Chapter 112: A Joyful Life of Mining

Chapter 112: The Joyful Life of Mining

“I’m Gray. What about you?” Ye Tian asked. Having treated the young man’s poison wound, Ye Tian deliberately slowed his pace, unwilling to see him jostled harshly.

“I’m Jerry, and this is my sister, Eve,” Jerry said with some difficulty.

“By the way, have you eaten? Your luggage isn’t much—are you heading to relatives?” Ye Tian inquired.

“Yes, we’re going to stay with relatives,” Jerry replied nervously.

“Don’t worry, I’m not that nosy,” Ye Tian said with a smile.

“There’s food in my backpack,” Ye Tian added.

“Oh, and there’s my pet in there too. Be careful...” Before Ye Tian could finish, Eve let out a startled scream.

“That’s an eagle. Don’t be afraid,” Ye Tian turned his head and said.

“It’s so ugly!” Eve, chewing on a sandwich, looked fearfully at the small creature perched on Ye Tian’s shoulder and finally blurted out.

“Hey, miss, can’t you say something nice while eating my food?” Ye Tian said helplessly.

“I’m just telling the truth!” Eve retorted, clearly dissatisfied. “It really is ugly!”

“Screech!” The little bird turned its head and let out a sharp cry at the girl.

“Don’t peck me!” Eve immediately dropped her sandwich and shielded her face.

“Don’t worry, it can’t fly yet,” Ye Tian chuckled. “But if it could, it’d swoop over and peck you a couple times for calling it ugly.”

“It really is ugly!” Eve insisted stubbornly.

“Sorry about that. My sister’s embarrassed you,” Jerry said apologetically.

“It’s fine. But honestly, you spoil her too much. You got bitten by a venomous snake and she didn’t know what to do. If that poison had been stronger, you’d have met the grim reaper by now,” Ye Tian said with some displeasure.

“I’d do anything for my sister,” Jerry said fondly, ruffling the girl’s hair.

“By the way, are you planning to walk all the way?” Ye Tian asked.

“Yes, we don’t have enough money to buy horses,” Jerry replied awkwardly.

“Alright then, do me a favor—help me mine. Just find a few pieces of Moonsoft Ore. Do you know that kind of ore?”

“Yeah, I know it. It’s an ore that can soften steel. Not very useful but rare. Why do you want it?” Jerry asked curiously.

“Don’t ask. So, what do you say?” Ye Tian asked.

“That doesn’t seem right,” Jerry hesitated.

“Don’t worry, I’ll also give you some travel expenses,” Ye Tian said.

“No, no, that’s too much!” Jerry said. “This whole wagon’s enough for our round trip. It’s not fair; you’d be losing out.”

“That’s fine. Everyone benefits,” Ye Tian said with a smile. “It’s settled then. I don’t need money right now, but I do need time.”

Because Ye Tian slowed his pace, the three arrived at the mining site as the sun was setting in the west.

“Gray, what’s your plan? Are you joining them?” Jerry asked.

“No need. We’ll just find some unused mine tunnels,” Ye Tian pointed toward the mountain. “Moonsoft Ore isn’t very valuable anyway. Even if others find it, they might not keep it. We’ll just pick up the scraps.”

Ye Tian rummaged through his pack and found a tent.

“Perfect. This is for Eve. How about you two sleep outside?” Ye Tian asked.

“Okay,” Eve agreed.

Ye Tian found a blanket and a sleeping bag, all prepared by Leila.

“Nice, all yours,” Ye Tian smiled.

“What about you two?” Eve asked.

“Don’t worry about us. I have my own methods. Hungry? I’ll go cook,” Ye Tian said, scanning the surroundings before dashing into the nearby forest.

“Gray!” Jerry jumped in surprise. He wanted to call Ye Tian back but it was too late. He sighed and instructed a flustered Eve to set up the tent herself. Jerry was still weak and had no strength to help his sister.

Soon, Ye Tian returned carrying two wild pheasants.

“What’s that?” Ye Tian pointed at the crooked tent.

“I was thinking maybe we could get the clothes to help with the work in the future,” Jerry said sheepishly, lowering his head.

“Leave it there. I’ll fix it later,” Ye Tian said, tossing the birds aside before taking out a small shovel he’d bought from a general store and began digging a hole.

“Gray, what are you doing?” Eve asked with curiosity.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Ye Tian said mysteriously, then warned Eve, “Don’t wander off. I saw some wild animals nearby!”

