There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"Then let's try this energizing medicine! It's my most prized formula!"

"No, this is a bit too strong, it'll make my brain go haywire..."

"Then let's try my prepared dormancy drug again!"

“（?﹃?）zZZZ”

"Marcus, wake up! Have another sip of this!"

Chapter 92 Physical Examination

"Thank you so much, Marcus! I think I know how to improve the formula now! I'll definitely finish preparing the medicine as soon as possible!"

Dr. Dort gripped my hand with great excitement, trying to express his feelings in words. It took me a while to understand that he was trying to convey his gratitude.

I stood up from the chair, still dazed, not yet recovered from the nightmare of the drug trial.

So many strange prescriptions were combined, and their effects were incredibly unreliable. Heaven knows how I managed to try out so many different formulas in just one hour, and how the doctor could tell the effects from my dizzy state.

"Doctor, are your medications really effective...?"

"Don't worry, the first batch was just due to insufficient preparation. Now that we have clinical data, I can remove the harmful ingredients!"

"????"

Did I just hear the word "harmful"?

Why would a doctor give me harmful drugs to experiment on?

Where is your professional ethics as a doctor?!

Unfortunately, before I could even speak, Dr. Dort had already hurriedly gathered a batch of medicinal herbs and retreated into a small room to develop the medicine.

Pshaw, you're lucky...

At this moment, Ellie and Jay, who had been waiting nearby, also came over.

The jay asked with concern, "Marcus, are you feeling unwell? Your face was turning blue and purple just now! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you prepare the medicine for me..."

"It's okay, I already told you my immune system is superhuman. Don't you believe me?"

I smiled and ruffled her hair, indicating that my abilities were beyond doubt.

The jay remembered my archery skills and strength on Mount Mads and believed that I was indeed exceptional, which put its mind at ease.

But upon closer inspection, I was the one who was surprised.

"Hey! You washed off the paint on your face?"

To my delight, I discovered that the jay's face, which had been painted jet black, was now completely clean. After removing that strange tribal-style makeup, it looked brand new.

Sure enough, her face was a bit pale, her skin was sallow, and her complexion was completely different from that of Ellie, who had a well-balanced diet. However, her features were very delicate, with exceptionally bright eyes standing out above her small nose and mouth.

As the saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul. A pair of stunningly beautiful eyes allows others to see the owner's intelligent mind.

And the tribal dream she had always kept in her heart also turned into a flame that lay dormant and burned in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Am I acting strangely?" Jay saw me staring blankly and waved his hand in front of me.

"No, it's not strange at all, it looks great. Actually, it's good to stay like this." I reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling as I spoke.

"What... I would have been bitten to death by bugs long ago if I hadn't painted it..." The jay wriggled in dissatisfaction, but did not stop me.

After we'd had enough of the jokes, I asked the nurse next to me, Ellie, "Nurse, have my client's medical examination results come back yet?"

Ellie probably thought of her younger brother Yu during our interaction. She squinted her eyes and smiled sweetly at us. When she heard what I said, she opened the notebook in her hand and began to tell me about the situation.

"Don't worry, Marcus. After a thorough examination, it can be concluded that Miss Jay is in good health."

"Her blood pressure and heart rate are within the normal range, and there are no obvious problems with her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Due to a long-term deficiency of trace elements, the jay has mild night blindness, which can be relieved or even cured by supplementing with some vitamin A."

Night blindness refers to a condition where vision is normal during the day, but completely impairs vision at night or in the dark. Its characteristic is poor dark adaptation, a severe manifestation of prolonged dark adaptation time. Because this feature of night blindness is similar to the inability of birds to see at night, it is also known as "bird blindness" or "night blindness."

This is a minor issue, but it highlights the nutritional problems in their tribe, suggesting a long-term lack of fresh vegetables. This needs to be considered when providing supplies.

"Then, with a height of 139cm and a weight of 39kg, these figures are significantly lower than the average for the same age, indicating mild malnutrition. In the long run, this will affect development, leading to difficulties in physical activities, emotional apathy, and retardation in psychomotor and intellectual development."

Well, my worst fears have come true. Malnutrition is a problem that exists in every era, but it is probably even more prevalent in the moors where the jays live.

When this little girl was still growing, she could eat half a pot of radish and beef brisket at lunchtime, but she could only go hungry or have a full meal at other times in the tribe. How could she possibly grow up healthily under such circumstances?

I can help her with her meals for the next two days, but what about the days to come? That's a bit of a problem.

"There's one last question, Mr. Marcus."

Although Ellie speaks in a friendly manner, her professional demeanor makes it hard for me to look at her directly. No wonder even Dr. Dort is wary of his assistant.

"I detected trace amounts of radiation exceeding the standard in the Jay's test results. This child... isn't from around here, is he?"

Oh no, I didn't expect Ellie to find out about the problem too. I thought a regular physical exam wouldn't have any risks...

"Never mind, it's okay if you can't say. Jay only said that she comes from a wasteland where power struggles are intertwined, so I'll just take what she said as true."

Seeing that we didn't respond, Ellie sighed and said helplessly, "As a nurse, my advice is that if the radiation continues to accumulate like this, it will eventually develop into leukemia and aplastic anemia. It's best to move away from that dangerous area as soon as possible. If that's not possible, eating more seaweed and carrots may provide some relief."

"I see..." I looked at the completely clueless jay and said with some concern, "Thank you for your understanding, but we do have some unavoidable difficulties. I will consider these suggestions."

