Chapter 6: Spiked Warthog

Chapter 6: Spiked Warthog

After taking care of the bok choy, Yun Wan returned to the dining table.

Yun Ge sat straight at the table, chopsticks set aside, his small hands neatly placed on the table, his eyes lit up as he stared at the bok choy in front of him.

Since everyone wasn’t here yet, he took a bite and then set his chopsticks down.

It was his first time experiencing the sweet and sour flavor of vinegar-glazed bok choy, and the word "delicious" took on a whole new meaning for him.

"Hurry up and eat before it gets cold," Yun Wan said with a particularly affectionate look.

This kid was so polite, waiting for her to start eating.

How could the original owner have been so mean to such a good kid?

After Yun Wan spoke, Yun Ge dug in eagerly.

Yesterday, his world was just Houttuynia cordata, but today, bok choy was added. Would he get to try new flavors every day from now on?

A warm feeling washed over him, and he knew it was called happiness.

He felt like he finally understood what happiness meant.

Yun Ge suddenly didn’t want to finish the bok choy, afraid his little stomach would erase all the good memories.

Silly sister, barren planet, bok choy—was this all real?

Would he wake up back in that dark basement, where the mean sister would yell at him and starve him as punishment?

...

In the afternoon, Yun Wan grabbed her usual three things and went out to explore.

This time, Yun Ge didn’t feel like going out, locking himself in his room to play with his gadgets.

Yun Wan didn’t push him; kids need their own space.

Before she left, many viewers, especially the three who’d pre-ordered bok choy, wanted to keep an eye on the bok choy field.

Yun Wan was surprised how much everyone loved the little vegetable patch, so she split the live stream into two different-sized windows. Those who wanted to watch the bok choy field could enlarge the small window, while the window showing her exploration of the barren planet would shrink, making it convenient to see both scenes.

Everything was ready, and Yun Wan picked up her hoe and set off.

Last time, she had gone quite far, and walking there again would waste time, so Yun Wan walked in the opposite direction.

If only she could buy a flying car—she didn’t ask for much, even a second-hand one would do. Walking miles every day was making her calves bulk up.

The live stream was calm, following Yun Wan as she wandered through the forest, the dappled sunlight warming her face.

After bypassing a few crooked giant trees and crossing a small waterway, Yun Wan discovered another mine.

[Ding, abandoned blue mineral area discovered, go scavenging, host, go!]

Yun Wan quickened her pace. The closer she got to the dark mine, the taller and denser the trees became, completely covering the sky, making it somewhat chilly and eerie.

Suddenly, there was a rapid rustling sound in the grass.

Yun Wan stopped, her hand gripping the cryo-gun at her waist, and she cautiously looked around. The air returned to silence, and there was nothing unusual.

With a sigh of relief, Yun Wan made it to the mine pit.

The mine pit was littered with blue ores and three scrapped old robots, the discontinued A231 model, which were severely damaged, either missing heads or limbs.

Yun Wan hauled the three robots out of the mine pit, planning to take them home later.

Yun Ge might enjoy these things, and since they were already broken, they could be picked up for him to pass the time.

It dawned on Yun Wan that Yun Ge was at the age to attend school, but in her memory, he hadn't gone to school since their parents passed away.

This wasn’t her fault; Yun Ge was resistant to school, and with their parents' death, they lost their financial source, so Yun Ge took the opportunity to drop out.

Yun Wan never went to school, but she believed kids should be in school, playing with their peers, unlike her, who never had the chance to have a happy childhood.

However, they lived on a barren planet, and getting to school was a hassle, so it needed careful consideration.

Yun Wan rummaged through the mine pit, only picking up the ores on the ground, leaving the ones on the walls untouched. The mine pit was already riddled with holes, having endured too much.

There was no need to overexploit unless desperate. Once the veins were exhausted, the surrounding environment would also be affected, becoming lifeless. These veins could not withstand any more disturbances and would probably take hundreds of years to recover.

[Ding, 23 blue ores collected, Spirit Soil +46]

Yun Wan's smile widened; the Spirit Soil exchanged for blue ores was twice that of black ores. How many Spirit Soil sweet potatoes could 46 Spirit Soil buy!

Though she was broke, she felt like she’d struck gold.

[Is the lord seriously taking these junk robots?]

[The lord picking up ores reminds me of my hamster munching, picking one up and smiling, hahaha]

[Man, the lord’s broke. What I imagined for exploration: a chill stroll, taking in the sights. The lord's exploration: picking up trash]

[Drop that junk! You’re the woman destined to rule the galaxy!!]

That last comment got a bunch of laughs.

[Forget the galaxy, the lord’s won my heart]

[+1, begging the lord to quit scavenging and start farming, the children are waiting to eat! (Knocking bowl)]

Yun Wan was lost in her own little world, not noticing what the comments were saying, happily dragging the three robots as big as herself back.

Soon, the calm in the comments was shattered, several viewers frantically spamming the live stream, and when they didn't get Yun Wan's attention, they sent private messages.

Yun Wan’s smart device buzzed nonstop, and she thought it was broken. When she opened it, she saw a flood of messages from viewers.

[Dark Fragrance Fills the Sleeves: Lord, get back to the garden—it’s in trouble!]

[Make Big Money Next Year: Lord, my bok choy is about to be trampled by a boar! Wuwu!]

The comments exploded, all focused on the aggressive wart hog, with enthusiastic viewers live-reporting the bok choy situation in the comments.

[Good news good news, the wart hog hasn't discovered the vegetable plot yet]

[The wart hog is 10 meters away from the vegetable plot... 5 meters...]

Yun Wan hadn’t expected the garden to be in danger so soon.

She had no time to care for the robots, left them halfway, and hurried back without stopping.

