The oranges had smooth skins with a reddish hue. A thin layer of peel locked in the juices, and you could smell the fresh citrus aroma from a distance. 

A woman in her sixties was also shopping today. Her eyes were bright, and she looked energetic and full of life. 

Before the apocalypse, she had been an excellent cook, especially skilled at picking fruits and vegetables. She picked up an orange and began sharing tips with the nearby customers. 

“When it comes to oranges, remember: weigh, look, and press.” 

“First, weigh it. Among oranges of similar size, the heavier one usually has more juice and tastes sweeter.” 

“Second, look. If the skin is smooth and slightly red, and the stem is still green, that’s a fresh orange.” 

“Third, press. The thinner the skin and the more elastic it feels when pressed, the juicier it is inside.” 

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but grab around ten oranges and put them into her bag. 

“Oranges this good? Tsk tsk… Even before the apocalypse, they were hard to come by!” 

The surrounding customers swarmed in, quickly clearing out the entire shelf of oranges. 

In the wasteland, foods that provide vitamins are rare. Most people suffer from various minor ailments—night blindness, anemia, and in serious cases, even sepsis. 

Once bacteria get into the bloodstream, it causes a full-body infection. Many people didn’t survive the high fevers that followed. 

Now, with the Oasis Supermarket, there was a wide variety of fruits at reasonably affordable prices. Most families could afford to take home a couple of apples after a few days of work, even if strawberries and grapes were out of reach. 

Every section of the supermarket had people browsing. Small groups gathered around different shelves, smiling as they picked out what they needed, occasionally laughing and chatting. 

“Old Liu! You’re here shopping too?” 

“Yeah, they’ve got flour here. I’ll take some home and get my wife to make flatbread.” 

“Ha! That’s a treat! I live alone, so I’m just grabbing some ready-to-eat food—just enough to fill me up!” 

In the household goods section, a confused explorer scratched his head, unsure what to pick. 

“If I want to take a bath… uh… what should I use?” 

Fortunately, labels with names and usage instructions were posted next to the products. He eventually found some soap and glycerin, grabbed two towels, and walked away. 

The supermarket walls had noise-reduction treatment, so even with the crowd, it never felt too loud. 

Wen Yu stood at a table preparing prizes for the customers. Looking at the long line behind the self-checkout machines, she felt deeply satisfied. 

After paying, no one left right away. Everyone gathered around the prize table, watching the draw. Even if someone only got a consolation prize, the crowd would still go “Wow!” in admiration. 

The emotional experience was at its peak. 

Someone won a food voucher, happily added a bit of money, and bought a fried pork cutlet to munch on while watching the fun. 

The delicious aroma spread, prompting others to grab a bite, too. 

A shy little girl with a ponytail was gently nudged forward by her mom. 

She blushed and turned back to her mother for help. “Ughhh… I never have good luck.” 

Her mom patted her on the shoulder and encouraged her, “It’s okay, Nan Nan. No matter what you get, it’s yours.” 

Wen Yu smiled and also reassured her, “At worst, you’ll still get a piece of milk candy~” 

The little girl took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and randomly picked a card. 

Wen Yu leaned in for a closer look. First prize! A box of basic medical supplies. She smiled, then bent down to hand it to the girl. 

“Wow, you got first prize! Here’s your box of basic medicine. Take good care of it~” 

“Thank you, Miss!” 

The little girl’s eyes sparkled with joy as she took the box. She and her mom cheered and walked off with their purchases. 

The crowd followed their emotional exchange with interest, ending in a wave of envy. 

There were still three first prizes left. Hopeful and excited, more people eagerly joined the raffle. 

In just one afternoon, the supermarket welcomed 29 customers. 

As the heat of noon set in, all twenty-nine had finished their prize draws. Some had left with their purchases, while others lingered, waiting to see the next round of excitement. 

Wen Yu restocked sandwiches and oranges, brewed herself a cup of floral tea, and took a short break. 

✧✧✧ 

In the middle of the dusty wasteland, a hunched father carried his young son on his back, wandering aimlessly. 

There wasn’t a single silver coin left at home—no food, no water. 

After years of unprotected outdoor labor, his mutation level had long surpassed the safety limit. Even though he had been hiding inside the central base, he was now about to reach 60. 

But there was no choice. These were the only kinds of jobs that paid enough to afford treatment. 

Maybe that was why the child’s mother, upon seeing him like this, chose to end her own life. 

The sun beat down directly, making his scalp ache, yet he felt as if he were trapped in a bottomless, dark pit, with no light in sight. 

“Father, where’s Mother?” 

The child was tough. No crying, no fussing. He just curled up quietly, trying to feel a little better. 

He thought about the mutation reading before they left: he was about to cross the 60 mark, and even the child’s level had reached 45. 

A four-year-old child, with no parents, no supplies—even if he were left at the base, the best outcome would be being taken away to become a life-risking laborer. 

Actually, that might even be too optimistic. Who would be kind enough to feed and raise a kid like that first? 

He adjusted the child on his back and rasped out a dry whisper. 

