第八十章 暂住
“Actually, there is one decent well,” Xu Xiuchuan said with a sly grin, winking at Wang Chong.
“其实有个水井不错的。”徐秀川怪笑着对王翀眨眼补充道。
Wang Chong paused, then realized what he meant and made a disgusted face: “Ah, you mean that one? Pfft.”
王翀愣了下，反应过来后一脸嫌弃：“啊，你说那个啊，切。”
“What’s that about?” Yang Zicang asked, looking at them curiously.
“什么啊？”扬子藏好奇的看向他们。
“That’s not a well; it’s a cesspit.”
“那根本就不叫水井，那叫粪坑。”
“A fertilizer source—pretty nice, actually, except it overlaps with reality.”
“化肥来源地，蛮不错的，就是和现实产物重叠了。”
Wang Chong wagged his finger and added:
王翀摇着指头道：
“I think it was that idiot Master Zuo, who went to the toilet without washing his hands while building the engine.”
“好像是左师傅那蠢货制引擎的时候上了厕所没洗手。”
“Huh?” Yang Zicang’s face stiffened.
“啊？”扬子藏脸上一僵。
“Ahem, Brother Yang, you know how scarce stuff is here—water, paper, even leaves. That one was just a fluke.” Xu Xiuchuan chuckled.
“咳嗯，杨哥你知道的，这里水啊纸啊，连树叶啥的都很缺，那只是个意外。”徐秀川嘿嘿笑道。
Having grown accustomed to the scarcity of supplies here, he simply took it as a common joke that he would bring up and boast about to passersby whenever he got the chance.
已经习惯这里匮乏物资的他只当这是个常见的笑话，没事就会拿出来跟过往的人吹一下。
Since then, Master Zuo had become a celebrity in their settlement, known by the title Master Zuo of Excrement.
自那以后左师傅已经成了他们聚集地内的名人，号左粪大师。
Yang Zicang wished he hadn’t asked.
扬子藏宁愿自己没问。
……
……
In the distance, by the black stream, people could occasionally be seen standing or crouching with buckets, waiting—even in the dead of night, steadfastly guarding the waterfront, awaiting the rare passing of a work scene.
远方黑色溪流旁偶尔会看到有人带着桶或蹲或站的在旁边守着。即便是暗夜里，他们也依旧守在溪水边，等待着稀少的工作画面流过。
“It’s already midnight, and so cold—why are you still waiting here?”
“都半夜了，这么冷还在这里等。”
“There’s really no concept of day and night here anymore. Sure, it’s cold now, but there are fewer people. When the light gets stronger, there will be crowds.”)
“这儿其实已经没什么白天黑夜的概念了，现在虽然冷，但人少，等光线强了人很多的。”
If it were just for fun, Yang Zicang would gladly squat by the stream, waiting for rare work and manufacturing scenes. But once survival becomes a factor, this scene takes on a helpless tone.
如果只是玩玩，杨子藏很乐意在溪边去蹲守稀有的工作与制造场景。一旦跟生存挂钩，这场面就显得无奈了起来。
“Hey, have you guys seen the phantom of a wok being forged? I urgently need it.” Two people ran over from the direction of the Canopy Settlement.
“喂，你们有没有看到加工铁锅的幻影啊，急求。”作棚聚集地的方向跑来两人。
“No, that kind of thing doesn’t appear once in several months.”
“没有哦，那东西几个月都不一定遇得到。”
“I saw iron being smelted a few minutes ago. Hurry up and follow the water to catch up.”
“我几分钟前看到过烧铁的，你们快顺着水去追。”
Xu Xiuchuan seemed quite cheerful and said, “Hehe, the rarer the forget-me-not stream scenes, the better the stuff they can get to trade. By the way, it’s getting late, Brother Yang, you should head back and rest.”
徐秀川显得挺乐呵的道:“嘿嘿，越稀少的忘川溪越能换到好物资。对了不早了，杨哥你还是回去休息吧。”
“I’ll come with you to check out the Canopy Area.”
“我跟你们进去棚区转转。”
“Huh? But our place, outsiders here…”
“欸？我们这儿外人…”
Yang Zicang patted his own suitcase. “Surely these are enough to exchange for a night’s bed.”
杨子藏拍了拍自己的箱子，“这些东西难道还不能换一晚上的床位吗。”
……
……
Ahead, a shantytown assembled from various materials sprawled like a slum. It stood weathered yet resiliently on the wasteland, letting wind through on all sides.
前方，各种材质拼凑出来的棚户聚集地如同贫民窟似的。它们四面漏风却又坚韧地矗立在荒原上。
This was the desolate shantytown settlement, commonly referred to as the shack district.
这便是筑荒棚聚集地，也被简称为棚区。
“Hold it, Wang Chong. Where did you pick up this newcomer?” The burly man at the entrance looked up.
