143: My name is Gong Qiuqiu

He thought he had seen Ai Yue just now, but he didn't say anything about it because he wasn't sure if that woman was really Ai Yue.

Moreover, the women were like fire and water; if they discovered it really was Ai Yue and started fighting again, he wouldn't be able to stop them. It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Ai Yue thought to herself, "It seems that the people from Yingjin Safety Tower coming to demonstrate their Superpowers are Gu Xiheng and the others."

Ai Yue didn't want to meet them again, so she found a hidden spot, slipped into her space, and disguised herself.

Once disguised, Ai Yue continued to browse the Trading Center.

In a corner, she found a well-dressed old man and a child running a stall; the items on their stall were all small bags of seeds.

Interested, Ai Yue stepped forward to ask, "Uncle, what kind of seeds are in these bags?"

The old man gave a difficult smile and didn't speak. The Little Boy beside him spoke up clearly, "Big Sister, my grandpa is sick and his throat is ruined, so he can't speak. These bags contain seeds for Chinese herbal medicine."

"Chinese herbal medicine seeds?"

"Yes. Do you need some, Big Sister?"

"What do you need in exchange?" Ai Yue asked.

"My father is sick; he's had a fever for seven days, and we have no herbs at home to bring it down. Grandpa and I came out to try our luck and see if we could trade for some fever medicine or anti-inflammatory herbs," the Little Boy said logically.

"I see. Then what kind of herbal seeds are these?"

"They are all seeds that are easy to grow, like Platycodon, Saposhnikovia, Astragalus, Achyranthes, Panax Notoginseng, Glehnia, Salvia, and so on." The boy spoke eloquently about the names of the Chinese herbs, looking like he had studied them for many years.

Ai Yue asked casually, "Have you been studying Traditional Chinese Medicine for a long time?"

"Yes, I've been exposed to it since I was three. My family comes from a long line of TCM practitioners, so I've been influenced by it since I was little. Please don't laugh at me, Big Sister," the Little Boy said bashfully.

Ai Yue smiled gently. "Not at all, you're very impressive!"

"Sigh, unfortunately, the Apocalypse came and my family's collection of century-old TCM texts was lost. Otherwise, I would be even better," the Little Boy said dejectedly.

The boy's grandfather stroked his head affectionately, his eyes filled with cloudy tears.

Ai Yue felt a bit uneasy seeing this. After thinking for a moment, she unbuckled her backpack and took out several encyclopedias of Chinese herbs and TCM classics she had collected before, stuffing them into the Little Boy's hands.

"I collected these by chance before. They're of no use to me, so they're perfect for you. I hope they help you."

The Little Boy stared blankly at Ai Yue, tears suddenly streaming down his face. He hugged the books tightly and choked out, "Big Sister, are you really giving these books to me?"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Big Sister!"

"You're welcome. I hope they're useful to you. It's just a pity I can't help you more," Ai Yue said softly.

"That's alright, I can help him more and make sure he becomes a talent!" a warm male voice rang out.

Ai Yue immediately turned around to look and saw it was the Handsome Guy she had just parted ways with.

"Little friend, my name is Gong Qiuqiu. Can you do me a favor? I want to form a TCM team. Would you like to be a reserve member of my team?"

The Handsome Guy said with a gentle and warm expression.

The Little Boy was clearly stunned and couldn't help but look back at his grandfather.

The Little Boy's grandfather stood up slowly, a flash of wisdom in his eyes. After watching for a while, he made a few gestures to the Little Boy. The Little Boy looked at the Handsome Guy and said, "Big Brother, may I be so bold as to ask for your identity?"

Gong Qiuqiu nodded and met the grandfather's gaze, saying, "You must be Elder Wen, the descendant of the Wen Family. I've long heard that you were in the Songzhou Safety Tower, but I haven't had the time to visit you. Please forgive me. I am Gong Qiuqiu, the eldest of the latest generation of the Gong Family."

The Little Boy's grandfather was somewhat moved. He understood which family the 'Gong Family' referred to—it was the family of the top leader of the Songzhou Safety Tower.

"Elder Wen, the TCM team I want to form still needs the full support of you and your son, Mr. Wen!"

The Little Boy's grandfather readily nodded in agreement.

Ai Yue watched this dramatic scene from the side and quietly put the fever medicine she was holding back into her space. It seemed the Little Boy's family's predicament had been resolved, and her further involvement wasn't needed.

Just as Ai Yue wanted to leave quietly, the Little Boy's cry of "Big Sister" prevented her from doing so.

"Big Sister, thank you for the medical books. I will definitely study hard and become an excellent healer," the Little Boy said firmly.

"Good, I believe in you!"

"We meet again, Miss!" Gong Qiuqiu said with a smile.

Ai Yue took a sharp breath, wondering secretly how he recognized her when she had disguised herself to the point that even her own mother wouldn't know her.

Ai Yue was determined not to admit it and said indifferently, "Sir, you have the wrong person. We haven't met before!"

"Oh?"

"You should think of a way to save this child's father first. He's had a high fever for seven days; if it doesn't break soon, his brain will be damaged," Ai Yue said, pointing at the boy.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Gong Qiuqiu no longer had the leisure to bicker with Ai Yue and immediately took the grandfather and grandson back to the base.

Before leaving, the Little Boy grabbed over a dozen small bags from the stall and stuffed them into Ai Yue's arms. "Big Sister, thank you for gifting me the medical books. Please accept these as a token of my gratitude!"

Ai Yue felt a bit warmer inside. Despite the hardships of the Apocalypse, this Little Boy hadn't lost hope for life or his own convictions, and he knew how to be grateful. It was truly rare.

Now that he had Gong Qiuqiu's help and promotion, she believed he would surely shine in the future.

Holding the herbal seeds the Little Boy gave her, Ai Yue waved to him and disappeared into the crowd.

It was getting late, and Ai Yue had browsed less than a third of the place when the entire Trading Center reached closing time. The Trading Center had a rule that no one was allowed to linger inside.

All those who had come from afar but couldn't enter the Songzhou Safety Tower could only camp around the Trading Center.

Some sat on the ground clutching their belongings, those in better conditions set up simple tents, and many more chose to spend the night lying in trees.

Gong Qiuqiu timely realized that the safety risks of continuing like this were too great, so he immediately had people recruit merchants within the Safety Tower.

Qualified people within the base could go to him to sign up to run small businesses, providing food and lodging for outsiders to earn some money and improve their lives.

Some clever people in the Songzhou Safety Tower saw the business opportunity. The next day, they set up simple bamboo houses, tents, and food stalls around the Trading Center.