Wanderer of the Zerg

Chapter 58: Bye Angie.

In the morning, the sun hid beneath the clouds, only showing half its face.

A light breeze blew past, and the birds in the street trees chirped and hopped around.

Accompanying the guide Buma was a young sub-female, around eight or nine years old, with a ponytail, hiding behind Buma, clutching his blue wax-dyed short, and shyly looking at Xi Tian and the others.

Buma scratched his head awkwardly, “This is my little brother, Rody. Our father went out, so I have to take him with me.”

Xi Tian, who always liked children, squatted down and patted Rody’s head, smiling at him.

Rody suddenly said, “You’re the uncle from yesterday!”

Xi Tian: “?”

Buma lightly smacked Rody’s head, “What nonsense are you talking about? Our guests just arrived here.”

Rody covered his head, “I’m not talking nonsense! Yesterday, these two uncles came to Uncle’s shop to buy water. I’ve seen them, and one of the uncles even gave me a silver coin!”

As he spoke, he pulled out a shiny new silver coin from his pocket.

“How could buying water cost a silver coin? You must not have told the guests the price,” Buma said, looking angry.

“No! I did tell them, but the uncle said I could keep the change! I’m not lying!” Rody insisted, pointing towards Ellis.

What’s going on with these brothers? Xi Tian and Ellis exchanged a puzzled look.

Xi Tian studied Rody, realizing he wasn’t good at remembering children. Ellis, however, recalled that last night, after finishing their first bottle of water and still feeling the heat, they had stopped at a roadside shop to buy two more bottles. Because they were focused on the spiciness, they hadn’t paid attention to how much the water cost.

Ellis stepped forward and explained the situation to Buma, who awkwardly admitted, “Alright, I wronged you!”

Rody raised his voice, “You always blame me! If there was someone at home, I wouldn’t have to follow you!”

Ignoring him, Buma turned to Xi Tian, smiling apologetically and acting very enthusiastic.

Buma eagerly guided them along the way, while Rody kept a one-meter distance from him.

Xi Tian whispered to Ellis, “These two brothers definitely have some issues.”

As if that wasn’t obvious. Ellis glanced at the brothers but remained silent.

Xi Tian continued, “The older brother feels guilty towards the younger one, and the younger one harbors resentment towards the older.”

Ellis glanced at their faces, which indeed couldn’t hide their emotions.

Xi Tian waited for Ellis to ask how he knew, but when Ellis didn’t ask, Xi Tian kept quiet.

Along the way, Xi Tian relayed Garon’s message to Buma. When he mentioned “not cheating to win money,” Rody huffed loudly, and Buma’s face turned red.

Xi Tian regretted not telling Buma privately, but Ellis patted him on the shoulder.

Buma stomped his foot in frustration, “I did it for someone else! Fine, I’ll go! What’s there to be afraid of!”

Buma came up to them, bowed deeply, and said solemnly, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t continue being your guide. I should’ve shown you around properly these past two days, but my personal matters kept interfering. How about this? I’ll refund your deposit in full and recommend another guide who’s just as good as me. Is that alright?”

Buma was very polite, but Xi Tian had become curious about Buma and the big guy Garon. Since their time was being wasted anyway, why not satisfy his curiosity and find something to pass the time?

It felt a bit heartless, using someone else’s issues to kill time, Xi Tian thought wryly, then empathetically declined Buma’s offer. “We’re quite bored here anyway. How about we go with you and have a look?”

Under Buma’s guidance, Xi Tian and Ellis passed by tall, neatly arranged houses, walked along a dirt road, and arrived at a cluster of low mud houses. They stopped in front of a house with an especially large door. Buma stood at the weathered door and knocked. A thunderous voice sounded from inside.

“Come in!”

Pushing the door open, the inside was pitch dark. Xi Tian curiously glanced around and noticed the windows were tightly sealed with wooden planks.

After hesitating for a moment, Xi Tian decided not to go inside. Instead, he walked around outside, observing the unfamiliar place.

Ellis, who had already entered the house, came back out when he noticed Xi Tian wasn’t there, leaving Garon and Buma to their conversation.

Hand in hand, Xi Tian and Ellis walked along the well-trodden dirt road.

The sun emerged from behind the clouds, bathing the land in sunlight. Occasionally, a lone blade of dry grass could be seen on the roofs of the mud houses.

“I actually thought places like this only existed in times of poverty,” Xi Tian said. “I really was so naive.”

“Where there are wealthy areas, places like this are inevitable. I’ve even been in such places in holographic military simulations.”

“Military simulations? You’ve never mentioned that,” Xi Tian turned around, curious.

“Simulated combat, to make you feel like you’re there, ready to go to the battlefield anytime.”

“Speaking of which, you’ve been with me for many months now. What about your job in the military?” Xi Tian finally voiced the question that had been on his mind for a long time.

“I’m on leave. The military offers benefits for soldiers who marry a male. You can take up to a year off to pursue your mate. When I mentioned it to my superiors, they agreed.”

“…I’m speechless,” Xi Tian said. “A year-long leave. The country’s defenders really dare to offer such conditions.”

“Actually, most soldiers return to their posts within about six months after marriage,” Ellis shared a well-known secret from the military.

“Aren’t female soldiers supposed to resign after marriage?”

“Resigning is for those who marry well-off males. Most lower-ranking soldiers come from ordinary families. For a married female soldier, it’s about balancing family and work. Those who continue to serve do so to support their families. So, within six months, they usually return to their original posts.”

“What about pregnancy?”

“As long as they don’t go to the battlefield, they can safely give birth. Female soldiers aren’t physically fragile.”

“Learned something new!” Xi Tian marveled. “When I was on welfare, volunteers always advised me, ‘You should get married quickly; once married, someone will take care of you, and you won’t have to worry about anything.'”

“Master, although we’re not married yet, aren’t you free of worries?” Ellis laughed.

“That’s true,” Xi Tian muttered. “Being with you makes me happy every day.”

Then he added, “And I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from.”

“So, I’m just a wallet to you?”

“That’s partly true since you’ve been paying for everything since we left the home planet,” Xi Tian stroked his chin. “But while anyone can be a wallet, there’s only one person I want, and that’s you.”

“…” Ellis rubbed his flushed ears, wondering why Xi Tian suddenly became so sentimental.

Nearby, a ragged, disheveled person limped by, glanced at Ellis, then hastened his steps towards Garon’s small house.

However, the uneven dirt road caused him to trip, his movements becoming frantic.

Ellis glanced over and saw the man’s face, exclaiming in surprise, “Angie!”

(T/N: I knew Angie’s death was sus!!!)