Cosmic Trading System

The countryside now is no longer what it once was.

Many young people worked away from home and wouldn't return until the end of the year, and some didn't even return at all. Those who did return were often busy with work all year round. When they finally got a chance to rest at home, they would sleep in late.

At around eight in the morning, there were not many people outside in the Lin estate.

On his journey, Lin Yun only saw some older folks busy with their chores from a distance. He didn't meet anyone he recognized on his way, and before long, he found himself at his parent's doorstep.

The houses surrounding theirs were all multi-story buildings, only their home remained a single-story house.

"Today is Little Cloud's birthday... Ah... I don't even know if he's doing well out there..."

Just as Lin Yun reached the gate, he heard a woman sighing from within the courtyard.

Upon hearing these words, the moistness in Lin Yun's eyes instantly transformed into teardrops which began to fall.

"A mother will always worry about her son traveling afar," but who could truly understand what these words mean?

"Mom, I'm home!"

Pushing the door open, Lin Yun saw an aged woman in the yard. Unable to hold back his emotions any longer, he called out in a sobbing voice.

"Little Cloud, are you back?"

Upon hearing the voice, the old woman dropped the items in her hands. She turned around and saw Lin Yun, her face a portrait of disbelief.

"Little Cloud! You finally came back!"

The aged woman quickened her pace and flung her arms around Lin Yun, crying out loud.

She had not seen Lin Yun for five years, and how she missed him!

Tears were now streaming down Lin Yun's face.

At this moment, he noticed many white hairs on his mother's head.

When he left, his mother was fifty.

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Now, his mother was fifty-five.

His mother had grown old.

At this moment, Lin Yun felt a pang of regret.

He regretted not coming back once during these five years.

At fifty-five, his mother seemed to have aged more than others her age, and he wondered if it had to do with his departure five years ago and his absence since then.

"Crash—"

From a distance, there was a commotion as a pile of objects fell to the ground.

Lin Yun turned his head and saw an aging figure frantically gathering vegetables that had fallen next to a cart, his hand slightly shaking.

Lin Yun's heart tremored.

Although it was merely a silhouette, and the person appeared older than he remembered, he recognized him at first glance – it was his father.

"Dad!"

Lin Yun freed himself from his mother's embrace and quickly walked over. He took hold of the trembling old man's hand and called out in a shaky voice.

His emotions were complex then.

He wondered if his father had forgiven him in these past five years.

However, as his father's hand trembled more violently under his touch and "drops of water" landed on the back of his hand, he realized he had overthought everything.

His father had long forgiven him. What remained was endless longing.

"Little Cloud, don't blame your dad. Even though he never voiced it out, I know he's been wanting you to come back for a long time. He forbade us to contact you, wouldn't let us spend the money you sent, all because he wanted you to come back sooner..." Lin's mother wiped her tears and said.

"Dad, I'm sorry for being an unfilial son... I didn't understand your concerns back then..." Lin Yun choked back tears as he spoke.

"It's good that you're back..." The aging silhouette finally turned around, opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, but ultimately sighed.

"Dad, let me help you with the vegetables!" Lin Yun hastily said.

He could tell that his father was loading vegetables onto a cart. Because of his sudden appearance, his father had become flustered and dropped the vegetables he was bundling.

The family owned some vegetable plots. It seemed that these vegetables were being prepped for sale. Back when he still lived at home and hadn't started working away yet, he frequently helped his father load vegetables onto the cart.

As he spoke, he kept picking up vegetables from the ground and placing them on the cart. Despite being capable of making billions in a day, he didn't consider these vegetables worthless, nor did he want his parents to abandon their cultivation.

These vegetables were the fruits of his parents' labor, carrying extraordinary significance; it wasn't just about how much money he was making now.

This had been the source of his family's livelihood since he was a child. He had been away for five years, and now, he was enjoying the process of helping his father pack the vegetables.

"Good, good..." Lin's father had wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes. His eyes were slightly red, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Dad, where are these vegetables going? I can help you deliver them!" Soon, all the vegetables were packed up. Lin Yun looked up at his father and asked with a smile.

