
But Li Guanshan reached out and stopped the door from closing.
Bai Luoluo looked at him in astonishment.
Li Guanshan took a step forward, entering Bai Luoluo’s room. He looked around and said, “Are you really okay?”
Bai Luoluo pursed his lips, reluctantly grunting in agreement.
“Alright.” Li Guanshan turned and left the room, saying, “Goodnight.”
Bai Luoluo watched the door being closed, finally heaving a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, he quickly went to the bathroom. Honestly, if Li Guanshan hadn’t left, Bai Luoluo felt he would have been discovered in this state. After all, he was only wearing boxer shorts underneath, and any reaction would have been quite revealing.
However, just as Bai Luoluo finished dealing with the situation, the knocking sound echoed once again.
Bai Luoluo felt a headache coming on. He sluggishly walked to the door and opened it, seeing Li Guanshan standing outside.
Li Guanshan said, “Done?”
Bai Luoluo’s face instantly flushed red. He knew Li Guanshan had a mischievous side, but he never expected him to be so straightforward about it.
“Oh, I have something to discuss with you,” Li Guanshan said, his expression still calm, as if he couldn’t see Bai Luoluo’s blushing face or smell the faint scent in the room. He continued, “Do you have time now?”
Bai Luoluo nodded in despair.
Li Guanshan asked, “Coming out?”
Bai Luoluo felt like crying. He said, “I… I’ll go wash my hands.”
Li Guanshan said, “Okay.”
Bai Luoluo went to wash his hands in a daze, then came out in the same state. Li Guanshan was still teasing him, saying, “Pretty quick.”
Bai Luoluo wanted to say that if he didn’t hurry, what would Li Guanshan have done if he had knocked on the door when Bai Luoluo was still dealing with the situation?
Then Li Guanshan, that jerk, said, “Needs more touching up.”
At this moment, Bai Luoluo finally empathized with Li Qianshan. Having such a brother made him want to howl.
Li Guanshan took Bai Luoluo to the study and took out a map.
Bai Luoluo immediately understood Li Guanshan’s intention and asked, “You want to go look for ancient relics again?”
Li Guanshan nodded.
Bai Luoluo sighed, “I do know a few, but they seem quite troublesome.”
Li Guanshan said, “Tell me about them.”
Bai Luoluo took out a pen and drew a circle on the map.
Li Guanshan looked at the spot Bai Luoluo marked and said, “Indeed, it seems a bit troublesome.”
Bai Luoluo said, “This one is relatively simple… The others are even more troublesome.” He was puzzled and asked, “Don’t you have enough money? Why risk going to ancient relics to find these things?”
Li Guanshan replied, “Without finding something to do, I feel bored. Don’t you also feel restless?”
Bai Luoluo was speechless. He had a feeling that what happened just now wouldn’t be easily forgotten…
Mo Tuo somehow sneaked in at some point and was now lying behind Bai Luoluo. Bai Luoluo, feeling helpless, said, “Alright, as long as you’re happy.”
Li Guanshan chuckled.
The apples were indeed delicious, and Bailuoluo was nibbling on his very earnestly.
Each of them held an apple in their hands as they nibbled their way to the place selling tree saplings.
The shop selling the tree saplings was a small one, but it had everything one might need. Once inside, Bailuoluo noticed several potted plants displayed under glass domes. Of course, most of these plants were hardy species that had survived from before the apocalypse, although their numbers had drastically decreased since then, making them endangered. Nevertheless, their value was nowhere near that of the Time Rose auctioned off previously.
“Mr. Li, are you here to collect the tree saplings you reserved earlier?” The owner of the small shop was a middle-aged woman with a lingering charm. Though there were signs of aging on her face, her demeanor was still quite captivating.
“Yes.” Li Guanshan had already informed the shop in advance. “I’m looking for plants that can survive in sandy soil.”
“No problem, this way.” The woman led them to the back of the shop.
Although the shop was small, it was well-equipped. The owner led them to the open courtyard behind the shop.
The courtyard was covered with glass domes, and the tree saplings Bailuoluo wanted to purchase were neatly arranged next to it.
“What kind of trees are these?” Li Guanshan asked as he squatted down to inspect them.
“They seem to be called poplar trees…” The woman said, “Oh, I’m not very sure about the name of this tree species before. Didn’t Mr. Li say you needed plants that can survive in the desert? These should be it.”
