The aircraft flew forward all the way, following the route it took to arrive here in the first place, heading back towards the direction of the base.
As they passed the location where the mist beasts had been killed before, Bai Luoluo noticed that the clean water puddles on the ground had disappeared, leaving only desolation behind.
Curiously, Bai Luoluo asked, “How do the new humans drink water now?”
“We have developed people with water-based abilities, and there are also some high-end technologies for storing water. The new type of water source we carry is like this,” replied Li Qianqian, answering Bai Luoluo’s question. She continued, “There are quite a few new humans with water abilities… so the water supply is still sufficient.”
Bai Luoluo asked, “So you don’t have anyone with plant-based abilities?”
“We do have them now, but although plant-based abilities can create vegetation temporarily, the conditions for the existence of those plants are quite harsh,” Li Qianqian said. “And the ability users don’t have enough energy to sustain them for too long.”
“I see,” Bai Luoluo nodded thoughtfully.
This time, when they went to the base, although they hadn’t found anything particularly valuable, they did discover a hand gun and a scale. However, the harmonica that the monster gave to Li Qianqian turned out to be quite rare.
According to Li Qianqian, the price of this harmonica might be similar to the sniper rifle Li Guanshan bought last time.
Upon returning home, Bai Luoluo finally could take off his heavy clothes and put on a thin T-shirt and pants.
The three of them rested well for a day before meeting again in the living room.
Bai Luoluo slept deeply, but was eventually awakened by Motuo’s rough licking. The big cat lay on him, wagging its tail excitedly, and licking Bai Luoluo’s face with its pink tongue, looking satisfied.
Bai Luoluo opened his eyes, feeling both amused and exasperated, and used his fingers to pull Motuo’s ears, which were cooler than his body temperature, saying, “Alright, alright, stop licking.”
Motuo whimpered playfully.
The tongues of felids have barbs on them, but since Motuo wasn’t using much force, Bai Luoluo didn’t feel much discomfort. He pinched Motuo’s thick paw pads and watched as the big cat’s claws retracted, saying, “Hmm… I’ll go change and then we can go out.”
He had only worn boxer shorts to bed, and when he climbed out of bed, he didn’t avoid Motuo, slowly changing clothes in front of him.
Motuo obediently squatted on the bed behind him, ears occasionally twitching, looking incredibly well-behaved, without any hint of the fierce aura typical of large carnivores.
After changing his clothes, Bai Luoluo saw Li Qianqian and Li Guanshan in the living room.
Li Qianqian was eating the nutrient solution in front of her with a bitter expression, and Li Guanshan’s face was also expressionless. Although they showed different expressions, Bai Luoluo could tell that both siblings despised the taste of the nutrient solution in front of them.
Recalling the taste of the nutrient solution he had eaten before and thinking about its green color, Bai Luoluo also felt that his appetite had decreased by half. He tentatively suggested, “How about we go catch some edible animals? I can cook for you.”
Li Qianqian immediately put down the nutrient solution in her hand, her face full of excitement as she said, “Water source? What kind of animals can we eat?”
Bai Luoluo recalled and said, “Ants, grasshoppers, rats, um… most small arthropods and mammals are edible.”
Li Qianqian wiped her mouth and said, “Wait here.” She waved to Motuo and then turned and left.
Li Guanshan sat there the whole time, neither objecting nor approving, but the speed of drinking the green nutrient solution slowed down significantly, and eventually, he just left it untouched by his side.
Bai Luoluo was a bit wary of Li Guanshan at first, especially since he had just arrived in this world and had been severely beaten by Li Guanshan, causing him a concussion. However, after spending time together, Bai Luoluo found that Li Guanshan was actually not a bad person. Still, he didn’t know how to start a conversation with Li Guanshan, so he quietly sat beside the system, munching on sunflower seeds.
The system in this world had a lot of free time, so the time spent munching on sunflower seeds had increased significantly. It was said that the system had ordered several hundred kilograms of sunflower seeds online to stock up. Hearing this, Bai Luoluo thought to himself that it’s a good thing the system was just data; otherwise, it might have chewed itself to pieces with all those seeds.
Li Qianqian returned quickly, in just over ten minutes. She was holding several plump ants in her hands.
These ants were almost half a meter in size, and Li Qianqian had threaded them onto a string and carried them back like that.
“How can ants be eaten?” Li Guanshan frowned upon seeing them.
“But ants are arthropods,” Li Qianqian said. “We only encountered some ants. If we want to catch rats, we’ll have to wait. Don’t be fooled by these ants; Motuo put in quite a bit of effort to catch them.”
Li Guanshan forced a smile and said, “Oh, I see. He must have worked hard.”
Li Qianqian grinned happily.
