Chapter 1471: Chapter 1469: The Same Surname
"I see, understood." The other party nodded patiently, continuing to ask, "Where are you heading?"
"We’re going to... Shalin, sir." Philip hesitated for a moment but answered honestly. He had a feeling that lying to the person in front of him would not lead to a good outcome.
Upon hearing the destination, the other party reacted with visible surprise. They scrutinized him for a few moments, then smiled and said, "Are you serious? You do realize that walking from here to Shalin would take several months—you’re likely to starve on the way before you’re halfway there. And let’s not even mention other unforeseen situations, like getting lost in the mountains or encountering dangerous creatures."
"What?" Philip’s face changed.
Then the other party asked, "By the way, why are you leaving Bright Town for Shalin?"
Philip’s facial muscles twitched a few times and he sighed, "Bright Town isn’t a good place to stay, sir. A month has seen three different mayors, none with a good end. There’s not enough food; you can’t even get full. Plus, there’s taxation, making it impossible to live. But I heard from a vendor selling dried worms and mushrooms that Shalin isn’t like Bright Town, so I wanted to check it out, though I didn’t expect it to be so far."
After he said this, Philip heard the person mutter to themselves, "Another one led astray... Seems like the guidance team has a long reach... Even unknown little towns are visited... Just lacking a bit of adaptability..."
After muttering, the person looked up seriously and suggested, "I advise you not to go to Shalin because it’s too far, and you’re heading in the wrong direction; Shalin is northwest of you, not west. However, since you can’t continue living in Bright Town, you could go to Redstone City. Redstone City is like a smaller version of Shalin, also known as Shalin City 17, built two years ago. Conditions are a bit lacking, but it’s enough for you to live well. Most importantly, Redstone City isn’t far from you, about a two-day walk west."
"Really?" Philip said with some excitement.
"Why would I lie to you?" The other party smiled, spreading their hands, then rummaged inside their clothing and tossed over a green, palm-sized cake. "By the way, eat some food before you set off. Judging by your appearance, you haven’t eaten well in a long time, don’t faint from hunger before reaching there. Also, while you eat, I’d like to ask you more questions."
"Thank you, sir." Philip received the green cake handed over by the other party, promptly expressing gratitude, then carefully broke off a corner and put it in his mouth.
Instantly, a fragrance akin to a mix of bread and fruit blossomed in his mouth, giving him an urge to cry—this seemed like real food. Though he didn’t know what it was made from, it was indeed food. He hadn’t tasted real food for a very long time.
The effect of the food seemed greater than he expected. Apart from tasting far better than dried worms and mushrooms, as soon as it entered his stomach, a gentle warmth surged through him, making his body warm and even invigorating his weary spirit.
Philip’s eyes widened as he quickly handed it to Little Jimmy behind him.
Little Jimmy, mimicking Philip’s actions, broke off a corner, placed it in his mouth, chewed a few times then swallowed. His eyes sparkled, his throat accumulating saliva, clearly craving more.
But Little Jimmy didn’t break off another piece, instead, he tiptoed to take off the tattered burlap sack from Philip’s shoulder, putting it in carefully.
Philip allowed this—having been hungry for too long taught them both to preserve food. Eating until full was blissful, but they might not survive past the day after tomorrow night.
Philip slung the sack back over his shoulder, looked at the brown-haired man who gave them food, and lowered his attitude, "Respected sir, my son and I have eaten well. If there’s anything you’d like to ask, go ahead. I’ll definitely tell you everything I know."
The brown-haired man first looked somewhat complicatedly at Philip’s sack, pursed his lips, but didn’t say much more, then earnestly started asking questions.
To Philip, the brown-haired man’s questions felt very strange, as they were about... trivial matters.
For instance, how is life in Bright Town, what do they eat every day, where do they find mushrooms, how to distinguish mushroom types, how is the town managed, how are taxes collected...
Some questions were asked not just once; he’d rephrase them and ask from different angles, several times.
After several dozen minutes, the brown-haired man finally finished, exhaled fully, looking satisfied and said, "Okay, I’ve got the answers I wanted, you can leave now."
"Alright, sir." Philip inwardly breathed a sigh of relief—never thought answering questions could be so tiring. He took his son Little Jimmy and walked south.
They hadn’t gone far when suddenly a voice called from behind, "Wait."
"Ah?" Philip stopped, turned around, a bit tense, fearing the person would ask him a bunch more questions. But they didn’t, instead, reached into their clothing and handed over another green round cake.
"This is Ration No. 1, the taste isn’t great, so I didn’t bring much, but can spare another one for you. That way, if you and your son run into minor issues on the road, you’ll be able to make it to Redstone City," said the brown-haired man.
Philip’s lips trembled, honestly, he hadn’t met a kind person like this in so long. He quickly bent deeply to express his gratitude, "Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir."
Saying this, he simultaneously pressed Little Jimmy’s head down.
Little Jimmy bent down immediately, respectfully thanking, "Thank you, sir."
"Alright, alright, hurry along on your way. I need to get going too, there’s no need to be so courteous. Who knows if we’ll see each other again," said the brown-haired man.
"Sir, please tell me your name. If I get the chance in the future, I will certainly thank you."
"If you reach Redstone City, you can mention you met 165021 on the way. If you happen to meet someone I know, maybe they’ll offer you a bit of help."
"165021? Sir, what about your name?"
"My name? If you genuinely wish to know, telling you is no problem, I’m Ma Qiu Philip."
"Philip? Sir, I am also Philip—Doron Philip, and my son is Jimmy Philip. We share the same surname," Philip said with some excitement.
"Quite a coincidence. Well then, goodbye. I’m really leaving now. I wish you luck, and me too." Ma Qiu Philis didn’t seem to mind, waved his hand and walked away.
Philip and Little Jimmy watched them for a moment, then turned and left, heading towards the aforementioned Redstone City.
...