Bailuoluo seemed to recognize the species of trees. From the shape of the leaves, this species of tree resembled the root shoots of the poplar trees in their world. However, it was evident that the poplar trees in this world had undergone significant changes, with more developed root systems and darker-colored leaves. Plants that could survive in this world must have their own unique qualities.
“What are the conditions for the survival of these saplings?” Li Guanshan asked again.
“The survival of these saplings requires at least three plant-based ability users…” The woman replied.
Li Guanshan nodded.
The woman thought Li Guanshan would furrow his brows upon hearing that it required so many plant-based ability users, but to her surprise, he agreed without any change in expression. It seemed that the strength of the Li family was indeed not to be underestimated, the woman thought.
“And the price?” Li Guanshan inquired again.
“These tree saplings are special, so the price is slightly higher than usual.” The woman explained, “Since you’re a loyal customer of mine, I’ll give you a price of one hundred and fifty thousand each.”
Li Guanshan said, “Lower.”
The woman replied, “One hundred and forty-five thousand – that’s the lowest I can go. I really can’t go any lower.”
Li Guanshan counted the number of saplings and said, “Alright.”
The shopkeeper beamed with joy and asked, “So, are you taking them now?”
“It’s not me, it’s him,” Li Guanshan said as he brushed the dirt off his hands. “Let’s settle the bill.”
Bailuoluo then took out a card from his pocket, surprising the shopkeeper with a puzzled expression. Clearly, she hadn’t expected Bailuoluo to still possess his own assets. After all, old humans with collars around their necks were usually just appendages of the new humans. Except for Bailuoluo, who was a strange exception.
However, the shopkeeper was in the business of making sales, knowing that it was best not to be too curious about certain things. She didn’t inquire further and simply handed over the machine for Bailuoluo to swipe his card.
There were probably over a hundred saplings, and Bailuoluo ended up spending over ten million in one go, luckily, his savings were still sufficient.
“Please have the saplings delivered to our home,” Li Guanshan instructed.
The shopkeeper asked, “Mr. Li, when do you plan to plant them?”
Li Guanshan replied, “Probably in the next few days.”
The shopkeeper nodded.
After purchasing the saplings, the three of them wandered around the market for a while. Bailuoluo saw some familiar things at the market, but these items, which were very common before the apocalypse, had become particularly scarce afterward.
Li Qianqian took a fancy to a set of very well-preserved nesting dolls, her eyes almost popping out. The vendor selling the nesting dolls directly called out a price of ten million, stating that it was non-negotiable, and had an attitude of ‘buy it or get lost’.
Li Guanshan had no intention of helping Li Qianqian buy anything from start to finish. When Li Qianqian cried and said she wanted to buy, Li Guanshan simply said, “Don’t you have your own money to buy good food?”
Li Qianqian wiped her tears and endured it.
At the Spring Market, Li Guanshan bought a tender lamb. Before purchasing, he asked Bailuoluo if he knew how to cook lamb.
Bailuoluo replied, “Yes, but it requires a lot of spices. If we see any chili peppers, let’s buy some.” Chili peppers existed in this world, but they were equally expensive.
After paying for the items, Li Guanshan arranged for them to be delivered directly to the Li family. Bailuoluo asked if he wasn’t afraid of the delivery people running off. Li Guanshan smiled and said, “Unless they never enter the settlement of the new humans, otherwise, it’s suicide.”
After buying a lot of things, the three of them returned.
That evening, Bailuoluo slaughtered and roasted the young lamb. The meat was quite fatty, sizzling as it cooked. Bailuoluo sprinkled various spices and chili peppers on it, cutting deep marks into the meat with a knife to let the flavors seep in.
The entire yard was filled with the rich aroma of roasted lamb. Li Qianqian squatted beside Bailuoluo, unable to move her legs. Motuo also seemed excited, wagging his tail as he circled around Bailuoluo.
After several hours of roasting, the fresh roasted lamb was ready. Bailuoluo cut the meat into three portions and placed them on plates.
Then the three of them began to enjoy the meal.
The lamb was crispy on the outside, juicy and tender inside. Each bite was filled with savory flavor, and the meat melted in their mouths.
“Delicious!” Li Qianqian said with tears of joy.
“Yeah, delicious,” surprisingly echoed Li Guanshan.
Motuo watched nearby, drooling, and Bailuoluo gave him a piece of meat.
Although the meat was not much, the three of them were very satisfied. Li Qianqian even licked the spices off the plate earnestly, saying, “My biggest dream is to herd sheep!”
Bailuoluo chuckled. Indeed, in this world, those who could herd sheep were wealthy tycoons with fortunes worth millions.
