Read Novel Full Chapter 678 - 276 Arriving at Meishan_2
Chapter 678: Chapter 276 Arriving at Meishan_2
"When the market economy just opened up, quite a few people from Jiangbei came to work here. Those who arrived early and made money bought homesteads and built houses. There were quite a few outsiders like that."
Liang Yuan was surprised, "You could buy and sell homesteads in Linjiang?"
"Oh, not anymore. Back then, the management was lax, and Meishan was a place where even birds wouldn’t go. No one paid any attention to it."
"Who would’ve thought that it would later be developed into a scenic area? The whole of Linjiang also developed quite well, and the land only became valuable then."
"I remember that back then, there was plenty of land. You could just find any empty spot and build a house, even on the mountains. Whoever seized the land and cultivated it owned it."
Old Yang laughed heartily; their lives back then were indeed less regulated.
Liang Yuan sighed inwardly. Linjiang truly benefitted from policy dividends.
Sometimes it’s not about personal effort but about being born in the right place.
The same farming, but land in Liang Yuan’s hometown was worthless. Some people would rather leave it fallow and migrate for work than cultivate it.
Look at Linjiang City, where land is so valuable. A simple resettlement could earn you millions.
"Look, over there!"
Old Yang suddenly shouted excitedly, pointing towards the dense forest.
Liang Yuan looked through the woods and saw a discreetly built shed deep within.
However, the shed was surrounded by a wooden fence and camouflaged with vines and piles of grass.
If not for the heavy rain washing away some parts, revealing the top of the plastic roof, it would be hard to discover.
While pulling away the nearby grass, Old Yang said excitedly, "Let’s go take a look. There didn’t used to be a fence here; someone must be living inside now."
"I wonder which of the five brothers it could be."
As Old Yang walked ahead, he called out, "Anybody there? Kuirong? Kuihua? Anyone?"
Liang Yuan, with Yang Mei following behind Old Yang, looked around the nearby grass but didn’t notice any footprints.
As they approached the obviously camouflaged shed, he noticed some chaotic footprints on the ground.
Many footprints were submerged in the accumulated water, and Liang Yuan looked towards the fenced shed.
Outside was a broken clay pot and some scattered bricks in the corner.
The fenced area seemed to show signs of cultivation; near the furrows were several paint buckets and other water containers, but most of the crops were already dead.
There were also several pits, as if someone had been digging.
Old Yang pushed open the fence and walked towards the shed, whose door was made of planks and very rudimentary.
Reaching the door, Old Yang noticed it was locked.
He turned his head and called, "Mr. Liang, Xiaoyang Mei, come see. This place is locked. The lock is rusted; it seems no one’s been here for a while."
Liang Yuan walked over and looked at the lock, and with a simple squeeze...
There was a snap, and the lock was crushed immediately.
Liang Yuan pushed open the door and looked inside.
The shed’s walls were built with bricks, and the roof was made from blue steel plates commonly used for construction site dormitories, welded together with lock nails, covered in a layer of plastic, and topped with thick leaves and branches.
The inside of the shed wasn’t big, with a wooden bed supported by bamboo poles at the corners, with white mosquito nets tied around them.
On the bed was a moldy quilt and a broken pillow.
There was a dark yellow table at the head of the bed, its paint peeling off.
On the table were some bowls and chopsticks, with some water collected in one of the broken bowls.
Liang Yuan looked up, guessing the water dripped from the steel roof.
Leather tiles covered the floor, making a simple flooring.
It seemed someone had ransacked the house; no chairs and some of the farm tools were gone.
Old Yang looked around, "Seems nobody has been here for a long time."
Yang Mei asked curiously, "If no one’s been here, why set up a fence and cover the shed with leaves?"
Old Yang shook his head, "Maybe they set these up before the big flood. This place is near the Water Marsh Restricted Area with so many mutant beasts inside. The survivors in Meishan surely wouldn’t dare come over."
"Let’s go, let’s head to the boardwalk. From there, we can find people as we go up the mountain."
Saying this, Old Yang was about to leave the shed.
But Liang Yuan didn’t move, his gaze focused under the wooden bed.
Yang Mei, curious, asked, "Little brother? What’s wrong?"
Liang Yuan shook his head, "There’s a foul smell under the bed."
Yang Mei was puzzled, "Foul smell?"
She sniffed but caught only a musty odor.
Liang Yuan walked to the bed and lifted the bed board, revealing the leather floor.
He grabbed it casually and yanked, the leather floor ripping apart instantly.
Underneath wasn’t soil but a wooden door!
"Eh?"
Old Yang, who had returned, was taken aback by the sight.
"Why is there a cellar here?"
Liang Yuan grabbed the iron ring on the wooden door and pulled hard.
Crack!
The wooden door lifted, releasing a strong, pungent odor!
It was the smell of rotting protein, mixed with a fermented stench.
Liang Yuan immediately held his breath, while Old Yang nearly vomited, quickly covering his mouth and nose.