"Alright." Tian Erhe turned around and said to Shang Jianyao in a teasing manner, "Now you know how difficult it is to maintain order in a settlement like this, right?"

Jiang Baimian didn't want to continue provoking Shang Jianyao, so she picked up the conversation and asked, "Chief, it didn't seem like there were this many children when we came in earlier. Are they working with the adults?"

Tian Erhe turned sideways and pointed to the three buildings arranged in a "品" (pǐn, article) shape: "They're having classes over there. School is dismissed when the adults come back."

"Classes?" Jiang Baimian raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "You still maintain classroom education?"

This was very rare outside the major forces, in the many wasteland wanderer settlements on the Ashlands. At least the settlements Jiang Baimian had visited before didn't have it.

For people who found it quite difficult to survive, organizing classroom education was completely unnecessary. It was a waste of effort and resources—manpower was a very important part of resources. Teachers who didn't work and children who didn't help in the fields at home were luxuries for many settlements.

In those places, parents and elders could occasionally provide some guidance to their children in daily life, helping them acquire common sense and learn how to farm, gather, cook, clean, shoot, hunt, and care for infants.

Tian Erhe smiled and said, "Every time outsiders enter Shuiwei Town and discover this, they're very surprised. Indeed, it's not easy for us to maintain a 'school' with our conditions. Everyone saves and saves, tightening their belts to prevent this tradition from being broken."

He subconsciously looked up at the dim, rainy evening sky and said, half in recollection and half with emotion, "The person who first proposed that children receive formal education was an uncle named Shen Liuxin.

"He said: No matter how difficult it is, we still have to let the children learn to read, study, and learn the most basic knowledge. Only in this way can they and their descendants, the future residents of Shuiwei Town, remember who they are, where they come from, what group they belong to, and what kind of culture and history they have. Only by always remembering these things can they persevere with expectation in the 'darkness' of a terrible environment where they see little hope.

"Although I agreed with Uncle Shen's proposal at that time, what I was thinking was actually very simple: Every time I brought back items and manuals from the city ruins, there were some words that I didn't recognize. And even if I recognized them, I often didn't know what they meant when they were put together. This meant that I couldn't effectively use the items. How could this work?

"This idea was really simple. It was only in recent years that I gradually understood Uncle Shen's words."

Speaking of this, Tian Erhe stood up and pointed to the three buildings arranged in a "品" shape: "Do you know what this place used to be?"

Bai Chen, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Long Yuehong shook their heads at the same time.

"This used to be the school of the old Shuiwei Town. That's the basketball court, that's the flagpole platform, that's the teachers' dormitory, that's the students' dormitory, that's the microcomputer, library, and laboratory building, that's the teaching building..." Tian Erhe introduced them one by one, his face reflecting a little of the charcoal firelight.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao were very engrossed in listening and watching, even though only the outlines of those buildings and fields could barely be distinguished in the twilight of the evening.

Tian Erhe retracted his hand, turned around, and repeated his initial words: "This used to be a school."

His expression was serious and solemn.

Before Jiang Baimian and the others could respond, he sat down again and smiled self-deprecatingly: "On this matter, many townspeople don't understand. It's not that they're unwilling to maintain such a small school, but they feel that it should only be provided to the original residents. As for the wasteland wanderers who were later taken in, giving them a bite to eat is already a great kindness. Why waste resources?

"They believe that the land should be divided by the original townspeople, especially the core members of the town's guard team. The later wasteland wanderers can only rent it and need to pay a certain share of their harvest.

"They also believe that the later wanderers shouldn't be allowed to join the town's guard team and shouldn't be allowed to master relatively better weapons."

Speaking of this, Tian Erhe shook his head on his own: "Heh, while I'm alive, I can still suppress it with my prestige. No one dares to really object, at most they complain in private. When I die, I really don't know what Shuiwei Town will become.

"Enough, enough. Let's eat, let's eat."

Regarding the internal affairs of Shuiwei Town, Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen didn't want to express their opinions. They could only maintain the attitude of guests and ate the braised beef in the pot with compressed biscuits, energy bars, and the cornbread that Tian Erhe had someone bring.

Shang Jianyao wasn't in a hurry to join in. He continued to pick up small pieces of beef from his bowl and feed them to the little girl beside him.

The little girl was also very sensible. After eating, she didn't ask for more and bowed seriously to Shang Jianyao: "Thank you, big brother!"

After thanking him, she carried the remaining sundries and skipped back to the area where many buildings were chaotically built—it used to be several rows of basketball courts.

"The action is very standard." Shang Jianyao praised from behind her.

"The teacher taught it specifically." Tian Erhe was quite proud.

Shang Jianyao still didn't pick up the braised beef. He silently ate the yellow cornbread with water.

Jiang Baimian didn't try to persuade him. While eating, she asked Tian Erhe about their various experiences after the Old World was destroyed.

Most of these experiences were very boring. After all, Shuiwei Town had geographical advantages and was subjected to fewer external tests. However, Jiang Baimian and the others listened with great interest, making Tian Erhe's enthusiasm even stronger. He even talked about how he and his wife fell in love during a hunt.