Li Guanshan looked outside and said that there would be rain in a few days, so they could plant the saplings then.
Bailuoluo said, “But I haven’t thought about where to plant them yet.”
Li Guanshan said, “I can take you to see tomorrow.”
After dinner, the three of them sat at the door to rest. The cool breeze brushed their faces, giving Bailuoluo a feeling that he wasn’t in a post-apocalyptic world, but in an ordinary one. The moon was full overhead, and Li Qianqian sat beside Bailuoluo, munching on her favorite nuts. She mumbled, “Shuiyuan, what do you think is on the moon?”
Bailuoluo said, “There’s nothing there, just some mountains and rocks.”
Li Qianqian said, “Has anyone ever been up there?” Climbing to the moon was a very strange concept for people of their time. Leaving Earth required too many resources. While they had sufficient technological theories, they couldn’t find the minerals and resources needed to turn theory into reality.
“Yeah,” Bailuoluo said, “I guess someone has.”
As he spoke, he felt sleepy and fell asleep lying down. In the end, Li Guanshan carried him back to the room.
The next day, Li Guanshan accompanied Bailuoluo to see the planting location.
In Bailuoluo’s eyes, there was an endless desert, devoid of any grass or visible living creatures. But because of their previous experiences, Bailuoluo knew that this seemingly calm desert was actually dangerous, and no one knew what kind of creatures lurked within.
“Let’s plant them here,” Li Guanshan said. “When it rains, I’ll have some new human planters from the plant system come over to plant the saplings.”
Bailuoluo felt a little embarrassed and said, “I’m sorry to trouble you.”
“Well, but the survival rate of the saplings won’t be very high,” Li Guanshan said. “The loss of moisture is too fast.”
Bailuoluo said, “Um, I want to know if there’s a kind of grass that can grow in the desert?”
Li Guanshan said, “You mean desert grass? Yes, there is. Why do you ask?”
Bailuoluo briefly described to Li Guanshan the function of anti-desert grass nets, saying that planting grass in a grid pattern could help retain water and soil, and planting the saplings between these grasses might improve their survival rate a bit.
Li Guanshan said, “Grass is indeed easier to grow than trees. I’ll have them try it.”
Li Qianqian had other things to do today and didn’t come with them. After inspecting the sand, Li Guanshan asked Bailuoluo about Li Qianqian’s harmonica lessons.
Bailuoluo said, “She still hasn’t started learning.” He wanted to teach her, but Li Qianqian didn’t seem very interested in the harmonica, probably just a passing fancy.
“If she’s not learning, teach me,” Li Guanshan said. “I want to learn.”
Bailuoluo agreed.
However, although Bailuoluo readily agreed at the time, a question quickly arose: they only had one harmonica. After Bailuoluo played it, Li Guanshan took it from him without hesitation, not minding that Bailuoluo had just had it in his mouth, and put it in his own mouth.
“You, you should get familiar with the pronunciation method I just told you about,” Bailuoluo said, avoiding eye contact and feeling a bit flustered.
“Okay,” Li Guanshan said.
Motuo watched them curiously with his head tilted. Bailuoluo stroked Motuo’s soft fur as he explained to Li Guanshan. Li Guanshan was quite intelligent, and with Bailuoluo’s guidance, he quickly got the hang of it, although he was still a bit unfamiliar due to the short time.
“I’ll write down the tunes I remember in sheet music,” Bailuoluo suggested.
“Does the song ‘Birch Forest’ have lyrics?” Li Guanshan asked.
“Yes,” Bailuoluo said. “Do you want me to sing the lyrics for you?”
Li Guanshan nodded.
Bailuoluo began to sing the entire song “Birch Forest.” When he reached the part “The snow is still falling, the village is still peaceful, the young people disappear into the birch forest,” Li Guanshan suddenly asked, “In the end, did she finally wait?”
Bailuoluo smiled and said, “Yeah, she probably did.”
Spring was truly a beautiful season. Even in this world where the seasons were not clearly defined, Bailuoluo felt the beauty of spring.
The only downside was that Motuo had been acting a bit irritable lately, always following Bailuoluo around.
Bailuoluo was a bit troubled and mentioned this to Li Qianqian.
Li Qianqian said, “Oh my, he hasn’t done anything to you, has he?”
“What could he do?” Bailuoluo was puzzled. “What should he do to me?”
Li Qianqian said, “N-nothing, I was just asking. Aren’t you afraid that Motuo’s temper will hurt you?”
