Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 216 Train Vegetable and Fruit Shop
The meerkat stood in front of Lu Xiao and Miao Qi's dormitory, its brow furrowed as if a trapped beast was struggling to break free.

She deeply respected Miao Qi. Although he did not become an officer after the reform, he was still one of the few sergeants, and he was an extremely accurate marksman who treated all soldiers equally.

She even secretly thought that if the other person wasn't a woman, he must at least be a military officer.

But Miao Qi's words today stirred up a storm in her heart, leaving her feeling very uncomfortable.

She never imagined that Miao Qi would think that way.

"Click——"

A mechanical sound rang out, and Miao Qi pushed open the door and stepped out.

The meerkat was about to speak when it looked up and froze in place.

"Don't have money to buy clothes? I'll buy you a few later." Miao Qi lifted the oversized training shirt on the meerkat, "so you won't always be wearing this boring stuff."

The meerkat took a small step back and hesitated, "Sister Qi, isn't what you're wearing a bit too daring?"

Miao Qi was wearing a pair of red-lined cargo pants, but the two straps on top were not properly tied, and one side was hanging down, revealing a black tube top.

The cargo pants also feature a design element on the sides, becoming extremely fitted from the waist down, with several crisscrossing thin lines at the hips that subtly accentuate the fullness of the legs.

It wasn't until my knees returned to normal.

The red lining made the exposed skin appear even whiter.

Although the outfit didn't reveal much, it still looked very impactful.

Miao Qi tidied her hair and chuckled, "Can't even handle this?"

The meerkat hesitated for a long time, "...This kind of clothing isn't practical, is it?"

Miao Qi spread her arms and looked around, saying calmly, "Practical? Of course it's practical. It makes it easy for me to seduce men."

"Lieutenant Lu Xiao..."

The meerkat's pupils dilated slightly.

"I change men frequently, so I always have to look for one in advance."

Before Miao Qi could finish speaking, she was pulled into a pair of strong arms.

Lu Xiao pinched her plump thigh hard and said in a vicious voice, "You want to switch places with me? I'll deal with you when I get back."

"Lieutenant Lu."

The meerkat gave an awkward yet polite smile.

The latter nodded.

Miao Qi showed no embarrassment at being caught, and asked with a charming laugh, "Everyone's dismissed, what are you busy with?"

Lu Xiao casually replied, "It's nothing important. The boss just came up with a new rifle and wants us to test its quality."

"Remember to come home for dinner tonight."

"You'll do it yourself? Okay, come back when you're done."

After saying that, Lu Xiao threw the equipment into the room and went straight out the door.

The way the two interacted left the meerkat dumbfounded.

Miao Qi naturally noticed her confusion, but she was unwilling to explain those complicated things to a little girl. Without experiencing it firsthand, the meerkats wouldn't understand her.

Although the meerkat was about the same age as her, it was just a little girl in front of her.

"Don't just stand there, today is the first day of business, if you're late you might not be able to get any."

Miao Qi said with great interest.

She hadn't enjoyed shopping in a long time.

Miao Qi's dormitory is currently in carriage 3. Walking back through the third-level carriage, you will arrive at the farm in carriage 7.

Because the mutated plants have the effect of filtering the air, the farm was not expanded backward after the train was upgraded, but rather horizontally, with two additional carriages added. Although the farm was separated, it was ensured that both trains had some greenery.

A temporary fruit and vegetable store was also set up in carriage 8.

Upon entering the 7th carriage, you'll see a pear tree called "Wangjiang Peak" standing in the middle of the corridor. The soil around its roots is enclosed by a transparent glass ring, about 30 centimeters off the ground. The entire carriage floor is raised by 50 centimeters, totaling 80 centimeters, all of which is soil.

The tree was six meters tall, almost reaching the top of the train canopy. Its leaves were lush and green, and three small green pears remained on its branches. The air conditioning blew in, and the fragrance of fruit wafted through the carriage. The leaves rustled as the train swayed slightly.

There were two chubby little blue birds in the tree, tilting their heads to look at them.

"I don't know what method Teacher Huang used, but the bird won't fly away."

Miao Qi clicked her tongue in amazement.

The meerkat looked up and saw the two chubby little birds scurrying back into their nest in a panic, which made her snort angrily.

This elicited a few soft laughs from Miao Qi.

The road splits into two here, one of which winds its way up to the second floor and is only about 50 centimeters wide.

It mainly facilitates the management of vertical farms.

