Chapter 4: 4, Luck is also a kind of ability

"I might have some kind of ability now," Ren Xiaosu said.

Yan Liuyuan, sitting at the entrance of the hut, lifting the curtain to gaze at the starry sky after the rain, froze for a moment: "You mean..."

"Not sure yet, we need to test it," Ren Xiaosu sat down beside Yan Liuyuan: "They say in the market town that some people can make a train drive from nothingness into reality. I didn't believe it before, but after seeing you, I started to believe a little. Now I might have some strange ability too. It feels really odd."

Yan Liuyuan's ability is luck.

It's a rather inexplicable power—whenever Yan Liuyuan wishes for Ren Xiaosu to catch prey, even if Ren Xiaosu does nothing but wander the wilderness, sparrows will inexplicably fall in front of him.

However, this ability has a backlash, usually manifesting as a high fever that won't subside after the wish, or other minor ailments.

This is why Ren Xiaosu wanted to protect Yan Liuyuan in the first place. He didn't believe it at first, but later, disbelief was no longer an option.

Suddenly, a meteor streaked across the sky, and Yan Liuyuan instinctively clasped his hands together to make a wish, but Ren Xiaosu stopped him: "Don't make random wishes, it'll cause trouble."

Now, Ren Xiaosu rarely uses Yan Liuyuan's luck anymore. He says it's because he can catch prey on his own and doesn't need Yan Liuyuan's ability anymore. Yan Liuyuan never argues.

The thin Yan Liuyuan stared at the vanished meteor and said in a daze: "Why do meteors fly so fast? What if everyone can't make their wishes in time?"

Ren Xiaosu thought for a moment and said: "It flies fast, maybe because it doesn't want to hear what you wish for."

Yan Liuyuan turned back and stared at Ren Xiaosu in silence: "…"

…

Yan Liuyuan is Ren Xiaosu's night watchman, but that doesn't mean he has to stay up all night. In between, Ren Xiaosu takes turns, after all, Yan Liuyuan still needs to go to school during the day.

This situation is truly agonizing. Not getting enough sleep is a big problem, but living in this environment, neither Ren Xiaosu nor Yan Liuyuan has any choice.

In the early morning, Ren Xiaosu led Yan Liuyuan out, bringing all their valuables with them, even his large iron pot.

As expected, when they returned to their hut that night, it had been ransacked.

"They say the refuge barrier never locks its doors, and no one steals anything," Yan Liuyuan, carrying his bedding, watched Ren Xiaosu carry the large iron pot wherever he went. This was almost all their belongings.

Usually, Yan Liuyuan had to carry his bedding to school, and the other students did the same. They had all grown accustomed to it.

"Bullshit," Ren Xiaosu, though he longed for life inside the refuge barrier, was adamant that there was no place in the world where doors were never locked: "Some people think the people inside the refuge barrier even smell sweet when they fart, and the air is sweet too."

"You can't keep carrying that pot around," Yan Liuyuan said.

"You don't understand," Ren Xiaosu explained: "This pot was hard for me to find. It can cook and catch sparrows. Without it, how would we survive?"

With one hand carrying the iron pot on his shoulder and the other holding a plump sparrow, Ren Xiaosu walked down the street, drawing envious glances from many passersby.

After all, in today's ecological order, humans are no longer at the top of the food chain.

People whisper that sparrows used to be no bigger than a palm, but now? This thing can kill a person with a single peck.

Not everyone has the ability to catch sparrows, nor the patience to lie in wait in the wilderness for a day and night. They had all gone years without tasting meat, so it was no wonder they envied Ren Xiaosu.

Ren Xiaosu led Yan Liuyuan to the gate of the refuge barrier. The towering wall gave a great sense of oppression.

As they approached, the buildings changed, and even brick houses could be seen.

The closer they got to the barrier, the cleaner, neater, and wealthier it looked. The people living here all had some connection to the refuge barrier, perhaps because they flattered well, or perhaps they had relatives inside.

But no matter what, these refugees were collectively called "the polluted," and they could not enter the barrier.

Ren Xiaosu entered a shop with the sign "General Store" above the door. Inside, there were cigarettes, matches, ironware, grain, and clothes for sale, but all at high prices.

The old man inside, upon seeing Ren Xiaosu, was especially pleased: "That's quite a big sparrow you've got there!"

Ren Xiaosu tossed the sparrow onto the glass counter: "How much?"

"Hey, be careful, that glass is expensive," Old Wang said, then casually threw the sparrow onto a nearby iron scale: "Three and a half pounds, not bad, Xiaosu."

At that moment, the abacus in Old Wang's hand clacked away, his withered, claw-like hands moving like a wound-up spring, the beads clicking loudly: "Today's rate is two hundred per pound, so that's seven hundred, right?"

"Nine hundred," Ren Xiaosu said decisively: "Winter is coming, and sparrows are scarce lately. Nine hundred is the minimum."

Old Wang was displeased. He pushed the abacus toward Ren Xiaosu: "We're sending this into the barrier for the nobles to eat. It's true that meat is scarce inside, but everything has its price. We have to follow the rules."

Before he finished speaking, Old Wang saw Ren Xiaosu turning to leave, clutching the sparrow. He quickly grabbed Ren Xiaosu's sleeve: "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check the prices at Old Li's general store," Ren Xiaosu said.

Old Wang's grip tightened slightly. Today, the barrier had sent someone in charge to specifically collect wild game. This news wasn't just known to him. He

Old Wang laughed, a deep crease forming on his face: "How much do you want to sell it for?"

Ren Xiaosu was still trying to leave: "I'll check the price first."

Old Wang smiled warmly: "Won't that delay Liuyuan's school time? Nine hundred it is!"

"What did you just say?" Ren Xiaosu asked calmly.

"Won't that delay…"

"One more time."

"How much do you want to sell it for?"

"One thousand two hundred."

Old Wang: "???"

After a long pause, Old Wang carefully counted the money, spitting on his fingers to count again and again, afraid of making a mistake.

The final deal was one thousand one hundred ninety-eight, and Ren Xiaosu made his own concession…

One sparrow sold for one thousand one hundred ninety-eight. It wasn't just because prices were inflated, nor was it just because the sparrow was large. Mainly, wild game was rarely available in the No. 113 refuge barrier.

Rarity makes things valuable, and Old Wang wouldn't do a losing business. This sparrow, when resold to the powerful and influential, could fetch a small profit and even earn some favor.

Old Wang, looking distressed, stuffed a pile of coins into Ren Xiaosu's hands. Then, as if remembering something, he lowered his voice: "Xiaosu, next time you catch a sparrow, don't kill it right away. There are nobles who want live ones—the price is higher!"

Ren Xiaosu was stunned: "What do they want a live one for? Kill it fresh?"

"No," Old Wang shook his head: "You wouldn't understand. They want to keep sparrows as pets!"