Chapter 26

Tian Man and Luo Liuzi were both taken aback. As members of the community, they knew Shang Dayuan's temper and were also familiar with Shang Bao, a notorious street urchin.

"Brother Bao isn't here." Luo Liuzi's bewilderment was genuine; he even casually called him "Brother Bao," a nickname for Shang Bao used by regular drinkers at the tavern.

After all, the Shang Bao often treats people to meals, and each time it's a toast to the whole party.

Tian Man was also confused. He thought Shang Bao was there to steal the little axe, so how did he end up with Shang Bao?

He added, "Shang Bao isn't here; I haven't seen him for the past couple of days."

Shang Dayuan stared at them, but couldn't glean anything from their expressions...

Isn't Shang Bao available here?

Where did he go?

Shang Dayuan frowned. "I heard that Master Bai picked up a girl, and she's in the shack?"

Before Tian Man and Luo Liuzi could speak, Song Xiaozhu stepped forward first. Standing next to Luo Liuzi, she appeared even shorter and thinner, but her eyes were calm and her voice was clear and crisp. "Is there anything I can help you with? Master Bai won't be back for another two days."

Shang Dayuan frowned even more as he looked at the girl in front of him.

She had lost some weight, but she was in good health, with no injuries on her exposed skin, and judging from her expression, she didn't seem to have been bullied.

Could it be...?

The Shang Bao really didn't come here?

Kang Laifu asked Song Xiaozhu, "The Shang Bao came two days ago, right? Where is he? Did you see him?"

Song Xiaozhu replied frankly, "I didn't see it."

Qiu Shuyu followed him out, her face grim as she stared at Shang Dayuan: "Before Master Bai left, he asked me to take care of Xiaozhu, so I've been staying here these past few days."

As soon as she spoke, Shang Dayuan and Kang Laifu understood, but were quickly filled with doubt.

They knew Shang Bao very well, and were intimately familiar with his personality.

Perhaps he found out at the tavern that Master Bai wasn't in the shack and wanted to try and catch a glimpse of this girl.

Little did they know that Master Bai had made preparations in advance, and had Qiu Shuyu guard the place.

Shang Bao bully the weak and fear the strong; seeing Qiu Shuyu here, they definitely won't dare to act forcefully...

But if the Shang Bao isn't here, where did it go?

Shang Dayuan's heart was heavy. He asked Tian Man and Luo Liuzi, "What are you two doing here at Master Bai's shack?"

Tian Man didn't want to reveal his little axe, so he said, "Xiao Qiu took Xiaozhu to the logging camp. We just happened to get a rush job together, and we'll be back tonight, so we might as well get together."

His words further convinced Shang Dayuan, Kang Laifu, and the others...

Shang Bao might not actually be available here.

Qiu Shuyu even takes Song Xiaozhu with her during the day, so Shang Bao definitely won't have a chance.

Shang Bao couldn't possibly go head-to-head with Qiu Shuyu. He was lustful, but he valued his life even more.

Kang Laifu said to Shang Dayuan, "Father, I think Baozi is somewhere else. Let's look for him again."

Shang Dayuan's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Let's go!"

He didn't have time to waste here, and Shang Dayuan became increasingly anxious.

Things have been turbulent at the Garbage Mountain lately. Something terrible has happened in Liu Family Village. What if... what if Xiao Bao... Xiao Bao...

Shang Dayuan quickened his pace, his face extremely grim.

His sons-in-law followed closely behind; the group arrived in a grand procession and left in a similarly impressive manner.

Only after the merchant left did Qiu Shuyu realize that her palms were damp.

She didn't show it on her face, but she was flustered inside. When she turned to look at Song Xiaozhu again, she found that the girl's gaze was calm as she stared at the back of the merchant family, lost in thought.

"Xiaozhu..." she called softly.

Song Xiaozhu turned to look at her and smiled gently, which calmed Qiu Shuyu down.

At this moment, Luo Liuzi turned around and said, "This old merchant's behavior is bound to cause trouble sooner or later."

Tian Man also said, "Given Shang Bao Bao's character, if he were really sent to the Fortress, he'd probably suffer an even more gruesome death."

Upon hearing the word "death, "Qiu Shuyu's eyebrows twitched.

Song Xiaozhu smiled and said to Tian Man and Luo Liuzi, "Don't rush back, have some food before you go!"

Chapter 26

After this incident, Tian Man and Luo Liuzi were no longer in a hurry to leave.

They didn't think Shang Bao's disappearance had anything to do with Song Xiaozhu and Qiu Shuyu. They simply assumed that Shang Dayuan was abusing his power and taking advantage of Bai Jing Jing's absence.

Luo Liuzi readily agreed, "Alright, we'll leave after dark and see if he dares to come back."

Tian Man nodded. He was not only concerned about the room full of small axes, but also worried that Song Xiaozhu would be kidnapped after the old merchant discovered her abilities—he had only been betting on her for less than an hour, and he didn't want anyone to intercept her halfway.

The four entered the house, Luo Liuzi angrily denounced the old merchant for his improper conduct, saying that he was arrogant and domineering because he had a small workshop and had hired five sons-in-law.

In Scavenger Community, it really takes a lot of people and a lot of strength to get by.

On this day of famine, Shang Dayuan led his five sons-in-law and rushed over. The six of them twisted together like a rope, grabbing whatever was valuable. If anyone dared to compete with them, they would be given a good beating.

Shang Dayuan's five sons-in-law were all homeless and unemployed vagrants. Apart from being strong and burly and having a bad temper, they were otherwise useless. As for Kang Laifu, it was said that he even beat his wife, Shang Dayuan turned a blind eye to it and did not care about his daughter at all.

Of course, if Kang Laifu doesn't work hard, Shang Dayuan won't turn a blind eye; he'll let him end up on the streets.

Luo Liuzi talked about the merchants like a bamboo shoot reel, while Song Xiaozhu cooked a simple meal while listening attentively.

No wonder they raise scum like Shang Bao...

This family is rotten from head to toe.

Song Xiaozhu cooked 10 simple meals, adding some wild vegetable powder as well. It was the first time she had made such a large batch, and her arm was quite tired from stirring the wok...

I wonder if the Level 1 Synthesizer has recipes for kitchen utensils, such as spatulas and iron pots that improve their performance.

After boiling, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air. Luo Liuzi sniffed and asked, "What is Xiaozhu Bamboo making? Is it wild vegetable noodles? It smells so good!"

Tian Man also smelled it. He got up and went to the stove to take a look. As he got closer, the fragrance became clearer. It wasn't strong, but rather light and refreshing, somewhat like the scent of grass rising after the rain in a forest. The smell of wood was suppressed.