Bai Luoluo felt that the atmosphere between them was a bit strange, but he didn’t dwell on it. He said, “Ants can be eaten, and they taste pretty good.”
“Really? Really?” Li Qianqian exclaimed excitedly. “Water source, you’re our lucky charm, our little treasure.”
Bai Luoluo: “… Can we not be so disgusting?”
So Li Guanshan started a fire, and Bai Luoluo began cooking the ant meat.
The ants here were much larger, so there was more meat. After cutting open their hard black shells, the meat inside was milky white and very tender. The only downside was the slightly insect-like taste. However, if handled properly, the texture was somewhat similar to shrimp meat that Bai Luoluo had eaten in the real world.
Bai Luoluo asked for salt and water, then carefully washed the meat before marinating it.
Spices in this world were extremely expensive, and although there was a small amount of production, they were mainly reserved for the most elite new humans. The Li family also had spices, but since no one in their family had ever cooked, the spices they obtained were almost all left to gather dust in the warehouse. Now, Bai Luoluo was putting them to use.
While stir-frying the ant meat, Bai Luoluo used these spices. He bent over the stone pot, sweating as drops trickled down his face and dripped into the fire.
Li Qianqian sniffed the aroma and savored the rich scent of the meat, propping up her chin with a look of fascination. She leaned close to Li Guanshan and whispered something only they could hear, “Brother, are you going to make a move or not? If you don’t, I will.”
Li Guanshan glanced at Li Qianqian but didn’t say anything.
Li Qianqian pouted. From Motuo’s attitude, she could tell what her brother was thinking. If her brother really wasn’t interested in Jiang Shuiyuan, Motuo wouldn’t be so close to Jiang Shuiyuan…
Disappointed, Li Qianqian said, “Oh, never mind.”
Ignoring Li Qianqian, Li Guanshan spoke words that all three of them could hear. He said, “Li Qianqian, are you selling that harmonica or not?”
“Nope,” Li Qianqian said. “I’m still waiting for Water Source to play it for me.” She took out the well-wrapped harmonica from her pocket and handed it to Bai Luoluo, saying, “Water source, I cleaned it yesterday. Will you play it for me?”
Bai Luoluo nodded and said, “Sure, I’ll play it for you after dinner. But just so you know, I’m not very good at it.”
However, Li Qianqian was still very excited.
After the ant meat was cooked, the three of them enjoyed it heartily.
Eating real food after consuming nutrient solutions made everything taste incredibly delicious. Li Qianqian praised Bai Luoluo with her sweet words, almost idolizing him.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Bai Luoluo said, “It’s not that good.”
Little did he know that Li Guanshan also said, “It’s very delicious.”
Motuo, on the side, nodded seriously.
Bai Luoluo chuckled, thinking, Motuo, you haven’t even tasted it, why are you nodding? He reached out to feed Motuo a bit, but Li Qianqian stopped him.
“Don’t feed Motuo, it’s a waste,” Li Qianqian said.
“Huh?” Bai Luoluo was puzzled.
Li Qianqian explained, “Motuo and my brother, one is full, and the other won’t be hungry…”
After saying this, Li Qianqian was stared at by Li Guanshan.
Unable to continue, Li Qianqian said weakly, “Okay, Water Source, as long as you’re happy.”
They easily finished off the dozen or so ants, and finally, the three of them sat back in their chairs in the yard, basking in the sun.
After resting for a while, Bai Luoluo got up from his chair and said, “Qianqian, give me the harmonica.”
Li Qianqian happily nodded and handed the harmonica to Bai Luoluo.
After taking it, Bai Luoluo tested the sound and played the simplest tune, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Li Qianqian watched Bai Luoluo in amazement, saying, “Such a small thing, yet it can produce so many sounds.”
In this post-apocalyptic world where resources were scarce, many cultures were on the brink of extinction, and art forms like painting and musical instruments were almost completely gone. The manufacturing methods of almost all musical instruments had been lost. Even if one could mimic the appearance of the instruments based on photographs, it was impossible to reproduce their original sounds. In this world, there were no longer any tuners.
In such a large environment, ancient musical instruments became very precious.
According to Li Guanshan, if Li Qianqian were willing to sell her harmonica, she could probably earn a lot of money.
But Li Qianqian definitely wouldn’t sell it; she said, “Nope, I want to keep it to play with.”
After Bai Luoluo finished playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” he played another tune, “Baihulin.”
Watching Bai Luoluo, Li Qianqian was filled with admiration. She said, “Water source, you know so many things.”
Bai Luoluo smiled and said,
“Not really. If it weren’t for you guys this time, I would have died in that base.”
“How could you think like that,” Li Qianqian said. “If you didn’t come, my brother and I would have been so bored.”
