Life on the island continued in its usual rhythm. Mu Qingyun's group was well-fed and well-hydrated; each of them had a rosy complexion and appeared full of energy. To an outsider, it might even seem as if they were on a leisurely vacation.
However, compared to them, the lives of the others were far from comfortable.
Due to the scarcity of protein powder and nutritional supplements, many were forced to rely on hunting mutated rabbits and fishing in the sea, eating raw meat just to survive.
Water was even scarcer. Most people had to barter with those who possessed water-manipulation abilities, exchanging captured animals for drinkable water. If that failed, they resorted to stealing from others' supplies, barely managing to survive.
"Thankfully, we have Brother Mu," Xiong Ruoyou said as she carefully set down a large bucket of seawater. "Otherwise, we'd be stuck eating raw meat and trading water with those water manipulators."
"But this situation cannot continue forever," Su rubbed his stomach, frowning deeply. "I've already finished my vitamin tablets. If this goes on, my body will not be able to hold up."
Vitamin tablets?
Mu Qingyun glanced at them. Because this planet was barren—no vegetation grew—the fruits and vegetables were extremely rare. So, the people here had developed vitamin tablets to supplement the nutrients the body lacked.
Although Mu Qingyun did not fully understand what vitamins were, the name alone made it clear that they were essential.
"Why didn't you bring more vitamin tablets if you knew you would run out?" Mu Qingyun asked, puzzled. "Or was it the military academy controlling your supplies and preventing you from bringing enough?"
"It's not that," Su frowned. "Though the academy is strict, they are not unreasonable. My storage pouch was prepared by the doctor, who probably assumed I wouldn't be staying here long, so he did not provide many vitamin tablets."
"What kind of situation is that? None of you three remembered to bring extra?" Mu Qingyun raised an eyebrow, scanning the three before her.
Su met her gaze without hesitation. Fan Xuanye nodded coldly. Xiong Ruoyou lowered her head awkwardly.
Mu Qingyun thought to herself: …What kind of mess have I gotten involved with here?
[Viewer comments from a livestream]
"I just came from someone else's stream where they were munching vitamin tablets like candy. What a contrast!"
"Their 'tacit understanding' level just keeps increasing."
"This family of four is hilarious."
"Mu Qingyun acts as if she's got a huge stash of vitamins, totally taking it for granted!"
"Vitamin tablets are the cheapest thing. The planet distributes them yearly to everyone, no need to buy."
"Could it be that those 'trash planet' folks can't afford vitamin tablets?"
"No way. They wouldn't be alive now without vitamins. That's impossible."
"This is an unsolved mystery. Any 'trash planet' viewers, can you explain?"
"The 'trash planet' can't even connect to our network properly. We have 32g bandwidth, theirs is too bad to even log in."
"Is there any other way to get vitamins?" Mu Qingyun, growing bored, looked at the small flame flickering in her right hand, playing childishly with her powers.
"Eat fruits and vegetables," Fan Xuanye replied flatly.
"But fruits and vegetables are no longer allowed to be sold. Besides, even if they were, we have no money to buy them," Xiong Ruoyou said with a distressed frown, letting out a helpless sigh.
Hearing this, Mu Qingyun withdrew her flame and hesitated for a moment before asking, "What about lemon fruit? Can it supplement vitamins?"
"Lemon fruit?" All three looked puzzled and raised their heads simultaneously.
"What is lemon fruit?" Xiong Ruoyou blinked blankly, clearly never having heard of it.
Seeing their almost vacant, dazed expressions, Mu Qingyun sighed inwardly, silently berating their lack of knowledge.
"It's just a lemon," she said, making a gesture to help them understand. "Small, flattened round shape, yellow, sour."
"I know!" Xiong Ruoyou instantly brightened and excitedly raised her hand. "Lemon tree's lemon fruit, under the lemon tree, you and me— a metaphor for envy and jealousy between lovers!"
Mu Qingyun was speechless.
[More livestream comments]
"I know this one! When fruits were still allowed to be sold, I once spent a fortune to buy one."
"What does it taste like? Is it as sour as the books say?"
"Not deadly sour, more like a sweet and sour taste."
"Nowadays, fruits and veggies are grown with nutrient solutions; they definitely don't compare to the real, naturally grown ones."
"Answer my question," Mu Qingyun said impatiently after a brief pause.
"Yes. Lemons can supplement vitamin C, which is very important for the human body," Su said quietly, looking up at her.
Vitamin C?
A flicker of confusion passed through Mu Qingyun's eyes. The original owner of this body was uneducated, a true illiterate who had no knowledge of such things in her memory.
But knowing that lemon fruit could supplement vitamins was enough for now.
Mu Qingyun glanced at Su again, instinctively furrowing her brow. He was far too cautious. How could she give them lemon fruit without him noticing? That was a problem.
"Su, get up."
Early morning. Mu Qingyun looked over at Xiong Ruoyou and Fan Xuanye still asleep and lowered her voice as she gave Su a hard push.
"Mm." Su responded groggily, eyes still shut with no intention of waking.
After Mu Qingyun promised to teach him close combat, she hadn't mentioned it for several days. Su thought she was just saying it, but now she was disturbing his peaceful sleep first thing in the morning.
"Hurry up and get up!"
Seeing Su was about to fall asleep again, Mu Qingyun grabbed his collar and yanked him up roughly.
"Whoa!"
Choked by the sudden grip, Su jolted awake and snapped coldly, "Are you crazy? Let me go!"
"What did you say?"
A clear and familiar voice rang in his ear. Su turned to see Mu Qingyun's cold glare and immediately realized where he was. He snapped fully awake.
"Oh, sorry. I was dreaming that my powers rival the First Commander's. So, sorry about that." Su said, trying to fit the persona he was supposed to portray but feeling stifled inside.
He regretted adopting this weak persona from the start. Pretending to be a fragile, helpless old man made him feel like a pitiful figure.
[More livestream comments]
"Haha! Did I hear that right? Rival the First Commander? This weakling really has a wild imagination!"
"Looks like the First Commander is irresistible to everyone—guys want to be him, girls want to be with him. Haha, I wonder who'll actually win his heart!"