CH 3

"5 tons of fine salt and 500 catties of each of the other spices."

Spices are considered luxury items in the post-apocalyptic world, while salt is a necessity. It's not a problem to hoard a little more.

And Jiang Muyun is also planning to make some pickles.

Although she can store fresh vegetables in her space, she knows very well that it's impossible to show such things to others in the apocalypse.

Various types of preserved foods, dried goods, and canned foods are the most common types of food in the apocalypse, as they are convenient to store and have a longer shelf life.

After giving it some thought, Jiang Muyun added, "I'll also take 100 catties of various chili powders and dried chili peppers."

Although she didn't personally enjoy spicy food, after the extreme cold set in, chili peppers became the most popular seasoning.

Stocking up on some chili peppers would allow her to use them for bartering with others in the future.

As soon as the shop owner heard the quantity of items Jiang Muyun wanted to buy, he quickly grabbed a pen and paper to take notes. He also instructed the workers in the shop to call the delivery trucks.

Jiang Muyun continued to list and order the items she needed.

"Ten cases of dark soy sauce, one hundred cases of light soy sauce, and two cases each of other seafood sauces. One hundred cases of cooking wine and two hundred cases of vinegar, all in large barrel packaging," Jiang Muyun pointed to the various 1.5-3L family-sized condiments on the shelves.

Jiang Muyun herself had a strong liking for sour flavors, to the extent that she could gulp down vinegar in one go after eating dumplings. Only she knew how she survived those ten years without vinegar in her past life.

As for cooking wine, it was also necessary to prepare more.

After experiencing acid rain, large areas of land lost the ability to grow crops, and animals quietly began to mutate. In the post-apocalyptic world, 90% of the survivors relied on insects and mushrooms to survive.

Among the remaining population, aside from a few privileged individuals, there are people like Jiang Muyun who are skilled and brave enough to search for mutated animals and rely on hunting to survive.

The mutated animals may have larger bodies, but their meat is difficult to eat and has an unpleasant taste, especially with that strange and foul odor. It's like a real-life interpretation of poo-flavored chocolate.

Jiang Muyun felt that she couldn't just hoard supplies without replenishing them.

After the apocalypse, whether it was to conceal her space or to adapt to the new ecological conditions, Jiang Muyun knew she needed to possess the ability to survive even without relying on her space.

So having an ample supply of scallions, ginger, and cooking wine is essential!

"Ginger and garlic, each 500 catties."

Jiang Muyun plans to dig some soil later and see if she can develop some agricultural activities, so she doesn't need to prepare too much ginger and garlic. Buying 500 catties will also include the portion she will use for pickling when she returns home.

"200 catties of all kinds of sauces are needed, and all the sauce varieties in the store should be included. Can the spicy and non-spicy ones be loaded separately?"

The boss was delighted and readily agreed, "Sure, I'll arrange for someone to pack them for you right away. And those few boxes of curry blocks—I'll give them all to you. X Village, No. 32, right? They can be delivered this afternoon."

Jiang Muyun took the list of goods, glanced over it and found no issues. She then took out her phone and paid the deposit.

This shop may not look impressive, but as the owner said, they do business with regular customers, and they can handle larger orders as well.

Each individual item that Jiang Muyun purchased may not seem like much, but the sheer variety of items she bought adds up.

Moreover, judging from Jiang Muyun's hints, it seems that she intends to continue purchasing from the store in the future. This naturally brings joy to the boss.

Altogether, Jiang Muyun spent over one hundred thousand yuan on various items.

That's because most of the condiments she wanted were local brands, which are cheaper.

As for another important seasoning, sugar, Jiang Muyun had to withdraw some cash and buy it from different places along the way.

White sugar is considered a strategic commodity in China. When white sugar is mixed with potassium nitrate in a certain proportion, it produces a substance called KN-SU, which is potassium nitrate-sucrose.

Potassium nitrate-sucrose undergoes a chemical reaction when heated, releasing a large amount of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas. It is commonly used as a catalyst and combustion enhancer.

In ordinary households, purchasing a few catties or even several tens of catties of sugar is not a problem. However, if someone were to stockpile large quantities without a legitimate reason, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of the authorities and prompt government officials to investigate the situation.

After finalizing the delivery time with the shop owner, it was already lunchtime.

Jiang Muyun walked on the road and could smell the aroma of food coming from all directions.

Jiang Muyun rubbed her stomach. From yesterday until now, she has only eaten one bowl of instant noodles.

Having survived for ten years in the apocalypse, Jiang Muyun had long become numb to the feeling of hunger. Her stomach had been empty for so long that sometimes she couldn't even tell if she was truly hungry or simply had a stomachache.

I can't continue like this in this lifetime. I've been so lucky; I need to live a good life, Jiang Muyun thought to herself.

Jiang Muyun saw the small restaurant that yesterday’s auntie recommended not far ahead and decided to indulge herself by having a hearty meal to celebrate her future blessings!

What a variety of dishes! There’s steamed pork with rice noodles, a trio of cured meats, and braised pork.

According to Auntie, their steamed rice flower fish is a must-try specialty. She definitely can't miss that. And let's also add a plate of sizzling prawns.