The two walked around the pear tree in the middle and went inside. The walls on both sides of the carriage were filled with many plants, the most common of which was sweet and spicy scallions, which stood on both sides like small lanterns.

It wasn't light yet; although the deep water outside was pitch black, it wasn't actually dark.

This plant can, to some extent, help people in the train carriage tell time.

There were also delicately shaped mushrooms, metallic-looking pumpkins, and plump flowers...

However, these were all mutated plants, some of which were quite dangerous. Coupled with the various warnings Huang Hai had posted on the wall, the two of them only glanced at them before quickly passing by.

At the end of the 8th carriage, there is a small "wooden house" with two small ironwood trees on the left and right, their branches intertwined to form an arch, somewhat like a simple version of a memorial archway.

From their direction, they could see Huang Hai, wearing a gray-green short-sleeved shirt, carrying fruits and vegetables with his assistant, Xiao Wang.

Everything was packed in metal boxes, and some were even in transparent glass boxes.

It doesn't look like a farmers' market; it looks more like an experimental platform.

There were still more than a dozen people waiting ahead, and Hu Shuo led several logistics crew members to maintain order.

Although most people's points might not be enough to buy the mutated fruits and vegetables, they were bored in the train carriage and wanted to come and see what was going on.

Miao Qi spotted a familiar figure among them. "Sister Jiang, you're here to buy groceries too?"

Jiang Rong turned around and waved.

The two of them moved closer.

There weren't many items on the table, only about a dozen in total, but the fresh scent of plants still invigorated everyone.

"boom--"

Huang Hai placed the last box of vegetables on the table, wiped his sweat, and said with a smile.

"This is the first time that the fruits and vegetables on the farm have ripened in large quantities. We haven't prepared many things yet, so if you have any questions, just ask us."

Jiang Rong focused her gaze on the flowers in the basket. Each petal was about the size of a palm. She asked doubtfully, "I've seen this many times before. Can we eat it?"

"This is called 'Meat Flower.' The flower is plump, and the texture is somewhere between mushroom and konjac. I've eaten all of these myself, so you can rest assured." Huang Hai pushed up his small glasses, his voice filled with the excitement of a bountiful harvest.

Having spent months on the train, hearing daily reports of breakthroughs and the capture of vast quantities of supplies—enough to feed them for years—Huang Hai felt his train farm was becoming increasingly insignificant. Although he didn't say anything outwardly, he harbored a burning desire to achieve something significant.

I ate and slept with the plants, wrapped in my bedding, and after so many days, I finally got results.

Jiang Rong instinctively wanted to pinch it, but Huang Hai stopped her.

"You can't touch this. If you do, you have to eat it as soon as possible, or it will wither away."

"So delicate..."

Jiang Rong looked somewhat surprised, but her gaze shifted to the mushrooms beside her.

"What about this?"

"This is called 'Night Vision Mushroom.' Eating it can enhance night vision, but there's a limit of 200 grams per person. Eating too much of this stuff can cause hallucinations, and even evolved individuals can't withstand it," Huang Hai quickly explained.

"What about the price?"

"10 points per serving."

Everyone looked up in astonishment. This price could buy a pistol, but it could only buy two hundred grams of mushrooms.

Jiang Rong had already prepared herself mentally, but she couldn't help but purse her lips when she heard the price. "10 points for 200 grams of mushrooms? Why don't you just rob me?"

Huang Hai awkwardly rubbed his hands, his gaze constantly darting towards Hu Shuo beside him, "I didn't set this price..."

Seeing this, Hu Shuo walked up and said, "Because the farm's first batch of fruits and vegetables has a small yield, the price is relatively high."

Jiang Rong rolled up her sleeves, her entire demeanor changing, and retorted sharply, "Then your prices are too expensive. Can't you even bargain when buying vegetables?"

Hu Shuo was also a bit confused. This was not like the usual Sister Jiang who was efficient and decisive when taking on tasks.

The other women also glared at him menacingly. After hesitating for a moment, Hu Shuo decided to take a step back.

"Eight points?"

"No, it's still too expensive, three!"

Hu Shuo shook his head vigorously, saying that the train conductor had given him the power to set prices, but he couldn't do that.

He might give in slightly under pressure from the crowd, but if these fruits and vegetables were sold or given away as a favor, the train conductor, given his temperament, wouldn't say anything, but he wouldn't explain what he did wrong when he was ripped off later.

"Six points is already the limit. The yield of this mushroom isn't high to begin with. Why don't you look at some others, Sister Jiang?"

Hu said with a wry smile.