Hearing this, Bai Luoluo felt sad. He thought to himself that among them, he was indeed the one who added difficulty to their adventures…
听完《白桦林》后，Li Qianqian grabbed Bai Luoluo and asked many questions about the song.
Bai Luoluo briefly explained that the song was about a girl waiting for her lover who would never return after the war, but he didn’t want to say much more.
Tears welled up in Li Qianqian’s eyes as she said, “It’s so touching. I’ve decided. I’m going to take the harmonica to the auction—”
Li Guanshan raised an eyebrow.
Li Qianqian continued, “Play it for them and make them jealous!”
Bai Luoluo: “(⊙v⊙) Huh?”
Then Li Qianqian and Bai Luoluo discussed, deciding that Bai Luoluo would play this piece at the beginning of the auction, and they offered Bai Luoluo an irresistible price.
Bai Luoluo didn’t hesitate much and agreed to Li Qianqian’s request, especially since he really needed the money now.
Li Guanshan didn’t object to Li Qianqian’s proposal. In fact, he rarely spoke, mostly only speaking up when Li Qianqian annoyed him.
Although they didn’t find anything valuable this time, other treasure hunters brought their findings to the auction house.
Among the auction items, Bai Luoluo saw a budding red rose.
This rose was carefully cared for under a cover, with each petal and leaf displaying the most perfect posture. Bai Luoluo could even see the glistening dewdrops and delicate textures on its petals.
Li Qianqian looked at the flower, her eyes shining. She said, “Water Source, what’s the name of this flower?”
Bai Luoluo said, “It’s called a rose.”
Li Qianqian said, “So this is a rose… I’ve seen this name in books, but I’ve never seen the real thing.” No matter how detailed the description in books, nothing compares to seeing the real thing. She ran her fingers over the glass cover and said, “It’s so beautiful.”
Bai Luoluo said, “It is pretty, but it will wither as soon as it blooms…”
“It won’t wither again,” Li Guanshan said slowly from the side. “Its time is forever frozen.”
At first, Bai Luoluo thought Li Guanshan’s words were just artistic rhetoric, but later he learned that this rose had been frozen by a new human who could manipulate time.
After understanding, Bai Luoluo asked in confusion, “So, new humans who can manipulate time are not particularly powerful?”
“Not really,” Li Qianqian explained, “Their abilities are quite useless, like a refrigerator. At most, they can manipulate the time of plants, and they can’t even freeze a mouse.”
Bai Luoluo finally understood.
The rose in front of him was the highlight of this auction.
Not only was it kept in a safe, but there were guards everywhere around the room.
Bai Luoluo also saw the original owner of this rose, a very indifferent young man. Li Guanshan asked him if he was sure he wanted to sell this rose.
The man nodded.
Li Guanshan then explained the rules of the auction to the man and finally signed the contract.
After signing the contract, the man glanced at Bai Luoluo, who was standing quietly beside him, and smiled knowingly, “Your Li family doesn’t accept old humans, right?”
“The rules can always be changed,” Li Guanshan said, seemingly unwilling to explain further.
The man nodded and walked away.
Li Qianqian was still staring at the rose, her eyes full of desire. Li Guanshan ignored her and reached out to lower the black cloth covering the glass, blocking Li Qianqian’s view.
Li Qianqian said, “Brother…”
Li Guanshan said coldly, “Calling me ‘brother’ won’t work.”
Li Qianqian whimpered in feigned crying.
Li Guanshan ignored her, turned around, and instructed the guards to increase their vigilance here.
Bai Luoluo asked Li Qianqian, “Can’t plant-type new humans create roses?”
“Of course they can’t,” Li Qianqian said. “To create a plant, they need to have at least touched a seed of the plant. Roses, with their extinct imagery… sigh.” She looked lonely. “This is probably the first and last time I’ll ever see a rose in my life.”
Bai Luoluo didn’t know what to say and could only comfort Li Qianqian with a few words.
However, Li Qianqian, being carefree as she was, quickly cheered up and said it was okay. She was now the owner of a harmonica, although she didn’t know how to play it yet. She assured Bai Luoluo that he could teach her in the future when he had time.
Bai Luoluo chuckled awkwardly and agreed.
In the following days, Li Guanshan and Li Qianqian became busy, especially Li Guanshan, who seemed to disappear entirely. According to Li Qianqian, he was busy entertaining guests.
The auction was held about once every two months, but a lot of effort was required in the preparation stage. After all, the items sent to the auction house were extremely rare and valuable, and any mishap would result in immeasurable losses.
Bai Luoluo saw old humans being auctioned for the first time. These old humans were all very beautiful and unique, almost all of them brought in cages.
