Chapter 43: The Second Platform Opening

Li Xuemei and Yan Yu had mixed milk powder into their bowls, sipping it in small gulps with their eyes squinted in happiness, perfectly in sync.

Yan Lao'er felt a surge of joy just looking at the mother and daughter. As his gaze drifted downward and settled on his wife's belly, he couldn't stop grinning foolishly.

His wife had even brought a dough board, which showed just how much she was craving something.

Yan Lao'er kneaded a lump of dough vigorously. Even while kneeling on the ground, he could whip up a perfect batch of hand-pulled noodles!

He added eggs, soy sauce, and a tiny bit of dried meat for flavor, along with both of his family's mixed seasonings.

As the oil heated up in the pan, the savory, salty, and spicy aroma was instantly released.

Li Xuemei rubbed her stomach; she had just finished a bowl of milk, but the smell made her hungry again.

As soon as the noodles were boiled, Yan Yu couldn't wait.

She mixed in the sauce and began eating with loud slurping sounds.

Her little cheeks puffed out, looking like a little squirrel hiding a mouthful of hazelnuts.

0:00

【Please confirm if the surrounding environment is safe?】

A kind and gentle female voice rang out. Yan Yu didn't have time to worry about the noodles filling her mouth. "Yes!"

Rows of shelves—the shelves she had been longing for—were arranged neatly before her.

Yan Yu swallowed the noodles in a few quick gulps. Ignoring her hunger, she handed the bowl to her father and began rapidly quoting prices.

"Rice 2.8—Noodles 2.4—Salt 1—"

...

Learning from their last lesson, they intended to record all the prices this time. They also couldn't be careless about the goods sold to the platform; they needed to know which prices were high and which were low to have a clear understanding.

The icon for the Free Market kept flashing, but Yan Yu did not stop.

She discovered with excitement that the goods on the shelves had changed compared to last time.

【Brown Rice—2.8】【Coarse Noodles—3.9】【Mung Beans—4.2】【Red Beans—5.9】【Black Beans—6.6】

Not only were there new items, but the quantities seemed to have increased as well.

Without time to look closely, she continued reading.

【Dandelion—12.8】【Elm Seeds—53.8】【Curma—14.6】

No!

Her heart ached!

Give her back her sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn!

Li Xuemei and Yan Lao'er used branches to write on the ground; one specialized in names, while the other specialized in numbers.

By cross-referencing, they finished the task.

Yan Yu gloomily opened the Free Market.

The punk-styled uncle came online.

"I say, little girl, what are you busy with? Why did it take so long to connect? You nearly drove me crazy!" He was very happy to see Yan Yu.

The beef was truly delicious!

He had been incredibly careful, decomposing it with meticulous precision, unwilling to waste even a tiny shred.

He had peeled off the entire hide and filled it with preservative gel, keeping it well-preserved as his most precious collection so far!

Waaaah! Even if he could never show it to the light of day, just looking at it made him feel so happy!

"Uncle, last time my shelves had sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn, but they're all gone this time. They've been replaced by dandelions, elm seeds, and curma..."

Yan Yu's little face was scrunched up, looking incredibly pitiful.

"Hahaha!" The uncle showed no sympathy and laughed quite happily.

"Didn't I tell you that the items in the mall change? It scans your environment and makes adjustments. It's all wild vegetables? Are you in the wilderness right now?"

"Your guess is spot on!" Yan Yu praised him without any soul.

"Then why didn't you stock more for me, but instead cleared the shelves? Sigh, never mind that. Uncle, you know my situation. What do you want to exchange for this time?"

"Gaga! My mechanical bionic ox is useful, isn't it? How about it? Want another one?" The uncle pushed his sales relentlessly. "Since you're in the wild, an exploration and collection robot is most suitable. How about this: if you get another one... a pig, a sheep, or a donkey, anything works. I'll exchange it for you, guaranteed to be worth the price."

"Aren't bionic robots shaped like humans? How am I supposed to explain a person suddenly appearing out of nowhere?" Yan Yu really wanted one, but there was no way. If her family were the kind who could afford servants, she would definitely have hacked off a hand to bring one home.

"Then how about you change it to something like a cat, a dog, or a bird? That would be easier for me to carry. If not, even the spider-lizard you mentioned before would work!"

Appearance didn't matter; utility did.

"Sure, no problem at all! The customer's request comes first. But let's get one thing straight: a humanoid exploration and collection robot possesses both functions. If you want to change the appearance, you'll have to downgrade the specs, and the collection function will basically be useless. I'll strip it down...

Well, cats and dogs are fine. If it's something like a spider or a lizard, I'll have to adjust the speed so it's not too ridiculous."

Yan Yu:...

If you hadn't gone into detail, a single exploration function would have been great. But the way you put it made it feel like a terrible deal.

Think about it: with a robot, it explores, collects, and carries everything back...

But with a robotic pet, it just explores and stops. It comes back to report to you, leaving you to go out and collect and carry things back yourself.

Why is the difference so huge!

And then again, a cat dragging back a bucket would be pretty ridiculous.

"Uncle, let's not downgrade it. Going from high-spec to low-spec would make me feel uneasy. Besides, I can't get pigs, sheep, or donkeys right now. I don't have the money." Yan Yu said pitifully.

She was a poor little thing whose pockets were cleaner than her face.

"Can you hunt? Wild rabbits, pheasants, wild boars—don't novels always write about them? They're very easy to catch." The uncle anxiously offered advice. Whether she could eat meat depended on this little girl in an ancient setting.

He called his other clients "unlucky bastards"—a completely objective assessment. Only the little girl before him was his greatest client since he started his profession!

"Hunting?" Yan Yu thought of that mountain dotted with green. "But no one in my family knows how to hunt, and it might be hard to find prey in the mountains and forests. Can your robot search for prey?"

The uncle's eyes lit up. He had a great idea. "Searching is no problem at all. As long as you set the search parameters, it can do it. But regarding the hunting itself, little girl, every skill is learned from nothing. I think you and your family can develop this hunting skill.

Look, you happen to be in the wild right now, which is so convenient. If you actually stumble upon something by pure luck, it would be such a waste if you didn't know how to hunt!

But it's okay, don't you have me? Your big brother is your backbone.

Things like crossbows are incredibly simple; you can make one in minutes. You just need to practice your aim.

It's just that adding a proper aiming device is a bit difficult; the materials are somewhat beyond the current scope..."

He tapped away on a virtual screen beside him as he spoke.

By the time he finished talking, the design was complete.

He pulled the virtual screen over and pointed it out to Yan Yu: "Look, an absolutely retro crossbow. Compact, exquisite, long-range, and powerful. Paired with alloy arrowheads, any prey that appears before you will fall at your feet, hahaha!"

Yan Yu:...

Why are you more excited than I am?