“站住，王翀，这新人哪儿捡来的？”门口的大汉抬起头。
On the gravel ground, Yang Zicang, dressed in clean and tidy clothes, seemed somewhat out of place in this environment.
沙砾地面上，身穿干净整洁衣服的杨子藏在这环境内显得有些格格不入。
“He…”
“他…”
Before Wang Chong could speak, Yang Zicang raised a hand and said, “I arrived here yesterday. Can I stay in your place for two days?”
王翀还未开口，杨子藏抬了抬手，说道：“我是昨天进入这里的，能在你们这里住两天吗。”
“No, unless you exchange for at least a Triangular-level Forgetting Mind Model, then you can stay for a month. If you don’t know what a Forgetting Mind Model is, ask the guy next to you.”
“不行，除非你拿一枚三角形以上的失念模型来就可以住一个月。不知道失念模型是什么就问你旁边那位。”
The burly doorkeeper was about to bury his head and go back to sleep, but was startled by the noise Yang Zicang’s next actions made.
这守门的大汉正打算埋头继续睡，忽地被杨子藏接下来的动作响声所吸引。
The young man outside the fence crouched down and opened his leather suitcase, revealing it was full of clothes, along with a few snack packets and a notebook squeezed into the gaps.
只见栅栏外的年轻人蹲下将他的皮箱打开，露出满满一箱的衣物，还有塞在缝隙里的几包零食和笔记本。
“I’ll only stay for two or three days. You can pick one set of clothing from here.”
“我只住两三天而已，这里面的衣服你们可以选一套。”
“Holy cow!”
“挖槽！”
Before Yang Zicang could elaborate, the man’s eyes lit up intensely, and he rushed out from behind the small fence. He crouched down, his large hand rummaging through the clothes in the suitcase.
不等杨子藏细说，这人就满眼冒绿光地从小栅栏后跑出来，蹲下拿大手翻了翻皮箱内的衣物。
The stubby guard on the other side of the main entrance was also attracted, scratching his head as he stepped out.
宽敞大门另一边的憨厚守卫也被吸引，扣着脑袋站了出来。
“Are you serious?” He immediately took a liking to a brown leather jacket in the suitcase.
“你说的是真的？”他一眼就相中了皮箱中的一件棕黄色皮外套。
“It’s even got a faux fur collar, my god!”
“还是翻毛领的，我的娘嘞！”
This guy had his eye on the best piece from the get-go.
这家伙一眼就看中了最好的那件。
“Get lost, dead Niuwa, I saw it first!”
“爬开，死牛娃，这是我先看中的。”
Niuwa glared and put the jacket on himself. Though it was a size too small when worn, it still clung well to his lean, toned body from being underfed.
牛娃眼睛一瞪，将衣服就穿到了身上，虽然裹在身上小了一号，不过倒也贴合他饿瘦不少的肌肉线条。
“What’s all the fuss about?”
“闹什么闹。”
A person with a steadier demeanor than the two stepped out from the gate.
门里面走出来个气势比两人沉稳些的人。
“Captain Jia,” Wang Chong and the other greeted him politely.
“贾队长。”王翀两人客气的招呼了那人一声。
Captain Jia glanced at the clothes in the two men’s hands, then fixed his eyes on the suitcase.
贾队长瞥了眼两人手上的衣裳，目光落在皮箱上。
“And these clothes?”
“这些衣服是？”
Yang Zicang smiled slightly: “One garment for one day’s lodging, deal?”
杨子藏露出个微笑：“一件换一天的住处，没问题吧。”
“Huh? Are you serious?”
“啊？你说真的？”
“Of course.”
“当然。”
Captain Jia quickly kicked the two men in front of him to shoo them away, then grabbed the collar of the brown leather jacket Niuwa had put on and yanked it off.
贾队长赶紧给身前两人一人一脚，将它们轰开，又将牛娃已穿上的棕皮衣给拽住领子往外拔。
“Boss, I picked this one!”
“老大，这是我选的。”
“You think you’re worthy of it? Take it off! Give this to the shelter leader.”
“你配穿吗，快给我脱掉，这件给棚主。”
The gatekeeper Niuwa reluctantly shed the leather jacket.
守门的牛娃不情愿地脱下了皮衣。
“What are you up to, hauling so many clothes?”
“你搞什么的啊，这么多衣服。”
“Bulk selling.”
“搞批发。”
“Deal. One piece for one day. The suitcase will count as two days. The snacks — eh, consider it as one day as well. Payment made, no refunds.”
“说好了哦。一件一天，箱子给你算两天，零食，嗯，也算一天吧，付过不退。”
Before Yang Zicang could interject, Team Leader Jia stuffed the scattered clothes back into the box, heedless of the mess, and grabbed the beam on the railing with his other hand: “Come on in. Just… Wang Chong, and what’s his name—can you fit a bed into your room?”