“We’re almost there. Just up ahead.” 

If possible, he only hoped the child could go before him, so he wouldn’t have to witness his father’s death. 

They had been trekking through the desert for a long time, seeing things never found inside the central base: cacti that spat thorns, six-meter-tall grasses, and mutated animals that couldn’t even be bothered to attack them. 

The father’s steps grew heavier, and he could feel the child’s breathing growing weaker. 

“Sleep, child. Mother is just ahead.” 

The man lowered his head; his eyes filled with unshakable sorrow. 

Suddenly, sunlight reflected sharply into his eyes. 

He blinked and looked up, spotting a two-story building. 

A green building, completely out of place in the yellow desert. Bright. Dazzling. Even more radiant than the sun itself. 

It was the color of life. 

They had reached the back of the building. The man, unfamiliar with anything outside the base, didn’t know if this was a monster’s lair or not. He just followed his instincts, circled around to the front, and pushed the door open. 

“Welcome to Oasis Supermarket~” 

A cheerful voice startled the child awake. The boy coughed twice, rubbed his eyes, and looked around. 

“Father, is this heaven…” 

Unconsciously, the man stepped inside. Looking at the clean walls and the shelves filled with colorful goods, he gradually realized—these weren’t things that should still exist in a wasteland. 

His rubber boots were worn through at the bottom, leaving several footprints on the spotless floor. 

The supermarket’s comfortable temperature soothed his cracked skin from overexposure. Seeing the neatly dressed customers, he suddenly became painfully aware of his poverty and felt ashamed. 

“This isn’t the place for us. Let’s go.” 

He turned to leave with the child on his back when a gentle voice suddenly called out from behind: 

“Please wait!” 

He froze. 

✧✧✧ 

Wen Yu glanced at the father and son standing by the door. The man looked painfully thin, his clothes torn and ragged. The child on his back was so small and curled up he was barely visible. 

“Congratulations! As the 30th customer to enter the supermarket, you’ve won a free lottery draw~” 

The man turned around, his lips trembling slightly, and uttered a sentence. 

“I… I’m not a customer… I have no money.” 

Wen Yu looked at the frail pair and felt a twinge of sympathy. She beckoned them over and softened her tone as much as possible. 

“It’s alright. Anyone who comes in is a guest. Let the kid try his luck—maybe he’ll win some candy.” 

The other shoppers, who’d been standing around watching, chimed in cheerfully. 

“Go on, give it a try. It doesn’t cost any silver coins anyway, so why not?” 

Some hadn’t paid close attention to the sign and were still a little confused. 

“Hey, how come he can enter the lottery without buying anything?” 

“Look, there’s a line here that says the 30th person entering the store can draw for free.” 

“Wow, the owner really is kind-hearted.” 

The middle-aged man lived in a makeshift shelter area and was used to the coldness of the world. Suddenly facing so much kindness, he was a bit overwhelmed. 

He didn’t dare look at the products on the shelves. Instead, he stepped forward, rubbed the dirt on his hands, and carefully took out a card, placing it on the table. 

The sharp-eyed customers around immediately exclaimed, 

“Grand prize!! Boss!! It’s the grand prize!!!” 

The store suddenly became lively. People looked at the ragged father and son with surprise. The middle-aged man had no idea what the grand prize was and stood awkwardly. 

The little boy was afraid of people and hid on his father’s back without making a sound. Wen Yu glanced at the card in surprise and smiled. 

“The grand prize is a five-jin hamburger, plus 500 silver coins worth of daily necessities. You’re very lucky!” 

Hamburger, 500 silver coins, daily necessities. 

These words struck the man’s mind like a hammer. He felt dizzy and didn’t know where to put his hands or feet. 

The little boy was the first to react, whispering in his father’s ear, 

“Father, I think we won.” 

The crowd around them was more excited than they were. One friendly customers pointed to the light-up display in the deli section showing a glowing image of the burger. 

“Look, this is the shop owner’s exclusive homemade hamburger—something even the central base doesn’t have!” 

“Here’s a secret: eating this food can reduce mutation levels!” 

Only then did the man realize what had happened. Blood rushed to his head. He trembled as he thanked and asked the store owner to confirm. 

“But… but I don’t have a single silver coin…” 

Wen Yu was already planning to get a hamburger while it was quiet and nodded seriously. 

“The lottery draw is free. Once you draw, the prize is yours!” 

Joy overwhelmed him, wrapping him tightly. He lifted the child high and muttered broken phrases through tears that poured out uncontrollably. 

“We won… we can live now.” 

The onlookers, seeing this, roughly understood what kind of family this was and felt some sadness in their hearts. 

Someone comforted them. 

“And you still get 500 silver coins worth of supplies. With these, the child will surely live well.” 

The middle-aged man didn’t know what to say and could only nod continuously through tears. 

Before long, Wen Yu came out carrying the huge hamburger and placed it heavily on an empty table. She peeked out from behind the fragrant, enormous hamburger and smiled as she reminded them, 

“If you’ve been hungry for a long time, don’t eat too much at once. You can store some here.” 

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