Getting them to move away from the wasteland is clearly impossible. It's unexpected that this chaotic wasteland, teeming with demons, also bears traces of nuclear radiation. Were the previous inhabitants so deranged that they engaged in a thermonuclear war on the planet? Such a cataclysmic destruction would be far too devastating…

"Alright, then our next destination is the general store. Let's pick out some seeds that you need and that are suitable for you!"

I pulled Jay up and prepared to walk to the shop next door, saying to Ellie before leaving.

"Ellie, thank you so much for your medical assistance! Please also give a shout-out to Dr. Dort... well, that doctor owes me one. You're welcome to visit my ranch sometime!"

The young nurse, dressed in a white dress, stood at the door and waved to us: "You're welcome, Marcus. Please spend more time with Yuwan in the future; she's always been very mischievous, but she always talks about you. Jay, keep going, I believe you'll succeed!"

"Hey, Jay, what did you say to Ellie?"

"N-nothing...it's a secret! Why are you asking so many questions!"

"Fine, don't tell me then. Let's go shopping!"

"Okay! Let's go!"

Chapter 93 Big Shopping Spree!

Next to the hospital was a rather magnificent building, constructed in the style of the Neoclassical Revival that was popular decades ago. It consisted of a main building running longitudinally and an annex running laterally, with two beautiful Roman columns standing at the entrance.

From the outside, it should have been a magnificent residence, but many unnecessary details were added to the house, making it both laughable and ridiculous.

For example, several pots of brightly colored flowers were placed at the base of the elegant doorposts. The magnificent second-floor windows were also adorned with numerous green plants. A lush oak tree stood in the courtyard space by the entrance, which should have been filled with a romantic atmosphere, but instead, a roughly made bench was placed there.

If these things reveal the woman's lack of aesthetic sense, then the conspicuous sign at the entrance reveals the man's poverty.

It was a square billboard, about a meter in size, with the words "General Store" written on it. Below it, however, was a dense, crammed mass of information about the general store's daily opening hours and weekly closing times, all squeezed together in a cramped mess.

"Just how miserable is this grocery store owner... I remember Mr. Dart saying he was henpecked, right?"

I was already standing at the entrance of the grocery store when I was almost scared away by this horrible aesthetic.

However, considering that this was the only general store in Mineral Town, I still took Jay inside.

Thank goodness, please don't let any strange people appear...

"Welcome, sir. What would you like to buy?"

The middle-aged man standing behind the counter had another slicked-back hairstyle! Starting with Boss Dart and Boss Dick, everyone with businesses had a slicked-back hairstyle, all slicked back and meticulously styled. Was this the trend in town?

Wait a minute, the remaining business owners are either women like Lady Lilia or bald men like Sebala and Muchi. They all have slicked-back hair, don't they?

Fortunately, the three shop owners could be distinguished by their clothing. For example, Jeff, the owner of the general store, wore a white shirt and black trousers with a red bow tie, which made him look friendly and prosperous. His small mustache also added to his charm.

"Hello boss, I'm Marcus, the new rancher in town. Nice to meet you!"

I had barely introduced myself when the shop owner looked panicked and exclaimed, "Didn't I give you two packets of seeds? What are you sponsoring this time?!"

Sorry, I forgot that Mr. Dick also said he was a miser.

With a dark expression, I said, "Boss, I'm here to buy things legitimately. Do you think I'm here to freeload?"

Mr. Jeff finally breathed a sigh of relief and said guiltily, "That's good, that's good. I was heartbroken for a long time when the mayor came and took two packets of seeds... Marcus, what do you want to buy today?"

So that's where Thomas stole the seeds! No wonder he'd sponsor me, such a stingy guy!

"I'd like to buy... seeds, or some useful tools. What do you have here?"

I mentally prepared to buy some for myself and some to take back for the jays.

"The seeds are on the table in the middle of the hall, and guests can choose them themselves. Since it is spring now, I only have seasonal crops prepared here. Please see the list over there."

In the middle of the hall, there was indeed a large table, covered with seed bags of various colors, exactly the same as the seeds I had received before.

Coincidentally, there was a list on the table filled with information, including the growth patterns and characteristics of crops, all crammed onto a single sheet of paper, looking quite shabby.

"That sign really reflects the male homeowner's taste..." I thought to myself as I glanced at it. It mainly listed the following five types of crops.

120g of radish

150g of potatoes

200g cucumber

150g of strawberries

500g of hay

Without a doubt, radishes and potatoes are the targets of this trip; they perfectly meet the requirements in terms of drought resistance and planting methods. My potato field on my ranch is still thriving; it should be ready for harvest tomorrow, right?

Cucumbers are definitely not an option. This plant is too delicate, and once the tender shoots dry up, there will be no harvest, so it has little value on the grassland.

Strawberries were ruled out for the same reason. Besides, as a fruit, strawberries would definitely be ranked lower than grain crops this time. I'll have to consider them for another time on my ranch.

And this pasture grass is incredibly resilient and requires very little to grow. Even more amazing is that the seeds have been modified by the colonists' system. They are a mixture of various nutrient-rich grasses, which can produce a large amount of hay for feeding animals.

The hay produced is excellent fodder, but it is difficult for humans to swallow.

With this magical pasture as a safety net, the jay tribe should be able to gradually shed its nomadic lifestyle of following water and grass, and slowly move towards settled herding.

"Marcus! Marcus! Look this way!"

As I was still pondering this in my mind, I heard the cheerful calls of jays calling to me from the side.

On both sides of the general store were displays of various props and food. At this moment, Jay was standing next to one of the displays, looking at it with shining eyes and drooling.