“Ah!” Eve immediately ran to Jerry’s side.

“Don’t listen to him; there are no wild animals here,” Jerry tried to reassure her.

“Have you been here before?” Ye Tian asked.

“Yes, I came here before to mine for extra money, but the mine owners here were harsh, so I stopped. By the way, not far from here is an abandoned mine with some Moonsoft Ore deposits, but the yield is very low,” Jerry explained.

“That’s perfect. Is it far? Is it good for camping?” Ye Tian asked.

“Better to stay here,” Jerry said. “This spot you picked is good—no one comes here. You know, this place mainly produced copper ore but it’s mostly abandoned now. I only know one vein still in use, but it’s almost depleted.”

“That’s good. Too many people would be troublesome,” Ye Tian said. “I heard this place is haunted.”

“Ghosts?” Jerry tensed up. “Gray, maybe we should leave and find another mine.”

“What’s wrong?” Ye Tian asked.

“Ghosts are terrifying creatures. Warriors can’t defeat them; only high-level priests or mages can. I know you’re strong, but you can’t beat them,” Jerry said fearfully.

“Why can’t warriors handle them?” Ye Tian was puzzled. “Ghosts are energy beings without physical form, so swords and axes can’t hurt them.”

“Exactly. That’s why you can’t deal with them. Let’s leave,” Jerry urged.

“By the way, here’s a bottle of holy water someone left for me,” Ye Tian said, recalling he had something specifically for dealing with ghosts and took it out. “Here, take it.”

“What about you?” Jerry asked.

“I’m fine. Honestly, I want to see these so-called ghosts for myself,” Ye Tian smiled.

“You’d better not,” Jerry warned.

“Besides, this place’s been abandoned for so long. What are the chances of running into ghosts?” Ye Tian said.

“It can’t be helped. Mining often kills people, and sometimes the dead are buried here. You think no grudges form?” Jerry explained.

“I see,” Ye Tian thought. Those money-hungry people really don’t value their lives.

“Well, if we really meet any, we’ll retreat,” Ye Tian said.

“Alright.” Holding the holy water, Jerry felt much more at ease. It was a weapon specifically for ghosts—what was there to worry about?

“Is there water nearby?” Ye Tian hadn’t noticed any while hunting.

“Over there, a bit far,” Jerry said.

“Wait here,” Ye Tian said, then dashed off with the two pheasants.

“Gray, can you eat these?” Eve looked at two round lumps of soil, puzzled why Ye Tian had wrapped the perfectly good birds in dirt.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be delicious,” Ye Tian said as he gently broke off the soil crust.

“Mmm, smells great!” Eve’s nose twitched, surprised at the aroma emitting from the dirt-covered lumps.

“Gray, you really are something!” Jerry couldn’t help but praise.

“Try some,” Ye Tian tore off two drumsticks. “Don’t just eat yourself—remember to feed your brother.”

“No problem. I still have strength to eat now,” Jerry struggled to get up and slowly took the chicken leg from his sister.

“Delicious!” Ye Tian had stuffed the birds with spices beforehand, making this beggar’s chicken taste extraordinary. Eve ate with delight, almost wishing she could swallow her tongue.

“Slow down, no one’s stealing your food,” Ye Tian said.

“Delicious, really delicious!” Eve grinned foolishly at Ye Tian. “Gray, how did you come up with this method?”

“Someone taught me. I know many tricks,” Ye Tian said. “Jerry, eat more so you get better.”

“Yes, the taste is unbeatable,” Jerry licked his fingers. “I didn’t expect just roasting simply to bring out such strong flavor.”

“The spices were added beforehand,” Ye Tian explained.

“I see,” Jerry sighed. Eve quickly tore off a wing with a large chunk of meat and gave it to Jerry.

“You eat too,” Jerry said, patting her head.

As Ye Tian ate, he looked at Eve’s tent. Honestly, she’d done well to set it up like this. Ye Tian took it down and helped her raise it properly.

“Thanks, Gray!” Eve said with her mouth full.

“No problem. Eat more. If it’s not enough, we’ll eat that one too,” Ye Tian said, pointing to the dirt lumps, then focused on fixing the tent. Soon, a neat tent stood. He looked around and was satisfied. Taking a paper packet from his pack, he sprinkled its contents evenly around the tent.

“What’s that?” Eve asked curiously.

“Insect repellent powder,” Ye Tian said with a smile. “This way, you won’t get bitten by bugs at night.”

“Thank you!” Eve said happily.

