The mournful and sorrowful tune had just faded.

As soon as Zhuang Xiao stepped onto the main road, she ran into the Yan brothers, Yan Ming and Yan Hu, returning from the mulberry forest.

Neither of them was in a good mood today, especially the younger one, Yan Ming, who followed behind his elder brother Yan Hu with a droopy head and slumped shoulders.

They hadn’t found a single thing all day—not even a blade of grass, let alone mulberries.

In fact, this was the norm for people in the wastelands.

But after yesterday’s windfall, today’s total failure was a harsh contrast. As the saying goes—no comparison, no harm.

He suddenly found himself missing his “sister”—Zhuang Xiao.

Even though it was a one-sided acknowledgment on his part.

Maybe sincerity really does move the heavens, because they just happened to run into each other like this.

Without giving him a chance to refuse, Yan Ming ended up carrying the forty- to fifty-pound sack of soil on his back for his “sister” without complaint, eyes filled with envy as he looked at Zhuang Xiao’s bulging backpack.

Of course, it wasn’t just him. Many people along the road cast envious, greedy, or jealous glances at Zhuang Xiao’s pack.

Even the sack of soil on Yan Ming’s back drew longing stares.

After all, any soil worth carrying back such a long way must have only low to moderate radiation. It could definitely be exchanged for some points.

Given Zhuang Xiao’s current lack of combat strength, had she not run into the obviously capable Yan brothers, it was entirely possible she would’ve been robbed today.

When she got home, Huo Xiao was cooking.

Yan Ming dropped the sack of soil in the courtyard, greeted Huo Xiao along with his brother, and left.

Since it was mealtime, and they’d helped carry her soil (and acted as bodyguards), before the two left, Zhuang Xiao grabbed a handful of purslane leaves from her pack and stuffed them into Yan Ming’s arms.

Before he could even refuse, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

There was no way she’d invite them in for dinner. She could tell from one look that both of them had big appetites. Zhuang Xiao would’ve felt a bit bad if she invited them but didn’t let them eat their fill.

But letting them eat their fill? She couldn’t afford that.

So, a handful of leafy greens would have to do.

Anyway, she’d collected a big bag of purslane leaves today. Giving some away didn’t hurt.

The two standing outside looked at each other in surprise. Yan Ming beamed and carefully put away the leaves. There were at least seven or eight in the bunch.

His “sister” was really generous! He absolutely had to hang on tight to her thick, golden thigh.

As long as he stuck with her, he’d never worry about food or drink again!

Zhuang Xiao glanced into the pot—still the same green porridge. Nothing else.

But that obviously wasn’t enough.

She held out the purslane leaves from her bag and showed them to Huo Xiao. “Look, so many! How about we add a dish for dinner? Cold purslane salad?”

Huo Xiao eyed the pile of leaves she’d carelessly dumped together. It was clear they weren’t from any nearby gathering point. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at her. “You went to a farther zone, didn’t you?”

Only then did Zhuang Xiao remember his warning before he left that afternoon.

But guilty? No way. This big pack of edible purslane was her confidence. Once she reminded herself of that, she put on a cheeky grin and raised her pinky. “Just a tiny bit farther. Just a liiittle bit.”

“No next time,” Huo Xiao said helplessly.

He took her bag—it was heavy.

Clearly, it was full of edible plants. But which ones had low radiation, and which had high?

He had no choice but to pull all the leaves out and retest them. Surprisingly, nearly a third were low-radiation mutated leaves.

With this kind of luck, she probably wouldn’t starve even without him!

Anyone would be envious of that kind of haul.

“Wow! Is this all for me?” Zhuang Xiao came bouncing out of the house, holding a set of linen long sleeves and pants.

The color and style were just like the one Huo Xiao was wearing.

The moment she entered the house, she’d noticed her straw nest had completely changed.

The thick pile of hay was gone, replaced by a hanging hammock, covered with a door curtain—specifically, the one they’d taken off the door.

The hammock was woven from purplish-red vines with strong elasticity and excellent weight-bearing capacity.

These vines were mutated plants from high-radiation zones. As long as there was no direct skin contact, they weren’t too harmful. Besides, Huo Xiao had sprayed them with insulating agents, which would reduce the danger.

But what delighted Zhuang Xiao the most was the outfit in her hands.

She’d been here for several days now, running around every day, and her clothes were filthy.

Still, compared to most people in the wastelands, she was doing pretty well.

Honestly, with how hard she worked for food and water each day, she barely had the energy to sleep, let alone tidy herself up. Besides, compared to others, she still looked pretty good.

She hadn’t expected Huo Xiao to be so amazing—to even make clothes for her!

Seeing how happy she was, Huo Xiao finally relaxed.

He’d actually worried she wouldn’t like it—the fabric wasn’t even close in quality to what she originally wore.

But he’d overthought it.

To Zhuang Xiao, this was natural, handmade linen—perfect for summer. It was more breathable and absorbent than cotton, and even antibacterial and odor-resistant.

This material was far more precious than the synthetic one she was currently wearing.

Plus, the linen was clearly finer and lighter than what Yan Ming and Yan Hu wore. The craftsmanship was top-notch.

“As long as you like it,” Huo Xiao said with a faint smile.

At least he’d done one thing that truly made her happy.

Once dinner was over, he planned to give her something else—something that would make her even happier.

“I love it. I really love it!” Zhuang Xiao beamed, hugging her new clothes and skipping back into the room.

Dinner was the usual green porridge, now accompanied by a small plate of cold purslane salad.

Zhuang Xiao happily devoured her meal and was ready to head to bed.

It had been another exhausting day.

But just as she was about to climb onto her brand-new hammock, Huo Xiao called out, “Don’t sleep yet. This is for you.”

He brought out the sleeve crossbow he’d finished that afternoon. He hadn’t rested for even a moment—after all, he couldn’t accompany her on gathering trips every day.

This would at least boost her combat power a little and reduce the risks of scavenging.

When Zhuang Xiao turned and saw what was in his hands, all the post-meal sleepiness vanished. A sleeve crossbow!

She actually had a hidden weapon now!

Following his instructions, she strapped the crossbow to the inside of her forearm. She rotated her arm a bit—the size was perfect, and it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

“This one has a maximum range of 30 meters. It holds three bolts at a time. There are ten bolts total. If the fit feels off, I can adjust it.”

Zhuang Xiao joyfully accepted the extra bolts, examining them from every angle and waving her hand around like a kid.

Huo Xiao was nearly scared out of his wits. An untrained beginner was the most dangerous—one careless move and someone could get killed.

He wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead and quickly stopped her from waving it around. He sent her out into the courtyard to practice where he’d already set up a target.

At this point, Zhuang Xiao was still riding high, completely unaware that her post-scavenging after-hours training life was about to begin.

She practiced for more than an hour and was still excited.

Even though… she only hit the target three times.

Her hit rate was worse than a claw machine.