不容杨子藏分说，贾队长将翻乱的衣服一股脑儿地塞进箱子里拎起，另一手抬起栅栏上的横杆：“进来吧，你就…王翀，还有那个谁，你们的房间塞张床没问题吧。”
Wang Chong nodded in compliance.
王翀配合的点点头。
“Alright, that’s settled. By the way, what’s your name?”
“那就行了，对了，你叫什么？”
As he asked the passing Yang Zicang, Team Leader Jia instinctively touched the small pocket on his chest, remembering it held nothing, and wiped his forehead with a hand, as if his sweat needed a clean-up.
贾队长边问从身前经过的杨子藏，边下意识抹了下胸口衬衫的小包，意识到里面已经没有那东西后，拿手做出擦了擦汗的动作。
A gust of cold wind brushed everyone’s cheeks. Yang Zicang replied: “My name is Jia Zijian.”
冷风拂过几人面颊，杨子藏道：“我叫甲子间。”
“A codename? Fine, let’s go with that. On board as investors for now? If you run into any issues, feel free to contact me.”
“代号？行，那就这么着吧。咱们投资个？以后有问题可以联络我。”
“There’s no need for that.”
“那到不必了。”
Rebuffed ungratefully, Team Leader Jia’s face dropped in displeasure.
热脸贴了冷屁股的贾队长将脸垮了垮。
……
……
In the room made of wooden lathes and planks, Niuwa soon led workers to add a large bed, taking up almost half the space. With the three beds squeezed together, the place turned into nearly a big kang. Pale red magic crystals warmed against the chill and a pile of hay were scattered on the bedding. With no extra cost, this was an act of remarkable cheating to nab so many clothes.
木条和木板拼出的房间，没多久就被牛娃领着人来添了张大床，将房间一半都给占据。三张床拼在一起几乎成了大通铺，床上还散落着些淡红色的魔晶石驱寒和一捆干草。
For them, It posed not a cent spent on jostling away so many garments as a preferential treatment prize earned.
这算是一分没花就坑了不少衣服的优待。
“Is this what you cover yourselves with to sleep in?”
“你们就盖这个？”
“It’s-it’s fine. This grass keeps you pretty warm.”
“还，还好了，这种草也挺保暖的。”
Shaking his head, Yang Zicang went over to the wood wall, yanked out the straw jammed between the planks, and peeked through the crack at the outside.
摇摇头，杨子藏来到木墙边，将塞进墙缝的草扯下把，透过木板缝隙瞅了眼外面。
Two ox-like creatures were tethered near the shelter compound, while more figures could be seen by the stream in the distance.
棚区附近拴着两头类似牛一般的生物，而远方的地面上能看到更多的人出现在溪流旁。
Three pairs of eyes appeared behind the gaps in the wooden planks.
三双眼睛出现在木板缝隙后面。
“Help me find a Fountain of Forgetting to drill a water well tomorrow.”
“明天帮我找份打水井的忘川泉吧。”
“Huh? Brother Yang, what are you planning?”
“嘢？杨哥，想做什么？”
Yang Zicang smiled and said, “Actually, the reason making the Forgetting Engine for wells is so difficult is largely due to the water source issue, right?”
杨子藏笑了笑：“其实水井的失念引擎之所以难做，很大部分原因是水源问题对吧。”
“Not entirely. The soil and mineral deposits play a huge role too. Seemingly similar soil and rock actually contain different mineral elements. Most people aren’t great at geography and can’t tell the differences much. Without blueprints, you have to keep experimenting with formulas.”
“还好，跟泥土、矿岩也有很大关系，看上去相差不差的泥土和岩石，实际上蕴含了不同的矿物元素。大家的地理都不怎么样，看不出多少差别，没有蓝图只能不断实验配方。”
Everyone has taken geography class, but few know what type of soil lies one meter underground in mountainous or saline lands, or what’s at three meters or ten meters, what it’s useful for, or where underground springs come from—that stumps most people.
地理课都上过，但有几个人知道山地和盐碱地的地下一米是什么土，三米十米又是什么，它们有什么用，地下泉水来自哪里，这就难住了大部分人。
And at that moment, in Yang Zicang’s sensory vision—
而此刻，杨子藏的感应画面中——
{So, Zicang-sama. This must be why only large settlement camps can accurately produce water well Forgetting Engines.}
{所以，子藏先生。这应该就是为什么只有大的作棚聚集地，才能精确产出水井失念引擎的原因。}
Hearing the voice from through the Mental Link, Yang Zicang’s eyes softened with warmth.
听到心灵链接对面传来的声音，杨子藏眼睛里露出温和的目光。