“No big deal,” Ye Tian tossed the packet aside. “We’ll keep it simple.”

“We’ll keep it simple,” Ye Tian said, starting a campfire since night was falling. Having a fire made things easier.

“You sleep on the blanket to be more comfortable,” Ye Tian said.

“What about you?” Jerry asked.

“I’ll keep it simple,” Ye Tian said, looking around and chopping many branches from a large tree. “This will do.”

“I’m really sorry!” Jerry said.

“No worries. It’s only right,” Ye Tian said, lying comfortably on his bed of branches while watching Eve teasing the little eagle with the beggar’s chicken.

“If you want to feed it, you have to be sincere, or it won’t eat,” Ye Tian said.

“Sincere?” Eve didn’t understand.

“Treat it like a friend, not a pet,” Ye Tian said, closing his eyes to rest.

“A friend, got it!” Eve nodded happily and said to the eagle, “We’re friends, so you have to eat the food I give you!”

“Also, it eats meat, not bones,” Ye Tian added casually.

“No wonder it never wants to eat!” Eve angrily threw the chicken bones aside. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“That’s common sense!” Ye Tian’s voice gradually lowered.

“Pretend all you want!” Eve stuck out her tongue, then eagerly offered the meat to the eagle, who glanced at her before swallowing it in one gulp.

“It ate it! It ate it!” Eve exclaimed excitedly.

“Finish eating and get some rest. We have work tomorrow,” Jerry lightly scolded Eve while eyeing Ye Tian, who had already fallen asleep.

“Hehe, I know!” Eve continued tearing off chicken to feed the eagle, which swallowed it without hesitation.

“It ate it! It ate it!” Eve whispered excitedly.

The night passed quickly. Early the next morning, Ye Tian was awakened by a sharp scream: “Snake! A snake!” A thinly dressed girl rushed out of the tent, not noticing Ye Tian at the entrance, and lunged at him.

“Ugh!”

“Good morning!” Ye Tian said gruffly. Eve, though light, pressed heavily on his stomach, making it uncomfortable.

“There’s a snake! There’s a snake!” Eve tearfully said.

“That’s impossible. I sprinkled insect repellent yesterday!” Ye Tian pushed the girl off and checked inside the tent.

“Miss, where?” Ye Tian asked with frustration.

“I really saw it in a dream!” Eve pouted.

“I’m speechless!” Ye Tian said. Jerry, awakened nearby, looked at Ye Tian awkwardly.

“Forget it, I’ll go make breakfast,” Ye Tian said, heading into the forest and leaving behind an embarrassed Jerry and tearful Eve.

After eating, Ye Tian grabbed a mining pick and set off. He was a novice at mining, but Jerry had experience, and Eve needed looking after, so the three set out together.

“Do you want me to help?” Ye Tian asked, seeing Eve struggling to carry her brother and feeling uneasy.

“No!” The girl shook her head, gritting her teeth. “I want to take care of my brother myself.”

“Keep it up!” Ye Tian smiled.

They arrived at an abandoned mine tunnel. “Abandoned” only meant the yield was too low for mass mining, not that it was empty. The place was deserted with a small platform.

“No wonder you didn’t want me to bring the horse up,” Ye Tian looked around. The platform was small, suitable only for miners to rest briefly, not for setting up camp.

“This is a minor vein with low yield, so it was abandoned quickly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought you here,” Jerry smiled.

“Alright, let’s get to work. We’re going in,” Ye Tian said, inspecting the sturdy surroundings. The three entered.

They hadn’t gone far when Ye Tian saw the tunnel’s end.

“You guys rest. I’ll handle it,” Ye Tian said casually, pulling a large iron nail from his pack, wedging it into a rock crevice, then hanging a magic lantern from it.

“Clang, clang!” Ye Tian swung his arms and got to work. Beside him, a bored Eve and a helpless Jerry watched. Jerry wanted to help but still needed a few days to fully recover, so he could only smile wryly as Ye Tian worked.

On the first day, Ye Tian dug forward a meter, uncovering several solid pieces of copper ore but no Moonsoft Ore.

“Knock off!” Ye Tian called it a day. After calculating the time, they emerged to dusk. Supporting each other, they returned to camp. Ye Tian prepared some food and fed the horses fresh grass before they all went to sleep.

“Ah!” The next morning, Ye Tian was woken by Eve’s sharp scream.

“Not again? Really?” Ye Tian scratched his head, irritated as the girl ran back and forth.

“What did you dream this time?”