Bai Luoluo got along very well with the Li siblings. If it weren’t for seeing these people, he might have forgotten the awkward status of being an old human in this world.
Most new humans didn’t treat old humans as equals like Li Guanshan and Li Qianqian did. They believed old humans were a lower race than them, so even if they treated them roughly, it was considered acceptable.
Li Qianqian was afraid that Bai Luoluo would feel uncomfortable seeing this, so she never mentioned it.
But Bai Luoluo had the misfortune of noticing several large boxes covered with black cloth being transported on the road next to the courtyard when he returned from the toilet. They seemed to contain something quite precious.
Curious, Bai Luoluo casually asked one of the guards inside the house.
The guard bluntly told Bai Luoluo the truth, saying that those were old humans to be auctioned.
Bai Luoluo was slightly surprised by this and absentmindedly touched the cold collar around his neck on his way back.
Bai Luoluo said, “Ah, they’ve been too good to me. I’m almost forgetting that I’m an old human.”
The system said, “As a successor of socialism, you should strive to change this terrible idea of ‘eating people.’”
Bai Luoluo helplessly said, “I do want to change it…” Unfortunately, he was alone, and everything he did felt like a drop in the ocean.
The system said, “Ah, let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s just eat some sunflower seeds.”
Bai Luoluo thought to himself, others were using drugs to numb themselves, while his system was all about healthy and safe sunflower seed snacking every day.
The excitement for the auction gradually built up. It was said that there was a rose frozen in time at this auction, so many people from other bases started to rush here, making the whole city unprecedentedly lively.
Li Qianqian reminded Bai Luoluo not to go out these days, saying that there were many bad people on the streets these days.
Bai Luoluo could only nod in agreement.
The tense atmosphere persisted until the day of the auction. Li Guanshan was still busy, not a shadow to be seen, while Li Qianqian took Bai Luoluo to the auction venue.
This time, the security measures were obviously stricter than last time, with even Li Qianqian undergoing meticulous inspection.
Li Qianqian comforted Bai Luoluo, saying, “There’s no help for it. Some people have abilities to mimic others’ appearances, so it’s good to be thorough with the checks.”
Bai Luoluo said, “Got it. By the way, why haven’t I seen Motuo?”
Li Qianqian said, “Motuo? He’s been running around with my brother these past few days… He’ll probably show up later.”
She led Bai Luoluo to a private room and introduced to him that most of the attendees at this auction were big shots from various districts, with most of them coming for that rose.
Bai Luoluo asked, “Is the rose really that popular?”
Li Qianqian replied, “Yes, it is. In the afternoon, let’s go to the backstage. You haven’t forgotten what you promised me, right?”
Bai Luoluo assured her, “No, I haven’t forgotten.” He had promised Li Qianqian to play “White Birch Forest” on his harmonica at the beginning of the auction.
Li Qianqian’s face lit up with happiness as she said, “Even though we may not be able to buy the rose, we can still make them jealous.”
Bai Luoluo felt like Li Qianqian was just like a child and gently smiled, “Alright, as you wish.”
In the afternoon, Motuo sneaked into the private room. He still looked energetic, and when he saw Bai Luoluo, he excitedly pounced over, wagging his tail incessantly.
Li Qianqian, with a sour tone, remarked, “Tsk tsk tsk, you’re not a dog, why wag your tail?”
Motuo let out a howl and grinned at Li Qianqian.
Bai Luoluo stroked his soft fur and asked, “What have you been up to these days? Have you been eating properly?”
Motuo’s ears drooped, and he rested his head on Bai Luoluo’s lap, looking up with a pitiful expression. He even angrily tapped Li Qianqian.
Li Qianqian retorted, “What’s the meaning of this? I cook rats for you every day.”
Bai Luoluo: “…”
Motuo put on a ‘I’m not listening, I’m not listening’ expression and even covered his head with his paws.
Bai Luoluo burst into laughter, while Li Qianqian’s face turned red with anger. Rolling up her sleeves, she said she was going to fight Motuo.
Fortunately, Li Guanshan arrived at the critical moment. He hadn’t changed much, just telling Li Qianqian not to cause trouble.
Li Qianqian grumbled agreement and then looked at Bai Luoluo, saying, “It’s about time. Shuiyuan, I’ll take you to familiarize yourself with the backstage.”
Bai Luoluo nodded in agreement.
Li Guanshan said from the side, “Don’t cause trouble backstage, Li Qianqian, or else you’ll lose your pocket money.”
Li Qianqian stuck out her tongue, grabbed Bai Luoluo’s hand, and slipped out of the door. Li Guanshan watched their retreating figures without chasing after them, turning to go elsewhere. Unlike carefree Li Qianqian, he had many things to worry about.
