Page 516

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong had no choice but to cross the river from another direction and enter the woods.

Jian Mo: "We can't go back for now."

Wu Jiong: "Let's eat something first and then think of a solution."

Although they had lost their belongings, the forest was as abundant as ever, and they found plenty of food to eat without much effort.

After eating their fill of berries and wild vegetables, the two of them carried two bundles of fresh, tender wild vegetables with them—if they could find someone outside, they might be able to exchange them for some supplies.

Jian Mo opened her eyes wide and looked around. "What a peculiar experience."

If he were to travel alone, he might get anxious, but now that Wu Jiong is there, he's not so anxious.

If they don't go back for the time being, Qing Kuo and the others should help take care of the family. But if they can never go back— Jian Mo's heart sank, and she gripped Wu Jiong's hand tightly.

It shouldn't be that bad. If the way back doesn't appear, they can stay by the lake and wait patiently.

The two kept walking and soon found the way.

More pedestrians appeared on the road, and people looked at them strangely when they saw their attire and the wild vegetables they were carrying.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong also kept observing the architecture and pedestrians of this era.

The buildings here are mostly stone, ranging from one-story to three-story buildings. There are streetlights, and the main roads are paved with neat and clean cement, giving the area a rather developed appearance.

However, there were no vehicles on the road, not even horse-drawn carriages or cars, only many people who had reverted to their beast forms. Sometimes, people would even sit on the backs of the giant beasts, making it look like a giant beast bus.

As they were walking, someone called out to them, "Brothers, what happened to you two?"

Jian Mo turned to look at the person leaning against the door of a house by the roadside and laughed, "When I went swimming in the river, my clothes and shoes were accidentally washed away."

The man said, "No wonder, I was wondering why you all looked like that."

Jian Mo: "Yes. Do you want some wild vegetables? We picked some in the woods. If you want, I can give them to you so we can change our clothes and shoes later, otherwise it'll look weird walking around."

The man chuckled, "Sure, come to my house for dinner first, I'll find you some clothes and shoes."

The man who stopped them introduced himself as Hu Zhen, saying that he often went fishing and that once he fell into the river while fishing, losing all his belongings and looking quite disheveled.

Hu Zhen turned to look at Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, adding, "But I'm still not as disheveled as you two. I only lost my shoes and fishing rod, and my clothes are a bit torn, but I'm basically still okay."

Jian Mo smiled wryly, "Then we are indeed quite unlucky."

Hu Zhen grinned and said, "When I saw you guys just now, I knew you were fishermen. You're all so disheveled, yet you're still determined to catch something in your hands, absolutely unwilling to go home empty-handed. Only fishermen are that persistent."

Jian Mo accepted the beautiful misunderstanding. "More or less."

Since they shared the same interests, Hu Zhen opened up quite a bit, leading them into his home and finding them clean clothes and shoes. "Jian Mo, you can wear my clothes. Wu Jiong, you can wear my orc brother's. He's tall and broad-shouldered, so his clothes should fit you well."

Wu Jiong nodded. "Thank you."

Hu Zhen: "You're welcome. Nobody wants any accidents to happen."

Hu Zhen even let them take a bath.

Jian Mo had experience living in the civilized world and was familiar with water heaters. Although the water heaters here were different from those on Earth, he quickly figured them out.

After cleaning up, the two went out to Hu Zhen.

Hu Zhen entertained them in his living room. Seeing their refreshed appearance, he exclaimed, "You two look so good!"

Jian Mo rolled up her sleeves. "Thank you."

Hu Zhen: "Come and eat! We didn't have time to buy groceries, so it's just simple home-cooked food. Please don't mind."

Jian Mo: "How could that be?"

Hu Zhen: "You're not locals, are you? Your accents don't sound like it. Where are you from? Traveling or on business?"

Jian Mo replied vaguely, "I came from the north, I never expected to encounter something like this today."

Hu Zhen: "That's normal, life is always full of surprises. Come on, let's eat. Can you handle spicy food? Our chili sauce here is a recipe passed down from ancient times, from Doctor Jian Mo. It's not a counterfeit. Please try it."

Jian Mo was surprised to hear her own name called and exchanged a glance with Wu Jiong.

Hu Zhen, oblivious to their expressions, asked, "Did you go to the town museum?"

Jian Mo: "We haven't had a chance yet, but one of the reasons we came here was to visit a museum."

Hu Zhen: "I guessed so. Everything else here is fine, but we definitely have to visit the museum."

Jian Mo smiled and asked, "Any other museums or nearby attractions you would recommend?"

Hu Zhen: "It depends on whether you have enough time. If you don't have enough time, you can visit the museum and the Ancient Riverside Tribe. If you have enough time, you can visit the Doctor Jian Mo Memorial Hall and several nearby ancient villages. You can also take Flying Chirp to get a bird's-eye view of this land."

As he spoke, Hu Zhen suddenly remembered, "Our local cuisine is especially famous, but don't go to the very famous Jian Mo Restaurant. Just go to the small restaurant at the end of T-Shaped Alley. The owner of that restaurant comes from the Ancient Riverside Tribe, and his food is the most authentic."

Hu Zhen enthusiastic and talkative, and he went on and on about many things in the small town to Jian Mo and Wu Jiong.

Jian Mo and Wu Jiong listened attentively. After having a meal at his house and thanking him, they gave Hu Zhen some wild vegetables and said goodbye. Hu Zhen invited them to come and visit again next time.

The two thanked them again.

When I left Hu Zhen's house, it was already dark outside, and the streetlights were on, looking like stars on the ground.

Wu Jiong looked at the streetlights with curiosity in his eyes.

Jian Mo: "Our world also has similar streetlights, but we have more machinery. There doesn't seem to be much machinery here."

Wu Jiong: "Perhaps it's because people are more used to doing things in their animal form."