Age of Empires From Scratch

  Chapter 66 Leonard Sleepwalking in Winter

   "How many people are there?" Steve was curious how many people Fording could bring back this time? The information revealed in David's words seems to be a lot of people: "If there are a lot of people, do you want to start building a few wooden houses in advance?"

  David wanted to wait until Van Cleef gave a clear reply before considering this matter. Thinking about it now, maybe it’s not impossible to build a few wooden houses similar to dormitories in advance. Even if Van Cleef finally rejected David’s invitation, none of the craftsmen from the Stonemason’s Union came to Cold Winter Village, but there will be other people from the village in the future. , requiring additional accommodation.

   "How about building right behind the cafeteria? First build two big houses." Behind the cafeteria, that is, to the north, are the houses of farmers, one after another extending toward the north.

  But the canteen itself occupies a relatively large area, even if there are these farmers’ houses, there is still enough space to build two large wooden houses.

   "Did you directly change the cafeteria into a hotel?"

   "Isn't that good?"

  David did not ignore Leonard when talking to Steve, and introduced him to the environment in the village, such as the canteen, blacksmith shop, public water intake area, and so on.

"Is this tap water?" Leonard thought it was an 'ancient' village at first, but he saw a faucet within a few steps. There were similar tap water facilities or 'faucets' in ancient times, but it was definitely not the one in front of him. It looks like this is obviously a product of modern craftsmanship.

   "It can barely be regarded as tap water." David introduced: "After the water is pumped from the Winter River, filtered and purified, it will be sent to the water storage equipment here, and people in the village can get water directly here."

   "Use water pumps and water purification equipment? What about the power?" Leonard was curious about this matter: "Is it using some magical power?"

   "Solar and wind power generation." David smiled and pointed to the distance. The wind power generation device is actually quite conspicuous: "Besides there, there is a diesel generator in the village."

  The generator is hidden on the 'side' of Laura's house. It doesn't look special from the outside. You have to open the 'wooden door' to see the generator, so Leonard didn't notice it before.

   "So... there are actually generators in this world?" Leonard looked around. He thought he had guessed wrong earlier. In fact, the level of civilization in this world is not low. It's just that the village is remote and sparsely populated.

   "These machines and equipment were specially sent by a friend who came from the same earth as you." David specifically emphasized this point: "She thinks my environment here is good, and she wants to use it as another home."

   "Oh!" Leonard nodded: "It's really beautiful here."

  Beautiful natural scenery and fresh air, there are forests, mountains, rivers, and grasslands. Living in this environment, he feels that his asthma will be cured. If possible, he also wants to settle here and come here for vacation in his free time.

"I want to settle here with you, what are the conditions?" Leonard did not ignore that David's 'friend' bought a lot of machinery and equipment for the village chief: "For example, some investment is required. What?"

"It's not that troublesome, as long as you want, you can live here." David told Leonard about the situation of Lower Winter Village by the way, including the development order of the Kingdom of Tilan, and that Winter Village evolved from a pioneer camp to a village , and it has only been officially established for less than a year: "Rinwinter Village currently welcomes everyone who wants to come and live."

   There are no restrictions on occupancy or immigration, as long as you are willing to come, you can come.

   "So good?" Leonard smiled: "As long as I want to, I can automatically obtain the residence qualification of Rinwinter Village? Then I can become a villager of Rinwinter Village now?"

"Yes!"

   "Cool!" Leonard thought the treatment was good, making people wonder if it was a scam? But after much deliberation, I don't seem to have anything worth being lied to. People from another world wouldn't covet the rocket fuel information he researched, would they? These people seem to have no use for that thing.

Follow David and continue to walk forward, and within a few steps, we reach the farmland area. Leonard noticed the man who was watching back and forth in the field. They looked at each other.

   "Mark, how's the situation?"

   "It's all good. As long as the temperature doesn't drop suddenly in the last half month, this batch of crops can be harvested smoothly." Mark looked at Leonard a few times: "Newcomer?"

   "Yes, this is Leonard Hofstadter."

"Mark Watney, just call me Mark." Walking out of the field, Mark took off his gloves and shook Leonard's hand. As for the strange expression on the other party's face, he pretended not to see it himself: "Welcome to Cold Winter Village."