The aircraft flew forward all the way, following the route it took to arrive here in the first place, heading back towards the direction of the base.
As they passed the location where the mist beasts had been killed before, Bai Luoluo noticed that the clean water puddles on the ground had disappeared, leaving only desolation behind.
Curiously, Bai Luoluo asked, “How do the new humans drink water now?”
“We have developed people with water-based abilities, and there are also some high-end technologies for storing water. The new type of water source we carry is like this,” replied Li Qianqian, answering Bai Luoluo’s question. She continued, “There are quite a few new humans with water abilities… so the water supply is still sufficient.”
Bai Luoluo asked, “So you don’t have anyone with plant-based abilities?”
“We do have them now, but although plant-based abilities can create vegetation temporarily, the conditions for the existence of those plants are quite harsh,” Li Qianqian said. “And the ability users don’t have enough energy to sustain them for too long.”
“I see,” Bai Luoluo nodded thoughtfully.
This time, when they went to the base, although they hadn’t found anything particularly valuable, they did discover a hand gun and a scale. However, the harmonica that the monster gave to Li Qianqian turned out to be quite rare.
According to Li Qianqian, the price of this harmonica might be similar to the sniper rifle Li Guanshan bought last time.
Upon returning home, Bai Luoluo finally could take off his heavy clothes and put on a thin T-shirt and pants.
The three of them rested well for a day before meeting again in the living room.
Bai Luoluo slept deeply, but was eventually awakened by Motuo’s rough licking. The big cat lay on him, wagging its tail excitedly, and licking Bai Luoluo’s face with its pink tongue, looking satisfied.
Bai Luoluo opened his eyes, feeling both amused and exasperated, and used his fingers to pull Motuo’s ears, which were cooler than his body temperature, saying, “Alright, alright, stop licking.”
Motuo whimpered playfully.
The tongues of felids have barbs on them, but since Motuo wasn’t using much force, Bai Luoluo didn’t feel much discomfort. He pinched Motuo’s thick paw pads and watched as the big cat’s claws retracted, saying, “Hmm… I’ll go change and then we can go out.”
He had only worn boxer shorts to bed, and when he climbed out of bed, he didn’t avoid Motuo, slowly changing clothes in front of him.
Motuo obediently squatted on the bed behind him, ears occasionally twitching, looking incredibly well-behaved, without any hint of the fierce aura typical of large carnivores.
After changing his clothes, Bai Luoluo saw Li Qianqian and Li Guanshan in the living room.
Li Qianqian was eating the nutrient solution in front of her with a bitter expression, and Li Guanshan’s face was also expressionless. Although they showed different expressions, Bai Luoluo could tell that both siblings despised the taste of the nutrient solution in front of them.
Recalling the taste of the nutrient solution he had eaten before and thinking about its green color, Bai Luoluo also felt that his appetite had decreased by half. He tentatively suggested, “How about we go catch some edible animals? I can cook for you.”
Li Qianqian immediately put down the nutrient solution in her hand, her face full of excitement as she said, “Water source? What kind of animals can we eat?”
Bai Luoluo recalled and said, “Ants, grasshoppers, rats, um… most small arthropods and mammals are edible.”
Li Qianqian wiped her mouth and said, “Wait here.” She waved to Motuo and then turned and left.
Li Guanshan sat there the whole time, neither objecting nor approving, but the speed of drinking the green nutrient solution slowed down significantly, and eventually, he just left it untouched by his side.
Bai Luoluo was a bit wary of Li Guanshan at first, especially since he had just arrived in this world and had been severely beaten by Li Guanshan, causing him a concussion. However, after spending time together, Bai Luoluo found that Li Guanshan was actually not a bad person. Still, he didn’t know how to start a conversation with Li Guanshan, so he quietly sat beside the system, munching on sunflower seeds.
The system in this world had a lot of free time, so the time spent munching on sunflower seeds had increased significantly. It was said that the system had ordered several hundred kilograms of sunflower seeds online to stock up. Hearing this, Bai Luoluo thought to himself that it’s a good thing the system was just data; otherwise, it might have chewed itself to pieces with all those seeds.
Li Qianqian returned quickly, in just over ten minutes. She was holding several plump ants in her hands.
These ants were almost half a meter in size, and Li Qianqian had threaded them onto a string and carried them back like that.
“How can ants be eaten?” Li Guanshan frowned upon seeing them.
“But ants are arthropods,” Li Qianqian said. “We only encountered some ants. If we want to catch rats, we’ll have to wait. Don’t be fooled by these ants; Motuo put in quite a bit of effort to catch them.”
Li Guanshan forced a smile and said, “Oh, I see. He must have worked hard.”
Li Qianqian grinned happily.
