Yun Zhen glanced at the bookshelf, ensuring the little people inside were still engrossed in their meal and nothing seemed amiss, then decided to head out to the supermarket.

Pei Hao’s departure was inevitable, and as of now, she hadn’t unlocked the map beyond the city. Knowing the day of parting was not far off, she wanted to buy some supplies to send with them.

After all, Pei Hao was the first first little human she had rescued from the Lilliput world, and they had developed good friendship.

Yun Zhen hoped that she would see him again in the future and that he wouldn’t perish in the harsh and disaster-stricken apocalypse.

After finishing the meal, Pet Hao’s brother, Pei Yan, sat quietly, listening to the others chat with a calm expression. Suddenly, he felt a sense of unease and looked up to see that dark clouds were gathering again above Yulong Mountain.

According to Fusu, this meant the deity was temporarily away.

When divine power couldn’t reach them, a downpour would soon follow.

With this in mind, he instructed everyone to move the leftover food inside and pulled Pei Hao aside to inquire about the deity.

Pei Hao was smart and quickly understood his brother’s concerns after a few questions.

He had once entertained various suspicions, but over time, those doubts had dissipated.

However, no matter how much he explained, some things could only be understood through experience.

Pei Hao shared his observations and analyses with his brother, explaining the limitations of the goddess’s power, how she often used ordinary methods to solve problems, her lack of interest in temple statues and offerings, and her peculiar fascination with everyday items…

The more Pei Yan listened, the more surprised he became, gradually crossing off the possibilities of her being a higher-dimensional being or an alien.

Both of these would imply a more advanced civilization and technology, making it unlikely she would be interested in their mundane items.

But if they were to conclude that she was indeed a deity, why would she be uninterested in temples, statues, and offerings?

Could it be that the deities of the world had other ways of sustaining themselves, not as reliant on incense and offerings as humans imagined?

Gao Yun, who was standing nearby, openly listening in while munching on food, suddenly had an epiphany:

“Maybe she’s actually a powerful cultivator? The kind who cultivates virtue and ascends to immortality through good deeds?”

The Pei brothers shot him a look of exasperation, surprised that he was still hung up on the idea of cultivation.

Pei Hao, however, directly refuted the idea with evidence: “If she truly needed merit, she wouldn’t just be looking after me. There were other residents around when we were setting up the base station, and while the goddess provided them with supplies, she never showed any further interest.”

The brothers continued their discussion, but Gao Yun wasn’t ready to give up on his theory. He decided he needed to observe more and, when the time was right, conduct a little experiment.

Humans are creatures who, when life becomes too comfortable, start to play around.

Gao Yun had always been blessed with good fortune, smoothly sailing through life with little to worry about. His only hobby was reading cultivation novels, daydreaming about one day becoming a cultivator and exploring a world beyond the mundane.

When the large-scale natural disasters hit, many people began calling it the apocalypse. At that time, he wondered if it might lead to the resurgence of spiritual energy or even the emergence of superpowers.

But after nearly a month, nothing of the sort had happened; people were simply struggling to survive the disasters in an ordinary way.

He had almost given up hope, only to encounter something truly supernatural here.

Rubbing his chin, Gao Yun suddenly felt a strong urge to explore further.

---

Yun Zhen returned from a massive shopping spree at the supermarket, bringing back a pile of grains, oils, seasonings, and packaged foods.

She placed a small portion in the bottom drawer of the bookshelf and stored the rest in the kitchen and fridge of the dowry house.

When she returned to the bookshelf, she saw that it was raining again over Yulong Mountain in the Little People’s World.

She reached in and stirred the rain until the clouds dispersed, and the rain stopped.

The little people inside the villa quickly noticed the change outside and went out into the courtyard when the rain stopped.

Pei Hao waved up at the sky, calling out happily, “Goddess, my big brother has offerings for you!”

Pei Yan then stepped forward, holding a gray suitcase, while Gao Yun pushed a box as tall as his thigh.

“Thank you for the food you’ve provided and for taking care of Pei Hao during this time. We don’t have much to offer, but we do have a brand-new, ownerless smart bracelet and a brand-new high-end suitcase. We present them to you as offerings.”

Yun Zhen looked at them in surprise.

She was about to say they didn’t need to offer anything, but then she remembered the zoom feature that might come with the system’s upgrade.

Actually, she was quite tempted by these two items. Even if they didn’t come with a compatible communication base, they would still be fun to play with.

Yun Zhen sent down a small tray, and the two men placed their “offerings” onto it.

The tray smoothly left the bookshelf and delivered the items right into her hands.

So tiny!

They were so small that she couldn’t even read the words on them.

She could only vaguely sense the exquisite and intact packaging of the items.

Previously, the gold box was something she’d taken from the bandits, but this was the first time she’d received a gift from the little people.

Big Brother Pei was quite considerate, knowing exactly what she liked.

Returning kindness with kindness was her style, especially when she had intended to help them all along.

“Thank you. I really like the offerings. If there’s anything you need, feel free to ask.”

The Pei brothers exchanged a glance, hesitating whether to take advantage of the situation.

Gao Yun, however, had no such reservations. He pulled out three long, flat gold bars, smiling as he asked:

“Could we exchange these for some supplies? Grains, oils, instant food, anything really, and some purified water! The Pei family is responsible for over a hundred people, and since the apocalypse, we’ve been supporting nearly a thousand employees. Our stockpile is depleting quickly.”

“These three gold bars are my offerings to you, and I hope the goddess will accept them.”

Gao Yun had carefully thought out this request, considering every word.

They indeed needed supplies urgently, and after witnessing the goddess’s powers, they formed a plan.

Saying “give” was inappropriate; the goddess was kind and approachable, and they weren’t in a hierarchical relationship like that of an emperor and his subjects.

Saying “take” was greedy, making them seem like they only wanted to take without giving back. Such a relationship would eventually turn sour.

By saying “exchange” and offering some “offerings” in return, it mimicked the traditional relationship between gods and humans—mutual benefit through a fair trade, only replacing incense with other valuable items that the deity liked.

No matter the deity’s true nature or purpose, as long as they could get the supplies they needed, the Pei family wouldn’t lose out.

Yun Zhen was thrilled.

The Pei family was indeed formidable, with even their bodyguards being exceptional.

She had initially thought that binding to this system meant she would always be on the giving end.

But now, she saw a new possibility—a mutually beneficial relationship that went beyond her expectations.

It was essentially a disguised dimensional transaction.

Yun Zhen smiled with delight and readily agreed, “Alright, however much you can carry, I’ll ‘exchange’ for you. Plenty for everyone, and fair trading!”