Let's not forget the classic Chinese dish, tomato and scrambled eggs, as well as some shredded potatoes. And for the final touch, a plate of fresh and tender stir-fried vegetables!

Her stomach was still healthy enough to handle occasional indulgences.

As Jiang Muyun ate three bowls of rice, leaving the restaurant owner in disbelief, she finally leaned back in her chair, gently patting her belly. She took a sip of water and realized she had indulged herself to the point of feeling so full that she could barely walk.

I haven't felt this full in a long time.

Auntie has incredible taste! The food at this restaurant is so delicious that she wishes she could devour the plates too.

After satisfying her appetite, Jiang Muyun requested the remaining dishes be packed. Watching the skilled packaging by the waitress, she had a sudden thought and asked, "Sister, do you offer food delivery service here? I would like to order a large quantity."

The waiter immediately responded without needing to consult the owner, "Yes, we offer delivery service in this area. Is it for coworkers? Should we pack them separately as boxed meals or together? If packed separately, it will be discounted by fifty meals, and if packed together, it will be discounted by twenty meals. Rice is free of charge."

Without any hesitation, Jiang Muyun replied, "Pack them together. Include fifty portions of the dishes on the table, and also provide ten portions for each of the other dishes."

Though 2.8 million seems like a significant amount, it can be spent quickly. Of course, it's wise to save wherever possible.

The waiter was a bit surprised this time. "Oh, so much?"

In their area, they had many warehouses, but they were all relatively small. Most of the people who rented them were small business owners who used them as temporary transit points and didn't store a large amount of goods. However, considering the quantity that Jiang Muyun had purchased, it would require at least seventy to eighty workers to unload the goods, wouldn't it?

Jiang Muyun smiled and replied, "Not just the warehouses here. These are mainly for the neighboring county's large warehouse. I heard that your restaurant serves delicious food, so I came here specifically for that today."

The small restaurant wasn't large, and Jiang Muyun didn't intentionally lower her voice. The owner's wife behind the cash register heard her words and burst into laughter, unable to close her mouth. She shouted loudly, "That's right! Our cooking is famous! Come back if you enjoy the food!"

That evening, Jiang Muyun received a substantial amount of food, with truly impressive portions. The food couldn't fit in the small restaurant's van, so they borrowed a vehicle from the neighboring shop to transport it all together.

After enjoying a satisfying meal and taking a detour, Jiang Muyun arrived at the small convenience store she had visited yesterday.

The store was still managed by the same auntie as yesterday, and as soon as she saw Jiang Muyun, she warmly greeted her.

Jiang Muyun quickly stepped into the store, wasting no time, and immediately asked for two packs of the most expensive Soft Chunghwa cigarettes they had. Auntie smiled broadly, revealing her teeth in delight.

After paying for the cigarettes, Jiang Muyun casually asked, "Auntie, if I want to buy some local rice and flour, do you know where I can go?"

Auntie instinctively replied, "You can go to the wholesale market on the east side. They have everything you need, and we often go there."

Jiang Muyun feigned interest and asked, "Auntie, do you know which store has good-quality rice and flour? I'm not familiar with it, and I'm afraid of making the wrong choice."

Auntie smiled and said, "I'm not sure about that. We are all villagers here, and most of us grow our own rice and make our own noodles. Not many people go out to buy them. How much do you need?"

Jiang Muyun made a quick estimation in her mind. If she calculates based on an average adult consuming half a catty of rice per day, it would amount to nearly 200 catties of rice per year. If she wanted to stock up for herself for fifty years, she would need at least five tons of rice.

Jiang Muyun said, "I would need at least ten tons of rice and flour. I'll also need to buy more cooking oil."

That's not a small amount for a single farmer.

Auntie mentally calculated this year's harvest from her own fields. She set aside a fixed amount for her own consumption and to sell to the grain station. She also wanted to reserve a portion to sell to the local grocery store. After all, it was a longstanding tradition in the village. Occasionally selling to outsiders to make some extra money was acceptable, but she didn't want to jeopardize the relationship and trust among the villagers.

After a brief pause and confirming that her own grain supply was sufficient, Auntie cleared her throat and said, "If you want to buy rice and flour, you don't really need to go to the store."

Jiang Muyun also smiled and played along, lowering her voice as well. "What do you mean by that?" 

Auntie explained, "The rice and flour in the stores are actually sourced from the surrounding villages. They just put a label on them and package them in bags, and the prices skyrocket."

Jiang Muyun readily handed a banknote to Auntie and took two bottles of mineral water from the refrigerator. She opened one and handed it to Auntie. "Auntie, why don't you tell me how I can buy the rice and flour directly?"

The small change wasn't the main point; it was Jiang Muyun's attitude that made Auntie feel relieved and appreciated. Auntie immediately patted her chest and said, "If you trust me, go to the Huimin Processing Factory in the south. The grains collected from our village are directly processed there. They have rice, flour, oil—everything made from this year's fresh harvest. Just mention that Auntie Feng Cui sent you."

After whispering and negotiating the price for a while, both of them felt satisfied with the deal, and they exchanged knowing smiles.