Bai Luoluo felt that the atmosphere between them was a bit strange, but he didn’t dwell on it. He said, “Ants can be eaten, and they taste pretty good.”
“Really? Really?” Li Qianqian exclaimed excitedly. “Water source, you’re our lucky charm, our little treasure.”
Bai Luoluo: “… Can we not be so disgusting?”
So Li Guanshan started a fire, and Bai Luoluo began cooking the ant meat.
The ants here were much larger, so there was more meat. After cutting open their hard black shells, the meat inside was milky white and very tender. The only downside was the slightly insect-like taste. However, if handled properly, the texture was somewhat similar to shrimp meat that Bai Luoluo had eaten in the real world.
Bai Luoluo asked for salt and water, then carefully washed the meat before marinating it.
Spices in this world were extremely expensive, and although there was a small amount of production, they were mainly reserved for the most elite new humans. The Li family also had spices, but since no one in their family had ever cooked, the spices they obtained were almost all left to gather dust in the warehouse. Now, Bai Luoluo was putting them to use.
While stir-frying the ant meat, Bai Luoluo used these spices. He bent over the stone pot, sweating as drops trickled down his face and dripped into the fire.
Li Qianqian sniffed the aroma and savored the rich scent of the meat, propping up her chin with a look of fascination. She leaned close to Li Guanshan and whispered something only they could hear, “Brother, are you going to make a move or not? If you don’t, I will.”
Li Guanshan glanced at Li Qianqian but didn’t say anything.
Li Qianqian pouted. From Motuo’s attitude, she could tell what her brother was thinking. If her brother really wasn’t interested in Jiang Shuiyuan, Motuo wouldn’t be so close to Jiang Shuiyuan…
Disappointed, Li Qianqian said, “Oh, never mind.”
Ignoring Li Qianqian, Li Guanshan spoke words that all three of them could hear. He said, “Li Qianqian, are you selling that harmonica or not?”
“Nope,” Li Qianqian said. “I’m still waiting for Water Source to play it for me.” She took out the well-wrapped harmonica from her pocket and handed it to Bai Luoluo, saying, “Water source, I cleaned it yesterday. Will you play it for me?”
Bai Luoluo nodded and said, “Sure, I’ll play it for you after dinner. But just so you know, I’m not very good at it.”
However, Li Qianqian was still very excited.
After the ant meat was cooked, the three of them enjoyed it heartily.
Eating real food after consuming nutrient solutions made everything taste incredibly delicious. Li Qianqian praised Bai Luoluo with her sweet words, almost idolizing him.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Bai Luoluo said, “It’s not that good.”
Little did he know that Li Guanshan also said, “It’s very delicious.”
Motuo, on the side, nodded seriously.
Bai Luoluo chuckled, thinking, Motuo, you haven’t even tasted it, why are you nodding? He reached out to feed Motuo a bit, but Li Qianqian stopped him.
“Don’t feed Motuo, it’s a waste,” Li Qianqian said.
“Huh?” Bai Luoluo was puzzled.
Li Qianqian explained, “Motuo and my brother, one is full, and the other won’t be hungry…”
After saying this, Li Qianqian was stared at by Li Guanshan.
Unable to continue, Li Qianqian said weakly, “Okay, Water Source, as long as you’re happy.”
They easily finished off the dozen or so ants, and finally, the three of them sat back in their chairs in the yard, basking in the sun.
After resting for a while, Bai Luoluo got up from his chair and said, “Qianqian, give me the harmonica.”
Li Qianqian happily nodded and handed the harmonica to Bai Luoluo.
After taking it, Bai Luoluo tested the sound and played the simplest tune, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
Li Qianqian watched Bai Luoluo in amazement, saying, “Such a small thing, yet it can produce so many sounds.”
In this post-apocalyptic world where resources were scarce, many cultures were on the brink of extinction, and art forms like painting and musical instruments were almost completely gone. The manufacturing methods of almost all musical instruments had been lost. Even if one could mimic the appearance of the instruments based on photographs, it was impossible to reproduce their original sounds. In this world, there were no longer any tuners.
In such a large environment, ancient musical instruments became very precious.
According to Li Guanshan, if Li Qianqian were willing to sell her harmonica, she could probably earn a lot of money.
But Li Qianqian definitely wouldn’t sell it; she said, “Nope, I want to keep it to play with.”
After Bai Luoluo finished playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” he played another tune, “Baihulin.”
Watching Bai Luoluo, Li Qianqian was filled with admiration. She said, “Water source, you know so many things.”
Bai Luoluo smiled and said,
“Not really. If it weren’t for you guys this time, I would have died in that base.”
“How could you think like that,” Li Qianqian said. “If you didn’t come, my brother and I would have been so bored.”
