Exchange Three

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The woman, though small in stature, had an athletic build and held a machete as long as her forearm, eyeing Yu Hong with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Got any food?" Her eyes briefly glanced at the steel nail and luminous stone stick in Yu Hong's hand.

"Want to trade? What do you need?"

She added.

"...Any medicine?" Yu Hong looked at her agile body, thinking she might be stronger than him, and felt a surge of caution.

He scanned the surroundings with wary glances while sizing up the woman. "I need anti-diarrheal medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs."

"What do you have for trade? I only need food! Old Yu hasn't been back for two days. The few families around here are all lacking in food. If you have some, you can trade it for anything you want," the woman quickly said.

Her tone was sincere, while the knife in her right hand seemed to twirl unconsciously in a flourish.

The machete, straight and sharp, had a blade as wide as a grown adult's palm. Not just anyone could perform such a flourish.

This immediately put Yu Hong on high alert.

He suddenly felt it might have been a mistake to come out and trade so rashly.

People who survived outside for so long, even the seemingly weaker women, must have some special skills to ensure their safety.

But the woman couldn't figure out his background either. As long as there was no physical conflict, everything remained unknown and tentative, which was good.

"I have food," Yu Hong quickly replied. "But not much on me. I need to go back and get it. Do you have medicine?"

"A bit, but you need to be sure about what's ailing you; otherwise, it would be a waste," the woman swiftly replied.

"Diarrhea, several bouts of it. I suspect it's from drinking rainwater," Yu Hong answered quickly.

"Rainwater!?" The woman was startled, stopping abruptly, her eyes fixed on Yu Hong. "Did you drink it directly or after filtering?"

"Filtered." Seeing her reaction, Yu Hong's heart sank, feeling uneasy.

"That's good, that's good," the woman sighed in relief. "Rainwater must be boiled before drinking. Ever since those ghostly things appeared two years ago, rainwater has carried toxins. Drinking it directly causes severe diarrhea, unless you're exceptionally strong."

"What should I do now?" Yu Hong frowned, fetching a piece of dried lizard from his bag and tossing it over.

She caught it, sniffed it, and bit off half, chewing slowly. Her gaze softened towards Yu Hong.

"It's good you drank filtered water. Hasn't anyone ever told you that rainwater is undrinkable?" she said, exasperated.

"...No, I have a companion who just drank it casually..." Yu Hong recalled his days with Stammering Yiyi, who often drank rainwater but never let him have any.

"...You have a very strong companion," the woman also fell silent.

"I bet she's like a wild ox, able to lift you with one hand."

"Not quite... but can you tell me how to deal with it?" Yu Hong tossed another piece of dried meat over.

The woman caught it, a smile appearing on her face.

"It's simple. In the soil, there's a black and slightly purple substance. Dig out a clump, about the size of an egg, and swallow it with water. You'll recover soon."

She straightened up, looking at Yu Hong.

"Also, it's your first time trading with someone, right? You just gave away your details. You must've been from the town's bunker before?"

"..." Yu Hong didn't speak but showed a look of surprise, wondering how she knew.

He wasn't from the bunker, but this didn't prevent him from letting her think so.

"You're Yu Hong," the woman suddenly stated his name. "Yiyi is indeed very strong. She mentioned you before. There are very few newcomers within dozens of miles of here. Recently, you're the only new arrival."

"Alright... I'm Yu Hong. And you are?" Hearing Yiyi's name, Yu Hong realized she was an acquaintance, feeling slightly relieved. However, he still held the stick in his hand.

"I'm Jenny, the tanner. You've probably heard Yiyi mention me. I can repair the clothes worn by all of us around here," the woman's tone softened.

"Where's Yiyi? Why are you here instead of her this time?" Jenny asked in confusion.

"She went to the town," Yu Hong lied, not mentioning Yiyi's departure.

"Alright then. Got any more food? I've told you how to treat diarrhea from drinking rainwater. If you have anything else to trade, feel free to bring food, or do you need a change of clothes?"

Her gaze lingered on Yu Hong's dirty T-shirt before laughing.

The originally gray T-shirt had turned into a dirty yellow, thoroughly soaked with sweat stains.

Wearing it, sticky and cold, it weighed a lot more.

"Got any nails?" Yu Hong thought for a moment and asked. He needed nails for crafting; they were much more convenient than mortise and tenon joints.

"Quite a few. Why do you need them?" Jenny was startled, quickly guessing, "Don't tell me you can make things yourself?"

"A little," Yu Hong nodded, taking out the water filter cup he made. "This is a water filter cup I made. If you want, you can order from me. Medicines, clothing, unprocessed luminous stones, or helping me out, can all be exchanged."

Jenny's eyes lit up as she examined the water filter cup in his hand.

If the craftsmanship was indeed effective, then everyone nearby would benefit.