“That’s not it,” Bailuoluo said a bit embarrassedly, his ears turning red. He stammered, “It’s just that when I’m taking a bath, he always licks me…” There were even several times when Motuo’s actions caused a reaction from Bailuoluo. Of course, the end result was that Bailuoluo drove Motuo out of the bathing area.
Li Qianqian sighed deeply and said, “Shuiyuan, if you’re not happy, just reach out and beat him, knock him down, and he won’t dare anymore.”
Bailuoluo thought to himself that he had indeed knocked him down before; Motuo was so heavy that he could be pinned down with just a push. However, considering his current height and weight, fighting Motuo was like hitting a stone with an egg.
But Bailuoluo still braved it and said, “Then… I’ll give it a try?”
Li Qianqian patted Bailuoluo’s shoulder and sighed deeply.
As spring approached, the atmosphere at the Spring Market became increasingly lively.
Li Guanshan and Li Qianqian became busier, probably because the Li family also wanted to make more deals during this time.
Of course, more people at the Spring Market also meant more conflicts. One day, a large-scale brawl erupted on the street. Bailuoluo was still sleeping at home when he heard a loud noise. Looking out the window, he saw thick black smoke rising into the sky, indicating a fire somewhere.
“Motuo,” Bailuoluo called Motuo’s name, and Motuo also got up from the bed.
“What’s happening outside?” Bailuoluo asked.
Motuo howled a few times, but Bailuoluo couldn’t understand. He went downstairs, intending to go out, but was stopped by the guards from the Li family.
The guard said, “I’m sorry, Master Bai ordered that you cannot go out during the Spring Market.”
Bailuoluo frowned.
The guard continued, “If you insist on going out, we’ll have to arrange for two people to accompany you.”
“Okay, forget it then,” Bailuoluo said, turning back to his room.
Motuo glanced at the guard thoughtfully, and the guard’s expression froze for a moment.
Although they were all concerned about Bai Luoluo’s safety, staying in the house was indeed boring for him. The system had been cracking sunflower seeds so often recently that it seemed almost dysfunctional, hardly saying anything to Bai Luoluo. Whenever Bai Luoluo asked something, the system seemed a bit out of it.
Bai Luoluo said, “Stop cracking seeds; I’m afraid you’ll crack the program.”
The system said, “It’s, it’s okay, I, I won’t ruin it.”
Bai Luoluo: “…” He had heard of alcoholics and smokers, but never seed addicts. But judging from the system’s behavior, it was basically a broken system.
Feeling bored, Bai Luoluo sat on the bed lost in thought.
Mo Tuo slowly gnawed Bai Luoluo’s hand with his teeth, his tongue licking slowly.
Bai Luoluo felt his fingers tickling, and he hummed, “Mo Tuo, why have you been licking my hand more lately?”
Mo Tuo also hummed, his slightly aggrieved humming sounding particularly cute to Bai Luoluo, making him reluctant to scold him.
But whether it was Bai Luoluo’s illusion or not, every time after Mo Tuo licked him, his body would feel hot. It wasn’t just the usual warmth; it was a kind of warmth Bai Luoluo felt embarrassed to describe.
Today was no exception. Bai Luoluo’s face gradually turned red, and he reached out to pat Mo Tuo’s forehead, saying, “Mo Tuo, stop licking.”
Mo Tuo switched from fingers to arms.
Bai Luoluo couldn’t stand the itchiness anymore; he grabbed Mo Tuo’s two ice-cold ears and said, “Mo Tuo—stop licking, or I’ll be mad!”
Mo Tuo patted Bai Luoluo’s cheek with his paw pad.
Bai Luoluo said, “Even if you use your paw pad—it’s not okay—no!”
Mo Tuo looked sulky, ears drooping down, looking as if he had been wronged, as if Bai Luoluo didn’t love him anymore.
Normally, Bai Luoluo would have given in, but not today. He said, “Mo Tuo, go out; I want to sleep.”
Mo Tuo whimpered.
“Out, out, quickly,” Bai Luoluo’s breathing grew heavier; he said, “Otherwise, I won’t like you anymore.”
Perhaps Bai Luoluo’s threat had an effect; Mo Tuo finally reluctantly climbed off Bai Luoluo and slowly went out.
Bai Luoluo took a deep breath and quickly went to the bathroom to wash his face, trying to clear his mind.
There was a small mirror hanging in the bathroom. Bai Luoluo saw his flushed face and watery eyes in the mirror, as if he had just done something he shouldn’t have.
