Chapter 114 - 17

Qing Chen whispered at the side, “If you give this out, it’ll be difficult for us to start a fire.”

Li Shutong unconcernedly teased, “It’s fine, let our in-laws help us with that, we can’t use this anymore.”

Qing Chen: “…That kind of makes sense. Then shouldn’t we be able to scrounge some dinner from them tonight?”

“I also have this idea,” said Li Shutong.

Zhang Tongdan waved his hand towards the woods. “Go and bring out the stuff.”

He turned around and told Qin Cheng, “We’ve finished dealing with the toll fee, now let’s talk about business. Oh right, you have to tell your in-laws clearly that if they tattle on us, not only will your whole family be plunged into jail, but we’ll also get the Second Army hot on our tails. You also know how terrifying Prison 18 is.”

Qing Chen was speechless. Truth to be told, he didn’t think Prison 18 was that scary. Wasn’t it pretty good?

If this family really got into Prison 18, they would probably be living more comfortably than they currently did.

After all, the Big Brother of Prison 18 was standing here right now.

From inside the woods, eight people carried out a bunch of animal hides. Qin Cheng took out a pair of glasses from the front seat compartment, inspected each hide carefully, and muttered, “Can you guys stop using animal traps? The bite marks are nailed to the leather, you can’t turn this into a coat. Those rich people are particular about this, they don’t want to see any flaws. Tell your sharpshooter to target the prey’s eyes, that way the leather can fetch the highest price.”

Zhang Tongdan lit up a cigarette and said, “Our sharpshooter’s been transferred away, he’s not hunting with us anymore. It’ll be like this from now on, you can take it or leave it.”

“Of course I’ll still take it, but the price will have to be reduced.” Qin Cheng asked his wife to take out four boxes from under the backseat. “There are two boxes of ammunition inside, plus a box of salt and a box of medicine. All the things you need the most.”

After speaking, Qin Cheng opened one of the boxes and took out four bottles of medicine. “But the quality of the goods you brought this time is too poor, so I’ll have to deduct four bottles.”

The wrinkles on Zhang Tongdan’s face deepened. He moved to stop Qin Cheng’s hand. “You’re too blackhearted.”

“There are rules to doing business,” Qin Cheng replied.

“I’ll definitely bring you better quality leather next time,” Zhang Tongdan said, indiscreetly touching the gun on his waist.

After some thought, Qin Cheng put the medicine back into the box. “Okay, then you have to remember that I suffered a loss in this transaction.”

“Alright. Let’s go, brothers.” As Zhang Tongdan waved, all of his people walked into the woods and disappeared without a trace in just a few minutes.

During this period, Qing Chen had been curiously watching this transaction, finding it very novel.

Beside him, Li Shutong laughed in a low voice, “I brought you out this time to let you see more of the outside world. You’ve seen the best scenery in the city before, this time I’ll show you the customs of the people in the wilderness. It’s very interesting.”

It was difficult for people living in the wilderness to obtain high-technology daily necessities, so they needed an intermediary to trade with.

The people in the city wanted animal hides and wild pets, and they also needed someone to send those goods to them.

Making use of this demand, a wilderness hunter like Qin Cheng could find a way to survive.

Due to the development of the commodity economy, trading has become ubiquitous in this world.

Ever since he left the iron box that was Prison 18, Qing Chen discovered the world was full of unexpected surprises 

He had seen what the wilderness looked like, learned about the people’s way of living, and gotten to know about the vast sunset and the girl in the wilderness.

It was as if the air had cleared up and pulsated.

Li Shutong also found out that his student had become less withdrawn since they departed from prison.

In other words, since the first time he brought Qing Chen out to play, his student had begun to regain the mentality a young person should have.

He didn’t need to suppress his emotions, didn’t need to be extra cautious at all times, didn’t need to hold back anything.

Li Shutong understood why.

Because no one had been there to protect this boy, he had to slowly mature in the midst of thorns and brambles. No one taught him how to grow up, but life gave him beatings way above someone his age should bear.

Now, the boy had a teacher. It was time for him to regain his nature.

What the world had owed this boy, his teacher could now give back to him.

Currently, however, the happiest person was not Qing Chen, but Qin Yiyi.

Neither because Qing Chen had saved her, not because her family completed another transaction, but because she figured out the boy beside her was in fact not a servant who had lost his freedom.

She never met any servant who interacted with his boss as he did.

No matter how kind the boss might be, a servant wouldn’t be so relaxed and unrestrained around him.

Qin Yiyi wondered, were the two father and son? They don’t seem to be, as they don’t look alike at all, and no father would be able to watch injuries festering his son’s feet without feeling sorry for him. Qing Chen also didn’t display any trace of rebelliousness children have towards their parents.

However, she clearly felt the closeness of their relationship — not father and son, but even surpassing that.

At this moment, Qin Cheng shouted from a distance away, “Yiyi, Qin Tong, you two quickly set up the tent and start a fire to cook.”

Qin Yiyi hurriedly ran over. “Coming, coming!”

Without any intention to help, Li Shutong spoke to Qing Chen, “Let’s go, let the in-laws do their thing, we can go for a walk around. I hear the sound of a flowing river, maybe we’ll be able to catch some fish.”

Qing Chen: “…”

…

At the same time, at Zhizi Lake around 30 kilometers to their south, more than thirty cars formed a circle surrounding a vigorously burning bonfire.

These people built their bonfires in a simple and crude way. They directly poured a little of the highly concentrated fuel they brought on the firewood and then threw a lit match inside to quickly start the fire.

Beside the lake, about a dozen people took out their fishing rods, competing with one another to see who could fish faster, and who could get the bigger catch.

Outside the circle, four to five servants were setting up tents for the group. They even spread out soft waterproof, moisture-proof mats inside the tents.

Compared to Qin Cheng’s group, these people seemed more like they were on a vacation.

Among the convoy, a middle-aged man was quietly sitting on the roof of a car. Below him, the chief officer wearing holographic glasses was sending out drones to keep a lookout around the area.

Next to the bonfire, the robust Li Yinuo brought Nan Gengchen to sit on the ground beside her. She picked up a freshly roasted hind leg from the fire and resolutely cut a large piece of it into Nan Gengchen’s bowl with her dagger. “Eat.”

Looking at the piece of meat that was even bigger than his face, Nan Gengchen aggrievedly said, “I can’t finish this.”

Li Yinuo leisurely asked, “When will you get buff if you keep eating like a chick pecking on rice?”

“I don’t want to get buff, I want to become a hacker,” answered Nan Gengchen timidly.

“What’s so good about being a hacker, didn’t I promise you I would find you the best tutor?” Li Yinuo nonchalantly said, “Don’t worry, I’ll have someone catch that fugitive famous hacker. Once he’s caught, I’ll let him teach you.”

“Okay.” Nan Gengchen’s eyes brightened up.

At this time, a servant approached Li Yinuo to inform her, “Miss, the tent has been set up.”

Li Yinuo nodded, looked at Nan Gengchen, and said, “Alright, let’s stop eating for now, we’ll eat again later.”

And then she carried Nan Gengchen into the tent…

Nan Gengchen was dumbfounded. “Let me finish my meal, I’m almost malnourished…”