When everyone had eaten almost enough, Shang Jianyao began to attack the remaining braised beef, using the cornbread in his hand to soak up the sauce.

"It's been a long time since I've been this happy." Tian Erhe touched his stomach and glanced at the cigarette ash on the ground. "I have to go back to my room. There are still some things in town waiting for me to make a decision on."

Jiang Baimian suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Chief, I have a question."

"What is it?" Tian Erhe tightened the military green coat he was wearing.

Jiang Baimian recalled and said, "Have you seen a person like this?

"Male, black hair, golden eyes, about 1.8 meters tall, very handsome, should be more handsome than him."

She turned her head to indicate that the reference object was Shang Jianyao while continuing: "Likes to wear trench coats and gloves, has his hair neatly combed, and also likes to wear boots."

Tian Erhe thought for a moment: "Shuiwei Town rarely has outsiders, and I haven't left the town for a long time. I have no impression of the person you're talking about at all.

"Xiao Gouzi, go ask the people who have recently gone out hunting to see if they have seen anyone like this, and then come back and tell Bai丫头 (Bai Yatou) them."

"Okay, Chief." Seeing an opportunity to show off, the town guard team member whose nickname was "Gouzi" ran very fast.

After watching Tian Erhe leave the wooden shed, wearing a military green coat and a furry hat, and enter the area where various buildings were chaotically built, Bai Chen looked around and confirmed the positions of the town guard team members.

She then sat down and said to herself, "Why would the Chief tell us about the internal conflicts in Shuiwei Town?"

Jiang Baimian looked at the firelight in the stove and smiled: "Of course, it's to hope that the major force that may exist behind us can accept Shuiwei Town.

"Otherwise, why do you think he would invite us to be guests?

"Even if he trusts you enough, there's no need to do this. He can completely express his concern and kindness in other ways."

She turned her head to look at Long Yuehong, who was a little dazed, and Shang Jianyao, who didn't know what he was thinking, and continued: "It can be seen that the internal conflicts in Shuiwei Town have worried Chief Tian for a long time. He's worried that after he dies, the situation in Shuiwei Town will deteriorate and eventually fall apart.

"In such worries, he met an acquaintance, a trustworthy wasteland wanderer, and it's obvious that this wasteland wanderer has joined a considerable force and seems to be doing quite well.

"If it were you, would you be a little tempted, hoping to build a relationship so that Shuiwei Town can rely on that major force in the future, a major force that isn't too hostile to wasteland wanderers?

"With such protection, with the overall planning from a major force, these internal conflicts in Shuiwei Town really aren't a big deal."

Long Yuehong finally understood: "So that's how it is...

"Team Leader, will the company accept them?"

This was also what Bai Chen wanted to ask. Otherwise, she wouldn't have deliberately talked to herself.

Feeling Bai Chen's gaze, Jiang Baimian once again turned her attention to the stove in front of her.

She said with a slight smile: "When I get back to the company, I'll report it according to the normal procedure. Whether or not they will be accepted depends on the decision of the board of directors. In this regard, even the entire Security Department and the Strategic Committee only have the right to advise.

"However, I will definitely hide the specific location of Shuiwei Town and only say that I encountered their hunting team in the wilderness."

Bai Chen obviously breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice: "That's good, that's good."

Long Yuehong was obviously puzzled: "Why hide the specific location of Shuiwei Town?"

The report is for our own company.

Jiang Baimian glanced at him with a hint of a smile, didn't answer, didn't explain, and just said: "Look, Shang Jianyao didn't even ask."

Shang Jianyao heard his name, so he looked at the team leader: "Ah, what are you talking about?"

Jiang Baimian squeezed out a few smiles: "Saying you look good."

"It's alright." Shang Jianyao was quite modest.

The scene suddenly fell silent. Not long after, the town guard team member whose nickname was "Gouzi" ran back and approached Jiang Baimian: "Someone has seen the person you described.

"He went north of the Yue Lu Station. He's a very strange person: At that time, everyone in that hunting team thought he was very charming and couldn't help but want to please him and get close to him, but he was very indifferent, forcibly distanced himself, and disappeared into the wilderness."

"A little strange..." After listening, Jiang Baimian seemed to be thinking of something and muttered to herself.

She then raised her head and said with a bright smile: "Thank you."

"You're welcome, you're welcome!" The town guard team member whose nickname was "Gouzi" responded excitedly.

Next, Jiang Baimian didn't ask any more questions, and this town guard team member had no choice but to leave the wooden shed.

Shang Jianyao's gaze followed him outside. He saw that the sky was dark, the clouds were low, and the entire Shuiwei Town was in deep darkness.

The sound of the fuel generator buzzed. In the three buildings arranged in a "品" shape, many rooms emitted light. On the town's walls, light bulbs were lit up one after another, helping the guards illuminate the outside. In the flat area and the area where buildings were chaotically built, a few candle lights and firelights flickered for a while and then quickly went out. The whole place was almost completely submerged in the night.

With a whoosh, the long-brewing heavy rain finally fell in the dark night.

ps: Today's two updates are here. Asking for recommendation tickets on Monday~