Hearing this, Bai Luoluo felt sad. He thought to himself that among them, he was indeed the one who added difficulty to their adventures…
听完《白桦林》后，Li Qianqian grabbed Bai Luoluo and asked many questions about the song.
Bai Luoluo briefly explained that the song was about a girl waiting for her lover who would never return after the war, but he didn’t want to say much more.
Tears welled up in Li Qianqian’s eyes as she said, “It’s so touching. I’ve decided. I’m going to take the harmonica to the auction—”
Li Guanshan raised an eyebrow.
Li Qianqian continued, “Play it for them and make them jealous!”
Bai Luoluo: “(⊙v⊙) Huh?”
Then Li Qianqian and Bai Luoluo discussed, deciding that Bai Luoluo would play this piece at the beginning of the auction, and they offered Bai Luoluo an irresistible price.
Bai Luoluo didn’t hesitate much and agreed to Li Qianqian’s request, especially since he really needed the money now.
Li Guanshan didn’t object to Li Qianqian’s proposal. In fact, he rarely spoke, mostly only speaking up when Li Qianqian annoyed him.
Although they didn’t find anything valuable this time, other treasure hunters brought their findings to the auction house.
Among the auction items, Bai Luoluo saw a budding red rose.
This rose was carefully cared for under a cover, with each petal and leaf displaying the most perfect posture. Bai Luoluo could even see the glistening dewdrops and delicate textures on its petals.
Li Qianqian looked at the flower, her eyes shining. She said, “Water Source, what’s the name of this flower?”
Bai Luoluo said, “It’s called a rose.”
Li Qianqian said, “So this is a rose… I’ve seen this name in books, but I’ve never seen the real thing.” No matter how detailed the description in books, nothing compares to seeing the real thing. She ran her fingers over the glass cover and said, “It’s so beautiful.”
Bai Luoluo said, “It is pretty, but it will wither as soon as it blooms…”
“It won’t wither again,” Li Guanshan said slowly from the side. “Its time is forever frozen.”
At first, Bai Luoluo thought Li Guanshan’s words were just artistic rhetoric, but later he learned that this rose had been frozen by a new human who could manipulate time.
After understanding, Bai Luoluo asked in confusion, “So, new humans who can manipulate time are not particularly powerful?”
“Not really,” Li Qianqian explained, “Their abilities are quite useless, like a refrigerator. At most, they can manipulate the time of plants, and they can’t even freeze a mouse.”
Bai Luoluo finally understood.
The rose in front of him was the highlight of this auction.
Not only was it kept in a safe, but there were guards everywhere around the room.
Bai Luoluo also saw the original owner of this rose, a very indifferent young man. Li Guanshan asked him if he was sure he wanted to sell this rose.
The man nodded.
Li Guanshan then explained the rules of the auction to the man and finally signed the contract.
After signing the contract, the man glanced at Bai Luoluo, who was standing quietly beside him, and smiled knowingly, “Your Li family doesn’t accept old humans, right?”
“The rules can always be changed,” Li Guanshan said, seemingly unwilling to explain further.
The man nodded and walked away.
Li Qianqian was still staring at the rose, her eyes full of desire. Li Guanshan ignored her and reached out to lower the black cloth covering the glass, blocking Li Qianqian’s view.
Li Qianqian said, “Brother…”
Li Guanshan said coldly, “Calling me ‘brother’ won’t work.”
Li Qianqian whimpered in feigned crying.
Li Guanshan ignored her, turned around, and instructed the guards to increase their vigilance here.
Bai Luoluo asked Li Qianqian, “Can’t plant-type new humans create roses?”
“Of course they can’t,” Li Qianqian said. “To create a plant, they need to have at least touched a seed of the plant. Roses, with their extinct imagery… sigh.” She looked lonely. “This is probably the first and last time I’ll ever see a rose in my life.”
Bai Luoluo didn’t know what to say and could only comfort Li Qianqian with a few words.
However, Li Qianqian, being carefree as she was, quickly cheered up and said it was okay. She was now the owner of a harmonica, although she didn’t know how to play it yet. She assured Bai Luoluo that he could teach her in the future when he had time.
Bai Luoluo chuckled awkwardly and agreed.
In the following days, Li Guanshan and Li Qianqian became busy, especially Li Guanshan, who seemed to disappear entirely. According to Li Qianqian, he was busy entertaining guests.
The auction was held about once every two months, but a lot of effort was required in the preparation stage. After all, the items sent to the auction house were extremely rare and valuable, and any mishap would result in immeasurable losses.
Bai Luoluo saw old humans being auctioned for the first time. These old humans were all very beautiful and unique, almost all of them brought in cages.