Leonard couldn't help but feel strange, because there was another familiar face in front of him. Originally, the miraculous phenomenon of crossing had already convinced him that he had really arrived in another world, but seeing two familiar faces in succession made him doubt himself again. Is it fixed? This isn't the recording site of a variety show, is it?

   "Leonard, nice to meet you, Mark." Leonard was wondering if he should question it? In the next second, I saw the Squirrel following Mark: "Pokémon? Oh my god, is this a Squirrel?"

   Leonard's exaggerated reaction startled the Squirtle, if it wasn't for the crowd of acquaintances standing beside him, the Squirrel would have opened his mouth and sprayed Leonard in the face.

   "Calm down, Leonard, this is indeed a Jenny Turtle, who came from another world just like you."

David's explanation didn't calm Leonard down. The physicist at Caltech was so excited that he took out the nebulizer he carried with him. After taking two sips, he said something to David in a tight voice: "I didn't say before that you still have Squirrels from the Pokémon world."

   "Relax, follow me, inhale~exhale~" Steve stood by, watching Leonard's overly agitated reaction, and immediately asked him to follow him to take a deep breath to relax.

  Mark looked at Leonard's reaction and immediately understood the key point. He turned to look at David: "Did you explain the situation here to him?"

   "I'm explaining." David pointed to Mark: "By the way, I'll introduce you to him."

   "So you didn't introduce Steve to him?"

"What? Me? Shouldn't I need an introduction? Leonard knows my full name." Steve obviously hasn't figured out what's going on now: "I don't think David knew my full name before today .”

"Wait." Although Leonard was in a state of excitement, he did not miss the conversations of the few people around him, and his smart brain immediately made him realize that his previous guess seemed to be the truth: "You mean, you are really history. Steven Grant Rogers? Captain America?"

   "Look, I'll just say he knows me."

   Mark: “…”

  David: “…”

  Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Mark didn't know that the dignified Captain America had such a natural side: "I think you may have made some mistakes."

Regardless of the question marks on Steve's head, Mark and Leonard explained the situation a little bit: "David may not have had time to explain to you before that we are all from different worlds, even if we are all from the earth. It's not the same Earth."

   "Parallel world theory?"

"Yes." Mark saw that Leonard was starting to figure out the situation, and introduced himself in more detail: "Mark Watney, a botanist, was trapped at the Mars base because of the Mars exploration plan, and then came to Rin Dongcun is now a farmer in the village, farming in the village while waiting for rescue on Mars."

"Mars exploration program? Mars base?" Leonard looked at Mark Watney in front of him, and he gradually understood what was going on: "Dr. Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist at Caltech …Are you really on Mars? Can I go and see?"

   "It's a pity, it doesn't seem to be possible at the moment." Mark glanced at David, his eyes full of inquiries: "Not yet, right?"

   "No." David hasn't figured out how to get to the world of these people, but he also wants to go to Mars.

  Looking at Mark and David, Leonard didn't understand why he had to ask a special question, but he still understood the phrase 'can't go to Mars' and was a little disappointed.

   But it doesn't matter, there are still many surprises today, such as Captain America beside him.

   "So, you are really Captain Steve Rogers?"

  Turning his head and looking at Captain America again, Leonard's expression of looking at his idol made Steve feel very familiar, as if he had returned to the time when he had just joined the army seventy years ago.

   "I am indeed Steve Rogers, and I do have the title of Captain America."

"Wow!"

   Leonard wanted to reach out and shake hands with Rogers a few more times, but he immediately retracted his hand as soon as he raised it, rubbing it on his clothes a few times before reaching out. Steve didn't feel disgusted at all, still maintaining a friendly smile, and shook hands with Leonard again.

"Wow, I shook hands with Captain America." Leonard thought of the Squirrel next to him again, but the Squirrel seemed to be avoiding him a bit, so he had to give up unwillingly, and turned to look at David next to him: " Who else is in the village?"

  He is full of expectations now, and really wants to know who else he can meet in this magical village.

   "Laura." Before David could speak, Mark, who knew what Leonard wanted to know, had already said a name: "Laura Crawford."

"real?"

"Really, the equipment I told you just now was sent by Laura." David nodded to Leonard whose eyes were shining: "She is in the village now, but she is resting, maybe You'll see her in a while."

   "It's incredible!" Leonard smiled like an eight-year-old child who fell into a pile of toys: "Who else?"

   "Tirion Fordring..."

   "Walter?"

  (end of this chapter)