The shop owner saw that Yu Xifeng had no intention to buy more and noticed Yu Xifeng’s interest in the medicinal herbs.

The owner said, “I won’t lie to you — these things are really hard to sell once collected. Even if you drop them on the ground, no one would pick them up.”

Yu Xifeng got an idea and planned to go back to collect those herbs.

Before going, he had Zhang Qiu check the herbs they had already bought.

The last batch of medicinal bath herbs Zhang Qiu had given him —
Yu Xifeng wasn’t sure if they had some effect on the body, but during his next menstrual period, the pain was significantly reduced.

Yu Xifeng thought the effect was good. If he could get some more and make a bigger batch, it would be even better.

Going out wasn’t difficult; just register, and you could go out.

You could choose to follow the rescue team, or go out on your own.

However, the latter was less safe.

If you found something and brought it back, it was also easy to be robbed.

Yu Xifeng looked around again and saw some stalls selling sunscreen clothes, sunscreen lotion, and some secondhand bags — but nobody was interested in those stalls.

At the Contribution Point center, Yu Xifeng had seen that sunscreen lotion could be exchanged for contribution points.

Maybe that was partly thanks to the note she had given Wang Anmin.

That person probably wasn’t satisfied with the prices at the Contribution Point center and wanted to find private buyers to get a higher price.

Sunscreen clothes, sunscreen lotion, and the like could be saved for later to sell for a sky-high price.

Yu Xifeng already had those things herself.

She didn’t remind anyone or buy anything, and just walked past without looking away.

Truly scarce goods — like fuel, food, warm clothes and blankets, medicine — never made it to this market.

As long as there were supplies, it was never hard to find buyers.

Yu Xifeng saw a lavender-purple jade bracelet.

Very beautiful, clear in color, full of charm.

Many people didn’t buy it but would glance at it a few more times.

The seller wanted 50 pieces of insect powder cake.

People gathered around, some admiring, some laughing at the seller as if she was dreaming.

For most people, a bracelet like this was no different from sunscreen clothes right now.

At least sunscreen clothes could be worn.

With permission, Yu Xifeng picked it up to examine; the bracelet was real and the space reacted.

Yu Xifeng bought it for seven compressed biscuits.

When paying, the young girl’s eyes turned red, and she immediately began packing, running off as if her butt was on fire.

She feared staying one more second would attract attention.

With those seven compressed biscuits, she didn’t have to follow the rescue team anymore.

Yu Xifeng pocketed the bracelet, seemingly unaware of the lingering gazes on her or the people tailing behind.

There was a stall selling glass cups.

They were the kind of things that seemed somewhat useful but mostly not.

What made Yu Xifeng stop was the pottery bowl the stall owner was using to eat.

Yu Xifeng confirmed it — the space reacted to that bowl.

Business at the stall wasn’t good.

The glass cups were displayed, and the owner looked around with boredom.

Yu Xifeng looked down and casually picked two cups.

“How much?” Yu Xifeng asked.

The owner smiled broadly, “Just give me an entrance fee — at least today’s trip won’t be in vain.”

Fifty grams of food.

The price wasn’t high.

Yu Xifeng looked at two cups with patterns, and the owner eagerly introduced them.

Yu Xifeng paid.

After buying the glass cups, Yu Xifeng looked at the bowl the owner had casually put down, “How much for this?”

“Ah, that one? I use that myself.”

Yu Xifeng said, “Looks pretty interesting. My dad bought me one similar before. He’s been gone many years now. I want to keep one for memory.”

The owner nodded, “Sure, I’ll sell it. This bowl is sturdy. Maybe you can give me 80 grams, something reasonable.”

The pottery bowl felt very rough. Yu Xifeng touched it, puzzled. It looked like an ordinary broken bowl.

Her face showed no expression, as if she was just casually mentioning it and topping up the price.

Yu Xifeng couldn’t figure out anything special about the bowl herself. It looked gray and dusty, with a layer of grime on the bottom that obscured its base color.

The rim was scratched.

But compared to the expensive lavender jade bracelet she had just bought,

the space preferred this broken bowl more.

After finishing the market, Yu Xifeng also bought a jade Buddha.

Altogether, she had bought quite a few things.

A whole cabinet of herbs packed into a big bag, a few glass cups, a pottery bowl that reacted to the space, a jade Buddha, and that most expensive lavender jade bracelet.

The bag was full.

Yu Xifeng packed everything and left the market, glancing back at the people tailing her.

They were surprisingly patient.

Yu Xifeng touched her own face.

Was it because she looked too young?

She had bought all these seemingly useless things, practically a walking fat sheep,

with “stupid” and “rich” written on her face.

Yu Xifeng was in no hurry, walking slowly forward.

These people actually openly followed her into Zone 2.

Did they have acquaintances there, or collusion with those above?

The question flashed in Yu Xifeng’s mind. She hesitated a moment whether to settle it on the spot or shake them off.

In the end, because she had too many things, she didn’t want to openly stuff them into the space.

If they got broken in a fight, she would be heartbroken.

Especially that bracelet—

She had spent a huge sum to buy it.

Yu Xifeng ran around Zone 3, shaking off those people, then carried the herbs to find Zhang Qiu.

Zhang Qiu spread out the things Yu Xifeng brought out.

“This is grass, this is dried grass, this is grass killed by frost… Why did you bring back these? They smell so strong even for firewood.”

Yu Xifeng was speechless.

She got up and left.

If she went to the market now, she could probably hold that owner down and give him a beating.

“Hey, hey, just joking.” Zhang Qiu smiled, shrinking her neck under Yu Xifeng’s unfriendly gaze.

“There are still some usable ones — honeysuckle, wild chrysanthemum, jingjie, baiying. Next time you buy this kind, you better take me with you. Some weren’t stored well and lost their medicinal properties.”

Yu Xifeng asked, “Can you still make that medicinal pack from last time?”

Zhang Qiu shook her head, “The herbs are too different. What I gave you last time was the last batch.”

Yu Xifeng said nothing.

There would always be a way.

After training martial arts in the afternoon, she went home.

Zhang Qiu sent her two tea bags, “The medicinal bath isn’t enough, just drink these two doses instead.”

When Yu Xifeng got back to her room, she could hear a fierce argument through two doors from Deng Feiyu’s house.

The whole family was shouting curses, almost tearing the roof off.

Deng Feiyu left early every day and came home late, getting thinner day by day, with many frostbites on his hands.

They were red and swollen.

Deng Mifen had lost her own mother and felt guilty toward her only younger brother.

She cried every day out of heartbreak.

She felt she owed her mother and wanted to make up for Deng Feiyu with anything good.

Her husband thought differently.

They had paid a lot and used all kinds of connections just to buy back Deng Feiyu.

Deng Mifen’s husband, Zhang Taoming, felt they had done their best.

His brother-in-law came home every day pulling a long face, eating so much of their food — it really pushed him to his limit.