Bai Luoluo couldn’t help but curse. If Mo Tuo had stayed a little longer, he would have probably had an inappropriate reaction.
But why was this happening? Was it because spring had arrived?
While Bai Luoluo was washing his face, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door. He asked, “Who is it?”
“I.” The voice of Li Guanshan came through.
“Guanshan, what’s up?” Bai Luoluo went to open the door.
“What’s wrong with you?” Li Guanshan’s gaze fell on Bai Luoluo’s face.
“N-nothing.” Bai Luoluo stammered. He was probably still confused from Mo Tuo’s licking, as he could now smell a strong scent emanating from Li Guanshan’s body. It was a scent he had never encountered before, utterly indescribable. But if he had to describe it, he could sense the feeling of spring in this scent.
Rich, full of vitality, with a hint of restlessness.
“Are you sure?” Li Guanshan said.
Bai Luoluo lowered his eyes, droplets of water still clinging to his chin from washing his face moments ago. He murmured, “Really, it’s nothing…”
Li Guanshan reached out and pinched his chin, lifting his face up. He said, “Nothing? Then why is your face so red?”
With this action, he brought himself even closer to Bai Luoluo. Bai Luoluo felt the breath hitting his face, Li Guanshan’s expression still cold, as if the eager breath was just Bai Luoluo’s imagination.
“I… I’m really fine.” Bai Luoluo shook off Li Guanshan’s hand in a panic, stepping back. “I’m going to bed, goodnight.” He then tried to close the door.
But Li Guanshan reached out and stopped the door from closing.
Bai Luoluo looked at him in astonishment.
Li Guanshan took a step forward, entering Bai Luoluo’s room. He looked around and said, “Are you really okay?”
Bai Luoluo pursed his lips, reluctantly grunting in agreement.
“Alright.” Li Guanshan turned and left the room, saying, “Goodnight.”
Bai Luoluo watched the door being closed, finally heaving a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, he quickly went to the bathroom. Honestly, if Li Guanshan hadn’t left, Bai Luoluo felt he would have been discovered in this state. After all, he was only wearing boxer shorts underneath, and any reaction would have been quite revealing.
However, just as Bai Luoluo finished dealing with the situation, the knocking sound echoed once again.
Bai Luoluo felt a headache coming on. He sluggishly walked to the door and opened it, seeing Li Guanshan standing outside.
Li Guanshan said, “Done?”
Bai Luoluo’s face instantly flushed red. He knew Li Guanshan had a mischievous side, but he never expected him to be so straightforward about it.
“Oh, I have something to discuss with you,” Li Guanshan said, his expression still calm, as if he couldn’t see Bai Luoluo’s blushing face or smell the faint scent in the room. He continued, “Do you have time now?”
Bai Luoluo nodded in despair.
Li Guanshan asked, “Coming out?”
Bai Luoluo felt like crying. He said, “I… I’ll go wash my hands.”
Li Guanshan said, “Okay.”
Bai Luoluo went to wash his hands in a daze, then came out in the same state. Li Guanshan was still teasing him, saying, “Pretty quick.”
Bai Luoluo wanted to say that if he didn’t hurry, what would Li Guanshan have done if he had knocked on the door when Bai Luoluo was still dealing with the situation?
Then Li Guanshan, that jerk, said, “Needs more touching up.”
At this moment, Bai Luoluo finally empathized with Li Qianshan. Having such a brother made him want to howl.
Li Guanshan took Bai Luoluo to the study and took out a map.
Bai Luoluo immediately understood Li Guanshan’s intention and asked, “You want to go look for ancient relics again?”
Li Guanshan nodded.
Bai Luoluo sighed, “I do know a few, but they seem quite troublesome.”
Li Guanshan said, “Tell me about them.”
Bai Luoluo took out a pen and drew a circle on the map.
Li Guanshan looked at the spot Bai Luoluo marked and said, “Indeed, it seems a bit troublesome.”
Bai Luoluo said, “This one is relatively simple… The others are even more troublesome.” He was puzzled and asked, “Don’t you have enough money? Why risk going to ancient relics to find these things?”
Li Guanshan replied, “Without finding something to do, I feel bored. Don’t you also feel restless?”
Bai Luoluo was speechless. He had a feeling that what happened just now wouldn’t be easily forgotten…
Mo Tuo somehow sneaked in at some point and was now lying behind Bai Luoluo. Bai Luoluo, feeling helpless, said, “Alright, as long as you’re happy.”
Li Guanshan chuckled.