Bai Luoluo got along very well with the Li siblings. If it weren’t for seeing these people, he might have forgotten the awkward status of being an old human in this world.
Most new humans didn’t treat old humans as equals like Li Guanshan and Li Qianqian did. They believed old humans were a lower race than them, so even if they treated them roughly, it was considered acceptable.
Li Qianqian was afraid that Bai Luoluo would feel uncomfortable seeing this, so she never mentioned it.
But Bai Luoluo had the misfortune of noticing several large boxes covered with black cloth being transported on the road next to the courtyard when he returned from the toilet. They seemed to contain something quite precious.
Curious, Bai Luoluo casually asked one of the guards inside the house.
The guard bluntly told Bai Luoluo the truth, saying that those were old humans to be auctioned.
Bai Luoluo was slightly surprised by this and absentmindedly touched the cold collar around his neck on his way back.
Bai Luoluo said, “Ah, they’ve been too good to me. I’m almost forgetting that I’m an old human.”
The system said, “As a successor of socialism, you should strive to change this terrible idea of ‘eating people.’”
Bai Luoluo helplessly said, “I do want to change it…” Unfortunately, he was alone, and everything he did felt like a drop in the ocean.
The system said, “Ah, let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s just eat some sunflower seeds.”
Bai Luoluo thought to himself, others were using drugs to numb themselves, while his system was all about healthy and safe sunflower seed snacking every day.
The excitement for the auction gradually built up. It was said that there was a rose frozen in time at this auction, so many people from other bases started to rush here, making the whole city unprecedentedly lively.
Li Qianqian reminded Bai Luoluo not to go out these days, saying that there were many bad people on the streets these days.
Bai Luoluo could only nod in agreement.
The tense atmosphere persisted until the day of the auction. Li Guanshan was still busy, not a shadow to be seen, while Li Qianqian took Bai Luoluo to the auction venue.
This time, the security measures were obviously stricter than last time, with even Li Qianqian undergoing meticulous inspection.
Li Qianqian comforted Bai Luoluo, saying, “There’s no help for it. Some people have abilities to mimic others’ appearances, so it’s good to be thorough with the checks.”
Bai Luoluo said, “Got it. By the way, why haven’t I seen Motuo?”
Li Qianqian said, “Motuo? He’s been running around with my brother these past few days… He’ll probably show up later.”
She led Bai Luoluo to a private room and introduced to him that most of the attendees at this auction were big shots from various districts, with most of them coming for that rose.
Bai Luoluo asked, “Is the rose really that popular?”
Li Qianqian replied, “Yes, it is. In the afternoon, let’s go to the backstage. You haven’t forgotten what you promised me, right?”
Bai Luoluo assured her, “No, I haven’t forgotten.” He had promised Li Qianqian to play “White Birch Forest” on his harmonica at the beginning of the auction.
Li Qianqian’s face lit up with happiness as she said, “Even though we may not be able to buy the rose, we can still make them jealous.”
Bai Luoluo felt like Li Qianqian was just like a child and gently smiled, “Alright, as you wish.”
In the afternoon, Motuo sneaked into the private room. He still looked energetic, and when he saw Bai Luoluo, he excitedly pounced over, wagging his tail incessantly.
Li Qianqian, with a sour tone, remarked, “Tsk tsk tsk, you’re not a dog, why wag your tail?”
Motuo let out a howl and grinned at Li Qianqian.
Bai Luoluo stroked his soft fur and asked, “What have you been up to these days? Have you been eating properly?”
Motuo’s ears drooped, and he rested his head on Bai Luoluo’s lap, looking up with a pitiful expression. He even angrily tapped Li Qianqian.
Li Qianqian retorted, “What’s the meaning of this? I cook rats for you every day.”
Bai Luoluo: “…”
Motuo put on a ‘I’m not listening, I’m not listening’ expression and even covered his head with his paws.
Bai Luoluo burst into laughter, while Li Qianqian’s face turned red with anger. Rolling up her sleeves, she said she was going to fight Motuo.
Fortunately, Li Guanshan arrived at the critical moment. He hadn’t changed much, just telling Li Qianqian not to cause trouble.
Li Qianqian grumbled agreement and then looked at Bai Luoluo, saying, “It’s about time. Shuiyuan, I’ll take you to familiarize yourself with the backstage.”
Bai Luoluo nodded in agreement.
Li Guanshan said from the side, “Don’t cause trouble backstage, Li Qianqian, or else you’ll lose your pocket money.”
Li Qianqian stuck out her tongue, grabbed Bai Luoluo’s hand, and slipped out of the door. Li Guanshan watched their retreating figures without chasing after them, turning to go elsewhere. Unlike carefree Li Qianqian, he had many things to worry about.