"These vegetables need to be taken to the county town. It's too far away, Shen City is so far from home. You just got back; you must be tired. I'll have your mom prepare a bed for you. You should rest!" Lin's father emphatically shook his head.

"These vegetables need to be taken to the county town?" Lin Yun questioned.

Though their village was located near the county town, it was still more than ten miles away. If they were to manually transport the cart... how long would that take? How tiring would the large amount of vegetables be to carry?

"Don't we have an electric tricycle at home? With a distance this far, why aren't we using the tricycle? Is something wrong with it?" Lin Yun frowned.

Five years ago, when he left, their family had an electric tricycle. Their livelihood depended on growing and selling vegetables; given the size of their farm, they couldn't do without the tricycle. Even if the old one was broken, they would certainly have bought a new one.

Nowadays, almost every rural household owns a tricycle. This is mainly because the younger generation tends to migrate to urban areas for work, leaving the elderly and some grandchildren at home. Tricycles are safer and more convenient for them, especially when they need to transport things.

"Now, tricycles are not allowed in the county town anymore. If a tricycle appears in town, it will be confiscated. Our tricycle was seized. We thought we could get away with delivering the vegetables in the wee hours, around three or four in the morning, but alas..." Lin's mother sighed.

"Any tricycle found in the county town will be confiscated?" Lin Yun found this incredible.

Due to the demographic structure, tricycles were the main form of transportation in Immortal Origin County. Even taxis were a rare sight there; public tricycles were popular due to their low cost. Immortal Origin was a low-wage county; who could afford a taxi ride?

When villagers needed to visit the city, with no buses and no taxis, with no money to buy cars, tricycles were the most convenient means of transport.

All walks of life also relied heavily on tricycles.

Could they all have been banned?

"Every tricycle, even those delivering water or express parcels, as soon as they're spotted in the county town, they're all captured..." Lin's father added.

"Heh..." Lin Yun couldn't help but chuckle grimly.

Even water and express delivery tricycles were taken too?

This reminded him of Shen City some time ago, when there was a wave of restricting motorcycles and electric vehicles, and a large number of water delivery and express tricycles were seized. That incident had caused a major uproar.

However, how populous is Shen City? It's in the tens of millions!

What's the makeup of Shen City's permanent population? Most of them are fairly affluent and earn decent wages, at least not concerned about public transportation costs!

Shen City has a thriving public transportation system!

What about Immortal Origin County?

Does the permanent population even reach five hundred thousand? And this number includes the people scattered across all the towns and villages!

Many of them are elderly folks and children left behind!

Many people have no wages! Even those with wages, earn very little!

If he hadn't misunderstood what he saw when he passed the county town earlier, it appeared there was only one taxi and not a single bus. Perhaps it was too early or he just missed it, but this starkly highlighted how underdeveloped Immortal Origin County's public transport was!

Under such circumstances, they actually banned all tricycles?

Put differently, how long has Shen City been developing? It's one of the most developed cities in the country! It only just started imposing restrictions!

A small city like Immortal Origin County, barely a seventh or eighth-tier city, is pulling the same stunt. It left him at a loss for words!

"We had no choice. When tricycles were first prohibited from entering the city, several acres of our crops rotted in the field. Your father tried selling the vegetables by cart, but we weren't allowed to sell at the old place and had lost our regular customers. It was Gangzi who found new customers for your father, but time was tight.

Your father went into town around three or four in the morning, only to be caught...They dumped all our vegetables on the roadside..." At this point, Lin Yun's mother rubbed her eyes.

Lin Yun's expression turned grim.

At this moment, his mother's voice was thick with grievance.

He could imagine how wronged his father must have felt when the incident happened.

Several acres of hard-grown vegetables rotting in the fields!

Entering the city around three or four in the morning, the cart was seized... and the vegetables dumped on the side of the road!

In a small county like Immortal Origin County, a tricycle is a significant asset for an ordinary family!

Those vegetables were their livelihood!

With their significant assets taken away... livelihood destroyed... how desperate they must have felt?