Emerging from the woods, Yun Wan saw a warthog with sharp spines on its back and tusks by its mouth, an ugly beast digging holes as it moved, turning the riverbank into its playground.

As the warthog approached the bok choy, it curiously sniffed, its shiny tusks nearly damaging one of the plants. Yun Wan shouted loudly, drawing the warthog's attention to herself.

The warthog snorted through its nostrils, its right hoof pawing the ground uneasily, glaring at the human who had interrupted its fun.

Its instincts told it the girl was no threat.

The warthog suddenly charged at Yun Wan, its four hooves flailing.

The chat went silent in an instant, countless viewers held their breath for the struggling lord.

The frail girl and the massive warthog made a stark contrast. The closer they got, the faster the viewers' hearts raced. The warthog's tusks were like the scythe of death; they feared the girl would be gored in an instant.

[Run, Lord! Forget the bok choy, just run!]

The chat finally erupted, urging Yun Wan to run.

But Yun Wan stood firm, fearless and composed in the face of danger. She drew a freeze gun from her belt, aimed at the warthog and fired. The charging warthog was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture, standing on the riverbank like a piece of art.

The sudden twist had the audience clapping and cheering.

"Don't worry, the bok choy is intact and can be shipped on time."

A silver lining in the misfortune; although the riverbank was dug up unevenly, the vegetable patch remained untouched and continued to thrive.

Yun Wan wiped the sweat from her palms, her heart finally calming.

Phew, good thing she made it back in time.

If something had happened to the bok choy, the money in her pocket, still cold, would have had to be returned.

Watching her silver vanish, the little black dragon couldn't stand it!

Her 1000-unit fortune was safe!

[She actually did it—I’m in tears—she saved the bok choy!]

[Is it just me, or is the lord's weapon something special? It can emit liquid to instantly freeze a target, isn't this the freeze ion cannon made by the Thermal Weapons Bureau? Let me educate everyone, this kind of ion cannon is only used on star carriers, accessible only to high-ranking officers, and I've never seen one as small as the lord's.]

[I just checked the price of the ion cannon—the lord’s holding at least a few million! It could obliterate a planet—using it to kill a pig is such a waste!]

[So, is the lord poor or not?]

[Speculating that the lord has powerful backing.]

Yun Wan didn't respond much to this. If she could create an image of someone not to be trifled with, it would deter those with ill intentions, which was only beneficial to her.

"That's all for today's live stream, thank you for watching."

With that, Yun Wan ended the broadcast, leaving the audience to speculate wildly.

Yun Ge had already heard the commotion outside and ran out on his short legs. Seeing the ice sculpture standing in the yard, he curiously approached and touched it. The cold was like a blade, making him shiver.

"Can this weird thing be eaten?" Yun Ge swallowed his saliva.

Now, whenever he saw something new, his first thought was whether it was edible.

This ugly thing encased in ice looked like it would be hard to eat.

Yun Wan stared at the pig, her eyes lit up with visions of meaty dishes.

For a carnivore, going a day without meat is pure agony. After a few days of vegetarian meals, her stomach felt completely devoid of any richness.

Looking at the plump pig, she couldn’t help but envision a perfect fate for every part of the pig:

She imagined the pork belly sizzling in a pan, the trotters and ears simmering in a rich broth, and the lean meat tossed in a quick stir-fry.

Every part of the pig is a goldmine, and the world’s delicacies are indispensable!

However, the system dealt Yun Wan a crushing blow.

[Wart hog meat is coarse, fishy, tough, and hard to chew, not recommended for consumption.]

Yun Wan felt like she’d been hit by a bolt of lightning, staring at the pork in front of her, still unable to believe it.

This pig, ugly but gentle—how could it not be edible?

Starnet confirmed that interstellar animals are unfit for consumption, and this time the system did not deceive her.

Faced with so much inedible meat, Yun Wan’s interest vanished instantly, and Yun Ge’s bright eyes clouded over at the bad news. The siblings had to figure out how to get rid of this massive beast, and looking at the ice sculpture, it only filled them with disgust.

[The host can trade with the system, swapping items for edible piglets.]

Upon hearing that piglets could be exchanged, the wart hog suddenly seemed much more appealing to Yun Wan.

She sent Yun Ge away and eagerly asked about the rules.

One wart hog could be traded for two piglets.

Yun Wan happily agreed and traded for two piglets. Beside the lord’s mansion, she dug a deep pit to serve as a pigsty.

As soon as the piglets entered the sty, they sniffed around curiously and rubbed against the walls, confirming the new environment was safe. Then they lazily settled in, tails wagging as they basked in the sun.

When Yun Ge came out, he noticed a new pit; the wart hog had vanished, replaced by two piglets.

These piglets were nothing like the wart hog—no tusks or spikes, just white, plump, and adorable.

He knew this was Yun Wan’s doing; his silly sister was like a treasure trove, always spouting oddities and pulling out peculiar things.

"Are we going to raise them?" Yun Ge asked.

"Exactly, pork is an essential delicacy!"

Delicacy meant delicious food, and while Yun Ge was tempted, he also worried about feeding two more mouths.

Their family was dirt-poor, barely scraping by with two people—could they really afford to raise two pigs?

Little Yun Ge sighed deeply, wishing he could grow up faster.

This time, it wasn’t to avoid being sent to an orphanage, but to help his silly sister support the family.

Watching his silly sister eagerly preparing for the pigs, Yun Ge thought, she had planted so many vegetables and raised delicious pigs, she probably wouldn’t leave easily.

Could he rely on her with peace of mind?

Yun Ge decided to try treating his silly sister as his real sister.

Even if she left one day, he would have tasted the world’s flavors and had a strange yet warm sister.