Jiang Rong's gaze fell on a small basket of pears next to her. There were nine golden pears in total, with tiny water droplets on them.

The ordinary flight attendants didn't know what it was, but these women did.

The train conductor stayed at Wangjiang Peak for many days and fought several tough battles, all for these pears.

Although this isn't the Crown Pear that can dramatically increase vitality, I've heard it can slightly increase vitality and has an excellent taste.

Hu Shuo followed her gaze and said, "【Wangjiang Peak Pear】can only be redeemed by flight attendants of level three or above, or officers of second lieutenant rank or above, and each person is limited to one purchase, worth 20 points."

Seeing Hu Shuo's somewhat nervous expression, Jiang Rong pondered for a moment and said, "I won't haggle over this. Give me one [Wangjiang Peak Pear], one [Night Vision Mushroom], and one [Green Noodles]. Don't tell me the price of Green Noodles has gone up too."

The so-called "green noodles" are noodles made from ground coarse grass, similar to Italian pasta, but with a coarser texture and requiring a longer cooking time.

【Coarse Powder Grass】has a short growth cycle and high yield, and trains have been eating this kind of noodle for a long time.

Because of its pleasing color, it is called "green face".

Huang Hai quickly packed the three items for Jiang Rong, saying, "No way, the green mask is the same as before, one piece of paper is worth 2 points."

After buying her own things, Jiang Rong also helped Miao Qi and the other girl negotiate the price, saving them a lot of points.

With Sister Jiang leading the way, everyone immediately started buying.

When Miao Qi said goodbye to Jiang Rong, she was carrying quite a few things: two pears, half a [iron-skinned pumpkin], a packet of [pear tree leaves], two [sweet and spicy scallions], a sheet of [green noodles], five eggs, and some [mint] to enhance the flavor...

She bought the most at this stall opening.

Even the meerkats were influenced by her and used their newly received salaries to buy a [Red Spicy Fruit] to try.

This fruit was grown by Huang Hai using tomatoes, but somehow it mutated, and the inside of the fruit became gelatinous, with a taste similar to Thai sweet chili sauce with added spiciness.

At this moment, the meerkat's pupils widened from the spiciness as it muttered something.

"Sister Qi, you're so rich! All my savings can only buy a few fruits. If I buy any more, I'll be eating dirt this month."

Miao Qi lifted the bag in her hand and said with a hint of teasing, "This is the advantage of having a man. Your salary isn't even enough for me to buy snacks. Little Cat, when are you going to find a man so you won't have to be so pitiful..."

The meerkat paused for a moment, then gritted its teeth in anger.

"It's just a little food. Sooner or later I'll be able to earn it myself."

"You're still a long way from being promoted to officer..."

"One day I'll surpass Instructor Dog!"

“That’s ambitious, but I’ll still tell him about you calling He Jie an old dog.”

Suddenly, a cheerful voice came from ahead.

The meerkat was startled and its skin tensed up, with even the fine hairs on its face standing on end.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Miao Qi composed herself and bowed respectfully, saying, "Train conductor."

Su Huan was carrying a small basket in one hand and waved with one hand, looking like he was in a good mood.

Shu Wei and Bai Lu followed behind.

"Frightened silly?"

Su Huan tilted his head and looked at the meerkat.

Thinking of her evolutionary abilities, he slightly toned down his aura, smiled, and walked past her.

Only after Su Huan had completely passed by did the meerkat recover from its shock, muttering, "The train conductor... seems even stronger now. Being around him gives me the feeling that I could be eaten at any moment."

His pupils then contracted to a vertical line, and he said firmly, "Even so, I will defeat that bastard He Jie and follow in the train conductor's footsteps to build a better armed train."

Miao Qi, who was standing to the side, twitched her lips.

The two continued walking forward. After a while, seeing that the meerkat still had that serious look on its face, Miao Qi hesitated to speak.

"Sister Qi, don't try to persuade me. I insist that He Jie apologize to me and that deceased sister. Although I don't agree with what she said, she doesn't deserve to die."

The meerkat calmed down and said.

Miao Qi suddenly wanted to laugh. If Su Huan's actions were compared with He Jie's, He Jie was simply an innocent and harmless little chubby rabbit.

Many faces flashed through her mind unconsciously; the woman's eyes were deep.

What...do you think of the train conductor?

After a moment of contemplation, the meerkat decisively said, "Although the train conductor can be a bit radical at times, the train cannot function without him; he is the soul of the armed train."

"Soul?"

'Ha, she'd be shocked if she knew I once tried to kill the train conductor.'

(End of this chapter)