"Because of the Big Skin last night, everyone's gathered at Old Zhou's bunker. We'll find you for the exchange once the wave passes!" she quickly said.

"Can I exchange the cup now?" she pointed to the filter cup and asked.

"Yes," Yu Hong nodded.

He knew how to craft, and his workmanship was good. This was the premise he calculated for his identity.

This premise could ensure his basic safety in the area.

Because only if he was alive could he continuously produce things everyone needed.

That was his value.

"Wait for me, I'll be right back." Jenny didn't specify how much to exchange, turned and dashed into the forest, disappearing from sight.

Yu Hong glanced in the direction she left, then carefully found a place to hide, no longer foolishly standing in the open.

He yearned for the Training Method that was nearing completion. His current physical ability was too poor; he feared he couldn't beat anyone.

If the Training Method succeeded, he could later enhance skills like wilderness survival and Lurking and Hiding Skill, and other survival methods.

But the premise was that he'd be able to use the enhanced methods himself.

*Training still required sufficient diet and rest... If he could figure out how lizard jerky was made, and the mushrooms...*

Yu Hong crouched in the grass, pondering as he waited.

Fortunately, it was the sunniest time now; shadows generally didn't appear at this time.

For some unknown reason, there were hardly any mosquitoes in the forest, and few insects overall.

So, crouching in the grass, he wasn't bitten.

The rustling of leaves swayed intermittently with the wind, and the strong sunlight cast waves of warmth over him.

Yet besides the sound of branches and leaves, there was no other sound or sign of life in the forest.

No birds, no insects, just silence.

Yu Hong regularly glanced around to ensure shadows wouldn't approach rashly.

Even in broad daylight, the unusually silent forest unsettled him with a weird sense of fear.

There were no butterflies, no bees, no flowers, only grass, branches, and roots.

Fresh green, emerald green, dark green, yellow-green—various layers of foliage intertwined to create a vibrant yet eerily lifeless forest.

*This forest felt dead, its lushness and tranquility misleading.*

The thought flashed through Yu Hong's mind.

About a few minutes later, footsteps again sounded from the direction of the post office stone house.

"Yu Hong? Are you there? I've returned."

Jenny's voice rang out.

Upon hearing it, Yu Hong cautiously peered through the grass towards the sound's origin.

He saw Jenny, dressed as before, holding a small cloth bag, standing in place and looking around.

He didn't immediately step out, continuing to observe for a bit longer to confirm her natural and unforced movements, consistent steps as she walked.

This was clearly not a shadow.

Moreover, no one else seemed to have followed her; she was alone.

After confirming, he slowly stood up.

"I'm here. Did you bring the items?"

"I did," Jenny squinted in his direction. "Stay put!"

She suddenly shouted.

"What were the items we agreed to exchange?"

"The filter cup and nails!" Yu Hong promptly replied.

"Good!"

Seeing it checked out, Jenny breathed a sigh of relief and approached.

"Here," she handed over the small cloth bag.

Yu Hong took it, opened it, and looked inside. It contained a bunch of rusty nails, each as long as a finger.

"About thirty or so, enough for a while. But that alone isn't enough for the filter cup."

He looked up at her.

"Add this," Jenny said, lowering a backpack and taking out a patched-up long-sleeve sweater.

"I figured you'd need a change of clothes. Otherwise, getting caught in the rain could give you a fever."

She winked at Yu Hong with a smile.

"Deal!" Yu Hong nodded, handing her the filter cup and accepting the sweater.

The sweater was gray, made from some unknown fine grass and animal fur, looking quite warm.

"This sweater, with wild boar skin, can resist rain, but not for too long. Be careful," Jenny reminded him. "It was originally made for my daughter. She works at the town's bunker and comes back once a month. Actually, she should be just a bit younger than you."

Mentioning her daughter, a gentle smile naturally spread across her face.

"You love your daughter very much," Yu Hong remarked as he put away the clothes and nails.

"Yes, she's my pride. She embodies the best of her father and me. Beautiful, confident, capable—she handles everything in life well," Jenny smiled in reply.

"By the way, if I wanted to contact you from a distance, is there a way?" Yu Hong suddenly shifted the topic.

"You could use a long-distance communicator, but charging it is troublesome. This thing was useful before the Black Disaster; now, not so much," Jenny responded. "But the postman has one, which can contact the town's bunker anytime."

"Charging, though? How do you work that out?" Yu Hong asked eagerly.

"With a hand-cranked generator, also solar power, though its efficiency has declined over time and now serves only as a supplement," Jenny explained. "Why, are you interested?"

She perceptively caught Yu Hong's motive.

"Some small devices. If I could charge them, it'd be a great help. When the postman returns, could you ask if the solar generator's for sale?" Yu Hong requested.

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