Chapter 251: Strange Man
In previous years, the locust plague caused widespread panic and despair, with many even fleeing to other places.
However, the situation for many people at the border pass was a bit special, as many were exiles and had nowhere to escape.
If a natural disaster or man-made calamity truly occurred, they could only await death.
Although there was a locust plague this year, with advance warnings and various preventive measures, yesterday’s locust plague had a good start.
Especially after the dried locusts were exchanged for copper coins, everyone became more enthusiastic about catching locusts.
Not to mention the children in the countryside, even beggars were catching locusts every day with their tattered net bags.
When talking about this, Aunt Zhang had a smile on her face.
“When I went to buy vegetables today, I saw the beggars from before buying hot steamed buns with copper coins.”
They all had smiles on their faces, not as numb as before.
Lu He also added, “We will definitely get through this locust plague.”
Qin Wanwan heavily nodded her little head.
Wolf Fang returned with saltpeter; they had already organized and prepared the materials.
Then, under Keke’s guidance, several people witnessed the process of making ice with saltpeter.
Aunt Zhang and Lu He were stunned.
“Keke, are you really not an immortal or a monster?”
Otherwise, how could you perform magic tricks?
Keke held his head high and puffed out his chest: “This is just a small science experiment. If I really knew magic, would I be this bothered? It would be a simple matter!”
Qin Wanwan nodded: “Exactly, exactly.”
If one knew magic, it wouldn’t be this troublesome.
Saltpeter is cheap, and they even had saltpeter mines on their side.
This substance has medicinal value but its uses are not extensive, so its price is low, and quite a lot can be bought with a small amount of money.
Moreover, saltpeter can be reused.
Seeing this effect, Wolf Fang immediately went to buy more saltpeter and made more ice.
With ice, making fruit salads or popsicles and shaved ice became much easier.
The animals at home, panting with their tongues out from the heat, couldn’t help but get closer.
However, this saltpeter ice couldn’t be eaten directly; it had to be placed in a basin of clean water, and the water would slowly freeze on top of the saltpeter ice.
The ice was placed in the relatively cool basement, and they busied themselves making various flavors of popsicles first, placing them on the ice to freeze, and then they made the fruit salad.
Fruit salad is simple: add your favorite fruits, then add milk or coconut milk, and some ice cubes.
Qin Wanwan quickly held a bowl of fruit salad, a small spoon in her hand, and sat under the grape arbor, eating it with relish.
Although the sun was strong today, the grapevines on the grape arbor were also very dense, providing excellent shade.
The grapes hanging down from the grape arbor were in clusters, with a beautiful deep purple color, plump and round like pearls, and a rich, pervasive grape aroma; sitting underneath was also a pleasure.
The grapes were almost ripe, and Qin Wanwan, eating from her bowl and looking at the grapes on the arbor, was very tempted.
Not only her, but Keke and the little fox squatting at her feet were also very tempted.
“Miss, the fruit salad is ready, and the popsicles are frozen too.”
Just as Qin Wanwan finished her fruit salad, she quickly scampered over with her short legs.
“Hurry, hurry, let’s go give it to Daddy.”
Since they made quite a lot, Qin Wanwan was thinking of her Daddy, and naturally, others who were close to him would also benefit.
But with so many people in the military camp, she naturally only gave it to a few of the closest people.
On the way to the military camp, a staggering person walked towards them and fell directly at Qin Wanwan’s feet.
He looked disheveled and seemed very thirsty.
Red Butterfly flew up from Qin Wanwan’s hair and circled the person once.
“How are you?”
“Hungry, thirsty…”
Wolf Fang watched the person vigilantly.
Qin Wanwan asked for a bowl of fruit salad to be brought over.
“Eat slowly, okay?”
However, the person ate it down with a gulp, startling Qin Wanwan.
“This is delicious, can I have another bowl?”
The man, holding the bowl, pitifully began to tell his story.
“This year, Hongning County suffered from a drought, and everyone had no food or water and fled here. My companions and I fled here. Our homes are gone, and our land is gone. We haven’t eaten enough all the way, so hungry that we’ve even eaten grass roots…”
Qin Wanwan felt it was very pitiable and quickly gave him another bowl of fruit salad.
Keke suddenly said, “No, you’ve been thirsty for so long, you can’t eat anything too cold.”
As soon as it spoke, the man, as if afraid his fruit salad would be snatched away, began to eat voraciously, holding the bowl.
It was then that Keke spotted the flaw.
“This guy isn’t a refugee at all, he’s a liar!”
There were indeed refugees during this period, but they were all as thin as sticks, looking like skin stretched over bones, with numb and empty eyes.
But although this person was thin and dirty, the strength with which he drank just now was not small, and half of his arm, exposed from the tattered cloth, was visibly fair.
This liar who tricked them out of fruit salad!
Hearing Keke’s words, Wolf Fang and several soldiers immediately moved to apprehend him.
Who would have thought that the man was slippery and his body’s flexibility was beyond human limits, slithering away like a snake.
He suddenly darted in front of Qin Wanwan.
“What kind of bird is this?”
As he got closer, Qin Wanwan saw a pair of very beautiful eyes.
They were clearly phoenix eyes, and not sharp.
Those eyes were very clear and beautiful.
He wanted to catch Keke, and Qin Wanwan cautiously took two steps back.
Wolf Fang quickly joined the fray.
The man tutted: “I just tricked you out of some food, do you have to be so fierce?”
Wolf Fang didn’t listen at all.
“Hiss…”
As they fought, a brightly colored small snake, only as thick as a finger, coiled around Wolf Fang’s neck.
“Don’t move, one bite from this little guy and you’ll lose your life.”
Wolf Fang looked at him with cold eyes.
Qin Wanwan glared at the man and, walking to Wolf Fang’s side, roared fiercely, like a fierce kitten.
“Get down!”
The little snake looked at Qin Wanwan and then at the man.
“Come down quickly.”
She roared again, and the little snake flicked its tongue and slid down Wolf Fang’s arm.
The man looked at Qin Wanwan with surprise.
“This can be commanded?”
He extended his hand, and in his palm lay a plump, snow-white little bug.
In that instant, an icy chill emanated from his hand, centered on the little bug, turning his hand blue-purple from the cold.
But soon, another small red beetle flew onto his arm, and the chill on the man’s arm gradually receded.
Qin Wanwan looked on in amazement.
“Wow…”
“Want to try?”
Keke: …This ability, why does it feel a bit familiar, who was it.
It looked at the man’s face but found that this face, even this person, was unfathomable, with no past.
Wrong…
“Is your face fake?”
The man looked at Keke: “Wow, you’re quite capable, want to come with me?”
He was very interested in Keke at this moment.
