Chapter 127 - Auntie Nan (1/2)

Chapter 127: Auntie Nan

“They also know how to repair firearms?” Long Yuehong looked at Bai Chen in the driver’s seat and pushed open the door. He was implying that this was no longer a simple repair job.

“If they can’t do such work, they won’t be able to open such a shop.” The cold wind howled outside, and Bai Chen couldn’t help but tug at the gray scarf around her neck.

“Besides, sometimes a broken gun might not really be damaged, or it might not be that badly damaged.” Jiang Baimian speculated based on her experience and knowledge. “It’s just that the person selling the gun doesn’t know much.”

Bai Chen nodded and said, “This is where the money is.”

With that said, she closed the door and walked to Ah Fu’s Gun Shop.

“Money?” Long Yuehong had learned this term before, but he had only seen it once in reality. It was the Old World coin Shang Jianyao had obtained from Wu Shoushi.

As Jiang Baimian looked through the windshield, she casually said, “This place is considered a part of a large faction. Currency is definitely circulating here, but it’s often limited internally. Actually, the company’s contribution points are essentially equivalent to money. Have you forgotten the concept of equivalency?”

Long Yuehong recalled for a few seconds and weakly said, “We never learned that…”

Jiang Baimian was speechless. She smiled after a few seconds. “I’ll give you a few books to read in the future. Although this is useless in terms of company life, it’s useful for us—who often come to the Ashlands—to understand more things.

“Besides, it will be much easier for you to be transferred out of the Old Task Force if you can master it. You might even be assigned to the department in charge of foreign trade.”

“Good, good.” Long Yuehong’s eyes lit up. Although he would definitely be in the Old Task Force for the next half a year, he was bound to have immediate concerns despite there being none in the future. He had to prepare for his future transfer.

Otherwise, it would be really easy to be disappointed after adapting to such a high-income job. Besides, he still had to support a family in the future!

Jiang Baimian smiled and nodded. She then looked at Shang Jianyao suspiciously. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

The quieter this fellow was, the more she was afraid that he would cause trouble.

Shang Jianyao rubbed his stomach and said, “Saving energy.”

“That’s true…” Jiang Baimian also felt hungry.

It had been quite a while since lunch.

As she spoke, Bai Chen came out of Ah Fu’s Gun Shop and returned to the jeep.

Behind her, a young man in an old windbreaker walked out and pulled open the iron fence a few meters away.

This led to the back of the building, where the gun shop was located.

This was a square courtyard surrounded by several buildings. The ground was covered in grayish-white stone bricks, but many of them had shattered and had rainwater pooling in them.

After Bai Chen found a spot to park the jeep, she said as she drove, “We’re here.”

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly, alighted, and looked around. She firmly drilled the locations of the four exits in the courtyard into her mind.

They then followed Bai Chen through Ah Fu’s Gun Shop’s backdoor and went up a cold, damp, and grayish-white staircase to the second floor.

A woman in her thirties was already waiting here. Her black hair was tied into a high bun. She didn’t have outstanding facial features to speak of, but she had an indescribable charm.

At this moment, she was wearing a dark-red cotton jacket and a dark scarf around her neck. She looked rather clean.

“Auntie Nan.” Bai Chen greeted her.

Auntie Nan glanced at the Old Task Force and didn’t ask anything. She pointed at the end of the second-floor corridor and said, “Your rooms are the two innermost ones. If you encounter any problems, you can jump into the courtyard or onto the street. The keys are on the doors.”

Jiang Baimian looked at the scarf around Auntie Nan’s neck and smiled. “Thank you.”

“It’s not like I’m letting you guys stay for free.” Auntie Nan pursed her lips and smiled. “Each of the two rooms costs 500 grams of military canned food a day. I hope you guys don’t end up defaulting on the debt.”

Jiang Baimian said briskly, “Don’t worry. Even if we really can’t pay, I’ll get them to find something to do.”

She was referring to Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong.

Auntie Nan smiled casually. “In Weed City, the competition amongst Ruin Hunters is very intense. Sometimes, they even take on missions to deliver lunch and dinner for others.”

She paused and added, “The toilet and shower room are on the other side. You won’t miss them when you head there.

“If you want to shower but are afraid of the cold, it’s best to do it between 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7 p.m. We would have just finished cooking, and there’s enough hot water in the empty walls behind the stove, which can be directly drawn for usage. Heh heh, we have to conserve energy. If you miss these two periods, you’ll have to put water into the water heater and boil it with electricity before mixing it with cold water for a suitable temperature.

“Oh, it’s winter now. There’s not much water, and the residential area only provides electricity for five hours a day. From 11:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon and from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening. Keep track of the time yourselves.”

Long Yuehong and the others were not surprised by Auntie Nan’s reminder. After all, the energy supply in Pangu Biology was stricter than that. They were all rationed.

“If we use electricity to boil water ourselves, do we need to pay an additional fee?” Jiang Baimian knew that Bai Chen might not be in a position to ask such a question, so she took the initiative to take on the responsibility of bargaining.

Auntie Nan glanced at Bai Chen. “One canned food every four times. If you want us to prepare your meals, you have to tell us in advance.”

After confirming the details, Jiang Baimian waved Auntie Nan farewell and walked toward the rooms along the cold corridor, where its two ends were illuminated by light.

The two doors stood facing each other. They were painted dark red, and they had certain traces of damage. They gave off an ancient feeling.

The decorations in the room were the same: a bunk bed, a table against the window, a wooden cabinet with signs of worms, and two square stools.

Due to the climate and environment here, the air was slightly humid. The coldness seemed to penetrate their clothes and reach deep into their bones.